Back to iwoply's Profile iwoply's Profile

Aharen-San focusses on the relationship & mental hijinks of Aharen & Raido through bits created by their creative minds and caring personalities. Side characters beyond Aharen's family are one note (usually gags) but they aren't what you're here to enjoy or focus on & for the most part have limited screen time, that being said there are two side characters that rarely appear who may as well be robots and only exist to push things forward.

I found the first episode was too heavy on the overthinking gag & left me with a poor first impression (which it may do for you) but given that it's ... an introduction to the characters, the relationship between the two & what you should expect from the show, it does its job. The anime finds a great balance between gags & character interactions during the second episode and maintains that balance until completion, although progression between the main duo feels & is forced at times.

Aharen-San was a wholesome experience between two caring & goofy individuals. It lacks usual Anime & RomCom tropes beyond the obvious and the gags can be hit or miss, but overall it was a fun & entertaining experience.

P.S. The scene between Aharen & Ren in a post credit scene is so cute & loving (although apparently it is not in the source material but who cares it’s beautiful.)

Ultimately NEET Ninja is a failed Jack of All Trades that uses most of the tropes & stereotypes in the medium. It lacks story, cohesion & basic formatting to the point some episodes are a jumbled blob full of conflicting tones, genres & ideas. It's another standard 'turn your brain off' perverted anime where it never excels at anything other than Voice Acting & at times Comedy. It lacks any depth or explanation to its world or characters & the only redeemable portions of the show are thanks to the voice actors, referential gags and a number of interactions between side characters, who themselves are ... stereotypes & references.

The side characters & their antics were the only reason I stayed around, as they provided consistent entertainment. Sadly, the side characters only start appearing after ep2 which means you're stuck with a rather intolerable duo for 24 minutes before things start to get arguably entertaining. That’s not to say the jokes don’t get old or repetitive, as they definitely do but certain characters leave & return long enough for the jokes to land again. I should also note that there are jokes about gender dysphoria, consent & Japanese tropes e.g. low character ages. This is another reason why my score is low, even if it's a comedy, it's still disgusting.

Depending on where you watch the show, it has either 24, 12 minute episodes or 12, 24 minute episodes, with the later using a jarring structure of featuring the OP & ED’s multiple times in a single episode. It’s weird...

I do not recommend watching this in its entirety HOWEVER if you can find highlights of the characters on media sharing sites, you may experience the best parts of the Anime.

The World in Colours has a great depiction of a sad & self-isolated or depressed individual however she overstays her welcome with repetitive dialogue and conversations that consist of the word colours alongside grunts & gasps. These dialogue decisions make sense given her personality & circumstances but entertainment wise, it flops & stagnates until arond episode 9.

If you’re looking for romance, I don’t think that I can recommend this title as it is not the main focus & only a contributing factor to the story of the main character’s growth much like the magic system. The actual romance segments can also be contrived or ... simply lacking follow up or reasoning.

The story is kick-started by time travel without much setup or prior information and while the experiences shown throughout the 13 episodes resonate & have great subtle work, certain characters lack shown development or depth. The time travel aspect could have also been removed & taken place in present time due to how hollow it felt by the end.

On that note while time travel, magic & side characters exist and are important to the story & main character, they lack depth beyond subtle & implied information/interests. Magic is simply a second thought for most of the episodes until at some point it's back on the menu.

Lastly, the art & animation is beautiful but in some cases that will be up to the viewer’s preferences.

p.s. just a few notes while watching & completing the show. apologies for no further review.

Level 99 Villainess is very generic with the exception of the antics, interactions & internal dialogue of the stoic, kuudere, socially inept, gamer brain main character Yumiella. While her character has its faults, she significantly carries the show and therefor if you aren’t entertained by the aforementioned, this show will likely fall flat & become a pile of nothing.

Everything that the show offers outside of the main character is shallow, generic, rapid & formulaic to the point there’s nothing else to latch onto if she doesn’t interest you. Anyone who is not the main character is severely underdeveloped, these side characters either regress or receive ... personal growth that feels jarring when we the viewer last saw them in a complete opposite state & mentality. One could argue that the shallow one note characters are the result of the world being based on a video game due to a certain story thread, but with its lack of depth & exploration, I feel like saying such a thing is a cop out.

THANKFULLY, I can say that this show is not hindered by a weird age gap, creepy love interest & wtf moments (force feeding medicine into an unconscious girl’s mouth) that the genre is so fond of using & placing center stage to the detriment of everything else. The romance felt genuine with wholesome and caring moments between the two characters although it felt a tad underdeveloped in regards to interactions & relied on the dense protagonist angle a bit too much. If the show focused on the romance instead of the multiple threads of story, this would be one wholesome fantasy Otome Iseaki.

