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Very film noir vibes from this arc. It is a slow-burn, cat and mouse chase that mainly focus on the character study of Kurapika Vs. the Phantom Troupe. Paku, who is a side character, shines in this arc. The way HxH paralell their selfish Vs. selfless sides was so interesting. Kurapika might just be one of the most complex Shounen “heroes” out there. He is incredibly smart and almost OP, but his rage outbursts also makes him very reckless and a danger to others. Just incredibly written, especially when paired with the Phantom Troupe. The crew has amazing power, but the writing also adds a ... lot of interesting restriction to keep us on edge. I just love when villains are super smart and efficient, but also got their human flaws. They win some and lose some too. It might just be my favorite villains crew ever.
While not action packed, I was surprised by the psychological warfare this arc offers. I’m not sure if regular Shounen fans are gonna love it like I do, but it makes me so happy to watch something this rich in character development. Especially when the animation feel so moody. HxH really hits different.

This was my favorite Shounen read and it was a great roller coaster journey. While JJK ended with so many unanswered questions, convoluted storylines, and messy plot conveniences, the highs are still some of the best Shounen has to offer. Can't say it goes out with a bang, but the ride was amazing.
I love how Gege Sensei shaped each of the characters around their unique philosophies. This give them a unique reason to fight and make you feel invested in many characters. Despite having very small dose of those moment, every time we got a peak into their lives, it makes each and every ... character stand out. The main complain would be that there should have been more time spent with the characters moments outside of their fight.
I was lured into JJK world by the anime: It's top notched animation, the fun vibes, and the modernize Shounen only to be knocked out repeatedly in the endless loop of tears. While the story is action-packed, the humor ain't force at all. Gege Sensei is on Game of Thrones level of massacre that it can get draining to read in certain arcs. The later arcs also felt too The fight scenes are very creative and brainy, definitely need to YouTube a lot of chapter explaination while reading😅.
To be honest, I have many underwhelming feelings toward how it ended, but I did like where the story landed. I'll need a re-read some time away to unpacked.
ps. So glad I didn't follow it weekly and steer clear of toxic fans Twitter though. Binging it arc by arc made me enjoy the story for what it is. Just so read and judge for your self.

There's no hint of subtlety on Elfen Lied: it's Camp, it's low art, and it's an exploitation b-movie all roll into one. The opening scene is unironically one of the best hook to any media. It's pure horror and chaos that made me feel like I've found gold. Yet, what comes after can only be explain as an extravagant train wreck. Still, after feeling numb by how sanitized or preachy shows can feel, this one sure got a kick out of me, for better AND for worse.

Warning:
While I went it not knowing much, I was warned that they'll be GORE and ECCHI. That is ... an understatement in my opinion. So first, a warning for some of the mind-f*ckery on display: Boobies - lots of uncensored boobies that you became desensitized by it, unlimited amount of blood, guts, and brain, mild incest, pdf files, animal cruelty, men randomly hitting girls... and the list goes on.

Story: 8/10 (controversially)
It's basically 18+ Stranger Things on steroids. In fact, season 1 got SO MANY inspirations from Elfen Lied it's unbelievable. Girl escaped from being locked up in a lab after being constantly experimented on. She bonded with a boy who found her and feed her. All she can compute and say is a few words, like a puppy in a teenage girl's body. Then, the organization send soldiers to eliminate her. Boy and friends try to hide her existence and protect her, not knowing that she's the danger.
What seperates Lucy from Eleven is just one bold move. Lucy IS the villain of this anime. Make no mistake, while you understand her POV and motivation, the show keeps showing you how horrific this cutie's action is. That shifted the whole dynamic of the story because you feel it hard to root for her, yet you kinda do. What makes it grounded is how the characters' reaction seem logical in the context of the show (though not entirely). While you can guess some of the plot points, the story still keep you hook for more. The negative comes down to the randomly violent and mean-spiritedness of the show. Some scenes exist just for the sake of getting the strongest reactions out of you. It is an edgelord fantasy I'm sure, but you can't deny that it make you feel things.

