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If you've watched Men in Black, Super Sentai (Power Rangers), or even Totally Spies, you know that these shows can be a bit extra with their presentation and plot. So much so that it works. So when you look at The Marginal Service, it does look like a Saturday morning cartoon that doesn't take it self too seriously and might be fun.

Here's my thing though: Make it good. Because there is nothing remotely good about The Marginal Service. I am really trying my best to remember what I even liked about this anime other than the idea of the summary. Not plot, the IDEA of ... it. Because on paper, I think it could've been a decent or fun anime to watch that doesn't take itself seriously. And it doesn't but to a bad degree. I tried watching it thinking it was a parody of the shows I mentioned earlier but I can't wrap my head around that idea. Even calling it a parody is an insult to actual parodies. The only good thing I can say about it are the OP and ED songs.

The characters (if you could even call them that) are nothing but caricature of archetypes, so much so that I could barely even tell you anything remotely interesting about them other than one is obsessed with protein. Zeno annoyed me to no end, I could care less about anyone else, and Peck, the mascot character was just the typical perv but a rodent (as if that's any better). Lyra is probably the only character I liked, not because she's best girl (actually she is best girl) but she's more likeable than the others.

The plot itself was just not good. Half the time it was the cast getting into weird situations that either takes away from the enjoyment or it gets the point where you stop caring halfway through an episode. It's easy for me to just watch a show that doesn't take itself seriously and just enjoy it for what it is but this show just doesn't do it for me.

The anime isn't bad that it's good or funny. It's just bad. I get that it was trying to be like a parody of American action tv shows, even borrowing some elements from Super Sentai. But it didn't work. With a lackluster cast of characters and a forgettable plot, The Marginal Service isn't even worth the time or effort.

Stand My Heroes boils down to being nothing more than advertisement for the mobile game. (a game which isn't even available in English). Piece of Truth was bad in so many ways, I'm honestly surprised it even got greenlit considering how bland it was. Not to mention the lackluster cast of characters and a plot that may as well be non-existent. Then comes Warmth of Memories. It was somewhat better than Piece of Truth but it still has the same issues.

For the most part, the plot is straightforward as it's primary focus is to introduce the Seo lab group and who they are as characters. ... Which wouldn't be a problem except they only got an hour of screen time and somehow I still don't have a good grasp on who they are as individuals. One of the characters is strict and insults the MC and you would think there would be a reason why he's like that. Nope. It's not explained at all and the only way to know why he's like that is to play the game... a game which, as I mentioned earlier, isn't available in English. There is a subplot but it was rushed near the end and the story seems to have even forgotten it. Not to mention it felt redundant to the overall story but I guess the writers had to include something to keep our attention, no matter how boring it was.

The main issue is that Warmth of Memories suffers from the same mistakes as Piece of Truth: Shallow plot and little to no characterization. But I will say that Warmth of Memories is more watchable than Piece of Truth. I am more forgiving because this is a one-shot OVA and I knew I wasn't going to get much out of the plot and characters. But it still doesn't excuse the shallowness of it all.

As someone who is in the otome community, we are a niche audience and we as an audience know that otome anime adaptations range from somewhat watchable to, "what is this dumpster fire garbage adaptation???" What's more is that some of these adaptations are from games that have never gotten an official English release so unless we're playing a fan-translation or using a translating app, us fans in the West are stuck with the anime. It's the case with both Piece of Truth and Warmth of Memories, they're not good enough. Of course even if the game did have an English release the adaptations are mediocre.

Warmth of Memories is just OK. Was it better than Piece of Truth? Kind of. But honestly you're not missing out if you skip it.

The best way I can describe Revenger is that it's all style and no substance.

Or rather, the substance was there but the execution of it was done in such a way that it's almost forgettable in comparison to the blood and gore. Which, if the only thing I remember about Revenger is the blood and not the plot, then that should say something about the writing. I wouldn't say this is a terrible anime. At the very least I did like some parts and it did keep my attention for 12 episodes. But you're not missing out if you don't watch it. It's just ... there, like a houseplant.

