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Bucchigiri!? - Arabic themes of the power of friendship, with the aforementioned gay themes and so much more. This...could've been good, but it's a wreck.

If you have been in the AniManga industry for long, you would recognize people for their certain traits, as much as I have done throughout these years. Take for example: the young and rookie Keiichiro Saito, with 2 banger shows under his belt being both Fall shows of 2022's Bocchi the Rock! and last year's Sousou no Frieren a.k.a Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, his stardom as a rising director is quickly shining to great effect. To put this in contrast, Hiroko ... Utsumi, like Keiichiro Saito, is also a director, but she has earned her fame the same way by directing and creating shows that have always connected with the Yaoi fanbase, primarily of Summer-Fall 2018's Banana Fish and Winter 2021's SK8 the Infinity. With both shows having the same ripple effect of the delinquent and psychological themes, her next injection into the same creation has resulted in her next breakout: this Winter season's Bucchigiri?!, a delinquent-themed show that is centered in school with Arabic themes, alongside series composer Taku Kishimoto, TOHO Animation and of course, the marriage of Banana Fish, resulting in MAPPA having another work of Hiroko Utsumi's name. But as the saying goes: "Third's the charm", it sadly does not apply to this show whatsoever, and I'm going to tell you why.

Earnestly, reading the synopsis does not help you a lot in understanding what Bucchigiri!? is all about. The TL;DR is this: an old friend coming back to see his old friend, yet changed a lot, and just wants to live life the easy way, despite reality not being so. This is the story between childhood friends Arajin Tomoshibi and Matakara Asamine, both boys with the aspiration to grow stronger and become Honki People: people who finds a heart that does not flee, people who devoted themselves fully to reaching the top, in power and strength. And after a long absence, Matakara finds himself aspired to become a Honki Person, but Arajin...relapses on their childhood dream of being that, because he's done with it.

First off, Arajin Tomoshibi is just a rather weak character: one who does not fight for his own beliefs, yet allows people to shuffle him around like a tool, which he does not like people to manipulate him so. Be it on his first day in school where the usual fights are broken out by two main rival gangs: Minato Kai and Siguma, and hidden ones below, Arajin just does not care and has only one goal in mind: to lose his virginity. Thankfully, there's the only famed schoolgirl around: Mahoro, that he can take his time to flirt around with her and do his bidding. The reality is that Mahoro is twisted, and a temple that encases these Honki People, Arajin is forced to fuse together with Aladdin...er wrong, Senya, the Genie that provides him strength when he needs it the most. Like it or not, he's done with the delinquent life, and just wants to rest in peace...which if that's his goal, then leave him alone, but things are not easy around him as he easily cowers at the sight of conflict, very much like a conflict-avoidant person who just wants matters out of his hands. It's just that as an MC, Arajin is not properly thought out, or I'm going to assume that this is rather intentional to depict real human behaviours, of which I can say that I understand Arajin's character because I'm quite like him to some degree...which if this is the show's ideal of making him such an unlikable character, go through so much change, then it pretty much succeeded in that (refer to @CarlosRock's thread about Arajin not being a bad character as you'd think).

Friends, join in, which is where Matakara Asamine comes into play as the right-hand man of one of the rival gangs: Minato Kai. His upstanding as a delinquent has given him amounts of respect from the gang he belongs to, even by its leader: Doman "Ken" Kenichiro. He's the undoubted spokesman when it comes to affairs against rival gangs, as much with Siguma, under the leadership of Jin Marito, a crazed fighter who likes his big pork buns. Both he and Marito are the school's "legends" when it comes to rivalry, and they're not afraid to show off their strength in order to capture the stakehold of the entire school under their belt as the superior gang. Even on the Genie's side, Senya is not the only Honki People whose powers are granted to its user, but there is a yang for every yin, and Senya too, like Arajin and Matakara, has a close buddy which he regards as his close friend in search of true prowess, but has lost his way to evildoer status, looking for a fight through the right person who could extend his lead in real life.

In a way, Bucchigiri!? supposedly teaches about courage in weakness (which is its biggest lesson by the way), but the anime doubles down on that and applies to Arajin, of which he's really not the best character to be written and shown to the audience that he's all that. As much as a wimp that he is being similar to Takemichi Hanagaki of Tokyo Revengers (yet another delinquent series), I have to admit that even I've come to like Takemichi's character growth more than Arajin, who doesn't face his problems head-on.

Sigh, not even MAPPA can escape its arduous work processes, working on both high and low profile shows to no end, which is something they must be blamed for in taking too many simultaneous projects at once. On the other hand, you can expect the same MAPPA greatness in all of their shows, and Bucchigiri!? is no different in that regard with high-octane action and great animation, what's there not to love when MAPPA, despite not being given a break, can pump out consistent animation like this? It speaks volumes, both on the good and bad ends.

The music, which is mainly focused on Arabic themes, gets the good cut for the most part, thanks to veteran music composer Michiru Ooshima helping out on the project. This may be hip band Kroi's 2nd Anisong (after last Fall's Under Ninja), but it definitely fits the themes for a show like this, not to mention the song itself being funky and catchy. For Mahiru Coda's debut Anisong, her ED song "Love je t'aime" gets the rhythm down for the most part, but the song is rather fine and unmemorable at best.

The reiteration of the saying: "Third's the charm", and this time, it failed to resonate with people on another iteration of "SK8 the Infinity" if it was ever made on the delinquent level. I mean, props for the creativity, but the MC is really (literally) to die for the unpleasant experience of watching Bucchigiri!? as a whole. If you can tolerate his character, be my guest, because it's still a decent show with the whole "Arabian Nights" feel to it. Not great, but not bad either.

Snack Basue - A deep-dive into the hidden side of Japanese culture: hanging out at pubs and just talking about rando topics for comedy.

AniManga can be very weird sometimes, and in most rare cases, a necessity as an educational topic for the rest of the world to see what exactly is Japan all about. Shows like last season's Megumi no Daigo a.k.a Firefighter Daigo showcasing how firefighting is done in Japan, those shows when marketed to the West, can look very niche and is rather hard to market overseas. And when it does, it only gets a lukewarm reception and nothing more. Sadly, this is ... the case for yet another underwatched show this season: mangaka Forbidden Shibukawa's Snack Basue.

When you first watch this show and think to yourself that this show is kinda all over the place, boring and whatnot, I clearly understand that the show is catered not for the Average Joe. But for those who are genuinely interested in this show, read on.

It's clear that Snack Basue is meant to be a parody of a culture that you can ONLY experience in Japan: Nomikai, or as commonly referred to as the drinking culture. This is one of many parts of Japan's sacred cultures, which is how Japanese people bond over nomikai as part of the work experience on the social front, that's usually expected on participation, although it is not expressly required.

And that's exactly the premise of Snack Basue as a whole: with hostesses of Akemi and Mama Basue, customers from regulars to newcomers will frequent the place, bringing up whatever topics they like to wish to rant and/or discuss it out, and then at the end of the way, sing a karaoke song of the country's late 1970s to early 1990s Reconnaissance period of music. It's truly Japan when it comes to things like this. The various customers of salaryman Yamada, delinquent/gangster Brother Tatsu, pervertic afro-haired middle-aged man Morita, the married Kazama, boss-like man Miki Azuma, hippie man Kawa, even the parodies of Yuusha (from Dragon Quest) and Jersey Man (which by its VA you should recognize the parody), they all form part of the trope that is Snack Basue, dilly-dally-ing their way through the night, talking about the most random of topics in quick successions of wit, with comedy so out-of-place on the global POV that only native Japanese people can relate to. It can be absurdly funny sometimes when its humour even breaks the 4th wall (like Gintama), from popular characters to even publishers, nothing is off the hook when it comes to comedic criticism.

Clearly, its production feels stinted, but that's part of the charm of the show as well. Produced by Studio PuYUKAI who did the Isekai Quartet series, it certainly has a chibi charm to it that adds an element to the overall show's feel. Also, Rie Takahashi being Akemi just adds fuel to the overall humour of the show, and it's obscenely clear that her character just doesn't take anything seriously at all, going along with the banters of her customers, both regular and new. Also, the OP song for this is a LEGIT banger, being a "left, right, center" of unhinged hype entertainment for comedy values.

Snack Basue is a show not for the Average Joe, that's pretty much a given. If you want to have a night's rest not thinking about the world and drowning yourself in some deranged comedy while siping some alcohol, Snack Basue would serve you well with its free-spirited wording and easy viewership, even if you don't understand most of its heavy dialogue, which even then, it doesn't expect you to understand much of it anyways (as a low-key jab at foreigners not understanding any context).

