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Jun 28, 2025
Kowloon Generic Romance is perhaps one of the most mysterious anime I've seen all year and it's no understatement. Behind the dense city population of 33,000 contains a love story - a story about two adults in the 30s. This romance comes at a price because the female protagonist Reiko Kujirai suffers a case of memory loss, one that finds herself struggling with throughout all series long.
Kowloon Walled City is far more than what it seems with a mysterious background history. The dystopian-like vibes blends a historical and modern look. Furthermore, Reiko suffers from memory loss and apparently has a history with her love interest
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Hajime Kudou. But if you think this is some "generic" romance, then take a step back because there's far more than just relationship building in this story. It quickly carries into a sci-fi genre once the first episode reveals its true nature.
The mysterious nature of the show adds even more layers of mystery once we understand more about the cast. Reiko's identity crisis becomes a key plot that revolves the existence of Kujirai “A” and “B”. Although Kujou is aware of Reiko's memory loss, he doesn't mention it early on. Their relationship becomes complicated after Kujou rejects her but nonetheless, Reiko remains in love. What she isn't sure about is the existence of "Kujirai B". Why does she look just like Reiko, what's her purpose in their world, and her connection with Kujou? Those are some questions she and the audience should ask themselves early on. To make this anime even more mysterious is the Kowloon Walled City itself. It resembles an alternate sci-fi version of the real life Kowloon Walled City. The existence of Generic Terra, a mysterious sphere in the sky adds an eerie and unnatural feeling, adding to more curiousity. A revelation also reveals that the current Kowloon is not the one that existed throughout history. The original was demolished in the year 1994 and it raises questions of what is truly real in the story's current timeline.
Nonetheless, characters in this show all have various degree of personalities. Some also seems to serve as foil characters such as Yaomay, a doll maker who wants to escape her past. Through her chance encounter with Reiko, the two bond yet have conflicting views about how they handle with their past and identity. Watching this anime continously also show how much characters complicates their relationships. A shining example is Miyuki Hebinuma, the president of Hebinuma Pharmaceutical and Tao Gwen. Their relationship is complicated by Miyuki's father and the company they run. Framed as a show of complexity, Miyuki also suffers from a case of self identity. It's a recurring theme in the show that forges on how characters develop their life paths. Who do they accept themselves as? But the biggest difference revolves around Kujirai A and B. Kudo's relationship with these two characters has a mirroring bond that at times contrasts and other times reflect similarity. The main timeline Reiko however has a more complicated relationship with Kudo. It's obvious at times, Kudo reflects about his past and to an extent, compares his relationship of Kujirai B with Reiko. Watching the relationship dynamics of this series always make us question about their identity crisis. Reiko's memory loss affects both her relationship with others and discovery of herself.
Kowloon Generic Romance is definitely an anime with a more complicated plot that requires more attention. It doesn't hold your hand and requires the viewer to actively pay attention to character expressions, feelings, dialogues, and their interactions. The plot is woven as a story connecting the past, present, and how it influences the future. Most importantly is the identity of the characters and if Reiko can truly embrace herself. The sci-fi elements far dominates the romance, and to say the least, this anime's romance falls into a category of unorthodox. It really seperates itself from most romance stories due to the internal conflicts of the story. To make an anime work sell itself is not too simple as its targeted audience may not be who it seems.
It takes the art style of the manga and animates it as accurately as possible. For those familiar with Jun Mayuzuki's previous work, the character designs has a similar look compared to After the Rain. Characters are adapted with an mature tone given the character's ages. Furthermore, character expressions are thoughtfully decorated to reflect a variety of mood changes. But perhaps the most interesting part is the setting: Kowloon Walled City. It has a fusion of old school and new school that makes its setting stand out more unique. Adapted with a sci-fi theme, it's been stated that the author was influenced by the video game Kowloon's Gate. Finally, I also want to give a shout out to mesmerizing performance of the opening song "Summertime Ghost " by Suiyoubi no Campanella. Not only does it carry variety of symbolism but also has one of the most decorated chereography I've seen in recent anime.
