Rating system notes:
Worth Watching = 5 stars
Hm hm= 4 stars
Huh = 3 stars
Meh = 2 stars
Ugh = 1 star
Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate
Anime Review Winter 2021: Cells At Work: Code Black!
Rating: Worth Watching
Suggested age rating: TV-Y10, movie-PG13
Much darker than the last Cells At Work. This body is smoking, drinking, and eating itself to death. As a deterrent for preteens and teens, it's pretty effective. Some of the things you knew happened when people abused their bodies, but seeing it was chilling and, in some cases, graphically vomitous. I almost cried at the red blood cell senpai's sacrifice. The characters all react to the stress in the same way humans do. Platelets, which are depicted as kawaii children, are shockingly rude. Supervisors bark orders. Co-workers are scorned if they 'coddle' the new recruits by letting them sit down for a second. Everyone is depicted as worn out, with bags under their eyes and stooped shoulders. This one seems more likely to follow a single story arc, instead of having an episodic format like the last one. Animation has the same style as the previous one. Music is surprisingly upbeat, considering the content. It's definitely a keeper, though.
Anime Reviews Winter Edition 1
The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter
Rating: Huh
Suggested age rating: TV-Y14 , movie-PG13
Set in an alternate world with magic, the main character is basically unbeatable as long as he continues to be a degenerate playboy. Creative use of magic skills. Lots of fan service. Animation is average, and, though heavily focused on women's body parts, does not seem to follow the laws of physics. Well, maybe they're keeping their breasts that way with magic. Nah, it's just unrealistic male-fantasy animation. They've obviously tried to make the main character an empathetic underdog by giving him low social status, but it's grossly evident that he's going to rise quickly with his magic skills. I might watch again depending on how the season shapes up.
So I'm A Spider, So What?
Rating: Huh
Suggested age rating: TV-Y7 , movie-PG
Yeah, so I'm not a huge fan of spiders. I realize they're not evil and actually contribute a lot to the ecosystem. But I see no need to be personal friends with one. Even considering the much-anthropomorphized version in this anime, it's still a bit ick. Premise is trying to be That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime without the slime part. Interesting that the whole classroom, including the teacher, got reincarnated. Possibility of interesting plot points with that. Liked the ending music, very frenetic heavy metal. As long as you're ok with spiders, you could do worse than to watch this one.
Dr Ramune
Rating: Hm hm
Suggested age rating: TV-Y14 , movie-PG13
The doctor is rude, but I found myself enjoying his tough-love technique. Haven't we all wanted to smack people with an unpleasant truth at least once? The ailments people come down with while under stress are unique and the cures are along the lines of 'letting the punishment fit the crime'. I rated it a little older because it looks like the second episode will deal with genitalia, which might be a bit much for younger audiences. But otherwise, it looks like a keeper.
Heaven's Design Team
Rating: Huh
Suggested age rating: TV-E , movie-G
An irreverent comedy about how God came up with all the animals on Earth. A design team sits in a room in Heaven, brainstorming ideas about how animals can, for example, eat things that are up really high. After God (through an angelic intermediary) approves the designs, there is a brief interlude describing the actual animals and some fun facts about them. It seems to primarily be an educational tool for young children to learn about animals. Not too much plot. Animation is quite life-like, at least for the animals. Entertaining for elementary aged kids.
Ninja Collection: Rating: Huh
Interesting still image technique. Very arty. Not sure I liked it. Not sure I didn't. Maybe it'll grow on me. Quite unique. A short film, only 4 and a half minutes. One of the four ninjas from the end credits was featured. Presumably, there will be at least another 3 episodes, each one featuring another shinobi. Not much in the way of plot or character development, which makes sense for its length. Should be amusing to watch what the others do in upcoming episodes.
