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the gangstalking continues.. GOATji, GOATJO, and SUKUNGOAT all in one season. things are already sweet in the flashback season but then the second cour really catches a vibe (nobody is safe either as multiple frauds are dealt with both gang and villains)
really good animation through-and-through and some great scenes of the gang jumping on some villains. maybe better than season 1. king mappa has done it again.

also i will now take the time to address the mappa allegations. is it an issue? yes. but i personally will be continuing my protest against wit studio. not because of their work conditions, but because i do ... not like them. king mappa all the way.

JJK is the world's first pragmatic shonen series!

Early on, yuji, megumi and nobara think they're on dbz timing and try to solo 1v1 a strong enemy. yuji promptly was welcomed to the bbq and loses his arm + dies. nobara is taken to the nether and cooked. megumi just tries to kill himself when he realizes the GOATs are no more (reoccurring theme). due to some hijinks they actually clutch this one up and what follows is a beautiful masterclass anime in gangstalking as every proceeding fight is a 3v1 jump (jumpjustu kaisen). i don't think yuji actually ever got a 1v1 on ... lock, that's how much gangstalking happens in this show.

Belladonna of Sadness is a film that invokes thought. It demands your full attention and torments you relentlessly with an endless juxtaposition of horrifying symbolic imagery and beautifully drawn keyframes. In my opinion, this film is one of the greatest films ever created.

The incredibly horrifying (yet stunning) imagery brings out the most terror and despair I have ever seen in film. The wonderful illustrations and audio are a heavy contrast against the subject matter, satiating any morbid curiosity and furthering the desire to watch. The subject matter itself is no laughing matter, as you witness a seemingly endless torturing of the protagonist Jeanne. ... Indeed, the film can be downright gut-wrenching at times, but the art is so magnificent that you will find it virtually impossible to look away. The soundtrack is of equal margins; a masterpiece in its own right of mixing jazzy tunes with guitar ensembles and experimental electronic synths. The backing tracks will switch from something jazzy and optimistic to something further ominous or downright sinister at a moments notice, which completely changes the tonal interpretation of many of the scenes shown.

There's enough in this film to keep you coming back for many rewatches (a typical sign of a masterpiece), but the brutal rape scenes will caution you from taking this film too lightly and revisiting it too soon.

A beautiful, visceral experience, but not for the faint of heart at all. Must watch.

Grand Blue is one of the funniest shows I have ever seen. It is on par (if not better than) Golden Boy, which many consider to be the primo standard of Comedy anime.

The story at its core follows the various escapades of a male protagonist throughout college and the diving club that he joins. As a college student myself, all the jokes and exacerbations of college life were incredibly humorous and relatable; some even making me nostalgic for the equivalently stupid shit I did in my early years of college (we made something dangerously close to Grand Blue's "Oolong Tea" recipe in my Freshman ... year).

The humor cannot be understated in it's excellency; utilizing the strong character cast allows for some of the funniest material I have ever seen in a show. Iori and Kouhei's bond is second to none. It feels genuine (which is rare in anime, lets be honest), believable, and works so well in conjunction with the comedy present in the show. Unequivocally, a lot of the humor is completely over the top -- which is only strengthened by Grand Blue's equally over the top facial animations.

It's important to note that this isn't a harem, romance, or any other ulterior genre other than a Comedy Slice of Life. I think that a lot of people get disappointed because they expect either a serious diving show, or the humor doesn't land and they're left vying for more. I wouldn't recommend this show if that's what you're looking for. If you want a nostalgic, creative interpretation of some of the best qualities of college life, you must pick this up. If you are a college student, you must pick this up. It is impossible not to burst out laughing every five minutes in this show.