Kowloon Generic Romance may not be an easy anime to follow but it the time is worth investing into once you're drawn to its cast of characters and story. You don't need to grind this anime for multiple rewatches but understanding what the themes of the show really brings together a sense of enjoyment. It's these type of anime that I wish the current industry would embrace more of than the generic high school fairy tales or isekai copypastes we see pretty much every season.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 24, 2025
Reiji Miyajima is more known these days for writing the series we come to known as 'Rent-a-Girlfriend'. It aired for three seasons with a fourth to air in July 2025. He's also known for creating AKB49: Renai Kinshi Jourei that for some reason yet hasn't gotten an adaptation yet. The Shiunji Family Children did however receive one and a 12-episode adaptation sets us into the world of the Shiunji family.
There's no doubt this series is adapted as a romantic comedy, the type with relationship building among all the cast. Or to be fair, the most important members. At the center is male protagonist Arata, the
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eldest son. The early revelation of Arata not being related to the Shiunji family breaks a field of controversy, at least related to incest. Make no mistake that this show is protrayed in a lighthearted style of storytelling, not one with mature tones. There's obviously romance and relationship building, with some characters being more relevant than others.
Adapted as a 12-episode anime, Arata has to navigate with the revelation that his siblings are not related to him by blood. They're adopted and this triggers previously hidden feelings among them. The anime aimed for a colorful cast, and each female member of the family excels in some for talent. (ex. sports, intelligence) Watching the first episode casts the female characters as being unique and different from one another. For example, Banri is the oldest member of the female member of the family so she seems more comfortable with teasing Arata than others. This contrasts with Seiha who display a more timid nature. Ouka and Minami are somewhere around the middle, that they are open minded and confident in themselves, but not enough to be completely open with their feelings. And of course, we can't forget Kotono, the youngest daughter and most timid of the family. Each episode is designed to allow Arata to get closer to each of them in some way or another. Collectively, Arata has to deal with his own feelings that takes him by surprise.
Indeed, the creator tried to aim for a variety of tastes with its colorful cast. It wanted the audience to understand each female character and their feelings towards Arata. Some of them may appear more complicated than others such as the case with Ouka. Others are triggered more naturally such as Arata getting involved with Minami's sporting events. However, the show does a meek job at best for Arata to understand himself and his own feelings. It appears he's more confused with how he feels about these female characters, as if it's he's constantly testing himself. The most prominent example is Ouka that spans upon multiple episodes and after being kissed on the lips. It's an experience Arata has to wrap around with in his mind without a definitive answer to why it happened. Others are more forgetable with his relationship with Seiha and Kotono. It appears that the more vibrant characters in this show stands out more, if intentionally or unintentionally. Either way, even as a 'balanced harem', there's definitely characters that stand out more than others.
The Shiunji Family Children does carry a similar tone because of the author's previous works. There's misunderstandings, dates, and the obvious rom-com tones. It stays away from controversial topics and doesn't push the boundary of romance too much. Collectively, the performance by the family members share a special bond. There's no serious rivalry between any of them and their behavior mirrors those of an actual family. Even though Arata seems like the odd man out, he is still represented as an ordinary male protagonist. Yet, he has his character flaws, namely having trouble to make up his mind about important choices in life. Watching him reject some of the characters is stubbornly frustrating at times, because deep down, he cares about each of the female characters.
It's no secret this anime wanted to be a romantic comedy from the start. It's filled with colorful characters decorated with features each unique to their look and personalities. Arata may be misunderstood at times with his words and look, but he's still a typical protagonist you'd expect to carry himself. Nonetheless, do be prepared for some light fan service and comedy gags. While this anime contains less mature tones compared to the author's "Rent-a-Girlfriend", there's still some to go around. Character expressions and emotions are also constantly put on display depending on the situation. It's a rom-com that also explores human behavior when they learn the truth after all.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 23, 2025
Zatsu Tabi That's Journey, a show that chronicles the journey of Chika Suzugamori who was rejected by the manga industry. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as she ventures on a journey to discover the world around her. They say life can be filled with surprises, and Zatsu Tabi That's Journey tipify exactly just that.
