This was definitely something unique to say the least.
I'm not a fan of vtubers at all. Though the way I phrased it makes it sound like I hate them or something, it's just that I have never been interested in that side of otaku culture and only gained some knowledge about it through random memes.
This is relevant because I barely knew Marine Houshou before watching this, yet despite that I honestly thought it was "good". "good" in quotation marks because I'm still reflecting on what I really watched, but what I can guarantee is that I did enjoy what I watched. I definitely wasn't expecting
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Jul 14, 2022
Zutto Suki Datta
(Manga)
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Not Recommended
STAY AWAY FROM THIS HENTAI
If you absolutely detest NTR like I do, please stay away from this. The title is misleading, but seeing the tags should be more than enough to warn you of the fucked up shit that you are about to read. In case you still want to read this hentai yourself, beware that there will be spoilers ahead. Like the title itself, the first chapter of Zutto Suki Datta ("I've Always Loved You" in English) is also completely misleading for the most part (it is supposed to be misleading for the shock factor) – which revolves around two teenagers, Ginta and Setsuna, who ... are going to graduate from high school. Soon enough, they confirm their feelings for each other and shortly after have sex. This set-up is extremely unoriginal for sure, but still good, wholesome stuff in my eyes. But then comes chapter two, where bad things suddenly begin to happen, and bad things continue to happen for the rest of the story. If you saw the tags beforehand, you should be able to tell what I'm talking about. The following chapters of the hentai reveal what happened prior to the aforementioned sex scene, and there's a lot to take in. At the beginning of the second chapter, we are given an introduction of the two characters and their playful relationship – only to later watch the girl, Setsuna, blackmailed by a teacher after she is caught masturbating in the locker room. This leads her to being sexually assaulted and raped to the point she almost completely breaks down. Pretty much like every other NTR hentai ever, this fucked up situation becomes even more fucked up as the story progresses, and you are left wondering why the fuck you decided to read this. I sincerely apologize if it seems like I'm victim-blaming, but there are several points in the story where Setsuna makes decisions that are clearly very questionable and only worsen the situation for her. Like, why the fuck are you masturbating in the school's locker room to begin with? This kind of stuff mostly doesn't put me off in other hentai, but considering the fact that this is a NTR story, the utter lack of logic behind some decisions exacerbates an already awful experience. Above everything else however, the teacher is the fucking worst. He is creepy and manipulative as fuck, without any redeeming qualities whatsoever, so basically your typical ugly bastard in hentai. The only difference is that he pretends to act "sweet" sometimes, which simply made me repulse him even further. I'm not gonna write anything else about the teacher to pad the review. A complete shitbag like him doesn't deserve that. In terms of art, Yuzuki N is definitely one of the better hentai artists out there, and that makes it more frustrating that a great portion of her works are NTR garbage like this. Nevertheless, the art in Zutto Suki Datta is very good, especially the character designs are attractive (except for the teacher's). Although there are a few consistency issues, it is remarkably well-drawn on the whole. I thought that the first sex scene was quite hot, and the rest.... Let's not talk about that. This review is essentially written as a warning for vanillatards like me: Do NOT read this hentai. If you like the artstyle, Yuzuki N has other far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far better works. I recommend you to read them instead. Don't read this and ruin your day.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Jun 19, 2022
Paripi Koumei
(Anime)
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Recommended
*** Note that the review will be somewhat long-winded and contain a few minor spoilers. It's been a while since a show has managed to fascinate this much, so I went pretty much all out on this one. Hopefully you will bear with me. ***
P.A. Works creating a good manga adaptation? The world must be ending! No seriously, this show is fucking amazing. Paripi Koumei is without doubt a little absurd, insane, and chaotic – and it is entertaining as fuck. Unlike what it appears on the surface, it is not just a brainless comedy that solely intends to make its audience laugh at its ridiculousness; as ... satirical as this may sound, there is legitimate quality and substance to be found behind all the seemingly pointless madness and irrationality. Paripi Koumei radiates promise from one of the very first scenes, showing a decrepit Zhuge Liang Kongming on his deathbed. It is then that Kongming makes his one final wish: to reincarnate in an era without any war and conflict, one where he could live peacefully. Fast forward two millenniums, and we suddenly see Kongming in a nightclub of Shibuya supposedly reborn in his younger body. Initially bewildered, he is shortly mesmerized by the voice of a young singer, later introduced as Eiko Tsukimi. Eiko is facing problems of her own, struggling to find success in the world of music despite her firm, yet slightly wavering determination. She is startled when the oddly dressed Kongming proclaims his love for her voice, but nonetheless delighted that someone has finally taken notice of her music. The next morning, Eiko stumbles upon an intoxicated Kongming on the street and brings him home out of sympathy. There, Kongming learns about the modern world and its technology from Eiko, and subsequently becomes interested in contemporary music. In an odd turn of events, Kongming becomes Eiko's music manager aka "tactician", with the immovable resolve to make the world recognize her name and singing prowess. It goes without saying that Kongming himself is what makes Paripi Koumei; you definitely will not enjoy the show if you aren't fond of his crazy antics, because that's pretty much the driving force of the story. As Kongming devises grand strategies for Eiko to help her accomplish her dream, the plot simultaneously expands in scope and moves forward in a surprisingly steady pace and manner, with almost no stumbles or hiccups along the way. In case you are wondering what a Chinese military strategist is doing in what seems like a wacky music anime (told you this show was absurd), it's... hard to explain. The thing is, while there is admittedly zero rationale to how certain things play out at the beginning, the series is completely honest about it. Why and how Kongming is reincarnated in Japan and can read and talk in perfectly fluent Japanese – this is all just because the plot demands it, and there's no other reason. This rarely holds back the show however, since the author luckily utilizes the most of Kongming's inclusion in the story. Moreover, the anime does not try to indulge in monotonous self-parody to replace actual comedy; though there are clever self-jabs from time to time, it fully understands that dull and repetitive self-parody is far from any proper entertainment. As a result, what we have here is an anime with genuinely a lot of thought put into the material. Stated briefly, the idea sounds and is ridiculous, but the execution is anything but that. Kongming is most certainly a weirdo, but at the same time, there are few who can even dream to be as nearly charismatic as him. There's a certain charm to him that I have yet to find in any other anime character, and that charm is not limited to him being "a Chinese historical character in a Japanese anime, lol". Kongming's charm in fact comes from his whole character: his intelligent yet amusingly quirky nature, witty and playful remarks, clever and intriguing tactics, flashy appearance, and spectacular voice acting. Kongming is not simply a stereotypical male Mary Sue programmed to do "all according to keikaku" stuff; there is far more to him than meets the eye. With that being said, if you came to the show looking for cleverly constructed strategies, you surely wouldn't be disappointed, because it does have plenty of that to offer. Kongming's so-called stratagems are always a delight to watch, even if one or two can be considered as blatant ass-pull(s). The second episode, in particular, almost entirely detaches itself from any kind of realism – instead relying on plot contrivances and semi-convoluted logic to progress the story. On the flip side however, there are many more occasions where the tactics Kongming comes up with are surprisingly really clever and creative. Although they seem irrational and "totally batshit crazy" at first, in hindsight, you realize that they are actually brilliantly thought-out, albeit still totally batshit crazy. The stratagems Kongming uses in the show reference historical events, and excluding a few errors and glorification here and there, the depictions are consistently precise. The original stratagems and Kongming's own versions of them are obviously vastly different, but they are always built on the same fundamental concepts. At the start of a new episode, a short recap is played of what happened prior; but unlike the sleep-inducing recaps you see in most shounen, a narrator aptly connects the referenced events with the previous episode and provides historical context. While this seems comparatively insignificant, it does, as a matter of fact, add more depth to the story and makes the stratagems even more interesting. Back to our boy Kongming though, remember that I said his charm comes from his whole character? Although that holds true, it's specifically his demeanor and inner personality which makes him so loveable in my opinion. As cunning and eccentric as he is, Kongming