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Anime and Manga has yet to run out of ideas to tell interesting takes on cooking shows. Dungeon Meshi or Delicious in Dungeon may not hook you up with its title but it is perhaps my favorite manga alongside Chainsaw Man and Berserk.

Dungeon Meshi is an action-adventure comedy fantasy series filled with charm, whimsy, and highly imaginative culinary wizardry. Written and illustrated by Kui Ryoko, who has done fanarts of Baldur's Gate, the manga's artstyle was some of my favorite due to how deceptively simple but detailed they are likewise how worldbuilding was handled thru masterful manipulation of ink in paper. Having been a long ... fan of RPG and tabletop games, anime with such themes has been my niche. Between the grueling worlds of Berserk and Goblin Slayer and the overly campy feel of Rune Soldier and Hitsuga no Chaika, Dungeon Meshi sits much closer to camp but its lore was as realized in magnitude I never have expected. Most things that occur in the series were clever and I've implemented in my tabletop sessions as well.

To put it simply, Dungeon Meshi is about a group of adventurers delving deep down a living dungeon to retrieve the remains of their comrade and to hopefully defeat the dragon that ended her. With such a noble plot, I certainly has been forgetting that that was how things began in the series because of how much fun I've had in the exploration aspect within the story. The story has been linear for quite a bit, telling and showing tidbits of how the world works, the inner workings of the dungeon levels, and behavior of the flora and fauna that thrive in it. It is neither an isekai nor a grimdark mature series, and I am very thankful for it. There are jokes thrown here and there, expected of its lighthearted nature, with genuine thrills from the action whenever it happens. While the story was rather simplistic, it expanded and introduced several characters along the way which in my opinion somewhat diluted its core focus, nonetheless built upon the lore to which the story took place.

Within the series were varying races that mirror Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, Ryuutama, and traditional Japanese creatures. As an RPG fan, this was just a golden find. Magic in the world of Dungeon Meshi was a mix of hard and soft systems. As standard, casters use words, somatic movements, ingredients, and channeling tools for their magic. Sometimes leading to really amusing situations given how some spells has silly requirements and how simple spells are utilized in unexpected manner. Most humor comes from the character interactions, circumventing encounters, magical hiccups, facial reactions, and ofcourse the absurd cooking bullshitry. Even with just its first chapter, I knew I would love this series.

Alongside its wonderful world and art, Dungeon Meshi's most glorious asset was its characters. The main cast, the Laios the monster-obsessed warrior, Chilchack the snarky halfling thief, Senshi the dwarven cook, and the pretty but goofy elven wizard Marcille were just a superbly entertaining bunch. Watching them stumble chapter every chapter trying to make their way through the levels, dispatching creatures and whatever the heck kind of dish they'll gonna make them as. Sure there are liberations in regards to some of the creatures they based on but this series really made me think a lot about basilisks' biological functions. The main cast were really sufficient to run the whole series on their own just on how perfect they compliment each other and how their banters were just natural. Marcille, in particular became my favorite elf in fiction just in the sheer amount of wisdom and zaniness she just show in equal measure. She is one lady I would genuinely have fun to hang around with not only due to her beauty but her absolutely adorable personality. Aside from that, the main dude Laios is an absolute delight as the group madman despite looking the like most composed guy there is. This dude will eat anything as long as it's classified as a monster.

There are a lot more characters beside them due to how things became a bit complex midway due to plot reasons. While they are definitely welcome and full of personality as the main cast, I did find that the pace became much slower specially with how the recent chapters go. This is not a complaint by the way, just an observation. That being said, the series remains lighthearted despite some flavors of dark themes on its latter chapters.

Art was stellar; nothing too grand but everything was just full of nuance, care, and detail in terms of architecture, creature and character design, as well in action direction and ofcourse, food illustrations. When things happen, it is clear and flows really well. Elves in Dungeon Meshi are distinct from other elves in any other manga and anime and perhaps my favorite iteration. Food looks amazing and creatively displays how fantasy creatures may be prepared like the food and love. For some reason, the manga made me crave for scorpion ramen and pie tarts made from carnivorous plants. This is food porn incarnate similar to Food Wars.

On that note, I do have minor nitpicks just like any other anime and manga. One, the story is getting sidetracked from the cooking aspects at present which hopefully won't devolve into the likes of Prison School. Two, the secondary cast were just not very interesting to follow. Three, it gets hard to wait for months for the next chapter. Aside from that, I enjoyed this one through and through.

I love Dungeon Meshi to bits. Hopefully this will be an anime soon. More people should know about this series as it deserves all the love.

Ryuko Rui, you know your RPGs and fantasy and I revere you as much as Tolkien.

A superhero show where the people are just as able as the heroes. Color me impressed.

