Yeah, I won’t be watching The Classroom of a Black Cat and a Witch.
The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt Ep. 2
There’s another boy? Is this secretly a reverse harem? Anyway, this guy is a bit weird in that he only looks hot when he’s in the library. Outside of his element? Well… though honestly, I’ve never heard of the whole lion/mouse thing. It’s probably a confidence issue.
In the second half of the episode, Togo tries to help Poem find her missing PreCure-themed bento. It’s a pretty half-assed story. Not of the jokes hit their mark, and it just turns out her mom forgot to pack her lunch in the first place.
Farming Life in Another Season S2 Ep. 2
Total snoozefest of an episode. Nothing remarkable happens. I think the MC might try and sleep with a horse lady at some point.
LIAR GAME Ep. 2
Shinichi tells Nao that all they gotta do is psych out her former sensei, and the old man will eventually crack. Sure, but this involves keeping him under surveillance. And in order to accomplish this, Shinichi goes so far as to even rent the house next door. Uh, nevermind the fact that the house was just sitting there, waiting for someone to occupy it. But a one month lease? in this economy? Shinichi just has that much spare cash lying around for a stunt like this?
Shinichi deduces that the money is actually stashed in a safe somewhere in the old man’s home. The whole safe deposit box thing was a lie. Nao starts freaking out as time is ticking down, because her former sensei still hasn’t opened up the safe. But this one is easy. That notice in the mail? It has to be fake. Nao also received the same notice, but you gotta trick your allies in order to trick your enemies. Shinichi needs her to put in a credible acting job by literally not acting. She’s scared out of her mind thinking that she’ll lose, which causes her former sensei to be overconfident. She’s honest to a fault, and Shinichi’s more than happy to weaponize it. I don’t even think the cliffhanger ending is necessary, because this is all pretty damn obvious.
MARRIAGETOXIN Ep. 2
Look at how Hikaru reacts whenever Mei shows up all decked out. How can any woman — any actual woman — compete? Like I said, he should just date Mei. But we’re going to pretend that other ladies stand a chance, so fine, let’s get on with the dog-and-pony show.
Dating’s a funny thing where you have to be considerate and mindful of the other person’s feelings, but also act natural and not overly rehearsed — not robotic. Mei thinks she has a foolproof plan on how Hikaru might accomplish this: Operation White Knight. Hikaru’s gallantry only ever shines when he’s saving someone, so why not lean into this? But where oh where are we going to find a girl who needs rescuing?
In enters Kyoko Himekawa, an art thief with a heart of gold. An art thief who rides a getaway shark that she has affectionately named Chompsky. An art thief who made a promise to a young girl. An art thief who is now conveniently a damsel in distress. Man, she’s got it all! Quick, submit your resume, CV, cover letter, three professional references, etc! Hikaru quickly jumps into action, and this is where I drone the show out. He’s up against some Water Master or whatever. I couldn’t give a shit. Wake me up when the dust settles and Hikaru gets a chance to actually have a conversation with Kyoko.
Wow, an American Beauty reference in 2026? And is this the third time I’ve seen a Mondrian in an anime this season? What’s up with that?
I Want to End This Love Game Ep. 1
“Mom, can I get Love is War?”
“No, we have romcoms at home!”
The romcom:
The basic gist is that Yukiya and Miku are in love, but they’re too prideful to admit it. They need the other person to admit defeat before they can confess their own feelings. Sounds familiar, right? And there you have it. I don’t know what else to say, because everything about the show is generic.
This is perfectly adequate romcom slop. If you want cheap animation and a stupid premise that keeps the “will they, won’t they” train rolling, then this show checks all the boxes. Better yet, it’s completely forgettable, so we won’t have to agonize over whether or not it gets a sequel. We know in our hearts of hearts that we’re not missing out on anything.
Even a Replica Can Fall in Love Ep. 2
Sunao gets mad at Nao for not saying anything about Sanada befriending her or joining the club. She gets mad at her again at the end of the episode for ditching the closing ceremony. In a blink of an eye, Nao is gone. In both incidents, she just goes poof without any warning or fanfare. Pretty messed up if you think about it. I’m somewhat reminded of my mom’s (empty) threats. Growing up, whenever she would get really mad, she would threaten to unmake me. Y’know, something to the effect of “I made you, so I can always get rid of you.” A little psychopathic, but I digress. Well, Sunao can really do it. Piss her off enough and she can just unmake Nao. Worst of all, there’s nothing that the latter can do about it. Sunao is her god, and she’s a capricious, moody teen.
