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Maids are considered as domestic workers who are hired to serve the people who pay the right price. In real life, we don't associate them with assassinations or esponiage. Those exist in fictional stories. Kimi wa Meido-sama defies common sense because the maid in this show lacks basic skills but has all the necessarily talent as an assassin.

Kimi wa Meido-sama (You Are Ms. servant) encompasses the idea of an assassin with a young boy and how the two builds on a connection. Initially, she tasks herself to be a maid servant for high school freshman Hitoyoshi Yokoya. Without a real name, Hitoyoshi decides to ... call her 'Yuki, based on how much he like snow. First episodes assign itself to daily shenanigans because watching an assassin trying to live a normal life is anything but normal.

The very fundamental ideas for this anime has been saturated before in today's market. Perhaps the most popular example is Spy x Family that reached international success. Kimi wa Meido-sama is no stranger to its formulatic storytelling as other shows such as The Maid I Hired Recently Is Mysterious and The Duke of Death and His Maid in recent years also dealt with maids as a main character. This anime tries to balance the line between living the line of an assassin and maid. It's simple as that really and we'd be lying if we should expect more.

However, given the genre tags including romance, we do have to wonder how far Yuki and Hitoyoshi can develop their relationship. Can this really turn into a loving bond or one that is artifically developed through time? I wouldn't stress out on finding out the real answer other than simply watching the episodes unfold. Yuki is like a curious animal who tries to adapt to her new life by being normal. Although her assassin traits surfaces from time to time, she geninuely wants to live her expectations as a faithful maid. In the show, her lack of social skills are evident and can be overly clumsly. On the other hand, she demonstrates incredible physical feats including superhuman reflexes and instincts of an assassin. This is most evidenced through her rivalry with Grace, another assassin who sets her eyes on killing her. Grace herself represents the anti-thesis of Yuki, being sociable while having a conflicting personality. There's not much levels to their rivalry other than being assassins in the same field, although the anime quickly drowns out their plot. It's not the central part of the story because at its core, the anime wants to Yuki to experience what's like to be a normal person, not as an assassin.

Accomplished through its school setting, Yuki is even enrolled to experience life with other people in an educational environment. While her main goal is to look after Hitoyoshi, she also makes new friends with the most prominent among them including Hitoyoshi's younger sister Riko and the mysterious Naka Hikage. These friendships are important for Yuki's character development as she learns the basic elements of normal life while also growing in confidence as a person. Yuki's personality had been initially reserved and silently cold. Through her new friendship, she slowly grows out of her shell and is able to show geninue smiles and happiness in herself. Unfortunately, the show only gives glimpses of her past life through short flashbacks. It does makes it clear that she experienced an unhappy childhood but the details are not explored to depth. The anime is adapted to a 12-episode show that omits content necessarily to truly flesh out her character. Furthermore, main male protagonist Hitoyoshi remains a dull doorknob most of the time. Even with the light romance chemistry, he never truly changes from himself since the first episode.

Felix Film emerges as a studio who took on many recent projects with a variety of studios. Adapting this from the manga, we do have a consistent run of character personalities that are bought to life. It takes the most expressive reactions from the characters with their emotions. Most prominently is Yuki whose emotions has a wide variety. Admittingly, I do have to admit they captured the overall chemistry fairly well between the cast. Yuki and Hitoyoshi's relationship results in many heartwarming and humorous moments. Even Riko can be contagiously attentive as a character who slowly grows onto you. Grace is adapted with a taste of adult humor but overall remains consistent with the show's other personalities. The only one odd out is Naka Hikage who is designed to look more timid than other character. But nontheless, credit is due for adapting characters with various backgroundss.

Watching Kimi wa Meido-sama reminds me of the simple joy of expericing a rom-com without being overly dramatic. Despite how the premise sounds, this remains a lighthearted story about a boy and an assassin turned maid. And maybe, just maybe we could should learn something from her story.

Yukinobu Tatsu's Dandadan evokes countless expressions of freedom and creativity. While many shows of the supernatural genre tries to play it safe with traditional themes, Dandadan showed us how far creativity and imagination can really take us. As someone who enjoys anime not just for the viewing experience, Dandadan itself feels like an art form, crafted with vivid imagination.

Watching the OP song itself is madness enough. It felt as if we were being pulled into the Twilight Zone of bizareness. Then, the music beat hits and we are greeted with perhaps the most stylistic and catchy opening of the year. "Otonoke" by Creepy Nuts is ... almost indescribable by words alone. The amount of colorful elements are embedded with its alluring tunes, dancing movements, and body language. To say the least, even if you've never planned to watch Dandadan, we should agree tha the opening song is far from normal.