Chika is an indoor girl. This is made obvious from the first few episodes but that doesn't stop the show from giving her the chance to explore. By explore, it doesn't just mean discovering new places but also discovering herself. The first episode sparks a new curiousity and
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goal in her life: to go on a journey. There's really no set destination because at the heart of this show, it's about the experience. Throughout this journey, Chika explores the culture of places shes visit, finding common interests with people she meets, and experiencing new inspirations for her work. It's not hard to say this anime has near infinite potential. But as a 12-episode series, the anime focuses on Japan than traveling around the world.
From the start, Chika is seen as an ordinary girl who hasn't established a reputation for herself. She has big dreams but those dreams seemed impossible to reach. Initially, she uses her journey as a way to escape the harsh reality of the real world. It begins when Chika takes a trip to Aizuwakamatsu. It's from there that Chika learns the joy of tourism and wonders the world can bring. Among other locations Chika visits include Matsushima, the Shikoku region, Kyoto, Aomori. Every episode offers a new experience for Chika and she learns about the cultural aspects of these locations. She's not always alone either when other characters such as Koyomi, Yui, Fuyune, and Riri. While there's very limited character development among them, there's no doubt that Chika's journey becomes more fun with friends by her side. The enjoyment of sharing a traveling experience brings out the best in this show. And it helps too, that the anime remains authentic to its settings. There's care put into crafting these tourist locations from the serene natural looks to the cultural influences.
With each episode being a standalone, there's no complex plot or deeper meaning from Chika's journey. At the end of each episode, she experiences something new whether it's cultural or something simple as trying a new gourmet. Truly, this anime isn't here for a deeper meaning than expressing itself as a youthful journey. Chika's journey shows that the adventuring can change themselves, whether as a person or their career.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 20, 2025
Can a Boy-Girl Friendship Survive? sounds like a type of anime written as a rom-com experiment. Even if it's intentions were different, this anime practically evokes the idea to test the limits and boundaries a friendship can exist between a boy and girl. It's the classic take on 'can a guy and girl just be friends?'
Right off the bat, we can tell this anime falls under several rom-com tropes. The typical male protagonist and their childhood friend makes their appearances in the first episode. Then, that protagonist meet a beautiful girl and thus, let the love triangle begin. Meet our main characters: Himari Inuzuka, Yuu
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Natsume, and Rion Enomoto. Why does this show insist on a friendship than a romantic relationship? It's actually more complicated than it sounds.
From the beginning, we are treated with endless amount of teasing, sometimes to the point where it looks scripted to happen. It's part of this show's DNA and Himari's personality. She can't help but always get Yuu's attention in any way possible. To Yuu, this comes off as awkward or intimidating at worst. After all, Himari does have the looks for a beauty at school. For the audience, it's fairly obvious she is attracted to Yuu romantically. The subtle hints from the first few episodes become less subtle with the introduction of Rion. The story later makes it clear that there's history between Rion and Yuu through flashback s and their childhood connection. Nonetheless, Rion represents the main rival against Himari for Yuu's affections.
As a visual gesture, this anime is decorated with flowers which can be interpreted as a symbolism for friendship, love, and youth. It's Yuu's dream to become owner of a flower shop after all. Himari's intentions to help Yuu are revealed to also fuel her own attraction towards him. Rion's existence in Yuu's life is a major obstacle as she sees the two bond closer. It makes Himari feel uneasy and this reveals the vulnerability of her character. In fact, every character in this anime has flaws. Yuu's oblivious nature and Rion's timidness are just two such examples. However, Himari is the most flawed character as everything shes does in the show is seemingly influenced by Yuu. It almost falls under the category of 'character assassination' as Himari's personality and mood constantly changes from each episode. Ironically, as confident and teasing as she can be, Himari hast the most trouble expressing her true feelings. The idea that they could be a dating couple holds herself back. It became so problemic that nearly everything she says in the show can be taken with a grain of salt or as a tease. Trust me, even Yuu has a hard time understanding the true intention of her words.
Rion's circumstances in the story are somewhat less obvious at first. It's not until we see through her flashbacks that there's a connection between her and Yuu. The present timeline however changes dramatically between their relationship. It appears Yuu wants to avoid Rion or at least discourage her from dating him. Their relationship can be described as awkward as the two has similar shy personalities. It doesn't also help that Himari seems to try and interrupt the pair whenever they appear to have an intimate moment. It's through all these character interactions that ultimately shapes the core of the anime. A love triangle, how the characters respond to different scenarios, and standard rom-com tropes. It pushes boundaries of whether a boy and girl can survive as friends or become something more.
