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Let’s start with a few things first: This is a review from a person WHO DID NOT READ THE MANGA and who waited for the official season 2 from Netflix. Since I have no prior knowledge of the story past the beloved first season, I have nothing to compare to nor have high expectations for. And YES, I am aware that this is supposedly a poor adaptation of a fantastic manga story, thus the low rating given by, unsurprisingly, many disappointed fans of the manga. However, I decided to give this review as an attempt at giving a more balanced impression of the show. We ... all need variety even from a MAL review section, right?

Now, if you are curious on why I haven’t read the manga yet, then I’d simply tell you that my job includes reading a lot of texts and thus, I have slowly grown a preference for anime lately, purely for a more immersive experience. I would watch the anime first then read the manga second, if I am in the mood (and the time, lol). This review will contain very few minor spoilers.

With all that said, let me begin.

MUSIC = ⅘. The OP was just fine, but the ED? Great. Enough said. The OP "Mahou (魔法)" by Myuk is on my main playlist in Spotify right now. But nothing beats Obata Takahiro’s main theme for this series...just hauntingly perfect and wonderful.

ART = ⅘: The art and the character design are still good. Similar to the first season. The demon people in the town were just pretty much ordinary in design, and not as scary. The design for the stray monsters outside Grace Field, however, are particularly well-done. It’s a shame we don’t get to see the faces of the demon people directly.

CHARACTERS = 3.5/5: No doubt Emma remains the heart of the story, and frankly, the heroine. Her strength and natural goodwill is too good to be true, but heck, I was still there rooting for her. Unfortunately, major characters like Ray and Norman were reduced to supporting characters. Compared to the strong first season, Ray is now reduced to a lesser role and is mostly Emma’s sidekick and the obligatory person to cheer her up. Norman took a long time to appear; I was excited by the initial change in character and values, but the excitement did not last long. The new characters, humans and demons, are a welcome addition since they’re not two-dimensional and just made the kids better people. It’s a pity that they didn’t show Mama Isabella that much since I find her an interesting flawed character. The main antagonist has his motivations for his actions, but he is not memorable either. I admit that there are other characters that needed more screen time, but I gave this 3.5 since the strong familial bonds that the kids share for each other--the core of this story--just made my heart all gooey.

PLOT = 2.5/5: I got disappointed. The plot particularly was a huge let down after the first few episodes. There were moments of exciting revelations about their world’s history (great world-building btw!) and demon myths, but if I am going to be honest, this show did not have the perfect pace, suspense and intrigue that the first season generously and proudly showered us with. I understand that the next arc would be entirely different since they left the farm, so a shift from the story is expected. However, I think my major disappointment was not the shift, but rather how later parts got predictable and too easy. Plot armor was everywhere. Many scenes were cut and we are left to imagine how they happened, like how they ended up in a demon town and in an isolated tower. And of course, the dreaded time-skips are there. They rushed it for sure.

But once I figured out that this is not a continuation about fooling “Mama” with all the carefully coordinated and secret mind-chess moves, I was able to enjoy what I was watching, believe it or not. As someone who did not read the original, I think that the second season is all about the kids’ own bonds and drive to survive and keep everyone together despite their struggle in an unknown world. Although it seemed too easy and miraculous many times, I found myself rooting for them, hoping every child side-character in their family is safe. **Next sentence is a bit of a spoiler, so please skip to the next paragraph if you don’t want one!** I have a theory that the creators of the second season did not intend the kids (especially the tiny ones) to get hurt, eaten, or killed on screen at all, which is frankly a relief in a way (cos they are practically babies and that would be just too cruel), but at the same time a downer if you are expecting a survival slash suspense story. With this change in mind, I can finally give the story a ⅗.

ENJOYMENT 3.5/5: I found some parts cliche and conflicts resolved too easily. The mystery is there and revealed properly, but it was just not as jaw-dropping and intense as the first season. The ending was alright, but I wished they expanded more on the journey after “that person” had made her decision. Why just a time-skip?! They could flesh out the story, maybe in another season or a few more episodes. We didn’t get that though. But you know what? Despite its flaws, I actually did enjoy the show. Why? Because, as corny as it sounds, I actually got invested in these children. I liked watching them train, interact with each other, grow emotionally and survive on their own. They got the ending that they deserve, albeit too easy and predictable.

I am actually planning on reading the manga in the near future and if I do, I might rewatch this just to see the differences. So, anyway, if you have watched the first season but haven’t read the manga, then go ahead and watch this. Just keep in mind that if you are here for the mind-blowing plots in the first show, then consider your expectations crushed. But if you set that aside and focus on the kids--their relationship, their growth, and teamwork--and hope for a proper conclusion for them and the series, then it’s worth checking it out.

In a world where everything can get repetitive, there would be just one random day when you will meet someone very odd and obscure who will surprisingly and astoundingly change your life and thinking as a person. Basically, this is the premise of Amano Shuninta’s “Philosophia.”

Having previously read Shuninta-sensei’s sexy titles namely “Sweet Guilty Love Bites” and “Watashi no Sekai wo Kousei suru Chiri no You na Nani ka,” I was settled to give this manga a try with a preconceived notion of delicious playfulness as content. However, reading “Philosophia” has caught me off-guard. I should have known better with such a sober-sounding title! “Philosophia” ... is serious in theme, mature in story, cryptic in characterization, dark in twists, depressing in secrets, while bitter-sweet in the end.

