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Oh boy. This was disappointing.

“The World Ends With You” is my favourite Nintendo DS game, so I was stoked when I heard that there would be an anime adaptation. The game oozes style, brims with uniqueness, and tells a touching story about human vulnerability. But considering that adaptations of video game stories have the tendency to be underwhelming, I did my best to lower my expectations...but damn, I should have lowered them further.

The pacing of the show is all over the place. The narrative burns through instances of potential character development and stubbornly lingers on moments of meandering. Shiki and Rhyme are really only in ... about 3 episodes, leaving very little time to grow attached to them. However, far too much time is dedicated to showing Neku, Joshua, and Beat wander around aimlessly for episodes on end. The storytelling priorities are so out of whack; the anime completely fails to capture the spirit of the original game, and worse, fails to be a compelling, stand-alone narrative.

Worst of all, though, is the animation and sound. Take any still frame of this show and it looks decent enough, but the illusion of quality crumbles the second it’s put into motion. TWEWY The Animation frequently resembles a lagging video game, looking choppy and stilted regardless of whether 2D or 3D animation is being used. The action scenes are ridiculously hard to follow due to jarring camera movements and poor framing; the screen is often just a cluttered mess of colours and shapes.

The music and sound effects are mediocre too, save for the recycled tracks from the game. There’s even a moment about 6 minutes into episode 10 where Beat whacks his skateboard against an enemy and there’s NO accompanying sound effect AT ALL. The enemy just gets launched away in complete silence. It’s all so...sloppy.

So yeah, this is an extremely low-quality adaptation that completely lacks the heart and soul of the original game’s story. Whether you’re a fan of the original game or not, I don’t recommend this anime. In fact, I would advise against wasting your time with it.

Please...if you want to spend your time meaningfully, just play the game or watch playthroughs online. This anime is not worth your time.

Fairy Ranmaru is a camptastic anime filled with nonsense and absurdity. It was trash and I loved it!

Let’s get the technical stuff out of the way: the story and characters leave a lot to be desired. This is not a “conventionally good” show that can be enjoyed in conventional ways. If you’re looking for tight writing and intricate characters, Fairy Ranmaru will not meet your expectations.

It follows the typical, trope-heavy “monster of the week” format that most fans of the “magical girl” genre will recognize. The episodic formula is extremely repetitive, especially in the latter half of the show where there’s very little variety. ... I think a lot more could have been done with episodes 6-10, specifically. More time should have been spent fleshing out the character dynamics, but unfortunately there are very few developments during this stretch, and it feels like a wasted opportunity.

What this anime does have, though, is some pretty fun music and art. Each of the character songs that play after the transformation sequences are quite catchy; I never grew tired of them! The opening and ending songs are also surprisingly good! When it comes to the animation, it can be quite choppy at times, but the show always displays a consistent style. Visually, this anime shines during its fight sequences, which have a “Madoka Magica”-esque, surreal aesthetic.

Now, the real draw of Fairy Ranmaru is the campiness and the fanservice. If you don’t enjoy either of those things, then this anime will bore you to tears. However, if you’re looking to have a good laugh while ogling bulges and indulging in some homoerotic tension, then I can’t reccommend this show enough. It’s just such a fun watch for people like me who get a kick out of over-the-top silliness!

I had a lot of fun watching Fairy Ranmaru, despite its many flaws. As it stands, I think that this show is criminally underrated; it’s really not as bad as some people make it out to be! It’s one of the least watched shows of the 2021 Spring season, and I think that’s a damn shame.

Oh well! I’ll still fondly remember this goofy little anime for years to come! :’)

As a huge fan of Atsuko Yusen’s previous English-language release, “Dekoboko Sugar Days,” I jumped at the chance to read this new manga. I went in with high expectations, but ended up feeling pretty lukewarm about it.

Please don’t get the wrong idea, “This Wonderful Season With You” is still above-average for a BL story. It’s tightly written, well-paced, and the characters lean away from the more uncomfortable tropes that permeate through the genre. I just feel like it didn’t quite reach the heights of Dekoboko, though it is still an extremely enjoyable manga in its own right.

Dekoboko’s main couple were interesting because they felt unique; ... a short, temperamental boy falls for a taller, more feminine boy. Those characters twisted the typical archetypes, making for a really engaging romance.

