Tag Archives: Saitou Souma

Mid-Spring 2024 Anime Ranking

Posted on by

01. KAIJU No. 8 (Kaijuu 8-gou) (Ep. 1-10) – After only one single episode, I already cared about Kafka and was convinced of his bond with Reno, even though the two of them just met each other. Week after week, KAIJU No. 8 continues to impress me with well-paced storytelling, detailed world-building, likeable characters, and brilliant humour.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

02. YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master (Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai) (Ep. 1-8) – There are a lot of characters to keep up with in this historical drama with a fantastical spin, but once you get to know them, it is really engrossing and suspenseful. Basically, a deadly succession battle is going on between supporters of the Kingdom’s 2 princes, and it’s hard to tell who can be taken at face value and who is scheming something. It’s reasonable to suspect that probably everyone except Yukiya has a hidden agenda.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

03. Unnamed Memory (Ep. 1-10) – Undeniably, this is a pretty troubled adaptation. It seems like they are trying hard to cram an immense amount of story into a span of a single season. It’s actually kind of impressive that this anime is not a total incoherent mess!

In spite of its flaws, I still find I enjoy it a lot, mainly because I’m sold on Oscar and Tinasha. Whereas I often feel nothing for romance shows, such as A SIGN OF AFFECTION or My Happy Marriage as recent examples, I am surprised at how invested I am in this love story!

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

04. Astro Note (Ep. 1-10) – By contrast, the storytelling and plot progression of Astro Note are top notch. The characters are eccentric but endearing, and I believe there are visual clues throughout that hint at future developments of the story.

We only started watching this sci-fi comedy because of Saito Soma hamming it up in the trailer, but it’s looking to be a cute and funny and satisfying series overall.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

05. OBLIVION BATTERY (Boukyaku Battery) (Ep. 1-9) – Speaking of hamming it up, here we have Miyano Mamoru as the quirky, amnesiac catcher in this baseball anime. OBLIVION BATTERY‘s character art is a little questionable, what with the tiny faces, small heads, and long necks. But the animation is kind of amazing and the show is pretty funny. Some parts, including the opening flashback sequence, are overwhelmingly melodramatic, but I’m going to assume those are meant to be funny too, because I was cracking up!

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

06. Black Butler: Public School Arc (Kuroshitsuji: Kishuku Gakkou-hen) (Ep. 1-5)

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

07. WIND BREAKER (Ep. 1-10) – At the start of the season, this was near the top of the list. The animation was impressive, the characters were likeable, plus omurice! 

I was wary though, when Shishitoren came calling and they all matched up for a big fight. Indeed what followed was episode after episode of largely pointless brawling, while our enthusiasm for WIND BREAKER evaporated. It’s basically the opposite problem of Unnamed Memory, in which huge conflicts are wrapped up in half an episode; these small conflicts don’t need to be half a season long.

Also, is it not weird that Furin High School is all plastered over with graffiti? The boys take such good care of their neighborhood; yet their school looks like that?!

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

08. Vampire Dormitory (Ep. 1-6) – Ah, this one’s pretty bad. It’s laughably ridiculous that Mito’s close contacts can’t figure out that she’s actually a girl; meanwhile a couple of random thugs on the street outed her in seconds! Her wig is so unbelievable! It would have been way less distracting if that was just her real hair.

In one episode, Mito up and leaves in the middle of work and doesn’t go back, and it’s okay? And what about that mixer that 8 people showed up for? Two walked off to speak privately, which was weird because the person they were talking about was actually present at the meeting, and then the mixer was totally forgotten. What kind of writing is this?

Also, how is it that Ren is so much more likeable than lead guy Ruka? Go ahead and count me for Team Ren.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

Mid-Autumn 2023 Anime Ranking

Posted on by

It was very difficult to do a ranking this time.  All the shows we are watching are good enough to keep us coming back every week, but none of them stand out as something we can’t wait to watch.

01. My New Boss is Goofy (Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen) (Ep. 1-10) – Momose starts to heal from the workplace abuse that he suffered at his previous company with the help of his kind new supervisor.

