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Have you ever liked Ayano from 'Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian' or any other maid characters? If that is so, perhaps this anime is for you.


§ Overview

Yokoya Hitoyoshi wakes up hearing the doorbell from a mysterious lady dressed up in a maid uniform. She doesn't have a name. (She earns the name Yuki later.)

She doesn't know household work despite asking to be his made. Moreover, she is a former assassin. Hitoyoshi tries to send her away, but he is nearly killed and this lady saves him. After that, he agrees that she becomes his servant.


... § Notes


1. There are some parts of the OP and ED that I consider gorgeous animation.

The art direction in the show is decent.


2. The story is mediocre. So far, there's no plot to speak of. There's a hint that Yuki's background as an assassin will be a demon that she and Hitoyoshi will have to face someday but overall the first season is chill.

As of this writing, there's no word yet of season 2. Season 1 seems to be more of character introductions than anything else.


3. This is tagged as romance but there's nothing romantic so far, only a potential romance. Hitoyoshi has come to like her, but Yuki is unable to process the idea of girl-boy relationships. You'd expect in other anime that a boy like Hitoyoshi would be clueless, but Yuki is even more clueless.

I'm not sure if the romance will work but note the incongruities. Hitoyoshi is a 15/16 year old boy. Yuki is more or less 21 years old. He is not so tall, but Yuki is tall and voluptuous. Hitoyoshi is immature as expected from a kid his age, but Yuki's social age is actually younger than him due to how she was raised.

We can expect that their feelings for each other will develop and grow in a hypothetical season 2, but it will be challenging. The little romantic spark that they have (and to be fair, there are a few romantic moments) seems forced.


4. The only conclusion I have is that this anime is lowkey gooner material, and for people who like kuudere maids (and I love the idea that this show is about what if Ayano were the main character), this is a gooner anime par excellence. This is mainly an anime that caters to a boy's fantasy. To enjoy this piece of mediocrity, you must let go of demanding it to be realistic.


5. I also like it because Yuki's voice, whose seiyuu is Ueda Reina, is closest to my other favourite character by Ueda, Saimori Miyo. If you think about it, both have parallel backstories of being emotionally stunted.


6. There are a few action sequences that spice up the show, but it is mostly comedy and showing how Yuki is out of her depth in things other than killing people.


§ Conclusion

This is a mediocre anime, but I'm recommending it nonetheless. The idea of a hot, sexy maid is titillating to any straight guy watching this. If season 2 is given a go, there's potential that there will be more substance to this story. But as of season 1, this is an excellent gooner material.

I was never interested in watching this initially, but someone I respect and follow on X hyped this anime based on the manga. He felt that this would be the next Frieren. And since then, before and during the run of the anime, there's so much hype about this anime. Does this live up to the hype?


§ Overview

Ayase Momo wants to help her socially awkward schoolmate, Takamura Ken, stand up to his bullies. (As to why she refuses to call him by him name and why she chooses to call him Okarun, you have to watch this.)

Little did they know that they would develop ... a friendship thanks to the supernatural. Okarun wants to convince Momo that UFOs exist, whilst Momo wants to convince him that ghosts exist. From this, we see some wacky developments that may make you laugh.


§ Notes


1. The first thing that you will notice is the unusual art style in the opening theme, and it's trippy. For those who dig deep, it is a product of so many inspirations. One may appreciate that, though I am indifferent as far as I'm concerned.

If you ask me, the art style made me feel what it's probably like when seeing cubism, the art style of Picasso, for the first time. It's not the art style that I adore personally, but you know it's well-made.

It is well-animated, and the fight scenes are a sight to behold.


2. The characters are fun, especially Ayase Momo. They are quirky. The additional characters, Aira and Jin, are a great addition.

But to be honest, I don't like Okarun's weakness. He is tolerable despite that as he protects his friends from danger.


3. Story arcs are separated by different types of supernatural elements such as a particular yokai or Japanese apparitions or aliens. So far, there's no overarching plot that ties these arcs together, which is a letdown. If not for the fun factor, it would have been hard to recommend this. There's this odd emotional episode giving the backstory to one of the characters, but the overall tone is fun.


4. One aspect I did not like is its overuse of crass jokes, namely that Okarun's wiener and balls are being targeted. They should stop that and move on to other stuff. If you're of a certain age, such jokes are funny. But when you get to a certain age, such jokes are cheap laughter and maybe a turn-off. It's annoying.