(Of course, I’m curious if she has to bring back Nao every time or if she can just choose to create a new persona. Probably no, right? I mean, if she could’ve done so, she would’ve.)
Ritsuko’s story midway through episode is the worst outcome possible for Sunao and Nao. Does Nao need to walk into the ocean and disappear into a sea of foam in order to get Sunao to wake up? To snap out of her funk? But wake up to what? The double in the story — the doppelganger — has to die in order for the original woman to live happily ever after, but we don’t want that. We want there to be two. At the moment, however, Sunao only sees Nao as an extension of her. She doesn’t see Nao as a being unto her own, because any clear division between the two of them threatens Sunao’s identity. Nao is the side of Sunao that can face the world. Nao is the side of Sunao that has the strength to go to class, pass her tests, forge new friendships. If you make Nao distinct, then you rob Sunao of those same qualities. She can’t face the world. She can’t go to class, pass her tests, forge new friendships. She hasn’t been able to do any of these things in a long time. But admitting our deficiencies is all part and parcel of the human experience. To live is to negotiate with our past and current selves, our public and private selves, and accept what we’ve become for better or for worse — accept that, sometimes, who we’ve become is not something we can be proud of. Sunao has certainly changed, but she’s still clinging onto what she used to be.
I guess it ultimately comes down to whether or not Nao is willing to fight. I’m not familiar with Ritsuko’s story or its characters. I don’t know if the doppelganger wanted to continue existing or not. In the first episode, Nao also saw herself as nothing more than an extension to Sunao. But love makes you do crazy things. Love makes you possessive. But will these convince her to fight for Sanada?
Also, Sanada says something curious near the end of the episode:
Nao: “Is it true that upperclassmen did that to you?”
Sanada: “I wasn’t the one who got hurt.”
Huh? But he was clearly rubbing his leg just moments ago. Man, I really think Nao isn’t the only replica around.
Pardon the Intrusion, I’m Home! Ep. 2
Nothing has changed. There are still two holes in Rinko’s walls, and nobody’s going to do a thing about them. Why? ‘Cause Haruma’s father owns the damn apartment complex. It’s a good thing Haruma isn’t a creep, right. He’s just a massive manchild. When he screams for food, Rinko immediately jumps into action. It’s really difficult to root for a character who has no self-respect. But what’s Akito’s deal? Why is he going along with this charade? Hell, he even joins her in doing the manchild’s dishes. My first thought was that he’s the author behind her favorite light novel series, but even then, he’s taking such an inordinate amount of interest in his neighbor. It’s weird. He’s so nice to her, he gives off “I want to wear her skin” vibes.
Eren the Southpaw Ep. 2
I still don’t know what to make of this show. So what broke Eren? Why is she like this? Well, her father tried so hard to make it in the art world, but he still failed. So she thinks it’s all a waste of time. She doesn’t just want to avoid her dreams being crushed. She also wants to protect you from getting your dreams crushed! Geez, can’t anyone mind their own business? One day, however, it gets to be all too much, so she briefly considers committing suicide. That’s when Koichi’s words ring out to her.
But wait, we’re not done yet! Eren is still despondent! We haven’t completely defeated her trauma! So what happens next? Well, her father died in a tragic accident. Eren and her father’s friend speculated, however, that her father maybe wanted to kill himself. But one morning, Eren, Koichi, and Sayuri just so happen to be in the same place when the sun comes up. Koichi then starts mindlessly stepping out into the road just to look at the sunrise, so he nearly gets run over. But this gives Eren an epiphany! Her father wasn’t suicidal! Her father was just an idiot like Koichi! Wow, one more mental lock defeated!
Hold on, we’re not done yet! Eren insists that someone like Koichi just can’t make it. After all, he keeps drawing and drawing, but he isn’t getting any better. So one day, feeling utterly defeated, Koichi randomly picks up the drawing pencil with his left hand and starts sketching. And just like that, he produces a masterpiece that blows all of Eren’s preconceptions out of the water. Are you serious? Are you really serious right now? The guy was left-handed this whole time and just didn’t know? And why coudln’t he improve with his less dominant hand? There are pitchers who deliberately pitch left-handed even though they’re right-handed just to gain an advantage. But you’re telling me this schmuck can sketch for hours with his right hand and produce nothing worthwhile? C’mon.