My New Boss is Goofy is practically the spiritual successor to Play It Cool, Guys, right down to Umehara Yuuichirou voicing the airheaded ad exec. While I’m not in love with the show, it is consistently sweet, and silly, and it makes me smile.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

02. The Yuzuki Family’s Four Sons (Yuzuki-san Chi no Yonkyoudai.) (Ep. 1-11) – The Yuzuki boys are really endearing, especially Gaku, who is the youngest in age, but acts the most serious and mature.

There’s a lot of content here that I personally relate to, being from a family of 3 sisters, with a big age gap, and now orphaned too.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

03. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (2023) (Ep. 14-24)

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

04. FRIEREN: Beyond Journey’s End (Sousou no Frieren) (Ep. 1-12)

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

05. The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) (Ep. 1-11)

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

06. Paradox Live THE ANIMATION (Ep. 1-10) – Out of the 3 music-themed anime we’re watching, this one has the best music and the most compelling and dramatic story line.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

07. Firefighter Daigo: Rescuer in Orange (Megumi no Daigo: Kyuukoku no Orange) (Ep. 1-11) – Very realistic firefighter stories, but it’s kind of slow-moving; and the amount of recap at the start of each episode is ridiculous. It’s almost like the storytelling is so realistic that it happens in real time, which is totally unnecessary. Otherwise, Firefighter Daigo can be pretty exciting and suspenseful.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

08. JUJUTSU KAISEN -SEASON 2- (Ep. 35-45) – The Shibuya battle rages on, in all its destructive glory. I don’t know what to say. Two of our favourite characters bit the dust in 2 consecutive episodes. When another of our favourites entered the fray the next week, we were like, ‘no – what are you doing??’

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

09. The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent (Seijo no Maryoku wa Bannou desu) Season 2 (Ep. 1-11) – Now that her Holy Saint duties are winding down, the kingdom wants to see Sei settled down. Of course, Sei has always been more interested in her research than in romance, so Albert understandably hasn’t pressured her; but if he doesn’t make his move soon, he might miss his chance.

Well it’s still good, but somehow less magical than the first season. Even the romance/chemistry between Sei and Albert feels kind of lacklustre.

Actually, you know who the cutest couple is? The king and his attendant! Just from one brief scene, it’s obvious how much they enjoy each other’s company and that they have a rich shared history together.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

10. GOBLIN SLAYER II (Ep. 1-10) – Less action and gore compared to season one, but still entertaining, as somehow, Goblin Slayer’s fixation on goblins never gets old.

I’m appreciating Lizardman a lot lately. He’s getting to be as into the goblin slaying as Goblin Slayer! And the subtle jabs he sometimes takes at their leader are so funny.

I also really like the makeover for Farm Girl. Previously, I was weirded out by that vacant look in her eyes, but now she seems bright and cute.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

11. SPY x FAMILY Season 2 (Ep. 26-35) – At first it seemed like this cour was going to be more episodic filler, but we finally entered a long arc with Yor’s mission on the cruise liner, and that was a huge improvement for the show.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

12. HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle- Rhyme Anima+ (Season 2 Ep. 1-10) – I was never particularly enamoured of any of the HYPMIC guys, but you know, there’s just something cute about the way Samatoki is always irritable and so angry; to the point that even his closest comrades can’t tell if he is under someone’s influence, or suffering nicotine withdrawal, or just being his normal self!

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

13. B-PROJECT: Passion*Love Call (B-PROJECT Netsuretsu*Love Call) (Season 3 Ep. 1-11) – Tsubasa’s workload increases as Gandara signs up a streaming platform duo called Ultras. There’s a learning curve since the company is not accustomed to representing this type of talent, and Ultras are not accustomed to being represented.