Gatchaman Crowds is a hero show filled with style, 3D animation, birds, urban mythology, social criticism, and rock-on music. The powerup song could even be played whenever your Genshin Impact friends are around. Not much of a Marvel/DC or whatever guy but hero movies and shows are reliably entertaining despite their relative overabundance this time and age. So, i was not really sure what to expect when I chose this series to binge on.

I grew up with minimum knowledge of the original Gatchaman show, only that it has ... a great theme song that I would occasionally whistle to subconsciously, that there are dudes in spandex and duck capes, and there's a pretty girl in short skirts who gives pantyshots like its Christmas whenever she kicks someone in the face. Now how would something like that fare nowadays? Would it be like Power Rangers or something? I looked on its posters and there's really nothing to resemble the original. Even when it was all over, there's really not that much reason for it to be called a Gatchaman series. I did however like it nonetheless.

The show is standalone and needs no resemblance of devotion to the original to enjoy it. You watch a bunch of chosen ones tackling down whatever needs to be handled using the power of the Gatchaman; far cry from the spandex ninjas from the original and are more of superpowered exoskeletons that mirror the personality of its wielder. We follow the gang deal with their troubles, in and out of their armors as well as the consequences of their actions and inactions.

Perhaps the best thing about the show was how it treats the denizens of their city as people with will and purpose. Even mundane people would save others from harm and often be helpful for the cast. The people are a character in itself rather than fodder and cheap drama bait. The direction the show went was not what I expected it to be as the second episode itself has just eradicated most of my expectations. After that, I was just scratching my head on what the hell is gonna happen next.

In its heart, Gatchaman Crowds humanizes heroes and tries to convey what saving others means. Despite some of the cast being unidimensional, its lead heroine Hajime is one of the most optimistic yet likable manic dream girl there is. She is clever, chaotic, yet humble. In the first episodes, she did annoy be quite a bit due to her personality clashing with the mostly moody colleagues but it served a purpose and by the end, became someone I just adore. Likewise, there's also the deuteragonist, Rui whose heroic ideals proved to be a bit too idealistic which led most of the conflicts within the show. There's also a social media concept here which is quite a neat idea and allows the mundane people act as heroically at times. It was cool to see that not all people are screaming Janes or needy standbyers.

Soundwise, it was outstanding. The opening is J-rock masterclass and the theme song, while not an earworm as the original was, was just so groovy yo. It was a repetitive power disco but I think fits well. The ED was nice too.

Now to things that I found quite subpar. The use of 3D can be jarring. At the time this was made, I am aware that 3D in anime remains to be imperfect but it just takes me out of the scenes sometimes specially since the cast is in 2d prior to their transformations. It is hard to give weight to 3D scenes, I know that cause I tried it before. While it was never Fate Stay Night-bad, I just wished it was done more in line with traditional way.

The story, while has a lot of potential, was quite underwhelming by the end. Sure there are lots of bells and whistles thrown about but things just didn't click together as I thought it would be. The message was good and did drive home the meaning of what heroes mean. I just wished it was more integrated with the characters.

As much as this was advertised as a hero show, there was surprisingly sparse action sequences in general. There are episodes that dedicate themselves in expanding some of the characters so much so that the opening just did not fit to what transpired next. People who come and watch heroes testing their might on bad guys may find themselves starved.

Perhaps the thing that I was not a fan of in general was the villain introduction. That dude was just too chaotic and senseless in his villainy that when the plot kicked in, it just felt random and out of tempo. His interaction with the protagonist can sometimes be interesting but I wished he was a bit more relevant or something.

To sum it all up, Gatchaman Crowds did well in showcasing neat concepts, an interesting lead character, and in humanizing civilization. Not the deepest show in a long shot but has something to say about our current digital age, complimenting while criticizing the roles of social medias in our everyday lives. In the end of the day, there's always something about the show that would stay with me.

Gatchamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan.

Watch it a few episodes at a time. Binging it can be jarring because of the slow pace of some episodes.

There's enough plot in this show to drown a man.

This was supposedly nothing but hot garbage as the synopsis would have me thinking and with the first episode, I was prepared to just dismiss it as such. It might have been because it took too long for the second episode to air or something but World's End Harem just did something else to its hentaiesque plot. Hot damn. This show was surprisingly not as thrashy as I thought, or hoped it would be.

To set things straight, this is a hentai similar to the infamous Redo the Healer, no matter what its producers would say. Like ... come on: the plot is about a dude having to repopulate a world without men! Though it is misleading to how things are now, that synopsis is as straightforwardly horny as it gets but somehow the show has the guts to put depth and weight to it. The characters are interesting, the lead was not as bland as I thought he would be, and while it wears sex, nudity, and lewdness in its sleeves, they were just as prioritized as character development. There's humor spread out. With the episodes so far, I was frickin invested and intrigued. Hell, I think I was invested in this series' plot than Platinum's End.

