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No. 1 of 9 of J.C.Staff's shows for Summer/Fall 2024: Murai in Love — The manga-turned-anime PowerPoint animation strikes again...it's just pure laziness, I'm telling ya...or this is just a modern animation technique that is perfected depending on the source material?

In the modern age of the AniManga industry, where the age-old argument of "quantity vs. quality" is just as important as the years pass by, you can't doubt me in the face that while the industry is facing more shortages in manpower than ever, studios are "trying" to get creative in utilizing just about every and all animation techniques, not just to cut corners with ... the ever-decreasing budget but also to deliver within the insanity of deadlines for all anime projects. This has been the case for the once-renowned studio of J.C.Staff, helming the extreme insanity that is almost unheard of: nearing the total double-digit count of shows (including Summer's leftover that is 2.5-jigen no Ririsa a.k.a 2.5 Dimensional Seduction). That is just tipping the scales of Japan's notorious infamous Black Company-esque workplace, but I digress, because all of the studio's shows have their own flare that you could still watch them for what they are.

This then, segways to mangaka Junta Shima's lone work of Murai no Koi a.k.a Murai in Love, a bare-bones rom-com between an adult and a student, and the similarity that helms that relationship is a fictional character from a game. On hindsight, this completed manga series enclosing 71 chapters within 7 volumes that once had an 8-episode live-action TV drama in Spring 2022 before the anime came around, I'm guessing the peeps in Japan having the chance to see the drama is a novelty in and of itself to experience the manga in live-action format (as opposed to something like anime). And 2.5 years later, the anime finally comes around...to be given J.C.Staff's once-heavily panned and now "solidified" motion-comic treatment that Gokushufudou a.k.a The Way of the Househusband got back in Spring 2021. Is this for the worse, or better, this time around? You be the judge.

If you'd ask me what I think about age-gap romances, there is a "yes and no" depending on the circumstances in which the setting was set up to begin with. And in Murai no Koi's case, that would be the series's male MC named Murai: the cool-looking blonde-haired student who excels within his grade in school, who has the usual clique of high school friends (like you would any growing young adult), and the romantic love interest...of a teacher? As it turns out, his homeroom teacher of Ayano Tanaka is quite the teacher that more than the usual colleagues of the fellows around her, she is seemingly unmarried for her "young" and youthful-looking age. The problem with her (or as the students refer to her as "Tetsuko" because of her "steel heart") is twofold: she is only interested in the pseudonym character that comes from the Otome game that she plays: Hitotose, and the realization that like 2.5D Seduction, the difference between the titular fictional character and Murai himself is battling thealmost exact appearances in different 2D or 3D plains, that Tetsuko refuses to acknowledge that Murai is the splitting image of her favourite mobage character enough to consider him as a candidate for love, that confoundedly has been established since their childhood days (no spoilers on that).

If the main couple just can't establish their connection, there's always the friends around them that would help make that E.T. establishment effort work. Murai's friends of Kiriyama and Hirai, as the chitter-chattering birds they are, are true "bros before hoes" guys who just want to see their good friend be acknowledged by Tanaka, while measuring up against the others who could jeopardize their relationship. The fellow classmates, ranging from the bros to the Nishifuji sisters of Yuka and Hitomi, who are related to both Tanaka and Murai are real craftswomen in the drawing department; they're like fans in the form of annoying flies around both of them in trying to strike a chord together. The real contenders are Murai's childhood friend of Yayoi Fukunaga and Tanaka's coworker of the "teacher from hell," that is Yamakado-sensei; they're the real trouble that the close friends must gander and bond together to avoid any and all confrontation of the worst possible scenario of both the Prince Charming and his Cinderella getting separated for good. This is where the comedy aspect does its best, and it definitely gives the anime a stretch of what there's to offer about Junta Shima's writing, which is not just fast but exacerbating to a degree that is quick-witted and holds nothing back in a surprisingly non-cliche manner. In a way, it leverages into the otaku culture and the constant gag humour that is a part of its bizarre shtick just to get the romance vibes going, and I can't say that I hate it, but it did get some chuckles out of me at certain moments.

Of course, I need not say the Paper Mario-esque motion-comic that Hi Score Girl and Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid a.k.a The Duke of Death and His Maid's director Yoshinobu Yamakawa took in his approach learning from fellow Gokushufudou director Chiaki Kon about literally "cutting corners" in animation by making the manga come alive only by colour and expression (I'm looking at you, Blue Lock vs. U-20 Japan). As mentioned, Gokushufudou got the bad apple of J.C.Staff going for the motion-comic style (and it's even ironic that its earlier Fall 2020 TV drama is leaps better than the anime), but for this show. it...kinda works? Sure, it's all over the place, but as I've mentioned, it depends on what the source material is like, and in this case, the motion-comic nomenclature perfectly suits the aethestic of Murai no Koi to a T. With Yoshinobu Yamakawa being able to add his own flavour into the anime, no matter how "bad" it looks, the other aspects help support the sole deal breaker so much that at the end of the day, animation takes a backseat for the main content to shine through.

The OST is fairly lacking in spots, though it is just there for show and not really noticeable. Riinu's OP is especially catchy (that is if you speed the song up), and Yabai T-Shirts Ya-san's ED is a glorified mess of a mashup that has to do with the show's themes and genres, just plain forgettable. A mixed bag.

If you want to try out Murai no Koi a.k.a Murai in Love, I'm sorry to say that you'll have to take J.C.Staff's motion-comic animation for what it is. I'll give it points for trying to stand out by taking a downgrade in one of the most critical aspects of anime, and in my case, it was a constant but consistent hit-or-miss experience.

Maybe (or definitely) you'll have a better experience than I do, and at the end of the day, that's what counts as an opinion of not just one, but of the many.

Mission: Yozakura Family - A more serious, but also fun family dynamic that's a take on the Spy × Family formula, being same-same, but different.

Ever since the invent of Weekly Shonen Jump, authors have been trying to make big of their series, since it's known to many as one of the key aspects of success, but also the added pressure of them trying to keep up with Shueisha's (and other publishing companies) rigorous release for the weekly magazines themselves in Japan, because authors have a story to sell, and business can only be made if quality is ensured, mostly from the authors themselves. It's the ... same reason why series like Yuki Tabata's Black Clover suffered in the long run when he had a physical breakdown that resulted in him not being able to pump the series fast enough, which necessitated the manga's serialisation to the same publishing company's other magazine, Jump Giga, just to make ends meet for a "work-life balance" compromise.

On the other hand, you have ongoing series that has/had/have anime adaptations, like Yoshifumi Tozuka's Undead Unluck during last Fall to this Winter; last season's Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi a.k.a The Elusive Samurai from Ansatsu Kyoushitsu a.k.a Assassination Classroom's mangaka Yusei Matsui; and even the one that's just starting to get all of the buzz this season: Kouji Miura's Ao no Hako a.k.a Blue Box. Together with the upcoming anime adaptations of hits like Sket Dance mangaka Kenta Shinohara's Witch Watch and Yuto Suzuki's Sakamoto Days, these are series that absolutely thrive eating off the Shonen Jump formula for the simplicity of its own content that there's no trouble writing and drawing weekly serialisations for the magazine to keep those series relevant in the long run. And what I deem to be one of anime's most ambitious works within the past few years, is mangaka Hitsuji Gondaira's Yozakura-san Chi no Daisakusen a.k.a Mission: Yozakura Family, despite coming out in the same year as Tatsuya Endo's Spy × Family and separated by 6 months (with the latter starting in March and the former starting in August), it still manages to carve out its own niche and take on the spy formula by having its own rom-com moments that's sprinkled in with the stereotypical action thriller that most spy series have acclimated themselves to within the past few years or so. So, is the Disney+/Hulu locked exclusive anime worth your time to watch? Let's I Spy things from here.

In terms of the story/plot, amongst all Shonen Jump works, I would rank Hitsuji Gondaira's story to be very lacking, because on the one hand, you could argue the basis of bringing an outsider into a family's that so chaotic and something that the MC would not expect to be involved in, much less have his ties (both literally and figuratively) be bonded to such a thriller of an action-heavy spy plot, but on the other, support that this is the idea of creating a character-focused series that would help amplify its key themes as its strength, which undoubtedly is the factor that set the manga for the long-run success that it has, with (as of this review) 26 volumes and counting. That's the key idea of MC Taiyo Asano, an ordinary boy who's had his parents lost in a freak accident, leaving the lone child all alone with only his childhood friend to take care of. Until that said childhood friend being in the same school that he is, the latter gets entangled to fate once again that his childhood friend is the target of many groups of assassins, not to mention that the school they're in, its principal is also linked to her in a way that truly embodies just how frenetic their lives are always, being on the constant watch for any sort of evil that comes their way.

