Author Archives: Joanna

Mid-Summer 2023 Anime Ranking

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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

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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 2023 Anime Ranking

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01. VINLAND SAGA SEASON 2 (Ep. 1-12) – Definitely a slow burn compared to the first season, but still riveting. Einar is a really likeable main character. All I know is, when each episode ends, I want more.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

02. TRIGUN STAMPEDE (Ep. 1-12) – Darker than the 1998 anime series and with a greater focus on the sci-fi origins of Vash and Millions Knives. STAMPEDE tells a different aspect of the story and is more of a companion piece than a replacement. The CG animation looks good too; it’s obviously quite a departure from the previous designs, but it doesn’t take long to get used to it.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

03. IDOLiSH7 Third Beat! Part 2 (Ep. 27-30) (Streaming at Crunchyroll)

04. Tomo-chan Is a Girl! (Tomo-chan wa Onnanoko!) (Ep. 1-13) (Streaming at Crunchyroll)

05. Play It Cool, Guys (Ep. 13-24) (Streaming at Crunchyroll)

06. BLUELOCK (Ep. 13-24) (Streaming at Crunchyroll)

07. KAINA OF THE GREAT SNOW SEA (Ooyukiumi no Kaina) (Ep. 1-8) (Streaming at Crunchyroll)

08. REVENGER (Ep. 1-12) – Historical setting, sword fights, samurai, intrigue, vengence, Urobuchi Gen on composition, and Umehara Yuuichirou in one of the lead roles! I should be all over this stuff. But I’m not. And it’s because REVENGER is a bit too dry and humourless for my taste. I would have liked some Thunderbolt Fantasy-type levity, but there’s none. Meanwhile, some of the more outrageous aspects are played so seriously, that I can’t tell if it’s okay to laugh.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

9. HIGH CARD (Ep. 1-12) (Streaming at Crunchyroll)

10. UniteUp! (Ep. 1-12) (Streaming at Crunchyroll)

ALSO STARTED:

BUNGO STRAY DOGS 4 (Ep. 38-44) – I was really thrilled when this season started off in prequel mode. I enjoyed the origins story for Rampo and wondered why I hesitated to watch. But then the narrative returned to the present storyline, and I started to lose interest again.

(Streaming at Crunchyroll)

NieR:Automata Ver1.1a (Ep. 1-4) (Streaming at Crunchyroll)

Mid-Autumn 2022 Anime Ranking

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The main takeaway point that I got this season is this: Stalkers are evil incarnate; I would not wish one on my worst enemy. (Re: Romantic Killer, Human Crazy University)

01. Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These – Intrigue (Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu: Die Neue These – Sakubou) (4th Season) (Ep. 37-48) – Well, the Galactic Empire has the momentum and they’re on the attack, and things are not looking great for the Free Planets Alliance. Their leaders are over-confident that one man, ‘Miracle Yang’ will always be able to protect them, which is extremely short-sighted on its own. Yet at the same time, they constantly undermine him because they fear his political popularity. I’m definitely concerned that this is not gonna end well for Yang’s side.

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

02. Romantic Killer (Ep. 1-12)

(streaming at Netflix)

03. Chainsaw Man (Ep. 1-12)

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

04. IDOLiSH7: Third BEAT! (Ep. 14-26)

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

05. Raven of the Inner Palace (Koukyuu no Karasu) (Ep. 1-13) – Ghostbusters of the Chinese imperial court. Can’t say I fully understand some of the more mystical stuff, but I am fond of the main characters and the show is seriously gorgeous.

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

06. Play It Cool, Guys (Cool Doji Danshi) (Ep. 1-12) – There’s one word that always comes up in regards to this show: “relatable.”

