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Jun 28, 2025
If I had to describe Kowloon Generic Romance, I would describe it as "atmosphere". Pure, unadulterated atmosphere that you can breathe throughout the show. It is definitely one of the most striking series I have watched in the last few years when it comes to sci-fi and romance. Unfortunately, it didn't manage to grip me in the end, for reasons that I'll mention below.
Let's start with the good stuff.
Visuals are great, they have a "90s" vibes that is incredibly attractive, especially for Kujirai: probably the best female protagonist of the season in terms of character design and personality. These visuals, as well as the sci-fi
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elements mixed with many philosophical quandaries about identity and regret reminded me of "Ghost in the Shell". The animation and backgrounds are OK, although the quality suffers a bit in the second half of the show. Still, enough to keep it afloat.
Sound production is decent if not outstanding. The main thematic elements of the OST have a very distinctive character that fit the anime like a glove. The OP and ED are also good, but I always felt the OP a bit out of place with its techno vibes.
Voice acting is also above average, with Shiraishi (Kujirai) and Koga (Yaomei) shining among the cast. The voice direction though felt pretty flat and uninspiring.
Now, let's take a look at things that could have been done better, IMO.
In one word, the writing.
Characters are fine, although only Kujirai gets real complexity. Kudo and Yaomei are also multifaceted, but not as deep as the FMC. The rest of the characters are thin, with flimsy motivations and goals, and usually one or two quirks defining them. A bit too shallow, if you ask me.
Then we have the plot: tortuous and contrived for the most part, with dangling threads left without answers even at the end of the show. If you are expecting to find a fully, logical answer for all the weird things that happen in Kowloon during the show, you're in for a big disappointment. In the last few episodes you finally get the grasp of what's going on, but definite answers? None.
And I think the issue lies in the pacing.
Events happen at breakneck speed. They stuff so many beats in a single episode that characters and plot cannot take a breath. There is no build-up, no sense of progression, because while you are still elaborating the previous beat, something new comes in.
This makes the story rushed and confusing, while character arcs gets so compressed that they end up adding no depth at all.
The whole show looks like a 25 episodes anime crammed into 13, where writers had to cut A LOT of important stuff to try and achieve at least a hint of coherence.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
The 90s vibes tickled my curiosity, but beside the atmosphere this show has little to offer, especially if you are looking for more thought-out sci-fi, or more emotional romance.
A 5.5 in my book, bumped up to 6 because Kujirai's design reminded me of Motoko Kusanagi, one of my favourite characters of any sci-fi show. That alone deserves a +0.5, but definitely not a recommendation.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 24, 2025
This review will encompass both cours of S2.
This season is definitely worse than the previous one. Animation isn't as neat and direction is more generic (with just few exceptions). Character writing, which was the strongest aspect of S1, took a dive. The worldbuilding, which was already shallow, is now stretched so thin you can see behind it, breaking the immersion.
Let's take a look.
In terms of production, the show feels cheaper now. It is still above seasonal average, but it lacks the lush animation of the first season. It feels overall less dynamic, with the exception of a handful of scenes (the duel after the
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wedding, the last combat in the labyrinth).
Story-wise, the worldbuilding starts to show the first cracks. It was evident already in S1, as I wrote in my other review, but there it worked because the author never had to dig deeper. It had great variety but it was just surface level. Now, in order to solve some plot issues, the author had to rely on contrived devices that made this shallowness evident. For example, the very "soft" magic system now is used to explain a LOT of stuff, from Elinalise's "curse", to all the holes related to teleportation. When the story needs an explanation to a complex issue: "it's magic". Which is pretty lazy writing, if you ask me.
Now let's talk about characters. They were the engine that moved the story forward, in S1. The great strength of the show. Their development was natural, they were believable and relatable.
Now? Not so much. Female characters became a prize to win. Beloved protagonists like Sylphy and Roxy lost all of their complexity and became one-dimensional, with a single defining trait: being in love with Rudeus. Sylphy shows a hint of his former complexity when talking about her friendship with Ariel and when she snaps at Nanahoshi, but that's it. Roxy doesn't even go that far. Too little for a show that could boast so much more in S1. The only important character getting a decent progression and realistic behaviours is Norn.
