Kara Dennison
October 15, 2020 
The fall anime season is off to a strong start, with new and returning series rolling out exciting adventures every week. We’re still in the early days of the season, but there are some strong fighters already on the field. As fall gets rolling, we’re taking a look at some of our favorite over-the-top powers. Which are you most impressed by?
HYPNOSISMIC: The Power of Words
Mixed media project HYPNOSISMIC: Division Rap Battle proves that words beat swords. As long as there’s a mind-altering microphone on the assist.
The anime branch of the franchise premiered as part of the fall anime season, bringing to life a future where weapons are outlawed and replaced with the title object. A hypnosis mic gives the user’s words literal power over the minds of others. That may mean music video worthy hallucinations, instilling fear, instilling love, and so on. And we find out that you can literally break a person’s brain, using enough unlicensed microphones at once.
Trading weapons for psyche-warping microphones feels more like a sideways move on the road to nonviolence, but we’re willing to wait and see where this is going.
Watch HYPNOSISMIC: Division Rap Battle -Rhyme Anima-
Talentless Nana: Impressive Mind Powers
In a world where select humans receive paranormal gifts known as Talents, the best of the best attend a special school. There, they train to defeat the enemies of humanity… but there are some interesting Talented (and Talentless) kids in the ranks.
Saying too much about Talentless Nana would ruin one of the coolest surprises of the fall anime season. Suffice to say we kick off with two interesting characters — the similarly named Nanao and Nana — learning about each other’s abilities. In Nana’s case, she’s got mental abilities you could only class as super, even as compared to time travelers and fire-wielders. What she does with them, and what Nanao can really do, you’ll have to find out for yourself.
Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear: Bear
The fall anime season has no shortage of isekai, and adorable series Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear is a notable addition. Chill gamer Yuna finds herself transported to a special server of her favorite VRMMO, only to find out it’s another actual world. More than that, she has to navigate it in a bear kigurumi if she wants to survive.
But this bear suit is nothing to sneeze at. She can solo high-level missions, summon a pair of mounts, and use what amounts to a Bag of Holding. Plus, she has all sorts of physical attacks. They get even better if she visualizes them as bear-themed. So if you’ve ever wanted to see a dozen adorable teddy bears made of fire jump down a giant viper’s throat, you know where to go.
Yuna is pretty embarrassed by the bear suit… but that’s an embarrassment we’d be willing to endure.
What are your favorite unexpected powers so far this season?
