Oshi no Ko delivered one of the best and most impactful opening episodes in years (though admittedly its extra-long length gave it an unfair advantage!), but because of the way it ended, episode 2 was the one which would really set the pace for its long-term direction. Seeing the latter convinced me that this series, more so even than personal favorite The Ancient Magus’ Bride, is deserving of weekly commentary, so expect me to be back every week for episode reviews.
One of the main reasons that the series continues to make a strong impression following a 10-year time skip is because it sticks true to one of its advertising points: that it will focus on the darker side of the idol industry. Indeed, maybe not since Key the Metal Idol in the mid-’90s has a series painted such a bleak picture of that scene. Ai literally lost her life to the darkest side of the industry (i.e., obsessive fans) while on the brink of conquering it; she was going to be the rare star to stand at the top while still (secretly) being a mother, after all. Even 10 years later, Aqua has not forgotten that one bit, which is why he’s determined to protect Ruby – who has a very real potential to break out as an idol herself – from the industry’s more exploitive side, even if that means crushing Ruby’s dreams. The end of the episode sees a compromise struck on this point, but as he and Ruby head for a performing arts-focused middle school, he seems certain to always be keeping watch over her.
The darker aspect shows up in other ways as well. Aqua’s investigation of an “underground” idol group that’s trying to scout Ruby digs up some ugly dirt, and Aqua and his adoptive mother (the wife of Ai’s manager, who now runs the business) aren’t exactly clean themselves for the underhanded way they get the current member of that group to talk and then judge her quickly over the fact that she talked. While there might be some vaguely villainous types in some idol series, this is not the kind of thing you would normally find in any normal idol show. (Of course, whether this could even properly be called an idol show is itself a matter for debate.) And of course, the passage of time has not swayed Goro/Aqua one bit from his quest to discover who his father was and kill him for (presumably) siccing that fan on his mother.
Significantly, the episode also gives some time to Ruby’s point of view. She knows that her brother has some plan that he won’t discuss with her, and seems to intuitively understand that her brother is, to some degree, looking out for her, but the passage of time has left her more inclined to try to reach out for her mother by following in her footsteps rather than drowning in a revenge scheme. The writing here expertly shows how her previous life as Sarina is influencing her in a couple of ways: becoming an idol is the ultimate expression of her ability to act in ways that she wasn’t able to do in her previous life, and a way to draw closer to a star who was both everything to her in the fading days of her previous life and her mother in the new one. She’s almost compelled to seek out becoming an idol despite the efforts of those around her to dissuade her. Hopefully, the series will continue to give at least some time to her viewpoints, because the stark contrast between how she see things and how Aqua sees things provides a richer narrative thread for the story.
There are a couple of other factors to consider here, too. On the plus side, Kana Arima – the child actor Aqua played beside in the movie in episode 1 – is back in middle school form. On the more mixed side, the lighter content sometimes seen in the first episode is also still around and sometimes effective, though the bits about the director’s mother interrupting at inconvenient times quickly outwore their welcome.
The music also deserves some mention here. Opening theme “Idol” by superduo YOASOBI, with an initial rap beat that flows into an up-tempo, electronica-fueled dance number, is a major winner on both musical and visual production fronts, but it packs much more impact if you actually understand the lyrics. (See here for an English translation.) Closer “Mephisto” comes from Japanese rock band Queen Bee, and its lyrics (see here for an English translation) also have some interesting parallels to the series’ themes and content.
As a final thought, Ai’s full name in Japanese order – Hoshino Ai – translates as “Star Love. Rather doubt that’s a coincidence, given her eyes.
Really looking forward to seeing how the rest of the series plays out, given how strong a start it’s off to.
Suzume is the latest movie from acclaimed director Makoto Shinkai, and it would be unmistakable as one of his projects even if you didn’t know the director going into the movie. It has all of the hallmarks of a Shinkai project: stunning sunsets, fantastically detailed backgrounds, themes about making connections despite separations by time, space, and/or dimensions (and finding ways to cross those boundaries), melancholy longing which drives characters to action, and a special kind of easily-relatable, not-overly-schmaltzy sentiment that few other anime director have ever been able to deliver even half as effectively as Shinkai does. A complaint could be easily made that it feels too similar to his other recent works, but honestly, I don’t see that as a problem. Shinkai may not vary his formula much, but he has certainly mastered his particular style, and that shows beautifully in this film.
In this particular iteration, Suzume is a 16-year-old girl in Kyushu who gets caught up in a grand problem with interdimensional doors thanks to a chance encounter with a young man who’s preparing to become a teacher. . . while also, of course, fulfilling a long-standing family obligation to keep these mystical doors locked and sealed. Suzume’s unwitting encounter with one of those doors sets in motion a chain of events which could lead to earthquakes and widespread destruction if she and Souta (who soon gets turned into a three-legged kid’s chair!) cannot do something about it. But Suzume’s ability to interact with the doors and witness their effects (when most can’t) may have everything to do with an encounter with such a door during a great calamity she suffered through as a child, a calamity which, in many ways, defined both her life and her relationship with her aunt/adoptive mother. And certainly, going on a cross-country jaunt to deal with the doors (and a mysterious talking cat associated with them) without explaining anything puts a strain on that relationship, too, even as she’s clearly falling for Souta.
One of the more interesting and distinctive features of this particular project is the emphasis placed on abandoned places. This is a device that Shinkai has used before, but not to this degree, as the doors most commonly appear in places that have been abandoned. Whether this has particular meaning is unclear, though it does make a certain amount of supernatural sense that portals to a world for those who have passed on would be found in such places. It’s also entirely possible that Shinkai may have just gotten fascinated by the real-life abandoned facilities scattered across Japan and decided to highlight a few of them as a gimmick. The detail on these settings is just too phenomenal for them to not be based on real-life places. Coupled with this is the imagery of the remnants of catastrophe, both in real-life and in the otherworldly space. The effect of the Great Kanto Earthquake (whose 100th anniversary comes up later this year) is one, and the other, even though it is never specifically mentioned, is clearly the devastating Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of 2011; sharp-eyed viewers might also catch a reference to the Fukushima Daichi nuclear disaster associated with that event.
Another point of emphasis is the encounters that Suzume has along her journey, a device which which was also used heavily in immediately-previous project Weathering With You. By any reasonable analysis, the sojourn Suzume goes on is a dangerous one for a 16-year-old girl even without the supernatural element figured in, but as in Weathering, she meets and befriends a number of mostly good-natured people who help her along the way even if they don’t at all understand what she is actually doing and why. These are not complete charity cases, as Suzume does odd jobs and babysitting in some cases and is helped by someone who has his own reason for seeking out a missing Souta in another case. The strain Suzume puts on her aunt (whom she conspicuously refers to by name, rather than ever calling her mother) with these antics and her evasiveness about what she’s doing also gets dealt with. Suzume, by comparison, is a fairly standard Earnest Girl who unquestioningly follows her heart and instincts; as most girls her age are, she’s quite mature in some respects but spectacularly immature in others. However, even without there being much novel about her, she still makes for a fine heroine.
As we’ve come to expect from Shinkai films, the visuals are a thorough treat; this may even be his best-looking film to date. I have already elaborated on the sterling background detail work, but the animation effort is also quite sharp, character and critter designs are inviting without entirely being anime-typical, and special effects impress. A wonderful musical score also delivers throughout, helping to highlight a key late emotional point.
The movie is currently circulating in American theaters in both subbed and English dubbed forms; this review is based on the latter. This is the first significant anime dub for Nichole Sakura, who gives Suzume a somewhat deeper voice but still handles Suzume’s emotional aspects well. Josh Keaton (He is Thomas from Tiger & Bunny 2) also has limited anime credits but is a perfect fit as Souta, whether in human or chair form. Lesser roles are a mix of a few familiar anime voices with relative or complete newcomers, but nothing felt off the mark. In particular, voices that were supposed to be young kids sounded like genuine young kids.
After a slight downturn with Weathering With You, Shinkai is back to Your Name-level form with this one. Despite the familiarity of the story pattern and sentiment, this is still going to be one of the year’s top anime releases.
EDIT: Also see here for an official music video linked to the debut, though it should be watched after watching the debut since it is spoilery.
Wow. I read the first volume of the source manga a week before, so I knew all of the twists and turns that were coming in this movie-length debut and knew that the whole thing would adapt well to anime form. Even so, I wasn’t prepared for how much of a punch the content would have, or how effective and involved its themes would come across in this format. It gets my highest recommendation, though that comes with a caveat: if you decide to check it out, you must commit to watching the whole 82 minutes, and preferably in one sitting. Drop out early on this one based on any assumptions you might make and you are likely to completely misjudge what it actually is.
That’s because the first volume of the source manga (which this debut adapts in its entirety) is, in some senses, one of the biggest bait-and-switches TV series anime has ever seen, and it takes nearly all of that 82 minutes to accomplish that. All of the advertising for the series has promoted it as the story of up-and-coming idol Ai Hoshino (center above), and the first episode certainly is that. It shows how she rises from small-time to getting acting gigs to becoming a star big enough to earn her group a dome performance. . . all while secretly raising twins she gave birth to at age 16, while she was on medical leave. (She gets away with this by them being passed off as the children of her manager and his wife.) Meanwhile, a rural doctor who’s a fan of hers becomes her attending physician and vows to make sure she safely gives birth when she declares that she plans to keep the kids in the hope of experiencing the family she never had. But he gets stabbed to death by an obsessive fan of Ai’s as she goes into labor and then reincarnates as one of her twins. And he’s not the only one, either.
That’s the first massive twist, and it isn’t the last. I’m revealing it here because it’s crucial to understanding anything else going on here and because the first few minutes of the movie does everything it can to hint that the story is going in that direction. From that point on, Ai’s kids – Aquamarine and Ruby – mostly take center stage, though Ai still has her feature moments, too. This is also the point where the story irrevocably establishes that it isn’t actually an idol series even if it is about an idol. While there are some light-hearted moments, the underlying structure is a more serious, analytical look at the cold practicalities behind the entertainment industry. I don’t mean that in the seedy sense, either, although something seedy clearly happened at some point; Ai’s pregnancy was not a virgin conception, after all. It considers realities like how little most performers earn, how hard it can be for group idols to break out solo, what kinds of actors productions have and what purposes they play, the generally cynical attitudes at the foundation of it all, and so forth, all while offering salient points like how delivering what the director really wants ultimately trumps actually acting well.
