Anime Review: A Wild Last Boss Appeared!

Been going through my watchlist trying to clear out some shows from my backlog - get a good binge in here and there on days off when I have the time. One of the shows I checked off recently was "A Wild Last Boss Appeared!", which aired during the Fall 2025 anime season. I totally missed this one as it was airing, actually didn't even know it existed, but saw some wild clips online and decided to give it a go.

TL;DR - 7/10 - Not bad for a seasonal isekai; I'll watch a second season if they make one. Doubt I'd buy the books though.

The opening premise of this show reminded me quite a bit of Overlord - too much in fact. Had to take off a couple points for originality right from the get-go. The male mc, who's a super-elite in a particular mmo game, gets sucked into the game world where he comes to embody the character that he used to play; the character happens to have a female character model, so we get some gender dysphoria to go with this  all too familiar package. A very standard adventure isekai with all the usual tropes ensues. Cute girls doing cute things, androgynous pretty boys, robo-maids, laughably evil demons, etc. etc. One particular use of the main character's power - to create a certain golem, gave me a PROPER chuckle. Definitely don't want to spoil this one with images, but trust me, once you meet Tanaka, you will understand. Tanaka, we salute you.

Series like this have been played to death lately, so I wasn't really expecting to be wowed by any of it.

The art style was pretty standard and safe and not anything I'd call special, but the animation was done competently enough that I'm not going to complain about the lack of visual directing. It's a popcorn isekai, not a Frieren. Good enough.

So, I shut my brain off, and just watched things play out, half paying attention, half doom-scrolling twitter, appalled by the state of affairs in the world. But, wouldn't you know it, eventually something surprised me enough I had to put my phone away...

There were a couple interesting elements that I don't want to spoil, which elevated things for me from what would probably have been a very mediocre 5.5/6. I suppose I could have, and really should have, seen these developments coming, but I think I underestimated the series too much. But, I'm glad I gave the show a chance to surprise me...

But... just when I had to sit up straight and consider that I may not have been familiar with this show's game after all, the ending left me more than confused, unsure of where this was all going. Maybe a second season will clear things up. I could definitely see this one getting another.

You can watch "A Wild Last Boss Appeared!!" on Crunchyroll.

Violet Evergarden Live in Concert

 On Sunday, February 15th, I went on a solo adventure to little Tokyo, then, in the evening, had the incredible opportunity to attend the orchestral performance of Violet Evergarden Live in Concert.

It's probably been almost ten years since I've been down to Little Tokyo. It's changed a great deal. I was blown away by the number of people there. The shops all had long lines out front to get in; made me feel like I was back in Akihabara. There were a number of Pop-up shops and collabs going on that weekend, so maybe it was more crowded than usual? Not too sure.

Iconic art on the side of the Miyako Hotel

The first try getting into the Square Enix Pop-up shop was a bust, due to the long line, but I browsed a bit at Jungle, grabbed a Yuka-chan (Blue Period) standee, and then prowled for snacks. It's a bit of a tradition to get Beard Papa whenever I'm in Little Tokyo, so couldn't skip that. Then pigged out on Melon-pan and Boba.

The Creme Brule style was interesting, but having the top cut off really weakened the structural integrity of the cream puff. The filling went everywhere. 5/5 would eat again. But bring a spoon.

Melon-pan at Yamazaki Bakery. Melon-pan is one of those sweets I didn't eat until many years into my Japan life because I generally don't care for melon-flavored anything. However... little did I know that this pseudo-desert bread doesn't taste like Melon at all. The naming simply comes from the cookie crust on top of the soft inner bread that makes it look like a melon. Taste is totally up my alley.

Light reading and cocktails before the show. Peanut-butter Espresso Martini + Yane no Shita no Artemis. Don't sleep on this one. And request it on Seven Seas Reader surveys please.

Bison and Wagyu Meatloaf at Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar

Crazy seeing Violet Evergarden up on the big Marquee like that

The line to actually take a picture at the photo opp spot was too long so I just snapped a couple shots of it while people were switching places.