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

07. BOCCHI THE ROCK! (Ep. 1-12) – As far as band anime go, this one is top notch. So many original songs, great animation, great attention to detail – in the live performance scene, when they mention errors, it’s even possible to hear the misses in the music!
It’s not quite anime-of-the-year material for me though, since I surprisingly did not find the characters to be that relatable; and the humour sometimes did not click.
In fact, one of the fundamental things I found hard to believe was that a gloomy rocker chick like Bocchi would sport a pink tracksuit as her daily outfit.

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

08. BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War (Sennen Kessen-hen) (Ep. 1-13) – I’m kinda surprised and disappointed that all these Soul Society elites have become so complacent and dependent on their bankai that they have no alternative strategies for dealing with the invaders. I’m trying to cut them some slack; I mean it is do or die, and the bankai is their ultimate weapon. But after learning that it’s foolish to bring it out, surely they could at least try some other tactics.

09. BLUELOCK (Ep. 1-12)

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

10. Human Crazy University (Human Bug Daigaku) (Ep. 1-12)

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

11. SPY x FAMILY (Ep. 13-25)

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

12. I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss (Akuyaku Reijou nano de Last Boss wo Kattemimashita) (Ep. 1-12) – Obviously, I like that Aileen is a strong and independent woman, but there’s little development for the characters. Aileen meets the demon lord; next thing they’re already in a committed relationship and she’s fixing up his house. The narrative flow is just lacking.

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

ALSO STARTED:

Akiba Maid War (Akiba Meido Sensou)

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (Kidou Senshi Gundam: Suisei no Majo) – The first episode was great! But then after the time skip, I was a bit disappointed at the small-world school setting, and focus on economics instead of space drama.

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

Mid-Summer 2022 Anime Ranking?

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No actual ranking this time, I’m afraid. Sadly, there wasn’t much time for anime this summer, so we’re not watching many shows, but here’s the list. I can tell you each of these anime (except Love All Play) took turns impressing me and also not impressing me. Ultimately, I cannot pick any clear favourites among them.

THE NEW SHOWS

Engage Kiss

Really wasn’t impressed with the deadbeat hero, Shu, at first, but the characters grew on me and the love that went into the writing of the show was clearly apparent. Engage Kiss recognizes how ridiculous it is, and really brings out the comedy of its setup.

Can’t call it love, but out of these summer shows, this one is the most likely to leave a lasting impression.

Streaming at Crunchyroll

Lycoris Recoil

Streaming at Crunchyroll

CALL OF THE NIGHT

Started out strong, loads of charisma, plus I like vampire stories. I didn’t even care that all the characters are cross-eyed. But then hanging out at night, every night, started to lose its novelty.

THE SEQUELS / CONTINUING SHOWS

Summer Time Rendering (Summertime Render)

SHADOWS HOUSE S2

I was a bit bored and overwhelmed by all the new characters at first, but once Kate took the helm, the mystery aspect came to the forefront, and the show had no trouble holding my attention since then.

Streaming at Crunchyroll

Classroom of the Elite II

Streaming at Crunchyroll

Love All Play

Streaming at Crunchyroll

We also started BASTARD!! -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy- (on Netflix).  The 80s metal references and self-aware chuunibyou-ness clicked with me.  But I haven’t found time to follow up with it beyond the first 2 episodes.

Made in Abyss season 2 aired as well. I would have watched, but I’ve been feeling exhausted and fragile lately, and if it’s anything near as heavy as the first season, I don’t think I could handle that right now.

Mid-Spring 2022 Anime Ranking

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1. Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These – Collision (Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu: Die Neue These – Gekitotsu) (3rd Season) – The overall theme of democracy vs dictatorship, explored through engrossing character and plot developments, continues in the third installment of this eloquent space drama. I’m always impressed with how smart and well-written this show is!

I actually admire and empathize with Yang on a deeply personal level. His continued commitment to his duties, in spite of his distaste for his job; because the outcomes would be far worse if he weren’t there – I feel it. His frustrated declaration, “That’s it. I’m quitting for real this time!” was so cathartic!

