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Solo Leveling, the series that took the world by storm back in 2018. No less than a few years later, we are graced a with a 12-episode adaptation that appears to be one of the most hyped series in 2024. It's on a lot of wishlists and for good reasons: stunning visuals, a wish fuflling premise, a diverse cast, and through word of mouth. Korean webnovel anime adaptations have been gaining mainstream popularity in recent years, with Tower of God being another recent example. Solo Leveling tries to set its own example as well.

I want to preface and mention, this review is based from an ... anime viewer's perspective. I have not read the original source so everything here is based on what's shown in the anime without comparsion to the manhwa. With its promotional material, there was still no doubt that Solo Leveilng would be a popular title this year. The stellar animation offers a visual feast with its sharp character designs and impressive chereography. It's hard not to talk about the show just from what a technical point.

The producers and episode directors had a vision: deliver on its promise to treat fans to what they want to see. Solo Leveling starts off introducing protagonist Sung Jin-woo, who is known as the 'weakest Hunter'. Throughout the show, he gets stronger after teaming up with allies while also engaging in feuds with other guild members. The anime revolves around dungeon quests with standard RPG elements including a leveling system with loot/gear. Think of it as a protagonist in a video game starring Jin-woo. Despite supposingly being the 'weakest hunter', he adapts with situation quickly and uses logic, strategies, and plans to survive. Watching Jin-woo's role in this show feels like being in the shoes of a gamer. He plays and thinks like one while trying to prove himself. While Jin-woo didn't seem to have a main goal at the start of the show, it does become more appearent that he wants to become stronger to protect the ones he loves. It's a typical protagonist trope used to represent heroes. Jin-woo seeks opportunities to becomes stronger for the sake of his family, and it's not that surprising when we witness his actions. They speak louder than words when we realize how much risk he puts himself in. Even against overwhelming odds, he will try to overcome them.

Jin-woo is also a character with flaws, as evidenced in early episodes. His self-doubt and inferiority complex in the beginning held him back and isn't until he fights on the frontlines that he begins to grow out of that shell. Even at times when he is confident, he realizes that not everything can be resolved through his actions. However, this season doesn't truly explore his character and a particular drawback revolves around the relationship he builids with others. This is especially minimal with characters like Cha Hae-In, who early on in the show managed to impress the audience with her skills and reputation. His character relationship with anyone outside his family is mostly obligatory rather than commitment. He always puts his family first and it's his love for them that motivates him. Sadly, the character cast ends up being collateral damage for underdevelopment at the expenise of Jin-woo. There's an overemphasis on his character progression at the expense of others. Being that it's a 12-episode, the pacing didn't help much either.

Despite the underwritten cast, I must give praise to its combat system in the show. Even if the idea isn't original, its loot and gear system brings out the classic standands of dungeon crawlers. At a fundamental level, hunters fight monsters, accepts quests, collect gear, but there are also special objectives. These may be seem like 'side objectives' but each of them improves a hunter's rank and skill. The anime adaptation goes through lengths to show what certain hunters are capable of. S-rank for instance is in class of its own. Even though we do not see their true potential, Cha Hae-In's presence alone breathes meaning into that rank. Nonetheless, this season only scratches the surface although in one particular episode, we see a bit of Jin-woo unleashing what appears to be his true hidden potential. It's just a slap in the face that it was one surreal moment and we don't see it much more. Solo Leveling has a tendency to get fans hyped for certain moments, and when it delivers, it really do deliver. Other times, it drops the ball.

To be honest, it felt like A-1 Pictures was destined to be involved in this project. They've done work related to fantasy adventures before, most noticable among their projects including the Sword Art Online franchise. The animation team indeed gave his a visual paint that surpassed my expctations. The action has sharp cheroegraphy that gives the show its momentum while important scenes are animated with cinematic quality. Character expressions are focused in detail ranging from eye coordination to human emotions. Most noticable is how Jin-woo responds to different scenarios whether it's fighting monsters or social conversations with certain cast members. Similarly, the theme songs contains a well-crafted tone courtsey of SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]. It might sound predictable to see that they're involved but I can think of no better composer to make this work.

Solo Leveling can be approached with the amount of hype it sets itself up. As an anime original viewer, I was definitely curious on how they tell a story in the fantasy adventure genre and game mechnics. After all, we have been flooded with so many similar shows every season in recent years. For Solo Leveling, it's a show that is watchable for its hype and sure enough, anyone can watch it to be enjoyed. But for its overall presentation, I really did expect more.

I've never been to Hokkaido before but upon doing some research, it's said the destinationis been known for "rich agriculture and seafood resources". Watching Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable made me wonder just how the gals in this show can make a reputation of their own. It begins on a cold freezing day when 16 year old Tsubasa Shiki meets Minami Fuyuki.