Unfortunately, the English subtitles for this show are frequently problematic. It’s obvious the translator wasn’t given any background information or just can’t be bothered about getting any of the names right. Gandara Music is misspelled every time with an extra ‘h’ inserted randomly; the group names are often preceded by ‘The’ and are pluralized, as if they can’t conceive that music group names do not always follow that format. This, despite the fact that the correct typeset sometimes appears right on the screen.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

14. BEYBLADE X (Ep. 1-9) – The best opening theme of the season (of the shows we are following) is “PROVE” by ONE OK ROCK! That is in fact the primary reason we are watching BEYBLADE X. I have never touched a bey, nor have I watched any previous Beyblade anime. Also, Saito Sōma voices one of the main characters, so that never hurts!

ALSO WATCHED:

Onimusha (Ep. 1-8) (Netflix)

Mid-Summer 2023 Anime Ranking

Posted on by

It’s more of an end-of-season ranking this time, partly because many of the series ended earlier than usual, and partly because I’m compiling it later than usual.

01. Ōoku: The Inner Chambers (Ep. 1-10) – Ōoku re-imagines what Japanese history might have been like if a virulent plague had wiped out the majority of the male population. Ironically, the story is still mostly about men, specifically the kept men who serve the female Shogun.

Even though Ōoku was already available in its entirety immediately at the start of the season, we made a conscious decision to watch week by week (along with My Happy Marriage, a weekly-release Netflix show.) I’m glad I experienced it this way, because it allowed me to really give thought to the story, and the characters, and especially to Arikoto’s plight.

(Streaming at Netflix)

02. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (2023) (Ep. 1-13) – Unfortunately, having previously watched the 1990s anime series, watched the live action movies, and read the manga, this new anime doesn’t quite deliver the wow factor for me that a new experience might have. That said, I definitely did have some complaints about the old series, and especially about the films, so I do love that this new iteration hews very closely to the best version of the story, the original manga.

Well of course, we wouldn’t miss anything that stars Saito Sōma, and I stand by my initial opinion upon learning of the casting, that he really is perfect for the role of Kenshin.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

03. AYAKA: A STORY OF BONDS AND WOUNDS (Ep. 1-12) – We went into this expecting it to be generic fantasy fluff, but right off, it was clear that AYAKA was a cut above. Something about the characters and the way they got along with each other, and the world-building, grabbed our attention.

The show left me contemplating how all of Yanagi’s disciples had internalized his ideals of self-sacrifice, whether he had expressly intended to teach them to be like that or not. The unfortunate corollary of bearing such a martyr mindset was that they didn’t know how to handle being the one who got protected, and that messed up their psyche.

True, parts of the story were predictable – I know some viewers anticipated Yukito’s true nature from the start – but the reveal played out really nicely in the final stretch, which was funny and heart-breaking and heartwarming.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

04. UNDEAD MURDER FARCE (Undead Girl Murder Farce) (Ep. 1-13)

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

05. JUJUTSU KAISEN -SEASON 2- (Ep. 25-34) – The sudden flashback story line was a bit disorienting at first, but once things got going, this cour served as a powerful explanation of how Getou became so disillusioned.

I did learn something very important though. Apparently, “revealing information about your ability increases its fundamental strength.” That one nugget of wisdom did so much to enhance my appreciation/tolerance for shows such as BLEACH, for example, in which the characters are constantly explaining their abilities out loud. Naruhodo!

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

06. Sugar Apple Fairy Tale (Ep. 13-24)

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

07. My Happy Marriage (Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon) (Ep. 1-12) – The setting and scenery are totally gorgeous, and sure, it’s effortless to root for Miyo against the abuse she’s had to put up with. But in my opinion, the characters lack nuance. Miyo is just a blob of soft-spoken, innocent goodness; Kudou is a protective hero she happens to get matched up with; while her evil stepmother and evil sister are evil. It’s kind of like Cinderella in a lush, historical Japanese setting, with supernatural abilities. The only character that makes me feel anything is Miyo’s friend Kouji; he’s a decent guy who definitely gets the short end of the stick.