The characters are interesting. But in this case, interesting doesn't mean good. Aside from Raizou and maybe Nio, everyone else felt so bland, didn't get enough screen time, or their backstory wasn't explained all that much. Teppa is probably the biggest offense because he's nothing more than just a muscular guy who can use large weapons and nothing more. Just hired muscle who used to be a pirate. And that's about as much as we'll get from him. The same can be said about Souji. What is either of their motivation to be part of the group other than them filling in character architypes of hired muscle and a gambler. As for Yuuen, I would say that while he does leave an impression, there really isn't much explaining about his backstory, why he's with the church, or anything of that matter.

As for the plot, I get what Urobuchi was trying to do but as I said earlier, it doesn't leave much of an impact other than it being a bloody show. I do like the concept of the show but somewhere along the way it lost it's meaning and turned into another action show with sword fighting. It had a lot to offer and it still does but Urobuchi didn't let it live up to it's full potential.

I won't spoil the ending but it's very anticlimactic. It ended in a way that tried to wrap everything up but it was rushed and done so for the sake of ending the story, not giving enough of a lasting impression. At best this should've been 13 episodes, not 12. That was probably the biggest disappointment of the whole show.

Revenger didn't end with a bang, but a whimper.

Aggretsuko was an anime that I really loved when it first premiered. I thought the first season was really great and seasons 2 and 3 are in my opinion, the strongest seasons of the bunch. Then season 4 happened and it kind of disappointed me even though I liked it. For my thoughts on season 5: I liked it better than season 4 but as a whole, it was just fine. Which sucks because as far as series finales go, this one didn't end with a bang.

What carried Aggretsuko was it's commentary on social issues that affect not only the people in Japan but everyone ... as a whole who are struggling with their work and persona lives. Season 5 is no exception and it painfully showed just how difficult it is to get jobs after quitting or getting fired, the predatory aspects of gacha, and not knowing what to do with your life when you feel like nothing is going your way. It was great, near perfect even.

But then the political campaign stuff came out of nowhere and that's where the show lost me. It came out of left field that I wasn't sure what to think of it. In hindsight, it kind of makes sense given what this season deals with but the execution of it was so weird. Why in any way shape or form would it be a good idea for Retsuko to be a politician? I know with anime you kind of have to throw your sense of disbelief out the window 80% of the time but in this case it didn't mesh well with the story. It was there to add something to the plot but it wasn't done in the best way. Even though it didn't end on a high not, I still think that it was a good decent story and the ending really made me feel hopeful and happy for Retsuko and Haida.

Aside from the strange turn of events, the characters thankfully were the saving grace. Haida was a character I felt mixed about because the previous season didn't do him much justice but here he really went above and beyond with his approach to life and I was cheering him on through everything. Retsuko herself is still my favorite and I got to give props to her for being a well rounded character through and through. And of course the supporting cast is still funny as every.

Season 5 of Aggretsuko was fairly decent. Had I wish it was better? Definitely. Toss away the political campaign stuff and done something different, I would've rated it higher. But I still enjoyed my time with it.

Salaryman's Club is simple but it does so much with it's story, characters, and art. Combine that with a sport like badminton and the determination and conviction Mikito, Tatsuru, and the other characters have, it makes the show all the more enjoyable.

Is this the most accurate rep of badminton? No, not by a longshot. (the same can be said with other sports anime) Is it enjoyable? Yeah, I would say so if you throw your suspense of disbelief out the window and enjoy it for what it is.

When I first heard about it, what intrigued me the most was that it's a sports anime with ... a cast of adults. And not just adults, but salarymen. And both Mikito and Tatsuru gave me good impressions at first glance so I stuck around and I'm glad I did.