It seems love at first sight. Unlike some traitional rom-coms, there's an overemphasis on their first meeting. The first episode spend a great deal of time on their chemistry. Despite coming from completely different backgrounds, the two are drawn towards each other like two ... peas in a pod. Some people may also compare their encounter like red strings of fate, a legend that two people are tied and destined to be together. The author wrote the story with their relationship in mind, and it's the core of the show.

The creator of the series Kai Ikada is relatively unknown, a fresh face in the manga industry. Translating their work into anime medium should be celebrated as a major accomplishment. The spotlight shines on the super adorable gal konwn to us Minami. With a dazzling smile and sparkling personality, she turns heads from both genders. This is pretty much the anti-thesis of our male protagonist Tsubasa, who despite being an overachiever, tends to keep to himself. What happens when you pair these two up? The simple answer is a relationship based on curiousity and trust. The latter comes later once the two understands each other more. However, the first episode has a spellbinding opening in the cold weather of Hokkaido. It's almost bedazzling to see Minami dressed in such cold temperate. Mind you, she's in a skirt dressed casually and seemingly embracing the cold weather. My impression is Minami is protrayed as a larger than life character, at least compared to the rest of the cast.

While I'm not entirely convinced how long their relationship can evolve or last, it's no understatement that the first episode makes a strong showing. It's probably the episode that get the audience hooked because we can find out so much about Minami just from her background and emotional expressions. That is, Tsubasa seems more like the underdog. The show later introduces other main girls such as Rena and Sayuri. To set them apart, Rena is protrayed as the opposite of our adorable gal. Reserved, serious, but can also sensitive, her relationship with Tsubasa starts off rocky but gradually improves. Somewhere in the middle is Rena, who is introduced as a shy yet talented girl. While these two characters are given on-screen time, their presence serve more as main supporting roles. Why you may ask? That's because Minami is given the greenlit to be the star. It's obvious from the beginning when she's protrayed as the poster girl. Sorry folks but if you're looking for Tsubasa building a relationship with others on the same level as Minami, then you'll be in for a disappointment.

Nonetheless, this is a rom-com that doesn't take too many risks and settling for delivering an youthful experience. Our main characters are high school students who are just beginning to enter the age of adulthood. The show takes them to places besides the classroom walls and allowing them to experience what relationships are about. It's honestly very straighforward that uses common sense to tell its story and relationships. There's no deceptive twists or complex plot that throws the viewers off guard. To put it simply, it's a rom-com that gets straightforward as it can be. Obviously, you're going to see how characters experience human feelings that ranges from insecurity, jealousy, joy, awkwardness, anxiety, among others.

The location of the show is part of the anime's title and it represents a bit more than just what it sounds. Hokkaido has beautiful scenery that is natural, and a visual feast to the eyes. This is mostly represented by cold climate and snowy weather throughout most of the season. It gets repetitive after awhile but ultimately gives an unique look to the setting. Similarly, each of the gals in the show have feminine features. Minami stands out the most as she has the classic 'gal' look. Unfortunately, Tsubasa's presence is always overshadowed because he is just too normal.

Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable is a show that is exactly what it tries to be. Nothing overly complicated and down to earth for what it shows us. That of course, we meet the adorable girls of Hokkaido. Sometimes, a simple show like this can be enjoyable especially when it just uses common sense to tell a charming story.

Time loops. Probably one of the oldest trick in the book when it comes to plot devices. It makes its way into this show known as 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy. Now imagine yourself in the shoes of a character who has been stuck in a time loop 6 times trying to escape a certain fate. This is the story about Rishe Irmgard Weitzner who tries to find out the truth.

The english version of the title is translated as: 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy. It's exactly how ... it sounds as the "villainess" tries to live her carefree life married to her worst enemy in this 7th time loop. Previously, she died in those previous 6th loops under various circumstances all involving a prince named Arnold Hein. Known of his brutality and feats, let's just say that he is Rishe's worst enemy.

With the plot elements planted into the first episode, one would assume Rishe tries to down Arnold from the inside. There's indeed mind games being played throughout the show although not in a malicious way from her side. Rishe is a clever woman who isn't afraid to take risks. These involve taking on disguises, making bets, and even escaping from being held hostage in later episodes. To put it simply, she's not your klutz or damsel in distress. She doesn't need others to save her. We should however ask ourselves if Rishe is someone to respect and trust throughout the show. Watching her role goes to show that she learns from her past mistakes while also trying to change her fate.

