Anime Review - Onimai: I'm Now Your Sister

 

I'd say this series is very high up there on the "WTF Japan" meter. 

Genius high school girl concocts a drug that turns her useless, NEET older brother into a middle schooler. And a girl. If you're one of the people who morally objected to Mushoku Tensei because the MC was a dirty rotten scoundrel before getting killed and given a second chance at life... this series is ALSO probably not going to be for you. This one's a magical gender-bending yuri series, and will probably not survive the upcoming purge when any all "problematic" media gets removed from streaming services (probably somewhere during wave 2 of the Fahrenheit 451 future we're currently knee deep in).

This show came out in 2023, and at time of writing this review in 2026 it's got a MAL rating of... 7.64???? Curious if the show was actually good, I decided to see for myself before it becomes media restricted to Japan.

The series got to me by the end, especially with the scene on the train. Mihari was truly a real one for giving her brother a second chance at life; think she was my favorite of the side characters by the end. The return to school arc was where the show peaked for me, and I found the relationship Mahiro had with the two boys in her class to be some of the funniest scenes in the show.

I don't know that I'll watch it again, and glad I watched the SFW Crunchyroll version. Take my 7/10

Anime Review: Yano-kun's Ordinary Days

 

Did you watch Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie and think to yourself, "man, they really underutilized the whole clumsy boy trope," then do I have the show for you.

Yano-kun's Ordinary Days is an anime adaptation of the manga of the same name by Tamura Yui. I'd probably label it a shojo (and then be beaten to death by shojo elitists). The story centers around the female MC Kiyoko, the class president, who's concern over her classmate Yano grows into affection, then into full fledged romance.

Yano is a very clumsy, accident prone boy, who seems to draw misfortune to himself; he always comes to school injured heavily, wearing an eye-patch. Kiyoko's determination to keep him from harm ultimately proves largely ineffectual, but charming and to Yano, very endearing.

Yuka Nukui, the actress who plays Kiyoko, does a fantastic job. Her reactions, panic, and emotion all come across so honest and believable that I really grew to like Kiyoko as a character. In comparison again to Shikimori, who's more of a badass, guardian angel type, Kiyoko comes across less powerful, and more concerned.

I think both are very good characters and I appreciate the different ways of approaching the clumsy-boy trope.

Yano, very much like Izumi of Shikimori, is a beacon of calamity. Misfortune seems to follow him around constantly. I found myself calling him cursed in episode 1, which may became a plot point later on... When episode 11 rolls around though and a character is introduced from Yano's past, I felt like they kind of rushed through the traumatic backstory in order to find resolution, and the new cast member's presence wasn't really well executed.

Yano's pretty pathetic, but his positivity and unwillingness to break in the face of all the bullshit he constantly dealt with left me wanting to be inspired; to what end? Not sure.

I would happily watch another season of this series and buy the manga if they decided to license and print it in the US.

8/10

Manga Review: Betrayed by the Hero, I Formed a Milf Party with His Mom

 NEWS!

Isekai Teen Sleeps with All 4 of His Bullies Moms to Assert Dominance

It feels so strange that I'm actually giving this series a review, because let me be clear. This series is trash. Hot garbage. Very little redeeming content, but good lord the premise is funny, the women are sexy, and I'm dying to see the actual revenge come to fruition...

The title really fully encapsulates the plot of the book. Ceres, the MC, is the backbone of the Hero's Party, in that he does all their laundry, takes care of the paperwork, and makes sure they don't violate any local laws while they're on their quest to kill the demon king. The Hero steals Cere's girlfriend and kicks him out of the party.

Sorry Ceres. Nice guys finish last.... or so you'd think!!

Ceres, then heads off on his own, and finds that the Hero's mom has been sold into slavery by debt-ridden piece of shit husband, so he buys her outright (but doesn't free her.... odd) and turns her into his new girlfriend. She's incredibly happy to be rescued and flattered that he sees her as a proper sexy woman, but she's not happy that all of her former friends are in similar situations: loveless, sexless marriages, with good-for-nothing husbands who don't appreciate or value them.

