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Ah yes, an anime called "Days with my Stepsister" accompanied by the infamous Romance tag. What could possibly go wrong? Let's see if my predictions for this dumpster fire will be correct as usual.
First, we'll have the socially awkward and generally introverted MC, denser than a black hole, with nothing going for him besides being a nice guy! Actually no. He's just a normal teenager with normal teenager issues. Okay... then definitely we'll have the Tsundere or Gyaru or maybe even the rarer Kuudere type stepsister that instantly falls in love with the MC and has no personality of her own! Nope. She's also pretty ... normal and doesn't fit any of the common female character traits. I might be 0 for 2 but I won't be 0 for 3. Surely (fingers crossed) the plot is filled with cliches and weird romance tropes that we get all the time, for instance: the boring supporting cast that adds nothing of value to the plot or that one scene where the girl blushes because the MC is super nice or even the "hyaaa ecchi *slap*"scene in the shower. Nothing. Literally, there isn't even a hint that any of this is going to happen. 

The short paragraph you hopefully read above is a recollection of my thoughts after watching the first 3 episodes of Gimai Seikatsu aka Days with my Stepsister. As you can see, I was deeply confused and pleasantly surprised. The best way to summarize this show is simple, normal with a focus on realism. It covers the day to day life of two high school students, practically strangers to one another, who coincidentally became stepsiblings after their parents remarried. They slowly begin to grow closer to each other, not necessarily romantically as one would guess, but as regular people living in the same space. They have their problems, conflicts, gradually revealing background stories, maybe even some past trauma just like any person would have. The whole plot is built purely on this "realism." That's why there's no tropes to be found. Sure, the "stepsister suddenly moves in" plot has been done countless times, but Days with my Stepsister honestly does it the best. It's a story that takes this "tropy" situation and makes it feel real on a personal level.

As for the production quality, there aren't any big names in the voice acting cast but the atmosphere they created (in combination with the OSTs) fits the story well. Animation wise, Studio Deen has never disappointed anyone in terms of  quality and they seem to be keeping things fairly consistent. Then there's the one and only fhana doing the opening which, as usual, was a banger (though yes I am in fact biased for her music). Overall, nothing stood out as "bad." Production wise everything was mostly average to above average. However, If you're looking for the next animation masterclass it is better to quit while you're ahead because this isn't it.

TL;DR - Personally I really enjoyed watching the first few episodes of Days with my stepsister and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a character drama with a realistic and serious side to it. There hasn't too much focus on the romance yet but that will likely change later on. All in all, I picked this up expecting to watch one episode, count the tropes, boost my fragile ego and leave without looking back. Thankfully though I sticked around long enough to prove myself wrong. I hope you make the same choice!

Thank you very much for reading.

What even is the anime industry in 2023? I would say it's like a cocktail with a bunch of mystery flavors. You won't know how it tastes until you try it.

On the one hand, we have a variety of anime about time travel with virtually no originality and, on the other hand, we have hen- *cough*, please excuse my language. Now imagine combining those two aforementioned "flavors," adding a bit of gaming passion fruit and diluting the mix with some crushed ice to avoid making it too strong. The extravagant, yet tasty, cocktail  you would end up with is 16-bit Sensation: Another Layer; a unique take ... on the time travel trope that manages to keep its audience engaged with its top-tier voice acting and simple but effective storyline. Let's savor the taste together, shall we?

As mentioned above the story is pretty straightforward: The protagonist, Konoha, is obsessed with bishoujo games and time travels to 90s Japan to make MORE. The only thing on her mind is gaming and cute anime girls, which officially dubs her as the most cultured anime character this year. Keep in mind that this love of bishoujo games isn't just some joke for her, it's her life. This kind of character motivation guides the plot and avoids overcomplications, resulting in a lot of funny moments. The humor works because Konoha's 3 total braincells along with her obnoxious personality, clash with a group of confused  underpaid "adults" that have no idea what a present day otaku is capable of. Good comedy is seriously scarce nowadays, so take advantage of it while you still can. 16-bit Sensation has definitely got it down in the funny department.