Characters: 7/10
Stereotypical, but not without personalities. None of the characters are too annoying the way you expect from harem anime tropes or scientists. In fact, I feel more for the characters than I thought I would. I like that Lucy is a truly terrifying psychopath. She will brutally kill just cause you're in the way of what she want. Her alter ego, Nyuu, is basically a puppy that commonly falls into the born-sexy-yesterday trope. This I can only lump as a product of its time, which is kinda eyeroll, but does make sense for the plot. Kouta is your typical harem anime protagonist, but for once you can understand why girls like him. He is kind-hearted, even too much, but it actually make sense with his past. The boy have some level-headed moments too, but his role is basically the dad of the found family more than a love interest in my opinion. Yuka is kind of the mom of the house; she's just fine. My favorites are Nana and Mayu though. Both girl have the worst life experiences for someone so young as they are to face, yet they care so much about others. Although, Nana has some of the best darkly comedic scenes on display😂, while Mayu is like this show punching bag. Other characters are just side dressings opposition, but Kurama's story was truly beautiful.

Animation: 7/10
Art is of it's time, but there are moments of greatness in there (usually involving blood and body parts splitting lol). The incredibly big eyes, naive looking character design can be jarring for its content, but you'll get used to it in no time. I think my favorite part is ultimately the editing of this show. It constantly cuts between some harem hijinks to truly horrific action scenes, which manage to create a bizarre vibes. Yet it doesn't pull you off the show. In fact, it makes for some uncomfortable moments that mixes tension with comedy. The flow of animation is also quite good, though not always smooth. Still, for the big showdowns, this show sure delivers.

Sound: 7/10
The main theme is beautifully haunting and melancholic. Makes you feel the underlying darkness throughout the story, but it definitely got overused. I will blame this on its probably low budget though. The voice acting was good. Nothing too iconic, but well cast all around.

Overall: 7/10
Maybe because the show doesn't force you to take it too seriously, you can just enjoy it fully in all shades. It's an anime that knows what it's going for, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the binge of madness. And for once, I actually love the ending of an anime this absurd!

I went in with the mindset that this has 90% chance of starting on a high only to turn too convoluted and ridiculous by the end, as most battle of the wits anime does. It was genuinely unique in the beginning, only to turned into a car crash you can't look away from or in this case, a gas bomb.

Such a letdown since the visual, the voice acting, and the directing was great, but the writing falls into every cliche it could. The story is edgy for edgelord sake, without any weight to make it impactful. It's like the writers watched Fight Club once ... and find it cool, but didn't actually have a message to say. The worst offense was that the scenes are visually amazing, but it felt wasted on such hollow characters. I was actually impressed by the stunts and mind games on the first half, but the characters making dumb choices just for plot sakes is such a mood kill.

The main terrorist boys were mehhh. Their motivation was interesting at first, but it turn out so predictable. The writers asked us to root for terrorist, but didn't give them enough depth to care for their cause. You can argue all you want that they never planned to set it off, but shit could always goes wrong (which it did). Their personalities were mostly carried by their skills, which I'll praised for being believably impressive. Also enjoy their ending. Still, poorly written female characters are my pet peeves and this story got 2! Lisa sole purpose of existing is to be a damsel that Twelve can save everytime. I literally eye-rolled at the cliche of Lisa being all pure, quirky, and lacking all sorts of common sense. As for Five, she is such a comically evil female character it just feels insulting. The only character I truly root for is Detective Shibazaki, who felt like the true hero of the story.

There are worse animes out there, but this one offended me for how it try to pass off as being righteous when it's just pretentious. Just wasted potential all around.

A wholesome, Makoto Shinkai/Gibhli fantasy-type adventure with pretty cute animation. The colors of the world and the characters design are good. They're just paper-thin personalities. The story is your standard roadtrip through Japan with sprinkles of fantastical. It really reminded me of Suzume, but much less weird (I mean nothing beats a simp girl who falls for a chair). The lore itself is alright, although, kinda makes me hate that village.😅 I wish My Oni Girl would have made me feel for more magical about the world, despite the beautiful art.
I'll say this is a good watch with the family. It's not gonna spook your ... young child out like some creatures in Spirited Away, nor will it come close to the impact. Pretty fine time.

