Gendo'sPapa wrote:Is
New Game! any good? The art seems solid & I like stories about a workplace environment but from the clips I've seen I'm getting the vibe that:
A) There isn't much focus on the actual work.
B) It's another anime show that exists in a strange post-apocalyptic utopia where all men have died off
C) It's a show about female camaraderie that is still loaded with misplaced fan service & awkward ass + tits shots because it's made primarily by men.*
I've watched
Little Witch Academia (2017) twice now and figure I should try something else.
*Note: I'm not against a little sexuality - I'm a red-blooded bisexual male & I will stand by the work of Brian DePalma any day - but it needs to exist in the scene. Much recent anime has been ruined for me when non-sexual scenes (I.E. Two female co-workers talking about something completely asexual) will apropos of nothing feature a close up on jiggling breasts or a shot looking up at someones ass as they stand up from their chair. It just destroys whatever that scene is going for in my eyes.
New Game definitely has some needlessly fanservicey parts that you will roll your eyes heavily at, but I would say that from the first season's final arc onwards, it gets serious about the work and is pretty damn good.
I rated the first season a 6/10 on MyAnimeList for its fanservice and overall unevenness, but the second season is well on its way to earning a 9/10 from me. Whereas the original series seemed to treat a lot of things with kid gloves, the second season has put the characters through greater challenges. It delves into the dilemma of competing against your idols for work, how intimidating the pressure can be once you've reached your goals, nepotism in hiring, etc., and the game they're making, Peco, looks genuinely interesting to me.
It's still a generally lighthearted show overall and I wouldn't recommend it if you have zero tolerance for fanservice, but the second season has been surprisingly effective at conveying the struggles of working in the creative industry, building the basic premise into something more emotionally complex, and giving me an attachment to its characters. For all those things, it's earned a lot of praise from me.