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Domestic. Girlfriend. Is. Good. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

You can find plenty of reasons why this series is trash, so I won’t go into detail about it. Except for the end, holy shit is that a steaming pile of dog shit and kinda ruins some of the themes that it had going for it. ANYWAYS…

What makes Domestic Girlfriend good is that it approaches the romance genre in a very different way. Most romance series are about a relationship between two characters. Domestic Girlfriend is about two characters who are in a relationship. The difference is astounding.

Typically, a romance will start with the romance portion ... of the story and build out from there. This means that the purpose of the main characters is to be in a romantic relationship. Contrasting this, Domestic Girlfriend establishes characters that end up in a relationship. To really explain why this is the case would require venturing into spoiler territory. So you’ll either have to trust me or be hit with a few spoilers.

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Towards the end of highschool, Rui and Natsuo end up getting together. The series then follows their relationship together. Domestic Girlfriend sheds its typical highschool harem setting (kinda) for a more grounded story. After Rui and Natsuo graduate, they take different paths in life. Natsuo goes to university, and naturally meets new people. Rui pursues cooking.

It’s entirely by pure luck but Domestic Girlfriend does a really good job at depicting a non-codependent relationship. Sure, there is tension with a sort of will-they-won’t-they regarding other girls/guys, but it’s handled well. In an incredibly healthy way.

The ending kinda ruins this depiction of healthy relationships which is why it’s just a fluke. An interview with the author sadly reveals that she made no such distinction intentionally. However, it still stands that the series does a great job handling the romance between Rui and Natsuo

There is nothing else out there that is like Sonny Boy.

It’s really hard to explain the appeal of this show and it’s certainly not for everyone. However, it is undeniably a masterpiece. I have never seen an anime this ambitious actually pull off what it was trying to achieve.

Sonny Boy is undeniably a mess. It’s all over the place. You never learn why something happened, who some characters are, or what is going on. It just happens. And that’s it. However, Sonny Boy does an incredible job balancing this while making the story somehow seem coherent. And it’s entirely intentional.

It’s hard to describe the ... appeal of the show. On one hand it seems like it’s intended for the ‘2deep4u’ audience, but it’s not. In fact, the show makes a mockery of these sorts of people. Trying to explain the deep ‘meaning’ of Sonny Boy only outs those who haven’t finished the series. In reality, it’s incredibly simple. You just have to take Sonny Boy for its face value. That’s it.

The draw of Sonny Boy is experiencing it. The closest comparison I can draw is End of Evangelion. The feeling of an awe-inspiring confusion once it’s over. However, unlike Eva, Sonny Boy is actually very clear in the message it tries to deliver. It creates a feeling of depth where there actually isn’t any. And it’s entirely intentional.

I can’t really explain EXACTLY why it’s so amazing without spoiling what the true meaning of the show is about. And going through the experience and coming to that final realization is the most amazing feeling I’ve felt about any anime. So much so I dropped 2 series from a 10 to a 9 because it made me reevaluate my whole scale.

Give it a shot. Try and figure out the meaning. It’s the most unique experience you can have with any anime, or show, out there.

This review is intended for those who have finished the Anime adaptation and are looking to read the Light Novel

tl;dr This series is fucking trash, the fact that 'Rudy gets a boner' is a fucking spoiler says it all. Also, don’t believe that this series is disgusting? See for yourself: https://imgur.com/a/PG6pOaT. The worst part is that the series could have been good if it was written by a normal human being.

If you watch Mushoku Tensei 1 of 2 things will happen. You will either be so disgusted by Rudy that you deem the show problematic, or you will recognize Rudy has flaws and tries to ... grow to become a better person. If you do not find yourself in either of these camps, please stop reading and I wish you the best of luck in life.

Personally, I was in the 1st camp but nevertheless, I watched the 2nd part of Mushoku Tensei and I ended up giving it an 8/10. Despite having some serious issues with the show, Mushoku Tensei does something incredibly unique. Almost like watching a child grow-up, you become invested in Rudy’s life and want to follow his journey through life. On top of that, Mushoku has incredible world building and set-up. For this reason, I decided to read the Light Novels after watching the series starting with LN 7 up to the latest officially released novel. (At this time LN 15)

I cannot understate it enough just how much LN 7 baited me into sunk-costing this god awful series.