Then, let's talk about the male-centric narrative. I honestly loved that they portrayed Rudeus' ED in the first half of the season. However, they tried to solve his problem in a very male-centric way, and we never got to understand what the involved female characters thought. All the focus was on Rudeus. But ED affects female partners as well, as they might feel they are not attractive enough, or not up to the task. And yet, they completely glossed over their feelings. Not only that, the writer had Sylphy make a big "sacrifice" to solve the problem. Which worked, in the end, but... at what cost? No repercussions? Apparently not. How convenient for the MC.
And talking about convenience, let's have a look at the finale. In S1, Zenith's reaction when she discovered about Lilia and Paul was genuine, Paul really had it really rough at the beginning. Here? The MC gets rewarded instead of having to face the consequences of his actions. The only believable reaction was from Norn, but thanks to "the power of friendship" and Sylphy's contrieved reasoning everyone gets to live happily every after. How convenient (x2).
Now, despite all that I wrote, I can't say I disliked S2. I got emotional a couple of times, so they still managed to do some things right.
But the rollercoaster I felt in S1-cour 2 is definitely light years away.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A good S2, but not at the level of S1. If you like the characters you will probably enjoy this season as well, but it's not something to look forward to.
And again, just like in S1, I can't really recommend the show due to the sensitive topics and how they are told.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 22, 2025
This review is going to cover both cours of season 1 (which are labelled as "Part 1" and "Part 2" here on MAL).
This is definitely going to be the first anime I rate so high that I also would never recommend to anyone (hence the "Mixed Feelings").
If you know the show, you probably know why.
If you don't, hear me out.
Let's start with the good stuff.
This is a masterful character-driven story. Characters might have over-the-top personalities but all their actions and reactions are grounded in their beliefs, motivations and backgrounds. They are, in a word, believable. Relatable, even if they are not realistic, strictly speaking. There
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are very few anime out there that managed to achieve it. And since it's done with most of the characters, it is quite a feat considering the sheer size of the cast. Most of them have flaws and strengths, and are well-rounded. Even apparently throwaway side villains get screentime to be fleshed out in a reasonable manner.
In the second cour they managed to make me cry for 3 straight episodes back to back. It doesn't happen often, and definitely not if I'm not invested in the characters. In this first season, the lion's share goes to Eris: from insufferable tsundere brat to empathetic warrior in less than 15 episodes.
The overall story is not as deep, it's a mix of tropes and simple linear plots woven together, but it serves the purpose: what matters are characters and their growth. Sometimes you get hit by random "turning points" for shock value, but none is gratuitous and they all seem to advance the overarching narrative, although it's not apparent in this season yet.
The worldbuilding has a lot of variety, and even if it's quite shallow (at least in the anime), it makes a good impression by appearing a lot deeper than it looks, which in turn makes the world seem actually bigger than life. In short, fantasy done right without having to spend a lifetime crafting a fully fledged legendarium Tolkien-style.
From a production perspective, the quality is incredibly high. We are talking about top-notch animation, great direction, good battle choreography, pretty character design, and awe-inspiring background art.
The OST is superb and voce acting also remarkable, with Kakuma (Eris) being the best of the bunch. Special mention to Kujira voicing Hitogami, making him the most unnerving character of the cast.
Also a word of praise to the opening sequences: instead of having a single OP, we have songs over montages that greatly enhance the worldbuilding. Amazing choice.
Now, enough with the hype, let's get to the elephant in the room: the s*xualisation of underage girls (and female characters in general).
I won't open the 30-yo-reincarnated-as-kid can of worms. That's a story decision, it doesn't matter. Some people say that this fantasy world has different morality than our world, and I also agree with that.
However, what the authors show to the public is a decision that is fully taken into our world, not the fantasy world. And they are accountable for that.
Giving an example without spoiling too much, in ep. 1-2 we see Roxy "pleasuring" herself while listening to Rudy's parents making love in another room.
Beside the blatant ecchi value, that scene has NOTHING else to offer. It doesn't define Roxy as a character (and in fact we never see her doing anything like that again, in S1), and it doesn't serve any plot purpose. It's just there to get the male audience aroused over a character that looks like a teenager.
And scenes like this one happen multiple times during S1, with ALL the female characters, children and adults, especially before ep. 8, but sometimes also after that point.
I understand that some of these scenes might define the MC's personality, but the showrunners could have shown it without anything as graphically explicit as that.
