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Like many in the anime community, I’ve grown tired of harem anime. Why, because it’s the same crap every single time. A completely average guy gets involved with completely average girls and does absolutely nothing. Typically harem anime are the biggest wastes of time that you can come across. With that being said, occasionally there is a show that can break this formulaic mold. That show is “Kawaikereba Hentai Demo Suki... yada yada yada” or “that one anime airing this season that has HENTAI in its name”

The story of “HENTAI” is what initially piqued my interest. It sounded like a pervy take on the ... Cinderella story only instead of a white slipper it’s panties. Yes, some girl has left a pair of panties behind and the main character must find out who they belong to. Among the usual suspects are a number of different girls each with their own bizarre fetishes. While the culprit is pretty obvious, it’s fun watching our protagonist try to solve the mystery of which pervert is the biggest of them all.

This leads into the characters that help to really drive the story forward who by the way look like they came straight from the Doki Doki Literature Club. When it comes to our main character Hensuki, at first I thought he was going to be the typical weak willed protagonist that you see from nearly every harem. But wait, with a title like “HENTAI”, no way is it going to follow the status quo. To my surprise, Hensuki follows along with the girls antics. Not only that but the straight man routine that he does actually plays off well with the eccentric cast of female characters. Speaking of our female cast, I love how each one is unique and strange enough that their act never really grows old as the show goes on. That’s what I love about this show. It’s the chemistry of the main cast combined with the unusual antics becoming comedy gold. Is it stupid? Yes it is, it has “HENTAI” in the name. Doesn’t mean though it can’t be fun.

With the respect to the art and animation, it works just fine. There’s nothing really spectacular about it. The show is being dually made by the studios Seven and Geek Toys, both of which don’t have that good of a resume, but maybe this is something they can be proud of. As for the character designs, I am still fully convinced that these characters came straight out of the Doki Doki Literature Club and I would not be surprised if they share the same character designer. The music for the show is alright. I did like the fun and upbeat opening song. Ending song is ok I guess.

With a show featuring “HENTAI” in its name, I wasn’t expecting much. However, maybe because of the low expectations I was able to warm up and appreciate the show for what it was. Whatever the case, this was a good watch from this season and I recommend checking it out.

When I heard that Skilled Teaser Takagi-San was renewed for a second season, I was ecstatic. Not because I read the manga or anything, but because I greatly enjoyed the first season. It was one of the sweetest most adorable and wholesome shows I had ever watched. The chemistry between the two main characters was great. The show in general was both a relaxer and a breath of fresh air. With the second season I was fully expecting more of the same. Instead, I got something a little different.

The story continues kind of where it left off with Takagi continuing to relentlessly tease Nishikata. ... The latter of which then tries to outsmart her but falls flat. In the first season, each part of the episode was framed as kind of a challenge and at the end they would tell us who won. This season that formula is thrown away because at this point I think they realized the audience can kind of tell who won without the show needing to explain everything. I liked that nice little change.

One of my favorite parts of last season was the few moments where Takagi was caught off guard. The whole time we’ve known Takagi-san she’s been this cool customer with an unflinching poker face. However there were a couple times when we got to see the other side of Takagi-san. This season we get to see that and more. Part of my anticipation with this new season was the progression of their relationship. I knew they were eventually going to get together, but I didn’t know when. As their relationship evolves, we get to see a new side of Takagi and a new side of Nishikata as well.

With the stakes being raised episode by episode, the quality meets those high demands. Some scenes during the show are absolutely breathtaking with the direction being spot on. Everything is coming together so fast that you will long for the days when the innocently teased each other in the classroom. The opening song only adds to this melancholic feeling.

If perhaps you had passed on this show or maybe only heard about it because of the girl with the massive forehead but ignored it otherwise, then consider giving it a shot this time. For those that have seen the first season and are wondering does it get better? The answer is yes. I can proudly say the second season has surpassed the first season in every way. This show is adorable, fun, heartwarming and absolutely worth your time.

O Maidens Of The Savage Season kind of came out of nowhere. Going into it I thought it would be one of those funny high school sex comedies with loads of fan service and no real plot or story. Instead I was in for quite a shock, and I’m not just talking about that one scene in the first episode. This ended up, surprisingly, being one of my favorite anime of the summer season and a real contender for anime of the year.

