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Dungeon Toilet, or more literally translated as Taking a Crap in Another World's Toilet, is one weird manga. It starts off as a silly slice of life comedy series full of unrelated individual chapters all centered around main protagonist Yotaro's love and knowledge of all things toilet, and how he uses that knowledge in a fantasy world. These chapters are interspersed with two page mini-essays containing toilet related facts and history. It's a pretty lighthearted and silly romp similar to something like Thermae Romae.

Then in the final volume it switches to a plot focused save-the-world isekai full of fan service and violence which is ... serviceable at best. It still maintains some silliness but most of the toilet facts disappear and you're left with a pretty lackluster final encounter.

Despite this abrupt change in style, overall I'd say Dungeon Toilet still ends up being a pretty cute comedy about a main character obsessed with toilets. The fantasy setting allows Yotaro to explain modern and historical toilet technology and development to the inhabitants of this other world. His two party members - the knife wielding elf with a tail Gigi, and the water magic using sorceress Nurael - both are constantly exasperated with his non-stop trivia and constant need to experience all forms of toilets.

Being that most of the manga is a slice of life comedy, there isn't too much character development outside of the main cast of three. There are flashback to show how the party came together, and their individual backstories, but it's mostly fluff with a little drama thrown in. There are about 4-5 other minor characters who appear - another adventuring party, Nurael's master who taught her magic, and even a Demon King! These all mostly show up for gags.

Until the last volume. I don't know if the author ran out of toilet trivia, was forced to change up the formula to keep interest up, or simple wanted to have a narrative ending to wrap up the series. But the ending is one non-stop ride of plot with all the characters coming together, teleporting between worlds and ending in a final battle. There was a little bit of gore in the first two volumes, considering resurrection magic exists in this world which allows people to die and come back. But that really ratchets up in the final fight, and there's some intense body horror going on as well. It's pretty discordant with the rest of the mostly tame toilet pooping scenes earlier in the manga.

Despite being a comedy series, I would say it's more humorous than full of jokes. Most of the humor comes from Yotaro's obsession with toilets and how much he goes on about them and toilet related items like all the different ways to wipe. There are some slapstick chapters, but it feels more like an educational manga than a strictly silly one.

The art is quite nice. The characters are drawn in a chibi style, but with fairly detailed clothing and facial expressions. The action scenes are well done, albeit most of them very short. The backgrounds also have a lot of detail. Early in the manga this is sometimes a problem - it can be hard to distinguish between character and background in some of the environmental shots. This problem goes away by the second volume however. In the last volume the art seems a bit rushed and simplified, but also cleaner as a result. No major issues though. The real piece de resistance is the depiction of toilets. All of them are lovingly drawn in exquisite detail to show off the wonder of the crapper.

The translation and editing is quite good. It feels very professionally done. Most if not all of the onomatopoeia/sound effects are left in the original Japanese, and translations are added in for especially large or pronounced sounds, e.g. WAAAAA going across the whole page. You will be missing out on some however if you can't read Japanese. There's even a long bibliography at the end of each volume that lists all the sources for the toilet information used throughout the manga.

I enjoyed my time with Dungeon Toilet, despite the whiplash from the final volume. It still has a pretty satisfying and appropriate final few chapters to wrap everything up, and it's a very light read. If you find yourself wondering about toilets and want to learn more, it's a pretty fun way to do so. I'm sure the author would be very happy if you read it while on the toilet yourself.

Also, how did this of all manga get an official English print edition?

I was lucky enough to be able to see this film at one of the select American theatre screenings in Boston, and I have to say it was well worth the price of admission.

Made by the same team as Ano Hana, their style and influence can be seen throughout Kokosake. Like Ano Hana, it's a story about characters who went through tragic events when they were younger which have affected their lives significantly.

The main girl of the show, Jun, is still alive, but has lost her voice due to guilt from the breakup of her family as a child. However, she believes that she ... met an 'egg fairy' who magically sealed her voice away, and this magical narrative becomes a theme for the whole movie.

