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Jan 24, 2024
Doctor Elise isn’t just an isekai—it’s a reverse/double isekai where a spoiled girl from the past is reborn in the modern world, becomes a doctor, and then returns to her old life with all her memories intact.
Aoi Takamoto is a skilled doctor with a reputation for being one of the world’s best surgeons. Maybe it’s my bias as someone who also wants to go into medicine, but I instantly loved her character. She’s poised, professional, and kind both to her patients and her colleagues, important traits in health care that tend to get overlooked in favor of drama. But instead, Aoi embodies the ideal doctor,
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showcasing both in skill and personality why she’s considered the best in her field. Also, she has some quirks outside the hospital, like her sweet tooth. :)
Aoi became a doctor because her previous life ended tragically, both for herself and the people she loved. As a result, she wanted to make the most of her new life and help save as many people as possible. Her desperation is explained well with an early flashback of her execution. However, why she chose medicine in particular is a bit random. We learn a better motivator in the second episode; showing that motivation before Aoi works hard to become a doctor would’ve better explained her new career choice, which is important for reverse isekai.
When Aoi returns to being Elise, her personality shifts so drastically I’m surprised the characters in her first life aren’t more suspicious of her. There’s even a hint of alternative history when Elise uses her modern knowledge of history and geopolitics to influence events in the past—and the other characters just go along with it because she sounds smart (she’s a doctor in a younger person’s body, like Aqua from Oshi no Ko, so of course she sounds smart, but still). Ultimately, it looks like the story is going to be a “you can have your cake and eat it too” deal, as New Elise will likely have it all: her career as a doctor, the crown prince she was in love with, a happy family life, etc. It’s a bit iffy when you realize that New Elise is a full adult woman at least in her late 20s suddenly in the body of a girl coming of age. :P
The art is lovely, with the characters’ eyes following the trend of that luminous glow, though simpler than other modern shows like The Apothecary Diaries. I like that New Elise’s face closely resembles Aoi’s, with her wide eyes and gentle expressions, even if it’s still technically Elise’s face (dark blue eyes instead of Aoi’s light brown ones). And I absolutely love the soundtrack, which is stunningly gorgeous and immerses you in the story.
I recommend this anime if you like at least one of the following: isekai, medicine, romance, aristocratic slice-of-life—apart from shonen, it has something for almost everyone! ^^
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jan 21, 2024
Ever feel like you want a day off school or work (or both if you’re lucky)? Mr. Villain’s Day Off tells the story of an alien general who seems to always get time off work (def lucky).
The unnamed protagonist is living his best life relaxing at home, exploring the city, and visiting the zoo to stare at pandas all day—seriously, in one episode, he just stands there for hours waiting for a panda to turn around so he can see what color its tail is, and I love it. The plot itself doesn’t matter; like with Spy x Family, I wouldn’t mind if the alien’s
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scheme against humanity never comes to fruition. It’s the slice-of-life bits that make this anime what it is: scaring off and/or bonding with little kids, escaping social interactions “with the grace of a shooting star,” eating ice cream in winter, overall winter stuff constantly reminding you that no matter how tough life gets, at least you’re not outside.
Even if the protagonist spends most of his time outside work (i.e., not planning humanity’s demise), Earth still has its protectors. A bunch of barely functional, color-coded rangers are tasked with fighting the main character, who seems to exclusively encounter them on his days off. Although it’d be easy to write off each ranger as a trope, their bubbly design and fun personalities make them great additions to the cast nonetheless. I’m looking forward to more of their interactions, especially with each other as rangers! Red in particular is iconic, getting lost in his own city and encountering Mr. Villain the most. His voice actor’s performance also depicts him as the main hero, if this were a different type of anime.
Meanwhile, Mr. Villain’s low, droning voice is a bit of a drab and the main thing I dislike about the anime. I get that it’s probably meant to have a soothing effect and sound different from other characters, since this guy is, after all, a villainous alien. But it just sounds out of place in an otherwise fluffy anime packed with cute and refreshing moments. Other series of this genre that I watched recently, like My New Boss is Goofy and Cool Doji Danshi, have more upbeat main characters. Maybe it’s an unfair comparison, especially since Mr. Villain is meant to be a different type of protagonist, but three episodes in and the voice acting still isn’t really vibing. At least the aesthetic makes up for it. :)
I recommend this anime if you want a chill slice-of-life for the winter season. ^^
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 21, 2023
This season's escapist slice-of-life is the office version of Cool Doji Danshi. Momose leaves his old job due to health problems from dealing with an abusive boss. In a generous stroke of healing, he gets a new boss who is sweet, wholesome, and socially clumsy in the cutest, softest ways.