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

2. KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR -Ultra Romantic- (Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic) (3rd Season) – This new season ventures into the absurd more than ever, and it is definitely the most fun I’ve had with KAGUYA-SAMA yet!

Just because HYPNOSIS MIC is not on air this season, that doesn’t mean we have to want for rap battles! From our meagre list alone, epic rap battles feature prominently in not only this show’s ep. 5, but also ya Boy KONGMING! as well as Nanaraki. It’s almost like, which shows don’t have a rap episode nowadays!

My sister and I laughed so hard (and felt so called out) when Iino’s motivational ikemen voice track in ep. 1 turned out to be none other than our faves, Umehara Yuuichirou and Saito Sōma, hamming it up! Haha, why doesn’t that thing exist in real life?

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

3. SPY x FAMILY

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

4. ya Boy KONGMING! (Paripi Koumei) – It’s the Tale of the Three Kingdoms meets the contemporary music biz when Zhuge Kongming gets his dying wish for a peaceful next life granted, in the form of an isekai trip to modern day Japan. He befriends and becomes an immediate fan of aspiring singer-songwriter EIKO; and before long, Kongming has a job tending bar at a nightclub and is applying his wisdom and battle stratagems to further her musical career.

(streaming at HIDIVE)

5. Summer Time Rendering (Summertime Render)

(streaming at HIDIVE)

6. Deaimon: Recipe for Happiness – Because of Nagomu’s general appearance, his voice actor, the fact that he’s a musician moving to a different city at the start of the show, and the underlying theme of carrying on a family tradition, I can’t help but be reminded of last year’s Those Snow White Notes. But whereas Setsu was stoic and intense all the time, this guy is like his half-assed antithesis. He’s low-key inept enough that his parents are looking to eventually entrust their business to someone else, instead of their son.

I’ve also started to wonder how he hasn’t noticed that two people in his life, who may be related, have the same last name. But then I realized this is Nagomu we’re talking about; I wouldn’t put it past this chump to not know the full names of any of his friends!

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

7. Heroines Run the Show (Heroine Taru Mono! Kiraware Heroine to Naisho no Oshigoto) – The idol duo starring alongside Hiyori here is LIPxLIP, who were featured in HoneyWorks 10th Anniversary “LIP×LIP Film×Live” movie (also known as Kono Sekai no Tanoshimikata: Secret Story Film.) Hiyori happens to attend school with Aizou and Yuujirou and becomes their manager-in-training, partly because she is not gaga over them. Heroines Run the Show is pretty light and amusing, and Hiyori is certainly more likeable than the 2 guys. Those eyebrows though.

Unfortunately, LIPxLIP’s songs are some of the most horrendous idol music I’ve ever had the displeasure to hear in an anime.

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

8. Love All Play – The second badminton anime in as many seasons. This one is a more straightforward high school sports scenario, and at least in the beginning, I found it quite similar to this season’s other sports anime, AO ASHI.

Love All Play is quite heavy on the gameplay aspect. By comparison, Salaryman’s Club featured a greater proportion of off-court content, and that suited my tastes better.

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

9. The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 (Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari Season 2) – It’s okay. It’s totally not bad, but lately we’ve had much less time for anime, and I don’t know if I’m interested enough to finish watching this.

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

10. AO ASHI – We mostly watch this one while we’re busy doing other things, such as eating. I enjoy the episodes featuring Ashito’s mom and older brother considerably more than the soccer episodes. Too many of the characters at his new team have nasty personalities. I don’t know if that’s realistic or not, but I simply tend to prefer uplifting interactions over unpleasant ones.

(streaming at Crunchyroll)

Also watching, sort of:

Nanaraki ~Seven Lucky Gods~ – Not sure why this strange, barely-animated show exists, but there are some big-name seiyuu involved, and my sister is following it.