Dandadan's plot synopsis shows tons of potential although not not entirely unique. We've seen it in similar anime such as Mob Psycho 100 and FLCL: characters who meets and building a bond through fated encounters. Momo Ayase's encounter with Takakura Ken (nicknamed Okarun) is such an example. Their idealogy clash about the existence of supernatural pits the two as rivals but this quickly changes into an unique friendship and perhaps something even more.

That's the basis of the plot but it goes beyond much further than dealing with the supernatural. Dandadan's ability to use witty lines and character language is one of its highlights. The two main characters are so different in personalities that you'd think they are from different planets. It's what makes this show's chemistry contagious enough to draw an audience. We want to see what they fight for, and how they do it every episode. From early, the duo goes up against a flatwoods monster and later confronts the infamous Turbo Granny (yes, you can practically picture what she may resemble). Dandadan's 'monster of the week' translates to how the protagonists approach these monsters. All common sense are tossed out the window when confronting these monsters. However, Dandadan doesn't rely on shounen style strategies or battle tactics. They fight the monsters head on almost in cartoony fashion at times. A main selling point of the show is not how to confront these monsters but the cinematic battles themselves. It's an expression of creativity but also intertwined with madness and colorful usage of its cinematics and emotions.

Speaking of which, emotions is among an important factor for character development and relationship bonding. We find out through episode 7 when the character Acrobatic Silky receives perhaps one of the most emotional background story in recent anime memory. You'll have to truly watch and experience it for yourself to understand its impact. But because of strong emotions, Momo and Okarun builds a closer relationship among themselves. These range from a comical accidental kiss to real trust forged between the duo. To add on to the mix, characters such as Aira Shiratori adds even spicy drama among them.

By far, Dandadan takes advantage of its small yet colorful cast through its usage of character emotions. Momo, Okarun, and later on Aira, are at the epicenter of this. The nature of this show draws its attention on how characters behave around other. For example, Aira quickly develops an infutation towards Okarun while the latter is unable to respond accordingly. Meanwhile, countless teases are thrown between Momo and Okarun as they show their attaction towards each other. In classic example, Okarun also shows signs of jealousy when Momo's childhood friend pays her a visit later on in the show. Other characters such as Seiko serves as role models for the younger cast even though they are decorated with peculiar characteristics. From day one, we can see that Dandadan is far from an ordinary show despite taking place in a familiar normal setting. The line that draws between normalcy and the supernatural really goes out the bounds.

Dandadan's success should be counted for what it set out to do from the very first episode. The bizarreness of its themes and unorthodox humor is a major draw for the audience. It might not be suited for everyone but certainly evokes emotions. The one element holding back this season is its shortened length at 12 episodes. There are far more material in the manga that deserves to be adapted but with season 2 announced, our hopes aren't far away.

It's 2024 and this industry still has anime about fake relationships and marriages. When we pair two loners with similar personalities, we get a rom-com that binds together two characters in an unlikely relationship. Yes, it's "marriage" but as we should soon find out, it gets more complicated than just a fake union.

Using the plot device of a fake relationship is far from an original idea in today's industry. Recent franchises such as Rent-a-Girlfriend and to an extent, Spy x Family has used these elements to deliver a story. 365 Day to the Wedding's main goal is for two characters who has no romance experience ... to be together and explore a relationship, even if it's fake and for the sake of their own futures. The synopsis gives a deeper meaning on their reason but the short version is that Takuya and Rika arranged this deal to escape a company transfer.

An arranged deal for marriage like this is used to dodge a bullet. Or could this be a blessing in disguise? Their arrangement seemed more like a spur moment type decision than long committment planning. Ironicially, it's marriage so in reality, the commitment would be until death due them apart. For their own sakes, their marriage is reduced to 365 days, a full calender year which itself is no short of time for two people to be together. The first episode builds on this premise and early on, the pair faces trouble to hide their relationship. Their choice complicates matters just would like in real life at their workplace. While it's not obvious to everyone in their workplace, there's definitely people who notice their relationship is more than professional. Either way, a fake marriage plot like this designates the pair for character and relationship building.