Thus, with the encouragement of his new Milf/Wife, Ceres begins a new quest to reunite the legendary party of adventurers who gave birth to the current generation's Hero's party, then have sweaty, harem-orgies with all four of them.

The lewd bits are uncensored, but strictly top half only; still this is a manga so echi you won't believe it's not Hentai since they're boning in just about every other chapter after the setup is complete.

As far as critical analysis: Setting is extremely generic, in that isekai-adjacent fantasy way. Art isn't great. Characters are very, very tropey (though I'm a big fan of the warrior mom with glasses and the shredded abs). There's not particularly any deep world building, unique magic systems, or fantasy plot for that matter. Really, if you're reading this, you're here for the meme-factor, and eventually getting to see the reaction of the Hero when he realizes that his former party-mate gone and stole his mom.

This series should probably be like a 2 out of 10 on a critical scale, but I'm giving it a 9/10 after finishing volume 4 (the encounter with the Dark Dragon, powering up Ceres's bedroom stats had me actually dying of laughter). This series is so bad, but I just can't put it down.

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

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...

Manga Review: Aria of the Beech Forest

Let me get this out of the way first; I started out enjoying this series a lot, but... only three volumes???

Are you kidding me??

Again?

I feel like I keep falling for fantastic series, with lovable characters, great art, cool - unique premise, that barely make it off the launch pad. I'd love to have a chat with the editors of some of these manga to find out why a series I loved so much didn't make it to even five volumes. The author's brimming with creativity, how're you just going to end this here??????

By the end of the third volume, I was really irritated that I'd invested myself emotionally in another series only for it to end without a satisfying final arc or any big revelations or character development. The only one with a half-decent revelation was Gwyn, but even there, it felt really rushed.

I guess this is a very disappointing way to recommend a series, but I do recommend reading it if you get a chance; but, maybe it's not a book you'll want to invest yourself in, since sadly it didn't end up running very long.

The art was very charming. The characters were fun and original. The premise itself is funky and different. The setting!! - you think you're in for a fantasy, but NO! Rural Ireland, present day. There's even legally distinct trip(s) to McDonald's!! I love it!

But, the ending left me with the biggest question of: Will Aria ever actually do magic??? I don't need McDonald's, I need ANSWERS!

I rate this series a 6.5/10. Great potential, but ultimately it rushed into a less than satisfying ending. 

I'm really looking forward to seeing what the author does next!! (Follow them on Twitter @yu_gi_ri_)

This feels to me like their Eniale & Dewiela. 

That series was also only three volumes, but DAMN, where they packed with potential in terms of artistic presentation, unique ideas, and character. Ultimately, didn't really end up going very far either... but, the author then went on to begin serializing Witch Hat Atelier the next year... so, definitely excited to see what Yugiri Aika's next original work will be.

Anime Review: From Old Country Bumpking to Master Swordsman

 After seeing a few clips on twitter, I decided to go ahead and give this anime the old college try. The fight scenes were really well done - they used CG, but you can barely tell to be honest. They did something extremely convincing with after effects to make the CG look hand-drawn. Not sure what the process is called, but I like it. The battles across the last couple episodes showcased it the most.

Despite pretty much all the women in the show having a crush on their former teacher, I felt like there was very little chemistry between them, and ultimately he never hooked up with any of the eligible ladies, instead spending most of his time with his adopted daughter character, basically turning this into single dad the not-so-isekai fantasy. It's a real shame, because the female cast of the show had really good character design! I especially liked the short haired girl hauling around a zweihander and using it properly!! I felt it was really ironic that the reason he got sent to the city in the first place is because his parents back in the sticks wanted him to give them a grandchild, but instead of getting together with any of the women, he just adopts a random kid who was in over their head.

The focus really is on the old country bumpkin himself, and he's a bit of a Hary Sue. I wouldn't call him an overpowered protagonist, but he's certainly got skills which surpass the other folks in this universe. Rather than a 'Master Swordsman', he felt more along the lines of a master martial artist; instead of specific sword-oriented special abilities, he's just really good at reading the environment and his opponent, and then using his sword in *just* the right way to strike at their weaknesses. I appreciate this take on a swordsman type character. Although there were definitely a few instances of him doing some outrageously out of character stuff (like cutting down a tree in one strike). Overall he felt like just a normal old guy who's good with a sword, which when you get down to it, is the point of the series I suppose.