In “This Wonderful Season With You,” the characters are so generic it hurts. Enoki and Shirataki are clear cut “nerd” and “jock” stereotypes, respectively. Their dynamic is very typical and very boring. Shirataki at least gets some depth when the story focuses on his family life, but he remains pretty flat overall because he’s so stoic. Meanwhile, the narrative doesn’t reveal much about Enoki at all. I couldn’t tell you anything about his family life, history, or opinions. His character never gets much development beyond “cute & shy nerd who likes video games.” Enoki and Shirataki are the most bland BL couple I’ve read about in a hot minute.

I also have a bit of an issue with the art, specifically when it comes to Shirataki. To me, he was drawn in a very inconsistent way, with his face kind of morphing depending on the panel. Sometimes his chin looks MASSIVE, and sometimes his eyes look like they’re placed on his forehead. A lot of the time, he just resembles a walking thumb, and I don’t think it’s intentional. These inconsistencies were very distracting and totally pulled me out of the story.

With all that being said, “This Wonderful Season With You” is still good. It’s just not great! If you’re looking for an easy-breezy, heartwarming BL, then this manga will get the job done. It’s still very enjoyable and totally worth reading, just be sure to manage your expectations.

“Versailles no Bara Gaiden,” consists of a side story called “The Countess in Black,” as well as four side stories collectively known as “The Great Detective Loulou.” Each story takes place around the time that the Black Knight appears in the original manga.

I’m actually really impressed by these side stories! They have a very different feel compared to the original manga; it seems as though Riyoko Ikeda had more creative freedom since she wasn’t bound by a need for historical accuracy. While the main story of “The Rose of Versailles” has a melodramatic, romantic tone, the atmosphere of the side stories bounces between comedic and ... gothic. A main reason for the change in tone is the introduction of Oscar’s niece, Loulou!

A person’s enjoyment of the side stories largely depends on their enjoyment of Loulou. She’s a young, rambunctious girl who has incredible intuition. Her inquisitive mind often leads her down the path of unravelling various mysteries involving shady members of the aristocracy. I found Loulou to be really funny and endearing, but I can also see how some people might find her annoying.

Don’t go into these side stories expecting to get much insight into the main characters of “The Rose of Versailles.” Antoinette is hardly present, and Oscar spends most of her time watching over Loulou. To me, the main appeal of these stories are Loulou’s antics and the surprisingly dark mysteries. The villains of these stories are totally wicked, many of them are vastly more interesting than the villains from the original manga!

It’s also interesting to see some characters from a slightly different angle; Loulou’s shenanigans often stun or irritate Oscar and André, leading to some great comedy. In the original manga, it was uncommon for Oscar to be portrayed as anything other than composed, so it was delightful to see her lose her cool a bit in these side stories!

My main criticism is that these side stories are pretty inconsequential and don’t really serve to further develop any of the main characters. These small narratives are far less grandiose and epic than the original manga’s storyline, so in some respects, they’re a bit forgettable. However, they’re super charming, so I really enjoyed reading them!

If you’ve had your fill of 18th century French melodrama, then “Versailles no Bara Gaiden” will probably feel like an unwelcome dessert. However, if you just can’t get enough of “The Rose of Versailles,” then I highly recommend taking the time to read these side stories!

I became interested in reading The Rose of Versailles manga a few years ago after finishing the anime, only to discover that it wasn’t legally available to read in English! Finally, though, Udon Entertainment finished publishing their (needlessly expensive) hardcover editions, and I’ve managed to complete my readthrough!

I really enjoyed reading The Rose of Versailles. It feels like a grand, romantic tale, featuring melodrama and stellar artwork in abundance. It’s easy to grasp the massive mark that this series has had on the Shoujo genre; the characters feel their emotions with such intensity, and every shifting mood is highlighted by sudden rays of light and ... endless flower petals. Though the plot is quite predictable and trite at times, the story’s presentation feels unique to the 1970s with Riyoko Ikeda’s gorgeous art.

Though the artwork is sublime, the story and characters are far from perfect. Many of the characters based on real historical figures feel somewhat constrained, lacking depth. It seems to me that Ikeda didn’t want to make any large assumptions about these figures, even if doing so would have been beneficial to the narrative’s flow. There are also several pacing issues as the story reaches its close, where the narrative either spends too much time on certain characters or not enough time on others.

The worst part of the entire story is André, Oscar’s childhood friend. I’m not sure how he was received back in the 70s, but to a modern reader, he’s absolutely intolerable. He repeatedly attempts to force Oscar to be more feminine, constraining her to typical gender roles. Furthermore, though he tries to both rape and murder Oscar at separate points in the story, their relationship is still portrayed as romantic. André is an asshole, and it’s really irritating how the narrative refuses to criticize his behaviour. It feels really unnatural and forced when Oscar reciprocates his feelings.

