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Romance anime are a dime a dozen these days, just like isekai, and many ideas have been used before, leaving little room for something to break the mold. So, count me surprised when I laid my eyes on Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!, where it took your common romance tropes and used them tastefully to craft an interesting take on the romance genre, which could be the next romance classic, especially if the anime adaptation continues.

We’ve seen too many times, where the bland male protagonist, whether quiet, shy, or simply a loser, ends up having the most well-known girl in school falling head over heels ... for him for whatever reason. Here, the male protagonist, Kazuhiko Nukumizu, is by all accounts, also “bland”, introverted, and relegated to a background mob character role. The difference lies in the first moments, where he witnesses one of his female classmates being rejected, and sees her hilarious coping mechanisms afterwards.

However, that enough might not seem too convincing, because even something like that could be a precursor to the female classmate to fall for the male protagonist, but that is not the case, as each of these possible “romantic” moments are handled tastefully to give us a laugh, to the point where later on in the anime, you can even see the punchline coming.

The real theme of the story though, is not simply about a conventional romance, but it is initially about an observer’s view of romance trainwrecks in his school, with each heroine losing their battle with love. Through these experiences, we can see the theme of interpersonal communication in play, or lack thereof in some cases, which led to failures in the romantic escapades of the observer’s female classmates. In witnessing all these trainwrecks unfold, he in turn, also interacts with his classmates, who are all part of the Literature Club, and applies what he has learned through watching the rejections of his female classmates, and is able to not only make meaningful friendships, but also to mediate the various disputes or disagreements between others.

The thing I enjoyed the most about this anime was that it felt like high school all over again for me. As I have grown up a little from those school days, it was easy to laugh at the romance failures, and laugh at the stupidity of some of the characters, but as they say, teenagers are young and dumb, and that’s okay, we have all been there. The anime deals with interpersonal communication very well, because that is probably the most important thing that students have to learn, how to deal with other people. In romance, that is also likely the most important factor to a relationship. If one likes another, they have to tell them before it is too late. If one is rejected, how do they interact with the person that they got rejected by, and moreover, how do they interact with the person they lost to? When we got answers to these questions, that’s where we saw the growth of all the losing heroines, and how the Literature Club was able to stay afloat, despite all this drama.

Now, the drama’s great and all, but the comedy was just as great, and here is where the staff I think went above and beyond, especially with their comedic timing, and the nature of the jokes. They were not afraid to step into some weird territory, such as extreme BL jokes, tasteful fan service gags, or some not-so-subtle sexual jokes, which had me howling in laughter sometimes. If you’ve seen the Twitter account and the website for this anime, you would know how much they care about some really random stuff, for example, like Anna, one of the main female protagonists, and how many calories she eats per episode. It’s in these little things that I could tell that the staff had a lot of fun even in their hard work, and that is always a sign of a good anime, when everyone working on it can have a good time.

With passionate staff, comes great production quality, at least most of the time, and here, it was one of the best animated things I have seen this season, and maybe even the year. It’s not just from a purely animation standpoint either, but the framing, cinematography, lighting, all of those aspects were excellent. As well, in one of the ending themes, the staff went so far as to getting rigs outside to create that real life camerawork that was there. Always like to see the extra effort.

A complaint I do see sometimes about this show is that there isn’t enough romance, but I’m honestly glad that was the case. I can’t speak to what happens later on in the story, but seeing the main character stay friends with his female classmates I think fit the mood of the show much more than forcing him to end with one of the losing heroines. The relationships build naturally, the dialogue gets more natural and the characters play off each other better and better as the anime goes along, which was very enjoyable. To anyone that has not seen this show, that is something to take note of, that it’s less of a conventional romance show between the main character and the other characters, but more a show that features romance as a side dish, at least for me, because the comedy and sometimes the drama were the things that I enjoyed the most out of everything. Is every arc seamless? No, but it handles a lot of its topics and themes with a lot of care, and most importantly, the developments feel earned.

There are many trainwrecks that we don’t want to look away from in the anime sphere, but here, I can happily say, it is one of the best trainwrecks I have laid my eyes on. One of the best anime of the year for me, and was a great A-1 Pictures passion project. See what they can do when they work on romance anime?

Now, excuse me as it is time for a midnight snack. What do you mean it’s not good for you? Anna Yanami told me that ice cream doesn’t make me fat…

Shoshimin: How to Become Ordinary is quite a curious title. With it being a mystery anime, even just its title leads me to question things. “Shoshimin”, is translated as the "petite bourgeoisie", which refers to someone in the lower middle class. So indeed, that might be what constitutes an “ordinary person” in a financial sense. Who or what is trying to be ordinary though? The characters? The whole plot itself?