As a manga reader, I know this season will be 90% chore and 10% EPICNESS. And damn was I right, but that 10% literally got me in tears of joy and HYPE. It's a season long set-up before the non-stop battle of the finale.
This is a watch guide for people who want only the meat:
EP 1 Intro to training arc = Good to know to get an overview of the season
EP 2-6 The training montage, the same old DS humor, the trauma dump of Hashiras = Skippable (It was better in the manga where you can control the pacing)
EP 7 Where things get ... boiling. You'll want to witness this ep just for Zenitsu, but the last 5 minutes was amazing too.
EP 8 THE PEAK = Just holy sh*t! I know Demon Slayer animation always goes hard, but even the snow flake in this ep got me gaping. The details of the setting, the way it portrayed the character's motivation, & the brief fight scene.
What got me super emotional was the dialogue showdown. Demon Slayer is a story about generation after generation passing on the baton to accomplish one greater goal. This makes it old-fashion and maybe even corny, but you can't deny that it's epic. I think it goes beyond winning with the power of friendship to making your live on hopes & dreams in other people. The fight not only looks good, but the weight of it never feels hollow.
This season is not the best. I wish they include a few more chapters in to make up for the looooong set up. Still, I can't wait for the final arc. Wish they didn't release it in 3 seperate movies, but 1 full season and maybe final movie instead though.😅

[Dropped at Episode 10] I started watching Great Pretender just wanting a good heist story. The show got so much bad rep for the controversial ending, but I didn't even reach that point. Sad part is the show got so many things going for it. The vibes are jazzy and breezy. The opening and ending titles are so stylish, it reminded me of "Catch Me If You Can"/"Mad Men". The globetrotting cities tour from Tokyo, L.A., to Singapore make for interesting set. The animation is such a standout, with color popping art style that feels like your favorite candyland comes to life. My problem lies ... in the "heist" itself and the cookie-cutter characters. I think 2 arcs, 10 episodes is enough for me to reasonably judge.

Semi-spoiler (?)
The Heist: There's nothing more I hate of the genre than the reveal that "XXX is actually in on the plan all along". That's always the ultimate cheat code that felt so cliche and rarely satisfying. And this show does it more than once or even twice! It just a game of who's got more friends. Like the amount of time this plan can go wrong just from one Google search away is too much of a disbelief. There are some interesting tricks, but still not enough outsmarting.
Characters: They actually got nothing I hate, but nothing unique either. Everyone is a stereotype with unique flavors of traumatic past. From Laurent (the suave mastermind), Cynthia (the femme fatale), Abigail (the emotionally unstable ex soldier), to Makoto (the goofy rookie). I guess Makoto has the most interesting arc so far. Turning into a swindler because that's what the society expected of him as a child of a "criminal". I actually want to root for him to change, but what I can't stand is how bad of a swindler he is to begin with. 🙈 Like dude got dupe over and over by him team, how am I suppose to believe he's a great pretender? I like my MC to be competent at the very least, especially when these heist always use similar tricks.
At the end of the day, the plot and the characters still make or break an anime for me. I'll understand if you stay for the art though, cause it's definitely satisfying eye candy.

More than meets the eye is the name of the game here. On the surface, this looks just like another story about the palace and catfights for the prince affections. However, the story slowly revealed itself to be a wonderful web of mystery.

Story (8/10)
Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai is a mature, political power-play with hints of fantasy. The world has a very distinct setting, where human-crow shapeshifters exist as both powerful and demonized creatures. The prince is basically the chosen one, a golden crow who is destined as a true ruler. He must scheme against politicians from 4 houses with their own agenda, each ... sending their own daughters to be the prospect wife. This story is a slow burn where the first 2 episodes focus on introducing the world, the system, and the chess pieces involved. I personally enjoy the pacing and the confident tone it has. It feels more serious than most anime. No relying on forced humor, just engage audience by making us think along.

Character (8/10)
It reminded me of watching the Shogun (2024) series where every character has hidden depths and motives. All character seems to be participating in the mind games and is more than what they present to be. From the prince who seem so nonchalant, but also unflinchingly cold and calculating, to Yukiya who is a child too smart for his own good. They both share the role of being the second son in an influential family, which makes the bond unique. The candidates for the prince's wives are also super interesting. They seem like the typical female stock characters at first, until they're not. As is mention in the story, the pawn in the game might not actually be one. So far I'm only annoyed by Asebi's "pure girl" image, so I hope there's more depth to be reveal. A few overly dramatic moments, but most of the characters are almost always subtle with the intentions.

