Since I always have a lot of things going on, I thought I'd make a pimping post just for pimping stuff I've made. XD

Friending Memes:

alternate♥pairing friending meme !!

the asian live-action friending meme


Kink Memes:

Final Fantasy Kink Meme

.Hack Kink Meme (this sooo needs more love and pimpage)

Blog Crews:


Chrono Cross Blog Crew


Join?

Off Site:

My Domains:

Clinically-Cynical.com (General)
One-Sky.org (Gaming)
Bloody-Smile.net (Horror)

Fansites:

Airsick! (Cloud/Yuffie shrine)
Fairytale (Balthier/Penelo shrine)
Mad Prince (Seeu of Planet Ladder shrine)
Demons of Cheju (Island manwha shrine)

Other:

Paperlinks (Ezine I contribute to often)

Since I now have several options for online gaming, I thought I'd make this post so that anyone interested in playing with me could check and see if we have any of the same games. :D If you'd like to play something with me, or just friend me on Playstation Network or whatever, comment with your info!

Playstation 3 Games: (My PSN ID: Cherrycola-)
X-Men
Dream Chronicles
Zombie Apocalypse
LittleBigPlanet
White Knight Chronicles & WKC2
Magic: The Gathering
Mortal Kombat Collection
Crescent Pale Mist
Resident Evil 5
Trine 2
Playstation Home

Xbox 360 (My Gamertag: Cherrycola2)
Magic: The Gathering 2012
Voltron

Wii:
Tetris Party

DS:
Animal Crossing: Wild World
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales

Computer:
Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online

What I'm Watching:

Gunjou no Magmel is definitely my favorite new show of the season. It has a fun setup that lends itself well to lots of different stories: a mysterious new continent suddenly appears one day, full of new animal and plant life and inspiring people across the globe to explore it. Of course, the place is incredibly dangerous, which is why many people work as professional “rescuers” hired to go and retrieve those who have been lost or trapped in the new continent. The protagonists of the series are a pair of rescuers: the highly skilled and unflappable Inyou and his tech genius sidekick Zero (who doesn’t physically go to the continent but instead controls a drone). Right away the series provokes a feeling of adventure that reminded me somewhat of One Piece. The new continent, known as Magmel, is beautiful and teeming with life. The series wisely presents it in a neutral light. There are dangerous creatures there, definitely, with some seriously horrific body horror imagery (much of it veering into nightmare fuel territory), but the series is quite clear about the fact that these creatures are just behaving naturally. There’s no malice there. In fact, the only truly malicious and cruel actions are performed by the humans who go to Magmel to take advantage of the creatures there for their own profit. Inyou understands this, and is generally sympathetic to the animal and plant life, while still prioritizing the preservation of human life. It’s an interesting balance. It’s also interesting that a show with the above mentioned body horror and nightmare fuel is presented with bright, cheerful, cartoony art and peppy, upbeat music. This is an adventure series, not horror, and sometimes there’s even a degree of beauty in the terrors seen in the mostly standalone episodes. The two leads, Inyou and Zero, are entertaining and have a fun dynamic between them. They act more like family than anything else, with no romantic tension at all so far (and I hope it stays that way). Currently sitting at the top of my watch list.

Ace of the Diamond Act 2 is the sequel series I’ve been looking forward to. The original series was a favorite of mine, with a fairly realistic portrayal of baseball and a team of fun, quirky characters, including Miyuki, the only character that springs to mind when I think of the term, “husbando”. He’s a fan-favorite and incredibly popular for a reason. He’s sharp-witted, the most skilled player on the team, and also has a rather twisted sense of humor (he’s the kind of guy who, upon realizing a new member of the team doesn’t like him, is totally delighted and thinks of how fun that’s going to be). Miyuki gushing aside, the show has great art that rarely goes off-model and somewhat smooth animation. The music so far is okay, nothing special (the opening and ending themes were hit and miss in the original series as well). Main character Sawamura is still annoying (like Asta in Black Clover, he tends to scream rather than speak) but his underdog status and genuine love of the sport and his team make him endearing enough to overlook his negative traits. My only real gripe with the show is its tendency to recap that last several minutes of the previous episode in each new episode, making you wait quite a while to get to the new content. This would be a much bigger deal in marathon viewing, but on a weekly basis, I can deal with it.

Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu is a cute series about cute girls doing cute things. This is a genre I’m generally not fond of, mainly because the girls in these types of shows tend to be sexualized in a creepy way and their “cute antics” tend to be banal and annoying. In this show, however, neither of those two problems are present. In fact, if the show had a male love interest, it would feel very shoujo to me. The focus of the story is on a shy girl with severe social anxiety trying to make friends in her new school. She’s a bit awkward but cute and earnest, so watching her attempt to talk to strangers is funny but also heartwarming. The small circle of friends that begins to form around her is made up of equally cute and funny girls, each of whom have distinct personalities and character designs. Surprisingly, considering this is based on a manga aimed at adult male readers, none of the girls seem specifically designed to appeal to a male audience. They come across as genuine, well developed characters. The art and music are cute, but not very notable. My only complaint is the subplot involving a young teacher who takes one look at the blonde, tanned Nako and immediately judges her as a juvenile delinquent and is thus afraid of her. It’s meant to be funny, I suppose, but I find it annoying that a teacher would be so judgmental, especially considering Nako is a quiet, well-behaved student who gives absolutely no indication that she’s a delinquent. Ah well, it’s a relatively minor subplot so I can overlook it.

Bungo Stray Dogs Season 3 was hotly anticipated after a strong season two and the amazing Dead Apple movie. Following a group of supernaturally “gifted” members of a detective agency and their conflicts with other “gifted” groups (including the ruthless Port Mafia), this show is one of the best series of the past several years. It has a bit of Durarara!!’s cool vibe and style, but with a more straightforward story. This is a series that handles all of its various story elements very well, from the action scenes to the heartfelt moments to the comedy, and looks great doing it. I still prefer the comedy and characterization of season one, but only because they were done SO well. The more serious, plot-driven arcs of late are still fantastic. The music is great too, with my favorite opening theme of the season (and there were some outstanding ones this season, so that’s saying something).

Kimetsu no Yaiba might just be my second favorite new series. Every season has a new show that gets a lot of hype, and in my experience around half of those shows actually live up to that hype. This show is definitely in that good half. With fluid animation, excellent music, and an interesting setup (a young boy’s family is slaughtered by demons, leaving only one sister behind who has become a demon herself, so he trains to become a demon slayer and find a way to turn her back into a human), this series seems primed to become a hit. The protagonist, Tanjirou, is a fairly standard kind-hearted hero training to join a group and accomplish his goal. The series doesn’t tread a lot of new ground in that respect, but it does everything so well that it’s easy to forgive it for not being the most original story. The most interesting aspect is the sister, Nezuko, who instead of being a delicate young flower for him to constantly protect is a demon herself who, in an early scene, literally kicks another demon’s head clean off. She’s a powerful ally in battle, which is refreshing. The other characters haven’t had much screen time yet, but seem fun so far. Overall, it’s a very well-done, if somewhat unoriginal, show. Highly entertaining and high on my watch list.