But for all of the events that transpire in this content, and the emotion gut-punch that hits at one certain point, the thematic elements here strike just as strongly. The biting recurring theme of the show is that, at its core, the idol industry (and, by extrapolation, entertainment in general) is all about lies. The images that idols portray, and the pandering to fans, is all a lie, but most fans instinctively (if not necessarily consciously) accept that and play along with it. So an idol who does not know love is not a problem as long as she can project that she does and get the fans to buy into it. Smartly, the writing also acknowledges that this isn’t foolproof; fans will pick up on it when the image an idol projects, or her smile, does not feel genuine enough. And Ai is the biggest liar of them all, since she’s also lying to cover up the existence of her kids. She’s so wrapped up in lies that, as cheery as she is, she’s afraid to say “I love you” to her kids for fear that she will acknowledge that as being every bit as much of a lie as when she sings lyrics laced with that phrase. And then of course there are the obsessive fans, who become aberrations by being unable to accept the contract of lies on which all of the industry is predicated, and thus cannot be part of the true spirit of the fan/idol interaction.
And that’s why this debut is supremely ironic. The series is about lies, but the direction it initially seems to be going is a lie, too, and that reset hits more than once. Very little pitched about the series in advertisements is any more truthful than the images projected by the idols in it, and while hints about the big late plot twist are dropped much earlier, the real path will not show itself until only a couple of minutes before the credits roll. (But do stick around for a rather emotional epilogue!) Even after the big twist lands, there’s another awaiting about the motivational direction of one of the characters who will be the series’ co-protagonist going forward, and that puts a very, very different spin on a story which may still continue to be about breaking into the entertainment industry. I can safely guarantee that this protagonist’s motivation is quite different than that of any more stereotypical would-be performer.
Aside from its main themes and twists, this debut also did a lot of other thing well. As much as Ai comes across as a genki girl-type, she has distinct desires and motivations as a girl looking to find love in lies, and the nature of the second twin, while very gimmicky, also has its own deeper angles. The production also works the emotional elements well and packs in some sharp, symbolism-rich imagery, such as a recurring theme of a shining star in the sky being equated to Ai. The stars literally in Ai’s eyes may seem cheesy at first, but they also pack meaning as the story progresses and her backstory is explored a bit more. After using a silent soundtrack for much of the movie’s running time, the somber piano numbers deliver hard towards the end.
If there are any slight complaints here, it’s that one key scene runs on a little too long and some of the foundational logic is a bit shaky. But I will forgive that in light of how well the rest of this is done. The rest of the series may or may not hold up, but for my money, this is a superior adaptation of its equivalent source material and one of the strongest debuts in years.
Welcome to my seasonal Guide! (For the debut schedule, see here.) I expect to cover every full-episode series that will be debuting this season and several of the sequels, including Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear Punch!, Konosuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World!, The Ancient Magus’ Bride, TONIKAWA, Demon Slayer, and the continuation of Mobile Suit Gundam: Witch From Mercury. I will not be covering Dr. Stone, Tokyo Mew Mew New, MIX, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, Ranking of Kings, or Eden’s Zero sequels for certain, and probably not the sequels for In Another World With My Smartphone or Birdie Wing.
These previews will be listed in newest to oldest order, and this post will be updated multiple times per day on busier days. The latest-debuting title currently scheduled is Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts on 4/19, so I am expecting to end this season’s Preview Guide with that title.
Without further ado. . .
NOTE:Oshi no Ko is being covered in a separate full-length write-up, which can be found here.
Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts
Streams: Crunchyroll on Wednesdays
Rating: 3.5 of 5
Sariphi is a girl adopted and raised by a couple to be a substitute for their own daughter if/when the time for their village to contribute an annual sacrifice to the Beast King (as part of a peace treaty dating back a century) comes; her name even means “sacrifice.” She’s long known this and finds nothing scarier than the discovery of her adoptive parents’ intent, so being before the Beast King, and potentially getting eaten by him, doesn’t faze her at all. He is further dismayed by her cheery attitude and the way she seems able to see right through him. When she learns his biggest secret and regards it as a strength rather than a weakness, he decided to take her as his bride instead of his victim.
This fairy tale-styled manga adaptation may seem like a straight-up Beauty and the Beast iteration, but its defining twist and Sariphi’s backstory give it a little more meat than that. Even so, I don’t think this first episode would have worked so well without Sariphi’s unflappably chipper characterization. She seems to have decided to make the best of her situation; she didn’t have much of a life before, so why fear losing it? That makes her endearing on a level beyond just her carefully-calculated cuteness, and just as importantly, she’s the one person that the Beast King can’t cow with fear. She can be a support tohim in the way his other advisors and underling can’t. In all, the first episode lays a good foundation for their relationship going forward. It may move along too quickly to establish full emotional resonance, and certainly doesn’t offer much for wholly new ideas, but it looks to be a pleasant, entertaining addition to the season.
The Marginal Service
Streams: Crunchyroll on Tuesdays
Rating: 2.5 (of 5)
Cross Men in Black with an old-school sentai science team series and you more or less have what this one is. “Marginal Service” is the name for a newly-organized special unit tasked with dealing with cases involving “Borderlanders” (i.e., mythical and/or supernatural creatures), which have integrated into Japanese society and are, of course, more common than the public knows. A hotshot, riding-the-edge cop finds himself recruited after getting fired from the regular police force and has a somewhat rough introduction to the idea of dealing with Borderlanders. . . and then everyone on the team shows up in their color-coded outfits, which the protagonist will eventually have, too.
I’m not using character names here because I don’t think it matters. The only thing which distinguishes this one in any way from the horde of other “police the strangeness” series out there are those garish, almost anachronistic, and probably-intentionally-silly combat outfits, and that’s not enough. Run-of-the-mill technical merits, common archetypes for team members, and a fairly standard bad boy for a lead don’t add up to anything memorable. It’s not bad on execution, as the set-up does establish the MC and the situation pretty well, but little here encourages further vieweing.
Insomniacs After School
Streams: HIDIVE on Mondays
Rating: 4 ( of 5)
Ganta’s sleep cycle is so messed up that he cannot sleep at night but is perpetually sleepy and irritable during the day. Only a close friend knows about the issue, until he discovers a classmate – one Isaki – sleeping in the school’s supposedly-haunted observatory, and she has exactly the same problem that he does. As they nap together in the observatory and start going out on excursions overnight, a friendship gradually starts to form.
This is one of those simple, slice-of-life stories about two people with common problems connecting over those problems, and it couldn’t be much more endearing if it tried. Though the first episode is told entirely from Ganta’s viewpoint, both are effectively co-leads, and the interactions between them already feel more causal and natural than most anime pairings. This is supported by a light, gentle musical score and technical and artistic merits that are well above average, with even simple movements being well above average. There’s a minor red flag here about a possible future plot development, but overall this is a pleasant debut that I could easily see being one of the season’s understated gems.
Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion
Streams: Crunchyroll on Mondays
Rating: 3.5 (of 5)
NOTE: This episode is being true-simuldubbed in English, and this write-up is based on the dubbed version.
MCs winding up as characters in otome games has been a popular trend of late, and this one is only a minor variation on that: the female protagonist gets pushed off a building, presumably falling to her death, but instead awakes as Raeliana, the daughter of a nouveau riche Baron in a romance novel. But she’s only a minor character who’s fated to be poisoned to death by her fiance as a plot driver for the main story. Desperate to change her fate, she tries various methods to convince her fiance to break off the engagement (which he cannot afford to do because of his ulterior motives) before taking a longshot by offering to make a deal with the Duke (who will become the story’s male co-protagonist) based on her knowledge of what happens later in the story. And the Duke, for reasons of his own, seems inclined to play along.
As rote as all of this sounds for the genre, the execution here is decidedly above-average, and the English dub fully hits the mark. Raeliana’s determination is palpable and convincing, while the Duke is also immediately appreciable as a man who would be someone to be reckoned with even if he did not have position and minions at his disposable. While the artistry only impresses in some pretty background shots and the animation is among the weaker entries so far this season, the technical merits compensate for the limitations in subtle ways, like the Duke’s prying gaze. I don’t normally follow fare like this, but I will have to at least consider this one.
Dead Mount Death Play
Streams: Crunchyroll on Mondays
Rating: 4.5 (of 5)
Some of the best first episodes are one which achieve impact, which make you think, “damn, this is some cool shit and I want to see more.” That’s basically the case for this manga adaptation, which spins the tale of a necromancer called the Corpse God who’s dueling an heroic figure over the fate of a fantasy world. At the moment of his defeat, the Corpse God spins a reincarnation spell, which takes him out of his world and places him in the body of a 16-year-old boy in modern Tokyo named Shinomiya Polka, who has just had is throat slashed. While he’s still trying to get his bearings, the young woman who killed his new body shows up and tries to repeat the job. But chasing someone into a building used by the yakuza to dispose of bodies is probably not the best idea when the individual you’re chasing has the soul of an otherworldly Corpse God. . .
The success of this episode is all about the atmosphere it generates. The battle between the hero and the Corpse God – both of whom have Evil Eyes that allow them to see souls of the dead – is no light-vs.-darker struggle but one between different degrees of darkness, and it maintains that all throughout the dazzling battle using not-too-bad CG. When the Corpse God ends up in the new world, the brightness of the peaceful city streets contrasts sharply with the ugliness going on in the shadowy alleys and abandoned buildings, and the tension is ever-present as Polka tries to get away from the psychotic female assassin. The dark ambiance also collects convincingly as Polka takes his own turn at being a menace. The people behind the assassin look to have a real problem on their hands. The opener (played as a closer) also maintains the same tone, and an effective musical score contributes, too.
The possible twist here is that the Corpse God may not want to destroy humanity; he sees the peace of the modern world as desirable, and seems ready to fight for it. But will the hero figure out that he’s pulled a reverse-isekai and follow? The only thing that doesn’t fit well is the post-credits dose of humor, but it was actually somewhat funny. This one has plenty enough positives on the technical side, a good enough concept, and plenty enough good potential hooks to be a keeper.
Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Villagearc
Streams: Sundays on Crunchyroll
Rating: 4 (of 5)
Two months pass after the climactic battle of the Entertainment District arc, and Tanjiro has finally awoken from his coma. As he rehabilitates, he learns that a new sword has not come in for him, so he is allowed to go to the highly-secretive Swordsmith Village, where all of the corps’ swords are made. There he encounters the Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, and Genya, a fellow Demon Slayer inductee, as well as seeing the Mist Hashira, and learns that the village has a secret weapon that might be worth hunting down while waiting for his swordsmith, who’s gone absent, to be found. Meanwhile, Muzan’s top five minions gather to experience his displeasure.
Demon Slayer is back, and this 49 minute episode (the same one released in theaters earlier this year) showcases all of the stle points and quirks the series has to offer, for better or worse. (Characters who were annoying before are still annoying, and the humor is still the same.) The first half focuses on introducing the remainder of the Top 5 demons serving Muzan who have not previously appeared and provides some new hints about what Muzan’s ultimate goals are. The second half shifts the focus to Tanjiro and moving him to the Swordsmith Village, which looks to be the focus of this arc. This time, two different Hashira look to be getting involved, and there’s a new mystery surrounding a vision Tanjiro had while comatose. Technical merits are still among the best for series action anime, so this is a promising start to the new season even if it doesn’t have any action to showcase.