In regards to story, there are hints of intrigue or threads to an interesting idea but they all fizzle out or lack further exploration. The only thread that saw some showcase was the societal prejudice against those with black hair but even that has little consequence, repercussion or remorse to any events surrounding it & is undermined by the power level discussion. The lack of the aforementioned & additional pacing issues are more visible during the final episodes when major time skips are used in order to provide a seemingly conclusive ending with little to no threads left open.

At the end of the day, Level 99 Villainess’ formulaic, generic and shallow nature can be entertaining to those who like to turn their brain off and enjoy media without a critical eye & those who enjoy the antics & dialogue of the main character. For those who want anything beyond, they will be greatly disappointed.

GJ Club takes place in a single room and follows the antics of 5 eccentric girls and 1 basic dude in a high school club that has no specific focus. It is pure slice of life with exaggerated characters and has no overall story besides the conclusion to the high school experience. While it's listed as a comedy, outside of the unrealistic character traits & absurd activities, the jokes & gags lack quality & are close to non-existent.

There was no fan service and while there are small threads of romance similar to Student Council's Discretion & other titles in the genre, it never gets expanded ... and remains simple implications. At the end of the day, GJ Club fails to excel in any department and yet it offers a comfy & simple depiction of hanging out with friends. It is one of those shows you can put on when you don't want anything beyond the basics the genre provides and allows you to relax, fall asleep or enjoy without much thought or issues.

Inu x Boku has a age gap (15 & 22) that isn't realized until the end of the first episode alongside a main duo that lack an authentic romantic connection or chemistry. Their first three episode interactions felt incredibly forced on the male side and on top of the age gap leads to an off-putting viewing experience, not to the mention the fan service.

The Female Lead is someone who can't convey their thoughts correctly outside of internal dialogue which makes her express these emotions outward opposite to how they feel & results in a few entertaining scenes. Due to this lack of expression & the ... long term affects, she is inactive in social situations and unable to develop or progress which makes for a boring viewing experience that the male lead only contributes to.

The aforementioned is also amplified by surface level supernatural elements with little to no explanation. Outside of Secret Service members being myths and odd occurrences once in a blue moon, the anime lacks any significant supernatural elements & explanations.

As a result nearly all eight episodes have felt like long running filler where the only redeeming factors have been the side characters who have more chemistry, romantic development & personality than the main duo. Each side character steals the show whenever they appear.

It's evident that people will enjoy the entire experience based on ratings and reviews however I could not. The side characters offered more to the show with their limited screen time than the main duo and it felt like I was watching filler episodes without any explanation to its supernatural elements. It was lacking in most departments and the relationship angle on top of everything else was too gross and off-putting to care about.

Updated Errors from Feb 10, 2024 Review

Simply put, the first two or so episodes are overwhelming and don't do the second half of the season justice. The instant nature of their relationship leaves a lot to be desired as on first viewing there's nothing for you to connect to or care about beyond the gimmicks and the character's depictions don't leave a great first impression. This is all flipped on its head as the season continued, specifically episode 6, 7 & 8 with an arc that kicks the characters in the ass and explores their relationship beyond the gag.

Izumi's unluckiness gimmick & Shikimori’s Strength & Possessiveness is annoying and overused during ... the starting episodes, yet it calms down as the season continues with a slow rollout of their history and cute moments of their relationship beyond their gimmick.
It takes 6 episodes to truly offer something different with the start of the Cultural Festival arc and the introduction of Kamiya. As a romance anime consumer this arc was unique and perfectly executed. It gives Kamiya the limelight and provides us with a beautiful exploration of unrequited love & friendship by exploring the whole cast beyond their gimmicks.

If you dropped the show, I would recommend just watching from Episode 7, enjoying the Kamiya character and her interactions with the main cast who at that point aren't played as jokes. Kamiya's whole character and the interactions with Shikimori are beautifully moving and something I don't think I've seen in romance, romcom etc. anime before.

The friendship with the cast during and following the Cultural Festival episodes made the the experience infinitely better and got me hooked into finishing the show but those initial episodes are tough to get through. If there's any comparison to be made, it would to Nagatoro.

Episode One of CHOYOYU has to be the worst introduction to characters that I’ve ever seen.