Before I continue, I will rate each volume. It’s impossible to rank the series as a whole because of its high-highs and low-lows. Also this will give you a good idea of the suffering I went through while reading this.

(Out of 10)
LN 7 - 8
LN 8 - 2
LN 9 - 3.5
LN 10 - 2
LN 11 - 4
LN 12 - 8.5
LN 13 - 1
LN 14 - 5
LN 15 - 7
AVG - 4.5

The biggest problem is that Rudy DOESN'T CHANGE. He’s still the same gropey, perverted, sexual deviant from the beginning. Don’t believe me? Take a look yourself: https://imgur.com/a/PG6pOaT (A personal favorite of mine https://i.imgur.com/e5ym4uP.png)

Maybe it’s a problem that will be fixed from the anime adaption, but in the LN you hear EVERY. SINGLE. FUCKING. THOUGHT in Rudy’s mind, which 90% of the time is him being a fucking pervert. Not only that, but the primary drive for 2 full novels is Rudy trying to get his dick wet. It’s actually fucking insane. I wish I was making this shit up.

At a certain point, I realized that every single female character in this series is sexualized. A lot of people argue that Rudy isn’t meant to be a self-insert, but he is. Instead of growing past his disgusting behavior, he just ends up with a harem that he can perform all his perverted fantasies on.

If there is a redeeming point, it’s that the plot and worldbuilding of Mushoku is what kept me trudging through this god awful series. I honestly wish I could tune out the hypersexualization like some people can, because then this would actually be great. The pay off for some of the set-up is amazing, especially LN 15. It really is the only thing that kept me going through this god awful series.

What is really sad is that Mushoku is capable of doing deep dives into Rudy’s character and his growth. That’s what made LN 7 and 12 so good, and why I got roped into reading the series in the first place. It actually makes so so so so so SO FUCKING SAD. I cried like a baby from how deep and touching LN 12 was. LN 7 felt so unique because it felt like it utilized the whole ‘following Rudy’s life’ to the fullest extent in terms of making and losing friends/lovers.

If the series was written in 3rd person, it would be an 8/10. If the series actually followed through with exploring Rudy’s character and his growth it would be a 10/10.

Hopefully, the anime adaptation will be in 3rd person, but the series has already been ruined for me because I read the LNs.

I genuinely don’t think I can enjoy another Highschool romcom again and it is entirely this novel's fault.

Chitose is in the Ramune Bottle doesn’t reinvent the wheel, or make any revolutionary changes to the Highschool romcom genre. But what it does is shift the perspective from the typical ‘shy, outcast, solitary, otaku loser’ to the ‘popular group’. It’s this small change that elevates it from its oversaturated, generic peers into one of the greatest Highschool stories of all time.

Our main character, Saku Chitose, is undeniably a chad. He’s got a harem from the get-go and is brimming with self-confidence, and incredibly sociable. I never realized ... how irritating it is to have an insecure, socially awkward main character. The difference is night and day. Chitose is easily one of the huge selling points of the series.

Some readers may interpret Chitose to be an asshole, and full of himself but that misses the point completely. A certain level of vanity comes with self-confidence and it’s not a bad thing. The same applies to the blunt limitation of his charity to others.

Chitose aside, the whole cast of characters and their interactions is THE main reason why the novel works. Each character feels unique and has their own incredible charms to them, but most of all the character interactions are great. The prose in the conversations is KINO. Most of all, I don’t think I’ve ever seen an MC that will playfully flirt with the female interests.

While not the selling point of the series, the first novel focuses on Chitose mentoring Kenta, a shut-in otaku loser, on the basics of becoming ‘popular’. It’s not the most original story. What makes it good is the realistic feeling of Kenta’s growth. More importantly, the advice Chitose gives is genuinely good advice that applies to real life. It’s so good that I believe readers can follow Chitose’s advice to improve their own life. It’s almost as if the author is telling the reader, “Listen up maggot, stop being a loser shut-in and get yourself some bitches. This is how you do it.”

