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To call myself a Fujimoto fan would be an understatement. I could be classified as a Fujimoto glazer, and it STILL wouldn’t be enough. So of course I loved “Look Back” with every fiber of my being.

The idea to adapt what is likely a less than 100 page one shot story into a movie would seem pointless to most audience goers. Is a story that short worth my price of admission when I’m likely gonna be in and out in less than an hour? With this story: Yes, yes it is. And I get that might sound biased because I love Fujimoto’s work and that ... I might be overhyping this, but understand that Fujimoto is not only good at writing the most off the wall, silly, and borderline insane stories imaginable, he’s also good at understanding people.

Fujino and Kyomoto, voiced spectacularly by up-and-comers Yumi Kawai and Mizuki Yoshida, perfectly portray their characters. From Fujino’s casual yet overconfident personality to Kyomoto’s anxious but overly excited demeanor. Watching these kids interact and express their emotions in such an obvious way shows the understanding and attention to detail that the writer-director and the animators worked so hard to put on the screen. Not only that, but the music incapsulated the innocence of these kid’s enjoying their childhood and express their love of drawing to each other.

Despite this being a Fujimoto story, where he usually loves to tell his stories in these bombastic and extravagant ways, this story is very simple. You might even call it basic, especially for his line of work. But that’s what makes this one so special as it feels so personal to Fujimoto himself, and even the reader. I couldn’t help but think of my own experiences of my childhood when watching. An added flavor to this movie is the theme of creation and sharing that to others. The characters come into questioning their love of the art when there is so much self doubt to their work. But once watching and experiencing the visual feast of this movie, the answer comes instantly in mind. That’s what makes the story of “Look Back” so personal for anyone with an interest that they feel passionate about, that it even made me wanna come back to drawing.

With all of that said, you deserve to watch this movie. This movie made me reevaluate myself and made me realize all over again why I like my what I like and do what I do today. Something like that makes movies like these special because they help us understand ourselves just a little bit better. It doesn’t need a man with chainsaws for hands or to be covered in flames to keep us engaged, although they do help. A simple story about kids learning about themselves and forming bonds around common interest is all you really need.

The definitive “Tomboy Supremacy” anime is finally here to share with the world that Tomboys need the love they desperately deserve! If you haven’t watched this anime, you’re probably some Tsundere fan and think Kaguya-sama is the be-all of romcoms. I’m sorry to rip the bandaid off, but Tomo-Chan wa Onnanoko is here to change that. Horimiya? No thank you, give me my masculine female with more muscles then I could ever get in my life. Tomboys are here to stay, and if you don’t see that, you’ll be left with the times of stone faced girl or the literal psychopath.

…I’m sorry I don’t ... know what came over me. I just blacked out once I began typing and forgot I’m not on Twitter fantasizing about muscular women. But now that I got that out of my system, I finished Tomo-Chan wa Onnanoko and I have quite a bit to say about it. A little bit of background, but I actually read the manga for this back when I was in middle school, and it was one of the manga that had kicked off my manga reading experience. So when this series was announced to getting an anime, I was pretty excited but worried if it would get any attention from the Winter season. Then the realization dawned on me that Tomboys are now the new trend on social media, so this anime doing well was pretty obvious from the get-go. But, despite it mainly being an anime capitalizing on the current trends, it still as charming and funny as when I first read it all those years ago.

The plot is as simple as it gets: a high school girl, Tomo, confesses to her childhood friend, Jun, and is immediately rejected and seen only as his bested bro. This is pretty rough in it’s own, but it’s made worse since Tomo believes Jun doesn’t even see her as a girl. Tomo is, at her core, a tomboy. Raised by a stacked father of a dojo, all she’s ever learned is to fight and so she’s mostly seen as intimidating and ferocious. Jun being someone who always wants to best her in any situation possible since childhood. It’s a very basic story for our romcom, but the situations our characters find themselves in can be quite hilarious as Tomo tries and fails to get Jun to look at her as a female with the aid of her kuudere best friend, Misuzu. This anime handles the struggle of the “tomboy” pretty well that it really makes me want to see more anime handle a tomboy character as the lead, especially in a romance. This is definitely not for nefarious or evil purposes as I just want to see the trait of a tomboy be used more for character development rather than as a quirk.