It's not a high budget anime for sure. Rom-coms these days doesn't rely on its art quality to do the storytelling. Instead, it relies heavily on character chemistry and their emotions, something this anime has been pushing since day one. All the characters in this anime behave how you'd expect them to at their age. The most glaring example is Himari who expresses a wide range of emotions throughout the show. Rion has her own moments too and can come of intimidating when she tries to be. Unfortunately, Yuu falls short on keeping up with either of them. He's a plain boring protagonist who reminds us that he exists.
It really doesn't feel like there's a 'winner' that comes out of this love triangle in the end. This anime from the start looked like an experiment, to test and see how far a boy and girl can go with their friendship. Will they become a couple or be stuck in friend zone forever? It's one of those recurring questions we can't help but ask ourselves. And to be be honest, this entire anime just loves to make us ask questions than give answers.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 18, 2025
With a generous marketing wheel and promotional effort, you'd at least expect a franchise like Beginning After The End to inspire some hope into a market dominated by isekai in today's industry. But no matter how much marketing or word of mouth spreads, Beginning After The End further proves that even popular franchises can fall short to mediocrity. This here, is another abject failure that proves popularity doesn't equate quality.
From the moment Studio A-Cat was announced as the studio, high hopes were tossed out the door. Their resume of anime projects in recent years haven't exactly set the bar high. Still, I was slightly optimistic
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because a studio doesn't always determine right away if a show is set up for failure. Yet, I was quickly proven wrong when the OP song played for the first time. WIth a style similar to an animated powerpoint presentation, it really dropped the ball for animation quality and further dashed hope for the fanbase. Watching this show from day one felt like a chore marked by struggles to keep up with the poor writing and characterization.
Arthur Leywin, a reincarnated young man from his former days as King Arthur stars as the main protagonist. It's fitting for its title as after his end, his new life sets a beginning. Armed with the knowledge of his previous life, Arthur chooses to live a peaceful life with a loving family. His change from a ruler to an ordinary person in a fantasy world is an adaptation change he chooses with. That essentially makes the foundation for the first half of the show. We see how Arthur lives his life and cherishing his newfound youth. He shows far more maturity than his age yet still resolves to learn everything he can about the world. Fundamentally, Arthur struggles at times to control his emotions. This turns out to be his character's biggest weakness. Fortunately, he still adapts well with his newfound life especially with his mother and father. Some of the characters he meets also reminds him of his past life, such as Tessia Eralith during his life journey. Furthermore, he also serves as an important mentor figure for the young mage Lilia in later episodes. Arthur become a trustworthy person yet he sometimes doubt himself but makes the best of his new life.
Given the way this season is structured (Season 1), this show falls under short of adaptation standards. It only touches the story on the surface and explores Arthur's young life. Some of the early episodes can feel dragged long enough that overtime, we care less about his development and more about the world around him. The timeskip occurs not long into the season but felt like it was forcefully done to accelerate the storytelling. It almost seems like the show itself knew its own pacing jumping to Arthur's teenage life. With the three year timeskip, we can see that Arthur matured physically and mentally. His magic powers has grown as well although the story still recommends him to attend Xyros Academy, a school known for producing reputable individuals to their world. Arthur himself demonstrates abilities and skills far superior to what people expects. It's no surprise given his gifted talents and previous knowledge of his former world. This is proven and demonstrated when he faces off against the Xyros Academy's Cynthia, who is reowned for her skills. Nonetheless, Arthur's life up that point has been short of imperfections. It seems everything always goes too well yet not much change to Arthur's own personality. In fact, it's easy to say Arthur's personality has never been a strong selling point.