(Streaming at Netflix)

08. The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior (Higeki no Genkyou to Naru Saikyou Gedou Last Boss Joou wa Tami no Tame ni Tsukushimasu.) (Ep. 1-12) – It’s another entry in the villainess isekai genre, and by now I have completely lost track of how many there have been. Anyway, I had a good early impression of this series. I was impressed with the way Princess Pride handled the ambush crisis, and especially the subsequent meeting with the knights. But it lost its momentum after that.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

09. Horimiya -the missing pieces- (Horimya -piece-) (Ep. 1-13) – I get how Horimiya fans would be thrilled to see previously cut content fully animated like this, and some of it is suitably amusing. But let’s face it, many of the clips are basically filler, and it seems obvious why those scenes were passed over in the first place.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

10. BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Separation (Sennen Kessen-hen – Ketsubetsu-tan) (S2 Ep. 1-11) – This was kind of interesting at the start, with the reveal of the internal workings of the Quincy group and their second assault on Seireitei. But then it all devolved into fight-of-the-week shenanigans between random opponents that didn’t add much to their character development or the overall plot development. In fact, I think the part I liked best was the quiet showdown of Shunsui and Nanao against Jugram as the three of them seemingly just stood and watched the invasion at Seireitei headquarters.

Mid-Spring 2023 Anime Ranking

Posted on by

01. [OSHI NO KO] (Ep. 1-11) – This is the anime of the season and it pretty much does live up to the hype. The characters are well-written and likeable; there’s a mystery and some social commentary; and generally, the balance of light and darkness hits the mark.

(Streaming at HIDIVE)

02. VINLAND SAGA SEASON 2 (Ep. 13-24) – Snake is an impressive character; even Thorfinn respects him. Their fight in ep. 16 is easily the highlight of the season. Also, I’m very glad to have Survive Said The Prophet back with the new OP “PARADOX.” It’s a perfect fit.

Tragedy abounds as Thorfinn’s and Canute’s opposing trajectories veer toward a clash.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

03. MY HOME HERO (Ep. 1-12) – The animation is certainly not amazing, but this story about a man trying to get away with murder after protecting his daughter against her abusive yakuza boyfriend is smart and riveting. The premise is a nice departure from the usual anime fare, and Suwabe Junichi is great as the daddy.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

04. My Love Story with Yamada-kun at LV999 (Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru) (Ep. 1-13) – I love the fashions in this anime, and the characters are very cute. I do think the 2 leads have chemistry, and I was rooting for them, but it bothered me that he had to rescue her so. many. times. If I was Akane, I would personally be mortified if the guy I liked witnessed me over-drinking on multiple occasions and doing stuff like distractedly walking into traffic.

Also, while I applauded Akane for taking the high road with Runa after what the younger girl did to her, I didn’t think Runa deserved to be let off the hook so easily. In short, Runa is the worst thing about the show.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

05. Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion (Kanojo ga Koushaku-tei ni Itta Riyuu) (Ep. 1-12) – This isekai mystery/romance has some surprising superficial similarities with My Love Story with Yamada-kun at LV999, including the appearances of the lead characters and the way they started their relationships, but otherwise it feels like a completely different animal. While the character designs are sufficiently attractive, I think I might have liked this more if the animation, and especially the colour palette, looked a little more high-budget.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

06. Skip and Loafer (Skip to Loafer) (Ep. 1-12) – This wholesome, feel-good anime about an unlikely group of friends drawn together by a unique but unassuming classmate, is objectively a better show than the preceding two on this list; but the slice-of-life/high school setting just doesn’t draw me in as much from week to week.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

07. THE MARGINAL SERVICE (Ep. 1-9) – Entertaining in a so bad, it’s good kinda way, which I believe is the way it is intended to be enjoyed. Well I could do without the pervy mascot character, but I’m having fun with this stupid show.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

08. MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES (Ep. 1-8) – So derivative of Harry Potter as to be distracting, and the main character is an unbelievable cream-puff-obsessed idiot. We are trying to give this a fair shake, but its shounen trappings are getting somewhat tedious.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

09. DEMON SLAYER S3: Swordsmith Village Arc (Kimetsu no Yaiba: Katanakaji no Sato-hen) (Ep. 1-5) – We kinda have a bad habit of losing interest in long running shounen anime, and Demon Slayer was heading in that direction for us. While we did make it through all of season 2, much of it felt like a slog.

