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If you're looking for a break from will-they-won't-they get together romance series Shikimori could be a nice break for you. Just be prepared for easy going pace and some questionable character moments.

Shikimori does a lot of things right where:
(1) We have a couple who's relationship is respected by family, friends and acquaintances (i.e. no one is trying to break them up or sabotage)
(2) The quality of animation is solid and on model nearly 90% of the time
(3) Shikimori and Izumi have open communication which helps them avoid big fights, misunderstandings and conflicts


Possible spoilers ahead!

My issues lie with Shikimori herself and her character. Shikimori is very ... "overprotective" of Izumi due to his streak of bad luck but a lot of times I read this as possessive. Shikimori gets jealous when Izumi appears to be having fun without her and even sees his male best friend as a rival for Izumi's attention. Not huge red flags but definitely questionable. The most insane thing for me what how she confronted another classmate who appeared to like Izumi (though this girl did not confess or do anything inappropriate). The confrontation was calm and diplomatic even, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth. However, this incident is remedied by a follow up episode of her and this girl becoming friends and leading to a possibility that she is shippable with her other female friend. They also don't go to deeply into Izumi or Shikimori's backstories which according to the anime seemed to be (Izumi) "I have bad luck and I want to stay away from others so they're not hurt" and (Shikimori) "I didn't know what I wanted to do until I read and shojo manga and decided I want to be a cute girl"

Hopefully the manga is a bit better.
EDIT: After reading more of the manga I will say that the show basically edited out all the sexual tension between Izumi and Shikimori and I think for a series about a couple this was desperately needed in the anime.

While based on a harem video game this is NOT a harem anime!
This anime is for anyone who is interested in seeing otaku culture in Japan, specifically centered around the doujinshi scene.
At first it seems like a typical low-budget gag anime from the early 2000s , it's actually a serious take on the journey of a doujinshi (fan comic) artist. The anime acts as a guide of do's and don'ts to making doujin and it's super informative. If you like informational anime that deep-dive into unique topics this is a must-watch.


Plot overview:
The anime starts with the characters in their senior year of high school ... and thinking of life after high school. Our main protagonist, Kazuki, is someone who has never thought much about what to do career wise and also has no specific interests but, has some talent for drawing that he's only utilized sparingly at school.
Kazuki's otaku friend Taishi, convinces him and their mutual friend Mizuki to go with him to a Comiket, a big convention (think comic con if artist alley took 75% of the space). While the experience is exhausting Kazuki is exposed to the world of making and selling doujinshi and with a little push from Taishi he feels inspired to make his own. Mizuki however, is against this as she feels that otaku-culture goes against societal norms and doesn't want Kazuki to become an outcast.
Even though Kazuki meets many women throughout the series they are all friends-only and all seem to respect that Mizuki is basically Kazuki's girlfriend. The main conflicts center around Mizuki accepting Kazuki's new passion and Kazuki's journey as an artist.

Some of the things I really love about this anime is that Kazuki's artist journey is very relatable as an artist myself. And also that making art is hard work and you can't cut corners.
(8/10)

Chainsaw Man is a very cool anime that strikes you in the moment but will leave your mind in a week or two. (the manga has the same effect).

If you want cool, amazingly animated action scenes with funny, unique characters this anime is for you. If you are looking for something immersive and deep Chainsaw Man won't cut it.

There is something about the way Chainsaw Man's story flows, that you can immediately tell the creator is a lover of Hollywood films. The moments that are really cool are *really* cool but then there just isn't enough time to settle down and get the feel for ... the world of Chainsaw Man. We get so much focus on Denji and the crew in public safety that it barely feels like the devils are any threat to anyone but them (we are constantly told what a threat devils are but the world doesn't really reflect that). I feel like this is the part of the series that really lacks balance for me and its all focused on the characters and not on the world they live in.
My hope was that watching the anime would give me clarity on some things but the pacing of the anime is wild and feels like it just wants to get to cool scenes as quickly as possible.

Despite this, the animation is phenomenal and it is an artistic triumph.
(7/10)

Season 2 was iight...

Season 1 started with Who killed Tem? and Are Legoshi and Hal gonna hook up?

I went into season 2 with these questions still on my mind but instead I was met with the duality of man and the complex dynamics of herbivores and predators in society. I mean its interesting but many times I felt myself get bored of watching Rouis, Legoshi and Riz question and analyze every single decision they made throughout the season.

I imagine if I had been reading the manga more than half of this season was inside of a thought bubble, you feel me?

The first thing I'll say about this anime is that it's very neutral.

It's your basic slice of life with a little romance and a lot of humor. I had first picked this anime to give me something safe to watch at work while I was on lunch. It cute and is a slow-paced kind of show.

I would say it's like Luck Star minus the otaku references.
This show's highlight would have to be it's slow going romance and cat-themed style.

If you're looking for an easy going anime then this is perfect.

This is hands down the best horror anime I've ever seen. The story is amazing and gripping. If I had to compare it I would say it reminded of Corpse Party. It gives you this feeling like you want to figure out what's going on and why it's happening.

All the characters are amazing. Each one brings something to the story that helps it along in such a perfect way.

I found myself feeling so many emotions that it felt more like an experience than just watching Another series.

However if you're not a fan of violence and blood this might not be for you but for ... mystery and horror lovers it's a must see!

Probably the most underrated Ghibli movie of all time. It certainly become and instant favorite for me. The english dubs were fantastic. All the characters were alive and lovable. The only thing it lacked was that it was too short!

It's a good enough love story but drool is kind of a gross thing to center an anime around. But I'll say that it peaked my curiosity enough to watch it all the way through.