The plot doesn't demand much but there are several elements to watch out for. Beyond the Groundhound Day theme of time loosp, Rishe herself gets involved into more complex political affairs with the higher-ups. Arnold's proposal to Rishe should also spark curiousity whether it's out of self interest or geninue care for her. While there's no true love story between Rishe and Arnold, there's no denying that he is attracted to her beyond personal reasons. Unfortunately, it appears Rishe isn't great at seeing between the lines and remains mostly oblivious to his advances. Nonetheless, I want to assure viewers that Arnold himself is an intelligent and clever individual. However, he is also misunderstood due to his reptuation as a brutal tyrant when in reality, he is a caring person. The show does show his ruthless side when under pressure though, most particularly with his on-screen rivalry with his younger brother Theodore.

One of the show's strengths is its character cast boosted with their charisma, intelligence, and cleverness. Outside of the core cast, characters such as Kyle, Oliver, and Michel are made to feel like larger than life. They have diverse skills that commoners would not easily obtain and are unique to their roles in the series. Let's also not forget about Rishe and her daredevil persona. When she wants something done, she will take any risk to get it done. Demonstrated in an episode where she escapes as a hostage, Rishe fights for her life rather than wait to be saved. Similarly, she's also clever at esponiage in disguise although not always successful. Ultimately though, this show's character cast offers a collective colorful look at different personalities.

Unfortunately, 7th Time Loop suffers from adaptation issues due to its limited 12 episode time span. The main plot is ambigioulsy unresolved while the relationship between Rishe and Arnold didn't reach its full potential. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely moments in the show where the two has a clear connection. However, the show didn't truly build an everlasting relationship between them. It's one of the drawbacks for these type of anime, where adaptations had to be limited even if it means getting the overall flow right.

7th Time Loops does meet its standards and perhaps go beyond with its production qualities. The main catch lies with its character designs, that gives the main guys their bishounen looks. In particular, Arnold has the charismatic look of a prince that can easily capture the attention of an audience. Similarly, other main guys are designed with aristocratic themes. Rishe herself has the look that balances between a princess and warrior. She has delicated features but also can be fierce when intimidated. The overall look of the show does its job at selling the its themes.

This is by no means an anime contender of the year, and it would be very bold to even say that. Instead, it's a show that uses the time loop plot device and make the most of its plot. After watching this series, it goes to show that Rishe has exceeded her expectations as a female protagonist even if her relationship development with others isn't particuarly fleshed out. It shouldn't hold you back from giving this a chance though as I've seen a lot worse.

Oh, what can the world do without an ecchi like Tale of Wedding Rings these days? I probably had to check several times on various sources when this got announced for an anime adpatation. Why? That's because it felt like we already got the announcement years ago. Yet here we are with a 12-episode adaptation announced just last year and making its debut on the TV screen. And unfortunately, it should've probably remained better off of it.

Now here's a head up. Tales of Wedding Rings is exactly what it looks like from its premise, promos, character designs, and even genre tags. It's not trying to ... hide what it sells and from the first episode, you're going to get thrown with fan service to the face along with the most one dimensional character roster this year so far in 2024. If you just want a guilty pleasure show with minimial creativity and storytelling, then read on further.

When you have a beautiful girl giving you a ring, this signifies the start of a romance. Tales of Wedding Rings essentially begins with Hime giving her childhood friend Satou a ring. However, that ring isn't a symbol of love but instead a weapon used to defeat demons. It takes less than two episodes to show that Hime has feelings towards Satou but it doesn't end there. For you see, there are other rings in the show, and Satou seems destined to obtain them like a hero. Thus, we have a tale of wedding rings because Satou has to marry the princesses who carries those rings.

Tale of Wedding Rings doesn't carry a feeling of mystery unlike his other previous adapted work, Dusk Maiden of Amnesia. Hardly in fact. This is treated as a rom-com fantasy with harem themes just the tags indicates. It desires to be a romantic fantasy but the execution is poorly done. The main reason revolves around the dull protagonist Satou who seems to just go along with being a hero. It's like he's acting on a script of a play and building off of what he's told. Outside of Hime, he manages to attract the attention of other princesses including Granart, Nefritis, Saphir, and Amber. All of them has a ring of different element and comes from different lands. Being a 12-episode series, you can guess that the characterization and development is minimal. They seem to just fall into Satou's lap after meeting him for a single episode or two. There really is no impactful relationship as all these girls are drawn to him like a typical harem protagonist.

Hime is the most prominent among the harem as she is not only the first girl introduced but also the childhood friend. Naturally, she has an "advantage". There's an unwriten role in harem anime like this where these advantages allows her to get to the main protagonist first. There's even segments where the two are about to 'do it' only to be interrupted by some aisine reason. But alas, this is show was never made with a commitment to relationships. It just wants our protagonist to gather rings like pieces to a puzzle and unlock his true role as a ring hero. Sadly, even that isn't accomplished because this is and I say this with confidence: a very incomplete adaptation.