A likely reason why you (and myself) might be interested in this series is that it was written by the same author, Honobu Yonezawa, who wrote another mystery series in Hyouka. I can definitely see the ... similarities in these two series, with both tackling mysteries that are grounded in the sense of ordinary, mundane life. Shoshimin takes it one step further though, and in my opinion, brings it to an even more “ordinary” sense, with little mysteries in daily life that seem even trivial to most people. For most of this season, the show revolved around simple daily tasks, like buying sweets, solving a mystery of who ate the missing sweet, things that we might take for granted through our lives, but through all these experiences, they coalesce into a larger mystery, which is one of the things I appreciated most about this series.

A big mystery, is why Jougorou’s agreement with Yuki, which was to be “ordinary” together, exists. Why do these two want to be ordinary, and stay out of people’s lives? What were their pasts like? Bit by bit, by watching the two main characters and their lives, and how such twisted individuals have such trouble with being ordinary, one being drawn to being a detective, and the other having sharp insight and the ability to act quickly, we get to know just a tiny bit about the characters. Though, we have to ask, what does “being ordinary” actually mean? Does it mean that you go with the flow like everyone else, or act like everyone else does? Jougorou’s definition of being ordinary seems to revolve around not butting in to other people’s problems, or in other words, keeping the status quo, but by trying so hard to keep that status quo, it seems more deviant than ordinary, in trying to quell every one of life’s swells.

The biggest issue that people might find with this show is that there’s no real hook. It’s more of a “feeling-out process” then something with an immediate pay-off. Through its overall gorgeous visuals, it can hook you into the most “boring” and mundane of mysteries, or entrap you in its depiction of delicious sweets that have you frothing at the mouth. If you’re not into that, then this show is not for you, but the show certainly invites you to try it out, with its initial slow pacing. It’s easy to feel that it’s average or boring, but I think that is what the show is going for, because in showcasing what it means to be ordinary, the show must feel like that as well. In that sense, I think the show did that extremely well.

As a second season is indeed on the way, I say, we let them keep cooking. If the food looked that good, whoever was in the kitchen knew what they were doing, that’s for sure. Overall, the show did its job well in allowing the viewer to find intrigue and beauty in the mundane. It slows down to the pace of an iyashikei sometimes, yet swells up with tension ever so slightly to keep you interested. It’s not an approach to a show I have seen much at all, and that’s all the more reason why I ended up enjoying it as much as I did. The only thing that I’m questioning is the direction that the story is going in, and what the main point of the show is, but since there is still more to adapt, there’s time to rectify that issue.

With so many questions left unanswered, one can only say, “I’m curious!”

Kyoto Animation, almost without fail, has time and time again showed us the gold standard of anime production. It is clear to see just like many of their shows, it was done with passion, love, and most importantly, they had ample time to work on it. This is the result.

Sound! Euphonium Season 3 is divisive, and it is easy to understand why. KyoAni and the staff made risky decisions in how they adapted the source material, making a critical change towards the end of the season, which really divided the community. Of course, there was also the issue of there not being enough performances in ... the season, because previous seasons showed the performances, whereas this season did not do the same. The thing I appreciated the most though, was that with all the themes that the season provided throughout, the end result stayed consistent with the themes presented.

Kumiko’s encounter and relationship with the new transfer student, Mayu Kuroe, was no doubt, a turbulent one. Mayu plays the same instrument as Kumiko, and needless to say, there are only so many spots available in a performance, or in the soli. Now, with Kumiko in her third and final year at Kitauji, and with Mayu being the new kid on the block, there is some pressure on who should play and who should not, and while Kitauji has adopted a variety of ways to decide such things, Kumiko, along with vice presidents Reina and Shuuichi, decide that for each performance during the school year, there would be an audition. Managing a band is not an easy job, and Kumiko saw that firsthand. The thing I love about the series is how well it understands school life and music. In a band, there are always clashes of personalities, people who push others harder than they are used to, people who want to just have fun playing with their friends, and people who take winning competitions very seriously. Being the president, you always have to have your ear to the ground on how the band’s morale is, and for the majority of this season, it is not good at all, with the tension at a fever pitch due to the auditions and their results.

The relatability of the characters is another massive reason why I love this series. Kumiko in particular, is someone that I am sure many of us can relate to on some level. She is a graduating high schooler with a very common problem that many of us might have faced before, not knowing what to do after graduation. By being the president of the school band this season though, she learned a lot about how to deal with people, how to motivate people, but most of all, she learned that a lot of the time, you reap what you sow, and that there will always be someone better than you at something, and I’m glad that this theme was hammered home in the end.