Chiramune is an incredibly refreshing take on the high school rom-com genre that automatically makes it worth giving it a shot. I didn’t think having a ‘popular’ cast of characters could shake up the Highschool romcom genre so much, but it does. I can not go back to boring, loser, insecure MCs again.

"God I fucking hate myself"

These are words that we have all said to ourselves at some point in our life. Self-loathing is no stranger to many of the people who watch this show, and it's precisely what makes this season so powerful. Natsuki Subaru is no different than any of us, subject to immensely low self-worth symbolized through his repeated use of Return by Death. Part 1 of the second season establishes Subaru's self-struggle culminating in his decision to finally love himself and cast aside his one special ability in this world. Part 2 then represents the journey to self-love and the fruits that it ... bears.

What I love about this season is how much Subaru is able to achieve without his abilities and his reliance solely on his own compassion. Representative of his newly found compassion for himself, we see Subaru acting as the emotional support to not only Emilia but a whole cast of characters. Yet Subaru is not simply just a sole pillar of support, Otto acts as the emotional support necessary for Subaru to begin his adventure to resolve Rosewall's challenge.

What is amazing is how every single problem faced in this part is resolved not through any special abilities or magic or even intellect, but through emotional support. Many shows often opt for problem resolution through the former options, but this is disconnected from our reality. In truth, when faced with self-loathing tendencies, our own self is the biggest and most difficult enemy we face.

From Rosewall to Beatrice, Garfiel to Emilia, each character is forced to face themselves and their past. However, none of them are capable of doing so without having a friend support them in their challenge. This couldn't be clearer than in Rosewall's case of being stuck deep in the past, isolated from everyone around him only being saved by Ram's deep concern for her master. Re:Zero masterfully demonstrates the importance and real-world power of friendship and support in the least shounen ass-pully way possible.

Despite being a story about life in another world, Re:Zero hits close to reality in a way most shows could only dream of doing.

"Is there anybody stupid enough to hang themselves because they know they'll die tomorrow?"

The show initially seems to be just a mecha anime about racism, which it is, but it's much more than the edgy, gritty cover it's wrapped up in. At its core, 86 is about life in a concentration camp. The show is not shy about setting the narrative within a country paralleling WWII Nazi Germany. 86 uses this parallel to skip over unnecessary edgy depictions of dehumanization and get right to the point. How do you fight back against an oppressive state?

On one hand, we witness the fight from within by Vladilena ... Milizé, or Lena for short. The show does an excellent job at depicting the brutal reality of how impossible it can be to dismantle a system designed to dehumanize the 86. There are no cartoonish villains oppressing the people, or a Hitler-like head of state. Instead, the show accurately depicts the government working as intended by following the will of the people it governs. Powerless against a state, Lena's idealistic goals clash with the brutal reality surrounding her. Constantly Lena is reminded by her friend Henrietta Penrose, to give up trying to humanize the 86, and that it will only serve to hurt her. We see this come to fruition in an extremely powerful episode 9 where Lena is faced with what awaits her by growing close to those sentenced to concentration camps.

On the other hand, we see how those within the camps fight back against an oppressive state through the perspective of the 86 that Lena is in charge of. How do you fight back against a state that sentenced you to death? You live, and that's precisely what each member of the Spearhead Squadron does. Despite the constant horrifying reality of war that they face, the show spends a significant portion of time depicting the life that the prisoners live. There, we see a range of emotions, from sorrow and grief, to joy and laughter. Despite all the atrocities and human rights violations thrust upon the 86, Spearhead never falters in rebelling against the Republic by living their lives according to themselves. The unwavering spirit of the cast and their persistence to move forward in spite of death looming in their face is inspiring and is what makes the show worth watching.

All in all, even though the show appears to be a mech action anime it's better off being viewed as a drama. One about fighting oppression, both as a system and also in spirit. The only fault that I can give the show is that it takes a while to show its hand. It's not until episode 7 when it really shows itself to be drama. If you can get that far then I guarantee that you will not be let down.