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Overall: 8.5/10

Story and Execution: 8/10
Characters: 9.25/10
Production Values: 8.25/10
Entertainment: 8.5/10


I never thought I would say this about any anime like, ever, but Bocchi the Rock is actually really relatable.

The titular character Hitori, affectionately referred to as Bocchi by her band mates, has to be the best representation of social anxiety in anime, and I'm all for it. Yeah, she'll go overboard with it sometimes and internally remind us that she has social anxiety a little too much for my liking, but there's no way I'm gonna nitpick on this when Bocchi is leaps and bounds above 'similar' characters from other anime I've seen. None of whom ... ever seem to resonate with me like this girl has, usually due to being portrayed as either TOO weird or their situations are just TOO depressing for drama purposes. Bocchi is a healthy mix of realistic mannerisms, facing social difficulties, and funny shenanigans, and I found myself really invested in her story.

A story which is quite relatable to me personally. Now I'm going to talk about my own completely unrelated life (I'm sorry) to draw some comparisons here, because I legitimately feel a connection to this pink haired, fictional anime girl. Now perhaps you personally don't share similarities with Bocchi's musical identity, but even without that, this anime does a phenomenal job at demonstrating her goals and struggles that any viewer can appreciate. Like Bocchi, I also fancy myself as a sort of musician, and practice my singing at home all the time (for many, MANY years now...) like she does for guitar, as opposed to actually going outside and doing things because dark, enclosed spaces are nice and safe (don't pity me pls). The difference between us is that she's able to post her music online, something in which I've always been afraid and lacked the self esteem to do, whereas I've performed live in front of audiences frequently, which is something that Bocchi is petrified of. We're sort of flipped here, but the main theme still stands, which is a constant fear of failure and criticism. Though once again like Bocchi, we've both been told that we're really good (her online and me irl), but as much as I wished that such feedback would completely elevate confidence permanently, we still get scared when performing. Though it sure does feel good in the moment (praise is something that I absolutely love to hear but will try very hard to not let show how much I crave it), something that once again is expertly portrayed by Bocchi through some creative visual effects.

And that, dear reader, is exactly why I find this anime to be so great. Because I can find myself putting myself in Bocchi's shoes and acting similarly, which no anime I've seen to date has ever been able to successfully do this for me with their characters while STILL being super entertaining. On multiple occasions I would predict how Bocchi would respond to certain situations, and I would be right. Now some might say that such predictability isn't good, but in this case, I completely disagree. It's perfect because, to circle back to the main theme here, Bocchi is RELATABLE, and I can really connect with a character who I can sympathize with and understand. I can't stress enough just how well written this girl is.

She's also super hilarious. Like damn, many of the gags in this had me burst out laughing. I especially love when she basically writes herself off as dead and the end credits start rolling, it's just so good. And her voice actress is excellent, really elevating Bocchi's emotions through her tone, range, and just general talent. Let's also not forget the great visuals, which really add to the comedic value of these scenes. It was always amusing to watch Bocchi's face become less and less detailed until it transformed into a scrambled mess. Just great production all around.

And of couse, this isn't to detract from the rest of the cast, who are all enjoyable in their own way. These girls are more like the usual type you'd find in a good slice a life/music anime, with them being mostly cute, upbeat and friendly. And in Ryou's case, plain weird, but in a funny, endearing way. It's always nice for a lead character, especially one with social anxiety, to have a solid friend group, and these girls definitely do the trick.

I was very surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this. Just by looking at my favorites, you can probably tell that I'm more of an 'ACTION, VIOLENCE, EPIC STUFF!!!' type of guy, but Bocchi the Rock is certainly one of, if not the most entertaining slice of life anime that I've ever seen. It's definitely worth a watch!

I do actually hope that you don't find Bocchi as relatable as I do. Because that would mean that you have a lot of character building growth ahead of you lol.

Heh, I can't believe how incredibly popular and highly rated Spy X Family has become. Especially when it isn't an anime that contains a lot of the more "epic" or "emotional" moments that a lot of the other top shows on this site bring to the table. But I too have been captived by it's charm ever since reading the Manga. So what's the secret formula that makes Spy X Family a resounding success? Let's dive into it, shall we?

And no, it's not because the characters are relatable. There's absolutely no way...unless of course you happen to be a spy, an esper, an assassin, or ... have started a fake family for the sake of world peace. In which case yeah, I guess you could relate.

The setup of the anime is solid without being too detailed. Viewers learn that the state of this anime's world revolves around the incredibly strained relationships between two rivaling nations with heavy inspiration from East and West Germany during the Cold War Era and how our protagonist Loid Forger, a.k.a. Agent Twilight, a.k.a. best fake father and fake husband ever, is given a super special secret mission to get close to a leader of his opposing nation for the sake of striving for world peace. We're quickly given the scoop for what the anime is going to be about, and it's done well. I do wish there was a little more world building since aside from a few explanations of some jobs and roles that people have in this fictitious society, we don't get as much as I would like in terms of really fleshing out this world and making it feel like an immersive place that makes sense. But this isn't the primary focus of the anime and is still executed well enough, so this is mainly just me nitpicking a little.

What Spy X Family truly is is a character focused comedy. I really enjoy how unlike other stories that try to hide a character's true role and motivations to be revealed near the end as some sort of plot twist, we know absolutely everything about these characters from the get-go. Everything is revealed to the viewer, and that unique yet excellent approach in my mind is one reason why this anime truly stands out. Now if the core cast were normal people, then this wouldn't be a big deal.

But they are most certainly not normal.