To spell it out simply, neither Takuya or Rika particularly stand out at work or in public. With some effort, Rika can be a eye catcher but for majority of the show, she has a rather ordinary face and is designed to look as normal as possibble. Takuya is less than impressive with the look of a working class stereotype. Their looks are not the problem in their relationship however. It's their lack of experience about romance. Neither of them are experts at dating and obviously, they can't rely on their friends or co-workers for help. This sets the main tone of each episode as the two tries to work out their situation as best as possible. With rom-coms like this these days, we ask ourselves if their fake relationship could become a reality. Would the two fall with each other for real?

It's almost hard to seperate either main character's personalities from each other because the two are so similar. Some of their first dates looks like it's on autopilot. Watching Takuya trying to build a "perfect date" looks more like an assignment than something natural. The show constantly pokes fun of their inexperiences that at times almost feels insulting. But obviously, every episode tries to get the pair to open up and grow as a couple. And with each episode, there are lingering feelings that blossoms into something more. I won't spoil it but their romance is more than obvious to the audience's naked eye.

Nonetheless, this anime wants to teach us about what's like to fall in love. This extends to characters such as Gonda although limited to a specific episode. Its main goal is to help us understand how characters react to a member of the opposite sex. However, be prepared to limit yourself to deeper character studies of the side cast. Takuya and Rika are the heart of the show and this shouldn't been obvious since day one. It's a commitment to their relationship that chronicles their 365 days of fake marriage.

Ultimately, rom-coms like this has been tested in the waters on occasions. It's not an oversaturated market but hardly an original idea when it comes to rom-coms. Takuya and Rika exmplifies the fake relationship trope and shows us how two unlikely adults survive in the real world together.

The words 'forever alone' is usually expressed as a reflective way of an individual's inability to commit to a relationship, friendship, or companionship in any shape or form. Most kids in school probably have heard of it and some will find meaning in those words in their teen and adult life. For a guy like Haruka, he embraces the role of being a loner and wants to be alone for the rest of his life.

It probably feels like deja vu at this point but this looks like another one of those fantasy/isekai anime we've seen countless times this year. In a twist of fate, ... Haruka and his class gets transported into another world. The catch for Haruka himself is that he got to choose skills and he took the opportunity to choose ones suited for a loner.

As someone who has read the manga, various red flags have already been triggered before the first episode aired. The amount of cast that were announced is one such example. When the premise met that Haruka's entire class would be sent to another world, they really did mean it. This translates into a mess of characters all collectively gathered in one place. While Haruka does stand out as the main protagonist, almost every other character look like leftovers. This isn't a show about character building for such a cast. Intead, it's about Haruka. That's it. Haruka, a loner. So in restrospect, we can throw character development out the window.

Yet, this is all felt so blend when we have him as a protagonist. He never hides the fact that he wants to be alone through the action of his skills and personality. There's many levels to this but the fundamental idea is that Haruka truly wants to enjoy life as a loner. He refuses to join other groups or form a party. The first few episodes details Haruka's adventure in this other world that doesn't really set itself unique from other fantasy isekai. There are towns, guilds, monsters, items, skills, and just about everything you can expect. Due to Haruka's choice of skills, he has to use them cleverly. Thankfully, the anime doesn't make him into an overpowered protagonist although he is still more skilled than most of his classmates.

Because of his usefulness, he does attract the attention of others including the female group led by class representative Touka Tsuyuri. Perhaps the only other character that stands out, the anime made her into the class representative role model. She also represents the complete opposite of Haruka such as her ability as a leader, making friends with others, and being a social person. She also trusts Haruka despite his personality. The anime makes it very ambigious about the true nature of their relationship because let's face it, this got dumped into a 12-episode adventure. There is no shadow of a doubt it can adapt a light novel or manga that expands far more into its universe.

But let's treat this as an anime because that's what we're faced to do. So why not write off this series just about Haruka and the class rep Touka? The truth is, this anime wanted us to experience from a viewpoint of a loner. However, it's not a in-depth psychological study of Haruka. It's only what we see on the surface of his character. We don't know much about his life outside of this world but rather what he tries to be: a loner.

Passione's resources and lineup continue to grow by adding Loner Life in Another World. Their recent anime did show that it can faithfully adapt its character designs from the source material. Nonetheless, Haruka's character model looks like the typical teen. The female cast including Touka all have similar faces without any distinctive features. Unfortunately, character expressions throughout the show reminds blend at best and insufferable at worst. It's really like putting together all the medicore pieces of a puzzle together. And when it's complete, you get this mediocre anime known as Loner Life in Another World.

