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If you want an anime that will be looked at as an underrated gem, may not get a lot of talk, or overall an anime that you would recommend to someone for a first time or just out of your love for this anime. Amaeku Takao is the one for you to recommend to others. This is an anime that really did a great job of having some two partners for a twelve episodes run. I find it really well executed and at times wished more animes would take this two part route with certain aspects. It did not feel rushed, did not ... interject the main characters having love interests, nor did it have to delve into comedy to make it suffer as well. I overall found that the tone for this anime was set pretty early, with a serious main character who while she seems perfect had her flaws and that was well done.

It never made me angry, but the best part of this anime is seeing how some victims are either redeemable or not redeemable depending on the circumstance of said cases.

I started watching this anime with the hopes of catching up to it within a twenty-four hour time period. I am enjoying the slow build up that this anime is giving to me as a viewer for starters. While, there is an area for improvement on what should have been not established within the first episode; I am willing to overlook those small details. Blue Box to me is different from the other sports animes that I have watched in the past, along with other romance animes that I have watched in the past as well. We usually, do not see these two genres ... mix all that much. However, as of this writing this show has given me two of the focal points of characters who I am able to care about in general.

We are introduced to our Taiki Inomata and Chinatsu Kano. Kano-chan is a member of her high school's girls basketball team. She is gifted at basketball, her mom used to play, and she is designed to be the next ace of the team and lead them to Nationals. Taiki-san is on the high school boy's badminton team. Taiki is a hard worker and wants to make it to Nationals as a first year in high school. Interestingly enough the high school and middle school are in the same place, so it was a transition made easier. Taiki's mother and Kano's mother both played basketball together in high school. A little connection like that goes a big way to help you see where our characters can get close or not bond over something as small as parents who were former teammates. Kano is very headstrong in the early stages, and her biggest regret is not getting further in basketball in terms of making it to the bigger stage in terms of school sports at a tournament level. We see that she is in love with basketball, and gets up early every single day to head to the school's gymnasium to practice. Taiki is the same way because he loves badminton and even though he is always second to her on arrival, it never wavered him to stop getting better.

Throughout the first handful of episodes, we see how our characters are acting in their environment. Giving the context that Kano has moved in with Taiki's family due to her family moving overseas due to her parents'work. For Taiki it is hard to adjust because he also likes Kano, but she doesn't know that at all. She views her as a kohai, a family friend, and a friend in those levels of aspects. Whereas Taiki views her as a senpai, friend, and overall a love interest. I am very happy by writing this sentence I am on episode five, and the living arrangement has not reached the typical levels of accidentally walking in on one another while in the bathroom, Taiki landing in between Kano's legs by accident, or anything else we have seen over the years in anime that is considered a trope between the MC main character and his love interest(s). What I see here is what I think a lot of other animes need to break a mold from in the over the top moments that are there for fan service. The Blue Box while wholesome, and has the animation where it can do fan service does not do so because it is not warranted, needed or called for.

Let me shift gears and talk about the secondary characters of this anime. As with any trio you have the straight-man, the teaser, and the one stuck in the middle which is Taiki. I will start with Kyou Kasahara who is the straight-man of the friendship trio. While he is straightforward he is able to read the room perfectly and is very forward with his take on Taiki's situations at times. He's the perfect friend for Taiki as it is clear where he can understand Taiki's pecking order in school. Kyou, is also on the badminton team with Taiki, and he can understand his friend's goals. Kyou is what you would call Taiki's eyes, ears, and his "shadow". He will push Taiki to the right thing, but he can't lead Taiki to the promised land of his goals. Hina Chouno is the teaser and girl of the friendship trio, her motives are obviously clear but she is so focused on stuff with Taiki at times she has to refocus on her stuff of being on the rhythm gymnastics team as a solo. She is designated as her respective teams next "ace" as a freshman. She was trained by her father who was a gymnast in his own right and the one who trained her. Overall, she is not my favorite character by a long shot but maybe that will change. Hina is also interviewed by a newspaper about her doing rhythm gymnastics. The expectations we see her try to persevere through is very serious and situational due to the being the daughter of man who completed internationally in his respective sport. Episode six was able to focus on the dynamic of Hina's perspective on things after she found out by accident that Kano was living Taiki and his family. Hina may feel a certain way about not wanting to be told and have it hid from her but giving the perception of Kano's popularity in the school it would have had a negative effect if anyone else found out.