The story for Maidens Of The Savage Season is one that I initially had little faith in. The primary plot point centered ... around a girl wanting to have sex. Knowing anime I thought this would be a stupid comedy with some fan service and occasional laughs. Instead I was treated to something surprisingly deep, layered, and oh so real. As the story moves we get to see how these pure young maidens descend into the world of womanhood which for all involved is very confusing. They struggle trying to maintain their freedom or risk becoming slaves to what society wants them to do. You try to convince yourself that you don’t want it even though you do. Therein lies the struggle for the maidens as outside forces try to corrupt them one by one. Of course, while the story is great and ripe with symbolism, it’s the characters that spring it to life.

Our main character is kind of a split between the pure white Niina Sugawara of “I want to have sex before I die” fame and the girl who can’t knock, Kazusa Onodera. While one handles the changing of the times with a little more grace and straightforwardness, the other is perfectly content with letting the savage season consume her. These two are joined by three other maidens each with their own special quirks. The straight laced and uptight Rika Sonezaki acts as the de facto leader for the group in their book club. She is firmly against the dreaded eesecks as they like to call it because god forbid that word be uttered from their pure maiden mouths. These are classy young women, they are above that. Well, most are. This brings me to the next maiden, Hitoha Honguo who is rather quirky with a penchant for the risqué. Out of all the girls she appears to be the one most willing to test the waters. Lastly there is a the shy Momoko Sudou who must face her own inner battle in an era of raging teenage hormones. Together these maidens resist the urges brought on by the savages who who try to corrupt them. What I like though is that this concept is also flipped. For the maidens are equally as capable of corrupting the savages. That’s just life. There is no innocent party. Everyone has urges, feelings, and desires. This show does a great job of creating realistic characters that anyone can relate to.

The world of Maidens Of The Savage Season is not real flashy or glamorized. The art and animation is rather simple which in my opinion is for the best. The bread and butter of this anime is the story and the characters. This isn’t to say the art/animation is bad either. I find the animation to be good. Tonally it’s appropriate for the story it is trying to portray. The sound can really set the mood at times which is exactly what you need for a show like this. The opening song is one of my favorites of the season because it is very telling of what this show has in store. They truly are maidens fighting against this savage season.

It’s rather disappointing that such a beautiful show was passed over so easily this season by so many. The story was relatable, the writing is impactful, the characters are interesting, the art is appropriate, the sound is foreboding. If anything, I hope this review encourages someone to check out this amazing show.

Given is a first for me. I think my first foray into BL/Yaoi type anime was with Yuri On Ice though I never knew it would turn out the way it did. I thought I was in for a normal sports anime about ice skating. Then came along Banana Fish where all I knew about it was they hinted at some shounen ai themes but never fully went into it. Based off that I assumed it was safe enough for someone of my tastes and interests. Then came along Given. An anime where I fully knew it was a yaoi yet I proceeded to watch ... it anyway. The premise of a rock band reminded me of Beck (one of my favorites). The trailer for the anime was well done and it was being shown on the Noitamina anime block. A block known for showing high quality anime. With those things in mind, I dove in bracing myself for whatever BL themes they would throw at me. I was fully prepared to drop it at any time. However, I ended up finishing it. These are my thoughts of my first yaoi.

The story for Given starts off rather promising. You have a high school kid who is in a band in need of a singer happens upon a sleepy eyed loner with a past and a golden voice. From there, it’s about getting this prodigy to open up and peel back the layers that have been keeping his voice locked away. Together they use the power of music and love to free him. Now that I think about it that sounds really corny. Trust me though, the show does a great job of portraying it.

As I was watching week by week everything felt to be moving by very slowly. One of the main points of music anime is the music. Getting to listen to the characters perform and sing songs should be a staple among all music anime. During this time waiting for the performance, the anime spent it developing the cast. Specifically their relationships of the same sex. Something I’m not used to seeing but I soldiered on becoming engrossed in their struggles. At the root of it all was our sleepy eyed kid. As the story slowly peeled back the layers, more was revealed about how he came to be before reaching a fever pitch at the penultimate performance that is episode 9. Sometimes there are individual episodes that define an entire show or better yet define the year in general. Episode 9 was absolutely worth the wait. I take back everything I said about the show being slow due to a lack of musical performances. I was blown away. I could feel the weight behind every musical note uttered, behind every cord strummed, behind every high pitched scream. This episode will definitely stick with me for a long time. After episode 9 the anime mellows out again, only now the heavy blanket that had covered our characters has been lifted. Dawn has risen. A new day is upon us.