Some people may argue that the characters depicted are so alien from reality that the humor is lost in the process - but I disagree entirely. The actions depicted in this show really seem a small step away from the fraternities I have witnessed, even in all of their insanity. And while this is a purely anecdotal observation, I do think you are truly missing out if you write this off simply because it isn't realistic enough in your depiction of college. Parties I have gone to at college have included me drinking entire wine coolers, half of dozen cups of blackout juice, topless parties, etc. The point I'm making is that I know my experiences aren't solely confined to just me. They're quite stereotypical, and those are the stereotypes Grand Blue makes fun of. (In the show, instead of drinking topless, they just drink naked. Instead of drinking high proof vodka, they drink Everclear recreationally). I think if you have a relatable experience, this show will be one of the funniest shows you will ever watch.

tl;dr - incredibly funny Seinen show, however, if you are not the target audience you may not enjoy this nearly as much. Aimed at college students, new graduates, or those who have fond college memories.

I am a big fan of any show that is considered Harem or Ecchi. It easily makes up my most watched genre. While the reasons for me enjoying these shows over the vast seas of other genres may not be the most stipulating read of all time, my knowledge in this category (for better or worse) is second to none. With a heavy heart, I must say that My Dress-Up Darling fell far flat of it’s reveled critical acclaim and my expectations. (This is going to be a lengthy dissertation, so if you want my quick summation scroll for the tl;dr)


Understanding why this show sucks ... requires an adept understanding of how romcoms, harems, and ecchis play into certain cliches and stereotypes. More often than not, harems can be split into two genre subtypes. Some shows can be grouped under the guise of the plot being something so totally unbelievable or foreign from reality that there’s zero relation to real life (for example, Trinity Seven, Date A Live, arguably even Highschool DXD). These shows aren’t aiming for realism and they don’t need to – often adding ridiculous action scenes and unnecessary lore to give their world a level of believability. Other shows aim for a more purist approach – trying to depict reality as-is – which can be far more challenging. An example of this that quickly comes to mind is The Quintessential Quintuplets (TQQ). While the story is fairly mundane compared to some of the plot brevity found in other harems, TQQ shines in it’s fleshed out character interaction. This, combined with a fairly believable plot curates the show to be a shining example of a “realistic” romcom. Nisekoi could also be considered for this category.


So, what happens when these subgenres flop? In the case of the former example (we’ll call them unbelievable harems), you generally are left with a forgettable action show that is digestible but probably not worth rewatching. The show ‘Hundred’ comes to mind. Nothing overwhelmingly terrible, but certainly not a favorite show of many. When the latter subgenre flops though (let’s call them realistic harems) you are left with a truly disastrous, mundane show that isn’t worth watching at all. School Days would be a good example of this. (I understand School Days has become somewhat of a cult favorite on the internet; level with me here, it sucks).


The problem with My Dress-Up Darling is that it attempts the same approach as TQQ, (a “realistic harem”), but the entire show is so unbelievable it feels nearly patronizing to the viewer. The scenarios depicted in this show are so purely fantasy that it feels like an “unbelievable harem”, but the plot is so mundane that it is clearly a realistic harem. Hence, you are left with a show that doesn’t know its own identity – and in the case of My Dress-Up Darling, you are left with a disaster that can be legitimately painful to watch.


The story of My Dress-Up Darling greatly exacerbates this problem. To surmise, the show revolves around an absolute loser – a legitimate incel – who doesn’t go outside in order to paint dolls. There is nothing redeeming in this character. He is purely one dimensional and created nearly certainly as a self-insert character. Overtly apologetic, spineless, and completely devoid of any self-confidence, there is nearly ZERO conversations in this anime where he doesn’t bring up how depressing his life is. I remember one conversation that he handled like a genuine human being out of the four hours I watched this show. Conversely, the love interest is literally a Manic Pixie Dream Girl. The manic girl (I honestly forgot her name already) is shown with numerous friends and works as a model – the polar opposite of our formidable incel lead. Clearly well-adjusted with normal interests, it would take something short of a miracle from God to bring these two characters together. However, after finding out the incel can sew, she devotes her life to him. This connection was so poorly established that it actually infuriated me. There is no reality, no UNIVERSE, where a bond like this is even remotely possible. Because the show strives so hard to be placed in reality, this is a massive issue in enjoying the show at all. Of course, this probably wouldn’t be much of a problem if the writers discovered character development. One of the reasons this show feels so fake, so fabricated, is because the main character doesn’t change at all for the extended duration of the show. There is a stark contrast between the bubbly, extroverted nature of the manic girl and the depressed “I hate my life and like dolls” incel lead.