Metallic Rouge - The paychological battle against producers and audience:
Producers: The "show, don't tell" rhetoric is braindead, we think that people cannot comprehend our main story.
Audience: "NO. You could've done this better and given us quality, but you gave us quality without substance."

The "show, don't tell" narrative technique is nothing new, especially in works ranging from stage plays to even virtual plays, like anime (case in point, Spring 2021's Odd Taxi, which is a PERFECT example of this). It's even harder when the source work is made from scratch, so that the series composers have enough time to think through their thought process from disseminating ... information towards the wide audience on an effective level. This...has pros and cons, especially when it comes to anime, spending roughly at least 4 hours if you have to rewatch from the very beginning to grasp what that show is all about...which is what I did, and many of us on a weekly basis vs. on a binge. And those who like to binge, you're in great luck, because I have a show for you in judgemental assessment: Metallic Rouge, courtesy of Bones being the studio's 25th anniversary anime, created alongside Yutaka Izubuchi, the creator and director of yet another Studio Bones' series: 2002's RahXephon.

*Heavy spoilers be warned: for your education, or mainly for entertainment of the purposes of Metallic Rouge*

The story plot IS the hardest to understand out of everything in this anime, hence I suggest that you pay very close attention to this rather TL;DR explanation. But first, I have to say that Crunchyroll's explanation of the synopsis is quite the liberal joke of the series where in the dystopian world of Mars (which served as the inspiration for Studio Bones's 20th anniversary show of Carole & Tuesday back in Spring-Summer 2019) with a co-existing world of humans and androids, two girls of Naomi Orthmann and Rouge Redstar (once again, another Carole & Tuesday related inference of the pairing of a foreign and a local girl) must thwart an evil group of revolting androids who are a menace to society, and that the latter of Rouge, she can't quite have her job done without some chocolate (it must've been her favourite snack or something).

The real truth about this show is actually darker than what you can imagine, and the realization of all this is explained best like this (taken straight from Wikipedia, because I still can't quite figure this out even after a rewatch):

In the far future, following a war with aliens referred to as "Usurpers", humanity has colonized the inner solar system and coexist with androids called "Neans", which were created using technology from another alien race known as "Visitors". However, they do not live equally, with the Neans being forced to live as second-class citizens whilst having Asimov's Laws programmed into them to keep them subservient.

Rouge Redstar, a Proto-Nean not bound by Asimov's Laws, and her human partner, Naomi Orthmann, are sent on a secret mission to assassinate nine other Proto-Neans, known as the "Immortal Nine", some of whom are hostile toward humanity. However, as her mission progresses and she learns more about the world, Rouge begins to question whether she is acting on her own initiative or she is just a pre-programmed "gear in the system".

There, simple right? At least with the above explanation, made worse by the fact that bits and pieces of the infodump are beset in places inconsistently from start to finish, it basically meant that you only get the entire story right at two-thirds of the way into the anime, and then have to put the pieces together as if it was served to you on a platter without any guidance and know-how. This is easily faulted on both Yutaka Izubuchi and Toshizo Nemoto's part as co-scriptwriters and series composers, especially on the former thinking that the world is still revolving in the early 2000s, and "complex" thinking is what he can get away with. RahXephon may be a fluke in that extent, but Metallic Rouge is clearly not the case.

In any given co-existent world, there's bound to be restrictions on the quality of life, especially between humans and androids, governed by different systems that keep everyone checked in place and not trouncing on each other's toes. Such is the case with the Ministry of Truth a.k.a Alethia, a government institution in charge of both the creation and oversight of the Neans, who has ordered Rouge to hunt down the Immortal Nine. The Proto-Neans, of which Rouge is one of them, are highly advanced androids, but unlike them, she looks a lot more human and lacks Asimov's Laws, though she has a program within her that is like a key of harbinger to set Neans free from the Laws that will decide the fate of her own kin, as well as the many Neans, from Protos to ordinary androids, who needs the certain type of drug called Nectar to survive and function. The namesake title refers to her suit of armour: the red "Metal Rouge" Gladiator, who fights with energy blades, which she can use as both melee and ranged weapons. Tagging along with Rouge is Naomi, with a whole list of missions that stems from her being together to scout out the Immortal Nine, from tempering her childish moments to the more serious circumstances of being an intermediary between humans and Neans.

Nonetheless, the culmination of Rouge and Naomi's misadventures together searching and eliminating the aforementioned group of 9 Proto-Neans, either settling their lives down in peace, or engaging in terrorism under the Nean organization "Alter":
- Jaron Fate, the yellow Hell Giallon. Mainly a jester character, he works for Alter who's able to shapeshift his appearance and trick people as their own, and he wields energy chakrams, which he can control telepathically.
- Sara Fitzgerald, the purple Purgatory Viola. The woman who abandoned her former identity to assume a new like as a singer in Mars, she was the first of the Immortal Nine who was ousted by Rouge when she unknowingly hired her as her assistant, who wielded flamethrowers and detachable arms.
- Afdal Bashal, the green Phantom Verde. The "Tuner" doctor who specializes in treating Neans, but yet has his own qualms when his identity is exposed as one of the Immortal Nine, despite living in a poor Nean settlement. His battle form is a green suit of armor with blades for arms, and could produce a nerve gas from his body that induced hallucinations in others.
- Eden Vallock, the black Jet Black Noir. An archaeologist who studies Ursuper ruins, he crosses paths with both Rouge and Naomi early in the series, and takes an inkling for their justice when he was invited to join Alter, but rejected them due to disagreements on their sense of "justice". He can transform various body parts into laser cannons for him to wield.
- Jill Sturgeon, the silver Flash Sylvia. Initially a freelance journalist travelling to Mars to report on the discrimination of Neans, she crosses paths with Rouge and Naomi and also teaches the former to be "free". However, she is a double-edged sword, as she's working for Alter, despising humanity for enslaving Neans using Asimov's Laws. her primary weapon is a spear, while also being able to move at super speed and regenerate lost body parts.
- Ace/Alice Machias, the orange Double-Headed Aerkos. The twins are essentially two separate personalities shring one body together with their dissociative identity disorder, with Ace being a bookwormish boy and Alice being an athletic girl, and want to live a free spirit as not a part of the Immortal Nine, though they're forced to take sides joining Alter when their disagreements with Rouge surmises. They have the ability of cryokinesis.
- Graufon Berg, the grey Knight. Despite him being on Alter's side, he was a man of valour who respected fair and honourable fights against his opponents. He wields energy arms and can manipulate gravity.

In the pursuit of maintaining relations on humanity's side, there is the Guardianship Bureau, or more easily known as Ochrona or the Protection Bureau. And this is led by investigator Ash Stahl, initially hot on heels with Rouge's Red Gladiator case and the spree of murders, until he discovers the waves of corruption and corporate backstabbing to force him to take a side in the ever-growing story. Together with him is Noid 262, his Nean colleague that despite his blunt straightforwardness, they both share a strong bond.

Where they're allies, there is bound to be aliens in this rather "epic" outer space story, and indeed there're aliens involved in this matter, with the mysterious Carnival troupe of travelling performers touring the solar system who have connections to the Usurpers. Led by the Puppetmaster, the mysterious leader who claims to "free the Neans from Asimov's Laws", his interactions are always shrouded in mystery of his true intentions, though Rouge is part of that plan as well through his constant psygnosis of a future realized, but had yet to pass because Rouge is quoted "not ready yet".

If this isn't yet enough lore, then Rouge and Naomi's immediate people of the higher-ups at Alethia will certainly make and break your hearts at how they want to "free humanity" with the android Neans, but their ambitions got the better of them, necessitating the urgency and motive of the series in motion. It's quite the endeavour if you ask me, but how we got from here to there...it's a convoluted mess of proportions.

And that proportion has to be spearheaded by none other than director Motonobu Hori, who also ironically ALSO directed Carole & Tuesday into a massive garbage bin of a show that it is today. I've once complained that the prior show didn't need to be as extensively long as it should have, with its 2nd half breaking the monotony of the series' great standing from its 1st half. In the case of Metallic Rouge though, I felt that this should've gotten the 2-cour treatment that Carole & Tuesday got for enough time to explain the entire lore, while not rushing to extensively cover the series as a whole. Bad planning on the part of the producers for that one. Still though, this IS Studio Bones at the helm, and their animation and production values haven't diminished one bit (especially since HeroAca Season 7 will take up most of their time this year), but Metallic Rouge may just be Studio Bones being put in a difficult spot where animation will pump the anime, even if everything is bad. Nope, reality just isn't that fair, while the above is true for the most part.