As for Mayu, she was also quite relatable, but to many, very frustrating to watch I would imagine. As a transfer student, especially if they are a very capable one, they will very likely shake the morale of the existing group, because all of a sudden, there is someone that plays better than most of the band populace. Therefore, she adopts an attitude of just going with whatever the majority wants, whether it is to play a certain way, to go somewhere together, just whatever would allow her to fit in, to not influence the pre-existing relationships in the band. Man, she just needs a hug…

Mayu and Kumiko's interactions throughout this season were tense, and understandably so, because not only do the two play the same instrument, they also had clashing viewpoints toward how Kitauji should operate. Kumiko wanted meritocracy, in that the best players should play, regardless of their status. Mayu, however, did not want to rock the boat that is the band, so it seemed like she wanted to forfeit her role in the band to Kumiko, as that was probably what their bandmates wanted, for their president to play. That is another sign of Mayu’s tragic character, where she just cannot bring herself to affect the band in any substantial way. Kumiko, for a good chunk of this season, avoided her, because it reminded her of herself in the past, the one that Reina “hated” for not caring about the result of a competition.

As controversial as Mayu’s addition to the cast might be, I personally loved her role in the story. She can be seen as an antagonist, but she really isn’t, as she is the catalyst that made Kumiko a better person. Kumiko can lament the missed opportunities to tell Mayu what she really felt about things, but in the end, Kumiko and Mayu helped each other, with Mayu pushing Kumiko to confront conflicts within herself, and Kumiko told Mayu something she needed to hear all her life, which was to play for what she believes in, and not “lie to the performance”.

I also loved Kanade’s role in the story, with her bluntness. In a way, she might have voiced how the viewer was feeling towards a certain moment, and that again, is relatability, in a different light.

Kumiko and Reina’s relationship was also incredibly interesting, and it tackles a similar theme to Kumiko and Mayu’s relationship, which is that people have conflicting opinions. Reina was always one of the best talents that the band had to offer. It created tension in earlier seasons of this series, and it also created tension in this season, with how her and Kumiko’s relationship was. One of Reina’s biggest flaws was trusting Taki as wholeheartedly as she did, leading to a sense of coldness toward members who were unhappy with Taki’s decisions on the auditions. Was she an antagonist? Also no, because these conflicts in a band are natural, because there will always be conflicting philosophies, and when someone as successful as Reina is questioned, it feels like an insult. Again, after being put down by Reina, Kumiko grows for the better, and shows why she was the president, and that Reina was not chosen for such a role, as seen in the eventual success in the band’s subsequent performance.

Even if there are reconciliations to be had, another theme of school life is that friendships can also disappear in the blink of an eye. Reina parting ways with Kumiko is another theme in more ways than one, from the meaning on the surface, to what it means in a musical sense. It reminded me of how Mizore and Nozomi’s relationship in Liz in the Blue Bird, my favourite anime, felt like, with one holding back the other. It is difficult, but sometimes, if you truly love your friend, you also have to let them go, and it is another theme that stayed consistent to the end of the series, which is excellent.

Common arguments about why this series was not living up to people’s expectations included the fact that the performances were for the most part, skipped. That may be the case, but I found the tension in the band just as entertaining, if not more. There were no antagonists in the end, leaving the tension as natural, yet as strong as it can be, which is what the performance was to me, the characters interacting, arguing, and in the end, thriving, under Kumiko’s leadership. The other thing was the pacing, and that one I agree with, as it slightly drags the build up to the pay-off, but made the pay-off happen a bit too quickly at the same time, which is an odd place to be in. There is an argument to be made about that, but to me, I found what we got to be extremely rewarding and inspiring to watch nonetheless. I do wish the second year of Kumiko’s high school career was a full tv season though, that would be the thing to lament about for me.

Overall, this season left me breaking down at some of the tension that was so palpable, and left me in awe of how gorgeous KyoAni’s animation and directing was, possibly even superior to the last two seasons. It’ll be a series that will stay with me for a long time to come, and one that I’ll remember fondly.

Each piece along the way was beautiful. For Kitauji, there will always be a next piece, and for Kumiko, Reina, and everyone else, there will also always be a next piece.

Train to the End of the World is the latest screwball sci-fi comedy (?) anime on the block, and the sheer creativity of it had me quite impressed with it. It is not often that we see an anime go so far into the depths of “What were the writers thinking?”, and commit so hard to every comedic bit, but also tell a coherent story, so full credit to the writers for that.

It being so out there does not surprise me though, given what the director, Tsutomu Mizushima, has directed previously. With the likes of Prison School, Shirobako, xxxHOLiC, and Girls Und Panzer on his ... resume, Train to the End of the World follows in the same vein, as it lands between a lot of genres, but not committing to just one or two, but distorting and breaking the mold to create a memorable experience. This is a risk to take for sure, as sometimes, these sorts of stories fall flat from one misstep, leading to a snowball effect that brings the viewer completely out of the experience, whether it’s through questionable writing, theming that is all over the place, or just an incoherent storyline. Perhaps, that was what happened to Mayoiga, which funny enough, took place on a moving vehicle as well. Was this show the redemption to that one? Such a fate happens rather often to anime originals, but this anime had no such fall off.

