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Man, Undead Unluck fell off...

16 episodes. I gave this 16 episodes. Here's a taste of my journey:
Episode 1, FANTASTIC. Like nothing I'd ever seen before, and a really cool looking villain.. who dies. Immediately. Along with a bit of my anticipation. Over the next few episodes the dynamic between the heroes is interesting, but we dive into a few arcs that seem like they're supposed to be heavy except I don't really have a reason to care. Fine, there's still some fun here. Then a really cool all-the-captains-join battle happens except I don't really know anyone or get how their powers work and ... they aren't given any real moments to shine, so again, I'm underwhelmed. Finally we get to understand how this world works, we get a couple of interesting new characters, and then we get a Aizen-like betrayal, except they forgot to include any build up to this moment so when it hit it fell flat. I gave it another episode after this, and then had to ask, why am I still here?

And I feel like this is the general experience everyone had? I mean, what happened? I feel like this was supposed to be the next big thing and then no one talked about it ever again. So anyway it had a lot of potential, it just took too long to develop its world and spent too much time developing characters that weren't the ones we should ultimately be caring about.

The show is nice to look at though and overall it was entertaining until it wasn't. It's good - but just good... like a slice of cake with no frosting.

This season opens with a fairly interesting looking new set of antagonists. Then by episode 3, they are no longer on screen, and it is immediately clear that there is no "here" here. This action comedy spoof did not take enough time creating a reason to invest in the characters in the first season, so they aren't holding our attention this season. In addition, the stakes don't feel high enough, the action isn't cool enough, and the comedy isn't funny enough for me to continue devoting time here amongst the 40+ other anime that premiered with this season. Fine if you have too much time ... on your hands, but if you've seen season 1, you've basically seen all Mashle has to offer.

Chained Soldier had every potential to be breast in class, breaking the mold and proving that there’s a place for degeneracy in the upper ecchi-lons of anime. Unfortunately the story just couldn’t seem to get it up. Our titular character, and the majority of the cast were pretty dry in the end. The animation and the action were actually decent, and it was fun watching everyone get licked. There was one great moment of character driven story between two sisters, but the rest was hard to swallow, and otherwise the plot on the hole felt really forced. If culture is all you’re here for then ... you’re in luck, because it’s all you’re gonna get.

An absolute delight! Firstly, this anime is gorgeous, with its lavish and highly detailed Chinese inspired setting - a refreshing detour from most anime. Equally refreshing, our heroin is a bright headstrong and savvy young woman - an aspiring apothecary as per the title - who steals our hearts without being sexualized (again, a detour from most anime)! It's a feel-good story that I would describe as a dramedy, following our heroin's struggle to survive and climb the ranks of the imperial hierarchy through her valuable education.
Having said all this... I did end up dropping it. It just didn't feel... important enough? The stakes didn't ... seem high enough. The feel-good nature makes it clear that nothing truly devastating is going to happen to the heroin, so it didn't have a hook to sink into me. I get where it's going, and it will be a very nice story, just not one I need to spend time with when already drowning in a sea of anime. But would surely be 100% enjoyable if I did.

Metallic Rouge is a neon mental upload complete with all the cyberpunk imagery and concepts to engorge any moderate fan of the genre. Unfortunately, the execution is less "edgy" and more "edging." The frustrating thing is that all of the right elements are here, and this could have done so well as a gritty noir type story, but it just never settles into a genre. It starts out as a crime story, but turns into an robot revolution story, but it's also slowly becoming a fake memory/identity story, and ultimately all of this "depth" is meant to lead you to the mandatory mecha battle ... that serves as the climax for each episode. The plot is also very convoluted, with many seemingly important things happening all at once and no context with which to connect it. Look, the audience doesn't need to be spoon fed, but at least throw us a pair of chopsticks so we can start to pick up the pieces. Metallic Rouge is cool to look at, but with the aesthetics being the only feature, I won't be sticking around to see how deep this rabbit hole goes.

Yikes.

If you're someone who cherished the characters from season 1, DO NOT WATCH this season. It takes away far more than it adds.

I knew the stories wouldn't be as impactful since the main story was already told in the first season, but I figured this would be a special treat. I was expecting that these excerpts would give us more time with the characters we love, especially some of the lesser explored supporting characters, in a way that would give us more appreciation for them. I couldn't be more wrong.

I can sum up the failure with one word: overreacting. Instead of exploring new ... or deeper feelings from the cast, they just took everyone and had them overreact to every little thing. There is so much blushing, squeeing, and screaming for absolutely no reason, making for a complete cringe-fest. So unwatchable. We did not need this.

It was really pretty to look at though.

This is probably the most well-intentioned anime I’ve ever seen, that just couldn’t hit the mark. It had all the right pieces: a well written story, lovable characters, great animation, and atmospheric music. I’m thinking where it went wrong is in being a little too faithful to the manga. It could have been a period piece, but it would have needed to be significantly more dramatic, with harder hitting stakes. Since, however, it flirted with superhuman techniques and abilities, it ended up falling far short of the multitudes of Shonen anime that feature far more exciting concepts. Shonen has come a long way since this ... was written, and I think it could have used some creative liberties with the fight choreography. Even with the updated animation, this anime is a victim of its age. Bottom line: this retelling is a fantastic, beautifully portrayed period piece that explores a pivotal time in Japan’s history, but ultimately does not manage to captivate the imagination, and comes off as being fairly bland.

Look, let’s face it: NOTHING is ever going to be FLCL… but since we already have it, do we really need anything else to do that again? FLCL is an original masterpiece, so by definition, any attempt to repeat it would be… unoriginal. With that, I dare you to take off the nostalgia goggles and see FLCL Grunge for what it is: a fun - and surprisingly touching - story set in our favorite universe, complete with all the neon-psychedelic absurdity that is FLCL! The same (apocalyptic) events are told in three coming-of-age stories featuring a set of friends trying to find their place ... in this world - or otherwise, leave it! With only three episodes, it’s an easy watch, and an experience worth having. And yes: it’s fully CGI, but that doesn’t make Haruko any less fun or sexy, so get over it!

A complete delight! Fukuzawa is a seemingly well put-together salarywoman, but behind closed doors is the very definition of a hot mess! Her secret weapon: Yukichi, her giant bipedal cat - think Totoro but more attitude - that has taken to cooking, cleaning, and carrying her (often literally) through all of the responsibilities of adulting! We all know this girl, and have probably been her at some point. Fukuzawa’s utter helplessness is hilariously relatable, and Yukichi is that coveted supporter we all seek. Lighthearted, easy to watch, and gorgeous to look at. This is the perfect Sunday morning show, offering a certain warmth and coziness ... with each episode. Whether or not you’re a cat person, you will 100% find yourself wishing you had your own Yukichi to look after you, and let’s face it, you’ll be wishing you could squeeze those toe beans!

Brilliantly sadistic, deliciously violent, unsavory and absurd. Chainsaw Man ROCKS. Demons are sporadically popping up and wreaking havoc, leading government corporate lackeys to gain demon powers and take them out. Lowlife local idiot, Denji, is no hero - his only motivation being food and sex - but his chainsaw demon powers make him damn good in a fight. Beyond being crazy stupid fun, this show has jaw dropping beautiful animation. The characters and demons are super well designed and exploding with personality. The peaks and valleys of the show allow for some unexpected character depth, and help the powerhouse scenes to hit even harder! It ... may be lewd and crude, but surprisingly touching at times, and you’ll keep coming back for more mayhem!