I am not watching as many shows as I normally do this season. Here are some quick thoughts on each of them so far:
Konosuba - Top condition! This show has come back firing on all cylinders.
Appraisal Isekai - This has been a fine adaptation. I can't say that it has done a lot to stand out in my opinion.
Level 2 Cheat Powers - Dramatic improvement after a painfully generic episode 1. Rys is probably my favorite wolf girl this season. Sorry Holo.
Loser Ranger - This show has really exceeded my expectations. I never really know what is coming next here.
7th Prince - The adaptation has done a good job paying homage to the ridiculous artwork of the manga. I don't remember liking the story much beyond this point in the manga, so the art will have to carry things.
Spice and Wolf - Things have moved pretty slowly in this show. I have enjoyed it, but can't say it has been my most anticipated every week.
Bartender - Nice, gentle iyashikei about alcohol. If there is a larger story at work here, I haven't picked up on it yet.
Continuing from last season:
Tsukimichi - This current arc has been pretty slow. Looking forward to a more action-y finale coming up.
Delicious in Dungeon - Been lots of fun and I am sad that this is going away soon. Hoping that we don't have to wait too long for a season 2 and end of the story.
Some things I will keep in reserve for my post next week is that I finished the first season of Apothecary Diaries. I really liked it, so look forward to more of my thoughts on that. After finishing it, I started watching "Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina" and have some thoughts on it so far. I should be done with the show by next week's post.
Credit to /u/Abysswatcherbel for making the chart for reddit karma and /u/Nooble5 for the Anime Trending chart.
The thing I noticed this week about the charts is Mysterious Disappearances is high on AT's list at #4 while being way down at ~30 on the other two charts. I haven't been watching it, but that is a pretty huge difference.
No date announced yet. The PV is here. This is being made by Kinema Citrus as part of their 15th anniversary as a studio. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. The article describes the show as:...
No date announced yet. The PV is here. This is being made by Kinema Citrus as part of their 15th anniversary as a studio. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from the article:...
Some interesting results this week with Konosuba taking the top spot after a wild episode which was my favorite of the season so far. Also shaking things up is Demon Slayer making the top 10 with the premiere episode. Additionally, after a week off, Loser Ranger made its way back to the top 10. The final one I want to call out is that my favorite romance anime of the season, Level 2 Cheat Powers, cracked the top 10 this week.
Yeah, I really missed the brevity of the humor after the hard turn to drama when Helck talked about his past. I think that the show needed an equivalent to Delicious in Dungeon's episode 18 occasionally; something that allows the humor to come back into the story. I think that is part of what makes Piwi my favorite character is that there is no way to take Piwi seriously, and they are therefore able to keep just a little bit of silliness.
Thus concludes the complete erosion of Kazuma's reputation among the nobility. It would be easy to feel bad for him if he wasn't just the worst in so many other ways. Some really funny moments this episode. I particularly enjoyed Aqua's drunken attempts to appear cool and intimidating when she was unbinding the others and protecting Iris. Kazuma's VA work when he was using Freeze was also fantastic.
About Thief Kazuma...when did he get so competent? I had assumed through that sequence that the mask had imbued Kazuma with some Vanir-like abilities, similar to how proficient Darkness was when she is being controlled by Vanir. However, it seems that isn't the case. Who knew that Kazuma could take on an opponent like Claire in a duel like that. I wasn't at all surprised when he used trickery on Mitsurugi though, that felt like pure Kazuma. As did his harassment of Chris. Something tells me that Eris will have words for him next time Kazuma dies.
Finally, Kazuma is going to have to readjust to life outside the capital, even if he doesn't like it. There was an ominous post-credit scene this episode in case you missed it hinting at what is to come.
No date or PV released yet. Check out the Crunchyroll article for additional information and an English version of the visual. Synopsis from AniList:...
Premieres July 2024. The new PV is here and is part of a new YouTube channel they launched for the show. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:...
Good to know. I was wondering how they condensed it down from a full 26 episodes so much. There are sections I could imagine cutting out without too much impact, but that is still a lot of cutting for time. I have updated the post.