With the pandemic still roaming about, WEH's plot of eradicating a mysterious virus was as relevant as ever. Sure, there are lapses in logic here and there and there's sense of goofiness in the nature of a sex-based killer virus, but somehow I was not bothered by it. Intertwined with characters with understandable motivations, personality, and dynamics, there's a sense of classiness amidst the boobage and agehaos. The writer could have just abandoned the synopsis entirely and I wouldn't have complained. Somehow, the story is taking a thriller-espionage turn. It has a plot as thick as its delectable cast. It was not guilty pleasure anymore. I was caressing my chin instead of my chinchin.

Sound-wise, it was ok. Nothing too memorable within the show's ost during scenes though they ain't misplaced either. The opening however was an absolute bop. Sometimes I wonder why these harem shows get strong openings. The ED isn't a slack either.

Characters are decent and likeable. The MC may look bland and so, and his everydayman traits can be predictable but he has a sense of urgency in his actions. The other female cast are within the patented stereotypes though with some curveballs thrown every now and then. With a world devoid of men, I was dreading that the females may just be characterized by lustfulness and thirst. There's a bit of that ofcourse though not in the magnitude that I thought it would be. It was a lot tamer than its premise may entice. The characters can be hilarious at the given moment but they were characters nonetheless. Two-dimensional at best probably but it was definitely improvement over your regular horndog princesses and imotous in other hentai. There's a definite anticipation in waiting for characters to bounce off each other and the show even has the balls to develop side characters. The nerve.

By the time of this writing, I just have finished the sixth episode so it may change or not depending on how the plot turns out to be. It is a rambunctious, fun, with a lingering sense of mystery, intrigue, and commitment to expand on its ridiculous premise.

Be sure to have enough bloodflow on your system. Your brain and penis will be fighting over its supply.

Came for Nekomusume, endured for Mana, stayed for the yokai shenanigans. Oh and Kitaro was fine, I guess.

This was a ridiculously long series and I was surprised I managed to finish this within a few weeks of casual watching. Gegege no Kitaro 2018 is a reboot of the traditionally famous Kitaro series which has been running since the first age of Japanese animation. I vaguely remembering the theme song from glancing a few episodes when I was a kid in Animax but somehow the song stuck to me. On 2020, amidst the abundance of freetime and quarantine, I caught up to a random doujinshi featuring ... a girl character from this show. She was hot, her design was striking, and I had spare time. Ofcourse I had to check on her show, expecting nothing but a kid show from the synopsis and ready to ignore the plot just to see Nekomusume animated.

To my surprise, the show was cool.

I mean Nekomusume still contributed a lot of its appeal but for the most part, GGNK has good story beats, decent pacing for a 90+ ep series, entertaining cast, and varying episode content, even things I did not expect to see on a kid's show. Then again, this was Japan we're talking about. Even their kid shows can be batshit insane. It has comedy, action, thrills, horror, and lots of heart. I expected the first bits but there are drama bits in the show that I genuine cried for.

Storywise, this was a mostly shonen-esque episodic show featuring a half-yokai protagonists and his friends clashing and meeting with other supernatural entities who dare disturb the peace. It was nothing really groundbreaking in paper but the yokai bits were really interesting. Particularly I liked the hot/cold yokai, the cat, and ofcourse Nekomusume herself and there's a sense of a lived-in world. People are not painted as innocent nor good just as the yokais are and even the protagonist Kitaro is a morally gray guy. There are deaths in the show and some of it can be devastating, since there was an initial hope spot by the fact that it is made for children. In a show about ghosts and immortals, there sure is a mortality rate and when it calls for, plot armor is thrown out the window. In fact, consequences are being dealt for a span of time in the show where things that happen affects the others. For an episodic show, that was surprising.

Characters are relatively well-rounded, notably the main cast. There's character development here that made me so invested with the side characters, except Rat Man who is painfully frustrating because of how his character's development is basically a loop. Mana Inuyama, our deuteragonist was very enjoyable, using her mundane humanity and technologically wits to become as useful as her superhuman allies in times of crisis. Nekomusume remains hot but shines even more so because she was such a darling. Kitaro is relatively neutral, who eliminates yokai who dares harm people but will also let people suffer horribly when they deserve it. By the end of the show, it was just fast consumption because I was not well-versed to what the characters could do, their motives, and still twists come and go. Well, some can be predictable but for a Toei show, this was absolute delight. Also, the female designs in the show were hot.