I already mentioned how Loid is a spy. Well, his mission involves creating a family and having his child attend a prestigious school in order to get close to his target. And this is where the fun begins. He adopts a small girl named Anya...who can read everyone's mind...as his daughter and marries a bit of an airheaded woman named Yor...who assassinates people as a job. And where Spy X Family truly shines in my mind is in the bonds these three share. Each of them pose as a member of this family for their own secretive purposes, and it's just really engaging to see how they keep so much from each other while still slowly bonding and becoming a real family. Because damn, the author is excellent at depicting their relationships. So let's get into this trio!

Anya actually acts like a child unlike most anime kids I've seen, and she's incredibly endearing. The girl craves excitement, and since she's the only one who knows everything that's going on, she loves this seemingly normal yet secretly crazy environment. And I would like to take a moment to mention just how great of a character Anya is in general. Of course she has her legendary meme face, but she's just such a fun character in all of her entirety. She has so many great moments across all the episodes and just really shines like a Stella Star. I'd honestly say that she's the most entertaining anime girl that I've seen in a long time. I actively burst out laughing during several of her moments, which is pretty rare for me. Anya truly is best daughter!

Of course there's also Yor, who is quite enjoyable in her own right. She's probably the most adorable house wife ever while also being a cold killer on her spare time. Huh, what a combo. She's pretty much the definition of both ditzy and deadly, and she combines her two sides in a crazy yet engaging way. Plus her bond with both Loid and Anya is incredibly cute. There are many adorable moments shared within this fake family. And while Loid himself is incredibly stoic and entirely focused on his mission, I really like how he connects with these two and acts as a straight man in many ridiculous scenarios. But he's not prone from doing ridiculous things himself. As the top spy in the world, I can assure you that Loid partakes in many over the top missions that put Tom Cruise from Mission Impossible to shame. Though each of their signature moves seems to be disguising as others so perfectly that they even take on their target's voice, so I guess they're both equally over the top. But it's certainly fun to watch.

Spy X Family is a bundle of entertainment. I focused entirely on the core cast in this review, but the supporting characters like Damian and Becky are all enjoyable as well and bring a little something to the table. Especially during the school scenes. Seriously, those have no business being as entertaining as they are. When reading the Manga, those are the moments that stood out to me the most, and I'm glad to see them excellently adapted here. The Anya vs Damian moments like the punch scene and the dodge ball game especially made me burst out laughing, they're just so well done. I really have to give the combined efforts of Wit Studio and Cloverworks massive props for making such a brilliantly designed show.

Comedy is subjective, so Spy X Family certainly isn't for everyone. But if it's incredibly high scores aren't an indicator, this is certainly one of the best comedies in anime, which can be attributed to the wonderful writing and masterfully set up characters. It has things that I'm sure mostly everyone could enjoy, so I'd wholeheartedly recommend this anime to pretty much anyone who enjoys comedy and likes over the top fun characters. Here's hoping for a sequel to continue Anya's quest at achieving world peace!...well, technically it's Loid's mission, but we all know that Anya is the true hero here.

Attack on Titan. Arguably the most iconic anime of all time. A masterful franchise that never fails to entertain me to the max with each passing season. Yet for this final season part 2 that isn't actually the true final conclusion, I don't know if I can view it as highly as the others. Despite paining me to do so, I unfortunately can't bring myself to compose a gushing review of Attack On-

Eren: What are you doing?

...Eh?

Eren: Start writing HellLyter.

Hwaha!?

... Eren: Did you forget the reason why you're here?

Eren: Isn't it to shamelessly fanboy over my anime?

Eren: For the action, suspense, plot twists. You have to write about how amazing they are.

Eren: And keep moving forward.

Eren: Even if you embarrass yourself through your cringy writing. And even after being embarrassed.

Haa...haa...HAAA...

Eren: This is...the review...

Eren: That you started, isn't it?

GAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

...........

I praised them! Even Season 3 Part 1! With my own hands!!! EREN! I gave 10/10s to every season of Attack On Titan! All but Season 4 Part 1! Are you happy now!? Is this what you wanted!? Will I really become an acclaimed Myanimelist reviewer because of this!?!?

.......

Why...why won't you show me how many "Helpful" clicks I'll get? All the backlash I'll receive...the hate comments for having an anime girl profile pic...was this really the only way?

...You're there, aren't you Critic-kun? From here on, your disparaging views towards this anime won't hold any value. The only opinions that will matter are the overwhelmingly positive ones held by the Yeagerists. I saw...Eren's memory of what comes next. But I never thought it would be so toxic towards people with differing opinions of the anime. Ah! Critic-kun, is that you? You've surely grown in number since the Manga concluded. I'm sorry, I was a really narrow-minded fanboy! I've always brushed aside your judgemental views towards Attack On Titan as ridiculous...Critic-kun! I respect you. I should have spent more time trying to understand where you were coming from!

Critic-kun, stop Eren...as well as cancel culture towards people like you who have different opinions from the majority.

...

Whew, I haven't the faintest idea what came over me there. All I know is that I have this strange desire to fight, fight, fight and keep moving forward...but seriously, this season of Attack On Titan is, to put it bluntly, masterful. And I'm not just saying that because Eren told me to...I think.

I normally go into a lot of depth in my reviews discussing multiple specifics, but in this case, in the off change that you haven't already seen this season (which most likely means that the entire first half of this review sounds like total gibberish to you), I don't want to give anything away. You have to go into this blind for the full effect, trust me. I will say that the first 6 episodes of this season are the greatest anime episodes I've seen since, well, the first 6 episodes of Season 3 Part 2 of this very same franchise. And even then, I would argue that these are actually better. Everything that happens in these episodes from the get-go are nothing short of incredible. Yeah, I'm not doing that great of a job as a reviewer right now and feel more like a hype man, but what can I say, I'm in awe. And words are definitely failing me. The fights, the atmosphere, the music and voice acting, the characters and their interactions, the development (shout out to Gabi for having many great moments here. She really SHOT A HEAD of my expectations for her), the twists, the revelations, the big moments, then the even BIGGER moments, wow. Everything is just so spectacular. It's the complete package deal of all I could ask for in a single season of an anime...besides lacking some much needed Mikasa screen time and development, but hey, nothing can be 100% flawless, right?