is also incredibly soft, affectionate, knowledgeable, and unassuming. He is equal parts wise and hilarious; there will never be a time his words will fail to move you, and his jests and idiosyncrasies fail to make you smile. Even just him appearing on the screen will be enough to keep you entertained. In internet lingo, Kongming is a certified gigachad, one who belongs in a category of his own. I know I sound like an overly obsessive fan idealizing his favorite idol, and I probably *am* obsessive, but I mean it when I say Kongming is wonderful, because he is. Kongming's personality naturally shines the most when he is with Eiko, who helps bring out his most intimate sides. Eiko herself is an extraordinarily engaging and well-written character. It's easy to dismiss her as waifu-bait at first glimpse, but if you actually watch the anime, it should be obvious that she isn't. The show dedicates much time to focus on her growth both as a singer and a person, so it feels extremely gratifying whenever she succeeds in her goals. Keep in mind that while Kongming may be the mastermind behind her success, it is actually Eiko's own singing, her own efforts to improve herself, that ultimately makes everything work, or "does the magic" if you will. Additionally, though only explored in brief sequences, Eiko's suicidal past adds a substantial layer of depth to her character. What's noteworthy is that suicide is tackled with a lot of subtlety and not oversensationalized at all, which makes the backstory all the more effective. Of course, the anime doesn't solely rely on this to flesh Eiko out; her relationship with Kongming is what plays the most important role in her characterization. Similar to how Eiko eased Kongming's heart, Kongming also helped Eiko regain confidence in herself, giving her the push to continuously do better – which brings me to the prime reason why I find their relationship to be so profound. Almost any fan would attribute mainly Eiko and Kongming's interactions to why they enjoy the show, and I'm no exception. The arrangement is strange for sure, but their relationship is at heart incredibly wholesome and uplifting. Why? One of the key things to consider here is the wish that Kongming made before dying, which was to be reborn in a more peaceful era. But even though his wish was fulfilled, Kongming remained dejected since there was no familar face around, and later, it was Eiko who brightened him up and enchanted him with her music. Similarly, Kongming was the first person to genuinely praise Eiko's singing, someone she could call "a true fan", and that motivated her to strive for greater lengths. These simple aspects pave the way for a dynamic, heartwarming relationship, what would have been regarded as utterly stupid and nonsensical otherwise. Despite Eiko's name being a direct reference to Kongming's allegedly real wife, there's not any implication of romance between the two. Their feelings toward each other is portrayed as platonic more than anything, which is evident through the obvious parallels to Kongming and Liu Bei's relationship – and I would be lying if I said I wasn't relieved thanks to that. I believe the primary reason why their bond doesn't feel forced is because it is platonic, and any attempts at romance would make their relationship overly awkward and unnatural. The later chapters of the manga presumably don't contain any romance either, and I hope it stays that way until the end. While I could never see this being even a remote possibility, if you think the anime will become stale and formulaic with only those two in spotlight – don't worry, the viewers are quickly introduced to more compelling characters: Kabetaijin, an average Joe with no remarkable qualities except his knack and devotion for rap, and Nanami, the vocalist of a girls' band stripped of their passion and ingenuity. As cliched as their origin stories might sound, they are nevertheless inspiring and should strike a chord with the audience, particularly those who have been in the music industry themselves. Kabe and Nanami's individual character arcs peak respectively in episodes 6 and 9, which solidify the two as staple characters of the series. Most of the supporting characters are equally or almost equally endearing. "Owner" Kobayashi sort of serves as a loving father figure to Eiko, and his penchant for Three Kingdoms has never failed to at least put a smile on my face. Sekitoba is a worthy rival of Kabe and a rather compelling character even on his own, and the same goes for all the members of Jet Jacket and the other two girls of Azalea. In spite of his short appearance, Tsuyoshi Kendo immediately left a vivid impression with his unconventional accent, and so did Steve Kiddo with his unhealthy pudding obsession. Karasawa is a decent antagonist, albeit not very complex, but more than believable and interesting enough to get invested into. Music has always played a vital role for me when it comes to the enjoyment of any piece of media, and Paripi Koumei has honestly been astounding in that regard. The music production of the anime is spectacular; I'm not using the word lightly at all. In fact, what really got me invested in the show was not the randomness, but the short guitar song Eiko plays for Kongming in the first episode – which unironically stole my heart immediately. 96neko's voice is mesmerizingly beautiful, even though she mostly sings in English, which is notable because Japan is notorious for producing awful Engrish songs. Lezel's singing is also excellent, and Shouya's rapping is more than up to the mark (for the most part). Other relatively "minor" artists aren't negligible either, and the background music is superb as well, especially the tracks that play during the emotional scenes. Some people have complained about the fact that certain songs are frequently repeated throughout the anime, which didn't particularly irk me to be honest, because there's a fairly solid reason behind why this decision was taken. One of the major themes of the story revolves around growth, whether musical or inherently personal, and I think the continuous repetition of a song to highlight that growth has been executed very well. This would have been an entirely different case if the songs themselves had been subpar or ordinary, but when the performances at display are remarkably better than most of the stuff that come out these days, I don't really see much room for concern here. Regardless of what you think about their writing quality, it's difficult to deny that P.A. Works' productions have always looked visually impressive, and I feel like they have even stepped their game up a notch with Paripi Koumei. The animation in the show is strikingly good, boasting completely fluid character movement and vivid background art. The concerts in particular are splendidly animated, and the atmosphere is exceptionally unique. In a period where lifeless and mediocre anime are commonplace, this show feels and looks incredibly refreshing. Without any hint of exaggeration, it legitimately seems like the staff handled the series with immense care and love, with the genuine intent to make something of actual value – which I have yet to see in any of P.A. Works' other works besides Shirobako. When you compare the anime to the manga, this intent becomes even more palpable. The manga of Paripi Koumei is not bad by any measure; it's actually amazing, but it doesn't exactly equal the anime. Music is obviously a big factor in this (manga doesn't have any sound, duh), especially when the level of quality is this outstanding, but to merely pass it off as that will be a great disservice to all the people who contributed to the project. You see, the art of the manga is frankly uninspiring; most of the panels are rather colorless and generic, and several are completely barren of any proper background. The characters are drawn very simplistically, with little emphasis on accentuating their expressions, for which they somewhat lack the emotional impact of the anime. The writing of the anime also differs from the manga in many directions, which may seem trivial at a cursory glance, but are much more significant if you sit down and compare the two. I think one of the most prominent examples of this is how Eiko tends to subconsciously belittle herself by saying "watashi nanka" (translated to little ol' me), something Kongming notes immediately and tells her to stop using. This is a subtle way to add nuance to the characters, hinting at Eiko's modest persona and Kongming's thoughtful nature concerning her. A lot of their conversations are also expanded upon, consisting of more heartfelt and substantial dialogues, amplifying the effectiveness of the said scenes. To further emphasize my point, there's an additional 3-minutes-long sequence in episode 9 of the anime, which presents a flashback of Azalea in their high school years, discussing what name they should pick for their band. The following scene shows Azalea performing in their debut concert, and subsequently, the three girls promise to keep making music together. What's merely touched upon in a single panel in the manga, has been expounded substantially and turned into an immensely meaningful backstory. Modifications like this have been made throughout the entire storyboard to enhance the experience, including the dramatic sequences as well as the comedic bits. One of the few minor drawbacks of the show in my opinion is the unnecessary fanservice, which – despite just being few and far between – does leave a little bit of a bad taste. This occasional fanservice includes showing relatively risque scenes of Eiko taking a shower, changing her clothes, bathing with Nanami, etc. The anime is slightly less guilty of this compared to the manga though, which generally contains more lewder shots of Eiko doing the aforementioned things. However, this is simply an insignificant issue I personally found with the series and shouldn't affect your enjoyment that much, if at all; these scenes only appear occasionally after all. Although everyone already knows about it, I just have to talk about the opening of