Mentioned it in my previous point but Angel Next Door is (mostly) hitting the sweet spot between wish fulfillment and cozy romance for me. Absolutely adore the two dorks who totally don’t have feelings for each other. Nah uh.
From what I’ve been told, it’s supposed to be closer to the LNs than the manga but runs into the standard problems with adaptations which includes things the lack of mask or the apparent changes in tech levels. Also seen repeated comments (mainly early on) on how most of the humor feels flat due to certain changes.
People seemed to warmed up when it leans into Cid being a chuuni goof though.
It’s kinda weird since a few of the Shades (Beta, Gamma, & Epsilon) have notable public covers.
Funny thing about the new Precure is how the gimmick seems to be that there's less gimmicks than usual. It's just a fantasy adventure about two girls from two worlds stuck in a war between two magical nations. It's essentially a proof-of-concept for relying on simple, sturdy writing and storytelling rather than getting fancy and abstract.
What's precedent ever done for us?Right, it's finally Mid-Season! Time for some Mid-Season Reactions:
Kamihiro S2: As usual with the wholesomeness, but I feel like letters from Elia are getting annoying with each passing episode...
Nokemono: A lot of heart-wrenching drama here, but no lasting impressions so far...
(I should've had reactions for Saitou and Kyokou Suiri S2, but I missed the airing times due to fatigue... Maybe later on, I guess...)
Edited by thuse on Feb 5th 2023 at 9:41:30 PM
Not like the extremists are being portrayed as particularly in the wrong though. They literally cooperated with the protagonists and even Chris' cousinwife herself acknowledged their goals are noble.
Mid-Season Reactions:
Fumetsu no Anata e (continuing from Fall 2022): Again, still within the manga, and still going strong. About 3/4 of this season is done, so by the end of this, we should reach the start of the recently-finished Present Day arc.
High Card: It's been a blast lately, literally! Can't wait for things to get spicier!
Sugu Shinu S2: The comedy is as usual for this series, and that's what makes it enjoyable!
Tokyo Revengers S2: So far, so good, especially with the recent episode including Shin'ichirou in the background of the scene where young Takemichi comes in to save Hina! Can't wait to see the Christmas Showdown animated, even if I'll be late to the party.
Mononogatari: So this is mainly supernatural but with a very clear romance hint, eh? At this rate, I'm just watching for Hyouma and Nagi, so eh...
Cool Doji Danshi 2nd Cour: Providing me with much of the wholesomeness of this cour!
Eternal Boys 2nd Cour: At least they're tying up some stuff up, like giving us the remaining character backstories; although, I ended up missing some of the episodes...
Handyman Saitou: One of the better isekai anime airing in the cour to be frank... All of the charas coming together by the recent episode reinforced it for me!
Tondemo Skill: Lots of food, but that's practically it... I think I'll just be watching for the food porn at this rate...
Ningen Fushin: So far, kinda standard, but I admit that the intense Math battle in the recent episode was very interesting!
Mononogatari is surprisingly a good adaptation. While I'm still disappointed by the lackluster animation (really wished it was mappa or bones), other than that it's good. My other gripe is that its only 12 eps long, meaning I won't get to see Hyouma and Tsubaki vs Gagakuryo and Karakasa, or any of the fight from the final arc. Nor will I'll be a able to see some of the best Hyouma x Botan moments. Shirayuri and Sumire won't be animated either (⌣̩̩́_⌣̩̩̀).
Ningen Fushin: I really like the ED.
The Culprit Hanzawa: Watched the entire thing, wrote my review on my blog. Long story short, for Detective Conan / Case Closed fans only. https://www.skjam.com/2023/02/06/anime-review-case-closed-the-culprit-hanzawa/
Mid-Season Reactions:
BSD S4: So far, so good, in the sense that it is both adapting straight (well, YMMV on the first few episodes that adapted from the light novel that I didn't read) and that I am once again falling for the named charas...
MagiRevo: My bread and butter for the cour. It helps that the second most recent episode got me hooked!!