The music is rather funky yet futuristic for a series like this. I like both songs of YU-KA's "Rouge" for the OP and Dazbee's "Scarlet" for the ED...but this is slow punk, and I don't like shows with the beats so slow that it detriments my watching experience, so speeding up a minority it is to give a good experience.

In the end, the TL;DR is this: Studio Bones got another bad rep for their anniversary anime once again, and people don't learn at all. That's why I mentioned that Metallic Rouge is a show that is ONLY suitable for the binge, not for the weekly pump with infodump being output at an erratic pace. Sure, if you're like the insane me who rewatched this and got a better overall picture to write this review for your understanding, be my guest.

Metallic Rouge has a good concept behind it, albeit derived with many surroundings from Carole & Tuesday, but the execution is a lot of miss, and I only come up sour that the ONE thing that Bones will NEVER nail at, are their prized anniversary shows. It's a fact for 5 years now, and come 2029 (if we're able to live for that long) for their next 30th anniversary show, we'll see what happens then.

Sengoku Youko - The 1st arc of 2 for a renowned author, and it still has a lot of cooking to do.

If you have been in the AniManga scene for quite a while now, you would recognize a famed mangaka by the name of Satoshi Mizukami. This prolific author's stories are a mishmash of unorthodox proportions, but yet creative at the same time that you'd be wondering how someone like him is able to be so gargantuan at his many notable series. From the likes of the famed series of Spirit Circle (which is the mangaka's greatest work that hasn't got an anime adaptation yet) ... to the rather lukewarm adaptation of Fall 2018's Planet With (which J.C. Staff did decent where the "original" anime came first before the manga's release), and the abomination that was Summer-Fall 2022's Hoshi no Samidare a.k.a Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer (which the anime was the series's biggest sin by way of poor and lackluster production values), the anime counterpart definitely needed a lot, and I mean, A LOT of time in the oven to cook.

All of this, leads us to the other ironic side of the coin, which is this Winter's season's Sengoku Youko, which covers the 1st part of the manga: the Yonaoshi Kyoudai-hen a.k.a World Reform Siblings Arc through the first 13 of its intended 37-episode series for a "complete" split 3-cour season. And for an interesting fact (if you want the TL;DR critique) of the show in general: Sengoku Youko is Satoshi Mizukami's weakest work, but given the most competent AniManga adaptation thus far from a near-far-gone, returning renowned studio.

In Sengoku Youko's fantasy world, there exists 2 factions of creatures: ordinary human beings, or monsters in the form of Katawara, experimental beings who are laden with power. The latter is true for a girl named Tama Youko (yes, which literally means fox), whose only goal is to like Jesus Christ (if he was not a human), correct the people in their evil and sinful ways and guide them back on the proper path of goodness and justice. However, what is said truer to her, doesn't apply to her brother Jinka, who is a human, and still hates humans in both bone and flesh, with his grudges unknown. Their journey to reform the world is met by Shinsuke Hyoudou, who's a samurai, but a coward by the main fact, who vows to become stronger to protect his loved ones. Together, the trio may have their separate ambitions, but the goal is one and the same to explore and reform the world as they deem fit. But enemies stand in their way, not to mention ruthless, and a ploy to experiment on humans and transform them into the aforementioned Katawara creatures, set them onto a path where dangers lurk at every corner, fighting against people that will give them quite the challenge on the road to purification.

At first, the trio are faced by the Dangaisyuu: a group of monks who're just as they look, innocent monks. But its leader, Yazen, is one that has a quench of power, and the people that serve him, serve the Katawara side of the community on their path towards evil, so much that they have power unabashed to trample on their opponents with much katawara power. But then again, this is the sibling duo of Tama and Jinka they're facing against, and the trick about them is that while Jinka is the human, Tama is the Katawara source which provides him powers to be transformed into a powerful Katawara, much like Tama's namesake of being a Youko to give Jinka fox powers, which the more tails, the more powerful Jinka is. The more colourful characters that follow thereafter, say, from Shakugan (saved from being a Katawara), to Jinun, Douren and Resshin, these are the true masters of their craft who also sides with the Dangaiyuu to push Yazen forward in his world-conquering quest of transforming humans into Katawara, which does not bode well with Tama's philosophy, while testing Jinka's limits of becoming a human-Katawara hybrid to the detriment of his thirst for power.

If you ask me, Sengoku Youko's a pretty wild story of the standard Satoshi Mizukami style that is really Mizukami levels of unmistakable both from the manga and anime standpoint, though Part 1 of 2 here of the Reformed Siblings Arc that covers the manga's first 6 volumes of 35 chapters worth, it does take some time to get used to, especially if this is your first time watching a Satoshi Mizukami show or have been burnt by Hoshi no Samidare a.k.a Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer, and wanted an exoneration in his name in the animation department. Well, we finally got that treatment.

Well, well, look who's back. I did not expect to see the famous Re:Zero studio come back from the grave, especially since the studio's massive undertaking to complete another season of the Utawarerumono series. Taking a year apart to get back to the Re:Zero groove coming back this Fall, studio White Fox may have an episode of their fall from grace, but that doesn't NOT give us a chance to praise their ever-so-consistent production, even if this is kind of a re-start for the studio before the famed series will take up most of their time, leaving the 2nd part of the show after Season 3 (which I'm totally fine with). Finally, Satoshi Mizukami gets the name recognition along with good production values to boot from White Fox, albeit with director Kagetsu Aizawa who had a misstep with 2018's Hakyuu Houshin Engi modern reboot.

The OST by Evan Call, really helps liven up the atmosphere of the show greatly, even if the show does kinda wobble from time to time. Still though, that does not stop the theme songs from being great songs, of which MindaRyn has a song that I finally can say that her OP song "Hibana" is her best Anisong thus far. KEIKO's ED song does the job following the show's historical and mythical fantasy, which is great since it's famed composer Yuki Kaijura, showing that her craft is still unmatched.

Despite all the praise I can really give about Sengoku Youko as a whole, the story unfortunately is still the weakest link tying everything together, and it will not be until it's latter part of the double-length, 24 episode-long Senma Konton-hen a.k.a Thousand Demons Chaos Arc, is shown that has the story explode in terms of mythical lore. Again, I can only judge the show by its completion one-third of the way, which is decent overall.

Still though, this is your best chance to experience a new Satoshi Mizukami anime, and trust me, things in the future will look better once Part 2: The Thousand Demons Arc arrives later in Summer...just not now, not yet.

Shangri-La Frontier - Trash games are TRULY trash. However, God-tier games are TRULY the best of the best, for both newcomers and veterans like connoisseurs.

AniManga based on video games come in all sorts of flavours. Of course, that's not to say that every single one of them are good (I'm looking at you, Reki Kawahara with the SAO franchise), and most of them (like last season's Toaru Ossan no VRMMO Katsudouki a.k.a A Playthrough of a Certain Dude's VRMMO Life) are truly equally trash with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. However, while one can easily criticize the video gaming landscape when it comes to anime, few ... have come across as actual video games that have been done with much research and purposeful lore, mimicking virtual worlds and putting the viewers into their shoes as fellow gamers, even if you're not a seasoned player. And one of them is mangaka Katarina's Shangri-La Frontier: Kusoge Hunter, Kamige ni Idoman to su a.k.a Crappy Game Hunter Challenges God-Tier Game, or simply known as its namesake title: Shangri-La Frontier, SLF, ShanFro (whatever you want to call it), which won the 47th Kodansha Manga Award in the Shonen category last year.

In the world of Shangri-La Frontier, think of it as an evolution of the SAO universe where full-dive VRMMOs have become commonplace against the retro games which vary from old-school resolutions to game mechanic gimmicks that have been analyzed and beaten every single time. As a result, smorgasbords of VRMMOs are released through the mainstream, though you'd not know if the game is actual trash or not, from rushed plots, bugs from games being full of glitches to faulty gameplay, or simply game systems which have been rendered obsolete upon release with bad graphics that are simply not up to par with the current standard. And that is the mission of the eponymous MC Rakuro Hizutome of IGN Sunraku to route out all games as the aforementioned "trash game hunter", deciphering the play styles of all games alike and mastering them like a "Jack of All Trades, Master of All" character. But as is like typical gamers, there comes a point where the burnout syndrome really gets to them, and Rakuro feels the heat to try and break out from his rut. Fortunately, the game shop that he frequently visits has a new game in store: Shangri-La Frontier, which boasts as a full-dive VRMMO with a staggering 30 mil players, with the majority of players giving it rave reviews for an experience like no other. Rakuro, feeling enticed from the offer, gives it a try with his usual IGN moniker, and thus, begins a game that's truly like no other, with the skills harvested from his time playing trash games and being an expert at it, come into play critically as he progresses through Shangri-La Frontier.