To me, the story felt like it narratively wandered a lot compared to modern works. If the show were made today, I suspect that it wouldn't have spanned 26 episodes, but would have been trimmed quite a bit. Sometimes I enjoyed the diversions, and sometimes I was just wondering why we were focusing on this or that character. I do think it is better than a lot of other shows from its time though. I think it has proven more memorable than a lot of other 90's shows I have watched and then completely forgotten about.
Seems like we are on a new leg of our journey. The story about that saint that lost an arm was pretty funny. This line was too good to pass up (@rikka):
The table being off-level was not something that I had thought of. I had guessed that Kraft had a previously established good relationship with this merchant and that his conspicuous lines about trusting God were like a code for the guy to use the good scale. Turns out that he had been getting scammed by this town the whole time.
Looking forward to finding out what the shepherd's deal is.
I had honestly forgotten several things about this story from reading the manga a while back...
First, I had forgotten that Hiya has eyes that can open. From this point on she is one of the regular crew and I don't really remember her opening her eyes at all. So, I was a bit surprised that she was so expressive this episode. I guess coming face to face with mortality will elicit some feelings.
Second, I don't remember this bit about the hero becoming a monster at all. I am pretty blind on this part of the story as it does not fit with my memory of his character's story at all. I am not sure if that is because my memory is just bad, incomplete, or both.
Finally, a nice touch I noticed in this episode. While Flio and Rys are having a heart to heart on the bed, the gentle piano music playing in the background is actually playing the OP's melody that Rys sings. It was nice that it was a song all about how much she loves Flio while they are essentially becoming a husband and wife for real. I wanted to pick a screenshot from this sequence, but thought it might be a little spoilery, so I went with an angry Flio instead (@rikka):
Kuzunoha on the move! I love that Makoto is just strolling around town with his crew dispatching monsters left and right as they go. The trumpet blaring also made it feel like a Western movie and they are strolling down the street for a shootout:
The action was not really what I was hoping for this episode. It was very quick and largely happened off screen so that we saw more of the conversations that are happening instead. I really like this story and the worldbuilding in it, but I do think that it has been pretty slow through this whole arc. I remember it being a bit more dramatic when I read it in the WN.
The restoration of the telepathy is such a huge flex by Makoto and is a key part of him getting a lot of respect from basically all the world leaders. They approach him directly, bypassing the local Academy leadership, asking him to restore telepathy. Then, after giving it a tiny bit of thought, takes care of it immediately. This basically shows all the hyuman leaders that he could have done this at any time.
Finally, we got some more Eris and Aqua this episode. I appreciate that they didn't really think through that they would be trapped inside with the students as well. But, any excuse to strike cool poses is enough for one of them at least (@rikka):
I think that Aqua and Eris are funniest in the manga iteration of the story. I also didn't think they were that funny when reading the WN, but they absolutely steal the show of any manga chapter they are in.
I know it is a part of the worldbuilding in this show that the hyumans rely on the Goddess's blessing and numbers to win their battles with the demons, but it is frustrating that they have essentially no concept of strategy when it comes to war. The first season saw them charge in a column, up a hill, towards a fort, right into a trap. Then, this season we see them not even conceive of the idea that this terror attack and communications disruption could be used as a way to slow the response to an invasion elsewhere.
I haven't read this series, but your comment got me curious, so I checked out the reddit thread about this announcement to see what the sentiment was like. To sum things up, they are just as surprised as you. A lot of comments about how uninteresting the MC is and how poorly done the harem aspect is.
This one is probably a pass for me. It generally falls within the "cute girl(s) fall for boring guy for seemingly little to no reason" genre.
I have been doing a lot of traveling lately, so I have had the opportunity to chill out with some anime to unwind after a day of slowly turning into a zombie while traveling along the US Interstate system. It has allowed me to catch up on a bit of a backlog. I mentioned it briefly in the last thread, but to give some more thoughts on them...
Zombie Land Saga Season 2
I finally finished this up after getting halfway through this season ages ago and having it linger. Overall, I think this season lives up to season 1. It took the opportunity to showcase some of the girls that weren't as important in the first season. I do think the historical lore they presented this season was a bit weird. However, it was a good chance to showcase Yugiri in her element.