In a flash forward at the end of the episode, however, Koichi is a sad and pathetic man. So what happened? All three of them got into the art academy, didn’t they? They didn’t continue supporting each other through your adult years? The ED has scenes of Eren cohabitating with a woman who might be an older Sayuri. It would certainly be something if the girls ditched the guy and just started living together. But I’m terrible with anime faces, so it could just be a whole new woman we have yet to meet.
I also love how Sayuri thinks she’s in a competition with Eren for the most milquetoast dude on the planet. Every time she tries to confess her feelings, Eren interrupts her in some form or fashion. The girl is left completely stunned every time.
Always a Catch! Ep. 3
I find it a bit strange that we’re jumping straight through the engagement. Minutes into the episode, Mimi is already the crown princess. This is the ideal outcome for everyone involved, but I thought there would at least be a sit-down discussion with Aida and her family. Her father was desperate for her to marry Renato, no? It feels like we’ve skipped an episode or two. Speaking of which, Renato now says things like “Well, that’s Mimi. It can’t be helped.” I don’t want these shows to dawdle, but again, this is moving too fast. Skipping the “will they, won’t they” stage is fine. But we should at least see the couple get to know each other.
Since Eleonora has been arrested, we need a new rival. In enters Rosalia, who tries to talk down to Mimi. Our heroine, however, is too oblivious to even notice Rosalia’s basic ass tsundere act. Instead, she’s killing her rival slowly with kindness. If they end up being friends, it’d be a nice change of pace from how these relationships usually play out, at least. Hell, we just saw “the usual” with Eleonora. No need for a redux.
It initially looks like her future mother-in-law doesn’t approve, but this is just a red herring. Meanwhile, this schmuck shows up right before the credits roll, so I’m assuming that he’s a more credible threat. One thing I always hate about potential wannabe rivals is when the heroine doesn’t properly tell them off for their bad behavior. I mean, you’re engaged. You shouldn’t be allowing other people to be this forward with you. Hopefully, Mimi doesn’t disappoint, but we’ll see.
Go For It, Nakamura-kun!! Ep. 3
Hmm, there isn’t much to talk about. Nakamura is just ever so slowly growing closer to Hirose. This week, the club president of the Occult Club gives him a vial containing a mysterious red liquid. It will supposedly bring him good luck and fortune. Well, Nakamura ends up inadvertently using said liquid to protect Hirose from a bunch of oddly dressed… photographers? I don’t know, man. Point is, this week’s plot was the most story to ever story. I can only shrug at it.
I think Nakamura should join a club, if not the Occult one. It would help take his mind off of Hirose, because obsessing over one guy all day long can’t be healthy. Plus, it’s good to be a well-rounded person with multiple interests and hobbies. If he and Hirose ever start dating, he will at least have something to talk about.
Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!? Ep. 2
Loving a show this much is one thing. Doing a constant running commentary as you’re watching the series sounds annoying as hell. But to be fair, Takuya and Kei know it’s annoying. They wouldn’t normally do this sort of thing. Kotoko wanted to see the full otaku package, and the other two were more than happy to oblige.
Anyway, I can see Kei being Takuya’s friend, because they are massive dorks about their favorite anime. I’m not really sure why Kotoko is so interested in the guy, though. He has nothing going for him. Even in his taste in anime is questionable.
Petals of Reincarnation Ep. 2
You sometimes get questions like, “If you could invite historical figures to dinner, which three would you pick?” The idea is that these great people are fascinating by themselves, so if you stick them in a room, the ensuing conversation must be even more fascinating. Mind-blowing, even. So how am I supposed to react to Issac Newton with an apple for a head? Or Albert “Father of Modern Physics” Einstein being reduced to an anime chick who can teleport? Why even teleportation? ‘Cause wormholes? Quantum tunneling? Anyway, it’s not that I find the whole thing disrespectful. Rather, it’s just stupid. It’s such a massive waste of potential. “We’re all the same as you, Toya,” Haito says to Toya. “So, they wanted to change themselves and become something special, huh?” replies Toya. So special that they all became generic anime dorks hunting down other generic anime dorks pretending (badly) to be notorious serial killers. Riiiiiight. Look at Einstein blushing like a schoolgirl just because Haito is hugging her. Yo, that ain’t your cousin, Albert. Calm down.