Overall, I didn't hate this show, but I didn't love it. The characters were pretty bland and one-sided. The villains were very typically tropey. In the end, I kinda just didn't mind this show, but I don't think I'll think of it a season or two from now.

5/10

Mii-chan Wants to Be Kept: Vol. 1 Manga Review

Cat/Girls are cute too

I’m a sucker for cute anime cat-girls, but Mii-chan isn’t exactly what I was expecting...

In this series by Waka Takase, our protagonist Natsume-kun, works in a supermarket, where he gets pushed around by the ladies at his job; but, he’s generally a good guy who’ll pitch in and help out when things get tough – as a result, he’s always exhausted and burnt out.

One day, on his way home, he takes in a stray black cat for the night, even though his building doesn’t allow pets. When he wakes up in the morning, he finds the cat’s gone, but an extremely beautiful (buck-naked) black-haired girl is sleeping in his bed.

The series is only mildly NSFW

As it turns out, Mii-chan, is a seventeen year old runaway cat/girl, who is a human during the day, but turns into a cat at night. The details have yet to be really explained; is it a curse? Is it just in her nature? Not too sure. Will I read on to find out more? Probably.

I really enjoyed the book for the first 90% of the volume. The interactions between the two main characters are pretty funy. Mii-chan’s cute, and the MC dude’s not annoying (honestly the most important thing in any of the manga where the MC is meant to be a self-insert protag). It’s also really funny how he’s got such a soft spot for Mii-chan as a cat, but is really hard on her in her human form.

<<Moderate spoilers for the end of volume 1 to follow, but I think it might affect whether some people pick this book up.>>

Toward the end of the volume, Mii-chan has a conversation with another Cat/Girl, and in that conversation, it’s revealed that one aspect of their “affliction” is that unless they have sex with a guy before they turn 18 they’ll eventually be stuck in their Cat form forever…

I’m generally not too stuck up about stuff like this, but this seemed so contrived and deliberate I got a bit annoyed – especially since the MC is in his early twenties; maybe the age-gap tension will turn into a plot point. I guess it’s always possible Mii-chan chooses to stay with Natsume-kun, but in her cat form, since he’s pretty obviously got a thing for cats. Who knows? I think that’d be kind of a funny possibility. I’m interested enough to see how it plays out that I’ll probably pick up the rest as it comes out. So far, Japan has 3-ish volumes worth of chapters and the manga is still ongoing.

This is one of those weird series where I enjoyed it, but the hook might make it super annoying. Also makes it very hard to recommend, so if this is your kind of jam, go for it.

Volume 2 is due out in August.

Mii-Chan Wants to Be Kept is published by Seven Seas Entertainment.

Purchase at Barnes & Noble for $13.99

Shadow Student Council Vice President Gives Her All - Manga Review

 This manga, by ReDrop, features Meiko Shiraki, the vice-president of the Shadow Student Council from the Legendary Echi manga series Prison School; this one-shot gag spinoff features virtually no dialogue of any kind, choosing to focus entirely on random humorous episodes from Meiko’s dialy life. Basically just a fun little book with lots of over the top sexy panels and echi camera angles. Very NSFW. I thought it was funny - and the over the top lewdness was pretty consistent with the original Prison School source material. 

I picked it up on sale; there are definitely worse ways to spend $15, but this one was certainly a silly pickup. Snag it if you’re a fan.