(streaming on YouTube)

Mid-Winter 2022 Anime Ranking

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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-Autumn 2021 Anime Ranking

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01. Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut (Tsuki to Laika to Nosferatu) (ep. 1-9) – Aside from the fact that the star is a vampire girl, this series is a convincingly realistic portrayal of astronaut training and the politics of the USSR-USA space race during the 1950s.

Irina receives the same training as the human candidates, but she is regarded as an expendable test subject, just a step up from the animals that have been sent into space before her. There are some of the same social/moral issues as in 86 EIGHTY-SIX in how she is exceptionally skilled, but unfairly treated as less than human. I also find it a little bit hard to believe that they would consider Irina to be so easily expendable. It can’t be a simple task to find such a willing participant, who could potentially help them with numerous test flights. But I guess they are ultimately also afraid of her, and of having her existence revealed to the public.
(streaming at Funimation)


02. 86 EIGHTY-SIX (ep. 12-19) – The drastic change in setting is a welcome development for this second part of 86 EIGHTY-SIX.

I appreciate the Federacy’s concern about enlisting the 86ers and pressuring them into dangerous combat once more, but it’s a bit heavy-handed in my opinion. Fighting is all these kids have known for so long; it’s what they are good at, as sad as that is. The important point is that they now have the freedom to choose, and I hope, to be respected and fairly compensated for their service.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


03. The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window (Sankaku Mado no Sotogawa wa Yoru) (ep. 1-10)
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


04. The Heike Story (Heike Monogatari) (ep. 1-10) – I don’t know enough about the history of the time to follow the story 100%, especially given all the time skips, but it’s not hard to understand the main points. It’s interesting that there are numerous tales of warlords fighting valiant battles, also of powerful clans abusing their authority. However, it’s rare to see what happens when a once-powerful family falls and the entire clan is left wandering and homeless, which is something that must have occurred commonly during those times, if they were lucky enough to escape with their lives at all, that is.
(streaming at Funimation)


05. BLUE PERIOD (ep. 1-8)
(streaming at Netflix)


06. Puraore!~PRIDE OF ORANGE~ (ep. 1-9) – Obviously we had to check out the ice hockey anime! Well, it also happens to be a cute girls anime, so that sort of tempered any expectations we might have had. Fortunately, other than the occasional reference to an idol-style song and dance routine, Puraore! is a pretty respectable sports show so far; and the hockey (and dance) animation is very good.
(streaming at Funimation)

Also started, but did not get far enough to include in the ranking:

The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat (Sekai Saikou no Ansatsusha, Isekai Kizoku ni Tensei suru) (ep. 1-5) – The first episode was amazing, 10/10; then sadly, the main character gets isekai’d, and the next episodes feel more like 6/10. In any case, World’s Finest Assassin should probably stop trying to be funny; its attempts at comic relief are 4/10 at best.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean (JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken Part 6: Stone Ocean) (ep. 1-4)
(streaming at Netflix)

Also started, and DROPPED:

takt op.Destiny (ep. 1-4)
VISUAL PRISON (ep. 1-5)

Also intending to resume, but haven’t yet:

Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc
TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION 2

Mid-Summer 2021 Anime Ranking

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We have a very light watch-load this season. It’s probably a good thing there wasn’t much we were super keen on, as our real-life workload and demands have been heavy as of late and keeping up with even these few titles is sometimes a challenge.


01. My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! X (Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta… X) (Ep. 1-11) – Season 2 brings more characters into the fold, including the introduction of Geordo and Alan’s older brothers. Prince Jeffrey turns out to be quite different from what you’d expect from a first prince, which is nice. To that end, of course Geordo is pretty unexpected too, with how he is bothered not one bit that his fiancée is completely unsuited for life as royalty. It seems his vast patience for Catarina’s cluelessness and growing harem is finally reaching its limit now.