The show won't stop being fun even if they stop using such jokes.


5. I don't mind the fanservice where there's nudity involved. Dandadan's art style isn't erotic enough anyway, and in my opinion, the female characters aren't gooning material.


6. I know there will be a season 2 come summer of 2025. I think how they chose to create the cliffhanger is polarising. I didn't like it.


§ Conclusion

Dandadan is a fun show. As far as the technical aspects are concerned, it deserves praise. I wouldn't be surprised if it wins some awards.

But I'm giving this a mixed feeling rating because not everyone will be thrilled with its jokes, not to mention, the toxic meta-commentary involving fans of different races, if you know what I mean.

As far as the story goes, there's nothing so far that would make me recommend it. It's nothing special, and this is the aspect where it is overrated. I can partially recommend it just because of the fun characters.

This seems to be the usual romantic comedy and office romance. But considering that it's rare for both characters to be introverts, this seems refreshing.


§ Overview

Honjouji Rika and Oohara Takuya are just quietly working when their boss announces that whoever is unmarried will be sent to Alaska in their new branch.

To deal with this, Rika asks Takuya to pretend as lovers and hold a fake marriage then divorce later. Would this arrangement lead to something more?


... § Notes

It has the usual tropes that you can expect from a typical romcom including *shockedface* misunderstanding. I would have scored this as 5 if not for the fact that the couple are introverts, and it feels refreshing to see how these socially awkward individuals without any previous romantic experience will handle pretend romance or perhaps actual romance.

Aside from the awkwardness of the couple, it is tempting to dismiss this show as dull because, let's face it, these individuals are really dull. I can't blame them as they are hardwired to be that way.

What saved this show from being a total bore fest were the supporting casts and some other people the couple met. These are people whom they learned so much from. These people have shown them the reality and difficulties of having a relationship, much more of being married.

To be honest, a lot of their issues are a result of them not being honest with themselves. But when they did, oh boy, this became a very satisfying show to watch. The lessons they've learned have allowed them to step out of their shell and connect with another human being.

The show didn't really need much awesome animation as far as the story goes. It is mostly standard, but there were some good animation in the OP and ED.


§ Conclusion

This is a good but awkward romance for awkward individuals that are endearing on-screen as they deal with their awkwardness. I don't expect this to be the best romance of the season, but I do hope more would consider it.

How could something covered with shit actually be a treasure chest? That's how I describe 'Negative Positive Angler.'


§ Overview

Sasaki Tsunehiro's life is in shambles. He dropped out of school, he lost so much with trading, he is heavily indebted, and he is given by his doctor a depressing diagnosis.

One day, whilst he is being chased by loan sharks, he falls from a bridge. He is then rescued by a group of anglers. Long story short, he came to like fishing, and with his new-found friends, he starts a new life.


... § Notes


1. Episode 1 started with an ugly visual composition. Perhaps, it is to illustrate Tsunehiro's state of mind.

In general, this anime is ugly in terms of visuals so I'm recommending it in spite of it. This is an anime that you will be anxious to start each episode because you imagine it as dull. But give it 5 minutes, and you will be okay.


2. This is an iyashikaei or healing anime. There's really not much of a plot to speak of, except that our main character, Tsunehiro, is avoiding the harsh reality of his diagnosis, which as you will see, is a theme of this anime: overcoming avoidance and finally facing reality.


3. Tsunehiro is a dull character and that's because he is suffering from depression. It's hard to root for him, as he had done some stupid stuff, but you will be glad whenever he makes any progress.

What carries this show are the supporting characters, namely, Ayukawa Hana and Tsutsujimori Takaaki. Hana and Takaaki have supported Tsunehiro so much that he begins to change his outlook.


4. Iyashikei as a genre is worth checking out, though 'Negative Positive Angler' is at the low end of iyashikei shows I've watched so far.

Due to the seeming general dullness of the show, it's an anime that I am not thrilled to start watching, but once I do, it gives me a relaxing feeling.


5. It's also a good look at a hobby and its intricasies. It's often said that what you are as a person is revealed in how you handle your hobbies.

Fishing seems easy until you try it. There are so many considerations that this anime will show you a glimpse of.


