Alright, I wanna get right into it. Mushoku Tensei is a series known for being the grandfather of the insanely popular Isekai genre of shows, and it has a lot to its name, but these 23 episodes that they open with are not good. Straight up.
I want to give credit where it is due, though, so let me talk about the technical aspects. This show is done by Studio Bind, and it’s actually their first time ever doing an anime series. Let me tell you this—be excited for what else this studio has to bring to you, because from what Mushoku Tensei shows you, it
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will at the very least be visually stunning. Each scene in this show is so beautifully done, and each visual quirk added to each design or moment is so important to what makes it so amazing to watch. The magic in this show comes not only from the spells cast, but from each water droplet, each window of crown glass, each fight scene, each facial expression, and everything about the world it brings to life.
The sound in this show is front-to-back bliss as well. The voices cast for each character are perfect, with each talent being able to show off a wide range of emotions, while still keeping in character. The songs in the show manage to team with the visuals greatly as well. This show has no real OP, but instead, an opening sequence of events. Each episode starts off with scenes that showcase the vibrant, and lively world that our characters live in, and their adventures—all backed by these grand, and breathtaking folk ballads to accompany the equally grand and breathtaking scenes of animation. Once you set aside the plot, this show is nothing but a technical marvel.
Now, let’s get into the plot. Oh geez.
This show follows Rudeus Greyrat, and his story from death, rebirth, and the life that comes after. Before Rudeus dies, he’s an absolute no-life and a shut-in; he even misses his own parents’ funeral to jack off in his room. However, he still dies protecting someone from their own death, and for some reason, he opens his eyes to a brand new world. In this life, Rudeus learns how to interact with others once again, fight with magic, and much more. Above all, though, he’s still a degenerate. He is a pervert and a lecher through and through.
Though there are a lot of very slice of life moments in this show, it’s not one that lasts forever. There is a lot of tension and action laced between each episode. While there are a lot of episodes that just felt weird to me or were just there to set things up in the future—the one with Pax stands out to me the most—it’s not all bad, at least. There are a few moments in the show that actually get me invested. Above all, the moments where Paul and Rudeus interact in the second cour are the most important to me. It shows actual moments of growth and reflection for two flawed characters, and that’s something I desperately want from this show. It gets you to understand Rudeus and Paul from both sides, and in the end, it makes their reconciliation all the more impactful.
One of Rudeus’ strong points to me, though, was his show of trauma. It was so interesting to see how his PTSD still carried on into the new world. He is an emotionally and mentally stunted person who never got the chance to live a good life because of that trauma. It’s a point where I can actually slightly understand Rudeus. Though, still, the show itself puts a lot of this baggage aside for “children sexy owo.” I would like it more if in an entire season of the show, you would put more moments of reflection for the person we are basically always following. That would be cool.
I'll try to keep an open mind to the rest of the story as it plays out, but my biggest problem is that while I get that it's trying to set up character growth in the future, a lot of Rudeus' perversion is played off pretty light-heartedly or it just comes out as a joke. I also get that Mushoku Tensei as a story is supposed to be a biography of Rudeus Greyrat and his growth, but a lot of the time they really want you to side with Rudeus. If we think about it from a storyteller's perspective, Rudeus is set up to do a lot of good things. He is a very selfless and heroic person a lot of the time, but his degeneracy brings him down a lot from me seeing it like that. I understand that his actions aren't unrealistic if we consider the fact that if a guy like him were to be sent to a fantasy world like Mushoku Tensei's, it wouldn't be too far off. What I don't like is really just how everyone else seems to react to it, especially how a lot of the female cast is treated. Rudeus gets off scot-free a lot of the times, with his sexual harrassment leading to nothing but a slap on the wrist, and—in my opinion, the strangest part—no lasting effects on really any of the relationships he makes.
I find it weird how people like Eris feel a bit weird right now. I think Eris is a bit too lenient with Rudeus, especially that scene where Rudeus said that he might touch her next time she's asleep or something. I get that their relationship is deep and close, but that feels like a bit too much to let slide. This applies to a lot of the other female characters as well. If they don't want you to necessarily side with Rudeus, I think they still want you to be able to understand him. Fiction is no stranger to morally grey or generally-non-heroic characters, but again, my biggest point is that the show just fails to show the actual severity of Rudeus' nature. If their point is to show off Rudeus' degeneracy as a bad thing for character development, I think more of it should be more serious and less fanservice jokes. Sure it’s shown heavily, but is it shown properly? It may be heavily shown, but the tone isn't there for me, man.
What drives me so crazy about this show is how it never seems to learn its lesson. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Cour 2, Episode 11. Jesus, what a disappointment. This episode is emblematic of what a lot of this show feels like to me—tons of good moments, but it’s able to make it all fall down just that quick. Let me give you a run-down of what happens in this episode:
This episode starts off amazingly, with actual moments that go on to affect what will happen in the future. Party member and mentor figure, Ruijerd acknowledges the trials and tribulations that Rudeus and Eris have gone through, and the ones that they will have to go through in the future, before saying goodbye to them. This is so emotionally engaging, and I actually believed that I cared about Mushoku Tensei. Afterwards, Eris is put into a tough place emotionally because she's just passed in the eyes of someone she admires, but has to part ways with them; and then she reunites with people she cares about, but immediately has to make a decision with stakes this high. I get really invested now. Later that night, she's so emotionally desperate, and goes over to Rudeus because that's the only place where she thinks she can solve all her problems. She asks him to sleep with her, but Rudeus for the first time has the thought that he should control himself because he would be taking advantage of someone he cares about if he doesn't. Oh my God, an actual moment of reflection and growth for this guy. I am absolutely blown away by how much growth Rudeus has gone through by the fact that he stops himself from taking advantage of an emotionally distraught girl, even if to him, he sees her as attractive.
But then, Eris says something about kittens, and then there's this really long scene of flashbacks interlaced with shots of Eris and Rudeus that heavily imply something sexual—all with elegant violin music playing over it. And then Eris leaves him in the morning. And then I stop caring once again. How does one ruin a good and emotionally engaging experience with important chances for character growth like this.
Let me calm down again before we close off this review.
I mean, yeah this show is a slow burn and there will be tons and tons more to come in the future, but to show as little growth as Rudeus does in these 23 episodes is just disappointing. Even if you’re supposed to find him icky, presentation and execution proves that showrunners still secretly want us to look at the sexy lolis or whatever. Off topic now, but they had a scene with Rudeus and another guy where they leered over this figure of Roxy and it was really long and really weird. But also they made a figure in real life of that exact same figure. Above all, making money is what matters, right; so to sex up a lot of the visuals at the cost of maybe actually showing how creepy Rudeus is would in the end net them more people watching the show.
