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For me, Bocchi the Rock! came out of nowhere and blew my expectations out of the water. With its creative use of multimedia, clever use of various animation styles, incredible sound design and fantastic depth of characterisation, this anime had me laughing out loud and tearing up throughout the season. With titles like, Spy x Family and Wonder Egg Priority under its belt, Cloverworks has produced yet another absolutely amazing work of art with Bocchi. The anime skilfully juggles the character development of all four band members whilst they grow and develop their talents not only as musicians over the six month span of ... the plot, but as friends and individuals themselves. I found myself relating to all four of the band members in someway or another, and their ability to see Bocchi’s talents, hard work and value as a friend and teammate really warmed my heart. I would recommend this anime to anyone who deals with social anxiety, enjoys the slice of life genre and/or appreciates female character-driven stories. It is an absolute gem.

Cells at Work is like being in grade 9 biology class again, except this time I’m in my 20s and still only know that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. And instead of my 60 year old science teacher, animation company David Production has done the impossible and made learning about cell division interesting.

The anime is exceptionally clever at visualising the various systems in the body including the circulatory, respiratory and digestive. With its simple art style, thin line art and distinct character designs, Cells at Work’s animation is enjoyable but perhaps nothing to write home about. The story’s main character is red ... blood cell “AE3803” who is directionally challenged and forgetful, but nevertheless passionate about her work transporting oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Helping her find her way and looking out for her safety from the sidelines is that of “U-1146,” a white blood cell working as part of the neutrophil immune response division in protecting the story’s unnamed body against diseases, antigens, germs and more. Whilst the season’s story focuses heavily on the various health complications the cells encounter, there is a healthy balance given to developing both characters where audiences are slowly given insight into their fears, flaws and ambitions.

Whilst I enjoyed this season and will undoubtedly pick up season two, after witnessing the cells respond to the unnamed host’s heat stroke, cancer cells, pollen allergies, two bouts of the common cold, food poisoning and even a traumatic head injury, it’s hard to not be left asking myself “wtf is this guy doing?”

Overall, Cells at Work S1 may not feature the most complex storyline and plot development, but it’s character designs and clever interpretation of the human body make it for an easy and enjoyable watch.

Blend S was one of those animes that didn’t interest me back when it aired in 2017, and perhaps for good reason. Beyond the pedophile manager’s (aged 26) attraction to the mc Maika (aged 16), the anime fails to go anywhere in terms of plot despite introducing multiple new characters throughout the season. Despite being a moe anime with constant attempts to break the fourth wall to appeal to ‘otaku’ viewers, the jokes play on overused tropes and come off as cringe-worthy. It’s characters, each with their own ‘gimmick’ and role they play at the café, experience no character development, growth or change. Coupled with ... the fact that the plot itself doesn’t go anywhere, the whole anime feels like a series of filler episodes from start to finish. If you skipped this anime back in 2017, it probably isn’t worth your time picking it up now.

Mieruko-chan was tempting to drop, the first 7 episodes are slow going and frankly quite boring. The character development up until this point is shallow but the show, animation and sound design weren’t entirely unenjoyable so I persisted. The art style and detail given to the various spirits is really detailed and gruesome, but not to the point where it’s by any means ‘scary.’ However, the anime quickly picks up in interest and pace after the introduction of the teacher and the plot begins to delve into the backstories, growth and desires of the characters. The ending leaves us on a cliff hanger and despite ... my initial dissatisfaction with the show, I am eager for season 2!