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Feb 11, 2025
I love the first season of Shadows House and I found season 2 to be better. In a way, it gives a complete picture of why Kate should rebel.
§ Overview
After successfully hurdling their debut, Kate still elicits suspicion from the Star Bearers or those shadow masters who supervise the children's wing of Shadows House. This is not helped by the fact that a mysterious figure, who is called by Emilico as 'Master Robe,' comes into the picture.
Kate must figure out Master Robe's identity before she is disposed of.
...
§ Notes
1. Just like with season 1, the visuals are amazing. Some with critical eyes note that the visuals are inferior. Be that as it may, for someone with a casual eye, I didn't notice a difference. YMMV.
2. Some people prefer the debut arc or season 1. I agree that that was good, but I prefer this season. It introduces us to a character — Master Robe — that, according to manga readers, should have been included in season 1.
Also, this season includes further world-building of Shadows House. We've learned that living dolls are the faces of their shadow masters. It seems to be an innocuous concept. But with what we discover in this season, this concept should induce some squirm. It adds another layer to the explanation of why Shadows House is an evil institution.
3. Finally, I like how the OP has a positive message celebrating being human: 'It's nice to be human.' This is in contrast to the dehumanisation that the nobles of Shadows House have institutionalized.
If you think about it, this anime is pointing to the clash of ideas: of work being something you do out of joy versus work as a form of slavery and dehumanisation.
If you want to know the ideas I'm talking about, read even if superficially the concept of the Protestant work ethic in contrast with house Josef Pieper lambasts workaholism in his book 'Leisure: The Basis of Culture.'
4. A common theme in both seasons is one of defiance and rebellion against Shadows House. Unfortunately, both seasons are merely preparatory phases. Unless succeeding seasons are commissioned, the story, as great as it is, is incomplete and people are invited to read the manga. Many have judged the manga as superior to the anime version anyway, but both seasons of the anime have done a great job for a viewer to look forward to the remaining story arcs.
5. It's also becoming aware of and going against the social and cultural programming and conditioning of a dysfunctional society. This is the theme that I love most about Shadows House.
§ Conclusion
This is a great story. At first, it seems to be confusing but season 1 steadily builds the world of Shadows House. Season 2 further builds on the lore and provides justification for why change or even rebellion is necessary.
It's great on a textual level as well as on a subtextual level. This is one of those anime/manga where analysing it can be worth it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 11, 2025
'After-School Hanako-kun Part 2 is the second series of specials in-between season. Just like the first series, it was aired during Halloween. In this case, it's for the 2024 Halloween. It also functions as a lead-up to the second season of Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun.
In contrast to the first series of specials, I like this one better. It has more emphasis on being a slice of life, thanks to the extensive participation of the Mokke, except for one chapter that is fantasy and belongs to a parallel dimension.
What I like about this series is that it seems that the humour is stronger and more enjoyable. That's why
...
I'm rating this a 6, which is higher than the usual rating of 5 that I rated the first season and the first series of specials.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Feb 9, 2025
After the anime, these Afterschool Hanako episodes seem to be the next logical watch. They stay true with the silly parts of the show.
Episode 1:
This episode, as well as the following episodes, consists of two parts:
Part 1 is about Yashiro's complaints about cleaning the bathroom and more.
...
Part 2 is about how the Mokke wanted to become one of the 7 Wonders.
Episode 2:
Part 1: Kokkuri-san. If you've seen occult stuff like a Ouija board, this is similar.
This is a funny segment.
Part 2: Mitsuba and how he tries to make friends.
Episode 3:
Part 1 is about having apparition fever and how to deal with it.
Part 2 is about a Mokke getting taken home.
Episode 4:
Part 1 is about when Nene becomes a Mokke and thereby learns their origins.
Part 2 is about a nursery school for training monsters. It doesn't seem to be part of the main story, just something that can happen in a parallel dimension.
These episodes came out around Halloween of 2023. They are more goofy rather than scary.
The gap between season 1 and season 2 is 4 years so these episodes and the 4 episodes the following year functioned as something fans of season 1 could watch as they wait for season 2.
The humour is par for what was established in season 1. But is it a must-watch? In reality, nope, not even for fans of the series. They don't have any bearing on what happens in the story. These are optional episodes that are not bad but can be safely skipped.