the show, which I can't stress enough about how groovy it is. Fun fact, the original version of the opening is a Hungarian pop song released 9 years ago, and while it's not bad, the Japanese version completely overshadows it. The ending is also a cover of an old Japanese song called "Kibun Joujou", and again, the newer version is exceptionally better. I actually think the opening and the endings are more or less equally good, and the ending played in episodes 5 to 7 is probably the catchiest, particularly because of 96neko and Shouya's solo performances. To say Paripi Koumei has a bit of something for everyone is misleading, because it clearly has elements that not everyone will enjoy. Does that mean I'm gonna stop anyone from watching the show? No, of course not. There's a reason why this is irrefutably the dark horse of this season, and I will go as far as to say it is easily the best anime of the year so far – and potentially even more. Well, the third season of Kaguya-sama *could* be better, but I haven't started watching that yet, so yeah. The point is, do certainly give Paripi Koumei a try, even if it doesn't seem like something that's up your alley. I was thoroughly surprised myself, and chances are you will be too. Although I ended up using over two thousand words to write this review, I still don't feel like I have done Paripi Koumei any justice. I may never be able to fully convey how much I actually love the show; I think it is simply that good. This is all the more impressive when you consider the clusterfuck of ideas this anime works with, which should have been an easy recipe for a disastrous failure, not something as extraordinary as this. To reiterate myself, even if it sounds overly cliched, all this has been possible because of the tremendous effort put in by the creators – starting from the manga's author to everyone involved with the series' production. Paripi Koumei is in a word P.A. Works' newest passion project, and I can't wait to see more of it in the future. It would be a gross understatement to say I will just miss this show, as it is not often you come across something truly special, and Paripi Koumei absolutely is special.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 26, 2022
Akebi-chan no Sailor-fuku
(Anime)
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Recommended
Akebi-chan no Sailor-fuku is pretty, wholesome, and genuinely heartwarming. It is a rather simple story, one that consists of cloying moments from time to time, but its characters are very endearing with properly fleshed out personalities.
Komichi Akebi, the titular character of the story, has always wanted to wear a sailor uniform. Naturally, she becomes ecstatic when she gets the chance do just that by attending Roubai Academy -- but she soon finds out that they no longer use sailor uniforms as their dress code. Even so, the principal of the school makes an exception to Akebi and allows her to wear her sailor uniform, which ... unsurprisingly elates her. Reinvigorated, Akebi begins her new school life and beriends many disparate girls along the way. It goes without saying that Sailor-fuku has a very simplistic premise, but the series actually benefits from it in the long run. Slice-of-life shows like this oftentimes need to have a plain premise so that the characters can flourish, and it is the same with Sailor-fuku as well. Admittedly, the events that lead up to the focal point of the story are very contrived, but if you look past that, the creators have actually taken a clever and careful approach while setting up the plot and the characters. Additionally, there is a rather well-executed underlying theme that runs throughout the anime's narrative, which I will be talking about in a bit. One of the best points of Sailor-fuku is that every single character has a well-defined personality, even despite the fact that there are more than a dozen of them. Focusing on these many characters would be an overwhelming task to accomplish in any other one-cour series, but it works remarkably well for Sailor-fuku specifically because of the simple premise, the school setting, and primarily the main character, Akebi -- something which many people may not have thought about or considered. Let me elaborate what I'm trying to say. The storyline of Saikor-fuku sort of plays out in an episodic format -- in the sense that most of the episodes revolve around different characters learning to deal with their problems with Akebi's help. The scenarios that these characters face are rather simple and straightforward, but they are always believable. Furthermore, although the tone and structure are essentially the same in all of the episodes, the themes are surprisingly distinct and well-executed -- especially because of the girls' unique and likeable personalities. There is a variety of compelling characters such as: • Kei, a studious girl at the top of her class who is willing to pursue other hobbies, but is unsure about what she really likes or wants to do • Touko, who seems all carefree and even annoying to some extent, but later turns out to be a far more likeable and thoughtful person • Minoru, who has always been fascinated by nature and loves observing it, but does not have any friends to share this hobby with • Oshizu, who is very passionate about playing guitar, but lacks self-confidence and worries that her efforts will go to waste Such an array of colorful and dynamic personalities ensures that the plot is not repetitive or mundane -- but rather diverse and even exciting to watch it progress. What's more, the girls' characterization isn't just limited to their individual arc; they receive a considerable amount of screentime in other episodes too. Particularly because of this, you can easily empathize with the characters and connect to their respective problems. Erika is probably the most engaging of the bunch excluding Akebi, even despite her strange introduction, as the series dedicates the second most screentime to her. Akebi herself seems like the quintessential "genki girl" character with no considerable flaws or unique characteristics of her own, but that is not true at all. In fact, she also develops alongside the characters she comes in contact with -- albeit her change is shown a lot more subtly. The key thing to note is that Akebi didn't have any friends before she entered Roubai Academy, which explains why she is so resolved to make friends and cherishes her classmates so much. This particular detail, which appears random and insignificant at first glance, actually serves as a basis of her character and provides considerable depth to her. Akebi is also the prime reason why I find the narrative to be cleverly constructed. Like I said earlier, she plays a central role in the plot of each episode as she helps her classmates tackle their problems, but luckily, she is never too intervening and doesn't take the spotlight for all herself. Her intentions of helping others are completely earnest, and not unrealistic either given her past circumstances and wholehearted personality. Also for this reason, her interactions with others always flow naturally, no matter how far apart their personalities are. Other than her classmates, Akebi's family plays an important role in the anime. Although only briefly touched upon, the portrayal of Akebi's relationship with her father feels very genuine, and the same is true for her relationship with her mother as well. Lastly, Akebi's younger sister Kao is adorable to say the least. You could say that she is the smaller version of Akebi, and I mean that in a good way of course. In particular, how she interacts with her big sister and tries to imitate her has never failed to make me smile. One of the biggest issues that people have with Sailor-fuku is its fanservice; but trust me, it doesn't cross the line. There are some suggestive scenes which include the Akebi sisters taking baths together, as well as the camera randomly focusing on girls' questionable body parts, but to downright say that the show sexualizes its characters would be a gross exaggeration. While it is reasonable to question what purpose they serve, the said camera angles are luckily few in number and limited to just that -- being random chest and thigh shots. So, unless you are someone who considers anything mildly suggestive as morally reprehensible, the fanservice in Sailor-fuku shouldn't offend you that much, if at all. Concerning the technical side, Sailor-fuku is easily one of the most well-produced shows this season, boasting completely fluid animation that manages to look even picturesque in some occasions. The sound is handled with a lot of care too; the music choices are always nice and fitting, and the voice acting is spectacular. What stand out the most are Manatsu Murakami's performance as Akebi and the theme sequences -- particularly the ending song "Baton" sung by Manatsu, which perfectly reflects the atmosphere of the anime (and it is also an extraordinary song in its own right). Honestly, I ended up liking Sailor-fuku a lot more than I initially thought I would, and for many good reasons. It is rare to find a slice-of-life anime set in school that dedicates this much time to developing its characters, while maintaining its quality both visually and thematically all throughout its runtime. I believe this show also encapsulates the essence of the SoL genre and why I enjoy it so much, which is what makes it an easy and solid recommendation to any SoL fan out there.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 26, 2022
Shikkakumon no Saikyou Kenja
(Anime)
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Not Recommended
Shikkakumon no Saikyou Kenja is pretty much the same generic power fantasy series that comes out every season, which means it has most of the same fundamental flaws and cliches that you would usually find in the said genre. The plot is entirely devoid of creativity, the protagonist is extremely shallow, his abilities are far too overpowered, the supporting characters are completely neglected, the world-building is almost nonexistent -- I could honestly go on for a while.