TV shows these days won't stop making anime related to the rom-com genre any time soon. Whether it's about childhood romances, school crushes, or workplace love, there's seemingly always one or two that pops up every season. Makeine Too Many Losing Heroines didn't seem too different from the usual suspects but offers a somewhat unique take on the rom-com genre.

Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! is connected by its genre, something that can't escape from since its first episode. It doesn't take long for us to discover why the heroines are known for 'losing'. Humans emotions are complex and there are countless ways to describe how ... we feel each day. For the female cast of this show, they are connected by heart break. The anime intentionally sets up for them to be crushed mentally when their love interest rejects them. In some ways, the anime is self aware of its boundaries and what it set to do. At the center of it, a young man named Kazuhiko Nukumizu is confronted by these losing heroines.

Nukumizu represents the poster child of an introvert in this anime. Not the type to make friends easily and also keeping to himself, very few understands the type of person Nukumizu really is. In actuality, he is a normal teenager who just has self doubts especially when dealing members of the opposite sex. Furthermore, his otaku habits blends in with his real life behavior, such that he believes he sometimes believes life is like a light novel.

The show is created with romance in mind but not the typical 'guy and girl fall in love' together. The s main protagonist is actively aware of romance but his own inferiority causes him to have a low self-esteem. It doesn't take long for him to find others who also suffers from love and rejection. The most prominent among them includes Tsuwabuki High's first year student Anna Yanami. The pair's bonding begins after Anna got rejected by her crush and she needed a shoulder to confide in. Nukumizu becomes a sort of life coach for her even though he lacks any experience in romance. However, that's not the point. It's obvious that the anime wanted to build on their own relationship while also getting Nukumizu to grow out of his shell. From early episodes, he also makes contact with other heroines such as Lemon and Chika. Although their circumstances are different, they all fall in the category of being on the 'losing' when it comes to romance.

As self aware this anime is about romance, it doesn't necessary try to push that direction at every chance it gets. It treats the story narrative like a life lesson, as something that needs to be learned. Characters such as Anna, Lemon, and Chika all go through phases that resembles the 5 stage of grief. This is where Nukumizu's role plays in and he attempts to support them on an emotional level. It starts off awkwardly beause he has a hard time understanding each of their feelings. Given his poor social skills, Nukumizu's experience here almost feels like a lesson for him to learn too. Watching him pair up with the loser heroines invokes a variety of feelings and emotions. While he offers dating advice every now and there, it often has mixed results. By the time half this show aired, all the main girls has suffered emotionally in one way or another. None of them find their fairy tale ending and it begs brings the question whether Nukumizu failed as an advisor and as a friend.

Whatever direction you see the story dives into, it's obvious that it's also about the characters growing up. Romance and relationship plays into a big factor as part of the show's core themes. However, be aware that some of the main characters will take the 'Third Wheel' role, including Anna. Nukzumizu is also often caught in the middle of misunderstandings. And because of how the heroines are introduced to him in the show, it leaves Nukumizu a negative first impression of them. Ultimately, this show takes on an experimental like style of storytelling where it doesn't try to pair up the main guy with the three main girls. It uses him as a plot device while deconstructing the romance aspects and sticking to its main roots.

A-1 Pictures' style seems it was destined to adapt this light novel straight on the TV screen. Character designs looks just like the art illustration coming to life. The main girls each have their delicate features matched by their personalities. At times, there are also various comedic moments that looks foolishly cartoony. Other times, it gets emotional carried by tears, moans, and sobbing. And to add some flavor to the anime, the show promoted various artwork that you'd often find in romance. The ED theme songs are also colorful, catchy, and plays a metaphoric role in highlighting the studio's talents.

Makeine Too Many Losing Heroines! is a show that takes the romance genre and plays around with it almost like a game. Nukzumizu is forced to be in that role of a player who has to guide the losers to their victory. No, this isn't a show about love conquest. Instead, it's a life journey, a show that tests each of the characters' human feelings and see where it takes them.

While slimes in isekai fantasy anime these days aren't unique or special, there's something really fascinating about following the adventure of Rimuru. You know, the guy who got killed and reincarnated as a slime and now leads his group with his alluring charisma. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season really needs no introduction because this is essentially continuing the adventure of Rimuru reincarnated as a slime.

