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Medalist is something I didn't know I needed, but I'm grateful it was given to me.

Initially, I thought this would have a very heavy dramatic weight and I would have to suffer and cry with the characters. I did end up crying, but not because of the exaggerated drama, but because of the conviction and determination shown by each and every one of the characters in Medalist. The story focuses on children; they are the main focus of this story. When working with children, everything becomes more complicated because you have to make childhood problems seem truly worrisome. To do this, it focuses on issues ... we've all experienced: personal insecurity and the desire for change. These are two things that, as adults, we can resolve or continue to struggle with, but at the age of the children in this play, these are feelings that constantly haunt us. By presenting something we've all experienced, it's impossible not to empathize with, even if it's just one of the skaters. On the other hand, these aren't just children's problems; we also have adults with their own situations. From a coach who was denied the opportunity to fulfill his dream and now tries to motivate a girl with the same dream as him, but without resorting to trying to live vicariously through her. An overprotective mother who wants the best for her daughter but doesn't know how to achieve it. Everywhere you look in this story, you'll find a conversation, a scene, a gesture, a movement that you'll empathize with whether you want to or not.

In the sports section, even if you know nothing about ice skating, everything you see will seem beautiful. I had no confidence in how ENGI had used CGI in previous works, but here they decided to take it seriously. Every choreography, every jump, every spin feels extremely fluid and delicate. This is something you don't appreciate until you see it a second time, because the first time you saw it, you were most likely enthralled by the routines. One very positive thing is that Medalist doesn't resort to the image of the arrogant, overbearing, or rude rival. It manages to generate and create rivalries between the children on the rink, but a genuine friendship off it. The anime tries to explain everything very well before starting a routine, and I can tell you, it's not necessary to have understood anything, because you'll still enjoy every move performed to the rhythm of the music.

Figure skating never disappoints, and Medalist only reinforces that belief of mine.

Solo Leveling is a drug that entertained us this season.

In terms of entertainment, Solo Leveling fulfilled its function as an anime. It was an anime that we looked forward to every Saturday simply for a weekly dose of action that didn't require wading through a vast lore before each fight. Frantic, fast-paced fights with good animation. It's an anime that knows how to provide small respites, whether comedic or dramatic, between arcs so we don't have an epileptic seizure after each fight. The protagonist carries everything there is to bear and takes responsibility for everything until the end.

It's an anime that fulfills its function of ... entertaining; talking about the story is a completely different matter. I could write paragraphs about the problems with Solo Leveling's story, but I'd like to assume that's something we're all aware of. So, on the negative side, I'd like to highlight the decision to adapt Jeju Island in so few episodes. This was supposed to be an important arc, but it felt like just another arc, where the rest of the characters were just cannon fodder while the protagonist entered the scene. The quality of the fights diminished as the story progressed. We went from having understandable choreography and movement in detailed environments to being treated to a light show with pointless stage destruction.

There are many good and bad things we could say, but I don't want to spend too much time on Solo Leveling. I'll just close by saying Solo Leveling was never an RPG; this was always a gacha because Powercreep is insane.

This anime fails on so many levels that it ultimately betrays its own synopsis.

The ultimate scam, it sells you a product you're interested in, only to deliver something completely flawed. We were supposed to get a story about a receptionist for an adventurers' guild in a fantasy world. One of the most recognizable but least explored figures in the genre. The guild is one of the most iconic institutions in any fantasy world, so getting to know its workings, structure, and hierarchy, with a bit of added comedy, was what it promised. It ended up giving us yet another One-Punch Man clone of the super-strong ... protagonist who defeats everyone with a single blow because no one else can. On top of that, as if it wasn't generic enough at this point, they add a romance that no one asked for and that takes time away from the receptionist's work. The story is afraid of being different, of telling a little-explored story, which is why it falls into the error of resorting to the most clichéd elements of the genre. The script wasn't prepared to withstand this change, so it ends up weakening to the point that any element you review will fall apart at the first attempt at analysis.

The receptionist character ends up being wasted because more time is spent in dungeons or fights than at the reception desk. Customer service issues are minimal, if not nonexistent. The supporting characters are inconsequential; they have no weight in either the plot or the fights. The power system is designed for the protagonist to fight alone, but she's tied to a team that's much weaker than her. This ends up being an obstacle rather than a help. Despite having an established power system, she constantly seeks to break it in order to make the supporting characters a little more competent. The enemies are flat; their motivations don't generate anything in you; you don't hate them, you don't pity them, you feel absolutely nothing towards them. The administrative issues surrounding the receptionists are completely hidden, and instead of showing them working, they only show them complaining. Complaints at one point are pointless because you never see them working, so if they never work their normal shift, it's obvious they'll have overtime.