Plot-wise, most episodes are stand alone and this is when the show was at its brightest. The story arcs are good, yes but there are stories that were just told in single episodes that were really spectacular. My favorites have been the Cat episode, the Lost Belongings episode, and a mid-season cliffhanger that caught me offguard. The cat episode in particular really came out of left field and gave me a heart-wrenching tale that I have been thinking about it for a few days. There's seriously good stuff here even when some of the episodes can be absolute dud.
While the first arc was kinda weak, the other three arcs were good, notably the midseason and the final one. Likewise, character dynamics usually fuel the powerful emotions in scenes, giving weight and reasons for the audience to root for or root against anyone. The varying episode contents made sure to keep me guessing what adventures the cast is gonna undertake next. They may be handling haunted schools on one, then take on beholders the next and then handling social media cavemen. It may be something small, something grand, but all in all, I had fun consuming them.

The OP remained the same from start to finish and I barely skipped it. It was so fricking catchy. The EDs however are mostly skippable. The OST within the show were thematic, with quite a lot of them seemingly inspired by Dark Souls and Castlevania. In fact, there are tracks here that are more metal than the usual J-flare.

Artwise, it was good. The character designs are striking and there is decent budget alotted for the grander fight scenes. Nowhere close to ufotable or bones but for a 90+ episode shonen, it did its best.

In the end, I was satisfied how it went on and when it was over, I felt empty because there was no more Gegege to look forward to. Yes, the show is over and feels complete. It took its time and did its best not to overstay its welcome. Lovely cast, strong episodic elements, gorgeous ladies, supernatural thrills and Nekomusume. Oh, and Kitaro was cool too. He's detective gadget with a superpowered slipper and others in his arsenal.

I loved what I had and if you can withstand dozens of episodes of yokai battling and supernatural slice of life, I'll recommend this for sure. Just prepare for about three episodes or so that were just plain boring and some plot armor. This is a truly random show to surprise me with its quality. To think that it all started by browsing adult doujinshi.

Watch it episodic. Binge watching can diffuse some of the strong messages handled by the strongly-written episodes.

I can't stress enough how much a babe Nekomusume is.

This is going to be short. I'm gonna be unfront and tell y'all that this is probably the worst experience I had with any anime.

You can dump on shows like Mars of Destruction all you want but the very least I had fun making fun of it. There's bad, there's boring, there's atrocious, and there's Angel Egg. Yoshitaka Amano is a great artist given how I love the old school Final Fantasy artworks and seeing him work on this horrid mullet of a turd was painful. Apparently, the guy who made Ghost in the Shell movie worked on this as well. But why would ... they concoct something like this?

The show was a whole lot of nothing, vapid, empty, with industrial sounds and ambiance as the only thing that accompanies you in this feature-length yawnfest. All atmosphere and nothing to get a hold of. There was nothing to say. It's all 'artsy' and none of the frills that makes a movie or an anime for that matter, engaging. We follow along a duo that are as entertaining as peeing with UTI. I was never a lover of art cinema and probably this is not for me. I could swear it made me feel narcoleptic with how many times I fell asleep throughout its runtime. This is the anti-thesis of excitement. Everything is symbolic and I could not give a single damn thing about whatever message it tries to say because it feels like noise the whole movie. Story? It was there probably, buried in layers upon layers of silence, nothingness, and meager animated sceneries. This is a movie made for the intelligent fellows I suppose and while I agree on never getting the point of it all, I will stand by the fact that this movie failed as an entertainment. I simply had no enjoyment whatsoever and there's no force on earth that could make me gaze on it ever again. Finishing it not only came out as a chore but I was physically ill, not because I was affected by the movie but how sorry I am for wasting a portion of my life watching this abominable piece of arthouse pretentiousness.

For whatever reason, people like this and hats off to you mates. For everyone else, I do not wish for you to suffer the same pain I had feasting my eyes on this abomination.

Do not watch it unless you need to cure your insomnia. Bring your friends for slumber party.

I respect the artists that made the movie. I just hate this damn movie specifically.

From obscure curiosity to my number 2 favorite anime of all time. This show is an absolute surprise of a lifetime.

Where I am situated in, there was certainly no buzz around Golden Kamuy. No one talks about it, no one seems to care about it, hell, no one seems to KNOW about it at all. It is a crime. This is the true definition of 'underrated', a term I hate to use as its meaning has been lost this time and age. Golden Kamuy does not deserve obscurity. It is nothing but excellence that fires in all front and shame I am alone in loving ... it where I am.