The past 3 episodes, featuring the kidnapping of a Claes family member for the second time this season, are the darkest material of the series so far.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


02. IDOLiSH7: Third BEAT! (Ep. 1-10) – The drama and animation quality of IDOLiSH7 is on a whole different level from most other male idol shows. During the first season, which premiered back in 2017, I remember complaining that the series didn’t bring anything new to the (already crowded) table; but by now, IDOLiSH7 is absolutely leaving the pack behind.

Because it was teased at the end of season 2, I was expecting ŹOOĻ to play a big role here, but so far that has not really come to pass. Instead, there’s been some good development for Re:vale. It’s only now that I’m finally getting a grasp on Yuki’s character. However, I have to call BS on the Re:vale backstory. No self-respecting musician, let alone one who bristles at being admired for his looks rather than his music, would choose to put down his instrument, and sing and dance on stage instead. So it’s not as if the plot points never come across as contrived, but regardless, there’s undeniably a much more ambitious story here compared to your run-of-the-mill idol show.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


03. RE-MAIN (Ep. 1-9) – I went in expecting this water polo show to be a standard friendship/teamwork/let’s-go-to-Nationals sports anime. Well, it is that, but the pointedly angsty ED serves as a hint that there was going to be a twist. Anyway, the guys on the team are pretty amusing, and I really like that Minato has a good relationship with his sister and parents.
(streaming at Funimation)


04. Kageki Shoujo!! (Ep. 1-11) – The esteemed Kouka School of Musical and Theatrical Arts trains talented young ladies to be performers in a Takarazuka Revue-like acting troupe. While Kageki Shoujo!! mostly follows the trials and friendship of the 2 main girls, it does cover some serious topics, such as childhood sexual abuse and eating disorders.

Incidentally, we dropped The Case Study of Vanitas after its third episode because it had a similar instance of sexual abuse as in Kageki Shoujo!! ep.3, but with much less awareness.
(streaming at Funimation)


05. NIGHT HEAD 2041 (Ep. 1-9) – This had a great start. Urban dystopia sci-fi is kinda my thing; plus I like sibling stories too. I’m even cool with the CG animation. Unfortunately, the story is getting harder and harder to understand, and it just isn’t hooking me like it did at first.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


06. TOKYO REVENGERS (Ep. 13-23) – Luckily Takemichi is bright enough to explain Baji’s intentions to the rest of the dumb gang; otherwise, his sacrifice might have been for nothing.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)

Also watching:

Fena: PIRATE PRINCESS (Kaizoku Oujo) (Ep. 1-6), which started airing late in the season
(streaming at Crunchyroll)

TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION 2 (Ep. 1-6), but ep. 9 and onward will be delayed until next season due to COVID difficulties.

Mid-Spring 2021 Anime Ranking

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01. The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent (Seijo no Maryoku wa Bannou Desu) (ep. 1-9) – Seeing as this is a thematically ‘ordinary’ almost-slice-of-life isekai, I hesitated to give it my No. 1 spot. At the end of the day though, it’s probably the one I like the most, because it’s such a feel-good anime to watch. Pretty much all the characters in this show are likeable and funny and attractive.

I really do admire Sei’s work ethic and her modesty. Even though she would prefer to live and work freely outside of the spotlight, she also refuses to shirk the responsibilities that come with the great power she has unwittingly obtained. She’s a true hero.
(streaming at Funimation)


02. ODDTAXI (ep. 1-9) – ODDTAXI, featuring a large ensemble cast of animal characters and interconnected stories, is a truly novel presentation. The writing is exemplary – and dark. This is no kids’ show. Gradually, it’s also becoming clear how this quietly suspenseful story is uniquely suited for the animated format.