What makes Salaryman's Club stand out to me was the combination of corporate work and badminton. I like when sports anime has lots of slice-of-life aspects mixed in with the competitive scene of sports because it gives the characters more time to be themselves and live out their lives. It's a nice break in pace as well as letting us see more of the character's personal lives outside of sports. I was invested in how Mikito, Tatsuru, and the rest of the gang worked to make beverages and the shenanigans that ensued. And when they were playing badminton, I was hooked on how competitive it was.

Speaking of, I never thought I would get so into a sport like badminton but I did. Each match, whether it was a practice match or a competition, I loved how each time, our boys were so determined to not only win but try their best and improve on their weaknesses. Seeing them rise and fall felt so believable and how they reacted to certain events or insecurities felt all the more real. This is what makes Salaryman's club so great.

Mikito and Tatsuru were by far the best part of the anime. They're complete opposites in every way but its their differences that makes them a pretty great team, both on and off the field. Tatsuru is more relaxed and carefree and Mikito is more reserved and somewhat aloof but what they have in common is getting the job done and doing their best. Mikoto does have the tropes of being a skilled player held back by trauma, but as the series goes on, he does grow in trusting himself and Tatsuru. As for Tatsuru, he really was my favorite. He may seem carefree but underneath that exterior is a man who cares for the team.

As for the art and animation, it was done exceptionally well during the matches. The fast movement of the players, their swings, and the shuttlecock, all of it was sublime. Aside from the animation, I did like the art style of how the characters looked, making them distinct and pleasant to look at. (Looking at you, Tatsuru)

I only had one qualm with the anime.

The other characters of the Sunlight Beverage team are good characters and they have good enough screentime. The issue is that when they have their time in the spotlight, they become somewhat one-note after. Even some of their rival teams can be categorized as having one distinct personality and nothing else. I think the worst would have to be Usuyama. He reminds me of those characters in an RPG that joins the party last and doesn't get that much development before they fight the final boss or an optional party member. Weird analogy, I know, but that's what he felt like to me. I didn't find him all that interesting and even though we do get a brief backstory with him, it was short and almost forgettable. There were some stand-out rivals but for the most part, some don't have much going for them.


Overall, Salaryman's Club is simple yet effective. It does what it sets out to be, a sports anime with corporate life. It's easy to watch and very much enjoyable. Definitely recommend it.

When Koi to Yubo was announced it got a lot of people both defending and attacking the plot before it even aired. Me, being the rational person that I am, waited until it aired to see how it actually is. I do like shoujo romance anime and while most of them tend to be copy and paste stories, they do give me enjoyment and some have a really cute and fun-loving romance. Koi to Yobu wasn't like that. If anything, it somehow went below my expectations, which wasn't high to begin with.

Characters (2/10)
Ryo and Ichika are by far the blandest and boring characters I've come ... across who have just about enough chemistry as oil and water. They both are one-note personality type characters who are known for one thing and one thing only. For Ryo he is a love-struck idiot who doesn't even understand the concept of true love and could probably fall in love with a stop sign if possible. Ichika is a plain, mousy, brown-haired protagonist with little to no agency whatsoever and goes along with everything because even if it's against what she wishes but does it anyway because plot progression. What little moments they had to shine were far and between the story, even then that wasn't enough to make them stand out. That pretty much sums them up.

Story (3/10)
I don't expect much from romance anime unless it has great characters and an interesting plot. This story in particular was rather bland. Before I go further, No, I will not talk about the age gap because that has been discussed to the point where it's practically a meme at this point. The story consists of Ryo trying to win Ichiko's heart and Ichiko, being a doormat for practically everyone (including her own mom of all people) not sure how to feel about this man's incessant stalking and creepy behavior. There, that's pretty much the entire plot. I will give credit where credit is due and say that some parts of it were funny and got a chuckle out of me. Other than that, the story is nothing to write home about and is easily forgettable.