Then again, Arthur pretty much has to carry this show on his back. Characters he meets throughout the series are influenced by him in one way or another. Even Sylvie, a non-human character becomes his valued companion. When you have a show revolved just about him, it quickly loses its texture. To be fair in some ways, this anime did want us to believe in Arthur and follow his life journey. From being reincarnated as a kid and maturing into a teenager, this is the beginning after his end. But it feels lackluster, in the fact that he fundamentally remains the same character, unable to truly evolve. It sets the anime back, both storytelling wise and characterization. And because this is just 12 episodes long, we have to wait and see if and when his character will ever change. This show is already confirmed for season 2 in 2026 so until then, hang on to your pitchforks.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Jun 18, 2025
It's 2025 and here I am sitting and wondering when when we'll get to see a show about clothes removing as part of its plot. I don't mean it just as part of a story gimmick like High School DxD but an actual plot device to jump start the story. Well, Please Put Them On, Takamine-san is just the answer.
Please Put Them On, Takamine-san is a peculiar case for an ecchi rom-com. It's known for being self aware of both its plot and main female protagonist. Title character Takane Takamine is protrayed as the flawless queen bee, an alluring beauty that catches the eye of
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anyone around her. Her unique ability to rewind time through removing her clothing plays a key role that connects herself to the main male protagonist Koushi Shirota.
The plot essentially builds the relationships through their bizarre chance encounter. After being seen removing her underwear in class, Takane wastes no time to confont Shirota. This more or less ends up being a blackmail as Shirota is forced to help her. In essence, he becomes her manservant without the public's knowledge. As controversial as that sounds, they appear to hide it very well and avoids public himilation. Takane has a reputation so she must always be on her guard. Yet, her own fliritous personality is an obstacle. She is her own worst enemy through the countless teasing she inflicts on Shirota. The latter lives everyday like a test to see if he can pass with flying colors. While it started from being blackmailed, he does geninuely want to protect Takamine over time and the two become trustworthy friends, or perhaps something more?
It's a question we should ask ourselves. Takamine is after all a queen bee while Shirota is just ordinary guy with no special features. The anime protrays Shirota as having perverted fantasies about Takamine often and who can blame him. It's natural for a young healthy guy of his age to fantasize about pretty girls. Takamine is fully aware of this and she weaponizes herself to occasionally win him through lust. However, their relationship at best is protrayed as a budding duo connected through an unusual circumstance. They're not officially a couple although being seeing together so often later in the show makes other characters wonder. The most prominent among these is Shirota's childhood friend Ellie. Her free spirited yet observant nature easily allows her to realize that Takamine is falling for Shirota. Furthermore, Ellie's presence in their lives brings out the jealous side of Takamine. While this show doesn't turn into a dramatic love triangle, it does show that Takamine is willing to safeguard what she considers hers. In this case, she sees Shirota as her property, friend, and partner in crime.
Honestly, the main star and selling point of this show is Takamine herself. Underneath all that perfect goodness, she's a flawed character. If you notice carefully, she hardly has any friends at all, besides Shirota. Even after meeting Ellie, it took several episodes for her to open up to her. Shirota also finds himself falling for Takamine although the anime doesn't make it entirely clear if it's actual love. He's got nothing to lose really but the anime doesn't pull the plug on the two. There's also obvious character connection through some background storytelling told through flashbacks. Takamine's first encounter with Shirota wasn't even in the first episode. Nonetheless, you'll really have to judge yourself on how to grade their relationship. This anime is self aware from day one but has never been sure to finally get the two together as a couple.
It's a show loaded with fan service so just but default, there's a lot of suggestive scenes. I highly suggest watching the uncensored version to avoid the memes. This anime itself is already meme worthy enough thanks to the countless amount of teasing and daydream fantasies. Still, Takamine is decorated with that sexy look you'd expect from this type of show. Long hair, perfect body curves, and colorful face of expressions are just some of her features. While she doesn't show it to the public often, her fliritous personality always causes Shirota to have the most raunchy daydreams possible. You can't help but notice just how self aware this anime is. It knew what it wanted to show the audience from the very first episode.
And in a nutshell, you can watch this anime and enjoy the naughty goodness. It has a ridiculous plot that takes itself somewhat seriously but not enough as a satire. In today's industry, there's all types of anime that weaponizes its fan service. This anime just happens to use it as part of its plot and Shirota is in the middle of it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Mar 30, 2025
You know, when there's a harem tag grouped together in the same place with romance and school, the first thought would be whether the protagonist wants to live out their fantasy. Yes, a fantasy of being surrounded by girlfriends. Coming off from the previous season, Rentarou Aijou's quest to obtain 100 girlfriends continues.