By adaptation standards, you get alluring fan service with the princesses being decorated with attractive figures. Satou gets himself caught into compromising positions and I assure you, this anime is 100% aware of what it's doing. Fan service is filled with boobs, ass, and questionable positions. There are dialogues spoken throughout the show that suggests intercourse but because this isn't a hentai, those can't be aired on TV.

Don't blame the idea on this series but do blame how the plot and character cast. To be honest, the premise doesn't sound so half baked if it's executed with some care. Sadly, this anime is the result of a rushed adaptation that puts shame on the fantasy genre this season.

This is a story about an elf mage girl who goes on a journey of self discovery. Frieren is her name and you better remember it well, because this is her story, a story that goes beyond a journey of self discovery.

Watching Frieren Beyond Journey's End is more than a breath of fresh air. In a landscape filled with generic fantasy shows these days, this anime represents one that breathes new life into the genre. These well-paced 28 episodes calmly adapts the manga as we look into the life of a curious elf mage. We follow the story of Frieren as it begins with ... the observation of the Era Meteor shower, an event that takes place once every 50 years. She made a promise with her companions that after five decades, she'd meet them again but to her regret, her companion Himmel dies. Father time caught up to him and this also makes Frieren feels guilty as she regrets not knowing him better. It's not soon after that she meets with her other companions but also more importantly takes a girl named Fern under her wings.

A journey taking place in this fantasy world contains its compelling perks. The show adapts a fantasy adventure that doesn't involve them trying to defeat a Demon Lord or save the world; as they've done that once before. Instead, the author writes this story as one about Frieren's self-discovery. As an elf, she wants to learn more about humanity and what it truly means to be a human. This doesn't come easy with her peculicar social skills. As evidenced in early episodes, Frieren doesn't always express herself well although she never acts in her own selfish interests either. For her, it's about discovery and learning. Her aloofness sometimes catches other people off guard and draws attention to herself. However, Frieren always means well and tries to be a suitable mentor for Fern. Their relationship mirrors those of a parent guardian and child. Frieren serves as her protector while trying to understand humans more. Ironically, as Fern growns up, she sometimes plays the role of a parent guardian due to Frieren's aloofness and lack of self awareness. Their on-screen chemistry is very natural that balances between comedic, realistic, and heartwarming.

Joining them on their journey is also Stark, a man who balances out between Fern and Frieren. Being a human, he understands others well although at times, he can inadvertently make a fool of himself or say the wrong words. Nonetheless, he and Frieren share a sibling-like relationship and their bond is strong throughout the show. He and Fern also shares an unique relationship that started off rocky but gradually improved as time went on. Stark proves himself to be a capable fighter and not a coward as Fern originally thought he'd be. In respect, Stark also sees Fern with a lot of potential and often seeks to make her happy. Indeed, one of the main selling point of this show is being able to have these important character connections.

Among their journey, it's not hard to see that time itself has an important role. Frieren is an elf with a much longer lifespan than her companions. Thus, this is a journey beyond her end but a short one for the humans. "What's the point of their journey"? is probably a question you may have asked yourself a few times. While the show doesn't seem to have an endgame goal, we should understand that Frieren's personal journey is far more important than its destination. She doesn't have a place she needs to reach for her goal or pursue some special power in life. What she has is with her the whole time, companions that she now has a chance to understand and learn from. Frieren indeed isn't arrogant and knows her own faults. She knows that she isn't perfect and even falls for common traps such as mimics and own her sleeping habits. As the show loves to run these recurring gags, we should know that these come naturally for her character.

From Frieren's journey, there are various conflicts and challenges she and her party tackle along the way. This isn't a slice of life show, but protrays itself as a fantasy adventure. There are elves, dwarves, humans, and even demons. We learn about these races throughout the journey and in the latter half of the season, Frieren's party come across other mages that tests their own skills. Watching the show develop more and more into their journey make the characters examine themselves and who they actually are. This is particuarly true when Frieren's party fights mirror images of themselves. The show is wise to develop and establish its character cast from the start. Often times, key characters loses relevancy due to pacing issues and lack of characterization. Here, we come to a deep understanding of our core characters and what they mean to each other.

Ultimately, Frieren's story and journey gave her the opportunity of self-discovery and encountering characters along the way gives her a sense of humanity. Before her journey stared, there was Flamme who served as her mentor just like the way Frieren took Fern under her wings. Their mutual love for magic and connection allowed the the two to form a deeper bond. Although Frieren didn't come to a true understanding about humans then, she did come to learn more magic, and what it means to share a common bond with someone she trusts. Another special companion she had a bond with was Himmel including their first encounter and time spent in the Hero party. As time is restricted to Himmel, they didn't have all the time in the world to understand each other. This became the root of Frieren's motivation to understand humans better in the current timeline. Fortunately for Frieren, she also got the opportunity to spend time with a party member from the Hero Party as they too have a long lifespan. That character would be none other than the dwarf Eisen. Their unique relationship is shared through their long life spans and social awkardness.