Our protagonist, a sage known by the name of Gaius, desperately wishes to become stronger. But in a world where an individual's magical abilities are predertermined at birth and ... cannot be changed, he is severely limited by his given crest which is not suitable for combat. Wanting to obtain his desired crest instead, Gaius decides to reincarnate into the future and is reborn as Mathias Hildesheimer thousands of years later -- succeeding in his goal just like he had expected. However, it appears that the world has changed dramatically during his absence; humans are now not nearly as efficient in magic as they once used to be. The crest that Mathias that worked so hard to attain is considered the weakest, and even basic techniques like chantless casting are thought to be extremely difficult to use. Soon, Mathias figures out that demons are responsible behind the immense downfall of humanity, and he subsequently embarks on a quest to thwart the demons from realizing their agenda. Does this sound familiar? I'm sure it does, because I can already name almost 10 titles off the top of my head that start pretty much exactly like this -- which is one of the biggest problems I have with Saikyou Kenja. It's not only the start, but the entire plot of the show feels like a rehash of other already existing power fantasy series -- albeit not as dumb or tryhard -- but still completely predictable and almost boring enough to be sleep-inducing. And this problem of Saikyou Kenja is only exacerbated by its insipid protagonist, Mathias. As it is the case with most overpowered protagonists in power fantasy anime, Mathias is at the center of everything that happens in the show. Thanks to his impenetrable plot armor, everyone around him unconditionally trusts and relies on him even though he has the appearance of a little kid. Mathias also acts like the active narrator of the show; he monotonously spells out all the events in the storyline and the brief exposition that we occasionally get is only ever told from his perspective. Because of this, the worldbuilding of the anime is merely limited to Mathius' monologues, which makes the world feel completely lackluster. Of course, this creates other problems too. Since the plot is almost entirely moved forward by Mathias, all the other characters in the show get completely brushed off as unimportant and always remain under his shadows. They are rarely given any time to properly display their individual personalities, as their actions and dialogues are limited to mere reactions for the most part. It doesn't help that Mathias himself is as dull as the supporting characters -- if not more -- and even more frustratingly, few of them are actually a lot more likeable and entertaining than him. Bluntly put, Mathias is wholly uninteresting. His only personality trait is that he is insanely overpowered and wants to become even more overpowered for whatever reason (keep count of how many times I use "overpowered"). And because of the fact that he is so overpowered, there is practically no sense of tension that could be felt throughout the story. Even if the skill level of the enemies is increased tenfold (be prepared to hear this million times), it barely matters because Mathias will probably defeat them with his bullshit powers anyway. There are times when he does use proper strategy and teamwork to win the battles, but they are unfortunately few in number. I suppose another personality trait of Mathius, only if it could be called one, is that he can be incredibly stupid and oblivious. Occasionally, the show tries to be humorous by making him say or do something really dumb, but it doesn't work at all and instead becomes very awkward as it feels completely out-of-place for his character. Following the same pattern, Mathias tends to be clueless at some of the most bizarre and simplest things—which, again, doesn't suit his usually arrogant personality and only makes the comedy seem tryhard. Speaking of which, Mathias frequently acts like a smartass. For some reason, he constantly needs to say to himself that he is extremely powerful and intelligent, and it is reasonably very irritating. Him being irrationally overpowered was already enough of a turn-off for me, but that being followed by his overly smug reactions made it worse. From time to time, the characters of the show also like to remind us that he is overpowered, and it annoyed me to death most of the times they did so (not every, since there were a few funny ones). Lurie is an inoffensive character; she is neither interesting nor unlikeable. Almost the exact thing could also be said about Alma, but I personally "liked" Lurie a bit more. These two receive by far the most amount of screentime besides Mathias, and even then they are never treated as significant characters. Their interactions with Mathias are expectedly bland, usually consisting of -- as I previously said -- the two laughing at his cluelessness, acting surprised by his overpowered abilities for the umpteenth time, and more concerningly, Mathias and Lurie blushing at each other while Alma teases them. The romance between Mathias and Lurie is portrayed in the anime as heartwarming, but I personally find it kind of creepy. Although his physical appearance and lack of maturity may tell you otherwise, keep in mind that Mathias is actually an adult (who presumably lived for many, many years). On the other hand, Lurie is most likely the same age as Mathias' current self, which means that she should be around 12 years old. Taking that into consideration, their relationship becomes somewhat messed up -- but luckily enough, the romance isn't given that much focus. There is one character that I do genuinely like, though, which would be the "dragon girl" Iris. She is without a doubt the best character of the anime by a mile. Her over-the-top and fittingly clumsy personality is actually funny, and the scenes featuring her casually destroying her surroundings are easily the best from the entire show. Unfortunately, Iris doesn't get much focus throughout the story, and although she is a part of Mathias' team and supposedly a main character, like many others, she is rendered insignificant for the entirety of the series. I don't think the other characters are even worth mentioning, but I will outline their roles and personalities just to show you why they aren't. Firstly, you have the unmistakably benevolent king and principal who can't do anything themselves without Mathias' help, and to oppose the good principal, there is the bad principal who has the mind of a 10-year-old kid (and definitely not a smart one). Finally, you have the boneheaded demons and their underlings, whose job is to act cocky at first and then get absolutely thrashed by their gigachad lord -- obviously none other than Mathias. And that's it. I just fully described all the supporting characters that appear in the show; there is nothing more to say about them. Unless you count the academy students as characters too, who literally make no more difference in the narrative than a cardboard cutout would. In contrast, I think the animation of Saikyou Kenja is quite decent on the whole. The character designs are generic for sure, but the animation quality is fairly consistent and there are not that many noticeable flaws in my opinion. I might even say that Saikyou Kenja is one of the better looking isekai/power fantasy shows in the last couple of years. The soundtrack is rather generic on the other hand, but the voice acting is expectedly very good. Repeating what I said in the beginning of my review, Shikkakumon no Saikyou Kenja is probably one of the most generic power fantasy titles I have seen to date. But you know what? As much as I criticized the series, it is not completely garbage. Even if Mathias is a dull and unlikeable protagonist, at least he isn't always obnoxious. Even if the storyline is repetitive as hell, at least there is no insufferable drama or harem. Even if everyone besides Mathias is practically worthless, at least someone entertaining like Iris exists. Even if the writing sucks, at least there is somewhat decent animation. The point I'm trying to make is, there are many more power fantasy shows out there that are worse than Saikyou Kenja -- it is far from being the worst one. That alone should be enough to convince some people to watch the anime and even enjoy it, but clearly, it wasn't nearly enough for me.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Sep 24, 2021
Meikyuu Black Company
(Anime)
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The isekai genre is pretty much unanimously notorious -- notorious for mass-producing wholly lifeless shows that are barred from any semblance of creativity whatsoever. A large part of the anime community is openly critical of the genre for this reason, but despite its notoriety, the popularity of isekai is still as high as ever. More than half a dozen isekai shows are shoved down our throat nearly every season, and the ongoing summer is not an exception. Meikyuu Black Company isn't very different from your typical isekai anime in this regard, but surprisingly, it is one of the few ones out there that barely suffer
...
because of that.