One particular thing I really enjoyed about this anime was how snappy it was, while not feeling too rushed. Yes, there is an argument to be made about whether or not this would have functioned even better with more of a runtime, but what we got here was excellent nonetheless. The characters talk quickly, the story is fast-paced, and the comedy is as well. Honestly, that’s very befitting since the characters are on a train for a good portion of the anime, and trains in Japan are associated with fast speeds. The director’s Twitter account made numerous tweets about trains, inspirations for the show, and talked about some real life locations as well. It is great that he did his research beforehand on such things to make the show pop even more. Despite all the odd things that happened in this show, it feels like you’re on a tour along with the characters, with how the story is structured that some stops along the road to the final goal, which is Ikebukuro, get explored, just like if the viewers were on a crazy train ride themselves. The background music in this show certainly helped a ton as well.

Another thing I was very glad to see was that it stayed a fun romp until the very end. There were numerous opportunities to perhaps delve into more drama, with how the relationships between the characters were like, but the show stuck to its identity of being more comedy and adventure-based, and didn’t fall into the pit of emotional backstories. It did not deviate from the path of the train at any point, rather, it charged full steam ahead at every turn, and left no time for any interruptions.

Visually, although not the most polished at times, it ended up being quite solid and creative. Episode ten stood out to me the most with how many styles it employed to create such a hilarious battle between the main characters and the antagonist henchmen.

Overall, this was one of the best anime the Spring 2024 season had to offer. I had high hopes going in, and I leave this train having been on such a wild, and fun ride. Its imaginative, creative artistry had me in awe, and its comedy kept me laughing throughout.

Mizushima grabbed a blender, scooped up every ounce of his wild ideas from that head of his, blended it, and out came a delicious smoothie. I don’t know how this mad man did it either.

Music anime with girl bands or groups being the focus have never been more prominent in the anime sphere, with recent hits like Bocchi the Rock, and old hits like K-On. In this season alone, we saw the revitalization of another old music hit in Sound! Euphonium Season 3, and new kids on the block in Girls Band Cry, and Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night. There’s so much that writers can do with this type of show, from stories of inspiration, stories of young people trying to find their passion, or in other cases, more comedy-oriented shows that serve to brighten up one’s day. ... In the end, the formula remains similar, to showcase the growth of the characters and their differing personalties, through their involvement in a music group.

Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night is a bit of an odd case to me, because while it has its share of light-hearted moments, and the comedy is snappy and quite honestly, amazing at times, it also goes down the slippery slope of leaning into heavy melodrama. With the limited runtime that this had, with just twelve episodes, it was a bit of a questionable decision to me. In the first number of episodes, it was all about how people motivate each other, rather it was through art, music, or any other expressive outlet, and it was indeed very interesting. As the characters got introduced, they were characterized through various backstories that showed how tough their pasts were, or how they got to know other characters in the show. I’m not always a big fan of that story structure, as while it might provide great emotional highs, I’d much rather see the characters get characterized with how they act in the present, which this show does eventually do as well.

I call this an odd case, because each individual bit of character drama was honestly handled quite well, with very realistic and relatable struggles, for example, wanting to enjoy and behave in a way that people think is “childish”, or having one’s path to stardom broken because of a response to injustice. It led to some brilliant character chemistry between the members of JELEE for sure, but I also don’t think the drama contributed to the big picture of the story well enough, and also got in the way of what I expected the show to be more like, which was seeing the creative process of JELEE’s music.

To do all this in twelve episodes is no easy feat, and I just do not think there was enough time here to flesh everything out. The messages were really good, the pieces were there, but with twelve episodes, it was virtually impossible to fit in the progression of JELEE and the character drama, leading to various aspects feeling contrived and rushed, lacking the organic growth that we could have seen if this series had more of a runtime. JELEE gains a following in almost no time at all due to a timeskip, Mahiru’s art is suddenly highly respected from being mocked just a few episodes prior. Suddenly, a performance at a venue happens with not much build up. A career is put to a halt because of one single internet warrior. The antagonistic character suddenly goes along with what the protagonist proposes. You get my drift. Could this all have been fit into twelve episodes if the script was just a bit tighter? It’s hard to say how this anime should have went, because on the one hand, if you don’t have the comedy and light-hearted moments, the audience would not have as much of an attachment to the characters and their respective personalities, though on the other hand, if you don’t have the drama, the plot does not move forward. The best anime series are able to balance both the aspects of character building and pacing effectively. I do believe that the script could have been a bit tighter with the removal of a few characters, such as Baba and Koharu, so that the eventual drama could be less contrived. Again, I want to emphasize that the individual stories were good, but they just did not mesh well enough with each other. Some emphasis of side characters took away from Kano and Mahiru’s issues, and led to the overall storyline being resolved rather haphazardly.

