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Vigilante: Boku no Hero Academia Illegals extends the themes of the My Hero Academia universe into the shadier quarters of heroism, positioning itself as a derelict version of our superhero digs, for lack of a better term. These three episodes of Bones Film, however, are weighed down by they lack lustre. The show follows the exploits of a Quirk-weak college kid who goes rogue, and want's to be a gritty rebellion but feels more interested in utilizing tropes we have seen before, with tired characters and and uneven quality.

The Good: The premise has some promise; the act of being an unlicensed hero and fighting crime ... absent of consequences that ranked pros dismiss is a defiant 'get bent' to society. The seedy crime underbelly tries to provoke questions about moral blending, suggesting a realm where justice walks the tighrope over a chasm of desperation. The trio of misfits fighting crime has a scrappy charm about them. Action sequences are fairly vibrant and kinetic, with a distinct comic book energy inside the martial arts choreography, conveying an electrifying comic-book feel enhanced by lines and colors. The title sequence boasts a thumping anthem and the sound design is gritty and foreshadowing a life lived on the urban fringe, raising the stakes in a tantalizing way.

The Bad: The story trudges like a disheveled drifter reminiscing from a failed adolescence, rehashing shonen tropes from tired standbys (underdog struggles) to cringe-worthy mentor rants, diluting the potential for excitement. The heroic theme of vigilantism barely scratches the surface of moral decay, choosing instead to portray class and societal divides as unrefined aesthetic choices. The main character is without substance, and the desire for him to be driven seems to be a place to glue the plot together, and the main characters fall short on the case of archetypes. Their quirks work like fashionable luxury toys without a hint of grit. The animation wanders away from competent backdrops and unrelenting stand-still poses are evident of limited resources, The score drops lightly out of scare and there is no drama or tension in the confines of the audio design, so fights feel lame more than anything. This is not even an interesting take, it is simply MHA in grunge filter, but meek in nature.

I was looking forward to gut-punch swipes to the genre, The vigilante intrigue had me interested and hopeful, but this take on the framework is fragile at best or an uninspired echo without the fire like MHA. The premise is promising, the art teases at grandeur, and the line of storytelling is spineless. The main character is forgettable and the aesthetic is weak at best, although I feel that someone who is a faithful follower of shonen might take a bite of it. Ultimately, Vigilante: Boku no Hero Academia Illegals is less a roaring triumph like a marvel Netflix show like Daredevil, and more like a dull pencil drawing of the original with faded colors.

Danjo no Yuujou wa Seiritsu suru? is a bubbly rom-com about a friendship gone wrong (surprise!). Three episodes from J.C. Staff down, I feel as if this show came up short. Following a girl and her best guy friend, an affable flower-loving dreamer, their friendship becomes disentangled as feelings are stirred by an old crush. I wanted to love this anime, especially considering the cozy setup and chances for sweetness, but unfortunately, the writing feels thin, the characters are grating, and the production values do not help the circumstances.

What Works: A premise about whether boy-girl friendships can remain platonic is a fun, fresh premise, ... leaning into the awkward, messy tension inherent with unspoken feelings. Also, the story's setting of juxtaposing small-town high school life along with a gardening club makes for nostalgic slice-of-life vibes. The supporting characters, not to mention the energetic leading female, offered small bursts of energy, given they were incidental to the main narrative. For the most part, animation is pleasing in bright and colorful scenes of floral scenery and whatnot. The opening song is a catchy, bubbly earworm of a jam that captures the heart of the rom-com premise nicely, and the voice acting actors certainly captured the emotional moments of the script well.

What Tanks It: Seriosuly. The pacing felt slow, filled with mind-orders of predictable rom-com tropes. Unnecessary cliches were paired with awkwardness of the slow burning of chasing within friendships while being cliche. Two of the three episodes included a typical love-triangle trope that fell flat during a pivotal point of the potential love interest. As others have highlighted, there were no emotional stakes in the plot, and the lead boy is comes across as a dull vocabulary word meaning empty: a "blank slate." Additionally, his flower obsession just seems more of a quirk than a personality. The lead girl knows how to deliver a good performance, but I marvel at how annoying she becomes when her antics are cranked up a bit. There are also enough supporting characters that they might provide a balance to her annoyance, but nope. The animation completely suffers in quiet moments, often losing any movement to character models, while being supported by dull backgrounds that led to a flat world. Unfortunately, the score will not be remembered, which would ordinarily offset some of the disappointment, and sound effects do not do anything but stunt the moments that are supposed to be more emotional. In its totality, the writing, characters, plot, animation, score, and sound effects come across as so shallow "generic" that it hurts.

