Bold words from a bold man.
Wash It All Away Ep. 2
Would you like a crash course on stain removal? Afterwards, Wakana is asked to clean a fishing banner so special that no other cleaning professional would dare touch it. Only our beautiful amnesiac can get the job done! This is a bit unbelievable to me, but sure, sure, whatever you say, anime.
We also learn that Wakana can’t remember anything from more than two years ago… except for the time the high school boy asked her to clean his schoolbag. You hear that? Schoolbag. ‘Cause he’s a child. Who goes to school. Sigh, why do I even bother? Anime loves its age gaps.
Other than that, this episode is just more peaceful but aimless slice-of-life vibes. It’s obviously not my cup of tea, but I could certainly go for the freshly grilled fish. All that for just 250 yen? All it’s missing is a bowl of rice.
You Can’t Be In a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! Ep. 2
I’ve seen cats smarter than these three idiots. The dumbest orange cats in the world could probably trounced these three in an academic decathlon. More importantly, there’s just nothing to say about this show. The girls are gonna keep trying to hit on him even though he’s denser than a black hole. Rinse and repeat for the next ten or eleven episodes. If you’re going to do romcom, then I need a little more than “Oh my god, the rain made my shirt see-through so you can now see my bra~~~! Now I’m gonna get mad and slap you even though you just saved my life!” That trope is so old, it collects monthly checks from a pension. Anyway, I’ll give it three full episodes, but I’m leaning heavily towards dropping this show.
There was a Cute Girl in the Hero’s Party, so I Tried Confessing to Her Ep. 2
This episode is all about how Yoki has rivals to contend with. Yuga, the so-called Hero, is still pining for Cecilia even though she’s already rejected his marriage proposal. But that doesn’t stop him, because he’s obviously a jerk. Cecilia needs to tell him off, but she won’t for whatever reason. She just lets Yuga drag her off even though she’s supposed to be spending time with Yoki. Being too nice is often synonymous with being too wimpy. I can’t really stand unassertive girls. Meanwhile, Raven, the former swordsman in the Hero’s Party, also has a thing for her. So what does Yoki bring to the table? Uh, being… a chuunibyou? For some reason, he makes her laugh. Unfortunately, he doesn’t make me laugh. I gotta say, this show has been pretty dull, and the animation style is kind of an eyesore. I’ll probably drop this too if the story doesn’t shape up by next week’s episode.
Tune In to the Midnight Heart Ep. 2
Yamabuki comes to the conclusion that fulfilling their dreams will somehow reveal Apollo’s true identity, and I’ve forgotten why he thinks this. Or how it’s supposed to work. Like… does it have to happen simultaneously? Do all four girls have to hit it big at the same time? Or does one girl reveal herself as Apollo, so Yamabuki subsequently gives up on the rest? Again, how does this work?
Anyway, as you might’ve expected, the harem MC is already in problem solving mode. That’s just how these shows operate. You bounce from girl to girl, solving their problems regardless of how big or small they are. For example, the singer thinks he’s full of shit, so he takes up a guitar and starts singing just to show her he means business. But we don’t actually get to hear him sing, so, um, way to cop out, anime. You gotta commit to the bit, but apparently, the show itself doesn’t mean business. Meanwhile, he helps the aspiring voice actress prepare for an audition by insisting that they act out being a couple even at school. What is he, the Japanese Daniel Day-Lewis?
The whole thing still seems kinda iffy to me. Apollo reactivates a defunct account just to let Yamabuki know that she’s one of the girls in the broadcasting club. But even after all these years — even though she knows how desperate he is to find her — she still won’t meet him face-to-face. Nor will she outright reject him, though. I dunno about this, man. Sounds like she likes to play mind games. Sounds like she’s bit trifling.