But if you're a super fan of the show, it won't hurt watching these. Each episode is nominally 10 minutes, but the actual segments are just 5 minutes. They can be fun or boring depending on the segment. You be the judge.
If you're a completist, I can recommend watching them.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Feb 8, 2025
The second season of 'Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun' is one of the most popular anime this season, and I might as well jump into this first season and catch up.
§ Overview
At Kamome Academy, there are certain apparitions called the Seven Wonders (nana fushigi), the chief of which is a girl called Hanako-san, a girl who once summoned will grant anyone their wish.
Enter Yashiro Nene. She attempts to summon Hanako-san, but it turns out that Hanako is actually a boy. Hence, she refers to Hanako as Hanako-kun. From there, due to some incident, she is forced to become Hanako-kun's assistant and she is entangled with various apparitions.
...
§ Notes
1. This anime aired in the winter of 2020, the first quarter of that dreadful year due to COVID-19. For people who watched this during those trying times, it may have been a comfort anime, and I don't mean to besmirch their memories of it. Any not-so-positive remarks that I make about this anime concern my experience based on binge-watching it this year.
2. It felt meh watching it. It's not really bad but not too exciting to watch. I reckon it has something to do with its target demographics. It's listed as shounen, and given that Nene is first-year high school, this is targeted at teenagers 16 to 18.
The jokes feel too juvenile for my taste but nonetheless an okay watch.
Compare this with the anime Hell Teacher, Nube, which is another anime that deals with apparitions. Both are shounen, yet in retrospect, there's a higher level of maturity with Nube compared with Hanako-kun. Not that Hanako-kun by itself is bad, but I've seen something better.
3. The characters are consistent with their age. Nene is naive. Hanako-kun is mischievous. Kou is idealistic.
4. There are some elements of mystery. Who is Tsukasa and what is his relation with Hanako? Stuff like that. The season ended with an incomplete view of things, but it sets up quite nicely season 2.
5. The anime's character design and visuals set it apart from the usual slop, though they can feel ordinary whenever they do chibi versions. It's not something that I would sing high praises, but they are good enough to make it feel unique.
§ Conclusion
It's an okay show about apparitions. It's not a must-watch, but it's not so bad that I would try to persuade people not to watch it. This is why I am marking it as recommended.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Feb 7, 2025
It's not as good as I would have liked, but it's still worth watching. It's a fairly decent slice-of-life anime.
§ Overview
Iwakura Mitsumi is an ambitious girl from the countryside, and she attends this prestigious high school in Tokyo. She has a lot of plans laid out, but fate has other things in mind. After delivering a speech representing her class, she embarrasses herself on Day One. Despite that, she learns to relax and have friends.
§ Notes
...
1. Mitsumi is not conventionally attractive. She is quirky. Despite that, she first befriends Shima Shousuke and then her other classmates.
2. Mitsumi as a main character is decent, but I don't think that she alone can carry this show. For now, she doesn't seem to have a backstory that would make you really want to root for her success. Her ambitions are a mixture of vanity as well as genuinely wanting to help her hometown.
This show can be a compelling watch because of the supporting characters. There's this beauty in class, but she is not a bitch contrary to some people's expectations. She quickly vibes with Mitsumi. There is the unsociable nerd that she wins with some effort. And finally, we get a girl who initially bullies her but eventually warmed up to her. These comprise the gang.
Other interesting characters are the members of the student council, which Mitsumi wants to join, the would-be president of the drama club, and Mitsumi's transgender aunt (or should be uncle).
3. There's a hint that Mitsumi and Shousuke will eventually have some romance, but season 1 is not about romance. Those who are expecting some romance will be disappointed.
For now, Mitsumi and Shousuke have great chemistry as friends, and it's unthinkable at this point if having romantic feelings for each other is the right direction to take.
4. Shousuke's backstory was drip-fed, but I think its presentation could have been better.
5. The style and æsthetics are good but not too awesome.
§ Conclusion
It's an okay show. If you love interesting characters, this show is for you. But I have a nagging feeling that this is missing something, that factor that would make me say that this is a must-watch. I am still marking this as recommended because of its virtues, but manage your expectations.