When a picture's worth a thousand words

Manga Review: "Run Away With Me Girl" vol. 2

I had Norah Jones's "Come Away With Me" stuck in my head after reading this for some reason

I was on the fence about whether or not I was going to continue this series after the first volume, despite giving it five stars, but after reading the 2^nd book I’m glad I did. The ‘running away’ starts here and I definitely enjoyed seeing them escape. I’m very hopeful for the relationship between Maki and Midori and I wish them the best (reasonably sure we’re heading toward a happy ending now not some lovers’ suicide/tragic thing, but who knows). More than anything I just want Midori’s fiancé to disappear from existence. Dude is a scumbag. Hoping he’s not in book 3 much. This manga has this weird way of flittering between beautiful and depressing that it’s rather tough to read, but I think it’s worth it. When we see Midori from Maki’s perspective and she’s always sparkling it really hits me with a sense of wonder – but then you see the world from Midori’s side and things are rarely ever that dazzling. On a side note: really enjoyed meeting Komori for the first time. Her addition was welcome.

REVIEW OF VOLUME 3 COMING SOON!

If you'd like to purchase, do so at these links (not sponsored):

Barnes & Noble

RightStuf

Amazon

Manga Review: "Run Away With Me Girl" vol. 1

The Cover was Beautiful until I realized it reminded me of Midsommar

When I started to think "I really wanted to YEET Midori's Fiance into the sun." I realized that this series was going to be one I couldn't drop.

I bought this book on a whim when I was on a Yuri reading kick not really knowing how dark the plot is. TW: there’s some very serious and disturbing content. The plot centers around two high school more-than-friends reuniting after many years. When they were in school, they ‘played’ at being girlfriends, but for one of them, Maki, the relationship ended up leaving an everlasting impression. For her, their reunion means a LOT. The other woman, Midori, is now in a very serious relationship with a man, but the relationship is so TOXIC it might as well be radioactive. I found the first volume to be a good hook for me, but half of me is reading just to make sure that I see the horrible relationship Midori’s in come to an end. I suppose it comes off as kind of a footnote, but I want to add that I adore the art in this book, especially with the way Battan is able to shift from SPARKLES to glooooooom. Strong recommend as long as you’re able to stomach the sensitive material.

REVIEW OF VOLUME 2! 

This manga is published by Kodansha.

Buy it here (currently, I get nothing out of this, just think you should read the damn book lol)

Barnes & Noble 

RightStuf

Amazon

Manga Review: "She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat" vol. 2

Hungry for Volume 3

Sorry, I couldn't resist the urge to pun. But for real. When is volume 3 coming out, cus I need another serving of this pronto. (again, I apologize for the food jokes).

With that, my thoughts...   ...5/5 by the way. I'll say that up front. 

There's your TL;DR if you only wanted to see a score.

If you missed my review of volume 1, you can find it here.

Manga Review: "She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat" vol. 1 

Book 2 was great. Just great. There were a number of new and delicious looking dishes and each and every one of them made me hungry. Actually, physically hungry. This manga is a feast for the eyes. It's been years since I lived in Japan (I left in 2015 to return to the US for health reasons), but this has me hankering for Japanese cuisines I've not had in ages. Roll Cake, Character Bento, Stollen, Anko. Good lord I need to go order food.... 

Hopefully listing a bunch of the foods they eat in this volume didn't spoil anything, I'll talk some very spoilery things later, but i'll be sure to put a warning. In typical manga fashion, one of the characters gets sick in a chapter here (not really a spoiler, I promise! it's a regular occurance in all slice-of-life series); the other prepares a glorious bowl of kitsune udon. 

Oh. My. God. 

It really struck me, both in the heart and in the stomach. 

Having someone make you a big bowl of soup, when you’re too weak to do it yourself. It has a very comfy, healing warmth to it, even when you're just reading it happen to someone else. Almost makes me want to pull a Ferris Bueller and call out sick today (but who’d be there to make me Udon?).

 Beyond the food though, this volume really expanded on the relationship between Nomoto and Kasuga and cements the romance plot. In my mind, this volume moves it from the sub-plot to the main plot. I'll discuss more in length just after wrapping up the review portion here...

Lastly, I really appreciated learning more about each character’s backstory. They've definitely gotten more depth of character after this volume. This elevates the manga for me in a big way. I like three dimensional characters. Just like I'd like a third volume of this manga. Nowish. Sadly, there's no pre-order available yet, but hopefully we'll see an announcement of one soon.