Now, it’s not that I don’t think these characters couldn’t exist. I have met people that function precisely like Manic Pixie Dream Girls. I also know plenty of people who could probably be veiled under the “incel” category. The plot just piles on a level of sheer impossibility for this relationship to happen. It only takes ONE episode after finding out he can sew clothes for the girl to start doing all sorts of sexually weird shit. Compounding this, the protagonist is nearly on the spectrum for half this show – downright fucking weird – creating another total implausibility: the girl happens to be an odd, clueless, pseudo-virgin. Many times throughout the show the girl does something batshit sexual, and can’t understand why the incel positively loses his mind. The show practically assumes that you don’t have a brain. Of course, if it isn’t apparent, the entire show is just delusions of grandeur for lonely people.

The difference in personalities is actually so intense that it truly becomes impossible to believe these two could be friends at all, even in the final episodes of the show.
There are numerous times in the show where the girl wants to go somewhere – shopping for example, and the viewer is bestowed with twenty seconds of the incel screaming and crying. Turns out, he’s too embarrassed to go shopping because he’s never been shopping in his life due to him painting dolls all day. He then proceeds to wax philosophical about how dollmaking can relate to [current episodic situation]. This is a legitimate plot device used in one of the episodes. I like harems and romcoms because I can turn off my brain and enjoy mindless fun, but there is a limit to what you can stretch.


While this may be more opinionated, I also really felt the burnout of the trope of this show. Cosplaying gives plenty of fan service, sure, but I didn’t find much substance in it beyond the second episode. Once again, this is primarily due to this show aiming for realism. I understand that it’s being used to draw the main characters in hot outfits, but this just doesn’t make sense in the world that is depicted.


This show also has all the marking of a long-haul “cash cow” show without any purpose. Once the manic girl realizes she has a crush on the incel protagonist, the show LITERALLY (LITERALLY) delivers a new waifu to the incel’s doorstep. The last episodes have both of them in all the cliches – at a love hotel (but no sex!) and at a festival, looking deeeep into each others eyes… but no kissing! I promise you this show will bleed as many episodes as possible before forcing a confession, because that would ruin the intent: allowing sad, lonely people to self-insert with hot anime girls. That’s all this show is, and it’s a shame they try so hard to hide it. The animation is fantastic (at least for the first three or four episodes, in which a very clear “oh shit we are overbudget” is noticeable and the quality drops substantially) and there’s some good comedy. That can’t save this show, unfortunately, due to the story being so fucking awful.


In a world where The Quintessential Quintuplets has an iron grip on what this genre SHOULD look like, there is zero reason to resort to a show this deplorable. You deserve better as a viewer.

tl;dr – show is bad because it tries too hard to be realistic, when it is unrealistic. Mostly good animation, but an awful main character makes it nearly unwatchable. Almost certainly just waifu bait for lonely people. Watch something else.

So many people on this site publish reviews with these ultra-pessimistic mindsets in hopes that they seem more refined and reasoned. The reality is that these cynics come across hopelessly contrarian and the actual review is lost in the process. In lieu of this, I will keep my review poignant.

Spy x Family is an elegant comedy. I enjoyed every episode (including the opening) completely, hence the 100% rating. The jokes are funny and generally a product of character development, which helps the comedy feel natural. The general episodic plot structures are tasteful to the overall setting of the show, which keeps the pacing spot on. ... The story itself is unique and the character development is brilliantly interjected over major plot points.