While the plot is not exactly anything to write home about, the characters and their dynamics with each other is what drives the entertainment value for so many. The romance between Tomo and Jun is very sweet and wholesome as we see their first meeting as children to their awkward teen years of understanding their feelings for each other. Side characters are just as entertaining and fun to watch as Tomo and Jun. I mean, if you can’t find Carol adorable or Misuzu incredibly funny with deadpan delivery, you’ll likely despise this anime. Luckily, this anime has it’s characters actually develop throughout the narrative and form connections with each other towards the end.

Another aspect I’m more surprised by is the production value is actually quite good. The voice actors were perfect for their roles. Tomo may come off a bit abrasive with her screaming, but it’s usually balanced out with her more charming and somber moments. And you got to give credit to Carol’s VA as she voices her in both the sub and dub, and she’s great. Now don’t get me wrong, the animation isn’t exactly Ufotable or MAPPA quality but for what it is, it gets the job done. But, it will have its moments have really good animation that surprised me a few times. Usually when it comes down to fights and the choreography will be on point. But there are definitely moments where you can tell they didn’t have enough time or just not enough money, especially towards the second to last episode.

Regardless, this anime was a lot of fun and it genuinely made me want to go back to the manga I read all those years ago. Honestly, I hope the mangaka can come back to the characters in the future with the positive reaction of the anime. Maybe a “where are they now?” bonus chapter or doujin, especially since they’re known for making quite… explicit content. If you got past my borderline schizophrenic opening and read this far, I highly recommend you watch this for a good laugh and a pretty wholesome romance. And with that, it’s back to the dark void that is Twitter for more Tomboy Supremacy.

Mob Psycho 100 is something special. Out of many anime that have released this year, I still find this show pulling me back to see how Mob improves himself as a person. I can’t even think of a show that has made me feel all types of emotions within a season, let alone the entire show. That’s how you know Studio Bones and the author ONE really knows how to entertain us, while still tugging at our heart strings.

Story:
Young high school boy by the name of Mob is a psychic of unparalleled power, but finds no use for them as they don’t seem to help ... him with what he wants and he doesn’t seem to have full control over them. In order to properly maintain his powers, he looks for guidance from the spiritual medium/con artist, Regan. While the premise is quite simple and the show focuses on comedy, it takes the extra mile of looking into the psychology of Mob and what makes him the shy, yet powerful, psychic that he is. Even this season alone gives up so much character development that it seemed to not fair well with some audiences, finding some of it to be boring or just filler. But these moments are what make Mob Psycho so fun and endearing as we can experience the misadventures of our characters and how Mob develops through them. Not only that, but the comedy is actually good! Not all anime can always hit with its comedies, and most even fail the mark in my opinion. But I think that Mob Psycho has humor that most people can find endearing and well-thought out that you can’t help but crack a smile.

Characters:
As I mentioned previously, this is a series about Mob, and everything regarding him, his master Regan, and the wisecracking apparition he accomplishes, Dimple, are what really shine about this series. While Mob is the center focus, the series does an excellent job of giving the viewer a wide variety of colorful characters to enter Mob’s story. That can go from his supporting characters like his supportive younger brother Ritsu, to eccentric background characters like Tome, to more threatening antagonist like the leader of a secret psychic organization like Toichiro. There’s so many characters of different personalities and each one gets enough screen time and care that you can’t help but love and enjoy. While some find episodes from this season to be dull when it isn’t focused on Mob’s story, I find them to be great side stories where I can see everyone interacting and sharing charming dialogue with each other.

Art:
What else can be said here? Studio Bones and it’s staff have shown their love of this series by giving it the energy and style befitting of ONE’s crude and hilarious illustrations. Each character is expressive, kinetic, yet simple in design that it makes it easy to recognize any character in frame(not to mention, making it easier to animate). But they still understand how to keep a scene serious and even animates an ugly cry in such excruciating detail. And Bones will even change art styles to fit the tone of the scene. There is not a dull moment when it comes to the animation of this series and why I still prefer it over reading the manga, but that doesn’t mean the manga doesn’t have its charm despite how many people will put it down for its art quality.