I highly recommend this series, so, again, I don't get anything out of it, but here's the links to buy this book at your preferred place of book buying. "She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat" is published by Yen Press and has an MSRP of $15.00.

Barnes & Noble

Rightstuf

Amazon

.....

NOW

THIS IS WHERE I TALK SPOILERS

You've been warned...

A warning page from the editor. I feel like I've seen a couple pages like this in books before; one in 'Witch Hat Atelier' stands out in my mind. I'm on the fence about them, but I suppose it's a good thing. The way it's done here feels like they're protecting the publisher more than giving a trigger warning though. Still, I understand that I think this is done with good intentions. Probably.

FOR REAL THOUGH

HUGE

MEGA-SPOILERS

Don't blame me.

I warned you.

This page appears before a fairly poignant chapter featuring one of the main characters going through the realizaton process that she's a lesbian and in love with the other woman. It's a pretty dark awakening. I thought it was a very good chapter. Felt like a brick to the face a little bit, but It certainly moves the story forward in a very, very big way. In the first volume, there were hints of a romance subplot developing, but volume 2 makes it extremely clear where this series is headed.

I like this manga a lot. I appreciated that it took itself seriously, when needed, but didn't get stuck being a SERIOUS book. The manga was light-hearted, even if there's a chapter or two that really stand out as being tonally different; that's usually a big offender for me - when a book can't stick to a tone, I end up getting turned off because it puts me in a different mood when I finish it, then when I started. This one didn't. So, I'll take that as a good thing.

I'm eager to see how the romance plays out.

Manga Review: "She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat" vol. 1

I'm getting hungry just reviewing this manga

Full disclosure, I'm writing this review after I've already read vol. 2, but I tried my best to review it based on the first impression I got from the first volume when I read it originally.

Nomoto is an OL with an Instagram and loves sharing picutres of her cooking, but she has a problem. She's always wanted someone who can really pack it in. She wants to craft mega-sized dishes like bucket-pudding, or giga-pancackes. Huge omelettes. Great overflowing bowls of curry. The urge to just go nuts in the kitchen is welling up inside her. However, she's just one woman, living alone, and not interested in marriage (and especially not interested in becoming a 'good wife' for some random male coworker).

Then, one night, Kasuga appears, carrying buckets of KFC... which she will eat. By herself.

When trouble happens at work, and Nomoto goes a LITTLE overboard de-stressing with some serious kitchen time; a steak donburi of epic proportions is born, and the only way to keep it from going to waste is by having her neighbor help her polish it off.

And thus begins a beautiful friendship... and maybe, in the future, more...

This volume was great. I’ve reread it multiple times since it came out. I really like food centered manga (but especially ones that have a bit of romance to them - guess the way to my heart, ultimately, really is through my stomach); when the visuals are so good that you can smell the dishes, and get hungry yourself, that’s when you know you've got a hit. This manga definitely did taht for me. Every time I read it (i think i'm up to four times now) I end up needing to go grab a snack. I blame this series for my recent craving for Yaki-onigiri (gonna try it with Miso the way they do in the manga) and going on a hunt for the best Karage in the county… (I ended up finding a really good spot too! I've started getting takeout karage-bowls now after work). I’m sure this book has put a few pounds around my waist. This series also has the ‘Yuri’ tag on it, but I’m not sure if I’d call it a main plot, or a sub-plot; here in volume 1, there is a lesbian romance going on under the surface, but it has yet to develop into a mutual relationship yet. Hoping in the future both Nomoto and Kasuga realize their feelings for each other. But I feel like that’s where it’s going because I don’t see it becoming a one-sided affair.

This is an easy 5/5 for me. I've already bought and read vol. 2, with review of that one coming (shortly, and i'll spoil for you... my score doesn't go down).

She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat is published by Yen Press. MSRP $15

You can buy it at the following. I don't get anything for these links, but I loved the manga, I'ma recommend you just go right over and pick it up yourself.

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

Rightstuf


Now, if you'd like to read my take on volume 2... check it out here...

Manga Review: "She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat" vol. 2

Anime Review: "Reborn to Master the Blade..."