It is amazing how Blue Box within the first few episodes has laid a groundwork of how sports can be viewed in a niche way. A majority of anime fans that I have come across do not watch sports animes. However, Blue Box does enough to show us as viewers what competition can look like from the eyes of teenagers for one. The pressure, training, games, practice, and having a lot of people expecting you to be the one to get to the goal that many could not have gotten to.

The next part of this review is where we are getting into the real meat and potatoes of character growth and development. How we as individuals lose in the moment can either make or break us. How rivals, people who look down on us, and how with all the practice you put in makes you gain a sense of clarity. Taiki is a first year and losing twice in the span of two days for separate tournaments. He won't realize his goal as a first year, but his resolve does not falter him overall. Importantly enough, we see how the school aspect has to take an important role as we all know how in Japan, final exams usually take place before bigger tournaments for students. National tournaments in sports for Japan are big for a lot of high school students who are athletes. Even after his defeat in the prefecture tournaments Taiki is still dejected because Kano is going to her respective Nationals in basketball. This is an important aspect of how Blue Box makes the characters and not just the main ones see the importance of final exams.

As Blue Box progresses, we come to find out and realize that Kano actually has feelings for Taiki. At the time she didn't realize that until after a while. While, I think that best girl in the anime has her own reasons I think what she has seen from Taiki in the past since living with him and his family have made her feel her a certain type of way. She wants to know if Taiki and Hina re dating, but she keeps it herself, as she doesn't want to step on any toes. The bis misunderstanding that has not been resolved is Taiki going to the fireworks festival with Hina. Kano-chan's basketball teammate saw them together, and she probably knows. As we head into the fourth quarter of Blue Box, I think it is important to see that this show how not everyone who is on their respective sports teams can't all be winners. It would be a perfect scenario, and also it would be very cliched. Having everyone come up short shows how much potential there is in the chase and not it all happening all at once.

Overall, I am thoroughly enjoying Blue Box as an anime. While, I like some characters, Hina as a character is not overall doing it for me. I find her to be too conflicting for her own good, she is too comical, and she does not hold a candle to the best girl in Kano-chan. While, Blue Box may not be an overall perfect love story the slow buildup in the anime is very much worth it in the end. This anime really goes to great lengths to get you to care about certain characters over other,s and provide some depth that an anime that has twenty-five episodes rightfully deserves.

Overall, I would rate Blue Box as a solid 7.8 out of possible ten. These last few episodes may make or break this anime being an overall 8 or staying in the overall 7 rating for me.

Where oh where do I begin with season two of Infinite Stratos? This show is more like Infinite Insomnia and not in a good way. I am on the verge of really seeing if this anime can be the cure or cause of insomnia for anyone with sleep issues. This anime is what I could be described as the ultimate filler anime. Where the anime is supposed to give you something great, but it does nothing to progress the story at all. It's like show the villains, give them limited screen time, and expect the buildup to make you feel like everything was worth ... the wait. For an anime with only twelve episodes as of this review, I am on episode six it feels like 95% filler and the other five percent is the actual story.

I literally have fast-forwarded through the dialogue at points to see where the actual story takes place in an episode to find nothing of substance added. Infinite Stratos is best served if you do not watch it at all, and feel like you will gain nothing but constant irritation and your patience lacking because of too much comedy and lack of substance.