Stella of the Theater: World Dai Star
Streams: Crunchyroll on Sundays
Rating: 3 of 5
This one is the anime branch of a multimedia project which has a mobile game coming out later this year, but its first episode feels every inch like the series is just going to be one long promo for the game, down even to building in a mechanic (called Sense) to rate the special acting ability of a character numerically. That’s not necessarily a problem, unless you’re expecting this one to amount to anything more than a very rote acting-focused variation on the traditional idol show format. The first episode shows almost no sign of amounting to anything more than that.
Everything from the basic premise to the characters feels so stereotypical. We have a lead girl who has talent but lacks confidence and just hasn’t found the right way to present herself in previous failed auditions. We have the out-of-town prodigy, too, as well as several girls with very standard quirks who are already part of the acting troupe that the MC wants to join. And we have the fateful audition where the MC winds up dazzling despite previous confidence issues, all because she decided to tackle the role handed to her like she imagined her best friend doing. (Why the best friend isn’t also auditioning is dodged around, since she’s clearly capable, but she is featured in the opener so presumably she will eventually. . . EDIT: or she might be a ghost, given that protagonist Kokona is shown talking to no one from another character’s POV in the last scene. If true, that adds a more interesting wrinkle to the series.) The artistic quality and technical merits are a little higher than normal here, but even so, this is unlikely to have much appeal to any not normally into idol-type shows.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury ep 13
Streams: Crunchyroll on Sundays
Rating: 3.5 (of 5)
Episode 12 left off with pretty damn dramatic moment, and after a few months off, episode 13 continues by. . . just ignoring it. Or at least mostly so, anyway, as Suletta seems utterly unfazed by Miorine’s reaction to her. Indeed, it’s practically business as normal for her, as she has to win through a series of catch-up duels once Aeriel is rebuilt and does so in indomitable fashion. The stressors are entirely on other characters, especially Nika, who is increasingly troubled by the position she’s caught in. That only gets exacerbated when the two Gundam pilots who attacked the base last season show up at the school as part of an open house for incoming students, and they’re not above causing trouble while there. Meanwhile, Miorine is away, partly due to her father’s critical condition and partly due to questioning over the incident. In that capacity, she begins to learn about her father’s secret project: QuietZero.
This biggest issue that I had with the episode is how the two Earthian Gundam Pilots managed to get into a presumably-secured area like they did, but I’ll let that ride. G-Witch is back to deliver its regular doses of mecha action and intrigue, and this episode touches on all kinds of different angles from different parties. As the opener for the second half of the series, it serves it purpose well while also maintaining a consistent technical quality. Returning fans shouldn’t be too disappointed.
A Galaxy Next Door
Streams: Crunchyroll on Saturdays
Rating: 3.5 (of 5)
Budding manga artist Ichiro scrapes by in the absence of his dead parents by penning a manga and being a landloard in order to support his much-younger siblings. He’s in desperate need of an assistant to help keep on schedule, and that’s where the beautiful, elegant Shiori Goshiki comes into a picture. She’s a self-taught whiz at assistant work and stubborn enough in her own way not to allow Ichiro to do too much himself. But she also may not be as human as she looks.
The last part is the critical conceit of what is otherwise a fairly bland tale about manga creation. She’s referred to as a princes by people she’s shown leaving behind at the beginning, claims to be something called Star People, and something weird definitely happened to Ichiro when he touched an almost tail-like protrusion on her backside. How coy the series is going to be about explaining the details of that could be a big factor in how watchable the series is, as much of the rest of the first episode is absolutely predictable – i.e., the two are already on a trajectory for romance. There is some charm here, good artwork, and some developing chemistry, so I can just enough potential here to give it a minor recommendation.
Summoned to Another World for a Second Time
Streams: Crunchyroll on Saturdays
Rating: 2.5 (of 5)
In a slight twist on the standard isekai format, this one features a protagonist who has been called to a particular fantasy world before and returned, only to find himself summoned to that same world again – but this time he’s in a different body than before and with his classmates, including his sexy childhood friend. Five years have passed, and things which should have been settled during his first visit are percolating again, so he leaves his classmates behind (at least for now?) to try to confront the person he believes is behind the new war troubles.
Despite the twist, this one does not do much to stake out fresh genre ground. That the king wasn’t satisfied with the long-term results of what the hero did before is a little interesting, as is no one knowing who’s responsible for summoning the protagonist’s whole class this time, and at least the childhood friend is already showing that she’s going to quickly become competent. That there’s already people here who recognize the protagonist and are eager to work with him again is also a plus. However, the look of the series is rather drab, and not enough is going on here to make this series compelling. Might give it another episode or two to prove itself, but it’s looking forgettable at this point.
TONIKAWA: Over the Moon For You s2
Streams: Crunchyroll on Fridays
Rating: 3.5 (of 5)
I episode-reviewed the first season of TONIKAWA back when I was still writing for Anime News Network. See here if you’re interested in those, but the short version is that it was a pleasant, low-key romantic comedy which had its charms but was something I couldn’t much get excited about. Still, TONIKAWA‘s return is a welcome one, as despite being plot-lite, it did still carry some important, unresolved mysteries that this new season will hopefully deal with.
Since the first season’s Fall 2020 airing, a couple of OVAs have come out, one classified by Crunchyroll as episode 13 of the first season and the other classified as episode 0 of the second season. Both of those are par for the course for the first season; entertaining in the way that this series is, but nothing crucial. Rather than delve into the ongoing mysteries, the first episode of the new season goes in a different direction: bring up that, despite openers and advertising art, Nasa and Tsukasa have yet to have an actual wedding. Atypically, it’s something Nasa is more interested in (because he wants to see Tsukasa in an elaborate wedding dress) than the easily-embarrassed Tsukasa, who prefers simpler pleasures. Almost the entirety of the episode is about the central couple and those around them discussing their interest in a wedding and the practicalities and expenses of planning one. The episode ends with the idea being put on hold for now, since a lot of money would have to be built up first to make it happen, but I could see that becoming a recurring theme for the season.
After sagging a bit in one of the OVAs, the technical merits are back to normal, with the simpler but still attractive character designs being enhanced by some nice background shots. The new opener also, interesting, retains the style and beat of the original even though it’s a different song. Overall, this gets a solid recommendation for continuing fans, while newcomers are advised to go back and watch the first season first.
The Cafe Terrace and its Goddesses
Streams: Crunchyroll on Fridays
Rating: 3 (of 5)
When Hayato’s grandmother (his only family) dies, he returns to the beachside cafe she ran for the first time since a falling-out three years earlier, with the intent to tear it down and replace it with a more profitable parking lot. However, he discovers five sexy young women whom his grandmother considered family living there, and they do everything they can to convince him not to tear down the home that some of them cannot afford to leave.
We haven’t had a proper, dedicated fan service title yet this season, but based on the first episode of this manga adaptation, this one should fit that bill. It certainly does not disappoint on the character designs for the five young ladies (who all look to be college-age or slightly older), gives all of them some chance to show off their figures, and uses a camera with a distinct male eye, though the camera does not go out of its way to insert fan service. The personality range – the Meek One (who becomes the Uninhibited One when drunk), the Conniver, the Tsundere, the Cool Musician, and the Dumb Jock – is also pretty typical for a harem series, and the protagonist being a testy, money-minded guy gives this somewhat the feel of a dating sim, too. There’s nothing special about the set-up, but the combination of good visuals and just a little touch of convincing sentiment is just enough that you might not need to be a harem fan to appreciate this one. But we’ll see.
Mashle: Magic and Muscle
Streams: Crunchyroll on Fridays
Rating: 3.5 (of 5)
In a world where everyone has magic, Mash Burnedead has none. (In fact, that’s probably why he was abandoned by his parents as a babe.) He’s compensated it by developing an incredible physique, one strong enough that he can even use it to bat aside magical attacks. Upon seeing that, a flummoxed security officer offers Mash a deal: prove that he can get by at a magic school with those muscles and he and his adoptive father will be allowed to live in peace.
In other words, this manga adaptation is basically a cross between Black Clover and One Punch Man, with a set-up more similar to the former and a style and flavor more similar to the latter. So far, the combination works. The major concern here is that Mash does not have much of a personality, so he is going to have to play off others, but if he gets surrounded by a sufficient supporting cast then this could be a fun action romp.
Rokudo’s Bad Girls
Streams: Crunchyroll on Fridays
Rating: 2.5 (of 5)
Tosuke Rokudo and his two close friends are at the bottom of the food chain at his rough-and-tumble high school. That starts to change when he received a magic scroll from his deceased grandfather, which imprints a symbol on his forehead. From that point on, he starts attracting the affection of any “bad girl” who sees it. That becomes particularly important when the baddest and strongest of the bad girls, Ranna Himawari, shows up and is instantly taken with him.
If it wasn’t for the modern artistic sheen, this manga adaptation might have felt right at home 20 or even 25 years ago. So far, it’s a straightforward story which lays out its premise well and sets the stage for Tosuke to try to “man up,” though he hardly needs to with a force like R
Magical Destroyers
Streams: Crunchyroll on Fridays
Rating: WTF did I just watch
Jack-booted, smiley-faced masked thugs have come for otaku and all of their paraphernalia under the guise of “protection” and it’s up to Otaku Hero to rally otaku from across the spectrum – as well as three twisted, actual magical girls – to fight back against the oppression, even if that means big chunks of the city get turned into a wasteland in the process.
Or at least I think that’s what is going on here, as the debut episode barely puts any effort at all into explaining itself. It’s a full-blown exercise in absurdity, with a visual and storytelling style which borrows heavily from earlier fare like Kill la Kill and maybe Dead Leaves. I can say with certainty that Magical Girl Anarchy will catch on if anything from the series does, and the episode does not hesitate to throw in truly ridiculous examples of how otaku both prepare for a fight and actually fight. Maybe this chaos will amount to a fun series, but I will reserve judgment until I have seen another episode or two.
Too Cute Crisis
Streams: HIDIVE on Fridays
Rating: 2 (of 5)
An alien researcher is sent to Earth to evaluate if it should be cleansed or not. She makes the mistake of entering a cat cafe and winds up getting utterly overwhelmed by their cuteness. Then she discovers dogs, too, and things only get worse for her.
So far, that’s about all there is to this show, other than the suggestion that her revealing how cute these animals are to her compatriots could upset things on a cosmic scale. It’s a cute idea, and the series earns bonus points for scattering its closer with pictures of adorable cats, but so far the series really only has one operating joke – protagonist Liza flipping out over cute stuff – and that’s already getting old by the end of the episode. The cats (and dogs) look plenty cute, but otherwise the animation is mediocre at best, leaving little for the series to stand on beyond its not-insubstantial cute factor.