On to the rest of our wonderful cast of  "adults." Their de-facto leader is Mamoru: another obsessive, stubborn and maybe-adult, who, like Konoha only has one thing on his mind; the PC98. The guy probably sleeps, eats and drinks thinking of PC98 world domination. To the point though, believe it or not, the chemistry between him and Konoha is one of the most wholesome elements of the show. Without diving into spoiler territory, try to imagine two characters who have decided to dedicate their whole life in only one thing, trying to have a deep and meaningful conversation. There is absolutely no way that could work. However, these two proved us wrong. Their conversation has got to be the most irrelevant and yet most emotional experience ever. The amount of passion they both have for their hobby explodes into vivid, motivational monologues about eroge. You read correctly. This anime makes you feel emotional watching two brainlets talking about eroge. If that's not incredible, I don't know what is.

To dig into this a bit deeper, the fact that 16 bit sensation succeeds so well in conveying this passion and emotion is not only because of the character's personality, but mainly because of the voice acting. Now before you start angrily commenting about how annoying the protagonist is, hear me out. The VA for Konoha is also the one for Kaguya Shinomiya from Love is War. If you've seen both shows or at least heard this voice actor before you would know what I'm talking about. In short, she's excellent. All the emotional high notes were delivered with perfection and I'm not even going to comment on how talented someone has to be to do Kaguya's quieter and imposing voice and turn it into Konoha's passionate squeaky monologues. The production team really most have put everything into hiring her and it paid off with interest.

One more aspect of the plot that's worth exploring in more detail is the time travelling gimmick. Despite it being severely overdone, 16-bit Sensation manages to add some "spice" using it. In their world, you may only travel to specific dates in the past using the release dates of 90s games, which, in a sense, limits the protagonist's ability to have an impact in the world's timeline. This restriction in combination with Konoha's lack of a brain makes the time travelling tropes practically obsolete, since the future never changes significantly. By doing this the show, creates a balance to develop the characters and reinforces its comedic theme. Or at least that was the idea, until we start building towards the finale where the trope's impact makes its sudden appearance. This shift in tone in the later episodes in tandem with the shows overarching themes makes for a very surprising twist. 

TLDR; All in all 16-bit Sensation made me feel things I didn't expect, made me laugh more than it should have and overall blew my expectations out of the water. On the surface it might have a pretty shallow plot with not many complications, but that quickly changes as you watch more and get invested in the story. If you like a good comedy with a surprising twist, I highly recommend it. The protagonist's voice might be a turn off at first, but trust me, by episode 4 you'll have your mind changed. 

Thank you very much for reading!

Chilling in my 30s is the perfect example of a slow-life anime done the right way. Don't take this the wrong way though. The kind of plot this show has is probably something you have already seen before many times: assuming you are already familiar with the slow-life isekai types. Yet, out of the many shows who have tried, none of them even come close to this one. In terms of storyline, characters and its faithfulness to its themes, Chilling in my 30s undoubtedly stands above the rest. These are the traits that can elevate an anime from a trope filled cliche mess already done ... a million times to a  diamond in the rough that manages to keep viewers engaged.

However, despite its many positives the show is nowhere near perfect. As it is true for many other anime with 12 episodes the problem boils down to one question: "is there enough time?" Unfortunately, for a fantasy story with many complicated characters and fight scenes the answer is "no": that much is inevitable. Hence why this show suffers from many small gaps and skipped content, which only manage to make the story feel rushed and the characters incomplete.

To dig into this a bit deeper, I've noticed that this is mainly an issue with the studio behind Chilling in my 30s and not so much about the source material. Encourage films tends to overhype characters, which leads to viewer anticipation growing, only for them to never shine at all. Gaps prompted by those "missing" characters are probably the show's biggest detriment. Removing them entirely would have definitely made for a much more complete story. I would give examples here, but I would rather keep this review relevant and spoiler free.

Apart from all of the that, it is pretty distinct that the positives greatly overshadow the negatives. From its compelling and well-written story that remains interesting until the end all the way to the comedy that rarely missed its mark, Chilling in my 30s had a bit of everything to offer to that table. It had all of the elements you would expect from a writer that knows what they're doing, including a fairly unexpected plot twist and fight scenes with balanced power scaling that genuinely made them exciting. The show also never failed to give us a few moments to relax from all the action, keeping its slow life and pacifist theming consistent, leading up to the climax. Even the brief ecchi moments which normally are quite distracting, didn't feel as forced. Instead, they were added benefits to solidify the comedy and lighthearted nature of the show. 