Sound (4/10)
The OP is a banger, I will say that. Everything else however was so dry. Even the seiyuu's sounded like they were acting in a room that wasn't properly suited for voice acting. Half the time it came off as if they were recording in a microwave of all places. I get that maybe the pandemic made it difficult for the seiyuus to go to a recording studio, but even then the sound production could've made their voices come off with clarity and not sounding like there's white noise in the background.

Art (5/10)
The art did have some nice colors to it and it wasn't poorly animated. It was just average.

Overall (3/10)
Koi to Yobu is a story that doesn't stand out amongst romance anime It's story is easily forgettable and a chaotic mess of repetition and the characters are about as interesting as watching grass wither and they don't have any stand out personalities. This is just another mediocre romance anime that you will probably forget in about a month or two.

As much as I do like the story of Given and the characters, the AkiHaru arc is my least favorite for a lot of reasons. Reasons you may agree or disagree with but nonetheless, I didn't really enjoy it as much as I did with Mafuyu's and Uenoyama's arc. Here's the thing, I don't absolutely hate the AkiHaru arc but I was left disappointed by how things turned out for the characters and the romance for Aki and Haru.

Given has an issue of the characters not properly communicating with each other which causes problems when if they were just honest with their feelings, the problems ... wouldn't be an issue. Aki, Haru, and Ugetsu all had this issue where none of them were completely honest about what they want. They weren't honest in conveying their feelings which resulted in miscommunications which then lead to *that scene* with Aki and Haru.

Between the three of them, Haru is my favorite whereas Aki and Ugetsu are not. This story arc didn't do them any justice with how much miscommunication there was. Why did Ugetsu do the things he did instead of being honest to Aki. Why was Aki not truthful to Haru when things were getting complicated. There were many, and I mean MANY opportunities for the two of them to be honest. Except they didn't.

And what happened with Aki and Haru during *that scene* (trying to keep this spoiler-free as possible) made me all the more disappointed with the story. It had to go with the assault trope in BL stories and seeing Haru going through that much pain made me mad at Aki. What's worse is that the issue is sort of brushed under the rug and we have the two of them together. And I hated it. I hated that things had to turn out that way for them to be together. The saying "this needed to happen" does not apply to this. What happened in *that scene* did not need to happen for them to be together.

As much as I wanted to like Aki and Haru as a couple, the way things went about for them to be together was not great. They deserved better. Their love story deserved better. This arc deserved better.

Ikebukuro West Gate Park was really disappointing. After episode 3, I knew I should've listened to my gut and drop the series because of how mediocre each episode was. But I still kept watching it because I expected the plot to go into the gang aspect of the story. What I got, in the end, were redundant PSA episodes, characters that have one-note personalities, and a very lackluster and disappointing ending.

Story (3/10)

Right off the bat, IWGP had the potential to be a good show with Makoto acting as a mediator between the G-Boys and the Red Angels. Two rival gangs could cause a turf war ... and Makoto being the only one who can stop it from happening. However, instead of gang wars, we got PSA episodes telling us how society is all kinds of messed up and that weed is bad and getting YouTube clout is bad. Why? From the synopsis, the story sounded dark but it turned out to be a total lie, and instead, we got Makoto being everyone's errand boy that had little to do with gangs or even the G-Boys and the Red Angels. Episode 3 is by far the worst episode because of how cringey it was that the producers were trying to be up to date with the youth by making an episode about a YouTuber. As the story went on, I realized something: There is no conflict. Whatever conflict there is, it's solved quickly like it was never there to begin with. Only 4 episodes had some type of conflict but they were done quickly that it feels rushed.

I say each episode is like a PSA because they are and that's what really ruined the anime for me. Not to mention each episode talking about whatever PSA it was is only surface level. I expected an anime about gangs, not watch PSA episodes.