I was prepared for a nice, quaint little ride of friendship and love; instead, the writing, lead character, and visuals disconnected any heart. It isn't bad; it just lacks heart and feel and energy. It seeks to achieve Horimiya levels of vibe, but ends up playing like a family budget take on the show. I can see some rom-com fans burrow through the fluff, but this anime will need a deep commitment spark to coach the show to shine.

The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows tries to lure you in with a scrappy healer overcoming an apparent betrayal, but the mangled first three episodes from Studio Makaria feel like a half-baked pie. Based on a light novel, this adaptation follows a healer born in the slums who is abandoned by his party and opens a clinic in a slum for other outcasts. The underdog premise and cozy group have some charm. Still, the lazy writing, shallow depth, and shaky production make it a hard sell. Here's a breakdown of what works and doesn't work.

What Works: The core concept of a healer sticking ... it to the system by helping the downtrodden is pure heart and allows the story to have a grounded, feel-good pulse. Additionally, the idea of a clandestine clinic in this fantasy world stirs up intrigue about class and authority. Although not earth-shattering, the supporting cast has gregarious and lively banter that keeps things for the most part from going completely flat. The animation shines through during action scenes and the colorful magic effects bring a bit of sparkle to an otherwise gritty aesthetic. The opening track is a dance-pop banger that strikes the right optimistic vibe of the show.

What Tanks It: Overall, the story is a bore. It recycles every "kicked-out hero" trope with no freshness or stakes to speak of. The story feels limp as it lacks anticipation or surprises and the emotional beats feel to happen on autopilot. The lead healer character is a blank slate archetype - gritty but with zero real personality to grab you. The supporting cast (while fun) is a trove of fantasy archetype throwbacks and real depth. The animation stumbles hard during slower paced scenes: the movements feel stiff, the backgrounds appear dull, and the world feels cheap. The score feels forgettable and barely exists aside from the opening track and the sound design is sometimes so weak you do not even feel the tension of typical fights or moments of drama.

Overall, I was ready to cheer for this scrappy healer and his ragtag band - the heart to do so feels to be there - but the generic plot lines, dull lead character, and shaky visuals don't hold deliver. It has Banished from the Hero's Party energy without any of the polish. I can see where the more cozy bits may be appealing for ieakai fans. But setting this aside, this would need a serious kick to make it stand out.

Your Forma aspires for cyberpunk grandeur in a reality where technology can follow any thought, but these three episodes from Geno Studio miss the mark for a frustrating capper. Based on a light novel, the story involves an investigator who dives into memories and her android assistant to solve crimes. It is one of those coordinating plots that promises suspense and excitement. There is some glimmer of something sharp here, but the jarring pacing, dull characters, and slippy production values hampered it.

What's Good: The premise—the investigator deciphers crimes through people's memories—is pure sci-fi gold, oozing potential for directions where you have one twist after another. ... The android assistant has an snarky charm that brings life back into the grim world. The ethical questions of overall invasive technology give the story some brainy quality, making you contemplate where it will go next. The opening score is a standout catchy number, and sets a rude tone. The animation is energetic for more high-action scenes—at least it gives a sleek futuristic appearance. All of these pieces—the concept, the delightful character, and the occasional flair of visuals—are enough to keep you hoping better days are ahead.

What's Bad: The pacing of the story so difficult—and so difficult, I don't know what else to say—it's kerplunking between quick resolutions and vague setups that lead nowhere. The story lacks emotional weight and much of the opportunities during the moral question do not feel substantive. The lead investigator is a charisma void—tough, but too cold to keep you around. Everyone supporting has a situational appearance and disappears without leaving any impact at all. The animation struggles during quieter moments, offering stiff expressions and generic backdrops that take away depth in the world. The score tries for atmosphere but isn't colorful. The sound, then, is too weak to build tension. Overall it's more like a half-baked pitch than a final, polished project.

I desperately wanted this to be a sharp sci-fi treat—the concept alone is interesting—but Your Forma trips over itself. The story is up and down, the lead is a bore, and the production choices are too sloppy to sell it. It hangs around Psycho-Pass in concept, even but it definitely imitates a weaker version. Sci-fi heads might put up with it, just for the ideas, but it does need a shake-up to matter.

Kijin Gentoushou, animated by Yokohama Animation Lab and based on a novel by Moto'o Nakanishi, begins with a provocative, tragic premise set in the Edo period of Japan. Jinta is a stoic guardian to shrine maiden Itsukihime, both in Kadono village, fighting demons, while dealing with his own demonic nature. In three episodes (the first episode being a short-length special), this dark fantasy incorporates time travel, swordplay, and existential questions about one's purpose. While the worldbuilding and emotional moments show promise, uneven efforts with animation and pacing prevent it from being the best it could have been.

