Tag Archives: Orb

Mid-Winter 2025 Anime Ranking

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01. Orb: On the Movements of the Earth (Chi. Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite) (Ep. 15-24) – This second cour, with almost all new characters, is not quite as engaging as the first, but the storytelling remains top-class.

(Streaming at Netflix)

02. Rurouni Kenshin -Meiji Kenkaku Romantan- Kyoto Disturbance (Kyoto Douran) (Ep. 37-45) – Saito Hajime, and company, stop the burning of Kyoto.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

03. ZENSHU. (Ep. 1-9) – If you get the numerous references to other anime, I think there’s an extra level of enjoyment possible. To be honest, a lot of them are over my head; but I’m still enjoying this isekai, starring an anime director, a great deal!

Episode 4 was a stand-out. How true that having an oshi can be a life-affirming experience!

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

04. The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) (Ep. 25-32)

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

05. From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated! (Akuyaku Reijou Tensei Ojisan) (Ep. 1-10)

(Streaming at HIDIVE)

06. Unnamed Memory Act.2 (Ep. 13-20) – Still as ridiculously fast-paced as the first season. Still I like it regardless of its significant flaws.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

07. Blue Box (Ao no Hako) (Ep. 13-21) – Props to Hina for being so forthright and decent. But the love triangle is dragging on a bit.

(Streaming at Netflix)

08. Blue Miburo (Ao no Miburo) (Ep. 13-20) – A younger Saito Hajime, and company, stop the burning of Kyoto.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

09. I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time (Guild no Uketsukejou desu ga, Zangyou wa Iya nanode Boss wo Solo Toubatsu Shiyou to Omoimasu) (Ep. 1-7) – I enjoy this more for the relatable and sweet characters than the one-note plot.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

10. Übel Blatt (Ep. 1-9) – The storytelling is poor and many plot developments in this revenge tale seem unintentionally funny. But who cares, right? My sister’s oshi, Hirose Yuya is voicing the lead character (and doing a fine job of it!) so we are watching avidly, and laughing when we feel like it.

(Streaming on Amazon Prime)

11. HONEY LEMON SODA (Ep. 1-8) – Shy, bullied Uka finds her saviour in heartthrob, and high-school Jesus, Kai. Full-on shoujo romances are not my thing, clearly. Kai doesn’t seem like a real person to me; and the pair of them have no chemistry.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

Also watching, sort of:

My Happy Marriage (Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon) (S2 Ep. 1-5) – Whatever my thoughts on this potato of an MC and her wish-fulfillment protective fiancé, wow, the incredible scenery and all of Miyo’s gorgeous kimono are enough to make this worthwhile! (Streaming at Netflix)

Baban Baban Ban Vampire (Ep. 1-5) (Streaming at Netflix)

Mid-Autumn 2024 Anime Ranking

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It’s a season of blue-coded anime, apparently. I am watching Blue Box, BLUE LOCK, and Blue Miburo. If I was still following it, I could have been watching Blue Exorcist as well!

01. Orb: On the Movements of the Earth (Chi. Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite) (Ep. 1-12) – A fictionalized account of the perils faced by astronomers who realized the truth of heliocentrism during a time when the powers that be (ie, the Church) were politically and murderously committed to geocentrism.

The concepts raised here are surprisingly timeless. We might expect that we no longer have our heads in the sand when it comes to scientific progress, but clearly it has been shown time and time again that misinformation and mistrust are prevalent in any century.

(Streaming at Netflix)

02. Rurouni Kenshin -Meiji Kenkaku Romantan- Kyoto Disturbance (Kyoto Douran) (Ep. 25-35) – The Kyoto arc, unabridged. What more needs to be said?

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

03. BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict (Sennen Kessen-hen -Soukoku-tan-) (S3 Ep. 1-10, Overall Ep. 27-36) – This third instalment of TYBW has been my favourite yet. Lots of major revelations and developments for the Soul Society Squad Captains and really nice animation to boot.

The OP is also remarkably gorgeous; I never skip it.

(Streaming at Hulu and Disney+)

04. Blue Box (Ao no Hako) (Ep. 1-11)

(Streaming at Netflix)

05. Nina the Starry Bride (Hoshifuru Oukoku no Nina) (Ep. 1-10)

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

06. DAN DA DAN (Ep.1-11)

(Streaming at Crunchyroll and Netflix)

07. Blue Miburo (Ao no Miburo) (Ep. 1-8) – I’m no stranger to historical dramas about the Shinsengumi. This is right up my alley.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

08. BLUE LOCK 2nd Season (BLUE LOCK VS. U-20 JAPAN) (Ep. 25-34) – The Blue Lock project is put to the test in a pivotal game against the U-20 Team. It’s a shame that the animation quality is so very lacking this season, but the soccer is still as tense and over-the-top as always.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

09. Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii (Ep. 1-10) – Right off the bat, I found Kirishima to be a toxic and off-putting love interest, and I nearly dropped the show because of him. However, I did like Yoshino’s tough yet vulnerable personality. And maybe I was a little morbidly curious at how things would go.

Yakuza Fiancé is certainly an unconventional romance, to say the least. However, I did warm up to the characters and their relationships, even if I still had difficulty supporting the main romantic pairing.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

10. NEGATIVE POSITIVE ANGLER (NegaPosi Angler) (Ep. 1-11) – This one would normally be off my radar, but the word of mouth was good and plus, one of my sister’s oshis, Hirose Yuuya, has a role in it.

I don’t know, there’s something about fishing stories, they always put me to sleep. So the only way I can pay attention is if I’m multi-tasking, such as having dinner, at the same time. My sister, on the other hand, cannot eat while watching anything gross and slimy, so it has been interesting fitting this show into our schedule!

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

11. The Healer Who Was Banished From His Party, Is, in Fact, the Strongest (Party kara Tsuihou sareta Sono Chiyushi, Jitsu wa Saikyou ni Tsuki) (Ep. 1-9) – Okay, out of the dozens of fantasy/isekai series on offer this season (and every season,) I selected this one to check out because of the voice talent. Specifically, Umehara Yuuichirou plays a supporting role. I wouldn’t say it’s bad, but it is pretty forgettable, and the animation quality is about on level with BLUE LOCK 2nd Season.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)