Like all modern day Isekai reincarnation stories, Shangri-La Frontier got its start as a Syosetu novel in May 2017, which according to Katarina, he'd read novelist Tsutomu Satou's Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei a.k.a The Irregular at Magic High School on said Japan's most prolific novel website while living overseas, which inspired him to start writing novels. At the time, said Isekai reincarnation-type fantasy stories (like Mushoku Tensei) were popular, and the novelist took cues from it. But his Eureka moment was when he encountered a VR-type story, which took him completely by surprise and amazement, and thus, that inspiration became the birth of Shangri-La Frontier. The interesting tidbit: the anime project was announced back in Feburary 2020, which was before the manga's serialization from July the same year, which is mind-boggling that whoever was planning the series, took a massive risk that the anime would be a massive hit when it hits the small screen, and that gutsy gamble...really paid off.

If you're a gamer by any stretch of the imagination, you'll definitely come to love and appreciate Shangri-La Frontier as a whole. Sunraku as a character, is a limitless person who has expressed his potential to conquer each and every game out in the wild, be it trash or god-tier, and through him as the MC...to skip the tutorial stages and go straight for the big guns, I hear you say that "Sunraku is like me fr fr", and you're not wrong at all. Dangers of any immaculate depth don't scare Sunraku, for he challenges the damn near-impossible by putting and racking all of his brain muscles and brawn strength to the limit to test the game's system, and how much can he actually profit from unexpected loopholes that give him the edge when it comes to leveling up ASAP. All this in the effort of figuring out Shangri-La Frontier's real game progress, Sunraku's got the smarts once he actually figured out the game's main plot, and his gamer skills maketh the young man that he is, abash with confidence.

However, Sunraku's not alone in this regard. Unbeknownst to him, someone caught his attention, and it's Rei Saiga, the girl whom has her heart strings attached towards Rakuro, but is always shy to speak up to him about his gamer aesthetics. The coincidence with them both frequenting the same game shop allows Rei to stalk Rakuro in Shangri-La Frontier behind the scenes like a fangirl, but don't be fooled for her appearance in-game as she is Psyger-0, one of the strongest players, with a menacing appearance hiding a girl hypnotized in serious affections of love for the half-naked swimming trunk and bird-head masked young man. I love their banter, which especially in game, feels like they're like-minded comrades with similar interests, though Sunraku is always forward-looking at the big picture every step of the way enough to just plainly ignore her (as a "man" knight from external looks) before she could ever speak her heart out. Don't lose faith yet, Rei Saiga a.k.a Psyger-0!

If the gamer vibes can't get to you enough, then the private discovery of a doorway to limitless growth will. And that's how Sunraku found a portal to Rabituza, a land full of rabbits that can only be unlocked once players reach a certain level requirement, which Sunraku got lucky even though he was under-leveled to begin with. There, he finds the rabbits that will help him smolder his competition: the mascot NPC Emul, of which its leader is her boss-cum-father Vysache, who is ruthless on anyone not aligning to his goals or objectives, Sunraku included when he first stepped into the hidden area. But through the test of time, Sunraku proved himself to be a viable and trusted player enough to earn Vysache's respect and have him as their esteemed guest to improve his stability as and when he needs it. Again, Sunraku and Emul's relationship is quite the charm because she provides immediate help to him in all circumstances, and vice versa. Though Sunraku always likes to take Emul at her word and abuse it to his nefarious and hilarious game plans, these two have such good vibes going for each other, which is rare since most games don't usually emphasize NPCs for assistance, let alone even a little help at best towards the players. And that's generally true with most AniManga as well.

You know what they say: "Birds of a feather flock together", and Sunraku has gamer friends to help out in the game's both side and main issues. Player Killers, or more commonly known as PKers, are nothing new in games and is a rather common thing to have, and this describes Towa Amane of IGN Arthur Pencilgon. Her being the leader of a PK group and leading a pack of player executioners, Arthur doesn't take shit as sympathy: if she deems you a waste, you're in the chopping board of the entire group. On the other hand, there's Kei Uomi of IGN Oikatzo, which Sunraku befriended from another trash game as a hardcore trash hunter, alongside Arthur as well, whom they were both invited to Shangri-La Frontier by his recommendation as fans of Sunraku. The trio is like the quote "teamwork makes the dream work", and overtime, we get to see the real Arthur Pencilgon and who she really is, aside from her ruthless PK kills and more on compassion and roots as well. It's amazing how the quote "Don't judge a book by its cover" is done here, and is done exceptionally well.

Over the years (or rather recently), studio C2C has been defying expectations each and every time when they're called to the production table, showcasing stunning and exquisite animation, that like the studio's name moniker of "Challenge 2 (to) Challenge", has put them into the forefront as a sure-fire worthy production contender for best animated shows throughout the seasons. Such examples like Fall 2020's Majo no Tabitabi a.k.a Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, Summer 2021's Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu a.k.a Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy (of which J.C.Staff is now helming Season 2), and Fall 2022's Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita a.k.a Reincarnated as a Sword, these 3 shows are quality titles put out by C2C. And I can purposefully say that Shangri-La Frontier is once again another crowning achievement in the ever-increasing catalogue, which is made an even bigger impact due to the studio's first-ever lone undertaking of a consecutive 2-cour run (not counting 2015's Aquarion Logos, collaborated with Satelight). Huge props to director Toshiyuki Kubooka and his entire staff team for the long commitment to Shangri-La Frontier, and with that being said: if you want a quality show, C2C is really up to the challenge.

For a game-based anime, music also is a key component of the show, and like its gamer roots, it has done that and much more. The OST is filled with so much gamer-centric goodness that it's respectfully composed and used throughout the entire show. And you wanna know something? Even the show's theme songs know that and play to their ultimate strengths. Speaking of which, this may be the masked avatar band FZMZ's (pronounced "Fathoms") Anisong debuts for the show, but you'll be even surprised to know some of its 5 members: JACK the rapper is (sic)boy, who gained attention not only for his unique sound that blends rock and hip-hop, GAVI the guitarist is Ivan of Survive Said The Prophet, and KAMATA the drummer is Pierre Nakano of Ling tosite sigure. Unsurprisingly, these people are not just talented musical artistes, but are also people who are deeply knowledgeable about anime, games, and VR culture, thus also bringing their songs into the Metaverse. Both songs of the 1st Cour's "Broken Games" and 2nd Cour's "Danger Danger" feat. Icy are great compliments to the anime as a whole, though I resonate more with "Broken Games" just by its sheer rap style and tidy musical resonance. The ED songs are mostly alright with Chico's "Ace" for the 1st Cour and ReoNa's "Gajumaru ~Heaven in the Rain~" for the 2nd Cour, but make no mistake: all songs here are fantastic in their own right, especially the OP songs which help set the tune of the anime.

At the end of the day, are we truly witnessing a revival of video game-based AniManga? I would like to think so, because Shangri-La Frontier has more than just captured the gamer hearts of everyone, it has a game-centric plot that captivates and encourages the gamer souls in us for further exploration. And let's face it in gamer terms: this shit is TOO GOOD to pass up for another season or 2.

If you're craving the gamer Hunger Games in you, I warmly welcome you to Shangri-La Frontier, where death is but a swing away, but living and breathing life is an out-of-this-world experience on its own.

The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse - Is Nanatsu no Taizai finally back at being good again, being given the Boruto treatment? I hope that's the case. Also, I'm a bit skeptical at the thought that anyone could enjoy this without ANY knowledge of the prior series.

For the longest standing time in the history of franchises, no other series has been quite the beleaguerment of a rollercoaster journey, than with famed mangaka Nakaba Suzuki's Nanatsu no Taizai a.k.a The Seven Deadly Sins. Since the start of the series in 2012, it had been given a promising upstart by both A-1 Pictures and ... Aniplex coming to the anime adaptations of its first 2 seasons, then given the boot by it going to Studio Deen and Marvy Jack to finish the remainder, forever tarnishing the series in infamy. Even with movies and canon events, it's just sad to see the famed series drop into obscurity of the fame that it once had, dropped by anime execs hungry for money that quality followed significantly by a mega ton, only to become an inglorious meme for the quality that was given to the remainder of the manga's anime project.