With all the hype this series receives, it’s gotta get better, right? But right now, considering it really is just one season so far and how long an anime takes to deliver, a lot of that isn't shown unless you are in the anime community. Someone else might not be so well-informed on what comes in the future and they won't get to see it come to fruition since they would be repulsed by the beginning. The only reason I still hold out hope for this show is because people keep telling me it gets better, and I want to believe that. That's why I think it's important for the show to present the message better. I so badly want to understand this show and the hype around it, but it makes it so hard for me.
It’s not enough that it’s a biography of Rudeus’ life, because I don’t give a crap. A story is first and foremost a work made by an author. To write a biographical tale that showcases a deeply flawed person, you still have to write an engaging story. So to have a main character that does these kind of messed up things in the show have no real consequences related to these actions or any kind of seriousness regarding their behavior—I don’t care if I’m not supposed to sympathize with them or they’re supposed to be flawed, I will just end up hating them and hating the show.
There’s a lot about these cours to love, but so much more not to.
I am feeling a Decent to Strong 4 on Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.
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Dec 19, 2021 Not Recommended
Alright, I wanna get right into it. Mushoku Tensei is a series known for being the grandfather of the insanely popular Isekai genre of shows, and it has a lot to its name, but these 23 episodes that they open with are not good. Straight up.
I want to give credit where it is due, though, so let me talk about the technical aspects. This show is done by Studio Bind, and it’s actually their first time ever doing an anime series. Let me tell you this—be excited for what else this studio has to bring to you, because from what Mushoku Tensei shows you, it ...
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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May 21, 2021 Recommended
Kaguya-sama: Love is War is an anime and manga series I thoroughly enjoy. I watched the first season at random since it was on Netflix, and watched the second season when it was over so I could binge it, leading to me liking it so much that I read the manga. The manga quickly became one of my favorites, me even giving it a 10/10 score, so I also read all of the spinoffs like We Want to Talk About Kaguya, Doujin-ban, and Shuuchiin Gakuen Nanafushigi. So, when I heard A-1 Pictures was to adapt more of this series into an OVA, I assumed it
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would be one of these series, but instead, they decided to adapt the two Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai Darkness chapters. That, and chapter 96 of the manga which is just a fried rice contest.
Now, what is Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai Darkness? Well, they are chapters 63.5 and 83.5 of the manga which are just straight up ecchi. They were included in Volume 22 of the manga aside from their original publication, so the people who got the OVA normally will also have access to the original chapters. A-1 Productions is back at it again with their surprisingly top-notch visual style with Kaguya-sama. The motions are fluid and full of personality, and there are animations that you wouldn’t really expect a studio like this to do. An example of this would be in the adaptation of chapter 96, where Miko Iino asks for more rice from Chika and then they have this short little scene of Chika putting more rice on her plate. It’s not a scene that’s really at all important to animate that well, but they still decided to do it. If you liked the direction and visual flair that the previous two anime seasons had, then this one will probably be no different, save for the bountiful ecchi aspects that the original didn’t really have. If there’s anything I love Kaguya-sama for, it’s the comedy, and said comedy all comes from one aspect—the characters. I may be biased because I know what happens in the future and I’ve already read what this OVA covers, but it’s still just as good. All the main cast shine in their own way bringing good jokes to the scene mostly every time, and the comedic effect is enhanced by both the visuals and the sound. From Ishigami and Shirogane in the first two parts, and then the rest of the cast in the last part, they get their own jokes and punchlines that don’t feel out of place. I once read a comment for this series on MyAnimeList that describes this series as “low-brow, high art,” and for this OVA, I can definitely say the same. Comedy is a subjective criteria, so in my subjective opinion, I say it’s good. I’ll keep this review short, so I’ll go through the OVA’s plot quickly. The first part of the OVA has the girls taking a shower after swimming, and Ishigami complains about fanservice in seinen manga. The second part of the OVA has Shirogane and Ishigami reading a stray doujin they found in a parking lot. And finally, the third part of the OVA is the longest, and has the gang do a fried rice contest judged by Chika and Miko Iino. These little skits fit together like a normal episode of Kaguya-sama, though it adds way more ecchi to the mix. Overall, the Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen OVA is a good time for people who’ve already seen the first and second seasons or read the manga. Even if they cram more fanservice in there, they don’t sacrifice the overall quality and quantity of the jokes they throw at you. It’s by no means the funniest Kaguya-sama episode, but they announced this OVA at the same time as a Season 3, so be prepared. As a manga reader, I can say that you’ll enjoy what’s to come in the future!
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 9, 2021
Steins;Gate
(Anime)
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Consider. Can the universe justifiably be called infinite? Doubtful. It may not have a discernible end, but it had a beginning. And its component parts definitely have a limited cosmological shelf-life. Splitting hairs or not, if history tells us anything it’s that scientists often make very poor poets. We’re all just a ship of fools chasing phantoms, heedless of what really underwrites natural law. These words are the lines that open an anime that truly can be called a masterpiece—a show that I would argue is one of the best of our generation. These words are the lines that open Steins;Gate. It’s an anime based
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on a visual novel game by 5pb. Inc. and Nitroplus Co., Ltd. The story takes our protagonist, Rintarou Okabe, or Hououin Kyouma as he prefers, through a journey of trials and errors in his quest to reach the titular Steins;Gate, the best possible timeline. How the show brings up interesting ideas in terms of the time-travel concept alongside its generally superb writing with well executed twists and turns around every corner make it a definitely interesting and worthwhile watch.
