The Anime Thread

Gundam news.

Funimation Streams Gundam Wing, Gundam Narrative, Zeta Gundam, Gundam: The Origin Anime - News - Anime News Network

Dubs too, from the looks of things. Hopefully it means Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz will be included or follow shortly after.

Can't help it, the redesigns for Endless Waltz were awesome (particularly the Heavy Arms unit).

Oh boy.



I'm REALLY not sure that drawing a direct comparison to the original like that was a good idea. I can't really blame them, but like I said...

So some show recaps.

Girlfriend, Girlfriend-Not too bad. The shouting humor could be a bit much for some, but it was an interesting twist on the typical harem shenanigans. It's not often you can see some self-awareness in the male leads of those kinds of shows, but more than once he's more than willing to call himself out on how he acts (and how he could act). It also dabbles into the intricacies of polyamorous relationships but dabbling is about as far as it goes. If you can get past the shouting it might be worth a watch.

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid S-More of the same, but the same was good to begin with. We do get to see some more exploration into the other dragons as well as the past between Tohru and Elma. And thankfully new dragon Illulu is shown to be more than just her body. If you liked/loved the first season you'll like/love this one.

Seirei Gensouki-Spirit Chronicles -A little frustrating. They had an interesting twist on the isekai genre but they did fall prey to some of the usual tropes. From what I read in ANN episode reviews they may have been trying to condense a lot of novels into the series, so that may account for some problems. Plus the show ends just as it's getting a little more interesting again with a "beg for a second season or read the source material" vibe to it. It's okay but it could have been better.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 2-Some definite good stuff here if you were a fan of the previous seasons and stuff like The Slime Diaries (seriously, go watch Slime Diaries if you want to see absolute cuteness between Orc Lord Geld and the goblin kids in the town ). Definite watch if you liked what's come before.

Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- A tough one at times. A lot of comedy and goofiness but some serious and at times downright grim moments mixed in, and there's some questions as to how well the latter elements work. It does do a decent job when it goes into action sequences (especially in the last episode) and the isekai setup is different enough that it works well enough. I liked it, but I can be rather forgiving on some stories so take that as you will. One definite frustration for me was them not expanding on Makoto's relationship with a girl from his own world and why it affected him so much, but there is a second season coming so maybe it comes to light there. Okay, but it may not be for everyone.

Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun- Second season, some fun continuations from and expansions on the first. Watching Iruma and Ameri develop their relationship was fun too. Like Reincarnated as a Slime, definite watch if you liked what's come before.

Two other shows will finish up for me tomorrow, and I'll probably have a recap post of some kind for Star Wars Visions (still have two episodes left) later on.

The creator of Golgo 13 has passed away.

Golgo 13 Manga Creator Takao Saito Passes Away at 84 - News - Anime News Network

So the last two recaps...

How A Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom- A slightly different isekai take. It was interesting seeing things solved by thinking differently rather than just "being the chosen one." You still get some tropes and wish fulfillment taking place but they do put forth some plot threads that can/hopefully will be addressed once the second season starts up in the new year. I liked it fine enough, but with the amount of talking that takes place it could be a "mileage will vary" kind of show.

The Honor Student at Magic High School- A different perspective of the story told in The Irregular at Magic High School, told from the view of Tatsuya's sister Miyuki. You do lose some of the tension in the story if you've already watched Irregular's first season (tough to be worried about a fight/contest if you already know who won lol) but it does do a decent job of developing some of the characters around Miyuki that didn't get as much screen time in Irregular. If you liked Irregular then you're probably going to like this one, even if the tone is a little lighter than the previous works.

Well, color me slightly surprised.

'Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World' Anime Gets Sequel - News - Anime News Network

I thought the show was all right, but not exactly a barnburner. So I wasn't really expecting to see it get a sequel or continuation.

And more first impressions with the new season.

Let's get the worst out of the way first: The Fruit of Evolution: Before I Knew It, My Life Had It Made is not a good show. I honestly don't even know if it's a "watch the trash fire" kind of show, but I guess I'm that much of a sucker for harem anime because I'm still watching it. LOL So far I'd call it harmless shut-off-your-brain-and-don't-worry-so-much viewing.

Banished from the Heroes' Party is a little bit of a tough duck to describe. Premise is someone banished from the party of heroes who are tasked with defeating the Demon King decided to go off to the boonies and start an apothecary shop. So you've got a LOT of slice-of-life stuff following him establishing the shop, but then you get tonal shifts to something more dark and ominous possibly afoot when they go back to brief glimpses of the party he left. Depending on the viewer it could either be distracting or be something to draw them further into the story.