The music for this show, what can I say. Episode 9s performance is easily worth a 10 on its own. The opening song is also very good and really gets you excited for the episode as it features a show stopping musical performance by our band. The ending song is rather mellow by comparison but still a good one. Art and animation is acceptable. There is a bit of CGI used during the performance which could definitely throw some people off but it’s not enough to completely distract from the raw power and emotion brought forth.

I’m glad I took a chance on this, and I hope you do too.

I’ve always been drawn to stories of survival. There’s just something about man being out of his element. Being forced to do anything to survive. It’s like the classic underdog story just with more psychological elements and a wilderness setting. In the same way I’ve always found space to be fascinating. It’s the great beyond where no one knows what really exists out there. I just love the mystery aspect of it. This season I was blessed to discover an anime that fit all the different things that I love.

Kanata No Astra or it’s English name “Astra Lost In Space” opening shot gives this sense ... of panic and horror as this person is floating alone in the dead of space. It feels a lot like the movie Gravity for you movie buffs out there. The person is desperately trying to gain control of their surroundings but it all seems hopeless. Dread starts to set in. Then as the character is endlessly spinning around, hope appears, but even that hope may not be what it appears. Now is when it all starts to get real. Just that opening scene sets the tone for the kind of story you are going to get and I love it. The atmosphere (no pun intended) is nailed within the first 10 seconds to the point where I am already sold. That is rare to do.

Moving on, the person who was floating uncontrollably around in space gets rescued only all is not what it seems. For this person is not the only one in a dire situation. Seven other people are in the same boat as her, each carrying their own baggage and a sense of confusion. Stranded alone in deep space this young inexperienced crew will need to band together to make it home alive. Leading them is their self appointed captain Kanata alongside the quickly rebounded and bubbly Aries who not long ago was in panic mode. Throw in your usual stereotypes of the pretty popular girl, the shy girl, the cute guy, the loner, the super serious I wear glasses dude, and of course the little sister. All of them band together with the sole intent of finding their way back home. The only problem is someone doesn’t want them to reach home.

Yes, in space no one cares about cliches. In addition to being inexperienced space travelers they must now contend with an enemy among them. What follows is some of the most ridiculous cliffhangers that would make any soap opera writer jealous. Seriously, I enjoy this show to bits but some of the plot reveals are just too much. Another problem with Kanata no Astra is the predictability of their reveals. They make it all dramatic having the audience waiting on pins and needles for the reveal that anyone could have seen coming a mile away. There is one thing though that Kanata No Astra does exceptionally well, that is its world building. All of the planets that they visit on their journey are unique with their own special features and obstacles that the characters must overcome.

Another thing that saves Kanata No Astra from its cheesy writing is the characters. Yes, most of them are the standard stereotypes that you’ve seen before. However they are still enjoyable to follow. I like getting to hear their stories and the bonds they form on their journey. Even more so when the characters are actually useful. They all have something to contribute on this journey making sure that no one is deadweight. Of course there is also some romance for all of you shippers out there.

When it comes to art and animation, I want to go back to the beginning where I mentioned atmosphere. Kanata No Astra does a good job of making space look bleak but also full of life at the same time. The ship they fly on can look a little wonky though as it is CGI. Though it’s not much of a distraction or a big deal. I can’t really say much about the opening song because they only play it like half the time. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever come across an anime that skips their opening as much as Kanata No Astra does. Guess they wanted to fit as much content in as possible.

For all of its plot problems, I will say this. Kanata No Astra tells a complete story. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. That’s something you usually don’t get so in that respect I don’t mind it’s flaws too much. Lastly, the reason why I enjoyed this is precisely because it feels so familiar. It’s not just because it’s a space survival (though that is a big reason), it’s because it hits all the right notes for me. I enjoyed going on their journey with them. I enjoyed getting to explore all the unique worlds that they came across. I enjoyed every ridiculous plot reveal after plot reveal. I enjoyed the relationships that the characters built with each other. I flat out just enjoyed this anime.

