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Dec 26, 2024
A sweet love story with a small supernatural twist.
I expected more supernatural elements with Cherry Magic, but it's really just the mind reading. Everything else about the anime is slice-of-life, which I personally enjoy--there's something fun about average life events with little magic embellishments.
Adachi is relatable with the way he uses his powers. I also really like that it was shown how his powers have disadvantages. Kurosawa is an interesting character himself purely based on the fact that the two different sides of him are shown so well. I almost wish Adachi read his mind more often! The side pairing is decent too
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though there isn't as much magic in their relationship.
I appreciate that there were no uses of the stereotypical BL tropes and that the relationships were treated with respect. The ending is so sweet it actually caught me off guard; I wasn't expecting it!
There is a fujoshi character but she's respectful (so much as she can be) and clearly meant as a viewer-insert / joke character. She doesn't hog any screentime nor does she cause any issues or meddle where she shouldn't.
Ultimately, Cherry Magic is a sweet romance anime with minor magical elements. I'd recommend this to anyone who is looking for a BL story with adult characters and doesn't mind a little fantasy.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 26, 2024
A solid premise for a fantasy series, perfect for those who enjoy stories of reincarnation and do-overs.
Reincarnation, time travel, and other similar tropes are some of my favorites. This anime comes so close to hitting the mark on what i want from a fantasy series. it has just the right amount of world building that makes the environment and people feel real without sounding like a textbook. The magic system is interesting; I love that dragons were included as something other than violent monsters. In this anime they are beings of logic and royalty--as they should be.
For all the positives though, there is a major
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negative that is constantly hanging over your head while you watch: Jill is 10 years old and Hadis is 19. There is nothing comfortable about a 10-year-old being in a romantic relationship. it could be reasoned by saying it's "period accurate" or "Jill is mentally 16" but I think those are weak excuses. If the author wanted an age difference between the main couple (to allow characters to still call into Hadis' judgment for marrying a "child"), then why not make Hadis 30 and Jill 19? Still the same difference in age but not as creepy as a 10-year-old being married off. (There's also the brief mention of the incestual relationship between the prince and princess which is also distasteful but they don't elaborate on that so it's possible that's a misunderstanding...(I can only hope)).
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Dec 23, 2024
A good premise that is let down by lack of focus and a reliance on tropes.
Positive:
I enjoy the art style and the attention to detail that was given to parts of the opening sequence as well as smaller things like the colors in Alya's eyes. I love the premise of the anime too; it's a cute idea to have a tsundere-style character hide in plain sight by speaking a different language. I also think it's really cool that each of the episodes has a different ending song, all of them covers done by the VAs.
Neutral:
Most of the characters are decent. Alya herself is not what
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I was expecting--I was ready for more of a kuudere type--though she's not bad. Kuze, the ML, is not as much of a blank slate as some of the romance male leads can be--and his perverted side is relatively tame too, unlike some others I've seen. The supporting cast is varied, which keeps it from being boring/repetitive. There aren't many contrived situations but that may just be so the anime can make tongue-in-cheek jokes about said situations. The primary focus of the story also seems to be student politics. This could be interesting but I don't feel like any of the characters have any passion.
Negative:
This is very clearly a season one made with the knowledge that they were getting a season two. There is very little (if any) progression with Alya and Kuze's relationship. In some instances I feel like the writer(s) changed Alya's personality to suit the scene she was in without any given reason and only to revert back later. The "fanservice" was a little much, in my opinion. I don't mind tasteful scenes but I prefer it serve a purpose. The last 10 minutes of one of the episodes could have been left out and nothing of value would be lost. Of course, all that pales in comparison to my least favorite part of this anime: Suou Yuki. Her whole character is just bad and I'm extremely disappointed. Whenever any of the other characters are made to interact with her, the episode becomes that much worse. If she was written with any semblance of care, I may have enjoyed the show more.
Ultimately I think I let my expectations get the better of me--what I was expecting was not what I got. It's not bad but it's certainly not something I'd recommend to someone. I would say if you're curious about this anime and interested in it for the romance aspect of it, wait to watch it until season 2 comes out. It's really bare bones as it is and it feels incomplete (probably because it is).
Also--and this is purely personal and does not really impact the anime itself--while I love that they covered Hare Hare Yukai, they did themselves a huge disservice by not animating the dance too. :'( How are you going to cover one of the most iconic anime endings and not do a full tribute?? My disappointment is immeasurable.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Nov 26, 2024
An incomplete love story with an indecisive main character.
