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I had a lot of fun watching the main show, so I was looking forward to see what these specials had to offer. So, are they any fun? Well, let's hop in and find out, shall we?

Story
Let's be clear about something: these special don't actually advance the story that much. It's just the main cast travelling to the beach for the summer. You could skip these specials without missing any important.

However, that doesn't mean that nothing of importance happens in this show. One of the things I loved about the main show is the comedy and these specials have the chance to indulge in the ... comedy so much without having to worry about how to advance the story or the relationship between Chiyo and Nozaki. (7/10).

Characters
As always, it's good to see the characters just hang around with each other and enjoy a good time without having to worry about school or making the next chapter in Nozaki's manga. These short episodes just reminds you of how well the characters work together. (8/10).

Visuals
The show doesn't get that big of a chance to shine visually. I guess it's fine watching big environments like the mall or the beach, but it's not something out of the ordinary. That said, I love how the characters move between scenes. (7/10).

Sounds
It seems the cast had a lot of fun making these specials, especially Juliet Simmons (Chiyo) and Cameron Bautsch (Wakamatsu). (8/10).

Conclusion
These specials don't exactly do much to advance the main story, but on their own, they're very entertaining and I highly recommend them to anyone who loved the show and the characters. (8/10).

I actually watched Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun a few years ago, but I admit the show had largely faded from my memory, so I decided to watch it again, this time in English. So, does the show still hold up, even after all these years? Well, let's hop in and find out.

Story
The story of boy and girl falling in love has been done way too many times in anime, so Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun needed something to distinguish itself from its peers. The solution? Shoujo manga! No, seriously. This works.

It's fun watching Chiyo helping Nozaki with his manga, and also trying to make him notice her feelings ... towards him. The romantic subplot often takes a backseat to the complications and intricacies of writing a manga, but those elements never fail to be entertaining, as well. In fact, it's through the process of making manga that Chiyo begins to know more about Nozaki. Overall, the show has a bright, optimistic attitude towards romance, manga, and high school life.

I also like how the show handles its comedic aspect. The show has excellent comedic timing, but also knows when to keep the comedy to a minimum and instead let the characters and their relationships drive the story. It would have been easy for the show to just focus on the manga-making aspect or the romantic subplot, but it strikes a pretty good balance between both. (8/10).

Characters
What can I say about the characters that hasn't been said already? Chiyo and Nozaki have excellent chemistry with each other and it's always nice seeing them together. Their relationship is, without a doubt, the heart of the story. Chiyo, for the most part, represents the audience throughout the show and often asks the questions the viewers would ask about the process of manga-making and Nozaki does his best to answer those questions, even when the show makes it clear that he himself doesn't know everything there is to know about manga. He makes mistakes and, sometimes, Chiyo has to help him.

At the same time, you also gotta admire the show for often separating the main duo and give them a chance to connect with other characters that often contribute to Nozaki's manga. We have the narcissistic but insecure Mikoshiba, the sensitive Wakamatsu and Hori, who often serves as the straight man to the antics of other characters, Nozaki included. Chiyo herself also gains a group of friends outside of Nozaki, like the wacky Seo and the attractive Kashima. The show features an impressive cast of amazing, colorful characters and you will enjoy every second they share the spotlight (9/10).

Art
The show's visual style is divided into two different styles: first, there is the main style, which used to depict the characters in their daily lives. The second style is a more elaborate style used to represent scenes from the characters' manga drawings. The change is noticeable but not really distracting.

While the main style works perfectly fine for the comedic moments, it truly gets its chance to shine when the show tries for a more dramatic form of storytelling and focuses on the intimate moments between the characters, most notably the main couple. Expect some gorgeous shots of Chiyo's face and eyes throughout the show. (9/10).

Sound
I really liked the OP and ED songs. They're both catchy and lively in their own different ways. The ED benefits from the singing voice of Ari Ozawa, the Japanese VA for Chiyo. She is clearly the standout performer of the Japanese version and she has fine chemistry with her co-stars, especially Yuichi Nakamura (Nozaki). It was also nice listening to Nobuhiko Okamoto (Mikoshiba), Miyuki Sawashiro (Seo) and Yuuki Ono (Hori) move away from the shonen genre and try something more relaxed.