This is how Taiyo would eventually come to know his childhood friend of Mutsumi as being part of the big spy family that is the Yozakura Family, and how he grows from just a typical childhood friend of hers, to a force that even the Yozakura Family admits that no one has been this passionate for their livelihood. Despite the one rule that would allow him to be accepted into the family that siblings should not have infighting against each other, that was the loophole that got both him and Mutsumi into their fated marriage, but it's also because of the one subterfuge that also almost cost him his life (that will be discussed later). More importantly, Taiyo's life is not just one ordinary fest, as his hidden past ties back to the present of why he's involved with the spy family to begin with, so much so as to undergo their training to become a superhuman that's ordained with the Family's signature ability, something that should only be embodied by its descendants: Blooming.

Each sibling of the Yozakura Family has its own Blooming that tells much of who they are and their traits as a whole:
- The Black signature of eldest sibling Kyoichiro, who has an overprotective sis-con energy towards Mutsumi because she's just that valuable of a family member, even as Taiyo struggles to get his approval of the relationship he has with Mutsumi, ending up relying on the hard-and-fast infighting rule of the Yozakura Family to secure his life and be with her. His Steel Spider thread cuts through most of his enemies, depicted from his operative will, and is an ironfist of a weapon that makes him one of (if not) the strongest Yozakura sibling.
- The White signature of second sibling Futaba, she is like the siblings' pseudo mother character who is both violent and strict, but also caring and motherly at the same time, always looking out for her fellow younger siblings, as well as keeping Kyoichiro in check if he ever attempts to kill Taiyo out of his sis-con jealousy. Her specialist in martial arts (mainly aikido and jujitsu) also gives her the edge in physical combat.
- The Green signature of third sibling Shinzo, he's the family's weapon specialist who's able to utilise any weapon he gets his hands on, despite being the embarrassed, pure-hearted man that he is.
- The Magenta signature of fourth siblings Shion, she's the technological brains of the family, being a hacking specialist, and someone who can create video game-like programs for all purposes, despite her nonchalant, but aggressive and competitive personality.
- The Yellow signature of fifth sibling Kengo, he's the clone brawn who does not let the actions of the family get to him, being a free spirit and all. He's best known for being the family's joker, who's able to disguise and mimic just about anyone, which makes him a rather capable specialist in the area of espionage.
- The Blue signature of sixth sibling Mutsumi, the current head of the Yozakura Family's 10th generation, and the only one who is the ordinary sibling when compared to the others. Yet, she is the most important key pillar of the family because she's the only one who has Someinine, the Yozakura signature substance that allows her to produce the next generation of Yozakura spies with their Blooming ability.
- The Turquoise signature of seventh sibling Nanao, he's the youngest, but also most caring of all the siblings. Nanao is the Yozakura Family's brains and brawns character with his creation of drugs, alongside his once-mutant experimentation that allows him to shapeshift into many appearances, aside from the human who wears a bin on his head being the shyest of the siblings.

Alongside their guard dog Goliath, the Yozakura Family is not one to mess around with being an all-rounded spy espionage family that has a rich history to back them up, but also of the legacy of their name that holds a steadfast rule in the spy world, being the envy of all assassins, alongside the long-run rivalry that they would get with frenemies the likes of Hinagiku, and actual antagonists of a similar size with the opposing faction of Tanpopo, which is the Yozakura Family but developed deep in evil. If anything, I would say that Hitsuji Gondaira certainly knows what he wants to do with this larger-than-life story by harnessing his characters, and whatever he's doing with the series, it's clearly working out for the best, despite it feeling almost like an episodic series that has no end to it, even though the larger spectrum of the story has a lot of potential to be expanded upon. I respect that hustle, especially with the likes of Weekly Shonen Jump standards to keep pace and relevancy.

Silver Link has been a studio of ups and downs, most especially coming off one of their busiest years of 2023 with sequels (Bofuri, Maou Gakuin no Futekigosha a.k.a Misfit of Demon King Academy and Masamune-kun's Revenge) that didn't measure up to what their prequel seasons did, and new shows (Lvl 1 Maou to One Room Yuusha a.k.a Level 1 Demon Lord and One Room Hero, Ragna Crimson, and Tearmoon Empire) that were decent to OK. This year of 2024 however, in-house director Mirai Minato has been chosen to uphold the adaptation in an unprecedented 27 episodes (1 less than Frieren) and given the standards of most 2-Cour consecutive shows, I thought that the studio would've given up at the mid-way point. And yes, for sure, the low-key moments were saved on budgetary costs, but the action moments are where the studio truly delivers one of their most impressive works to date, showing that they have what it takes to not just respect, but amplify the source material with the anime medium, which is not an easy thing to do. The hustle truly paid off (in the sacrifice of others *cough* KimiSen Season 2 *cough*), and this is a standout work of Silver Link thus far.

The OST is also quite the spy thriller composition that it is, aside from the usual rom-com moments of the central duo, which serves its purpose to good effect. I would say that there's a parallel between the 2-cours of theme songs we're given that showcases just how much difference in tonality was given, and they're surprisingly good. With the 1st Cour, Ikimonogakari's OP and Chico's ED gives you the idea of how the Yozakura Family operates in its family traits (with both songs being great and catchy), aside from the rom-com aspect of Taiyo and Mutsumi's marriage, which is highlighted more in ASOBI Doumei's 2nd Cour ED that is all the livelier. The serious tone of fripSide's 2nd Cour OP that joins former 2nd gen lead singer Yoshino Nanjo with the new 3rd generation, is definitely a big contrast of change, it's the only one song that I thought was OK.

Even with a simple premise of a family tied to its spy espionage traits, it's easy to see how mangaka Hitsuji Gondaira made the simple formula work, which garnered him the moderate success that keeps the spot in Weekly Shonen Jump, and one that keeps going on and on without the end in sight. The anime itself, while just a decent to good adaptation itself, it's the characters that would sell its namesake series of a Man With A Mission, joining the prestigious family that would bond him close as a sibling to not just redeem his revenge-fueled hatred, but also to call another family his home of which was once lost, but found again.

The manga is extraneously long with 200+ chapters at this point, but give the anime a try if you're thinking of giving the series a watch, which is well worth it if you ask me. It won't blow you away, but its familial aspect will definitely strike a chord within your heart.

Atri: My Dear Moments – Can humans and robots ever find kinship amongst one another, let alone be accepted by the masses for whom the latter really are, given their history?

Oh, the glorious days of visual novels…that without fail, NEVER seem to translate well to the anime spectrum, in one way or another. We’ve had quite a few shows over the years with their oh-so-appealing PC game mediums that, on the outside, looked just as promising as their key visuals, and then their anime adaptations came and went, just to be shells of their former selves. Think of shows like studio Feel’s adaptations of Summer ... 2018’s Island to the grandfather of all VNs: Spring and Summer 2019’s Kono Yo no Hate de Koi o Utau Shoujo YU-NO a.k.a YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World, but those adaptations were just bad, and as much as I would recommend Island over YU-NO if you need to gander at anime’s past records of VNs (which both shows I would not recommend to watch more when you reach a certain point of the anime counterparts), there’s actually, finally, a somewhat faithful adaptation of the medium itself. And that, my friends, is Atri: My Dear Moments, courtesy of the same developer as Island alongside Makura (creator of one of the best VNs of all time: The Fruit of Grisaia), written by Asuka Konno of 2012’s VN If My Heart Had Wings, and published by Aniplex under their Aniplex.exe brand.

The visual novel that was released in PC back in June 2020, I’m not going to dive any deep into the plot, because either the anime’s synopsis or its own Wikipedia entry (which is actually quite extensive) tells you enough of what to expect out of the anime as it follows its plot very closely, and to the T. The TL;DR of the anime, with the closest comparison being that of Spring 2015’s Plastic Memories, is that it tells its story of the cognitive memories that once lay dormant, which slowly gives way to a richer plot of what it means to be human through love and affection. That is the relationship of its central duo: the one-legged MC of Natsuki Ikaruga, who, after losing his loved ones and even losing a part of a body in an accident, relies on a prosthetic to get by in his small house of a submarine, as well as the android that he found, sunken in what used to be a part of the world that’s now threatened by a rise in sea levels that could cause the end of humanity, of a regular young girl named Atri. The girl who was once touted as a way to settle off a debt, soon becomes part of the rag-tag group of Natsuki and his friends of caretaker Catherine and childhood friends of Minamo Kamishiro and Ryuji Nojima, and the revelations soon follow as the humans try to ascertain what this “high performance” of a toaster robot has in store for them, despite having amnesia and developing her own sense of self-consciousness in the process that leads to the romance between the human and the half-human, half-robot Humanoid.