Chances are, you're coming into season 2 to see how far his journey will be. He's still far off from the 100 girlfriends goal but this season does showcase his progress. Similar to the previous season, we're also treated with bizarre sequences often involving Kusuri's experiments. Don't believe me? Just see the opening
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episode for yourself and see how the chaos unfolded. However, it does not take long for the main plot to progress with Rentarou building more of his harem. Similar to the previous season, there are various character stories that each focus on a different girl paired up with Rentarou. From this season, we have the big appetite girl Kurumi, the maid girl Mei, baseball player Iku, the narcasstic Mimimi, and timid Meme. Each of these girls have different personalities and the season is developed to showcase how Rentarou interacts with them. You might think this season will focus on more characters but that's not goal. They want to aim for quality over quantity as these new girls gets to experience what is like to fall in love. These range from a food eating contest, baseball games, and even a beauty contest. It's a recipe cooked for Rentarou's journey.
Rentarou's character remains largely the same and if you want to see a big change, this season isn't it. His personality still revolves being kind and gentleman-like to his girlfriends. Despite showing some moments of short temper, he remains loyal and loves all his girlfriends equally. There's no girl he personally prefers over others so this anime designates itself as a 'safe harem'. In fact, no girl statistically has more advantage over others such as screen time, order of appearance, or unique characteristics. If anything, this anime loves its protagonist and he loves his harem.
Being another 1-cour (12 episodes) adaptation, you really should set yourself and limit expectations. Not even the manga is close to Rentarou completing his main goal so the anime fundamentally tries to make its cast look appealing as possible. Although no girl has any real advantage in Rentarou's harem over others, Hakari and Karane are among the most important ones due to their early appearances. This is especially more relevant for Karane when she gets an episode that makes her character take a complete 180 turn. Like in the previous season, this anime loves to experiment with character personalities. Karane is no exception.
The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2 is a primal example of a sequel that needs no introduction. This season is not going to spoonfeed its audience because it has solidified its identity by this point. It's a show that highlights the journey more important than the destintation. For Rentarou, he's still got a long way to go.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 28, 2025
It's just as the guild receptionist Alina says, "workholics are scary".
Watching I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I'll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out is essentially watching the life of a guild receptionist girl leading a double life. Meet Alina Clover, who became a guild receptionist with the assumption that the job would be easy, until she realizes the hidden rules. Yes, she dreads working overtime. And yes, she just wants to live an easy life. That's not happening when there's monsters roaming around, quests to authoritize, and to make matters worse, someone also finds out about her secret as the "Executioner".
Having
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a double life in a fantasy world isn't an entirely refreshing idea, but it adds many layers to the story. For Alina, she does her best to keep her alias a secret from others until the Silver Guild leader Jade discover it. To make problems more complicated for her, Jade had a growing interest in Alina and even develops affections for her. Obviously, this anime wasn't build to be a romance story but their relationship is among the most important in the series. Realistically, Alina just tries her best to live a carefree life despite the daily obstacles. It's a recurring gag when she breaks her usual character after being caught off guard, most noticably when dealing with overtime work and Jade himself.
The relationship dynamics between Alina and Jade also starts off rocky. It comes off as a one-sided hate directed by Alina towards Jade. Threatening to kill him, she barely manages to hold back while closely guards her secret. While this is somewhat played out comically, Alina truly does want to live a carefree life and if her real identity is discovered, it would cause immense problems for her. On the other hand, Jade develops feelings towards Alina and always urges her to join the Silver Guild. Despite drawing glances from the female population, the only eyes he has set on is Alina. Their relationship does slowly develop more as Alina drops her guard more often in later episodes. However, I suggest holding your horses because this really isn't built as a romance tale.
Alina's relationship with others in the show is respectable at best. She maintains an elegant lady image to hide her identity and always act polite in public. An exception is Laila, a fellow receptionist who has grown to her as a friend over time and one of the few she trusts in the show. It's an underrated relationship that shows the softer and more human side of Alina when they're together. Under her Executioner identity, she fights with aggression and takes on a brutal approach at dealing with monsters. Because of her unique skills and experience, she usually curb stomp her opponent with devastating results. Not every battle plays out in such ways but Alina does stand out as one of the most powerful characters in their world. It's through those battles that earned her a reputation after all.