The best thing to do with this anime is to read the synopsis, imagine the exact opposite of what it says there, and if that catches your attention, then you can give it a chance.

The perfect demonstration that even if you follow an established formula, you can always find something to improve.

Tensei Ojisan may give you a rather strange first impression because the premise of a 50-year-old man in the body of a teenager is naturally odd. Even so, the story doesn't seek to explore this world from a morbid perspective, but rather from a more paternal point of view. The villain isekai subgenre has a pre-established formula that all anime of this style have followed without trying to innovate or improve anything. Tensei Ojisan shows us that even with the most clichéd elements, your story can be entertaining, ... engaging, and interesting if you know how to use them.

The villain becomes the good guy, and the protagonist of the game/novel where we reincarnate becomes the villain. An overused resource, which they try to delve a little deeper into here. Explore the villain's family situation to understand the reasons for her bad attitude, the reasons and attitudes that make the protagonist worthy of that role. Both characters could work perfectly well if only the enmity factor weren't there.
The male harem, who are always mere window dressing to give the villain love interests, are truly human. Here, you really feel them as people. They are characters who, with a few scenes and dialogue, build real people with virtues and flaws, but the main thing is that not everyone falls in love with the villain after the change. Some see her as a friend, others as a supporter of the empire, and some as a potential romantic interest. The protagonist isn't tied to having to relate to just one of the boys. The story understands that there are different types of relationships that can coexist within the same group.
The fact that it's the world of a video game, in this case. This element is usually forgotten, that we are in the world of a medium we used to consume in our previous lives. The anime perfectly understands that this is an aspect that can take full advantage of the world due to how little used it is. The anime plays with two perspectives: that of the villain, who sees her world as a real world with nothing really different about it, and that of the family of the lord who reincarnated as the villain. The family is the one who shows us and reminds us that this world is a video game. They tell us the lore of the story, the changes the lord has made now as the villain, the events, the menus, the interface, the gameplay. They tell us absolutely everything.

This brings me to the most important aspect: in other works, they never take into account who the person was before being reincarnated. In Tensei Ojisan, they very clearly define who Grace (the villain) is and who Lord Kensaburo (the reincarnated one) is. They are two completely different entities, and you never forget that they are two different characters, and the story even has elements that take advantage of this duality of personalities. It is thanks to Kensaburo's experiences on Earth that he is able to help improve Grace's life within the academy. It's Mr. Kensaburo, through a fatherly perspective, who shows us that adults aren't the villains in the story, but rather that they simply don't know how to communicate with teenagers. Mr. Kensaburo is the cornerstone of this story; without him, this anime couldn't be told.

To say I liked the anime is an understatement. This anime has so much charisma, but above all, it's made with so much love, and it feels that way. The world-building is so well-crafted that it's impossible not to immerse yourself in this story. One day, I hope to be half the person Mr. Kensaburo is.

The best thing about this anime is the character design... and that's it.

Another fantasy harem story hitting our screens. I'd honestly like to try my best to find at least two or three reasons why you should give it a chance, but I can't list more than one. That's the biggest sign that watching this anime might be more of a waste of time than a pleasant afternoon. The first two episodes try to be a story with more blood than average, but the blood only lasts in those episodes. Later on, this aspect isn't relevant. The protagonist starts by giving us something different, having ... to reshape his body to get used to the powerful abilities he's acquiring, but once again, this only lasts in the initial part of the anime.

The highlight and the only good reason I have to recommend it is the character design. Whether the character is a main character, a supporting character, an NPC, or a villain, the design naturally draws the eye. It's very likely that the only reason you'll stick around to finish the anime is because you like one of the girls, but other than that, there's nothing truly engaging about the story.

The conflicts are resolved too quickly, the villains carry no weight. On top of that, the fights are over in seconds, so you don't even get a feel for the bad guy once he's defeated. Continuity is a big problem as the story progresses because you feel like you're skipping two or three chapters. The beginning of one chapter has nothing to do with the end of the previous one, and characters arrive at locations from one scene to the next, meaningless because the dungeons are supposed to be secret, but the main character seems to have direct access to every single one.

If you're looking for something visually beautiful that doesn't require much attention, you'll probably like this. Still, I'd recommend looking for something better than this.

Bless my brain, the day it decided to forget we read the Dr. Stone manga.

Dr. Stone seasons are always characterized by some kind of race against time, which unleashes all the adrenaline possible. This season's race has been the most exciting yet, because the scientific kingdom finally found a worthy rival. Senkuu and company's strongest weapon has always been science, but what would happen if the rival has the same or greater scientific power than our protagonists? This is precisely the scenario in which this first part of the final season places us.