I’d already mentioned that Atri is similar to Plastic Memories, and for those who’ve seen said series in the past, you’ll find a lot of similarities between the Sai Corporation’s Giftia Isla and the android herself. Both girls are “reasonably” aged like teenager/middle-school selves as much as possible to get us, the audience, to slowly warm up to them and see what they’re capable of, having been risen to the surface and/or awakened to a hidden ticking time-bomb on their lives: being only able to function on a certain set period of time. And Atri is no different in that regard, as we see her being the bubbly and lively girl who doesn’t seem to present any concrete evidence about her true functionality from the beginning, right as the series progresses to find that Atri is no mere android that left a wave of catastrophe behind the back of her creation, and of how the nonsense robot that’s the ire of Natsuki’s numerous infamies, had quite the impact on him and his family tree. But most certainly, being around a group of middle-school kids to the college dropout that is Natsuki, Atri’s maturity feels a bit wishy-washy, almost as if the producers want her to age fast within the span of the anime, which almost pushes her to the brink of being forced melodrama (which the VN has the same plot, but thankfully hours of gameplay to go through every minute detail of). For sure, you can say that even the romance between Natsuki and Atri just feels pedestrian as compared to the likes of Tsukasa Mizugaki and Isla, but as much as both series serve their own purposes, it’s nothing to be scoffed at since the revelations of Atri only sully Natsuki’s heart all the more, giving him a reason to re-evaluate his heart of what does it mean to love and to be loved, aside from his rather serious and grumpy no-nonsense personality. To be fair, as much as I like the kinship of the friends around them, it’s still Natsuki and Atri’s story of humanity through grief, loss, friendship, and ultimately the romance between the two, which feels earned, despite the negative connotations of the relationship between human and humanoid.

Being an Aniplex-backed project, it’s no surprise given the great amount of detail and lustre that the anime had, it’s just great to see such stunning animation that perfectly captures the vibes from the VN in all its glory, thanks to veteran scriptwriter Jukki Hanada. But then again, apart from the show neither being its subsidiary studios helming the anime, this is a standard that studio TROYCA and one of its best in-house directors of Makoto Kato have been working since his days as an episode director for the Aldnoah.Zero series, to becoming the full-blown director that he is today with nothing but consistency of his class for at least a long decade now (if you forget the poorly written anime of Spring 2022’s Gunjou no Fanfare a.k.a Fanfare of Adolescence, yet another Aniplex show). TROYCA’s chief director Ei Aoki’s influence is undisputed in the studio’s philosophy since its creation more than a decade ago back in May 2013, and Makoto Kato is certainly one of its successors who kept the vision alive with the anime, and Atri’s production values are certainly on par of what we’ve come to expect from the studio.

The music is rather apt for the anime, though I’d be kidding if it serves as one of the highlights of the show overall. The OST’s certainly there that’s definitely ripped from the VN itself, but I felt as if the anime didn’t really bring or add anything new to an already emotionally gripping series such as Atri, though I’d argue that it’s playing too much on the safe side. And of course, despite having Aniplex’s own Sony Music idol groups of the renowned Nogizaka46, as well as one of its newest groups of 22/7 (which had its own anime back in Winter 2020), these are songs that play the very part of gripping the audience with its thematics, but even not as a fan of both groups, I can still tell that they’re quality songs that speak the anime’s story of a thousand pictures. Alas (and this is just IMO) both the former’s OP and the latter’s ED are just decent songs at best, but quite forgettable at the same time as well.

If you need an adaptation that knows what the anime medium is set out to do and replicates its source material as close as possible, you can’t really go wrong with Atri: My Dear Moments. It is to date, the most respected source material adaptation that the VN medium has so far seen, even though you can’t quite takeaway the feeling of the few-hours-long gameplay that Makoto Kato, Jukki Hanada and the staff team had to cut down just to make-do for the anime itself, that in the end, replication in a summary form is always better as promotional material for the game itself, just like with all AniManga. It’s just that the balance of tension for a series like this that just sets it off-kilter for me, and while weighing a moderate duration game (like within less than 8 hours) against the span of 13 episodes is no easy feat, I kinda felt that Atri was intentionally written to be a linear series rather than one with its multiple, complex branches that gives more content and flavour (or maybe I’m just too fixated with better anime adaptations of VNs in the past decade or so) that other mediums can adapt easily, and this is most likely the case with the anime.

Atri: My Dear Moments is a solid show that goes back to the heart of humanity, be it with comedy or romance in general, but while I’ve definitely seen better VN anime adaptations in the past, it's still a show to pick up and watch if you've haven't already done so.

Wistoria: Wand and Sword — An infusion of many battle Shonens that both impresses and disappoints, I'm having a ridiculously hard time trying to mix those elements together.

Ever since the release of mangaka Yuki Tabata's Black Clover onto the anime scene in Fall 2017, that has since become the NEW de facto standard of the once-Weekly Shonen Jump juggernaut that grew into the big franchise as it is today, it was the camel that broke the straw's back to set expectations for new Shonen works from that point forward. And from that point on, the Shonen genre market has been flourishing all the more, for ... better or for worse, with series like Shingeki no Kyojin a.k.a Attack on Titan reaching its conclusion, Jujutsu Kaisen still raking its fame (though at this point is nothing but the butt of jokes on mangaka Gege Akutami), and the lil' ones like mangaka Hajime Komoto's Mashle: Magic and Muscles having its parody take on the Shonen formula.

And if you need any reason to doubt that the Shonen genre is on its way to death and beyond because of its tried-and-true tropes that authors didn't want to reinvent that formula too much, look no further than Tsue to Tsurugi no Wistoria a.k.a Wistoria: Wand and Sword, serialised in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shonen magazine, and written by one of AniManga's most successful authors: Fujino Omori of Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka a.k.a Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? fame. DanMachi, like Black Clover, has cemented its own success as a long-running franchise since the anime came out back in Spring 2015, and is easily one of the best Shonen series that I've ever experienced for the past decade (regardless of its different AniManga mediums from the LN, manga and the anime), and the masses would agree despite its stumbles along the way. So, before the anime series returns this Fall for its long-awaited Season 5, let's take a gander at this side project that he and illustrator Toshi Aoi have cooked for us, that is the bonding of Black Clover and Mashle: Magic and Muscles to become Wistoria: Wand and Sword, which started its serialisation after both series in December 2020.

If you're not one to get invested into its story and world-building too much, all you need to know is that the world of the series is essentially Mashle, with its Divine Visionaries plot being the full authority of its school to protect the peace in the land, and that its world is defined by magic and magic alone; nothing else could replace the system as it is. For if someone has the qualities of Mash Burnedead, who's all strength and no magic, or even Asta, who's got the bad luck of a five-clover magic sword that only imbues masses of evil, that person would be immediately singled out, chastised, tormented, and bullied for all their life. And said person is yet another of VA Kohei Amasaki's MC trifactor maestro mainstay for the Summer season, Will Serfort. His lack of magical aptitude (much like Mash and Asta) made him the butt of all jokes within the magic school that he attends: Rigarden Magical Academy, even going as far as his infamy around the academy for wielding not magic wands, but swords instead. The academy that pretty much functions like Mashle's Easton Magic Academy, serves to train, develop and harness future Divine Visionaries called Magia Vander to succeed those who've gone before them and continue that legacy of prior generations. And Will is one of the many in the myriad of its 6-year-generational students who hope to become the next Magia Vander, more so for the fact that one of his childhood friends, Elfaria Albis Serfort, is one such Divine Visionary for being the youngest Magia Vander who specialises in ice magic and created a dozen original spells that's unheard of, thereby labelling her as a prodigal musician and leading the Ice faction of said group. It's a cliche plot for crying out loud, but at least it's a unique and very good setting, if a touch too safe for its own good.

And what's the goal between the two childhood friends? Will must rise above the ranks to become a Magia Vander, all while Elfaria (or Elfie as nicknamed) just sits at her high throne in the Tower, doing nothing but slack as her responsibilities gets pushed to her subordinates, awaiting the day when she can be reunited together with Will as not just her foster brother, but of a very clear love interest. One thing's for sure, these two characters were certainly made for each other, like DanMachi's inseparable hero-deity-duo of Bell Cranel and goddess Hestia.