Am I happy that I watched this anime? It's a mixed bag feeling.
Would I recommend this anime to anyone who is new to the anime community? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
Do you have to watch this anime with your door locked, windows closed, and make sure you are not disturbed? Yes
Does this anime really do wonders overall for people? That again is a mixed bag feeling

While, I can't say that I hated this anime I can say that I did not love it overall. Take the information and or synopsis of what you read as true face value. If you go into this anime blind then ... that is on you, and like myself I did not know what I was in store for. While the Interspecies reviewers may seem like a good idea on paper, you are quick to see why it got dropped from being streamed from the number 1 legal anime website in the world.

It is not a bad anime if you are one to indulge yourself in this sort of thing, but for your own safety, sanity, and protection. Watch this alone, and don't give this to a first time anime watcher.

This anime has just not got going for me personally. Like a majority of the animes that I have watched, I have never read the manga overall. I went into this anime blind as a bat, and my expectations were less than stellar. From episodes one to five, it felt like it was the same plot over and over again, Sure you get a character here and there for the plot but it feels like it is a very mundane story, that has the saving grace of an opening and ending songs doing more to make up for a lack of structure.

When I read the ... plot of Call of the Night, I thought it would be intense and have this result of character building. It falls flat like a three day Pepsi from a two liter bottle that someone forgot to put back in the fridge after a party. I am twelve episodes in and this anime is a solid five out of ten for me.

Tis Time for Torture Princess, should be re-titled as Tis Time for Torture Anime Watcher. This is an anime that should have easily been twelve to fifteen minutes in terms of watching. A majority of the story really drags out with the secondary characters, and too much of the time you are really hoping for the story to get interesting and it is not doing so.

Nine episodes in and I had to drop it completely, because this was a rinse, repeat, and feel as if nothing really progresses as a total. This is an anime that you would hope with season two is ... shorter. Less is more, and sadly this anime is not going to be remembered for anything really special.

What is growth if we do not experience hardships, suffering, pain, loss, and lack of motivation. This is what Cheer for You will make you see as a viewer. This is more than CGDCT, this is more than just cheerleaders, this is about real human emotions. That we all as people have had to go through in life to get to that next point in our lives. Through the slow burn that this anime helps build up, you see that no matter how you are in life with success. Success can last for minutes, days, hours, or years. It is how you use it ... to make people's lives and yours as well.

Cheer For You could have easily been a 24 episode anime series, and to get to point A to point B with its pacing where nothing felt rushed. We get to see the trials and struggles of the main characters as well. For me if this anime is not something you can't see the past of character development, and real conflict. Then you are absolutely missing out on an underrated anime.

I will continue to be in the vocal minority of not enjoying, liking, or seeing the appeal of the Spy x Family series. I am so glad that I watched this for free on anime website, instead of wasting my hard earned money to see this in a movie theater. This isn't a "if you don't like it, then do watch it" type of deal. This is more so of an idea that you are seeing too many people being blinded by piss poor character arcs, a not well rounded out supporting cast with the exception of Fiona. To say well this anime is what ... you could recommend to a new anime fan. No the hell it is not, wake up people for the love anime WAKE THE HELL UP. This movie was a glorified episode of Spy x.Family, added with toilet humor. In what day and age do we still need toilet humor is our animes, OVAs, ONAs, movies, or specials at all? It is such a disservice because it made the entire movie so much less enjoyable. I already get enough flack from individuals who I know for not liking this entire anime series. This movie made me feel like season 3 of Spy x Family will not get any better. This isn't supposed to be the norm where an anime gets worse and worse at it progresses. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. The drones of people who go online and defend this entire series from start to finish, just blows my mind. Like, what do consider to be good that this anime is making you not see the flaws.

Don't give me "Well it's a family focused anime with action", all I see is a series that can't decide on what it wants to be. I don't need to sit through even a minute of Damian and his two step stools, Becky, or the school because it's the law of diminishing returns. I am not saying people don't need to hate this anime, but what I am saying is please reconsider that if Spy x Family is good. Then, please reconsider recommending anime to other individuals if this is the standard. There are so many animes out there that don't get a second season, a part two, a third season, or.let alone a movie. Those animes get the back burner, but no Spy X Family. Again, unbelievable. I can't fathom being a homer for this anime. Again, if I went to a movie theater and saw this I would have walked out. This money didn't make me laugh, cry, happy. It made me feel constant disdain, and the only saving grace for this movie was Fiona.