There's little to say about the scientific kingdom; it's full of charismatic characters ... who, to a greater or lesser extent, always have something to contribute to the plot. As for Xeno's scientific kingdom, that's where we should focus. Xeno arrives to be Senkuu's greatest antagonist, along with his most faithful ally, Stanley Snider. Both characters truly feel like a threat because they're a perfect combination of intelligence and military strength. This opens up many possibilities to see our characters engaging in aerial combat and seeking out a sniper position. This season, the danger feels real because the odds are even; any misstep, any miscalculation would be fatal for either side of the conflict.

Of the new characters, I highlight Luna, the cold, capable woman. Characters who bring some kind of catchphrase with them in this anime, you know they're going to contribute something, whether it's comedy or an internal monologue. Luna, along with her two companions, are a great addition to the comedy this season. Having a naive girl, who believes herself to be a femme fatale, trying to win over Senkuu is a guaranteed laugh regardless of the context.

Dr. Stone is a story that I enjoy every episode as if it were the first time I've seen it. I will always be grateful to my memory for giving me this opportunity.

The Shark Tank of anime.

Trillion Game brings a fresh and new story to a market rife with magical fantasies. A corporate comedy/drama in the purest Shark Tank style, where the most compelling aspect is the negotiation strategies. We have the story of our protagonists, whose goal is to generate a trillion dollars. From there, a chain of events begins where we see how acts of good faith can synergize with deception and blackmail. Our protagonists, besides being very good friends, are also a representation of Yin and Yang. They are complete opposites in every way, but that's why they can work together to successfully move ... an emerging business forward in a sea of ​​​​vipers, such as the corporate world. The story is an exaggeration to show us the shortest path to success; things will always turn out well for the protagonists and badly for the antagonists. Beyond seeing it as a bad thing, I can see it as a narrative device to show us the interesting side of this world of entrepreneurs.

There are negative things, but they're not in the story; they're in the art. My goodness, at first, it's hard to see the characters because to say their design is ugly is an understatement. The character design is quite uncomfortable to look at because it looks like art stuck in antiquity. The chins are the strangest thing; they're the most out of place on the characters' faces. This artistic decision often makes it difficult to immerse yourself in the story because you don't believe the descriptions you're being given of other characters. When they tell you "so-and-so is the most beautiful person in the country, look, she's dazzling," and when you, as a viewer, see her, all you can think is "but she's uglier than having diarrhea with a cough." As the episodes go by, you get used to the art, but it still seems ugly. If you're a visual person, you'll likely find it uncomfortable most of the time.

Trillion Game is definitely a breath of fresh air. If you're looking for a story that breaks away from current market trends, this is a great option. It's funny, it's entertaining, it has comedy, drama, a bit of romance, but above all, it makes you believe it's possible to earn a trillion dollars by doing the craziest things.

Ao no hako, in times of content oversaturation, manages to do something truly important. It manages to evoke feelings in the viewer.

Anime knows there's no reason to rush things. A well-told story is better than one rushed just to reach key moments. The first season focused solely on building. Building Chii and Taiki's relationship, building the supporting characters for their future arcs, building a specific supporting character with whom the story would close out its first season. The production knew how to take advantage of the space it had to tell a realistic story, but above all, one with which everyone can empathize. High school ... could have been your best or worst time, depending on each person, but you have memories of that time. Ao no hako manages to revive those memories within you, and you unconsciously become emotionally involved with character X or Y because that's what you would have done in real life. The script of this anime is so well executed that you feel a real connection with your favorite character or characters. In fact, if you could pick up your phone to send a message of support to any of them, you would do it without hesitation.

A season that made us feel, and to talk about feelings, we have to talk about Hina Chono, who was a central character in the middle. Regardless of which side you took during the season, it's impossible not to feel something at the climax of this character's arc. A polarization was generated in this event, where the discussion unexpectedly wasn't on Hina's side but on whether the protagonist did the right thing or not by doing what he did. The polarization generated is just a good example of how well written the work was. Very few audiovisual media have such a significant impact on the audience's emotional side as to defend and even emotionally support a fictional character. Ao no hako knew how to take advantage of the elements of an animated production to enrich the source material. The voice acting, the animation, the soundtrack—everything is there to enhance the key moments.

Ao no hako managed to be its own version without being a carbon copy of its manga version, but it also works as a great promotion for that material. It's a promotional effort because it organically makes you want to turn to the manga to find out what's next. At the end of the day, that's the main goal of an anime, and we can say that Ao no hako has more than achieved it.

Honey Lemon Soda is a catfishing scam on this dating app called Jc Staff.

You can think of this production as two animes in one, because episodes 1-6 are one, while episodes 7-12 are a completely different one.