Otaku Elf
Streams: HIDIVE on Fridays
Rating: 3.5 (of 5)
In this manga adaptation, the recently-turned-16 Koito is now old enough to serve as miko at her family’s shrine, which has a 400-year-old history. That also means that she attends to the shrine’s resident deity, who’s actually an immortal elf named Elda who’s been around since the shrine’s founding. Much to Koito’s consternation, Elda is a recluse who, in recent years, has become enamored with stereotypical otaku interests, and she fails to understand why Elda is still so beloved by the community around her.
This is unquestionably a comedy series which every bit backs up its unsubtle title, and its light humor in a 4-koma-like style has its charms. However, underlying all of the antics is a spirit of sincerity and sentimentality, that that was key to the first episode winning me over. Koito simply isn’t old enough to appreciate the value of having a stable and eternal presence in one’s life that is actually real (rather than just spiritual), one that was there to appreciate your birth and will still be there to appreciate your passing decades later. Why wouldn’t someone want to keep such an existence content? Solid character designs – including a unique one for Elda as fantasy elves go (she’s very tall but not portrayed as willowy-thin) – and technical merits also help. This one looks like it could be a sweet little distraction and stands a real chance of making my view list for the season.
My One-Hit Kill Sister
Streams: Crunchyroll on Fridays
Rating: 3.5 (of 5)
High schooler Asahi is following a seemingly-typical isekai route: he gets hit by a truck, winds up in a fantasy world, and becomes an adventurer. (The slight twist here is that he’s actually comatose, not dead, so this is a John Carter-type situation.) The probably is that he has no special abilities. But he does have a doting big sister, and when she also appears in the fantasy world, she’s insanely powerful. But everyone thinks that he, and not his sister, is the one that’s powerful, and he lamely tries to cover that up rather than ‘fess up about it. Future problems await, especially since his sister’s Little Brother Complex is kicking into overdrive.
This isn’t actually the first isekai-type series to use an “MC is ordinary but accompanying relative is super-powerful” gimmick; see also 2019’s Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks? What it does have going for it is that the first episode is actually pretty funny. Sure, the smothering, lovey-dovey older sister is hardly an original – in fact, her single-minded attitude could get tiresome pretty quickly – but the first episode, at least, has just the right amount of frenetic energy and silly antics to work, and some of the heavy-lined animation flourishes are more than ordinary, too. Fridays are looking packed this season, but at least initially, this one looks watchable.
Opus.COLORs
Streams: Crunchyroll on Thursdays
Rating: 2 (of 5)
In this anime-original series, a new, virtual art form called Perception Art has arisen in recent years, to the point of a school being established to foster it. Two sons of the couple which was instrumental in establishing the art form have both made their way to the school, one as a Grader (who essentially produces the Perception Art) and the other as an Artist (who actually creates the art). Despite the elder brother not wanting anything to do with the younger, the two are teamed up for a major art competition against five other pairs.
This is not actually a male idol series, but it nonetheless gives off a very similar vibe and uses various male idol group musical pieces. The concept isn’t bad at all, but the time frame has advance incredulously fast; no way a school of such sophistication could have been established and developed that quickly. Nothing is yet explained about why the school is all-male, either; surely girls would get into this kind of art form, too. There are some potential hooks here, such as the implication that the elder brother won’t associated with the younger because the younger one reminds him of their parents’ demise, and the usual-looking suspects among the potential rivals. It also has some pretty, well-drawn character designs, too. However, the premise stands on shaky foundations, the content relies way too much on info-dumping, and in general, nothing here is compelling enough to draw much interest. The horde of bishonen guys is ultimate the main thing this debut has going for it, and that’s not enough.
Yuri is My Job!
Streams: Crunchyroll on Wednesdays
Rating: 3.5 (of 5)
Hime is cute, knows it, and milks it for all it’s worth, using her “perfect princess” act towards her ultimate goal of marrying into wealth. The problem comes when she meets her match at being manipulative and winds up being maneuvered into becoming a waitress at Cafe Liebe, a theme cafe where staff members act as characters from an elite girls school straight out of a shoujo manga. Though Hime can hold her own with her expertise at putting up a facade, she also throws things off-kilter by ad-libbing too much, leading an older girl whom Hime has become fascinated with to despise her behind the scenes.
This sounds like a thoroughly fun premise for a whimsical series, and the first episode absolutely captures that effect. It’s unclear at this point how much of what Cafe Liebe does is actually scripted, but the initial impression is that the waitresses just go with the flow (and what customers talk about online!) rather than plan something out. That leaves plenty of room for Hime, who eventually resolves herself to making the best of the situation she’s stuck in, to create havoc under the guise of playing the character of an ambitious newcomer. I can see all kinds of potential here, with the only significant detracting factor being its limited technical merits; the artistry has the soft, inviting feel one would expect from shoujo manga, but don’t expect much refinement. I’ll be sticking this one out for at least a couple more episodes.
The Legendary Hero is Dead?!
Streams: Crunchyroll on Thursdays
Rating: 2 (of 5)
Touka is an average, rather pathetic villager with a strange stocking fetish and no other redeeming values. . . except that he manages to accidentally kill legendary hero Sion with a pit trap set for a demon. Though he and his fellow villagers initially try to hide the incident by anonymously burying Sion’s body, Touka finds himself instead soul-swapped into the hero’s body, and so must take on the hero’s duties. The problem is that he doesn’t have enough mana to even maintain his rotting body, much less fight properly with the Sacred Sword.
I thought this was a pretty cool-sounding idea, so I was actually somewhat anticipating this one. Unfortunately, the first episode is the biggest disappointment so far this season. It uses a slapstick approach which delivers too many jokes that land flat and Touka is not even sympathetic as the MC, much less likable. None of the supporting cast are interesting, either, and technical merits are so-so at best. I might give the second episode another try if it’s a slow night, but I am not seeing much promise here.
The Ancient Magus’s Bride 2
Streams: Crunchyroll on Thursdays
Rating: 4 (of 5)
After a five-year gap, one of the most distinctive of all series about magic use has returned, and a welcome return it is! This new season will be adapting the Academy arc from the source material, which covers as much source material as the first season did but in one continuous arc rather than shorter stories linked together. Hence anime-only fans can expect the characters introduced here to be around on a regular basis for both cours (rather than popping in and out as they did during the first season).
The first episode is skipping some preliminary stories to get the action straight to the school, and that’s a correct choice; nearly everything that was skipped was additional world-building flavor rather than anything crucial. The first episode’s adaptation reminds us of all of the dangers and reassurances that Chise has been through while also bringing the new emphasis keenly into focus: now that Chise is getting more comfortable with herself, she needs to learn to deal with other people and learn things that Elias either can’t teach her or has neglected to do so. And a school full of alchemists, where nearly everyone has issues as big and deep-seeded as Chise’s own. That’s going to make this much more than just another stereotypical Magic School story, and a taste of that can be seen already in Chise’s initial encounters with Lucy Webster and Philomena (the girl who collapses in her arms at the end).
Perhaps most importantly, most of what made the first season great is back. Chise is still a developing character, Elias is still working to understand and adjust to humanity, all manner of neat and interesting creatures abound, and the style, tone, and artistic quality all return. This is a good start to the series I’m most likely to do weekly reviews for this season.
KamiKatsu: Working for God in a Godless World
Streams: Crunchyroll on Wednesdays
Rating: 3.5 (of 5)
Yukito is the heir to a questionable cult, but during a trial where his life is at risk, he finds himself transported to another world. But he doesn’t find the stereotypical isekai treatment. This world doesn’t have adventurers and he seemingly gets no special abilities, so he’s stuck working on a farm in a village. But there are other strange things about this setting, like no gods or sense of spirituality and some very dsytopian notions about governance and information control. When running afoul of that gets him and his new friends killed, the goddess that his father’s cult had prayed to finally appears to save the day.
I’m giving this one a bit higher rating than it deserves in a strictly qualitative sense because there are some very intriguing world-building ideas here amidst some silliness and monster CG that almost looks deliberately awful; people are expected to accept their deaths at appointed times, for instance, and anyone who fears that is branded an outsider and tucked away in an outlying village, for instance. That’s a pretty damn heavy concept to throw into a setting, and not the only out-there idea this setting has, either. Upsetting the normal isekai formula of the transferee going on quests and such also earns the debut points. But then Mitama, the goddess, shows up. If future episodes can survive her instantly-obnoxious behavior then this one has some potential on fronts other than technical merits. Will most likely be following this one.
KONOSUBA – An Explosion on This Wonderful World!
Streams: Crunchyroll on Wednesdays
Rating: 3 (of 5)
Anyone familiar with the KONOSUBA franchise doesn’t need to guess at the subject matter of this prequel: it explores the origins story of fan-favorite girl Megumin, the petite Crimson Demon mage who is the master of the awesomely-powerful Explosion spell but is rather useless otherwise. However, viewers do not necessarily have to be familiar with the franchise to be able to follow this first episode. Sure, having seen the main series and movie would make you familiar with the established Crimson Demon aesthetic, the poverty of Megumin’s family, and her future “rival” Yunyun, but none of that’s really necessary knowledge for appreciating a story about a smart girl who discovers her magical goal from a woman she apparently released on accident from some kind of seal. You just have to be able to appreciate that Crimson Demons in general have a screw or two loose.
As a piece of the established franchise, this episode lays a good groundwork for the story by establishing well how Megumin got enthralled with explosion magic and how her and Yunyun’s connection started developing into what it is in the main storyline. It even lays down a good mystery in the identity of the buxom mage who appears to be linked to some kind of dragon-like creature; no doubt that will be a recurring story element throughout the series. The technical merits are also solid. On the downside, this episode does not capture the invasive, biting humor of the original despite generally being on the lighter-hearted side. This could be a deliberate tonal choice, as this story seems to be taking itself more seriously, but we’ll see on that. Still, it’s inviting enough to be recommendable for any established franchise fan.
Skip and Loafer
Streams: Crunchyroll on Tuesdays
Rating: 3.5 (of 5)
Mitsumi is a transfer student from the boonies who’s quite confident in her studies and planning but a ball of anxiety prone to screw-ups otherwise. Sosuke is a handsome but lackadaisical guy short on motivation. A chance encounter on the way to school winds up working to both their benefits, laying the groundwork for friendship and possibly even eventual romance.
That’s the gist of this highly-anticipated manga adaptation, and I can somewhat see what all the fuss was about. The first episode pulls off a good mix of homey sentiment, humor, and significant character development in laying some of the groundwork for long-term developments, with Mitsumi gaining friendly stability from Sosuke and Sosuke being inspired by Mitsumi’s energy and intense focus. Not a big fan of the art style, but it is at least clean and consistent and gives Mitsumi some great expressions (as seen above). The opener, with its protagonist dancing with each other, is also neat. The problem – and it’s probably a personal one to me – is that nothing about the first episode really grabbed me; it just felt too ordinary. I can see this being on the watch lists for many, but it is unlikely to make mine.