I don't want to be the deliverer of bad news but if you plan to watch this season, be sure to have patience. I really mean it, lots of patience. The reason is that the first 7 ... episodes of this season revolves alot of talking. By lots, I do mean lots that stretches across several episodes. Most of this deals with boardroom meetings while throwing in some snarky sarcasm and balance of cheeky humor in between. Rimuru's leadership has influence on his group so the anime wanted to flesh out his personality as much as possible. But sometimes, we should ask ourselves if that many episodes is necessary for story development. To make matters more peculiar, many segments in those episodes talks about the same topics while looping around back and forth. It's like intentionally stretching a Youtube video to make it 10 minutes while talking about the same topics over and over.

Thankfully, Slime Season 3 does remind us what makes the franchise entertaining in the first place. After 7 grudging episodes of endless chatter, we are faced with the rivalry between Rimuru and Hinata. Their conflicting ideals and differences makes them opponents and of course, they end up exchanging fists on the battlefield. Rimuru's charisma and Hinata's determination both are shown throughout that battle, and for what's worth, it awards the audience's patience. While it may not be the grand battle of the entire season, it's still among the most important to see two opposite sides clash for what they believe in.

However, this season also suffers a consequence of having questionable antagonists. Even Hinata is branded as a somewhat antagonist if we see her side of the story. The Seven Days Clergy does represent a more mysterious side of this season, however. Given their motivations, it does add more time to invest into their roles. Given its large colorful cast, we shouldn't expect too much focus on Rimuru's companions. Yes, I say these are more of his companions because it appears Rimuru may not have a true friend throughout this season. Nonetheless, returning characters such as Shion, Albis, Benimaru, Diablo, Gobta, Shuna, among others are a welcoming sight. Their chemistry still brings together a charm this show had retained even after all these years. For Rimuru's group, they treat each other like family and accepts the blue slime as a leader. It's also no surprise that the show occasionally throws in some comedic character rivalries between certain segments.

Admittedly, this season has a strange direction in pacing. Season 3's obsession with boardroom meetings reaches its apex in the first half of the show. Never have we had 7 straight episodes in the history of this franchise with a group of characters doing nothing but talking. It does rebound itself through an exciting battle and character chemistry as more episodes progressed. Furthermore, this season adds some more flavor of entertainment through the employement of a tournament. Yes, fantasy anime these days love to use it as a plot device to give additional characters screen time. Gobta is one such example when see how much he's improved. Still, we really do need to question ourselves if 24 episodes were necessary or enough to adapt the season. The first half dragged us down while it's led by a much exciting second half. Overall, it's a balanced series that takes patience to get through.

Retaining the art style of the previous seasons, Tensei Slime delivers on the entertainment front when it doesn't have the cast running their mouths in boardroom meetings. From day one, the cast had chemistry and Rimuru serves as the poster child of the show. He earned it through hard work, charisma, and the charm of his personality. Nonetheless, Tensei Slime sets what the show has been doing this whole season and we should appreciate what we get.

If someone told me a few years ago that Spice and Wolf is getting a new anime to air in 2024, I would've laughed it off and called them crazy. Looking backto 2022 from the announcement and here we are. Holo, the wise wolf makes her grand return on the television screen, her first time in well over a decade.

Back in 2008, the first Spice and Wolf anime holds a special place for me and I'm sure it's a special anime for many fans. It's the first fantasy anime that I watched that didn't revolve around swords, magic, or some sort of plot about saving ... the world. Spice and Wolf ventures into an unique category that deals with economics and business. For a franchise like this, Spice and Wolf was ahead of its time.

Rather than adapting a direct sequel, Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets The Wise Wolf serves as a remake, retelling the story of 25-year old Lawrence Kraft and his traveling companion Holo. However, the remake goes far deeper into their story, relationship, and adds more into their world lore. Watching this season reminded me the nostalgia of enjoying a fantasy-adventure classic. Spice and Wolf's first episode begins with the season of the harvest festival but immediately introduces the self-proclaimed Wise Wolf, Holo. According to story lore, people worshipped her as a God-like entity far before the main timeline story began. Holo is aware of this and holds pride in her status. Meeting with someone like Lawrence is a new experience as she has never build a relationship so close to a human before. It's between the two that we truly experience their story.

Even after 15 years, it felt like yesterday when we met Holo and Lawrence. The voice actors played an outstanding job at performing their roles, in particular Holo. Her haughty, sarcastic, flitartious voice tone adds countless moments for the audience to see. Accompanied by her superior confidence, Holo is truly prideful of her existence and what she presents. Although some might interpret it as arrogance, Holo never has malicious intents to gain what she wants. Her love for food and alcochol also shows her humanity. Even though she is a wolf entity, Holo displays many traits that is perceived as human. In fact, she isn't that different from Lawrence thoughout their journey together. It's noticable from the start that both characters contain insecurities about themselves. Holo's greatest fear is being alone while Lawrence rely on himself so much that he realizes not everything can be accomplished by himself alone.

