Welcome to Anime Rants. For Summer 2023, I will be watching nine series and writing episode reviews for them. However, the episode reviews won’t be every week, as that’s a bit much for me to keep up with. Instead, I’ll post episode reviews once every 2 to 3 weeks. The following series are the ones I have chosen. Since they have all started airing already, I’ll include a few thoughts about my first impressions, too.

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1) Zom 100 – Bucket List of the Dead

New Episode Released: Sundays

Episode Reviews Schedule: Once every two weeks

Preliminary Score: 8/10

First Impressions: I very much enjoyed the first episode. The animation is very fluid and I love the bright colors and paint splotches once Akira’s monochrome life finally changed. I also appreciated the “carpe diem” theme, which will continue to define this character. My only fear is that the show will become too trashy and be a repeat of Highschool of The Dead, which is one of my least favorite anime series. I’ll hold out hope that Zom 100 will be a lot better for me!

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2) Mononogatari – Malevolent Spirits Season 2

New Episodes Released: Mondays

Episode Review Schedule: Once every 3 weeks

Preliminary Score: 6/10

First Impressions: Despite general low quality of the visuals and writing, I had a pretty decent time watching the first two episodes of the new season. After watching the first season, I sort of became invested the characters. The female characters especially are appealing to me and have great designs, too. The male protagonist Hyoma is also interesting and very amusing sometimes. Finally, I enjoy the bits of mythology we learn in this show. I’ll probably enjoy this season more than it really deserves.

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3) Bungo Stray Dogs 5

New Episodes Released: Wednesdays

Episode Review Schedule: Once every 2 weeks

Preliminary Score: 8/10

Thoughts on Episode 1: The pilot episode for the new season wasn’t the most amazing installment, since there wasn’t a lot of action. That being said, I liked how it showed us that our beloved characters are safe and sound. It was great to see Ranpo making a comeback. I look forward to another exciting season!

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4) Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts

New Episodes Released: Wednesdays

Episode Review Schedule: Once every 3 weeks

Preliminary Score: 8/10

First Impressions: Not applicable. This is a continuing anime that started in April 2023. The series will be a total of 24 episodes. The first 12 episodes were great. This is a cute, sweet, and sappy romance shoujo anime with furry undertones. I love it!

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5) Undead Murder Farce

New Episodes Released: Wednesdays

Episode Review Schedule: Once every 3 weeks

Preliminary Score: 7/10

First Impressions: I didn’t expect much going into this anime, but the first episode was genuinely good. It wasn’t like Zom 100 level of good, but it was enjoyable and interesting. I really like our two main characters, Tsugaru the half-Oni and Aya the detached head of an immortal girl. Their dynamic is pretty great in the second episode too, so I’m hopeful this will continue to be entertaining.

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6) The Devil is a Part-timer! Season 2

New Episodes Released: Thursdays

Episode Review Schedule: Once every 3 weeks

Preliminary Score: 6/10

First Impressions: The first episode was more entertaining than I was expecting. Despite its negative reception in 2021, I enjoyed The Devil is a Part-Timer season 2 part 1. So why not finish it up and watch part 2? I like these characters, especially Emi, Suzuno, and Urushihara. I also really love the art style and bright colors.

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7) Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2

New Episodes Released: Thursdays

Episode Review Schedule: Once every 3 weeks

Preliminary Score: 9/10

First Impressions: The first episode was really good! I had already heard that season 2 would be about young Gojo, which sort of ruined the surprise, but I don’t mind. I finally watched the first season of this anime last week, and enjoyed it a lot. Gojo is a very interesting character, so I’m perfectly happy to see some time spent on him and his fellow young sorcerers. The animation quality for the first episode was great, and the story premise is interesting. I’m excited for more!

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8) The Gene of AI

New Episodes Released: Fridays

Episode Review Schedule: Once every 2 weeks

Preliminary Score: 8/10

First Impressions: The first episode was moderately interesting but somewhat underwhelming to me. On the other hand, the second episode was awesome. Not only were the discussions more interesting, but in addition, a nonbinary character was introduced. Their name is Kaoru. This anime seems like a keeper for me!

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9) Horimiya: The Missing Pieces

New Episodes Released: Saturdays

Episode Review Schedule: Once every 3 weeks

Preliminary Score: 7/10

First Impressions: While the first few episodes weren’t nearly as good as those from the previous season, I am still enjoying this anime so far. I love all the sweet, cute moments and the gentle, calm atmosphere. That being said, there seem to be more jokes and humor this season. It’s still pretty chill, though.

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Thank you for reading~