Don't watch it if you don't like heart-warming comedies, I guess. It's hard to comprehend that someone could hate this show, but MAL has proved that such degenerates are among the living. For the well-adjusted, this will remain an instant classic.

The story was decently interesting, but I really didn't like it when everyone started getting raped. The show starts off in magic funland- Abilities and monsters galore! This beautiful world filled with magic and mystery screams 'adventure' from the first minute. Our fun (yet a tad nervous, and shy) little MC is chosen to be a hero when he gets EPICALLY RAPED! Many times! Just as I started getting used to the brutal molestation this show viscerally depicts, the subtle blink-and-you-miss-it sexual themes switched from purely hetereosexual assault to something more inclusive! PENIS ON PENIS ACTION FOR 60 STRAIGHT MINUTES! I'm not sure who they ... thought the target audience for this content was, but from a value perspective porn companies will really have to step the game up if they hope to compete in the "violent gay rape" category hereon. Just when the shock value of what I was witnessing on screen began to die down, the animators decided to beat the MC to spice up the story (is this even a story)? Ball-busting, cock-gobbling, bone-breaking rape – just what this series needed to be a knockout! The pace quickened - and before I could even comprehend what what they did with the MC, the main character went back and raped the original rapists, paradoxically raped his own mother (who did nothing but exist, really - I have no idea what happened there), deliberately cucked someone with the intent to rape, cannibalistically raped another individual, committed bestiality rape and aspired to commit brutal gay rape on an unprecedented scale. I am not making this plot up, this is a direct summation of season one. I actually like the story a decent bit but there was so much rape everywhere I kinda forgot the totalitarian conquest part of the show. Combat and abilities were really decent and fun to watch which makes me wonder why the animators decided to rape (:3) my eyes the entire show.

I would not recommend this if sexual themes make you a bit squeamish. Cool show if you like magic action adventure!

Oh dear Himoto! Umaru-chan, where do I even begin. If you've talked with your friends about anime, then the couple anime that everyone talks about are Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Dragon Ball, and... Himoto! Umaru-chan. What's the difference between Umaru and the rest? Umaru only has 12 episodes so far yet it's on par in popularity with the other super long, Americanized anime. Why is it popular? Well that's simply because it's stunningly amazing. Those people that call Himoto! Umaru-chan "overrated" may not have the same taste as me, and that's perfectly fine, but in my honest opinion, Himoto! Umaru-chan is one of if not ... the greatest anime to be made. It's not popular for no reason.

The story is one of the most captivating stories I've ever seen. The viewer is thrown directly into the universe of Umaru-chan as they follow the exploits of Umaru through the watchful gaze of her older brother, Taihei. Easily misconstrued as a light-hearted woman in the public eye, Umaru seems like an ordinary schoolgirl. But we soon find out, that Umaru is much more special than she seems, as a surprising physical revelation is revealed beyond closed doors. It is possible that Umaru could be the key to humanity's survival, but could also be humanity's destruction.

My 3-word thoughts on the anime: Epic, Dynamic, Masterpiece. The suspense build-up was absolutely amazing, yet there was still room for improvement; that shows just how epic this anime can get. The anime not only includes epic fights, but lots of dialogue, and for those of you that hate dialogue, I feel sorry for you people whom only watch for action. The anime includes lots of other things as well: there's lots of half-hearted, hilarious scenes, as well as sad, tragic scenes. The anime certainly has a good amount of gore, and will break your heart frequently (if you get attached to the characters).