Mieruko-chan is definitely in the "quirky comedy" camp. The main character is a young lady who can see ghosts and apparitions but desperately tries to pretend NOT to see them so that they don't REALLY start focusing on her. But even three stories in you get some very interesting takes on how seeing spirits can work for someone. Plus it plays up on a lot of the tropes you can see in internet ghost videos really well. Worth a look, especially with Halloween so close.

Season two of Mushoku Tensei? Picks up right where season one left off, and if you liked season one you'll like season two. Season two of Restaurant to Another World is in the same camp, you'll like it if you liked the first season.

My Senpai is Annoying is rather a sweet show, even if I find the title to be a little misleading. From my viewing it's more that the main character Futaba is annoyed by how her senpai at work treats her. He's basically a good guy trying to watch out for his junior at work and help her out. The reviewer on ANN said the show kept leaving them with a smile, and that's how it worked for me. Not a bad way for a show to leave their viewers, I think. The only thing that distracts me is that the art style (due to either the original work or the studio, dunno which) reminds me of some of the character designs you can see in My Hero Academia.

Finally, there's The World's Finest Assassin. Lots of style, decent action and an interesting premise to it (world class assassin from our world is offered reincarnation in another world after he dies). Why he gets the offer and what other things might be in play add some intrigue, and there's been some good world-building in the episodes so far. Might not be for everyone but I like it so far.

As a side note, I'm guessing I really liked The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent more than I thought. Ended up watching the dub release on Funimation as it came out all the way to the end.

So recaps since the winter season is about to start.

The Fruit of Evolution? It didn't get better. LOL

Banished from the Hero's Party was a good one, but I still think it's one that suffers a little from tonal whiplash. The opening and closing themes really deliver the "slice of life" aspects that the show exhibits, but at the same time there's a lot more serious storytelling in the show in regard to Blessings that the people in that world are gifted with. On the plus side, though? Mr. Crawly Wawly is absolutely adorable, and this is from someone who REALLY doesn't like spiders. A decent show, overall.

Mieruko-chan is one that, if you watch it, you should be prepared to be surprised. The humor is good and storytelling reveals are great. I won't say anymore, but I would recommend it.

My Senpai is Annoying remained a great show. The back-and-forth in the relationships in the cast were fun to watch, as was the development of said relationships. Lot of fun and it always left me happy to watch.

Mushoku Tensei's second season was solid. Definitely recommend the show. Same can be said for the second season of Restaurant to Another World. Both delivered great seasons.

The World's Finest Assassin produced a surprisingly solid show. The first episode could leave the impression it was going to be trashy in showing the exploitation of women in that world, but in the show overall it wasn't glamorized. That's not to say there wasn't some fan service, but the ugly parts were allowed to be shown as ugly. The action was good, though, and the ending set up any future seasons they might want to do.

One last one I almost forgot about: The Faraway Paladin.

An interesting show. Initially you think "oh great another isekai show" but it centers a lot more attention on the fantasy world aspects, to the point where the isekai element becomes almost a footnote. Watching the main character grow and develop is engaging, and the mythology of the show and the various gods and goddesses in that world contributes to some solid worldbuilding.

It's kind of a slower pace show, though, and getting to the point where many of the characters shown in the intro/ending songs takes a while. That slower pace might not be for everyone.

I enjoyed it, but did find myself watching other shows before getting around to new episodes. I'd call it a good one, but I'm not sure I could call it a must-watch.

I too want to see more seasons. I really enjoyed the extras that came with Clone Wars when Netflix dvd was big until the last season or two when Lucas decide to have his daughter partake meh. Hopefully Disney does the same with this animation series and include tons of extra fun. Well here is my animation. Still need to watch the Witcher animation.

Some of the comments Hawking's has made regarding religion and age I regard to youth and exercise still baffle me today. Was it a ghost writer or Harking's cerebral. Uncanny to say the least. Still waiting for the Middle East to unleash the cannons of Issac Newton. meh

121 pages of anime gosh darn

I like the genre and they keep making shows I want to watch and talk about, so here we are 121 pages later. LOL

Wonderful bit of self-awareness and making a joke out of it in one of the new shows for winter.

The premise for My Dress-Up Darling is kind of a simple one. Traumatized by a childhood incident with a friend who took exception to his love of traditional dolls, doll-artisan hopeful Wakana Gojō passes his days as a loner, finding solace in the home ec room at his high school. To Wakana, people like beautiful Marin Kitagawa, a trendy girl who's always surrounded by a throng of friends, is practically an alien from another world. But when cheerful Marin--never one to be shy--spots Wakana sewing away one day after school, she barges in with the aim of roping her quiet classmate into her secret hobby: cosplay

With the teenage hormones you'd expect to be in play, there is a bit of fanservice in the first episode but nothing really over the top.