Having watched the English version, I can easily say that, much like her Japanese counterpart, Juliet Simmons (Chiyo) delivers the best performance in the show. She has excellent chemistry with Ty Mahany (Nozaki), who perfectly captures Nozaki's stoic attitude, while also giving himself to be more expressive. The English cast boasts some excellent VAs, like Joanne Bonasso (Seo), Scott Gibbs (Mikoshiba) and, of course Monica Rial (Kashima). (8/10)

Conclusion
Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun is a show you can superficially enjoy for both the comedy and the explanations about manga-making and genuinely enjoy for the characters and their relationships, especially the main couple. It's a heartwarming show that celebrates the best about high school life and romance. If you're in the mood for a bright, cheerful story, then I highly recommend it. (9/10).

Knights of Sidonia isn't exactly an anime I paid attention to during its heyday but I decided to give it a shot while trying to find good anime to watch. So, is Knights of Sidonia as good as everyone says it is? Well, let's hop on and find out, shall we?

Story
The concept of humanity fighting a losing battle against an alien species isn't exactly knew, but it can still be interesting if the story in question can put an interesting spin on the concept. Knights of Sidonia revitalizes this concept by portraying humans as scattered survivors escaping from the Gauna and trying to find a ... new planet to colonize. Throughout the show, humans attempt to survive by any means necessary, even researching possible means of immortality, despite the ethical quandaries such research would present.

I've always enjoyed series by Polygon Pictures for their dramatic tension and emotional stakes. While Knights of Sidonia isn't afraid to get dark and gritty every now and then; for the most part, the show's theme is about believing in hope in the harshest of times and this need to believe in hope culminates in a nation (in this case, Sidonia) building up a hero or a "knight" that will save the nation in its time of greatest need.

Just like every other self-respecting story about war, victories are achieved through constant sacrifices and the characters go out of their way to honor their sacrifices because they know that, at the end of the day, soldiers are simply trading lives for time.

Characters
Our hero, Nagate, is unusual as the protagonist of a mecha show. Instead of being hot-blooded or stoic or even an experienced soldier, Nagate is reserved, thoughtful, curious and even gets beaten up plenty of times. Whenever he is forced into a new situation, he is clumsy and needs to think fast in order to keep himself alive. Luckily, he gets the support of friends, who each become love interests for him.

Nagate's love interest Shizuka, has fantastic interactions with him. Upon starting a new life as a pilot, Nagate is treated as an outcast, but Shizuka is one of the very few people to treat him with kindness and it's obvious how well Nagate responds to positive reinforcement. They enjoy each other's company and it's obvious that she encourages his better nature.

I also enjoyed the character arc of Kobayashi, a high-ranking officer of Sidonia and something of a motherly figure to Nagate. Despite her ruthless determination to protect Sidonia, she genuinely cares for Nagate and is willing to bend the rules every now and then to protect him.

Visuals
Compared to later works by Polygon, Knights of Sidonia looks a bit rough and unfinished, at least during the character moments. The character designs look fine, but whenever they speak, they simply open and close their mouths, which comes off as dull and a bit creepy. That said, the animation's quality improves with the show's bread and butter: the robot battles. The mecha in question, the Gardes, are beautifully design and enjoy seamless movements during fight scenes.

Audio
What can I say about the theme song that hasn't been said already. "Sidonia" is a fine song and you should give it a try. As for the vocal performances, well, Johnny Yong Bosch (Nagate) does a fine job with the material he is given, but I was a bit surprised that he delivered a quieter, more reserved performance, at least compared to the characters he normally voices. It was also a pleasure to listen to the performance of Stephanie Sheh (Shizuka), who has amazing chemistry with Johnny, especially during their mutual scenes.

Wendee Lee (Kobayashi) also delivered a strong, commanding performance as the captain of Sidonia, never breaking a sweet or skipping a beat in her role. Lindsay Torrance (Yuhata) was also a welcome addition to the cast, to the point I almost confused her with Cherami Leigh.

Conclusion
Knights of Sidonia lives up to its reputation as one of the best mecha stories to premiere on this last decade. With its combination of poignant storytelling, emotional character moments and exciting robot battles, Knights of Sidonia is sure to grab the attention of both fans, both hardcore and casual of the mecha genre.

Ah yes, the mecha genre. That glorious form of entertainment in which giant robots fight each other, popularized by stories like Gundam, Power Rangers and Transformers. Knight's & Magic (weird title, I know) enters the arena to earn its place in such a respected genre. So, is it good? Well, let's hop on and find out, shall we?

