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this manga is good folks.

initially it may seem like it relies too heavily on cliches, but actually this is something it uses beneficially imo. despite the fact that it starts in a standard fantasy setting with standard fantasy rpg characters, this is just a base from which dungeon meshi builds a solid, interesting, engaging, and unique story. you have to be a good writer to pull this off, but good writing is something this manga consistently provides. it's able to keep you entertained with fun realistic monster-based cooking and absolutely hilarious situations and character interactions. meanwhile as it progresses, a fascinating and dark plotline is ... unveiled while the characters develop and start defying your first impressions of them.

i was really happy with how cool the worldbuilding ends up being. there's a lot of really fun stuff, from the magic of "dungeon creation" to realistic, believable monster biology. concepts are introduced and then explored in surprising ways, and have consequences. as in, monsters and magic and etc don't simply exist in a void, they have effects on all aspects of life, like a real ecosystem. it's obvious that despite drawing from existing myths and standard expectations of rpgs, there's a lot of thought put into this. the dungeon is almost its own character, really. it was refreshing to see an author be able to put a new, unique spin on familiar ideas.

the characters are really the best part of it all, though. every major character is likable and interesting, and they all have unexpected developments that are really fun. for example: the character who's standard rpg role is "reliable leader with a noble heart" ends up being really weird, and having virtually no leadership skills. these developments and reveals are by turns comedic and tragic, and leave you wanting to spend more time with pretty much everyone.

basically despite appearances, this manga brings forth more unique and exciting concepts than a lot of "more original" series do. and tbh, even if it didn't, it's funny and charming enough to be worth reading anyway. give it a shot!

Sci-fi/fantasy is my favorite genre of anime (and my favorite genre for any media pretty much). But something any fantasy fan can tell you is that there’s no shortage of generic fantasy media out there. In fact, there’s heaps and heaps of it. But what keeps my love for the genre alive is the occasional unique gem of a world, and that’s exactly what ACCA delivers. Well thought out, nice to look at, fun and full of variety – that’s how I’d describe the world of ACCA.

Now, this show isn’t for everyone. I think a lot of people find it a bit boring, but it ... is a political intrigue drama about a government agency after all. You have to know what you’re getting into. The show takes its time setting everything up, and I’ve heard complaints about the pacing. However, I have none. I thoroughly enjoyed every episode of this show, never once feeling like it was wasting my time.

When not setting up crucial plot points early on, ACCA spends its time showing us the wonderful world it inhabits. Thanks to Jean’s job, we get to travel to each of the thirteen districts and explore them along with him, getting a brief but fulfilling taste of each place.

I’ve also heard complaints about the characters, but again – I have none. From Jean to Nino to Mauve to Lilium, it’s a fun cast that really helps to smooth the way through what might indeed have been a dull show without them. Jean’s deadpan voice and attitude might be a problem for some, but I actually found myself loving it. To me, he’s the perfect character for the narrative position he’s put in. And hopefully this isn’t considered a spoiler, but I found myself rooting for one of the show’s “villains” just because he’s so damn compelling.

Besides all of this, the show just looks good. The character designs are wonderful, the backgrounds are solid, and each district is a delight to be exposed to. Combine that with a catchy OP, and you’ve got one of the more stylish shows of the season.

I don’t consider this a ‘show for intellectuals’ or any of that, just because it starts slow and concerns politics. I think it’s a show anyone can enjoy. If I had to name a flaw, I wasn’t a huge fan of the end. I thought they wrapped everything up in a way that was a little too perfect to be believable. I’m rarely completely satisfied by an ending, though, so I may just be being picky here.

Boasting one of the more unique fantasy worlds I’ve seen in a while, and some interesting characters to populate and utilize that world, this show is definitely worth the time it takes to lay out its groundwork.

I’ve been thinking for a while trying to decide why I didn’t like this season as much as the first. In the end, I think I just have the first season up on such a pedestal, this season could never hope to reach it.

Don’t get me wrong, this season is good. I love SGRS, and I don’t think this season particularly declined in quality or anything. It’s just very different from season 1. One odd thing about it is that it feels like it covers more time, when in reality I believe season 1 actually did, considering it follows Bon from childhood to adulthood. ... Season 2 feels less focused, though. It follows around a larger cast of characters, and I think sometimes it gets scattered keeping track of everyone.