Animation and Sound (8/10)
This was very well-made. You feel that there's a lot of heart put into bringing this world to life. From the grand setting, the crow transformation scenes, to the surprisingly good sword fights. The sound is one you can find in period piece, but I really fits with the world. Voice acting is also nicely done, especially Shiratama's character (same VA as Kagura from Gintama lol).

Overall (8/10)
I'm just half way through, but pretty invested in the world so far. I wish more people talk about it cause I would want more seasons. It feels made for Japanese audience than international, but that makes the story feel authentic and subtle. Definitely a unique gem for more mature mood.

Kaijuu No.8 reminds me of some good 2000s action flick! The vibes is so slick and fun, with amazing fight scenes. As someone who's never big on Godzilla or monster movies growing up, this one got me hooked early on. The trope reminds me of Superman and Clark Kent, but the hero form is a Kaiju and his human form is a 32-years-old Ossan whose job is to clean up monster slimes.😅

Story and Character (7.5/10)
The story is pretty straightforward, set in our world, but with monsters constantly attacking. Yet sometimes a good, earnest MC is all you need to make a story investing. I love ... that Kafka is older than most characters in his world or even the genre. You do understand his weariness over a dream unrealized, in this case to joined the Kaiju hunting squad along with his childhood crush. Still, the coolest thing about our MC is he'll do just about anything to contribute to eliminate kanji, even the most menial task. He knows his skills limitation and will take supporting role when he can't fight, which is both admiring and mature. When he transformed into a Kaiju, he still can't unleashed his power all the time with the risk of getting killed by the people he's trying to safe. His senpai-kouhai relationship with Reno is definitely a highlight for me. Other characters are still developing for now. Mina is a bit too one-noted, but she is cool as hell. The squads are quite fun too, with how competitive they are. I don't feel that the threats are that scary yet, so I hope they amped up the villains a bit. The story does add in A LOT of humor though. I personally think many of it hits, but might not be something for everyone.

Animation (8/10)
Really good. The vibes reminded me of JJK Season 1 (though not at the same level yet), just replace fighting demons with hunting huge Kaijus. From the flashy fun animation, to the well-choreographed fight. Every scene is filled with energy and I really like the pacing. It does use the chibis a bit much to add humor, which undercuts the badass scene. Still, it's never static.

Soundtrack (9/10)
Honestly, this is my favorite. It's the first thing I notice about the series really. The wild blend of Japanese oriental sound, techno, grim rock, mysterious orchestral, and jazz just slaps hard. It gives off this chaotic tone that is very unique to this world. I can't stop geeking over it's actually distracting when I first started watching because it feels made for me. If you don't vibe with the story, at least check out the soundtrack cus it's hype. The OP and ED is from 2 Western rock bands I quite good as well and it actually didn't feel out of place for a Japanese anime. Nothing as iconic as the soundtrack though.

Voice Acting (7/10)
Nothing extraordinary yet, but all characters fit their role real well. I especially like Kafka's kaiju voice.

Overall (7.5)
It's a very good fun time for now. Not too emotionally draining, but delivers on some banger. Has a lot of potential to go bigger!

You know a show is GREAT when it can turned an ED joke into one of the most touching character arcs ever. Season 2 Part 1 focuses more on the slice-of-life romance than the magical adventure of the first, but its heart is still at exploring how someone filled with regrets rebuild his life.

The animation, music, and voice acting is still top-tier as the first season, but the story arc is much more low-key so it might not give some audience the epic fantasy they want.

I personally enjoyed how much more internal and a downer this part was.😅 Mushoku Tensei is really good ... at showing depression & how it can hit you like waves. Throughout the season, Rudeus has continuously taken a step forward, with constant steps back. One moment he might have regained his footing in other people's company, only to find that he still fears the rejection and being left behind. I'm not a guy so I can't say I relate with Rudeus's condition, but his abandonment issues, I could.

While Rudeus is far from a good role model or an admirable male lead, his flaws and struggle felt so visceral it made his growth journey one I root for the most in recent memories.