What truly holds this anime together is the charming cast of characters. The story feels loose at times that bounces between slice-of-life type episodes and the action. However, Alina is written as a relatable protagonist. She represents how an individual wants to avoid work. Obviously, this is exaggerated to the extreme in this story but the anime gets the idea across. Jade himself is also presented as a mature young man despite breaking character when around Alina. He's tolerable and has charisma as a leader of his guild. Even Lululee gets her short yet meaningful character arc that amplifies her importance in the story. At the end of the day, its cast truly holds this show together.
Despite being set in the fantasy setting, it feels like the world is not as vibrant as I had hoped to see. The guilds and towns look old fashioned and lack uniqueness compared to most isekai adaptations these days. The unique idea of the 'relics' seems only fascinating on the surface but loses it appeal when we learn more about them. However, there's a case for this show to showoff what Alina can do when she wields that oversized hammer relic. The battle sequences in this show are fast, fluid, and very smooth to showcase Alina's talents. She turns into a completely different character compared to her receptionist self. It's a recipe for success when protraying a character leading a double life.
It's as the title says. Alina solo monsters and bosses so she can clock out on time. She hates overwork and sees workaholic as scary. It's relatable to any of us who dreads overwork in the real world. And that's what makes this anime worth watching with our eyeballs.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 25, 2025
You know, anime has been long enough in Japan that the presence of shrine maidens is considered a common norm. Maybe they're not always prominently featured in Japanese anime and not all of them are created equal. Yet, we should tell ourselves that shrine maidens represents a sense of pride in the anime industry. The Amagami Sisters in this anime proves just that.
Based on the manga of the same name, the 24-episode adaptation follows a young man named Uryu Kamihate as he follows his dream to become a doctor. Easier said than done, his journey takes him to the Shinto shrine where in this timeline,
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he meets the Amagami sisters composed of Yae, Yuna, and Asahi. The first episodes tries to establish a boundary between him and the sisters. Let's say, he gave a rather rocky impression and is misunderstood by the sisters. But something else emerges within the plot when we are introduced to its supernatural elements, including dreams where Uryu is destined to be with someone.
We have a fair share of rom-coms already this year and this show has an additional context involving the supernatural. The cryptic dream sequences that pops up every now and then brings curiousity. Yet, we don't know truly know who Uryu will be linked to in those dreams. We might think it's one of the Amagami sisters but it's more complex than that. Before their relationship deepens, we have need to understand these characters beyond the surface level. Uyru for instance focuses on more realistic goals in life and initially dismisses the idea of supernatural. This changes as more and more unnatural events unfold in the show but to put it simply, he takes on life with a practical approach.
With the amount of character focus, the Amagami sisters are the central focus each distinct with their personalities. The elder sister Yae, middle sister Yuna, and youngest Asahi makes a balanced trio. As a rom-com, Uryu gets the chance to understand and bond with each of them. It's not complex writing but still important to get the picture clear about these bonds. After all, Uryu's character personality does undergo changes over time the more he spends at Shinto Shrine. His character change doesn't happen over night but there's obvious influence from the sisters. While his goals remains the same in life, he also grows to appreciate the sisters that in later episodes, he boldly proclaims it in public. It's a character growth that is synonymous to rom-com relationships. While this anime's romance feels forced at times, it stays honest to itself. The sisters may sometimes deny it themselves (most noticably Yuna), but the more he spends with them, the more obvious it becomes to the audience.
To be fair, rom-coms these days should shake things up, and to do that, what better way than to use an alternate reality as a plot device? This becomes reality when Uryu's childhood friend evokes a timeline that alters the course of the show altogether. The story plays out in a more complex, and darker theme although retains its lighthearted nature. Nonetheless, it's a risky move to pull off but satisfying to see how Uryu reacts to those changes. The Amagami sisters collectively also reacts to Uryu and it's their relationship that ties them together, almost like fate. It's through their bond that stands as the heart of this show.
It doesn't take a lot of budget to animate characters dressed up as shrine maidens. Admittingly, this show's animation quality has a delicate and soft look, but nothing really complicated. The character designs, or specifically, the Amagami sisters look elegant and represents virtue. They have a feminine look and although, there's fan service at times, it doesn't solely rely on that for the show to do its talking. Character expressions also range from a variety of emotions to protray them as human as they can be.