This time, not anymore. Nakaba Suzuki is back with his sequel series, titled "Mokushiroku no Yonkishi" a.k.a Four Knights of the Apocalypse, straight after the main series' conclusion, continuing the good faith of the franchise in the hopes that any anime adaptation of it will bring back the hope and confidence that the series is known for. And we've finally got it, courtesy of TMS Entertainment and its subsidiary Telecom Animation Film to get the first 2-cour series animated through Fall last year to Winter this year, while Season 2 will have to wait awhile more before its continuation in the upcoming Fall season. In any case, the relief that Nanatsu no Taizai is finally in safe hands, it's pretty much guaranteed now.

Picking up on the events of the main series, the story of Mokushiroku no Yonkishi takes place 16 years after the last Holy War between the Seven Deadly Sins and the Ten Commandments, with all conflicts drawn to a close and Britannia in peace and harmony once again. But on the other side of the spectrum, lies a young boy named Percival, who lives with his grandfather Varghese, in pure isolation away from the world on the Finger of God for 16 years of his life. That is until a Knight of Chaos, Ironside, comes forth without any warning to prey on both grandfather and his son, the latter not knowing that he has a power untold so great, it could destroy the world, as prophesized that Percival is part of a group of four knights who will bring destruction to the world. A "family" feud later, and Percival, with the loss of his grandfather, honours his last words with a new suit that was meant for his 16th birthday and the permission to venture the lands for his new adventure, alongside an unlikely ally.

Initially, Nakaba Suzuki claimed that he wanted to use Tristan, the son of Meliodas and Elizabeth to set the pace of the new sequel series, but changed his mind against having someone who's directly related to the main series, be part of the sequel as a majority stake, which lead to the creation of Percival, a standalone specific character for the sequel series, and his design being particularly focused on the cuteness of the character when drawing him, adding elements that are able to highlight this, such as his helmet and cloak.

As the Knight of Death born during the Holy War, Percival is actually quite powerful mentally with his mana, with the Dragon Handle sword that's birthed once the plot has come that his enemy, Camelot, is once again targeting the Coffin of Eternal Darkness, hoping to eradicate the Four Knights of the Apocalypse on their own nefarious terms. Thankfully, the lil' boy is not alone in this regard as the others become valuable side team members while on their godspeed way to Liones. Starting with Donny, he has the power of telekinesis, which he initially mistakes as an ability that simply makes objects float in place, and is a highly skilled knife wielder. The problem is that he's a coward, a failed Holy Knight trainee who's related to Howser, more than just joining Percival by accident as part of a circus trope. For Nasiens, he's the group's Remy (from Ratatouille) as a poison checker, who creates drugs and poisons, allowing him to also consume any poison and mix together with his own concoctions...that in the same vein, he befriends Percival and always treats him like his guinea pig. The last member of the group: Anghalhad a.k.a Anne, a governor's daughter who got caught in the line of fire on the road to becoming an aspiring Holy Knight. She has the gift to sense when others are lying or have hidden intentions, making her distrustful of others, but has a change of heart to overcome her skepticism when she meets Percival, who lacks any sense of deceit.

Once the aforementioned Four Knights of the Apocalypse meet, they may be nowhere on the level of the Seven Deadly Sins, but still, they're strong as heck. Percival is a given, and he's joined by Lancelot, the Knight of War who's parading around as the talking fox named Sin to find his other fellow members, and also to avoid detection from Camelot and its forces, whoever they may be, especially as the half-fairy son of Ban and Elaine. Soon after, Tristan comes along after they met in Liones, being Meliodas and Elizabeth's son, the Knight of Pestilence, who leads his own Holy Knight Platoon of childhood friends Chion and Jade, as well as Isolde. Gawain is the last of the four, and despite being the only female member of the Apocalypse, her stance is very similar to Escanor, even down to her weapon of choice, the sword. The only thing intolerable about her is that she has a superiority complex due to her grandparents' upbringing and believes that she is the strongest of the Four, mentally regressing into a temperamental child whenever her confidence is broken. She is related to Arthur Pendragon, who has shifted sides in this sequel series.

Speaking of Arthur, the Kingdom of Camelot is the main antagonist party this time, with the foresight that the Four Knights of the Apocalypse will bring ruin to the world and destroy all in its path, and he'll go to lengths to stop the quad-person party and their followers, no matter the method. Alongside him is the Knights of Chaos, the Holy Knights equivalent for Camelot, of which Ironside is one, as well as others like Pellegarde and Tailsker, each with their own unique standouts in power that serves Arthur with loyalty.

Once again, like the main series, the sequel here adds a lot more pack and punch, stacking itself by being a continuation and result of a new conflict that does not get the situations resolved in a quicker way than before. This is stereotypical for Nakaba Suzuki's standards to integrate as much characters as possible for another depiction of the "same same yet different" Holy War, and this formula really hasn't changed one bit since the main series. It's good, though the only difference is with the Boruto-ish generational gap.

If you would've told me that this show's production is better than Studio Deen and Marvy Jack's co-efforts, I would've busted a nut to say that reality is often unfair, and the sequel will be no better than Seasons 3, 4 and the spin-off canon movies. In fact, the converse is true that the sequel DID get a better treatment, even if it means a fine and decent production overall with TMS Entertainment and its subsidiary Telecom Animation Film, who produced the show. It's not the best, but I will gladly take this any day than re-watch the bastardized monstrosity that is Seasons 3 and thereafter of the main series. Props to in-house director Maki Kodaira and her staff team for giving the respect that the series desperately needed in terms of animation.

The music, however, feels like a mixed bag of proportions that I don't understand how it managed to fit within the confines of the anime itself. The OST is, like past entries in the series, the bog-standard Nanatsu no Taizai quality of that when both A-1 Pictures and Aniplex are at the helm, which is rather forgettable and doesn't make quite the impact, even with said famed composer SawanoHiroyuki and inputs from sound director Kohta Yamamoto (which the two have collaborated in the past. The weird choices continue onto the theme songs, and as much as I liked the 1st Cour's pairing of Little Glee Monster and MOONCHILD being childish songs of fun and hope than the 2nd Cour's pairing with J01 and zakinosuke. with its rather K-Pop-ish and mellow songs (with the latter song having a somewhat unique visual flair), these are definitely not songs which I associate much for a juggernaut series like Nanatsu no Taizai.

But still, with Mokushiroku no Yonkishi a.k.a Four Knights of the Apocalypse being a true, proper return back to the classic Nanatsu no Taizai style, I can definitely say that I feel relieved that it feels good to once again watch the series as it is truly intended, though at an appropriate speed that has enough content for Season 2 coming back in Fall 2024. Looking forward to more, and the adventures of Percival and the gang are not over yet.

The Dangers in My Heart, Round 2 - Are you sure that we're reading the title right? It's "The (Cringe) Dangers in MY Heart", not "The (Masterpiece) Dangers in OUR Heart(s)"?

AniManga rom-coms are pretty typical: same formula of "boy meets girl", have some common interests that gradually form into feelings of love, and blah blah blah. But for Mitsudomoe mangaka Norio Sakurai, Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu a.k.a The Dangers in My Heart is single-handedly, hands down, his best work ever of a rom-com that manages to defy all expectations between a couple that has rather radical shift of beliefs from the beginning, to ... breaking down walls that puts their relationship front and center of the show. Now, that with Season 2, which continues the adaptation to Volume 8 of the manga, has further amped its popularity as one of the best rom-coms of the modern age.

Back in last Spring, like many of you, this show really resonated a lot with me, save for the constant complaint that is "The MC is a cringe Chuunibyou who only has fetishes for the girl that is seemingly out of place". And at the time, it is really true that Kyotaro Ichikawa started off as a rather suicidal person who wishes for nothing but blood on his hands on the most popular girl: Anna Yamada. But as time passes and both Ichikawa and Yamada begin to know each other more, that's where their relationship flourished, and their credit rating only goes in one direction: UP, all the way to the No. 1 spot as a couple who has had the most development in any kind of rom-com shows ever.

Throughout Season 1, I briefly mentioned that Kyotaro's intent to kill Yamada, became the affectionate tool of his love for her, thus the series' intended title of "The Dangers in My Heart". Because if you don't know or haven't yet realized, that title basically is the embodiment of Kyotaro Ichikawa as a whole, experiencing the REALISM that is the multiple dangers that could affect his heart in many ways: from the immature suicidal thoughts to subsequent meetings in the library where both Ichikawa and Yamada can be themselves and know each other as they are in their ever-growing stages of maturity. The constant "screw-ups" that Ichikawa thought he has for quite the longest time of thinking that he's a failure and quite literally the "screw-up" that affects other people's chances of success (as much with Yamada securing more roles from fashion shoots to even voice acting in media), Yamada however, does not see it as a fault, but rather accepts that it's part of his growing journey and allows that fact to help him make his life feel better going forward. I love to see couples encourage and support each other when circumstances hit them the most, and if you ever needed a more-than-perfect example, Kyotaro Ichikawa and Anna Yamada would be one: the literate definition of a couple PERFECT for each other.