Shirosaki seems like a character who would've appeared in Cool Doji Danshi, but grown up—he's a full adult in his 30s with a manager position. He also has his own manager who he reports to, so he isn't the company's overall boss. Since he had good experiences with his manager as a new employee, he now
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strives to do the same for Momose. It's a similar dynamic as Hirano and Kagiura actually, minus an actual BL label.
At first I thought the anime would shove the characters' straightness down viewers' throats and emphasize this is a Straight Office Man comedy. Instead, the series shows off Shirosaki's softness and doesn't shy away from characters blushing in cute interactions. They don't actually flirt, and I def don't see them going a romantic route, but an amusement park date disguised as work is still an amusement park date.
I recommend this anime if you want a wholesome, feel-good slice-of-life about two office workers who make each other happy. ^^
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 19, 2023
We're always getting slice-of-life anime with classmates, and there are also plenty of office/workplace slice-of-life. Now we're getting one with a family of four siblings!
To focus more on the relationships among the siblings, the parents, naturally, are killed off. But the oldest is a full adult with a stable job. From there we have a set of Irish twins in junior high, which presents some interesting dilemmas since they're also in the same grade. Then to round things up there's an insightful kindergartener.
I think this is a balanced main cast that shows interesting sibling dynamics. Because of the age gap, Hayato is more of a
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father figure than a sibling. And because of their specific age gap, Mikoto and Minato have a really interesting relationship. They're young enough that 11 months result in different stages of development, and it's cool seeing how that affects their interactions as siblings and schoolmates in the same grade. Meanwhile Gaku is the Wise Young One, making his comments and observations funnier.
Honestly, at first I wasn't sure if I'd watch past the first or second episode. Not because it's a bad anime, but I was already getting my fill of slice-of-life with the office version of Cool Doji Danshi (My New Boss is Goofy). Also, this season is pretty stacked, so I wasn't sure I'd even "just watch it cuz it's airing." What sold it for me was Mikoto's struggle. Since Minato is less than a year younger than him, Mikoto always grew up as an older sibling. His mom never really acknowledged him as a child himself; he was always "the big brother." But where their parents fail to treat him as an actual kid and not just Minato's big brother, Hayato provides unconditional love and support—father figure in the making lol. Seeing the real dynamic between the brothers drew me in.
I recommend this anime if you're looking for a wholesome show about a dysfunctional but loving family in a normal modern setting. ^^
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 16, 2023
You've heard of Sherlock Holmes, genius eccentric detective. You've (probably) heard of Moriarty the Patriot, Sherlock's most notorious antagonist who got his own awesome anime adaptation a few years ago. Now fiction's most iconic detective returns to anime in the form of Ron Kamonohashi, a genius eccentric detective with a villainous ability that led to him being forbidden from doing detective work.
In these types of stories, the protagonist is an everyman like John Watson. In this case, we get Toto, a bottom-tier detective who gets all the cases Division 1 doesn't want to waste time on—the agency's "trash bin." It reminds me a bit of
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Zootopia. I like that despite everything being stacked against Toto, he remains optimistic and dedicated. From his perspective, Ron also becomes more mysterious.
Like an ideal detective character, Ron has Ranpo's ability from Bungou Stray Dogs, where he can deduce what happened immediately and solve a case as soon as he enters the room. Unlike an ideal detective character, Ron also has a secondary, more insidious ability. Without spoiling it, it's what leads to the title—with this ability, Ron is unable to legally perform detective work. It's a really interesting contrast that adds to both his character and the stakes, since Ron has to keep his detective work secret. It also sets up potential development for Toto, who has to build up his own confidence so he can present and take credit for Ron's work.
Despite this intrigue and the stakes with Blue, the institute hunting Ron down, the OP is fun and light-hearted. And the ED is hauntingly beautiful. I know lots of anime watchers don't care about the OP/ED, but it's still part of the anime. So when it emphasizes certain themes or ideas that might be surprising, it stands out.
