2024 Summer Anime Review
Oct. 3rd, 2024 10:48 pmKimi ni Todoke - The decision for this new season after so many years to be broken up into five double-length episodes instead of the usual 12-13 normal episodes is a bit baffling, but that was pretty much my only real complaint with the cour. Otherwise, it was just as lovely and charming as the previous seasons. I still can't believe we actually got more of the Kimi ni Todoke anime! And hopefully it does well enough for Netflix to invest in more, since we still haven't gotten to the end of the manga. At least we finally got to Sawako and Kazehaya's first kiss animated, but, come on! I want more!
Spice and Wolf: MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF - Hallelujah! At the end of this cour, we FINALLY got to a new arc that was skipped over in the first anime adaptation. To be honest, I kinda understand why they skipped over it. Not because it's bad -- in fact, I really liked it! -- but because it's more focused on world-building and exploring the tension between the church and villages who still cling to pagan ways, rather than the economics and money-making schemes that have been at the center of the other arcs. It would have made a strange choice to end the first anime on such an arc, but, fortunately, it was just announced that this new adaptation is getting another season, so as a bridge between seasons, the new arc works just fine. Looking forward to more in the future!
My Hero Academia - Last cour I said I didn't mind when MHA went into non-stop battle mode because the fights were easy to follow and fun to watch. This cour, however, things have become kinda confusing with all the separate battles. It doesn't help that the show keeps going back in time to show what was happening while something else was going on. I also don't think it was necessary to bring back literally EVERY single character that ever appeared on the show. (That may be an exaggeration, but seriously? They even brought back ( Spoiler ), two minor comic relief villains who decide to come fight for the good guys?) Deku should be the star of this final battle, but he's pretty much gotten lost in the shuffle because there are just so many characters also fighting. That being said, there were a lot of awesome moments as well. The entire Todoroki family coming together to defeat ( Spoiler ) was a particular highlight that left me in tears. And there are still a few more episodes left to go, so hopefully the series will stick the landing.
Mission: Yozakura Family - Again, just a fun, entertaining show about a wacky family of spies. I do wish the show had focused a little more on Taiyo and Mutsumi's romantic relationship, but otherwise, I can't think of much to say about it!
Twilight Out of Focus - I have to admit I was super-surprised that the main couple of Mao and Hisashi got together so quickly, unaware at first that this BL show was actually more of an anthology series. The first four episodes focus on Mao and Hisashi, the "friends-to-lovers" roommates. The next threee follow Jin and Ichikawa, the "rivals to lovers" directors. Lastly, Yoshino and Rei, who are basically the "opposites attract" couple, also get three episodes, with the last two episodes going back to finish Mao and Hisashi's storyline with a (very) minor focus on the other two couples. To my surprise, my favorite couple was actually Jin and Ichikawa. Friends-to-lovers is usually my thing, so you'd think I'd like Mao and Hisashi's story the most, but they got together so quickly that I didn't really get to enjoy them long enough as friends. They're also not the most interesting characters. (Actually, Hisashi's backstory as a victim of ( Spoiler ) could have been interesting to explore, but the show seemed reluctant to really dive into his character and how he felt about it, mostly sticking to Mao's POV. Considering that it's a fairly light-hearted show, I can see why they wouldn't want to go too deep into the subject, but in that case, why even include it in the first place?) Jin and Ichikawa, on the other hand) are much more dynamic characters and have the best chemistry of the three pairs. I also loved the little "twist" connecting their pasts. Anyway, I enjoyed the series! I just kinda wish they had stuck to one couple for the entire cour. I think all of the romances would have been better developed if they had more time.
SHY - Unlike the first season, which was broken up into several different arcs, this new season focuses on only one long arc, introducing the ninja, Ai. Though I liked the arc and Ai is a great character who I hope sticks around longer, I'm not sure it really needed to be quite so long. I admit part of my disappointment with the length is that Iko, being the only "normal" person in the main cast, obviously had to be left behind when Teru and the others went into battle, only showing up in the first couple of episodes and the last. Considering her friendship with Teru is one of the main appeals of the show for me, I really wish we could have seen her more! But it was nice to see Teru stepping into a leadership role, and the hints about the first superhero of Japan are intriguing.
Wonderful Precure - You know, this season might finally be winning me over a little. Or maybe I've just gotten used to the weirdness. I don't know. Don't get me wrong, I'm still not a fan of the premise and it's definitely one of my least favorite Precures so far, but this cour didn't bug me as much as the earlier ones. I think the fact that they haven't been shown going to school in a while helps. Also, the villains behind the possessed animals have finally appeared, and they actually have a pretty sympathetic reason for disliking humans, so I'm kinda interested in where they will go with it.
Code Geass: Roze of the Recapture - This Code Geass spinoff sequel is based on the series of alternate timeline movies that came out after the main series (in which ( Spoiler ) lives), but you don't really need to be familiar with them to watch Roze since it focuses on a new cast with only cameo appearances by the characters from the original series (and Akito of the Exiled). (I didn't even know Crunchyroll had the movies until I had already watched the first couple of episodes, so I'll get around to watching them eventually.) That being said, Roze basically comes across as a pale imitation of the original show, even copying some of the same story beats. The new characters aren't particularly memorable either aside from Roze and Ash (although I quite liked Natalia). The main issue, however, is that the series was originally broken up into four three-episode movies, causing some weird pacing issues that probably would have worked a lot better if the series had been allowed to be the normal 24-episode series it clearly should have been. It's a decent enough watch, but, eh, not really necessary viewing unless you're a mega fan of the franchise.