§ Conclusion

This anime might be a gem if you are prepared to overlook the ugly packaging.

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. seems to be a new twist to the magical girl genre. Somebody said that Magilumiere isn't the first to introduce technology in the genre, but for people like me who had a first taste of that through this anime, this feels so unique.


§ Overview

In a world threatened by magical creatures known as Kaii sprang several magical girl companies. In this world, a magical girl is just like any other profession.

Enter our protagonist, Sakuragi Kana. She is a new graduate who is looking for a job. One fateful day, during a job interview, one of these Kaii attacked, and she met one ... such magical girl, Koshigaya Hitomi. Koshigaya asked Sakuragi for help, and together they defeated the monster. Koshigaya impressed Sakuragi so well that she withdrew her job application and asked to be a Magilumiere magical girl.


§ Notes


1. The animation here is mostly average. This is especially true in the OP where there are some frames where Sakuragi appears to be lifeless when she should be alive.

But the animation in the final episode is above average, and anyone watching can look forward to that.


2. The concept is unusual, even if it's true that Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. isn't the first to try this concept. Being a magical girl is seen as another profession like a lawyer or a plumber. So anyone can become a magical girl.

The problem with this is that it takes away the uniqueness of being a magical girl. The transformation sequences are forgettable. In short, this feels soulless.

The attack spells feel more like lines of code. Imagine how refreshing it was when one of the magical girls being featured had a traditional transformation sequence as well as attack spells that seemed to be magic.

Speaking of attack spells.


3. In the Magilumiere company, a custom-made spell is made for every Kaii to ensure maximum effectiveness. It's a product of computer programming, which is nice. Computer programmers might appreciate this aspect.


4. In season 1, we didn't learn why Kaii started attacking humans. There doesn't seem to be an evil force with some ultimate goal in mind. The Kaii are just given.

I hope we are given an answer in season 2, but as it stands, I can't see how this story holds up as a good one. It's just that it's entertaining as it is.


5. To appreciate this anime, it is necessary to remove the lens of traditional magical girl stories like Sailor Moon. I suggest two points of view:

A. As competing technology

Since capitalism is involved in the magical girl business, we see that each magical girl is competing for services. The better the Kaii removal technology, the more a company will gain clients.

B. As the ever presence of problems being solved by software developers

I mentioned above that, to deal with Kaii, Magilumiere creates custom spells through coding. It doesn't seem to be different to real-life coding where code can be used for either creative expression as well as solving problems.


§ Conclusion

I don't think this anime can be better than a traditional magical girl show like Sailor Moon. I can give it props though for being so entertaining.

'The Stories of Girls Who Couldn't Be Magicians' is a good anime. It has a great premise. It's just that, it fell short of its potential.


§ Overview

Mirai Kurumi had always had this dream of becoming a magician after meeting this certain magician who inspired her to be one and gave her a magical notebook, the one used at Letran Academy of Magic.

Years later, she got admitted to Letran Academy of Magic. It's just that, she failed to be admitted to the elite magic class and had to be placed in the standard class.

But a mysterious teacher, Suzuki Minami, claims that everyone is capable ... of becoming magicians and that she will teach the entire class how.

Will she succeed?


§ Notes

§§ Positives

1. The art style is based on water colour. It may be disorienting at first, but it's refreshing from the usual slop.


2. It has a great premise. It's about a girl who couldn't use magic but it's hinted that may eventually be able to do so. We are then invited to root for Mirai Kurumi.


3. Even if unintentional, the makers of this anime point to the battle of educational pedagogy, between classical education versus progressive education, with the in-universe clash of modern, app-based magic versus ancient magic. Just with this aspect, I am giving it so much props.


4. It features the strong female bond between Kurumi and Yuzu.


§§ Negatives

Here's where it goes bad or at least hampers the anime from reaching its full potential.

1. It spent way too much time going about its slice-of-life aspects, which annoyed most of us who were in this for the plot. It ended well, and the last episode is magical, but the middle episodes will really test your patience. No wonder this anime has a preponderance of mixed or negative reviews.

I know the slice-of-life aspects are there to develop the friendship among characters, especially Kurumi and Yuzu. But better pacing and having it develop the plot earlier would have made the experience better.