Midnight Occult Civil Servants is much better than it seems at first glance. Protagonist Arata joins a particular group of civil servants that deal with mythological creatures called “Anothers”. They range from fairies to gods to Japanese-based creatures like Tengu (this mishmash of mythology actually reminds me of Shin Megami Tensei). Arata quickly realizes that he’s the only member of the team who can understand the languages used by the Anothers, and so he becomes a valuable tool when dealing with them. The show presents a variety of creatures with a variety of behaviors. Some Anothers are friendly to humans and mean no harm, while others are outright malicious. Others still are just indifferent. At first, it seems like the show is going to be about Arata clearing up misunderstandings that his fellow team members have about the Anothers, but then the show lets us know that not all Anothers are friendly, and being able to understand their words doesn’t mean Arata can understand their motivations or can do much to stop them from doing bad things. The episodes are often inspired by real life urban legends, and overall has an air of mystery. The art is fine, with interesting, varied character designs but animation that’s just okay. The music is above average though, with my favorite ending theme of the season. It’s not my favorite new show, but it has a secure spot on my watch list.

Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2 really doesn’t need much of a write-up, since it’s just a continuation of a season that was delayed (and that I already wrote about). I’ll just keep it brief and say it’s still great, is finally getting into one of my favorite arcs from the manga, and has a gorgeous opening theme.

Mobile Suit Gundam Origin is the tv series version of an OVA that details the origins of one of the Gundam franchise’s most popular characters (and one of my all-time favorites): Char Aznable. I never watched the OVA (despite intending to for the longest time) so this is all new content for me. What I find most interesting is the visual style, which looks very much like the classic Gundam art style of the original late 70‘s tv series but with more modern, smooth animation and some CGI mixed in. There’s a strange awkwardness to the art style that feels oddly natural. It was present in the old tv series and it’s present here. It’s kind of hard to explain if you haven’t seen it yourself though. Art aside, the story is definitely interesting. While Char’s basic history had already been revealed years ago, we didn’t really know the details. Char is a complicated character, which explains his popularity several decades after his debut. He was ruthless, cold, and calculating even as a child, but he loved his family very deeply and was surprisingly emotional. There are also badass lady characters to enjoy (who also appeared in the original series - I’ve always found it interesting that a show made in 1979 had more complex, strong, and generally well-written female characters than more modern Gundam series like Wing, Seed/Seed Destiny, and Iron Blooded Orphans). The music is fantastic here, and it’s overall a very solid show. Now I wish they’d remake the original series with this kind of animation (and cut out some of the filler).

Shoumetsu Toshi is, honestly, at the bottom of my list. The animation quality is just okay, with questionable character design choices (for the first few episodes, there were two unrelated female characters with such strikingly similar designs that it was very confusing). The story is a bit of a muddled mess. It mostly follows a young girl who survived a bizarre event where a whole city full of people suddenly vanished (later dubbed “The Lost”), and the young man who has been hired to help her return after she receives a message from her father, who was one of the people that vanished, telling her to come back. The setup is actually very interesting and mysterious. The problem is that the series throws too many concepts and ideas at us way too quickly, and explains none of it. It might be because the show is based on a video game, and the writers assumed people watching the anime would be familiar with the game and its various elements. Already in the show we have time travel, undefined magical powers, totally different powers that allow people to summon the souls of the vanished victims to fight for them like Persona, shadowy organizations doing human experiments, fancy artifacts that grant even more abilities, phantom thieves, idol groups, hackers, detective agencies, and double agents that have infiltrated the police. There’s just way too much going on, and as a result, the core plot that was actually interesting gets crowded out and choked. I’m still watching because the show is still entertaining in a strange way, but it’s a shame that it wasted a lot of its potential.

Carry Over Shows From Previous Seasons:
Black Clover

Best of Season:
Best New Show: Gunjou no Magmel
Best Opening Theme: Bungo Stray Dogs Season 3
Best Ending Theme: Midnight Occult Civil Servants
Best New Male Character: Inyou (Gunjou no Magmel)
Best New Female Character: Nako (Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu)

My Roommate is a Cat is easily the cutest series this season, possibly the cutest in the past several seasons. Your mileage may vary, depending on how much you like cats, but for me the show is a delight. Following a reclusive young author who recently lost his parents (the only people he interacted with on a regular basis) as he bonds with a stray cat he decided to take in on a whim, the show cleverly splits its time between the viewpoints of the human protagonist and the cat. The smartest thing the series does is show both viewpoints of the same events, first from the human, Subaru, and then from the cat, Haru. And somehow, even though we’re viewing the events for the second time, Haru’s view is more compelling. The show is by turns genuinely funny and genuinely touching. Subaru reminds me of a less extreme version of Handa (from Handa-kun and Barakamon) in that he’s socially inept and usually assumes the worst intentions from those around him. Haru is a somewhat feisty young cat who thinks she’s protecting her strange, hopeless human. Haru is a bit rough around the edges after spending much of her life as a stray, and her tough attitude keeps the show from getting too saccharine. As it stands, the show is just the right amount of cute, sweet, awkward, sad, and funny. Very high on my watch list.

Meiji Tokyo Renka is yet another historical otome series (seriously why do so many otome anime have historical settings?) featuring a high school girl being sent back in time to the Meiji period. This is, of course, one of my favorite time periods just for the clothing alone. The character designs are varied enough to make all the guys stand out from each other and the colors and backgrounds are lovely. The heroine, Mei, is much more comical than the standard otome heroine and is refreshingly proactive in her own story. She’s surprisingly independent in a time period when that was probably frowned upon. There’s a strong supernatural element to the story, not even counting the time travel aspect. There are spirits in this series that only certain people can see, Mei being one of them (and it’s nice that there are several others in the main cast who can as well, preventing her from seeming too conveniently special). It seems like these spirits can come in many forms, from cute animal spirits to literal ghosts to characters in novels springing to life and escaping the books to run amok. The show is certainly not dull. The romance is almost shoved to the background to make room for spirit shenanigans, but I’m not complaining. One of the more fun otome series in recent memory.

The Promised Neverland is easily my pick for best show of the season. It has a fantastic setup, with a first episode twist that I did not see coming (I knew something was going on, but my guess was way off the mark). It has a unique art style that makes it stand out, fluid animation, awesome opening and ending themes, a kickass heroine, and some heart-stopping cliff hangers. It’s the show I look forward to most each week. There’s only one minor quibble I have with this series, and that’s the weird way faces are drawn. The mouths seem too high on the faces, to the point that I kept thinking their mouths were their noses. I’ve gotten used to it as the episodes rolled by, but every now and then I still notice it. It’s just... irritating. Still, that’s a super nitpicky complaint for a show that’s otherwise excellent on every level with consistently high quality art and writing. At the very tippy top of my watch list.

