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Uzaki season 2 seems to have lost a little of the luster that made season 1 unique. With the main plot now diving into the "will they, won't they" overarching narrative, Uzaki 2 struggles to keep the minute-to-minute interest and fun in the same manner as its previous season. A large reason for this comes down to the dynamic between the characters. This has shifted from a man vs. woman scenario to a matchmaker scenario, taking away a lot of the fundamental building blocks for how Uzaki wrote its stories. In the previous season, for instance, Uzaki and Sakurai were antagonistic toward each other in ... a lighthearted, sometimes flirty manner. The fun was in who would come out on top between the two. Now the focus is less on the two main leads and more on the side characters trying to get them to confess to each other. It's not a bad story but also does not really play out in a similar fashion to previous works for this series. What I'm trying to say is that if you are looking forward to that banter and teasing, you may leave disappointed when you reach the end of this season.

Chainsaw Man at its core is a basic story built on the cliches, tropes, and reimagined perspectives of anime as a whole. It's story is contradictory to other anime titles of the same premise in that it does not take itseld seriously, yet at the same time demands the respect of the audience. It is a show that possesses mindless action and colorful characters to make the show seem shallow but possesses just enough complexity to keep the intrigue alive. Chainsaw man is a show that is a fun watch and allows the viewer to take it as seriously as they want to, almost like ... the main characters that are on the roster.

Speaking of main characters, this series possesses a pretty respectable cast with four proper major characters and a few minor characters of note. Denji, the main protagonist, is designed to emulate the common tropes you see within shonen anime (e.g. large appetite, clueless/stupid, light-hearted, etc.) however portray them in a light fitting to what such a character would actually be like. An example given is the large appetite which is common among protagonists and often used for comedic effect only for Denji to show he has a large appetite because he grew up in absolute poverty and nothing but the remains of trash cans and dumpsters to eat him. In other shows this trope is played for laughs while here it is used to build upon the characterization of Denji. In fact, when speaking of a feast, Denji is so removed from the realities of civilization that a buffet to him is a load of condiments on pieces of toast. This is only an example of how Denji is used in relation to other protagonists from other series.
Other characters more or less follow the same type of storytelling. Aki, the "Sasuke" of this story who is out for revenge is not protrayed as this mysterious figure whom his peers think is this cool guy. He is actively told he is a fool for trying and genuinely suffers repercussions for his decision to go after revenge. He is ridiculed, mocked, and berated for his decision, not praised or given any level of respect.

Chainsaw man is a great show for those who are interested in it. Definitely a must-try series for action fans and anyone looking to expand their repertoire.

This series is nothing special. I mean that in the most positive way possible. It does nothing to differentiate it from other isekai that have been created and continue to be created. The basic premise is similar to Log Horizon in that the MC wakes up in his game world, but instead of trying to get out or return to reality he simply rolls with it. The idea here is that MC does not really care about going home and instead wants to explore this new world and have an easy life while doing it.

Characterwise, this show is extremely adequate to lackluster. The main cast ... is ok but quite small compared to other rosters. With only Arc (the MC) and Ariane (Main Female Lead) to carry the vast majority of this show as it is now, there is little in the way of chemistry or banter that elevates it to higher levels within the isekai genre. While a third character, Chiyome (the ninja) joins later in the series, the problem is too little too late as her addition to the cast does little to nothing to expand the chemistry and writing within the show. If anything Chiyome and Ariane go back and forth being the same character which is disappointing for a show that already lacks any significant cast.
As a sidenote to the characters, the villains/antagonists of this show are easily the worst I have seen in a while. Most are introduced using poor tactics such as rape and slaughter in order to make the audience hate them but are neither a threat of any significance to the protags or used long enough to warrant ever being treated seriously. So in a show where the main cast is small and forgettable you have a villain cast that sucks and has no depth or level of seriousness to them. Great.

This show is boring for those who want anything serious or even competent. It exists as another isekai that is mediocre enough to be enjoyed in the moment if you have nothing to watch, but is easily forgotten as soon as the outro plays.

My Dress Up Darling is a unique show that stands on the intersection of blatantly sexualized fan service and heartwarmingly wholesome. It is a weird position to be in given these two themes tend to contradict each other within the medium of anime, but yet this series somehow manages to balance these two pillars of RomCom to create a fun, wholesome, and yet completely suggestive show that is one of the best in recent memory.