We learn how Jinta and his half-demon sister ... Suzune escape a terrible father in the first episode, and find a spot to settle in Kadono. From there, we learn about Shirayuki, who will future become Itsukihime, and through the episode, we build familial bonds between the three of them, only to have those bonds destroyed after a tragic timeskip, once Suzune's demonic nature emerges by declaring ruin on humans. Episodes 2 and 3 are done in a 'monster-of-the-week' format, where Jinta, now ronin, is hunting demons, specifically a serial killer case in episode 3 that works as a gut-punch in part because of Mosuke's backstory of loss. The nonlinear storytelling and thematics of duty and regret kept things compelling. Yet, the abrupt 170-year timeskip felt jarring compared to the setting of the first episode and left emotional beats undeveloped.

It is during these moments, where Jinta's reserved yet compassionate nature shines, especially in listening to the demons' stories, such as Mosuke in episode 3. Nonetheless, his stoicism gets close to bland. Suzune's unhinged nature eerily fits in the crazy demonic world, though after episode 1, Suzune is absent for most episodes, which is disappointing. Shirayuki's warmth was engaging, which makes her fate in episode 1 emotional. Whereas other supporting characters like Mosuke added depth, others felt fleeting and less important.

Finally, Yokohama's animation was the weakest link here. The dark, gritty art suits the tone well, but action scenes lacked well-punched animation and had unfinished frames entirely, with episode 2's demon fight as the worst example. The accompanying score by MONACA had an atmosphere, but it was also unmemorable. Direction also lacked any tension to subtly elevate the moments key to the story like other standout dark fantasies, including Vinland Saga.

Overall, Kijin Gentoushou, with its complex demons and human flaws, intrigued me, especially the serial killer arc in episode 3 suggesting an area to explore deeper storytelling. However, the production inconsistencies/redundancies and rushed pacing certainly reduced the overall quality. But it was engaging enough to watch and sort of nothing to incomparable peers.

The Beginning After the End, Studio A-CAT’s isekai in 2025, features King Grey, reincarnated as the baby, Arthur in a fantasy realm. The first three episodes are a trash fire and barely justifiable to watch. The one redeeming grace is the family connection—Arthur’s longing for his parents’ affection, indicated by his mother’s faint smile a few times, adds a tiny bit of heart, but that’s buried under mediocrity. The visuals are atrocious; stiff and antiquated character designs and empty backgrounds look like a reward-tier fan project. Early “action” sequences, like awkward practice sparring, are static and weightless, never generating any excitement. The visuals of Mushoku ... Tensei makes TBATE look like a dumpster fire in comparison. The score of TBATE is an afterthought, and the pacing is slow with episodes stretched by stereotypical isekai tropes featuring the prodigy child and vaguely defined mana system that is so typical from shows that are leagues better than this. The world is shallow, the inner thoughts from Arthur are sometimes clever or amusing, but not nearly enough to save this snoozefest.

If you are desperately in the market for an isekai series and your tolerance for visual quality is exceptionally low, perhaps you can sit through TBATE. However, there are better shows to legitimate watch than this the worst end of the isekai genre. TBATE is exceedingly forgettable.

TBATE’s meager family heart is sunk by distinguishing horrible animation, lazy action, and bland tropes. Just skip it unless you are one of the most patient isekai files.

Tokidoki Bosotto, a new romantic comedy from Doga Kobo, follows Alya, a half-Russian teenager who slips in her honest romantic feelings in Russian, not knowing her classmate Kuze understands. It is a fun, fresh premise on high school romance with a linguistic twist, but it is not always successful. The main distinction for the show is Alya's bilingual charm, her Russian asides provide a softer side from her tsundere exterior. The humor only really pops during Alya and Kuze's banter; the two characters share chemistry and it is able to carry the show.

Animation from Doga Kobo is crisp; Alya's cute character design makes it easy ... for the story to be visually engaging. The voice acting, particularly Sumire Uesaka's Alya, capitalizes on the mix between confident and flustered. However, the show falters. The Russian gag gets old quickly and the show leans too much into classic rom-com plot elements.. school festivals, love rivalries, etc. rather than leaning into the uniqueness of the original premise. Pacing is also an issue for the plot; the story was bogged down by side plots, such as student council drama, and forgot the main romance plot. Supporting characters have their hits and misses; some add spice, others felt like filler.

If you are one that likes light rom-coms with witty leads, you would probably enjoy this. However, if you are looking for a more nuanced story, you would be left empty. It is charming, but not engaging.