Story
This is where things start to go wrong for Knight's & Magic. There is no actual story. The only thing that even remotely passes for a story is the main character Ernie's interest in robots and he wants to construct as many robots as he can... because he ... likes robots. Really, the "story" (yes, the air quotes are intentional) is just an excuse to feature as many designs for robots as possible and to make them fight, either against giant monsters or other robots.

The show is so obsessed with depicting fights betwee giant robots that it's willing to skip crucial scenes with character development and narrative progression just to get to the action, with only endless monologues of exposition to explain viewers what's going on. Watching Knight's & Magic is like watching a blockbuster movie rush through most of its scenes just to get to the action, and that's a huge violation of the perennial rule of storytelling: "show, don't tell".

Knight's & Magic makes the critical mistake of thinking its exposition and dialogue is so good that it doesn't need to make its characters do things that could endear them to the audience.

Characters
I've said this before and I'm sure I will say it again: characters are the life-blood of the story. He doesn't do it for fame, to help his family, to protect his homeland or whatever. He just wants to build robots because he likes robots. Yeah, that's all the characterization he gets. There are moments where he even implies that he cares more about his machines than he cares about the lives of his own wingmen. Even the argument of Ernie genuinely caring about his friends and lacking a good way of showing it can't be substantiated because we don't see Ernie and his friends engage in any kind of activity that doesn't involve robots in any way.

The only way I could power through this show is by mentally replacing Ernie with Bugs Bunny. No, seriously, I had to mentally replace the protagonist of a story I didn't like with a character I like just to watch this story till the end.

That said, at least Ernie has some kind of characterization. The other characters in this show exist just to prop up or propel Ernie forward, either by serving as his glorified back-up or losing to him in combat. The most annoying character in this show, aside from Ernie, is Adeltrud. She really likes Ernie... and that's all you need to know about her. Her brother, Archid, doesn't have any characterization and he had to be given a love interest just o justify his place in the story.

The "heroes" are so bland and unlikeable that I found myself rooting for the bad guys. Sure, they're evil conquerors but at least they have something to prove and something to work for. The "heroes" are just coasting along, pretending their lives are hard.

Art
Knight's & Magic, maybe unfortunately, is good in a few ways, enough to make it feel like a missed opportunity. The visual effects are amazing, the colors are bright and lively and the backgrounds enjoy a high level of detail and nuance. Clearly, a huge amount of the production budget went into the visual department. The mecha battles are nothing short of visual spectacles, but the enjoyment of those battles is ruined by the aforementioned lack of dramatic tension and emotional stakes. Good visual effects should enhance the anime experience, not make it. I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again. We are basically watching robots fight each other for no reason. Cool fight scenes are not a substitute for a beating heart.

Sounds
I don't think Justin Briner (Ernie) is bad, but he's pretty bad on this show. The script didn't really give him a lot to work with and he had use his cheerful, tenor voice for the show's entire run and his voice is so annoying I had to stop watching a few times just to relax. The only remotely good performance is delivered by one of my personal favorites, Josh Grelle (Dietrich). Everyone else just decide to either camp it up or wing it, especially Rachael Messer (Celestina). There is no emotion in her performance. She simply read lines from a script.

Conclusion
Knight's & Magic isn't bad, it's just painfully mediocre and a lot of people will tell you that mediocrity is worse than outright badness. Why? Simple, really. Badness inspires action, while mediocrity inspires conformity. Knight's & Magic ends up embodying the worst streotypes attributed to the mecha genre: a non-existent story filled with unlikeable characters and an overwhelming need to include as many fight scenes as possible. The end result is a show with just barely enough spectacle to make up for its lack of substance. If you want a show with cool robot designs and visually stunning fight scenes, then yes, you should watch Knight's & Magic. If you want an interesting story with relatable characters, then I suggest you look else where. (6/10).

Animated adaptations of video games and fantasy stories have become very popular nowadays, so King's Raid seemed like a good combination and an obvious favorite for people who enjoy both kinds of anime. So, how does King's Raid hold up in a sea of fantasy anime? Well, let's hop on and find out, shall we?

Story
If you think the story of King's Raid is generic, well, you might be right. King's Raid features tropes and conventions that have been seen plenty of times in fantasy stories like different factions joining against a common enemy (The Lord of the Rings), a chosen one with a magical sword ... (The Legend of Zelda) and political intrigue (Game of Thrones). With the threat of a demonic army threatening to destroy humanity, King's Raid deserves credit for portraying the effects such a cataclysmic event would have on the common people. We see everything from destroyed villages, refugees and even injured soldiers.