The second half does admittedly fall off a little after things start to cool down. Pretty much the remainder of the surviving cast meet up Avengers style to face-off against the world ending threat. Honestly, it does feel a bit rushed at points in terms of characters coming together. There are of course some in-fighting moments due to differing ideologies and other events that are pretty solid, but not quite at the level of this season's first half. I usually would feel a little let down when something builds up so well and then cools off later on without ever ascending to it's previous heights again, but the first half just set the bar so astronomically high that I can't be disappointed. All I can say is that this was such a great experience, and I hope that you can enjoy it as much as I.

Whatever your feeling towards Attack On Titan, I would wholeheartedly recommend this to literally everyone. To me, the defining feature of any piece of media is its ability to entertain. I watch shows to derive enjoyment, so I value that aspect of a work above everything else. And honestly, I don't believe there will ever be another anime quite as entertaining as Attack On Titan.

It looks like the final episode teased a 2023 release for the next installment. I hope to see you there for the finale! Hopefully the final finale this time!

I welcome you to the latest installment of...WAIFU WARS!!!

A recent phenomenon where current popular anime are often completely spearheaded by one girl. Nothing else, such as an insightful plot or having a non generic protagonist, matters in the face of this one girl. Creators think, "How can I sell my work and get it recognized by the public?" And the answer they arrive at is really quite simple.

People. Want. Waifus.

There are multiple varieties of anime that could potentially fit this mold, so I'll give you some of the bigger names that I believe really exemplify the Waifu Wars mentality. The prequels to My Dress ... Up Darling if you will. We have...

Takagi-San, The Forehead Menace

Uzaki-Chan, Attack of the Big Ol' Boobies

Nagatoro-San, Revenge of the Tanned Bully

But now another contender has entered the ring. And her name is Marin, A New Waifu.

So I don't really know what just came over me there, but, uhh...let's get into the review! I'm going to keep it brief since as I alluded to, anime of this nature are very basic at their core. My Dress Up Darling remains consistently stalwart in its lighthearted themes and direction throughout, and me going over the specifics and delving deep into them honestly seems unnecessary...and will save you the pain of reading a boring essay from me. You're welcome. This show is very comfy in nature, and from my perspective, whether or not you enjoy it entirely boils down to two things: Your affinity for Slice of Life styled shows and your enjoyment of the characters...particularly Marin the waifu, the selling point of the entire series.

As you've probably guessed from seeing my score, My Dress Up Darling, while I find to be fine, simply didn't pass this criteria for me. Slice of Life really isn't a preferred genre of mine, though that's not to say that I'm always automatically dismissive of such shows. Like this anime, Nagatoro-San also primarily focuses on the regular lives and laid-back antics of some students, yet the presentation and delivery just captivated me more. I respect My Dress Up Darling's author for taking a more original approach in terms of the interests of the two protagonists and how they come together because of them. Gojo being a Hina Doll maker and enthusiast and Marin being an avid cosplayer and...gasp...'NERD', was neat. Though it felt like after that was established, not really much else was done in developing both them and the scenarios they engaged in. It was cute how Marin went from completely cool around Gojo to a little blushy-blush after starting to fall for him, but that was honestly it. I mean the entire first half of the anime alone was focused solely on Gojo making an outfit for Marin. Yes, multiple things were shown throughout this episodic process such as how hardworking Gojo is and the extraordinary detail that the animators put into showing Marin's boob physics, butt checks, sweaty body, and more (I'm sure they worked very hard to try and get the viewers hard). Yet by the end of it, I couldn't help but think "that was it?" Yes, it's a simple and easygoing anime by design, but I personally wanted more out of it.

Now on to the characters themselves. There really isn't much to say about our hero Gojo. I do like how he's portrayed as a sort of yes man due to his lack of social interaction, but not much else is done with him besides frequently describing his passion for Hina Dolls. He just really embodies the "nice guy" trope. The side cast is incredibly limited, but they do elevate the show. I liked Sajuna Inui and honestly thought she was the most entertaining character in the show despite her limited screen time. Let's hope the author gives her more exposure down the line instead of completely removing her from the story in the foreseeable future!

But now, we finally get to core of My Dress Up Darling. Marin. So I'll get straight to the point. She's too perfect. She's a colorful, captivating person. She has a perfect body despite her terrible eating habits. She's into things that most people watching this anime probably like. She's perfectly fine with showing off her body. And most importantly, she's ALWAYS kind and understanding. Does anyone else see how this is a problem? I feel like this anime can be considered a RomCom, and the key element of this genre is showing how flawed characters come together to grow, yet I'm not feeling that at all with this. Marin is such an ideal girl that it's boring. Let me give a comparison to my favorite RomCom, Toradora. The heroine Taiga is a small girl with scruffy, brown hair. While cute, she's definitely no ideal beauty. She has serious communication problems and violent tendencies due to parental neglect and social awkwardness. There are other components to her, but she really isn't painted in that great of a light at the beginning of the anime. And I adore her so much more in every way than Marin, who was practically written for the sole purpose of being adored by the audience immediately upon her introduction. That's because my enjoyment of Taiga was EARNED through her excellent growth as a person in addition to her evolving relationships throughout the show. I didn't really have an idea what a Tsundere was before watching Toradora, yet it became one of my favorite character tropes primarily thanks to Taiga.

Meanwhile, Marin just doesn't have anything like this. She's a fun girl, sure. And she doesn't necessarily need to be more flawed, I just wish she was given more to work with. ANYTHING to work with.