To start it off, I was just looking for a show to pounce on after I finished JoJo Golden Wind. That show started so strong that it was a bummer how it ended in such a whimper. JoJo has not been my favorite series though it's appeal is universal I suppose and I was just browsing for artworks when I noticed the poster of Golden Kamuy among the images. "Ha. That guy in the hat seemed similar to Jotaro", I thought. I gave it a chance. It was a simple dip on a single episode supposedly, a mere taste to wash out that goddamn awful JoJo resolution. Bow wow did I not expect something like this. I searched for copper and found gold; and this gold is a kamuy.

Golden Kamuy is not a JoJo rip-off by any means. Sure, some of its action sequences may be inspired by it, story-wise and worldbuilding was far more grounded albeit sometimes in a wackier extent. Golden Kamuy is a show about lovable psychopathic buffoons working together and against each other trying to strip people of their skins to get to a trove of gold. It seemed edgy on paper, but Golden Kamuy is far more classy than that. There's far things it has going for it more beyond the already intriguing synopsis. Golden Kamuy is everything I could have wanted in a show: action, great cast, worldbuilding, plot development, memorability and humor. Yes, the internet is right. Golden Kamuy is a historical, educational, cooking show with the most badass synopsis and by God was it an absolute treat, extending my claims beyond this first season.

The show progresses pretty fast with its pacing though season one appears to be the least efficient in its pacing compared to the other two. Second season was just pacing perfected. When violence comes to play, it is gory, when humor comes in like an anvil, it was hysterical, and when the education comes in, I was there like a moth to a symbolic flame. Throughout the show, lots of information is being told through the way the characters hunt or travel. They kill animals, tell things like a knowledge nugget, and partake together. The villages are alive with wonderful details and the sense of immersion was just profound. One of the main characters was a member of a real-world tribe called Ainu and was one of the most lovable child characters in a show, similar to Suika from Dr. Stone. From the changing seasons, to the cities explored, I love the world of Golden Kamuy.

To avoid spoilers, let's just say that while the animation ain't the greatest here, they did made sure the art was decent. Well, except when they do 3D, that is. There's plenty of intense gunplay, hand on hand combat, and environmental-based tactics.
Whilst JoJo delves into outwitting and outsmarting opponents using their magical ghosts and complicated systems, Golden Kamuy is practical, using weapons, their wits and skills to overcome odds. With death always imminent whenever characters engage in battle, there was this sense of urgency and dread and people die in the show sometimes in a very horrific manner. No jawdropping sakuga here but it does its job as long as no bear is around. Even when there are just cooking and preparing food I was captivated. The food featured were not probably appetizing, but I was sure morbidly curious if their description was accurate. The amount of hunt and cook moments were just the right amount. As the characters would put it whenever something is delicious, these moments are "Hinna Hinna".

Now to tell you why I absolutely adore the show: The characters and humor. The writer of the show just make the characters pop out and they are just so entertaining to latch on to because of how the dynamic they have with each other. Sure, here on the first season it may not be apparent but there's already hints of it here. Sugimoto, the Jotaro look-a-like is such a badass dork and Asirpa, the crazy-prepared young huntress with delectable face reactions were just the perfect leads, carrying lots of weight in their interactions with both the antagonists and side characters they get around with. Hell, even antagonists are just as wonderful as the leads. Despicable as some of their actions are, everyone were just given enough depth that it feels musky when they bite the dust. Yes, this is a show with mortality rate and while not as severe as some of the edgelord arsenal, this and the fact that the show actively avoids cliches gives the show a sense of unpredictability.

The show just took me by surprise on how funny it is. It even trumps other anime that prides themselves in branding themselves comedy. The slow has slapstick that just works. Nothing is forced nor cringy as the humor was just organically woven to the narrative. One scene in mind was how one of the characters, who was not a city folk, believe that miso is literal shit and when she sees one eat said miso with rice, I was just howling at how bizarre her expressions are. Despite how dark things can turn, its humor shines like a day when called for. Moodwhiplash may be a detriment for some show, but somehow Golden Kamuy never suffered from it. In fact, it thrives so strongly in it that I forgot this was a show about dudes ripping off skins of other people for the mullah.

OP and ED were fine in this season. The ost within the show however were the ones I would give props to. There's whimsical tone when needed and action-laden set-pieces are accompanied by matching intense tracks. There are instruments native to Japan that were used, giving life to the story beats as well as in its National Geographic moments.


To sum it up, it is hard to describe Golden Kamuy to avoid spoilers. Yes, it is what it says on its plot description but the execution was far more splendid than it has the right to be. I love everything about it except for its CGI bears and whatnot, though season 1 was still nothing to compared to what followed. Bear with the first season folks as it was just a warmup to its followup seasons that not only improved this recipe established here but mixed more into its cauldron and somehow made Golden Kamuy even more polished. It is the most badass, hilarious, lovable and exciting cooking show/crime thriller/action adventure/horror/history anime ever conceived. Please, let people know Golden Kamuy exists. This one deserves more recognition.