When people think of a comedy isekai, parodies like KonoSuba usually come to mind because of their overblown popularity over the recent years. Surprisingly though, Meikyuu is not necessarily a parody anime. It is primarily a typical ("typical" in the sense that it is not isekai) comedy show that provides a fairly interesting and satirical take on capitalism. Though Meikyuu is not a parody of isekai, however, it is indeed aware of the genre's usual trappings and sometimes cleverly uses them for comedy, which already sort of makes the show a breath of fresh air to be honest. Coming back to the pivotal theme of the series, Meikyuu satirizes the capitalist mindset in rather bizarre and exaggerated ways, but in doing so, it also delivers a somewhat well-written critique of the system. Of course, the portrayal of capitalism here isn't exactly what you would call serious or akin to reality, but there's always an underlying sense of truth that remains underneath the seemingly light-hearted comedy. I don't mean that Meikyuu is a serious show by any measure, but when it does attempt to be profound (kind of), it surprisingly succeeds to a considerable extent. And the person who makes it all work is the protagonist, Kinji Ninomiya. Ninomiya is by far the most intriguing character in Meikyuu; he is arguably the very thing that makes the anime so entertaining and sets it apart from other isekai series. What makes Ninomiya himself so entertaining is his severe contrast with the multitude of isekai protagonists out there. Ninomiya can be fairly dumb, selfish, cynical and manipulative at times, but he is also unexpectedly clever and thoughtful. His actions and beliefs are undoubtedly questionable sometimes, but they don't affect the likeability of his character (there are a few exceptions, like that one time when he grabbed Shia's chest for no reason). To be more specific, Ninomiya's unwillingness to give in to his shitty circumstances is what makes him compelling. There are several times in the show where Ninomiya is driven to a corner, but he always manages to get on top of the situation through his over-the-top plotting. Luck hasn't exactly been on his side since he was isekaied to another world, and it doesn't seem like it will be anytime soon either, but one's thing for sure -- Ninomiya will continue to fight against his predicaments no matter what it takes; he is not going to give up easily. Again, that is precisely what makes him such a compelling character. Unfortunately, in a way, that also makes Ninomiya the biggest weakness of Meikyuu -- I will explain how. Ninomiya is clearly the singular main character of the story, and while that's not necessarily always a bad thing in of itself, the anime sometimes relies on him so much to the point that other characters are treated as tools who are merely created to be foils to Ninomiya and move the story forward. Even when someone else eventually takes the spotlight, they always fail to leave any significant impression, since it doesn't take a long time before they are reduced to a static background character again. Despite these glaring issues, though, the characters don't fail to be entertaining for the most part. Wanibe is a likeable guy despite his naive nature, Shia is an encouraging women with her determination, and Renga is adorable though his depiction in the anime is occasionally very questionable (especially in that bath scene). Of course, there's Rim as well, whose insatiable hunger and childish behavior creates some hilarious moments in the anime. All in all, Rim is generally a very entertaining character -- even despite her apparent clothing issues. I mean, surely it wouldn't have hurt anyone if you hadn't made her a loli or, you know, at least given her some proper clothes? Another one of Meikyuu's most noticeable flaws is that pacing is occasionally very poorly handled. Sometimes, the story moves forward in an abruptly fast pace and escalates way too quickly for its own good. The final arc of the show is the easily the most guilty of this. In particular, the last two episodes were rather difficult to follow because of the sudden and abrupt progression of events. Honestly, the entirety of the arc felt quite rushed, although I did enjoy it in the end. In terms of production, there is not much to talk about Meikyuu to be honest. Don't get me wrong, though -- it is not a badly produced show by any means. The animation is fairly decent and the soundtrack isn't half bad either. The opening song seriously slaps by the way. It is one of the catchiest theme songs this season (or even this entire year) and by far the most underrated one. The ending song is also quite good in my opinion. Despite my initial qualms, Meikyuu Black Company ultimately proved to be a simple yet nonetheless enjoyable isekai anime. It doesn't bring anything particularly innovative to the table per se, but if what you want is simply an isekai anime that doesn't cover itself with superfluous drama and actually tries to make its audience laugh, then this show won't disappoint you. Especially in a period where isekai has become almost entirely devoid of flair, Meikyuu is, without a doubt, more than a welcome addition to the genre.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 17, 2021
Kanojo mo Kanojo
(Anime)
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Have you ever watched an anime you hated at first but then came to like it? That's my experience with Kanojo mo Kanojo. "Like" is an understatement though, because I found myself laughing my ass off watching pretty much every episode. In a season which suffered from the "lack of good shit" syndrome, Kanojo mo Kanojo had legitimately been my favorite anime to watch. Yes, legitimately.
First, let's get the bad things out of the way. If you don't enjoy "dumb", "illogical" anime and dislike the awkward two-timing concept of KmK, chances are that you won't like the show either. This is very clearly a hit-or-miss ... series, you are either going to love it or hate it. Even someone like me, who absolutely adores the show now, had a rough time sitting through the first episode. It wasn't because of the "dumb always equals bad" mentality that a lot of people seem to have, but because of how awkward I found the circumstances to be. There's another major reason behind my initial dislike, but I will get to that in a bit. So what makes KmK good compared to other dumb, "low-effort" harem romcoms out there? What's different about it compared to something like Osamake? It's hard to explain. Maybe it's the fact that KmK actually feels like a genuine parody of harem – as opposed to a series that only appears to be a parody while unironically being the exact thing that it attempts to make fun of (Osamake, for example again). The scenarios in KmK are also far more outlandish, with each scenario constantly one-upping the earlier one in terms of ridiculousness. Everything about the show feels like the most cliched trope you could ever imagine – just amplified to an unthinkable extent. Then there's the fact that the characters are actually likeable and entertaining, which is one of the biggest differences between KmK and most other harem romcoms. The characters are by far the best part of KmK, and they are basically what make the show's awkward premise somehow work. Yes, most of them are unbelievably stupid, illogical, and embarrassingly straightforward, but they are still entertaining. Their apparent lack of braincells doesn't make them the least bit intolerable. Instead, they are more enjoyable because of it. Another noteworthy side is that the series doesn't dabble in any unnecessary subplot, and there aren't many characters in the cast. This is rather uncommon in harem romcoms, most of which have a tendency to stray away from the original storyline by introducing redundant side-characters and the like. However, if you had asked me about my opinion about KmK two months ago, I probably would have given a much different answer, and that's mostly because of just one guy: Naoya, the protagonist. Naoya is a very difficult character to like, and I completely understand why. He is as stupid and clueless as a brick, appearing very selfish and self-centred, and above all, he is a two-timing bastard and the root cause of this fucked up situation. But man, is he honest and straightforward. I would have had no qualms repeatedly punching his face if it had been a few weeks ago, but as the story progressed, I kind of started liking the guy to be honest. Not in any conventional way, though. Let me explain. Naoya doesn't have any relatable backstory or even a compelling trait that will make you like him, but what he does have is his overly frank and persistent personality and his commitment to keep both of his girlfriends happy, which is admirable in its own way. Naoya will go out of his way to make sure that Saki and Nagisa are treated equally, leading to some questionable yet nonetheless hilarious scenarios. All this made it difficult for me to dislike him, although I totally hated him at the beginning of the story. In the end, you could say that he is essentially the "life" of this show, and say what you want, I don't think you can find a better replacement. Enough about Naoya, though. Let's talk about the girls now. For starters, Saki is the best girl of the show imo. The other three are also very likeable (although Shino gets focus for like only 2 episodes), but Saki's surprisingly sympathetic persona and unpredictable behaviour makes her the most memorable out of all. But again, the other girls also deserve