As a remake, this season follows mostly in tone with the original season. The storytelling maintains a balance of dealing with business while developing the relationship between our two main protagonists. Holo and Lawrence together accompanies each other skills. With Holo's wit and Lawrence's intelligence, they're able to get through many obstacles and obtain their win of the share. In their business dealings, it's easy to see what can go wrong if neither of them help each other. The show makes it clear that Lawrence's experience is invaluable. Meanwhile, Holo's playful personality and persuasive nature gets them by through bargaining and other essential deals.

One of the main selling factors for the original and this remake is the expanding relationship between Holo and Lawrence. It's very important to realize that the two rely on each for comfort and escape lonliness. They only have each other as judging by their journey, they don't come across any close friends, family, or allies. We actually don't see much of either characters' family at all, whether in the present timeline or the past. As such, Holo and Lawrence always depend on each other to survive. This is made so important that Holo suffers a case of monophobia, where anxiety surfaces and she expresses them in extreme ways in later episodes. It's a sensitive topic that can relate to any relationship and this anime is able to explore that in its own unique way.

Kicking into the story, Holo and Lawrence comes across many interesting individuals ranging from the shepherd Nora Arendt, finsmonger Fermi, and church manager Else Schtingheim. Each of these individuals introduces business and emotional elements for the pair. For instance, Nora ignites a feeling of jealousy for Holo while also serves as a foil character because she is a shepherd. Fermi's fascination for Holo causes him to fight Lawrence for her ownership. And finally, Else gives us a deeper glance at the complex system of the church in their world. Let me just say that while these supporting characters do not become permanent traveling companions, they test the feelings of our two main stars. Spice and Wolf truly wants us to show how Holo and Lawrence interact with others in unusual circumstances and face life together in ways they've never realized before.

Passione's long track record of adapting various fantasy based media has a role for Spice and Wolf. Among their most prominent work includes Rokka no Yuusha, with the environmental art style feeling familiar with this show. Adapting into this series over a half and decade later, the character designs look cleaner and sharper. Nonetheless, the overall asthetic is still similar including its world fiction. The most noticable character traits are Holo's wolf features and more prominently, her real form. When transformed, she displays fierceness and animalistic features of a mature wolf. In such form, she grows several times her size and sheds her human form completely although maintaining much of the same personality. The fan service of her being nude should not be misinterrpted as it's her natural form. The show contrasts her human and animal form in such magnficient ways that it looks surreal and atone to classic fantasy.

Watching Spice and Wolf after all these years made me realize that these remakes brings so much more than just nostalgia. It's a celebration of the author's works and gives both returning and the new audience to experience such a wonderful adventure.

Gimai Seikatsu (Days with My Stepsister) may be what can be described as a misunderstood anime. The title itself and romance genre brings together questions on whether this may include psuedo incest content. And if so, that would bring nothing less than controversy. Luckily, you can ease your fear because Days with My Stepsister isn't a show about dating.

At the heart of the show involves the step-brother and step-sister. Both attend high school students in their second year and it's here that the story evolves. Yuuta Asamura stars as the main protagonist as an ordinary guy with no distinctive traits. He tends to keep to ... himself and remains distant with others. On the other hand, we meet Saki Ayase, a cold beauty who tends to avoid others and in some ways, similar to Yuuta. Watching the first few episodes gives the impression that the pair does not know each other very well. It's only as they spend more time together that they begin to open up because from the first few episodes, they look more like strangers than step siblings.

Told in a narrative format with heavy dialogues and inner thoughts, this show protrays a very melancholic mood. There's a mixture of emotional drama that often sees how characters think from their point of view. This is prominently displayed through the eyes of Saki as she wonders about her daily life and reflecting with others she thinks of. The most important person in her life is Yuuta although she does not recognize this herself at first. That's because Yuuta takes a practical approach at living life. He takes on life in a realistic way such as working at a local bookstore, going to school, and avoiding trouble whenever possible. Realistically, it's the most fundamental way of how a person can live. Yuuta doesn't possess any extraordinary gifts so naturally, he doesn't go out his way to prove himself to anyone.