The anime starts out like that ideal person you meet on a dating app. You feel a genuine bond, one where you think you'll have a long-term relationship and be together for many years to come, reminiscing about the good times. It's an old-school slowburn romance that, if you've been around this game for a while, will remind you of the good times. You have two very good leads ... who practically carry the anime because the supporting characters are about as useful as a holiday during the pandemic. The story makes it clear that while the ultimate goal is romance, we first have to go through the ordeal of developing each of the characters so they're ready for a relationship. Starting with the girl, Uka, a shy protagonist who was a victim of bullying and enters a school of dubious reputation just to be happy. The entire first half focuses on her and how she will take small but steady steps toward that ideal version of herself. Along this path, she will be accompanied by Miura, the male protagonist, who will be there to provide the girl with moral support. For six chapters, this whole journey feels very beautiful because you maintain the illusion that the story genuinely cares about its characters and wants to give them plenty of space before beginning to intertwine their paths romantically. Oh God... we couldn't have been more naive...

This is where the catfish reveals itself, and we realize that the sweet person we've been talking to for a month and a half is actually a strange man who, instead of trying to steal information from us, just wants to steal our time. You can't imagine how vastly different the two halves of the anime can be. In the second half, they completely forget about the personal development of each protagonist to start forcing the romantic plot because they're running out of time in the season. Then, the story begins to break with what the characters had already achieved up to that point in order to adapt to the needs of the script, making the characters regress to their previous versions as the setting required. The problems weren't only at the script level; there were also continuity and animation issues. The continuity in the second half was horrible; one episode would end and at the beginning of the next, you wouldn't even know where you were; it felt like you'd skipped a couple of episodes. Characters who weren't initially in the scene would appear out of nowhere, even with dialogue. The animation in this part became even more experimental, playing with the anatomy of the characters depending on the scene, generating discomfort in the viewer due to the visual inconsistency this generated. Chapter 11 is by far the worst, even attempting to replicate a race in the purest Science SARU style in Devilman Crybaby. This chapter feels like an astral journey after consuming substances that old Kishimoto had stashed in his drawer when he wrote the ending of Naruto.

It's sad that this treatment has been given to a romance anime, but coming from JC Staff, it doesn't surprise me either. For that reason, I want to initiate the initiative to change the name to JC Scam.

Not only was it the best romance of the season, we're also facing the best office romance.

The story is simple, an office romance that wants to remain hidden between the parties. Kono Kaisha arrived without any kind of spotlight on it, and it's not like it really needed it. The story knew it had the necessary quality to attract attention without even the need for publicity. The anime doesn't just aim to place two lovebirds in an office so they can constantly display affection. They play with the elements of a secret romance to tell various aspects of the protagonists' lives. During work, the focus ... is on professional and work-related topics. While during free time, it's when we get mushy. This duality suits the show quite well because it never feels cloying, but it also doesn't feel like it's trying to preach at your work life, if you're at that stage of your life.

The way it portrays office life is very accurate. It doesn't try to romanticize it but rather shows us a picture of reality. It shows how two people have to juggle their professional and personal lives while having a relationship they try to hide from their colleagues. On the professional side, they show us the harshness of the schedules and the unexpected overtime, but they also show us the hunger for growth, the pursuit of new projects, and the pursuit of new opportunities. Every adult knows that work isn't easy, but it's also true that we can enjoy this place where we spend more time than at home. On the personal side, they show how each of them views the relationship from both perspectives, both male and female. Each gender has its own ideas and concepts of what it means to be in a relationship. Friction is inevitable, but it's healthy for a relationship that has good communication; in the end, a relationship grows through conflict and reconciliation. I don't know if it's worth mentioning, but I know many people enjoy these types of references. The relationship is adult throughout, not only in the conflicts and thoughts, but also in the actions. At various points, they make it very clear, without being explicit or morbid, that the protagonists are sexually active. As I said, I don't know if it was worth it, but it's an element within the show.

One aspect that adds many points to the show is that what other romances this season didn't do, Kono Kaisha did twice. I mean, building a good romance. The main couple starts off established, so we don't get to see the back-and-forth that usually exists in the pre-relationship phase. The anime didn't settle for just one couple and showed us it knows how to handle romance by building a secondary couple completely from scratch. The best thing is that this couple is built and formalized over the course of two episodes, with a short but precise development. At no point does it feel forced or rushed; everything falls perfectly into place.

Kono Kaisha isn't good just because its protagonists love each other so much. It's good because it demonstrates and develops that even in the most mundane spaces of adult life, a feeling as beautiful and fleeting as love can exist. That such a brilliant feeling isn't something that can be kept hidden, because it always seeks to emerge.