I'll quickly go over some technical aspects. You can tell that the majority of the animation budget went into Marin's body (the animators are most definitely men/women of culture) but CloverWorks still did a decent job overall, especially with the usage of some different animation styles and the sheer expressiveness of the cast. I'll probably get some flack for this, but while I found Marin's voice actress to be good, the voice itself just didn't fit with the character for me. Also, several insert tracks stood out to me for the wrong reasons due to not personally being a fan of the compositions, such as the one that plays sometimes when Marin is being "silly".

Well, My Dress Up Darling really isn't for me. It's mildly entertaining and I did smile here and there, but I wanted a lot more out of it. If you like Marin's character and just enjoy more relaxing anime in general, than you'll definitely like this more than me. That's all I got. I'll see you later for the next installment of Waifu Wars!

I need a herooooo!!! I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the ni, ight~!
He's gotta be a chick magnet
And he's gotta have no personality
And he's gotta be...a realist!?!?

Realist Hero might seem like it's not worth your time on the surface. The premise certainly sounds familiar. Man gets transported to a fantasy world and is tasked with helping it out with his knowledge and/or power. He meets many impressionable young girls along the way, including a knight and an animal girl loli, and they all fall for him for inexplicable reasons. If this storyline sounds bland and soulless to you, then ... that's because you've seen this anime before in the form of Death March, Isekai wa Smartphone, and a plethora of others. But wait! This anime does one thing so different, so original, that it completely flips the script.

The hero is a realist.

"Pray tell, what does this mean?" Your curious mind might be wondering. Why, this essentially means that the protagonist understands basic concepts on how to manage a territory and its resources and spends entire episodes explaining these things to the stupid cast who are in awe of his intelligence because they apparently know absolutely nothing. Some even pledge their lives to him when he simply tells them rudimentary practices. And that is the entire show. Wow, how exciting! This dude is certainly flipping the switch on stereotypical hero roles!! I love watching characters stand completely still and talk about farming for 20 minutes!!!

The characters are all very memorable, they range from fat guy to girl with big boobs. The female lead dresses in a military outfit and wears her hair in a ponytail, which shows that she's a strong, independent woman. She still falls for the hero though and becomes completely dependent on him after 10 minutes because his penmanship technique is sooooo irresistible. Oh, and all of these characters have an aptitude, that one skill that makes them truly special. And when I learned about how weird and seemingly worthless their talents are when it comes to bettering a nation, my expectations were certainly subverted! Wow, stuff like this almost makes me forget about the substandard production values!

Through watching, I discovered something truly eye opening. The two leads are voiced by Inori Minase and Kobayashi Yuusuke, who are the seiyuu for Rem and Subaru from Re:Zero. This has led me to conclude that the casting director is a RemXSubaru shipper. This is clearly the most important piece of information that has come out of The Realist Hero. And now that I've told you, you don't have to bother watching it!

This anime is hilarious, and don't feel pressured by anime "standards" to hide your true feelings if you think so too.

Let me pose a question. What is the reason why we watch anime, and on a larger spectrum, consume all varieties of media? Is it so we can critically dissect all of the aspects of a show and nitpick on all of its faults? While I'm sure this can be...fun?...for some (and a headache for others haha), I don't think so. It's because of entertainment. We crave excitement, something that can function as a brief escape from our realities and act as a stimulus ... for our minds. That to me is the key component of all media, regardless of genre. While there are a variety of factors that can contribute to a work of fiction being a success, to me it ultimately boils down to two things: Does it keep me interested and do I enjoy watching it? And let me tell you, Kanojo mo Kanojo is easily one of the most entertaining anime that I've seen in years!

The premise is stupid. The execution of the story is stupid. The characters and their actions are stupid. And I absolutely love it. Contrary to popular belief, an anime does not in fact have to be on a scale of epic proportions or contain beautifully written symbolism to be good. Besides, that would limit creativity and expressionism if everybody tried to write similarly. We gotta expand our horizons and get a little more diversity! To me, Kanojo mo Kanojo is a success because I was able to enjoy the heck out of it despite its simplistic, limited, and in ALL cases, silly content.

So the show pretty much revolves around the premise of the main dude two timing, and the biggest plot development involves another girl trying to get him to be a three timer. Oh boy! This is one of those weird ideas that I doubt you would see any other country bar Japan dare attempt to implement in their works because of all of the potential controversies. Japan doesn't give a crap of course because Japanese people are seemingly just too badass to care. But hey, this anime doesn't attempt to glorify polygamy like other certain anime seemingly try to paint other negative practices like slavery in a positive light, so I don't really care what the ideas used are as long as they're utilized appropriately in the narrative. And to me, it works because of the absurd way that the cast deals with it.

The characters do not act like normal people. Naoya is beyond dense and loves to shout everything he thinks out loud. He also tries WAAAAY too hard at everything. The man has no stop button or shame, but it's great. He stands out because of how ridiculous he is, and this dude's antics never failed to crack me up. Whether it's *Gasp*...HAND HOLDING...with two girls out in public while screaming about his love for them or forgoing his pants so he can make a point, Naoya's over the top nature really makes him memorable, and his amazing voice acting certainly helps.

