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May 3, 2024
This continues the overall story from Double Seven Arc. It has a new mangaka continuing from the previous one.
The "Steeplechase" name of the arc comes from a new event introduced in this year's competition. It sounds innocuous but because of the involvement of the military and magician society, it becomes a high stakes political maneuver that could upset the delicate balance of public perception of magicians. Especially since as revealed in the last arc, an agent of a hostile foreign power is involved.
The Nine School Competition is an important event for the magic high schools in this story. It was arguably the most important storyline
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of the first season of the anime. It was also the focus of the "Honor Student" spin-off that focused on the main female character, Miyuki.
This arc also continues elements from other previous arcs like the parasites from the "Visitor Arc" being weaponized. The heightened security and military involvement are also consequences of the Competition that immediately precedes this one.
To follow this story, a minimal investment of watching the first two anime seasons will be needed, otherwise, the reader is going to miss a lot of the intended story beats without the backstory.
I found this arc more enjoyable than "Double Seven" which preceded this one. For one thing, the mangaka adapting this from the light novel wisely went with the bare minimum involvement for the Saegusa twins and the Shippou boy, brats who were irritating enough to sap the joy of reading the Double Seven Arc manga.
However, I think giving Tatsuya a larger role in the background as part of the engineering and support team gave the character some growth opportunity beyond the deux ex machina role he seems to slip into when the plot needs his overpowered abilities.
There is still no official English translation for this series, so I still recommend following this as an anime as I do. I think season 3, which started airing April 5, 2024 for thirteen episodes, could still fit this in.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Apr 26, 2024
This was surprisingly short arc; it was done in three volumes.
Given its relative brevity, it could only tell one complete main plot, while the other subplots would have to be resolved in a sequel series or two. This was probably done to accommodate the manga author adapting the original work from the light novel who could only handle this arc while a different author handled the sequel series that immediately succeeded this one.
The weakness of this arc stems from it being repetitive. The climax is another duel for Tatsuya to show everyone he's the protagonist of this story. This being the start of a
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new school term, incoming freshmen class means new characters and sadly, the two of them are unlikable, and their conflict was the main theme of this arc. In the end, these two brats receive a rude awakening, something already done similarly in first few arcs and first season of the anime.
If this was a meal, it barely gives nutrition, but necessary in order to follow the next arc. I wonder how this places in the overall theme of this title.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Apr 20, 2024
This manga series was about a scholar who traveled the islands of Japan researching the origins of folklore and tales of gods. Sometimes, his adventures reflected these tales, showing how stories were told and retold.
This manga was about stories about stories. The cyclical nature of these stories meant that the best and most interesting stories get retold again and again.
If it’s a manga that has middle-aged protagonist, I’m there! As a manga reader who’s approaching that age, Professor Munakata was a relatable character. He was an academician too, another tick on the list of things in common I have with the professor.
Researching
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these folk tales gave the professor an image as a folklore detective and his musings on the stories served as the climax for each chapter. The professor has this Sherlockian quality and both being idiosyncratic characters sell the vibe.
The professor’s pet research theme was iron and the human migration that resulted from groups of people chasing iron deposits. This was established early in the first chapter and formed the motivations of the character.
The stories were mostly episodic with a two-parter or three in the mix. The chapters have enough pages to tell a one in done story. Each chapter would have a legendary musing by the professor and have that tone of finality. These meant that the main character had little impetus for development. As a Sherlockian character without a Watson, it made it challenging for the professor to work shop the chapter’s theme and it often climaxed with a soliloquy.
As the number of chapters build up, the stories got recurring characters who sometimes act as the foil for the professor. Subsequent chapters also revealed a bit of his backstory to flesh out the character.
This series is a great read for mature readers. Especially readers who enjoy stories about stories in a modern setting with a sprinkling of some magical realism. Only a sprinkling, it definitely grounds itself in reality.
This series was certainly received well. It was originally seven volumes, but a remastered edition with added content and story bumped it up to eight volumes. It also has a sequel series that revisits several of the themes in the original series.
For a manga that was recognized by the British Musem with an exhibit, it certainly lacks a definitive English translation. I wish it did, because the series lends itself well with a rereading.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 5, 2024
Title: Episode 48.5 (Technically)
Context: After a considerable hiatus since the last new slime episode, we’re treated to a recap episode that bridges the gap between seasons. This recap, while not part of the side stories like the movie, is directly tied to the main storyline.
Purpose: As a viewer, you might be wondering what happened in the latter part of season 2. Fear not! This recap serves as a refresher, priming us for the highly anticipated premiere of season 3.
Key Points: Walpurgis and the conclusion of the Clayman affair.
Excitement for Season 3: As you eagerly await the new season, rest assured that this recap will jog
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your memory and set the stage for the epic continuation of Rimuru’s adventures. And yes, we’re all hoping for a more satisfying experience than the theatrical movie!
Viewer’s Choice: If you enjoy recap episodes, this one’s for you. If not, feel free to skip ahead to the fresh content of season 3. Either way, the slime saga promises more surprises, alliances, and challenges ahead!
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 24, 2024
Imagine a show released on the same season as Sousou no Frieren and just as acclaimed. Fall 2023 anime slate was stacked, and this show and Frieren were the two twin jewels of that batch. Probably because it had something different to offer and did it very well.