Peter Grill and the Philosophers Time: Rating:
Suggested age ratings: TV MA, movie R
Classic harem anime perpetuating the myth that all women want strong men and are all willing to share. Also, how likely is it that the man in this scenario is agonizing over the situation and actually only wants one of the women? I feel like it's much more likely for the average man to be agonizing over getting caught by jealous women, and for the women in question to be more interested in eviscerating him or too busy leaving him if they found out than in sharing him. Animation is quite detailed on the naked forms. Not for kids. Or feminists. Or decent men (I'm sure they're out there). Plot is merely a tool to get various characters in bed together. That is to say, non-existent. Music is upbeat enough to believe the woman singing is probably unaware of the content of the show. I will not be watching this again.
This one did prompt me to start a suggested age rating, though. So I'll be including that from now on. It should not appear on the same page as the things my kid watches.
Rent-A-Girlfriend: Rating: HuhSuggested age rating: TV-Y14, movie PG 13
The main character gets dumped by his girlfriend in the first few seconds of the first episode. Thinking of her possibly making love to a shadowy other man, he resorts to a dating site designed, seemingly, for lonely men. I liked how the premise brought the traditional geisha role to the modern day. The contract he had to sign, which was referenced, but not seen, obviously specified a low level of intimacy. Hence, handholding, but not bed games. Not exactly feminist, but better than most male-centric anime. Of course, the mark of a good story is how much hot water you can throw your character into. So there are immediate complications when their real lives connect. Animation was good. I liked the use of different styles to create mood. I'll be interested to see where the story goes from here. A Whisker Away: Rating: Worth WatchingAlready age rated: TV-PGJunichi Sato and Tomotaka Shibayama are the next Miyazaki-sensei. A beautifully animated movie, the main character's movements are already half-cat, so it's no surprise when she becomes one. The story was painfully human, with space for love, rejection, betrayal and redemption. You can see how the main character sees others in the clear dehumanization of certain characters, leading up to the decision of her life. We get to witness both the main character and her love interest in social as well as private moments, making their personalities and lives so much richer and real. The dichotomy of how people behave in different situations highlighted our need, as humans, to protect ourselves from hurt, and how we can be hurting even while smiling. I cried. It was amazing. The Misfit of Demon King Academy: Rating: HuhSuggested age ratings: TV Y-14, movie PG 13A meld of The Irregular At Magic High and The Devil is a Part-Timer. The main character is a reincarnation of an all-powerful Demon Lord from 2,000 years ago. He's overpowered and makes jokes only the audience laughs at. No one respects him, but he plays it cool because he's constantly in God-mode, so he doesn't really need their approval. But he's quite a vengeful god. Took care of all the antagonistic male characters pretty quickly. At least he reincarnated into his own world. Having to deal with his disrespectful descendants is a fun twist. I liked the way the magic circles pieced themselves together. Animation was average. Characters are a bit trope-y. I felt the older sister character came around a little too quickly. Hope it doesn't turn into harem anime.The God of High School: Rating: Worth WatchingSuggested age ratings: TV Y-10, movie PG This one made me laugh right off the bat. I liked the way they used foreshadowing on the dead alarm clock to show the strength of the main character. Setting up the story with a chase scene gave us insight into the characters' personalities. Especially the use of internalized, imagined backstory on the grandma. The animators did a great job of showing us how they think instead of the drawn-out monologue so many shows use to explain actions. When we finally got to the fight scene, we knew enough about the characters' styles from their movements during the chase scene, that we were unsurprised and delighted to watch them fight. Top notch animation paired with synced music sequences set the mood. It was just a really fun show to watch.