Even if the side characters of Yamada's clique and Ichikawa's friends aren't seen as much this season, they're still idiotic childish boys and winggirls in the pursuit to give the couple more dangers to each other's hearts, and you could not have asked for a better cast of support characters who are all the more willing to see their best friends turned into lovers.

Clearly, the production got a huge upgrade from the last season, and Shin-Ei Animation pumped all of the wowzers to give us the sequel, elevated to the nth degree. And this is none better showcased than Season 2's OP song and its gorgeous cinematic visuals, produced in collaboration with Wit Studio and both storyboarded and directed by Shingeki no Kyojin a.k.a Attack on Titan's chief director, Tetsuro Araki. It's simply a masterclass on how to make opening songs pop together with stunning visuals, and really, praises to the effort being done here. While Atarayo's OP song for Season 2 is no doubt great and musically vibrant, Yorushika's OP for Season 1 still takes the cake for me. And between both of Kohana Lam's songs for both seasons, they do have their likes, but I vibe more with Season 1's ED. Not to say that the OST has downgraded, but the consistency is kept so the emotion is still there for feels.

Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu a.k.a The Dangers in My Heart, at least for Season 2, has been a major triumph in this rather unremarkable Winter 2024 season, with literally no competition in the rom-com space and allowing its dominance to be felt all across the start of the year in its first 3 months. If anything doesn't topple this show from its kingdom heights, then I honestly don't know what will do for the year going forward. Flippin' brillant.

Mashle Season 2 - We are making non-stop bangers to the Divine Visionary with this one!

"Yeah...boy...

Cheating, gifted, rough techniques, wanted,
Contraindications, prohibitions, clearly a blind spot,
Violation, different dimension, it's totally out-of-this-world,
Impossible game; I never signed up for this with my name...
Ay, my rivals are all telling me,
Wow, my rivals are all telling me,
... Error struck, pure luck, never gonna admit,
Seriously? You're doing all of this...all brawn?"

In the vein of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump catalogue, mangaka Hajime Komoto's Mashle: Magic and Muscles is one of those Shonen series that does decently well since its beginnings from January 2020 to its eventual end in July 2023, and don't expect this to be in the same standing as say, Koyoharu Gotouge's Kimetsu no Yaiba a.k.a Demon Slayer. With the manga reaching a total of over 5 million copies before entering Season 1 last Spring, both Aniplex and Shueisha were betting on the show to bring the manga sensation to the small screen...and yet, it failed to do so with abysmal profit that the anime is not pushing manga sales (over 5 to 6 million from April to November) alongside a few hundred BD/DVD sales. Plus, a lukewarm reception over in the West, where people are not buying the conception of a "One Punch Man meets Harry Potter" parody show that'll do wonders, it's just not feasible enough.

That is, until the next chapter of Mashle arrives...the Shinkakusha Kouho Senbatsu Shiken-hen a.k.a The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc, and that's where the anime blew up into insanity of the hopes to revive dead sales and viewership, to the max. And in all cases, it really succeeds on that forefront. Seriously? You're doing all of this...all muscularity?

"It's brawn, it's brawn, yeah yeah yeah yeah...
Bling, Bang Bang, Bling Bang Bang Born,
Bling, Bang Bang, Bling Bang Bang Born."

With Season 2 covering from the continuation of Volume 5 to the beginning of Volume 9 of the manga, the Magia Lupus arc of House Lang's elite group led by its House leader Abel Walker having been dealt with by Mash (that stands for Mob, Asta, Saitama, Harry Potter) and Co., from which victory is celebrated and cream puffs in full attendance. Mash Burnedead must now set his sights and Brawn on continuing towards his main objective at the Hogwarts-imitation of Easton Magic Academy: to become a Divine Visionary, to save his old Gramps Regro from getting killed by the hands of corrupt police officer Brad Coleman. Mash's Bling has a Bang Bang, but hasn't truly manifested into a Bling Bang Bang Born yet.

"Before I show them my true ability,
My enemies run away without using their capability.
Raising the bar makes me vеry happy,
Cause I'm outstanding, absolutely at No. 1.
As always, I upgrade mysеlf every day... (Bling, bling, bling)
Don’t need anyone’s support cause I'm icier than your ice. (Icy)"

However, the Icy road to become a Divine Visionary is never easy, especially in a magic-stressed academy like Easton. Headmaster Dumbledore...erm, Wahlberg Baigan may have acknowledged Mash after his decimation on Magia Lupus, but the hurdle is just around the corner: the Divine Visionaries who are the best of the best of Easton Magic Academy, right behind Wahlberg himself.

They are:
- Ryoh Grantz, the Light Cane and captain of the Magic Security Forces. He is very conceited, one who shines attention on himself being the most handsome man and the greatest magic user. In truth however, he is incredibly skilled, kind and supportive towards citizens and anyone he deems "hot stuff", like Mash. His personal magic allows him to manipulate incredibly fast and powerful beams of light, which can slice through anything.
- Orter Mádl, the Desert Cane and a member of the Magical Power Administration. The elder brother of Wirth Mádl, the third Fang of Lang's Magia Lupus, he is a cruel and ruthless person, often willing to resort to extreme measures to maintain the current world order, setting his targets on Mash. His personal magic allows him to manipulate sand, granting him incredible versatility in both offense and defense.
- Kaldo Gehenna, the Flame Cane and head of the Magic Talent Administration. The man may look cheerful on the outside, but don't mistake it for kindness, for he's harsh and cunning, yet has a fondness for honey and adds ludicrous amounts to anything he eats, even sashimi. His personal magic allows him to manipulate fire, and he wields a sword enchanted with black flames that eternally burn anything the blade touches.
- Renatus Revol, the Immortal Cane and a member of the Magical Cemetery Administration. A lazy, whiny, and forgetful man, but is considered incredibly powerful even amongst the Visionaries, with his personal magic allowing him to summon undead body parts and renders him immortal. He's also able to regenerate from any possible injury.
- Tsurara Halestone, the Ice Cane and a member of the Magic Research Administration. A timid, clumsy, and always cold girl, her personal magic allows her to freeze anything, though she resents it and wishes her magic were something warm instead.
- Agito Tyrone, the Dragon Cane and a member of the Magical Creatures Administration. A rather quiet and emotional young man, he believes that life itself is inherently selfish, sinful, and painful, and suffers from an existential crisis as a result. His personal magic allows him to control his pet dragon and transform it into a larger form.
- Sophina Biblia, the Knowledge Cane and a member of the Forbidden Magical Texts Administration. She is calm, polite, and logical, with her personal magic that allows her to manipulate the words, and consequently, the actions of her targets.

Given the magnitude of the Divine Visionaries, one would easily crumble at the sight of just one person, let alone the entire team of 7 authoritarian figures. This, however, does not faze Mash, even in the slightest on his way to become part of them, which breaks the group's taboo of having someone without magic becoming a Divine Visionary.

"Might seem useless at first, but still, I'm very happy.
I’m crazed...my crew is fed up,
Blessed with great family and friends. (Happy)
I'm illegally invincible, so guys, let me be in charge. (Bang, Bang, bang...)
You won't find them in any textbooks or drill books,
My words are a curse with truly BAD looks. LISTEN:"

Sure, Mash and Co. are still great friends, but in the road towards the Divine Visionary exam, it's not exactly going to be a walk in the park. Pitting against each other and prominent characters that Mash has to deal with in the classic Shonen tournament-arc style, every single one of the candidates, be it friend or foe, Mash must put them down in order to rise up and be the No. 1 worthy candidate of all.

Above all, the two candidates of which Mash faces the strongest and BADDEST resistance during the test: Orca House's Margarette Macaron and Carpaccio Luo-Yang. The former being the House prefect and a double-liner, Macaron has two sides of appearance: a presentation as a tall buff man with a buzzcut, or the true form of a petite girl with wavy hair through metamorphosis when battling against Mash. She is obsessed with tartar sauce and strong opponents, believing that "boredom is death", with personal magic allowing her to manipulate sound. The latter, like Mash and Co., is a first-year student with the precedence from a Divine Visionary's Master Cane that grants him the inability to feel pain as the damage is absorbed by a goddess statue, which is then transferred to his enemies. Combined together, Carpaccio can inflict damage on himself without sustaining any pain or injury to damage his opponents off-guard.

