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:
> The light-hearted anime follows students at a ninja school.
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:
> Goodbye, Lara tells a tale similar to Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid. The story follows a mermaid who makes a forbidden wish to be loved by a human. Following her death, she is reborn 200 years later into modern-day Japan in Lake Biwa, where she learns to adjust in a human world. The setting of Lake Biwa is in Shiga prefecture of Japan, which is also where director Takushi Koide's hometown is located.
2-hour programming block airs on Fridays starting on May 31
From the article:
>Adult Swim's Toonami programming block announced on Friday that it is creating a new block called Toonami Rewind that is dedicated to running anime, or versions of the series, that aired on the original Toonami prior to its 2012 revival. Toonami Rewind will air on Fridays starting on May 31 at 5:00 p.m. EDT, and it will feature Sailor Moon with the newer Viz Media English dub, Dragon Ball Z Kai — the condensed version of the 1989-1996 Dragon Ball Z anime series, and Naruto. > > * 5:00 p.m. – Sailor Moon (Viz Media's English dub) > * 5:30 p.m. – Dragon Ball Z Kai > * 6:00 p.m. – Dragon Ball Z Kai > * 6:30 p.m. – Naruto
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.
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.
Source is episode 9.
This series ran across the summer and fall seasons of 2023. I don't think it particularly stood out among the show rosters of those seasons, but it was an enjoyable watch. There are definitely some pacing issues, but the story was interesting enough to keep me engaged.
The show is overall quite humorous and comedy forward to start. Helck is a goofy human that is competing to become the new Demon Lord after all, that is pretty silly. However, as the series goes, it turns darker. This is especially true as we learn more about Helck's past.
I do think that the transition from humor to serious could have been done better (see Delicious in Dungeon for an example of how to do it better), but the story they are telling is impactful. The show has an interesting cast of characters, including the absolute best character Piwi (the little green bird thing). I personally think this show was at its best when it focused more on the comedy than the drama, so I enjoyed gags like this clip or the opening tournament arc the most.
There has not been an announcement for a season 2 of the show, and at this point I wouldn't expect one. I have heard great things about the manga though, so if you check out the show and like it, then the manga is worth a shot.
Premieres sometime in 2025. The PV is here. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:
> Chika Suzugamori, a rookie manga artist, has been getting rejected every time she submits a new draft. On the verge of giving up, she suddenly gets the idea of going on a journey. > > *Based on the real life travels of mangaka Chika Suzugamori.
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:
> Japanese-American track-and-field star Mizuki has gotten herself to transfer to a high school in Japan...but not just any school! To be close to her idol, high jumper Izumi Sano, she's going to an all-guys' high school...and disguising herself as a boy! But as fate would have it, they're more than classmates...they're roommates! Now, Mizuki must keep her secret in the classroom, the locker room, and her own bedroom. And her classmates--and the school nurse--must cope with a new transfer student who may make them question their own orientation...
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:
> Twenty-year-old former wage slave Yuki Tanaka now works among her idols: the streamers of Live-On, one of Japan’s top VTuber companies. As the gorgeous, polite Awayuki Kokorone, she delivers only the most ladylike content. Unfortunately, her subscriber count and savings are at rock bottom. One evening, after Yuki thinks she’s ended her stream, she cracks a few cold ones—and more than a few crude jokes—while watching Live-On’s video archives. But her viewers hear it all, and clips of her bawdy, drunken commentary go viral overnight. Yuki thinks her career is over...until her manager reveals that everyone at Live-On has been waiting for her to snap all along and gives her free rein to drink on-stream. Now free of all feigned purity, she jumps right into her new “rowdy drunk” character and is welcomed into the fold by her fellow Live-On VTubers, who turn out to be just as crazy as she is! With her views and finances skyrocketing, Yuki’s work—for the first time in her life—is actually fun!
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.
Premieres July 4. The new PV is here. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis for season 1 from AniList:
> After inheriting his late grandmother’s failing café, Hayato sees it as a bother and plans to sell it for a quick buck. Until he discovers five beautiful girls staying there! When they beg him to keep the café open, Hayato reluctantly gives in. Can he manage the seaside shop while learning to live with these unruly women?
Source is from episode 13.
I only recently watched this series despite it originally airing in 1996. It stands as an early example of the isekai genre, before that was even considered a genre of its own. It also blends fantasy aspects with the mecha genre as seen in this clip.
I originally decided to watch this show because I had read that it blends fantasy with mecha. I had thought this meant that there would be wizards firing off spells as mecha fight back or something like that. I am disappointed to report that is not what happened. The fantasy aspects of this show are more centered around mystical things like visions, dreams, fate, etc. rather than your typical D&D-type magic. However, I still enjoyed my time with this show even if the story is a bit weird sometimes.
One thing that I did really appreciate about this show is the mecha animation. There are some nice sequences showcasing complex geometry doing lots of motion. The other thing I liked about it is how they show things like mechanical joints flailing after an arm gets cut off or goes limp after getting stabbed and some lines cut. There is also a whole sequence about trying to find a place to get maintenance performed on the mechs.
The run of this show is 26 episodes long, but I feel like the story meanders at times and introduces some narrative dead ends. After I finished watching the series, I discovered that there is a movie version of the story that condenses it down to <2 hours. I haven't watched it, but that might be a more approachable way for modern viewers to digest the story maybe not, see disclaimer in comments below.
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.
I haven't been watching Kaiju, but I do know the protagonist is in their 30's. So, maybe that is a reason that so many anime protagonists are in their teens; so that they have enough energy for the constant action? Just wait until they sleep in an awkward position and wake up sore for an entire episode. I may or may not be speaking from experience.