Saki is Naoya's initial girlfriend, and my personal favorite character in the show. As her good friend Shino puts it, Saki is stupid. And you know what? That's ok!!! I absolutely love the chemistry between Saki and Naoya, their moments had me burst out laughing on various occasions. I'm glad that she at least tried to fight the whole two timing thing for awhile, but eventually caved in because her, Naoya, and Nagisa were simply made to be in a love triangle...no really, that's how the author wrote it. But truth be told, it's primarily because she's a baka. And she's also big pushover who was easily won over by Nagisa. I was honestly surprised at how lewd Saki was and especially the way her horniness (Wait, is this a real word?) was portrayed. I'm used to anime girls being like "Oho! I'm going to get him to look at my slightly exposed cleavage! How perverted!!!" But Saki over here is just like "I want sex and can't stop thinking about it" while still being fidgety and nervous about it all because she has no experience. Which I weirdly respect and, I dunno, somehow find more realistic and endearing? Yeah, maybe I'm just a baka myself. This anime seems to push the ecchi levels further than most with things like this, and that little extra nudge helps make it stand out to me. Saki's various comedic expressions and reactions to the insanity that is this anime are great. Plus the absolutely phenomenal voice acting for her really helped to elevate Saki's character even more. Seriously though, why are the seiyuu in this anime so darn good!?

The other characters are fun too. Nagisa is the reason why the whole plot THICCens in the first place by confessing to Naoya. As you can imagine, everything about her is turned up to 11, such as the fact that she has to put in thousands of hours of effort into things just to try and be average at them. I can only imagine that this is because, like the rest of this anime, Nagisa is stupid. But hey, she's an excellent cook, so there's that!!! Milika is a girl who appears in order to move the plot along, which makes sense since she has, uh, a, b, c, d, e, f...G-reat PLOT, if ya know what I mean~ Her dedication to getting Naoya to fall for her is admirable, if not borderline insane. I was worried that her antics might start to lesson my enjoyment of the show, but the reverse happened. She has plenty of funny moments and I'll be rooting for her to turn this two way anime into a THREE way anime!!! The last girl to mention is Saki's elegant friend Shino, who is anything but elegant in her one big scene. She hasn't appeared much, but if her short yet amazingly anime-esque confrontation with Naoya is anything to go by, she has a lot of potential...just not in her chest. Gah, I tried to hold back, but I couldn't, I'm sorry. But anyway, here's hoping Studio Tezuka Productions will get on that second season!!!

If there's anything you can take away from my review, it's this. Please, don't take this show seriously. You'll only hurt yourself if you try to, trust me. Logic simply doesn't exist in this series, just like how boing boing doesn't exist on Saki's flat chest and how opinions don't exist in the minds of ignorant people.....ok, I couldn't decide which comparison to use since the first one makes me seem perverted and the second one makes me come across as rude. So naturally, I decided to use both of them. Why?

Because I'm stupid. Just like this anime. So in the end, maybe that's why I feel such a connection to it...

I feel numb. It's like my eyes glazed over and my mind shut down. I sometimes thought that the anime might be buffering while watching, but then realized that the animation is just so stiff that every scene feels like a still shot. I would occasionally be awoken by the hallowed voice and visage of Kirito, only to realize that no, it's just Rio, who has the same voice actor and a strikingly similar design to everyone's favorite Gary Stu, except worse because the proportions in this anime are awful. I thought I fell asleep from time to time and missed something important since characters ... would suddenly be like 5 years older, but then realized that no, it's just the horrible pacing and random time skips.

Well, at least the girls are cute, right????? Would be a lot better if they were actually animated decently...

This has been my experience with Spirit Cronicles, and as you can probably tell, I'm not a fan. But you'll also be surprised to hear that I think this anime has the potential to actually be decent for what it is.

The good news is that I went into this expecting absolutely nothing, and so far, the anime has been able to perfectly live up to my expectations. Yay! Now I actually thought the first episode was pretty alright as it introduced some interesting concepts into this world. I like how the isekai aspect of this series is at least being handled differently. The idea was a little intriguing and I was interested in seeing where things were going. But then the protagonist went to school.

Everything about Rio's academy life that didn't involve Claire Celia was the most uninspired, bland writing I've experienced in a work of fiction in awhile. It's just...so bad. You have to watch it to fully understand. Even though the reason behind Rio leaving the school was pretty poor, terribly forced, and completely avoidable, I'm kind of glad he left because it just wasn't going anywhere. The male students are the most stereotypical noble douchebags imaginable and the female students do literally nothing. Luckily, the 2 episodes featuring the school went by quickly (though I hope that isn't a bad sign for the overall pacing of the anime. Ah, who am I kidding, it totally is). These 2 episodes only served to show that our protagonist has the potential to be a completely overpowered character. Hooray...

Episode 4 is the best one so far and the reason why I haven't lost faith in this series yet. And no, it's not because Rio acquired an animal girl loli...ok, that's part of it, but it was the execution of it all that pleased me. The combat sequence was actually passable, and Latifa's backstory was well done considering the lore of the series. Yes, it's nothing amazing, but it's a step up from what I've seen previously.

The only character who's been good in my mind is Celia. I like her design, personality, and voice actress. Though that's not to say she's great or anything, it's just that Celia actualy has...character. Plus I probably won't forget about her a week after the show ends, though two weeks MIGHT be pushing it. At least that's more than I can say about the rest of the cast thus far. So the author was able to make a cute, white haired waifu girl. Does that alone make the show a resounding success? Yeah probably. But as a boring semi-critic, it's nowhere near enough for me.

Quick shout out to the ending theme song which is actually pretty solid. They should have switched it with the opening in order to at least attempt to hype up viewers before watching each episode. But then again, this show's placement of music has been quite questionable, so I shouldn't expect anything. I just don't feel like the songs match up with their corresponding scenes a good portion of the time.

I'm not scoring Spirit Cronicles lower yet because I'm an optimist who has hope that the upcoming episodes will be able to improve upon the anime's current shortcomings. Though it's a pretty slim hope. Fingers crossed that I'm not TOO disappointed!

“It’s not about whether I can, I have to do it!” – Megumi Fushiguro...and also me steeling myself to post a critical review on this beloved anime.

