Protocol: Rain
Short summary (Anilist): The story revolves around Shun Tokinoya, a second-year high school student who lives with his mother and younger sister. After the death of his father in an accident and the injury of his sister, he gave up the game he was passionate about and is currently working at an esports cafe called “FOX ONE”. He spends all his time studying and working part-time while hanging out with his childhood gaming friends. Suddenly, he learned that “FOX ONE” had a huge debt. To repay his debt, Shun and his friends aim to win the “Xaxerion Championship” and win the prize money. Feeling guilty, Shun returns to the online gaming world and is confronted by Bakuretsu-kun, who once played the game with him.
I will say this for Protocol, as hell as the game looks, PS2 graphics and everything, this is one of the first “Video Game” anime I’ve seen that actually bothered to create a game that people can actually play. Like they designed the movement, the pose, the first person perspective. That is the CS 1.6 budget. And it describes machine repair/care? Not bad. Is that enough to sell/watch the entire show? Of course not. But it’s something I can respect and praise. Maybe, if we’re lucky, that will translate into a passion for eSports throughout Protocol’s operations. Sadly, that wasn’t enough to get me through a fairly basic “Hobby Trauma” story and one-note characters, plus weak production outside of the game. If you love eSports, try it to see if it’s right for you? However, I didn’t expect much from it.
Potential: first%
Butareba-The story of a man who turned into a pig-
Short summary (Anilist): An unattractive otaku wakes up in the body of a pig after passing out while eating raw pig liver. Pig finds himself with Jess, an innocent girl who can read people’s minds, and she accepts him despite his rude thoughts… even though she intends to eat him. When Jess is in danger of suffering a dark fate, can Pig save her using only his quick wit, intellect and exquisite sense of smell?
This is about fucking pigs. No, I’m not joking, it’s really just a hot girl lusting after the main character Isekai reincarnated as a fucking pig. She has a necklace and everything else. There’s really not much to say other than that. This show is trash. That’s really fucking trash. Don’t watch it. I wish I hadn’t.
Potential: Don’t fuck a pig.
The Returner’s magic should be special
Short summary (Anilist): Another dimension continues to tarnish our world, the Dark World. Humanity is facing the worst disaster, called the Dark Labyrinth. Despite their desperate attacks, Desir Herrman and his friends lost the battle to the Dragon of Destruction, Boromir Napolitan, and the world came to an end. When Desir was convinced of his fate, he opened his eyes… and found himself 13 years in the past. Desir went back in time to the entrance ceremony of Hebrion Academy, the premier school for magicians in the Empire.
This is the point in the season previews where I start to get tired of watching the same series over and over again and get really blunt about things. So here goes: The CGI dragon is terrible, there’s nothing particularly visually appealing, and I’m almost done with the school setting. Returner is basically Ragna Crimson, with time travel, memories, and OP MC, except much less edgy. Maybe for some it’s a bonus. But for me, just a little bit of teeth, the only thing that makes Ragna possibly worth watching and… scrubbing away. No meat for this one. We have better revenge shows, better time travel shows, and better fantasy shows this very season. I don’t understand why you are watching this content.
Potential: 0%