As an elf mage, it should also come no surprise that she would encounter individuals that tests her abilities or idealogies. Chief among them is Serie, who shares a different perspective on the role of being a mage. Watching their relationship in the show contrasts with the ones she shares with her former and current party members. There's also many other characters she encounters later during the Mage Exam Arc. Characters like Lawine, Ubel, Laufen, among others brings out the best from herself and her party. As a fantasy adventure, I think we fans should truly appreciate how much the show dedicated to its compelling cast and story.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and its art style is nothing short of spectcular from its lush landscapes, backgrounds, world building, and beauty of its fictional world. Character designs are made with care through their delicate yet credible featues. This is true for the elven race, dwarves, demons, and humans. Combat segments are also a captivating feast to the eyes with the show's elements of magic. Sure, we didn't get a shounen-level type of action combat with strategy. However, the anime understood how it employed its usage of magic. And finally, character emotions are expressively shown throughout each episode. These can be the melancholic moments between certain party members or goofy reactions such as Frieren's "morning face". Similarly, the voice acting in the show is phenomenal that matches with their character personalities. Even the music and soundtrack has a serene and natural feel adding to this incredibly journey. Madhouse studios truly understood what it means to sell this as an adaptation and not for a cash grab.

With a span of 28-episodes, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End sets the golden standard of what a fantasy adventure can really be. It pushed the boundaries of character development and self discovery as we follow the journey of Frieren. The manga is also highly recommendable if you want to keep tabs on her journey ahead beyond the adaptation. And truly, this is about as great as a fantasy adventure we can get these days.

Not all fan service are created equal and we can say just about the same for Mato Seihei No Slave (Chained Soldier). When the promos aired and the visuals started showing up on the Internet, many of us probably rolled our eyes as we see the amount of lascivious fan service. I confess to myself that as a manga reader, I came into the series for guilty pleasure rather than the story. While the premise doesn't seem entirely creatively bankrupt, it hardly sounds something that can be lucrative either. In our industry dominated by countless isekai, fantasy shows with cute girls, and fan service, Mato ... Seihei No Slave didn't seem all that special at all.

Takahiro's series isn't difficult to watch with a rather easy-to-follow plot. Right off the bat, we are given some background storytelling about the main protagonist Yuuki Wakura. Soon, we realize the Japan they are in has abnormal monsters known as 'Shuuki'. Unfortunately for Yuuki, he comes across them and almost loses his life until being saved by the mysterious yet beautiful Kyouka Uzen. The catch though: he has to become her slave. That's right. The author wanted to pair up a normal young man with a female military soldier, or specifically the Chief of the Anti-Demon Corps 7th Unit. As naughty as it sounds, this show doesn't hide its intentions. We witness erotic kissing because as part of the show's plot, it's part of Yuuki's "reward". Wonder why this show has 'ecchi' tagged under its genres? You don't need to look no further.

I'm not sure what the author is aiming for but the number of kisses Yuuki gets in this show far outclasses one of his well-known work, Akame ga Kill. Look, it's obvious the show adheres to fan service and glorifies its themes for those moments. Yuuki is essentially treated like a boy-toy who serve his master. Luckily for him, Kyouka is an honorable person and doesn't abuse Yuuki for her personal gains. However, she does become more possessive later on as she seems do develop geninue attachment to the boy. Nonetheless, Yuuki is the object of attention to a number of characters. With a domaint female roster, there's just no end to those rewards.

However, I warn you that the show doesn't have exactly a stellar character cast when it comes to personalities or development. The majority of them are one dimensional and dead on arrival in terms of creativity. These include Himari, Shushu, Nei, Yachio, and even Tenka. Coming from different divisions, the female cast are poorly written with lack of character backgrounds. All of them are paired up with Yuuki for their own purposes, and mostly revolves around being a good-natured combat tool. Tenka is one character who seems to grow a deeper attachment towards him although this season only scratch the surface. Others such as Yachio seems to reluctantly accept Yuuki until they realize his importance in taking down the Shuuki.

The plot kicks in from the start and throughout the show, we are given glimpses at Yuuki's past. There's not much depth outside what we know and the blame should be pointed to the pacing and length. This is a 12-cour show based off a manga that spans over 127 (at the time of this writing) chapters and counting. There's just no simple way to cram the material in and what we get is barely a tease. Nonetheless, you probably didn't stay here for the plot. It was obvious this show wanted to entertain for its fanservice and I suggest watching this in the uncensored version for justice.