Sound:
Of course, an anime is not as good with just animation, but with good sound design and music. The score of Mob Psycho has such a strange yet energetic feel that any fight, or any emotional scene, hits extremely hard. Music that fits the overall supernatural vibe while still having its comedic simple music to balance it out. And that goes for the sound design with its wacky comic book-esque sound effects that overlap with their expressive animation.

Conclusion:
Mob Psycho is something that will be remembered as one of the couple anime that will not only entertain but will make the viewer reflect on themselves. It’s not like I’m going to say that this show almost made me cry a couple times throughout its three seasons… BUT it’s a fantastic show that needs to be remembered for what it accomplished. And we should never forget it’s parting message after the credits roll, “that smile is One and only 1.”

*I’ve noticed that I spelled Reigen’s name out as “Regan” but I decided to keep it because I thought it was pretty funny.

The new Demon Slayer arc, The Entertainment District arc, has reached its conclusion and its popularity skyrocketing from later "events" in the show really solidifies that studio Ufotable have basically carried this series by animation alone. As long as you have pretty lights to get the fans riled up, you basically have an anime masterclass. Now, from my obviously cynical opening, you'll probably think I hated this and will say that this is the peak of shonen trash and the only praiseworthy thing about it is putting me to sleep. But, in reality, this season of Demon Slayer was an above average fireworks show. This ... is going to include spoilers for the series, so tread carefully. Unless you just don't care...

Story:
If you have seen the first season and the movie, you technically know the story by now: Tanjiro quests to save his demon sister and help her become human again with the help of his wacky companions and fight the demons that turned her. This time, the gang are given an order to fight demons within the Entertainment District with the help of the Sound Pillar Mr. Flashy Flash with his harem who have minimal screentime. Will they make it out alive to see another day? Yes. With the summary out of the way, the story of this season is mostly fine. Exploring the streets of an entertainment district with a demon hiding amongst the occupants is a neat idea, but doesn’t feel as well explored as it could have been. This may have been for the best as the pacing for this season was pretty slow at the beginning, especially with the hour long first episode which compacts both setup for this season’s plot and filler. Yet again, once it does get to the fight sequences, it does make the wait somewhat bearable even though it’s just flashing lights and special effects. Speaking of the fights…

Art & Sound:
This part of the review needs no further explanation. The animation, music, and sound design are impeccable, wonderfully energetic, and impactful. Even if most of the fights don’t make much logical sense and feels like kids fighting in the sandbox coming up with random powers to win over the other, you still can’t help but get a little bit hyped when shit goes down. I’m more appreciative of the soundtrack and it is quite fitting for the series.

Characters:
This is my least favorite component of the series, and I am probably in the minority when it comes to disliking some of these characters. Not all of them are bad, but usually stem from bland and forgettable, to one-note gag characters, to interesting but underdeveloped characters that are rushed into having a tragic backstory for dramatic effect. The main cast is mostly the same as they have been. Tanjirou is your typical shounen MC with the hearty attitude and a tragic backstory. His sister, Nezuko (aka the lovable brick), who’s been turned into a demon from the big bad and motivation for Tanjirou. She will also bullshit her way into new abilities even though she should be weaker than other demons since she doesn’t consume blood, but she’s just special that way. Zenitsu and Inosuke, Tanjirou’s funny and wacky companions who accompany him, except one of them is actually funny and the other is just an annoying incel that constantly screams and is only cool when he’s passed out. Then, there is the sound pillar Tengen Uzui who joins in with his many death flags, but he actually forgets to die. Uzui is definitely the most fun member of the cast and, while his obsession with being “flashy” would be pretty annoying at times, he can be pretty endearing to watch. And he smacks ass, so that’s a plus. He also has three wives, but again they have very little screentime and are pretty one-note to actually be interesting. And then there’s the villain of this season, Daki, who was too weak that she had to ass pull her way into getting her brother out of her back to tap in. While Daki was mostly annoying and constantly screaming how beautiful she was and how ugly everyone else was, her brother, Gyuutarou, is actually kinda interesting and the series compares his relationship with Daki to Tanjirou’s relationship to Nezuko. This does add an interesting connection to both the protagonist and antagonist that we haven’t seen before in the show. And once they’re defeated, they actually have a pretty sad backstory that I wish was more properly fleshed out than given a quick summary as they are slowly dying.