Watch it binged. Get the other seasons immediately. Watch with buddies, watch with your partner. Watch with your dog. Watch it with everyone but your little kids because it can get shlocky.

Fantasy anime are like cheese in pizza; its existence is just ubiquitous, has been there ever since, essential, and is just utter shite without them. Every season, they come like in waves, trying to find their way to the palates of the avid viewer, drowning us with whatever they offer despite the reality that they are essentially similar. They may come in different flavors and tumble, fumble and turn things around but I like my pizza's cheese like my fantasy anime, flowing with cheese, mate.

Rune Soldier is a fantasy comedy anime with two dozen episodes and artstyle that is strongly 90s despite being made in ... early 2000s. Upon reading its background, I was surprised that it shares the same world and minds behind the abominably boring Record of Lodoss War. Why? Because unlike Record, Rune Soldier is actually entertaining, fun, and never got stale. While Record told a Dungeons and Dragons tale in utter humorless and super serious vibe, Rune Soldier is closer to what a DnD session feels like and after finishing it, I was pleasantly satisfied despite the ending not being that good by itself.

Story:
Rune Soldier is a slapstick, mostly episodic tale about a musclebound wizard named Louie and his companions trying their luck around the magical realm, getting into skirmishes with magical beings, scoundrels, or just dealing with the most mundane everyday problems. It does have a final arc that is kinda serious, but i was thankful it didn't bend so much as to betray the reason why I loved it. As a fantasy anime, the setting was fairly bland and the creatures are cardboard cutouts of pop culture. I also found the magic system barely there and quite unexplored, despite the main character being a magician. Somehow, this works because the show is a comedy and one of its running gag is that Louie uses his fists far more than his wand. Likewise, the show has characterization despite its episodic structure and one of the most lighthearted fantasy anime around. In my book, that is a plus amidst the hundreds isekais that are complicating things exponentially.

Characters:
This is where the show shines the best. The four-man band's dynamics was just fun to watch, with their banters and comradery bouncing in and out and evolving per episode. Louie rose up to be one of my favorite fantasy protagonists and his build as a Muscle Wizard is up there as one of the gag characters that players of Dungeons and Dragons would create in a bonkers campaign. He may be a dumbass but has hints of wisdom in terms of practicality and is not relegated to a generic do-gooder because his flaws just further enhance how different he is from the usual MC. Despite my like for Louie however, Merril was just my favorite the cast, a mouse-type rogue with an explosive, yet non-annoying personality and has the best synergy with the others. Genie, the boisterous female Guts is there, with good storyline but somehow plain characterization. The last of the four is the cleric Melissa who started generic however grew up the most by the end of the show and her catchphrase just grew up with me. Despite four of them mostly together, there is spirtually a fifth member in Louie's friend Ila who was just useful as she is one of the sexiest nerds ever. The support characters are likewise nice to have with despite their irrelevancy to the main plot, which doesn't really matter much because the main cast's dynamics was strong enough to carry the show to the end. It was so strong that when the show ended, I really missed them.

Sound:
Both the opening and ending evokes the Japanese pop and rock of the age and I just loved listening to them alongside the eyecatching animations while they play. Voice acting was marvelous, especially with Merril's voice which gave her such an enormous charm. The background ost was functional in general though I give props to the powerchord powerup theme which just plays whenever Louie does something heroic, something dumb as hell, or a mix of both. It is the narm, baby.

Art:
Artwise, it stands out personally because it is just 90s art which I absolutely love. The design of the girls just pop out, Louie is burly and striking, though i gotta say the animation does dip at times. That said, the animation was mostly fine and probably most of its budget was spent on the first episode and the last where the sakugas were scattered generously. When action kicks in though, there were nice shots. Being a relic of the past, its superdeform actually aged well and never went to extremes unlike its contemporaries. Ila and Merril just look fine as hell and are top tier babes in the anime world.

Overall:
In general, Rune Soldier never overstayed its welcome, the gags mostly stick, the humor works for a fan of slapstick like me, and a fine concoction of fantasy and comedy that is just timeless due to its 90s+2000s aesthetics. Its story is barebones but didn't matter really because this show is among the most lightest ones out there and the enjoyment comes from just seeing the fun adventures and character interactions that didn't fail to entertain me. For a Dungeons and Dragons fan who may feel dismayed by Record of Lodoss War, this is essentially the show with the 'real' spirit of the game. Rune Soldier is the mozzarella pizza that remains delicious hot or cold and is an absolute classic. Whatever my mood is, I'll gladly consume it.

It is episodic by nature, so binging it makes no difference aside from its last three episodes. Watch to detoxify after those horribly complicated shows.