Overall, I recommend this anime if you enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes stories and want something similar. Beyond the Mystery of the Week, there's the overarching mystery of Ron's ability, but the anime stays light-hearted and funny—Toto's gag-worthy reactions to Ron's antics are worth watching on their own. ^^
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 15, 2023
This season's sports anime is about F4 racing. Not F1, or F2 or even F3, but F4, to draw in beginners. And if that's not enough, the protagonist is a photographer who knows nothing about racing, making it even more beginner-friendly.
Every sports anime has its own Haru, and Overtake literally has a black-haired, blue-eyed character called Haru whose race car driving draws others in. At least he has that, since he has no other discernible personality. All the "enthusiasm and spirit" went to the photographer MC, all the friendly let-me-show-you-the-ropes vibes went to the father figure, and all the cockiness and actual talent went to
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the rival drivers. Hopefully Haru gets to actually shine soon.
As for the racing itself, there's nothing about Haru's driving that inherently makes it unique from other drivers—only the car itself is different, and that's because the group starts with no sponsors, like a literal blank slate. But the animation for the driving in general is dizzying, in an awesome way assuming you don't have motion sickness. The animation shows off the fast cars, combined with revved-up sound. Even the rando who brings the protagonist to rival group Belsorriso gets a Fast and Furious-esque driving sequence.
Overall, I recommend this anime if you're looking for a casual sports anime. It's not bad and there are def worse, but so far it's just been a fun intro to race car driving. If you watch F1, this one's probably not for you. ^^
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 14, 2023
Ever wanted a strong future waifu who motivates you to be stronger? Ragna is, at best, a C-tier dragon hunter who devotes his life acting as nanny to a 12-year-old A-tier dragon hunter named Leonica, nicknamed Leo. To protect her from a particularly strong beginner dragon, Ragna joins forces with his future self.
Acquiring OP-ness is a classic shonen trait, from One Punch Man to My Hero Academia. But what I like about how this trope is done in Ragna Crimson is that this OP-ness was already inside Ragna—just from the future. You often see a shonen protagonist work hard to make his future self stronger,
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so getting the reverse is a fun treat. The blending voices from present and future, as well as the art from the future realm with all the gears, is also awesome.
While the premise is cool, I'm not a fan of Ragna's character. Yes, shonen protagonists are meant to be simpler and often have one goal in mind. But Ragna takes that one goal and, as his future self puts it, idolizes and leeches off it. He exists purely in terms of serving Leo, whether it's as her nanny, companion, or self-proclaimed bodyguard. Even his marketing pitch when he convinces Crimson to work with him is based on how he simped for Leo. Hopefully, with more focus on his and Crimson's dynamic, he'll grow as a character independent of Leo.
I also like the edgy soundtrack that plays in action scenes. It reminds me a bit of RWBY—which not everyone likes, so take it or leave it.
Overall, I recommend this anime if you want basic shonen with tiny future waifu material. ^^
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Sep 23, 2023
When I saw the tags mecha and parody, I expected something along the lines of Darling in the Franxx. But nope, the most mecha parts of the anime are the TV heads and the bike.
FLCL: Grunge is the fourth season in the FLCL series, pronounced "fooly cooly" (if you don't already feel stupid saying it, you'll feel stupid watching it). I tend to jump into seasonals, so I didn’t realize it was part of a larger series until a few minutes into the first episode, when I had no idea what was going on. The episodes are titled after the main trio of friends: Shinpachi,
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Classic Shonen Protagonist; Shonari, who gets bullied for being made of rocks; and Orinoko, the cute one. They live in a world run by yakuza and where iron has all but disappeared. One day, their everyday life gets disrupted by the scheme of a mysterious mistress called Haruko.
Haruko is definitely the anchor of FLCL. She also has the most personality compared to the main trio. Rather than an anime about three main characters who meet her, it feels more like an anime about Haruko with three recurring background characters. If you're watching FLCL, it's definitely for Haruko.
There’s also the animation to talk about. It’s bad. 3DCG has its merits when used right, and you’d think that it’d have its place in a futuristic anime tagged as mecha. But it just feels jarring and sloppy, especially when combined with choppy 2D animation for impacts. It’s more like a new animator’s experimentation than an actual finished product.
Unlike most anime, the dub came out before the sub, so I ended up watching it in dub (fight me). But even the VAs rub it in that it’s a Japanese story forcibly translated into English. Haruko's rant near the end of the first episode can be generalized to a lot of dubbed anime. For me, dub works in comedy and satire, and that includes FLCL, at least for that rant.