So after the first (feature length) episode this season, my sister and I discussed if it was time to drop; I actually argued to give it a bit more time to see where things were going. However, the second episode had us completely bored out of our skulls. At that point, the only thing that could save it was if they suddenly cast not one, but both, of our favourite VAs into the next episode. And well, the rest is history ’coz we’re still on board.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

ALSO STARTED:

Hell’s Paradise (Jigokuraku) (ep. 1-3) – but I felt the level of violence and grotesqueness was out of proportion to the quality of the narrative. The short time I spent with Hell’s Paradise was enough to convince me that colourful flower arrangements are creepy, and I’ll probably never be able to see them as lovely again.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

Mid-Winter 2022 Anime Ranking

Posted on by

In keeping with tradition, this will serve as my quarterly anime post. However, due to various challenges lately, my anime-ing opportunities have been compromised and only a handful of titles from our viewing list qualify for ranking this time around. I can’t really say if these are necessarily my favourites or not.

1.  Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) Final Season Part 2 (overall ep. 76-85) - Talk about an overpowered hero!  Eren's plan is devastating.  By now, friends and enemies alike are thinking of opposing him.  But is there any hope?
(streaming at Crunchyroll and Funimation)
2.  My Dress-Up Darling (Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru) (ep. 1-10) - Teenaged otaku introduces fellow high-schooler to the world of cosplay.  Heart-warming adventure and romance ensue.
(streaming at Crunchyroll and Funimation)

The next set of shows, the Sōma trio if you will, are high on our priority because we have a Saitō Sōma stan in the house.

3.  The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Tensai Ouji no Akaji Kokka Saiseijutsu) (ep. 1-9)
(streaming at Funimation)
4.  Sasaki and Miyano (Sasaki to Miyano) (ep. 1-9) - Teenaged otaku introduces fellow high-schooler to the world of BL.  Heart-warming adventure and romance ensue.
(streaming at Funimation)
5.  ORIENT (ep. 1-9)
(streaming at Crunchyroll)

Other shows I’m fairly keen on:

RANKING OF KINGS (Ousama Ranking)
(streaming at Crunchyroll)
Salaryman's Club (Ryman's Club)
(streaming at Crunchyroll)
LOVE of KILL (Koroshi Ai)
(streaming at Crunchyroll)

Rounding out our list:

Tokyo 24th Ward (Tokyo 24-ku) (ep. 1-7)
(streaming at Crunchyroll and Funimation)
Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc (ep. 5-9)
(streaming at Crunchyroll)
TRIBE NINE (ep. 1-7) - The OP and ED are great.  The actual anime looks to be more style than substance.
(streaming at Funimation)

On a side note, I am pleased that a surprising number of shows we’re following this season (Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, TRIBE NINE, ORIENT, Genius Prince, Salaryman’s Club) feature rock songs as their OPs rather than the usual pop tunes. The most notable is the explosive (and explosively successful!) opener for Attack on Titan, “The Rumbling” by SiM. Of course, I was a fan of SiM’s previous theme songs for the other Shingeki series, Rage of Bahamut: Genesis and Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul. (In fact, I would argue that the OP was the single best thing about Genesis.) SiM deserves their success for “The Rumbling,” which is loud and powerful and a perfect fit for the final chapter of Attack on Titan. I recommend checking out the official music video too; it neatly references the show.

Mid-Winter 2021 Anime Ranking

Posted on by

Going into this season, aside from the obvious sequels, there were very few new anime that caught our attention based on description. Therefore, voice talent became a major deciding factor for the shows we checked out. That’s how we ended up watching almost everything that Umehara Yūichirō and Saitō Sōma, my current favourite and my sister’s favourite seiyuu, respectively, have roles in.

I had to bail on EX-ARM (starring Sōma) after 3 episodes, however. I never had any delusions that it might be good. More like I had hoped it might be so bad it’s good. But it was just bad.

