Tag Archives: KAGUYA-SAMA

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-Spring 2020 Anime Ranking

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01. My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! (Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta…) (ep. 1-10) – A 17-year old girl discovers she’s been reincarnated as young Catarina Claes, the villain in her favourite otome game, so she does everything in her power to avoid her pre-destined bad end. The hilarious result being that she becomes the sweetest, most adorable idiot ever.

Yes, it’s an isekai set in an otome game, of all things; and the protagonist isn’t an overpowered MC, but the doomed villain. It’s pure comedic genius.

Out of Catarina’s rapidly growing harem, I have to say I feel especially sorry for Geordo. While I agree with most people that he doesn’t have much chemistry with Catarina compared to Keith or Alan or the girls, he is her fiancé after all, and he really seems to love her so much, and so unconditionally!
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


02. Wave, Listen to Me! (Nami yo Kiitekure) (ep. 1-10) – A curry restaurant waitress suddenly finds herself contemplating a new career as a late-night radio host after her drunken rant about her no-good ex-boyfriend is recorded and played on air by a radio station producer.

Minare is a great character – smart, imaginative, cynical, a little crazy, and surprisingly vulnerable too.

Interestingly, this is the first of 2 shows on my list that is set in Hokkaido. (The other is Agonavis.)
(streaming at Funimation)


03. ARTE (ep. 1-10) – A young noblewoman abandons her cushy but restrictive life at home in order to pursue a career as an artist. However, painting as a profession is very much a man’s world in 16th century Italy, and Arte struggles greatly to earn respect and acceptance among her peers and from her superiors and patrons. As the setting changes from Florence to Venice, Arte realizes that her circumstances (class and gender) can work to her advantage too, but she finds that just as frustrating.
(streaming at Funimation)


04. AHIRU NO SORA (ep. 25-35) – Apparently, basketball is the sport of delinquents! At least the Kuzuryuu High teammates are starting to resemble serious athletes now, and it is gratifying to see how Sora has inspired them and gained their trust and respect.

One thing I do appreciate is that these anime characters change clothes and hairstyles regularly, sometimes even within a single episode. That uncommon attention to detail is a really nice touch, especially as the art in this show is generally unattractive otherwise.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


05. Argonavis from BanG Dream! (ep. 1-9) – There are aspects of this anime that feel like a convincing portrayal of what it’s like to start a rock band, but the presentation is inconsistent and plot points are pasted together somewhat sloppily. Overall, I’d say it’s passable, if you’re not taking the details too seriously.

The characters are reasonably attractive, with distinctive personalities. The CG animation also looks above average.

The music, composed by veteran musicians (from the likes of UNISON SQUARE GARDEN, SID, ROOKiEZ is PUNK’D) and performed by the voice actors of the band members, is also pretty good. Although, rival group GYROAXIA sounds so much better than Argonavis, in my opinion.
(Argonavis and GYROAXIA singles are available on Spotify and iTunes Canada)


06. Kaguya-sama: Love is War Season 2 (Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai?: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen) (ep. 1-9) – The cast is bigger now, but their antics are just as amusing as ever.

While it’s lovely that they actually reciprocate each other’s feelings, as I’ve said, if Kaguya and Miyuki are still this dishonest with each other on a systemic basis, it really does not bode well for any future relationship for these two.
(streaming at Funimation)


07. KAKUSHIGOTO (ep. 1-10) – The manga-making humour is kind of hit and miss for me, more hit than miss I guess, but still.

It’s a bit of a sticking point, personally, that I don’t totally understand the necessity of, or approve of, Goto-sensei lying to his daughter about his occupation.
(streaming at Funimation)


08. SING “YESTERDAY” FOR ME (Yesterday wo Utatte) (ep. 1-10) – There’s no singing in this anime. Music is not part of the story at all.

Rather, there are love triangles, squares, other geometric shapes. And unfortunately, I find the relationships a little tedious and lacking in chemistry, but that’s me.

On the plus side, the artwork is very nice, especially the backgrounds. There’s also some genuine development for some of the characters. For instance, I’m personally glad the main romantic lead, a college graduate, does not remain a convenience store clerk for the entire series!
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


09. Fruits Basket 2nd Season (ep. 1-10) – All of the Sōma members have been introduced, so we’re finally getting to the meat of the story. Which is good, but my god, Akito sure talks a lot.
(streaming at Crunchyroll and Funimation)


10. PLUNDERER (ep. 12-20) – This cour starts with the revelatory and mostly serious time travel arc. However, the gains achieved are almost completely cancelled out by whole episodes, bookending that arc, devoted to drinking, fan-service, groping and other forms of sexual assault, and body-shaming.

You know, all this time, I’ve felt bad for Lynn. Not only does she have to put up with her organization’s sexist uniforms on a regular basis, but she’s so starved for affection that she falls madly in love with the first loser who pays any attention to her romantically, even though he’s a lech and obviously isn’t really that into her. And then Pele, the guy who is dropping hints that he might actually like her, is also gross not much of a gentleman.

Were it not for Jail, acting like the true hero of the series, I would not have made it this far.
(streaming at Funimation)


11. WOODPECKER DETECTIVE’S OFFICE (Kitsutsuki Tanteidokoro) (ep. 1-9) – One of the leads is a conscienceless scumbag who shirks responsibility and exploits his friends and lovers for money. The other main is a gullible doormat.

Too many of the show’s female characters are prostitutes or murder victims or both.

Particularly in the beginning, it feels like they are shoehorning the authors’ historical quirks into the story instead of, you know, having an actual plot. And for an adult detective story, I’m surprised and disappointed that these characters rely on speculation as much as they seem to.