Similarly, Saki tends to hide her own emotions, and accomplishes this rather well. In public, it's almost if she's wearing a mask to cover her personality. However, she has nothing sinister to hide because deep down, she is a kind and gentle person. She just isn't the type that tries to be the girl next door. Saki's character slowly progresses and she shows more emotions, particuarly towards Yuuta. However, I will say to keep expectations in check. Through her diary entries, body language, and character expressions, Saki really isn't someone who befriend others easy. The anime contains a mellow mood that explores the depths of human feelings. Yuuta and Saki displays similar emotions that sometimes, you have to wonder if they're the same person.

The show contains a small character cast which effectively works although Saki and Yuuta overshadows the majority of them. Saki's classmate Maaya adds some energy to the otherwise melacholic show while university student Shiori shows maturity and being the responsiblity of young adult. Reflecting on Saki and Yuuta's character stories, it really will take patience for viewers to warm up to them. The main point of this show is giving us viewers the chance to see what their lives is like while developing an important relationship.

Told through heavy narratives, key moments are highlighted through the usage of letterbox format. It's a clever usage of chereography as it makes the scenes feel important and memorable. Throughout this show, there will be many flashbacks that takes control of the story narrative. Studio Deen effectively delivered those chereography with its clean animation. Furthermore, character designs are decorated with a soft, delicate feature, especially for Saki Ayase. The show omits any type of cartoony reactions and instead uses more realistic human expressions. If you ask me, this show set out to do what it wanted on day one.

Even if it's misunderstood at first glance, there's plenty of time to grow and accept the anime for what it tries to tell us. Main protagonists Yuuta and Saki tells their story and molds it together as their relationship develops. Rom-coms like this can also be despairing to watch with the oversatured amount of melacholic moments. But for Days with My Stepsister, it's a journey that is worth following.

Taking on a somewhat unique gimmick for a rom-com show, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian is exactly how it sounds like. Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou (aka the "solitary princess") is a difficult girl to approach because she sometimes hides her true feelings in Russian. As strange as that might sound, she doesn't realize that her fellow classmate Masachika Kuze understands her.

Delivering on the promise of a rom-com, it should be obvious to the audience that Alya harbors feelings for Kuze. Expressed sometimes in Russian, she builds a wall around herself whenever her feelings surfaces. From day one, the anime wants us to understand Alya's ... personality. It's no surprise that she loves to tease Kuze without knowledge that he understands Russian. Kuze plays along and sometimes feigns igornance although most of the time, we see his shocked reaction. The show builds on this pair's relationship through these circumstances and sets the main foundation of the story.

One of the main strengths of the show is its colorful character roster. The main characters Alya and Kuze get their background storytelling but a decent amount of screen time is also given to others such as Yuki, Maria, and later Ayano. The most noticable among the female character cast is Yuki who loves to tease Kuze. Even as a sibling, it's strongly implied that Yuki may have a brother complex while relentlessly trying to get Kuze to react to teasing. Deep down, the two share a close relationship that often serves as a comedic element of the show. At school, Yuki acts more like an elegant model student who others look up to. While at home, she acts like a spoiled kid who wants attention. It's kind of the classic sibling relationship that is treated with humor filled with popcorn entertainment moments. And to be honest, that's a delight.

Should you expect a love story? While this show adapts romance into its story, don't expect the anime to play out like some dramatic shoujo. The romance is just a part of it, where the plot also indulges on the school elements. The most prominent among this is the student council and and its elections. While some school rom-coms adapts these loosely and ties it up within an episode or two, this becomes a recurring plot that serves with significance. Taking place at Seirei Academy, the student council president position is viewed as a role of pride and honor. The main rivalry builds between Alya and Yuki and throughout this rivalry, we see tension around that venture into their personal lives. Indeed, the anime loves its comedic moments among the main cast. However, when the election gets involved, we see character rivalries reach their apex. The only downside appears to be a loose and incomplete adaptation. Given the show's length of 12 episodes, it couldn't focus on all aspects of the election plot. Thus, this anime fundamentally adapts the election to highlight some emotional moments but falls short on its main execution.

However, even if you're not sold on the plot, this show shines most with its character personalities and chemistry. Yuki's on-screen chemistry between Yuki and Alya is a recurring gag that is undeniably entertaining. One might say the recurring moments gets repetitive in nature, but overall, it ignites their personalities. I mean, who wants to see cardboard characters that act like on autopilot? No, we want to be entertained by what see. Even characters such as Ayano can be unintentionally amusing with her stoic appearance and robotic-like mannerisms. The only character I do feel like it's lacking may be Maria. We do short glimpses of her flashbacks, but it undersold in terms of characterization. Out of all the main female cast, her chemistry with Kuze and others is overshadowed.

