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Apr 30, 2024
A veteran Bronze-ranked adventurer with a dream of becoming a Mythril-ranked adventurer discovers a new section in a well-known dungeon and decides to explore it alone. There he finds a creature that defies logic and reason, and is ultimately killed by it... or so it would seem, but as this adventurer's luck would have it, he survives the encounter and becomes an undead skeleton with his mind intact.
The Unwanted Undead Adventurer is an action/fantasy that bears a close thematic resemblance to isekai, as the protagonist must engage in a bit of identity fraud in order to return to civilization and not be ousted by those
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who knew him for becoming undead. The leading characters are likable and have good chemistry, which should come as no surprise as one of them is something of an alchemist. The main character himself is introduced as being lively and kind, but becomes stoic, mysterious, and kind as the show progresses. The show maintains a relatively peaceful tone as everything continues to work itself out in favor of the protagonist being able to go about his day-to-day as he usually does.
The animation is decent, though perhaps the series is a case of being front-loaded, as most of the really interesting scenes occur early-on. The action is fine, serviceable - certainly not over-the-top or overly involved, but shows what it needs to well enough. The writing is similarly fine; the story focuses on the main character and his own progression, leaving a lot of interactions and supporting characters in the dust as he continues to try and reach his goal of becoming a Mythril adventurer. This means a lot of the characters he encounters are effectively one-offs in terms of screentime; however, the recurring supporting cast is well-written and does help to establish the main character's place in the setting, particularly how well-thought of he was prior to "dying". The pacing of the series is good, which makes it easy to watch.
The anime does not deliver on its promise of the adventurer being 'unwanted'. In fact, it is just the opposite: everywhere the protagonist goes people end up taking a liking to him, despite his imposing appearance, as he continues to work in earnest to solve the problems of commonfolk, guild quests, and decadently wealthy (if not slightly questionable) sponsors. He is most certainly wanted, despite being undead.
Overall, it is a solid action/fantasy that is leaning towards a mature audience. It does what it is supposed to do well enough. I can recommend the anime to anyone seeking action, adventure, and fantasy.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 19, 2024
The daughter of an old apothecary serves a brothel in a pleasure district, acting as their own apothecary. She is soon kidnapped and sold off to the imperial palace, contracted there as an expendable servant. Through her wits, street smarts, and the connections she makes along the way she begins to navigate the complexities and dangers of court life.
The story follows a young apothecary that has a knack for finding herself at the heart of important affairs. The series is full of drama, making good usage of its feudalistic hierarchy, and is lined with a fair bit of mystery. There are several subplots that quietly
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develop in the background, spanning across multiple character perspectives, that only compound with interest as the season goes on. The setting itself is imperialistic feudalism - there is a strict social hierarchy, and it will be your head if you try to go against it.
The animation is good throughout the show. The horse-drawn carriages are the only notable instances of CGI usage in the show, and even then they are well-done and only end up standing out because they do clash a touch with the splendid background art and animation done throughout the anime. The composition throughout the series is great and does an outstanding job at creating atmospheres humble, opulent, and occasionally eerie.
The characters are dynamic, interesting, and likable. The writing is decent, though it is the weakest component of the anime, and even then it is well above average for the number of narrative elements the series manages to juggle. Some of the resolutions that occur throughout the series lack finality - these are narrative points of interest that simply vanish once addressed. There are some particularly vacant follow-ups concerning what is perhaps the dramatical climax of the series, and there is no indication thereafter if they will be expanded upon in the future. The story very heavily centralizes its main character to many critical moments that occur throughout the series in the form of the confidant - the character in which the rest of the supporting cast confides, which enables her to more effectively speculate and make deductions that are seemingly out of reach for the rest of the cast, despite their own higher social statuses giving them a significant advantage for the role of information gatherer.
All that aside, this is an excellent anime and does what it can to keep track of its own timeline. I strongly recommend this series to anyone seeking a more serious drama with aspects of mystery, as there is certainly enough of both to keep you occupied alongside the web-like network of characters, and it also works effectively as something of a slice-of-life too.