Visually, this anime is stunning. Props to Ryouhei Takeshita for directing this as well as he did. It had a very snappy feeling in the editing made it a great vessel for comedic timing, which I still believe is the strongest part about this anime. I might not have agreed with some of the drama, but the way some of the dramatic scenes were directed was superb, along with the sound direction, to illicit as much emotion as they could out of the viewers. Furthermore, the voice acting performances here were excellent. Shout out to Rie Takahashi, Miyu Tomita, Miku Itou, and Miyuri Shimabukuro for their incredible work as Kano, Kiui, Mahiru, and Mei, respectively. There were also several music videos from JELEE that served as special ending themes, and you could see the improvement in the visuals with each passing music video. That type of subtle growth was what I wanted this anime to be like, but obviously, it went in a different direction.

With how solid the first few episodes were, I think it really showed that sometimes, things do not need to be deep and hugely thought-provoking to be good. The message was there, the characters were perfectly fine, the growth was JELEE was being seen, the comedy was snappy and funny, but the decision to go into heavy melodrama was one step I feel this anime did not need to take. The sheer energy of the show, the vibrance of the characters, all of that was sucked out with the melodrama, because even though the comedy still remained throughout, there was always that bit of drama that loomed large over it all, leaving it less fun than it could have been. It lacked a proper identity, and tried to do too much in a short amount of runtime.

In the end, it was like a slightly overcooked steak. It tastes good, but it is chewy, and leaves you slightly underwhelmed. Occasionally, some anime just have that sort of a fate. Oh, what this could have been…

The Dangers in My Heart Season 2 was an incredible run from start to finish, and I cannot believe how far we have come since the “cringe” start at the beginning of this series. This season has provided a ton of fun, quite a few laughs, quite a few pay-offs, and some emotional moments as well. Apart from the sheer sweetness of this series, Kyoutarou’s growth has been incredible to watch, and as someone who shares some of the same traits as him, like being an introvert, some of his character growth really resonated with me, and he continues to be easily my favourite character ... in this series. It is so early in the year, but it is already an anime of the year contender for me.

I tend to like most romance anime that I have watched, but the one wall that they almost always hit is never really escaping the “Will they, won’t they?” phase of the show. Characters meander and the story progression goes at a snail’s pace, which in due time, makes the story lose its charm. A big reason for that is the caricatures and tropes of the characters that are in love. For example, whenever the main female character is a tsundere, all we see is her punching the dude or denying her feelings. In this show, there is no such annoying trope, and the dynamic between the two leads is a breath of fresh air. It’s just two somewhat socially awkward teens just getting to understand one another, without the progression being too dragged out. Of course, I also love seeing the female lead be taller than the male lead, as it is just a unique touch to the whole dynamic.

Another aspect of the series I really enjoy are some of the subtleties to the character growth. The characters feel somewhat realistic, in that they physically grow, something normal for their age of course. Kyoutarou grows a little taller, his voice deepens a bit, and Anna might be a bit excited, but it was never a huge deal. The characters understand more about one another at a nice pace. What was unknown at one point gets learned later on, such as when Anna understands how Kyoutarou would retract back into his shell when he was in certain situations, or Kyoutarou would understand how Anna would feel at a particular time. When they talk to each other, they might stumble on their words sometimes, but when it matters, they know exactly what to say. Overall, I really enjoyed how the show never got “in your face” about the character growth.

Kyoutarou has been a pretty relatable character to me to some extent, especially with his introversion. Kyoutarou's challenges with socializing and public speaking kind of resemble how parts of my life have went. I was a pretty chatty kid, but as I grew into my teenage years, for some reason I got more reserved, and I had stage fright and a fear of public speaking. Yeah, I took drama classes, and classes that required me to talk with others, but I was not, and still am not the most talkative person around in the slightest. Whenever I saw Kyoutarou talk to his inner self, while it might feel somewhat cliché, it always was executed perfectly because it acknowledges that a lot of the time, the biggest thing holding someone back is themselves. Deep down, they know they can do whatever they set their mind to, but they sell themselves short. Like people say, sometimes a person's worst enemy is themselves, so whenever Kyoutarou achieved something substantial, I was so proud of him.

As for the other characters, there aren’t any real weaknesses to the cast. Anna of course is a very cute, somewhat awkward character that put a lot of proactive care into developing the relationship further. Most of the other characters were really fun to watch, and support the main duo very well. They all know about Kyoutarou and Anna’s blossoming relationship, but they always let the two grow by themselves (save for that flash mob group), even if they would sometimes create situations where that was possible. The parents, relatives, friends, everyone in their social circle were so supportive, and happy whenever both Kyoutarou or Anna were successful, to the point where it would always warm my heart. No unnecessary family drama, no unnecessary love triangles, just friends and family being wholesome and supportive. Moeko and Kana probably had the best moments as side characters, but there is not one bad character in this series. No, not even the perverted guys. Sure, it might be a bit exaggerated, but people at that age always have something dirty to talk about.