I don't care if the MC wants to r*pe or assault a child. As I said, that's a story decision. But if the authors decide to SHOW that r*pe/assault to the audience, and show it with uncanny realism, that's a whole different story, especially if the perpetrator NEVER faces consequences for these actions.
To run a parallel, a story like "Berserk" also portrays similar scenes, even more extreme. But EVERY time, the perpetrators of any form of bad action have to face consequences. They are never depicted as good, or as somewhat acceptable.
Even if such an action could be "acceptable" for the morality of the fantasy world, if you depict it as "acceptable" for the audience of the real world, you are OK to consider your work as nothing more than "pdf bait" in the real world.
Which is really a shame, since this anime has so much more to offer than middle-aged men drooling over teenagers.
You want to show that the MC is a 30-yo perv? Make him sniff pantsu and spy girls changing in a room (without showing on-screen what he sees). You want him to assault a 10-yo girl? You can easily do it behind a closed door, there's NO REASON and NO JUSTIFICATION to show his hands over a child's body on the screen. Especially if the character is REWARDED for this action, afterwards.
FINAL THOUGHTS: a masterpiece of character-driven writing stained by the showrunners' decision to explicitly s*xualise female characters.
The first cour is the main culprit, with the first 8 episodes filled to the brim with unacceptable scenes. This is the reason why I gave a rating of 5 for Part 1.
The second cour is less problematic, and although we occasionally still get such scenes, they are rarer (3-4, if I remember correctly), and usually less explicit. That's why it gets an 8.
Based on this information, watch at your own discretion. If you are sensitive to this topic, the show is definitely off-limits.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Jun 19, 2025
Solo Leveling S2 is at the same time better and worse than S1.
Sure, the animation is even flashier, and the battles even more over-the-top, but story and progression are poorer.
If it's adrenaline rush you're looking for... look no further. This is among the most adrenalinic shows you'll ever watch. Combat choreography and direction are pure cinema. Forget superhero movies and MCU, THIS is the real deal.
However, if we take our time to look deeper, we'll see that below the sparkling surface there's very little.
The story, which was already shallow in season 1, becomes even shallower here. Training, dungeon, boss battle, repeat. And mid-season the MC
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also loses the main motivation that drives him to become stronger, since his original wish becomes true. From that point on, he is just an empty shell acting like a sigma badass.
In S2 side characters are even more useless than S1, since they do nothing of consequence that could change the direction of the story in a meaningful way. How could they, if our MC is stronger than the best 20 Korean and Japanese hunters COMBINED? Not to mention characters that are introduced only to drool over protag-kun (i.e. Esil) and then forgotten in the blink of an eye.
There are no stakes, because we already know that Sung Jinwoo will win. There's no tension during battles when they are so one-sided. The last time our hero took a beating was against Igris, in S1. There, I ALMOST thought he could lose. Once he beat him and gained all of his necromancer abilities, he breezed through the subsequent combats unscathed. And it's no surprise, considering how overpowered he is. Is it fun to watch him mow down all his enemies? Definitely. Is it INTERESTING? Well, that's a whole different story.
Finally, let's talk about these enemies: disposable monsters without any depth. The Ant King/Beru is the only one who got ANY characterisation... in 2 full seasons. And let's be honest, it's not like it was anything special. He was just like: "Me strong. You strong? Then battle."
That's it. Disappointing, to say the least. Without any real, long-lasting villain driving the plot, all the battles look just like chores. Spectacular, no doubt. But chores nonetheless.
Finally, a positive note. The OST is good. A bit generic at times, but effective and well produced. The OP ("ReawakeR" by LISA) is a banger, probably the best song of both S1 and S2.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Cinematic and awe-inspiring combats can't save a linear, predictable and poorly written story. This is a show you watch when you want to disconnect your brain and enjoy greatly animated action.
But if you're looking for something more, then this is not the series for you.
Still, my rating can't be lower than 6: it deserves it for the production value alone.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 5, 2025
"Sorry, and thank you" - the manga.
Jokes aside, this has quickly become one of my favourites, and definitely my favourite shōjo. Which is weird in a way, because the story is nothing special: the storytelling isn't groundbreaking, the plot feels contrived at times. Same goes with characters: they are not realistic for the most part, and their growth isn't always natural.
Still, no other manga managed to move me like this one in the last few years. Teary eyes every volume. Actual waterworks in some chapters.