Oscar, on the other hand, is the best part of the story. She is headstrong, stunning, and skilled. It’s a delight to watch her subvert expectations of womanhood and carry herself with confidence. She also has the best character arc, spanning the entire story, as she comes to understand the horrible living conditions of the lower class, and eventually fights alongside them during the revolution. Oscar is the reader’s tether to everything that happens in the story; she’s our “way-in” to 1700s France, and her escapades are endlessly entertaining.

The Rose of Versailles is far from perfect, but it is a masterclass in melodrama, feminine beauty, and historical fiction. Though characters can be bland and plot points can be repetitive, Ikeda’s artwork is some of the most striking and gorgeous I’ve ever seen, and Oscar is one of the most unique protagonists I’ve read about. Though not everyone will enjoy this manga, I believe that it is absolutely worth your time! The Rose of Versailles is full of memorable moments that will stick with me for years to come!

“That Blue Sky Feeling” had a lot of things going for it at the outset; a fat lead character whose weight isn’t constantly mocked, the foundation for a nuanced examination of sexuality, and the potential to be one of the most wholesome and accessible BL stories ever. Unfortunately, the manga seems to sabotage itself at every turn, and by the end I was left disappointed and dissatisfied.

First of all, the story drags out far too much. Noshiro and Sanada should have come to terms with their feelings in volume 2, leaving the final volume to explore their relationship dynamic further and give them some real ... character development. As it stands, the manga has poor pacing and often repeats story beats multiple times, making each volume blend together and halting any real sense of meaningful progression.

The main reason that the plot has so many issues is because the characters are bland and lifeless. Noshiro, the protagonist, is so painfully oblivious that it’s beyond belief. He lacks any comprehension of social cues and is incapable of self-awareness. He also displays a stunning lack of knowledge around romance and sex, so much so that he feels more like an elementary school kid rather than a sixteen year old. Overall, the protagonist of this story doesn’t feel like a real teenager, so it’s hard to care about him at all.

Morinaga, Sanada’s “rival” who vies for Noshiro’s affections, is completely intolerable. Though the characters constantly remind you how “cute” he is, Morinaga is inconsiderate, obnoxious, and one-dimensional. His addition to the story is abrasive and unwelcome, and he sucks the joy out of any scene in which he’s present.

Most of the other characters are forgettable, but the character Hide, a twenty six year old man, is unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. His purpose in the narrative is to serve as a mentor to Noshiro, and in theory, this could have been extremely cute and interesting. Unfortunately, Hide is introduced in the story as Sanada’s ex-boyfriend, which has a lot of uncomfortable implications.

Even if you are someone who can overlook age gaps in fiction, Hide is still an extremely predatory character. He is constantly manipulating the teenage cast, making sexual references, inviting them into his home alone, and generally acting inappropriately. The worst part of all of this, though, is that the narrative doesn’t treat Hide like a threat at all. There is a complete absence of criticism when it comes to the adult man; the story portrays him as trustworthy, mature, and attractive. This dissonance made much of “That Blue Sky Feeling” an uncomfortable reading experience.

In the end, this manga had a lot of potential, but ultimately lacked the nuance and skillful execution that would have made for a satisfying and meaningful story. I’m surprised it even got the green light to be published in the West considering that most Western readers are likely to find Hide completely unpalatable. Whether or not you’re a fan of BL makes no difference, “That Blue Sky Feeling” is certainly not worth your time.

I’m a little confused with the praise this movie is receiving. The music and animation are out of this world, but that isn’t enough to save the odd character writing and tonal issues.

(Spoilers ahead!)

My memory might be a bit foggy since I watched the first season of Made In Abyss three years ago, but I don’t remember it being so tonally dissonant. In the movie, the characters go through horrible, traumatic experiences, but then discuss how “fun” adventuring is. At the end of the movie we get a scene of Riko crying over Prushka, who’s been cut up and shoved inside a case, and then ... seemingly less than five minutes later, it’s all smiles as Riko and her friends go deeper into the Abyss. Like...hello? It gives me, as a viewer, complete emotional whiplash.

Or rather, it would if I actually gave a damn about Prushka. I remember watching the scene from the first season where Reg put down Mitty and completely sobbing. While watching the movie, I felt like I barely knew Prushka, and I didn’t understand why Riko felt particularly attached to her.