The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used To Be Archenemies - With a title like that, I was expecting a magical girl show with a bit of SenShi vibes. The actual show, however, is a romantic comedy series of half-length episodes (about 12 minutes), and Byakuya (the magical girl) and Mira (the evil lieutenant) have pretty much nothing in common with any of the SenShi pairings. I did like how far from stereotypical the two magical girls are - Byakuya is a near-emotionless orphan who only really cares about making enough money to survive, while her friend Hibana looks cute, but is super violent and drops F-bombs every other word -- and the budding relationship between Byakuya and Mira is pretty sweet. I just wish there were less ecchi moments. Byakuya's humanoid cat "mascot", in particular, is just awful, basically acting more like her pimp than a guardian or mentor, constantly sexually harrassing her and trying to get her to do dubious jobs. It doesn't help that Byakuya looks super young, especially next to Mira, who appears to be in his early 20s. She's living on her own (well, with her mascot) and doesn't go to school, so it's possible that she's an adult (and the fact that one of the jobs we see her do appears to be a hostess in a hostess club seems to indicate that), but Hibana is said to be 15 and I believe they were once classmates (although she was possibly an upperclassman), so who knows? In any case, if you want to watch a show about literal enemies becoming lovers, then I recommend the excellent Love After World Domination from a couple of years ago instead.
Oh, and of course I watched the Sailor Moon Cosmos movies. The first one had weird pacing issues, which considering that the manga version of this arc also has weird pacing issues isn't surprising, but I enjoyed the second movie more than I thought I would. For me, the manga never really properly conveyed the epicness of the battle against Galaxia, but I actually got that "epic" feeling during the movie. It was also fun to see characters like Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon finally animated. I just love her design. It's a shame they didn't get to use her in the original anime. She's one character I've always wanted more of.
Though this past season was rather sparse, the fall season looks to be rather jammed pack with shows I want to watch. Obviously I'll be continuing with Wonderful Precure, Delico's Nursery, and the last few episodes of My Hero Academia. There are also a lot of sequels this season -- so many that I'll probably put most of them on the back burner for now. I definitely plan to watch the seventh(!) season of Natsume's Book of Friends and the second season of After School Hanako-kun, but the rest (Blue Exorcist: Beyond the Snow Saga, Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II, and Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-) can wait for a less packed season. As for new shows, Nina the Starry Bride, 365 Days to the Wedding, and Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii are on my must-watch list. There's also the 4 episode horror anime Uzumaki that just started airing on Toonami, just in time for Halloween. This isn't the first time Toonami has done the miniseries thing in October, but Uzumaki's catching a LOT of buzz online, so hopefully it'll be better than the dud that was 2022's Housing Complex C.
2024 Spring Anime Review
Jul. 2nd, 2024 06:19 pmBlack Butler - Black Butler has one of the strangest release schedules I've ever experienced with anime. The first season is mostly true to the manga (apparently, I've never read it myself) until the ending, which is anime original. Then Season 2 is competely anime original and made essentially to undo the ending of the first season, which killed Ciel off. They went back to following the manga with Season 3 (Book of Circus), but the next two manga arcs were covered with a 2-episode OVA (Book of Murder) and a movie (Book of the Atlantic). Now seven years after the movie's release, it's back with a Season 4, covering the Public School Arc. If any series could really use a reboot, I'd put Black Butler at the top of my list at this point, but I actually really enjoyed this arc. In fact, it may be my favorite arc so far! It was nice to see Ciel interacting mostly with people around his own age for a change, and thankfully, there was very little creepy sexualizing of Ciel this time around. The last episode hints at the next arc, so hopefully it won't be too long before we actually get another season!
Spice and Wolf: MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF - It's been a long time since I watched the first adaptation of Spice and Wolf, but I'm struck by just how similar this new adaptation is to the old one, to the point where I'm wondering why they didn't just make a sequel to the original if the intention is (presumably) to adapt the full novel series? Literally the only major change I've noticed is that the new series starts with a flash-forward scene. Other than that, it's basically the same exact show with new animation and music. That being said, it's still a great show! If you've never seen the first series, I definitely recommend checking it out. Lawrence and Holo are absolute masters at the art of flirtatious dialogue, and even a subject as dull as economics becomes positively riveting when those two are involved. If you have seen the first series, though... Eh, you can probably just skip this first cour and just pick it up once it gets to new material. If it ever gets to new material. (It's continuing into next season for a total of 25 episodes, which is the same length as the original series, so I'm not really sure what the overall plan is.)
Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again - This series does not put its best foot forward with the first episode, in which their teenage granddaughter (and her mother, but she's a daughter-in-law, so it's not quite as weird) gets the hots for her suddenly-young grandfather (who she knows is her grandfather). It's hard to tell whether we're supposed to believe Mino's just joking around, or if she actually serious. Fortunately, it's never mentioned again beyond the first episode, and Mino soon gets her own age-appropriate, not-related love interest. That's a good thing, because the rest of the series is a genuinely touching and sometimes bittersweet look at a loving, happily married couple getting a second chance to be young again and make the most of the time they have left together.
Laid-Back Camp - A change in animation studio means the show looks a little different than it did before, featuring a lot of hyper-realistic backgrounds that are likely actual filtered photographs, but at heart, it's still the same cute show about cute girls having fun while going camping. What more can you ask for?