Reborn to Master the Blade. Becomes Vegeta instead.

This is more like what I’m looking for in a isekai power fantasy than most of the shows that came out this season, but there were enough annoying things about it that ultimately I soured on it a little by the end. But not THAT soured. Still kinda recommend it if you're into dumb isekai stuff.

The premise behind this one is that of a kind, beloved king, ruler of a prosperous fantasy empire, being reincarnated into another fantasy world, or maybe the same one, just in a different time (honestly I can’t remember which it is because it’s kind of passed over quickly in the early episodes and never comes up as a plot element later on); the king is reborn as a girl, which he adapts to pretty quickly. That plot hook is wasted for the most part and not really played off of at all, though the reincarnated king, in the body of a little girl reminded me of Rudeus from Mushoku Tensei, maybe that’s just me. Since the King isn’t nearly the same level of perv, it doesn’t really feel gross.

The first of the BIG issues I had with this series was its broken promise. The king is reborn to master the blade. The blade!! So, WHY? Does the MC mostly go around punching the crap out of monsters and shooting lasers from her fingers??? What the hell? Did it turn out drawing sword fights was too hard? I simply don’t understand. When she’s a child, there’s ONE really, really good sword fight, which really sucked me in. I thought this series was likely to be really good based on that episode, but after that, the MC barely ever uses a sword again.

The other issues I had with this were mostly just niggles. The plot seemed overly complex. I’m still not entirely sure what exactly a Hieral Menace is, but I think it lets (forces? Curses?) people to turn into powerful weapons??? (wasn’t clear if it’s permanent… or? Idk). Last of my issues was the incomplete plot hooks which are all left dangling. The series ends, but nothing is resolved, ensuring that if we want to see any of this reach its conclusion we either need to buy the source material, or hope that a season 2 gets made.

I’ll probably wait for a season 2 if there is one, but I doubt I’ll be picking up the manga/ln’s.

Wait… hold on, this doesn’t sound like I’m very positive about this anime, but I’m giving it a 6?

Should I reevaluate??

Nah, there was actually quite a bit to like here.

The villains are bad, but there’s a few who are sympathetic and multi-dimensional. The good guys are good, but some are complex and have several facets. The series is never loses its light-heartedness even in the most serious battles, so it’s not dragged into the dreary, meaning even if there’s conflicts they don’t feel depressing. The action scenes are well-done; the animation is crisp, even if the art looks like everything else that’s coming out in this genre these days. Ultimately I felt the personality in this series was strong enough that it’s likable on those merits alone.

So, this one is just barely a 6 for me. Maybe a 6.1.

Anime Review: "Raising 80K Gold..."

This show was my 80,000th Reason Why

On a conceptual level I think this brought enough new ideas to the isekai genre that it was worth watching just for the freshness. Being able to come and go between this world and a fantasy world + having a character predominantly motivated by money + the mc’s super power is a glock = a formula for a good time; sadly the execution here wasn’t great, with some episodes having borderline awful animation. The story had enough bad plot/story developments that it sadly outweighed whatever positive base the premise had going for it. And the worst offender is this series REPEATS. REPEATS EVERYTHING. The MC makes friends with not ONE, but THREE different little girls. The villains in this are almost ALWAYS some random, annoying, greedy old man (literally every single villain except for the monsters is a fucking ugly bastard). I lost count, but I feel like there was at least 5 of them....  thankfully this was a pg-13 mainstream series and not an H title, cus, damn. Ugly bastards everywhere.

I didn't mention this in my MAL review, but the main character is also an insufferable dolt. Like, WTF are you even thinking????? I suppose there's a reason she failed her entrance exams and couldn't get into college in the first place. The real moment this threw me was when she goes out on a quest with a bunch of professional adventurers. Before going to bed she tells them she's off to bathe, then pops out in a bikini... like what in the actual fuck are you thinking girl? You KNOW this isn't gonna fly in his medieval society! Why? just... ugh... use thy brain, please.

I just got so tired of watching the same plot play out over and over that ultimately this series bored the pants off me.

This dreadful anime barely earns a 2... 