Second episode, Wakana gets all kinds of flustered about taking her measurements because (according to the guidebook given to him by Kitagawa mentions that the subject of the measurements should be/needs to be in their underwear. He gets even more flustered when Kitagawa shows up at his door on the weekend for measurements even though he had planned to do it on Monday. But she comes bearing a gift from a snack shop, so it's all good. LOL

Anyhow, when Wakana starts stammering out his nervousness about having to take the measurements, Kitagawa strips to show she expected that and is wearing a swimsuit for measurements. Lots of full on shots of her taking the clothes off as well as a few views of her in her full glory in her swimsuit, all while Wakana is desperately trying to hide his face behind the bag from the snack shop. And what words are printed in English across the bag from the snack shop?

Cheesecake. LOL

That just seems like WAY too specific to be a coincidence. Whether it was from the manga source material or someone at the studio, that was a deliberate choice for a joke.

Beyond that, I'd recommend the show. Two episodes in and I'm finding myself disappointed when the episode is over because of how engaging the interactions between Wakana and Kitagawa are, and I think there's a lot of potential for a great story to be told.

Okay, quick notes time again.

Already talked about My Dress-Up Darling a bit, but I highly recommend it. The episodes are over too quickly and leave me wanting more, and that's always a good sign. It's also a CloverWorks production, so it's absolutely gorgeous animation.

Season two of How A Realist Hero Rebuilt A Kingdom picks up right where season one left off, and it's been a good watch. More emphasis on diplomacy in the first few episodes so far, but if you liked season one there's plenty to like.

Season two of Arifureta is running as well, and there's some welcome changes. The CGI monsters are better and the inclusion of Kaori (one of Hajime's classmates) into the group adds a fun new wrinkle as she knew him before he went all edgelord and has already called him out at least once.

In The Land of Leadale is interesting. Watching the main character trying to figure out how and why she ended up in the game world she played and what's happened has some mystery elements, but since it's an isekai she's also ridiculously overpowered. It does provide a little humor though. She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man has a similar mystery as to what's going on with their isekai/game world.

The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt was described by one of the ANN reviewers in their previews as being something like The Producers, and it fits. The prince in question wants to find a way to sell out his nation and live comfortably and quietly, but all his plans end up backfiring and bringing him more and more success. Watching him plot out his attempts and then seeing them go wrong (for him, anyway) has been entertaining.

The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest? Power fantasy, pure and simple. Not quite as fun as The Misfit of Demon King Academy though, I may not stick with it.

The one I want to watch most (but refuse to until/unless I see season two LOL) is Teasing Master Takagi-san. I loved season one, but season two hasn't shown up yet on the streaming services I use and I'm enough of a completionist that I want to see season two as well as season three. LOL

I guess the anime for My Dress-Up Darling has made an impression on folks.

My Dress-Up Darling Manga Puts 1 Million More Copies in Circulation Since Anime Premiered - News - Anime News Network

Can't say I'm terribly surprised, but still neat to see.

Been holding back posting because I'm afraid all I'm going to do is gush over My Dress-Up Darling more. LOL However I did see some news worth mentioning.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Anime Gets 2nd Season - News - Anime News Network

Not to everyone's taste, I'm sure, but I really liked the show and can't wait to see what else they have to offer.

So a couple of shows I watched have finished up.

In the Land of Leadale ended up just kind being there. It's not terrible by any means and there are a couple of humorous/interesting moments in the show. But it really didn't do much in the way of telling a story or solid narrative. It ended up being the main character just going to places and doing things, but without any real purpose behind it. Like I said, it's not a bad show but at that same time it's not one I'd recommend.

Meanwhile, there's My Dress-Up Darling, and this time I don't care if I'm gushing about it. The whole show was great. Fantastic animation, fun character interactions, funny little twists on some of the usual anime tropes (right to the end, including the scene at the summer fireworks) and bits like this where the female lead realizes she's not just in love, she's in wuv.



If this is any indication, I binged a good chunk of the season last night and finished the binge watch this morning to finish the season with the last episode. It's just such a good story, because beyond the love story that develops over the season between Kitagawa and Gojo, you also have the theme of pursuing your dreams and passions being explored.

Yes, there's a lot of fan service moments, but I don't think they're a detriment to the series. I can't recommend this series enough.

Another show wrapped up, The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest.

Kind of a meh show for me. I think they were trying to go with the same vibe in The Misfit of Demon King Academy, but tried making it kinda cute at the same time. But I don't think the combo worked as well as they hoped, and one thing that kept things interesting in Demon King Academy was the unfolding of the "why is the world this way?" story following the reincarnation of the main character. Those kinds of things just didn't keep my interest as much as Demon King Academy did.

At best I think it's an okay show, but once it was done it dropped from the watchlist. Not one I think I'll go back and re-watch.