ETA: 7th of February 2025
I recommend reading Tokku's negative review here: https://myanimelist.net/reviews.php?id=502878
I'm not as negative as Tokku, but the review indicates that the anime and the manga are night-and-day different. That may explain why it feels that the anime could have been better despite hearing some praise about it. I will still watch season 2, but I know that to fully experience the greatness of Skip and Loafer, I must read the manga.
There's still something to be gained by watching the anime, but if you feel that the anime is meh, try the manga before judging the story to be lousy.
AND BUGGER OFF TO THE PEOPLE WHO TOOK OFFENCE IN MY REVIEW DESPITE ACTUALLY RECOMMENDING THE ANIME.
JacobDeZoet IS A LOSER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JacobDeZoet IS A LOSER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JacobDeZoet IS A LOSER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jan 31, 2025
My online anime friends have been pimping this anime for months now. Once I started watching this, I now see why they love it.
§ Overview
The story begins with Kate, a shadow child, and her newly assigned living doll whom she named Emilico. Emilico must serve her master Kate, and ultimately obey the overall ruler of Shadows House, the Great Grandfather.
But is that all there is to this show?
...
§ Notes
1. Emilico starts out as clumsy and she seems to be annoying. Bit by bit, she becomes competent enough to do the chores. Also, some other living dolls are friendly towards her while others are hostile. Despite that, she slowly wins them over. She is a Pollyanna figure.
2. There is an air of mystery here and the initial episodes have a slow pace. But bit by bit, we learn the true nature of Shadows House. There are shadow masters at the top of the hierarchy, and chief among them is the Great Grandfather.
3. It's partly a great coming-of-age anime. We see shadow children including Kate get through their debut. Emilico solves the problems creatively.
4. The setting seems to be Victorian England or at least European, but the values pervading it are so Japanese. Hint: If you've ever had a team building activity or leadership seminar, the values you learn from them are similar to what can be seen here.
5. The visuals are great as expected from CloverWorks.
6. Other than what the show is explicitly about, it stimulates me to come up with two levels of interpretation, one being sociological and the other being psychological.
§§ Sociological Interpretation
Kate recognises the evil of Shadows House. The Great Grandfather is a totalitarian figure. The living dolls are not dolls at all but they are actually humans. In short, Shadows House is an oppressive institution, and it is a dysfunctional society writ large.
The identity of the oppressors may depend on your political views, but as a libertarian, the Great Grandfather and his fellow nobles represent the state, which Murray Rothbard calls a band of criminals, in all its evils.
Also, Kate's recognition and forthcoming defiance reminds me of the image of the puppet theatre used by Peter Berger in his book 'Invitation to Sociology.' When we become aware of the good and bad of society, we can choose not to play along. This is the first step towards freedom.
§§ Psychological Interpretation
The living dolls, who are usually named close to their shadow masters, are supposed to be the faces of their masters. If a master is sad, they should act sad. If they are happy, living dolls should act happy.
The dynamic between Kate and Emilico is different. Emilico is named far from Kate because she wants Emilico to retain her individuality.
We can view this in terms of Jungian psychology. We as humans are not supposed to repress our shadows. We are to befriend them, and by shadow, Jung means the hidden, unacceptable parts of the person. In Shadows House where the shadow masters are controlling the living dolls, it's even worse than the act of repressing our shadows. This represents a human being's surrender of his consciousness.
Kate and Emilico point to having a healthy relationship between a person and their shadow.
§ Conclusion
This is an entertaining show on its own. The world building is great. The visuals are gorgeous. But there is more to Shadows House if you think about it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 31, 2025
'Moshimo, Ashita Sekai ga Owaru nara' in Japanese or 'If the World Was Ending Tomorrow' in English is a BL one-shot by Hara Yuriko. I'm not really into BL so I went blind into this not knowing it's BL - my bad. Despite that, it's really an interesting read.
We meet Takada, who has lighter hair here and could possibly be represented as blond hair if this were an anime, as well as Kato.
Even though this is BL, the vibe while reading this is similar to that I experienced when I was reading Hara-sensei's 'Cocoon Entwined.' That yuri manga basically is kino on individual scenes but
...
the story is hard to follow, making it overall a horrible read.
As far as this one shot goes, there is no proper introduction to the characters. You're basically in the middle of things, and you eventually know these two characters as Takada and Kato. The gist of this one-shot is Takada basically yapping about the things he would do if the world were to end tomorrow.