Boogiepop and Others is a sequel (I guess?) to a much older series called Boogiepop Phantom that I watched many years ago. To be honest, it’s been so long that I don’t remember most of the details about the original anime. I just remember that it was a somewhat gloomy show that focused on supernatural mysteries and was episodic in nature. This newer series has an updated art style with more modern character designs. It’s also easier to follow, and has a stronger focus on action, whereas the original focused more on atmosphere. Special mention should go to Aoi Yuki’s phenomenal voice acting. She really brings Boogiepop to life and carries the show, much like she did as Kino in the recent Kino’s Journey anime. The show has great music, with my favorite ending theme of the season. Has a secure spot on my watch list.

B Project Season 2, an otome series about cute male idol groups, has seemingly decided to dial back the focus on the whole otome thing and instead showcase the borderline BL relationships between the boys. Seriously, there are several episodes in which the heroine, Tsubasa, is barely there at all, and even when she is, the series gives no real indication that any of the boys like her as more than a friend. Instead, the boys seem to be in love with each other (which is fine by me). This season adds a new boy band to the three we already had, which I felt was a little unnecessary. The new group really doesn’t add anything to the story. The music is nice, especially the ending theme, and the character designs are attractive. The series seems to have taken a page out of Tsukiuta’s book and now uses CG for the more elaborate dance numbers. The problem is that they don’t look nearly as good as Tsukiuta’s and definitely don’t blend well with the 2D animation around them. Overall, the series is cute but I still think of it as “less fun UtaPri”.

Fukigen no Mononokean Season 2 was a bit of a surprise for me, since I didn’t realize it was being made. I enjoyed season one very much with its pastel, candy-colored art and sweet, mostly light-hearted stories. And of course, the main draw of the series was the budding friendship between our two leads, Abeno and Ashiya. Season two keeps all of those elements and adds a very interesting mystery concerning Ashiya’s father, as well as an overarching plot and an actual recurring “villain” type character. The stakes are raised considerably, but the overall tone of the show is still fairly light and gentle. Seeing the cute mascot character Fuzzy (a white, furry youkai) makes me a little sad though, since it reminded me so very much of my cat (also a white furry creature named Fuzzy) while watching season one, and Fuzzy has since disappeared. Which reminds me, the youkai in this series are so adorable, varied, and charming. Very high on my watch list.

Kaguya-sama: Love is War is a comedy about two overachieving high school students who are secretly in love with each other but are too prideful to admit it, so they set traps for each other to try to force the other to confess first. It sounds like a dumb setup, to be honest, but it actually works surprisingly well. The two leads are likable despite being petty and stubborn. Even though they’re extremely talented, they have tons of quirks and they’re both completely clueless when it comes to love. There are a few fun side characters as well. The show is hilarious, with three skits per episode. There’s also a touch of sweetness as their affection for each other comes across as genuine. Anyone who’s ever been in love can relate to some of these moments, of going to great lengths just to increase your chances of being near the person you like, or making little changes to your appearance just to see if you get a reaction from them. Or, of course, the disappointment you feel when your carefully laid plans get ruined. The series uses humor and extreme reactions and hilarious facial expressions to convey these feelings, resulting in a highly entertaining show.

Carry Over Shows From Previous Seasons:
Black Clover
Run With the Wind
Hinomaru Sumo

Best of Season:
Best New Show: The Promised Neverland
Best Opening Theme: The Promised Neverland
Best Ending Theme: Boogiepop and Others
Best Male Character: Subaru (My Roommate is a Cat)
Best Female Character: Emma (The Promised Neverland)

Fall 2018 Anime Season:

Golden Kamuy Season 2 is at the top of my watch list. Season one was my favorite show of the Spring season, and everything great about the show is still around. It still has some of the best characters around (protagonist Sugimoto being a personal favorite of mine) and the cast just keeps expanding to include more awesome characters, most of whom are incredibly charming even when they’re terrible people (like the simply adorable Edogai-kun, the obvious anime take on Ed Gein, who likes to hold flamboyant impromptu fashion shows to display the various outfits he’s made using human skin). The series has a weirdness to it that keeps things lively and unpredictable, but it’s all grounded by how very likable and down to earth all the characters are, even the antagonists who are capable of extreme cruelty. There’s also a subtle, poignant side to the story. The end of episode 17 had a powerful moment that left me in tears, and had some very thought-provoking things to say about soldiers returning from war. The animation isn’t the best around, and the art overall is a bit generic, but the story and characters carry the show with capable hands. The music is pretty neat too.

Tsurune is one of three sports anime I’m watching this season, all three of which feature sports I haven’t seen in anime yet and am completely unfamiliar with. This one is about archery, which is a much more formal and stuffy sport than I realized (or maybe that’s just Japanese archery). The show’s slow pace and soft color pallete make it this season’s “soothing feel good” show (there’s always at least one). There’s some lovely scenery, all of the characters are pretty (even the elderly teacher is adorable), and there’s not much in the way of hot blooded sports action. It’s still a pleasing show to watch though. There’s a trio of lady archers in the club who are just fabulous. I love their deadpan, snarky responses to the flirty guy’s attempts to get cute with them (when he mentions that seeing cute girls in their traditional archery outfits makes him want to do archery, one of them swiftly says, “We’re not here to motivate you to do archery.”). Episode two almost took a dramatic turn that had me excited, and would have given the show a unique, supernatural twist if it didn’t almost immediately turn again back to the standard plot line (the cool twist was actually just a misunderstanding, unfortunately). The core group of boys are cute but they have surprisingly little chemistry together, considering this is a series by KyoAni.

Run With the Wind is another sports anime, this one about track and field (I guess? I don’t really know anything about sports, I just know it’s about dudes running). The character designs remind me so much of Haikyuu!! that I had to check and see if it was by the same mangaka. Otherwise, this series is fairly different from most sports anime I’ve seen. For one thing, the characters are in college, not high school or middle school, so they have to balance the sport with things like seminars, job hunts, paying bills, and other responsibilities. This gives the show a very different vibe, in that these characters clearly have lives outside the sport. Another difference is that the majority of the team is made up of rank amateurs, many of them being basically blackmailed into joining. The point of the show ends up being about the experience of getting out there and running with your friends, rather than being focused on wins or losses. It’s a pretty refreshing take on the sports genre. The animation is fluid and the characters are surprisingly realistic. Definitely worth a watch.

Hinomaru Sumo is the last sports anime this season, and as the title suggests, it’s about sumo wrestling. It’s also the only one of the three that’s totally hot blooded and action-packed, with intense matches, crazy training sequences, and bitter rivalries. The art is suitable, with attractive, stocky male characters who hang out in those very revealing sumo belts. It’s interesting that the show portrays several different body types, all in positive ways. Some are more muscular while others look more fat. They’re all glorified in their own way, which is nice. Special mention should go to the music, particularly the energetic opening and ending themes. They’re unskippable. Of the three sports anime I’m watching this season, this one is the most fun and the one I look forward to watching the most each week. Even though it’s a more stereotypical sports anime, well, I like sports anime for a reason. I like the melodrama and the totally unrealistic moves and the numerous rival teams of quirky characters. So while it is refreshing to watch something different from time to time (like Run With the Wind), I’m still drawn to this sort of show. Near the top of my watch list.