Jujutsu Kaisen is the latest shounen to gain a surge of popularity and get invited to join the mainstream table of the true anime titans, probably taking a seat right next to Demon Slayer. And I can say with certainty that this is primarily because of Studio Mappa's admirable dedication to making this show, particularly the fight scenes, look breathtakingly good. But here's the age old question: Does fantastic animation trump average writing?

Yeah, no. Heh, sorry to be ... blunt. I guess I'm taking a lesson out of protagonist Itadori's book. But who's to say that Jujutsu doesn't have a bit of both? While I find there to be several glaring issues with the anime, it also has many great aspects. So therefore, I'm gonna do things a little differently. This review will go over 5 areas that I believe the anime handled poorly, represented as 5 of Sukuna's, the king of curses himself, cursed fingers. And then 5 departments that were a triumphant success in my eyes, represented as 5 of Sukuna's fingers that were eaten by Itadori...which probably gave him some digestion issues, poor guy. I mean, eating a centuries old finger? Bleh. Probably no nutrients left in those old things.

Ah, so you're wondering why I'm going with 10 fingers when Sukuna has 20 overall? Heh. The sheer power of representing ALL of his fingers would embed this review with massive cursed energy that even I couldn't control- Ok, fine, it's actually because I couldn't think of 10 more things and it would make this review drag on anyway. There. Happy? Alright, let's get into it!

Sukuna's cursed finger 1: Comedy

I figured I'd get this out of the way since its the most subjective flaw on the list. Comedy comes in all shapes and forms, so everyone has their own preference...the comedy in Jujutsu Kaisen wasn't my preference. Ok, so I'm not that hard to please in this department. I'm mean, I laugh at boob jokes and panty shots, that should tell you what kind of person I am. Yet shounen always seem to fail for me when it comes to the humor. I mean for one, it's generally out of place. This anime tries to be serious and has a lot of dark moments, but then immediately follows with characters making stupid faces at each other and saying dumb things. The timing is just consistently terrible. And what the heck were those after credits scenes? I dunno, I just found them to be very...odd.

The comedy can basically be boiled down to a character acting either overly idiotic or incredibly loud/annoying during random moments. And they try to do this for EVERY character, even for the villains who, you know, have slaughtered hundreds, potentially thousands. It just doesn't work, and I don't find the show or characters funny at all, with the exception of the Kyoto School students (thank goodness for them) and some of Gojou's little quips.

Sukuna's consumed finger 1: Action

This one is quite obvious to anyone with eyes, but I definitely have to bring up the epic fight sequences as the first positive. They're the highlight of the show, and the focal point of numerous episodes. Because curses come in all shapes and sizes, plus each Jujutsu sorcerer has their own diverse abilities, each and every fight was unique in how the characters did battle. I thought things really picked up in intrigue and intensity when Itadori and the ideal businessman Nanami took on the villainous and childish antagonist Mahito. It was a well animated fight with a lot of interesting tactics. And then the show just had to go and outdo itself with the Sister School arc. There were a lot of great combat sequences on display, culminating in the Itadori and Toudou vs. Hanami fight, which was my personal favorite. Just some great action all around.

Sukuna's cursed finger 2: Main characters

Oh boy, this is probably what held Jujutsu Kaisen back the most. The trio of Itadori, Megumi, and Nobara are just...bad. I'm not a fan of any of them. Itadori is your typical dense protagonist guy who's constantly used for comedy, but you already know how I feel about that. His beliefs are interesting, but I'll get into those later. Several characters appropriately call him Sukuna's vessel, because that dude is a much more fun and interesting character than Itadori. And when it's necessary for Itadori to develop in order to progress the narrative, the show just conveniently gives him a ridiculously brief revelation or a sentence long pep talk from someone else and boom, he gets stronger and stuff. Absolutely atrocious. And his two best buddies don't even act like characters. They're terribly inconsistent. They supposedly have a bond with Itadori yet show no emotion when he comes back from a certain DEADly event. When situations get serious and death is involved, Nobara just acts entirely obnoxious and Megumi reacts to practically nothing. It's like they were trying to make him one of those cool, stoic characters but made him so cold that he's turned into ice with how frosty and nonexistent his personality is. They're painstakingly poorly written.

Gojou is also considered to be a main character, but I don't really see him as one. If he counts, then he's definitely my favorite of the four. Despite not being a fan of how absolutely overpowered he is, I enjoy his laid back yet caring nature and think that he's a solid addition to the show.

Sukuna's consumed finger 2: Supporting cast

On the flip side, I really appreciate how the side characters were written. Sukuna himself has a great setup with how he's actually a part of Itadori. The obnoxious and condescending tone that he takes with the kid is pretty fun, and for me this guy is the most intriguing of the characters. And I mentioned it before, but wow, the Kyoto School students are a lot more entertaining than the ones from Tokyo. With the exception of Panda of course. Panda should have been the main character because he's a panda, yet not a panda. I like his backstory and intelligence. That is all for Panda. But I really liked Miwa and thought she was fun (should've replaced Nobara as main girl honestly...) and the over the top nature of Mechamaru and his backstory is just such a joke, I love it. Every morning he breaks his legs, and every afternoon, he breaks his arms. The other two girls in the group are interesting as well.

And then there's Toudou. He's probably my favorite character outside of Sukuna and his comedic value was actually...funny! I liked his dynamic with Itadori and his over the top nature was surprisingly a big success and didn't rub me the wrong way like I thought it would. Nice support cast Juju!

Sukuna's cursed finger 3: Motivations

A boy fights...for "the right death." Straight from the synopsis.

Am I the only one who thinks that sentence sounds stupid and wishes Itadori's ideals were, at the very least, worded differently? Yes? No? Ok...