The venue was packed, but most of the crowd was in the merch line right up until the show started. Quite a few people seemed to miss the opening song as well.

The seats were really good. I thought I might be a bit overdressed, but it turned out there were a lot of people who showed up in suits and cosplay.

The show itself was incredible. I held back tears for most of it (a couple songs broke the damn though not gonna lie). Sadly, unless I somehow missed it, I think they skipped one of my favorite songs from the show... just a two minute number, but whenever I think of VE this song is the one that pops up in my head. Song is called "Back in Business"

10/10 experience. First time attending an orchestral anime concert and I definitely think I'll try and look out for any other ones in the future.

Library Updates: 3100 Volumes and Counting

 

My manga library has passed the 3000 volume mark some time ago, but I've been too busy to clean the place up enough to post pics.

Organization-wise, I think it may be high time I make some changes. It's becoming a real pain in the ass to find anything in here with this many different series. I primarily keep all the romance/rom-com/drama/echi series on the right side of the room, and all the action/comedy/suspense/serious series on the left... but.... that's beginning to fall apart as I am getting pressed for space. Now, the motto has truly become: if it fits, it sits.

Things I'd like to change: probably going top pull up the LED's and remove the hanging style Christmassy white lights. I feel like they just get in the way, and I so rarely ever turn them on that it's not worth the hassle of having them up all the time. I'd also really like to do something about all the Funko... maybe move them to the card room (my MTG hobby got so out of hand the man-cave had to dig out another cavern).

This year's goal is to paint the walls which haven't been touched up since the house was purchased back in the 80's, and redo the flooring. I want to put some vinyl/wood floor in that doesn't look like a kid's playroom (which is exactly what this room used to be when I was a wee little child). I'd also really like to put in a hanging lamp, like one of those weird bulbous ones they sell at Ikea. There's a beam that runs across the ceiling, which could definitely support a chandelier of some kind, so I think trying to utilize that would be ideal. Would also be nice to put in some new drapes. 

Anime Review: Ruri Rocks

 

Last night I finished the last couple episodes of Ruri Rocks, so I wanted to go ahead and put my thoughts down on paper while it's still fresh.

I feel like Ruri Rocks belongs in a subset of CGDCT anime where the aforementioned Cute Girls are doing things that aren't very cute at all. Geology? Not cute at all. But, when these girls are out there in the middle of a river panning for gold? Maybe a little cute.

My mind wasn't blown by this series, but I did enjoy it pretty thoroughly. The animation staff took some serious liberties with the character design to push the fan service way, way over the top, which I think is kiiiiiinda weird, but given the overall quality of the show was so high, maybe these changes are more on the level of how the One Punch Man series changed from web comic to manga. (see also Horimiya).

Overall I liked experienced Ruri's character arc, but I think Shouko's was maybe more compelling and kinda wish they had introduced her much earlier in the series. I would also like to have seen more of Ruri's friend group from school, which seemed to be an underutilized group of characters, especially Aoi, who, outside of the Radio episode, really didn't get much screen time, but is right there in the background of the poster art.

As far as the smart, onee-san type characters, Nagi is sure to be a fan favorite for many, but I think I liked the more eccentric Youko more personally (it's the glasses).

I don't think this series created a newfound interest in mineralogy for me, but it did make me want to go on a hike.

8/10

What I'm Reading and Watching to Kick off 2026

 It's a new year!

Will this year turn out like so many others, with many life updates, but little content?

Who's to say really.

Seeing as I haven't updated this blog since August, I'm afraid it may turn out that way again, but, then again, the holiday retail season has come to an end, and I've taken on less responsibilities at work - maybe I'll have more time to write. Plus: I got a fancy new computer during Black Friday sales; it's got a massive, fancy monitor as well. Perfect for processing many words. All the words.

So, what's been on my Otaku plate as of late....

CURRENTLY READING

About an hour ago I caught up with: "Yane no Shita no Artemis" by Nagi Uraya.