Enjoyment:
This season was equal parts entertaining and equal parts frustrating. While the big spectacle fights were happening, I couldn’t help but hear the nagging voice in my head that was screaming “this doesn’t make any sense!” While I can lay back and look at the pretty pictures, I can’t ignore its slow pacing, overall weak characters, and all-over-the-place power system.

Conclusion:
People will either love or hate Demon Slayer, and each side has it’s valid points for why they love it. But if you are in that place where you enjoy Demon Slayer for it’s slick animation and soundtrack but also despise it for it’s somewhat lazy storytelling, then you are not alone.

Zombieland Saga, as a whole, is a series I find to be wasted potential. Tell me, with a premise such as “zombies turned idols to save the prefecture of Saga with their borderline psychotic manager,” would you expect to see the show would a large dose of melodrama to go with such an absurd premise. Now, before I go into Revenge, I wanna summarize my thoughts on Season 1 since this is my first time talking about this anime. For season 1, the first two episodes were some of the most fun of the whole season, they completely use their premise to its fullest with ... silly shenanigans, changing up the “idol anime” genre, and having fun. But, when the third episode hit, it kinda just became a self-aware idol anime with all the over the top melodrama of wanting to become the next big idol group. It was a big disappointment for me, so I was not expecting this season to really surprised me at all. I was somewhat proven right, and somewhat proven wrong.

Story:
The story seems like a fitting way to start of the second season as the crew of Franchouchou are in huge debt from the awful failure of their concert at the EFS. Which was stupid how they got themselves into this mess when given extra context 10 episodes later in a quasi-filler episode. This would have been fine as a bit for a joke, but both the first and tenth episodes play it completely straight. While Franchouchou are saving up money, they grow more as an idol group and as zombies. Most episodes are little bottle episodes that focuses on most of the cast members, giving us a little more context to their characters and normally doesn’t effect them all that much throughout the course of the story and go back to being the same cheerful charismatic zombies. Most of these episodes can be fun but usually don’t hit as hard as I would like them to. I’ll at least give season 1 credit, where there was at least some inner conflict to be had to keep the story more interesting.

Art:
Art is a little on the rough side with this series, though it looks the best in this season compared to the previous. Both do have their moments of fun and energetic animation, but they also have moments of static shots with lackluster artwork in places. The character design is probably the best part of this series as each character has their own unique look to them and give off their personalities pretty well. But that opening is a real banger and kinda tops the first season, IMO.

Sound:
Sound design wasn’t really all that special to give much praise as it sounded like most of it was just royalty free sound effects half the time. The music is really well done and catchy to the point that I would tap my foot to some of their melodies. Although, I think catchy music in an idol anime is pretty much expected to be there. Not to mention, it doesn’t really have too much of its own personality to the lyrics as it sounds like the kinda songs you would get from the usual idol groups.

Characters:
I will say that the strongest part is the characters for the most part. Aside from Sakura, who feels more like a wet blanket than a good character, most of the other characters have enough of a dynamic and personality that you’ll be sure to like at least one. While some don’t really gel with me completely for reasons that’ll make this review longer than it is, I can’t really say I hate any of them. I will make note to finally including a backstory to the member, Yuugiri, as she felt painfully underutilized in season 1 and mostly used for jokes. Her story arc were some of my favorite episodes as it was a nice change of pace from the anime’s usual antiques, it felt like a breath of fresh air. It also helped me to fully understand Koutarou’s quest to save Saga as his late ancestor(?) and gives him a lot of charm with his chemistry with Yuugiri. It also helped to accept Koutarou’s screeching autism that was sometimes getting to me.