Alas, this is where I find most of my problems with the series: it's just stereotypical cliches and tropes done time and time again, that nothing is ever done to feel it being unique outside of the Shonen formula. At first, I thought that Fujino Omori, after gaining the experience to write a compelling MC like Bell Cranel, would do the same for Will Serfort, but it turns out that he, more than the inklings to Mash Burnedead, or more similarly with Asta for that matter, is just written like a stereotypical Shonen character, with nothing that truly makes him stand out other than his "justice righteous" character of note that his hard work precedes even the strongest magic. I was actually hoping that Will would have more of a brethren in comparison to Bell Cranel, but I was completely fooled at that thought as Fujino Omori didn't really leverage anything to show him as the underdog that while could defy expectations, just did not have a hint of personality (other than his awkwardness and strive under pressure that's just like Bell) that could get us to root for him, even in the worst of adversaries, while in his ultimate goal to ascend the Tower and reach Elfie, thus making them a bona-fide power couple. Will's just a flawed character, but a REALLY flawed character, who WILL throw hands if he needs to bring down the people who underestimated him.

And as if this offending easy mistake couldn't get any worse, just look at the supporting characters around him, which is just things that you CAN do in a Shonen series, but that you CANNOT remain the status quo in a Shonen series as well. Even series like Black Clover and Mashle had this recurring issue, but at least the sum of their problems isn't this egregious enough to cause a rift in the enjoyment factor of their series. You have the usual characters ranging from the usual love interest of classmate and close friend of Colette Loire who takes care of Will when everyone shuns him; to the various infighting of egoistical, one-dimensional "villany" students the likes of classmates Sion Ulster (specializing in fire magic), Julius Reinberg (specialising in ice magic, just like Elfaria), as well as Wignall Lindor (specialising in wind and illusion magic). I'd argue that Wignall at least has a character standout moment as someone like Will who is shunned by his elf dwarvens because of his weak magic, and he too mirrors his relationship with Elfaria with one of the fellow Magia Vander, so there's that. Even with the teacher professors that both recognised and hated Will's prowess to do the near impossible, they still see a potential to push him and oversee his progress in the magic amalgamation that is not just all about wands, but a lone sword as well that makes Will different from the rest. For sure, Will carries the series along its tug of plot devices in the big picture, and that act of justice and righteousness to accept "the enemy of my enemies" as they are, proves to the masses that Will Serfort is someone not to be underestimated nor trifled with, using the Power of Friendship to rally his cause forward, just like any other Shonen series.

I'd always see the day when the known adage of "animation carries the show" will come to strike many Shonen series that has come and gone, the likes of Jujutsu Kaisen, and Wistoria has done this trope, but to perfection. And you can thank the person who made all of this possible: Tatsuya Yoshihara. The director now famous for his work on Black Clover, he's the reason why this show works in the production department, with slick animation and bombastic Sakuga to boot, even if he hard carries the show both in its directorial input and series composition with his staff team, with the collab between Bandai Namco Pictures alongside one of the many subsidiary studios of Actas. And it wouldn't be a mistake to say that Wistoria definitely needed someone the likes of Tatsuya Yoshihara to even out the playing field with what J.C.Staff has been doing for DanMachi for years now, and what can I say? It's great and shows how the famed director has come thus far since his days directing Black Clover.

If you need a music composer who can execute the Shonen feels, look no further than Yuki Hayashi. The music composer famous for his work on Boku no Hero Academia a.k.a My Hero Academia's OST, and a fair few others the likes of Haikyuu!! to Gundam Build Fighters, he's your go-to when it comes to understanding what makes a Shonen series stand out regardless of their content, and he did Wistoria justice with a captivating OST that just feels oh-so-similar to Black Clover. I have nothing but the biggest praise for Yuki Hayashi, because like animation, music also does help provide the atmosphere for the series they are stemmed upon, and he just nailed the anime like he so does with prior series and franchises under his belt. But what I can't say aptly is the choice of the OP/ED songs. Penguin Research's OP song is just typical Shonen standard fare, and is honestly quite forgettable, as much as TRUE's ED is alright but nothing noteworthy.

In the end, I find myself conflicted at what Tsue to Tsurugi no Wistoria a.k.a Wistoria: Wand and Sword want to achieve being part of the now oversaturated Shonen AniManga playing field. On the one hand, while its animation prowess cannot be denied, everything else is just cookie-cutter standard Shonen things that you've seen time and time again. And honestly, IMO, it just gets boring of new seasonal shows doing the same-in, same-out, and Wistoria is one of the many shows bucking the trend that it ends up being the victim of its own success.

It's either for you if you're the type to like stereotypical Shonen shows, or it's just not for you if the standard Shonen trope isn't to your tastes.

Too Many Losing Heroines! - It's too easy being an average Joe, but yet still score loads of girls no matter the circumstances! So how about being the average Joe, but twisting the formula to be in the realm of the secondary girls instead?

Of all the genres known to man, romance series are one of the easiest to write, but it's harder to nail its content, much less nail the intended ending that authors wanted to pen with their series, only to see it fail or get absolutely ridiculed by the fans. Case in point, the AniManga industry with its many romance, comedy, or the ... combination of both genre's works over the decades that, for better or for worse, achieved what authors greatly wanted out of it through the exposure of as much content as it can be covered with anime adaptations, that gets the ire of fans always in their argument for "shipping wars" and the like, ugh. And it's exactly the same case for the Summer 2024 season, seeing a resurgence of the rom-com genre with as much as 10 shows under the seasonal belt focusing on those 2 genres alone. And in the midst of the usual mid- and low-tier contenders, one show EASILY stands out for its unique twist on the rom-com formula: novelist Takibi Amamori and Lycoris Recoil's character designer-cum-KonoBi illustrator Imigimuru's Make Heroine ga Oosugiru! a.k.a Too Many Losing Heroines!, a rom-com that throws your usual average Joe of a MC, into the lovey-dovey rhythms of girls...who are at the losing side of the romance streak? I can tell you now that being a fan of both the LN and its manga adaptation awaiting the anime's arrival this season, it certainly set expectations sky high, and I was NOT disappointed, not one bit at all. In fact, it exceeded expectations and set itself a brand-new standard for future romance series to come.

If you're a person of either sex, ask yourself this question: Am I born in this world to experience love like any other typical person does, or am I just cursed to become the background character as an Otaku who feels better being behind-the-scenes to help my friends get through their love issues and navigate them into a new being of "love takes time to cultivate, and cultivate it naturally,"  even if it meant them moving on past their love phase to embrace much more than they ever could? If you answered the latter, welcome to MC protagonist Kazuhiko Nukumizu's world: the 1st-year high school student of Tsuwabuki High School, classified with a rather unique school uniform for the girls being embedded with 4 bowties (where the colours themselves hide a hint to the romance plot of the overall series), who's a rather reserved young man who always is fine being by himself and not being a social butterfly, though he is a chad who will offer good advice to the people around him. The problem that he has to face: heartbroken girls who he deems as "losing heroines" and helping them get over their heartbreak in good faith.

May I introduce to you the 3 girls and their deadly sins:
- The blue-haired charming classmate of Anna Yanami, who bears the Sin of Gluttony and Greed, covering Volume 1 of the LN (which the official website has a calorie count of what she ate for the series, despite still being able to keep slim, which is just absolutely WILD)
- The brown-haired althetic classmate of Lemon Yakishio, who bears the Sin of Wrath, covering Volume 2 of the LN
- The maroon-haired shy classmate of Chika Komari, who bears the Sin of Envy and Pride, covering Volume 3 of the LN

Without going into much detail of what the show entails (because the anime is just TOO GOOD of a rom-com masterpiece material that it'd be a waste to put all of this in the review), Nukumizu has his hands full of the girls who have their unique quirks and antics, and on top of the romance heartbreak that these 3 girls go through in their likeness, trying to circumvent each and every one of their circumstances is never a bed of roses for the Otaku. Everyone has their own lives and stories concocted so that no one story ever feels the same (even in similarity), and not only does it feel consistent, it is also congruent to the entire plot of intersecting characters within the circles of the losing heroines that everyone is connected in one way or another. Be it the winning heroes and their heroines that the losing heroines once had long-time crushes on the formers, and contemplated with the latters on their decisions that caused the rifts in the first place, Nukumizu has always been there for the 3 girls every step of the way in trying to help them understand the big picture of their failed relationships, and treat it with the harsh realism of real love that destroys all semblances of expectations to overpromise and underdeliver.

This has always been the BIG problem that exists within all romance series to deliver their version of love that, despite being fiction, it is rather unrealistic and toxic and that'll absolutely destroy character relations in the long run. But I have to say that for his debut work, Takibi Amamori is an absolute chad of an author to understand what goes into a relationship, as well as not pander to the mainstream to show the other side of the coin of failed relationships and how people can come out of it being better people than who they were before the fixtures. This is way more than just your typical rom-com, it's a in-depth look into the human hearts of the matter in terms of how people deal with typical relationships, and how people deal with the good and bad circumstances that make them who they are, as flawed humans wanting to be loved but finding themselves in situations that put them in a disadvantage, either for the pure romance or comedic hilarity, thus helping them overcome their issues and improving themselves. And this show gets it all, hook, line, and sinker, it's flawless, even down to the big cast of supporting characters who are just as atypical, if not weird and downright creepy at best, because there is NOT one normal person in this show (other than Nukumizu himself).