Here's the rundown:
X is a master swordsman BUT SHES IN HIGHSCHOOL,
X is the president of Japan BUT HE'S IN HIGHSCHOOL,
X is a MASTER MAGICIAN BUT HE'S IN HIGHSCHOOL,
X owns 30% of the world’s commerce BUT HE'S IN HIGHSCHOOL,
X is the best inventor BUT SHE'S IN HIGHSCHOOL,
X is the best doctor BUT SHE'S IN HIGHSCHOOL &
X is the best Ninja, also Journalist BUT SHE'S IN HIGHSCHOOL.
... It's like the Bakugan theme song intro but utter dogshit followed by these series of events:

We are in another world? (the anime skips 1 month ahead straight off the bat)> I have made our phones compatible to this world!>I have established a monopoly on trade in the area>We have a nuclear reactor from an absolutely demolished and self-described unsurvivable plane crash.

I think that speaks wonders on what you should expect. If you enjoy trash or need something in the background, then you'll enjoy CHOYOYU and if you don't, simply avoid this.

First off if there's no Season 2 when reading this, you should know that this is basically a prologue and it has a 'go read the source material' ending.

Our MC is summoned by accident as he was hanging out with the intended 2 summons when it was executed and rather than being exiled etc. (shield hero) by the kingdom, he is treated with respect by the summoners and is found to have healing magic which is a rarity in the world. Honestly the initial episode is a blast however the reactions about healing magic in the room and the introduction of the character Rose becomes ... questionable as you continue watching as it doesn't reflect the what we see afterwards during flashbacks.

Our MC is pretty basic and rather than being OP right off the line, He develops his powers through his Mentor Rose & her harsh training. Our MC isn't entirely frustrating and dense as most Isekai protagonists but he does have moments that will leave you questioning the show, such as keeping information to himself or failing to interact with individuals who have giant neon signs above their heads stating their intention.

Rose on the other hand is one of the true highlights of the show as she is a tough combat medic who has a tragic past, wants to protect the kingdom and those fighting in future battles. She acts as a secondary main character if we're basing it off of screen time.

Rose & the main lead have a great student & mentor relationship, especially when Rose is essentially a depiction of what our MC will become in the future without the tough & harsh attitude. Rose's intense training was a blast to watch as it shows main lead's grit and determination to protect the other two summons and the kingdom he calls home.

I think the show could have used more time with scenes between our MC and the other 2 summons as their interactions were fun and entertaining or interesting and introspective but sadly they are limited and the focus is on Rose & MC that results in others becoming bland or shallow.

The magic system (at least our MC's healing magic) was handled in a way that exploits the effects of healing on the body and helps develop the characters in numerous ways such as increased stamina, muscle etc. however other magic and combat systems are extremely shallow. The show points out that there are stakes and that healing magic cannot revive someone who has died and while emphasized by flashback episodes, these stakes are all but abandoned or ever shown in the present, especially during the war that the series builds up to.

The overall pacing of the show was decent especially during the first half of the season as it explores the development of our MC rather than him just being outright overpowered while also building up to a war arc. That being said around the middle of the season it comes to a halt as we get a few episodes that drag on and a 2 episode flashback that could have been condensed into 1 and placed at a more appropriate point in the story.

Honestly it's worth a watch and is probably one of the better Isekai out there but it has flaws and can leave you frustrated.

P.S. Regarding the Dub. It's handling of the Black Knight character was awful, as a muffled edit of the voice left it impossible to understand the dialogue.

The demon's also had very awkward English (i think) accents that don't really suit their depictions. So its probably best that you watch it in Subs.

HenNeko is fascinating, as it’s a Romantic Mystery Comedy with fanservice built around the one new girl per arc harem structure.
That being said it is not a harem, as it focusses on the relationship between a "perverted" male lead & Dandere female lead and their experiences with wishes, how they affect others, relationships & memories. The harem structure is used to change the genre, theme and tone of each arc by introducing new characters and using them to focus on different problems all the while maintaining & building the relationship between the two main leads & a thread of wishes.

Certain arcs maintain the consistency & ... comedy of the first episode but two arcs specifically (home & Italy) slow the show to a halt with convoluted events while opening a can of worms in regards to wish mechanics, character motivations and reasoning that gets tossed under a rug, all while the side characters from prior arcs fade into obscurity or appear for five seconds of fanservice.

The story & progression being tied to character introductions causes problems & inconsistences as early as the first girl and gets worse with each following arc by dropping characters, threads and past information until 3 episodes of incoherent trash, only to improve significantly for the show’s conclusion for one of the best 3 episode arcs I’ve come across in a generic show.

The disconnection from the tones & overall quality of those that came before the final three episodes is fascinating & baffling to experience and yet you are required to watch the entire season and ignore plot points, actions, grievances & statements (emotional expression & dreams) from the leads in order to do just that.

HenNeko is entertaining even when riddled with inconsistency, incoherent arcs & generic, shallow & abandoned characters BUT it also has subtle moments of intrigue, a fun romance, a web of wishes and one arc of greatness hidden within, that will leave you emotional and thought provoked to some degree.