Tag Archives: Unnamed Memory

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-Spring 2024 Anime Ranking

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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)