See, characters might not be realistic, but they are relatable. Why? Because they have TONS of insecurities. All of them. That's
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why they always apologise. That's why they thank each other also for things you would take for granted. They do it all the time. And it's so wholesome it hurts.
If you are (or have been) insecure in any way, you will feel EVERYTHING these characters feel. Every "sorry", every "thank you", is either something you said, something you wanted to say but never managed to, or something you would have loved to hear but never heard.
And for this reason, little by little you end up rooting for them. All of them. If in your life you have even just 1-2 friends as wholesome as them, then you're a f*cking lucky guy.
From a more technical perspective, the panels of the manga are very pretty, with rough and heartfelt lineart. I wouldn't say it's a masterpiece, but definitely better than most of the shōjo around. And Kaoruko (the FMC) is the very definition of "kawaii".
The story is quite linear, sometimes cheesy, nothing you couldn't see already in other shōjo. You have tropes, but the author doesn't abuse them: instead, she takes them and adds a little wrinkle.
As mentioned, characters are the main strength of the series, but they can also be its main weakness.
The fact is, they are all so insecure, empathetic and kind that it would be almost impossible to have them together in real life. In any group there is always something that generates at least a bit of conflict. Here every conflict deflates before it could even be acknowledged. Even Subaru, who is the more antagonistic character at the very beginning, ends up being a cinnamon roll of sweetness and insecurities.
While this is cute, it might not appeal to all readers: if you like tension and conflict, you won't find any, here. And if by mistake you do find some, it won't last for more than 1-2 chapters.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
You want a realistic coming-of-age love story? This is not it.
You want an EMOTIONAL and diabetic love story? Now, that's more like it. :)
Recommended to all the romantic and insecure souls around.
Sorry.
And thank you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 3, 2025
I wouldn't have watched this show if my SO didn't start it, since it's not my genre. I usually steer clear of isekai and battle shōnen. True, technically this is neither of those, but it's close enough in terms of how it "feels".
So, what to say after S1?
First of all, now I understand why it's so popular. It has good animation, plus battle choreography and direction are simply amazing. The pacing in those scenes is nothing short of phenomenal.
The premise is interesting, especially the fact that the appearance of these "gates" deeply affected society and economy.
However, at least from my perspective, this show has nothing
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else to offer. I didn't need yet another SAO-like RPG with gaming mechanics. I didn't need another SAO-like OP protagonist like Kirito (the only difference being that Kirito is OP from ep. 1, Sung Jinwoo from ep. 4).
Sure, this show is more mature, and the MC has a rags-to-riches story attached to him, but he still falls into so many tropes...
Him being so OP kills all the tension too, at least for me. He defeats with little effort enemies that should be way above his level (with their title card written in crimson red), so there are no real stakes: we already know he will win all the battles.
And the few times it looks like he's not going to win, the story gives him a convenient way out that suspiciously resembles plot armour. Going to be killed by a god-like monster in a dungeon? Nope, you're going to randomly get a superpower instead. Going to be overwhelmed by an infinite wave of knights? Nope, you forgot your daily quest and you'll be teleported out of danger "as a penalty". He doesn't earn his way out of dangerous situations: either they are not dangerous in the first place (intrinsically or because he is super-strong), or he gets a pass because the story says so.
If this isn't lazy writing, I don't know what that is.
The writing, beside the MC's characterisation (which is OK, especially in terms of progression and motivations), is poor in general. The economic and sociological implications of the premise are never developed, they are merely used as plot devices. Same happens also to most of the side characters, which are one-dimensional and underdeveloped because the focus is only on the protagonist.
Dialogues are also badly written, and used for infodump purposes: "as you know, the gates/monsters/hunters do XYZ"... but if two people already "know" about that, they don't spit out unnecessary recaps. Not this way, at least.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Despite my critiques, I cannot say this show is bad. Not at all. It's fast paced, engaging, adrenalinic. I don't know much of isekai or battle shōnen, but this definitely looks like a good anime if you enjoy them.
My rating is 6 just because I'm not the target audience for this series. If you are, then it's probably closer to 8 or even 8.5.
Recommended only if you like action-packed shows and you don't mind extremely linear or sloppy storytelling.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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May 17, 2025
Disclaimer: I'm not pro or against AI. I use it for my day-to-day job and I think it can be of great help, if used correctly.
Now, onto this product. They claim 95% of the shots have been produced using AI.
