The Anime Thread

This loos so awesome, I am so looking forward to this

Crunchyroll's released their spring schedule.

Crunchyroll Announces Release Schedule for Spring 2023 Anime Season - News - Anime News Network

Happy to see it confirmed that A Galaxy Next Door is coming fairly quickly in the season.

So after some YouTube prompts and a question here, I decided to binge through Farming Life in Another World, finishing up the last episode after it aired today.

There's a lot of fun in the show. You've got the easy-going aspect with the farming and watching the village grow as new people arrive, some good humor coming out of misunderstandings/cluelessness on the part of the MC, and some great running gags. It's definitely got a "happy food" kind of vibe to the show, and the show is also decently paced so getting through it is relatively easy.

My one issue with the show is the cast. There's a LOT of named characters, some of whom only get featured in one to two episodes tops, so not only do you need a scorecard to keep track of everyone (especially when the elves start arriving) but it doesn't really allow for any significant growth among the characters. Granted, with the easy-going vibe you aren't going to be looking for huge or detailed character arcs, but the cast size can be distracting.

Beyond that, though, it's one I'd recommend. It's fun and breezy, but a solid show overall.

Just don't mess with the girls' alcohol.

Wasn't expecting this, so we'll file this under "pleasant surprise."

New Horimiya -piece- Anime Premieres in July - News - Anime News Network

And so, we now wait until July for Misfit of Demon King Academy to resume.

The Misfit of Demon King Academy II Anime to Re-Air From 1st Episode Starting in July - News - Anime News Network

Jump uploaded a couple of MVs for the upcoming anniversaries for Gintama and Naruto.

By The Grace of the Gods 2 and Chillin in my 30s After Getting Fired from the Demon King's Army (there's a mouthful LOL) have also finished up.

By The Grace of the Gods was, once again, a VERY laid back, chill show. Any action is very low stakes as is any sort of story drama. Very much like the first season, so if you liked the first it's more of the same. Not for everyone but a decent enough show.

Chillin in my 30s was a more unusual beast. It was another binge watch, so watching it in that way may have some effect on my micro review. The plot is pretty straightforward from the title, where a man who is now in his 30s gets fired from his role in the Demon King's army and he wanders into his new life in a small town. You've got good action and fan service (many of the ladies there are quite...healthy lol), but the story goes in some interesting directions. The main character is strong but not necessarily super OP, plus he solves just as many of his challenges through talking and "the power of friendship" as he does through using his powers and abilities. The nice thing is that the talking/power of friendship aspect doesn't come across as too rudimentary or shallow. It was more thoughtful than I thought it would be.

It was one that surprised me a bit, and I'm glad I gave it a shot here at the end of the season. Might be worth a look.

Another one that I picked up (I think I watched/binged some of these because of Misfit of Demon King Academy getting delayed LOL) and that has finished was The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten.

It's a show that can easily be looked at as a wish fulfillment type of show, as the main character Amane ends up helping and getting to know Mahiru, the "angel" of his school, first by helping her out and then learning that she lives right next door to him. Through that, he learns she isn't quite the person she appears to be at school, and their relationship starts to progress from there.

I wasn't expecting it, but they did put some depth into the characters and you get to see both Amane and Mahiru grow and develop as they grow closer to each other. There's also a couple of good comedic moments, especially early on. At one point Amane asks Mahiru what she might do if he were to make an untoward move on her, and his reaction to her blunt response had me laughing out loud. It's also a very sweet show overall.

If you're in the mood for a high school romance with characters who grow and change with each other, I'd give it a shot. It's not on the level of something like Horimiya, but it's a decent watch.

Also, a couple of other notes from previous shows I mentioned (thought of these AFTER writing my micro reviews lol):

• One of the interesting things in Farming Life in Another World is the dynamic that arises from the people and critters that live in the village the main character Hiraku ended up founding. It reminded me of the power dynamic that arose in the Tenchi Muyo series, where (without intending to do so) a group of incredibly powerful/fearsome/influential individuals come together and get everyone around them at the very least nervous about that group. Really made me feel for that one general of the Demon King.
• Chillin in my 30s probably has one of the more unusual wife characters I've seen in a while. Malika is very strong, VERY enthusiastic about the main character Dariel (her greeting of Dariel seen in the opening titles is a running gag through the show) and not someone to be messed with. Insult her man? Best be prepared, as she is shown being able to make one of the Demon King's generals quake with fear because she ran down Dariel in her presence.

Hmm, come to think of it, generals of the Demon King in multiple shows seem to have had a hard time of it this season. LOL

Could be a LONG wait until July.

And now we get to Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire.

We didn't get many more instances of the former Hero-King learning from being reborn as a young lady, but I don't think it really distracted from the show. What they DID commit to, though, was the fun of watching Inglis barely being able to contain herself in fighting and trying to find opponents that would truly challenge her. Well, that and her and Rafinha being borderline gluttonous bottomless pits. LOL It made for some great comedy and action, and overall the show was really well animated so it made for a really good watch.