The other three main characters (two guys and one girl) each have their own problems they are currently dealing with. They are all brought together in a rather convenient manner by their teacher, and though they are initially resistant, we see their relationships grow throughout the course of the movie.

The plot is fairly typical, but it is well executed. I was never surprised by the development of the plot or the characters, and though there were a few melodramatic moments and monologues, on the whole it was a lot less dramatic than Ano Hana, and this serves to the movies credit. Because of the short time a movie has compared to a series, there just usually isn't enough time to develop characters enough where high drama can be effective - we just can't come to care about characters soon enough to be invested in very dramatic turns.

Knowing this, the movie has a much more normal tone, and feels all the more human for it. The magical 'fairy egg' story that permeates throughout serves as a good allegory for the situation the characters are in, and everything comes full circle in a very satisfying way by the time the movie wraps up. It is a little bit dramatic, and it's hardly remarkable in any way, but it is consistently entertaining throughout, and by the time it ended I couldn't believe a full 2 hours had already passed me by.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who liked Ano Hana, and anyone looking for a story about overcoming past trauma and learning how to grow as a human being. Also of particular note is the sound - music plays a big role in this movie, and a lot of the songs were creatively tied into the 'fairy egg' theme of Jun's past trauma. I just wish they went further with it, as these songs were probably my favorite part of the movie, and we only ever get tastes of them until the very end.

Overall, Kokosake is a fine movie, and definitely something to check out if you have the time to spare.

The Towa no Quon series picks up significantly in its fourth outing, with Guren no Shoushin. It improves at least slightly in almost all areas, and manages to be both a philosophically fulfilling and thrilling ride. The naive aspects of the show are more maturely realized here, and feel more like powerful idealism fit for characters battling with their lives. It's not prolific, but it certainly is good enough to entertain.

The main themes of this episode have to do with forgiveness and culpability. The battle between the Custos cyborgs and the superhuman Attractors continues on, but it becomes more complicated as one of ... the main characters is forced to switch sides due to a revelation about the past that causes an unforeseen accident in the present.

This brings out all kinds of emotions from the different characters - mistrust, hatred, confusion, disillusionment, even enlightenment. Forced to fully experience the individuals on the other side, our switcher realizes the humanity in everyone present there, and feels great guilt over what has transpired previously. Meanwhile, other members simply can't trust the new addition, and question the judgement of their leader.

The movie manages to explore these emotional and philosophical themes in a very nice way. It's never too saccharine or over-stated, and it's deep enough not to feel cheesy or naive. The show feels quite mature, even if the dialogue and exchanges remain simple. These scenes are among the best in the whole show, and lead beautifully in to the explosive ending, which has some of the most dramatic emotions of the series yet.

The animation was again stellar, and the backgrounds throughout were very well-detailed and attractive. My slight complaint from the last episode of being too bland in some scenes was answered and then some - there was a lot of color even in the city streets, with bright neon signs dotting the stores. The fight sequences are also very good, with the addition of a new Attractor stealing the show. My only complaint is that Quon was downplayed in the final fight seemingly only to emphasize the new Attractor, and he felt uncharacteristically weak. But this is a minor gripe, as the ending cliff-hanger left me with a sense of anticipation for the sequel.

At this point in the series I'm not sure if it would be easy to step in without prior knowledge. I feel like the dialogue and themes are universal enough to be pleasing even to an audience who didn't know the characters, but it would definitely lose some sympathetic impact not knowing how everyone has struggled thus far. But for fans of the first three, this episode will surely not disappoint, and it's definitely the best of the first four to me.