My Hero Academia - The FOUR episodes of recap that started this cour were excessive and pretty pointless, but once it got back to the actual story, the show has been on fire (for the most part)! Good thing, too, since this is the start of the final batttle, the climax of the entire series. Normally I tend to get bored whenever there's too much fighting going on in a show, but My Hero Academia is one of the few series that can hold my interest even through back-to-back battles, thanks to how easy it is to follow along with what is happening and how cool and inventive everybody's powers are. I just wish ( Spoiler ) got to stick around a while longer. Yeah, her power was super OP, but it's a shame that she got killed off so soon after her introduction. At least she went out in a blaze of glory. I also almost completely forgot that there was supposed to be a traitor in Deku's class since it hasn't been mentioned in ages, so the revelation of their identity seemed kinda random and anti-climatic, but in hindsight, who it is makes sense, and the reason why they started working for All-For-One is very sympathetic, allowing them a chance for redemption.
Mission: Yozakura Family - Could have really done without the annoying big brother with the sister complex, but otherwise, this was a really cute and funny show about an ordinary teenage boy who "marries" (by way of an old family tradition that's probably not legally binding) his best friend/crush and becomes a member of a wacky family of spies.
A Condition Called Love - This show starts with an interesting premise. Hotaru loves her family and her friends, but believes herself to be aromantic, incapable of falling in love with anyone. (Of course she doesn't actually use that term, but it feels like an appropriate label for her, at least at first.) Hananoi, on the other hand, is the complete opposite, with absolutely no friends and distant family. For him, the ONLY thing that matters is romantic love, to the point where he seems to have no real personality of his own, since he's always trying to conform himself to his latest girlfriend's tastes. Obviously, he doesn't have the most healthy view on love, and even though it makes sense why he has such issues when you learn his backstory, it's easy to see why a lot of viewers find him creepy and stalker-ish at first. The thing is, while Hananoi does change little-by-little over the course of the series, the show has Hotaru decide she's in love with him way too early in his (re)development. When she confessed her love for him around the midway point, I was left wondering, "Why?" At that point, she still didn't know much about him, and what "changes" he'd gone through were so small that his grandmother basically had to tell Hotaru (and the audience, by extension) what they were. There were some cute moments between them, and I appreciated how much focus was put on the importance of communication (even if they didn't really do much with the idea, and Hananoi is still keeping a huge secret from her by the end of the show), but, really, there needed to be more time spent on developing Hananoi's character earlier in the series before they turned their trial relationship into a real one. That would have made it a much more compelling romance.
Go! Go! Loser Ranger! - This show started off really strong, but started losing me when Fighter D began impersonating a cadet and a lot of new characters were introduced at once right before a fairly boring battle tournament set in a parking garage, of all places. There just wasn't any time to learn or care about any of the other cadets before they started fighting, so those episodes were a bit of a drag to get through. It picked up a little near the end, but, still... Just too many characters introduced way too fast.
Vampire Dormitory - Ah, this show... It's kind of a trainwreck, to be perfectly honest, and I rolled my eyes more than a few times at how dumb the characters are and how idiotic the plot is, but...it's still pretty fun to watch? Like, in a "it's so bad, it's good" kind of way? Yeah, it's definitely no Shakespeare, but if you turn your brain off, it's an entertaining enough soap opera. Just don't think too much while watching it. Seriously, just don't.
Wonderful Precure - Still not really feeling this new Precure series, but I am glad focus has, at least for the moment, shifted mostly away from Iroha and her dog, Komugi to Mayu and her cat, Yuki, who are frankly much more interesting characters. The conflict between Yuki, who only cares about keeping Mayu safe and believes Iroha and Komugi are putting her in danger by being friends with her, and Mayu, who understands how Yuki feels but also wants to help her friends and the possessed animals, is really well done, and at least Yuki/Cure Nyammy is willing to do some actual fighting. I just don't get this insistence the show has with Komugi and Yuki attending school in their human forms. They're animals! They don't know how to read and write! Or at least they shouldn't, but it seems all logistics are just glossed over to put them in school uniforms.
Unnamed Memory - There are hints of a good story here. Too bad this anime has little interest in actually showing us that story, instead settling for basically summarizing the source material. Even for someone not familiar with the original light novels like me, it's obvious the show skips over a lot in favor of hitting the highlights. Things just happen with no warning and little explanation, almost forcing people to check the comments on Crunchyroll for spoilers to understand what actually happened. A lot of anime are created as extended commercials to get viewers to check out the original source, but in this case, it feels more like the show was aimed toward people who are already fans of the novels...except I can't imagine those fans being very happy with this kind of adaptation, either. Somehow, though, it's getting another season? 0.o Why? I mean, it's not outright terrible, but... (Actually, the last episode of the season was probably the best one of the series and basically resets everything, so maybe a second season could do a better job...but, eh, I'm not in any rush to watch it.)
Next season, I'll be continuing with Spice and Wolf, My Hero Academia, Mission: Yozakura Family, and Wonderful Precure. I also plan to watch the new season of SHY, but as for new shows... Honestly, nothing's really piquing my interest except maybe Twilight Out of Focus. Normally, that would be a bad thing, but with Sailor Moon Cosmos finally coming to Netflix in August, along with a third season of Kimi ni Todoke (so excited for both!), I've decided to subscribe to Netflix for a few months and catch up with some of the exclusive series I've been wanting to see there, like Delicious in Dungeon, My Happy Marriage, Romantic Killer, Ooku: The Inner Chambers, and the second season of Tiger & Bunny.
2024 Winter Anime Review
Mar. 31st, 2024 10:56 pmHere's my review of the winter anime season:
2023 Winter Anime Review
Apr. 4th, 2023 09:32 pm2022 Fall Anime Review
Dec. 30th, 2022 05:57 pm* Denotes series I didn't watch simulcast, but picked up later.
