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If you go into this manga expecting a thoughtful exploration of BDSM, you're going to walk away disappointed. The author isn't especially involved in the subculture, so what's depicted in the story is mostly surface level at best. At worst, it can be problematic and unflattering.

Likewise, anyone looking for a romance story isn't going to find much of one here. Surprisingly, the topic of love only comes up rarely and mostly towards the end, and it isn't especially deep or complex either.

People looking for a smutty ecchi manga will similarly be disappointed. If you're already interested in bondage, you might get some enjoyment ... out of the situations presented here, but the content is pretty tame and restrained overall. Yes, there are some more extreme scenes, but they're few and far between. And the art style itself is fine, but you will notice the occasional error that signifies a more amateur work, which this is. That's not meant to be a knock against the creator, because we all have to start somewhere. But these things do stand out.

So what's left? It's a drama, plain and simple. You'll see multiple "love" triangles. You'll see scandals. You'll see misconceptions born from a lack of communication. It's the kind of story that tries to give the class bully a redemption arc just to keep him from fading into the background.

If you know what you're getting into, you may very well find enjoyment in this manga. Personally, I thought it could have gone a little farther, a little deeper. It'd be worth following the author to see what else they come up with, though.

There's not much I can say about Chainsaw Man that hasn't been said already. The first several episodes make a striking impression, with a deceptively smart plot, beautiful animation, stunning direction and glorious, bloody fight scenes. Take your average shounen action show, throw out the childish idealism and replace it with a cast of flawed, selfish and entertaining badasses, and you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Oh, and they have a different ED song and animation for each episode. Clearly, a lot of effort was put into this show.

Unfortunately, things do get a little rushed in the final handful of episodes. ... The animation quality dips a little bit, and the show ends right when it feels like things are getting started. Episode 11 introduces several secondary characters that are obviously going to play a bigger part in the story going forward, but here, they barely have enough screen time to fill one scene. Chainsaw Man was in dire need of a second cour, but I have confidence the show's immense popularity will net us a second season before too long.

Overall, fantastic! The moment I finished the final episode, I went out and started reading the manga. It's just that good.

On the surface, 'Yofukashi no Uta' doesn't really do anything super special. It's a slow-paced supernatural romance story that doesn't really get too far with its scant thirteen episodes, leaving several side characters and plot threads underdeveloped by the time the final credits roll. In that sense, it definitely feels like an advertisement for the manga.

However, this adaptation leverages the strengths of animation to create one of the finest atmospheres I've ever seen in an anime. It's a celebration of the night, and perfectly captures the sense of freedom and wonder that you can only experience when moving through familiar spaces long after everyone ... else has gone to bed. From beautiful, purple-hued cityscapes to empty playgrounds, the setting is lonely but eerily inviting. Pair that with the incredible soundtrack, and you've got an audiovisual treat; the sort of show that's perfect for helping you relax. Think of it as a slice-of-(night)life. Aside from that, the characters are dopey and charming in their own unique ways, there's some legitimately funny parts and even a little bit of mild but classy fanservice, if that's what you're looking for.

It's difficult to recommend this to total strangers. Honestly, you really have to be in the mood for a calm, low-stakes show with a sense of place and a well-crafted atmosphere. But if you're already looking at this show, thinking that the premise sounds interesting, you're probably in the right mindset to enjoy it, so give it a shot.

For a story called Monster Wrestling, there isn't actually that much wrestling on display here. Instead, the sports angle is just window dressing for an action/ecchi/comedy where monster girls duke it out with magic and over-the-top special attacks rather than conventional pro wrestling moves.

It's admittedly fun to watch the lead grow from a timid rookie to a certified badass, but ultimately the story isn't anything you haven't seen before. What you may not have seen, however, are some of the unusual monster picks and unconventional designs given to the characters. It's like the artist made an effort to differentiate this manga from other wildly ... popular monster girl series, and while the appeal may suffer a little in some instances, I applaud the creativity.

Speaking of the art, it's definitely an acquired taste. It's very angular and stylized, with exaggerated anatomy. And I'll admit, there were several panels, particularly during the fight scenes, where I had no idea what was going on. The action doesn't always flow well, and you're not always sure what you're looking at. You just know somebody got walloped.

Clocking in at only 37 chapters, it's rather short. I get the impression that the series wasn't doing so hot, but it was afforded the dignity of getting an actual ending. On the one hand, it feels like the creators had to rush in the final act, but on the other hand, I'm not sure what else they could have done with the story. It really would have just been more training and more fights, with the occasional gag thrown in for good measure. Overall, it's not the worst thing out there, but I doubt it's going to stick with most readers over the long haul.

Honestly, I kind of wish I hadn't watched this show.

Every character is extremely likeable, relatable and believable. They talk and act like real, complex human beings instead of walking tropes, and it makes the romantic story beats hit you that much harder. I can easily see myself in both of the leads, and I think many of the people watching this show can say the same thing.

The animation quality starts off incredibly strong and remains consistently above average throughout the entire season. Even some pretty big shows start to phone it in after a few episodes, but this little rom-com delivers quality production values episode ... after episode.

I learned quite a bit about cosplay and the culture that surrounds it. If I can walk away from a slice-of-life saying I know a little bit more about its subject matter than I did before, that's definitely a plus.