You know damn well when editors receive word about people wanting to make an anime out of works they want to create, and for Shogakukan's Gagaga Bunko editor-in-charge Kiwaasa, that is the pipedream that he got being all the way BEFORE the publication of the LN, which won the publication company's 15th LN Award (under a different title) that would eventually become the debut volume released in July 2021. This should show you that producers saw the potential of Tabiki Amamori's work before it got to the books, and that is a once-in-a-lifetime rarity of an achievement that very few works get in their lifetime, let alone a brand new work that was mainly influenced by various manga, the likes of Norio Sakurai's Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu a.k.a The Dangers In My Heart, Aka Akasaka's Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai a.k.a Kaguya-sama: Love is War, and fellow illustrator Imigimuru's Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! a.k.a This Art Club Has a Problem!, with BokuYaba and Kaguya-sama being inspirations for MakeIne to begin with.

And boy did A-1 Pictures bring out their SSS-rank Kaguya-sama explosive energy to give MakeIne the same treatment that the prior series received over 5 years ago, inciting the series as the spiritual successor to the franchise when it comes to the mayhem that is a production powerhouse. Under the leadership of storyboarder Shotaro Kitamura, which MakeIne would serve as his directorial debut after being trained in countless shows as both storyboarder and episode director (the most notables being last Fall's Overtake! and some episodes of Kusuriya no Hitorigoto a.k.a The Apothecary Diaries), you can feel the heated amounts of passion, talent, and drive being put into the anime to display at a pristine, almost movie-like quality that's matched by similar contemporaries alike. It just feels great to finally see A-1 Pictures flesh out more than just their animation prowess of the last few years being dedicated to action but romance certainly was not on the Bingo cards when considering the Aniplex-backed studio, not until the anime adaptation was announced to much fanfare. This show is absolute anime cinema quality through and through.

Music composer Kana Utahane leads the music department of MakeIne, and despite her rather limited rookie experience working on shows like Overtake! and Dead Mount Death Play, I thought that she did a great job on capturing the atmosphere and energy of the series to a T. But it's the OP and EDs that truly capture the Unlimited Budget Works of creativity put into it, with another song from Botchi Boromaru feat. Mossa of Necry Talkie's "Tsuyogaru Girl" being one of the absolute gems of a upbeat OP song that has all the bells and whistles executed to perfection. The various cover songs for the 3 girls acting as the EDs of their storylines, tells a lot about each and every girl's temperament that you can associate with what's to come for the series. Need I ever mention that they're all great, especially the OP which is just a visual masterpiece?

Why need a harem of girls, or one girl that can be the harem...when you can be part of a harem of friend-zoned losing heroines that you need not be forced to choose one or the other, let them have their way with you, and still make it out of a loving friendship being fellow dumpees? This is the magic of Make Heroine ga Oosugiru! a.k.a Too Many Losing Heroines!, a subversion and reinvention of the rom-com genre, and a real standout as THE BEST rom-com and Anime of the Season, if not for the entirety of 2024 alone. From the book's deeply-written characters to the anime's masterpiece execution of a production, everything is downright flawless, and you'd be damned to think that a show like this get all the hype for all the right reasons, when the anime has proven time and time again that tropes may be there for a reason, but when done correctly, can be strong, supporting, and defining elements to add to the quality of the overall work.

Nuff said, MakeIne's the undisputed anime of the Summer 2024 season and year material, bar none.

The Elusive Samurai - Hello, my dear students, now's the time to get assassinated once again...but this time, embossed in actual history, to experience yet another comedic adventure? I sure hope so that's the case...

If you didn't know any better, historical AniManga are now once again on the rise thanks to the major successes of series like Kusuriya no Hitorigoto a.k.a The Apothecary Diaries, and if there is any indication to go by, I wish that this will become a recurring trend for the numerous seasons and years to come. And from the courtesy of mangaka Yusei Matsui, the author of one of AniManga's most ... revered, juggernaut series of the 2010s: Ansatsu Kyoushitsu a.k.a Assassination Classroom, comes his latest Weekly Shonen Jump series of Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi a.k.a The Elusive Samurai, a series that hearkens back to Feudal Japan, and makes it look like a joke as much as possible. But the series winning the Shogakukan Manga Award in its 69th edition alongside Sousou no Frieren, Sūji de Asobo, and Trillion Game (which is getting an anime next season) this year (2024)? It's no joke.

The series being set in the Nanboku-cho North and Southern Courts period, is loosely based on the historical figure of Hojo Tokiyuki, a samurai of the Hojo clan whose father was Takatoki, the de facto ruler of the Kamakura Shogunate in the year 1333. It depicts the real-life battle of the 1333 Siege of Kamakura, being a part of the civil Genko War (also known as the Genko Incident) fought between the country's 96th Emperor Go-Daigo and the de facto military government from 1331 to 1333. Led by the first-generation Ashikaga Shogunate under the Emperor's orders, the elder brother of Takauji leads the charge in overthrowing the Hojo clan, forcing the lead figure, now shrunk down to a young boy, to escape to safety and certainly from beheading from the ursurpers. With his only help being a self-proclaimed, shady, prophetic priest, alongside similarly aged young kids that would prove their loyalty to restore the Kamamura Shogunate to its former glory, Tokiyuki must venture a dangerous path to ensure that his reputation does not warrant the death-defying trait that he's known for: his superhuman ability to flee, hide, and dodge enemy attacks. That's like an elusive person through and through.

Right out of the gate, the anime means business, and if clean, swift, silent, and deadly samurai katana swipes don't mean anything to you, the elusive dropping of human heads, splashes of blood, and endless juxtapositions will. There's a reason why Japan's rich and very dramatic history just makes for some great content, and Yusei Matsui taking real-world events to add his own Assassination Classroom twist, it's just genius. The abstracts of clean settings that contradict the reality of the situations being total gruesome bloodshed with or without tears, shit can get real pretty quick, and the way that this show does its survivability and deaths is so seamless to the point where "don't blink, and you'll miss a beat." All of this, despite being a Shonen series in general, was quite the game-changer when the manga came out as a brand new Shonen Jump work in January 2021, and quoting from CBR's Anthony Gramuglia, the series has become "one of the highlights" of Weekly Shonen Jump (at the time), that it is not only surprisingly emotional but also surprisingly intense, starting with all cylinders at full-throttle and never letting up." If anything, this is an excellent rendition of foretelling the story of the 1333 Siege of Kamakura, in the classic Shonen way that Yuusei Matsui only knows how to do by inserting his sense of humour that, for better or for worse, you could be a total joker in awe for seeing apparitions of Koro-sensei and the Kunugigaoka Middle School's dropout Class 3-E with Nagisa Shiota and his classmates.

And that, brings me to the main meat of the show itself: the characters. With Hojo Tokiyuki and his escapee saviour of military commander Suwa Yorishige, the latter boasting that he could see the future, he's technically not wrong, as it's revealed that he has the spirit of Suwa Myōjin inside him, which makes him a god. Furthermore, history dictates that like the Hojo Clan, the Suwa clan also faces opposition with the fall of the Kamakura Shogunate, facing its own opposition in the Shinano Province, which ultimately forced them to support the already-decimated Hojo Clan with Tokiyuki at the helm, so it's a "tour de force" of near-extinct communities bonding together to face against a formidable common foe that extends all the way up to the Emperor. Speaking of Assassination Classroom then, this show does have its pick of period-accurate "class-sized" students through its aptly-named The Elusive Warriors band of youngsters: Yorishige's adopted daughter of the shrine maiden and logistics expert Shizuku; the swordsman and woman of Nezu Kojiro and Mochizuki Ayano who accompanies Tokiyuki to aid him in their military expertise; the mischievous thief of Kazama Genba who operates by money and fear with his disguise tactic; as well as the dual-sword wielding ronin of Fubuki who joins their rag-tag Kamakura restoration team after a scuffle that leads the former to trust his gut instinct after Tokiyuki has proven himself, this is a retainer group that can easily match up against Feudal Japan's lead figures. And the young-aged brats they are as a group of 5 kids, are just as (if not more) effective as a big-sized army who has to follow instructions to their "sacrificial" deaths, more than suffering through the endless comedic banters of Shizuku's uncle, as well as the colourful display of enemies that range from demeaning to outright crazy.