That said, the show features an A-plot and a B-plot. The A-plot features Kasel, a young hero destined to save the world, and the B-plot features Riheet, a dark elf who wants revenge on the kingdom that oppressed his people. The show handles both plotlines with extreme care, with no plotline overshadowing the other until the climax happens.

Characters
I've said this before and I'm sure I will say it again: characters are the lifeblood of a story. Characters should be allowed to have agency and the story must make it clear that the characters are moving the story instead of the story moving the characters like they were pieces on a chessboard. This is one of the reasons I enjoyed King's Raid so much. The characters feel alive and relatable.

Our main hero, Kasel, runs the risk of coming off as bland and generic, but I enjoyed him because, to me, he was very relatable. He isn't the sharpest tool in the shed and whenever he or his friends are in danger, he must act quickly in order to keep his friends and himself alive. He develops quickly and beautifully throughout the show, which takes care to not rush his character arc.

Riheet, the aforementioned dark elf, is the anti-hero of the show. He is dedicated to get revenge against the people who wronged him and while he does go through the necessary "revenge is bad" lesson that is so prevalent in fiction nowadays, the show makes it clear that, no, he will probably never get over the issues that turned him into the person he is today. That said, the Riheet we see at the end of the show isn't the same Riheet we see at the beginning and that deserves no shortage of praise.

I really enjoyed the supporting characters. Frey plays the role of childhood friend/moral support for the protagonist, Scarlet is the princess that wants to change her kingdom for the better and even characters like Cleo and Roi (who could have been comic relief in another story) get their own character arcs throughout the story.

I admit that some character arcs are better than others, but on the whole, King's Raid does a fine job in giving its characters true agency and a genuine impact on the world they live in.

Visuals
As a fantasy show with 26 episodes, it's obvious that the studio went hard on the animation. The characters look perfectly fine while standing still and talking, but the animation really shines during action scenes. The fight choreography is amazing, the explosions look gorgeous and even the weapons themselves enjoy a high level of detail.

Sounds
King's Raid features a variety of talented voice actors, whether they are newcomers or veterans, like Aleks Le (Kasel), Kira Buckland (Frey), Dawn M. Bennet (Maria) and one of my personal favorites, Caitlin Glass (Scarlet). That said, if I had to pick a favorite performance in this show, I'd go with the performance of Zeno Robinson (Riheet). The episodes that illustrate Riheet's character development allow Zeno to display his talent as an actor, especially in scenes where Riheet is experiencing pain or anguish.

Conclusion
Is King's Raid generic and derivative of previous fantasy stories? Yes. Should you watch it? Yes. With so many fantasy stories obsessed with subverting expectations (Game of Thrones) or getting as dark and gritty as they can get away with (The Witcher), it's nice having a show that isn't ashamed of being optimistic and cheerful as the classic stories that popularized the fantasy genre.

With very few exceptions, isekai anime are not generally considered paragons of high quality in the anime industry. Most of them aren't even original: they are derivative, shallow power fantasies for male teenagers that feature magical powers and multiple love interests. The Fruit of Evolution doesn't even try to be original. With a title like that, it's obvious that the titular plot device will be the catalyst for the main story. That said, is The Fruit of Evolution still entertaining? Well, let's hop in and find out, shall we?

Story
You all know the story: regular teenage boy from Japan is suddenly teleported into a magical world, ... gains superpowers, becomes a hero to the people of the world and obtains multiple love interests. You know this premise because you have watched it multple times throughout countless anime. Our protagonist, Seiichi, gains superpowers and a handsome body (he used to be fat) because... uh, he ate the titular fruit. No, really. That's how a lot of his problems he solves. Even some of his love interests eat some samples of the titular fruit and became beautiful woman (one used to be a gorilla and the other used to be a donkey).

The biggest problem with The Fruit of Evolution is that it loves comedy way too much. If there is an opportunity to tell a joke (whether it's a joke about the characters or a comical reference to other works of fiction), it will take it and it's not afraid to interrupt the pacing of the story. Way too many scenes have failed to have any meaningful impact because the show is obsesesed with being funny. I get that the basic concept of the show is inherently silly and that comedy is subjective but those are not excuses to avoid putting in any real effort into telling a genuinely compelling story.

