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After an OVA which came off as empty icing on the cake, we receive something that provides us some more genuine story content and gratification. Notable expansions are some elaboration of the scantly explained lore about Hell, a bit of Keima’s backstory, and we see another Demon & Buddy pairing for the first time. I was able to overlook the change of Keima’s VA suprisingly. I didn’t notice it was a woman until someone pointed it out. As others have pointed out these are extra episodes, but they’re necessary for the setup and understanding of Season 3 and its large change in concept. I liked ... them, and even Tenrin was a nice addition as a character.

The past comes back to haunt you. In the cases of the folks in this story, it does literally. Speaking of the past, Yukarism was one of the earliest manga I read, so it was sensible I returned to finish it after all these years.

Our protagonist is an aloof and reclusive young novelist who writes about the Japanese Edo Period whenever the urge strikes him, but he doesn’t know why or even care much about the stories. He lives life without worrying too much about school or ambitions. That is, until, he’s forced to confront his past. Things start changing around him and he ... starts having strange visions about a previous life. It’s not too long before the threads of fate start pulling in others who were previously connected.

The premise of this reincarnation manga is pretty cool, and I think it mostly delivers on that end. The writing here is very mushy, sentimental and maybe a bit cliche. But that’s as you would expect from a period piece and its target shoujo demographic. In its favor, the historical setting is fun to read along with and you can get what the author is presenting without any prior historical knowledge of this period or knowledge about reincarnation. You even learn some stuff as you read. And, the highlight is the historical side of the drama in this manga. Our characters past selves are intriguing and tragic, but sadly you can’t say the same about how they are currently. I didn’t like very much about their reincarnations, but it’s OK since they’re tolerable.

There are unfortunate points where the plot plods or becomes a bit hard to comprehend, but the ending volume does tie it all together nicely. The reincarnation and various other elements are used in a plot devicey fantasy context, but they contribute to the themes of moving on from the past rather than obfuscating the storytelling of this brief manga’s 17 chapters.

Koe no Katachi is one of the most beautiful stories I’ve read in a while. It is told with such complexity, clarity and depth that each volume it goes forward in a methodical and tremendous way. You really can’t wait to see what will happen next.

The reason pacing was brought up was because it was crucial. This manga is a redemption story, first and foremost. Our character is forced to transform and right his wrongs as a bully to a deaf girl in his past. It takes a mature and thoughtful approach to real life social issues but also is a commentary on how ... we can learn to get along with others and overcome our own issues. What’s so interesting about it is how we see contrasts in how certain characters are willing to correct their attitudes in the past, but others remain unrooted and firm in their wrongdoings. So it’s also about how the community around him evolves as well.

It’s difficult to accurately rate things like one shot, but I’ll try. What starts off as a inconspicuous body swapping scenario turns out to have a big reveal and plenty of heartwarming sentiments packed into 30 pages. Of course, because of these constraints, it’s fairly rushed and a bit questionable of an ending. But as far as one shots go this is a gem.

We have two characters, one an outgoing high school girl and the other a mysterious guy who managed to wake up in her body (without spoiling anything). He spends the day living in her body being confused before areiving at an ... important revelation at the end of the day.

One job of comedy is to make the everyday absurd. And Prison School is precisely that. As the title implies, this is school detention taken to the next level. A recently turned co-ed girls school refuses to let the only five guys there get off after them being peeping toms. They’re forced to serve a month in a makeshift prison or face expulsion.

Prison School is primarily our five guys scheming and planning against the 3 School Council members to remain in the school. These teenage boys are predictably misguided and immature, but the Student Council members are outright villains. They constantly abuse them mostly ... physically and sometimes mentally, and coerce them into plenty of undesirable situations.

This show is fairly mature, so be forewarned about its constant unpleasant sexual situations and nudity. Of course, it’s obviously aware of the silly premise and the dark humor gag comedy approach is a blast. The most fun comes from the outrageous unpredictability and an impeccable comedic writing sense. We always get into new crazy situations and have funny tendencies we come to associate with each character. Not to mention the art elevates to the next level. The realism of certain facial expressions and body depictions allows it such a unique feel.

Overall, a treat for anybody willing to take chances on more out there shows.

“I saw the infinite hell known as freedom stretch out before my eyes.”
A man wakes up one day to find that outside nothing looks alike to how it did before, and the world he knew ceases to exist.