Girl do you even lift!?

How Heavy Are The Dumbells You Lift or my preferred name up above is the recent edition to a new sub genre of anime that I like to call cute girls doing cool and educational things. This year we’ve had girls singing beautiful songs and girls surviving on a deserted island. This time we have girls working out and getting in shape for our viewing pleasure, and what a pleasure it is.

The concept for this anime/manga is genius. How do we get people to start taking care of themselves? How do we get people to hit the gym? The ... answer is simple, get some cute anime girls to hit the gym in your place thus inspiring you to do the same. I mean what could be a better motivator then you and your waifu working out side by side.

The anime even has a good starting off point for those who are hesitant to the idea of “physical activity”. The show starts off with the main character Hibiki wanting to get in shape for the summer. The kind of goal that just about anyone post New Year’s Eve can relate to. The only difference is Hibiki follows through with her plan by joining Silverman’s Gym which is definitely not based off anything. From there she is introduced to her gym friend and muscle freak “ “ along with the gyms trainer Machio San which if the name is any indication is a completely normal average guy who just happens to have a rare form of gigantism where every part of his body except his head is supersized. Normally that kind of disproportionate body size thing would irk me but this is a comedy, so it just works. The dude is also allergic to clothes if you know what I mean.

There isn’t really much of a story aside from every day presents a new workout for the girls to try. There are a few short story arcs with some surprising cameos but most of the time is devoted to flexing and posing. Yes, that’s right. This show is one big Jojo reference. The cats out of the bag. It was just a JoJo anime all along.

Getting back on track, I like that the show is actually taking the time to educate me on the different workout techniques that are displayed. Now I know there are going to be some people that say the fanservice distracts from the learning opportunities but in all honesty, for once the fan service is both needed and justified. It’s needed because an anime just about people working out with no fan service is not going to motivate anyone to check out the show let alone attempt any of the workouts. Finally it’s justified because the act of working out is all about improving the body. Making the body look good. It’s a necessary evil.

When it comes to getting in a good work out, the right music play list is needed to get you in the mood to train hard. Luckily this anime provides both a good opening song and ending song to listen to the next time you feel like pumping iron. Art and animation is pretty good especially the when it comes to accentuating the finer details of the human body for educational purposes of course. Seriously though, lots of eye candy in this show and you have the art/animation to thank for that.

Overall, this is my kind of show. It’s the perfect blend of entertainment and education. Call it edutainment. Might even have to give it the rewatch just so I can workout to it and follow along with the characters. I can confidently give “Girl Do You Even Lift!?” my full recommendation.

Well this was a pleasant surprise. The Girl From The Other Side had been on my radar only because I heard the manga was good, nothing else. While watching I was instantly reminded of a cross between the Ancient Magus Bride and one of those animated shorts that always gets nominated for an Oscar. It had that kind of feel to it. What blew me away the most however was the art and animation. It felt like I was watching someones sketches in a notebook come to life in glorious detail. Every movement is fluid, the scenes are jarring, and the atmosphere has the right ... amount of creepiness to it. All in all, this was very beautiful. My only complaint is that it is too short at less than 10 minutes long. I want more. You can't show me something this unique and creative and not continue on with it. Other than that, there's nothing much else to talk about. The animation is worth the watch alone. With that I recommend checking it out.

I’ve noticed a trend recently over the past couple years. No longer are we getting the influx of cute girls doing cute things. Now we are getting cute girls doing cool things. Whether it’s a bunch of friends sailing to Antarctica or camping in the wilderness or now surviving on a deserted island, this sub genre of anime has undergone a change that I believe is for the better.

Sounan Desu Ka or it’s English name “Are You Lost?” is about 4 girls that suddenly find themselves stranded on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere. While this could be the starting point for ... a comedy about a bunch of whacky hijinks, Are You Lost? takes advantage of its surroundings to inform the audience of what to do when you find yourself in a survival situation. It’s like Bear Grylls if he was a kawaii anime girl. Of course with a short anime featuring four girls you are going to get some fan service but it should not distract you from the survival lessons being shown on screen as they are pretty useful.