Characters (3/10)

Along with the story, I had issues with the characters. Everyone is so one-dimensional and boring. Makoto is a random fruit seller that everyone goes to for help and to solve their problems for some reason and it's never explored why he's the way he is. Personally, Makoto is the textbook definition of a Gary-Stu. He's so boring yet he does all these things and manages to resolve problems no other person could. He's never shown any development and remains the same all the way in the end. He's just so boring.

The anime also has the gang leaders, Takashi and Kyouichi. A.K.A. The most useless gang leaders I have ever seen. Both Takashi and Kyouichi are the equivalent of the Tuxedo Mask meme from Sailor Moon where Tuxedo Mask says "my job here is done" and Usagi says "But you didn't do anything." Takashi and Kyouichi are Tuxedo Mask and Makoto is Usagi. Makoto does all the leg work for the both of them and yet they are these respected gang leaders when in reality they do nothing. If anything, they're laughably bad with how poorly written they are.

The side characters aren't really that interesting either. Literally, one of them is used for plot convenience in 2 episodes and is otherwise forgettable. The same can be said with just about everyone else.

Art (5/10)

The art isn't really something to write home about nor is it bad. I thought it was decent enough.

Sound (5/10)

The OP and ED songs are the highlight of the anime. The rest of it was kind of forgettable.

Overall (3/10)

Ikebukuro West Gate Park is a disappointment. It failed to deliver in a lot of ways in regards to the plot. The characters are all one-note characters with no backstory to either of them, and the show overall was mediocre at best. Not the worst show but it could've been better. I would recommend (if possible) to watch the TV show instead. If there is one anime I recommend (aside from the obvious recommendation of Durarara), I would say watch Akudama Drive. Akudama Drive makes IWGP look like a slice of life. If you want fights, interesting characters and plot, then Akudama Drive is one I would recommend.

What else can I say about IWGP other than it was a disappointment.

Joseimuke and otome game to anime adaptations are always average whether you like it or not. The original source material is where the story, characters, and plot shine the best even if there are underlying issues with how each of those three are presented. That isn't to say I don't like the idea of these types of games getting an anime adaptation because I am ikemen trash and love seeing my men being animated. But I'm starting to realize just how redundant some of these types of shows are. Not that I think they're terrible (except for Stand My Heroes Piece of Truth), it's just ... that in the long run, do they really need an anime adaptation? This applies to Koi to Producer.

I have played the game long before the anime was announced and I'll admit, I wasn't very excited that it was getting an adaptation. Because there will be a lot cut out from the game. The end result was a show that cut out so many bits and pieces and tried but failed to be a decent adaptation. For those who haven't played MLQC, there is a lot, and I mean a lot of information that is cut out for the sake of 12 episodes, not to mention the game has more plot and character development along with a complicated storyline. A storyline which the anime butchered. I wanted to give Koi to Producer the benefit of the doubt but I couldn't ignore the glaring issues that were presented to me.

This review is focusing on the anime only, not the game. Keep that in mind.

The anime tries to do its best to be a decent show about superpowers and love which can work if done decently enough. The problem is how much of the game was cut out from the anime that made everything so rushed and certain plot points inconsequential since the anime skips ahead to a new episode, shoving about 3 or 4 chapters in one episode that it comes off as rushed. Had this gone beyond 12 episodes and maybe 15 or 16, then the pacing would be good and no important story details would be skipped. I can recall so many things from the game up to chapter 18 that were not present in the anime which dulls not only the entertainment of it, but also the plot as well.

The MC... I have mixed feelings about her both in the game and anime. The anime MC (yes I'm aware they gave her a name but I'm calling her MC) is your basic run of the mill MC among many other brown-haired MCs under the sun. I hate to call her basic, but she's basic. I'm getting annoyed by this trope of making MCs in a reverse harem to be basic, weak, and stupid. This MC in the anime was wasted potential because she not only fails to be a decent character, she lacks any autonomy other than being a major plot convenience for the guys in her life. She's only there for them, never giving her the chance to stand out. Now, the MC in the game is a little bit better than the anime, but both can be very boring and downright idiotic at times. "Oh no, there's something happening but even though I have the power to stop it, I can't so I'll just stand there while my knight in shining armor comes in because of deus ex machina." Tell me that isn't 70% of MCs. So much wasted potential for her.