Steins;Gate’s anime was done by studio White Fox, who beforehand made the anime Tears to Tiara and Katanagatari, but would go on to make more anime such as The Devil is a Part-Timer and Re:ZERO after this. I honestly wouldn’t say much is special about the animation itself, but visually, the best parts of this anime come from it’s spectacular direction and cinematography. As for its audio elements, the soundtracks are done very well, some songs like “Gate of steiner -piano-” and “Observer” sticking out to me at this moment. They play the right OSTs at just the right times and play them so often that you would remember them clearly, but so scarcely that you wouldn’t be numb to hearing them over and over again. The OP “Hacking to the Gate” by Kanako Itou and the ED “Toki Tsukasadoru Juuni no Meiyaku” by Yui Sakakibara are great songs, with the OP having good visuals as well and the ED having that oh-so memorable piano and the scene in episode nine. All the voice actors in the show do a great job at portraying each of their characters, but one thing I do have to add is that this show’s English dub is just as good, if not even slightly better than its Japanese dub. Of course, it’s always an option to watch both. Rintarou ”Okarin” Okabe, or Hououin Kyouma as he likes to call himself, is a self-proclaimed “mad scientist,” and Lab Member 001 of The Future Gadget Lab. His lab is in reality just an apartment above a CRT shop, and it’s where he and his other two lab members reside, those being Mayuri “Mayushii” Shiina, a cosplayer and Lab Member 002; and Itaru “Daru” Hashida, a super hacker and Lab Member 003. One day, Okarin finds a young scientist by the name of Makise Kurisu dead in a pool of blood, and texts Daru that Kurisu has been found dead. Though, he finds that once he sends the text, everything has changed, and later on, finds that Kurisu is alive. Aside from that, The Future Gadget Lab has developed something known as the PhoneWave, which is a microwave that is able to send things through time. The group eventually discover that they can send messages to the past to change their worldline in what they call D-Mails. Slowly, they change their worldline with D-Mails, but every time they change something they think is for the better, things start to get more and more sinister, with Okarin being the only one aware that their worldline is changing due to his Reading Steiner ability. This first half is slow-paced and dedicated to introducing out concepts and plotlines, but it’s never too slow to the point of being boring, since each episode is interesting in their own right. I believe it only gets better as you go on, but you can notice little details and foreshadowing that may seem not that important at first, but will grow to appreciate the specific details later on when you fully understand the context. Seemingly small things like Ruka and Future Gadget Number 4, Okarin calling Mr. Tennouji “Mr. Braun,” and Suzuha being interested in the corn are made to be so important later on in the show. The show slowly builds up its cool cast of characters for these first twelve-or-so episodes before reaching a boiling point where things really start to get going. The unique cast is presented at first by their slice of life moments in the show, and they’re expounded on further as the series goes on. This show’s strongest card in terms of its characters is the protagonist, Hououin Kyouma himself, Rintarou Okabe. Since he’s the only one with the Reading Steiner ability that’s able to see the big changes in worldlines, he gets the most development. His Hououin Kyouma personality is endearing and fun to see, a chuunibyou-type delusional persona of a mad scientist who talks about “The Organization” and uses a lot of foreign words and generally speaks strangely. But over time, we start to see his facade slip and learn more about Rintarou Okabe himself more—see his more vulnerable and caring side. His character feels just so human and real. We can see his strengths in his perseverance, his flaws in his rashness, his pain from having to go through so much so many times, and his deep care for his loved ones. His childhood friend Mayuri is important as well, though. She plays such a big part in the story of Steins;Gate, especially in the latter half, but her personality is strong enough that she’s a character first, plot device second. The other original member, super hacker Daru, is the tech guy of the team; he’s always there to help with the mechanical and technical related things like building and repairing gadgets and hacking into things. Then comes Makise Kurisu, Lab Member 004, who Okarin gives many nicknames such as The Zombie, Celeb-17, Assistant, American Virgin, Perverted Genius Girl, and Christina. She’s a calm, level-headed girl who helps with the development of the time-related gadgets in the lab, and later builds the Time-Leap Machine. There are many other characters in Steins;Gate who are mainly just side-characters, but play an important role nonetheless. There’s the stoic and mysterious Kiryuu “Shining Finger” Moeka, who mainly communicates by texting; the RaiNet Access Battlers champion, maid-cafe worker, and fellow chuunibyou Rumiho Akiha, who’s also known as Faris Nyannyan; the one that’s delicate as an orchid, fair as a cherry blossom, the personification of feminine grace, and a dude by the name of Ruka Urushibara, or Rukako as he’s sometimes called; the energetic and strange Suzuha Amane, who works at the CRT shop downstairs; then Yuugo Tennouji, or Mr. Braun as Okarin likes to call him, the stern owner of the CRT shop; and Nae Tennouji, Mr. Braun’s daughter who everyone loves. All the characters in Steins;Gate are well-rounded and interesting, and they all have some kind of importance to the plot in one way or another. While most of them just mainly stick to one personality trait, they’re still nice to see on the screen. Obviously, with Okarin being the only one who can really time-travel and remember everything, he gets the most development, but all the characters have their big moments as well. Steins;Gate shows us the importance of sacrifice and moving forward to reach an end goal. Each D-Mail one of the lab members sends creates ripples through time that affect the worldline deeply in some way. The thing is, each D-Mail they send fulfills the wishes of one of the characters, so undoing the D-Mails means helping reach the greater good, but losing their happiness. Because of D-Mails, you can prevent someone from dying, but have large scale effects on an entire city. Sending any of the D-Mails in the first place is seen as a mistake, and while it kind of was, it’s painful to see the wishes of the characters we like seen that way, no? Some chose to place the value of their own life on someone unreliable, some chose to go through with faulty plans at the cost of failing their mission as a whole, and some just keep trying to save someone over and over and expecting it to be different just this once. Was creating time-travel a mistake in it of itself? Okarin tries to fix these mistakes he keeps making with the Time-Leap Machine, but the memories of them stay with him forever in his memories. One could see Reading Steiner as a blessing, another as a curse. The mistakes and their effects can never truly be changed. Okarin has to learn to live with that, but at the same time he still has to try and make things right. Mayuri tells Okarin that if she had memories of a conversation they had in one timeline, but never had in the other, she would cry. Not for Okarin, but for herself. The mental toll that time-travelling over and over again has on this one person is immense. At one point, he himself feels like he’s stopped being shocked by what he has to go through in each iteration and worldline. His heart becomes numb to the events taking place, and thought sometimes that he can just redo whatever happens. Someone like Okarin, who created the Future Gadget Lab to make friends and created the Hououin Kyouma persona as a mask to hide his vulnerability and be there for his friends, was given the Reading Steiner ability. Of all people, don’t you think he’s not really the best suited for this? That’s what makes his journey so heavy and compelling. Okarin is a source of endless determination. He’ll keep going on and try to reach Steins;Gate no matter what it takes. Sure, he’ll give up sometimes; the mere existence of