Asteroid In Love:
Rating: Hm hm
Two kids meet on a camp out and share an interest in astronomy. Years later in high school, they meet again and join the Earth Sciences club. Animation was pretty ordinary, with a couple well done scenes. I liked the way they animated the leg movement and light during the phone call between Ao and Mira. Similar to 'Laid Back Camp' in character design and plot. The first episode focused more on the friendships and the integration of geology and astronomy into the single Earth Sciences club than on learning about the respective sciences. But further episodes might go into more sciencey detail. All girl cast didn't have any fan service until the end credits, which I appreciated as I tend to skip those after the first viewing. I do wonder why mixed-cast anime isn't done more often. I feel like it's truer to life and would add an extra perspective to so many anime, turning the average bread-and-butter anime into insightful classics that last for generations. That being said, Asteroid In Love is worth a look-see. I'll certainly be watching more (if only to learn more science!). ;)
Re:ZERO-Starting Life in Another World Director's Cut:
Rating: Hm hm
I had not seen this anime previously. This episode makes me regret that. It was well done, introducing the characters and the world in a natural, not at all clunky way. The person transported to a parallel world schtick is old, but this one threw out the all-powerful-Earthling trope pretty quickly. (Seriously, why would we be anything but noobs in another world?). And the time-loop was unexpected and fun. Not for the main character, of course, but hey, he's alive so who's he to complain? Character designs were engaging and relatable. Computer animated movement of background characters was a little distracting, but I can see why it would be easier than having to figure out how to draw humanoid figures with tails walking down the street. I'll have to watch the last two seasons now.
Room Camp:
Rating: Hm hm
A short of the anime 'Laid Back Camp'. A group of high school girls bond over outdoor camping--in winter. As the title suggests, it's very low-key slice of life. You learn a lot about camping, especially in winter, and quite a bit about camping related things, like cooking over a camp stove or fire. The short re-introduces some of the characters, giving you further insight into their personalities. The art is solid and the plots are slow but happy. Adventures are kept to the everyday, nothing over-the-top. And the winter theme leaves very little screen time for fan service. Overall, it leaves you with a gentle smile and some stress relief.
Somali and the Forest Spirit:
: Rating: Huh
An interesting premise. Human girl in a world full of monster people gets adopted by a golem who then tries to find her family. The setting is beautiful. Lots of room for creativity with the different kinds of monster people, etc. And I loved the pastel-ish color scheme. It added to the other-worldliness of the design. Computer generated motions on the capes in the end credits were so well done it took me a minute to spot them, with the light of the setting sun playing on the folds it was quite captivating. Not a lot of character building. We don't really have a lot of grasp on who they really are or how they'll act in different scenarios. I have lots of questions, which was probably the intent of the first episode since I'll definately be watching the next one. Where did she come from? Why did the golem decide to help her? Was the story about the monster/human interactions the waitress told true? And why do so many monsters reference humans as tasty? Well, that one might not need as much explanation. But I'm hoping the other questions are addressed as the series progresses.
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!:
Rating: Worth Watching!
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!: Rating: Hm hm
Two anime-obsessed teens and their 'normal' friend meet and try to make their own anime. This put a fresh face on a tired old theme. The characters were all female, fan service was at record lows, and their personalities were real--not at all trope-y. One does character designs, the other does concept designs. Understandably amazing art. The detail that went into the scenes and backgrounds was amazing. And the plot doesn't rely on the amazing art, either. The chase scene was well done, with a lot of space for humor, as was the end scene with dialogue from the non-anime-geek friend. The way the two anime friends collaborated was an exciting foreshadowing of episodes to come.
Boogiepop and Others: Reviewed
Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!
Rating system notes:
Worth Watching = 5 stars
Hm hm= 4 stars
Huh = 3 stars
Meh = 2 stars
Ugh = 1 star
Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate
Rating: Worth Watching
It's extremely mysterious. The plot appears to follow, not the protagonist, but a peripheral character who seems to have very little (if any) idea of what's going on. There are other-worldly powers at work, but we see only the barest hint of them. Because he knows so little, the story is able to focus on the relationship between the protagonist and the peripheral character. Animation is beautiful. I was really impressed with the realistic movements and expressions of the characters. The soundtrack underlines the uneasy nature of the plot from the point of view of the peripheral character. Sometimes not knowing is worse than knowing. Also, the skirts are realistically longer than most high school anime. Just saying.
The Rising of the Shield Hero: Reviewed!
Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!