Enjoyment:
It’s a bit mixed for me as I wasn’t really annoyed by this series, but I wished it really took the show to more absurd levels and actually did a little more with its zombie premise besides “we can’t let everyone know we’re zombies” shtick. And only after the last episode, we get a tease for [REDACTED] and ONLY NOW YOU DECIDE TO COMMIT TO THE ABSURD?!?!

Overall:
Those first two episodes of season 1 and Yuugiri’s arc were some of the best this series had to offer. Maybe one I can think of that was cute was Saki getting to meet her idol who made her who she was and filling in his shoes. But, I guess this show was mostly ruined for me because I expected too much from it that I lost interest along the way. If you want something to turn your brain off to and maybe laugh (though jokes can be hit or miss at times), check it out if you want. Time to go back into my cave.

One word I can use to describe this new series is “promising.” This is my second review and my last one was my negative nancy side, so I’m happy to write something that I’ve been thoroughly enjoying sense the first chapter to its current chapter. Dandadan, written and illustrated by Tatsu Yukinobu, had just recently been added to Shounen Jump+’s new lineup of manga, and this one has been recommended by none other than the author of Chainsaw Man and Jigokuraku. While I have not have the privilege to read Jigokuraku yet, I have read Chainsaw Man and these series definitely share similarities in how ... bad shit insane they are.

Story:
The story centers on our two main characters: Takakura Ken, an insecure nerd who is obsessed with aliens, and Ayase Momo, a gyaru with a fascination of the occult. Both are of different worlds, but gather to different places of strange occurrences to prove which is false. Both end up to be true as Momo is kidnapped by aliens to impregnate her and Ken is possessed by a supper fast grandma who wants his penis. Ken gains control of the “Turbo Granny” and saves Momo, with the help of her latent supernatural abilities. Thus, they grow an unlikely friendship as they encounter other worldly spirits and inter-terrestrial beings. This story goes from one place to another in ways you wouldn’t expect, and always keeps you engaged with it’s breakneck pace and balls-to-the-wall action.

Characters:
Other than it’s out-of-control action and story, another strength to this manga is its characters. It’s what really gives the heart of the story as both Momo and Ken have really good chemistry as they angrily yell at each other through dangerous situations and share a heart to heart with each other as they grow from their experiences. There’s also Momo’s aunt, Santa, who later joins the cast as an experienced psychic who taught Momo of the supernatural. She becomes a mentor to our main characters and may be a sexually attracted to Ken. Their dynamic is infectious and leads to some good laughs.

Art:
The art is spectacular, as Tatsu can balance comedy, action, and horror to each page. Each enemy having a haunting eerie quality to them, while our characters contrast for the more silly aspects of the series. Action also has the motion and intensity that you would expect from the best of Shounen action manga.

Enjoyment:
Like previously mentioned, this is an exciting ride that you don’t know where it’s taking you. One minute it’s a coming of age slice of life manga, next it’s a cut-throat action horror manga. If you’re someone that liked the intensity and action-packed fun of Chainsaw Man, you might like this one.

Overall:
This series is still in its early days so my score could easily raise or fall depending on where the story goes. Nonetheless, I’m excited where this manga will go and the manga has a successful run on Jump+ and gets better from here.

This review, as of when writing this, will probably be the most critical review this series has been given on the page (as well being my first so go easy on me). So to preface this harsh review, this is mostly based on my opinion and you may disagree and that’s perfectly fine, to some extent I can understand the appeal as the series does have its strengths, but this review will be covering less of its strengths and more of its weaknesses that I believe go a little unmentioned. So here it is, the overly critical review of Kimi no Koto ga dai dai ... dai dai dai suki na 100-nin no Kanojo, otherwise known as “The 100 girlfriends manga with a really really really long name.”