The Case Book of Arne Ep. 2
It looks like they even updated the OP to omit Louis entirely. Well, no, not entirely. He shows up briefly as a zombie. The question, then, is why? Haha, you thought you would get Louis as a lead, but it’s Arne instead! Um, okay? Honestly, I don’t really care who the lead is. It’s not like I’m attached to any of these characters. I just wanna know why. Does this stunt somehow make your story better? I saw a few reactions to last week’s episode, and people came out of the woodwork to proclaim that the bait-and-switch takes balls. Okay…? At the end of the day, it’s all about telling a good story, and I just don’t see how promoting one character just to dump him immediately in the first episode accomplishes that. Rather, it doesn’t really accomplish anything.
Anyway, I got the impression that this show took place in the 19th century or whatever. But Lynn celebrates her vampire fandom by putting on a tracksuit, whipping out glow sticks, and doing the wotagei. Right… I mean, why are the characters dressed like this while also holding a digital camera? Is this yet another bold, “takes balls” move from the studio?
At this point, I’m too distracted to even care about the actual plot. Uh, Lynn’s father is murdering people and stitching body parts together to make zombies? I dunno, something like that.
The Demon King’s Daughter is Too Kind!! Ep. 3
This is where the write-up for this show would be if Crunchyroll hadn’t messed up the timing of the subs. I’m not surprised that companies don’t test their shit. The problem is that they charge top bucks for their services, so what gives? Anyway, I’m not going to delay this post just for this show, so check back next week, I guess.
Jack-of-All-Trades, Party of None Ep. 2
Selma is glazing Orhun already, and not in a fun way. Oooh, he casts spells much faster than she does! And he has original spells! The hero’s party will suffer without him! They were fools to let him go! Why tell us this, though? We’re about to go on a mission where he needs to help support a bunch of rookies. You’re about to show us how strong Orhun is, but then you just went and spoiled it in advance anyway. Why? Is this some sort of brilliant narrative trick I don’t know about?
Last week, I mentioned how if there were two female members in the group, one of them would be smitten with the protagonist despite the rest of the party hating his guts. Welp, it turns out she exists after all! Not only that, she’s also a childhood friend! Luna and Orhun had promised each other to clear the great dungeon together, but that’s not gonna happen as long as she remains in the Hero’s Party. Welp, you know what that means. Sigh, these shows are so predictable.
Speaking of the great dungeon, I love how they go down 21 floors, and it looks drab the entire time. Really great world-building. Fantastic effort.
Kunon the Sorcerer Can See Ep. 3
Kunon can charm the pants off anyone, which includes his future brother-in-law who previously tried to bully him. Unfortunately, he isn’t charming enough to convince his tutor to stick around, because this is one of those power fantasies where the main character becomes super strong, super fast. As a result, Jenie feels inferior whenever she’s around him, so she calls it quits. This just means Kunon is headed to the palace to find himself a new teacher, because at this point, only a royal sorcerer will do. Bah, Kunon will probably surpass them by the end of the season if not in a few short weeks. Pretty boring story so far, if you ask me. Again, if the anime stays this sleep-inducing next week, I’ll probably drop it just so I can devote more time to other shows.
Hana-Kimi Ep. 3
So what has my favorite American stalker been up to? Less than five minutes into the episode, and our girl is already in denial. Unfortunately, she and Sano get into a fight, because he was harsh to his childhood friend Yamashina, who had just previously been harsh to Ashina. Sano then starts avoiding Ashina, so our American stalker is convinced that she needs to do what she does best: stalk Sano even harder. When this doesn’t work, she cries so much that she can barely get out of bed. But this allows her to meet yet another tall, handsome dude. Meanwhile, Nakatsu picks a fight with Sano for hurting Ashina. Sano, however, quickly dashes off when he sees Ashina with the new bishie, who is apparently a horrible womanizer. Good lord. I, too, was once a high schooler, but I never encountered even a tenth of all this drama. Did I miss out? Should I have cross-dressed and snuck into a girls-only high school? Why didn’t I stalk some poor girl in my teenage years? Oh dear, the missed opportunities!
