I actually skipped ahead to later episodes because I wanted to see the other characters and how they play off of one another. I honestly don't know who the audience is for this show. The "jokes" are trite. The "action scenes" are slow and stilted, like these characters are moving around underwater. Any moment of drama or levity becomes the set up for a joke or gag like some shitty Marvel-esque knock-off.
In the first episode I skipped to, the cat betrays everybody and not!Usagi is all "SAY WHAAAAA" like it's the punchline to a joke. Two seconds later, the cat unbetrays everybody. The rhino is grumpy about it but the fox apparently felt super betrayed because I guess she thought she and the cat were bosom buddies. Meanwhile, not!Usagi just gives no fucks at all. He has no investment in anybody's feelings. At one point, the rhino is actually animated with genuine emotion on this face as he tells Usagi that the fox's feelings were really hurt (by the cat's betrayal). And Usagi's all "you should help me find yokai" and just changes the subject. Is Usagi supposed to be autistic or have ADHD? They should've just openly written him that way.
But none of it matters anyway because the cat and the fox don't make up in this episode, yet we see them again in beginning of the next episode and they made up. Rhino and Usagi don't give a shit that she betrayed anybody. Why have the cat betray them to begin with? Nothing was done with it.
I do actually like the cat. The cat is probably the one good character in this shit salad. Usagi is so obnoxious. His facial expressions border on uncanny valley territory. All he talks about is being a true samurai over and over again but he certainly doesn't try to even act the part or apply any sort of philosophy to his life. His "training" is slicing a grain of rice in half and he's all "I'm done now amiright." He's too stupid to function. I hate him.
Stan Sakai actually made an Usagi relative in the comic named Yukichi Yamamoto who I thought was supposed to be a tie-in to this show. You know, to get us used to what's basically a younger Usagi. Google him and he basically looks like he would be the character from this show. Yukichi's actually a decent character. So I figured this dude from the show would be like Yukichi and he's totally, totally not. (Looking back at an old article, the main character's name in this show was supposed to be Yuichi but I guess one of the producers stomped their feet and demanded to use the Usagi name instead.)
I have a feeling the closest we'll come to a true Usagi show will be over Stan Sakai's dead body. I hate to say it like that but this comic's his baby. He apparently holds all of the rights to it and no major studio will ever make an Usagi show without a cut of those rights. Stan's been in the industry long enough that he probably knows he can get fucked over. He really needs to crowdfund a series himself and throw it up on YouTube or something. I'd give money to back a proper Usagi series.
EDIT: I skipped to the end and OMG. The cat thinks Usagi's dead and cries over his dead body only for him to wake up and wipe her tears from his face all "EW, GROSS." FUCK YOU, YOU FAKE-ASS USAGI.
And then this thing has the balls to tease a second season. As if anyone wanted a first season.