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Addendum: a second season has already been forecasted and so it is entirely plausible that the threads of some of the more unsatisfactorily wrapped-up items are picked up in the continuation of the series and may be given full closure then and there.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 10, 2024
A young girl born to a dragon mother and a former dragon-slaying father becomes infatuated with pop-singing dragon-slayer Dick Saucer. Unplanned interventions occur when the dragon-half girl and her friends set out to attend his concert.
Dragon Half is a short 2-part dumb-fun comedy with lascivious undertones. The humor is mostly slapstick, the circumstances in which the characters find themselves are often absurd, and the story is ridiculous. The animation fluctuates by the scene, caricaturizing its own characters and oversimplifying their designs, and then shifting back to fully illustrated; the animation itself is good. The writing is parodical of the fantasy/adventure genre, picking on classic tropes
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and characterizations.
Somehow, this very brief OVA has bundled adventure, villainy, rivalry, fan service, a tournament arc, a love interest (and the subversion of mutual attraction), and a myriad of classic fantasy elements into 40some minutes of runtime. It is a whacky and somewhat amusing ride, though a lot of the gags would appear to be simple compared to what else has been released in the past 30 years.
If you are seeking a quick fantasy comedy with low viewer investment required, I recommend Dragon Half. It is short, simple, and stupid fun. It does nothing outstanding, but nothing wrong either.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Apr 2, 2024
A young man, known as the weakest hunter in the history of mankind, goes on an expedition into a gate alongside a team of other hunters to enter a dungeon and defeat the monsters within and get a payday for whatever contribution he can make, risking his life to do it. What was supposed to be a simple dungeon clearing turns into a waking nightmare as the party of hunters discovers that there is more to the dungeon than they initially thought. After taking vote, the weakest hunter makes the deciding vote to press forward, not knowing that everyone's life was about to change -
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some more so than others.
Solo Leveling is well-animated and well-directed - the pacing of the anime is solid and continues to compound with interest in every passing episode. There is plenty of action with interludes of worldbuilding and character development. The scope of the premise is large and, at this time in the setting, mostly mysterious.
The mechanics of the setting are simple: some individuals undergo 'awakening', meaning that their body becomes far more powerful than that of a normal human's and they may gain special (magical) powers. The monsters of the setting can only be defeated by those who have awakened - conventional weaponry does nothing (but strangely the defense budget spending only ever goes up). Once someone has awakened, that's it - that is the most powerful they will ever be. They cannot grow stronger... but (there it is) the protagonist ends up with an especially good deal: he can continue to grow stronger by defeating more monsters and more difficult monsters.
The writing is decent. Scene compositions are thoughtful, giving screentime to other established characters in the setting to better flesh out the setting. The action is mostly good, if a bit over-the-top, but that really was a key component for the success of Solo Leveling in the first place.
I recommend this anime for anyone looking for an action power-fantasy with some measure of progression. It is a solid entry into the genre.
P.S.: this seems to be a somewhat divisive title at this time, so here are two more cents for the fountain: I've read the source material as well as the manwha adaptation. I consider Solo Leveling to be an unremarkable power fantasy story - the writing is merely fine and never graduates to anything beyond that. The manwha had some impressive art compositions throughout and maintained a strong visual presence of hype. This season of anime is another story by itself, and it can stand alone as being an example of solid execution for what it is. It is well done, action-packed, and does a fair job with worldbuilding.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 2, 2024
A duo of girls with a vigilante streak are strongarmed by the ATF to do some odd jobs that lead to the discovery of internal corruption. As the information trail gets followed, the danger of the situation rises.
Gunsmith Cats is comprised of 3 25ish-minute-long episodes and watches like a classic 80s action flick starring two hot-headed women. There is the noir detective, the car chase, the hitman (or hitwoman), the shoot-'em-up scenes, and the predictable and timeless progression of things going from bad to worse until they finally get better. There is even a bit of fanservice built right into it.
The animation is great, the
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characters are kept fairly simple in their dialogues, and the plot can only be said to have aged gracefully. ATF? Internal corruption? Selling confiscated firearms in deals brokered through congressmen? What an unbelievable notion - the stuff of pure fantasy, of course.