WAKE UP PEOPLE. Please, I ask that you really rewatch this movie and a random episode of Spy X Family it is the same shit. Just one is longer, and just bad. I could never in my life recommend this to a newcomer to anime, and I haven't nor will. This movie was just a huge disappointment, let down, and overall where I see the standard of how anime movies can be the norm. If toilet humor is the course, then that's where Spy X Family: Code White is for me. In the toilet, and as an anime fan this made me feel embarrassed to be an anime fan.

If the following things you like that I am about to list then this anime will be for you:
1) An Aloof Main Character
2) Having a character of the day without too much depth
3) Having some characters around and getting no explanation as to how they are important are
4) Constant teases throughout with the main character not getting any better in her personality
5) A real lack of constant emotions
6) Certain characters being at the top all the time
7) Episodes where they feel like a filler to get along to the next point
8) A catchy intro theme song that only Nana Mizuki can do

Then this certainly is ... the anime for you. Highspeed Etoile isn't going to win any awards in terms of excitement, but it can't pass the checkered flag of what the 2024 anime season needs to be good. The animation is one thing, and I am not asking for MAPPA or even P.A Works here but this is an anime that needed more to give you a proper investment to make it's mark. Less is More as some say, but you need more in order to squeeze together the audience to find a person to root for in terms of sports. If you watch sports like I do, then you will always find that team that you will root for.

This anime fails itself in trying too little in order to capture the audience, the first episode gives you some hope. Then episodes two to four happen, and you are like watching a rinse and repeat. What made an anime like Kuroko No Basket great was introductory, pacing, and seeing that your limits will be met at a point. Highspeed Etoile keeps giving you the characters who are at the top, and when they keep on winning you don't have the same level of investment of characters who constantly lose over and over again. The last minute triumph falls short here, because it comes too suddenly and when it is at the last turn.

Highspeed Etoile is not the worst anime of 2024, but it may be up there in a top ten.

A3! as a whole is very nice, compelling, and has some fleshed out moments within the anime. It is not without fault, as goes into the supernatural into the Winter Troupe portion and it adds things that do not need to be there to help get the plot across in an anime having to do with acting/theater overall. A majority of the characters either are new to acting, have a bit of acting experience, or just asked to join the specific season troupe without anything else. Personally, in this viewers opinion I think A3 could have been a bit more serviceable with a few changes. ... No, I did not play the game that this anime is based on. Here is where this anime has missed the mark in an array of aspects. Now, this is coming from someone who has watched a fair amount of idol animes in the past, so this is just my overall opinion on what I would have done a bit differently. For starters I do agree on keeping the concept of having stage actors who have some acting experience around. My first change would be a handful of the characters let's say about three of them in total where all part of the entertainment industry is in a different capacity. One of them was a male idol since childhood, and was a part of a group that had been around for more than a decade. The idol group ended, and the members went their separate ways. But this one character still wanted to be a part of the entertainment industry, but not many takers wanted him. So, he searches for a new way to find and entertains others and comes across the Makkai Company. The other two would be former people who left the entertainment industry behind who never got those big breaks and ended up being typecast. One because of being a child actor and getting older was a detriment that he was getting bit parts in roles as a result, and left acting behind for a handful of years and got back into it after seeing the stage plays. Lastly, number three was always the supporting role but never got those important lead roles that he trained hard for, and left things behind for many years and only came back to show people that they made a mistake on him by not giving his big chance.

Overall, A3! is a good watch but it leaves a lot to be desired in a lot of potential areas that bring off growth. The same process over and over for each troupe gets exhausting, Some of the characters you can look at, dislike, and will sometimes just get annoyed with after their shtick is repetitive after a while. While the Spring and Summer one can deliver to be a solid 7 out of 10, Autumn and Winter falls into a solid 6 out of 10.