I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too
Streams: Crunchyroll on Tuesdays
Rating: 3 (of 5)
The set-up here is all too familiar: Yuuya is a self-admitted loser at life. He’s fat, bullied, and kicked out by parents who preferred his more ideal younger siblings. His only saving grace was a kindly grandfather who encouraged him to face adversity and still be kind and left Yuuya his house when he died. That proves more significant that Yuuya realizes when he discovers a secret room with a door to another world apparently ruled by game stats – a door which leads him into possession of a house filled with utterly broken items. But experimenting with those, and the experience and skills he gains as a result, lead to him being transformed into an Adonis in real life, too – a reality that he’s having every bit as hard a time of adjusting to as his classmates and younger siblings are.
Yeah, it’s a power fantasy to an almost absurd degree, with the minor twist that the protagonist can freely travel between worlds and convert items gained in the fantasy world into real-world money. What makes the difference here is that Yuuya’s physical transformation is away ahead of his mental one. He may be physically a stud now, but on the inside he’s still the same kid who’s long been bullied and a social outsider. If the series continues to run with this (somewhat like Mushoku Tensei did) then that might give this one at least a chance of standing out for some reason other than its ridiculous name. I’m only giving this one a middle grade for now – as the opener suggests all kinds of stereotypical elements on the horizon – but there is at least some potential her.
Kizuna no Allele
Streams: Crunchyroll on Mondays
Rating: 1.5 (of 5)
Man, it’s been a while since I have encountered a first episode that was as much of a chore to sit through as this one was. Essentially, this is a next-gen version of an idol show, one that focuses on up-and-coming virtual idols at a near-future school intended to foster such talent. Miracle is one such prospect, seeking to follow in the footsteps of Kizuna Ai, a virtual idol in the “real” world widely-regarded as being the first of her kind. In this setting, she’s gone missing after being the reigning champion of the realm for five straight years;(in the real world she’s on indefinite hiatus, so this may be intended as a clever parallel. That and the interesting name choice – an allele is an alternate form of a gene that arises by mutation, implying that someone’s going to be the next version of Kizuna Ai – are the only mildly intriguing bits about a debut that’s otherwise mostly by-the-numbers: chipper protagonist Miracle has a strange encounter, gets to perform (in CG) and gets to watch her idol perform a couple of times.
Of course, I’ll entirely admit that I am absolutely not the target audience for this. Maybe those more into idol shows will get more out of it.
Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear Punch!
Streams: Crunchyroll on Mondays
Rating: 3 (of 5)
The first season, back in 2020, is arguably the cutsiest of all of the “trapped in a game world” power fantasies as well as being one of the very few of that type to feature a female protagonist. Neither changes one bit in the first episode of its second season, both for better and worse.
I do recommend reviewing the first season before starting this one, as full familiarity with the established cast is assumed. There’s a brief fight with orcs connected to a quest involving a honey shortage, but otherwise the episode is all about Yuna going around visiting and getting a job to protect some noble children on an experiential trip. And really, that’s about it. It loads up with both bear-specific and general cutsiness, so if you’re not watching the series for that, you won’t find much that’s compelling here. Overall, a decent but unspectacular start to a second season.
alice gear aegis Expansion
Streams: HIDIVE on Mondays
Rating: 2 (of 5)
Alice Gear Aegis started in 2018 as a mobile game, with a console version being released in Japan in 2022 and just recently made available worldwide. (That too-coincidental timing raises the strong suspicion that this anime is intended as a cross-promotion for the game.) The game seems to be based on girls, called Actresses, who special equipment to fight off an alien menace called Vice, but the first episode is nowhere near as serious as that premise sounds. It is, instead, all about a girl (who seems to be an original character for the anime) named Nodoka who becomes enamored with prominent Actress Yotsuyu (who is one of the game characters) and seeks to become one herself. She goes through ups, downs, and major nosebleeds in a comical fashion until she passes the qualifying sync test – which is important, since before her being able to train up to that level was only theoretical. The problem is, her office is suspended indefinitely as soon as she’s certified.
“Show, not tell” is widely-regarded as desirable in anime, but this is one debut which could have stood to do a lot more telling, since the foundational premise is only vaguely referred to; the episode instead focuses almost entirely on cute girls being cute. Nodoka constantly getting nosbleeds over Yotsuyu gets tiresome pretty quick, which offsets which little this generic cast has going for it in personality. Given the style of presentation here, I suspect that the anime won’t ever bother to explain itself much and will just assume viewers are familiar with the game. That’s the main reason why I cannot recommend this series. Oh, and the “episode 0” listed on HIDIVE is actually an OVA from 2021. It won’t make any sense at this point, so wait until you’ve watched at least a few episodes before checking it out.
Heavenly Delusion
Streams: Hulu (U.S.)/Disney+ (most other countries)
Rating: 4.5 (of 5)
This manga adaptation wasn’t on my radar, either, but damned if it didn’t immediately earn a place on my viewing list for this coming season, despite requiring a Hulu subscription to watch legally. It’s just that well-made.
This is one of those series which doesn’t bother explaining itself at all; it expects viewers to intuit everything based on bits and pieces. At some point a decade or more in the past, an apocalyptic event called the Collapse occurred which wrecked much of the world and left many of those who survived to starve. The story splits between two very different settings: in the ruined lands, a young woman escorts a teen boy on a quest to find a place called Heaven, with old bandits and a man-eating, bird-like monster as potential threats, though they do also find some seemingly-genuine hospitality to. In the place that is presumably Heaven, children live, attend school, and play in a futuristic facility totally closed off from the outside world by walls and a ceiling; they’re not even sure an outside world exists. But one student gets curious about it after receiving a strange message about going there during a test.
All sorts of potentially interesting little details abound. The female “bodyguard” has a high-tech energy pistol, but she also has dreadful scars under her clothing. Their host also seems to have a history with a “Man-Eater,” but why did she spike their food? (Or did she?) How and why does the Heaven facility exist? The first episode throws out lots of threads like that to reel viewers in, and then stacks sterling visuals and top-rate animation (the fight scene with the bandits is eye-popping in its sustained fluidity) on top of that. If later episodes can maintain this level of quality then this one has the very real potential to be one of the season’s top titles.
My Home Hero
Streams: Crunchyroll on Sundays
Rating: 3.5 (of 5)
This one is a bit unusual: an adaptation of a seinen crime thriller that is clearly aimed at mature audiences. The first episode lays out the story of Tetsuo Tosu, a middle-aged man who kills his young-adult daughter’s abusive boyfriend after overhearing that he’s either seriously injured or killed two young women before. The even bigger problem is that the boyfriend is yakuza, and they were aware that he was trying to follow the boyfriend earlier to learn more about it.. Thus begins the desperate story about how a man who’s not at all strong – not even slightly above ordinary – is going to survive this ugly situation and keep his wife (who’s all for covering up the crime to protect her daughter!) and daughter safe.
As crime thrillers go, it’s hard to imagine a much more compelling initial plot hook than this, and it’s easy to sympathize with Testsuo’s situation despite the fact that he does, indeed, deliberately kill someone. The moral vs. legal quandaries this situation raises will hopefully be dealt with as well. Technical merits aren’t bad and do work effectively to heighten tension without being too graphic. Crime thrillers are not my thing, and so I don’t expect to watch this, but for who do like such fare, this looks like a promising start.
My Clueless First Friend
Streams: Crunchyroll on Sundays
Rating: 4.5 (of 5)
Boy, did this one come out of left field! I was expecting a simple, cute comedy about a clueless transfer student befriending the class oddball, and it definitely is that. What I was not expecting was for it to also be one of the most emotionally affecting first episodes I’ve seen in quite some time.
That’s because a remarkably serious and frank look at elementary-aged bullying is mixed in with the more humorous moments – or to be more precise, it’s interwoven with it in a shockingly non-disruptive way. Gloomy Akane Nishimura is referred to as the “Grim Reaper” and is constantly teased about it and ostracized over it. She’s grown to accept that fate until newcomer Taiyo Takada arrives on the scene and utterly smashes all school norms by simply finding it really cool that she’s a Grim Reaper and that her “curse” could rub off on him if he befriends her. Nothing that Akane (who doesn’t want him to get treated the same way) or others say can dissuade him, and an attempt to tease him about it gets regarded as a positive by Taiyo. He’s treated as happy-go-lucky clueless about all of this, so he’s not even consciously trying to break a cycle of bullying, but that’s exactly what he’s doing, and his genuine good will about it is making Akane realize that she can openly have friends and doesn’t have to lie to her father about it anymore.
That’s a lot to pack in to a first episode of what’s ostensibly a comedy, and I can easily see the sensitivity with which it’s handled bringing some to tears. Cute designs and remarkably solid production values for what you’d expect to be a lower-budget production also help. This one is worth a look by all audiences.
The Aristocrat’s Otherworldly Adventure: Serving Gods Who Go Too Far
Streams: Crunchyroll on Sundays
Rating: 3 (of 5)
Shiina dies protecting to girls from a knife-wielding attacked in modern-day Japan. He wakes up to find himself in the body of Cain, the young third son of a major noble, in another world. At his baptism, the seven gods of the land visit him and give him protections so far beyond the norm that he doesn’t dare tell anyone about them. It appears the gods will need him that strong for some greater purpose in years to come. . .
If that sounds utterly generic, it absolutely is in execution, too. There are some minor details which distinguish this one a little: the frenetic pacing of the first episode and an art style and bright color scheme suggestive of the series being targeted towards younger audiences (though it is based on a light novel). The content is mostly light-hearted and the first episode does have both a strong cute factor and a certain energy to it which makes it watchable, but it’s going to have to do more than the first episode shows to stick out much in a crowded field.
The Dangers in My Heart
Streams: HIDIVE on Saturdays
Rating: 3 (of 5)
Middle schooler Kyotaro has an emo bent and sees himself as a creep, but he also finds himself more fascinated than he cares to admit with Anna, a tall, pretty classmate who’s even a legitimate magazine model. As he watches her, he notices some of Anna’s less-than-perfect quirks, but that only interests him more and spurs him to act in a somewhat protective fashion towards her.
The first episode left me on the fence about this manga adaptation. On the good side, it is genuinely funny at several points and is refreshingly frank and honest, including one part where one of Kyotaro’s classmates seeks to date a heavier-set girl and another part where it’s heavily implied that Kyotaro masturbated to Anna’s magazine photos. Anna’s quirks feel more natural than the manufactured-to-still-be-endearing ones anime normally uses, too. On the downside, a student who’s actively thinking about murdering classmates may be going a bit too far (especially for American fans), and the writing does not effectively play that off as just a joke. Also, as a teacher, the notion that students could just carry around box cutters in school like that really threw me; they would be confiscated on site in most American schools. But those are, admittedly, points that not everyone will be sensitive to. This has the makings of a better-than-average romantic comedy in the “boy fascinated by odd girl” trope, so I may give another episode or two a try.