Story:
As you’ve read from the synopsis, the story is very simple: young high school boy, who’s been rejected 100 times, is met by a God of love and is given the destiny to date 100 girlfriends and if he fails to date them, they will die. Thus, we have a very simple story of love, comedy, and repetition. Repetition being it’s crucial flaw in my eyes, not only in its jokes but formulaic structure. Now, following a structure is not inherently a bad thing since a lot of long-running series do in someway, but in the terms of this series, this is somewhat how it goes: MC meets his fated waifu; they begin to have some chemistry and start to have a blossoming romance; some drama might go down that leads to complications; they get over it and a new gf joins the harem; they do some wacky shenanigans with some totally not overplayed self-aware humor; rinse and repeat. I’ve read up to 50 chapters and it certainly begins to feel stale and predictable as it goes on. Not to mention, there is little to no character growth and when there is, it’s right back to the status quo. Not to mention, these wacky shenanigans can get old pretty quickly that I was waiting for the next cycle and hope it’s more entertaining(and sometimes it is... sometimes). Did I also mention that the jokes are totally without a doubt “NOT” overplayed? Well that was a lie, I’ve tricked and deceived you. Some jokes can certainly get a good chuckle out of me, but once you’ve made your 500th “breaking the forth wall” joke or “let’s commentate on how the joke was wacky” joke, it’s lost its charm at that point. And these jokes can sometimes ruin the actually good jokes with how frequent they are. It also has pretty bad balance with its over the top comedy with serious moments, and its “wholesome” content (that personally feels forced) with its ecchi elements. It feels like tonal whiplash that sometimes works, most of the time doesn’t. 5/10

Characters:
If someone were to tell you that the characters in this series are some of the most one note, flat anime tropes on this side of the planet, I’d be pretty shocked since theirs a large amount of praise I’ve seen for this manga. I could refer to these characters by their characteristics alone and you’d probably know who I’m talking about. Rentarou, aka “the smart MC”, who simps his way to loving his wacky harem and comes up with crazy over the top situations to solve a problem, which can be entertaining at times from the sheer absurdity of them; Karane is the tsundere straight man; Hakari, the sweet and straightforward pervert; Shizuka, the introverted bookworm who speaks through books (wow that gimmick got old quick); Nano, the robotic kuudere; etc. There’s not much for characterization, and when they do have some kind of development, it just moves on and we start to forget it ever even happened as the next waifu rolls in from the woodwork to be added to [insert self here]’s love cult. 5/10

Art:
This will be the easiest part to talk about, because the art by Nozawa Yukiko is breathtaking and definitely the best part about the series. The character designs for the girls are striking and dynamic, the staging of the characters to fit them all in the panels is also well done, and she illustrates the visual comedy with elegance. Some of the best jokes came from the visual humor for me, and some still stick with me after so long. Although the characters do suffer from “same face syndrome” and Rentarou’s basic design for Japanese boys to insert themselves into, everything else makes up for it (and a lot of anime have similar looking faces so I can’t complain much). 8/10

Enjoyment:
Despite me unceremoniously ripping the series to shreds, and probably upsetting some people along the way, you assume I probably despise the series so far. Well, yes and no. While it has issues, there are times where I am caught off guard and I am genuinely surprised from some of the jokes the series has to offer, maybe even it’s dramatic elements. Usually when the manga delves more into the absurdity, it’s a lot more entertaining and engaging to read. There can be some good stuff in this series, but it’s repetitive nature, cardboard cut out characters, and painfully obvious and done to death jokes hold back a series with great promise. So I’m quite mixed. 5/10

Overall:
This series is getting a lot of praise for it’s hilarious jokes, lovable characters, and creative writing. While I can understand “some” of that praise, I feel that some people are kind of ignoring these issues just because it’s parodying the genre of harem and doesn’t take itself that seriously. The concept is outlandish that I’d love to see where the author Nakamura Rikito can take it, but I feel with the formula it has, it will just get boring and too predictable to even sustain my interest, but I could be wrong by that as the series continues. I do hope that the author will grow and develop his writing style and fix these issues in future chapters. Anyway, that’s the end of my madden rumbles on this series, I’ll be going to bed now.