Also because of Sōma, we picked up The Quintessential Quintuplets (Go-Toubun no Hanayome) in the middle of its second season, without bothering with season one. So yes, we are now following both the sextuplet-brothers anime and the quintuplet-sisters anime.

We started HIGH-RISE INVASION as well (Ume plays Sniper Mask), also with the expectation that it might be so bad it’s good. So far, that’s panning out fine. We’ve seen only 4 episodes, so it’s not included in the ranking below. Of course The Quintessential Quintuplets∬ isn’t included either because we started on episode 9.


01. JUJUTSU KAISEN (ep. 14-22) – Last cour, we fell in love with Nanami. This cour, Tōdō has stolen our hearts with his instant bromance with Itadori.

I really did not expect to like Tōdō so much when he was first introduced. It turns out he is incredibly talented, strong, smart, stupid, and funny. When he’s being serious, his thoughts are impressively organized. Like any good eccentric genius though, he’s got his quirks. Not only is he a zealous otaku who lives for his waifu, he also happens to have a hilariously over-active imagination. That whole elaborate shared history he spontaneously fabricates for himself and Itadori is priceless!
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


02. Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) Final Season (overall ep. 60-72) – This is a very different show from when it all started. The setting has expanded; the characters’ understanding of their world has completely been altered; and the character art has changed too – I’m not personally a big fan of the new art.

Because we felt a bit lost after the radical developments at the end of season 3, we weren’t as keen for this final season when it started airing in December as we should have been. We actually put off watching until mid-January. But once we started, it was very hard to stop.
(streaming at Crunchyroll and Funimation)


03. SK∞ (SK8 the Infinity) (ep. 1-9) – Langa grew up snowboarding in Canada, so when he takes up the skateboard in Japan, that experience informs his style and natural talent. As he rapidly gains attention in the underground “S” racing circuit, how will that affect his relationship with his newfound skateboard buddy, Reki?

All of the characters are likeable, fun, and attractive. Well, I’m not sure I can say I ‘like’ ADAM that much, but he certainly makes an impression! Langa and Reki have a genuinely sweet friendship. And for some reason, I really like Cherry, including how his distinctly masculine voice is somewhat at odds with his very feminine appearance. Long, pink-haired effeminate dudes are not uncommon in anime. I’m serious: check out Mochizuki from Skate-Leading ☆ Stars and Kokoro from I★CHU from this list alone. However, I don’t think I’ve ever come across one as elegant and manly as Cherry.

SK8 is helmed by Utsumi Hiroko, director of Free! and Banana Fish. If you loved the heart and artistry of Free!, this gorgeous anime is definitely one I recommend.
(streaming at Funimation)


04. Dr. STONE: STONE WARS (ep. 1-9)
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


05. Horimiya (ep. 1-10) – I’m really particular about my romance anime. I find the usual tropes and melodrama tiring. Fortunately, Horimiya mostly hits the right notes for me. The characters seem like good, well-adjusted kids. I like that when the main characters get confronted by classmates about their dating status, the response is “Yeah, so?” instead of denials and lies.

That said, I do find Hori’s recent kink development to be problematic on multiple levels. It would not be an issue if they kept it very occasional and very private. Acting like that in public, however, can give their teachers and classmates the wrong idea and get them in real trouble.

Also, abusive behaviour could easily become real, as Miyamura has to change his mindset in order to act so differently from his usual nature.

Worst, their play-abuse normalizes that type of interaction for people who see them and makes light of those who may genuinely be victimized. So yeah, I know it’s not meant to be taken seriously, but I could do without that aspect of the show.
(streaming at Funimation)


06. 2.43: Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team (Seiin Koukou Danshi Volley Bu) (ep. 1-10) – The early time skip was confusing to me. It wasn’t obvious how much time had passed and what went down in the meantime. Some of the characters seemed to be dealing with some past trauma, but that wasn’t very clear. And are Haijima and Kuroba actually close friends?

At least the Seiin team senpai, Aoki and Oda, are more likeable. Especially Aoki (Ume’s character); I love how bossy, manipulative, and clever he is.