The visuals and directing were for the most part, very solid. The blurriness does get a little much at times, but it never hindered my enjoyment. The staff did a fantastic job of really having the emotional moments hit hard. Kensuke Ushio, who worked on the music, continues to show that he is one of the best in the business right now, right there with Kevin Penkin and Evan Call, possibly Hiroyuki Sawano as well, at really elevating the show to new heights.

It has been nothing but joy watching this show every week. I never thought a romcom could surpass *Kaguya-sama: Love is War* for me, but this has been something truly special. The sheer state of giddiness I would be in before starting each episode was a testament to how much of an impact this show has had on me. Whether or not we see this series return anytime soon, it’ll still hold a place near and dear to my heart, which was in danger almost every week of watching this.

'There's no guarantee we have a tomorrow together, and if there isn't, then maybe I should try for what I want a little."

Having grown up in a household filled with family that loved Chinese period dramas, they were virtually inescapable for me. Someone in my family was always watching the hottest new period drama, and eventually, I also began to watch them with my family, and I got hooked on them quickly. At this point, the tropes in those shows were all too familiar to me, so count me surprised when I watched *The Apothecary Diaries*, and almost immediately thought of what a breath of fresh air this was. It has probably the best female character of 2023, and while it definitely was overshadowed by a certain ... other heavy hitter, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, this anime still had enough going for it to merit a lot of discourse in the anime community, and in my opinion stood up to its opponents in both the Fall 2023 and Winter 2024 anime seasons very well.

This series has very riveting mystery elements, while staying light-hearted and comedic at times, and all encapsulated in a fictional inner palace, modelled after a Chinese setting. As I have mentioned earlier, I am no stranger to Chinese period dramas, and I always find it interesting how gender is portrayed in these shows. In the older Chinese dynasties, the Imperial Chinese harem system was very prevalent and common, and the inner palace, babymaking and the objectifying of women, with them being handled and passed around as gifts, was what life was dedicated to. For that reason, I find it intriguing that in this portrayal of the inner palace, we see the perspectives of women with agency, solving problems, being involved in the politics of the palace, all in quite a thoughtful way. Also, the existence of a particular character in the show as a test of loyalty to the emperor struck me as a different twist to the whole system, a unique take on this fictional Chinese setting.

The mystery elements were done well, as it was interesting to see how this series introduced a lot of mysteries, but didn’t outright provide the answer, or culprit to the viewer. We get the reasons why people were caught up in issues, or in some cases, how they ended up dying, but the viewer gets left questioning whether or not the intuition of the main character was actually accurate. Things are not answered right away, but eventually, the series calls back to those mysteries that the viewer might have forgotten, and weaves them together for a great pay-off. Some of the episodes, especially in the early parts of the second half, were not as interesting when I first watched it, but knowing how it set up for the pay-off, in hindsight, it did made a lot more sense, and that indeed, every moment, even the duller ones, had some effect on the bigger picture.

The main protagonist, Maomao, makes the entire show for me, and was the main reason I enjoyed this anime as much as I did. She was such an endearing, captivating main character that had a really dynamic personality that could range from her not giving a bother about getting kidnapped at the start of the anime, yet throughout the series, really investing herself in the mysteries of the palace setting, and through her endless thirst for knowledge (and poison), we got to see her go to great lengths to achieve whatever goal she set out to achieve on any given day. Her voice actor, Aoi Yuuki, performed spectacularly to bring out the varied tones to match up with her multi-faceted personality, and she really made Maomao come to life in the best way possible. She reminds me of other protagonists I have seen in Chinese period dramas, but her character writing was more unique compared to any others, and I am glad she had her own ambitions she was able to achieve, rather than just being a tool for the emperor or her superiors. All the other characters also shined in their own ways, and even the ones that only show up briefly, end up being memorable.

The art and animation in this show was not flashy, but still very highly detailed and intricate to really flesh out the setting. The character designs were varied and were unique while staying true to its Chinese identity. The more subtle movements were handled with care, such as the little mannerisms that befit the Chinese setting. The covering of the mouth with their sleeves as they enter a room, and how the characters eat their food are just some examples of that in action. Little details like that really impressed me, as it showed how much care the staff put in to making sure they stayed true to Chinese culture. The music further elevated the material to new heights. Sure, the overall visual quality isn’t at a level of the powerhouse shounen anime, but with the resources the staff had at their disposal, they did a phenomenal job.