The final 10 seconds of the finale really raise a lot of questions. Questions like how on Earth there can be more story to tell? They have announced that a movie is in production to continue the story, so time will tell. Hopefully...(cries in Yuri on Ice)
Apothecary Diaries
After finishing ZLS (see above), I started watching The Apothecary Diaries. I have really enjoyed my time with this show (currently about halfway through). I have seen a lot of people compare this show to House. I haven't watched too much House, but I would compare this show to a Sherlock Holmes adaptation. Maomao is applying logic, deductive reasoning, and some educated guessing to solve mysteries (usually medical in nature) in the imperial court of ancient China.
One thing that I didn't like about the show is how it deals with indentured servitude. I understand that it is based on historical China...but it just feels weird how easily all the characters, especially Maomao herself, simply accept how she ends up in service to the palace. We never hear about any kind of effort by her acquaintances outside the palace to track her down or anything.
In any case, I have been really enjoying the show despite the previous paragraph. The mysteries have been interesting and the solutions been fun. Something that can make or break a Sherlock-style mystery is how the mystery unfolds. In this regard, the way that this show drip feeds you the clues and then has a big reveal feels very Sherlock-y.
The other aspect that makes this feel like Sherlock is that Maomao is always smarter than you, the viewer. The way the story is told, Maomao always figures things out and then only later will you the viewer catch up as it is revealed to the other character. We are the metaphorical Watson that she is explaining how things are elementary. She is always the smartest person in the room. I am just waiting for a rival, Moriarty-like character to appear to challenge her intellect as an equal.
Credit to /u/Abysswatcherbel for making the chart for reddit karma and /u/Nooble5 for the Anime Trending chart.
Date a Live tops 2/3 charts again this week. Its a show that has very strange rankings. It is a perennial chart-topper except on reddit, where it languishes down at #25. Even flipping back through the past week of posts in this community, it doesn't have much in the way of upvotes or comments compared to some other shows. I wonder if it is just an audience difference between the different sites, or if there is a concerted effort among the fanbase to rank high on certain charts.
I just watched a bit of the original Trigun for the first time recently as well. I hadn't realized how goofy it was. A lot of the visuals and talk I had had seen/heard about Trigun was about the gunplay and action. However, watching the first handful of episodes, it is a slapstick comedy most of the time with only brief flashes of action. I think the humor definitely feels a bit dated sometimes, especially in how Vash seems to always be trying to pick up girls. Been enjoying it so far though. I have been watching it with my wife, so probably only 1-2 episodes per week going forward.
Date a Live keeps the top spot this week over at AC. A couple other things I noticed are that Spice and Wolf broke into the top 5; a first for the season after premiering as high as #6 in week 1. Also, Black Butler is able to get into the top 10 this week. Finally, the premiere of MHA didn't really shake things up that much as it landed at #13 on the chart with its debut episode.
Premieres sometime in 2025. Strictly speaking, this is an updated version of the previous key visual in which they have added a new character. However, I really love this series, so I will always take the opportunity to bring it to people's attention. Check out the Crunchyroll article for additional information. Season 1...
Series premieres July 5th and runs for two consecutive cours. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:...
Series premieres July 2024. Visual source is the official twitter. Check out the Crunchyroll article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:...
Sounds interesting. Might give this a try this summer. I haven't taken a good look at the lineup for this summer's shows, so I am not quite sure where on the priority list this one will fall. I have also found that there are a couple translator groups that, when I see they translated something, it makes it more likely for me to check it out.
The premiere is scheduled for June 27th with a one hour long special. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:...
Premieres January 2025. The new PV is here. Check out the ANN article for additional illustrations and cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:...
This was an interesting episode. We seem to have left the "recruiting a bartender to work at our hotel" plot alone now between this episode and the previous one. We have simply moved on to the "let's show interesting little vignettes that center around this bar" phase of the story.
I really liked the story with the doctor and the salaryman bonding over their secret cigars. It felt very Japanese (or maybe Canadian?) with the way they both felt like they needed to apologize to the other. In the end, they ended up really enjoying their time together and, in my head anyway, are already living happily ever after. Also, I looked up a couple Bamboo recipes and it doesn't really sound like my thing. It is a sherry-based cocktail with vermouth and bitters.