As it desires itself to be an action fantasy, I do question if the show wanted to maintain a mature way of storytelling. Sure, the animation quality is consistent and acceptable by adaptation standards. In fact, action scenes often strike as alluring and intense, with its crafted chereography. On the other hand, character reactions in this show can be questionable and ventures into meme-like territory. This mostly draws from Yuuki's cartoony reactions and perverted moments. The big wide eyes that seems to pop out easily makes him a punchable character. Even the female cast has their own goofy moments that drags down an attempt at more mature series. And of course, we can't talk about Mato Shihei no Slave without mentioning its fan service. It wanted to service the fans with ecchi through the usage of boobs, ass, and kisses. Some of these include french kissing all for the sake of entertainment so strap yourself in, this show really wants you to be serviced.

Matoi Shihei no Slave is forgettable and a carbon copy of what modern shows of similar nature can accomplish. Only here, it added the idea of master-slave relationships. Romance really isn't a selling point, at least this season because those rewards are not based on love. Still, it's a 12-episode show and easily watchable with a bag of popcorn. Takahiro's body of work have been hits or misses throughout the years. This is one is a miss.

Most rom-com with harem elements these days involve a protagonist with 3 or more girls throwing themselves at him. What if we get a show where a protagonist has to date 100 girls?
It's not easy to focus a story about one guy and him potentially getting together with 100 girls. Think about it, the minimal amount of episodes the show needs would be 100 episodes, assuming one per girl per episode, yet we get just a 12-episode season. Obviously, the anime wasn't going t have the protagonist Rentarou Aijo accomplishing this goal. It hasn't even been accomplished in the manga yet. The promotional material ... made it clear that it's a harem seeker, with no reason other than for Rentaro to accomplish his goal. There's a deeper reason for that if you look no further than the synopsis. However, Rentarou's journey to capturing the hearts of 100 girls is far complicated than it looks.

The show takes no more than one episode to make its point clear: for our main protagonist to fall in love with girls. This anime isn't deceptive and honestly never hides its intentions from day one. We also can't say Rentarou is a cheater by having 'affairs' as he is open about engaging in polyamory. As such, in a way, this anime deconstructs the typical tropes of a rom-com with our protagonist having relationships with multiple girls. He's not commited to one single female character and there's no route to 'best girl wins'. To emphasize this idea, the show bought together a variety of cast into the show ranging from tsunderes to the shy type, to mad scientist genius, and even the older mom type. Several of these characters are introduced from character promotional videos and we get standalone episodes to make each stand out. As with most rom-coms that mixes in with the harem genre, expect misunderstandings and a whole lot of drama.

Concidentially, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You runs on a script that has similar themes as Girlfriend, Girlfriend, another rom-com harem in the same season. Both are about a protagonist trying to build relationships with multiple girls at once. This show obviously extends that to far more than 4 girls and if we look at the bigger picture, it seemed to be the author's intention's from the start. Rentarou's first lovers includes Hakari and Karane in the first episodes. It's an important step for him to achieve his ultimate goal as these two forcefully bring out a side Rentarou himself didn't even realize. It's a test to see if he can truly fall in love. Because of the main intention of the show, the direction is fairly obvious and you really shouldn't expect anything else than the girls falling in love with Rentarou and vice versa. In fact, any significant character with a given name of the female sex falls for him for one reason or other. Even cold ice queens like Nano Eiai isn't immune.

Against all odds, this show does carry an abundant amount of emotional content evident in some of the later episodes. Even though Rentarou wants to fufill his goal, he's also truly fallen for the girls he encounters, just in different ways and circumstances. He's also an honest person who doesn't lie, cheat, or manipulate to get what he wants. The show builds on his personality that tries to match with each girls through experimental-like episodes. Some of these episodes including going on individual dates while others have him deal with emotional problems in relationships. On one occasion, the show decide to throw logic out the window and turns our female cast into mindless lovebirds. You'll have to see and experience just how outrageous that turns out.

However, I won't deny that this anime runs into repetitive gags and falls into many harem traps you can experience in similar anime. The predicable nature of the story also kills any suspense on why Rentarou will get along with because let's face it, he's there to get all the girls. It's one of those rom-coms that is too straightforward and aimed at an audience who can turn their brains off and experience what this anime is. Yes, you don't need much thinking to get how and why Rentarou wants to get 100 girlfriends to like him.

Combining the asthetics of the manga and cherography, the anime adaptation faithfully brings our cast to life. It's a very colorful adaptation filled with cherry colors and playful vibe. The female cast is built with charisma in mind along with their overexaggerated expressions. It plays on their character personalities and evokes them during memorable moments. While Rentarou himself doesn't hold any distinctive features, he's often forced to react like how a harem protagonist would. Oh and I do want to mention this show has one of the more classy theme songs of the season.

