Summer 2023 anime

Oh yeah, I would agree with that that it's not my favorite, especially due to the uneven handling of who gets redemption-by-zombie and who gets "it's okay, he said he was sorry" at the end.

Still, in the interest of keeping things relevant to the thread, I'd say keep up with the anime and see how you feel about it. Not much sense dropping a series you enjoy because of hearsay about later chapters that won't be adapted.

Edited by RedSavant on Jul 20th 2023 at 10:31:32 AM

Fair points.

It reminds me of Oshi no Ko. The arc that came after the part covered by the anime, had writing and pacing that were so disgustingly incompetent, that it made me wonder if creator duo were inspired by the Game of Thrones season 8.

Even then, the anime was absolutely stellar and I would've been missing out if I didn't watch it. I guess I will do the same to this Zom 100 anime as well.

Eh? Oshi no Ko "Tokyo Blade" arc is probably my favourite. I am surprised so many people hate it.

Edited by Nachtwandler on Jul 21st 2023 at 2:15:04 AM

I also really like that arc? Frankly baffled to hear that people hate it.

Heretical Last Boss Queen 3: They have guns? Didn't realize Pride was also a murder machine. Guess she still has some villainess values with how easily she cut down enemy soldiers.

Ok, I think I'm starting to see the end goal for Liar Liar: there are special stars that Hiroto will be tasked to collect for something... Also, I think Episode 4 is where the ecchi starts getting a bit noticable...

Actually a pretty nifty roundup from Garnt there. Everyone who isn’t watching Undead Girl Murder Farce, go watch it. Also his Rental Girlfriend jokes never fail to hit haha.

The show I've been enjoying the most this season has been Undead Girl Murder Farce. The fifth episode did manage to kill a lot of my interest, however. Am I the only one who's kind of tired of a show filling its ranks with characters of classical literature free of copyright? It's just been done so many times, these characters examined from so many a different angles that you hardly ever see something new. Would be so much more interesting if the show was just creating its own unique characters, even if they were allusions.

Didn't help that the fifth episode was mostly a set up for things to come as well, but I'm not that interested of things to come when it's just another master thief sending warning notes vs. detectives arc, which has been done to death. Hopefully the show will lean harder into its farcical angle aspect in things to come, rather than playing it straight.

The only other show this season I'm kind of looking forward to every week is Lv 1 Maou to One Room Yuusha, mostly because it has managed to keep me confused on where it's actually heading by swerving wildly into all directions seemingly randomly.

I disliked that Erik is way more the musical look and not the Lon Chaney look.

It's that time of the season for Mid-Season Reactions!
Dark Gathering: Definitely feeling like a masochist for subjecting myself to a supernatural anime late into the night, but this has been pretty eye-opening. Creeped out by Eiko though...
Jitsu wa Ore, Saikyou Deshita?: There's gonna be no new episode until the 19th, so I'll be saying my reactions now: when Hart gets angry, he gets ANGRY damn... Apart from that and Char being a total mood, this is mainly filler for me...
Lv1 Room: Another filler, but I guess the action helps make it digestible...
Mononogatari S2: The action's keeping me on my feet for this one...
Okashi na Tensei: Came for sweets, but got noble intrigue with a side of action instead with only 1 scene of sweets... Casserole may be growing on me, but at least give some more sweets!

Edited by thuse on Aug 8th 2023 at 1:07:03 AM

Threadless Talk:

• AI no Idenshi: One important detail about the setting is that no one actually knows how the sapience of Humanoids manifested. They are, for all intents and purposes, a new species of humanity. And that leads to a lot of uncomfortable questions. For example, if this sapient robot had a harmful mental disorder, is it moral to dig around his brain and reprogram his personality? AI no Idenshi might not be flashy, but it gets you to sit down and think. As any piece of quality science fiction should. Definitely continuing.
• Atelier Ryza: Heard the game exploded in popularity because of Ryza's chara design, and the anime is intent on panning to every single part of her. Especially her thighs. There was a scene where she was deep in thought and the camera decides to linger on her thighs for no reason. That aside, I'm honestly quite fond of this anime, which I'd liken to a relaxing teatime snack. The main quartet of bumbling teenagers is likable, and I love the decision to keep some video game elements wholesale, such as the alchemy process where they just chuck stuff into a magical cauldron. It's quite endearing. Definitely continuing.
• AYAKA: I want to coin the term HBDCT a.k.a. Hot Boys Doing Cool Things, because that's what this anime is. Or what it's attempting to be, at least. This show wasted too much time regurgitating tired exorcist anime tropes and bishonen cliches, which stretches the plot and action too thin. To its credit, it's putting in more effort than 90% of its ilk. It just doesn't amount to much more than a discount JJK. Dropped.
• Dark Gathering: Horror anime are never scary, so I appreciate Yayoi tying up these ghosts and putting them in their place. I like how you can follow the logic in how that kid deals with the phantoms, and I definitely like how the creepiest thing in the show is actually Keitarou's yandere cousin, Eiko. And overall, I'm liking this show considerably more than I thought I would. Continuing.
• Eiyuu Kyoushitsu: I take back what I said about this show not being completely dumb, because it is, and it relishes in it. It knows that people watch these battle harem high school anime for the fireworks and T & A, and it cannot wait to oblige. The self-awareness is appreciated. It's also a lot more gag-oriented than I'd initially expected, and I have to begrudgingly admit I chuckled at more than a few of its dumber jokes. Continuing.
• Helck: Its offbeat humor is really working for me. There's the titular Helck doing the comedically unexpected out of his sheer badassery, the demons mostly being idiots taking things into stride, and the precious few demons trying to keep the boat afloat. There's also potential for a more serious story with all of humanity awakening to heroic powers, which obviously has a hand in why Helck wants to join the demons in the first place. Definitely continuing.
• Horimiya -piece-: Funny how much the framing of a piece of media can affect your impressions of it. One of my biggest criticisms for the original anime was how it pivoted to slice-of-life fluff about side characters over the main pairing. Then Horimiya -piece- decides to present itself as SOL vignettes from the get go, and I actually kind of like it? It helps that Hori and Miya do get a sizable amount of screentime here, so it doesn't feel like they've been pushed to the wayside in favor of less interesting people. Continuing.
• Jitsu wa Ore Saikyou deshita?: Throw this into the generic isekai pile. Dropped.
• Level 1 Demon Lord and One Room Hero: One of those comedies that involve a lot of shouting. The theming is quite fun though, with the demon lord acting as the hero's nagging nanny. The animation even flexes a little in the more adrenaline-fueled sequences. I wish it delved more into the midlife crisis the hero is experiencing, though. And it's weirdly horny. Continuing.
• Liar Liar: Imagine you're playing a round of poker. You throw down a royal flush, then your opponent goes, "Aha! I have an ability that lets me get an ace from another deck! Five of a kind, I win!". That's how the games in this anime play out. It's almost impressive how little sense it makes. Even worse, the characters talk as if they have triple the wit they actually possess. Dropped like a hot potato.
• Link Click: I've noticed there's a gulf between high and low quality animation in Chinese works, with the low quality ones looking little better than Flash animation and the high quality ones approaching movie quality in every episode. Link Click is definitely on the "holy hell that's gorgeous" end of the spectrum. As for the story, it's not letting up on the tension, with the mysterious bodyjacking killer still on the loose, while the many moving parts of the mystery are still whirring in the background. Locked into my seat and excited to see how it all unfolds. Definitely continuing.
• My Happy Marriage: Almost like an afternoon telenovela in how it gets a little ridiculous in beating down the lead girl. The antagonists aren't going to let little things like logic and common sense stop them! Anyway, it's all one big excuse for the viewers to feel sorry for Miyo, so they can then relish in the catharsis that is her fiancee wrecking shop with his mystical lightning. Seriously, the animation in this show goes harder than it ought to. Continuing.
• Okashi na Tensei: Also throwing this into the generic isekai pile, but harder, because it commits the common isekai sin of not committing to its central gimmick. The MC has baked one, singular pie throughout the four episodes I watched. Preposterous! Dropped.
• Oooku: Well done court drama that simply isn't my thing. The animation is a little too basic to punctuate the emotions of any given scene. I will still try and finish it though, and it got me curious about the live action series, which is highly regarded. Continuing.
• Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence: Cute and wholesome, however it's a little too plain. There are more interesting palate cleansers this cour. Dropped.
• Spy Classroom: Already better than season one, now that it isn't awkwardly inserting flashbacks and focusing more on the character dynamics. Thea getting Monika to work with her by discovering she's attracted to someone in Lamplight was actually pretty cool. What I want next is for the team to take on a mission that will properly highlight each member's specialties. Perhaps even without Klaus's supervision? My current favorites in the cast: Grete, Annette, and Monika. Hope to see more of them, particularly Grete showing off her planning skills, Annette being stone cold, and learning more about Monika because she's the most busted after Klaus. Continuing.
• Temple: Serviceable adaptation of an ecchi harem romcom. Unfortunately the jokes just work better in manga format. I'm also not sure about the choice of VA for Akagami. I think he should sound more ridiculous. Sticking to the manga.
• The Dreaming Boy Is A Realist: Quite possibly the dumbest anime airing this cour, which is no small feat considering it's up against the likes of Liar Liar, The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses and a handful of generic isekai. There's rushed LN adaptations and there's hyperspace lightspeed adaptations that move so fast they burn away any semblance of structural congruity. They never even managed to give a satisfying explanation for the MC's change of heart, which is the inciting incident of the story. Dropped like a potato dipped in acid and set on fire.
• The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior: Seems like typical villainess stuff. I must admit I can't quite wrap my head around how this story would have functioned as an otome game, but whatever. May drop at any time.
• Vending Machine Isekai: I've said it before, but I love that this actually executes on its premise. Boxxo can't move by himself, he can only communicate with preprogrammed sentences, and the most un-vending machine thing he can do is cast a simple barrier. It's just fun seeing how Boxxo solves the problem of the week with random modern-day products. They beat a frog monster with Coke and Mentos! Goofy as heck. Oh, and you get to learn neat trivia like how there were oxygen dispensing vending machines in the past. Definitely continuing.
• Zombie 100: A frenetic romp about learning to live in the land of the undead. Animation and direction are bloody fantastic, and I'm still in love with the stylistic choice of representing the blood as bright paint splatters. Kengo is a welcome addition to the group, not being quite as insane as Akira is, but still very willing to go along with his stupid ideas. I wait with bated breath for Shizuka joining the group. I also think the anime has been successful in coloring the more serious scenes with that extra dose of drama. Though of course, personally I'm still most excited about the wacky stuff. Definitely continuing.