The main character Homare is the expert survivor that guides the audience in what to do and not do. Trained by her hardcore father she has what it takes to survive but her friends not so much. While on break from Food Wars! Erina makes an appearance and we see how helpless she is when she doesn’t have the necessary utensils to survive on a deserted island. The rest of the cast fill out the typical damsels in distress trope with homare representing the white knight savior. Even though the episodes average only 12 minutes there is still ample character development throughout even from the unlikeliest of places.

For a short anime the art and animation was surprisingly done well. Everything looks real nice and flows satisfactorily. As for the music, I must say I am a complete sucker for characters that sing and or dance in the OP/ED. Are You Lost? checks both of these boxes making the show pretty fun starting out.

Overall, I thought I was going to get an ecchi comedy kind of show, and while I did get a little bit of that no lie, in the end I came out of it learning something. I wish more shows could be educational while still retaining the entertainment factor. It makes for an insightful watch.

Earlier this year there was an anime that came out called “Fairy Gone” which was largely panned by the anime community for one reason or another. Overall, it left a bad first impression on whoever watched it and word of mouth of its dreadful story spread through the community like wildfire. By this point you are probably wondering what does Fairy Gone have to do with To The Abandoned Sacred Beasts? Anime has existed long enough to the point where some begin to feel like copy cats or they have similar features. Almost like a sense of deja vu. MyAnimeList has a recommendations feature for ... this very purpose. More often then not you will see these trends through the seasons. Because of this people will often love whatever came first and then write off whatever came after it as a cheap imitation. Or if the first one sucked then the person could just ignore the second one all together. By that way of thought, To The Abandoned Sacred Beasts is Fairy Gone’s copycat ripoff... or is it? (Warning: this review contains bad puns)

Story wise To The Abandoned Sacred Beasts has Fairy Gone best in that it is short, sweet, and to the point. It’s a simple story of revenge. The main character was wronged by the antagonist and then has to hunt him down along with his former comrades who are suffering from a terrible case of PTSD where they lose their minds and feel the need to go on murderous killing sprees. Rather than see his friends become monsters he decides to put an end to them while they are still human. To do this he basically has an exploding spear gun though most of the time he just hulks out into his beastly form. For as many times as he uses that form you would think it would take its toll and he would end up in the same state as his comrades but, he has this special power called being the main character.

As for the other characters there’s Cain Madhouse (yes that’s his real name) who I’m pretty sure is evil just for the sake of being evil who is being hunted down by the hero Hank White Fox (not his real name but he’s a white wolf so I think it should be and it would keep the studio trend going). Together they form the revenge crux of the story. A young woman tags along by the name of Ms Trigger (get it because she carries around a gun... I’m sorry I’ll stop now) who happens to look exactly like Hank’s former lover. And of course every anime needs a completely useless character for the audience to ogle at which ain’t a bad thing mind you. Oh and there’s this loli vampire because why not.

While it looks like I’m being harsh on this anime, I’m really not. It’s a straightforward actiony monster of the week type of show. It does nothing to offend nor does it do anything to wow. Art and animation is decent. I will give it some bonus points though for not making the beasts CGI. Both the OP and ED were a good listen and do not recommend skipping either if you do decide to check this out.

So, what’s the verdict then? Is this a Fairy Gone rip-off? Honestly, no. While Fairy Gone and To The Abandoned Sacred Beasts share a lot of similarities, fundamentally they differ in one key area. One knows what it is, and the other doesn’t. I know what it is. It’s an ok watch.

“Thicc thighs save lives, but thigh highs will be my demise” -a man of culture.

As a short form ecchi series it’s not bad in that it doesn’t tone down the content past episode one as there are quite a few steamy scenes later on in the series. All in all though there really isn’t much worth diving into. It’s girls wearing tights. Seriously, almost all of the shots are focused on either their legs or feet. If that’s your thing, it’s a good way to kill 20 minutes. If it’s not then (you are clearly not a man of culture) that’s ok.

Each episode is ... four minutes of school girls and sometimes a teacher wearing tights that don’t leave much to the imagination and being very very flirtatious while doing it. I’ve never had a fetish for that kind of thing till until the sensei enters the room and all of a sudden I feel like I am being seduced. Seriously can we please call 2019 the year of the sensei.

I give Miru Tights a 6 out of 10 cause it’s mighty fine.