I wasn't as big a fan of Yukari's story, so I am glad it was resolved in this episode. On the other hand, the Alexander sounds delicious. I really, really want one now, but don't have the ingredients on hand. I am going to keep this drink in mind next time I am at a bar. @rikka:
Alright everybody. Strap in for some isekai Freaky Friday. There were so many great moments this episode. I really appreciate how hard they committed to the bit of Kazuma and Eris sitting in silence. That cracked me up after I realized that my video wasn't just frozen. Also, it gave us this gem (@rikka):
The whole sequence of how all his party members were hailed as heroes while he was ignored after the battle was fantastic. I also loved that Aqua's resurrection technique was to chug booze and then spit it on a corpse. I am curious what the fallout will be once Darkness and Claire figure out who was in the bath with them.
So, I have been doing a lot of traveling recently and because of how fried I am after a whole day on the road, I have found myself watching more anime than reading manga. This has resulted in two recent developments:
First, I finished season 2 of Zombie Land Saga. Overall, I really enjoyed this show. The lore they introduced this season was a bit weird...but what isn't weird about this show. The final 10 seconds of the finale makes me wonder what could possibly come next in the announced movie that is in production.
Second, I started watching Apothecary Diaries. Since the theme of this thread is OP/ED, let me just say that OP1 for this show is fantastic. Also, I have seen lots of people compare this show to House. I get it...but I think this is more like Sherlock Holmes since Maomao is asked about mysteries/puzzles that go pretty far beyond just medical/poison stuff. I am partway through the series right now, so there has been a series of mysteries that she has tackled so far. However, if this is following a typical Sherlock structure, I am expecting a Moriarty-type character to show up sooner or later. This will reveal some grander scheme that they have orchestrated will connect a lot of dots that didn't seem related before.
For me, the one necessary component is that I have to really like the song. Everything else can be great, but if I don't like the song, it isn't going to stick with me. When it comes to visuals, I am not too picky, but I do like it when shows get experimental with things. I think that is one of the reasons why things like Kaiju and Salad Bowl OPs ended up on my list, due to how different they looked.
I am definitely influenced by how I feel about a show though. It usually is more impactful when the OP/ED is used as part of the storytelling. I mentioned elsewhere in this thread that Jellyfish is one of those shows where, if I was watching it, I can imagine the EDs that they are making would be more impactful. I also think that Konosuba benefits in this regard since I watch and enjoy the show.
TP Bon wasn't on the list I was looking at, so thanks for bringing them to my attention. The ED is pretty good and I like it a lot. One thing that surprised me is that it is ~2 minutes long as opposed to the ~90 seconds that is standard.
I do really like the ED for The Fable, but the visuals are such a letdown by comparison. It's the opposite for me with the Tonari no Yokai OP where I really like the comfy visuals, but the song just didn't really do it for me.
I watched "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" a few weeks ago which is probably my first proper anime (not counting the odd episode of Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon or OnePiece I caught on TV as a child) and I really enjoyed it....
Watching an episode or two at a time is just right for Mushishi. It definitely is one that benefits from some time to reflect on each episode. Glad you have enjoyed it! Plenty of other suggestions already in this thread on where you could go next (if not season 2 of Mushishi). Good luck on your anime journey!
Anime General Discussion Thread - Spring 2024 Midterms Edition [Week 21]
Previous Thread...
"Ninja Skooler" Original Anime Announced with Teaser Visual, PV ( ogre.natalie.mu )
No date announced yet. The PV is here. This is being made by Kinema Citrus as part of their 15th anniversary as a studio. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. The article describes the show as:...
"Goodbye, Lara" Original Anime Announced with Teaser Visual, PV ( ogre.natalie.mu )
No date announced yet. The PV is here. This is being made by Kinema Citrus as part of their 15th anniversary as a studio. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from the article:...
[News] Adult Swim Announces Toonami Rewind Block With Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z Kai, Naruto Anime ( www.animenewsnetwork.com )
From the article:...
Top 10 Anime of the Week #06 - Spring 2024 (Anime Corner) ( static.animecorner.me )
Full results here.