credit. They all love Naoya for their own reasons and come up with various plans to protect and express their love, which kinda makes your root for all the three at the same time – no matter how disastrous the ultimate result is. As the story is now though, Saki and Nagisa seem like the only potential winners, but given the kind of series we are talking about here, anything could happen. The animation of KmK clearly isn't top-tier, but it isn't really bad either. There are a lot of awkward reactions and stiff movements from time to time, but the overall quality of the animation is fine. I like the vibrant color scheme of the show as well, and most importantly, all the girls look very attractive (although their faces can become quite deformed sometimes – either for comedic purpose or unintentionally). Regarding the soundtrack, I thought it was surprisingly good. Some of the tracks that played on the background were very memorable. Along with the decent soundtrack, KmK has one of the best opening and ending themes this season. The opening song "Fuzaketenaize" is very catchy, and the ending song "Pinky Hook" is especially good with its outstanding pre-chorus, which gets me hooked (pun intended) every time I hear it. Kanojo mo Kanojo is easily one of the most enjoyable harems I have ever watched, and there honestly isn't any sense of irony when I say that. Whether or not the show has good writing may be debatable, but one thing is for sure – it knows how to have fun, it knows how to embrace its stupidity. This type of unassuming and "not giving a fuck" attitude makes the show a rare find and, in my opinion, a legitimately fun anime to watch. You wouldn't find anything remotely meaningful here even with the most rose-tinted glasses, but that doesn't stop it from being any less enjoyable. After all, not all anime need to be profound or even rational to be genuinely entertaining, and Kanojo mo Kanojo just might be the best example of that.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 30, 2021 Not Recommended Spoiler
*This review contains spoilers*
Watching Osamake is an incredibly painful experience. The story is riddled with so many dumb twists and cliches, and the characters always act so stupid and nonsensical that it becomes extremely difficult to sit through a single episode. Osamake presents itself as a unique romcom that plays around with various tropes and cliches. The gimmick here is: where the childhood friend archetype in a harem anime usually gets rejected by the protagonist, she is not going to lose in Osamake. There's surprisingly a clever catch in this, though (probably the most intelligent part of the entire anime), as we later find out that ... all three romantic interests of the protagonist are actually his childhood friends. Now, this sounds pretty interesting on paper, but Osamake is actually the very cliche that it attempts to parody—and much worse. The protagonist of the story is Sueharu Maru, a high school student who is in love with his classmate Shirokusa Kachi, the idol of his school. After saying "Hello" to her a few times (keep this in mind), Sueharu prepares to confess his love to Shirokusa—only to get disheartened when he finds out that she has a boyfriend. But don't worry, Sueharu's childhood friend Kuroha has the perfect solution to this situation! What is that solution, you ask? Get revenge on her, of course! What else would it be? That would show her how big of an alpha male you are! From then on begins the moronic tale of Sueharu and his equally dull romantic interests, as they make fuss over anything and everything for no goddamn reason—because what's more entertaining than watching high school students-cum-mentally inept kids do dumb shit? It may seem as if I'm exaggerating everything, but that's pretty much what Osamake is in a nutshell. Nearly all the characters of the show are extraordinarily dumb and childish. They make foolish mistakes on numerous occasions and incessantly cry over them, but instead of learning anything from it, they continue to make those mistakes again and again. Their immaturity doesn't only show in their actions but also in their speech. The script of the anime is rife with stilted and unnatural dialogues, and some of them are so inane that they remind me of conversations I had in elementary school. Legitimately. Our main character Seharu is the typical happy-go-lucky protagonist you would find in any other romcom anime, except that he is much more stupid, shallow, and pathetic. If the first episode wasn't enough to convince you he is completely brain-dead—don't worry, he doesn't take much time to outdo himself. Sueharu's lack of self-awareness and common sense honestly amazes me. He unironically says that he is a genius when he comes up with a plan any elementary school kid could come up with. He questions why others look down on him when he genuinely considered of paying his underclassmen to have sex with her few seconds ago. He claims that he genuinely loves Shirokusa, yet it takes only a couple of weeks for him to fall in love with Kuroha (and vice-versa). All throughout the anime, Sueharu constantly behaves like an oblivious, indecisive pushover who cries over every little thing. His feelings change pretty much every single episode, but most of the times, it's for the most trivial thing you could imagine. To be honest, I didn't dislike Shirokusa at first. I actually sympathized with her quite a bit—up until a certain point of the story. Like almost everyone else in the anime, it doesn't take long for her to become annoying. After some time, we get to know that Sueharu used to be Shirokusa's only friend when she was a child. Because of this, she admired Sueharu and instantly fell in love with him. But before Shirokusa could confess her feelings, they were separated from each other due to Sueharu's predicament. This sounds quite heartwarming, but guess what Shirokusa does when she meets Saeharu again? Instead of confessing to him, she decides it would be better to fake date another guy so that she could make him jealous. Yeah, seriously. Kuroha is even worse, though. Her personality is pretty detestable right from the beginning. She is usually the one who causes the most trouble and makes the dumbest decisions, yet half the time she behaves like she is totally innocent and blames others for her own idiocy. I'm not saying that Sueharu and Kachi are sensible people by any measure (they are absolutely not, as I have stated and elaborated earlier), but they are relatively not so bad (huge emphasis on "relatively"), because some of Kuroha's actions are a lot more questionable in comparison. Halfway through the anime, the author realized that Kuroha doesn't have any substance to her whatsoever, so they suddenly felt the obligation that they needed to focus on her -- and it's done in one of the most contrived ways possible. In episode 5, Kuroha decides to fake amnesia and randomly tells everyone that she has lost part of her memories, and everyone just believes her without questioning anything. When asked why she did something like that, she says that she had done it so that she could mend her relationship with Sueharu. If this is not quality writing, I don't know what is. Later on, we are introduced to Maria who serves as a younger sister-like character to Sueharu—because what harem would be complete without an overly obsessive imouto? To be fair, Maria is probably the least unlikeable one of the bunch (which isn't something to be proud of), but she still remains severely underdeveloped as a character. Disregarding the fact that her tough background is brought up completely abruptly, the anime doesn't bother to properly flesh it out either. It's implied that her parents are abusive and that's why she lives separately with her sister, but it never gets mentioned again. When Osamake doesn't concentrate on its insufferable romance and comedy, it shifts the focus to its forced drama. The overarching plot of the series revolves around the trials and tribulations of working in the acting industry (supposedly), and without a hint of surprise, it's not well-written either. Now, the concept does have some potential in my opinion, albeit it has been used quite a few times before. The problem with Osamake is that not only does it fail to provide any insight into the filming industry, but it also dumbs everything down to an incredible extent (just like the romance and the comedy). And the fact that the characters are so obviously one-dimensional only makes the matter worse. Let's take Sueharu as an example. At the end of episode 1, it's suddenly revealed that Sueharu was a renowned actor during his childhood. However, after his mother had passed away due to an unfortunate accident, his acting career was abruptly brought to an end. Later in the anime, Sueharu manages to overcome his trauma and resolves to become an actor again. So, exactly how does he do that? I have no idea. Despite what the series expects us to believe, Sueharu doesn't face any actual difficulty in confronting his past (except for once in the ENTIRE anime), so there's exactly zero reason for the viewers to give a shit about him. This is no different for any of the other main characters. Due to how carelessly the anime handles the characters' backgrounds, their traumas can only be seen as something that is half-assedly thrown in to add artificial depth to them—not something that is naturally integrated into their respective personalities to make them genuinely nuanced. For this reason, all the characters of the show have a painfully overt