As for next season, I'll be continuing with Delicious Party Precure, Iruma-kun, To Your Eternity, and IDOLiSH7 when it resumes, as well as the new seasons of Bungo Stray Dogs, BOFURI, D4DJ, Tsurune, and the new remake of Trigun, assuming Crunchyroll gets them.. That really doesn't leave much room in my schedule for new series, but the ones that have caught my eye are The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague, The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess, Tomo-chan Is A Girl!, and Buddy Daddies. Man, next season is stacked! I'm...not really sure what I'm going to do! *laughs* Some of the returning series might actually have to wait, because I'm particularly interested in Tomo-chan Is A Girl! and Buddy Daddies.
2022 Summer Anime Review
Oct. 1st, 2022 05:28 pmThe Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting - Give me an anime about some unexpected guy forced to take care of a cute little kid who wins over his heart, and I'm there. I do wish it had been a little harder for them to bond at first because Kirishima adjusts to babysitting Yaeka way too easily, IMO, but otherwise, it's just a cute, heartwarming series with the occasional dark moment (because it is the Yakuza). My favorite of the season!
2021 Summer Anime Review
Oct. 7th, 2021 07:00 pmAnyway, onto the reviews!
The aquatope on white sand - In a season where I mostly just followed continuing series and sequels, this was the only new series that managed to catch my eye, and I'm so glad I checked it out. Though it's continuing into next season, based on this first cour, I'd say this has the potential to be one of my favorite series of the year. The animation is just gorgeous, the characters are great, and the storyline is poignant. The only thing I didn't particularly care for was the random visions people got at the aquarium, a plotline that never really went anywhere, at least in this first half.
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! X - I could have done with a lot less forced kisses on the parts of Geordo and Keith (and did they really need two more kidnappings arcs?), but otherwise, it's always a pleasure to spend more time with Bakarina and her ever-growing harem (shout-out to Nicol's spotlight episode, which was absolutely gorgeous), even if there wasn't much of a plot to speak of now that she's "won" the game. But, what's this? There's a Fortune Lovers II? And a Villainess movie has been announced? Game on!
Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun! - This show just makes me smile! The amusement park storyline was a lot of fun and allowed some of the less popular characters from Iruma's class to stand out more. Also, Iruma and
IDOLiSH7 - Y'all know how much I loved the first two season of IDOLiSH7, so I was expecting to love the new season, too. Unfortunately, even though the story finally focused on the backstory of my favorite member of the group - Yamato - the way his arc played out was somewhat dull, with a conflict that could have been solved in a couple of episodes if he would have just talked to others. (And the choking scene was just...weird.) The second half of the cour picked up a bit, but overall, I'd say it was just pretty good, not great. Still looking forward to second half of the season next year, though!
My Hero Academia - After the endless training fest of the last cour, it was nice to see the show focus back on other things. Even though there was still some training with Endeavor at the beginning of the cour, most of the first arc focused on Endeavor trying to atone for his abusive behavior toward his family, which I thought was handled reasonably well. I liked that it was acknowledged that it was okay for his children not to forgive him, even though he was genuinely regretful. Some scars are just too deep. The second part of the cour turned into My Villain Academia, which was an interesting twist! I've never been too interested in the villains, admittedly, but seeing their backstories did make them a bit more sympathetic.
Tropical-Rouge Precure - Nothing much to say that I haven't said already! It's a fun, but silly, show, and Laura is still the best part of it. I do wish they would focus on the other Pretty Cures beside Laura and Manatsu, though. I can't even remember the other girls' names most of the time. Sango... Yeah, see? (Asuka and Minori -- those are their names! I knew they started with an A and an M, at least.)
To Your Eternity - While the first cour was fantastic, the second cour was a lot weaker, focusing on just one arc (for the most part). I'm still not sure why they decided to animate it now, considering it wasn't even a full cour. Since another season has already been announced, I think it would have made a lot more sense to wait to do this arc then and finish it in less episodes. I just don't think the Jananda arc needed six episodes to be told, especially if they had no real intention of focusing on all the other kids. The last episode, centered on Pioran, was excellent, though, and I am hoping the new season returns back to the greatness of the first cour.
Fena: Pirate Princess - Okay, so Aquatope wasn't the only new series I checked out. I almost forgot that I'm watching Fena on Toonami, which kinda says it all, doesn't it? It's a shame, because there was definitely potential in the premise and it looks beautiful, but the characters just aren't that interesting. Granted, I'm a few episodes behind due to watching on Toonami, so maybe the second half of the series will improve?
As for the Fall season, I'll be continuing with Aquatope and Tropical Rouge Precure (and Fena on Toonami), and I plan to check out the second season of Restaurant To Another World, The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window, takt op Destiny, and Platinum End. I was interested in PuraOre! Pride of Orange when I heard it was going to be about a girls' ice hockey team, but apparently it is actually a combination of hockey/idol show and the reviews haven't been great, so I think I'll give it a pass. It's on Funimation, anyway. I also intend to watch the new season of Demon Slayer, but I'm assuming that will be picked up by Toonami again (maybe once Fena ends), so I'll just wait.
2021 Winter Anime Review
Apr. 3rd, 2021 06:08 pmSk8 the Infinity: This is what I meant about making a sport exciting when talking about the surfing anime below. I don't care about skateboarding at all, but, dang, those races were thrilling and cool! Also loved the friendship between Reki and Langa, but ADAM is a world-class creep. Best show of the season by far.
Skate-Leading Stars: Y'all already know how much I love figure skating, so, to be honest, this show wasn't a hard sell for me. *laughs* I did have to turn off my brain a little bit to watch it, though, because the jumps were just so ridiculous. Apparently everybody can do quads in this world, even a guy who quit the sport as a novice in singles and decided to come back years later to compete as part of a skate-leading team. He even tried a quint at one point and landed a quad axel/quad toe loop/quad loop, which is just...impossible. Buuuut, even though I was annoyed that the teams wore the same costumes for both their short and free programs and wished they had showed more of the programs, what skating they did show was well animated, and I just really enjoyed it. No, not as good as Yuri!!! on Ice, but still a fun watch.