Steins;Gate 0 is proof of that. But in the end, he always has to rise again and keep pursuing Steins;Gate—the best possible timeline there is. He cares for people like Kurisu and Mayuri deeply, and keeping them safe is his primary goal. With that care, he has to reach out for help and help others to reach a worldline where he finally saves himself from the pain. Every person is important. Every person has their own story to tell. Each of the characters has a story of their own that no one would have ever known if it weren't for their interactions. Someone having a secret crush on someone they feel they can’t love, someone feeling empty after the loss of a loved one, someone being so lonely to the point of suicide, someone having an abusive parent yet still wanting their approval, someone living a double life to keep the one they care for safe—all people who seem unassuming and “normal” at first glance. The individual stories kept within the characters of the show all play a larger part in the story, but it may also reflect on the people in the real world. Seeing the time-loops happen over and over again and how Okarin has to try over and over again, but still struggles with getting anywhere meaningful is just as impactful each time. His struggle seems endless, and may even land him in a spot of despair, but he’s reminded time and time again of the goal he needs to reach, and gets back up to try it once more. It’s a story that shows the meaningful connections between people, the importance that people have to one another and the world, the effects of trying to change the past, the important pain of sacrifice, and the need to keep on going to reach the best possible outcome you can. We can’t deny that we can never truly change the past, but we still keep trying to change the present. This anime truly is amazing; it does what it tries to do super well. Steins;Gate as a show is rife with good themes, characters, direction, voice acting, and overall good writing. The light parts have dark bits sprinkled in to keep you on your toes, and the darker parts have bits of light in them to not feel too depressing or overbearing. The first half is slow yet not boring, and the second half is engaging and thrilling. This show can go from a science thriller, to a comedy slice of life show, to a dark time-loop, to an emotional rollercoaster and it works. It’s an entertaining show through and through with cards up its sleeve you knew were there all along but will still be surprised you never thought of how they would use them before. I love the timey-wimey stuff in my anime, and this show is pretty much the prime example of one that I might just love the most. Overall, Steins;Gate is far from a disappointment for me, and it doesn’t become one no matter how much I watch it. I highly recommend it to basically anyone. El Psy Congroo.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 14, 2021
High School DxD BorN
(Anime)
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Mixed Feelings
After we got down once again with that Demon x Degeneracy in the previous season, I really did have great expectations for High School DxD. High School DxD New was great, so naturally the third time’s gonna be a charm too, right? Well, not so much. To me, High School DxD is the shining example of how to do an ecchi-harem-battle series. The plot and characters coincide with the lewd elements to form something truly enjoyable. This ecchi-harem show sets itself apart from many others by being genuinely engaging with how it tells its story, but it seems as if this season did away with
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a lot of its previous formula. In the immortalized words of Justine from Persona 5, I say: “Not terrible, but not impressive.”
Once again, Studio TNK takes responsibility for bringing this season to the animated world, and for the last time at that. If anything, I do once again have to appreciate the designs of the main cast, Akeno and Rias in particular. Here, I’d like to take a moment to appreciate their thiccness in this art style. As usual, the fights and ecchi are the main artistic appeals, and they remain basically the same. The fights work, the boobs bounce, and so on and so forth. I haven’t seen much of what Passione will do with the next season, but I’m interested in how they’ll handle it. Hopefully, the designs will retain their appeal from before. The voices we know all to well return once more, and some newcomers too. Yuki Kaji, Youko Hikasa, Shizuka Itou, Ayana Taketatsu, Kenji Nojima, Risa Taneda, Maaya Uchida, and Ayane Sakura all form the Occult Research Club for this season. Some new characters enter the fray, meaning new talent to introduce. Minami Takahashi voices Kuroka, Takayuki Kondou voices Loki, Shinpachi Tsuji voices Odin, and lastly, Ai Kakuma voices Rossweisse. While this section isn’t very important to the review, I still think it’s good to acknowledge the people who lent their voices to these characters. It seems as if Vali has appeared now, and he’s used his Divine Dividing ability on the number of main songs we have this time, turning the four songs from New into a normal two songs for BorN. The first one is “BLESS YoUr NAME” by ChouCho. It’s a fine song with standard High School DxD visuals, but it’s nothing really of note compared to the previous three. The ending song, though, is one that rivals the legendary “STUDY x STUDY”, and it’s “Give Me Secret” by StylipS. It’s no wonder this song is so good; it’s made by the exact same group as the first ever ED. While the visuals aren’t as mesmerizing as the strip show from that one, they’re still some pretty nice looking ecchi scenes. Though the music is the one that really carries it. I guess you can also consider “Oppai Dragon no Uta” to be an ending song, and it’s pretty humorous, I guess. It’s nice to hear a male cast member sing an anime song once in a while. Now, the plot. Huh. Well, I do have to say the beginning of the show is pretty strong. It serves as a nice introduction for what we’re about to face for the rest of the season. We go experience the underworld, and meet new characters, notably Kuroka, Odin, and Loki. This section of the story answers one of my pleas from the previous season, and it’s the lack of Koneko attention. This arc mainly focuses on Koneko and her growth, but it’s not my favorite part of it—I’ll get to that later. Koneko’s backstory is something I’ve been wanting to know for a while, and it’s good that we get to see her character arc like we did Yuuto in the previous season. It’s here that Koneko really warms up to Issei, and that’s nice because A: it’s very cute, and B: Issei has more opportunities for harem shenanigans. We also get some nice Rias ecchi during the first Kuroka fight, and that’s an example of how High School DxD uses such dumb concepts to make its battles unique. Even if you do expect some kind of bizarrely lewd plan to take action, it’s still entertaining to watch, Issei’s motivation while fighting Kokabiel from the last season being a good example. being a good example of how something like that can work. That said, my favorite part about this section is actually what takes place in episode five. Episode five is all about Akeno, and it expounds more on her story and character. This was really the time Akeno became one of my favorite characters on more than just a superficial level. Not just that, but it also functions as a kind of date episode with her and Issei for a part of it, and that’s always nice to see. I wish this quality of content would have kept up, and that really could have happened if it weren’t for its breakneck pacing. Yes, while the first arc of the show is one that I was very engaged in, it dips right after that. That arc was an engaging introduction and character piece, but it loses most of its strong points when it comes to the actual plot in the latter half. Things get pretty messy, and there are too many things happening too quickly, meaning not enough things are given the proper care or time to really have a proper or important effect on the audience. The characters remain fine for the most part, but the plot developments are unfortunately not that good. In concept, these could have been genuinely good arcs, but the execution is what kills it, and not in the good way. A plot like fighting against the Fallen Angel that Asia saved could be interesting, but it’s