Anyway, these characters have serious problems. Toya shows Haito the extent of his abilities, which, in case you need a reminder, is that he can steal other people’s talents. She then gets all offended since he hasn’t tried to steal her talent. It’s because he thinks it sucks, right? Just admit it!!! So they make a pinky promise to duel one day. Ugh, they both have massive inferiority complexes. Get help.
Killed again, Mr. Detective. Ep. 2
This is not a good mystery series. Halfway through the episode, they apprehend the culprit, and it didn’t require any proper deduction as one might expect. I mean, it’s a freakin’ detective show. It should have tantalizing mysteries! But instead, the killer exposes herself.
Not only that, the drama behind the whole crime is laughable to me, and that’s because I’m from the West. The victim was threatening to expose his family for drug-dealing. That’s bad! Drugs as in cookies laced with marijuana. That’s really ba-… huh, that’s it? Wait till they hear about our special brownies.
No, I get it. Different cultures have different attitudes about illicit drug use. I remember when one of the actors in the Like a Dragon series had to completely abandon his career in the entertainment industry due to drug allegations (and yet they’re cool with casting a known sex predator). Only 1.8 of the Japanese population claims to have even tried marijuana! Meanwhile, I feel like half of the folks around me have smoked a joint at one point or another. Sakuya has video evidence of the victim threatening to tell the whole world about his parents’ marijuana-laced cookies! Sure, you’ll likely go to jail in Japan for that, but I can see international demand shooting up. Imagine it: weeby potsmokers the world over trying to get their hands on special cookies from glorious Nippon. So personally, even though I’ve never touched the drug myself (don’t ask, it’s a pedantic philosophical hang-up), I can’t take this drama seriously. The son taking such a principled stand just makes me laugh. The cat then makes matters worse by revealing that the giant clown balloon onstage is stuffed to the brim with “green cotton.” This is too funny.
What about Sakuya’s original case? It was, again, just a cat.
Then all of a sudden, they get 9/11’d. It’s also the same plane his father was on. Maybe his old man is now actually dead. Either way, we get a strange encounter between Sakuya and… his father’s potential murderer? Such a bizarre swerve from marijuana to this.
The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten S2 Ep. 2
Also, this dialogue makes me skin crawl:
“I’m about to go WILD and EXPLODE, girl!
“SO DAMN WiLD ARGGGGGGGHGHHHHHHhHHHHH”
You bit her. You actually bit her. Was this supposed to be a hickey? You know “love bite” doesn’t mean literally bite her, right?
Other than the complete cringefest above, the couple remains as self-absorbed as ever. All they ever do is talk about themselves. Even a swimming lesson somehow turns into “If you [drowned], I’d perform mouth-to-mouth on you,” followed by “Do I need to drown to get you to do that?”
It’s especially pathetic since Amane is a total chickenshit who always backs out (except for bites, apparently). The girl is practically offering herself up on a silver platter, but he’s got a real Madonna-whore complex going on.
Snowball Earth Ep. 2
It’s going to be hard for me to root for our hero, because Tetsuo has such crippling social anxiety. You think his current predicament would override his insecurities, but the boy has trouble even saying his name to the scant survivors. Also, the tone of the anime isn’t quite what I expected. We go from finding and burying a corpse to taking joy ride on an excavator within seconds. I dunno, feels inappropriate.
Tetsuo fights and defeats a kaiju, which is a huge boon for the survivors. They treat the massive kaiju carcass like a whale as they carve it up. Nothing can be wasted. The meat is obviously for eating, and naturally, they use the fat to light lamps. But then another kaiju shows up and threatens to spoil the party, so I guess that’s how Tetsuo can prove himself to those who no longer remember him. That’s the odd part, though. It’s only been eight or ten years (I forget which), and Tetsuo was the hero. It’s not like anyone else was jumping into robots and fighting tooth and nail for humanity’s survival. Sure, the kids might not recognize him, but the adults too? That’s a little odd, man.