If you like girls with guns, good animation, and a vintage-style action movie plot that has solid execution then I recommend Gunsmith Cats to you. It does not overstay its welcome.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 23, 2024
Type the name of your most despised adversary into a search box of a website that only appears at midnight--sharp--and condemn that person straight to Hell. No passing go, no $200 USD collection, no get-out-of-purgatory-free cards. This sounds marvelous, like a dream come true and a business model that would easily overtake Amazon, SpaceX, and Facebook combined, if not for one tiny caveat in the fine-print of this arrangement: by consigning your grievance's soul to Hell for eternity, you are also committing your own to Hell after you experience a natural death. Curses come home to roost after all, or so I've heard.
Hell Girl is
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an anime series about taking out a large loan of immediate improvement towards one's personal well-being at a 100% long-term interest rate; the main characters of the episodic stories told throughout this series all pay this price, for one reason or another, and for the most part they pay it under terms and conditions that are all easily understandable, at those most severe of times when they feel they have exhausted all of their options and have no remaining choice but to outsource their problem-solving to the supernatural.
This is almost an entirely episodic experience, offering significantly little overarching development or storyline beyond the scope of the stories it tells each episode for most of the runtime. It takes 8 episodes before long-term story implications even begin. The end does have something of a climax and some falling actions. The writing is fine and the series exhibits some semblance of self-awareness at how repetitive its narratives become and will fluctuate its pacing of these stories as the series progresses - thank goodness, otherwise it would be a highly formulaic slog. The animation is decent for the most part.
Overall, this is a series that scratches precisely one itch: vengeance. People getting the comeuppance that, for the most part, is deserved - the people who are asking for the comeuppance also sharing in the consequences of the finality of the vengeance they are seeking. I can recommend this series to anyone who does not mind an episodic experience and can get behind the premise; I do not recommend it for anyone seeking a fulfilling story with big payoffs - you will not find it here.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 22, 2024
A young woman moves back to her quaint rural hometown after experiencing life in the big city of Tokyo, reclaiming residency at her grandmother's home and rekindling her connection with her childhood friend around her irori.
This is a short slice-of-life romance story with gourmet, love-triangle, comfort, and taboo relationship elements. It is a The Garden of Words kind of story, though perhaps a bit more personable and cheerful with a less serious undertone as both lead characters have an established background and connection with one another. The writing is a bit stilted and uses some unoriginal narrative devices and scenarios to create moments of adversity
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that the leading characters then 'overcome', or bond over.
What else? It is finely illustrated and emits a feel-good atmosphere for the majority of the reading time. The characters are likable, all the sweet and endearing kind. It is also somewhat informative and has some interesting recipe ideas and methods, though I have my doubts that it could replace any cookbook worth a damn, but the manga does a fine job illustrating the general processes behind the cooking.
I recommend this manga for anyone seeking a short, peaceful romance where everything works out. It could certainly serve as a little pick-me-up.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 21, 2024
A young man with a branch blossoming from his head who is belonging to a company of mercenaries has the ability to see and guide others through sounds. After a decisive skirmish in which his mercenary company has been effectively disbanded, the boy is taken in by a powerful figure who wishes to use his abilities for affairs of state alongside others like him, who also have branches sprouting from their heads and have unique powers of their own.
The Bugle Call is a beautifully composed action-fantasy story set in a medieval-esque period following a young man who wishes to simply play the bugle. His worldview
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begins to change, however, as he considers those around him and the implications of his actions as he begins undertaking more responsibility. The entire cast of characters is chalk-full of interesting individuals who all have distinct personalities and many of them are enshrouded in enough mystery to keep one guessing at why some of them are where they are, doing what it is they do.
The writing is strong and purposeful - the series establishes its mysteries and obstacles very quickly, and spends its time building its world and then exploring it. The power system is simple and brilliant in its execution. The powers that the characters possess are smartly used and balanced, creating a grounded action-economy, where each character has their opportunity to contribute something to a battle, or beyond the scope of battle such as reconnaissance. They also serve to create truly tense and suspenseful moments.
