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Apr 5, 2024
"The Apothecary's Diaries" is a unique story when compared to other current anime. A detective/mystery medical drama with an ancient Chinese backdrop. The art and animation is well done; I particularly enjoy the clothing and attention to detail within many of the outfits. I think ultimately it was the characters that kept me coming back as I was curious to see what else they would get up to.
The main character, Maomao, is atypical and reminds me of Sunako from "The Wallflower". Quirky in a "it'd be weirder if she wasn't cute" kind of way, but Maomao is certainly more socially-aware than Sunako which
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I think is to her benefit. In fact, half of what makes Maomao so compelling is the way she can read people and use the knowledge that her background has afforded her. I like that she doesn't seem to look down on either lifestyle (inside or outside of the palace).
Apart from Maomao, the supporting cast is full of a bunch of different characters from palace officials, to handmaidens, to courtesans. I can really only think of four who stand out as consistently unique and important. As the story revolves around Maomao not many other characters get a lot of development or, if they do, they're typically not seen again as their story has come to an end.
I will say, I was hoping for a little more romance in this anime and while it did have some (mostly with one-off characters who are only in 2-3 episodes), what was shown didn't fill the quota of what I was looking for. I'd say if you're looking for a historical romance drama, look elsewhere. But that's not to say this show offers nothing; there are a few compelling love stories in this season.
As others have stated, the plot does seem to slow in the later half of the series (I would place it somewhere around episode 15 or 16) but I still found it interesting to watch; it definitely wasn't so slow that I became bored. Rather, I think they were sowing seeds for season two and wrapping up the few loose ends left from previous episodes. If anything, I think the recap episode could be skipped as it really only serves its purpose if you're watching one episode per week. And even then, I don't think it's wholly necessary.
All in all a good time, especially if you like watching deductive reasoning in progress, royal/political drama, or historical fiction. This show had me, for real, plotting out a family tree. Twice!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 23, 2024
"Our Love Story" is a simple romance anime that is good for someone not looking to make a commitment.
This show doesn't particularly break any molds; it's a mix of common tropes someone familiar with the genre would recognize. I wouldn't say this makes it bad however. Predictable, maybe. About halfway thru the series I did get a little bored as I felt the story had reached a natural conclusion but it just kept going.
To add to that, it felt like the last 4 episodes were stuffed with unnecessary drama purely to meet an episode quota. I don't think the viewers were given much time
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to get to know many of the side characters so asking them to suddenly care about their love lives is a bit of an ask. I'm not even sure if the endings for the three subplots were any good--I can't really say they were bad but I don't feel satisfied with how any of them ended up except for our main pair. Mostly just confused I think...
Ultimately it was the premise that pulled me in, but I think the show falls a little short of the goal it set for its self in the first episode. I wouldn't really recommend this anime to any one but I also wouldn't discourage anyone from trying it out if it seems like something you'd be into.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Dec 22, 2023
A simple romance anime with no real drama.
"My Senpai is Annoying" centers around the romance of a short-statured woman and her massive boisterous senpai. There is nothing particularly unique about this story; tsundere's are common, himbos are trendy, and even couples with distinct height differences are becoming more common. That being said, I still think this anime is ultimately enjoyable.
The characters are charming and believable. In my opinion no one is too annoying or boring and I was consistently interested in following everyone's storyline--even the background coworkers who didn't have their own featured romances. The main character, Igarashi, could potentially be frustrating to some
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as she does act rather childishly. I found this anime while looking for a romance with adult leads and if someone is doing the same, Igarashi may be off-putting. However, I do see her behaviors as part of her character and they feed into her insecurities so I was able to get past it.
Ultimately I do wish there was a little more given to us with regards to the development of both relationships; neither is really established so you really just get to watch a bunch of people interact with their crushes and blush about it for 12 episodes. It's not necessarily a bad thing but I was hoping for at least one of the couples to smooch.
The OP is very cute though, 10/10 for the OP animation. :)
I would recommend this for people who don't mind tsunderes, enjoy slice-of-life, and want something simple and sweet.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 17, 2023
A slice-of-life with a twist.
"Kumichou Musume to Sewagakari" blends the everyday of taking care of a 7-year-old with the excitement of being in a Yakuza family. For the most part, I think it does a great job of establishing characters and showing their growth over the course of the 12 episodes. There is an overall familty-centric vibe to the whole thing as the darker yakuza half of the premise often is only present in short increments.
This uses the trope of "scary mean character is actually a sweetheart" fairly well. The daughter, Yaeka-chan, is well written and (in my opinion) avoids many of the
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tropes that can make younger characters annoying. It is heartwarming to watch her grow just as much as the other characters. Say what you will about it, this anime does portray family values really well, including found family.
There was an entire episode I could have done without, however. There isn't really a larger story here, just a rough timeline and several mini-arcs to follow. But the one episode I'd consider silly filler and mostly a time-waister. I skipped most of the way through it. One or two characters could have been excluded (tho I bet they have bigger roles in the manga) as they didn't really add much to the story and felt out-of-place.
A good anime if you're looking for something sweet and simple.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 16, 2023
"Mieruko-chan" has an interesting premise and likeable characters however over the course of the 12 episodes there is a lack of development for both.
The show plays to the typical slice-of-life style, following the main characters through their daily lives, but it doesn't become too menial or redundant. The horror elements are handled well and are even a little spooky at times. There were even a few times where an unexpected twist was done and it actually surprised me. They were really well done and it shows the thought that was put into the stories for those episodes.
However, this is definitely not an anime
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for everyone. The first three episodes use waaaaay too much "fan service". If I wasn't so curious to see where the plot was going to go I would have dropped this at episode one. I can forgive a lot but when the camera angle ruins the immersion it's upsetting. The same can be said for unnecessary nudity. Couple this with the overall story never really going anywhere and you get an anime that feels rather empty.
All in all, "Mieruko-chan" is animated well and has mini-arcs that can keep some viewers interested, even if out of curiosity to see how Miko-chan handles the next obstacle. But I think it fails to deliver on the overall premise and leaves the viewer with multiple questions and very few answers. If you're looking for a greater story, this isn't the anime for you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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