That's the neat part, it wouldn't. All Villainess stories have varying levels of "Wow the author has never touched an otome game in their life" but this one was so bad that it kind of intrinsically broke my suspension of disbelief so I dropped it. Well that and sometimes characters do fucked up things and I'm not sure how to react to the casual way the show seems to just....brush it off? Like how the dad is portrayed as a goofy doting dad but also he was complicit in his daughter killing the hell for slights and borderline kidnaps a boy to serve as his daughter's assistant so it's all very "Uh....huh"

You reminded me of how a much of an asshole the king was. Yeah, he borderline kidnapped Stale, or more precisely, forced Stale to become his son or else they kill his biological mother.

Have you dropped Reign of the Seven Spellblades (it is not in the list)?

We have a thread for it.

x3 it's especially messed up because current Pride had to campaign for him getting letters from his mum which was "Wait, y'all weren't going to do that?????".

Mid-Season Reactions:
Helck: Still not that invested yet, but I can surely see how Helck's a pretty odd chara...
Ore Jihanki: Amusing, but I keep missing broadcasts, so I guess this is just filling voids for me...
BSD S5: As usual. Nothing else in particular really...
Spy Kyoushitsu: Yeah agreed, this definitely got better!
Rurouni Kenshin (2023): Ok, I can see the appeal for this. It's a shame that I have to keep this at arm's length though...
Seija Musou: Ok, so all the things that happened were basically prologue? Well, at least seeing Luciel mature was pretty amusing...