And as if you NEED any reason to believe all of the insanity that is the anime, its production values will shock you even further. There's no doubt that this is an Aniplex production, made solely because of well-known producer Shouta Umehara, who's done a lot at the Sony-owned studios of A-1 Pictures and (more recently) CloverWorks, the likes of Eromanga-sensei, Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru a.k.a My Dress-Up Darling and Bocchi the Rock! to name a few. The fact that this is a CloverWorks production, it's not just calling the A-1 Pictures' sister studio an imitation to begin with, but it's very clear that despite sharing resources within the same animation house, you can always bet on both studios banging out their adaptations like passion projects. From the uncanny but striking animations to flawless and interesting battles (e.g. Episode 9 is a classic Arifumi Imai masterclass) that you just can't help but be in awe of, the show is just crafted masterfully with the intention to surpass the manga in all regards, and it did. Despite the no-name storyboarder that is debut director Yuta Yamazaki, it's very clear that he wants to make a splash for a name recognition, and a recognition that he'll get for an insane job well done along with a capable staff team behind the anime.

Being a historical series, its OST has to be spot-on to reflect the history, and Akiyuki Tateyama (along with GEMBI) nailed the music aspect beautifully. I'd expect nothing less from the Yuru Camp a.k.a Laid-Back Camp series' music composer, and if there's one thing that he's good at, it's the comfy stuff, even if the action (i.e. as is the case for the Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki a.k.a. How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom series) unfortunately doesn't match up to his strengths. As for the theme songs themselves, this show does a competent job with DISH// and Botchi Boromaru having historically inspired songs that are just a delight to listen to and is worth endless repeats on end, especially the latter with its catchy bop of a Nanboku-cho-inspired rap song.

It's clear that Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi a.k.a The Elusive Samurai didn't quite turn out to be the success story that Yusei Matsui wanted to be, despite its increasing popularity as the years go by with the manga that, while is historically accurate, doesn't dive deep into the rich history that is the Kenmu Restoration period, much less the level of historical knowledge that is required out of the reader to fully understand what's going on in the manga replicating true stories. And if that doesn't get to you, neither will its writing be, that feels superficial at times than what we've come to expect from Assassination Classroom.

Ultimately, whatever your proposition will be, I think that the anime is pretty much necessitated to reinvigorate sales of the manga, and I hope it has done that to a degree that would help even overseas fans appreciate the series even more, even if reception in Japan has been lukewarm at best. I'm a sucker for historical stories, so this naturally comes recommended, but see if it does for you, either in seriousness or banter.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin - Man, I wish I'd experienced the game before coming into this anime, because it has done the COMPLETE opposite for me to WANT to play the game now.

If you'd ask me on how anime adaptations from games have fared for the last few years or so, I will tell you pretty much that's it's better to play the original games that inspired making anime out of it, because the adaptations were more or less hits and misses so much that there's no incentive to ever want to experience the games for themselves. Like the masses, I have quite the ... history when it comes to watching anime adaptations that never lived up the hype of the games themselves, but the fair few that did were CyGames's offerings of Uma Musume: Pretty Derby, and especially Princess Connect! Re:Dive of which its initial Spring 2020 season (that was right around the COVID-19 pandemic) impressed me so much to experience the mobage, I'm glad I eventually did after that...before Crunchyroll would shut down the service in April 2023 (for the global market), which I'm still salty at.

But not to worry, because this Summer 2024 season has brought us yet another joy of an unexpected adaptation: Tensui no Sakuna-hime a.k.a Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, developed by Edelweiss and published by Marvelous (XSeed Games in North America) in November 2020, got its anime produced by P.A. Works, that's directed by Masayuki Yoshihara, the director for the Uchouten Kazoku a.k.a The Eccentric Family series, and written by the maestro that is series composer Jukki Hanada (which you ARE guaranteed to get a quality anime with his name attached) that any anime he does, is an instant watch.

Adapted from the game of the same name, Tensui no Sakuna-hime is a 2.5D side-scrolling, hack-and-slash farming simulator that's all about the rice-harvesting, supported by a cast that is as unique as they come, and scenarios that reflect the many elements that culminate in what is a very faithful adaptation towards the game itself. The plot about the spoiled brat that is Princess Sakuna being served her due when a group of humans tried to infiltrate their way into the Lofty Realm where the gods reside, only for the harvest goddess to stumble her way to keep the humans off-limits from a sacred place to invoke chaos around its passageway, leading to the head goddess of Lady Kamuhitsuki thereby banishing her alongside her dragon familiar Tama and the same group of humans to an island that's filled with demons as a temporary substitute to call home, until arrangements are made to be able to send them back to their world.

For starters, the anime adaptation is such a feels trip of a ride, adapting the same tranquil and cozy atmospheric vibe of the game, from its initial worries of Sakuna and the band of humans that she's in charge of and taking care of them despite her hard-headedness, to the rice-farming segment that just exudes all the joy and warm-hearted feelings, that you can't help but be transported into its world that's so inviting and experiencing the vibes of such a simple, but hearty plot/story to go by. Those who've already played the game know these feelings all too well, but it's the anime-onlies (like me) getting introduced into Sakuna's world that naturally sucks you in hard, and it's even damn near impossible to get out of. It's definitely a guilt-trip, especially if you're the emotionally deep-end kind of person like I am.

The colourful cast of characters in the game are many, but the main theme is centred around the series' titular MC herself. As I've already mentioned, Princess Sakuna herself is a lazy couch potato who just wants the others (like her fellow friend and Princess Kokorowa) to treat her as such, but it's really through VA Naomi Oozora that the true extent of her character is revealed to be like so, and the same VA that voices Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai! a.k.a Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!'s main central female MC of Hana Uzaki, is, dare I say, a perfect fit for Sakuna's character who likes the extravagant and doesn't like to deal with the hard work, and she'll make you pay for it with her insisting annoyance. With the anime being a character-driven story at the same time, there may be no one leader in the band of humans, but Tauemon, Myrthe, Kinta, Yui and Kaimaru, accompanied by the island's only protector of otter Ashigumo and the enemy of their band that is Ishimaru, every character gets their moment to shine through the open-endedness of the medium, which is one of the strongest suits of the show that is paid very close attention to fleshing out the anime side of the game as much as possible. This is especially the case for Sakuna, who experiences character growth, turning from a selfish to a selfless and sacrificial person, seeing everyone as valuable people that she spent the fair amount of time getting by, growing rice and singing the game's iconic Rice Planting song, as well as eliminating demons of nuisance alongside Ashigumo, who investigates the Isle of Demons that's connected to his tribe. Massive props for keeping the game-to-anime experience as authentic as possible.

Of the 3 P.A. Works shows in this Summer season, I've got to hand it over to this show for being the bright and gorgeous, almost pleasant feeling that perfectly captures the vibe of the game translated over to the anime, though Mayonaka Punch is equally just as good, if not on a different roster being of the dark and gritty vibe. Regardless, this is a valiant effort from a studio that has consistently wowed the audience with quality...if you forget the nonsense that was Na Nare Hana Nare a.k.a Narenare: Cheer for You!.

The music is even better and matches the game's vibe with its melancholic take despite its action fantasy. It's no surprise given the experience of yet another veteran working for the show: music composer Yoshiaki Fujisawa, and like Jukki Hanada, is the face of reassured quality to match. I may not have heard much of Ikimonogakari (barring that Yozakura-san Chi no Daisakusen a.k.a Mission: Yozakura Family's 1st Cour OP is the most recent song), but what I can tell you, is that "Hare!" is definitely the pop rock duo's best song to date, and a song that, more than it being my favourite OP of the season (in a season of disappointing OPs), it fits perfectly into the show's rhythm naturally. It's the same story with Little Glee Monster's ED with the calm and traditional feels, and I couldn't be happier for this.

All in all, Tensui no Sakuna-hime a.k.a Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is more than just a commercial success of a game; its anime adaptation is even more underrated, replicating the subtle gentleness of a world so busy with things happening left and right, that its simple and cozy moments are the definition of a slow-paced, but heartwarming show that'll hit you in the feels indefinitely for a faithful adaptation. It's IMO the best of the 3 P.A. Works shows for the Summer 2024 season, and you opt NOT to miss this one, now that the time's right to binge and (possibly) experience the gane for yourself when all is said and done.

Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World? - Oh Dear Good God, Kei Sazane. Finally, you have a story of your very own, but why does it have to look like dogshit when compared to your other works, which, despite having a tad better production, are absolute mediocrities overall? Man, what a shame.

Sorry, forgive me for that rant. If you've been in the AniManga scene since the COVID era, you might've caught a glance at one particular show called Kimi to Boku no Saigo no Senjou, Aruiwa Sekai ga Hajimaru Seisen a.k.a Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World (or shortened ... to KimiSen). Written by novelist Kei Sazane, the anime came out in Fall 2020, that tells of a Romeo and Juilet-inspired story in a fantasy world. Needless to say, I was one of a handful of people who hated the show outright for it trying to be "innovative" in its concept, but rehashing the author's tried-and-true tropes of just about every cliche known to man, so much so that the entire anime was an absolute cringefest to sit through the seasonal worth of its 12 episodes.