I guess considering my love for season 1, it’s no surprise that episode 11 was far and away my favorite of season 2. No spoilers, but it’s really a treat to get to revisit some familiar faces and get some closure on certain issues. Not to mention it’s a gorgeous episode to look at. The final episode was…interesting. Certain things are suggested that made me uneasy, I think you can guess what I’m talking about if you’ve seen it. But it was also a nice closing episode to the show.

So I wouldn’t say this season was bad, or anything. Do I think it compares to season 1? Not at all. But it’s still SGRS. It’s still full of authentic-feeling drama, great three-dimensional characters, shocking but realistic plot twists, and an overall aura of being a cut above the rest.

Sangatsu no Lion is listed as a 'game' anime first, but that definitely takes a back seat to the slice-of-life/drama genres. It's very much a show about shogi, but not the technical aspects - it's a show about shogi players, and their struggles and lives.

I loved this show, I should just put that out there. I'm not always a fan of what Shaft does, but in this case they really hit it out of the park. The artistic direction of the show combines perfectly with the story to make each episode a real experience. The first episode is a perfect example of this. I ... won't spoil anything, because the first episode is one of my favorite 'first episodes' to air last year, but it's super great stuff.

Another of this show's strong suits is the charm of its characters. Over the course of the show you get to know a lot of people, and come to love (most of) them. Rei in particular - you really get sucked into his story and his troubles and come to feel for him.

I had one major con with this show: I don't feel it properly resolves all the issues it brings up over the course of the narrative. The issue with Rei's family, in particular, sticks out as something that is never dealt with with any finality. I was thinking this might be intentional? To make it feel more "realistic" (in life, we don't always resolve all our issues at once, after all), or it could be that things were just meant to be open-ended. Either way, I would've appreciated some closure.

But basically, Sangatsu no Lion is a great little show, everything you want out of a slice-of-life/drama. It's serious and funny by turns, with a character journey I found deeply relatable. Give it a shot!

Bubuki Buranki was like.....a show with an interesting story about the adults, sidelined for a much less interesting and sloppily told story about the kids.

I guess my biggest issue with the show was that it starts out promising one kind of story, and ends up telling a completely different one by the end. The saving grace of this is that both stories were pretty interesting, but the end result is not especially pretty. I think the story of Migiwa and Reoko was quite captivating, but the way it was told? Chaotic and piecemeal as hell.

There were a lot of scenes that did nothing ... to move the story forward. Mainly fight scenes, which I assume were put in just to look cool. And they did look cool! But a lot of the beginning of the show has very little impact on the endgame.

As far as the mechanics - art and sound - it's fine. I guess if you're one of those people that hates CG animation this isn't for you, but I'm fine with it myself and I thought this series looked pretty good for CG. Like I said, the fights are cool-looking.

When it comes to characters, there's not a lot of development to speak of. Really, Hiiragi and Shizuru are the only ones who change significantly in the show, so no surprises that they along with Reoko wound up being my favorites. Everyone else remains fairly static, although as the adults' backstories are revealed they definitely end up stealing the show.

Overall, a good concept with bad execution.

For the record, a "7" rating to me means "average," which is what this series wound up being.

Kuuchuu Buranko is a show that quickly became one of my favorites, and yet many people remain largely unaware of it. At first it may seem like a show that is hard to get into, due to the unusual art style and format, but this couldn't be further from the truth.

I'll admit that upon starting the show I was a bit apprehensive myself, but by the second episode I was hooked. The thing that probably turns most people off- the art style- quickly became one of my favorite things about the show. The style, which manages to be both realistic and surrealistic, fits the ... show perfectly, and I can hardly imagine any other style working as well for this series.

The show is episodic in format, with each episode following a different patient of the eccentric Dr. Irabu. In each episode, Irabu's assistant, Mayumi, gives each patient an injection which usually temporarily turns them into an animal. In any given episode it's not uncommon to see other patients and events from past episodes transpiring in the background. The different patients' cases are all very interesting and sometimes even touching, and the resolution of each episode feels satisfying and complete.

Without a doubt, though, my favorite part of the show was the two recurring characters, Dr. Irabu and Mayumi. At first I figured Irabu and Mayumi would be static characters who were simply there to spice up the show. This is not the case, though. I was delighted to find that we actually discover a few things about Mayumi and her personality, and I ended up really enjoying her character. And I think it's safe to say that Irabu is the driving force of the show, helping his patients work through their problems in unconventional but effective ways and just being delightfully strange in general.

I would say the art and characters are the most outstanding parts of this show, but it should be noted that the voice acting and opening and ending songs are excellent and that the show is just really enjoyable to watch altogether. It's sad that a show this good isn't talked about more.