As for the characters, it was really fresh to see a protagonist (namely, Dariel) that doesn't constantly act like an oblivious child and is, on the contrary, mature and empathetic. The female characters too had uses besides being the love interest. Not to stress this more than necessary but is especially rare for female characters in anime to have complications and goals of their own that don't always mingle with the MC's.  This applied to the rest of the supporting cast as well. They all had coherent roles that complimented the Dariel's general goal in the story when needed. Likewise though they didn't fail to provide points of plot progression of their own and maybe a bit of comedy relief too without taking too much of the spotlight. For its entertaining supporting characters and likeable protagonist the show already earns full marks.

TL;DR - All in all, Chilling in my 30s After Getting Fired from the Demon King's Army earns my full approval. Despite the gaps in the story due to some characters missing out on their arcs, the show managed to stay enjoyable throughout all its run time because of its excellent supporting cast and compelling storyline. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for lighthearted slow-life anime that doesn't lack in the action department either.

As a note I would like to mention that writing this anime off as "cliche" or "I've seen this done before" and moving on is a mistake. Keep an open mind and think of it as the first slow life show you have ever seen. Remember: cliches exist because sometimes they actually work!

Thank you very much for reading.

It is spring at last, a sunny Monday morning: the breeze feels cool on your skin, the cherry blossoms have bloomed, filling the surroundings with their sweet, acidic, smell; gently caressing all your senses, while you listen to your favorite morning playlist. You have just boarded the train to school when, suddenly, she appears. She dashes towards the train, barely making it through the closing doors, scraping through their thin gap. You observe her quietly, enchanted by her beauty, as she bends down to catch her breath. She lifts her head and your eyes finally meet. You both instinctively look away right when the train ... starts moving again. At that moment, while pressuring yourself to avoid eye contact, you know she was the one; the first love had blossomed.

Whether you believe it or not that’s what it felt like watching the opening scene of School Days: it had this soothing effect you would expect from the beginning of a romance anime. In a sense you could even call it healing. Based on that, it seemed like the typical High School Romance with a bit of ecchi in there too. Nevertheless, it was intriguing enough to keep its viewers hooked, wondering how everything will turn out. Eventually though, it becomes noticeable that after a certain point, the tone that was building up suddenly shifts. The darkness that was lurking beneath the surface exposes its true colors to crush every unsuspecting viewer’s dreams of a feel good romance.

School Days never disappointed anyone in terms of shock value or crazy plot twists, rather, it sacrificed every other aspect of a decent Drama/Romance for the sake of them. If it wasn’t evident by this point in the review, this anime prides itself in "the darkness within" trope: surprising its audience with unexpected plot twists in order to disguise itself as generic on first glance. It manages to do this in a pretty “shocking” way to say the least; a shockingly disastrous way. When following this theme it’s sensible to progressively reveal the darker storyline over the course of a few episodes -maybe with some subtle foreshadowing- in order to keep the audience engaged. However, nothing of the sort happens.

School Days, decides to throw all that trashy conventional theory nonsense out the window and instead have the protagonist get kissed on the cheek once and have that be the cause of his unraveling. Genuinely, it was as if he became a completely different person. After that scene his personality instantly shifted from an anxious social reject to an edgy sex champion playboy. This change not only feels awkward to watch, it is straight up nonsensical. At no point in the story does the protagonist hint at this sort of behavior. He consistently acted with an entirely different persona that you could even call a bit timid or introverted. This was all just thrown at the audience as a fact they were meant to accept. 

As a side note I am not even going to comment on how all the characters are completely unlikeable and impossible to root for or how the plot is a complete clusterfuck of random ideas the author threw at a wall to see what sticks or heck. As I mentioned previously every good aspect of writing was sacrificed for shock value, so there is literally nothing else noteworthy to analyze. School Days's plot and characters are a total mess with no appealing traits whatsoever. It’s honestly a disgrace that this show was aired on live TV with no trigger warnings.

TL;DR: Overall I can say with full confidence that I wouldn’t even recommend this anime to my worst enemy. The only reason I was able to persist and finish all twelve episodes -rating it a two instead of a one- was because I was watching with a friend for a challenge. They were re-watching and I bet they had a great time witnessing my live chat reactions. I made sure they were as vivid and authentic as possible. If you’re insisting on watching this make sure you bring your med-kit, your trashcan, maybe some pain killers and a friend; trust me you will need them.