This is a better read than 'Cocoon Entwined' because it is so focused on an individual scene, even if there are flashbacks. It is so focused on the conversation between Takada and Kato that I am left to be engrossed by Takada's words.
I'm actually surprised that I like Hara's material on a genre I normally wouldn't tolerate, i.e. BL, over her yuri manga, which I would normally tolerate.
Yes, these two blokes did, you know, what was expected but I'm not bothered. This is worth reading just for the nice contemplation that it would induce in you. Its question is of vital importance that it transcends gender, and everyone should try to answer it.
In conclusion, this is worth reading just to experience Hara-sensei's poetic use of words in an individual scene. She is good at it.
If you ever disliked 'Cocoon Entwined' like I did, this is a much better material from Hara-sensei.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jan 31, 2025
I wanted to like this manga so bad, but I don't think I can. It's horrible.
§ Overview
The uniforms of Hoshimiya Girls' Academy are made from human hair cut from the graduating class. These uniforms will be passed on to succeeding classes.
The mysterious student, Hoshimiya-san, drives the story, even if she is generally not seen. And a lot of changes will happen thanks to her.
...
§ Notes
1. The art style is gorgeous. If you like beautiful drawings, this may be enough to read online or perhaps buy a copy.
2. The premise is great. Having a uniform created from human hair, for some reason feels kinky. It might just be me. But this uniform thing adds to this manga's mystique. If only it were that this story is easy to read!
3. Unfortunately, the story is all over the place. It's confusing. Sure, it's possible to get a sense of the story by carefully noting the scene, making notes on the who's who, basically the type of reading required for studying great literature. But I don't think this is worth the effort.
There are too many point-of-view shifts, not to mention there are multiple flashforwards and flashbacks. It doesn't help that the manga doesn't mark these, the only reason you know is that the so-and-so character you see in high school is described as so and so year in middle school.
The only help is that in some chapters, there is a summary provided by the mangaka on the story so far. It kind of helps (but just a little) on where the story is going.
But if these were expanded into several volumes and given their due, you would not even need these summaries.
4. The individual scenes are great and perhaps emotional. The way they speak the words feels poetic but perhaps overwrought.
This could have been a great manga if only there were enough scenes that would make it easy to understand. This is like having a movie with great individual scenes full of great visuals, but the scenes in question are disjointed, and some scenes seem to be missing.
5. I'm just looking for an anime/manga that will scratch the itch left by Maria-sama ga Miteru. Sadly, this is not it.
Speaking of Marimite, it has some little sister thing. If you're a high school senior, which is third year in Japan, you will have two little sisters who are first year and second year. This is unlike Marimite where you can only have one little sister, either a first year or a second year.
6. The previous reviewers did not seem to have completely read the chapters. I don't blame them. It is so confusing. You understand it partially or a little and your comprehension is shaky. That said, many of the final chapters are relatively easier to read than the earlier chapters. It still remains confusing, but the events are somewhat easier to follow.
7. It's only in the final chapters that you learn that this manga has an anti-tradition theme as one of the students did something that would ....just read this if you dare.
One may criticise if creating uniforms from human hair is feasible or even desirable, but if it were feasible and desirable, I see nothing wrong with this tradition, i.e. having senior students cut their hair to be made into uniforms for the following classes. The manga has failed to tell us why this certain character doesn't like this tradition or why this practice should be optional.
§ Conclusion
This manga should at least be praised for its gorgeous art work, but criticised for its incomprehensibility. I don't recommend it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Jan 28, 2025
I was expecting drama. I got that, but I did not expect to enjoy this. It's a good sports anime.
§ Overview
The boys' soft tennis club is in danger of being disbanded unless they win at least a match in an upcoming tournament. Enter the second-year transfer student, Katsuragi Maki. Even though he does not play sports, he has good reflexes that will prove useful for any sport. Once the captain Shinjou Touma sees his potential, he does everything to persuade Maki to join the soft tennis club.
Maki is persuaded, and there is a new hope for what was once a hopeless club.
...