My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999
Streams: Crunchyroll on Saturdays
Rating: 2.5 (of 5)
Akane is a college girl who got into an online game because of her boyfriend, only to have that boyfriend meet someone new in the game and thus dump Akane for the newcomer. To get revenge, Akane passes a famous pro player (whom she happens to bump into at an in-person event for the game) off as her new boyfriend, but is unsatisfied with the result. Then she wakes up with a hangover in that pro player’s apartment. . .
This adaptation of an award-winning manga falls on the romance-emphasizing side of the romantic comedy category, and is based partly on a premise that’s become increasingly common in the last couple of decades: dumping a boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse for someone met online. In that sense, Akane is a relatable character, and her actions certainly aren’t out of line for a jilted lover. However, that and focusing this on older characters is about all that I will give this series for credit. Yamada is entirely not credible; no one could succeed as a pro gamer while being that laconic or uncharismatic in nature, and the long-necked, shojo-styled character design he has is a type I despise. To like this show, you’re going to have to be able to at least tolerate him, and I don’t. This one is a no-go for me.
Hell’s Paradise
Streams: Crunchyroll on Saturdays
Rating: 4 (of 5)
This samurai-era manga adaptation was not on my radar at all coming into this season, but after a strong debut, it sure is now. It tells the tale of Gabimaru the Hollow, a ninja assassin who’s being executed for trying to leave his village. . . except he doesn’t die to conventional execution methods and he doesn’t even realize himself that he’s resisting it until a female executioner points it out to him. She also helps him realize what that reason is and gives him an opportunity to earn a pardon to achieve it: recover an Elixir of Life from an island where nobody has returned alive from before. And he’ll have to beat out other condemned criminals to do it.
Pretty basic set-up for crafting a story where a bunch of killers are competing for a prize, but what won me over here was the quality execution. The technical merits are strong, the visuals are properly pretty or ugly, the OP is special, and the careful use of visuals, coloring, and symbolism is somewhat reminiscent of 86. Gabimaru’s motivation is also suitably compelling, though he earns negative points for not figuring out something so important without help. The only reason I’m not grading this first episode a notch higher is because Gabimaru looks way too much like Bell Cranel (from the DanMachi franchise), and that was really throwing me off. It’s worth a look, even if you weren’t planning to check it out.
I had hoped to get a couple more full-series reviews in before the Spring ’23 season hits in earnest, but it looks like I’m going to run short on time for that. Thus, I will instead provide thoughts and ratings on a number of series that I either have or am following through to conclusion.
NOTE: Series which cut off mid-season due to delays are not covered here, and series which have been reviewed in previous posts are only mentioned here if the remaining episodes added something noteworthy.
Featured Title: The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Lady
Of all the isekai titles this season, this one involved its actual isekai element the least. Instead, it is more purely a fantasy story about two young ladies who save each other and make each other stronger, and in so doing start their country on a path to a bright future. In stepping far away from the norm for reincarnation titles and power fantasies in general, and keeping its focus more purely on the characters than on their abilities, the series forges one of the season’s brightest stars. Of all the new titles which debuted this season, this is the one which most defines the season and is most likely to be remembered in the long haul. And no, the fact that I’m a yuri fan in general has little to nothing to do with this. No, really.
And that’s an important point to understand, because while this series has a distinct yuri vibe throughout, it doesn’t remain just a tease on that front. Titular characters Anisphilia (the blonde above, who’s the reincarnated princess) and Euphyllia (the pale-haired girl above) do wind up as a convincing and legitimate yuri couple, and the final episode strongly confirms that. Watching that gradually develop over the course of 12 episodes – including an eventual switch in who takes the lead in the relationship – is a delight, especially in the understated but still clear way it happens up until the last episode.
The series has far more going for it than that, however. Anisphilia, as a rambunctious, sharp-witted inventor who declines her place in succession so she can focus on developing the revolutionary study of “magicology,” is an immediately-likable personality, and Euphyllia can gradually grow on viewers as a young woman cast adrift when everything she prepared for in her life to that point got suddenly upended. The way Anis, in recruiting her as her assistant, opens a new path for Euphie, is just the first part in a strong character development track which shows that Anis, despite all her cheery bluster, is far more nuanced in her motivations than is readily apparent and that Euphie, once she gets her bearings on her new path, is a force to be reckoned with herself. A strong and effectively-used supporting cast also helps, especially including a prince with far more complex motivations and a love-hate relationship with his sister than what might normally be expected from a villain. Add in some sharp action sequences and magical displays, generally high technical merits, and some of the season’s prettiest character designs and artistry and you have a series that is a winner on both storytelling and technical fronts.
Overall Rating: A
Other Titles
The Tale of Outcasts
This one still has its finale to go as I write this, but this story of an orphan girl who gives up her sight to form a contract with a leonoid demon bored with his immortality has proven to be every bit as endearing a tale as it looked to be from the first episode. What makes this work is that the benefits clearly go both ways: orphan Wisteria gains a caretaker and companion, while the demon Marbus finds a surprising (to him) degree of fulfillment in making a close connection to a human. Wisteria doesn’t turn out to be a doll who just needs to be protected, either; she shows a strong will, one which can contractually enable Marbus to manifest his greater powers when the need arises. Throughout the series, the two encounter both demon hunters and other demons who have made similar, mutually-beneficial pacts with humans, and some of the most interesting aspects of the series are how those relationships compare and contrast to that of Wisteria and Marbus. Technical merits and action choreography aren’t great, but solid character designs and interesting personal stories carry this one.
FinalRating: B- (assuming the last episode doesn’t bomb)
Handyman Saitou in Another World
A handyman who feels unneeded in modern Japan finds that he can be quite useful in a fantasy world which uses RPG-style classes and levels but doesn’t otherwise seem to use numerical game mechanics. This forms the basis for one of the best of this season’s big crop of isekai titles. The tone for this one can be all over the place: it starts out with a few episodes of light-hearted vignettes before suddenly turning very serious in the middle episodes as a plot involving a ninja assassin and a witch lover come to fruition, then spends the rest of the season alternating between light-hearted and more serious content after that. Still, I cannot criticize the series too much for this, as it works overall. Great character designs accompany higher-end technical merits, but what really makes the series work is how Saitou gradually develops his place in the new world and becomes an indispensable member of a party consisting of a female heavy warrior, a doddering but powerful magician, and a fairy cleric. His budding relationship with warrior Realza is also quite sweet. Despite the more serious elements, this is a fun view all around.
Final Rating: B+
In/Spectre 2
Neither the first season nor, initially, this one was ever a priority view for me, but over the course of this season the series gradually grew on me until I was actually starting to anticipate the next episode near the end. With no overall plot, this season is just a collection of short stories involving Kotoko and Kuro getting involved in one yokai-related case or another. Though the series looks pretty good and features a varied array of interestingly different mystery cases, the real key to the series’ success is Kotoko herself. Though flippant enough to throw out random sexual references that make everyone uncomfortable and frequently encouraging reluctant boyfriend Kuro to be more “hands-on,” she takes both her role as the Goddess of Wisdom for the yokai and her responsibility to maintain order between humans and yokai very seriously, to the point of being utterly ruthless in how she uses a mix of truth, lies, and information control to manipulate humans and yokai alike in pursuit of her ends, and she’ll do it all with a cute smile on her face. She’s a delight to watch in action, and it’s no wonder that Kuro seems to have resigned himself to being her boyfriend. Overall, a more solid season than the first.
Final Rating: B
The Eminence in Shadow
This may have finished a few weeks early, but it’s still a strong continuation of a series that I, in retrospect, may have underrated in my earlier review of its first cour. The way Cid’s goals interact with, and fundamentally differ from, those of both his Shadow Garden and other key characters provides a consistently entertaining contrast, including how everyone completely misunderstands his goals and put their own interpretations on them – and even if they did understand Cid’s goals accurately, they probably would not understand why those are Cid’s goals. In essence, the whole story is what happens when a farce gets taken seriously, and the production team does a great job of nailing the cheesy theatrics which complement it. (And let’s not forget the series’ quirky sense of humor, too.) This one has so much latent potential in both its main and backstory that I would eagerly welcome several more seasons and spinoffs exploring major Shadow Garden characters more.
Overall Rating: A-
Bofuri 2
Still two more (delayed) episodes to go as I write this, but this season can essentially be summed up in four words: more of the same. More fun delighting at Maple finding bonkers ways to unwittingly break the game, more fun with the expanded cast, and the end-of-episode social media stream is back, too. Nothing terribly exciting going on here, but it’s still clean, light-hearted fun which looks good and promotes the best spirit of online gaming in the process.
Rating: B
Kaina of the Great Snow Sea
This one has a movie coming later this year to cover the final stage of the story, but at least it got to an acceptable (if somewhat rushed-feeling) break point in ending the season on episode 11. The star here continues to be the sense of world-building for this all-CG production, as most characters are likable but not especially memorable. While it does have some good action, none of that stands out much, either. It does just well enough through to its end that those who stuck it out should be plenty invested in seeing the rest, but on the whole it is not a very memorable series (and not because of the CG).
Rating to Date: C+
The Iceblood Sorcerer Shall Rule The World
Despite feeling heavily like an isekai power fantasy and greatly resembling concurrent school-based fantasy series like Reborn to Master the Blade and The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World, Iceblood actually isn’t isekai; it’s a straight fantasy in the “powerful but young individual tries to get an incognito school life” vein. It does have a few somewhat neat ideas – like the running joke about muscles, the coding-style magic structure, and that protagonist Ray can actually sweet-talk female characters – but it winds up paralleling Strongest Exorcist in particular too much and ultimately does nowhere near enough to distinguish itself in a crowded field. Some of the season’s weakest technical merits don’t help. Not unwatchable, but definitely not memorable, either.
Rating: C
Farming Life in Another World
I covered the first 10 episodes of this series here, but the final two episodes deserve some follow-up. While they maintain the overall series’ trick of successfully melding fantasy elements with bucolic content, they also feature a rare development for a harem series: a child is born! (Actually, in an even rarer feat, this was the second series this season where the male lead sired a child within the series.) In an added neat touch, the series even works in some relevant bits of world-building lore into the fact that the pregnancy is even happening, too. The last two episodes make for a strong finish to a surprisingly worthy series.
Overall Rating: B+
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel: Northern Wars
Initially, this looked like it might be a standalone series, but as it progressed into its middle and later episodes, it became clearer and clearer that it is meant entirely for established fans of the video game franchise. It just has too many franchise cameos to ignore, and too many places where scenes won’t make full sense without some context about the characters involved from the games. Friends of mine who are deeply-invested in the game side of the franchise were left a bit disappointed that the series did not ultimately provide much additional insight to the game storylines despite all the cameos, and the technical merits may have even beat Iceblood Sorcerer out for being the season’s weakest. There’s nowhere near enough story, design, or character merit here to recommend this series to anyone not steeped in the games, and even then it’s not a must-watch.