It's dumb, silly, horny and fun. For a few minutes. Sometimes that's all it takes to make a show worth the admission.

Magical Senpai is a short comedy series with even shorter runtime of about ten-twelve minutes each. Synopsis looks dry as heck but I gave this one a chance one lazy afternoon and taken back how much I enjoyed it. Slapstick in anime can be an acquired taste and through the years, I began to appreciate it. Too many shows inject too much 'message' or 'progressive' elements to them and while they can be well-meaning sometimes, shows especially comedy are first and foremost made to, ... ya know...entertain. Magical Senpai knows what it is and it doesn't care for doing much else. An underling gets dragged by a lunatic sexy senpai to her obsession with magic tricks and shit happens. Simple and effective. Most of my enjoyment comes to the sheer audacity, kinkiness, and sometimes wholesome antics and interaction between the two leads and the other characters and with a limited cast, it did it best with its twelve-minute bursts. The show's story is like gum; flavorful, arguably disposable, but damn right I'll take one any day.

Nothing particularly interesting about its art and character designs whatsoever but the epomynous lead was quite distinct in my opinion. Animation was ok. Music however was great as its both OP and ED were bangers, but more so on the ED.

Characters are fine and not really unique. The whole 'magical trick show' theme does get some merit. The lead however is just a lovable, determined idiot and most fun i had was just how the people around her react to her raunchy failures and whatever misfortunes that come down to her and the others.

To sum up my feelings, the show does nothing noteworthy in terms of storytelling or anything groundbreaking but what it does was to give gags that jumpstart giggles that harms no one but its cast. It is ecchi, so expect some rising boners or so. It knows what it is; a slapstick comedy involving magic tricks that is over before you know it, but leaves something to smile on at the end of the day.

Watch binged as it doesn't really take long to finish it.

Amusing, energetic, outrageous horny as hell. The show is millimeters away from being hentai yet somehow does not have the derogatory themes to be called such. This show is just a joy...just don't tell my family.

Interspecies Reviewers has pushed its ecchi roots so far it pierced the exosphere though despite its highly sexual theme and shenanigans, the show itself comes across as lighthearted and paints sex as something enjoyable and natural rather than an immoral act of defilation that most of its contemporaries dauntingly spurt. This romp has class. The story is basically a series pub hops where in place of beer pints, ladies of ... all sorts of species and race are being 'appreciated' to say the least. Who would've thought that the inner workings of fantasy prostitution would be so thrilling? It is episodic with small story arcs though i should say that the worldbuilding is actually well-done, namely on the biology of the fantastical creatures which has bits of logic thrown in there leaving me earnestly curious with questions such as how do slimes even fuck, do undead exist here, how about succubi's lifestyle which was mostly answered and some are given beyond my wildest imagination. The show is a slice of life taking place in a magical red light district so ofcourse we are shown in full glory.

Art-wise, the character designs is somewhat chibisque which makes some of the scenes looking like a kid's show though contrasts rather heavily when its R-rated scenes come in play. Creature design was good and the biology explanation scenes really hammer down the ridiculous and awe of body works that puts some educational shows to shame. Like i said, the show shows everything but the genital intercourse itself and will be a hentai if the camera swerves a few centimeters more on the scenes. The sex scenes are hot, creative, and gloriously animated. Boners will rise and ladies might get wet.

Sound was good, i suppose. Both the OP and ED are absolute bangers and skipping them would be a criminal offense due to how boppy they are. Dub was fine and the ubiquitous moans are eargasmic to say the least.

Characters are kinda likable, though some can come across as amoral at times. Most guys are horndogs though they do have some degrees of moral compass when comes to treating the girls. The ladies however shine through and the numerous colorful personalities injected along with their boobage and assets just make the show what it is. In general, come into the show without expecting drama and just give in to the absurdity that the main trio just wanna sheath their swords throughout the season.

This show is enjoyable and delightful, morally ambiguous but damn it, you go to this show horny, to be horny, or unleash the horny. Citizen Kane, it is not but worth of an ovation nonetheless. A one man, one-hand ovation that is.

Watching it binged or episodic does not matter. Every episode is stand alone. Watch with a partner for optimal fun. Never watch with kin or risk your funeral.

With Fate, it kinda feels like gambling at times. With the horrifyingly long line of history the franchise has, the quality of the shows they churn out really varies. With Fate/Zero being its peak and the first Grand Order movie being the lowest, I really went in to this one expecting nothing but blandness. To my surprise, this one was actually sublime, awesome, and such a skyrocket improvement over the other FGO bits.