I don't even know if this show is meant to be a parody or of it's meant to be taken seriously. If it's a parody, it's not funny, it's frustrating; and if it's meant to be serious, God help us all because this has to be one of the worst examples of a fantasy story I've watched in an anime.

Characters
I'm not gonna pull any punches about this: Seiichi is a dull character. Yes, I get that he is the everyman (the character we're supposed to relate to the most or the easiest), so he needs to be relatable, but he doesn't have a character arc. Sure, he complains about having a multitude of superpowers (some of which will only become useful in specific circumstances) but that's not a character arc, that's just a running gag made at his expense.

His wife (yes, wife) Saria is hardly any better. Much like Seiichi, Saria doesn't have a character arc and the only remotely interesting things about her is that she used to be a gorilla and that she can switch between her 2 forms at will. Seiichi also becomes the master of Lulune, a donkey (who, to nobody's surprise, eats a fruit of evolution and becomes human, as well) who has no characterization beyond enjoying food and kicking things.

The only remotely interesting character in the show is Artoria (not the Fate character), a girl cursed with perpetual bad luck when she was born. She is afraid of getting close to people because she is afraid they will get hurt because of her bad luck, but this problem is solved halfway throughout the show, so it stops being a problem. She is also the only person in Seiichi's harem that gets jealous whenever another woman shows interest in Seiichi (which makes sense because she is a natural human), but, like most harem anime, this is only treated as comedy.

Visuals
This is the most painful aspect of the show. Most of the time, the characters look static and they're drawn in a simplistic, downright childish manner in comedic scenes. Even the fight scenes look weirdly animated because, apparently, the studio ran out of budget or was on a deadline. I'm perfectly aware that animators and designers can work themselves to unhealthy extremes to make these shows but this is definitely a show that could have used a longer development time and a bigger budget, otherwise, I see no reason to do an action-heavy show at all.

Sounds
Both Hiro Shimono and Mark Allen Jr, Seiichi's voice actors, do a lot of screaming in this show because... uh, screaming in frustration is funny, I guess. The problem isn't the actors but rather the material they were given to work with. Credit where credit is due, they both have excellent chemistry with their co-stars, especially Kana Hanazawa and Jalitza Delgado, who portray Saria. It's such a shame that they weren't allowed to do much in this show.

Conclusion
The Fruit of Evolution is poorly paced, badly animated and will not reinvent the wheel in terms of isekai anime very soon. That said, it's entertaining and I guess it's the only thing that really matters in the end because we only watch these shows for fun. Despite the many problems I found with this show, I never found it boring. If you're in the mood for some rapid-fire comedy, then The Fruit of Evolution is the right show for you. If you're looking for an interesting story with relatable characters, then I suggest you look elsewhere. (6/10)

I really enjoyed season 1 of Zombieland Saga and I was pleasantly surprised that this show was renewed for season 2. So, does this show live up to the standards set by season 1? Well, let's hop on and find out, shall we?

Story
The show begins in a way I didn't expect: Franchouchou experiences a terrible setback during a concert that didn't sell enough tickets to turn a profit, saddling the group with a massive debt. I was thinking the season would depict the main characters attempting to pay off the debt and sexperiencing multiple setbacks throughout the story, but this plotline is concluded rather quickly ... and anticlimactically and doesn't give the characters as much trouble as I thought it could.

Once the debt is cleared, the show goes out of its way to show the positive impact Franchouchou has left on Saga. Not only as the group increased the popularity of the prefecture, but the members themselves have become productive members of Saga's society, befriending the locals and partaking in local festivities. I also enjoyed at the show's willingness to treat its characters and stories with seriousness and drama. I don't think it would be fair to call Zombieland Saga exclusively a comedy when the show has already featured enough poignant moments to give a Disney movie a run for its money.

Characters
I've said this before and I'm sure I will say it again: characters are the lifeblood of a story. Any good story is built on the characters partaking in it and Zombieland Saga delivers a more serious, character-driven story that explores the characters' struggles and relationships. Characters that didn't get explored in the previous season, like Tae, Yuugiri and even Koutarou get the spotlight in this season. I also liked supporting characters got the spotlight every once in a while, either through the perspectives of the main characters or getting focal episodes themselves.