Kusuriya no Hitorigoto or The Apothecary Diaries is so good but it's so hard to pin down everything good that's going for it, but I'll try to list a few things why this series has become one of my favorites. I hope it will also help you decide if this show is for you.
1. It scratches that Sherlock
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Holmes itch that I can't seem to get, even from anime that features Holmes in them. Maomao, like Conan Doyle's detective, is into pharmacology (or chemistry), and has almost no interest for other fields of common sense. Both are astute observers, and excellent in the art of disguise. However, without elaborating further, Maomao has the better backstory and a more interesting personality.
2. This anime is a period piece set in the Inner Palace of the Emperor's harem of a China pastiche. It looks like China, smells like China, and even has a broken economy like it, based on surplus of silver it probably received from trading from the West which has access to the silver mines of the Americas, but it is not China. Still, it is certainly an interesting setting and period for me.
3. The mysteries and puzzles are well conceived and original. It's a joy to see one presented and solved in an episode.
I hope that's enough to spark an interest for you to try this show. The production values are high, and it has an amazing story to go with it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 23, 2024
This anime answers the question, "What happens next?"
After defeating the demon king, Frieren and her party return to their normal lives. However, for the long-lived Frieren, she perceives time differently, and as her former party-mates grow old and wither, she lives a carefree life guided by her whims.
From the very first episode, death comes. Though it may come at the end of fulfilling life, it can be an emotional scene.
By eschewing tired old tropes, the show subverts expectations of a fantasy story. The art as it appeared in the manga is already excellent, capable of portraying such emotional scenes on the page with lush lines.
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However, the animation fulfills the potential of its art, especially in the fight sequences.
The characters are full realized creations that have their own tics and temperament and ably translated onto the screen by the superb voicework. There's no better evidence on how these characters have taken on lives of their own by the presence of the internet memes that ebb and flow with every episode.
This show was the best viewing experience of two seasons.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 22, 2024
An anime that has a middle-aged main character that actually acts his age will always get my attention.
That said, the first episode was interesting, but it felt like the author was throwing a lot of stuff to the wall to see what sticks. It certainly could be confusing, as the show seemed to change genres with each episode. However, it managed to strike a balance with all the elements it was juggling with as the season progressed.
At its heart, it's a fantasy that fulfills every wish a middle-aged salary man wants of having a nice job, while able to travel to another world and
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have a second fulfilling career. There's no harem, but the author does seem to populate his stories with teenaged girls and lolis. That fact is not enough to make it problematic because the main character likes to keep things professional.
I did enjoy the show because the main character manages to solve his problems with creative solutions. Like the one where butted heads with a noble in the other world who he outmaneuvered politically, or in the last episode where he dealt with a magical girl problem.
You can watch this with your brain off, but I don't recommend it because it was a lot of fun thinking of how he would resolve his problems alongside the show.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 22, 2024
This is an isekai that parodies the overpowered trope overused by isekai stories that have come out the woodwork in recent years.
This is a show where you need to turn off brain and just enjoy the parody that it is.
If you are looking for another aspect to enjoy this show, I look at it as an anime tinge with a bit of the charm of "Death Takes a Holiday" except Death is a high school boy who was raised properly by parent figure who saw humanity in him and not just as the force of nature that he is. These scenes were shown as a
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flashback because the story starts with a bus full of high school students transported to another world.
This anime was a mess of plot threads and character arcs, and the last three episodes spent a lot of time tying everything up and it still missed out on resolving the other stories. Still, it wasn't a headache. In fact, the ending was satisfying enough.
My tip is to follow the main characters in Yogiri (death boy), Tomochika (his classmate) and Mokomoko (Tomochika's guardian family spirit). There isn't much the other characters can do. Even if they reached the last episode of the series, there wasn't anything they can do once they faced Death. Don't get invested in them and just revel in the absurdity of it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 22, 2024
This is essentially the story of an NPC character who became the main character of his story.
Rentt was an average adventurer who reached a wall in the ranks of his profession. He had a kind heart and easily shared his knowledge and experience to newbies. Until he died.
This is no spoiler, but it is implied in the title that one has to die to become an undead. That is what happened to Rentt, and this is the story of how he seized this chance to grow beyond the limits of when he was a human. It is really a good story, and quite interesting, adding
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another labyrinth-oriented anime to my watchlist to Dungeon Meshi.
The animation is nothing special, but somehow, the production staff is able to make use of the limited resources at its disposal and tell a decent story. It also had a very nice ending theme in "Keep Your Fire Burning" by Mao Abe, which I had added to my Spotify rotation of anime songs to listen to this year.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 16, 2024
Just like the show you see on TV, it has your favorite characters, bannered by the lovable Anya and it allowed her talented parents with their own cinematic moments. It has the bigger budget to animate such incredible moments, like its own version of the Hindenburg disaster and Anya's toilet humor.
This story was never in the manga, though the author could elect to add it later on. It still made it the right story for a movie you could watch with your brain off for fun, enjoying such plot threads as Loid being cool, Yor being deadly, and Anya being her adorable self, while being
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ably supported by the Handler, Agent Nightfall, and the glue that holds the fake family Forger together, Bond.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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