I have been enjoying Spice and Wolf so far as somebody that has gone in blind. Really glad that it is running for two cours as the pace has been leisurely so far.
Premieres July 4. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:
> The Kingdom of Clays faces a dire crisis: an assassination attempt has just been made on its own Princess Lynneburg, and its neighboring countries eye the aftermath like starving vultures, plotting the Kingdom’s downfall. The ensuing conflict will shape the face of the continent for centuries to come...but Noor doesn’t have a clue about any of that! Having freshly arrived at the royal capital after over a decade of rigorous, isolated training at his mountain home, he’s dead set on achieving his childhood dream of becoming an adventurer, even if the only skills he possesses are useless ones. Sure, he can [Parry] thousands of swords in the span of a single breath, but everybody knows you need more than that if you want to be an adventurer! Our hero’s road to making his dream come true will be long(?) and arduous(?)—but if there’s one thing Noor’s not afraid of, it’s some good ol’ fashioned hard work!
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@ani.social):
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 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.
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@ani.social):
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@ani.social):
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.
No date announced yet. The PV is here. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis of the manga from AniList:
> Mona is the cutest girl in school, and she knows it. In fact, she's worked hard to make her high school debut successful. But no matter what she does, she can't seem to catch the eye of stone-cold stoic Medaka Kuroiwa—but she's not about to give up that easy. Medaka, on the other hand, has been raised at a temple and was told to never become close to women. Who will win in this heated battle of wills?
Weekly ranking roundup:
- Anime Corner - Full Results - Weekly Winner: Date a Live V
- Anime Trending - Full Results - Weekly Winner: Date a Live V
- Reddit Karma - Weekly Winner: Mushoku Tensei
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 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.
Happy Monday everyone! Back to your regularly scheduled weekly general thread. Please post any questions, comments, recommendations, etc. that you might have in this thread.
As always, remember to be mindful of spoilers. If you want to know more about how to handle spoilers in this community, check the guide here (also linked in the sidebar).
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.
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.
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.
I have tickets to see Mononoke at my local movie theater this July and I am super pumped.
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 synopsis from AniList:
> An at-home comedy about a powerful girl who doesn’t work too hard!(⋈◍ ˃ᴗ˂ ◍)。✧♡ > > After dying of overwork in the real world, I’m reincarnated as an immortal witch, and I spend 300 years enjoying a relaxing life. At some point, though, I end up at level 99! All those years spent killing slimes to make the money to pay the bills gave me a ton of experience points… Rumors of the level 99 witch spread, and soon I’m up to my ears in curious adventurers, duelist dragons, and even a monster girl calling me her mom! “This isn’t a dojo, so don’t come here to fight me…!” > > I’ve never been on an adventure, but I’m the strongest in the world… What’s going to happen to my relaxing life?!
Series premieres July 5th and runs for two consecutive cours. Check out the ANN article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:
> “I have no interest in real girls!” So claims Okumura, the president of the school’s manga club. He’s your typical otaku, obsessed with a sexy (fictional) 2D manga character known as Lilliel. Then the new school year starts, and a (real!) 3D girl named Lilysa whose passion is cosplay joins the club. Lilysa convinces Okumura to become her photographer–and guess who her favorite manga character is? Not only that, but Lilysa is into modeling the fetishy stuff! The boundaries between 2D and 3D start to blur as this hot-blooded romantic comedy unfolds.
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.
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.
Series premieres July 2024. Visual source is the official twitter. Check out the Crunchyroll article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:
> Kazuhiko Nukumizu is a high school boy content to blend in with the background mob, until he witnessed his more popular classmate Anna Yanami get dumped by her childhood friend. He felt like he had to try to comfort Yanami, but this led him to become entangled with other girls who have met defeat at love?
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:
> In the Edo period, there was a shrine maiden called "Itsukihime" in the mountain village of Kadono. Jinta, a young man who acts as the shrine maiden's guardian despite being a stranger, encounters a mysterious demon who speaks of the far future in the forest where he went to defeat it. From Edo to the Heisei era, this huge Japanese fantasy series follows a demon man who travels through time while continuously questioning the meaning of wielding a sword.
Premieres January 2025. The new PV is here. Check out the ANN article for additional illustrations and cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:
> Not even a hero, Takumi Iruma gets accidentally mixed in with a group of heroes chosen to be summoned to another world. As compensation for the mix-up, a goddess offers him the right to choose any skill he wishes for! Hoping for a peaceful and quiet life that has nothing to do with fighting or going into battle, he chooses a seemingly boring creation skill. However, it turns out "alchemy" is the most powerful skill that allows him to create everything from a holy sword to flying ships! This cheat skill he unexpectedly acquired turns him into a wealthy merchant and makes him undefeatable in battles! A heartwarming adventure story about (possibly) the most powerful alchemist in another world!
Source is episode 7.
Time to add Anne to the list of top 10 anime betrayals. The show would have definitely taken a turn there if it weren't for some quick thinking by Laios to throw that rope and dive in after Senshi really quickly.
I say that, but the show definitely does take a turn as it goes and I think this level of the dungeon is where that really starts to show itself. There are some serious trials that our group goes through on this floor as they try to make their way deeper into the dungeon. The brief fling with Anne is a trifle by comparison.
If you haven't been watching Delicious in Dungeon, it is currently airing on Netflix. So far, 18 of 24 episodes have aired, released each Thursday. If you are watching, then you should come join the weekly episode discussion threads over on !dungeonmeshi@ani.social.