Is this product good?
From a classic-animation perspective, it is not. For the most part it's rotoscoped CGI with an AI filter on top. And while the AI fixed some of the usual issues with CGI, it introduced other problems, known to everyone who is familiar with that technology: flickering and lack of continuity.
They might not be evident to untrained eyes, but they're present in most of
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the dynamic shots of this episode: unstable lineart, elements that change shape and coloring (ears, ribbons, hair, hands, roads, grass, etc), lines that intersect solid objects (e.g. hair going through bodies and clothes)... these 30 minutes are filled with those mistakes. If you're not watching closely you might miss some, but you don't need to be a professional to catch most of them.
The story in itself isn't bad, just a bit shallow. But you can't expect much more given the runtime.
Credit's due when it's due, the final part of the show was actually OK, and the uncanny image manipulations and transformations provided by the AI were actually perfect for that surreal beat of the story. Now, THAT'S how to properly use AI. Direction was also pretty good, in general, with interesting shots.
I think this product shows how in the future studios will have more options.
With the current technology AI can't replace good animation. This episode is a testament of that.
However, when a show is on a tight budget, AI will provide alternatives to the usual "PowerPoint slideshow" we are used to see.
Between this and a sideshow, I'm not sure which one is better. AI animation is much more dynamic, but unless they fix the flickering and continuity issues, you will experience jarring inconsistencies. We are still in "uncanny valley" territory. On the other hand, sideshows are more consistent, but static and less exciting.
All in all, I don't think this product is terrible. However, I can't recommend it to anyone. It has no other value than being an interesting experiment. The story is poor and the animation lacklustre for today's standards.
Makoto Shinkai produced Hoshi no Koe all by himself in 1 year. Without AI. Similar runtime, maybe a bit rough (he worked on it alone, after all) but artistically astounding and with a very deep story. Absolutely gorgeous.
It took 1 year and a half for studio KaKa to produce this thing, with the help of AI and with multiple people working on it.
Let that sink in.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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May 1, 2025
This movie is visually stunning and with incredible production value, but even the best crafted rifle will miss if you aim hastily.
The animation is superb, the character design faithful to the manga, the background art absolutely gorgeous. Direction and photography are also noteworthy. In terms of music, the OST and the songs are beautiful, the main theme/song grew on me throughout the movie (more on that later).
However.
You cannot watch this film blind and expect to enjoy it. It feels like a rushed recap, with most of the story beats skipped or shown through a quick music montage. If you haven't watched the original or you
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don't know the manga, you won't understand why characters do what they do.
It would have been better to just rewrite the plot to give the protagonists more room to breathe and show proper progression. As it stands, all of their growth happens "just because", without build-up and thus with unsatisfying payoffs. If they wanted to keep the original story they should have released at least 3 movies.
And then we have the music. Don't get me wrong, it's well produced. But it doesn't really fit. I really missed the dramatic strings and harpsichord pieces of the original series. Pop music and Versailles don't go well together... not in this form, at least. The fact that they decided to overuse song montages didn't help either.
Credit's due when it's due, the finale was better than the rest of the movie. The last 30 minutes still felt rushed, but a lot less than the first 90. If they managed to maintain the same pace throughout the whole thing it could have been a masterpiece... but as mentioned, it would have required a rewriting of the story, or 4 extra hours of runtime.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Disappointing. It's a good looking but empty shell, with almost no soul. Still, my rating can't be lower than 6 because visuals are top notch. And the finale got me (T_T) despite all my critiques, but I'm not sure if it was because of the movie or I was just superimposing the original series on top of it.
Recommended only if you already know the story... but even then, tone down your expectations. This gets nowhere close to the original.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Apr 16, 2025
Ambitious, but it's a hit-and-miss.
The story isn't bad, it actually has an interesting premise, good characters and the storytelling is original, almost avant-garde. But there's a reason why tropes and existing writing strategies work. If you are going to reject them you need to be damn sure yours are working too... which isn't always the case in this show.
Credit's due when it's due, this series does 3 things incredibly well.
The first is visuals. It's Madhouse after all. The animation is excellent, especially in the more abstract sequences, but it's always way above seasonal average. The character design is simple and realistic, which is a breath
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of fresh air in a media dominated by moe characters on one side and shonen stereotypes on the other. And finally, the background art: striking, sometimes awe-inspiring. Really, this whole show is an amazing eye-candy.