While his motivation certainty is unique, I'm just not a fan of how Itadori's whole shtick is portrayed. I mean, I get it, he doesn't want people to die to curses and instead to pass away content and satisfied with life, and that's pretty cool. But the way he expresses his wish feels strange sometimes with how overly macabre it can be and doesn't sit right with me. This is probably just me, but his goals made his character feel a a little off, I dunno. Also, the villain curses have pretty bad motivations. I mean, they're all like "we're the true people because we have true emotions unlike humans!"...yet these curses are constantly shown to have wavering and changing feelings. Doesn't work. It all comes down to the themes demonstrated by the show in the end, and I feel like they could have been expressed better.

Sukuna's consumed finger 3: Dark content

I love how this anime isn't afraid to get violent and grotesque. Yes, some of the curses look creepy, but I'm mostly referring to what they do over how they look. The show doesn't hide the fact that death is synonymous with curses in this universe, and there are plenty of on screen killings. Even main characters aren't safe from this anime's clutches! Things got the darkest during the arc with Junpei and Mahito. Let's just say I was not expecting what happened to Junpei to go down, or I was at least anticipating some sort of reversal of his fate. But wow, there really is a ton of horrifying (maybe a bit too strong of a word, but I digress) content in the anime, and I believe it definitely works in the show's favor.

Sukuna's cursed finger 4: Power scaling

This is more of a smaller issue that I had with the anime, but I absolutely despised the power system on display and how it was handled. Shounen shows just love to have this kind of mechanic, and it's usually used primarily to show the protagonist getting stronger and moving through the ranks. Some, like HunterXHunter, utilize this effectively. But it's just so bizarre here. The ranking of both curses and Jujutsu sorcerers is poorly conceived and made absolutely irrelevant when you have guys like Gojou who can practically destroy the world if he feels like it. There's just not that much explanation behind how it all works. And it's especially negligible when Itadori can basically power up and advance to the next level just by getting a sentence long pep talk, like he does with Toudou. Kinda silly honestly.

Sukuna's consumed finger 4: Audiovisuals

I've already mentioned this briefly in other sections, but the show looks hella good. Great artistic quality with a lot of diverse and inventive designs. Equally important is the animation. Character movement is fluid and doesn't look that awkward at all. Also, the soundtrack is solid. Several pieces help to enhance scenes by pumping you up during fights or making you unnerved during more horror based moments. The theme songs are pretty hype as well. All in all, Jujutsu Kaisen boasts some great technical aspects.

Sukuna's cursed finger 5: Plot progression

My final issue listed in this review focuses on the narrative. I'm sorry, but the plot can basically be boiled down to "Righteous protagonist has unlimited potential and he gets stronger with his friends as they beat up bad guys." It's terribly generic and if you really focus on it, the story doesn't offer anything particularly great. There are several parts of it that are just plain sloppy, like shoving in literally everyone's backstory during the Sister School event instead of properly spacing out such scenes. While it ultimately isn't bad, the plot really didn't take any risks or try something new, with the exception of having Sukuna, who I assume will be the final boss, live inside of Itadori. That's pretty cool, but next to nothing was done with it in the second half of the show. In the end, the writing and unfortunately standard progression ended up being the most mediocre part of the anime.

Sukuna's consumed finger 5: Entertainment

What can I say, it was a fun experience. Despite lacking in several key departments, the show itself can be pretty entertaining. Whether it be the action, character interactions, comedic scenes, or more, Jujutsu Kaisen brings a lot to the table that a wide variety of people can enjoy, so I respect the show for that. If nothing else, it can be an enjoyable viewing experience if you don't go into it with high expectations. In the end, it just wasn't for me.

A butchered adaptation, neglecting to include fan favorite characters from the manga and removing entire arcs, complete and utter disregard of the great tone and atmosphere that was so carefully crafted in the first season, and rushing a once engaging story to high hell to make it a sloppy mess.

This is horror. This is The Promised Neverland Season Two. And it's frickin brilliant.

Now you may be sitting in your comfy chair, mouth agape in shock, and asking yourself "Is this guy quite possibly insane?" Probably. But I also had a revelation to something that you don't know...yet. But that's ok. I'm here to enlighten ... you dear reader. I came to realize that this season's apparent monumental failure was in fact done on PURPOSE. Yeah, I know it sounds unbelievable, but let me lift the veil from your eyes so you too can begin to appreciate this anime's efforts.

Let me ask you something. What is the primary genre of Promised Neverland? The one that enticed viewers to watch and kept them craving more? The one that propelled this series to the height of popularity? It's horror. THAT is the driving appeal of this series. The first season did an excellent job with this. I'm sure you don't need me to reiterate the solid pacing, timing, character growth, conflict, and more. But most importantly, it was a faithful adaptation to the source material.

Now imaging destroying all of that.
The once well defined and centralized plot has become convoluted, characters have become one dimensional, and the solid build up has just completely evaporated among other things. But also...taking an anime original approach!? Gasp! Now this is what I call true horror!

There's only so far you can go when trying to instill fear into viewers through animation. Studio Cloverworks clearly knew that they had to take things to the next level, so instead of providing some exterior unnerving content like they did with the first season, they strike directly at the heart of fans by making them feel the utter despair of watching something they love turn into...this. Wow. Totally soul crushing. And absolutely genius!

And that's why this season is clearly a subversive masterpiece. Shows of this genre aim to break the viewer through deep and dark content. Yet Cloverworks found a way to effectively do this through an entirely different approach, and it clearly shows. Seriously, the overwhelming animosity towards this season by fans is almost as scary as this show's complete and utter implosion. I applaud them for their enlightened and forward thinking methods! But here's a warning. This only applies if you read and were a fan of the manga. Otherwise, it's just a incredibly lackluster sequel to a really good first season. Through watching, fans get to experience the purest, most rage inducing kind of horror there is.

The horror of a butchered adaptation.