The illustration quality is generally good, but the composition of the major scenes and events is superb. A high level of creativity is on display in many of the pivotal, turning-point moments in this series.
This review is based upon the first 5 volumes of this manga. At this time, I highly recommend this series to anyone reading - this is a manga that does not deserve to fade into obscurity. It executes all of its themes and ideas at a visibly high level.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 21, 2024
The powerful right-hand of the dark lord is forced to exist powerless and impoverished in modern society when a magical girl shatters the dimension she resides in, separating her from her powers and her enviable social status. After losing her powers her form periodically reverts to that of a child and she must come to terms with working for a meager living wage and accepting the handouts and generosity of others while trying to restore her power.
Thematically a slice-of-life comedy, Jahy is a tonal mess of a show and its lead character may be called a gross miscast for the sort of playful karmic retribution
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that occurs throughout the anime. The premise of the show is that a cartoonishly evil character must succumb to living a life of borderline poverty in the modern world, but the 'comeuppance' is never severe or equal to how evil she was previously, and the anime goes as far as to show the extent of her decadent lifestyle and sinful actions, such as annihilating her own subordinate over something forgettable and petty.
What's more is that this context of characterization is supplied fairly early on in this anime, and so there is an inherent thematic clash with the mostly easy-come-easy-go, goofy, and happy tonality that is maintained throughout the show, as the lead character never experiences a comparable challenge for her life prior to entering the human realm. Instead, the stilted presentation disguises the lead character's villainy as a loli-gyaru to invoke a sense of sympathy and cuteness in her shenanigans, and to perhaps expand the target-demographic to a more niche audience, but this can only be described as tasteless.
The animation is fine and then declines to poor by the finale. The writing is fine and sometimes boring; the show is largely episodic, periodically introducing another cast member as it goes on. Many of the characters introduced are low in their dimensionality, making for a predictable and listless experience when they usually appear.
I do not recommend this anime. You are almost certainly not getting entertainment value comparable to the 20-episode investment of time you would be making.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Mar 21, 2024
A class of students is whisked away to another dimension and most of them are endowed with magical powers in the hopes that one or some among them will rise in their ranks to become sages in this new and fantastical world. There is just one tiny little oversight: one of the students already possessed superb power before coming to this new world and he wants nothing more than to return home.
This is an isekai power-fantasy anime, replete with a game-like levelling system that does not serve any real narrative purpose, some lite romantic themes that never graduate into anything more, and an invincible protagonist
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whose power could be summarized by the following exchange;
VILLAIN: "Die!"
PROTAGONIST: "No, you."
And thus the villain dies. There is not much else to the storytelling; the protagonist is seeking to go back home and kills anyone who gets in his way, without contest. The writing is predictable - many of the usual fantasy obstacles are thrown at the protagonist and they are all resolved in the same way. The characters are mostly unmemorable - the main character himself does have an appreciable business-like manner in killing others and does not get flustered or dwell on moral implications. The major supporting character and female lead synergizes fine with him.
The animation is fine, leaning towards low-budget with some mediocre CGI elements. In a strange way, this is actually a point in favor of the show, as there is jankiness and stiffness to the animation that enhances the comedic effect of some of the voice lines delivered throughout the anime, reminiscent of Ghost Stories' dub - if you are familiar.
This is junk food anime - you know it isn't good for you, it has nothing remarkable to offer you in any capacity, but you still watch it because it is easy to watch. This is the greatest strength of most isekai-oriented anime: full of bullshit, but easy to watch. It is a precedent that has been solidified after over a decade's worth of entries into this genre, with the seasonal naming of the shows and their respective premises becoming more and more ridiculous as time goes by. My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! absolutely signifies this, has nothing new to offer, and simply throws in with the power-fantasy subgenre of isekai, delivering exactly the level of execution any seasonal watcher would come to expect.
This anime has absolutely nothing new to offer and is lowly in comparison to its peers as far as its execution is concerned. That said, it also does not take itself seriously at all, which is for the best. It is an average show and may be passably entertaining for some, but I cannot recommend it when there are better alternatives that exist.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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