Spy Kyoushitsu: So it's mainly trying to deceive Klaus with some action on the side, eh... Well I can see why people would see this as boring...
Onimai: The animation looks cute, but daaaaamn this is both wholesome and sus at the same time...
Revenger: Like Koukyuu no Karasu, this one is best with subs...
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale: Staying for the sugar creations ... and my deep deep hatred for Jonas...
Buddy Daddies: Miri is just adorable! Kazuki and Rei's dynamic is also pretty cool!
BNHA S6 2nd Cour: This suddenly turned pretty interesting pretty quickly...
Maou Gakuin S2: Watching this without subs is actually pretty difficult... Though, Anos is still pretty cool! Alas, it looks like that'll be the last we'll hear of him and his posse unitl sometime later
...
Saikyou Onmyouji: I like how Seika is enough of a sadist when dealing with foes. The rest though is so-so...
Blue Lock 2nd Cour: Yup, still freaking cool! It's been my main for a while, and it still hasn't disappointed for me! It seems it has already reached the end of volume 8 of the manga, leaving the rest of the series to cover 9 and 10... At this rate, maybe we might find out who shall voice Ryuusei...
Kyokou Suiri S2: It's yet another anime where I really need to pay attention, and yet I can't seem to, so yeah... Maybe later episodes will give something big...
(Waiving reactions for Kagejitsu since it'll end next week.)
Edited by thuse on Feb 11th 2023 at 10:20:46 PM
So, my midseason upgrade.
Ars no Kyojuu is odd. It is a decent fantasy but you always think that it looks like just another Cygames mobage adaptation (there is no game and not even announced if I am not mistaken, and while a bunch of game companies are in PK, no Cygames there). Also, secondary characters look more interesting than MC. In ep. 6 I was really interested about the whole court games between empire nobles and was so sad Baban and his wife were killed at the end, I really liked them. Still watching it but I would liked more if it switched the focus.
Buddy Daddies is good. It's pretty funny how half the audience fids Miri annoying while the other half adores her. I get why the former feel this way but she remonds me of my niece a bit so I like here (and she was pretty good last episode). I miss the cheesy action a bit but So L parts are also great. And seems like the plot will kick in next ep.
D 4 DJ All Mix is pretty hard to judge. I watch it mainly for performances and heroine antics and don't care about the plot. Some people complain about this season and the recent special skipping a lot of the story (that was shown in games). I don't care. Anything else simply boils to which units you like. Also, scriptwriters went a bit all out here, especially with the latest episode.
Kaiko sareta Ankoku Heishi (30-dai) no Slow na Second Life is decent. Not to flashy and a bit wish-fullffilment but chill fantasy with sympatethic main characters. Also it had hell of a lot romantic progress in the last ep. I just hope it won't go all the way with war plot like "Banished from Heroes Party" did.
Mou Ippon! is good. As I said, I have a soft-spot for spocons with predominantly female cast and this one hits close as I did martial arts in school. Nothing else to say about.
Nie R:Automata Ver 1.1a so far so good. Hard to say anything else considering how uneven the schedule is. It returns next week though. Lets see if for long.
Oniichan wa Oshimai! is odd. Brother-sister interactions are neither funny, nor heartwarming enough. Jokes about MC feeling more and more like a girl but still doing some things out of habit also fall flat. But I actually like M Cs dynmic with secondary characters. Gyaru-girl onee-san who id better sister figure than the actuall M Cs sister, her tomboy younger siter with a crush on MC, and her two friends: a cuddly bug troll posing as a baka-genki and a himejoshi who ship MC with tomboy. As long as they are in the frame, the show becomes less boring.
Spy Classroom is a decent action comedy. Odd decigion to rush the first arc and when fill half the season with fillers, ut whatewer. I stopped watching it seriously and just look for mor antics and supernatural action. Also, Lily turns more and more into Aqua. Pretty appropriate considering her seiyuu.