Dakaretai (I’m not typing up that long ass title) is a guilty pleasure. It’s a yaoi anime that does very little to dispel the notion that yaoi anime is trashy fanservice for fujoshi and is insulting to actual gay men. Many of the worst tropes are here, including dubious consent, relationships that revolve around sex and nothing else, and gay men being portrayed in a predatory fashion. I know these are major problems in yaoi, but I can’t help enjoying the show. The art is great, with stylish character designs. The central relationship is probably very unhealthy, but I’ve seen a lot worse in yaoi and it’s at least entertaining to watch. The show also does comedy very well. Several scenes have cracked me up, with some of the best comic timing I’ve seen in anime in a long time. Yes, the show is problematic, but like with many other series in the past, I’m still enjoying it.

SSSS Gridman is apparently the anime adaptation of a 90‘s tokusatsu series. I don’t know the original, but I’ve watched enough Ultraman series to know that I enjoy tokusatsu and kaiju stuff, so this series should be right up my alley. Should be, but it’s honestly not as great as I hoped after watching the stellar first episode. If not for a couple of interesting characters, and some nifty monster designs, I would have dropped this series around episode four. The heroes are bland and have received practically no character development whatsoever, and the villain is insufferably annoying. She’s a type of character that’s inexplicably popular these days (a mean-spirited girl who talks and behaves in a cutesy way that’s supposed to make her cruel nature seem ironic, I guess), but I honestly find her scenes to be painful to sit through. The kaiju battles are nicely done, well-animated and exciting. The art in general looks great. I’m watching because I have a soft spot for tokusatsu and kaiju, but it’s near the bottom of my watch list.

Carry-Over Shows From Previous Seasons:
Black Clover
Banana Fish

Best of Season:
Best New Show: Hinomaru Sumo
Best Opening Theme: Hinomaru Sumo
Best Ending Theme: Hinomaru Sumo
Best Male Character: Ushio Hinomaru (Hinomaru Sumo)
Best Female Character: None (sadly)

Phantoms in the Twilight is a fun otome series with a super spunky heroine and some interesting romantic options that come in the form of mythical creatures brought to life by the imaginations of humans. There’s Dracula, a werewolf, a zombie (the Chinese version, not the gross rotting version), and a ghost. She also has a best friend who is a big part of the plot and has her own romantic interest (another werewolf). The series stands out in a few ways (besides there effectively being two heroines). For one, it’s set in London, with a somewhat gothic vibe to the backgrounds. For another, the main heroine is one of the least passive otome heroines I’ve ever seen, which makes her a lot of fun. There’s also some pretty good world building here, with an interesting mythology. The mythical creatures must obey all the rules of their own lore. For example, Dracula can’t enter any place unless he’s invited. Silver bullets hurt werewolves. And the ghostly Wayne doesn’t have an actual body of his own, but can possess things (like a cute male mannequin). All in all, it’s a top tier otome anime.

Holmes of Kyoto is a very pretty detective anime with a nice hook: almost all of the “mysteries” revolve around artwork or antiques, and the “detective” is a highly skilled appraiser. The protagonist is actually Aoi, a girl who works in an antique shop with the appraiser nicknamed “Holmes”. She functions as a Watson type of character, in that she tags along and is there to ask questions in place of the audience. She’s also developing a rather keen eye herself, and there’s obvious romantic implications between her and Holmes. The series has a relaxed pace and generally low stakes, so it’s usually not that exciting. It’s still enjoyable though, because the art is lovely, with some gorgeous scenery and colors, and the cases are interesting even if there are no murders (so far). The dynamic between Homes and Aoi is very sweet as well. Not my favorite show this season, but still has a solid spot on my watch list.

Angolmois is one of the better new shows this season. The character designs have an old school look to them, like something from the 80‘s, but the animation, colors, and textures all use modern techniques, giving the show a unique feel. Telling the story of how the Japanese fought off the Mongol invasion, the series is often violent and bloody. The characters, a swiftly dwindling group of survivors trying to defend Japan’s most southern island, are easy to root for as they move from one tragedy to another, never quite safe. Every small victory is dwarfed by huge losses, with only the sheer determination and skill of the protagonists keeping the show from getting too dark. High on my watch list.

Free! Season Three is, of course, one of my favorites of the season. I absolutely loved the first two seasons, and I’m definitely loving this one too, with it’s attractive character designs, smooth animation, great music, and of course, dramatic scenes between handsome male characters (most of whom are now adults in college so we adult fans can feel a little less creepy about admiring them). But even though I’m enjoying this season very VERY much, I have to admit that it’s, so far, not my favorite season. Rei and Nagisa, two very popular and beloved characters, have been reduced to supporting roles. The cast has expanded to include all the characters from the previous two seasons and the movie, plus several new characters. While it’s kinda cool to see them all interacting, it can also be a little annoying when the show is focusing on characters you have less interest in and greatly reducing the screentime of characters you love. For example, I’m not a huge fan of Ikuya (who is so ridiculously melodramatic that he puts season one Rin to shame), and he’s getting the lion’s share of the story. I think he gets more screentime than even Haru. But that’s a minor complaint for a show that consistently entertains me. Near the top of my watch list.

Banana Fish is, hands down, my favorite new show this season. I had been aware of the manga for a very long time, but for whatever reason I’d never sat down and read it. So when I heard about the anime, I was pretty excited. For once, my excitement for a new show was well deserved. Banana Fish is an instant classic. Taking place in New York, it follows Ash Lynx, a gang leader with the most heart-wrenchingly traumatic past I’ve seen in anime. Into Ash’s dark and dangerous world of drugs, mob bosses, shootouts, and assassins, enters Eiji, a young Japanese man who traveled to New York with his journalist friend. Eiji is such a pure hearted soul, and almost immediately forms a bond with Ash. This bond is at the core of why this story works so well. Of course there are romantic (and sexual) undertones to their relationship, but it’s so much more than that. The fact that two people who come from completely different worlds can come together and help and support each other is just beautiful. There’s also the complex and always interesting plot revolving around a deadly drug called Banana Fish, and Ash’s attempts to first find out where it came from and then to stop it from being used. The character designs, more modern takes on the manga designs, look amazing. The animation is generally smooth and the music is awesome, with easily the best ending theme of the season. This is a show that’s so well done, even the straight guys who run at the slightest whiff of BL are loving it. It’s sitting at the tippy top of my watch list.