2. It failed to show how Kurumi is exceptionally gifted with magic. Minami-sensei and Kurumi's grandmother were talking about how Kurumi is gifted, and I was expecting so much after this revelation. There was no extraordinary display of magic. Perhaps it's understandable considering that Kurumi wasn't closely trained and perhaps this display of high magic I'm looking for might happen in a hypothetical season 2, which is unlikely.


3. Speaking of season 2, was it necessary for them to include a post-credit scene in Episode 12 hinting that there would be more? The source material seems just a novel, and there's no ongoing manga/light novel series. Perhaps what we've seen is the entire thing.


4. I don't know why this anime introduced Kurumi's shape-shifting brother if she will not interact with him nor be given an even bigger role other than being an observer. It's a waste of character.


§ Conclusion

Despite these annoying problems, I still recommend it. It could have been an 8/10 story but 6 will do. If you come in thinking it's just a chill, school life anime, it won't annoy you so much.

'How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer' is an anime that I did not like, as I am not the target audience, but I can imagine it being so good and so funny to the right audience.


§ Overview

Tokiwa gets invited by his female classmate, Suo, to a mixer. But when he and his two other friends get there, they are greeted by what seemed to be three handsome young men. Actually, the three 'guys' are actually Suo and her two female colleagues, crossdressing as guys. This is the start of an awkward romance.


§ Notes

...
1. Some have dubbed this as the straightest gay anime and simultaneously the gayest straight anime. I don't blame them because the girls crossdressing as guys are so convincing that I felt so much discomfort at the outset, a level of discomfort that I did not have with 'Sempai no Otokonoko.'

But once you're a few episodes in, the level of discomfort goes away.


2. Much of the humour involves these guys overreacting to what these girls dressed as guys do. Some will like it. I don't.

Actually, I don't mind the cross-dressing. I'm neutral to Kohaku and Fuji, but I really like Suou. These girls carry the show, and arguably Suou is bearing the bulk of that weight.

Dressed as a guy, Suou is so handsome and so charismatic that so many girls call her 'The Prince.' Chances are, if she is on screen, the scene would be good. Her character design is so distinctive that she resembles LeLouch vi Britannia. Thus, she is the main attraction.


3. Personally, I hate these boys. They are absolute chodes and are so much cringe. I can forgive this as comedy, and there are tons of examples where they tend to overreact. They are so insufferable. These chodes are the type of guys that a self-respecting man would strive not to become.


4. It's pretty much a slice of life. There's no overarching plot. Just these guys hanging out. There's some development in their relationship, but such development doesn't feel major.


5. Animation is pretty much average.


6. The OP and ED are a bit catchy.


§ Conclusion


Don't mind my low score and mixed feelings. I'm not the target audience. It's a bit okay for a comedy. I love Suou but hate the chodes in this anime.

If you are reading this review and you're interested in watching this, you may have liked 'Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World' or at the very least watched it.

Despite giving the main series and these specials an abysmal score of 2, I had to mark this as 'recommended.' These extra minutes of sex scenes are necessary to get the full experience of this anime.

I wonder why they had to create a separate special when they could have prolonged the uncensored version of this anime.

Anyway, Roxanne, whilst having a nice body, doesn't have that alluring face. Her character design doesn't match the in-world description ... of 'beautiful' so even for purposes of gooning, I wouldn't even recommend this.

Just watch it to get the full experience of this anime, and that's it.

I started watching 'Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World', expecting it would scratch my longing for something similar to 'Redo of Healer.' I've seen some posts predicting it as the next Redo. That was years ago.

Did it deliver? Nah, prepare to be disappointed.


§ Overview

Kaga Michio starts playing an online game, but to his surprise, he finds himself transported to another world where owning sex slaves is a given.

Once he obtains one, he starts his quest to obtain more.
...

§ Notes


1. It has different versions. One, a censored version. Two, an uncensored version. Three, a more hardcore version. (Cuts from version 3 is likely the same as the specials.)

The nudity and the amount of sex the MC gets is what makes this similar to Redo of Healer.


2. With despite all the sex, it's worse than mediocre. The sex isn't really all that exciting. The women in Michio's harem aren't exactly the best-looking girls, save for one, who is aristocratic but the title was stripped from her father.


3. Strip all the hentai in this, it is a mediocre isekai or probably worse. It's just the usual slop with gaming mechanics that don't really seem to be different.