One thing that bothered me, though, is that Sakura, the character that should be the protagonist, didn't get a focal episode throughout the whole season. She doesn't evolve in any meaningful way, but I guess an argument can be made that her character arc throughout season 2 is reinforcing the lessons she learned from season 1. It's just a nitpick and not really something that detracts my enjoyment of her or Zombieland Saga as a whole.

Visuals
With the excellent application of bright colors and CGI, you can bet your shoes that MAPPA had faith in this show. The characters' movements are seamless, the concerts look spectacular, the backgrounds enjoy a fair amount of detail and even the open environments look bright and colorful.

Sounds
Let me get the obvious statement out of the way first: Ricco Fajardo (Koutarou) went ham on this show. It's a miracle he didn't strain his vocal chords throughout recording. With that out of the way, I also enjoyed the performances of Bryn Appril (Ai), Amanda Lee (Junko), Caitlin Glass (Saki) and even newcomer Cherami Leigh (Mai Mai). That said, if I had to choose a favorite performance, I'd choose Stephanie Young (Yuugiri), who carried 2 episodes all by herself. Steph deserves a huge paycheck for that.

Conclusion
To say that Revenge surpassed season 1 would be a colossal understatement. With its new collection of songs, excellent performances and more serialized storytelling, it's obvious that Zombieland Saga is willing to push creative boundaries to become the best show possible. With a new movie on the horizon, I'm glad we can enjoy more stories about Franchouchou and their adventures (8/10).

I watched Sailor Moon Crystal a few months ago, so I do have some knowledge about magical girl shows. I'm not a huge fan of the genre but I thought this show would be a good way to pass time. So, was Tokyo Mew Mew New any good? Well, let's hop in and find out, shall we?

Story
The premise of a magical girl show is pretty simple: a group of regular teenage girls is summoned to save the Earth from a mysterious force of evil. It's as basic as a premise can get but it can work as long as the creators know what they're doing. ... For the most part, the show doesn't have a consistent story arc and is mostly based on episodic adventures. The continuity of the show is upheld through character development, which I will get to in a moment.

For the most part, the episodes are carried by Ichigo and her friends in their regular selves and they only change into their superpowered alter-egos in the climax. Aside from being a good way to preserve dramatic tension, it's also a good way to make viewers fall in love with the characters before they become superheroines.

Characters
The emotional heavylifting of the show is done by the character writing. Ichigo herself fufills the archetype of the everyman... uh, everywoman, the character we're supposed to relate to the most or the easiest. She experiences much of her fictional universe for the first time and ends up asking the questions we ourselves would ask if we found ourselves in those exact same situations. Ichigo runs the risk of coming off as bland and uninteresting, which is why the show places such a huge importance in her relationships with other characters, most importantly, her love interest Masaya.

To be honest, I didn't like how the show teases that Ichigo would reveal her secret identity to him only to get cold feet at the last second and have Ichigo remain silent. Ichigo even berates herself for having to keep secrets from the boy she loves and somehow, Masaya keeps coming back to her. That said, the few moments they do share together onscreen are genuinely beautiful and I can genuinely appreciate this relationship as the show's emotional core.

I also enjoyed the evolution of Lettuce and her friendships with her fellow Mew Mews. The development of Zakuro comes off as lacking in comparison. She goes from being cold and aloof in one episode and warm and friendly to the next. It would have been nice to have her character development spread out across multiple episode in which she would have played a vital role.

Visuals
As expected of a magical girl show, the animation takes a significant upturn in quality during transformation sequences and attacks. I also give credit to the animators during the intimate moments between Masaya and Ichigo, especially during the season finale.

Sounds
Casting newcoming voice actors is always a gamble and it was clear that the producers were hoping that this show would be massive success if they were willing to take this course of action. Fortunately, this gamble paid off in the end and we enjoyed the beautiful performance of Yuuki Tenma in the leading role. I have to say, Yuuki has a good handle on Ichigo's personality and has fine chemistry with Yuuma Uchida (Masaya).

Additional credit should go for the sweet and beautiful voice of Ryouko Junni (Lettuce) and the serious and dignified performance of Momoka Ishii (Zakuro).

Conclusion
Tokyo Mew Mew New won't reinvent the wheel in regards to magical girl shows, but luckily, it doesn't need to. I never needed every single show I watch to be an experience that changes my life and opens my eyes to a completely new reality of storytelling, I just needed it to be a good story and Tokyo Mew Mew New succeeds in that regard. I'm glad that a new season was confirmed so that we can enjoy new stories featuring these amazing characters.