Angels of Death is the only series that can even come close to Banana Fish’s status as my favorite new show. Based on a video game I very badly want (someone please let me know the next time Steam is having a sale), Angels of Death is about a young girl named Rachel who wants to die and the psychotic serial killer named Zack who has promised to murder her if she’ll help him escape the crazy, multi-level, haunted house-like building they’re stuck in. You can definitely see the video game elements as Rachel and Zack solve puzzles and unlock doors. The story itself isn’t super complex or unique, but the bizarre relationship between Rachel and Zack is compelling. They’re both great characters. Rachel’s calm, deadpan demeanor is a striking contrast to Zack’s violent insanity. The art is fantastically creepy and the music is a perfect fit. The whole show has a dark and eerie vibe, but it’s also fast-paced and exciting. It sits right below Banana Fish on my watch list.

Hanebado! is a new sports anime, this time about a female badminton team (there are a couple of boys in the club but the show is really about the girls). The only other female sports anime I’ve watched is Princess Nine, which I enjoyed very much, so I had high hopes for this series. So far, it’s not a total disappointment but it hasn’t exactly lived up to my expectations either. There are only around three characters I feel invested in, despite a fairly large cast. The animation and character designs are nice and varied, though it’s a little disappointing that the show sometimes relies on fanservice (I’m guessing they thought it was the only way to draw in male viewers). Not enough to be obnoxious, but it’s still irritating when it pops up. The matches are well done, but so far the series is a little too dramatic and serious, especially during the games. I like some light hearted fun in my sports anime.

Shingeki no Kyojin Season Three is great so far. This is the arc I skipped when I read ahead in the manga, so I know the basics of what happened, but none of the details. It’s been nice to have those details filled in. The animation is fantastic as usual (the fight sequence in the streets between Levi and Kenny’s group was jaw-dropping). Also as usual, the story is tightly plotted. Watching this arc, after having read what comes later, makes me realize just how much work went into the plotting to make everything line up so well. The only weak spot is the opening theme. When I saw it, my first thought was, “Finally, an SnK opening I can skip”. I get that they were going for something different but I feel like it’s TOO different. On the plus side, the ending theme is great. SnK is a series that has earned its hype and its popularity, so I can’t help side-eyeing anyone who says they dislike it because it’s “too mainstream”. It’s a solid show that sits pretty high up on my watch list.

Cells at Work is a series I have to admit that I don’t watch every week. I watch it sporadically, and there’s a good reason for that. Despite the show being adorable and charming and funny, following the various cells in the human body imagined as cute characters going about their daily tasks, I end up having bizarre nightmares every single time I watch the show before going to bed. And I tend to watch anime before bed, so... yeah. I really don’t understand why, because I’ve certainly watched some gruesome and disturbing anime before and have rarely been affected in any way. But along comes this sweet and educational little anime and for some reason it creeps me out on a subconscious level. Yes, it’s surprisingly bloody and violent (which a lot of teachers have cited as the only reason they won’t show it in class), but the violence is most often silly and cartoonish. I do enjoy the show when I watch it (particularly the badass White Blood Cell, this season’s favorite new husbando), and I’ve learned more about biology from a few episodes of this than I did from four years of high school. So there’s that. When I can think to watch it early in the day, it doesn’t cause the nightmares, so I’ll keep watching.

Carry-Over Shows From Previous Seasons:
Kakuriyo
Black Clover
My Hero Academia
Persona 5
Major 2nd
Gintama

Best of Season:
Best New Show: Banana Fish
Best Opening Theme: Black Clover
Best Ending Theme: Banana Fish
Best Male Character: Ash Lynx (Banana Fish)
Best Female Character: Rachel Gardner (Angels of Death)

Spring 2018 Anime Season:

This is a very busy season with so many good shows that I’ve had to flat out skip some that I know I would enjoy just because they’re not on Crunchyroll and I can’t be bothered to watch them elsewhere when I have a ton of shows to watch on a handy place like CR. I’m going to keep some of the write-ups brief this time because I can’t write 19 wordy reviews (naturally I’m gonna have longer write-ups for the shows I like best).

Golden Kamuy is my favorite this season. I’m very drawn to the main character, a badass former soldier who goes on ridiculously violent rampages when his life is endangered, to the point that he’s earned the nickname “Immortal Sugimoto”. He also happens to be very attractive and, somewhat surprisingly given the way he was gouging out eyeballs with his thumbs, a genuinely sweet guy who just wants to help out the widow of his long-time friend. The secondary protagonist is Asirpa, a young Ainu girl who is charmingly practical and a skilled hunter (and given the fact that wildlife, and survival in the wilderness, present just as many challenges as the human enemies, her skills are incredibly useful). The story is set in the early 1900‘s, mostly in and around Hokkaido. This means it has a snowy setting (something I’m a huge sucker for). The animation is good (it was pretty amazing in the first episode, but it’s dipped a bit in subsequent episodes, it’s still perfectly serviceable though) and the plot is an interesting treasure hunt. The main draw of the series is the relationship between Sugimoto and Asirpa. It’s not romantic (so far, and the age difference makes it unlikely to happen), but not quite father/daughter either. Instead, it feels more like a partnership, as both bring something unique to the table. The scenes of them cooking and eating together are very endearing. Overall, a solid show that’s very high on my watch list.

Kakuriyo is another favorite this season, making Monday my favorite anime day of the week. The show is a very pleasant fantasy romance that uses one of my favorite setups: a modern girl pulled into another world (or another time). I’ve been a fan of this trope since Fushigi Yuugi, and generally enjoy most anime or manga that use it. Kakuriyo differentiates itself in a few important ways. For one, the heroine is college-aged, instead of a high school girl. This gives her a refreshing maturity. For another, she’s not some random girl who stumbled into this world and everyone immediately falls in love with her. She’s somewhat familiar with many of the creatures in this world, and even some of their customs, through her grandfather, who regularly visited the “Hidden Realm”, as they call it. That being said, even with her impressive lineage, she still generally has to work to earn the respect of the other characters. The world building is a highlight of the series. The Hidden Realm feels large and lived in, with a variety of mythical creatures that are presented as both mundane and magical at the same time, which reminded me a bit of how such creatures are presented in the amazing Uchouten Kazoku. The animation isn’t super impressive, but the design work, backgrounds, lighting, and clothing are breathtaking. The show is enchanting, and is right up there with Golden Kamuy at the top of my list.