Oh yeah, Ashina is continuing to make Nakatsu question his sexuality. When he sees Ashina crying over Sano, he wants to embrace her but ultimately holds back because they’re both dudes. C’mon, bros can hug each other! What is this nonsense?
Noble Reincarnation: Born Blessed, So I’ll Obtain Ultimate Power Ep. 2
Last week, Noah bought a territory that had been ravaged by floods, and slayed a corrupt official who was trying to take advantage of the situation. What I wanted to see next was Noah managing said territory mostly because I enjoy that sort of thing. Succeeding in life through wit and ingenuity is far more interesting than just bullying people with your high power level and influence. Unfortunately, the latter is all we get. Look at Noah as he uses his sword to bring a party full of nobles and rich traders in line. Look at Noah as he subdues a scary grimoire and thus adds to his wind affinity. Look at Noah as he magically acquires a full suit of armor that automatically protects him whenever his sword senses even a modicum of hostility nearby. Last but not least, Noah even buys out a singer and an entire theater just because he enjoys her music. Future waifu, probably.
First, this is break-neck pacing. I feel like each of these events could’ve been their own episode, especially the singer. She’s a full blown person, not just an object to be acquired. Unfortunately, she’s put on the same level as the grimoire and the suit of armor. Second, none of this is interesting or compelling. It’s just powering the kid up. I’m not surprised that this anime is yet another power fantasy to help stroke the audience’s fragile ego. I’m just disappointed that it not even trying to be more than that.
Kaya-chan Isn’t Scary Ep. 1
Not only can Kaya see ghosts, she’s also apparently the world’s strongest psychic. But she’s also just a little child, so it’s comical to see this lil’ baby punch out an evil spirit. Who taught her to fight? Can’t be her dad, since he seems clueless about her special abilities. Anyway, this opening episode introduces us to a swing ghost, a book ghost, and then finally a toilet ghost. What’s consistent throughout all three short stories is that most people don’t believe Kaya, so she gets ostracized. I mean, what can you do, right? Would you believe a little girl who insists that the toilet is haunted? I’m skeptical of the supernatural, so unfortunately, I would be one of the NPCs in this universe. Luckily, Kaya has Chie-sensei on her side, and also one of her classmates. So maybe it’s going to be one of those stories where the lonely girl slowly makes friends while ghostbustin’ on the side. Too bad there’s something wrong with her mom. It sounds like she’s still alive, but she’s maybe possessed by a malevolent force? But why wouldn’t her father notice the change in personality? Is this yet another example of something that only Kaya can see? Oh well, I guess that’s the entire point of the series. We’ll find out in due time.
It’s not the most compelling anime, but it’s watchable.
Everything else about everything else:
Apparently, isekai light novels are so generic and formulaic, even gen-AI can write an award-winning story. Hilarious.
I replayed the first Octopath Traveler just so I could say I platinum’d the entire series. Still took me 40-odd hours to beat the game with all the cutscenes skipped. I hope there’s a true sequel coming down the pipeline.
I’m waiting to play the next Kiseki game as well as Dragon Quest VII Reimagined. The latter might end up being the top JRPG of the year. In the meantime, I’m kinda bouncing between a bunch of smaller, shorter titles, trying to see what sticks. I played a bit of Dispatch, but it just makes me want to replay Unicorn Overlord or Ogre Battle 64. I like the hero management part. I could probably play a 40-hour game just based on that and that alone. As for the the actual story? Meh. I mean, I just hate how you can’t even put up a token resistance to Blonde Blazer’s stupid decision to cut somebody. Even if you ace the shift and prove that the Z-Team is all worth keeping, you gotta cut someone because it’s a fixed story beat. That’s why these “choose your own adventure” games always let me down. The only real consequence is whether or not Invisigal goes bad.
Also, Shroud is undercooked for a villain.
Speaking of which, Detroit: Become Human has somehow sold over 15 million copies. David Cage is such a hack.