If that danger's not apparent enough, then the "Big BAD Wolves" group of Innocent Zero will come to rock Mash's world the same, for someone who is seeking to become the ultimate human being. That, and its revelations in relation to Mash, will be kept secret (just for the review). So if you want to know, get back into Mashle, there's no better time than this to be reinvigorated back to the series. LISTEN:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, just answer me:
Who's the best? I'm the best! Oh yeah~~~
I’m gonna go with just brawn
To the next, to the top of the world!"

With the same staff team over at A-1 Pictures, Mashle hits peak popularity in Volume 7 of the manga, which is exactly where the anime is at right now. And needless to say, Season 2 is so much greater than Season 1 with better production and much improved animation, considering that the same studio helms both this and the much-hyped adaptation of the King of all Korean Manhwas, Solo Leveling. To see the studio finally paying montage to their credibility, A-1 Pictures has amplified their positions this Winter, most certainly...to the next, to the Ichi'ban Ue.

"Now singin'
Bling Bang Bang, Bling Bang Bang, Bling Bang Bang Born (Now singin')
Bling Bang Bang, Bling Bang Bang, Bling Bang Bang Born (Now singin')
Bling Bang Bang, Bling Bang Bang, Bling Bang Bang Born
To the next, to the top of the world!"

It's a no brainer to say that the hip-hop rap group Creepy Nuts has done it again, but this time, on a global scale of popularity unprecedented in the history of anime. Next to YOASOBI's "Idol" for Oshi no Ko, Mashle's 2nd OP song "Bling Bang Bang Born" is more than just Jersey club track music and the feeling of Mash without magic in a magical world, fighting against a dark magical organization. The rap duo of R-Shitei and DJ Matsunaga personally finding Mash's predicament relatable to their careers, and created a mega hell of a banger song that has inflicted the entire world by storm. It's Japanese rap music at its finest, made by rap champions, for the current time millennia where social media (i.e. TikTok) is very much relevant nowadays, dancing to the comical chorus in groups through viral dance challenges, no matter the different languages. You cannot go one second without hearing the song blasting throughout Japan, which finally brings the name of Creepy Nuts to worldwide fame sensation and recognition. After Yokafushi no Uta a.k.a Call of the Night's OST of both "Daten" and "Yokafushi no Uta", "Bling Bang Bang Born" is without a hinge of a doubt, Creepy Nuts's standout masterpiece song of all time.

While not as impressive, Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku's ED song "Tokyo's Way!" is still a funky song that I initially was skeptical of its song quality from the beginning. But as time passes, I can acknowledge that it's a good ED, alongside the pseudo-real life depiction of Mash and Co., as well as the other characters driving in slick cars, while Mash pushes a car with all his muscle might. This is truly Mashle at its comedic finest.

All in all, Mashle's sequel season is a much-needed improvement from its premiere season last Spring, and it DESPERATELY needs that to elevate the source material to greater heights, which in my opinion, does the work and much more. I'm hoping that the sales will pick up and warrant for Season 3 and beyond, since we're already almost halfway through the complete adaptation of the series.

But for now...let us finish the review with the refrain to sing this:
"Ey-day, just staying the way I am, extremely flex~
Ey-day, no one in this world can interrupt me! (Don't test)
Ey-day, just staying the way I am, extremely flex~
Ey-day, no one in this world can interrupt me! (Don't test)"

*squeaky (naughty) bed noises to the beat*

*blows candle flame*

The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic - Is this Redo of Healer ver 2.0? If not, what is this then?

Every year, in and out, I always think to myself: "What's the best way to market Isekai works without having any of the stereotypical tried-and-true obvious "word search" counters like "Isekai", "Overpowered" and the like, without looking too offensive nor too generic to the Average Joe?" And like most of you, I've likely found that title by accident through its unassuming presentation, that however, takes a methodical approach to the whole "being Isekai-ed" measure. May I introduce to you: novelist Kurokata's Chiyu Mahou no Machigatta ... Tsukaikata a.k.a The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic (it's long-ass title is exactly what the series does).

Everybody wishes to have that fantastical treatment once in their lifetime, and that expression rings true for Ken Usato, who's this average-looking high school boy with nothing remarkable of note. All that he has going for is his admiration for his school's Student Council main characters: President Suzune Inukami and vice-president Kazuki Ryusen, who are the more capable and intelligent students within the school, while being one of its members doing the mundane things within the building. And on one rainy evening, that wish came true when all 3 students were suddenly Isekai-ed from their world to the fantasy world via the stereotypical magic circle. Once there, they get all of the usual Isekai introductions out of the way with the whole "I am the King that summoned Heroes of calling like you to aid us in defeating the Demon Lord and his army, and I'm sorry that until that is done, you can't return back to your original world" BS plotline that's been done a thousand times over.

However, this is the Llinger Kingdom, and summoned by King Lloyd, are not 1, not 2, but 3 people instead: the Heroes in answer of Suzune and Kazuki, but with Usato brought along by accident. The "joker" in question thinking that he's going to be a useless floater around the kingdom, Usato wished that he got the slow and mundane life treatment in the fantasy world. But the reality is that Usato has a power, and it's not like what both Suzune and Kazuki, or even King Lloyd and his loyal subjects had foreseen: healing magic, which is obscenely rare in the kingdom. Soon thereafter, the Captain of the Kingdom's Rescue Squad, Rose, smells a rat within the king's chambers, and forces her way though to scout the unassuming Usato into her company and regime, outright forcing him to be trained as a Healer capable of the frontlines of battles till the day of war and reckoning against the Demon Lord and its army. Usato's troubles have only just begun...

Before I go on, please fact-check together with me: When did we ever have an Isekai that focuses its efforts entirely on the side character, while not forgetting its heroes in the background? None? OK, because this is a game-changer of all things possible within the Isekai world, and I must commend the author for taking a bold side step for putting the main character role onto the entirely side-lined support character (which in many ways, ironically fits the theme of the show to a T).

The shy, self-effacing high school boy, whom like every other adolescent boy who has a crush on Suzune, now has to take responsibility and charge of his own life being forced into Rose's Rescue Squad, training day in and day out of his physical and mental toughness and selflessness to become a valuable team member who is determined to save other people. And trust me, Rose does not take kindly into Usato's nonchalant behaviour from the beginning, as someone whose powers actually matched similar of that to hers, but on a powerful scale both magically and physically, almost like a gorilla. (Rose, please don't kill me T.T) Usato is joined by the Rescue Squad members, consisting of rear support siblings of Orga and Ururu, and strong subordinates of Tong, Mill, Alec, Gomul and Gurd, whom like Rose, also are not empathetic due to Rose's strong stance on insubordination and her will to kill if anyone goes against her authority. It's definitely a very toxic environment for a newcomer like Usato, though Rose has her reasons why the Rescue Squad is formed like so to become the Llinger Kingdom's capable rescue team. With that including a once-before scuffle with the Demon Lord as a former Battalion Commander who feels like she's failed expectations before, Rose making an example out of Usato to remind her of her past perils and make him her "ideal right-hand man healer" as the "immortal" subordinate, I have nothing but respect for Captain Rose as a human, a failed leader who knows what she lacks in, and gives Usato a hellish time not solely for her extreme temperaments just because, which he soon learns and follows her lessons strictly to the T to become the next capable healer for the kingdom, in spite of impending dangers to come.

Talk about literally: The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic, which the series still respects its origins, and I honour the commitment to stick to the purpose.

Thankfully, Usato is not alone in this regard. Both Suzune and Kazuki has been ordained to be trained as warriors while he does his healing training alongside them. The former having and affinity for thunder magic, she has a weakness for men with muscles and cute-looking animals no matter the danger, and has quite the literate Otaku being even more excited about being in another world. This is so because she has quite a very restrictive life back at home, and prefers the Isekai world against the will of going back home to be truly free and herself. As for the latter, he has an affinity for light magic, and is generally trusting in nature enough on his own regard that Usato easily looks up to him if he has any issues, minor or major. Also, this show has a "mascot" in the form on Blurin, a blue grizzly cub whom Usato found after some scuffles, and was allowed to stay within the Rescue Squad as its property. And like Villainess Level 99's pet dark dragon Ryu, his pet is rather mischievous in the way that he only allows Usato to pet him and not anyone else, otherwise they'll face either getting their hands slapped away or being chomped on.