The second thing this show does well is characterisation. We have 1 protagonists and 2-4 co-protagonists plus a plethora of side characters, and they are realistic and well defined without a single internal monologue throughout the story, and without using any of the usual tropes you find in animes. All the characterisation is shown through expressions and actions, it's very cinematic. It's actually a masterpiece in that sense. Almost no series I watched can compare to it in this aspect. You can find something similar in anime movies sometimes, but it's the exception, not the rule.
The third thing this show does well is making you "feel" the story. This show raises questions, but doesn't give you answers. You have to find them by emotionally connecting with the characters and with what happens to them. And of course this means that every person will find different answers... or no answers at all.
And here is where all the issue of the series lie. It's not a story, it's more like a fever dream. It doesn't have a clear direction, and for that reason it might be extremely frustrating to watch if you're not in the right mood. Characters grow but the plot doesn't follow any progression. And, most important (for me at least), we don't get closure for most character arcs. I'm not saying that we get an "open-ended closure", as usual in many Japanese media. No. I mean, no closure at all. Threads are simply left dangling and forgotten. Premises and developments don't get any payoff. The only character that gets a proper closure is the MC, Nagara. Mizuho and Rajdhani get an underwhelming one. Nozomi gets an open-ended, bittersweet one. The rest of the cast is simply forgotten. And we are not talking about small fries: Asakaze is probably the most important one, being the foil for the protagonist and acting sometimes as antagonist, but we also have Yamabiko, Hoshi, Cap, Aki-sensei. The latter is the "villain" for half of the series, and yet she just disappears for no reason in the last 2 episodes.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A very polarising series. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, unless I knew their tastes extremely well. If you like abstract art and avant-garde storytelling, then you'll probably love it. You'll also love it if you're more of a "feeler" instead of a "thinker".
It's definitely worth watching because it's one-of-a-kind, but it doesn't mean you'll enjoy it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 28, 2025
There are two groups of people watching this series: those who love Marie and those who are lying.
This show mixes isekai/reverse-isekai with slice-of-life and romance in an interesting way. Unfortunately only some of those genres are developed enough, which affected my overall enjoyment.
The reverse-isekai which includes all the SoL elements is well done. Mind you, nothing groundbreaking. But still, perfectly fine for a relaxing show: sweet everyday moments focusing on the struggles of an elf adapting to modern life in Japan, with a lot of attention dedicated to food. Those were also the scenes where the romance between the two MCs progressed the most. This
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part also included many references to "My neighbour Totoro", which I found amusing. As I said, not a writing masterpiece since it was a bit shallow. And yet simple, cozy, fun, which is usually enough to entertain most of the audiences.
Then we have the isekai world where our protagonists travel during their sleep: an absolute snoozefest of generic worldbuilding, abused tropes and uninteresting characters. A boring abomination that dragged my rating down as well as my eyelids. If I had to rate only the reverse-isekai episodes, this series would have been almost a 7. But the isekai doesn't deserve more than 4. Which brings it to my current rating of 5.5 (bumped up because I liked the very last episode).
Character-wise, Mariabelle is one of the cutest waifus of the last seasons; really adorable. Wridra is also fun. The MC is just a self-insert, but on the other hand no character really had deep personality traits, not even our silver-haired elf.
The plot is almost non-existent. We have just romance progression while the MCs are in Japan, and we have a run-of-the-mill JRPG adventure with no real stakes in the isekai world.
Visually speaking, the animation is average but pleasant, although it falls short in the action/battle scenes. The character design of Marie is cute, but it's just meh for the rest of the cast.
There are a few fanservices during the show and in the ED, and a couple of gratuitous ones (e.g. was it really necessary for Marie to wear the "desert outfit", which was then forgotten in the very next episode?). Nothing excessive anyway, and quite fewer than in your seasonal isekai or romcom.
I liked Hondo voicing Marie, but the character's mannerisms and cutesy got old fast. It's not going to be a problem if you don't know Japanese and/or you watch it dubbed.
The OST isn't spectacular but the ED is catchy.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A cute series to watch when you want to lay back and relax. It has little to offer, and especially the isekai parts are grating, but the romance is simple and sweet, and Marie is a cinnamon roll.
I wouldn't recommend it though, unless you are in withdrawal from silver-haired elf waifus.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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