Studio Doga Kobo has a long history of adapting rom-coms to the screens and has earned the audience's trust. Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian is adapted with care and commitment. There's no drop in production quality throughout the entire run of the show. Character designs for the female cast is especially decorated with elegant features, most prominently Alya and Yuki. Their expressions has variety and while some might some says have similar face models, they stand out like larger than life characters. The OP theme song is exceptionally spellbinding with colorful chereography while dressing up characters in countless ways. There's also theme songs for every episode highlighting the elegance of the cast, most noticably Alya. She's the title character after all and deserves to be the poster girl.

Watching this anime from beginning to end has given me a new insight on rom-coms in recent years. Sometimes, it's just fun to see character chemistry and not worry too much about the story's drama. Sure, this sure has its drama but it ultimately did what it said out to do. Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian may not be able to compete for anime of the year, but it has the traits of an entertaining rom-com.

With technology advanced this far in our society today, we may wonder when robots and machines will take over our lives. It's no secret that AI has emerged as a tool in recent years in various sectors of the industry. When will we have robots roaming around our neighborhood? Or even more interesting to ask, what if robots can build a meaningful relationship with humans?

My Wife Has No Emotions is an anime that crosses the boundary into those questions. It's not the first title that explored such a premise. One might remember a show called 'Chobits' that aired in 2002 that featured a prominent relationship ... between a robot and human. Nonetheless, My Wife Has No Emotion experiments with how a robot interact with a human in similar ways. Because in this show's world, robots truly has evolved to a point where they can become partners with their customers. Takuma Kosugi finds this out after issuing a command to his robot Mina to become his "wife".

As simple as the plot sounds, it can also be deceptively complex. The story presents the opportunity to explore how and what robots feel. The most prominent is the Mina we see in the promotional videos and poster. There are other models including the Super Mina but at its core, the main premise deals with Takuma and Mina's relationship. Their chemistry at its most fundamental level can be described as awkward. While Takuma does have geninue feelings towards Mina, the latter has a hard time realizing what love is. She adapts with her environment, while learning about the real world in a slice-of-life style. Every episode sets off an adventure that experiments with Mina's behavior. At times, it also feels like a sitcom as certain events are situational with various results. It adds humor whenever we see Mina defy common sense. However, adapting this show also faces challenges with it relates to romance. There's no doubt that Takuma adores Mina as a wife. However, Mina has difficulty expressing her own emotions because of her programming. Watching this anime will tests the viewers' patience as it takes time for her to learn about love.

Even as a housewife, Mina displays a remarkingly amount of human-like emotions even in early episodes. She's programmed to do household chores but that doesn't stop her from stepping out of her comfort zone. This includes places such as the beach, going to picnics, or even interacting with other Mina models. She has such a presence that it's impossible to just see her as a preprogrammed bot. It's noticable that throughout the series, she builds an unique relationship with another machine called Mamoru. Unlike Mina, Mamoru is much less human-like. This contrasts with characters such as the Super Mina, who is able to express a hyper level of energy.

With 12 episodes, it adapts the fundamental elements of the series' themes. Beyond exploring the relationship between human and machine, there's also more in depth character study of Takuma. We see that he is deep down a lonely man who wants companionship. Even though he realizes it's not completely real, Takuma values Mina as a wife. No, not trophy wife but a geninue wife that he cares of. It's also no secret that his lonliness causes self doubt. The show skillfully adapts Takuma as a salarayman that we can relate to in the real world.

This show isn't known for its production quality but we should accept that Mina is adapted with care and credibility. She looks, acts, and behaves like a robot when performing her daily duties. The most noticable features are her eyes and lack of smile when on-screen. Because she has no real emotion, Mina behaves like how we expect her to. She says what Takuma wants to hear although at times, she also questions herself that even goes against her programming. Nonetheless, Mina has a delicate face for a robot and her chemistry with Takuma is undeniable. Tezuka Productions is a very old studio but they managed to bring this show to a modern audience.

While not achieving mainstream success, My Wife Has No Emotion can be watched just about anyone. It's recommendable because of how both simple and deceptively complex both the main characters are. Also, it's a breath of fresh air when every season in recent years is dominated by fantasy, isekai, and rom-coms. Sometimes, a show like this is just made to enjoy.