The 2017 Summer Anime Season started off strongly, with quite a number of shows that have gained my interest instantly; and quite a number that seem interesting enough to keep watching. So with the number of new releases dying down, I think that this would be the optimal time to get my first impressions of it out.

As usual, my goal with these kinds of posts are to introduce to you some of the shows that I will be watching this season – for those of you who don’t have time to check all of the premiers out. Moreover, I will be explaining what’s to be expected out of these shows and why I like them in the first place, in order help you decide whether or not to check them out.

This selection was made after viewing, and dropping, around a dozen or so newly released shows. So without further ado, these are the ones that stood out to me.

Ballroom e Youkoso

Source: Manga

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A professional dancer named Sengoku rescues Tatara, an introverted third-year middle school student who is being harassed by delinquents. Tatara ends up at Sengoku’s dance studio where he meets Shizuku Hanaoka, a schoolmate he comes to secretly idolize. From this defining moment when Tatara enters the world of dance. Sengoku is a free-spirited, dynamic international dancer who recognizes Tatara’s potential and begins to coach him. Through dance, Tatara meets another schoolmate, a dance prodigy named Kiyoharu. Through these new friendships, Tatara develops a passionate desire to improve as a dancer and be accepted by his peers and rivals, which nurtures his own native talent. And through interaction with Tatara, other dance members are encouraged to take steps to overcome their own challenges and issues.

Along with Kakegurui, this show probably had the strongest premier this season. The artwork is sharp and expressive while still retaining a very human, and down-to earth feeling; and the characters and story do seem to have a lot of potential. Given, the underdog story has been re-told countless amounts of times before and may be considered overused by some. However, it is still effective (from a storytelling perspective) to get the viewer automatically invested in a character, and is up to the rest of the show to build upon that investment. With Ballroom e Youkoso – I have the confidence that it will do so beautifully.

Isekai Shokudou

Source: Light Novel

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At the bottom floor of the building with a dog signboard, in the shopping district near the office street, there lies a cafeteria called “Youshoku no Nekoya,” that has an illustration of a cat on the door. It’s been open for fifty years and has satisfied various salarymen from nearby offices. Despite it being called a Western cuisine cafeteria, it also provides other varieties of menus. For the people of this certain world, it’s their one-and-only special cafeteria.

There is, however, one secret to “Nekoya.” The cafeteria is closed to the public every Saturday in order to make way for special guests. When a bell rings, customers from different places of birth and races appear who ask for mysterious and delicious dishes. They are actually the same dishes served to the salarymen, but these special guests find them to be more exotic than to what they are used to. As the cafeteria aims to serve masterpieces, it is usually referred as “Isekai Shokudou.”

This anime is a food anime at heart, but what makes it stand out is the little “twist” of having different entities, from different walks of life taste the delicious food prepared every week. There is just this light-hearted delight from watching other life forms gobble down a scrumptious looking plate of human food. Along with that, we are treated to their backstories, personality, and how they got to the restaurant in the first place.

If you are looking for something episodic and easily digestible to watch, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up this anime.

Kakegurui

Source: Manga

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Hyakkaou Private Academy. An institution for the privileged with a very peculiar curriculum. You see, when you’re the sons and daughters of the wealthiest of the wealthy, it’s not athletic prowess or book smarts that keep you ahead. It’s reading your opponent, the art of the deal. What better way to hone those skills than with a rigorous curriculum of gambling? At Hyakkaou Private Academy, the winners live like kings, and the losers are put through the wringer. But when Yumeko Jabami enrolls, she’s gonna teach these kids what a high roller really looks like!

There was a lot of hype coming from the manga community even before this anime aired, so I just had to check and see what all the hype was for. And thank god I did, because this anime certainly justifies the excitement people had for it.

I would recommend this anime to others as a “more condensed and refined version of No Game No Life” as it is able to instil immense amounts of tension, excitement and border-line fear into the viewer in each and every gambling scene. This anime may not be for fans of the more light-hearted genres, since it tends to try and invoke extreme emotions in the viewer through almost devil-like facial expressions the characters often put on, and the growing steaks each time the main character gambles. I am assuming that that the series will have an episodic format of storytelling – with new opponents each and every week, which is awesome, because that means more gambling; and gambling is what this anime excels at.

Watch the OP, and if you don’t like the show by then, it is safe to say that you may as well just drop it. But if you loved the vibe from the OP – watch on! I know I will most certainly be doing so.

Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e

Source: Light Novel

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Koudo Ikusei Senior High School is a leading prestigious school with state-of-the-art facilities where nearly 100% of students go on to university or find employment. The students there have the freedom to wear any hairstyle and bring any personal effects they desire. Koudo Ikusei is a paradise-like school, but the truth is that only the most superior of students receive favorable treatment.

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka is a student of D-class, which is where the school dumps its “inferior” students in order to ridicule them. For a certain reason, Kiyotaka was careless on his entrance examination, and was put in D-class. After meeting Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyou, two other students in his class, Kiyotaka’s situation begins to change.

I am usually sceptical when it comes to light novel anime adaptations. Especially light novel anime adaptations that are set in high schools, and are solely about high school life. However, what sets this show apart from the multitude of similar ones is its premise. As a bunch of mismatched, lazy and even naughty students earn their pocket money each month based on the class’s performance as a whole. This is yet another underdog story of students whom have been placed in the lowest ranked class; but the characters are interesting and I enjoy how they play off one another, so I’ll be sticking around to see how the progress.

“Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e” translates to “Classroom Of The Elite” in English, and I am definitely excited to witness D-class’s transformation into that.