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... “triangles” instead of “trigons.” ⏎Btoom! ⏎ Rating: 3 (of 5) ⏎ Review: Ryouta Sakamoto is the ace of the #10 worldwide-ranked team in Btoom!, a popular online Doom variant where participants battle each other with bombs instead of guns. He's also a 22-year-old NEET who lives with a worried mother, aspires for a job in a video game company, and is unwilling to settle for anything less; only in the game does he feel like he gets any respect. His world gets turned upside down when he awakens one day to find himself suspended in a parachute in trees on what turns out to be a tropical island. He soon discovers that he seems to be caught in some live-action version of Btoom!, complete with bombs and a real, living foe seeking to kill him. He and the man he must fight to the death are not the only ones there, either; he soon comes across a sexy girl, too. ⏎ The concept of this manga-based series is hardly an original one, although the notion of a survival combat game based entirely on bomb use is an interesting angle. The way things play out is not spectacular, either, although producer Madhouse Studios and female director Kotono Watanabe (in her lead directorial debut) do make sure it looks thrilling (and very graphic at one point) and takes full advantage of some skillful shot selections, good animation, and distinctive styling. This episode and the Next Episode preview also suggest that exploring the troubled backgrounds of the core cast is going to be a major story element, and what they already show about Ryouta isn't pleasant. That dark edge, which seems likely to continue in the next episode, could save this one from being forgettable. ⏎ Btooom! is currently streaming on Crunchyroll. ⏎ Kamisama Hajimemashita ⏎ Rating: 3.5 (of...