Where the first season’s horror and gore felt like a fitting reflection of the unfair and dangerous world of the Abyss, here, it felt gratuitous and calculated. I think that, perhaps because the gruesome moments were caused by a human rather than by “nature," it all felt like torture porn. Instead of becoming immersed in a world and watching children face the dark consequences of underestimating it, I watched a bad man do bad things because the author thought that would be interesting.

A lot of stories are about bad people doing bad things for the sake of emotionally manipulating a viewer, but I think the reason it feels so cheap in this movie is because the characters are so stupid. It was hard to feel sorry when bad things happened to Riko and Reg because it’s like...well, yes, you accepted the invitation of a known child abuser with no plan of escape, so why are y’all surprised that bad things are happening? It was very frustrating to watch because RIko and and Reg felt so much smarter to me in the first season.

So overall, the story, characters, and tone felt much weaker to me here than in the first season. However, as I mentioned, the soundtrack and animation are incredible, so if you value that over all else, then I guess I would recommend giving it a watch. Just make sure to turn your brain off.

This manga is pointless.

The story takes place twenty years after Utena’s revolution, but that doesn’t really matter.

There’s hardly any insight into how the lives of the student council members have changed. All of their stories begin with them almost immediately going back to Ohtori academy or getting drawn into a vision. They each have a meaningless duel, and then they...change? Somehow? It doesn’t really matter because their stories each get cut off soon after their duels are over.

Though Utena and Anthy are on the cover of this manga, don’t expect to see much of them. The council members don’t even remember them, so they ... aren’t discussed much. Utena only appears in visions, and Anthy is almost completely absent.

The art is pleasant, and thankfully the manga is short. That’s about all the praise I can spare.

In the manga’s afterward, artist Chiho Saito explains what happened when she was asked to do a 20th anniversary Utena manga. She consulted with director Kunihiko Ikuhara, and together, the two of them realized that they barely had any ideas.

It shows.

This manga is the complete package. I can’t remember the last time I was this satisfied by a BL story!

To me, the manga is the perfect length to explore the main characters and their relationship, tell a satisfying narrative arc, and flesh things out with bonus chapters! The author uses all the best tropes of the genre to build the story and forgoes the more uncomfortably dubious tropes that have plagued BL for years. What’s left is an adorably fluffy, fresh and original tale with great art and incredible pacing. It’s simple and familiar in many ways, but absolutely perfect in its execution.

I’m ... sure not everyone will be blown away by Sugar Days, but to me it feels like the culmination of the best parts of BL stories throughout the years. If you’re a fan of BL, this is a must-read!

For a mobile gacha game, Magia Record’s story is serviceable. It’s the perfect breather in between gameplay, and it’s constructed in a way that allows many characters to coexist. Overall, it keeps the player coming back thanks to the pull of the mystery, as well as the ever-growing roster of magical girls to collect.

As the first anime installment in the Madoka Magica franchise since the Rebellion movie, Magia Record needed to be more than serviceable. The original twelve episode series, as well as its movie, are extremely well-regarded thanks to their iconic characters, intriguing plot, and immaculate pacing. It’s been a long seven years since ... then, and as such, Magia Record had a lot to live up to. In order for this adaptation to work well, some smart changes needed to be made to make it fit the anime medium. However, Magia Record suffers because, ironically, it is too faithful to the source material.

The biggest issue that viewers seem to have with this show is its pacing, and I would have to agree. Too many characters are introduced far too quickly, and the show does not have enough time to develop them and the plot at the same time. The story tends to race past moments that deserve attention and linger on moments of meandering. With the plot constantly shifting between these two extremes, it can be difficult to grasp who these characters are beyond their initial traits, making them seem like caricatures. All of this makes it difficult to feel invested in anything or anyone in the story.

It isn’t all bad, though. The art and aesthetics of Magia Record are frequently gorgeous. Even in dull moments, there is enough eye-candy on the screen to keep your attention. Furthermore, though the music had little chance of matching Yuki Kaijura’s original masterpiece of a score, it has some interesting and memorable tracks. The direction is hit and miss; though action scenes are frequently confusing, messy, and poorly animated, the quieter scenes are often much more engaging.

Overall, Magia Record, as an anime, fails to live up to its predecessors’ standard of quality. Its story and characters are mediocre, but its pleasing presentation will delight those who value visuals over everything else. In my opinion, this show is best enjoyed by not taking it too seriously and by having fun with its messier moments. This is how I will be approaching the second season of Magia Record when it airs, as I continue to wait patiently for a sequel to Rebellion worthy of the Madoka Magica title.