4. Animation is fairly standard and not remarkable.


5. So far, the anime that I've watched that scratches my itch for something similar to Redo of Healer is 'Failure Frame' as well as 'The Most Notorious "Talker" Runs the World's Greatest Clan'. Both have edge lord characters that carry their respective shows.

The Most Notorious "Talker" Runs the World's Greatest Clan has a boring, generic main character. His character design is generic. There's no underlying angst or character motivation that would compel you to watch him.

Revenge was the compelling drive with Redo of Healer, and Failure Frame had this so it was a compelling watch even though it lacked the borderline aspects of Redo. Notorious Talker had a compelling MC.

No wonder this anime is missing a crucial ingredient.


6. This actually started okay. I like that Michio worked his ass off to earn money to buy his first sex slave, Roxanne. But after that, the story stagnated. They just fought monsters and had sex.

If this anime only had Episode 1 until he got Roxanne, I would have scored this a bit higher. There's no goal introduced in this anime that is driving his actions, so it's safe to say, he is just there to satisfy his lust.


7. This anime has an awesome OP and ED. Unfortunately, I don't consider them in the final score. But I appreciate how unique its ED is.


§ Conclusion

This anime failed to deliver on the hype that some people are claiming, i.e. that it might be the next Redo of Healer. This is why it falls flat in its face. With or without the nudity, it's a really bad and boring isekai.

'Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement' seems to be yet another isekai slop, and they are not entirely wrong. But if an isekai resonates with you, that average slop is your gold. That is true, as far as I'm concerned, with 'Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement'.


§ Overview

Like many isekai protagonists, Yamano Mitsuha was on the verge of being killed when she was transported to a different world. At first, she cannot speak the local language.

Eventually, she meets the god who granted her the ability to teleport herself to and fro Earth and that other world, which resembles ... mediæval Europe. When he asks her what other gift does she want to have, she asks for the ability to speak and understand every language. Thus, not only can she speak the other world's language, she can understand other languages of Earth.

Thus begins her quest to accumulate 80,000 gold so she can retire comfortably on Earth or in the other world just in case she loses the ability to teleport herself between worlds.


§ Notes


1. Animation can be pretty average. It's just enough not to make you cringe. You won't like it because of its animation. If you like it, you will love it in spite of the average animation because you love the themes.


2. Although I don't count them to my score, the OP and ED are catchy. The ED especially is cute.


3. I resonate so much with this anime on three things: a) the use of gold as currency, b) the use of firearms for self-defence, c) capitalism, trading, and entrepreneurship. If you're a libertarian like me, you might like it.

As a believer in using the gold standard for money, the other world's œconomy is a reminder of how gold used to be money. In this particular aspect, I give this anime so much regard.

If you're an American who believes in the necessity of the Second Amendment, you might like it.

And even if you're not a libertarian, this is an anime that gives you a glimpse of how the world works in terms of how money changes hands, which is by trading something that the other party finds more valuable but you don't, the other party in turn hands you something you find valuable but they don't.

This anime alongside Spice & Wolf as well as Trillion Game constitute what I call, for lack of a better term, The Capitalist Triumvirate. If you appreciate the importance of capitalism in our lives, you will like these three anime.


4. As a language-learning enthusiast, I also appreciate that Mitsuha chose to have the ability to speak and understand languages. This anime also reinforces my passion for learning languages because I consider different languages to be similar to superpowers. The more languages you know and/or the more proficient you are with a specific language, the more powerful you become because your world has expanded.


5. Mitsuha is a compelling character. Maybe she is not as smooth of a talker as Haru from Trillion Game, but her gift of gab is good enough. After all, salesmanship is important.


6. Some have compared this to a harem where Mitsuha gets to have cute ladies as friends. I don't sense some Yuri subtext here, but having the cute ladies around makes this a cute watch.


7. It is unfortunate that this won't have season 2. You can always read the light novels. Anyway, this anime's run ended on the right note. It had what looked like a final boss that capped what could have been a so-so slice-of-life anime. It has some elements of action that I appreciate.


§ Conclusion

In a sea of isekai, it is easy to overlook this. It's after all wish fulfilment. But if you resonate with its themes of capitalism, trading, arming yourself, etc, this can be a hidden gem. Highly recommended!