For the premise I feel it's best to suspend your disbelief; yes, there's no way this would actually be a real school assignment but that's okay, it's a vehicle to get our characters to interact.
First, I do have to say that I enjoyed that they showed how our two main MCs view each other before being stuck together. It makes the changes we see throughout more noticeable and allow the viewer to appreciate the growth. I like that Jiro is a decent (but still realistic) male character. Akari has some of the typical gyaru tropes
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but she's fun. Plus I'm a sucker for the "not what you'd expect gyaru".
I would say the camera lingers a little to much when it comes to fan service, so much so I'm not sure who the target demographic is for this anime. It's not egregious but it's certainly noticeable, especially when the characters themselves point it out. I personally wouldn't mind it being toned down just a little--I don't mind a few boob and butt shots here and there but only ifit adds to the story / characters and doesn't distract from the purpose of the scene.
I can say that I wasn't bored watching this and finishing all 12 episodes didn't feel like a chore as it has with some of the newer romance anime. However I can't say that I'm fully satisfied with the story that was told. I think Akari, our female MC, has a satisfying growth and from ep 1 to ep 12 is a different girl. Jiro on the other hand I feel is close to a breakthrough but the credits rolled before he could get there.
Ultimately I think if you enjoy silly romance tropes and don't mind an indecisive main character, you might have an okay time with this one. Honestly though, I wish he would've just picked one!!!! TwT
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jul 23, 2024
This could have been so good. I had really high hopes for this anime after first seeing the trailer. I think the elements are all here for an intriguing fantasy romance, but unfortunately it really falls flat.
The art and overall style are okay, very typical of most modern anime. Despite being an isekai, it didn't feel as tiresome as many of the other random ones that come out nowadays. I really like the use of Rae's knowledge of the game's events and mechanics to help her make sense of things as well as her knowledge of "real life" to help earn her some
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extra coin. But personally I would have liked to have seen Rae saying or doing more "other worldly" things to show just how out of place she is.
The writing is where I became lost. It's like there's a really interesting fantasy plot going on in another room but I'm stuck behind stiff character development and outdated tropes so I don't really get to see it. I dropped after 9 episodes but in those 9, Claire is really the only character I think who gains some development--Thane too maybe, but all the male characters sort of just feel like props. I get this is a GL anime but I still feel like we were told these men were important to the plot so maybe they should have a little screen time? Perhaps? A person who enjoys looking at pretty boys but also wants to see two girls kiss? It's more likely than you think.
Then you have the main reason I dropped: incest. It wasn't needed. At all. Definitely the author's poorly disguised fetish. And what makes it worse is they compare incest to being gay, like??????????? No. Not even remotely. You lost my respect immediately. Damn near anything else would have been better than "these two siblings are in love so they commit treason". Disgusting. It really brings the whole show down. I'd rate this show a little higher but then think about this again and I have to say no.
There's better GL / romance anime out there. I'd say don't waste your time with this one, unfortunately.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Apr 5, 2024
"The Apothecary's Diaries" is a unique story when compared to other current anime. A detective/mystery medical drama with an ancient Chinese backdrop. The art and animation is well done; I particularly enjoy the clothing and attention to detail within many of the outfits. I think ultimately it was the characters that kept me coming back as I was curious to see what else they would get up to.
The main character, Maomao, is atypical and reminds me of Sunako from "The Wallflower". Quirky in a "it'd be weirder if she wasn't cute" kind of way, but Maomao is certainly more socially-aware than Sunako which
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I think is to her benefit. In fact, half of what makes Maomao so compelling is the way she can read people and use the knowledge that her background has afforded her. I like that she doesn't seem to look down on either lifestyle (inside or outside of the palace).
Apart from Maomao, the supporting cast is full of a bunch of different characters from palace officials, to handmaidens, to courtesans. I can really only think of four who stand out as consistently unique and important. As the story revolves around Maomao not many other characters get a lot of development or, if they do, they're typically not seen again as their story has come to an end.
I will say, I was hoping for a little more romance in this anime and while it did have some (mostly with one-off characters who are only in 2-3 episodes), what was shown didn't fill the quota of what I was looking for. I'd say if you're looking for a historical romance drama, look elsewhere. But that's not to say this show offers nothing; there are a few compelling love stories in this season.
As others have stated, the plot does seem to slow in the later half of the series (I would place it somewhere around episode 15 or 16) but I still found it interesting to watch; it definitely wasn't so slow that I became bored. Rather, I think they were sowing seeds for season two and wrapping up the few loose ends left from previous episodes. If anything, I think the recap episode could be skipped as it really only serves its purpose if you're watching one episode per week. And even then, I don't think it's wholly necessary.