Heaven's Design Team - This was probably my favorite of the season -- fun and educational! After almost every episode, I ended up hitting Wikipedia to learn more about the animals featured. I wish they had decided they were going to use the localized English names from the manga for the characters from the start instead of suddenly switching three episodes in when I was just getting used to the Japanese names, but that's my only real complaint.
Horimiya - The first half of this series was fantastic! But starting around the halfway mark, when the titular couple started dating, it seemed to lose its way a little. Apparently a lot was cut from the manga in order to make the whole series fit into a single season, and it showed. I still really enjoyed it for the most part, but Hori became kinda unlikeable with her unreasonable possessiveness and her pushing an obviously uncomfortable Miyamura to be
I really think the show would have worked better with another season and more chances to show the good side of their relationship, along with exploring some of the side characters more. (I especially liked the love triangle between Yuki, Tooru, and Sakura.)
Tropical-Rouge! Precure - I don't think I've ever seen such a HYPER magical girl lead. Manatsu can be a bit much to take in at times, but it's fun and colorful, and Laura the mermaid is kind of a wicked delight. It's only been a few episodes so far since it started mid-season, but I'm enjoying it!
2.43: Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team - This show really wasn't what I was expecting, which seems strange to say when it's clear from the title that it's a volleyball anime. I just wasn't expecting it to focus so much on volleyball? Especially based on the first couple of episodes. I thought it would focus more on Hajima working to become a better person and team player when his bullying of one of his old teammate resulted in said teammate trying to commit suicide (not a spoiler, BTW), which he does, somewhat, but... It's hard to explain. It doesn't help matters that it turns out the
Quintessential Quintuplets - I really enjoyed the first season, so I was looking forward to watching this continuation. Unfortunately, the pacing just felt...off almost all season, and the girls (especially looking at you, Ichika) backstabbing each other to try to win Futaro's heart was disappointing when they mostly avoided that in the first season. There were still some good parts, but, eh, I was left underwhelmed.
WAVE - Let's go surfing!! - Though I tend to enjoy sports anime, even for sports I don't particularly care for, this show really did nothing to make surfing seem exciting. Don't get me wrong; it's not terrible. It's a nice enough show, and I give it props for genuinely surprising me by
Bungo Stray Dogs Wan! - A series of amusing shorts based on Bungo Stray Dogs, it was good, but mostly forgettable aside from the episode that turned most of the cast into pre-schoolers with Dazai as their teacher. Hilarious!
The spring season is looking to be REALLY good, with lots of sequels to series I already enjoy. Of course I'm going to continue with Tropical-Rouge! Precure, as well as the new seasons of Fruits Basket, Zombie Land Saga, My Hero Academia, and Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun. That doesn't leave much room for new shows, but Those Snow White Notes, The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent, Bakuten!!, and Farewell, My Dear Cramer have all caught my eye. Guess I'll just have to see which ones land on Crunchyroll to help me decide!
2020 Winter Anime Review
Apr. 4th, 2020 05:48 pmI'd say it was a pretty good season overall. A lot of what I watched was continuations from the fall season – Chihayafuru, My Hero Academia, Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun, and Ahiru no Sora (which is continuing into spring as well) – but I really enjoyed the new shows I picked up.
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken – If you haven't already watched this, do yourself a favor and just do it. Seriously, it's fabulous, and I have a feeling it will definitely make my Best Series of the Year list. It's just so imaginative and passionate and…really, really, really good!
Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It – Awkward title aside, this actually was a pretty cute and funny romance! I was a little worried at first that all the experiments they did would become repetitive and that it might have worked better as a short, but they actually managed to keep things fresh most of the time.
The Case Files of Jeweler Richard – It's hard to put my finger on why I liked this show so much… I just did! Even if it did rely a whole lot on coincidence and the "cases" weren't all that interesting, I liked the characters, and I've always been a little fascinated by gemstones.
Haikyu!! – I was really looking forward to this after absolutely loving the first three seasons, but I have to say I was a little disappointed. I mean, it was still great, but the first half when they're focusing on the two training camps was kinda dull. Things are picking up now that they're actually at Nationals, though! Too bad we have to wait until summer for the next part.
For next season, it looks like it'll be another season of continuing shows. I'll be continuing with Ahiru no Sora, Idolish7 Second Beat, the new season of Major 2nd, and most importantly, the second season of Fruits Basket! (Finally into the part where the old anime left off – so excited to see it animated!) That doesn't leave a lot of room in my schedule for new stuff, and a lot of the shows I did want to watch (the second season of Kaguya-sama: Love Is War (so annoyed Crunchyroll didn't get this since they have the first season!), Arte, Tamayomi, and Wave, Listen to Me!) aren't streaming on Crunchyroll, but Woodpecker's Detective Office, Sing "Yesterday" For Me, and My Next Life as a Villainess: All Roads Lead to Doom! have caught my eye.
Gonna try to post a Merchandise Round-up soon. It's been a while since I did one, and I've got some pretty cool stuff to show off!
And, actually, I just realized all four of those shows are carrying over to the winter season -- how in the world did I manage that? *laughs* That doesn't leave much room in my schedule for new shows, but based only on summaries, I might check out Smile Down The Runway, The Case Files of Jeweler Richard, and Science Fell In Love, So I Tried To Prove It, depending on who picks them up for streaming. Oh, and the new season of Haikyu! is a must see as well.