Rating: C-
Giant Beasts of Ars
This series about an artificially-created young Cleric who teams up with a cynical paladin to fight giant beasts running even more amuck than normal got off to a good start with strong visual design elements (especially the design of lead girl Kumi), good animation, some interesting world-building elements, and very likable co-protagonists, but despite a firm foundation, the series never achieved anything special. Storylines and character developments are just too routine and the writing does an underwhelming job in getting the audience to care about many of the sides characters. It’s still not a bad series, and has enough world-building threads and unanswered questions that I will almost certainly watch another season if it’s made (and that ending. . . yeesh), but this is the season’s biggest under-performer.
Overall Rating: B-
Chillin’ in My 30s After Getting Fired From The Demon King’s Army
Dariel, a logistic expert for the Demon King Army, is released from service during a changing of leadership because, unlike all other demons, he cannot use magic. He eventually discovers that’s because he’s actually a human, not a demon (inherent magic use, rather than physical appearance, is a major distinguishing trait between humans and demons in this world) and winds up living in a human village, discovering his true power through his human heritage, and marrying the mayor’s daughter. He has a kid, takes on major authority, and winds up mediating between humans and demons in this somewhat unusually-constructed fantasy series. The series gets points for not piddling around on him getting to family-building and does make at least some effort to aim for bigger character development strokes, but the resolution of too many incidents happens too easily and conveniently to be full credible. Not a bad series, but with such a crowded field this season, it’s not good enough or distinctive enough to stand out much.
What do you get when you form an adventuring party out of rejects and cast-offs from other adventuring parties? You get the Survivors, a bunch whose members all developed bad habits after having been betrayed and/or screwed over, hence resulting in them having deep distrust of humanity (or humanoids in general, if you prefer, since one of the members isn’t human) and, at least initially, each other. But they manage to find common ground in their misery and work towards some common goals, a process that a narrator regularly reminds viewers will eventually, way down the road, lead to them saving the world.
If this sounds like your typical story about a bunch of misfits coming together to accomplish something great, is isn’t, and that’s what makes this series interesting despite a number of potential knocks against it. All four of the main members (the two on the left become involved later) are jaded to varying degrees, and with good reason: leader/swordsman Nick was played for a patsy in love; mage Tiana lost her noble house and status to the machinations of a fiance jealous of her magical talent and accomplishments; dragonoid warrior Curran (Karan in some sources) was used as monster bait by her former party, who deliberately abandoned her as they took off with both the treasure and an item precious to Karan; and human priest Zem (in easily the most controversial case) was falsely accused of improper behavior when he wouldn’t reciprocate the feelings of a girl who had a crush on him. Because of this, trust issues are a major part of the group dynamic, to the point of being the focus of the early episodes. Though each is capable enough in his/her own specialty, they have to learn the hard way to coordinate and believe that they can rely on their fellow party members. I have rarely seen a fantasy RPG-styled series emphasize this point as heavily as this one does.
The storytelling alternates between group and individual stories, which is facilitated by a rule the Survivors establish early on: no interfering in each other’s personal lives. This is important, since three of the four have developed vices which have left them in poor financial situations: Nick has become an idol otaku, Tiana is a gambling addict, and Zem frequents hostess clubs. Individual stories explore these elements and how that character philosophizes about them, and those vices sometimes come into play in group stories as well. Along the way. the Survivors pick up the boy Kizuna (whose true nature is rather spoilerish) as a fifth regular who becomes a counterpoint to the more cynical attitudes of the others. Cases they deal with as a team vary from dungeon adventures to a showdown with another adventuring party to a casino caper to a trip into the slums in search of a kidnapper, though each has a bit of a peculiar flavor.
That’s the other thing which sets this series apart a bit: it has a rather weird sense of world-building. Some of the elements – Adventurer’s Guild, dungeons to explore, and so forth – are totally RPG fantasy-standard, albeit sometimes with with nonstandard twists: for instance, and one of the races Tiana bets on at one point features underwater mounts with flags sticking up out of the water to track them. But the setting also throws in random features, like modern umbrellas, casinos, idol concerts, host/hostess clubs, and tabloids, which feel anachronistic. Unquestionably the weirdest element is a whole episode devoted to a “Mathematics Bare-Knuckle Brawl,” which is pitched as the obvious way to settle a dispute not-fatally between bloodthirsty adventurers and yes, involves doing math problems to earn a strike against the opponent. This winds up feeling lazy, like the original light novel author Shinta Fuji just threw things into the setting that he liked/was interested in rather than making any coherent attempt at a world-building theme, but it isn’t a deal-breaking distraction.
The shakiest aspect of the series is its technical merits. This is far from the best-looking series of the season, with mediocre, undistinctive character designs (except for the very tall Curran) and unsteady quality control. Action scenes are typically quite limited, too, although the series does occasionally manage sharper sequence, especially some of Nick’s more nimble moves. The series partly makes up for this with little details, like the former adventurer who gets around on a crutch or a lack of party coordination which results in Tiana accidentally very narrowly missing Curran with a spell. Musical score is serviceable but not especially memorable.
An English dub is available for the series through episode 9 as I write this. Major roles seem solid, with Brittney Karbowski being particularly fitting as Curran. (She’s the first English VA I thought of when casting the role in my head.) While some of the minor supporting roles are distinctly weaker, the dub is serviceable overall.
On the whole, Ningen Fushin is a series which marches to its own beat without straying too far from genre staples (including a final episode which is introspective rather than climactic). It’s just enough of a departure from typical fantasy RPG fare to not feel totally generic and be worth a look.
Between last episode and this one, I saw some commentary in some online forums lamenting that Bell was once again be the hero and solo the Juggernaut. Even if I didn’t already know what was going to happen (from reading the novels), I still think I would have soundly refuted that complaint. For better or worse, DanMachi has always been very conventional – even fairly predictable – in its story flow, thematic use, and character development approach, and the end of its fourth season is no different. All of those factors pointed towards Ryu having a major – if not leading – role in the final confrontation against the Juggernaut, and that’s exactly how things played out.
Though Bell is the overall hero and protagonist of the franchise, Ryu has actually been the primary viewpoint character of the Bell/Ryu side of the season ever since her flashbacks began back in episode 14. It’s been her head we’ve been in during that time, not Bell’s, and it’s been her feelings and her trip down memory lane which have guided and framed the story. Much like Bell back in episode 8 of the first season, she has a seemingly-implacable foe that she must face down to be able to advance, and she must in her mind atone for her perceived failure five years ago. Perhaps most importantly in a thematic sense, her justice – her desire to put smiles on the faces of others – would not be complete without facing down such a terror as the Juggernaut and living on as her familia sisters wished.
And that’s the most important take-away from this conclusion to the story: that Alise was right back on that fateful day when the Juggernaut nearly obliterated Astrea Familia. Even if she didn’t necessarily believe it herself, Ryu’s justice was the purest of all of Astrea Familia. Alise recognized it, and so did their patron, Astrea, who understood better than Ryu did that stopping Ryu from seeking vengeance would have destroyed that purity more assuredly than carrying it out did. Ryu’s justice became bloody and ugly – hardly the elegance she sought before – but it did wipe out a lingering scourge on Orario, and the city was better for it. For the last five years, Ryu has been mostly hiding from that truth that she didn’t abandon her justice at all, and now things have come back full circle. The Juggernaut is her nemesis to defeat, and this time Bell is the one only playing a supporting role.
Major fights have always been creative, vibrant affairs in DanMachi, and this one does not disappoint on that front. It employs some of the season’s sharpest fight animation (which is saying something) in depicting how Ryu and Bell almost instinctively play off each other to defeat Juggernaut. In the process, Ryu manifests a new aspect to Luminous Wind, her signature spell. It’s always been portrayed as dozens of balls of wind energy, and she’s always before fired them all at once, but here she shows that she doesn’t have to. She holds ten back – one for each of her dead sisters! – in reserve in anticipation of Juggernaut’s dodge, and then calls the names of all her familia sisters as she uses them both for attack and for propulsion. (That she imagines them visually manifesting as her familia sisters is a neat touch that the anime adaptation adds, and if that is really just her conceit, who cares?) The name she calls as she releases the final, killing blow – Luvia, which is also the episode title – is also significant here, as that name means “a girl who is deeply loved.” Perhaps that is meant to signify her acceptance of her familia’s feelings and wishes for her?
As expected, the rescue party arrives right after the fight – for no heroes who accomplish such a feat can narratively be allowed to be eaten by normal Dungeon denizens after that – and a wrap-up which takes up the second half of the episode. The scene with Ryu accidentally flashing Bell maybe wasn’t strictly necessary, but this is DanMachi, and the only real fan service otherwise this season could not really be taken as sexy under the circumstances, so something like that was bound to happen. (And it’s an exact recreation of the original novel scene.) Seeing Ryu look so elegant in such a simple dress in the finishing scene was a real treat, and that smile she gives Bell before freaking out over her feelings sums up beautifully how much more she is at ease now; she even gets an assist from her adventuring persona being now officially regarded as dead, but dying as a hero rather than a blacklisted criminal.
Despite providing an excellent fight and a solid narrative wrap to the season, I couldn’t help but find the episode falling a little short of the episodes leading up to it. The music, while good, just did not quite have the crisp edge that it has throughout this season, and perhaps that contributed to the sense of energy and drama not being as high. Still, episode 22 provides a good wrap to the season and an ideal stopping point. Now the wait begins to see if the next arc – which shifts the focus to Syr and the mysteries behind her – will be animated.
Review: The Angel Next Door Has Spoiled Me Rotten eps 1-10
I would absolutely forgive anyone for dismissing this one as just another generic romcom about an ordinary guy who somehow gets the interest of the school’s Perfect Girl. Indeed, its early episodes, while still having some entertainment value, don’t leave much more of an impression than that. However, amidst all of its cliches, cutesiness, and male wish fulfillment is a slow, steady, and surprisingly endearing romantic build-up which can gradually whittle away at any resistances one might have.
It helps some if the series is classified properly. While the overall tone is light, this is more a pure romance story than a true romcom. The premise is a simple one for the genre: male high school student Amane is a nondescript, somewhat insecure young man who just happens to live alone in an apartment next door to his school’s Angel, Mahiru, who is also living alone. This is not something he reveals to anyone, and indeed, they barely interact at all until one rainy day when he finds her, morose and umbrella-less, in a playground near their apartment building. A simple “I lend you my umbrella and get sick from it, so you return the favor by helping me through my sickness” exchange later and the course is set for Mahiru to take it upon herself to go all domestic on Amane. She helps clean up his place, starts cooking dinner for him on a regular basis, and even becomes a regular in his apartment in her at-home clothing. Later on, they go on what essentially amounts to a date, too, even though neither (especially Amane!) is willing to openly admit that they’re more than friends. Throughout the process, only a handful of closest friends ever know about their relationship, and those who do proclaim that Amane and Mahiru practically act like a married couple. In other words, the plot (such as it is) is a very straightforward teen romantic path.