not done well in the final product. Not to mention the fact that this season adapts three novels instead of the usual two per season. Hey, it even does them out of order, starting with volume five, volume seven, volume six, and then going completely anime-original for the last three episodes. The fanservice and other fun moments are really the best parts of this section, and that’s not what I’d like to say when it comes to a series like this that builds itself on all the ecchi shots, fight scenes, and genuine moments that it has to offer instead of just banking on the lewd factor on its own. On a more positive note, Koneko has moved past just being a character reserved for being the loli cat girl that’s strong and gets her clothes ripped a lot. Her past trauma and fears were good to see, the reason being her coming into her own and accepting herself. This theme of acceptance of yourself and past can also be applied to Yuuto’s growth in the previous season, but more relevantly, to Akeno. This season, Akeno had a great character arc, one that built upon the things we learned beforehand thanks to her scene with Issei at the shrine. This theme is enhanced when she not only comes to terms with herself, but the people involved, such as her father. Rossweisse was a fine little addition to finish off the harem, and while she makes the same joke most of the time, I find myself enjoying it out of pity, I guess. After all, the sentiment of your age equalling the number of years you’ve been alone certainly can be a relatable one for some people… Anywho, Irina is also more present this season, which answers another one of my pleas from the previous season. Of course, Xenovia is still here to bring us some funny little ecchi gags, my favorite one being her, Issei, and Asia in the storage room. Gasper is also pretty cute; he’s good to have on the squad. Most surprisingly, Rias has dipped in quality for me. She was my favorite back in season one because she was the onee-san that had the most moments, but my opinion has changed throughout the course of the series. Funny how I started out liking Rias the most, then Yuuto in season two, and now Akeno. Well, it just kinda seems like Rias lost her edge. She just feels too clingy, and while that’s not a necessarily bad thing for her character, the problem is that it becomes the majority of it. This is exacerbated in the final three anime-original episodes that I feel steer her character in a pretty weird direction. Of the new villain cast, I did find myself liking Kuroka. She reminds me a lot of another anime character called Black Hanekawa in terms of looks, that is to say she’s very attractive. Though, only on the surface, as her personality and her effect on Koneko especially damning, which makes her a compelling force. On the other hand, Diodora Astaroth is forgettable. Again, an interesting concept; he’s the whole reason why Asia was exiled from the church. It would have been super impactful to find out his true intentions despite Asia not regretting her actions and generally kind demeanor, but it just doesn’t work for some reason. Issei’s Boob Telepathy or whatever didn’t have the same effect that the simultaneous pokes, him getting to suckle if he wins, and going berserk on Vali for halving everything. It was fun to see him use Dress Break again, but not much else. Also, I was disappointed that he used a date with Akeno as a catalyst for her power but never actually went on a date with her after he recovered. This just might be a grievance as an Akeno fan, but hey, it’s my review. Loki is pretty good for the canon section he’s a part of. The big fight against Fenrir was a highlight, Issei’s Juggernaut Drive and Vali’s appearance being pretty cool aspects. I do wish he was given more focus and had more of his motivations shown. He’s dangerous, but not that menacing, really, since he doesn’t seem that much of an actual character and more of an evil roadblock for the cast due to his evil antics that are evil. High School DxD BorN is a bit of a let down compared to what the series has done before. The series is all about how you can combine a heavy-ecchi harem and battle-shonen and make it a genuinely good show that can be enjoyed unironically as a truly good piece of animation. This is just a mediocre sequel that progressively gets less interesting and is saved only by its comedy, ecchi, and characters. I’ve always longed for an ecchi show that can tell a genuinely good story that can be enjoyed for what it is. High School DxD turned out to be exactly what I was looking for, season two being the reason as to why I consider it one of my favorite shows. Season three, though, dropped the ball hard. Sure, it was fun in some aspects, and sure, it had some genuinely great moments sprinkled in, but it just didn’t feel like itself. It’s not even that egregiously bad, so the latter portion isn’t even something ironically fun. Overall, High School DxD BorN is a disappointment, but still one that can be occasionally good like it was last season and the season before. Here’s me hoping season four will be better. I’m now in your care, Studio Passione.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Apr 13, 2021
High School DxD New
(Anime)
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Coming off of the success of the previous season would be a very difficult task to accomplish. After all, it’s in the second season where most harem anime go to die hard without any vengeance, eventually fading into obscurity, so managing to actually deliver a second season of this show that was just as good would be a great sign, and probably enough for many people. Though, High School DxD did not deliver the same enjoyment and quality the first season brought. “Why is that?,” you might ask, and it’s simple, really. High School DxD New went above and beyond any of my expectations and
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turned into something truly great. This review is going to serve as my reasoning for why I would say High School DxD New is amazing.
The art and style of the show remains mostly the same as the last season. It’s very reminiscent of any shonen battle show or mecha show of the era, and that’s not necessarily bad. The fights are well animated, the characters have interesting designs, and the ecchi is done very well, which is probably the main draw for a lot of people. The amount of ecchi and fanservice for this season is turned up to the highest it’s ever been, both in terms of quality and quantity. There are more bath scenes, suggestive actions and humor, panty shots, scenes of visible nudity, and general lewd happenings typical of the High School DxD series so far. Again, I can at least appreciate how the series is true to itself and how it decides to go about things. There’s no point in just acknowledging the meta, so why not just go completely over-the-top with it and break the ecchi meta as a whole, right? The original voice cast from season one reprise their roles for this season, thankfully. Yuki Kaji as Issei, Youko Hikasa as Rias, Shizuka Itou as Akeno, Ayana Taketatsu as Koneko, Azumi Asakura as Asia, and Kenji Nojima as Yuuto return, but we’re also introduced to a few more characters for the season. The new cast come in with Risa Taneda as Xenovia, Maaya Uchida as Irina, and Ayane Sakura as Gasper. There are actually two opening songs and two ending songs this time around, with each song pair being used for the first and second six episodes respectively. Both opening songs are great to listen to. The first one is “Sympathy”, and it’s done by the same group that did the amazing opening song that was “Trip -innocent of D”. The next opening song is my favorite of the two, and it’s “Gekijouron” by a different group called ZAQ. To me, the two ending songs, “Houteishiki wa Kotaenai” and “Lovely ♥ Devil”, aren’t very noteworthy in terms of music, but they’re very well animated and sung by the female cast of the show. That’s to be expected for a High School DxD ending song, especially after “STUDY x STUDY” from the last season. This is where the real enjoyment of the season comes in. After the events of the previous season, we’re reintroduced to our main cast, and that begins our new story arc, “Excalibur of the Moonlit Schoolyard”. This section of the story is pure hype, especially if you’re a fan of Yuuto. If not, you probably will be one after this