Overall, I recommend FLCL: Grunge only if you’re looking for something nonsensical to turn your brain off for a while. ^^
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Mar 27, 2023
Cool Doji Danshi is basically Derp: The Anime. It’s a fun, easy watch, with each episode being around 10 minutes. The anime is about four good-looking guys who are clumsy or socially awkward; a fifth guy later joins the group.
With the originality of a creator capturing derpiness and turning it into wholesome slice-of-life, the guys are literally named One (Hayate Ichikura), Two (Shun Futami), Three (Takayuki Mima), Four (Souma Shiki), and Five (Motoharu Igarashi). They each have their unique quirks, which I love—they aren’t just carbon copy characters, but each has his own charm. Whether it’s the shy fanboy or the play-it-cool kid, you’ll be
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able to relate to at least one of them, and you’ll definitely root for all or most of them.
The character interactions are also fantastic. Even in the first four episodes, which focus on each of the original four main characters, there’s still a sense of connection—it’s the idea that derp connects people, which is always fun. Then the characters begin to have proper interactions. Some of them are cute and shippable, if you’re into that. What I especially like about these interactions is that they feel genuine and are so wholesome, that whether or not you ship them, they’re fun to watch.
The art style is simple and light. At times, it’s like watching an animated manga, which fits the genre. And the visual effects make everything look so fluffy!
The soundtrack also helps set the fun, cheerful tone, and both OPs are wonderful. Bonus points for Mafumafu being featured on the first OP!
I recommend Cool Doji Danshi if you’re in the mood for slice-of-life, want fun and short episodes, and don’t mind a bit of second-hand embarrassment for very relatable/derp moments. ^^
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 8, 2023
What if you and your family were stranded in enemy territory? This anime is a dramatic retelling of the life of Megumi Sunahara, also known as Zhang Rongqing, a Japanese youth unable to return to Japan from China after World War II. And because of the setting, it’s also about the founding of New China. Since the protagonist identifies as Chinese and joins the People’s Liberation Army, and there are many mentions of the Chinese villagers’ goodness, it sometimes feels like watching a propaganda film. And I’m sure there’s an agenda behind Xue Yu Xin (Blood and Heart), but I’ll review the premise, execution, characters,
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art and animation, and soundtrack.
PREMISE: Has the potential to be boring if you don’t care about history. Raises warning flags if you’re familiar with the history between China and Japan.
During WW2, Japan oppressed China. Some Japanese civilians lived in China like Fire Nation colonies. When Japan lost the war, colonials needed to leave en masse, which resulted in terrible traveling conditions and some people getting left behind—including Megumi and his mother and younger sisters. He is the only one in his family who can speak any Mandarin.
EXECUTION: Brilliant and heart-wrenching.
Each scene feels like it matters—to frame the story, set the tone, show the world, etc. There’s no exposition dump at the beginning, though there is narration to explain time skips and other significant changes.
At the end of each episode, there’s a segment like from a documentary. As in, real-life or dramatized clips instead of animation, and narration instead of dialogue. If you’re interested in history, it’s a great extra! But if you just want action or story, these extras are literal exposition dumps removed from the anime itself. Take it or leave it. :)
CHARACTERS: There is essentially only one character—the main character. And maybe the colonel. Everyone else exists as a one-dimensional paper doll or as a role to advance Megumi’s character.
Maybe it’s the runtime, but there were missed opportunities to better flesh out Megumi’s relationships with other characters, especially the rest of his family. His mother is literally nameless. And I was surprised that he as the oldest sibling could speak Mandarin while his younger sisters couldn’t. There’s a good scene where his sisters are chased by another kid for being Japanese, and Megumi scolds his sisters for going outside when they need to hide their identities. Aaand then it’s never mentioned again.
ART & ANIMATION: Solid artwork, decent animation. I like Megumi’s character design—simple, but not too plain compared to the other characters. And I really like the clips in the documentary segments.
SOUNDTRACK: Amazing. You’ll either like or hate the OP, which switches singer and style for the last part. The ED, like almost all donghua EDs, is beautiful and fits the anime well.
I recommend Xue Yu Xin if you’re curious about the history of China or a story about a Japanese boy living his best life as a Chinese-identifying soldier who helped create modern China! ^^
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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