Overall, this was a fantastic series, along with one of the best main female characters I have seen in a while. While not every mystery or every episode hit as deeply, whenever they did, it was excellent, riveting, even bone-chilling. If you have any interest in Chinese dramas, or even if you don’t, there will likely be something you will find that intrigues you. With a Season 2 confirmed for next year, I couldn’t be more excited to see more of this wonderful series.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End might very well be the new “fantasy gateway anime”, the first anime that one would recommend to their friend who has only watched the most mainstream action anime, who is looking for something a bit different. A first taste of a more subdued, subtle, slower-paced anime, the first taste of some character introspection, the first taste of some meaningful and thought-provoking character dialogue. It might just become the staple of fantasy anime in the modern age, and its beginner-friendliness really put it on the map. I am very glad that this has been such a critically acclaimed show, because to all ... the staff working on this, and especially director Keiichirou Saitou, they have done something that seems like a rarity in the current state of anime production - release a virtually fully polished product for two consecutive cours without fail, going above and beyond with their attention to detail. They deserve every ounce of praise from a production standpoint. This anime did a lot of things well, but the aspects I enjoyed the most were definitely the audiovisuals, the themes of the passage of time, and also this anime’s portrayal of demons.

I do believe that this anime would not be half as popular if it were not for the brilliant animation and music. It has scenic shots, and also some incredible and fluid action animation. I can leave links to every beautiful bit of animation, but the thing I find even more impressive is the attention to detail. Little subtleties like hair movement, clothing movement that looks so realistic and fluid, and just the perspective shots stand out even more to me than the flashy action animation.

I have a soft spot for quietness, ambience, and atmosphere in shows, and if you took a look at my favourites list, you could probably tell. A personal gripe I have with a lot of modern anime, and media in general is that it just does not allow time for the viewer to breathe, always jumping from scene to scene, trying to “get things done” at a high tempo. Slowing down, letting the viewer appreciate the sceneries of the world being portrayed, forcing them, begging them to bask in the atmosphere, that is something I have always appreciated. A lot of the scenes with no dialogue, as we see the characters just walking along a path, resting, exploring, they all implore you to follow this anime’s pace, while at the same time, not dragging its feet either. That is the perfect balance for me, and I believe that especially in the first half, this anime achieved that.

I really enjoyed the first half of the anime, especially with its themes about the passage of time. With Frieren being an elf, with her longevity, a year is nothing for her in the grand scheme of things. A human lifespan comes and goes quickly in her eyes, and thus, before she knows it, her companions are gone. Slowly but surely, regret enters her mind, as she ponders why she did not try to get to know her companions better than she did. As people say, sometimes you don’t appreciate the people around you until they’re gone. Throughout the series, with Frieren’s new companions in Fern and Stark, she understands a bit more about humanity, and living in the moment.

The other thing I really enjoyed was the portrayal of demons, as well as the villains in general. They aren’t overly complex; they’re just purely evil. It doesn’t force a backstory upon the villains to make them a “deeper” or more “well-written” character, they are just… demons… in a fantasy story. They do cruel things, and that makes their eventual defeat all the sweeter. Sometimes, the simpler the better, and I really enjoyed the simplicity this time around.

The second half of the season is a bit of a departure from the slower themes, in favour of a more action-oriented anime that saw the introduction of the massively popular Übel, who was probably my favourite character in the arc. Her character commanded every scene she was in, and was a huge reason that the arc was still enjoyable. As for the arc itself, I felt it was markedly weaker than the first half, but still solid in terms of some the new characters and action scenes. I do think this series functions best when it takes things slower and embraces more of its slice of life elements, and seeing its characters explore every nook and cranny of the world, although there was still some meaningful moments in the second half that developed the characters further, strengthening their chemistry and magic skills, as well as allowing us to see more of how mages work.

The cast had really fun chemistry and comedic moments, and they developed into a very tight-knit group, feeling like family. I know a common complaint for the cast is the lack of emotions, making them feel boring. I cannot deny that, but it fits the world they live in. Frieren has lived for so many years, it’s only natural to be a bit emotionless, given all that she has seen, nothing would really surprise her. Fern has been with Frieren for so long, some of her personality must have rubbed off on her. Stark joins the group later on, so naturally he would have a bit more energy. This anime cannot be loud, as it would not fit its identity, so it’s only fitting the characters would not be screaming all the time, because that is not what this series is about.

From Evan Call’s wondrous music, the gorgeous animation, the themes of the story, and much more, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has been impressive to say the least, despite some diminished enjoyment in the second half. Does it deserve the top spot on MAL? I’m not sure about that, but one thing is for sure, the staff definitely brought a great fantasy manga a whole new life, and it should be the talk of the town for a substantial time to come, for good reason.