Watching Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister is an experience that has shown me shrine maidens can still fit into rom-coms in today's industry. When it's the mainstay of a show, it needed to define those characters, and make the audience feel accepting of them. This anime did just that and a lot more.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 24, 2025
Watching Kuroiwa Medaka ni Watashi no Kawaii ga Tsuujinai (Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms) feels like a social experiment between main characters Mona Kawai and Medaka Kuroiwa. The school is part of their experiment where from the first episode, Mona tries to get Medaka's attention through her charms. And his response? Medaka is seemsingly imprevious to those charms.
Mona is the campus queen at school and it shouldn't take long to see why. She has the look, personality, and presence of a girl everyone looks up. Wherever she goes, almost everyone admires her. In the hierarchy of school steroetypes, her status is among
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the highest tier and Mona of course is the poster girl of her own show. But this isn't just about Mona because a boy named Medaka is seemingly immune to her charms. This is where the bulk of the storytelling takes place. Every week, the rom-com involves the two in some type of shenanigan.
Medaka should be labeled as a misunderstood character. His physical demeanor gives the impression of an unfriendly person when in reality, he is a selfless, kind young man. The way he responds to Mona's flirtious advances is because of his training as a monk to avoid contact with girls. In a social experiment sense, this anime feels like a test for him and his biggest obstacle is Mona. Ironically, the harder Mona tries using her tactics, the more she seems to fall for Medaka herself. While it isn't too obvious at first, she often can't get Medaka out of her head. Although this type of rom-com trope isn't an unusual plot twist, it does add more context to Mona's character. She's obviously a character with flaws, whether it's her own insecurity or feeling jealous towards rivals.
Yes, you heard that right. While Mona is the campus queen, she doesn't have every single person's undivided attention. In fact, she encounters rivals such as basketball star Asahi Shonan. In the most rom-com fashion, the two often gets into contests to get Medaka's attention. This extends beyond the classroom doors and even into Medaka's personal life. And the funny part, both of them seem to always come up with mischievous ideas on the spot. There are some moments where either of them have some prep time but the results are mixed. Like a social experiment, Asahi adds another layer of rom-com drama to the show. On Mona's side, she also does have supporters to push her to be Medaka. These include her secret admirer Tsubomi and childhood friend Tomo. Their character debuts are almost like polar opposites but for a rom-com's sake, they fit to this show's tropes.
Perhaps Mona is a make or break for most people watching this series. She can be a polarizing character for the audience because underneath her seemingly perfect persona, she is a vulnerable character. Her feelings can be all over the place at times, challenging herself whether she keep up her act. In reality, she tries her best to appear to be perfect but is a character full of flaws. Her overreactions and being jealous when Medaka gives attention to other girls is just an example. Fundamentally, she is a friendly person at heart and isn't malicious even though she uses some questionable tactics at times to get Medaka's attention. But the most oblivious part about her character is that she doesn't understand what love really is. It seems at several occasions, other characters realize that Mona developed feelings for Medaka yet she doesn't realize it herself. This is a recurring gag that is explored later in the show, and whenever we see how Mona reacts about her own feelings, it gets downplayed by herself.
As viewers may expect, Mona is the most lavishly decorated character in the entire show with her cute looks and expressions. Sure, she puts up on an act most of the the time but the anime wanted each of her moments to shine. This is especially highlighted in early episodes whenever Mona's face is close up towards Medaka's. Through usage of colorful body language and expressions, she really does represent the poster girl. Almost each episode has her wake up and dress up as a character highlight. The camera angles also adds fan service at times and Mona is often at the receiving end of those angles. In contrast, Medaka has a seemingly cardboard box face that is easily misunderstood by others. It's through their character chemistry that pushes the boundaries at what this rom-com can accomplish.
Regardless how far Mona is willingly get Medaka's attention, this anime stays true to its main premise from start to finish. The concern of a 12-episode adaptation does make this look more like an advertisment of the manga than a full series. But at the end of the day, Mona does her best to be what the show advertised and taking the 'notice me senpai' meme far than anyone else this year.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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