Anime Review: "Chillin In My 30's..." [I genuinely can't remember the rest of the title]

I mean, at Least Tomokazu Sugita is in it

This series was hot garbage. It was mildly fun garbage, kinda like finding a really messed up sofa thrown out by the curb, but at the end of the day, still garbage. The best compliment I can give this series is that I didn’t actively hate it by the end, just felt kinda indifferent to it. Not memorable, but I wouldn’t say it was boring enough to forget. I will remember Malika (Marika?) at least.

Tomokazu Sugita [Gintama’s Gintoki], the voice of the main character Dariel was fighting for his life trying to carry this series, but his voice acting alone couldn’t pull it off. I did enjoy his performance though I wouldn’t say it’s his best, or one he’ll probably remember five years from now. Felt a bit like a paycheck show.

The title for this series is total BS. There is virtually nothing “Chill” about this series. Dude goes from one conflict to another and gets absolutely no rest, because the girl of his dreams hits like a truck every time she runs in for a glomp. And glomp she does. So even in his down time, he’s dealing with broken ribs every times he catches a hug.

The BETTER title for this series would be “Nobody will let me chill, even in my 30’s”. Dariel gets expelled from the Demon King’s army’s only to end up busy as hell even in his early forced retirement. The characters here were all pretty standard; same tropes we’ve seen a million times before. Demon King, Four Heavenly Kings, overenthusiastically-here-to-train hero, big-boobie oneesan waifu (that would be the aforementioned Malika). Etc. Etc.

In the end, I found it pretty boring and repetitive, but not in a way that made me fast forward, or skip episodes. Not entirely sure why I stuck it out with until the end, but I think it had something to do with Malika. I just can’t quite put my finger on which part.

A year from now, I doubt I’ll remember this series, just like Sugita won’t, but, that’s ok. Not every anime can be Mushoku Tensei, even if Tomokazu Sugita is in it. (Have I mentioned how much I like Tomokazu Sugita? Is that coming across?) We need 1’s in order to really appreciate the 8’s and 9’s. They make the 10’s feel even more incredible. This show wasn’t THAT bad though. The art-style and animation were cookie-cutter and manufactured, but they weren’t dreadful, or copy-pasted, like an ExArm or TanMoshi. I did get a couple laughs out of it; plus… Malika. So, thank you, “chillin in my 30’s” for at least not making me hate you. With that in mind. 30 / 10 equals 3, so you’ll be getting a 3 stars.

Anime Review: "Handyman Saitou in Another World"

This is a STRONG 7. Like... 7.99

I'd say this is well above average in terms of quality isekai series. I generally dislike it when an isekai with a ridiculous premise, such as this one, gets serious, but somehow, I wasn't overly bothered by it here. The plot of this show is pretty much right there in the title. A handyman, named Saitou, ends up being transported to a fantasy world; he joins a party of adventurers who’re exploring a dungeon. He’s good at picking locks, disarming traps, kinda fulfills the role of a rogue in general ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ terms, but without the stealthy backstabbing. I bring up D&D because I could definitely see this entire series being played out on a table-top. It felt like a really whacky campaign, designed by the world’s weebiest DM. For example, one of the biggest, plot-centric turn of events involves a Roomba. So, even when the anime is at its most serious, those bits were balanced out well with laughs and general silliness. It gets precarious, but not bogged down in a dark, depressing way. I really liked the cast of characters too. Saito’s party of adventurers includes a bad-mouthed fairy, a blushing maiden of a fighter, and a lecherous old wizard who can’t remember his own spells. Definitely reminds me of a D&D group generated with quirkiness in mind. Each of them gets a great backstory, some even having entire arcs dedicated to resolving their past conflicts (I cried during the wizard’s). Outside the main party, there’s also a really diverse group of side characters who add their own unique flavor to the show, and here is where I think the series really shines because they’re all so vastly non-standard, that you’re always in for something special when someone new shows up. Even the villains are given their own time to shine. This series was a delightful little piece of isekai popcorn, and I’m glad I stuck with it, even though the start was a bit rocky.