artificial air to them and make it difficult for them to be taken seriously, a problem which is even worsened by their usually idiotic personalities. Also, how the hell is Sueharu supposed to be a prodigious actor? Practically everyone around him thinks that he is amazing for some reason, but never once does he manage to validate his overwhelming fame. In fact, his so-called "brilliant acting" is painfully mediocre; there isn't a single scene in the anime where he performs nearly as good as he is constantly made out to be. In the confession festival, he does this awkward Fortnite dance or whatever, and I kid you not, it's easily one of the cringiest things I have ever watched. Everyone in the anime apparently thinks it's amazing, though, and I have absolutely no clue as to why. As for the other significant characters, there aren't any besides Tetsuhiko. All the other side characters are treated as complete fodders who are simply there to heighten the idiotic drama, obsess over Sueharu for god knows whatever reason, and resolve plot points whenever it is convenient. I wouldn't have complained about this that much if the said characters were at least bearable, but it seems like the author only knows how to make them obnoxious. By the end of the anime, I ended up disliking pretty much all of them either due to how bland or unlikeable they were (especially Ooragi—she was SO ANNOYING). And seriously, what is the purpose of those gorilla-looking guys? Could they be any more punchable? Let's talk about Tetsuhiko now. Tetsuhiko looks extremely identical to Yakiatsu from AnoHana, and their personalities are actually similar too—if you remove the depth of Yakiatsu and only keep the smartass attitude. Tetsuhiko is that one annoying playboy character that you see in many romance anime, and the fact that he takes up a sizeable portion of the show doesn't help. Despite his overbearing presence in the series, Tetsuhiko is far from being a fleshed out character. We are suddenly told that he actually has a significant reason behind why he is starting up a film club, but the author completely forgets about it the second he introduces it. What could have been an interesting subplot is quickly vanished into thin air, and Tetsuhiko remains an obnoxious smartass. One argument fans use against Osamake's criticisms is that it's supposed to be a parody of typical romcom/harem anime, so we shouldn't be taking the series at face value. Here's the problem, though—Osamake is far from an actual parody. And even if we pretend that it is one, it's definitely not good at it. Here's what I mean. To make a genuinely entertaining parody, first you have to establish that you are being self-aware. There's no need to be blatant to about it; you simply have to make it apparent or discernible. Then you have to make the parodies clever and unexpected in a way they don't seem forced and/or provide some sort of insight. Likeable characters are also very important depending on what kind of story we are handling. If it's a romcom anime for example, you have to make the characters somewhat likeable given they are pretty much the driving force of your show. Osamake doesn't have any of that. The show pretends that it is parodying basic tropes and cliches, but then proceeds to use those exact tropes and cliches as serious plot devices. There's almost never any real sense of irony in the unbelievably awkward events that occur, and even when there is, it doesn't make the anime much better due to how unlikeable the characters are. Occasionally, Osamake tries to justify it being self-aware by showing satirical third-person perspectives of the romance storyline, but they are always so blatant and uninteresting that it only makes the series more pretentious. The production side of Osamake is by far its best aspect, and that's saying something when the said aspect is mediocre at best. The quality of the animation is mostly okay, but unfortunately it worsens drastically from time to time. Sometimes, the characters look like they are deformed or something, and other objects seem abnormal as well. And can I talk about how awful their classroom looks? Seriously, why the hell does it look so gloomy? Can't you guys buy some damn lights at least? The soundtrack is satisfactory. The background tracks are surprisingly pretty good, and while the opening is very annoying, the ending isn't that bad. The voice actors are actually amazing; they pretty much singlehandedly carry the entire show. Some of the not-so-cringey scenes were surprisingly enjoyable solely because of the competent voice actors. Their voices were irritating to listen to sometimes, but that's because their assigned characters are crap to begin with. If the voice acting had been garbage as well, I would have had a much harder time sitting through this shitfest. Osamake encompasses everything that is wrong with the romcom genre; it's an utter failure of a romcom anime. The comedy is painfully unfunny, the romance is incredibly obnoxious, and the drama has less depth than the puddle of water in my backyard. As much of a trainwreck Domestic na Kanojo was and will be, at least it succeeded at keeping me constantly entertained. Osamake isn't capable of providing that kind of entertainment either. At best, it's a painfully generic romcom anime; at worst, it's an egregiously written pretentious garbage devoid of almost any enjoyment value.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Jun 26, 2021
Ijiranaide, Nagatoro-san
(Anime)
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Bullying, and anything similar, has always been regarded as a sensitive subject. For that reason, most anime and manga tackle this topic with a rather solemn approach, as they should. Serious issues akin to bullying shouldn't be viewed as a medium to make obscene jokes—unless you make it obvious that you aren't ridiculing the subject matter in question. Ijiranaide, Nagatoro-san seemingly does the opposite; according to a part of the audience, it treats a heavy topic like bullying in a comedic manner and makes light of it.
This show isn't actually about bullying, though. In the end, despite my initial impressions, Iiranaide, Nagatoro-san turned out to ... be a weirdly heartwarming show that consistently kept me entertained. Why, though? I will explain. The first episode of Ijiranaide, Nagatoro-san is quite misleading. In it, our boisterous and tan-skinned heroine Nagatoro approaches our timid protagonist Naoto and bullies him to the point that he starts to break down. This immediately put me off from the anime to be honest, but luckily, Nagatoro's teasing—which was actual bullying at first—gradually softens as the story progresses, and after a few episodes, the series just becomes a likeable romance story between the two leads. Now, it should be noted that the author of Nagatoro-san was formerly a hentai artist, and this indeed shows in several places. Most of the scenarios that occur in the anime are risque to say the least; however, they don't really cross the line. Nagatoro-san surprisingly maintains a pretty light-hearted tone throughout its runtime that is well-executed for the most part. In actuality, this series is far from being a borderline hentai—regardless of what some people may have led to believe. I'm addressing this since many people seemed to disparage the series solely based on the fact that its author previously made hentai, when in reality, Nagatoro-san is fairly "clean" compared to a countless amount of ecchi anime out there. Although this kind of reaction is to be expected, I find it condemnable that some people hate the show just because it's made by a hentai artist. It's one thing if you simply don't like the anime, but associating it with the author formerly being a hentai artist is completely uncalled for. Coming back to the actual review, the interesting dynamic of our main duo, Naoto and Nagatoro, is what primarily makes this series an entertaining watch. A proper sadomasochistic relationship between two of the leads isn't something that you commonly find in anime, which alone makes Nagatoro-san stand out from other similar shows. Most of the episodes consist of multiple segments, almost all of which follow the same format: Nagatoro runs across Naoto and playfully teases him while he gets embarrassed. Despite this formulaic plotline, the scenarios in each episode are usually varied enough to keep the viewers engaged—albeit there are times when this can feel a bit repetitive and lacklustre. Nagatoro is definitely the more compelling one of the main duo. Initially, it can be difficult to like her because of her overly mocking personality, but trust me, she becomes a lot more likeable later on. Nagatoro's mischiefs include taunting Naoto in a light-hearted manner, poking at him with her fingers, lightly hitting him on his head, etc. Most of the teasing basically consists of Nagatoro doing silly things like these which Naoto doesn't mind at all (probably because he is a masochist). Her intentions are fortunately far from being mean-spirited, and even when she crosses the line or goes a bit too far, she quickly catches on to it and apologizes to Naoto. Nagatoro's personality is unexpectedly very dynamic. Throughout the anime she displays three distinct personas (teasy/energetic, embarrassed, and yandere-ish), and they shift smoothly depending on the situation that Naoto is put into. All three sides of her personality are honestly quite likeable, but the latter two are especially entertaining since they are infrequent and contrast greatly with her usual teasy