Tensei Oujo to Tensai Reijou no Mahou Kakumei is still great. LN fans complaining about pacing after ep. 4 but I am fine with it in general. I think they have enough time to properly adapt up to volume 3 ending. Though, it may have been better if they went with stndard 4-4-4 pacing instead of 5-3-4(?) with the latter third of vol 1 being especially rushed.
Edited by Nachtwandler on Feb 12th 2023 at 4:06:20 AM
Midseason thoughts
- The Fire Hunter: The pacing is erratic, but the art is gorgeous and the animation is really fun. I'm curious where the story is going.
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel: Northern War: It had a slow start, but now that the actual plot has begun I'm having a blast. That said, there is absolutely nothing here if you haven't played the Trails games.
- Revenger: I find the plot boring, but the action scenes are really fun.
- Trigun Stampede: It's gorgeous, but it needs to chill a bit with the the grimdarkness. I know the manga is a fair deal darker than the anime, but two episodes in a row featuring the torture of children is a bit much.
- Urusei Yatsura (2022): Not the funniest show I've seen, but I'm always in a better mood after watching it.
Final Impressions
Kage no Jitsuryoku no Naritakute: As a massive fan of the manga, I was extremely excited for this anime... and now I walk away with mixed feelings. Parodies are always a tightrope between paying tribute and making fun of a genre, but I think the anime leaned too much into the edgelord power fantasy stuff. That said, I'll admit some of the Cid's flexes were pretty cool, especially the final fight of the final episode which was a legitimately impressive display of might. The jokes they did put in landed well for the most part. I also liked getting additional story details from the light novel that didn't make it into the manga. Plus I did appreciate a few other things, like more screentime for Eta and Zeta, and Beatrix's charmingly airheaded personality. So overall, I've made peace with the anime being its own take on the story, and all things considered I had fun with it. Anime-onlies seemed to love it too, which is nice.
Threadless Talk
- The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten: My girlfriend and I are hooked on this one. Every single scene has got us squeeing. It's a reminder that no matter how much I like analyzing stories, in the end I'm still a huge sap. Definitely continuing.
- Ars no Kyojuu: Latest developments have me recalling another anime called Hitsugi no Chaika, and that's a good thing. I like the little details about the setting, like how the "lame" epithets given to youth are meant to ward off misfortune (no doubt inspired by similar Ainu practices). The animation for the action sequences isn't half bad either, though I am biased about spear wielders. Overall it's just a really solid fantasy show, but I worry that its 12-episode count will cut down on its potential. Definitely continuing.
- Blue Lock: Ooof, the animators are really struggling now. The anime's almost become a slideshow of colored manga panels, the illusion of movement maintained by flaming VFX and smart directing. It's a shame. But putting aside my expectations, kudos to those most probably overworked animators for still keeping the hype train running. They do know which moments to punctuate with the sakuga, and the big splash stills are all drawn superbly. The voice actors are also doing an incredible job at injecting venom into their words. Continuing.
- Cool Doji Danshi: Still pretty alright. Continuing.
- Handyman Saitou in Another World: I hate to say it but this was a lot more charming when it was just random vignettes. This drama with the dying witch and her ninja lover and fairy friend doesn't quite hit the mark, though it is interesting how they're essentially motivated by love and camaraderie. It was neat seeing all the characters come together, too. Continuing.
- Hikari no Ou: Touko's perilous journey to the capital continues, and we're learning more about their world as we go along. The spiders seem like they'll be the primary antagonists, and they've found a way to circumvent the combustion curse, as well as command the firebeasts. Thankfully it seems like Touko has a knack for this fire hunter thing. Speaking of which, Koushi is about to go on his own hunt too. Definitely looking forward to what this story has in store for us. Definitely continuing.
- Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible: I'm only here for KanaHana's voice and boy is she delivering. Continuing.
- The Misfit of Demon King Academy: Frankly, disappointing. Anos had some comically overpowered stunts in season one, while in season two he's making me yawn with his endless exposition. Continuing for now.
- Mou Ippon!: We're at the part of the story where the judo club has to fill out their roster. Nothing exciting but it's gotta happen. You know, I do appreciate the art style. The girls look like they have meat on their bones and it makes it more believable they can throw people around. Continuing.