As for the boys, I do like their characters in the game much more than the anime. It's the same with the MC except they have more backstory and development (arguably more in the game) and do have the purpose of being in the story other than eye-candy. Which, they are handsome, let's give credit where credit is due and their seiyuus are pretty great. This goes back to my earlier gripe with how much was cut because there could've been more time to have them be developed in than they were in the span of 12 episodes.

Overall, I think this adaptation shouldn't have even happened. As much as I want to see my beautiful ikemen get adapted into an anime, they're better off. What we got from Koi to Producer was a rushed anime that offered little to nothing. Overall, a redundant anime adaptation.

In the beginning, Balance Unlimited presented itself with a unique plot and cast of characters that don't fit the mold of standard investigators. With those two combined, it should've created a fantastic show. And it did, for the most part. Sadly, there's a lot that I found to be underutilized with some wasted potential.

Story (6/10)
The story I found to be entertaining in the beginning but before things started to get serious with Daisuke's story, the cases were somewhat episodic while following a linear storyline that would be presented later on. When the story suddenly shifts, it makes the first couple of episodes feel a bit ... redundant. Not to mention for someone of them it was hard to throw away my disbelief. I could get behind Daisuke using his money to solve most of the cases (which I did like) but they feel like an afterthought when compared to the later episodes. Speaking of later episodes, this is where it sort of falls apart with how rushed some things are. Given that there are only 11 episodes, I figured that the last remaining few would tie together nicely in an even-paced. But with how rushed some parts of it were, it left the ending somewhat bittersweet.

Characters (5/10)
This is probably my biggest gripe I have with the show as a whole. Haru and Daisuke were presented as polar opposites who don't agree with everything and goes about doing things their own way. Whether it be Haru going by the book or Daisuke going the easy way, it gives the viewer a look into who they are. Except, it doesn't. They don't work AT ALL in this entire series. They pretty much remain the same even at the end with little to no growth. I don't expect them to be best friends but somewhere along the lines of acknowledging their differences but working together. That does not happen at all. One anime that was recently released, Great Pretender, does a much better job at creating a group dynamic of different individuals coming together to get the job done. They may not agree with everything but they compliment each other and their bond is believable. Haru and Daisuke on the other hand... they're nothing more than co-workers and that's it.

As individuals, they could've been better. Haru, in my opinion, is useless and a redundant character. Daisuke carried the series for about 90% of it while Haru carried the last 10%. For most of the series, he tries to be a by the book person but his attitude comes off as annoying and ovebearing. He sees his way as the only way when in reality, Daisuke using his wealth helps a lot with several cases even if it means going against what people do. He was useless while Daisuke was doing his part and only in the last 2 episodes did he actually do something. If he wasn't in the show, nothing would be different. I rather prefer Daiskue over him.


Speaking of Daisuke, I do think he's an OK character but his personality could be summed up as a rich asshole. And that's about it. Now, I do like him and how he goes about things especially in the later half of the series, but I can't say that there's anything interesting about him other than he's rich.

The other characters... I honestly couldn't care less since they didn't stand out other than a few.

Art (7/10)
I did like the art style though the animation did drop a bit in the last few episodes. Nothing major but I do like it.

Sound (6/10)
The sound was OK. I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of the OP and prefer the ED. The OST was decent enough.

Overall (6/10)
Fugou Keiji: Balance Unlimited had lots to go on with it's unique plot and characters. And it does for the most part but there was lots of wasted potential with Haru, the last couple of episodes being rushed, and Haru's and Daisuke's friendship (if you could even call it that). At best, it's an average show.