Although this is all absolutely male wish fulfillment, the series does take pains to establish more credibility than normal and work on carefully building the foundations for a deeper relationship. Amane lives alone partly because his mother would be a handful for anyone to deal with and partly because he felt a need to switch schools because of some things which happened at his middle school. (These aren’t big, dark, scarring events, but how they could shake his confidence in himself and encourage him to seek a change of venue is readily understandable.) He does have a close friend – or two, if the friend’s gregarious girlfriend is counted as well – but he’s developed somewhat of an inferiority complex and certainly think that Mahiru is above his level. Mahiru, meanwhile, drops hints early on that she’s living alone because of a wholly unpleasant family situation, and when the truth of that eventually comes out, why she would be looking for an excuse to make more than just a superficial connection with someone else is also easy to understand. Towards her, Amane is polite, comforting, and above all, respectful of boundaries. She doesn’t have to put up a “perfect girl” front around him (she can be rather pouty and a bit sharp-tongued) and can trust Amane to behave himself. Mahiru may be benefiting from just being a convenient outlet for Mahiru’s apparent wish to have a more interactive home life, but he’s also being very careful not to screw it up.
The one limitation here is that the story is told almost exclusively from Amane’s point of view. We never get to hear what’s going on inside Mahiru’ head, hence leaving viewers to intuit her motives. However, once the revelations about her family situation come into the picture, the implication is that she may be trying to simulate a version of the home life she never had a chance to have. Of course, she also gives the impression that she’s just having fun coddling Amane, even as she scolds him about not being more confident in himself. Although she has, since beginning, been an equal proponent to Amane on the “we’re just friends” claim, her most recent behavior and verbal slips have started to suggest that her emotions have shifted to the point that she might not object if Amane did make a move. Amane’s lack of confidence may be the only barrier to them going the full boyfriend/girlfriend route in the season’s final episodes; certainly she wants to see him have more faith in himself.
One of the main draws of the series is Mahiru’s adorability, and the series wastes few opportunities to play that up. Whether it’s her character design, the way she pouts or gets angry, the way she hides behind a couch pillow, or the very domestic way she dresses and behaves outside of school, everything about her is a finely-calculated level of more mature cuteness. The original writer and production team seemed to be aware that this alone would not carry the series, so Amane’s friend Itsuki and Itsuki’s girlfriend Chitose quickly become cast regulars and, later, confidants, and their presence is quite welcome. They offer a much more expressive verve and energy to the proceedings, as well as providing a good contrast to Amane and Mahiru and an example of what a successful high school relationship would look like – something which, sadly, is far too rare in series like these. While they are not usually at the center of events, the series would not work as well without them.
The technical merits are not strong on this one beyond the character designs, but the musical score adds a nice, soft touch and the opener has a neat late ’70s vibe to it.
Overall, this series will not blow anyone away or emotionally overwhelm anyone, but it delivers well enough on its core sentiments and romantic developments to be a sweet and endearing view. It’s definitely worthy of more attention than it’s getting.
Original novel writer Fujino Omori is on record as wanting to have as many characters as possible fall for Bell, and he’s proven that statement to be at least half-serious; while some female characters have fixed romantic interest elsewhere (most notably Tiona, Mikoto, and Chigusa) and others are either neutral (Asfi), merely admirers (Tione), or otherwise have interest that isn’t specifically romantic (arguably Ais), Bell has quite the unofficial harem in his orbit already. After episode 21, you can all but officially add Ryu to that list, too. She might not be ready to admit it yet herself, but it’s as plain as day to the audience that she is falling for Bell.
As eye-rolling as this may seem, such turns don’t feel quite as gimmicky in this franchise as in many others. One of Omori’s strengths as a writer is the time and effort he devotes to establishing character feelings and motivations, and that has generally translated very effectively into anime form. Ryu’s growing sensitivity to Bell doesn’t come from nowhere; based on the way she was herself in her Astrea Familia days, she doubtless finds his purity of soul and intent appealing, and he has proven time and again that he’s not willing to give up on her even when she’s been willing to give up on herself. As he shows in this episode, he can simply and cleanly cut through her overwhelming survivor’s guilt with an innocent, reassuring reminder that this isn’t at all what Ryu’s familia would have wanted for her, and that she does have purpose in surviving. He’s also able to acknowledge her as a woman (something she apparently didn’t have much confidence about) while being considerate and non-threatening as possible. And, well, Bell has become pretty ripped in the last few months, too, so he’s got the manly stud factor going for him as well. It would be stranger if Ryu wasn’t falling for him by this point, no matter how much she might feel that betrays Syr.
I also have to give kudos to the production team here for not playing up the fan service angle here. Some was unavoidable, but emphasizing Ryu’s sex appeal too much would have been out of place in a mostly-serious scene that was aiming more for a feeling of warmth and security than prurient appeal. The little bit of humor that was worked in here – namely, Ryu’s uncertain assertion that she’d even hug a dwarf if necessary in a crisis – didn’t disrupt the mood at all and gives Ryu possibly my favorite expression for her to date.
But this is the penultimate episode, so the storytelling cannot dwell on Ryu’s building emotions too long. A bit more world-building precedes the long-expected return of the Juggernaut, who has been quite busy himself finding replacement body parts and going all chimera, hence adding extra dimensions to a creature who was already plenty deadly. Though this provides a fresh angle on the conflict, Ryu losing hope again as she goes unconscious near the end of the episode feels a little retread. But she does do everything she can to get Bell back on his feat before she passes out, giving him one more chance to play hero.
With only one episode left, will Bell defeat the hybrid Juggernaut before help arrives? And how will Ryu deal with feelings that she probably wished would go to the grave with her? Return next week for the big finale, which looks like it will safely round out novel 14.
The inevitable has arrived: the episode-opening flashbacks on Ryu’s past with Astrea Familia have finally led to the pivotal moment where the rest of her familia gets wiped out by a Juggernaut while trying to pin down Jura and his Evilus compatriots. And as expected, the perspectives of the only two survivors of that incident – Ryu and Jura – skew what actually happened.
When Ryu first brought the matter up back in episode 12 of season 1, she made it sound like her familia sisters had died in Rudra Familia’s trap. Jura’s conversation earlier this season clarified that this wasn’t the case, with the cameo by Fels a couple of episodes back explaining why Ryu earlier excluded the presence of Juggernaut in her explanation to Bell. (And it’s not like claiming that they died as a result of the trap was totally inaccurate, since the trap did summon Juggernaut.) The slaughter shown here in explicit detail makes this the most graphic single scene in the entire franchise – and keep in mind that this was done to a group of 11 young women who were all level 3 or 4 at the time. (Astrea Familia was at the top end of the middle tier in Orario’s power structure.)
More importantly, the whole incident shows that the last few surviving members of Astrea Familia – Lyra, Kaguya, and leader Alise – made a conscious choice to save Ryu at the expense of their lives. Part of their decision was clearly practical: Ryu was the least severely injured (and so the best able to escape), and the only one with the magic that could strike the Juggernaut down once its reflective scales were torn off. But some of it was emotional, too: Ryu was the youngest, and in Alise’s eyes in particular, the most pure in her beliefs about justice. If Alise was the familia’s heart, Ryu was the familia’s soul. Ryu never understood that, and her inability to strike down Juggernaut leading to their sacrifice only saving her only compounded the guilt she felt over it. Who wouldn’t be deeply traumatized by something like that?
Most of what transpires in the following scenes, where Ryu systematically goes about destroying Rudra Familia, has been described before in the series, with the added details that she briefly encountered Rudra himself (an anime-original scene) and asked Astrea to leave Orario beforehand so she wouldn’t see Ryu lose herself to vengeance. But what’s interesting here is how Ryu takes the most negative possible interpretation of everything which transpired. She believes that Astrea’s comment about how Ryu should “give up on justice” was an excommunication, but since Astrea never withdrew her Blessing, was it really? From a more neutral perspective, she could have just been cautioning Ryu not to lose herself to a more vengeful interpretation of justice. Ryu regards her ruthless pursuit of vengeance as her forsaking the spirit of justice, but would the citizens of Orario at the time have seen in that way? As ugly as her actions were, she did all but destroy one of the main branches of Evilus, who had been terrorizing the city for years up to that point and had come close to destroying Orario just a couple of years earlier. (This is described in detail in the Memoria Freese event “Astrea Record,” which is currently being rereleased in the game and can be seen in summary video form here.) The Guild – or, more precisely, Ouranos – did blacklist her because they had no choice, but never actively tried to hunt her down, and both Mia at Hostess of Fertility and Asfi of Hermes Familia are certainly aware of who she is but still accept her anyway. Her actions also led to a period of relative peace in Orario for the first time in almost a decade. Could not her actions to eliminate Rudra Familia be looked at as justice? And while her actions certainly weren’t moral and arguably weren’t righteous, was there anything actually impure about her motivations? As much as Ryu believes otherwise, Alise wasn’t wrong about her.
That’s why Bell’s perspective on Ryu is absolutely critical here. He might not know the idealistic version of Ryu, but he has seen her at her best, as the Elf who always gives him good advice, who contributed mightily to the defeat of Black Goliath, and who helped both him and his familia out on multiple occasions. As ugly and tainted as Ryu sees herself, he can see that she still has a good and noble heart. (And if this sounds like a familiar pattern, it is; see Liliruca and Haruhime.) He can help her accept that it’s okay to live on, that dying here would be shirking the unintentionally-cruel burden of carrying on for her familia laid upon her by Alise and Lyra. Perhaps he can even help her understand that, in her dream image, the rest of her familia wasn’t turning away from her as a rejection; they were turning away because it wasn’t her time to join them.
On other random points, the discovery of what looks to be a safe zone in a tunnel directly underneath the Colosseum is a fitting irony for the Dungeon. Also, notice that Ryu was specifically using the daggers left to her by Kaguya in part of her vengeance – the ones that Kaguya specifically told her to use. (And I think that Kaguya would have approved of how she used them.) I also must continue my regular praise of the music here, in particular the use of the insert song which plays out during the Astrea Familia’s final moments against the Juggernaut and the mournful strings arrangement which follows. Ryu’s seiyuu, Saori Hayami, also turns in a fantastic effort, especially in the scene where she’s casting Luminous Wind against Juggernaut.
This episode remains remarkably faithful to the source material and animated up through page 337, leaving about 80 pages for the remaining two episodes to cover. Is it finally time for the Juggernaut to show up again? We’ll see next episode.
USA Anime 