The premise is reminiscent of "We Never Learn" - a somewhat ordinary guy in college has to tutor one of his former classmates who's extremely one-sided genius has prevented her from graduating high school, and now's her final chance before her dream's of becoming a scientist go up in smoke. It's heart-warming, funny, and emotional. The art is sexy, but not fan-service heavy (no nudity). By the current chapter I really got to care for both the main girl, Kobachi, as well as the MC's college senpai. I've been trying to pin down for a while who the male MC reminded me of, but I'm drawing a blank. At times he gives off Onizuka vibes, but at like 1% the energy level. He's smart, and caring, and has a mind for literature, but considering he's there to tutor her in liberal arts, I think there's been only a few chapters where they do any "proper" studying.

I'd say this has really great potential and it's going to be the top of my English license recommendations list in 2026.

You can read it in Japanese here.

UPDATE: I recently found a copy of vol. 2 in the Wild at Kinokuniya in Little Tokyo. Going to try and get my hands on vol. 1 and 3 which I believe are also available now in the states.

I've also been trying to catch up on some of the series in my backlog from my personal collection.

Yesterday I polished off vol. 13 of "How Do We Relationship" by Tamifull.

I've held this series pretty dear to my heart for a long, long time and it will be ending with vol. 14 coming out in April. I really value how well it tackles extremely sensitive topics, and doesn't stray away from confronting relationship problems head-on. Considering most romance manga don't even really let us see the characters together for very long, and even fewer let us watch the characters break up (somehow I think this series had more break-ups than confessions), this one let us watch the characters get together, break up, then do it all over again while struggling with the conflicting emotions from the trauma that gets built up in the time apart. I have a feeling that seeing Miwa and Saeko's story come to an end next volume will probably leave a pretty big hole in my liver after I pour one out for another series I've been invested in coming to a close after a decade.

9 out of 10 manga enthusiasts would recommend, but some of the topics may be very sensitive for some.

I also recently finished reading another Yuri series: "Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord" by Yodokawa. 

I'll probably write a full review of the series soon. Overall, I enjoyed it, but it felt like another GL book which was rushed to a conclusion prematurely. 7/10 losing points for squandered potential.

CURRENTLY WATCHING

Winter Anime Season 2026 kicked off with a bang, and good lord, we're eating good.

Not going to go to in depth with everything I'm watching since I'm watching a ton of shows this season, but there's certainly a couple of standouts.

1.    Journal With Witch

This is a series I tweeted about pretty heavily last year. I ended up reading it from start to finish 5 or 6 times and I've been begging for an English release of it for months. (I'm right on the verge of importing the Japanese version myself). It's not often, in anime especially, that a series comes along and perfectly deals with topics like loss and grief, and this one does it especially well. The adaptation is superb with just out of this world voice acting from the main pair and a supporting cast of A-list talent to top things off. Bring a box of tissues.

Rounding out my top 5 are:

2.    You and I Are Polar Opposites: Adorable, fun, high energy. This series scratches the itch I have for more romance anime about the couple together doing couple stuff. Like Horimiya, but much less serious and without all the S&M and off-screen sex.

3.    Tamon's B-Side: God this series is funny and the adaptation is just pure perfection. Given how hugely successful this has been do I think it's possible the author's previous work, Takane and Hana, could also get an adaptation? Maybe, but that's kinda like asking if Fire Punch will get picked up now that CSM's gone mainstream...

4.    The Invisible Man and His Soon to Be Wife: Shit, now I need to buy this book. Looks like the English publication is up to vol. 6 now, with 7 on the way. Strong series giving off high levels of cute, adult romance, strongly reminded me of "The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl." Quasi-supernatural office romance is a truly underrated genre. 

5.    Tis Time for Torture Princess: Maybe after season 2 we'll get VIZ to have enough faith in the series to print it. The translation of the manga is already available, but given it's length, I suppose they're worried about committing to printing any comedies that run 20+ volumes.

Honorable Mention...   In the Clear Moonlit Dusk:  I'm not convinced. The animation and art direction don't really feel like they're doing Mika Yamamori's Shojo series justice. So far this is at best a 7/10 adaptation of a 9/10 series; please refer to Tamon to see what a 10/10 looks like... I was really hopeful that this would be breaking the internet, but doesn't feel like that's happening, which doesn't bode particularly well for Yamamori-sensei's other series getting picked up for anime after this.