Also, I wonder what will become of Yukio going forward. Obviously, he self-destructed in space. So is he forever relegated to flashbacks from here on out? Or is there still a chance to find a copy of his data somewhere on this frozen planet?
Agents of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring Ep. 3
The first half of the episode starts out pretty light-hearted. Hinagiku and Sakura have reached Iyo, where the Agent of Summer Ruri and her guard and elder sister Ayame reside. Ruri is like a Disney princess, because there are cute, little animals everywhere. Unfortunately, she has shut herself away in protest, because it is customary for the ladies of the clan to get married after a certain age. This is where the angst starts seeping in.
Ayame will eventually be relieved her duties, and Ruri is not the least bit happy about this. Sakura helps Ayame understand, however, that this isn’t a mere temper tantrum (well, it kinda is). Rather, Ayame is Ruri’s emotional support, so without her, Ruri won’t be able to call forth the summer. Be that as it may, it really isn’t healthy for your sister to be the only person you can lean on. Ayame called Ruri spoiled, and maybe she’s right. Maybe if Ruri had gotten to know more people, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Rosei has an entire team surrounding him. How come these girls only have one guard each?
Another thing bugs me, though. They talk about how the Agents are callously treated by everyone around them. For instance, nobody bothered to save Hinagiku, because it would be easier to let her die. As soon as she bites the dust, another Agent would immediately appear. So you might as well cut your losses! Well, not exactly. If the bad guys want to halt the seasons from turning, then it’s simple: keep Hinagiku alive indefinitely. Which is exactly what happened, right? It sounds to me like her clan was just plain dumb.
But more than that, how come nobody is blaming the gods? Why can’t they call forth the seasons themselves? Why delegate this responsibility to (what it looks like) a bunch of children? Do they realize what they’ve put this kids through? Man, fuck the gods. But you know me! I’m always eager and willing to blaspheme at the drop of a hat!
Near the end of the episode, shadowy figures storm the compound and intend to kidnap Hinagiku again. Guess we’ll see if Sakura can do her job this time around.
The strongest job is apparently not a hero or a sage, but an appraiser (provisional)! Ep. 3
Oooh, oooh, I know this one! Me, me, pick me! An isekai is a show where the main character always buys an underaged girl. The only difference here is that she comes with a dog!
Elsewhere, the author pretends to be a female elf in order to creep on the main elf, i.e. the one with all the wardrobe malfunctions. Great show!
Mistress Kanan Is Devilishly Easy Ep. 2
I still can’t unhear Kaguya, so I thought it would’ve been funny if her maid-slash-bestie was also voiced by Ai Hayasaka’s VA. But alas, it wasn’t meant to be. I’ll probably drop this show at some point. Why? See the screenshot above. Apparently, even the teacher finds the new girl quite charming.
Scum of the Brave Ep. 13
There are so many different counts, but I have little understanding of who they are or what they do. Yashiro will say something like, “They have powerful backers! So powerful, they don’t mind pissing off the Coffin Count.” But, like, are we supposed to be scared of the Coffin Count? Wait, which one was that again? Is that the same as the Coffin Count of Storms, i.e. the lady who wants Yashiro? We’ve met her once, so I mean, I don’t know why it’s significant that people are willing to piss her off. Show me why she’s so important. Likewise, Twin Pincers assassinates Count of India Ink. Uh, who? Why is this old man important again? I dunno, man. This storytelling just has no flow to it.
Other than that, Yashiro and the girls finally make their way up north, where Malta messes with them. It’s just a prank, bro!
Akane-banashi Ep. 2
After being expelled, Akane’s father decided to take up a job selling concrete. On the one hand, the career change was a huge boon for the family’s finances. He made more money selling concrete than he ever did as a performer. That’s good, right? On other hand, he did have to give up on his dreams. Y’know, it’s all about perspective. I never wanted to be a programmer. Didn’t even major in computer science. But my job enables me to enjoy my hobbies, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. What I do find silly is that her father just gave up on rakugo altogether. Fine, being a salaryman is his day job. But why can’t he still do rakugo on the weekends or whatever? It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. And maybe if he had struck a balance between making ends meet and pursuing his passions, his daughter wouldn’t find it so necessary to “avenge” him. But here she is six years later, aiming to succeed exactly where her father couldn’t. Like I said last week, I don’t know why you need some crusty old man’s approval in order to make a name of yourself in this business. But we’ll just have to roll with it, because that’s what Akane has set her heart on.