Edited by thuse on Aug 11th 2023 at 1:36:44 AM

Heretical Last Boss Queen 6: Child arcs in villainess stories are a mistake the moment they veer into fluff territory. Pride is too nice for the story to function. Either Pride needs to actually become a villain, or the story needs to shift to a dismantle the system narrative. Neither of which seems to be where the show is going.

Bang Dream! It's MyGO!!!!! 9: Unnamed band continues to be a free-falling disaster. If I didn't know how the story has to end I would legitimately believe that they have no way of making this work out. Anon's fragile ego, Tomori's people skills, and Taki's brutal honestly would all be difficult enough to work with, but manageable. Then there's Soyo being deranged and manipulative to a degree that I don't know how the others can put up with her anymore even if they wanted to and were able to convince her to come back. Rana remains unreliable, keeping her distance from all the drama. Which makes her the smartest person in the band, so good for her actually. Great show. More people need to watch it.

Zom 100 episode 5 is the zombie shark attack and the anime blows its manga counterpart out of the water, no pun intended.

A shame there was no Ga-Shunk sound effect.

And the last of the Mid-Season Reactions in my list:
Sugar Apple 2nd cour: As usual in the sense that it's the usual drama with the confection making with romance and intrigue sprinkled in...
Nanatsu no Maken ga Shihai Suru: Oliver may be giving be the chills nowadays, but the visuals are pretty nice!
AI no Idenshi: My pick for the cour (not counting sequels) because anime that makes me introspect has a special place in my heart.
Liar Liar: Hiroto has grown on me not gonna lie... Also, I get why it's tagged ecchi, but it's not that dominating...
Edens Zero S2: Another as usual: action, power of friendship, and nods to other works from Mashima-sensei...
AYAKA: Supernatural filler... Jingi's kinda growing on me, but not so much the plot...
Maoh Gakuin S2: The newer episodes are finally gonna come out, and thank heavens for that, but even after rewatching the episodes that have already aired, I'm still confused about what's going on...

Edited by thuse on Aug 14th 2023 at 1:08:39 AM

I must say I bounced off this one harder than I expected as this is normally my kind of jam... but I come down on the opposite side of the question posed by the first episode. Equating a restoring memory from back-up as "killing'' the person who came after the back-up was made seems (to me) to have some Unfortunate Implications with regards to people suffering from real memory problems that are too often overlooked. It's not a complete deal breaker but leading with that particular issue definitely put me on the back foot right from the start.

Edited by KnightofLsama on Aug 14th 2023 at 2:06:46 AM

I was waiting for all series I watch to show half of the episodes to put my impessions but Zom 100 keeps delaying things so I'll do it now.

More Nanatsu no Maken ga Shihai suru is good. Far from perfect but it is an actuall good magical school type series with mystery, decent characters and plot. Expectetions are fullfilled so far.

Spy Kyoushitsu 2 is better than the first half. It is still 1/3 fillers but I like it as a goofy comedy. Plus the actual arcs adapted thios season look better so far and I liked the focus on Thea, Anette nd Monica.

Tonikaku Kawaii: Joshikou-hen is actually ended. It was good addition to the previous season nd I liked the developments. We also got some answers but a lt of questions still linger. I really hope for S3 announcment.

Undead Girl Murder Farce is grwat. Some peiople did not like the first slow detective arc. Some people complained it delved into more adventure series later instead of pure mystery. I just like it: a good balance of mystery, action and some good dialogs. Let's see how it ends.

Zom 100: Zombie ni Naru made ni Shitai 100 no Koto is a decent goofy omedy with good production values. Not the best but good enouugh, especially in such a dry season. To bad the staff is suffering with schedule (ep. 9 will be delayed again and no dates for the last 3 yet).