§ Notes
1. Even though Touma is a great player individually, he loses because there's no one who can match him in a doubles pair game. Once Maki enters the club, he learns fast such that he becomes a great doubles partner for Touma. As a matter of fact, he acts more like the captain because not only does he learn fast, he is able to devise the optimal pairing for the rest of the club, soft tennis being a game of doubles pairs as far as this anime is concerned.
2. With his arrogance, I find the character of Maki a bit inconsistent. His balls run away from him as soon as his abusive father pays him a visit to extort money. This nags me until the final scene, a cliffhanger that I won't spoil. I don't like what is implied will happen, but you be the judge.
3. I started watching this because I was intrigued by a certain anime influencer I follow. I was told that this has a realistic presentation of abuse.
I'm not sure how realistic because I was expecting something else. At first, he did not seem traumatised the way Miyo was in My Happy Marriage. He is traumatised, but the way he expresses it can be surprising, which I will invite all of you to watch. As mentioned above, he acts arrogantly among his peers, which is why I find it hard to believe he was abused. Perhaps different people react to abuse differently. Some usually have low self-esteem. Others can act normal but have negative internal thoughts that they hide from people.
4. Anyway, I did not expect that I would enjoy this. Watching the soft tennis matches is great. Even with the limitation of the 12-episode format, you don't feel that matches are finished in the blink of an eye the way Blue Box does.
5. Speaking of Blue Box, which tries to balance school romance and sports, this anime has a nice balance of fun sports plus drama. It is 60% fun sports and 40% drama.
6. It includes a nonbinary character. It handles it with care, and I'm glad it's not tacky unlike what Western media do that detracts from the entertainment value.
7. Initially, Maki has personal issues of his own, but other characters are equally damaged. It is unfortunate that, despite being given enough time to flesh out the drama, these issues are not resolved in the space of the 12 episodes, making you wish that a second season was commissioned. It made you care a bit about Maki and Touma's teammates because, by themselves and without the drama, they are unremarkable on their own. Speaking of Touma, it's a shame that how this anime handled his family situation is less than ideal.
8. The animation is serviceable. I like how it doesn't use the cost-cutting technique of not showing the faces of NPCs.
9. It's unfortunate that it ends in a cliffhanger. Usually, one would proceed to read the source material, either a manga or a light novel. But in this case, it's an anime original.
§ Conclusion
It's an enjoyable anime that's worth bingeing. It's one of those anime where you would love to watch the next episode as soon as an episode is finished. I came for the drama and there is so much of that, but I did not expect that the sports aspect of it would be fun to watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jan 25, 2025
This is a good anime about art. Its animation is not as good as I would have liked, but the struggles of the main character are relatable.
§ Overview
Yaguchi Yatora is a delinquent student but still gets good grades. He has no passion for something until he finds painting so appealing. He joins his school's art club and finds the motivation to study at the Tokyo University of the Arts.
This anime is about his journey in learning how to paint and whether he will be able to study at the Tokyo University of the Arts.
...
§ Notes
1. The story is good to great. The animation though is pretty much average. You would wish that it had the animation of Zenshuu because such animation is wasted on a so-so story.
It's an engrossing watch because you would be thrilled to watch the next episode as soon as one is finished.
It uses none of the shortcuts of modern anime of not animating background NPC fully. If ever they do, you won't even notice.
2. How it handled the Yaguchi family could have been better. Yatora faced objections from his family, but it felt only like a mild sting. Their extent of disapproval could have been extended so it could have had its proper weight. Then again, it is compensated by his bouts of self-doubt.
3. Unlike some main characters, Yatora is not a genius. He has no intrinsic talent for painting plus he has started relatively late. His only virtue is that once he has a clear goal, he works hard for it.
His struggles are relatable and feel more realistic. He makes some progress but soon hits a wall, then breaks through his plateau, and the process repeats itself.
It is none of that overpowered isekai protagonist crap.
4. The supporting characters are great, and their interactions with Yatora are a great watch. You can look forward to the characters named Ayukawa Ryuuji, Takahashi Yotasuke, and Mori Maru as well as the mentors Saeki Masako and Ooba Mayu. It's a shame because if this anime was longer, we could learn more about these great characters. But what was shown was good enough.
§ Conclusion
This is a good anime about pursuing your passion. It highlights that the pursuit is worth it even if you are not talented. The animation leaves some things to be desired, but the more or less realistic storytelling carries it through.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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