And my picks for the Top Ten Series of 2019 are.... *drumroll*
* Didn't watch the simulcast since it was on HiDive, but I got a free one month subscription with my Sentail Filmworks Black Friday order, which allowed me to finally see it. Absolutely loved it! Well worth a watch.
** Watching the dub on Toonami, so I'm a few episodes behind, but I've liked what I've seen so far enough to feel it deserves to be on the list.
Happy New Year!
Jan. 1st, 2020 05:55 pmFirst off, Top 50 Favorite Anime Series Of The Decade!
1. Yuri!! On Ice (2016)
2. Fruits Basket (2019)
3. Shirobako (2014)
4. My Love Story!! (2015)
5. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju (2016)
6. Bakuman (2010)
7. Space Brothers (2012)
8. ReLife (2016)
9. Oh, Maidens In Your Savage Season (2019)
10. Chihayafuru (2011)
11. Sailor Moon Crystal (2014)
12. Card Captor Sakura Clear Card (2018)
13. Tiger & Bunny (2011)
14. Bloom Into You (2018)
15. My Roommate Is A Cat (2019)
16. Yamada’s First Time (2010)
17. A Place Further Than The Universe (2018)
18. Yona of the Dawn (2014)
19. Zombie Land Saga (2018)
20. Death Parade (2015)
21. Your Lie In April (2014)
22. Major 2nd (2018)
23. Sound! Euphonium (2015)
24. Amagi Brilliant Park (2014)
25. Snow White With The Red Hair (2015)
26. Haikyu! (2014)
27. The Promised Neverland (2019)
28. Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun (2014)
29. Hinamatsuri (2018)
30. Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits (2018)
31. Orange (2016)
32. Given (2019)
33. Free! (2013)
34. Recovery of a MMO Junkie (2017)
35. Ancient Magus’ Bride (2017)
36. Sakura Quest (2017)
37. Love Stage!! (2014)
38. My Hero Academia (2016)
39. School Babysitters (2018)
40. Kaguya-sama: Love is War (2019)
41. Hanasaku Iroha (2011)
42. How To Keep a Mummy (2018)
43. Interviews With Monster Girls (2017)
44. Idolish7 (2018)
45. Flying Witch (2016)
46. Kiss Him, Not Me (2016)
47. Another (2012)
48. Bunny Drop (2011)
49. Tanaka-kun is always listless (2016)
50. Golden Time (2013)
Honorable mentions go to Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Kimi ni Todoke - From Me To You, Natsume's Book of Friends, and Kobato. I only counted series that started between 2010-2019, so these didn't make the cut, despite airing partly between those years.
Now, fanfiction reviews! I answered three different year-end review questionnaires on my Tumblr, so I'm just going to link to them instead of copy and pasting. This entry is already getting long enough!
Set One
Set Two
Set Three
My review of the fall anime season and my choices for the Top Ten Anime of 2019 will be posted sometime in the next few days...hopefully.
Fall 2019 Anime Season Review
Oct. 5th, 2019 05:45 pmFruits Basket - Still loving and can't wait for it to pick up again next year, though to be honest, I'm a little surprised I haven't cried as much as expected to. I'm thinking it's the same thing that happened with Sailor Moon Crystal in that I've read the manga (and watched the first anime) so many times that I've become a little desensitized to it. Doesn't mean it's not amazing, though! I particularly enjoyed the rewrite of Ritsu's introduction, which I thought was an improvement over both the anime and the first anime. Uotani's backstory was also wonderfully done. I actually did cry at that!
given - Picked this up mainly because I usually enjoy anime about bands, but I loved it. It's BL, but it's good BL. Like, seriously. And Mafuyu's song in episode nine? Incredible. I'm not usually the type to rewatch scenes over and over again, but I think I've watched the concert at least four or five times so far.
Mix - I enjoyed this series, but the ending arc where they're playing in the tournament seemed kinda lackluster, mainly because
Ah, well. The manga is still ongoing, so I do hope we get another season eventually. I did like the series overall.
Next season, I'll definitely be watching the new seasons of My Hero Academia and Chihayafuru, and I'm thinking about checking out Ahiru no Sora and Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun, but that's all has caught my eye so far.
Double Decker! Doug & Kirill - This show started off really strong, but lost a little steam near the end, although I still really enjoyed it. And I have the say, the character designs were simply gorgeous!
Tsurune - Tsurune started airing a little later than most of the shows this season, so it still has a few episodes to go, but if you were a fan of Free!, then you'll probably also like this show, which is basically an archery-version of Free! Not that that is a bad thing in my book. Archery isn't quite as exciting as swimming, but Masa is really hot...
Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san - It's always been a bit of a dream of mine to work in a bookstore, so it was fun to watch this series and see what it is like. Some of the customers that showed up were hilarious. I also enjoyed picking on all the censored mentions of real-life companies and manga series.
Ace Attorney - Decent season, I guess, but suffers from the same issue as the second half of the first season in that Mitsurugi was barely in it. I just can't really get into these other prosecutors.
Sword Art Online: Alicization (continuing) - Word of warning: Episode 10 is really tough to watch. Even censored... Well, it's disturbing. But the overall storyline so far is pretty good, and I'm looking forward to where it will go. I think this series is supposed to last for several seasons, which is pretty rare nowadays.
As for next season, I'll be continuing with Alicization, of course, and I'll probaby catch up with the second season of Mob Psycho 100 once I finish watching the first season on Toonami. Looks like there's a new season of B-Project, too. New shows that look promising are Domestic Girlfriend, Promised Neverland, Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunōsen, and Dōkyonin wa Hiza, Tokidoki, Atama no Ue. Hopefully Crunchyroll will get at least some of them.