What starts out a bit whimsical and harmless soon makes clear it’s really a nightmare. As we betray all sense, the reader sinks headfirst into a manga equivalent of LSD Dream Emulator. The ideas are truly a sublime blend of the macabre and surreal. A major “plot structure” is the Traveller encountering horrifying and confusing alternate societies where he tries to fit in. Everything is from the perspective ... of the Traveller, so discerning other characters almost becomes pointless. They serve to further the loose plot (really a series of dreams) rather than to feel any emotions over said characters. Our protagonist being amoral and going with the flow emphasizes the dreamlike nature of it all.

One last huge draw is how Nishioka Kyoudai employ a distinct art style you will spot immediately whenever you see it. It’s ugly by conventional standards, but for any art house lovers is eye candy. All in all, this was my favorite manga by this brother sister duo so far. It gets their outlandish storytelling and dark sensibilities across perfectly, without becoming too sickening like Kami no Kodomo.

This OVA is the anime equivalent to game DLC you really like but bought more to support development rather than it being genuinely worth it. Kami Nomi is probably one of the better romance shows I’ve watched as far as the more fan-service oriented counterparts of that genre goes but this is just another filler episode in disguise.

The simple premise is 4 of the show’s girls starting a band, but it only takes up a minuscule amount of time in this episode and the rest is them studying for a test? The absence of Keima for about half the OVA stings too. Bland character ... interactions don’t make a case for Kami Nomi’s usual wit and standout personalities; the sole interesting moment was Keima meeting Kanon again. Basically it’s ok to skip this. It’s not in any shape or form important to any story of the show.

As someone who’s watched some early experimental films before from this same era (albeit Western) I do understand you can’t view them in a remotely conventional way. They’re very brief usually and are ideas and lack a plot, characters, etc.

Nonetheless, this is simply a waste of time. It isn’t visually appealing and the unsubtle message appears to be about domestic squabbles or something. Male stick figures in a cage are shown getting whipped and making animal noises for the entire 2 minutes. Well, that summary was probably still overlong but even by experimental standards it sucks. My question is what was the purpose of ... showing all of this?

Usagi Drop might be appropriate for a family viewing with its cutesy art style and mood of overall enduring peacefulness, but there’s still tons of overarching adult concerns/themes vital to its core. It’s simple enough. An otherwise self-interested and immature man is obliged to take in a girl after a family situation complicates matters. After that we are plunged into the idyllic, sometimes troublesome, lives of Rin and her newfound guardian Daikichi. A single parent focus makes it much easier to concentrate on their respective bond and effects on their world. The main drive of advancing things here is internal struggles and our characters rectifying ... their attitudes and communication with others. Of course, we get a fair share of Daikichi figuring out the practicality and logistics of parenting, but he has to first change himself.

As a self-contained story it’s a beauty. So eloquently told without being overly moralizing or sentimental. If there were 17 chapters in the life of a minor, this would be one chapter. And it kinda makes you want to think about starting a family and philosophize about what your place in life is. It’s that moving. You don’t have to like kids or find the premise interesting to get onto this. Just one of those things that transcends its genre and conventions. It’s slow, but never boring.

“The World God Only Knows” is barely a harem. The truth is it’s on the fringes of that genre, as like a dating sim, episodes show different ‘routes’ but there’s a continuity. I’ve only played a handful of visual novels ever, so can’t comment much on authenticity or whatnot. Seeing each differing way Keima approaches the romances is one of the most entertaining parts of the show. It’s written so you are biting to see the next personality type he will encounter. Suspension of disbelief shouldn’t be tested as long as you keep in mind nothing is too serious anyways. Think of it as a ... dating sim with no saves, not a “realistic” study of a recluse coming out of his shell.

The main cast is really just Keima and Elisee, a demon who assists him and tells him what girls to help out. Keima is a stereotypical otaku, but he does adjust well and is resourceful. At points he’s a bit of a jerk, but regardless he helps people without gloating about his accomplishments. Elisee is a lively ditz, who is mostly likable but has grating moments as well.

Out of the four arcs (and 3 filler episodes), I really only enjoyed 3/4’s. But despite an arc I was indifferent on, and a filler episode I would discard, the show is still a cut above many.

To get into audio and visual specifics, this show really pops with its vibrant colors. It does stick to those more rigid styles of the oughts, but everything looks lush and slightly dreamy. Not to mention those gorgeous backgrounds (paging the library episodes, which look great). I normally wouldn’t acknowledge this, but the mostly orchestral backing perfectly times with whenever the show is trying to breakdown a situation or a more heartwarming moment. Like this really fits Keima’s deductive moods, as an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90VHv59GEPw

Pick this up if you like romance shows off the beaten path. If you can put up with its geeky tendencies, that is.