- Ningen Fushin: May drop at any time.
- Revenger: Enjoyable when it revels in violence, boring when it tries to be profound, or anything else really. Continuing for now.
- Saving 80,000 in Another World for my Retirement: I've stumbled into a couple of manhua with a similar concept and dear heavens, somehow this anime is still better thought out, even though Mitsuha is winging it 90% of the time. It's a good thing the author also wings the consequences of Mitsuha's actions. Continuing.
- Spy Classroom: Possibly the most oddly structured anime I've seen in a while. It's doing flashbacks to character introductions, one by one, after they'd already shown the mission. I have a sinking feeling they're gonna spend the remaining episodes on the same thing too. Like, why? Why not just give them another mission and introduce them then? At least the girls' antics are somewhat amusing. May drop at any time.
- Sugar Apple Fairy Tale: Think I have to bow out here. I'm just not invested in the main couple's love story, and I don't think Ann's journey to becoming a master sugar sculptor is all that interesting anymore. Dropped.
- Technoroid: Overmind: The best male idol show I've ever watched. Definitely continuing.
- Trails of Cold Steel: It's been meh so far, and I even fell asleep in the middle of watching one time. It's left me feeling a little cold. Dropped. Might play the game instead.
- Tsundere Akuyaku Reijou Liselotte to Jikkyou no Endou-kun to Kaisetsu no Kobayashi-san: Endo and Kobayashi have nudged things into the right direction, but unfortunately the game is having none of it and is now trying to brute force the plot development where Lieselotte turns into the Witch of Yore. Which is of course the siggnal for Sieg to attempt being more lovey-dovey, and hopefully he can keep making our adorable tsundere melt into puddles. Continuing.
- Vinland Saga: Just as immersive as the manga was. Farmland Saga is killing it. Definitely continuing.
- YowaPeda: It's been a fun ride so far, but now I'm starting to worry the final part is going to be a retread of the first Inter High. If true, that is going to be boring as heck. Continuing.
Having gotten a chance to watch the final episode I kinda agree, particularly with the spectacle we got for the final fight. On another note, is it me or does the fandom seem to have a massive hateboner for Iris? I seen it brought up the characterization she gets in the anime is Call-Forward to events in Volume 5, but most people seem to be taking disturbing levels pleasure from the fight.
Maybe that it? Most of the places I frequent have a number of comments on the episode basically amounting to calling her a spoiled brat that deserved the beating Shadow gave to her and more, then there’s the usual suspects blaming Iris for starting the fight along with all the destruction because “she went apeshit on Shadow”.
Edited by Cross on Feb 16th 2023 at 11:39:21 AM
Not sure of how it worked in the novels, but in the manga Shadow’s fight against Beatrix and Iris was confined to the arena. So no wanton destruction of property there.
Though even if you only watched the anime I don’t see how you could call Iris’ actions “being a spoiled brat.” She was desperately trying to prove that she’s the strongest to reassure her people, and when that failed she was willing to throw away her pride in order to subjugate a powerful threat.
Edited by fillerdude on Feb 16th 2023 at 7:12:11 AM
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The LN and manga are pretty much the same. She doesn’t really throw away her pride, but rather reinforces that’s the reason she’ll try to help Beatrix despite knowing how weak she is compared to them. She even makes it clear she’ll get Beatrix an opening to strike even if she died in the process. If I’m remembering correctly, Shadow even complimented her when she did.
Edited by Cross on Feb 16th 2023 at 12:59:29 PM
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I tried to get into Trails in the Sky on the PSP and I just couldn’t get into it. Vaguely remember finding the gameplay boring at the time. I liked the idea of the NPCs having a lot of dialogue and how it changes over the time though.
Oh I also did try the Switch demo for Cold Steel I think, and I was less than enthused.
I see. My wording was wrong but yeah Iris admits she’s weaker than Shadow and changes tactics accordingly. Which is not “spoiled brat” behavior and I don’t know why anyone would interpret it as such.