Quintessential Quintuplets Quietly returns with a Quaint little sequel. Queerly enough, it didn't seem to garner too much attention, though that could possibly be due to the popularity and notoriety of several of the anime it's airing alongside sort of pushing it out of the spotlight. Or perhaps it's because a Quite common complaint people give about this show is that it's "generic". And you know what? They're right. But Quizzically, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Despite having several themes and tropes in common with similar types of shows, along with having a pretty simplistic narrative that follows a typical romcom formula, Quintessential Quintuplets ... can still be a Quality viewing experience.

Questing for the ultimate harem may seem like an unattainable dream to most men, yet for Fuutarou, it's a reality. A beautiful reality. Yet what does he do about these girls who clearly like him? NOTHING. To him, studying > about everything else > romance. I don't know whether to respect this man for his dedication to academics or facepalm at his denseness. I guess it's a bit of both. The show primarily focuses on his continued tutoring of the girls and the development of the relationships between the six of them. It's a little more bare bones than season 1 because in that season, Fuutarou had to work to get the girls to trust, respect, and want to learn from him, which was interesting to watch. Now that that's been established, this season hones in more on the slice of life aspect of things.

Quips and other sarcastic sayings are constantly used to provide humor. These moments are often enhanced through the characters making funny and sometimes chibi-esqe faces. Jokes are primarily about romance misunderstandings, the stupid nature of the girls, and the oblivious nature of Fuutarou. The comedy is definitely one of the driving forces of the show, so if you're not into the type of humor utilized, this anime probably isn't for you. Of course, there's still the more serious aspects of the show that you could enjoy.

Quarreling with one another ends up being a common driver for conflict in this anime. This season gives a lot of attention to Nino in particular and her conflicting feelings, as well as the girls accepting that they're growing up and changing into their own individuals. It's by no means an amazing narrative and the themes are pretty obvious for a show whose heroines are Quintuplets. But the "drama", if you can call it that, can keep things interesting. Though for me, what stands out about this anime and makes it truly worth watching would be the girls. So it's time to go over them!

Quiver in fear before the might of NINO! When she's able to build up her confidence and character, her resolve is astounding. I can totally see her going around and saying embarrassing things to strangers like "Hello, my name's NINOOOOO!" I'm gonna say it. She became best girl for me because of what she did this season. It's no secret that tsunderes are one of my favorite character tropes, and Nino fits the bill for this type. She was the most hostile towards Fu-kun and rejected his involvement in her and her sister's lives, even though deep down she's probably the most feeling and affectionate of the bunch. But through a sequence of events, she eventually realized that this greedy and deadbeat dude was in fact her prince charming. And I just love how she acts after that. From flat out confessing to him to making sure she won't lose to anyone for his feelings...it's just great. Once the dere side emerges from the tsun, Nino becomes quite the strong and caring individual, and I really enjoyed her character arc.

Quoting historical warlords would probably be considered fun by our next girl Miku. She has the coolest character design and personality, and despite having a more emotionless nature, the girl lights up in the presence of Fuutarou. Like Nino, I'm a big fan of her type, and her dedication to the man she loves is admirable. Miku is definitely the most supportive of him, and she has a ton of heartwarming moments. She also easily gives the best facial expressions in the show. Fun stuff. She also has the most lewd scenes since she's drawn seductively several times wearing lose and skimpy clothing. Sexy stuff. She's right there with Nino for me in the fight for being "best girl."

Quenching this girl's hunger may be difficult. It's Itsuki! She's probably the calmest and most reliable of the girls, but also has some deep rooted fear and uncertainty. She's not really involved in the battle for Uesugi-kun's affections. Instead, she acts as a sort of voice of reason and moral support for him. I like their dynamic, and think it's a great aspect of the anime.

Quake in anger at Ichika's underhanded methods at getting ahead! Yeah, I definitely feel like some will be rubbed the wrong way by her using her sisters to try and indirectly hook her up with Fuutarou-kun. But hey, as they say, all is fair in love and war. She likes to act like the big sister and provides for her siblings through work, but might be the most immature deep down. I'm interested to see if she ever gains the ability to let her true feelings out.

Quick in terms of speed, not in terms of smarts. That about sums up Yotsuba. She's definitely the girl who gets the least amount of focus as she's not shown to be vying for Uesugi-san's affections like 3 of her sisters or being a frequent presence in his life like Itsuki. Nonetheless, she has some fun moments. Hmm...maybe she's playing for the endgame and is actually brighter than we all thought...

Qualms you might have about this anime are understandable. Now I don't think there's anything particularly bad with the anime asides from some inconsistent and mediocre art outside of the care and detail put into the girls' designs (At least the studio has their priorities straight!). Also, the difficulty in trying to portray the girls as being identical yet giving them completely diverse designs and voices can make things feel off. I get it, it would be boring if the girls all had the same character design and voice actress and this way we get a nice variety of looks. But it still makes other characters, especially Fuutarou, look like complete idiots when they fail to properly differentiate between the siblings, especially when they're not even trying to impersonate each other. We just gotta be able to understand this fact and deal with it. And I can definitely understand people calling the show plain, since it doesn't particularly have any big moments...except for Nino's straight up confession because wow, you practically never see a girl do that in an anime. But overall, I feel like this anime can be a fun, relaxing, and enjoyable watch for most.

Quantifying a score for this anime was actually a difficult task for me. It has a fair share of good things going for it, but it also just feels a bit lacking in several departments. Overall, I would have given this a 6/10, but because Nino and Miku exist, I decided to bump up my rating. Hey, what can I say, cute anime girls just have that kind of power! And ultimately, that's what will probably make or break this show for you. Whether or not you like the cute anime girls. This is clearly a character driven narrative, and for me personally, the girls are a colorful bunch who most certainly make Quintessential Quintuplets worth the watch.