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With so much anime to watch and keep up with, viewers are pretty discerning about which series to put their time into. As a result, the first episode of a series is really important for hooking audiences immediately. Here are some of the most interesting, intriguing, and exciting pilot episodes that have come out this season.
10 Rumble Garanndoll
There are quite a few mecha anime coming out this season, and that makes it a bit hard for one to stand above the others. Rumble Garanndoll doesn’t have the most unique of premises, but it does have a few aspects to it that keep things fresh.
While it’s a little too early to tell, Rumble Garanndoll feels a lot like a parody of mecha anime. Its main conflict is based around an occupying force, similar to other mecha anime. However, the Garanndolls look more adorable than menacing, and the main gimmick of using passion and energy to power the Garanndolls pokes fun at the hot-blooded heroes of older super robot anime.
9 My Senpai Is Annoying
Not all anime have to be epic to be great. Sometimes a light-hearted, easy-going series is a breath of fresh air, and that’s just what My Senpai Is Annoying is. It’s an easy-going show about a young office worker named Igarashi and her overbearing, yet kind-hearted senior Takeda.
There’s no big drama here, no major conspiracy at work. It’s just about the daily life of salespeople in Japan as they go about their business. That might sound boring (and it kind of is), but plenty of folks can can use a low-intensity show to round out their day. There are enough action anime as it is, and this show is a nice change of pace.
8 The Heike Story
Japan has quite a rich history, which provides for a variety of subjects for historical anime to pull from. The Heike Story bases itself off The Tale of the Heike, a romanticized account of the struggle between the Taira clan and Minamoto clan for control of Japan.
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The Heike Story is not about that, however. It is about a little girl named Biwa, who is taken in by Taira Shigemori, heir to the Taira clan, after Taira clan enforcers cause her father’s death. The two of them bond over their hidden secret: their supernatural powers. This supernatural twist on a legendary Japanese tale offers a lot of intrigue, especially with its classically-influenced artstyle.
7 Ranking of Kings
Some anime defy their first impressions. A viewer could be forgiven for thinking that Ranking of Kings was merely a kid-friendly show about a dopey kid and his eccentric non-human friend.
However, hidden behind the childish, cartoony aesthetic lies a story that has more depth than can be seen at first glance. It is a story of a lonely child unable to properly communicate with the world around him or deal with their expectations, and the first friend he is ever able to make. Ranking of Kings is a perfect example of not judging a book by its cover.
6 Takt Op. Destiny
What would you do in a world without music? This is the question the people in the world of Takt Op. Destiny must confront, as playing even a sliver of music will attract the D2, mysterious monsters that leave only destruction in their wake.
However, while music attracts the D2, it can also be used by the music-empowered Musicarts (and their partners, the Conductors) to destroy them. The anime follows one such pair on an adventure filled with rich music and incredible animations. While the overall plot is a little unclear so far, the setting and the spectacle already make for quite the show.
5 Digimon Ghost Game
It’s been a while since there was an entirely new Digimon series. Ghost Game delivers one in a way that fans have yet to see: classic horror, with a focus on urban legends.
Of course, Digimon is ultimately more for kids than most anime, so it doesn’t go as hard on the horror aspects as it could. However, it’s definitely more hardcore than the usual Digimon series, and it’s an interesting direction for the franchise to take. With Digimon Survive also taking the franchise in a brand new direction, this series is coming out at just the right time.
4 Muteking The Dancing Hero
Oftentimes, anime can be criticized for being a bit too cookie-cutter. When a trend catches on, it’s an easy bet that a flood of shows trying to capitalize on it will be following right after.
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This is why it’s so refreshing when an anime like Muteking the Dancing Hero blasts onto the scene out of nowhere. With an aesthetic that is both retro and avant-garde, and a premise that is silly yet intriguing, this reboot of an old 80’s Tatsunoko series is one to keep an eye on.
3 The Vampire Dies In No Time
When the legendary vampire Draluc kidnaps a young boy from the local village, the great vampire hunter Ronaldo heads out to save him and put an end to the vampire terrorizing the area. Surprisingly, it turns out that the “great and powerful” vampire is neither great nor powerful, and he is not nearly the villain that everyone thinks he is.
This show’s first episode provides hilarious hijinks and comedic sequences that are simply a delight to watch. While the show may not be as emotionally resonant as some of the others on this list, it’s still an enjoyable ride with some of the most hilarious characters to come out this season.
2 Komi Can’t Communicate
The show’s premise is simple enough: a young boy meets a young girl on his first day at high school. He’s a normal boy and she’s the most popular girl in class, but somehow they manage to make a connection and become friends.
The twist? The “popular girl” is really just an awkward girl who can’t manage to speak a single word, and is misunderstood by everyone because of it. The revelation leads up to an extremely heartwarming scene and the start of what is sure to be one of the best shows this season.
1 Sakugan
At first, this episode seemed like a fairly standard introduction to what looked like a run-of-the-mill adventure anime. It had the hook of humans living underground in a massive labyrinth full of monsters, but not much else.
However, hiding under the surface is an emotional coming-of-age story, combined with the turmoil of a father not willing to let his daughter grow up too fast. Sakugan’s pilot episode is heartwarming, tragic, and exciting all rolled into one, enticing viewers to keep watching to see what happens next.
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