Dungeon Meshi - Delicious in Dungeon Episode 20 Discussion ( ani.social )
Head on over to !dungeonmeshi for a heaping serving of discussion about the latest episode!
[Clip] The Kraken Claims a Friend - Helck ( static.wjs018.xyz )
Source is episode 9....
"Zatsu Tabi: That's Journey" Anime Adaptation Announced with Teaser Visual, PV ( ogre.natalie.mu )
Premieres sometime in 2025. The PV is here. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:...
Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! 3 • KONOSUBA -God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! 3 - Episode 6 discussion
Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! 3, episode 6...
"Hana-Kimi" Anime Adaptation Announced with Teaser Visual ( ogre.natalie.mu )
No date or PV released yet. Check out the Crunchyroll article for additional information and an English version of the visual. Synopsis from AniList:...
“VTuber Legend: How I Went Viral after Forgetting to Turn Off My Stream” New Key Visual, PV ( ogre.natalie.mu )
Premieres July 2024. The new PV is here and is part of a new YouTube channel they launched for the show. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:...
"The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses" Season 2 New Key Visual, PV ( ogre.natalie.mu )
Premieres July 4. The new PV is here. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis for season 1 from AniList:...
[Clip] Mecha Battles in a (Mostly) Pre-CG World - Vision of Escaflowne ( images.wjs018.xyz )
Source is from episode 13....
"I Parry Everything: What Do You Mean I'm the Strongest? I'm Not Even an Adventurer Yet!" New Key Visual ( ogre.natalie.mu )
Premieres July 4. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:...
Ookami to Koushinryou: MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF • Spice and Wolf: MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF - Episode 7 discussion
Ookami to Koushinryou: MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF, episode 7...
Lv2 Kara Cheat datta Moto Yuusha Kouho no Mattari Isekai Life • Chillin' in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers - Episode 6 discussion
Lv2 Kara Cheat datta Moto Yuusha Kouho no Mattari Isekai Life, episode 6...
Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu 2nd Season • TSUKIMICHI -Moonlit Fantasy- Season 2 - Episode 19 discussion
Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu 2nd Season, episode 19...
"Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms" Anime Adaptation Announced with Teaser Visual, PV ( ogre.natalie.mu )
No date announced yet. The PV is here. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis of the manga from AniList:...
Anime Questions, Recommendations, and Discussion Thread [Week 20]
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Top 10 Anime of the Week #05 - Spring 2024 (Anime Corner) ( static.animecorner.me )
Full results here.
"I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level" Season 2 New Key Visual ( ogre.natalie.mu )
Premieres sometime in 2025. Strictly speaking, this is an updated version of the previous key visual in which they have added a new character. However, I really love this series, so I will always take the opportunity to bring it to people's attention. Check out the Crunchyroll article for additional information. Season 1...
"2.5 Dimensional Seduction" New Key Visual ( ogre.natalie.mu )
Series premieres July 5th and runs for two consecutive cours. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:...
"Too Many Losing Heroines" New Visual ( ani.social )
Series premieres July 2024. Visual source is the official twitter. Check out the Crunchyroll article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:...
"Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho" New Key Visual, Announces Hour-Long Premiere ( ogre.natalie.mu )
The premiere is scheduled for June 27th with a one hour long special. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:...
"Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time" Anime Adaptation Announced with Teaser Visual, PV ( ogre.natalie.mu )
Premieres January 2025. The new PV is here. Check out the ANN article for additional illustrations and cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:...
[Clip] Senshi's Unsinkable Bond With Anne the Kelpie - Delicious in Dungeon ( static.wjs018.xyz )
Source is episode 7....
Bartender: Kami no Glass • BARTENDER Glass of God - Episode 6 discussion
Bartender: Kami no Glass, episode 6...
Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! 3 • KONOSUBA -God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! 3 - Episode 5 discussion
Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! 3, episode 5...
"Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World?" New Key Visual, PV ( ogre.natalie.mu )
Premieres July 2024. The new PV is here. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:...
Anime Discussion Thread - Favorite Openings and Endings of Spring Season Edition [Week 19]
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Anime newbie looking for suggestions
I watched "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" a few weeks ago which is probably my first proper anime (not counting the odd episode of Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon or OnePiece I caught on TV as a child) and I really enjoyed it....