arc, since it all centers around his backstory and his growth. This arc introduces us to Xenovia and Irina, as well as the concept of Holy Swords. We get more insight into Yuuto’s story and his path of revenge against Valper Galilei. Genshirou Saji, Sona’s pawn from the student council, becomes a protagonist for the arc, helping Issei and the gang on their mission to destroy the Holy Swords. The overall quality of this arc is above anything the previous season had—both the “Diabolos of the Old School Building” arc and “The Phoenix of the School Battle” arc. This arc is also home to some frightening revelations, especially to the characters of Asia and Xenovia, as well as an interesting plot twist towards the end of the final fight. This arc is full of tense moments, ecchi moments, exciting battles, character development, and a good resolution. The second arc of the season, “Vampire of the Suspended Classroom”, is just as much good. First of all, Xenovia becomes more relevant to the story, which means more opportunities for some fun harem shenanigans. While season one may have been a harem by definition, I feel that this season is really where that aspect comes into fruition. We also get introduced to Gasper, Vali, Serafall, and Zeoticus, as well as get more scenes with Azazel and Sirzechs. Gasper is the titular Vampire of the Suspended Classroom, and he’s Rias’ other bishop who has the uncontrollable power to stop time. Oh, he’s also a femboy, which is very epic. The first portion of the arc is dedicated to getting to know more about Gasper and Issei training him, allowing for some bonding time between Issei and another club member that isn’t overtly lecherous, albeit with lecherous intent. Akeno also has a really good scenes in this arc, which turned her from a good character due to my onee-san bias, into a genuinely good character. The big battle with the magicians was cool to see, but the best fight was definitely Vali and Issei. That fight was wacky and fun, Issei bringing most of the best moments. The characters of High School DxD remain interesting as usual. Issei, our protagonist, is expounded on further. We’re shown more of his pervy exploits, as well as his genuinely good moments. His camaraderie with Yuuto, his resolve for Gasper, his acceptance of Akeno, and so on and so forth. Time and time again, Issei is put to the test with problems that affect more than just himself. Time and time again, Issei has the strength to keep on trying until he finds a way to win. After all, he can’t back down until he achieves his dream of becoming the Harem King. He’s a degenerate, but a good-hearted one at that. We’ve already gotten glimpses into the real characters of Rias and Asia in the last season, so this one decides to go deeper into some other ones. Yuuto gets his own story arc, Gasper is introduced and developed, and Akeno has her own important moment. Some characters like Xenovia are interesting in their own right, as their backstories can be viewed as a parallel to already existing ones. Not to mention her fun scenes with Issei; those were pretty good. Though, not every character is that great. Irina, for example, is a character I would have enjoyed seeing more of. She isn’t involved for the majority of it due to story reasons, but I would want to see her and Issei get involved in some funny harem scenarios, especially since she has pre-established history with him. Koneko, too, is a bit of a let-down. She remains basically the same as the previous season—a loli kuudere cat girl who’s really strong, calls Issei a pervert, and gets her clothes destroyed a lot. I would have liked to learn more about her, since Issei himself wondered if she had a backstory like him and Asia. Though, this may just be foreshadowing something for a future season. High School DxD New is leagues above the original season in terms of quality, while still retaining all the charm it had. It’s fun, emotional, humorous, and just a good time. I loved to see more development for the already established cast, as well as the antics of the newly introduced ones. The plot progression is well done and easy to follow, making it easy to consume each twenty-six or so minute episode in either a single binge-watch or a spaced out schedule. This show isn’t peak harem anime, but it’s definitely close, in my opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed this season, and am very interested to see where the show will go from here.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 10, 2021
High School DxD
(Anime)
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High School DxD. It’s a show that really needs no introduction if you’ve stuck around the anime community for a while. It’s your generic, run-of-the-mill ecchi-harem show, right? Well, this show really is in fact ecchi, and it falls under the harem category, but there’s one thing that separates it from its contemporaries, and that’s everything else it has to offer. This is the famous, and to some degree infamous, journey of Issei Hyoudou, as he goes from a perverted kid to a perverted kid who’s also a devil.
The art of the show is fairly generic, but it’s one that I actually enjoy; it ... fits the show’s vibe, you know. The art is good enough to the point where the ecchi aspects are done well and nice to look at. Speaking of ecchi, that’s probably the main reason people come to watch the show and also why so many people hear it being talked about. It’s an ecchi-battle show that has visible boobs and nudity in every episode, even when it’s not particularly needed like in battles and . Though, I feel this doesn’t really take away from the feel of the scene, since I can tell that this is a show that really does know what it is and doesn’t try to hide it. I myself think that it’s just some nice little ecchi window-dressing to an already good show, and am not really bothered or affected by it. The voice acting and general sound design of the show isn’t something to overlook either. The main protagonist is voiced by the ever-so talented Yuki Kaji, known for many roles like Eren Yeager, Koichi Hirose, Shoto Todoroki, and many more. Youko Hikasa as Rias, Shizuka Itou as Akeno, Ayana Taketatsu as Koneko, Azumi Asakura as Asia, and Kenji Nojima as Yuuto all do great jobs in their roles as well. The swift sounds of swords, bouncy sounds of various characters’ breasts, and not to mention the echoing “BOOST!” and “EXPLOSION!” of Issei’s Boosted Gear. The opening song, “Trip -innocent of D-”, is an absolute banger. It’s a classic song that I always find myself enjoying whenever I hear it. Also, I like the line when they say “Draw Delete” because it sounds cool. The ending song, “STUDY x STUDY”, isn’t anything to scoff at either. It’s a vibrant song to just vibe to, and the main visuals are wonderfully animated and mesmerizing strip shows from the main female cast. I can’t tell you how good that ending song looks. The basic premise of the story surrounds our protagonist, Issei Hyoudou. One day, he gets himself a girlfriend named Yuma, but in a shocking turn of events, Yuma kills Issei. Though, Issei is saved by Rias Gremory, his senior from school, and is revived as a devil—the pawn in her peerage. With this, Issei has to adapt to his life as a devil and sets his goal on becoming the Harem King, as well as Rias’ greatest pawn, even if he is the only one. He also gains the company of the other members of Rias’ peerage, along with the trials and tribulations that come with the devil life. Rias Gremory is what you would call the King on the Occult Club’s side of the chess board. Using artifacts known as Evil Pieces, devils add people to their peerage based on pieces found in chess. Akeno Himejima is the Priestess of Thunder, representing the Queen; Yuuto Kiba is the Knight of the Holy Demonic Sword, representing the Knight; Koneko Toujou is the White Cat, representing the Rook; and Issei Hyoudou is the Pawn, which he initially sees as a sign of weakness. From here, her peerage would only grow to incorporate more members, each character having their own importance and story to them. The show’s not that complex, really. It’s well-paced and easy to follow, giving the average and veteran viewer a pretty fun ride that’s not too hard to understand. That said, the lore and intricate things that the show does have to offer are still fairly interesting in their own right. Now, the characters that this