Manga Review: "A Condition Called Love" vol. 2

Learning what 'Love' is for the First Time

The second volume of this manga really helped deepen our understanding of the characters; Hananoi has a decidedly darker past than what I originally expected, and Hotaru has her own trauma to deal with too. I’d say Hananoi’s borderline brooding with how territorial and possessive he’s become, but in a caring/nice way. Waiting for his girlfriend after work, walking her home, it’s all very well-intentioned, but somewhat overbearing the top. Hotaru’s understanding of how love works levels up a bit in book 2 as well. I found it really, really funny watching her friends listen to her and losing their minds trying to get it through to her that the feelings she’s experience ARE love, but Hotaru has to figure that out herself. I’d say that volume 2 improved my appreciation for this series, cementing it as one I’ll actually continue collecting. This couple has some very cute moments together which bring my shriveled up old heart joy. Very curious where things will go from here.

Just look at how cute they are

I'd give this a 4.5 out of 5 if I could give half stars. 9/10

There's still some room for improvement, but I'm thoroughly enjoying this manga now.

"A Condition Called Love" is published by Kodansha and retails for $10.99

Maybe I'll start putting some store links around here... thoughts in the comments??

Anime Review: "The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady" - 5/10... oof

 
Viva the Yuri Revolution!!

Or that’s what I’d say if this series left me feeling excited about it. Sadly I didn’t really enjoy it as a whole.

I enjoyed PARTS of this show, but way, way too much of it was bogged down in seriousness and depression. Why can’t I just have a cute little yuri isekai slice of life series???? I dislike series that can’t pick a tone, and this series definitely had that issue. It started off with the hilarious antics of this bloody, wild princess, who steals away her brother’s fiancé to take for herself. It’s very comedic. I was legitimately laughing at how the princess shows up the first time. I need a good laugh these days. Life’s too serious to be serious all the time.

But, the problem comes after this, because all of the important obstacles in the story are TOO big, and TOO serious. Really killed the mood.

The titular ‘reincarnated princess’ is from our world, by the way, which is never really used as much more than a B-side subplot device to give her a reason to come up with various magical inventions that look like stuff from our world. Not that that’s a bad thing, but this series definitely puts me into the frame of mind where I’m questioning what the point of this series being an ‘isekai’ is in the first place. The origin world stuff really doesn’t come up that much whatsoever. Could have been default fantasy without a problem.

This is a problem because on the one hand, we have a ridiculous princess who makes flying brooms and magic swords, and there’s vampires and dragons, etc. and on the other hand we have a very serious plot with characters being worried about rites of succession and having to bear offspring that will carry the royal bloodline. There’s a serious divide here. Ultimately it led to me feeling pretty bad about the series in general.

In the end, this series became one I completed mostly for the sake of not leaving something unfinished, but I couldn’t really bring myself to care very much about it. The visuals were stunning, so it certainly wasn’t a drag to watch, but I don’t think I’ll think about anything aside from it having a cute little yuri couple. I ended up buying the manga after the first episode, and with the dramatic tone shift, I actually felt pretty baited. Not likely to continue to buy volumes of this, or watch a season 2 if they make one.

 

Anime Review: "The Ice Guy and his Cool Female Colleage"

This was a very nice little romance anime. The two main characters were really cute and had a fun dynamic. It’s not often you get a series where the male lead is a soft blushing fellow always getting embarrassed and freaking out over his love interest. And the way it’s expressed using his “Yuki-onna” heritage was super fun (especially the snowmen). In fact, the whole ‘fantastical creatures’ aspect of the series, with many of the characters being descendants of famous Japanese mythical monsters (?) was a cool premise. The only problem I really had with this series is focus; I would have loved it if we could have seen much, much more of the main pair, and less of the side characters. The side characters had their own charm, but they weren’t nearly as interesting to me as the main guy and gal. Adult, office romances, are few and far between, and having screen time divided up among all the various office-people caused me to kind of lose interest. Needed them to spend more time on the title folks. All in all, a fun read. I believe the manga for this has recently been licensed; I may check it out, but not sure yet. Will definitely peep a season 2 if they make one though.

TL;DR 8/10