I really enjoyed season 1 of Rising of the Shield Hero. It was one of my favorite shows back in 2019, so you can only imagine my excitement when season 2 was confirmed. Did season 2 live up to the high standards set by season 1? Well, let's hop on and find out, shall we?

Story
Having established a home in the world of Melromarc, Naofumi and his friends face a new challenge in the form of the Spirit Tortoise, a monstrous creature that has gone on a rampage throughout the world. Joining their quest is the fighter-in-training Rishia and Ost, a mysterious woman with a strange ... connection with the Spirit Tortoise.

What should have been a simple task in stopping a monster becomes a long quest throughout multiple universes to find out the real cause behind this disaster. That sounds like an interesting premise, but that's where the problems start to arise (see what I did there?). The first 3 episodes of the season feel like glorified setup and the payoff doesn't become noticeable until episode... 6, I guess. After that, the characters jump into another world and the show separates the characters for 4 episodes. This detour is especially frustrating because it takes place in the middle of what is supposedly a huge event with significant consequences for the characters.

Long story short, the season doesn't have enough of a plot to cover a 13-episode run. To its credit, it knows of this problem and attempts to remedy it by focusing on character development, but that comes with its own set of problems.

Characters
I've said this before and I'm sure I will say it again: characters are the lifeblood of a story. It doesn't matter how thrilling the action is, how shocking the plot twists are or how smart the commentary is, those things won't matter if the story lacks characters worth getting emotionally invested into.

Season 2 introduces new characters like the aforementioned Ost and Kizuna, a heroine from another universe. I really liked Ost, at least in concept. Her character arc involves Ost growing to care about Naofumi and his comrades, something she didn't think it was possible because of a dark secret she is hiding. That said, this character arc is stretched out over 5 episodes, the better part of which is spent reminding viewers of what Ost already knows. Yes, I'm aware that she is starting to care about Naofumi, show, because this is the billionth time you tell me about it.

As repetitive as Ost's character arc was, at least it saw itself to a satisfying conclusion. Kizuna, on the other hand, doesn't get a character arc. Her backstory is explained as quickly and unceremoniously as possible and, for the most part, Kizuna is a glorified plot device or a tool for exposition that helps Naofumi adapt to the new world he has teleported into.

The same sentiment can be extended towards Kyo, the season's new villain. His plot to cause chaos and destruction is difficult to care about and Kyo himself is just too cartoonish to be taken seriously. Unlike Malty, Kyo doesn't have a personal connection with the protagonists, who are only obligated to stop him because he is the bad guy. The show just doesn't take Kyo seriously and because of that, I can't take him seriously.

I don't mind stories that choose character development over plotting, I actually prefer them, but Rising of the Shield Hero makes the critical mistake of believing that dragged-out and overstretched character arcs are examples of good character writing. So, aside from lacking meaningful plot development, season 2 also indugles on character moments that don't really say anything new about the characters.

Visuals
For the most part, the visual quality of the season holds up pretty well. That is until the season reaches the halfway mark and has to animate more elaborate action scenes and it's clear that the studio just didn't have enough of a budget to animate an action-heavy season. Yes, I'm aware that the season had to be delayed because of production problems, but with the benefit of hindsight, I can say that this show could have used a longer development time and a bigger budget, otherwise there is no point in making an action-heavy show.

Sounds
The tragic death of Billy Kametz necessitated the recasting of Naofumi. Fortunately, Stephen Fu proved to be a good replacement. Not only does he have a good tone (I could hardly tell the difference between him and Billy), he has good chemistry with both Erica Mendez (Raphtalia) and Brianna Knickerbocker (Filo). Also, I enjoyed the performances of both Amber Lee Connors (Ost) and Lizzie Freeman (Kizuna). No matter which grievances I may have with this show, I can't accuse the voice actors of phoning in their performances for a quick paycheck. It's just that the show just didn't give them good material to work with.