show has are good too, the main ones this season focuses on being Rias, Asia, and most obviously, Issei. Rias Gremory is the character I’d like to call our main heroine for the show. She’s the red-haired devil club president, and she’s got some huge boobs. I mean some serious honkers. A real set of badonkers. Packin’ some dobonhonkeros. Massive dohoonkabhankoloos. Big old tonhongerekoogers, even. Throughout the course of this season, we’re shown how much Issei looks up to her, and her impact on his and her peerage’s lives. Luckily enough, she’s not just some one-dimensional waifu character. She has genuine problems and depth to her character, and that really does go for the rest of the cast. Yeah, Issei is both the shonen protagonist and the lecherous pervert, Akeno is the onee-san, Yuuto is the cool bishounen, Akeno is the kuudere cat loli, and Asia is the shy church girl, but their personalities in the series do go further than that. Issei, for example, is in fact a lust-driven high school kid, but he’s also a genuinely good-hearted and hardworking person as well. He’s always going to be there for Rias, for Yuuto, for Asia, and the rest of his friends. It’s great to see an ecchi-harem with characters that are likeable in both personality and appearance. Overall, High School DxD is actually a pretty good show. It has a good opening, ending, cast, art, and above all, it’s a really fun show. The ecchi can feel distracting to some people, and that’s a part that’s really subjective. The battle sequences are engaging, the characters are memorable, and the plot is intriguing. It’s a comedy, and even if I didn’t really laugh, it’s still really enjoyable as it is. It’s an anime that’s more than what it looks like on the surface, and one that I can recommend to people in both a real way and for the memes. It’s a really good time, my dude.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 4, 2021
5-toubun no Hanayome ∬
(Anime)
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Harem anime have always been seen as those run-of-the-mill generic romance shows, chock-full of repetitive tropes you’ve already seen before. While some harem anime like High School DxD go all in with the direction they want and end up succeeding in their premise, the others are left to fade into the anime of obscurity that the genre harbors. When you think of a harem, chances are that things like Nisekoi, Date A Live, Mayo Chiki, or Familiar of Zero pop into your mind. Those shows are what I would say are representations of what a normal harem anime is like, but which show is perfectly
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normal? Well, the answer is simple: The Quintessential Quintuplets. Here, I’ll be talking about this from a purely anime point of view, so however I feel about the manga will be irrelevant.
Bibury Studios is taking on the responsibility of animating the quints this time around instead of the previous studio, Tezuka Productions. Before taking on this project, their only seasonal show had been Azur Lane, alongside a few Grisaia films. Considering their short history, it’s great to see how the show actually ended up turning out. All the characters in the show look bubbly and soft, including Fuutarou. The designs aren’t as detailed as they might have been in the first season, but I think the new style still fits in a different way. The characters themselves are voiced by extremely talented people. Kana Hanazawa as Ichika, who does a kind of soft and at times chilling voice; Ayana Taketatsu as Nino, who’s kind of high and mighty tsundere type voice works excellently for the character; Miku Itou as Miku, who aside from having the same name, nails Miku’s shy and reserved tone of voice; Ayane Sakura as Yotsuba, who does her job as the genki girl of the group very well; and Inori Minase as Itsuki, who’s character voice has the fitting feel of someone immature who desperately wants to be the mature one. Not to mention Yoshitsugu “Harem King” Matsuoka as Fuutarou, who has an impressively wide vocal range. Both the opening and ending songs for this season, Gotoubun no Katachi and Hatsukoi respectively, are sung by a group known as Nakanoke no Itsutsugo, who are made up of the voices of the quints. Having the actual voices of the characters sing for the OP and ED really adds to not only the quality of the song, but shows how talented they are at what they do. The premise of this show is as simple as it looks on the outside. It’s a show about a guy tutoring five quintuplets as he gets entangled between their love. Classic harem setup—one even reminiscent of something like We Never Learn. Though, as simple as the premise may be, something I’ve learned from s show like Jujutsu Kaisen is that no matter how basic a premise may be, the execution can quickly turn it from generic to great. The parts of Quintessential Quintuplets that separates it from others is how it handles its characters and plot in a way that builds naturally, but doesn’t spend its time with filler content that doesn’t really affect the rest of the story. Luckily for us, this second season spends no time wasted on simply building onto these characters. After all, we already know who they are from the last season. The time the show spends that isn’t related to the story arcs is used for expounding and growing the quints’ relationships with Uesugi, making each moment different than before. The stories that the show tells this season all revolve around the titular Nakanos. The first of five real arcs we’re presented with for the season is the Seven Goodbyes arc, which is also the longest arc in both this season and for the entire series, at the very least in terms of how much content it has. So much happens in this arc, and what happens has major effects on the rest of the season’s events, especially in terms of Nino’s character. We learn more about how the Nakano family used to be prior to Fuutarou becoming their tutor, and that includes the events surrounding the quintuplets’ mother. Though, this arc is all about coming to accept the changes in their lives and the truths that come with it, and that’s truly where the character development and growth come in. The second arc is the Second Year Last Exam arc, which is used to show us the aftermath and motivations each of the quintuplets have. To save themselves from being transferred to another school, they all have to get passing grades for their exams, but that’s far from their only motivation. Each one of them has their own personal goal that ties in to what they really want. We’re also shown the whole reason why the quintuplets are at that school in the first place, and part of the reason why Yotsuba cares so much more for others than she does herself. The third arc is where I think things really get into motion, setting up the three characters that affect the season the most: Ichika, Nino, and Miku. In the Scrambled Eggs arc, all five of the sisters are disguised as Itsuki, and Fuutarou has to maneuver his way through the web of feelings this brings upon them. He slowly but surely discovers a way to differentiate between them, which all culminates in a heartfelt ending, but one that closes off in mystery. A sentiment that’s been echoed throughout the season has been that love is the way to differentiate the quintuplets, and it’s here where Fuutarou finally understands the importance of that. It makes the viewer question themselves again: Who is the bride? The fourth arc is the New Class arc, and it’s a bit of a breather. I said it was a bit of a breather, but that doesn’t mean it’s free from any big moments. It’s here where Fuutarou slowly starts to realize that feelings like love aren’t things he can ridicule anymore, and opens up more to the people around him. He’s stated that he doesn’t tutor them for the money anymore, and only tutors them because he wants to. Though, it seems like he’s no longer just seeing the quints as his students, but also people who he can trust and care for, and will trust and care for him in return. He works hard to not only prove his worth as a student and tutor, but as a person as well. That said, this arc isn’t all about heartfelt realizations and such, as some character moments prove to be truly shocking. This is what I like to call the beginning of the larger Sister’s War arc, where each of the quintuplets is vying for a shot at Fuutarou’s love. The climax of