Akane gets her first ever performance in front of a live crowd, and she’s a bit nervous at the start. But once she gets going, she has the audience’s full attention. Her performance is nostalgic for the owner; she can’t help but see the girl’s father’s influence. Great, it seems like Akane hit it out of the park. But I have some lingering questions. We’ve seen her perform in front of Shiguma, but has she ever done this for her own family? Or has she been keeping this whole thing a secret from them? Geez, I hope not. In fact, is she foregoing college altogether to pursue this dream? I just don’t see why this should take up her entire life. Do you need to rehearse eight hours a day, five or six days a week? I dunno if it’s wise to limit yourself. You should always have a Plan B in case Plan A goes south. You should also have Plan C, D, E, and so on. You just never know. Though I suppose if this doesn’t pan out, her father can always show her the ins and outs of concrete.
We meet a couple of new faces. First, there’s Shiguma’s other disciple, a rather friendly sort with scruffy hair. Then there’s a pretty boy whose style of rakugo is rather sensual. Apparently, this means he’s good at portraying seductive characters, and he’s a good singer. His attitude puts Akane off, so she initially refuses to watch his performance. But you should probably be open to all stylistic variations of the art if you’re serious about it. It’s like how a proper writer should read lots of different forms of writing, or how a movie director should watch a lot of different movies.
Ghost Concert – missing Songs Ep. 2
I have no clue what’s going on. HQ sends them orders, so they head off to the realm of wandering spirits where the priest starts putting down flagstones in order to claim territory? Seria wants to know what she can do, but they just tell her to stay out of the way. Then why bring her? But then Nikola Tesla shows up and attacks. He’s under orders from Nero to bring Cleopatra and her boy toys back, but they are now housed within Seria and have no desire to leave. So Nikola tries to take the girl back back, but this doesn’t work because she and Nikola break out into a duet. This ultimately pacifies him, so he just fucks off. And thus the good guys get the territory? Huh? Then once they’re back home, everyone talks about reclaiming music from MiucS, because it’s bad or whatever. But they use really vague terms: “It makes people believe what should be unthinkable is normal. … But it’s also normal to feel compelled to do something once you notice. Thinking that’s normal could be an illusion, too.” What the fuck are you talking about? But this leads to Seria discarding her identity (essentially telling the world that she’s dead). Double huh? Like what does MiucS have to do with all the historical spirits? Why were they trying to claim territory in the other realm? What is going on?
Mission: Yozakura Family S2 Ep. 1
In the first half of the episode, Ai finally moves in with the Yozakura family. It’s a pretty predictable storyline: the family adores her, but she is afraid that she’ll lose anyone she gets close to. As a result, she tries to run away in the middle of the night, but Taiyo and Mutsumi were prepared for it. Still, most of us are instinctively wired when a child starts crying, so I won’t lie and say this mini-story didn’t tug on my heartstrings. But you could shove any crying child in front of me and make me feel bad, so no brownie points for that.
In the second half of the episode, Kyoichiro de-ages thanks to one of Nanao’s experimental drugs. Somehow, this also robs him of his memories. For once, he’s not annoying. For once, his family actually enjoys his company. Too bad he can’t stay that way. Later that night, Taiyo reassures Kyoichiro that the latter won’t grow up to be one of the most annoying pricks on the planet. Why are we lying to him? It’s okay for him to find out that his mom is dead, but we can’t let the kid know that he sucks as an adult? Nah, I say give it to him straight. Yeah, yeah, they play it off as humor, but I ain’t laughing.
Wistoria: Wand and Sword S2 Ep. 1
Will is doing it, you guys! He’s acing every single exam. If he can get across the finish line, he’ll be able to ascend the tower one day and reunite with his Elfie! Unfortunately, uber jerk Edward is here to ruin the day. If you’ll recall, he personally failed to become a Magia Vander himself, so he’s made it his personal mission to discourage someone else. In his mind, he’s protecting Will. So of course, Will bombs the last exam, because it’s designed so that only someone with an intuitive sense for magic can pass. Our hero then proceeds to cry. It’s over! It’s all over!