Characters was another area (alongside every area) that was Umaru's strongpoint.There's trust, friendship, along with betrayals, and pains. There's comedy relief among many characters, especially Nana Ebina. There are characters that people can definitely relate with, such as Kirie Motoba, who wants to do the right thing, but can't seem to do much because of fear. Fear is something that haunts us all, and prevents us from doing things in life. Another character that people can somewhat relate with is Sylphinford Tachibana, who is Umaru's sworn rival, yet one of her closest friends. What does that mean? Watch the anime. Why is she doing this? Because of her past scars, "scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real" (watch to find out more). There were too many characters to development fully, but certainly the main characters were developed to their max. Taihei is certainly a fan-favorite character, because of the fact that he's cool, overpowered, badass, kind-in-the-heart, smart, straight-to-the-point, and most of all, hilarious with all his neat-freakiness. The main character, Himoto Umaru is strong-hearted, and "special", but she's still not strong enough to defeat the titans. How she develops is one of the most interesting things, in this interesting-things-packed anime.

The art and music can be described in one word: WOW! The art drawings were absolutely stunning! From the characters/titans to the setting of the story to all the equipment used in battle. The characters all had a unique aspect to them. The settings of the anime were beautiful. The cities, and walls looked realistic, the plains that characters dreamed of seeing made me want to run outside to see for myself how beautiful nature really is, and how humans under appreciate the naturality of nature. The 3-D gear was something that really caught my eye, and will certainly catch other people's eyes as well. A new form of action that's never been seen before. The characters would literally fly from rooftop to rooftop slicing their swords at the titans at high-speeds that keep the viewers eyes locked onto the screen at all times. The soundtrack in the anime was epic as shit. The openings speak for themselves, they do the anime justice. The openings were epic and certainly set the mood of what was to come from the anime. "U-M-R! U-M-R! UMA janai yo umaru! U-M-R! U-M-R! UMA janai yo umaru!" The rest of the soundtrack in the anime was okayasgduyasgda AMAZING. How can one describe how amazing those OSTs were. They fit in perfectly with the epicness of the anime, and certainly added tons of suspense to the 3-D maneuver gear action.

Of course, I may be over-thinking things, but the anime certainly included some themes while creating this masterpiece of an anime. The aspect of being confined in an area, doing the same daily routine every day. People seek to be free, and to seek adventure. Watch for this. Another theme that the anime incorporated was that of the cycle of life. Humans, we steal animals away from their families, we kill them, we eat them. What's so different from us, and Umaru-chan? The feelings of not being at the top of the food chain... Anyways, if you haven't already watched this anime and you're reading this review, then you've clearly been living under a rock all this time, and I definitely encourage you to watch this show even if it isn't your style of anime.

Attack on Titan is a rare show that causes me to break the traditional mold I have in my reviews (senseless trolling, humor-filled misconceptions, endearing opinions of an enlightened individual in a community of idiots) in order to write something more grandiose and impactful. Objectively, Attack on Titan is a masterpiece of entertainment; it is inadequate to view it as anything less given its rampant success. Ishiyama has proven time and time again that he is the king of storytelling with his wonderful use of pacing and plot development. With MAPPA, a world-renown studio producing the final season, I'm left to wonder - who ... even bothers scrolling through these reviews? We all know it's fucking amazing, go watch it.

Anyways, I've seen some serious mind-boggling contrarians plaguing this forum, so I'm going to detail some senseless complaints about this show (and why they're wrong)!