this season’s version of the larger Sister’s War arc comes in the form of the Kyoto Trip arc, where we’re shown the lasting impact of their actions and the consequences that come with how they choose to achieve their goals. One small action creates such a large impact and divide between the sisters, and even causes Fuutarou to distrust one of them. Though, this all ends well, with everyone reconciling and regaining their confidence again. From here, the Sister’s War still rages on, but taking each other’s well-being into consideration. I’d like to talk about the characters that the show gives us, starting with Ichika. Ichika is the character this season I see as the most controversial. Ichika actually was my favorite from season one, prior to reading the manga, though, that changed as soon as a certain part came along. Honestly, I think lots of people also felt that way when they reached this part, since it really wasn’t a good move on her part. She represents the major theme of the show to an extreme extent, and that’s being selfish in terms of love. Her redemption arc by the end was very nice to see, showing us viewers her true nature, and her repentance for the mistakes she’s made. Though, the fact that lots of people were so impacted by her actions and how she ends up is a testament to how great the writing of the show really is, at the very least for this season. Alright, I’m saying it: Nino is best girl. So, that out of the way, I absolutely love Nino’s character. She’s genuinely the best tsundere character I’ve seen in anime. Nino exemplifies the main theme of the show in the best way possible, since she's very forward with her emotions, and will do what it takes to get to Fuutarou's heart, but she still cares deeply for her sisters. Her character growth from a pretty obnoxious tsundere character to a forward, considerate girl that knows what she wants and how she wants to get it. Her scenes in the Seven Goodbyes arc are her biggest moments of character growth, and she finalizes that growth by the end of the Scrambled Eggs arc, allowing her to be in her prime during the New Class and Kyoto Trip arcs. My personal favorite Nino scenes were the reveal of her new look, her bath discussion with Ichika, her working with Fuutarou at the restaurant, and her scene with Miku on the bed. Overall, Nino is a wonderful character, and honestly became one of my favorites in anime and manga throughout the course of the series. From design, to personality, to character growth, she’s done extremely well. Miku is the real fan favorite here. Her struggles with her shyness and anxiety in the series are ones that the audience can sympathize, and maybe even empathize with to some degree. Seeing her go forward with her desires in spite of her shy nature is one that the audience can all respect, even as fans of other characters. She keeps trying over and over again, but still gets stuck down, and it’s heart-crushing. Her resolve to get Fuutarou to notice her is great to see; she no longer wants to stand by and hesitate. She has many good character moments this season, but one that sticks out to me a lot is her significance in the Scrambled Eggs arc. That ending scene was packed to the brim with emotion, and I absolutely loved it. This season’s Miku is all about how she wants to grow and move forward with herself. This isn’t exclusive to Fuutarou either, since she herself said that she enjoys making things. Miku is a character that gets a lot of attention from people, including people close to me who’ve seen it, and she deserves every bit of it. She’s not my personal favorite of the bunch, but I can still proudly say that she is the most well-written one. Now, the other two quintuplets didn’t get as much screen time as the previous three, but I still think the moments they had were nice enough. Yotsuba in particular is an interesting one. There are two big reveals when it comes to Yotsuba, and one of them is a reason as to why she’s so considerate to others, especially her sisters. Yotsuba’s biggest scene, though, is changed a bit in the anime due to its placement in the timeline, but I think it doesn’t hurt the scene’s sentiment. Yes, the scene with Yotsuba and Fuutarou. That one is really sweet, especially how Yotsuba sees the city lights and discovers what she really did want from Fuutarou. This quintuplet right here is selfless to a fault. Her character is in contrast to someone like Ichika, since she has the weight of her past on her shoulders, making her want to help everyone instead of being a burden herself. Yotsuba is the character I would say is the most basic, but that means she’s a very down-to-earth and kind person as well. Itsuki is very important in one of the arcs, and that’s the Scrambled Eggs arc. She’s very important there, but also not really, because while everyone looks like Itsuki, Itsuki herself isn’t all that important for this section of the story. That said, the screen time she does get this time around is still somewhat interesting. Itsuki’s core character is about her and her relationship with her late mother. After her passing, Itsuki slowly became the mother figure of the group, or at least she wants to be that. After the events of the Seven Goodbyes arc, Itsuki discovers her ambition to be her own person. Itsuki takes more of a backseat this season, but she’s there when she’s needed. You can’t just talk about the main cast of this show without bringing up the protagonist. Fuutarou is truly a good protagonist, and a great one for harem standards. He’s full of personality, but it doesn’t bog down everything that is important to him. He’s written as more than just a character here, since the actions he takes in this part of the story is realistic to both what a normal person would do and what Fuutarou himself would do. His character for these arcs doesn’t ever stray too far away from what’s previously been established, but he never sticks too close to his baseline to the point that he’s generic and boring. Harem shows usually tend to go down the gutter in their second season, and that’s honestly what I expected from this show. It really isn’t anything revolutionary, but it still works amazingly well. This season is one I thoroughly enjoyed, from characters to story to music to art. I enjoyed seeing each of the characters’ growth, as even if I didn’t particularly like how a certain character did things, or if a character didn’t get as much screen time as I would have wanted, all of the main cast’s antics were at the very least interesting. The themes this season were also acted on very well, especially with the three main spotlighted sisters this second season. The first season was all about setting up how Fuutarou has to share himself with all five of the quintuplets, but the second season is about how the quintuplets want Fuutarou all to themselves. This can be seen in even the OPs for each season, as the message is very clear when you actually take a look at the meaning of the lyrics. The status quo this season is much different than it was last time, and that’s evident as early as the first arc, which is all about changing and moving on. I also really enjoyed seeing the characters’ growth, them becoming their own them instead of being stuck to the past. Overall, The Quintessential Quintuplets Season 2 is truly a great series. It does so much of what it does right, and does it in only twelve episodes for that matter. It’s good on an objective level with how it does its technical elements, plot, and characters, but it also does well on a subjective, personal level, since it’s a show that I simply enjoyed watching. I often find myself listening to both Gotoubun no Katachi and Hatsukoi, the latter being one of my favorite anime ending songs. I’ve never really found myself a big fan of harem anime—they’ve never really been all that great, but not all of them are bad per se—but this anime just hit different, you know? I’ve never connected so much to a harem anime to the point that I find myself caring for the characters on more than just a simple waifu level or anything. If there were only one anime per genre left in this world, it would truly be a sad existence, but I certainly hope that the harem genre leaves behind this show. It truly is the show I would say is quintessential for its genre.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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