The rest of the watch list includes:

Frieren Season 2: 10 episodes though. WTF

Oshi No Ko Season 3: I heard vague rumors of a new ending. I'll cling to hope.

JJK Season 3: Nope

Hell's Paradise Season 2: Eh... manga clears it.

Sentenced to Be a Hero: On my binge list.

Fire Force: I'm not caught up yet.

Fate/Strange Fake: Holy fucking sakuga gods.

Chained Soldier Season 2: It's ok to be horny sometimes.

Shibou Yuugi: I find it funny how they've self-censored all the blood and gore.

The Holy Grail of Eris: Possession is nine-tenths of the law

The Demon King's Daughter is Too Kind: Have to check my blood sugar after every episode

Cosmic Princess Kaguya: When I re-up my Netflix

Love through a Prism: See above

Anyway, if you made it this far, thanks for reading, and stay in touch. Hopefully more posts and reviews to come soon.

I continue to post on that cesspool that is twitter, but you can also find me on Bluesky.

We've got a small discord community as well, though it's not super active. DM on Twitter for invite links.

Anime Review: See You Tomorrow at the Food Court

To me, this is a spiritual successor to Lucky Star. All talk, no action, but the dialogue rips. The two characters are unconventional, with unique perspectives, and great vocal performances. The show is, by and large, a show about nothing; but it's an enjoyable experience from beginning to end. My only real complaint is that it's only six episodes! How dare they stop here?! But, that's to be expected I suppose since the manga's only two volumes long. The real shocker is that this got an anime adaptation at all given it's brevity. The deck was thoroughly stacked against it, especially since it takes place in a shopping mall and there's constant references to real-life places/restaurants throughout. They did the impossible though, and got the actual brands to sponsor the series. Looks like AEON (the shopping mall company) was the primary major sponsor, but there's definitely paid ad spots by KFC and some other places too.

Highly recommend taking two hours of your life to enjoy this little series about two friends chatting at the food court after school. Short and sweet. 9.5/10!

Manga Review: Snegurochka of the Spring Breeze

In the afterward to the Snegurochka of the Spring Breeze, Hiroaki Samura describes the origin of this one-shot manga:

'This all started from a breathless conversation with the editorial director about creating a story starring "a tsundere girl who's 95% tsun!"'

ME: DOKO GA??! 

How in the hell he goes from that conversation with an editor to a period piece mystery thriller, with not even a single ounce of Tsun, much less Dere, boggles my mind. Then again, this is the same guy who wrote Blade of the Immortal and Wave, Listen to Me. Sensei works in mysterious ways.

This book came plastic wrapped, with a couple pages you might consider to be a good reason for it. Hiroaki Samura's pretty well-known for drawing very graphic, violent, erotic material, but this is almost tame for him, especially when you put it side by side with something like Bradherly no Basha (another of his period pieces - it's really fucked up... you've been warned). If you're just looking for some pulp fiction, pick up Die Wergelder. That one felt like more compressed shock value in a refined form.

As far as this work goes...

The story - adventure? of Snegurochka was truly epic! With twists and turns I probably should have seen coming, but I was way to engrossed to think on a meta level. The art sucks you in with it's rough, but realistic style. I liked the main characters, but also thought the side characters were full of personality and character development of their own... especially THAT scumbag. When you read it, you'll know the one.

9/10!! - some of the pieces felt a bit forced, but ultimately I was super invested and enjoyed the hell out of this. It was a proper rollercoaster ride toward the end, but I actually reread this again today, just 24 hours after finishing it the first time. Gripping stuff!

I'd like to refrain from describing the story in any detail, since I think the mystery, and going in blind, were definitely factors that led to my enjoyment of the book. But, if you scroll down, past the cover art, there's a bit of a spoiler, in the form of an embedded YouTube music video. The ear worm wiggled its way into my head after I hit the big reveal.

So, final spoiler warning...

ANYWAY... 

MASSIVE SPOILER...

You've been warned...