What My Dress Up Darling really has going for it is the chemistry between the two main leads, Goro and Marin. Goro, the main male lead, is a shut in who ... has an extremely niche talent and interest in hina dolls that has more or less caused all of his peers to ignore, reject, and/or outright make fun of his obsession and dream of entering that career out of high school. Marin, the main female lead, is the stereotypical pretty and popular girl who likes anime and manga, as well as video games. The two's meeting to each other is basically over their interest in niche things: Goro being hina dolls and Marin being cosplay. The progression of the story is basically their relationship going from a transactional one (Goro agreeing to make Marin's first true cosplay of her favorite character) to one of deeper admiration and understanding that naturally progresses to falling in love with each other.

The chemistry between the two is top notch and easily among the best in the entire RomCom genre. What makes this apparent is the fact the roster size for this show is extremely small. Most RomComs usually have several characters on roster to play with which include the main leads, the opposing love interests, the friends, the staff/coworkers of the school or job they work at, and so on. This show doesn't really have any of that. It is a show that is completely built off the back of Marin and Goro and the two's relationship and chemistry with each other. This approach is usually a gamble because if the audience finds either of the leads lacking or unlikeable the entire show comes crashing down.

I am unsure if this series is going to get a season 2 but it is easily one of the best 2022 shows that have released thus far. A definite recommend for anyone.

Did Like / Would Recommend

I loved Shaman King when I was a kid. I remember binge reading the entire manga and watching all of the anime I was capable of getting my hands on. It was up there with Rurouni Kenshin for my personal favorites as a youngin. Unlike Kenshin though, I regret to state that with this new series, my tastes in anime have sadly left this series behind to only be reminisced of fondly as a sweet memory of my youth.

I tried to give it a chance, but to avail. Shaman King's pacing is at a whiplash pace compared to other Shonen of the same time period. ... It's overreliance on having spectators explain every little detail of a fight, as well as the consistent attempts to hide as much actual combat and damage dealt to the characters is enough to take you out of the story that is being told. I do understand this series at it's core is for kids and the older series had similar variations of this problem that I did not care for when I was younger.

Indeed, this is simply an example of "old man yells at cloud," but I am not here to state that the older series is better and this new series is terrible. Instead I am pointing out that this series is one that may suffer from individuals such as me who have aged out of the appeal. If you remember Shaman King as a kid then by all means give it a go, but do not be surprised if these series does not hit that same level of wonder and fun that you had when you traversed through the series all those years ago. If you have kids, this is absolutely a show they may like as it is very fast paced and easy on the eyes.

Did not Like / Would Recommend

This show is weird. The premise is interesting enough as the isekai genre actually sends someone who is not only a competent human being but also not a "good guy" into another world.

The premise is that a world class assassin is reincarnated into a magical world as an assassin with the express purpose of killing the hero before a catastrophy occurs. This idea is fascinating for several reasons:
1) the MC is not given a noble task by any stretch of the imagination. While the context surrounding this at least makes the act necessary, the act itself is not something that is ever shown ... to be a good thing, again only being classified as a necessity.
2) The MC is not a good guy. A major point in the story is his transition to be at the very least a normal human being with a fairly reasonable conscience. Even the MC himself speaks of his lack of humanity and his acts within the show are sociopathic in nature. Despite this, it is interesting to see him making an effort to attempt to break this way of thinking and watching his slow transition to someone who is less of a mindless tool and more of a human being capable of thinking for himself.
3) This show does a pretty good job at making sure everyone within the world are not complete idiots. Unlike other isekai shows where everyone who is not the MC are brainless fools who barely can form a cohesive thought, this series does a good job at making sure the all the characters within the series are at the very least knowledgable with levels of competency in different fields. There is noone in this series who acts in a particularly stupid manner, and even acts that you mat view as questionable have some level of reasoning and logic behind them.

While the premise is the strong point of this series, the characters are pretty hit or miss. I do not believe there is anyone in the show who is absurdly annoying, but there are a few here and there who are not particularly likeable. And while the harem aspect of the story exists with a small hint of purpose, it still feels relatively out of place compared to everything else.

Overall, I would classify this series as a show that you should watch when you are on standby for other shows to watch. It is not something worth going out of your way to see, but it enjoyable enough to be worth a watch to pad out your yearly anime lists.

Did Like / Would Not Recommend

There are few series that exist that I can say I do not like, but still finished because I willingly watched it. Nagatoro is one of these. On its own merits, the show is not that good. The characters are uninteresting, the male lead is frustratingly weak and the female lead is annoying to the point of eye-rolling cringe. Despite this, I found myself continuing to watch the series to completion because, for all of its flaws, Nagatoro is at the very least interesting with how they handle situations. The male lead can cause you to bang your head on the wall in annoyance, but ... I can think of several people from my time in high school who acted in a similar manner. So while his actions were something I found to be a weak point in the story, it was still within the realm of believability.