Come this year of 2024, and Kei Sazane is raking in more fame and (mostly bad) recognition, because this copy-paste imitation of an author has 3 of his most recent works under his belt being made into anime: the continuation of KimiSen into Season 2, last season's No Game, No Life ripoff (or more similarly of last Summer's Liar, Liar) of Kami wa Game ni Ueteiru. a.k.a Gods' Games We Play, and the work that out of the 3, that I REALLY wanted all the more to succeed: Naze Boku no Sekai wo Daremo Oboeteinai no ka? a.k.a Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World?, the most "original" work that Kei Sazane has ever done, even if it's by no means innovative in the fantasy genre. You've gotta hand it to this man, at least he tried something different for his own "unique flavour" that stands out in his copy-paste biography of works over the last decade or so, and I'm relieved that for once, by his own standards, Kei Sazane got that formula right out of the gate.

What started out as your typical war between humans and other entities of races you can only find in fantasy novels and the like, suddenly gets shifted into a time paradigm where the war that's won by the humans and led by its titular hero character, is overwritten to the point that humans never existed in the alternate world. This is the plot device of MC Kai Sakura-Vento, a soldier of the existing Urza Federation who enjoyed the prosperity after humanity's hero of the Prophet Sid did the deed to render humanity as winners of the Great War of the Five Races, alongside his comrades of Ashran Highroll, Saki Miscotti, and his childhood friend of Jeanne E. Anis, whom he fought alongside the war, with whom the latter of the 3 he's bonded quite a lot to be potential future partners. The suddenness to have his world be mysteriously distorted in no time to assimilate, forcibly leaving the comfort of Jeanne and the new world and encountering another world where humans are not at the top nor bottom, but non-existing in the Great War, he is the only one who's sane (or insane, depending on the worldview) who has an inkling of Prophet Sid, and as the title goes: no one truly remembers who Kai is in the alternate world. It's up to him to find out what tracks this perverse course of action that renders the people he knows into complete strangers, and what exactly does his alternate world have in store for him retracing the Great War of the Five Races once again, only this time with some help that could get the alternate world back on track with the events of his world.

Being the only one who remembers all that is within his old world, Kai slowly is aware of the events that he is part of, never truly got off the ground in the alternate world that knows no inkling of neither him nor the Prophet Sid at all. It's only when he meets the mysterious demon of Rinne, all chained up at what seems to be Heaven, as well as the sword that was imbued to him: Code Holder (that once belonged to Prophet Sid), Kai begins to slowly piece the sequence of events of humanity's speckle in a world where demons have truly taken over its timeline. And out of all the characters, even in the list of many "couple" MCs that Kei Sazane has put out so far, Kai and Rinne are the most passive when compared to KimiSen's Iska and Aliceliese, as well as Kami wa Game's Fay Theo Philus and Leoleshea. What's up with creating characters so backwards that you need extra characters to help progress him and her forward, This is not how you want to paint your central characters, especially for a world that's this elaborate, intricate, and, IMO, a decent sci-fi and power fantasy action series that has content to stand on its own heft. Most of the time, it feels like Kai and Rinne were forced into the alternate world just to make amends for the right course of action, as they meet characters from other races and align the correct vision against all odds, no matter how fearsome their opponents are. And one of them is Last Riser: the entity of anomaly who reacts to Sid's sword whenever it's used, that is akin to a moderator when things of Kai's world (such as Sid's name) are registered as taboo words that should not be said, and anyone who utters even just a minute of the word gets forcibly erased from the world, adding another layer into an already complex war that Kai, Jeanne and the others have to go through the same-old once again.

To be clear, the story itself is fine and serviceable (and actually worth a second look), but Kai and Rinne have a lot of ways to go and gain ground if they truly want to stand out, and so far within the anime that's part of the already completed LN that ended back in August 2020, they've just been stuck like players who need to be fed quests to progress their plot forward. As I've said, it's truly a missed opportunity to have characters just be there to service its plot and not do more on their behalf, which unfortunately is the result of Kei Sazane himself prioritizing the wrong things for the right stuff. If anything, characters can make up for the lack of story, but not the other way around, and this show unfortunately is the sum of many errors that could make a potential difference.

Oof, woe is Project No. 9 having an enigma of a Summer season adapting 2 shows in the same season, but the same 2 shows that have a very noticeable difference when compared against one another. While Senpai wa Otokonoko a.k.a Senpai Is an Otokonoko had Aniplex's backing, which allowed the anime to be marginally expressive to the point of being impressive thanks to the conglomerate's big budget, it's the complete opposite for this show where the coined "low-budget" term really comes into play. From the mediocre visuals to the horrible animation, it feels as if I have to second guess if I'm watching the exact same show of low expectations when it comes to production values to begin with. For sure, this is one of the worst produced shows of the season, and it's quite the jarring expose to watch a show so drab and dysfunctional.

The year 2024 also brings all Kei Sazane works the affiliation with musical project Sizuk and J-Pop "hybride rock band" AliA, and if you're the type to like modern rock music, look no further than KimiSen's sequel season and Kami wa Game for that. But their music is just not to my tastes, and they're replaced by symphonic power metal band Unlucky Morpheus, whose OP song while being a fit to the show's themes, sounds average overall, but I'd argue that I'll take any song that's n Sizuk nor AliA any day.

It truly pains me to say that Naze Boku no Sekai wo Daremo Oboeteinai no ka? a.k.a Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World?, while being the best work that Kei Sazane has ever done in recent years, the manga adaptation of the LN is a much better alternative to what the anime has shown us for the past 3 months. And as someone who legitimately trashes the author for his copy-paste tactics, he may have gotten a rare case of a W in the story section, everything else is just a massive L for something that could've been a success, if only he'd cared with the rest to give it the proper treatment that it truly deserves.

If you excuse me, I shall go and read the manga adaptation instead and let the anime adaptation be just a blip that came and went with an unpleasant taste to my eyes. Only watch this if you have the sanity to suffer through all 12 episodes of unabated subpar animation.

Quality Assurance in Another World - Just Isekai and fantasy things, but gone technological to deter bugs, lags and such before its eventual release to the masses. What could possibly go wrong?

In the world of video games, computer programs, and the like, I think that the underrated group of unsung heroes who have to always be commended for, are the software engineers. They ensure all the programs we use in our daily lives are free of problems, and that's no easy task given the insanity and complexity of the IT industry to thwart even the smallest of errors that will break the functionality of the ... features we use on the internet, for better or for worse. And from the mind of someone who prefers supporting roles more than main ones, bringing about the fascination of seeing NPCs move on their own will to want to depict inconspicuous people doing stuff that's meant for players, this is mangaka Masamichi Sato's way of depicting it in Kono Sekai wa Fukanzen Sugiru a.k.a Quality Assurance in Another World, a Sword Art Online derivative that shows a different code of arms than what you might expect.

Ask anyone on the IT side of relevant industries, especially who specializes in software engineering and mainly debugging in general, that it’s a never-ending tedious task to identify areas where bugs and glitches happen in real time enough to be alert 24/7 to issue constant reports and update developers on the never-ending growth of tasks to fix and repair so that the public won’t notice them, nor be affected by the annoying things that affect how the program should operate. This is more so the case for video games, be it console games, or in this case, using VR (virtual reality) to deliver neurotic games. And in this show, the series’ titular MC Makoto Haga is at the helm of doing his job as a debugger for a VRMMO game that is still in quality assurance development mode, until a moment arises that one tries to log out of the game, but they could not do so (a la SAO style) until all the game’s bugs are reported to ensure a safe exit. Down but not out, Haga gets to work with his debugger stone, a tablet that all character debuggers acquire to send their reports to the developers to get the many, countless issues fixed as soon as possible.

The one anomaly, together with Haga, is a young girl named Nikola. Her living in a rural village just outside the borders of the Bayle Kingdom as a designated village girl NPC, she only does the simplest of chores that she’s programmed to do, until a weird-looking dragon comes to thwart the village, rendering Haga’s help as part of the enigmatic investigative squad, the King’s Seekers, to save her out of trouble. But being an NPC, Nikola is only programmed to live and die under the events of the game’s quests itself, so when she lives, breathes, and dies under her village’s event, somehow by hook or by crook, she lived to see the future thereafter of the decimation of her small village by the giant butt-crack-faced dragons, thanks to Haga who put in the effort to save her, even if he knew that she was programmed to invoke death. Forming an unlikely duo after Nikola survived her programmed onslaught, both she and Haga venture onto the game’s vast playing areas, going wherever it takes them: reporting bugs, finding fellow in-game debuggers from other companies, as well as the other elements that make fantasy the genre it is.