I'm not going to sit here and say sets the gold standard of a rom-com/harem. Obviously, it doesn't but with all the entertainment it offers, it deserves a spot on the must-watch season of 2023. And with more episodes coming, you can bet that Rentarou is on his way to get those 100 girlfriends.

Spy x Family has truly managed to grab an audience since its premiere. With multiple seasons, games, and even an upcoming movie in the making, it's easy to say the franchise has been a success. However, it's more than a success. For what it managed to set itself from other spy-action related shows, Spy x Family proves that creative ideas combining family love and an spy elements can easily win an audience.

Taking directly off from the previous seasons, the show reintroduces our familiar main cast. The Forger family consisting of Yor, Loid, Anya, and their companion Bond undertakes misisons and daily life adventures this season. ... While not much has changed in the overall direction of the show, it continues to push the boundary of its previous established ideas and evolve them. For instance, Yor and Loid's relationship develops further with their date despite some hilarious mishaps. While we can't determine if they have fallen in love yet, it's clear they have a bond that goes beyond their original intent to be a married couple. Anya's personality and persona remains generally the same including her love of spy movies and using her mind reading talent to understand the wonders of the world.

The show's creative vision continues to adapt multiple sides of our characters' stories. Anya's school life is also a highlight as we meet her friend Becky, classmates Damian, among others. You may remember Damian from the previous season and the impressions he's made, most noticably being punched in the face. He returns again with his work ethic, and serves as a foil to Anya. It's also obvious that his feelings for Anya has grown and as a recurring gag, almost everyone seems to realize it except Anya herself.

Indeed, character work is a major strength of this show. It gives every relevant character a chance to shine including those outside of the Forger family. Often times, supporting cast is left in the dust to nowhere to be seen again in these type of shows. However, Spy x Family takes care of its cast and brings the most out of their personalities. A clear example is Becky and her infatuation towards Loid. In one of the later episodes, the show manages to arrange a meeting between them that spills into a very entertaining sitcom-like scenario. In fact, Spy x Family has been known to arrange episodes and structure them in different segments to balance out the overall tone of the show.

However, this season does have a deeper plot, most prominently known as the 'Cruise Adventure Arc' from the manga. It's here we see the deadly skills of a spy in Loid and his partner Yor, as the assassin. This arc highlights the Yor family as a resourceful group of characters who uses creative ideas to achieve success. The mixture of psychological moments along with spy-esque action and drama hits the peak of this season. It's in this arc that we see how much our main cast is different from others. To my delight, the arc also manages to hook me in with its recurring gags. It never forgets what the show is about despite the arc having the highest stakes since its debut. Believe me, it's truly an arc worth watching.

Adapting more seasons with an established franchise can sometimes be risky. Some franchises may overstay its welcome while others fails to evolve itself. However, Spy x Family manages to surprise us by delivering yet another stellar season of spy action, drama, and family love.

If you ever felt useless, look no further than protagonist Ryuuto Kashima. That's what he appears at first when we see him with his degrading thoughts. It geninuely made me scratch my head when he managed to score with the undoubtfully the most beautiful girl in the show, Runa Shirakawa. How could this happen? Isn't she way out of his league? Trust me, a lot of people would be asking the same questions.

Our Dating Story The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me couldn't sound any more honest as a title. You can probably figure out which character represents the 'experienced' and 'inexperienced'. The show ... aims at an audience who wants to experience their dating story.

A story about two lovebirds is nothing new in the anime industry as we know of today. It appears the show wanted to build on both characters from the very start, and having them with very different personalities and traits. Ryuuto has that lack of confidence in himself while being far too normal representing the 'Average Joe'. Taking a good look and you won't be able to name one distinctive physical trait about him. On the other hand, Runa can be described in a million words with her glamorous look and laviscious figure. It got to the point where there were even rumors spread about her because she is way too popular. Personality wise, Ryuuto is about as dull as a doorknob and often attracts the wrong type of attention. Runa of course makes the male population turn their heads while maintaining a bubbly and bright personality almost every time she is on screen. For most people, they look like two characters of different species.