Magical Girl Ore is a show I really didn’t think I would enjoy. I planned to watch one episode and then dismiss it, comfortable that I had given it a fair shot. I expected it to be too much of a comedy for me. I’m generally not a fan of straight up comedies. I like comedy injected into other genres, but I’m not real into comedy as a genre itself. There have been exceptions to this, of course, and Magical Girl Ore is one of them. There’s just so much going on in this show that it immediately crushed my assumption that it would be a one-joke affair. That one joke is the fact that the heroine, Saki, transforms into a rather beefy dude when it’s time to fight evil. A beefy dude in a cute Magical Girl outfit who still very much identifies as a girl. On its own, the joke really isn’t that funny, and could perhaps even be seen as offensive. In context, and given the fact that the show plays around with gender roles and sexuality in unexpected ways, the joke becomes something much more. Saki doesn’t like being forced to have a male body, but soon gets used to the idea. Her best friend Sakuyo, on the other hand, seems to enjoy transforming. Sakuyo is also in love with Saki, and the series goes to great pains to make it very clear that she is in love with her “in a sexual way”. There’s also Saki’s male love interest, who pays little attention to Saki herself but is very clearly falling in love with “Ore”, the beefy dude version of Saki, which is very interesting. The show also pokes fun at Magical Girl tropes in hilarious ways that I haven’t seen done a thousand times already. When Saki asks her “cute mascot” (literally just a yakuza thug with some limited magical power) for weapons, he gives her real guns and grenades. When she asks for something more “Magical Girl-like”, he gives her a cutesy traditional Magical Girl wand. After waving it around uselessly, Saki asks how to use it. Cut to a shot of her surrounded by downed, blood-covered enemies, with blood dripping from her wand and splattered all over her, with Saki herself looking horrified and in shock. All this is played for laughs, and it works. What the series gets right is that it’s not JUST a parody. Saki’s crush feels genuine and you want to root for her. Sakuyo’s feelings for Saki aren’t a joke. There’s real emotion mixed in with the zany hijinks, which makes for a super fun and surprisingly heartfelt show.

Space Battleship Tiramisu is a hilarious mecha anime parody with shorter length episodes and impressive art/animation. It follows Subaru, a highly skilled mecha pilot who also has extreme social anxiety and spends most of his time in the cockpit of his mecha. He’s basically the butt of every joke in the series as he faces such problems as trying to keep a cute puppy he found in space, eating his meals in zero gravity while trying not to make a mess in the cockpit, and suddenly needing to pee in the middle of a battle because he had too many drinks before launching. The jokes work because they’re either crazy over the top (the puppy that rapidly grows in size) or they’re so hilarious because they’re realistic and you kinda wonder why they never happened in serious mecha shows (needing to pee in the middle of battle, realizing in battle that he put his tshirt on backwards and the collar is choking him). It’s Subaru’s rather extreme reactions to these problems that make up most of the comedy. If you’re a fan of mecha anime, you really need to watch this. It pokes fun at a genre that is generally a bit too serious, but is clearly made by fans of that very genre.

Crossing Time is something I’m only really watching because the episodes are a little over three minutes long so it’s not a big time investment. They’ve been hit or miss so far, focusing on different characters as they wait at a train crossing. They’re mostly comedic, with passable art/animation. Nothing special, but the good episodes outweigh the bad at this point, so I’m watching.

Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori is this season’s soothing feel-good show. It’s slow paced, focuses on beautiful scenery and characters, and has little tension. It’s very relaxing, to be honest. Following four attractive men who run a lovely little cafe, the series is somewhat episodic in nature so far. There are hints of an overarching plot, however. Has a solid spot on my watch list.

Butlers vs Battlers had a bland first episode but has picked up steam. It follows a couple of supernaturally powered “butlers” who were sent to the present day from a hundred years in the past after a tragic event made them enemies. One of them, the protagonist called “J”, attends a fancy private school where his popularity has made him the student council president and the other works as a waiter at a nearby cafe. The show is full of attractive men (the butlers plus the ever expanding cast of supporting characters) with an impressive list of voice actors. The art has a gothic vibe. The show is a little confusing and J is hard to root for, but it’s worth watching on a superficial level.

Megalo Box is an anniversary project connected to the Ashita no Joe series. It could be summed up fairly well with two words: sci-fi boxing. It has a futuristic setting where boxers wear metal, robotic-looking frames called “gear” on their arms/shoulders. The series has an old school, hand-drawn look to it. The animation looks great. The protagonist, Junk Dog, is just the sort of down-on-his-luck underdog we all love to cheer for in stories like these. The series has a hip hop vibe that makes it feel fresh and modern despite the retro look. Overall a quality show.

Dances with the Dragons, like Butlers vs. Battlers, had a bland first episode but has since picked up steam. It’s a “modern fantasy” type of series that’s so popular in anime these days (basically, it’s set in a vague time where there are fantasy elements like magic and dragons but also modern elements like cell phones and computers). It honestly felt a little generic at first, but has been getting more interesting as it goes. The lead characters are a pair of dudes who work (for the government? I think?) to slay dragons that stray into the territory of humans (I think?). One of the guys is a neurotic human who, surprisingly, has a hot girlfriend whom he clearly has a healthy sexual relationship with. It’s notable because it’s somewhat rare in anime for the protagonist of a fantasy series to be an adult in a committed relationship with an active sex life. I don’t know WHY that’s so rare, but it is. The other member of the duo is a badass warrior type who has a thing for furniture and spends all their money. It’s hard to tell whether they get along or not, but they certainly work well together. The plot is a bit complicated and, honestly, most of the exposition is presented in a way that doesn’t command my full attention. This leaves me a little fuzzy on all the details, but the fights sure are fun! The art and animation do their job. The main reason to watch is the pair of protagonists, with all their quirks and hang-ups, and the not-quite-antagonistic but not-quite-friendly relationship between them.

Gurazeni is a baseball anime that’s unique in that it’s not about a high school team but rather a pro baseball player who is a relief pitcher for his team. There’s something refreshing about the way it portrays professional baseball in a less than glamorous way. The protagonist isn’t particularly gifted, and in fact struggles to maintain stats good enough to stay on the team. There’s a focus on the salaries the various players earn and what players do after retirement. The show is not particularly dramatic or funny, but it’s got an easy-going charm to it. It’s not very high on my watch list, but my weakness for sports anime keeps it on the list.

My Sweet Tyrant is another short form series with episodes around three and a half minutes long. It’s a romantic comedy about an extreme tsundere boy and his super cheerful girlfriend. He’s rude to her and calls her ugly to her face, then secretly cries rivers over how wonderful she is and how unworthy he is to even be in her presence. Luckily, his girlfriend is aware of all this and finds his tsundere tendencies adorable. The concept hasn’t gotten too stale yet, and it looks like there’s going to be some focus on the side characters, so hopefully the setup won’t wear out its welcome.

Hinamatsuri had a fantastic first episode with an amusing (if not entirely original) premise: a yakuza thug (who happens to be very low key about it and collects antique vases) is sitting at home in his nice apartment one night when a mysterious object appears in his living room. The object contains an even more mysterious young girl who has crazy psychic powers. The series, at its core, is about the relationship between the yakuza dude, Nitta, and the psychic girl, Hina, and their daily life together. They have a very father/daughter like bond, challenged by the fact that Nitta was seemingly never interested in taking care of a kid and now suddenly has to care for one who comes with a lot of baggage. Hina’s deadpan demeanor does little to mask her desire for a normal, happy family life with Nitta, and it’s clear that they care about each other very much. The supporting cast includes another girl with psychic powers who comes from the same place Hina did (and thankfully she doesn’t move in, so the series avoids the whole “harem of cute little girls” mess). The show is definitely focused on humor rather than action, so while Hina hints about being forced to fight in whatever place she came from, and she does take out a rival yakuza gang in the first episode, don’t expect a lot of intense psychic battles. The show has a sort of relaxed, slice of life feel. The art is fine, and the music is fits the story well.