To think I could have easily passed on this, as I rarely watch anthropomorphic anime!
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


03. MORIARTY THE PATRIOT (Yuukoku no Moriarty) (ep. 12-20) – Still excellent, but not as good as the first cour. William and Sherlock have had limited screen time, especially together, and their absence is felt.
(streaming at Funimation)


04. VIVY: Fluorite Eye’s Song (ep. 1-11) – This is a sci-fi anime about a couple of AI trying to change the past, to save humanity from being destroyed by an apocalypse of its own creation. The time-travel narrative makes me think of Terminator and Touken Ranbu. The story and art are excellent, and the action sequences are particularly impressive.
(streaming at Funimation)


05. Thunderbolt Fantasy: Touri-ken Yuuki 3 (ep. 1-10) – Considering this is a series starring dolls, I shouldn’t have been surprised at the sudden appearance of a Nendoroid. But that’s just the kind of simple genius that’s typical of Thunderbolt Fantasy’s brilliant and ironic storytelling style.

By this point, I don’t even question Lin’s intentions anymore. It’s plainly obvious he is more hero than villain. Could it be he has really been outdone by the demon sisters though?
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


06. 86 EIGHTY-SIX (ep. 1-9)
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


07. Those Snow White Notes (Mashiro no Oto) (ep. 1-10) – The actual plot and character motivations are a little weak, or maybe just not that riveting to me, but seriously, the beautiful shamisen music and highly detailed performance animation are enough to make this worth watching.

As an aside, long bangs on anime characters have never really bothered me before, I might even say I generally like the aesthetic, but this show is testing me. So many of the guys and girls here are in dire need of a haircut! Or at the very least, someone please introduce them to styling products to get that unruly hair out of their eyes!
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


08. Jouran: The PRINCESS OF SNOW AND BLOOD (ep. 1-10) – It’s hard to get a grasp on what’s going on when there are so many double-crosses and plot twists in just the first 3 episodes! The art and the period setting of this revenge story are appealing and evocative. The theme songs by RAISE A SUILEN, featuring traditional and modern instrumentation, are very fitting too.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


09. SHADOWS HOUSE (ep. 1-9) – At the beginning, it’s just the 2 main characters in one room, and SHADOWS HOUSE seems a little claustrophobic. But things get interesting, and the mysteries intensify, when Emilico starts hanging out with the other dolls in the house.
(streaming at Funimation)


10. Backflip!! (Bakuten!!) (ep. 1-9) – They have done a great job with the gymnastics routines! Some viewers might not like all the CGI, but it looks pretty amazing to my eyes.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


11. MARS RED (ep. 1-9) – Certainly artful, you often have to read deep between the lines to fully understand this vampire period drama. But there is such a thing as being too obtuse. Just personally, I find it hard to get really invested when I feel so much like I’m guessing at what’s going on.
(streaming at Funimation)


12. TOKYO REVENGERS (ep. 1-9) – Another time-travel story, but on a smaller scale. Takemichi suddenly acquires the ability to go 12 years back in time, with the possibility of changing the events that ultimately lead to the death of a girl he cares about. While he does some things right, it’s kind of frustrating that he isn’t very strong or smart, and doesn’t seem to have much of a plan either.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


13. Burning Kabbadi (Shakunetsu Kabaddi) (ep. 1-10)
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


14. Fruits Basket: The Final (Season 3) (ep. 1-9) – As always, I have my issues with Fruits Basket. It isn’t all bad, but the dialogue lines are often redundant, the (too many) romantic pairings are still kind of unconvincing, and just when I’m finally ready to maybe give Akito a second chance, yet another unforgivable thing happens.
(streaming at Crunchyroll and Funimation)


15. The World Ends with You (Subarashiki Kono Sekai) The Animation (ep. 1-9) – I really love the art of this show! The dark outlines and vibrant colours are very pleasing to the eye. And the setting is like a love letter to Shibuya.

For how beautiful it is, it’s a shame there isn’t much more to the story than fighting digital monsters in a game.
(streaming at Funimation)

Also watching/watched:

NOMAD: Megalo Box 2 (ep. 1-6)
(streaming at Funimation)

The Way of the Househusband (Gokushufudou) (5 short episodes)
(streaming at Netflix)