Towa no Quon 3 is definitely the strongest of the episodes thus far. Set mostly in a sub-sconscious/dream world, this installment focuses on the traumatic pasts of the main Attractor (superhuman good guys) Quon and the main antagonist cyborg Kazami. It sets up a very emotional stage that allows the viewer to understand the motivations behind both young men as they struggle against each other, showing how their own misjudgements about each other differ from reality. (They both had assumed the other emotionless or without humanity, but at least Quon is able to understand Kazami's past)

As I've been watching these mini-movies, I've been wondering how ... the creators of the anime were attempting to handle show continuity versus making each movie stand alone on its own merits. I feel that this balancing act plays into how they showcase character development as well as the pacing of each episode. It would certainly be possible for someone new to come into the series at any point thus far and not lose too much by means of explanation. The only overarching plot so far is that the evil organization Custos is trying to study/eradicate the superhuman Attractors, who are merely trying to live their lives in a world they don't really belong. I don't mind the lack of any complex or continuing plot, but some may find sticking with this series difficult if they aren't drawn to it for the characters or the animation.

Like the previous installment, this outing focuses on a theme (dreams) and how they can be used to revisit past trauma in an emotionally revealing way. Even though the cyborg Kazami is on the wrong side, he is consistently set up as a sympathetic character to show that people can do evil things even though they believe they are acting righteously. But no matter which side a person is on, the existence of Attractors and their powers has affected everyone in the story, changing their lives irreversibly. The show therefore makes it understandable how some can want to eradicate them while others can fight endlessly to protect them.

The animation in this episode had me polarized. It might just be because I'm paying closer attention to the details, but the animation in the first 2/3rd of the episode felt very lackluster - generally the only thing moving in any of the scenes was a character's mouth, and the backgrounds were mundane (except, of course, for the superb Custos HQ, with its cyberpunk feel and random green text on computer screens). This is more than made up for later, however, in the dream sequences in the last third of the show. The scenery is much more attractive and detailed, and in many scenes very different animation technique are used to show the strangeness of a dream and to very much highlight the horror of past traumatic events. It works excellently well, and the music adds a layer of awe to it that makes it quite a thrilling experience.

The brutality of the nightmare sequences somewhat make up for the lack of fighting in the rest of the episode, but it's clear the focus here is more on drama than action. While I wouldn't say the series is shying away from action, I do believe it might attempt to steer it almost completely towards dramatic action, as Quon takes more and more punishment in battle physically (and this time psychologically). The situation definitely feels like it will intensify, and fans of the first two shows should definitely find a lot to like here as well.

"Flowers don't go well with murder."

The theme of the second outing in the Towa no Quon series is all about flowers. There's a new Attractor (super-human) in town with the power to control flowers and their fragrance, which also has the power to evoke strong emotions and insanity in humans.

The first half of the episode is presented in a pseudo-detective manner. Two of the rookie cyborgs working under Custos (a secret military-like organization set out to destroy all Attractors), Kazami and Asuka, use the advanced technology at their disposal to investigate crime scenes that have been popping up around the city. They suspect an ... Attractor at work behind the serial murders, and follow up on leads related to the flowery tableaus left behind. Meanwhile, Quon is also trying to find the culprit.

While interesting, the story never really coalesces into anything great. I enjoyed the detective aspects, but they were short lived and never fully realized due to the shortness of the episode, and the director's need to showcase as many of the characters as possible. I believe the main problem holding this show back is the extensive cast of characters - there are simply too many to focus on, and the show seems to want to develop most of them at the same time. Most scenes are short and cut to another character before much happens. This has an effect of keeping every character fresh in our minds, but little else.

Despite a general lack of character development, the new flower Attractor introduced does manage to come across well throughout the episode. His struggle, represented metaphorically by the struggle that flowers face living in a world dominated by humans, is the struggle of all the Attractors at large, and drives across the point that societal outcasts have a hard time, and can lose all hope and even themselves in the face of a cruel and uncaring world.

Even though this show doesn't carry the heavy maturity of other shows, Towa no Quon 2 is a darker and heavier adventure than the first episode. The murder scenes are actually rather brutal, and we are presented with the sad reality with which our hero Quon must grapple - he cannot save everyone, and every time he fails, it means that another life is lost forever, regardless of whether that person was 'good' or not.

The animation and sound remain top notch, with a lot of very beautiful scenes involving flowers. The fight scenes in this episode aren't as thrilling as the last outing, but the final fight is physically much larger in scale and the flower Attractor is extremely good looking in full bloom. In place of Quon/Insania performing any fancy moves or defeating the enemy, the episode chooses to focus his fighting on revealing more of his powers, and hinting more at an unpleasant past.