Well, then the Fukuho team made their debut mid-series, and almost immediately, I was wondering, ‘Oh no, these are the rivals right? How come it feels so much like they are the protagonists of this story? I haven’t even warmed up to the home team this much yet!’
(streaming at Funimation)


07. Skate-Leading ☆ Stars (ep. 1-11) – This is a sports anime featuring skate-leading, a fictional group-ice-skating sport that’s part dance and part synchronized figure skating. Competitions have a short program and a long program like other figure skating divisions.

Ep. 6 kind of confused me. First Maeshima was criticized for being too sloppy, but then as soon as he tightened his performance, he got blamed for playing it too safe. I’m surprised he didn’t seem as frustrated as we felt watching it.

Sōma and Ume both have supporting roles, and both of them play to type here. Ume turns in another Non-Expressive Dude, while Sōma continues to make Radiant Golden Boy his personal specialty. Kuonji (Sōma’s character) is actually a highlight of the anime. Because he apparently spent time in Canada, he regularly peppers his dialogue with (well-pronounced!) English phrases. Kuonji is just so obnoxious and in-your-face, he kind of bulldozes over the rest of the cast and steals the show. It’s awesome.
(streaming at Funimation)


08. Hortensia SAGA (ep. 1-10) – A fairly generic fantasy-adventure anime starring an extremely generic-looking male lead, with some pretty generically evil villains. Surely Marius/Marielle could do a better job at pretending to be a man. Anyone who didn’t already know she was supposed to be a guy would take just one look and assume she’s female!

Anyway, the king of Hortensia has been murdered and the church has taken control. It’s up to the hidden princess and her trusted companions to defeat the evil forces and save her kingdom.

But wait. Let’s put aside the evil pope and the war for a moment. Adelheid, ruler and military commander of the Principality of Olivier, ‘noticed’ Deflotte! Could it be? Here I assumed his romantic advances were only meant to be a clownish character flaw. Could it be he actually has a chance with her?

Not saying anything about the rest of the show, but in general, I like how they’ve portrayed this (Ume’s) character. For all that he’s made out to be a girl-crazy flirt, I have to respect that Deflotte had no eyes whatsoever for the likes of the pretty pop-idol princess-pretender who charmed dozens of male admirers, and instead set his sights way, way above his station! He also gets to speak up and complain whenever they have to do anything unpleasant, though that never stops him from doing his duty faithfully.
(streaming at Funimation)


09. Osomatsu-san (Mr. Osomatsu) 3rd Season (ep. 13-22)
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


10. THE PROMISED NEVERLAND (Yakusoku no Neverland) Season 2 (ep. 1-9) – I had high expectations for this, based on how good the first season was, but it’s been pretty disappointing.
(streaming at Funimation)


11. I★CHU: Halfway Through the Idol (ep. 1-10) – It’s a common complaint of mine when it comes to these idol shows: too many characters. Even in their groups, I have trouble recognizing each guy. Once they are separated from their units? Forget it.

One of the groups consists of members from 5 different nationalities. I would think that would afford them the unique liberty of being able to incorporate a wide variety of styles into their music without worry of triggering cultural appropriation accusations; but they seem to play it safe. Of course, this is a show that has a walking, talking bear as a school principal, so never mind.

Credit where it’s due, the I★CHU performance segments appear to be more hand-drawn than CG, and they look good!
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


12. WAVE!! -Let’s go surfing!!- (WAVE!!: Surfing Yappe!!) (ep. 1-9) – A dumb kid suddenly develops a passion for surfing. Then tragedy strikes (in a rather dumb way.) Then life goes on.

The CG surfing animation is not amazing, but I think it’s passable enough to service the story. The story itself is the real problem; I am pretty surprised at how it’s basically gone nowhere.

Right, and don’t get me started on that annoying synthesized soundtrack.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)

(EX-ARM, The Quintessential Quintuplets∬ are on Crunchyroll; HIGH-RISE INVASION is on Netflix)