That’s what bugs me about Will. He’s determined to succeed, but not on his own terms. No, he’s willing to color inside the lines that others have dictated for him. He’s both courageous and wimpy. He sees that the world is unfair, but he doesn’t say fuck it. Similarly, all Workner can do is yell at Edward to no avail. No one willing to stand up and say, “I won’t meet these standards… and it doesn’t matter.”
Remember the story in Frieren about Himmel and the legendary sword? I know everyone glazes Himmel lot, but bear with me. He couldn’t pull the legendary sword out of the stone. By all standards, he failed. But it didn’t matter, because he said (not in quite these words) fuck it. He told his party that he was going to kick the demon lord’s ass anyway, and when he does, no one’s even going to remember that he was a fake hero in the first place. On the other hand, Will would just fail and cry about it.
Will he remain this way forever? Probably not. I expect Will to discover that he can use magic after all. It’s just a really, really rare form of magic! But I will find this disappointing, because again, he’s just following the rules rather than bucking expectations. One hero is aspirational, the other just wants to fit in.
Anyway, the bad guys strike immediately after the Magia Vander waste all of their powers trying to repair the magical thingie in the sky. As a result, monsters invade. Time to wipe those tears away, ’cause Will’s gonna have to save the day again.
Everything else about everything else:
I’ll admit Kirio Fan Club had a couple moments that actually made me laugh (especially when Nami played her “jaunty” tune on the piano). Those two girls are so unhinged. I don’t think the show has enough for me to write about, but I’ll keep watching it on the side for now.
As for the rest of the shows that won’t be joining the watchlist, the theme of the day is “age gap.” First up is Yowayowa Sensei. The premise is pretty simple: a kid tries to help his teacher overcome her shyness. But this is anime, so you know what that means. Yes, she’s young and hot, and her clumsiness often leads to her showing off her assets to the main character. Ma’am, could you please put on some underwear? Even if you rip your pantyhose, it should not be possible to see your ass crack. Eh, maybe she’s wearing a thong. Either way, I don’t think I can stand this show.
Next, we have Kill Blue, which is about a middle-aged hitman who has somehow reverted into a middle schooler. Apparently, he also never finished middle school, so there’s a good chance he would actually be a dumber than a 5th grader. Nevertheless, his current job is to protect his boss’s daughter. I don’t care how young he looks, because I do not want to see an old man hang out with a kid like… what? A quarter of his age? A third at best? He also literally has an ex-wife and a daughter. There’s just too much potential for this series to go south real quick. I don’t need to wait around and see if this show ends up being a trainwreck.
Finally, we have The Classroom of a Black Cat and a Witch. Right off the bat, the heroine must lift her teacher’s curse. Unfortunately, it can only be accomplished by kissing his butthole. Granted, he’s currently a cat, so it’s a teensy, tiny less inappropriate than kissing a grown man’s butthole… but no, no, we shan’t be doing that. Even if I could look past the butthole thing, the age gap is too much. Claude is prodigy, so he’s a full-fledged teacher at the young age of 21. Unfortunately, our heroine is no more than 14. That just won’t fly in my books.
For a bit of a swerve, I checked out Ichijyoma Mankitsu Gurashi. A girl works at a manga cafe to pay off her tuition. In the process, she meets some kooky characters. Oh yeah, she only got accepted because they think she’s some super famous mangaka. Whoops. Anyway, this looks like one of those “cute girls doing cute things” anime. Needless to say, this isn’t my jam.
Last week, I said that Nippon Sangoku had turned me off by fridging the wife. I’m sticking to it. I checked out the second episode, and I didn’t see a single woman hoping to “pass the Toryumon.” Kinda looks like this is a boys only club, which is probably why we offed the wife to begin with.
Anyway, that about covers it. I’m following a disgusting amount of shows that I’ll probably pare down if certain things end up happening in my personal life. Don’t worry too much about it. Still, am I missing anything? Not saying I’ll definitely add more shows to the list, but everyone has blind spots. I won’t watch stuff like the slime anime or Rent-a-Girlfriend though, because a) I’m not caught up on them and b) something like Rent-a-Girlfriend would be a one hundred percent hate train. You don’t want that.