This episode aims to present us a tragic view of the world, and in that aspect it succeeds. We are able to gain a deeper sense for the life-or-death struggles the Attractors face. Unfortunately in terms of character development we don't see anything deep - the detective work done by the cyborgs feels pleasant or interesting but not meaningful. We are given something with Quon, and another main character Kiri keeps developing her powers and struggles to control them, but it all feels like just a taste - a bare minimum.

Even with all that said, I believe the episode was approximately as good as the first, and will not disappoint those who enjoyed the first episode, except somewhat in the action department. However, it is still promising enough to continue to the sequel.

I came into Towa no Quon 1 with almost any expectations, having been linked to its page from another random anime I was viewing at the time. When I saw that it was a 6 part mini-movie series, and in the action genre as well, my interest was piqued. Katanagatari uses a similar 50 minutes per episode run-time, and the art and action in that had impressed me so well that I felt confident a new series with the same set up might as well, despite the different setting. This first episode isn't quite up to par with the greatness of that other series, but ... it serves as an acceptable introduction to what I hope will be an above-average anime.

Towa no Quon 1 starts off displaying its greatest strength - action. In the very first scenes we are introduced to our two main competing factions in the story in the heat of battle. A militaristic, secret organization is targeting a terrified child running for his life in a brutally efficient manner, sending orders from a command HQ to multiple specialized units in the field. The music kicks in and delivers a pulsing beat and epic backdrop - the situation is tense as suddenly the child's body starts mutating and glowing with power, sending orbs of energy off randomly. Just as he appears to be doomed with the approach of the militarized attacks, another person with superpowers comes in to save him, fighting off an entire unit in epic style.

This is Quon - the quintessential hero of the tale. And he is introduced in absolutely beautiful, stylized action. The scenes are fast paced, full of small explosions, packed with intensity, and masterfully animated. The show often takes its time to go into slow motion to show off particle effects to make Quon look even cooler. The entire sequence is punchy and non-repetitive, yet manages to last for a satisfyingly long time. This is how the action in Towa no Quon plays out, and is the heart of the show. Future fights play out with less flair but are consistently good and escalate in danger. I can't wait to see where the series takes them in the next episode.

The sound is as good as the animation, which is necessary in a good action show. The background music is suitable but never over-stated, and shines during moments of intensity. I also found the ending theme that played during the credits ("Reckless" by LAZY) exceptionally fitting for the action vibes with its gritty hard rock vibes and good guitar solo. It made me watch the credits all the way to the end, which is rare for me in anime as I usually can't wait to start watching the next episode.

The voice actors all do a good job at portraying the characters they've been billed, but there's not any time yet for any of them to shine. This episode is mostly an introduction to all the characters, to allow us to establish where each of them fit in the world and their relations to each other.

Thus, the characters mostly feel straightforward and dull. Even Quon can only be seen as caring/sympathetic, who is steadfastly focused on saving as many "Attractors" as he can from the evil organization. We are given an introduction to characters on both side of the conflict, and I imagine that this will be used to elicit sympathetic reactions later on. But this is only the first episode in the series, so I believe all the characters are introduced acceptably for development later.

Since I did not research this show very much before I started watching, I was expecting it to be more serious and targeted for a slightly older audience (similar to Ghost in the Shell). This is not the case, as the show carries a lighter tone targeted at a younger teen audience. Most of the "Attractors" (the 'good' guys) are either children or young adults, and the members of the secret organization are all older. It definitely has the feel of "us against the world," with the theme of outcasts from society banding together to live and survive.

Overall, by itself this episode is a solid introduction to a promising series. It has excellent and serious action scenes with a superb audio. It is more light-hearted than dark, but it has potentially serious themes and sets up what may become a heavy conflict between the underdog and a villainous defender of society and rules. While it may not be amazing on its own, it is certainly an enjoyable watch, and will give a good taste for anyone considering watching the whole series.