The problem with the adaptation is in its pacing. Both the LN and manga source works have lots of volumes to the series' name, but for whatever reason, the anime is adapted rather slowly, and you'll definitely feel the sluggishness of the amount of content it feels to have 13 episodes spanned out by the first (assuming) 2 volumes or so (even the manga which paces behind the LN, which is my direct reference, is also adapted sluggishly). Villainess Level 99 adapted only the first volume, and that show seemingly didn't have any pacing issues of the sort, so it feels like the plot is definitely moving. In this show's case, it also does the same, but something feels lacking amidst the "from heroes to fighting the Demon Lord" plotline with Usato in the midst of all these. This definitely can be attributed to rookie director Takahide Ogata who has only the "Motto! Majime ni Fumajime Kaiketsu Zorori" kids series to his name, but he also did episode storyboarding and directing of shows like Honzuki no Gekokujou a.k.a Ascendance of a Bookworm, so what gives? Either the director or the source is at fault, and LN readers will know what's going on.

At the very least, the anime is adapted rather nicely on the production side, from the collab of both Shin-Ei Animation and Studio Add (mainly a support studio), and the veteran former studio is no stranger to genres like this show does. The action feels consistent and despite the hints of momentary comedy, this show generally looks acceptance to the eyes.

Nothing much with the OST, it just feels right at home with the action here. By the way, Waterweed's OP song "Cure" has definitely the elements of a typical Shonen, and ChouCho's ED song "Green Jade" is decently fine. A good effort from both J-Pop artistes.

At the end of the way, as much as the recommendation is there, it comes with a rather big "what if" asterisk. If you don't mind a slow-moving typical Isekai fantasy plot, Chiyu Mahou no Machigatta Tsukaikata a.k.a The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic is a good show to invest your time into. Conversely, if you want to see things happen at a blistering rate, then this show is not for you.

This is a good alternate on take the Isekai fantasy genre, and it'd be criminally underrated if you skimp out on this.

The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash - What an inspiring fantasy show of the alternate Isekai option to take note of. Authors, I beg you, please do this more often.

Fantasy and Isekai, they go hand-in-hand, but while the concepts are ever so grandiose, the executions become too great for the protagonists...they just take it up and become the most overpowered people ever. What naive cliché for people to only have that one direction and take charge all of the way, forgetting that there're two sides of the coin. Fortunately, for every 10+ boring, trashy OP fantasy Isekai work out there, there're ... hidden gems that don't need this trope to make its world interesting, and in this Winter season, there's one show like it: novelist Honobonoru500's Saijaku Tamer wa Gomi Hiroi no Tabi wo Hajimemashita. a.k.a The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash, that isn't trash, but a story of bitter, but heartwarming wholesomeness,

Putting the obvious death-to-reincarnation Isekai trope aside, a girl is reborn in another world, where magical skills are everything, but it means nothing without the recognition of its ranking through stars. The more stars, the more valuable and skilled the person is...is what the typical person would be like, but said girl named Femicia, has a Tamer skill, but has no stars, which she is immediately put as a scapegoat for the village she's in: Latomi Village. Everybody has a prejudice against her starless skill, even her very own family despised the fact that she was born with no stars once the truth gets out around the small village, which doesn't take long for rumours to swell around. Facing abuse and persecution all around the village, Femicia makes her escape, only to meet the local fortune teller who takes pity on her by educating and supplying for her needs, until her eventual natural passing, to which Femicia moves on further away to make a living by herself. Femicia's journey takes a turning point in the midst of picking up trash, when she finds a weak and dying slime, only to tame and give it a name. Together, the new Femicia, dubbed Ivy and taking on the appearance of a boy, together with her slime familiar Sora, starts a new journey to pick up trash and make use of their surroundings.

I really feel the pity for Ivy, having to be so harshly neglected and shunned by her home village, everyone does not go easy on her, including her own family. And this is rather enforced throughout Latomi Village where her only source of comfort is the local fortune teller Luba, who takes sympathy and brings her under her watchful wings to teach everything she knows about survivability. The problem is that the entire village also depends on the same exact survivability on her part, since Luba is also responsible for the village's crop fruits, which are its only source of income, and with her passing, the village head gets even more nonsensical blaming Ivy for the loss of her life, and even going as far as to place a bounty on her. The irony of the short-sightedness of the village head to refuse medicine to Luba for siding with Ivy, and even demanding the latter's head when her death affects the village the most, one child's life is insignificant compared to a lifetime of wealth and reputation, these people are simply scum for what they regard. Needless to say, stars do not affect the limit of a person, and Ivy was but a victim in the fire of bigotry.

Once things reside outside of Latomi Village, the situation only gets better for Ivy and Sora. Ivy gains her confidence, although still terrified of the outside world and its strangers, as she begins to witness that Sora can consume more than just tossed and leftover potions, which improves her chances of survivability significantly while roaming around as an outcast, gaining more followers along the way. Not forgetting her tamer skills for a moment, Ivy soon gains another tamed creature to her side: the high-ranking black panther adanadala Ciel.

As for the humans that she meets along the way, there're a fair few of them who would meet both Ivy and Sora, and would be monumental to their influence:
- The Latome Village's Watch guards of Captain Ogto and vice-captain Vellivera. Ogto, a very loyal servant of the Watch, is serious about his job, but is also serious at taking a liking to Ivy and always having fun with her, to the chagrin of Vellivera who usually has a calm demeanor and having to sometimes take control of Ogto before he does his usual reckless things.
- The party adventurers whom Ivy and Sora will join in their adventures: Flaming Sword's leader Seyzelk and prominent member Lattrua; Lightning King's leader Borolda and prominent meber Rikvelt; and The Green Gale's leader Meela and her older twin brothers Tolto and Malma, who serves alongside her. It's definitely a bit of a challenge to try to converse with so many people that Ivy gets overwhelmed most of the time. But as they say, praise the sun, for these adventurers don't just see Ivy as a growing single-digit aged girl (as a boy), but someone who will grow to become a big asset of their lives, not just an errand boy for their parties, but someone who they legitimately see as a potential to become a great starless tamer growing up. The party adventurers may have magical and physical attributes grown with their skills, but none are as reliable as Ivy and Sora, especially the latter, who overtime has an ability to discern who are their real enemies just by close contact.

You've got to really admire Ivy and Sora's survivability of the fittest. Despite the earlier life problems, Ivy got her act together and don on the tropey "character cutting hair" moment, which is pretty much necessitated for her charcter growth. It's the only way that she can get out and move on from her past, while being supported by the fantasy world's "gods" constantly dropping hints for the progress of maturity.

Despite being a studio mainly responsible for in-between and key animation, this is Studio Massket's first fully featured anime series, and just by itself, the production values are simply put, out of this world. In its 7 years of business since the studio's founding in March 2017, it has participated in the animation phases of a ton of shows, too many to count. And within this show, it just shows of the talent from the staff team behind directors Naoki Horiuchi and Shigeyasu Yamauchi (the latter serving as chief director). Though I have the feeling that this is a rather one-off project to see where the studio lies by its capability of taking full-on anime projects in the long run. We'll see then of where Studio Massket will lean towards next.

The music leans into the entire atmosphere of the anime quite well, actually. VA Aina Suzuki did a great job acting as Ivy, and even for her character OP song, it's a very nice song, with even more impressive rotoscoping visuals that are just gobstopping with seamless quality. Tei's ED song "Because" is a rather calm song that displays more of the show's resting, slice-of-life atmosphere, and that's not a bad thing at all IMO.

The one word I constantly find myself with when watching this show is "surprise", because I'm legitimately surprised at how the show finds itself full of drama and fantasy, yet never once be a victim to the vice of absurdity nor of the typical tropes, which if there's one bad thing, it would be that the show is severely underrated. It's just so tender when you see humanity be served on a platter that matures you and the encouragement of wanting to grow for the better, which on the basis of this show, does that to the fullest degree to "purposefully" hit you in the feels as hard as possible.

Seriously, throw away all OP-ness and fanservice. Saijaku Tamer wa Gomi Hiroi no Tabi wo Hajimemashita. a.k.a The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash is what we need for a refreshing take on the over-objectified Isekai fantasy trope, with hints of subservient love and care given with a reason no other than to protect a child's innocent growth, yet not stumble him/her when adversities come their way in one's prime.

A tearjerker's story and sense of purpose, you won't find a better one than in Saijaku Tamer with a slow-paced, yet straightforward story that delivers on all fronts.