As an unusual piece of literature, there’s some originality to be had here in QA Isekai Land. To pen a story about Isekai debuggers, I have to say that Masamichi Sato is a pioneer in this regard, having an Isekai fantasy be centred not so much on the tried-and-true trope of heroes vs. villains (though the show has elements of this for conflicts between fellow debuggers), but of actual professional work that goes into his one-of-a-kind series that hasn’t been explored much in AniManga. Sure, there’s actual video game-inspired series like Shangri-La Frontier that focuses on games that teach about the knows and the don’ts of video game design and balance, but none so much like what this show is doing, focusing on the backend instead with game development. When you add the context of the mangaka’s first serialized work being a short 4-volume series of 2016-2017’s Iron Buddy, which depicts a robot engineer working on his own robot, that even once had a collab with Astro Boy, Masamichi Sato certainly had a hand on being obsessed about the weird, but innovative stuff that no one ever takes a chance with to create something so original, that its Achilles’ Heel is how far this story could go in the long run.

And this story…it’s the weakest aspect of the anime, if I’m being blunt and low-key honest. Sure, Haga’s serious commitment to debugging the game that he’s stuck in at least does feel fresh when in comparison to the character archetypes found in the anime, much less Nikola’s occasional “awakening” moments to deal with evildoers who see the in-game world as a place to do whatever the hell they want to. And what is the tactic, you might say? Nikola’s not just a regular village girl NPC, she’s one of the game’s neurotical consciousness, or the term commonly known as AI, whereby she’s known as Tesla (all you science geeks will know this famed inventor-cum-engineer Nikola Tesla), who is like the in-game mods to micromanage all players and NPCs to decide if they commit evil that’s calls for a ban. As Nikola, she can’t really do much, but as Tesla, the neurotical consciousness only feeds on the players’ debugging stones, which act as their lifeline in the game, and only does so when it detects players acting outside of the game’s justice parameters enough to kill them off in-game, banished to the depths of an endless black hole of blank code. The story can work around both Haga and Nikola alone, but with the focus on other players too (the more prominent ones in the anime being one gang of debugger murderers, as well as a furry debugger and an elf debugger), it just keeps dragging on and on to the point of staleness. The pacing is rather wonky, as well as its tone needing a lot of work with Masamichi Sato writing the series like a novel that despite its simplicity, is overtly too complex for its own good. The characters may be unique (heck, even Nikola as Tesla sure brings out some chuckles), but a little goes a long way, and this cast is definitely on the weird side. 

Moreover, everything else in the anime is just on the thread of being serviceable at best. Studio Palette already had an ousting of Kimi to Boku no Saigo no Senjou, Aruiwa Sekai ga Hajimaru Seisen a.k.a Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World’s sequel in the same Summer 2024 season, delaying the entire sequel up to a point because of production issues, when Silver Link was clearly still working on their current juggernaut that is the ongoing Yozakura-san Chi no Daisakusen a.k.a Mission: Yozakura Family, that the once primary studio had to discreetly wash their hands off the project to hand it over to the rather small studio for production assistance. And with this show being a collab with studio-cum-producer 100studio, it looks nice and alright with a game-like minimalistic art style with not much going for it. Trust me, Studio Palette is still not in the position to run a production house just yet, and giving the small studio 2 shows to work with simultaneously is an utter disaster, as is proven.

The OST is just there, but forgettable at best. Not once did I ever get or feel anything, much less its accompanying OP and ED songs from Liyuu and NACHERRY that were both mediocre to decent.

Sure, as a marketing niche, Kono Sekai wa Fukanzen Sugiru a.k.a Quality Assurance in Another World will speak a lot to the IT engineering Otakus within our midst, and even those who play video games for long to like this show, albeit on a biased level. But regardless of its target audience, this anime is quite the mixed bag for me: it’s enjoyable, but it’s also a slog to sit through at the same time. Ultimately (and ironically enough), as much debugging as the show is worth analyzing from a professional level, regular anime watchers just don’t see it like that, and only come for the entertainment, which, don’t get me wrong, there’s definitely some entertainment to be had, but your mileage will vary.

Dungeon People - Dungeons have gotten more complex over the years seen through anime, so let's take a step back to attend a masterclass on how dungeons operate, shall we?

Let's be real for a hot moment: the world is getting more complex, things are getting tougher by the day, and entertainment is slowly seeping into our brains that are suffering from decreasing IQ each and every day. Sometimes all you need is just something that pulls us back to its roots and slows us down in the ever-growing pace of life that never slows down. Luckily, within the height of the rom-com genre for the ... hot and sour Summer season, if you need a show that just allows you to be a couch potato and just go figure, boy do I have the show for you: mangaka Sui Futami's Dungeon no Naka no Hito a.k.a Dungeon People, a slice-of-life fantasy adventure comedy about dungeons and what goes on in the deep troughs that is, its many layers of underground obfuscation. And if I didn't know any better, her earlier adaptation of the 5-minute short series Mahou Shoujo Nante Mou Ii desu kara. back in 2016 was an awkward and cringeworthy write-off.

A small family so fixated on wanting to conquer the dungeon, that's a good thing. But what's not is that when one of the family members goes missing in said dangerous place, someone has to go find that family member to reassure him or her that he or she is safe. This is the scenario for Clay, a young woman with the skills of a thief, whom she traverses the dungeon to find her missing father, who's been gone for 3 years. Clay is so capable in fact that her Thieves' Guild acknowledges her as one of its best adventurers, being able to reach the deeper depths of the dungeon alone. But once she gets there, she gets a rude awakening facing the usual monsters...in a rather unkempt environment that feels like a dungeon, yet it is not at the same time. In fact, the dungeon is led by the final boss...of a young girl, whom Clay coincidentally found out when she was facing a rather tough monster, that after the fact, she dismisses the monster like it was her fellow co-worker and takes Clay under her wing...to help manage the dungeon alongside her.

For starters, this rather uncanny dungeon doesn't even feel like a dungeon at all, but rather, resembles an upside down typical human office, but for monsters instead. The final boss of the dungeon, this cute lil' sweet girl of Belle, she's as easy as she comes, despite the fact that she actually exudes boss energy thanks to her outstanding abilities. And unlike the human bosses of ego and pride, she takes care of the monster population within her dungeon like an actual kind and thoughtful caretaker, discerning issues as they go. Of course, how would a human like Clay come to understand all of this, and that's where the abnormal relationship between the young'uns of the human and the final boss comes in to weigh on the overall situation. The job ranges from taking care of the monsters in various rooms, dungeon operations from design to ideation, heck, even planting your soul to monsters through gems to imitate being monsters with human capabilities. Anything goes in this dungeon management class that's a sight to behold, being a change of pace outside of the typical stuff that we're so used to seeing. It's actually infotainment value, I've gotta say, for the standard and the unusual.

Clay and Belle's relationship is so tight, you could almost call this a Yuri-esque CGDCT trait for the goofy comedy banter between both girls who act just as normal as they come, or even towards the point of disbelief (at least much for Belle) to play off as the funny woman who feigns ignorance at times and expecting Clay to get her meaning, but which often fails to decent hilarity. Alongside another fellow employee of the dungeon, Rangard is the undisputed dungeon's treasurer, taking care of things that range from monetary expenses through its many treasure chests, weapons manufacturing, and even on-site construction supervision of the monsters he's in control of. I just find the small rock golems that Rangard supervises, quite the adorable monotone monster that's actually quite versatile with its occupation of dungeon maintenance and handiwork, aside from just the typical small and weak monsters they are to face the usual group of adventurers invited to tackle Belle's ever-changing dungeon. One thing's for sure: don't expect the complex out of this rather simple dungeon, just take your time sinking things in at a slow, comfortable pace that honestly, doesn't take away the enjoyment out of a simple, almost generic show like this.

Neither its production nor its music will win it any awards, as OLM's animation is quite minimalistic, and the OST is just a simple, charming theme, aside from the upbeat OP and ED from TrySail and Akari Nanawo, respectively, which were mediocre to decent.

Overall, Dungeon no Naka no Hito a.k.a Dungeon People is actually a fine show that still has its own world-building, albeit at a snail's pace that some will like, and many others don't. Instead, what it delivers is a solid, steady pace of an enjoyable trip down the depths of the Earth just to have a good time to hang out with fellow monsters that treat you better than the humans do, that all along, was a strategic approach that does its small wonders to impress the "chosen" few.

If you're on the fence, just try and see if it does work for you.