Summer Premierbowl Roundup

A busy 4th of July weekend meant I didn't have time to write any more standalone reaction posts, so here's the digest version of my impressions thus far. There's a few shows that have yet to air, but the bulk of premierbowl is over and it's shaping up to be a pretty good season all around. I'm definitely going to try to keep writing stand alone posts for Gangsta., but since I'm still new to this I'm not sure how many more shows I'll do that for.

Rampo Kitan: Game of Laplace - First Impressions

I’ll admit that normally I wouldn’t bother with a show like Ranpo Kitan. I’ve got a short attention span when it comes to anime and mysteries tend to bore me, but I was intrigued by the literary connection from this show, which is based on the works of Japanese mystery writer Ranpo Edogawa (1894-1965). I’m not at all familiar with Ranpo, but the 20^th century is a bit of a blank space for anime and it’s interesting to see the works of an author from that period getting an adaptation (Though given the use of laptops and cell phones in this first episode, the setting seems to have been updated to a more modern period.). The only question is whether Ranpo Kitan can hold my interest with more than just its background.

Gangsta. - First Impressions

Gritty, underworld drama anime are a rare breed that seem to get even rarer with each passing season. I can’t speak for Japanese market tastes—I’m just picking at shows that filter in over here—and can’t say if it’s a profitability angle or a timeslot one that makes them tough to produce. In some ways, the sparse playing field in this genre (Black Lagoon and Jormungand being the only two of their kind I can name off the top of my head) is a blessing rather than a curse, since it makes it easier to enjoy such shows regardless of overall quality. Fortunately, Gangsta.’s premier is overflowing with both quality and potential.