A common complaint against Attack on Titan is that [this season in particular] suffers from bad CGI. My brain physically has difficulty processing this statement. For some reason, Giganerds get their panties in a twist when their Chinese cartoons attempt to cut production fees. Baseless spergs claim that "bad CGI" ruins the realism of this show - yet, this show isn't live action, or realistic. Rationality leaves you to conclude that they have brain damage, or alternatively, that they rely far too much on Anime for escapism from their lives. In reality, these individuals tend to be incredibly obnoxious and have a high opinion of how they digest films. I tend to find that any CGI in Anime is generally considered irredeemable to this demographic. What is particularly saddening about this, is that these individuals generally have zero legitimate reasons for why CGI detracts from the animation. While this can be entirely subjective, I have witnessed initial pleasing reactions to CGI scenes only for a contradicting (negative) opinion to resonate within the viewer once the CGI is noticed. Furthermore, like a light switch, I have seen the worthwhileness of scenes be solely judged on if they were animated using CGI or not. This is a unsagacious argument to make and should be disregarded as such. One counterargument I have heard was to raise the framerate of CGI objects to make them less jarring to the viewer. Even if we downplay how retarded that is from a technological perspective, it ironically demonstrates how little these people understand animated mediums as a whole. Projects like The Hobbit prove that this is illogical, but this isn't the answer these people are looking for. It is reasonable to assume that these individuals cannot find sustenance in a medium that contains CGI - and therefore - should not be trusted at all to devise a logical opinion on said medium. Individuals that rely on harping on something so minute in a project as grand as Attack on Titan will arguably miss the finer points of what makes Attack on Titan so great. So, in conclusion, if you hear an audible groan when CGI is used -- sympathize, for we cannot imagine the despicable lifestyle that one would have to lead to be so invested in something so inconsequential. We can only pray that eventually their life will move on from meaningless bickering, to something that gives joy.


Another (predictable) complaint I have heard is that this season is an absolute snore fest. Once again - we are left to think critically. Season four of Attack on Titan has answered a lot of questions shrouded in mysteries behind the series. Rightfully so, the lore is explained to give these questions the answers they need; consequently, the stakes are raised to unprecedented levels. Characters once perceived as nothing more than mere plot armor become fleshed out and given meaning. Personally, I found this to be the most riveting season of Attack on Titan yet - seeing Eren move from an emotional, irrational child to a ruthless genocidal revolutionist is as dynamic as a character can get. Furthermore, additional characters paint a stark comparison between the radicalization of Eren; the unchanging motives of Mikasa and Armin feel antiquated, while the hypocrisy of Gabi's ideals make you sympathize with what Eren does. This clashing of ideals is far more interesting than any of the generic action Attack on Titan can possibly bring - and it's what the fanbase craves. Arguably so, the plot is a beautiful symphonic melancholy; undoubtedly Ishiyama's magnum opus. It is unfortunate that certain people find it dull - because their deadbeat brain requires them to experience senseless action for dopamine, they will probably never be able to fully comprehend the genius that went into the writing of this story.

And lastly, there is an unprecedented amount of investment into romantic relationships when there is none to be found in Attack on Titan. I don't understand why people bother entertaining anything as senseless as shipping characters from this show, when the show is the antithesis to romance to the core. I am the king of Harem anime; I've watched it all - and even I never considered the romantic aspect of this show. God help all of you.

Only two distinct words came to my mind when I was made aware of a sequel to the infamous work of Date A Live studio's magnum opus, Date A Live.

Note: for the most accurate representation of my opinion, please play this music for the remainder of the review.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYAyUfFZf3Y

MOMMA MIA!!!!! WACKA WOCKA???? BONGO WONGOS???

The main cast is all back, including fan favorite MC Chad McCuckStick, on his live-threatening Earth-endangering quest to kiss a woman. The stakes are high, and the tits are large in Date A Live season 2. Immediately, the viewer is thrusted into a vicarious school-trip arc, where Chad has to undergo his ... greatest trial yet: seducing twins. The pressure refuses to let up the remaining eleven episodes - but I won't spoil the fun. Season 2 of Date A Live explores concepts simply nonexistent in the viewer's brain up until this point - what if the woman DON'T want to kiss the MC? What if they aren't attracted to him? What happens if Tohka's swimsuit falls off before the thirteen minute mark in the first episode? Safe to say, this show WILL keep you on your toes.


For the intelligently superior, Date A Live continues to deliver with subtle opinions on controversial political topics. I enjoyed how Date A Live cruelly depicted the power of influence and the harsh consequences it can bring. It can be easy to miss this dialect given the nature of the show - I believe this could be commentary on how sexual tension can become causation for a loss of focus, but this is a thought train for my doctoral thesis.

In any matter, no matter if you are blind or deaf, this is a show you cannot miss.