There’s something in the water with shows with the word “Girlfriend” in it this season. You have Girlfriend, Girlfriend’s second season, which was a hilarious sequel, and then there’s this one, something quite special honestly in the harem genre, a genre that is seen as low-brow entertainment. A guy that gets together with so many girls, one might say it’s a bit of a wish fulfillment fantasy, but when one watches it, from the outset, there’s just something different about it.

I always say that if a show is trashy, it might as well be as unhinged as possible, and this one certainly understood that assignment. ... The premise is pretty stupid, as it’s about a guy, Aijou Rentarou, who confessed to one hundred girls, only to be rejected every time, and then as one would certainly expect, divine intervention was needed to get this guy the rizz he needed. A slip of the finger because God was playing a video game, and Rentarou was given one hundred soulmates that he could find, the kicker being that they had to get together or else the girl would die.

So what’s so unique about this harem anime? Yeah, there’s its fair share of fan service, but what I found that was great about this anime was its self-awareness that it’s trashy, and so the comedy is very self-aware as well, and breaks the fourth wall often. It’s very meta, as people might say, which is probably why people enjoyed the manga in the first place, the fast pace of comedy that has references of media that we’ve seen before, which can always provide that extra chuckle that other comedies might not be able to do. Unlike shows like Rent-a-Girlfriend, this anime thrives by not taking itself seriously, while still having moments that develop the characters.

The comedy is great and all, but the real draw of this anime is the main male character. Harem protagonists are usually the most one-note, boring characters ever, as they almost always follow the same trope of taking way too long to either recognize the love interest’s feelings, or taking too long to confess. Rentarou however, is probably the best harem protagonist I’ve seen in a while, mostly because he shatters all those tropes, and somehow can effectively care for every single girlfriend he encounters. As each girlfriend gets into the picture, they also have their time to shine, and it’s not just superficial development either, there’s actual heart behind it. Who could have thought? A harem anime with genuine heart and soul poured into it!

I expected that I would like this anime, but I’m coming out of it genuinely surprised at how wholesome it was even with the dumb premise. It embraces its stupidity and is shameless to the maximum, and it proved to be one of the best anime to watch every week, and honestly was one of the best anime of the year in terms of pure enjoyment. Can’t wait for Season 2, just inject this into my veins!

I shed a tear to Rent-a-Girlfriend??? What has the world come to? Is this reality?

Rent-a-Girlfriend is at the butt end of a lot of jokes in the anime community, and hated by many, understandably so. You might ask, then why are so many of these losers watching this absolute joke of a show? There’s a simple answer. We eat unhealthy foods all the time, we have fast food, instant noodles, sugary junk, that we all know is bad for us, but we still eat it anyway. If anything, RAG does a nice job in keeping the fools coming back for more, by sprinkling in some ... of that MSG. Say that Chizuru is asked if she likes Kazuya, and you know she can’t say yes, because that wouldn’t drive the story along, so she says she doesn’t like him, but doesn’t dislike him. That last line is so frustrating, but it’s that MSG that keeps you coming back, because at this point, we’re all so deep into this rabbit hole that we can’t escape, just like many can’t escape the clutches of junk food. We all say we hate RAG, but how much do we actually hate it if we’re coming back for more? To you manga readers, I salute you, for getting through three hundred chapters of this dumpster fire. You all must be the soldiers of the god that is Reiji Miyajima.

If you’ve been paying attention to the animanga community, most people have said that this arc is the peak of the story, and compared to the previous two seasons, I would have to agree with that sentiment. For RAG standards, this is honestly really solid, but compared to the rest of anime, it’s fine, though there were some great moments this season that caught me a bit off guard. There is a level of development for Kazuya, the main character, although he is still the guy that he always was, but unlike the previous seasons, there seems to be a better sense of narrative direction, as Kazuya attempts to produce a movie for Chizuru and for her grandma to realize her wish to see her granddaughter on the big screen in a film. In the process, the lie of Kazuya and Chizuru’s relationship is finally tackled, something that dragged on for far too long.

A nice addition to the cast this season is Mini Yaemori, a bundle of fun energy, and she boasts one unique trait, the fact she isn’t in love in Kazuya, and was the supporter for Kazuya and Chizuru’s relationship. She brought in some nice humour, and was definitely one of the best parts of this season. Chizuru has long been a very boring character to me, as she’s just seen as the “perfect girl”, which to me, is just very uninteresting. However, as she’s the main female character, the story direction must revolve around her a bit, and some of the developments this season certainly elevated her character to somewhat greater heights. Sumi is as wholesome as ever, and Ruka is just… there, though she had some nice moments as well.

It’s junk food in the end, but at least this time, it was more palatable junk food, and as much as we love to rag on this anime, let’s be real, you’ll probably be back for that eventual Season 4. Let’s not lie to ourselves, yeah? See you then.