Spirit Pact Season Two technically started in the middle of last season, but since it started after I wrote about what shows I was watching, it got left off the list and I’m including it now. Spirit Pact was a nice surprise when the first season aired. It’s a Chinese supernatural drama that just happens to have gay male leads. It aired around the same time as Yuri on Ice (a show I love to no end), and it’s interesting that it didn’t shy away from displaying male-on-male kisses. Now we have season two, and everything has improved. The animation is noticeably better, the opening theme is great, and we get a kiss between our leads in the very first episode. They’re not messing around this season. So far the story has been compelling, mostly dealing with flashbacks that shed a lot of light on Ki’s past and even the origins of his relationship with Keika. One of the better shows this season.

Major 2nd is a baseball anime that’s actually a sequel to a long-running classic baseball series called Major. I’ve never watched or read the original series, but you can enjoy this one without knowledge of the earlier series (and now I’m interested in going back and watching the older stuff). Major 2nd revolves around Daigo and Hikaru, the sons of two of the main characters from Major. These characters are a bit younger than in most of the sports anime I’ve watched, so the sports action feels slightly dumbed down. There’s some decent drama and character development, so it has a solid spot on my watch list despite not being a favorite.

Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online might as well just be called “Proof Everything is Better Without Kirito”. This might be the series that redeems the SAO franchise for me, with its fun, pink-clad heroine who is badass but very much relatable (something Kirito could never pull off), its focus on actual gunplay in a gun-focused game (which SAO season 2 abandoned in favor of more swordplay, for some baffling reason), and a focus on competition rather than death games. So far it’s had almost zero fanservice and almost all of the toughest players have been ladies, with unusual amounts of female friendship and respectful female rivalry (in game). Now if the show can just keep this up and not decide to throw Kirito into the mix (please God no) or suddenly give it life-or-death stakes, it might finally give me something to point to and say, “Hey, SAO isn’t all bad!” (For the record, I watched both seasons of the original SAO and enjoyed both on some level, so I’m partially joking here. Partially.)

Persona 5 The Animation has been getting some flak, and even though I’m actually enjoying it, I can’t really argue with the negative comments. The series comes across as a bit lazy, with lackluster opening and ending themes and many shots and sequences that seem directly lifted from the game to the point that they either reused animation or just traced it. It can feel like a quick cash-grab. Unlike the much more fun Persona 4 anime, they kept the protagonist mostly silent, which is disappointing. I was looking forward to seeing what kind of personality they gave him after P4‘s Yu turned out to be so hilarious. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like “Ren” is going to be doing any pseudo-drunken stripping anytime soon. There’s also the issue of pacing, which is fine right now but will probably dissolve into a mess at some point as the series just doesn’t have time to pack in even the essentials from the game. With all of these issues, many people are asking, why not just play the game instead? Well, for me personally, I already played the game. I rarely replay games. And sometimes I just like a refresher on what happened or to revisit characters without having to dig out a disk and load up a game save. And the anime has some good points too. The animation is pretty good overall. The backgrounds and environments are perfect recreations from the game, and it’s been nice to see certain areas from different angles than we saw in the game. The music is mostly music from the game, but it’s all fantastic. And so far, it’s followed the story very closely. The anime is actually a decent substitute for reliving the game without the time investment required to replay it. That alone earns it a spot on my watch list.

Boku no Hero Academia Season 3 continues being a show I enjoy very much despite my many issues with it. Sure, the ladies are all still attractive and humanoid while the guys come in literally all shapes and sizes. Sure, all the most powerful characters are men/boys and we’ve yet to see a truly powerful female character even among the pro heroes. Sure, it sticks to the standard shounen fighting series formula like glue. And sure, it’s still irritating when so many people are raving about how amazing this show is without ever bringing these issues up. But damn it, the show is just so watchable. And Deku is just so charming. The story arcs are fun and tense in equal measures, the animation is great, and the music is a perfect match for the series. The show has an extremely high entertainment value, which makes it hard to stay mad at it for all the issues I listed above. So while I find all those things very annoying, they don’t stop me from looking forward to each new episode. Still, I can’t help wondering how much MORE fun this show would be if those issues were fixed.

Nil Admirari no Tenbin is a very pretty otome series about cursed books who cause people to kill themselves and the group of people who work to find and contain them. The heroine, Tsugumi, has the power to detect which books are cursed, and so she joins this group of mostly attractive men so that she can put her ability to good use. Tsugumi sits right around the middle of the otome heroine scale that ranges from “totally passive damsel” to “badass chick the boys can’t handle”. She has a useful ability and doesn’t back down from a challenge, but she’s still way too nice to people who don’t deserve it. Regardless, the show has a romantic, dramatic look to it and is set in one of my favorite periods: 1930‘s Japan. It also has my favorite ending theme of the season, a surprisingly sexy slide show of the male characters in various states of undress and a great song to go with it. It’s not my favorite otome series, but it’s definitely one of the better ones.

Caligula is based on a video game (with the much cooler name of “The Caligula Effect”). It feels like a cross between Vocaloid (a focus on music and a mysterious idol at the center of the plot) and Shin Megami Tensei Devil Survivor (a group of people trapped in a certain place awakening to special powers). Honestly I think I would love the game but my backlog is so huge that I decided to just go ahead and watch the anime. The character designs are interesting (I particularly love the little variations in their school uniforms which really speak to their personalities) and the art is overall stylish and cool. The music, a big part of the show, is fantastic. It has one of my favorite opening themes this season (only beat out by the new Yowamushi Pedal OP) and one of the better ending themes as well. The show can get a little muddled and hard to follow at times, a byproduct of being based on a game that no doubt had a lot more time to put into the story, but it’s still entertaining. The series isn’t as deep as it tries to be, but it’s a fun ride.

Carry-Over Shows From Previous Seasons:
Yowamushi Pedal
Black Clover
Darling in the Franxx

Best of Season:
Best New Show: Golden Kamuy
Best Opening Theme: Yomamushi Pedal
Best Ending Theme: Nil Admirari no Tenbin
Best Male Character: Sugimoto (Golden Kamuy)
Best Female Character: Llenn/Karen (Sword Art Online)

Hakata Tonkatsu Ramens is easily my favorite new show of the season. I can’t think of anything else that even comes close. The show has very attractive character designs, cool music (that ending theme gives me Cowboy Bebop vibes), and an overall stylish, frenetic feel that puts me in mind of a less crazy Durarara!!. The show touches on some surprisingly dark topics but so far has never been exploitative and keeps a mostly lighthearted tone. The characters are a lot of fun, especially in the way they all connect and interact. It should also be noted that there is very obvious sexual tension between the two male leads, yet it doesn’t feel at all like fanservice or yaoi bait. Instead it feels like a natural part of their growing friendship. The whole cast is interesting. This has to be the nicest group of assassins, information brokers, and torturers I’ve ever seen. This is hands down the show I look forward to the most every week. At the top of my watch list.