If the show ultimately leaves an impression on me, it’s for all the wrong reasons!
(streaming at Crunchyroll)

Mid-Winter 2019 Anime Ranking

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01. THE PROMISED NEVERLAND (Yakusoku no Neverland) (ep. 1-10) – The kids at Grace Field House make the shocking discovery that their loving orphanage is in fact a farm for raising yummy children to serve as demon food. The clock is ticking as they try to find a way to escape, but with such insurmountable obstacles in their way, and no way to know what lies outside, the odds are against any of them making it out alive.

THE PROMISED NEVERLAND is as thrilling as it is artful. It’s great to see Emma, Norman, and Ray’s ingenuity and friendship. Their situation is looking dire, to say the least, but man am I rooting for them to succeed.

The OP by UVERworld is pretty awesome too. I’m personally not a huge fan of most of their works, but every once in a while, they will surprise me with something unique and hooky; and “Touch off” is one of those songs.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


02. Mob Psycho 100 II (ep. 1-10) – Fans of sakuga are obviously loving this series. For me though, the real draw is its main characters, Mob and Reigen; they are so complex and well-written, and completely lovable in spite of their flaws.

Episode 7, which focused on Reigen’s humiliating downfall, was a clear highlight in storytelling. He is such an interesting person, first of all; plus the arc was ironically funny at times, and painful, and ultimately uplifting too.

The big battle arc, beginning in ep. 9, gets pretty complicated real quick, with multiple factions and too many characters in the mix. It’s still good, but I enjoyed the earlier character-driven episodes more.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


03. The Rising of the SHIELD HERO (Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari) (ep. 1-10) – I don’t particularly consider myself a fan of the genre, but I will pick up an isekai-adventure series now and then. This is definitely one of the better ones that I have seen.

It’s interesting that even though this alternate world uses some obvious game mechanics, it is stressed that the effects of a person’s actions are real. Completing one task doesn’t mean all the work is done, as unintended consequences may occur, and economics come into play too.

Malty (Myne) and the Spear Hero are a little overplayed in their villainy and ignorance, respectively, but the main characters, Naofumi, Raphtalia, and Filo are sympathetic and likeable enough to sell the show.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


04. Domestic Girlfriend (Domestic na Kanojo) (ep. 1-10) – A teenaged boy suddenly becomes step-siblings with both the teacher he has a crush on and the random girl he once had sex with. Such a trashy premise sounds like it would have to be a train wreck. However, Domestic Girlfriend plays things straight, and seriously considers the implications of its odd scenario on the lives of Natsuo and the sisters.

Unpopular opinion, but for the record, I’m Team Hina – because that’s who Natsuo really liked all along. Plus, they get along well and have some actual chemistry together. However, even if their being statutory siblings isn’t an issue (I think it shouldn’t be), their ongoing relationship as student-teacher is a huge red flag. By all indications, Hina is an excellent teacher; it would be a shame for her to put her career at risk. If they’re both serious, they really need to put the brakes on the romance until after he graduates.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


05. Dororo (ep. 1-10) – This is a dark, but nice-looking show which combines historical realism and folklore. A young man named Hyakkimaru hunts demons in order to reclaim the parts of his body that were sacrificed at his birth.

The little kid who is the title character is sweet and precocious. I’m not that into the primarily monster-fighting episodes, but the ones that focus on Dororo, Hyakkimaru, and Daigo’s family are pretty good.


06. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind (JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Ougon no Kaze) (season 4) (ep. 13-22) – The stands have gotten so complicated by this point that I don’t even bother trying to comprehend them all. The guys however, being stand users themselves, are really good at catching on to stand abilities, even though they can be really dense when it comes to other things. Good thing the selective stupidity of JoJo’s characters is well-established! It’s fabulous and you gotta love it.

It’s strangely easy to forget that Giorno is the main character of the show when Bruno is so clearly the driving force and leader of the group.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


07. My Roommate is a Cat (Doukyonin wa Hiza, Tokidoki, Atama no Ue) (ep. 1-10) – I’m not really the target audience for cute pet or slice of life shows. The gimmick here is that part of each episode is told from the point of view of Haru, the cat. Beyond that however, there’s an overall story showing how she sets off Subaru’s personal development and his coming to terms with the loss of his parents. It is surprisingly affecting.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


08. KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR (Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen) (ep. 1-10) – Plenty of awkward romance shenanigans in this anime about a couple of over-achieving high schoolers who stubbornly refuse to reveal their romantic attraction to each other. The episodes typically play out in several short vignettes and they are often very funny. Sometimes though, I do want to just smack these two – they take their games so far that it’s never gonna work out for them, ever!
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


09. MEIJI TOKYO RENKA (ep. 1-10) – There’s very little real plot, mostly just lightweight content of the main girl’s interactions with the various male cast in this time-travel reverse harem anime. Just to give you an idea, the overarching storyline seems to be the search for a missing cat! Fortunately Mei is pretty likeable and charismatic for a heroine of this type of show and the episodes are moderately enjoyable.

Since we’re doing this, for the record, I’m Team Syunso. I really do not feel the attraction between Mei and leading man Ougai. It seems to me she clearly has better camaraderie with Syunso. Heck, I’d even ship her with the cross-dresser more easily than with Ougai!
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


10. B-Project: Zecchou*Emotion (season 2) (ep. 1-10) – Sometimes the real drama doesn’t happen until after the ending credits roll; that’s an indication of how (not) packed with plot this idol series is! Fortunately, Zecchou*Emotion is pretty good at presenting its characters, and it can be adequately entertaining just watching the guys interact with each other.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


11. The Morose Mononokean II (ep. 1-8) – I was satisfied with the original series when it ended, but it’s the sequel, so we’re back. This time, it’s a little less yokai-of-the-week and a little more about the Underworld’s issues about Ashiya, the reasons of which are yet to be disclosed to the audience and to Ashiya himself.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)