All in all a good time, especially if you like watching deductive reasoning in progress, royal/political drama, or historical fiction. This show had me, for real, plotting out a family tree. Twice!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 23, 2024
"Our Love Story" is a simple romance anime that is good for someone not looking to make a commitment.
This show doesn't particularly break any molds; it's a mix of common tropes someone familiar with the genre would recognize. I wouldn't say this makes it bad however. Predictable, maybe. About halfway thru the series I did get a little bored as I felt the story had reached a natural conclusion but it just kept going.
To add to that, it felt like the last 4 episodes were stuffed with unnecessary drama purely to meet an episode quota. I don't think the viewers were given much time
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to get to know many of the side characters so asking them to suddenly care about their love lives is a bit of an ask. I'm not even sure if the endings for the three subplots were any good--I can't really say they were bad but I don't feel satisfied with how any of them ended up except for our main pair. Mostly just confused I think...
Ultimately it was the premise that pulled me in, but I think the show falls a little short of the goal it set for its self in the first episode. I wouldn't really recommend this anime to any one but I also wouldn't discourage anyone from trying it out if it seems like something you'd be into.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Dec 22, 2023
A simple romance anime with no real drama.
"My Senpai is Annoying" centers around the romance of a short-statured woman and her massive boisterous senpai. There is nothing particularly unique about this story; tsundere's are common, himbos are trendy, and even couples with distinct height differences are becoming more common. That being said, I still think this anime is ultimately enjoyable.
The characters are charming and believable. In my opinion no one is too annoying or boring and I was consistently interested in following everyone's storyline--even the background coworkers who didn't have their own featured romances. The main character, Igarashi, could potentially be frustrating to some
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as she does act rather childishly. I found this anime while looking for a romance with adult leads and if someone is doing the same, Igarashi may be off-putting. However, I do see her behaviors as part of her character and they feed into her insecurities so I was able to get past it.
Ultimately I do wish there was a little more given to us with regards to the development of both relationships; neither is really established so you really just get to watch a bunch of people interact with their crushes and blush about it for 12 episodes. It's not necessarily a bad thing but I was hoping for at least one of the couples to smooch.
The OP is very cute though, 10/10 for the OP animation. :)
I would recommend this for people who don't mind tsunderes, enjoy slice-of-life, and want something simple and sweet.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 17, 2023
A slice-of-life with a twist.
"Kumichou Musume to Sewagakari" blends the everyday of taking care of a 7-year-old with the excitement of being in a Yakuza family. For the most part, I think it does a great job of establishing characters and showing their growth over the course of the 12 episodes. There is an overall familty-centric vibe to the whole thing as the darker yakuza half of the premise often is only present in short increments.
This uses the trope of "scary mean character is actually a sweetheart" fairly well. The daughter, Yaeka-chan, is well written and (in my opinion) avoids many of the
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tropes that can make younger characters annoying. It is heartwarming to watch her grow just as much as the other characters. Say what you will about it, this anime does portray family values really well, including found family.
There was an entire episode I could have done without, however. There isn't really a larger story here, just a rough timeline and several mini-arcs to follow. But the one episode I'd consider silly filler and mostly a time-waister. I skipped most of the way through it. One or two characters could have been excluded (tho I bet they have bigger roles in the manga) as they didn't really add much to the story and felt out-of-place.
A good anime if you're looking for something sweet and simple.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 16, 2023
"Mieruko-chan" has an interesting premise and likeable characters however over the course of the 12 episodes there is a lack of development for both.
The show plays to the typical slice-of-life style, following the main characters through their daily lives, but it doesn't become too menial or redundant. The horror elements are handled well and are even a little spooky at times. There were even a few times where an unexpected twist was done and it actually surprised me. They were really well done and it shows the thought that was put into the stories for those episodes.
However, this is definitely not an anime
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for everyone. The first three episodes use waaaaay too much "fan service". If I wasn't so curious to see where the plot was going to go I would have dropped this at episode one. I can forgive a lot but when the camera angle ruins the immersion it's upsetting. The same can be said for unnecessary nudity. Couple this with the overall story never really going anywhere and you get an anime that feels rather empty.
All in all, "Mieruko-chan" is animated well and has mini-arcs that can keep some viewers interested, even if out of curiosity to see how Miko-chan handles the next obstacle. But I think it fails to deliver on the overall premise and leaves the viewer with multiple questions and very few answers. If you're looking for a greater story, this isn't the anime for you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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