And now, for my Top Ten Series of 2018! There weren't any series this year that I would rate a perfect ten, but I think all of these are worth checking out.
* means I didn't watch the show while it was airing but picked up later due to good buzz.
1. Zombie Land Saga
2. Major 2nd
3. A Place Further Than The Universe *
5. Hinamatsuri *
6. My Hero Academia
7. School Babysitters
8. IDOLiSH7
9. The Ancient Magus' Bride
10. Double Decker: Doug and Kirill
Speaking of fanfiction, I have some news that may make a few people happy... ,I've been writing again! Yeah, it's been over two and a half years since I finally finished "Melting Ice" and declared myself in semi-retirement, but I've really been missing fanfiction lately. Maybe I was just burned out when I decided to stop, or maybe this is just a fleeting burst of inspiration... I don't know. I do know that I'm about two-thirds finished with "Friends With Benefits", a sequel to "Blood On His Hands" that I started a little before I decided to quit, and that I'm contemplating between continuing with two Sailor Moon stories after I'm finished. If given a choice, which would you rather me write?
"Metamorphosis", a kinda-prequel-but-not-really to "To Be By Your Side" about how Helios became priest of Elysion in the first place.
or
"Stolen Dreams", a story about (a grown-up, obviously) Chibiusa being seduced by an incubus who wants revenge against Helios.
I'm leaning toward "Metamorphosis" at the moment, but I was further along in "Stolen Dreams" before the break, so it might be easier just to finish that one.
Anyway, I'M NOT PROMISING ANYTHING, but maybe you'll see some new stuff from me in a few months? (I've already decided I'm not going to start posting anything until a story is done. I reserve the right to quit again at any time.)
Now... Summer Anime Review time.
Eh, there's not much to review, though. The continuations of "Major 2nd" and "My Hero Academia" were great, the new season of "Free!" had way too many new characters but was still pretty fun to watch, and I'm watching the "Attack on Titan" dub on Toonami, so I've only watched a few episodes of the new season so far. Not really enough to have a real opinion yet. The only brand new show I watched this season was "Holmes of Kyoto", which I really enjoyed a lot. Don't let the title fool you. The main characters do solve mysteries, but most of them aren't very interesting and it's not really what the show is about. It's actually more of a romance, and I enjoyed the characters.
I haven't actually had a chance yet to decide on what I'll watch this upcoming season, so I'll let y'all know later.
Spring Anime Review
Jul. 14th, 2018 08:23 pmAs for the rest:
Winter Anime Review
Apr. 4th, 2018 09:31 pmAs for next season, I have sooooo much I want to watch, I'm not sure I can fit everything in my schedule! I'll definitely be watching the continuations of CCS: Clear Card, IDOLiSH7, and FRANXX, as well as new seasons of My Hero Academia and Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory (*squee* finally more FMP!). Brand new shows I might check out if available for free streaming are: Tada Never Falls in Love, Comic Girls, Devils' Line, Piano no Mori and Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku. I want to watch Lupin the Third: Part 5 and Sword Art Online: Alternative Gun Gale Online, but I think I may wait and see if they're picked up by Toonami first since Toonami aired previous seasons of those shows. I'm on the fence on Steins;Gate Zero... I liked the original series well enough, I guess, but I'm not in any rush to watch more. I'll probably save it to watch at a later date.
Fall Anime Season and Top Ten of the Year
Dec. 31st, 2017 08:51 pmRecovery of a MMO Junkie - This series wasn't even originally on my radar, but after reading the reviews of the first episode during ANN's Preview Guide, I thought it sounded interesting and gave it a shot. I'm glad I did! It was nice to see an anime romance centered on people around my age for once, and it was just really cute and funny. Loved it!
Anime Gataris - This is more along the lines of what I wanted last season's Gamers to be - a show about a geeky subject that focuses almost completely on said geeky subject, instead of romance. And the last few episodes? Crazy, but in the best meta way.
The Ancient Magus' Bride - I've always been a little tempted to pick up the manga for this series, but I have to admit that the initial premise turned me off a bit. Thankfully, the anime allowed me to check the story out for free. Even though the premise is a bit problematic, it is actually handled pretty well, and I love how well-researched all the obscure magic stuff is. Also, some of the scenes were just stunning. Continuing into next season.
March comes in like a lion - This new season was much stronger than the previous seasons. I liked that it didn't focus so much on shogi tournaments and more on the characters, especially the sisters. Hina's bullying story, in particular, was quite moving. I think this is continuing?
Kino's Journey - the Beautiful World - - I watched the original series that came out about ten? fifteen? years ago and remember really liking it, but this sequel/remake was just okay. The Kino in this series is almost a different character than the one I remember.
Elegant Yokai Apartment Life - I really wish this series had focused more on the title "Apartment Life" instead of lead character Yushi's boring school life. Honestly, I'm not sure what the point of having him live with a bunch of yokai and learn magic was when it rarely affected the plot...
Love is like a Cocktail - It was cute. Basically all you can say about a three minute short!
Black Clover - I was watching the Japanese version, but when Toonami announced they were going to air the dub, I decided to stop and switch over to the English version, so I'm way behind. Toonami hasn't even gotten to the episode where I left off yet. Still, considering how incredibly ANNOYING Asta's seiyuu's voice is, I don't mind. The episodes I did see were pretty good, though.
And my ranking of My Top Ten Anime of 2017:
Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju (2nd season)
Sakura Quest
Recovery of a MMO Junkie
Natsume's Book of Friends 6 - I actually didn't watch this when it was simulcast because I needed to watch all the previous seasons first, but I really loved the whole series.