And yes, the fanservice and ecchi scenes are top notch too. They rarely feel contrived, and they manage the delicate balancing act of being sexy and classy at the same time. The quality of the art leads to fantastic spicy content, which in turn makes the romance all the more satisfying.

So yeah, part of me wishes I hadn't watched this show because I know it's going to be a very, very, very long time before another series comes along that can match or surpass this one. With any luck, the immense popularity of this show will raise the bar for the entire genre, but maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part. I know I'm going to be starting on the manga before too long, desperately looking forward to a season 2.

If you liked Silver Spoon, but thought it needed more jokes and fanservice, then here you go. It's wacky and silly and never takes itself seriously (with the exception of the last two episodes, which touch briefly upon the declining state of rural Japan).

The animation goes downhill shockingly fast after the first episode, and outside of the main cast, every supporting character pretty much has one gag that they repeat indefinitely. On the other hand, the leads are charming and the series has a relaxing sense of place. I even learned a thing or two, which is something I crave from slice-of-life shows.

Nourin is ... hardly revolutionary, and I doubt I'll remember it years from now, but while it's fresh in my memory, I thought it was an enjoyable way to chill out and enjoy a few laughs.

It took me 22 years and multiple reads before I felt as if I "got" the original Ghost in the Shell, and maybe that'll be the case with it's sequel. But right now, after reading it for the very first time, my initial impression is simply utter confusion.

The dialogue is dense with technical, political, economic and philosophical jargon. Frankly, I found it impossible to tell what's going on in the story at any given moment. If figuring out Motoko's motivation for going someplace or doing something is that difficult, I can forget about wrapping my head around the overarching plot. The author's notes that frequently ... pop up in the margins help a little bit, but they're an inelegant solution at best.

For a series known for its badass weapons, shootouts and fight scenes, there's disappointingly little action to be found here. Most "action" scenes simply feature Motoko's naked, ephemeral body floating through cyberspace while she barks out orders about viruses, mazes and attack barriers. And this goes on for page after page. If the artist wanted to create a visual depiction of hacker battles in the year 2035, he succeeded, but the end result isn't very exciting or compelling.

Masamune's art still holds up wonderfully today, but with the gift of hindsight, I will admit that his anatomy is a tad wonky; Rob Liefeld-esque waistlines abound and so many panels are perfectly framed to capture a butt or crotch. Take that however you will. Masamune was clearly one of the earlier adopters of computers in the manga-making process, so you'll see a lot of CG models and coloring. Some of it works, but the rare black-and-white pages are more of a treat.

I'm not a huge Ghost in the Shell fan, but I've always been curious enough to dabble in the series here and there. And in my limited experience, this is one of the weaker entries. It has its strong points, but it'll probably be a few years before I attempt to decipher it again.

How you feel about the first season of Demon Slayer will dictate how you feel about the movie. It's literally more of the same, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Actually, it's a testament to the show's animation quality and stunning fight scenes; they were already good enough to be in a movie. And when you start with such a high bar, it's difficult to raise it much further for the theatrical release.

That being said, the story is simplistic and classically shonen to a fault. The villains explain everything in long-winded monologues, back-and-forth fights are overcome with the power of youthful determination... that sort ... of thing. I'm not a big fan of the genre, but this is probably one of the best examples of it. And for that, I give it my praise, attention and enough money to purchase a theater ticket.

Most fantasy anime draws inspiration from video games, but Goblin Slayer is the closest thing I've seen to a Dungeons & Dragons anime since Record of Lodoss War. Fights are won through the application of clever tactics rather than flashy special moves. All the characters, while charming, embody class archetypes to the point where they don't even have real names. Meanwhile, the story itself eschews one big, epic plot and instead feels like a series of loosely connected adventures that you and your friends would play out with dice and ability scores. This might turn off some people, and I didn't know what to make ... of it myself until halfway through the series, but in the end I found it enjoyable.

On the production side of things, the animation is seldom horrible but rarely remarkable, though the soundtrack and voice acting fares better. Everything feels appropriate, but at the same time a little generic.

Also, you can't talk about Goblin Slayer without addressing the infamous first episode. I'd heard a lot of discussion about its themes of sexual assault before going in, and it's definitely there (while resurfacing occasionally throughout the rest of the series). I was honestly bracing myself for something extreme, but on a scale of 1 to Berserk, Goblin Slayer falls somewhere around a 3. I can't recommend the series to anyone who's sensitive to that subject matter, but if you can get past it, the rest of the show does have stuff you'd probably find enjoyable.

Three episodes in, I was ready to declare Pyscho-Pass 3 an excellent season of one of my favorite shows. The music was good, the animation was beautiful, fight scenes were complex and brutal, the new cast of characters were starting to grow on me and cameos from the old characters gave some of them more opportunities to shine than they had in the past two seasons (plus the movies). I was really digging it.

Then about halfway through, I noticed a slight dip in the animation quality. The fight scenes became more sporadic and rushed. The dominators only came out a handful of times. And while ... I appreciate getting a different perspective on the world of Psycho-Pass compared to the previous seasons, stories about real estate scams and election rigging just don't capture one's attention like stories of lunatics and serial killers. The first two seasons bordered on horror in some places, and there was legitimate tension that a main character could die at any moment.

For the most part, that tension is gone in the third season. By the final episode, the characters and situation may have certainly developed, but so many story threads are left dangling, teasing another season. I like a good cliffhanger as much as the next guy, but it feels like there's no meaningful denouement here at all, and that's unfortunate.