Dagashi Kashi Season Two was a bit of a surprise. I didn’t realize season two was coming out now until it popped up on Crunchyroll. I was pretty excited too, because I really enjoyed season one and adored the heroine, Hotaru. I even have a figure of her. I was drawn to Hotaru because she was so entertaining. She’s beautiful, yes (easily one of the top five most beautiful anime ladies, in my opinion), but she’s funny, persistent, and big hearted. Okay, gushing about Hotaru aside, season two is a bit different. For one, the episodes are now half the length of regular anime episodes. This works okay, since season one typically had two self-contained stories per episode. Another difference is that the animation quality seems to have dropped a little. It’s not a huge deal, but it’s noticeable. The third thing is that the Hotaru fanservice has become a lot more overt, which is particularly disappointing for me as a fan of her character. Season one had some fanservice, yes (Hotaru has fairly large breasts), but it was more subtle and a lot funnier. Season two, inspired by the heaps and heaps of pervy Hotaru merchandise that’s come out since season one, has decided to focus a lot more attention on how bouncy her boobs can be. It’s annoying, but it doesn’t make the show unwatchable, so it still has a solid spot on my watch list.

Sanrio Boys is one of two cute, feel-good shows this season (I’ll get to the other one later). It’s basically a “cute boys doing cute things” show with BL undertones that is apparently sponsored by Sanrio, as each boy has a favorite Sanrio character that they’re associated with. The show could have gotten by on being cute and fluffy and I probably would have watched it that way just because I like cute things and have a fondness for Sanrio myself. Thankfully, the show puts in the extra effort to have likable, relatable characters with interesting back stories explaining their connections to their favorite Sanrio characters. A couple of these stories literally made me cry. The friendship between the five main characters is very sweet and comforting. I also have to wonder if some of the stuff in this show is meant to be one big metaphor for being a gay youth. The main character lives in shame and denial about his love of Sanrio because “boys shouldn’t like stuff like that”. He fears being rejected by his classmates, because he was made fun of and bullied in the past over his interests. He even tries to help another character avoid being “outed” as a Sanrio fan before realizing the other boy is open and unashamed about his hobbies. A big part of the series is about him growing to accept himself and the things he likes and gradually opening up to others about it. The theme of the show seems to be, “don’t try to deny who you are, be true to yourself even if that means some people will judge you and reject you”. That’s a very positive message cloaked in Sanrio product placement.

Darling in the Franx is this season’s garbage guilty pleasure show. It has attractive art, nice animation, excellent music (that ending theme is so. freaking, good.), an interesting setting, and some truly awesome mecha battle scenes. Which would all come together to make one of the top shows of the season, if the show didn’t have some seriously ridiculous and laughable fanservice that very badly distracts from all the cool stuff. Let me just describe the cockpit situation in these mechs. Each mech must be piloted by a pair of one boy and one girl (typical of shows like this, homosexuality doesn’t seem to exist in this world). The boy sits in the seat. The girl is positioned in front of him, facing forward, on her knees, with her ass in the air, practically shoved in the boy’s face. But it gets better! Weird metal handlebar-looking things are attached to the girl’s skin-tight outfit and spring up on either side of her ass for the boy to hold onto. All together, it literally creates the image of the boy riding the girl like a freaking motorcycle. Without even getting into how ridiculously impractical this setup is (wouldn’t the girl get extremely sore and uncomfortable while trying to stay on her knees on the hard metal cockpit floor during longer battles? Wouldn’t a hot girl’s barely-clothed ass in a teenage boy’s face be extremely distracting when he’s trying to fight monsters?), just the image alone is completely absurd. I could be extremely generous here and say the writers/animators were trying to create some sort of metaphor for how these kids are being exploited by the adults and how their budding sexuality relates to the mysterious process of becoming adults (the show strongly hints that they don’t simply grow naturally into adults). But... it looks like the boys are riding the girls like motorcycles, so nah, I’m not gonna be that generous. The show tries and fails to come across as a serious, thoughtful sci-fi story, which is a shame because it might have had more success in that area if not for the stupidity I’ve outlined above. For now, I’m still watching because it does actually have some good qualities that I enjoy. But it’s pretty much at the bottom of the list.

Killing Bites is another show with fanservice, but it does fanservice right. The chicks are badass (and none of them have the bodies of eleven year old girls, thank God) and, so far, all of them are totally okay with their skimpy clothes and actually seem to feel empowered by them. These ladies enjoy being sexy, and use it to their advantage. There was a problematic scene in episode five but it did reach a satisfying conclusion. The show is action-packed, with fun battles between (generally attractive) people who can transform into animal-human hybrids. The show has plenty of humor as well. It’s nothing too deep or tightly plotted, but it’s good brainless fun.

Dame X Prince Anime Caravan is a super cute and fun otome series, one of the most entertaining ones I’ve seen in a few years. This is primarily because the heroine is refreshingly practical and proactive. She’s not a simple audience-insert who gets passed around between the guys. Instead she’s a spunky, no-nonsense rural princess who is well aware of how absurd her situation is. The guys are such over-the-top caricatures that it’s hard to root for any of them to win her heart. What results is a rare otome series in which you’ll be much more interested in the heroine than any of her suitors. That’s not to say the guys are boring. They’re actually pretty fun characters, and their interactions with the princess are hilarious. The art is very pretty and the music is cute, making this a very watchable show.

School Babysitters is the other sweet, feel-good series I mentioned above. How you feel about this show will depend entirely on how you feel about children (or at least children in anime). The bulk of the series is about an orphaned teenage boy and his little brother, and the school where the older brother is allowed to attend for free if he works after school in the on-campus daycare room to help babysit the teachers’ children. It’s absolutely adorable and heartwarming and is designed to make you say, “Awww!” as often as possible. The show can be really funny at times, and can get surprisingly deep as well. One short scene was absolutely devastating to watch if you’ve ever lost a loved one (and probably even if you haven’t). It was just a quick, simple scene and yet it instantly had me crying my eyes out. Despite this, the general tone of the show is lighthearted and positive. A couple of the kids can get a little annoying (just like real kids...) but never to the point that you’ll want to turn it off. High on my watch list.

Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru Season Two is more enjoyable for me personally than season one. When writing about the first season, I mentioned that I wished the show had focused more on the sword battles and the action than on the cute slice of life stuff. Well, last year’s Katsugeki/Touken Ranbu must have quenched my thirst, because the sweet, funny antics of the sword boys in Hanamaru seem much more entertaining to me now. The art is of course very nice, as per usual. The backgrounds and outfits are still gorgeous. There’s still a healthy dose of poignant melancholy mixed in with the fluff (mostly dealing with the sword boys’ lingering loyalties to their former masters and their inability to change those masters’ fates despite being able to travel back in time). My favorite is Kiyomitsu, who paints his nails every day in an attempt to be cute, which would sound funny and a bit superficial if you didn’t know he was doing this because of his deep-seated fear of being rejected and abandoned by his new master. Despite these sad little moments, the show is by and large a sweet, comforting experience.