I think that commitment had an interesting (and possibly irritating) effect on the storytelling. On more than one occasion, you get hints at bigger goings-on and possible plot points but Inglis shows little to no interest in them because as she said at one point, she's not interested in playing the hero (again). So some of those mysteries and potentially interesting directions the story could take just kind of get left there. Now, if that was a deliberate move on the part of the showrunners, that's an awesome level of commitment to the bit and it adds another layer to the humor. But at the same time, there was a part of me going, "Hey, what about that over there? Huh? Aren't we gonna see what that's about? Please? Pretty please?!" Even right in the last episode when they could have explained why Inglis took one of her actions, they left it really vague and just hanging there.

I think the show worked so well for me because Inglis was just having so much fun testing out her overpowered nature. I think it's worth checking out the show just for her alone. But as an aside, between Inglis and Eleonora from Lord Marksman and Vanadis, I think I'm getting something of an appreciation for strong white-haired warrior women in anime.

I really enjoyed watching Reborn to Master the Blade. It was a fun anime

Tomo-chan is a Girl! looks like it finished.

Great rom-com! All the characters were fun to watch (Carol most of all for me, still think it's cool the same voice actress did both the Japanese AND English voices) and the story unfolded well. The ending of the show left me with a smile on my face and thinking, "Yeah, these two are gonna be all right," and really, what more can you ask for in a rom-com?

Definitely one I'd recommend.

Tomo-chan was oneof my favorite anime this season and it landed the finale

I knew Chris reminded me of someone! Thank you! The best War Maiden.

Reborn to Master the Blade was one of my favorite animes this season, even though I don’t really remember seeing her using a blade in like any of the fights …. Yeah….

Lord Marksman and Vanadis is a go-to show for me, even thought I've watched it many times. Just something about it struck a nerve with me, so Eleonora always gets remembered.

As for the image with the sword, my first two images of Inglis and Eleonora were HUGE, so I was trying really hard to find smaller pics so that the post didn't take up too much of the page. LOL That was the best I could find on a relatively quick search.

I love the fun folks in Japan have with April Fool's Day.

Fake Overlord, Eminence in Shadow SD Crossover Anime Teased as April Fool's Joke - Interest - Anime News Network

Fake Date a Live Live-Action Film Teased for April Fool's Day - Interest - Anime News Network

Just a couple of the samples found on ANN.

Two days into April and we've already got shows dropping, two of which have my attention already (which kinda sucks, as I've yet to finish Ningen Fushin lol)

My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 is a gorgeous looking show, Madhouse doing some fine work. Akane was dumped by her boyfriend after he met someone else in an online game (the same one HE encouraged her to play to share time with one another, no less), and while venting some frustrations in-game she comes across one of her guildmates Yamada (love his online avatar). She vents a little to him with his reply being, "I'm not interested." So of course they end up meeting in real life at a game event, and the story is going to go from there.

There's some decent potential for story and comedy, especially since she's in college and he may yet be in high school, and like I said the show is gorgeous. I'm interested to see where it goes.

The one that really grabbed me, though, was The Dangers in My Heart. The premise:

Kyotaro Ichikawa, a boy barely clinging to the bottom rung of his school's social ladder, secretly believes he's the tortured lead in some psychological thriller. He spends his days dreaming up ways to disrupt his classmates' peaceful lives and pining after Anna Yamada, the class idol. But Kyotaro's not nearly the troubled teen he pretends to be…and it turns out Anna's a bit odd herself.

At the beginning, it acts like the show it could be a dark one, especially with how the "tortured lead" part of Ichikawa's character is presented. But it reveals it isn't going to go along those lines, and we get to see a couple of awkward teens trying to muddle through school in some rather funny ways (cat impressions are involved). The show doesn't shy away from how teenage boys and girls can act, either, so it probably doesn't hurt to prepare for some kinda gross/crude boy talk. But by the end of the first episode we've got what looks to be a connection forming between Ichikawa and Yamada, and I really want to see what they do with it.

On a semi-related note, it's not a new season, but I think Crunchyroll has released the follow-up movie(?) for Kaguya-sama. There's two new episodes showing for me, so I'm going to have to check those out. Now if they (or Funimation) will get off their hindquarters and release the Quintuplets movie (which is getting a new anime featuring stories not adapted) I'll be a happy camper. LOL

The Quintessential Quintuplets Manga Gets New Anime - News - Anime News Network

The Last of Us but weeb

So two new episodes of Kaguya-sama became four, so the movie that follows up last season is on Crunchyroll now (showing as season 2.5 or 25, the decimal may just not be showing LOL).

It's wonderful.

I was able to go to theatres when it came out. It was awesome