Note: Watched this show earlier this year, but never got around to post this review. Finally decided to post it anyway.

Thank you very much for reading!

This show really ticked all of my boxes at first. A classic Rom-Com plot about unrequited love with its own twists. A protagonist that isn't denser than a brick and doesn't avoid his feelings. A bit of good writing and, realistically, this could have been another hidden gem in an already stacked Summer 2023 season. Unfortunately though, The Dreaming boy is a Realist tries to be something it isn't, losing its audience early in the prologue. 

While the overall production quality being about average it definitely wasn't unpleasant to watch. The problem all boiled down to lazy directing and screenplay. Most of the dialogue felt incredibly forced with nothing ... of substance being said. After the main point of a conversation is established, the dialogue seems to suddenly shift gears into endless mumble mode. Overall it felt like the director was adding gibberish so the characters had something "profound" to say, ignoring the fact that no real conversation flows like that. This could have been avoided if the characters genuinely had something meaningful to say and if not, decent humor could have done the trick. However, the direction wasn't good on either regard. The comedy doesn't meet the mark and the characters are becoming more and more confusing as the show progresses.

The story and the motivations behind it are also questionable. To summarize, the protagonist is trying to discover what "love" and "care" truly mean to him, but he's going about it in a peculiar way. It has already been shown that his behavior prior to the prologue resembled that of a stalker. None of the characters minded that for some reason, even though it was clearly a problem. Nevertheless, the protagonist eventually distances himself from his crush, realizing his approach was unhealthy and decides to instead admire her from a far.  That by itself is fine; it's the execution that matters. After he does this the main girl suddenly fades out and other girls are introduced. The protagonist now has to solve their problems, which leads to the dialogue problem and the lack of substance that I mentioned. By episode three nothing has happened that validates the significance of "stalking = bad," which is the main theme of the show.

TL;DR - The Dreaming Boy is A Realist is definitely not the tragic romantic comedy it tries to be. It is full of forceful dialogue scenes that have no substance, comedy that doesn't meet the mark, and an over all lack of focus on the shows theme. Despite my rant here, I acknowledge that I'm probably overanalyzing and that the show is pretty lighthearted in nature. If you want to enjoy it, my advice would be turning off your brain first. Personally though I wouldn't recommend it.

To fully understand or rather to fully immerse oneself into the beauty and sublimity that is Gibiate one must have considerable patience and determination to follow through. To depict this in plainer terms: infamous Anime Discord Moderator and desktop wallpaper aficionado Drizzo, once said “You’ll have a harder time watching Gibiate than a 10 hour compilation of Nyan cat.” I was especially intrigued by that statement, so I just had to give this anime a try.

Gibiate follows a group of modern day Japanese militants, two Edo period samurai, a thicc horny monk, a useless teenager, her schizophrenic mom and a smokin’ hot doctor (who ... is also a licensed pilot and a pro sniper apparently) as they embark on their heroic adventure to the Japanese countryside. Their ultimate goal? That is supposedly, to develop a vaccine and use that to save the world from a deadly virus: a disease that turns infected into terrifying monsters called Gibia. However, their journey will not be proven easy for neither themselves nor for us, the viewers. Throughout the story we all get subjected to a variety of “complications” that might deter some from continuing to watch. Those came in a series of: random monologues, painfully dragged out and mostly irrelevant historical flashbacks, and the occasional fight scene with bad CGI monsters. Nothing ever really sticks to the plot for more than five seconds before getting overshadowed by one of these “complications.”

Without diving into too much spoiler territory, I would like to briefly touch on our characters, which have to be the most vital part of every story, unless we’re talking about Gibiate. To give you the rundown, we have our generic overpowered samurai protagonist Sensui Kanzaki, who can one-shot bullet proof monsters with his super sWoRD and his “friend” Sanada Kenroku, who can do the same, but this time with iron wires. These two must protect our useless female protagonist, Kathleen, for reasons unknown to pretty much everyone (probably the writers included). Unfortunately for our samurai friends, Kathleen is only ever good at mentioning the obvious, acting completely oblivious half the time and basically adding zero value to the plot besides “oh look, it’s a waifu and she has uh boobs!” The rest of the cast are too ridiculous to make fun of or too irrelevant to mention. Like seriously, what kind of doctor can pilot a helicopter and shoot guns on target in the middle of a freefall all to save a person that was going to die anyway?