personality. On a side note, Nagatoro's voice actress Sumire Uesaka's contribution in this regard is undeniably notable. Most likely, you will dislike Naoto and find him to be a dull character, and I wouldn't blame you for that. There aren't many things that are unique about him as a character; he is kind of your typical introverted protagonist. Personally though, I actually liked Naoto quite a bit. Yes, he is pretty wimpy, irritating and a pushover at the beginning (some would argue most of the times), but his personality actually improves at a consistent pace as he interacts with Nagatoro. The development is admittedly very slow-paced, but it doesn't cause much problem since that's ultimately the purpose of the anime—to show Naoto gain self-assurance in a steady and meaningful way. The supporting characters do let down, though. Sakura is okay (although she can also be dislikeable at times), but Maki and Yoshi are mostly very annoying. The former solely exists to exasperate both Naoto and Nagatoro, and the latter just mindlessly imitates whatever the others do or say. Granted, these two do create some interesting circumstances by bringing out Nagatoro's yandere-ish personality, but surely it could have been done in a more tasteful method. Besides the aforementioned three, Naoto's club president Sana is the only other significant side character, and while she is not necessarily a bad character, she is introduced rather abruptly in the story. Nagatoro-san is decently animated for the most part. Although not spectacular, the animation is consistently fluid and there aren't many noticeable flaws. I do have some complaints regarding the character designs, though. Every character in the anime, besides those that I have mentioned above, doesn't even have a fully drawn face; their eyes are always covered with a shadow or not shown at all. Some might use the argument that this is supposed to signify a subtle meaning and shouldn't be taken at face value, but I find it a bit lazy nonetheless. Regarding the soundtrack, most of Nagatoro-san's background tracks aren't particularly remarkable (while there are a few that I like quite a bit), they fit in well with the playful atmosphere of the anime. The opening theme "Easy Love" is intentionally made to be over-the-top with the flamboyant visuals and the screechy (kind of) singing, but while I kinda disliked it at first, I didn't mind it much later on. On the other hand, the ending song titled "Colorful Canvas" is pretty catchy and has a calming vibe to it. Chances are that you will either enjoy Nagatoro-san as some sort of a guilty pleasure, or think it's another vapid ecchi anime with no substance whatsoever. And honestly, this is one of the few cases where I can understand both sides of the argument. Nagatoro-san is pretty much fated to be polarizing among its audience, so the controversy surrounding it isn't surprising at all. However, despite this and the fact that I'm not generally fond of this kind of titles, I found myself enjoying this show a fair amount. I was surprised at myself for enjoying it this much, but in retrospect, Nagatoro-san actually does have some praiseworthy things about it—and I legitimately believe that it's a good show. Before I end this review, I would like recommend any potential viewers to watch the anime with an accepting mindset—you will probably enjoy it more that way. Also, sit through the first episode.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 23, 2021 Recommended
Watching Super Cub kind of feels like taking a bath. It's a bit plain and simple, yet never fails to soothe you even when you are having a bad time.
Super Cub revolves around high school student Koguma, a timid and lonely girl who has never had anything that she could cherish. As Koguma herself describes, she has nothing—no parents, no hobbies, no friends, and no goals. However, after buying a pre-used Super Cub, she finally finds something that even she could enjoy. The anime chronicles the now adventurous days of Koguma's life, showcasing how vastly she has changed and continues to change. Super Cub seems like ... a simple CGDCT anime at first glance, and if you take the series at face value, it's likely that you won't change your opinion even after watching it. Most of the times, the characters of the anime simply travel around various places while riding their beloved scooter. Due to this and the seemingly unimaginative subject matter, it's easy to mistake Super Cub for another typical CGDCT, but in reality, there's far more to the show than just that. The narrative of Super Cub is fairly simple, but the themes that surround it are surprisingly thorough. Unlike most of its predecessors, Super Cub consistently maintains a solemn tone throughout its 12 episodes, which complements the themes that it tackles. That doesn't mean this is a sad show, though. Despite the serious undercurrent, Super Cub is actually very relaxing to watch; partly because the atmosphere is charmingly calm and quiet, and partly because most of the events that occur in the anime are intrinsically light-hearted and easy to follow. This casual approach to storytelling can be a double-edged sword, though. Super Cub follows a rather basic storyline and mostly relies on the characters to move the plot forward, which places some obvious limitations on the potential scenarios. Due to the apparent lack of "innovation", some parts of the show can feel a bit monotonous. There are other areas where the writing is very lacking—the prime example of this being the first half of episode 11 which suffers because of the characters' unusually irrational actions, and the fact that Koguma's unusual background is never explored despite it being the introductory point of her character. Luckily, Super Cub balances this simplicity and makes up for its shortcomings with substantial characterization. The most compelling character of the anime is by far Koguma, the protagonist of the story who is a bit of an oddball. If you overlook the fact that her past is shrouded in mystery for no reason, she is surprisingly a very relatable character. Koguma's initial inability to find motivation in her life is something that resonates with me a lot, so seeing her gain confidence and create genuine friendships is uplifting to say the least. In a way, Super Cub is also a very encouraging show. The entire anime delivers a generally wholesome and optimistic message, and all of the main characters beautifully reflect that statement. Koguma, Reiko and Shii—they all have something they love from the bottom of their heart, and they will do pretty much anything to protect that. At first, that something was simply Super Cub (Alex Moulton bike for Shii), but as the three grow closer through interactions, they gradually forge a precious and long-lasting bond that they don't want to lose either. This is essentially what makes Super Cub such an encouraging experience. Seeing Koguma and the others wholeheartedly pursue their dreams honestly made me very motivated and electrified, something which very few shows can manage to do. Additionally, all of our main characters display a remarkable degree of realism and relatability, because of which I quickly found myself rooting for them. For the most part, the script of Super Cub is fittingly simple and straightforward, but the lines are crafted in a way such that they are subtle and meaningful. While there aren't a whole lot of dialogues or monologues in the show which is understandable), ones that are there mostly exist for a significant purpose; they are relevant to the contemporary events and provide insight into the characters' emotions. That said, some of the conversations about motorbikes can be a bit difficult to follow, especially if you are someone like me who has little to no knowledge of vehicles. But hey, this may be something bike enthusiasts can rave about. Suitably, Super Cub takes a bit minimalistic approach in terms of its soundtrack. There are quite a few scenes that are intentionally barren of music, which is a clever choice given how neatly it fits in with the calm ambience of the show. Most of the other scenes are fittingly accompanied with tranquil piano music. The sound effects are pretty good; they add more realism to the environment of the anime. The opening song titled "Mahou no Kaze" is alright, and the same could be said about the ending "Haru e no Dengon" which is sung by the voice actors of the main cast. Super Cub's animation is generally very beautiful, albeit the artstyle is a bit cutesy. Since the characters travel a lot in the anime, the scenic designs are rather diverse, memorable, and beautifully animated. Simple backgrounds such as school, shops, houses, etc. are nicely drawn as well, which has become an uncommon trait in anime nowadays. Occasionally, there are some odd uses of CGI, though (usually while the characters are riding or paddling), that don't really blend in with the background and are a little jarring to look at. Besides that, I honestly don't have much to complain about. It's a bit sad that Super Cub hasn't gained much popularity—it's arguably one of the better anime of this season in my opinion. Honestly, I didn't expect much going into the series, but it didn't take much time to win me over with its refreshingly calm nature. If you are a fan of the iyashikei subgenre, you will probably enjoy Super Cub as much as I did. And who knows, you might even become inclined to buy an actual Super Cub.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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