When Ryuuto and Runa goes out for first time, it evokes a feeling of awkwardness. The show sees their dating story almost like an experiment with each of their dates and interactions. As the two come to learn and understand each other, it becomes more and more clear that Runa does indeed loves Ryuuto and not using him. Deep down, Runa is truly an honest person, unlike Maria Kurose, her twin sister. If you don't believe me, just watch one of the later episodes and see the desperate moves she tries to get Ryuuto to see her. Truth to be told, Runa represents the ideal girlfriend, almost like a trophy wife. She seemingly has no flaws and tries to make the best out of every date she goes on with Ryuuto. She is not afraid of her wild side or express her own thoughts. Despite going out with Ryuuto, she doesn't change much throughout the show either. In fact, Runa improves her own image and proves that she doesn't need to be beautiful to be an ideal person. Similarly, Ryuuto grows throughout the show and even defends his girlfriend when she needs it the most.

On Ryuuto's side however, he must deal with being in the public's attention. His popularity and public image only fuels fire from jealous guys and even Runa's best friend. Nikrou Yamana makes it a point throughout the show to make sure Ryuuto is the right person for Runa. Some people may misjudge her at first glance but she is just as honest and friendly as Runa. And because this is a rom-com, there's a place for romance in her hearts too. You'll have to watch to see who she gets with but trust me, she is a far better person than Maria can ever be. Unfortunately, it appears the author and this show altogether dumps the rest of the supporting cast into irrelevance. Outside of Runa, Ryuuto, Maria and Nikrou, every other character can easy be forgotten including their names. Ryuuto's circle of friends are a bunch of thirsty guys who can't find their place in life. Even Nikrou's friend Akari doesn't make much of an impact as she is overshadowed easily by our main cast. It's overall very easy to say not to invest your time into any of the supporting cast. They really aren't relevant.

Does this anime push the boundaries of a rom-com? After all, neither of our main characters can or should be quoted as breakout stars this year. However, I will say that they represent characters that you'd exactly expect to see in rom-coms: the average guy type vs the 'hottest girl at school'. Ultimately, you'll need to accept how the show's story focuses on these two. Their dating story goes through various phases and takes them to places that you'd expect to see couples go on dates. It's their dating experience.

Watching My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer can be best described as a heartwarming experience as it unites a family together. Sure, it's not a nuclear family unification that calls of a massive celebration. However, it does set the tone of the overall story together between our two main characters - Angeline and Belgrieve.

Based on the light novel of the same name, I will say that you don't need to put too much thought into going into this show despite the somewhat complicated synopsis. What you do need to know is the background of Belgrieve and how he became who he ... is today. Life in an unpredictable world is harsh and he learns it the hard way. Despite the hardship Belgrieve has went through, he establishes himself as a formidable adventurer capable of handling himself and even protect villages on his own turf. There's no doubt taht Belgrieve represents the role of a guardian and even moniker 'Red Ogre', nicknamed by Angeline herself.

Similar to her father, Angeline adapts a work ethic that pushes herself to become what she is in the present. She wants to prove to herself and Belgrieve that she is worthy of being his daughter. This is where the core of the show is known for - a father and daughter relationship. It's formulaic with recurring gags most noticably for Angeline's behavior. She's essentially protrayed as 'daddy's little girl' and acts such so. Some might call this pattern as insufferable to watch while others will label it as a charming relationship. Regardless, it is what it is.

The story structure, meanwhile transitions between the two main characters. Sometimes, we get to see Angeline's side of the story while other times, it follows Belgrieve and his everyday adventures. It retains a similar tone for both sides while adapting a different tone at times. For instance, Angeline's side can sometimes revolves around her hanging out with friends and enjoying time together. Belgrive on the other hand is more of a lone wolf, who observes from afar but nonetheless helpful towards others he meets. Adapting both side of the story fully embraces itself as an adventure with an acceptable cast of characters.

Unfortunately, supporting characters is mostly overshadowed by our two main leads. Characters such as Miriam, Marguerite, Mit, Charlotte, among others really can't hold a handle to either Angeline or Belgrieve in terms of characterization. The lack of their background story or development doesn't necessary hurt their characters but they are far from being superstars in the show. In fact, there's no real superstar carrying this anime. It's instead, a lighthearted fantasy adventure with the occasional high stake battles thrown in. Even so, it adapts a fairly light toned adventure that mostly loves its relationship between Belgrive and Angeline. And don't get the wrong idea, this isn't some bizarre romance either. It's more an old fashioned relationship between two close family members.

You shouldn't expect to also jump into this show to be blown away from its animation quality. Typhoon Graphics doesn't exactly set the industry standard but adapting from the light novels, the character designs looks similar. The most noticable characteristics is the emotive reactions from our cast, most noticably Angeline. The balance between her expressions ranging from a battle harden adventurer to daddy's little girl is striking. Belgrive mentains a similar range of tone throughout the series, protrayed as a mature father who loves his daughter.

There's no right or wrong way to watch this anime but don't get misunderstood by some of the tones in the show. This anime adapts a charming relationship that we should accept and learn from. It's family love that loves what it does for its own characters.