Sometimes I wonder to myself why in god's name I watched 12 episodes of this. I clearly had many problems with Gibiate from the story to the production quality. Nevertheless, I really wanted to make this review short and sweet, so I will be ending it on a moment of self reflection. To sum it up, I consider the show to be a comedic masterclass, but even as a one it falls a bit short because there are instances where it actually tries to be one. The scenes where Gibiate tries to be funny and the ones I found to be the most boring. What it’s really missing aren’t better voice actors, a story that makes sense, deep and impactful themes, multidimensional characters; none of that mumbo jumbo that good Anime usually have. All it needs is the Comedy tag.

After taking everything into consideration, Gibiate is in the purest sense so unbelievably bad it’s actually good. With that in mind, I highly recommend it, easily 9/10, just wash your hands after watching and maybe grab a pillow to shove your head in every time the fight theme plays.

Thank you very much for reading.

A one-shot about calculated love? Sounds like something I'd read, but is that really all? I decided to go in completely blind.

Turns out that was the right call. The story was about two people visibly very different, but more similar once they get through those pesky first impressions. They've both dealt with their "broken" past in different ways, one choosing to live peacefully with stability and the other to face their problems head on. Meeting each other gives them insight on the other's perspective and helps them change for the better, as they slowly understand that they're pretty much the same. All that in a ... pretty open-ended way that encourages its readers to think. Dealing with trauma is difficult and everyone deals with it their own way.

Personally, this manga made me think of the choices I would make to deal with this kind of terrible past. Would it be to sit back and do nothing or to face your problems? Maybe it's to find a partner and face the problem together. Who knows. It's up to the reader to decide. And yes this was quite the emotional ride.
Highly recommended for the art style (which gets progressively better by the end) and the short but memorable story line!

I came to this show with very high expectations because, by the verdict of the supreme court of anime forums, it was guilty of being a Spy x Family rip-off. Hence, I was fully committed to hate it with all my might down to the smallest mistakes. Yet, I found myself watching more and more episodes and eventually felt motivated enough to write this review. I had to find a way to express how much Buddy Daddies blew all my expectations out of the water.

As a brief note it’s important to mention that Buddy Daddies is an anime original, which can be very hit or ... miss especially when it comes to the finer details. Unfortunately for the haters, P. A. Works managed to deliver a show which provided multidimensional characters, a suspenseful plot with layers and great overall production quality. I’d say this fact alone makes it worth watching. Original works done right are just a breath of fresh air.

I saw Buddy Daddies compared to Spy x Family a lot and rode on the hate train for a while, but after watching I was quickly proven wrong. The latter focuses on comedy and the former on the hardships and rewards of childcare. The story itself is quite simple really. A pair of hitmen, Rei and Kazuki, are on a mission that goes south and they end up adopting this cute little angel (with a bunch of quotations on angel) called Miri. We follow the duo as they tackle the daily struggles of childcare while also trying to find balance in their own lives, between hitman and father. This provides a lot of comedic opportunities and tense scenes all in one go resulting in a meaningful character drama, rather than just forgettable feel-good mumbo jumbo. I personally enjoy comedies with some drama in-between and not so much the other way around. The plot of Buddy Daddies balances the comedy and drama very well.

However, the show’s highlights are without a doubt the characters. Without going into spoiler territory, we follow the extroverted Kazuki, who lives for the party and “oh so relatable” Rei, who prefers to stay inside and game all day. Both of these lifestyles are forced to change when Miri comes into the picture, creating unbelievable chaos to their lives. Kazuki has to keep this makeshift family together and Rei starts to care about other people, rather than just killing and gaming. As hitmen, this change proves to be more difficult than expected creating a lot of drama between them as well as funny moments. Overall I really liked the duo’s dynamic combined with the wildcard of Miri. Buddy Daddies shows that the road to change and overcoming your past hardships is bumpy, but with the right motivation, it’s definitely doable. This theme is followed all the way to the end, leading to a bunch of twists and turns as Kazuki’s and Rei’s backstories are slowly being revealed.