Conclusion
Despite my grievances towards season 2, I still respect Rising of the Shield Hero from a holistic perspective. I really enjoyed season 1 and I took no pleasure in criticizing season 2. That said, I won't delude myself into liking a product just because it belongs to a series I love. Making a good anime isn't something anybody can do. You have to show me and you have to earn my approval. I'm very glad that this show was already renewed for a third season because that will give Rising of the Shield Hero the chance to improve on its flaws and become the best show it can be. (6/10)

Date A Live is one of my favorite shows ever. With its excellent storytelling, poignant character writing, beautiful music and masterful vocal performances, Date A Live has earned a special place in my heart. Unfortunately, Date A Live has had to fight an uphill to continuously earn new seasons, mostly thanks to being stuck in the shadow of more popular anime in the harem genre, like To Love-Ru and Highschool DxD, so I was happy to learn that Date A Live had found a new home in new studio GEEKTOYS, which was committed into developing the story as faithfully as possible. So, did the change ... in studios succeed in making the story justice? Well, let's hop on and find out, shall we?

Story
If you've been following previous seasons of Date A Live (and my own reviews about it), you'll find out that Date A Live is mostly character-driven, not plot-driven. What you would call the "main story" of the show didn't actually begin till the last few episodes of season 2 and since then, the show has worked hard to solve the mysteries surrounding the Spirits and the people involved with their births. Without giving too much away, this season is the season where we finally get some answers (but certainly not all of them) about the origins of the Spirits, their powers and what does Shido has to do in all of this beyond getting involved through circumstances beyond his control.

Although the show features comedic moments by dozen, it doesn't necessarily mean that the show is a full comedy. Date A Live has never been afraid to get serious and intense when the story calls for it. Given how the season ends (I won't spoil it), I don't think the show can be a light-hearted comedy anymore. I've always appreciated how Date A Live took itself seriously, at least to make the characters' personal struggles seem more impactful and dramatic. When Date A Live hits you in the feelings, it hits you hard.

Characters
The bread-and-butter of Date A Live is and has always been its characters. Once again, our hero Shido continues his quest to save the Spirits, and this time, he finds 2 new Spirits The first Spirit is Nia, a manga fangirl and author who straight-up admits she prefers fictional characters over real people, which happens with an alarming frequency in real life. She barely has any kind of life outside of her job and she only begins taking strides in fixing her life after meeting the other Spirits.

The other Spirit is Mukuro, a girl who used her own powers to erase her own emotions because of family trauma. What I liked about her character arc is that it teaches the consequences of letting fear dominate your life. Without giving too much away, Mukuro's backstory involves her losing her enjoyment of the people she loves and instead becoming afraid of others taking away what she loves.

And, of course, season 4 delivers the long-awaited backstory of Kurumi, the most popular character in the show. Her story thoughout the season ultimately becomes the emotional core of the season and the part where answers begin to be delivered to the viewers. Kurumi is a character that I believe is best used sparingly and only brought into the forefront of the story whenever something big is about to happen.

Visuals
The change in studio did wonders for Date A Live. The colors look brighter, the backgrounds look more detailed, the lighting during nighttime is clearer and the show isn't afraid to use CGI to animate fight scenes. I also like the details given to the Spirits' armors and weapons. They look cleaner and more refined.

Sounds
What can I say about the vocal performances that hasn't been said already? Both the English and Japanese versions benefit from excellent scripts and talented voice actors that cater to specific audiences.

Veteran VA Hitomi Nabatame is hired to portray Nia and, I gotta say, I didn't think she could convincingly pull off a teenage voice in her 40s, but credit where credit is due. As for Mukuro, she is voiced by relative newcomer Akari Kageyama. As someone who only knows her because of Hybrid × Heart Magias Academy Ataraxia, I'm glad that she keeps getting her work, not to mention that she did a fine job conveying Mukuro's emotional vulnerability, especially at the end of her character arc.

The English version cast Mallorie Rodak as Nia. Mallorie always struck me as the kind of actress that only voiced high-class, refined girls, not a manga enthusiast like Nia, but she did a fine job, all things considered. Kristen McGuire was also appreciated as Mukuro, giving her the voice of a little lost girl, like Tia Ballard does for Yoshino, but a lot more composed.

Also, as side-note, Josh Grelle, Shido's regular VA, was unavailable for a few weeks, so he had to be replaced by Austin Tindle. Although the differences can be noticed if you listen close enough, I think Austin has good enough of an "everyman" voice to keep voicing Shido should the need arise.

Conclusion
It has been a long time since I've written a review and as you can see, I've gotten a bit rusty. That said, I did my best in talking about what I enjoyed about season 4. If you think Date A Live is a show about silly harem adventures, then you'd be mistaken. This is the part where Date A Live gets fully committed into moving to what seems to be its climax and, in my opinion, it can't come fast enough. (8/10)