Nagatoro's strength comes from the use of its characters in specific situations. Much of what makes this show watchable is in the episodes where the characters are placed in some problem or obstacle that can be interesting in the conflicts between the cast, and/or how they go about dealing with the situation This is not the same as the cast of characters carrying the show on their own. I would argue of all the RomCom shows that I have seen Nagatoro has one of the weakest characters. Despite this, the series is smart enough to understand this shortcoming and write around it for the most part.

Where Nagatoro loses me compared to a show such as Uzaki or Toradora is in the rather one-sided relationship between the male and female leads. In Uzaki for example, while the female lead is also a borderline bully similar to Nagatoro, the fact the male lead can hold his own and is shown to stand on equal footing with Uzaki makes their interactions interesting to watch since we know it is just as likely for the male lead to come out on top when dealing with the female lead. Because of this relationship and the power dynamic that is presented, the back and forth between the male and female leads come off as fun to watch as we see them vie for superiority in the context of the episode. This relationship does not exist in Nagatoro. The male lead is too spineless and cowardly to outwardly confront the female lead (Nagatoro), so the series suffers because most of its content involves the female lead basically bullying the male lead with little to no legitimate resistance. The back and forth does not exist, so we already know how, why, and when the situation will play out.

The only thing that saves this lack of an interesting relationship is the inclusion of Nagatoro's friends. These three act as wild cards who are just as likely to tease the Male lead as they are to tease Nagatoro. This makes scenes where all five characters are present enjoyable and the main reason to watch the series. The back-and-forth power dynamic that I spoke of before is present in Nagatoro and her friends being together. This unfortunately also means that the show almost demands these five characters always be together, which also can potentially dilute the impact they have on the story.

All in all, Nagatoro is not a series really worth going out of your way to watch. If you like this genre, then it may be on your list, but I recommend only sitting down with this in-between more high-profile shows. It is decent enough to get through, but will probably be forgotten shortly after.

Did Not Like / Would Recommend

Tokyo Revengers is the tale of a young man past his prime who is given an opportuniy to go back into time to save a former classmate from dying in the present day because of gang warfare. The only problem with this is that the MC is not some badass delinquent, but rather a wimpy, below-average person who is pretty much incapable of performing extreme acts of violence.

The strength of Tokyo Revengers comes from the interest and investment you grow to have for the characters of the show. While not everyone is an amazing character, the important thing is that you can tell pretty ... quickly that thought and care has been put into bringing these characters to life. As the show goes on, you may find yourself getting invested into what is going to happen to any one of these characters because of the importance this show has placed on not only the people within the world, but their connection to everyone else as well.

I wil point this out for those who are thinking of watching this series: This is not a power fantasy, and whether you follow through on finishing the season may come down to whether you like/tolerate the MC. I point this out because as I mentioned in the first paragragh, the MC is not some badass and watching him trying to navigate the life of a gang as the weakest character (both mentally and physically) can be one of the most hair-pullingly frustrating things to do. I will say this; this move was intentional, so if that helps alleviate some of the nonsense, then so be it.

Did Like / Would Recommend

The story of 86 is a captivating one of a doomed squad who is fighting a war they know they cannot win as slaves to a nation they have no allegiance to. Season 1 is a tad shorter than most other shows sitting at only 11 episodes, but benefits from this because there is no room for fluff in the run time.

I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a more serious title or a fan of war stories as it offers a great story to follow with some cool mech actions scenes. This is definitely one of the best series I have ... seen so far in 2021.

Did Like / Would Recommend

Villainess X is a decent, though somewhat unnecessary sequel that builds off what was set up in the first season. While the characters are enjoyable and offer some good chemistry when on screen together, the main issue here is that the focal point of the series no longer exists. Catarina Claes is no longer in danger based on the rules of the game world is based on. This lends itself to both a positive and negative point about this season. The Positive is that this season holds what made the first season enjoyable, but the negative is that a significant portion of this season (I'd ... say almost a third of it) can feel like a waste of time as the season can come off as padding time in order to hit that 12 episode mark.

The main takeaway here is that if you really liked the first season, then you probably will like this season as well. If you did not like the first season or considered it to be ok but nothing special, you may want to skip this one as it does not offer much to improve your opinion of the series.

Did Like / Would Not Recommend