To briefly touch on the animation and soundtrack (if you’re into that) I’d say it was satisfactory. Don’t expect anything surreal, but I really can’t say I didn’t sing along to the opening a few times. The animation quality was consistent which is definitely a plus and the music worked well with the scenes. To be honest I’m not really that big on production quality so just ask for a second opinion if you’d like to know more.

To sum it up all up I highly recommend Buddy Daddies to anyone looking for an anime original that finally clicked the right way. It was a show that appeared generic at first glance but is revealed to have more depth than expected, balancing the drama and the comedy very well. And remember, I came here to hate on this because of Spy x Family, but was pleasantly surprised. Keep an open mind and give this one a try; you won’t be disappointed!

Thank you very much for reading.

I want you to think of everything that comes to mind when you think of an anime centered around a Maid cafe. Maybe just the first few words. For me it would be: cute girls doing cute things, RomCom, “Moe Moe Kyun,” complicated love triangles, the dense male protagonist etc… I bet you’ve thought of many more already.

However, now I want you to throw all of that in the trash -where it belongs- because Akiba Meido Sensou is about to blow you away. The chaos, the carnage, the absurd dark humor, the fight scenes, the production quality and, heck, even the opening/endings, were some of ... the best I’ve ever seen in a while. If you’re here to watch a predictable and cutesy show, turn back immediately. You have been warned, so let’s get straight into the details!

The story of Akiba Meido Sensou or Akiba Underworld War (word play, loved it) follows Nagomi Wahira, a 17 year old with a simple dream: To join a Maid cafe and become one of the Maids she had always admired. What she didn’t know was that the Maid Cafes in Akihabara are basically street gangs with total control of their respective areas. Killing and gang violence are widespread and police mostly seem corrupt. Our protagonist learns about the reality of this world the hard way. On her first day, she’s sent to deliver a message to a nearby Maid cafe along with her co-worker, 35 year old Ranko Mannen. That’s when arguably one of the best character introductions begins to unravel…

Akiba Meido Sensou’s story has an episodic format, which some might not be used to or necessarily enjoy. In brief, this means each episode is uniquely written for one character, while a more continuous and concrete plot is followed throughout the series. This plays a major role in developing each of the side characters, as well as helping the audience understand the world building. Personally, I think this format works extremely well in a dark comedy, where the focus isn’t entirely on its plot, but also on the characters themselves. Overall I was very satisfied with how this idea played out. Keep in mind that the story is not to be taken seriously because it doesn’t even take itself seriously. In fact, it was deliberately crafted this way to make fun of common tropes and cliches. Akiba Meido Sensou is very insistent on making its plot look so ridiculously bad that it almost achieves the opposite effect. You truly never know what is going to happen next.


Characters-wise I could see little to no flaws. Without diving into spoiler territory, I would say I particularly liked Nagomi’s role in the story. She not only plays the role of the confused newbie, trying to survive these intense conditions, but she’s also the one the audience would relate to the most, judging by the interactions she has with other characters and her reactions to most major events. She might seem a bit boring and over the top at times, but can you really blame her? Nagomi’s simplistic character design and development throughout the story is her greatest gift.

Another favorite is of course Ranko. Whenever she’s on screen you just know something funny or crazy is going to happen. I think she’s more of a protagonist than Nagomi is, as her backstory is sort of the backbone of the plot. Nevertheless, I appreciate them both equally for the comedy, the action scenes and for plot progression. Character development isn’t something this show takes lightly. Throughout the story we get to see every character shine without their development being forced into the plot like in most short comedy anime.

As for production quality and animation, I don’t have much to say. The animation is fluid, the voice acting is very good and the opening/endings are not only extremely well-made and fit the show perfectly, but also managed to make me laugh. The small attention to detail is there as well: you’ll notice the backgrounds blend in with the action scene. You’ll understand more about what I mean when you watch the show.

In conclusion, I highly recommend Akiba Meido Sensou to anyone looking for a trigger happy show with some of the best fight scenes, plot twists and dark humor I’ve seen in a long time. The whole show is absolutely ridiculous and it knows it, which is what makes it funny and entertaining. It will not take itself seriously even in the most important scenes of the plot. Maids killing each other in the heart of Akiba is completely normal. Right?

Thank you for reading!