Anime Gataris
The Ancient Magus' Bride
Tsudere Children - This was another show I didn't watch when it was first airing, but checked out later due to good buzz.
My Hero Academia (2nd season)
Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga (2nd season)
Love Tyrant
March comes in like a lion
Not much has really caught my eye for next season other than Card Captor Sakura: Clear Card. (So, so excited! And I just bought the first manga volume, too.) Other possible picks are: Gakuen Babysitters, Marchen Madchen, and Takunomi. Maybe Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls since I watched the first season way back when.
Happy New Year!
Summer Anime Review
Sep. 28th, 2017 09:41 amI have to say this season was pretty...lackluster. Granted, several of the shows I really wanted to watch ended up on stupid Anime Strike, meaning I couldn't watch them, but it seems like I wasn't missing much from what I've heard. The best shows this season were continuations of series I already liked -- Sakura Quest, My Hero Academia, and Hell Girl (well, at least the six new episodes we got). Even they weren't quite as good as the previous seasons, though.
Thoughts on the rest:
Gamers! - The parts where they actually focused on gaming were fantastic, but, oh, my, gosh, the way all the characters would misinterpret pretty much anything related to romance (often in the stupidest of ways) drove me nuts! And, unfortunately, the romantic plots took up most of the show. I really wish the romance had been handled better, because the show actually was pretty funny with a good cast of characters, but...argh! Too many misunderstandings! Still, probably my favorite of the "new" shows.
Restaurant to Another World - Good, but VERY repetitive. I don't necessarily mind formulaic shows, but when each episode is cut into two acts that have basically the same simple plot, just with different characters, it's a bit much. The best episodes were the ones that broke the formula, especially the ones that focused on Aletta (the demon waitress). I will say that all the food looked and sounded delicious, though!
Elegant Yokai Apartment Life - This show should have been better than it was, but the pacing was really weird in the beginning, and it didn't really become interesting until a certain item was introduced halfway through the season. Even then, I still wouldn't call it great...just a little better than the first few episodes.
18if - I actually wasn't going to watch this after reading the Preview Guide at ANN, thinking it wasn't really my kind of show, but then I came across a .gif of the figure skater who stars as the "witch" of the fifth episode. Well, of course I had to check it out after that! (Learning that characters are figure skaters -- even if they're just minor or one-shot characters -- is a great way to get me interested in a show/movie/book. Led me to checking out Ginban Kaleidoscope, Yuri on Ice, Tiger & Bunny, Diamond Daydreams, Kaleido Star, The Cherry Project, Sugar Princess...probably a few others I can't think of at the moment.) The verdict? It turns out my original instinct was right. Some of the episodes were good, but others were pretty bad, even downright nonsensical. (Each episode had a different director, all who apparently were told they could do whatever the heck they wanted with their episode.) Even the figure skating episode was kind of a let down.
Oh, well, at least the new season looks much more promising. If they have a free legal stream, I'd like to check out Black Clover, Kino's Journey - The Beautiful World (second season), Classicaloid (second season), Ancient Magus' Bride, Anime-Gataris, and March Comes In Like a Lion (second season).
Spring Anime Season Round-up
Jun. 29th, 2017 09:40 amSakura Quest - My favorite this season! It reminds me a lot of Shirobako, another favorite of mine, since it focuses on a group of five female friends, and I think it was actually animated by the same company, too. The adventures of a rural town tourism board aren't quite as exciting as the workings of an anime company, but it was still a lot of fun, and I think the main characters are actually a little more interesting and developed than Shirobako's. This is continuing for another season, so I'm looking forward to more!
My Hero Academia - This season had a bit of a slow start, but once the sports festival began, and especially the battles, it was fantastic! I especially liked that some of the more secondary and minor characters were developed more. I actually remember most of their names and powers, now! Another one that is continuing for another season.
Kado: The Right Answer - The CG in this was just gorgeous (at least when not used on the actual characters)! It also has a rather interesting, thought provoking premise. It reminds me a bit of the movie Arrival, which I actually just watched for the first time a couple of weeks ago.
Love Tyrant - This show won't be for everybody. It's a parody anime, and the humor is kind of dark at times. Still, I found it quite funny and amusing. Also, the opening song is SUPER catchy. Everytime I watch it, it makes me just want to dance!
Tsuki ga Kirei - The best words to describe this show are pleasant and nice. Not the most exciting or interesting show out there, but not a bad way to pass the time. (My favorite parts of the show were actually the mini-shorts after the credits focusing on the minor characters, who I wish had more of a role in the main show.)
Attack on Titan - Since I watched the first season dubbed on Toonami and was used to the voices, I decided to watch the second season on Toonami as well, so I'm still a few episodes behind. What I've seen so far, though, has been really good, with some genuinely shocking revelations.
As for next season, my definite plans (if available on a free streaming site) are to watch the continuations of Sakura Quest and My Hero Academia, the new season of Hell Girl, and new series Welcome to the Ballroom and Love and Lies. On the maybe list are Restaurant to Another World, Yokai Apato no Yuga na Nichijo, DIVE!!, 18if, Vatican Miracle Examiner, Princess Principal, and Gamers!. I want to check out the ANN Preview Guide before making any definite decisions on those, though.
EDIT: Argh, stupid Amazon Strike with the ridiculous double paywall got Welcome to the Ballroom and Hell Girl. There goes my two most anticipated titles! (Atlhough after recently hearing some things about the Ballroom manga, I was a little less excited.) Seriously, though, this sucks! I wouldn't necessarily mind buying an occasional monthly subscription to binge the shows they have, but I'm not going to also pay for Prime in order to do so. Well, I hope some of my maybe titles turn out to be good...