The story is nothing new, Girl A meets Girl B. Girl A is diligent and Girl B is unreliable. Like in most stories, the question of “What will happen to them?” is what will drive one to continue reading. I must say the pacing is firm and steady. And to think this is only 6 chapters! Furthermore, the great thing about this, which is common in Shuninta-sensei’s work, is that she doesn’t use the common tropes. However, for yuri fans looking for deviant and sexy stories: Alas, there are no sexy encounters, nor amusing squabbles here. In fact, this manga is very dialogue-driven and full of Ai-chan’s inner thoughts. There is barely anything that is service-y, save for one scene. Nonetheless, I must say that despite all this, I have found this astonishingly novel and fresh.

The art is, well, very Shuninta. As a mangaka, she has established a very distinct art style and thus her lovely sketchy art is recognizable to many of her readers. However, this was one of her earlier works and was originally a doujinshi, thus it’s not that polished in details like backgrounds and seasons. There were even two or three pages that have empty panels; however, some empty spaces are there for dramatization. Perhaps the art may seem lacking for first time readers of Shuninta-sensei’s work, the story and pace will compensate such inadequacy.

The driving factor to read this work is the characters. There are two protagonists are university students: Ai (Love=Sophia), the stubborn and studious beauty, and Tomo (Wisdom=Philo), the coffee-loving apathetic bookworm. Ai-chan, who grew nonchalant to people’s compliments of her beauty, decided to dedicate in her studies so she can be independent. To tell the truth, she was a bit boring to me at first, but later on turned out to be the character that underwent the most and drastic change in a very satisfying pace. Her growing affection for Tomo-san was nothing fluffy, but steady, genuine, and realistic.

On the other hand, Tomo-san is a mystery; she is emancipated at best, self-destructive at worst. A self-proclaimed seeker of knowledge, she holds dark secrets. These secrets, a sudden twist in the story, are the reasons of her actions and demeanour. Tomo-san is a riddle and naturally focused my attention to her, but I was disappointed; there is not enough depth into her character although she was presented as such. I have felt that her secrets, while apprehensible, are insufficient reasons for her outlook and indifferent and bored temperament; I expected more. Or perhaps the author wanted her to be that—an enigma. Nevertheless, she is a realistic character that reminds readers that we can never know someone fully.

Overall, “Philosophia” is a pleasant read: a sober-yet-memorable gem of a story. Traditional yuri fans of lovey-dovey or fluffy stories may be sorely disappointed or even back away, but those who tire from the predictable path of GL stories, or even those from the non-yuri genre, then this manga might offer one a balanced indulgence of drama, maturity and mystery.

If you’re tired of the usual yuri set in high school with moe characters and melodrama, then you have to read Nishi Uko-sensei’s “Collectors”. Since it’s josei and of the slice-of-life genre, it has this very realistic approach in both story and delivery. So far, I found this highly different from the yuri standard fare out there, and so it’s definitely a refreshing read!

“Collectors” is about the simple and bookish Nitou Shinobu who collects books, and her fashionable and pretty girlfriend, Kanzaki Takako, who collects clothes. The manga introduces them as a couple already, so it just depicts their relationship, interactions and how they live ... their life together in the most realistic manner. In other words, it shows what happens after their happy ending. Thus, there is no conflict here, save for the part that they’re interests, or rather obsessive large collections, clash (and consumes space). Wait, that’s not really a conflict, I guess. This is why it’s called slice-of-life anyway, so if you don’t have a taste for that, then I suggest you avoid this manga.

This is a 4-koma manga so I find myself wanting more stories about them; I feel 4-koma strips are too short. The story is different every chapter and not necessarily continuous, so you don’t have to wait for the release of that this-is-what-happens-next chapter. The stories can be cute, sweet, sentimental, funny, light-hearted, and sometimes even serious. Their endearing bickering scenes are a personal favorite, but in other chapters you’ll see the perspective of their two friends who comment either in speech or mind bubble about their relationship and wonder how the two main characters get along.

There are a few characters in Collectors; so far, we have Shinobu, Takako, the eyeglass-wearing Naomi and another nameless girl pal. Yes, they are mostly women; however, one guy had briefly appeared as someone important to one of the characters. I personally wish Uko-sensei to add more characters as it progresses to make the cast livelier. Oh, I have one tiny gripe about Shinobu’s character—she was supposed to be a weird introvert (she talks to herself) but somehow she isn’t like that anymore. Perhaps meeting Takako changed her? Anyway, since the story already started them as a couple, more strips about their background and changes would be lovely.

The art of Collectors is neat, beautiful and realistic. Full backgrounds are barely seen since it’s 4-koma, but the characters, who are in their 20’s, are well-drawn although the faces can be plain and similar at times. Nevertheless, the great thing about it is it’s not moe at all; you will not see big eyes or those childish figures common in yuri manga. The art itself is something I haven't seen before in the genre. I can’t praise Nishi Uko-sensei’s mature drawing style enough. It’s that lovely!

Take note that even though this is josei, there is a noticeable lack of skinship or fan service. This might be a letdown for some, since there is a lack of kissing or bed scenes, but personally I am not entirely complaining because this manga healthily depicts their loving relationship without the need of many gratuitous shots of flesh or intimacy. To alleviate this deficiency, the readers are presented with other tender moments, such as their quibbles or Takako trying to measure Shinobu's bust, which I find adorable and believable.

Overall, Collectors is a truly refreshing must-read manga for yuri fans out there. It will unquestionably put a smile on your face and leave a happy, satisfied feeling as you read every chapter. Although it's still ongoing as of this writing, I think it’s simply one of the best of the yuri genre.