FGO Babylonia is said to be adapted from the most well-received part of the mobile game Fate Grand Order, a game i never played. It feels like a bane to enter the ... FGO series as a casual viewer, case and point, the first movie which was balls to the wall boring. This one assumes the watcher knows something about the game and throughout its runtime, i really did feel like it. While it may sound like I'm berating this series, watching Babylonia made me ignore that flaw due the spectacle that it just bled from start to finish.

Storywise, the whole Chaldea shit was kinda lost to me and frankly, i did not care for the isekai aspect at all as the mythology and lore was just so fun and engaging by itself. I may not be an expert in history per say, but most characters here were legends i have been familiar with. Seeing such larger than life figures in a single setting, these heroes and literary figures walking around and interacting with each other, it was like Christmas for bookworms and historians. The golden son of a bitch Gilgamesh showed a side never before seen in other Fate media and while he still has his 'zasshu' bits, I can not believe that he's actually one of the most captivating character here alongside the other mythological figures. His story here was so much based on the Epic of Gilgamesh and i really dig the dynamic he has with both the antagonists and protagonists. In the end, the story is a good vs evil tale unlike the morally ambiguous dark stories from Zero and Stay Night. This is a historical fanfiction that is way better than it should be. Hell, Fate is fanfiction manifested and Babylonia may just be a wet dream cornucopia from the mind of a drunk historian. Holy grails, anachronous figures from legends, girls hotter than the sahara desert, budget slaying fight scenes...this time with gods! Babylonia is Fate magnified.

Animation-wise, this was probably second to Ufotable's efforts. I mean... the talents on that studio was beyond my mortal understanding. Backgrounds, architectural designs, creature design, fanservice fashion... everything was just dazzling and grand. That is until the 3d models are shown which was definitely far better than Studio Deen's sex dragons but kinda clashed with the artstyle of the environment. Beyond that, animation during fight scenes which were generously abundant, was spectacular and can stand toe to toe with the best of the best sakugas ever. Namely, Quetzal's battles with everyone, the Jaguarman skirmish, Ishtar's assault, the Gorgon siege, and the climax were hype as hell. Not even Fate/Zero has these much memorable fight scenes. While none might match the Saber vs Rider clash in Spring Song, the animators should be proud of the godlike masterclass they've created here.

Voice acting was great. I could just listen to Quetzal's voice for days, Gilgamesh's zasshu still rings true to his egoistic allure, and Ishtar is as dorky as she sounds adorable. Both openings songs really bring home the intensity of the events. What stands out greatly were the sound effects, which felt really heavy and crisp that probably enhances the magnitude of the battles ten or twenty fold.

Next comes the reason why Babylonia stands head and shoulder from the other FGO media: its cast of characters. The main duo who i felt bland in the first movie are much more active this time around. Fujimaru in particular, i felt that he really deserves to be called a master when the climax came along. Mash still is wallflower. The two however pale in comparison to the gods and legends they get to hang around with. We have Merlin from the arthurian legend, Taiga sensei as a jumpsuit mascot with terrifyingly competent combat skills, the hottest luchadora ever, a loli scythethrower, a more mature Gilgamesh and his 'boy-friend' Enkidu, and not one, but TWO Rin Tohsakas. Can't get any better than that? Wrong! We have King Leonidas from 300, the old man from the mountain, tiamat, two japanese figures i dont know whose fashion sense was dubious at best, and not one, not two, but a shit ton of Nyarlathoteps! I might be overstepping on spoiler territory but the sheer audacity of having these much awesomeness in a single series was a bit too much. Their interactions within the story was just great in my opinion though they really did go wild on the lore changes.

With all that shebang, i did find myself some criticism from the show which was mostly due to the unfortunate unfamiliarity with the game. There are concepts regarding the Chaldean segments that felt off personally. Likewise, while the show was paced well, there are bits where it felt too short, some were just put there without explanation, and the resolution of some subplots was underwhelming to say the least. The show does juggle a shit ton of characters and it was understandable that some characters would take the shorter end of the stick. I do not however complaints at all that i get to have two Rin Tohsakas and that stupidly sexy Aztec goddess. Mucho mucho indeed.

Fate Demonic Front Babylonia is a clear improvement over the other FGO installments helped probably due to its classy production, awesome cast of characters, and a much better plot and stakes never before seen in this scale. Fate remains a series that i can't just stop prodding around in apparently but this one deserves the highest praise even when i do find myself ignorant of some concepts introduced. This is high up with some of the best the Fate series has to offer, with Zero and Heavens Feel trilogy just edging it a bit. While casual watchers may feel lost at times, there are just so many things done right that its flaws just fizzes out in its glorious presentation and grand ambition.

Watch this immediately after the first movie just to cleanse out that bland flavor. This one packs in the spice. Binging it for the best experience.