Rating system notes:
Worth Watching = 5 stars
Hm hm= 4 stars
Huh = 3 stars
Meh = 2 stars
Ugh = 1 star
Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate
Rating: Hm hm
The plot starts off with a typical 'I've just been sent to a game world' naive otaku, but quickly devolves into a much darker plot. By the end of the first episode, I was hooked. What will the unlucky protagonist do in his disillusionment? How far has his lack of faith in humanity driven him? Will he come back from the brink of despair? Animation and costume design are average. There aren't any beginning or ending credits, which is a bit disappointing since I'd like to see more foreshadowing than just the dream sequence in the beginning. It would also give me an idea of what to say about the music. The episode itself is quite long, but riveting. Missed a 'Worth Watching' rating by a hair.
The Promised Neverland: Reviewed!
Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!
Rating system notes:
Worth Watching = 5 stars
Hm hm= 4 stars
Huh = 3 stars
Meh = 2 stars
Ugh = 1 star
Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate
Rating: Worth Watching
Terrifying and heartbreaking. It was obvious that something sinister was going to spoil the peaceful tranquility, but the truth is so shocking, it's hard to believe. The characters are now faced with an impossible task, and I have a feeling not all of them will make it to the end of the series. Animation is natural and joyful. You can tell the animators love their work. Character design is intentional without being trope-y. They look like their personalities. The antagonists design (without giving away any spoilers) is original and creepy enough to give me the shivers. Can't wait till the next one.
My Roommate is a Cat
Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!
Rating system notes:
Worth Watching = 5 stars
Hm hm= 4 stars
Huh = 3 stars
Meh = 2 stars
Ugh = 1 star
Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate
Rating: Hm hm
Refreshing slice of life with an author and a cat. Slow paced, but not boringly so. I liked that it told the story from both the mans' and the cats' perspective. Everything is funnier when seen through the eyes of a cat. Animation is average. They weren't trying for absolute realism with the cat (it walks a bit stiffly), but it's movements aren't humanized either. The animators put some effort into it, but they may not have cats of their own. The only times I've ever seen cats who walk stiffly is if they've stepped in something sticky and are trying desperately to shake it off, or when they've gotten their front leg hilariously stuck in their collar. Aside from that small detail, the anime as a whole is really on point. The plot is amusing and engaging. The characters are likable and relate-able, and the voice actors let us know how they feel without getting cheesy. This will be relaxing after a long day at work.
The Quintessential Quintuplets: REVIEWED
Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!
Rating system notes:
Worth Watching = 5 stars
Hm hm= 4 stars
Huh = 3 stars
Meh = 2 stars
Ugh = 1 star
Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate
Rating: Huh
The foreshadowing dream sequences should tell you this is harem anime (if the name didn't tip you off). I feel like I'll be referring to the characters by their trope. It's not as obvious as in some other anime, but having a large cast thrown at you in the first episode does that to me. I still call the main character in my favorite Korean drama 'Sad Man'. In any case, the characters, while adhering to certain stereotypes, don't come off as too trope-y. The manner that they were introduced is unique, and by the time they all think they know each other, they've basically gotten off on the wrong foot. The protagonist is very resolute about finding a way out of his family's debt. It rings true and makes his otherwise unpleasant personality tolerably empathetic. Animation is average, hairstyles are unbelievable, but probably needed with such a large identical cast. I like the way you can see his molars whenever he's shocked. Not too much fan service, though the breasts are very evident. I enjoyed it and will like seeing where the plot takes us.
Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka: Reviewed
Rating: Huh
Not your typical magical girl. Anime takes place after the war has been won and the magical girls are not needed on the battlefield. They've clearly researched PTSD, because she's definitely experiencing some symptoms. And honestly, fighting a war as a middle schooler would mess anyone up. She's in high school now and is pushed into battle again when her friend is threatened, which was kinda predictable. No story without conflict, right? I love that the last war was fought against stuffed animals from another dimension, complete with kid voices. I've always thought those things were less kawaii and more clown-level creepy. I do wish there were magical girls who didn't dress like a 30 year old man's wet dream. How are you supposed to fight when you're wearing, well, that? You'd see less exposure at a strip club. Other than that, it's a nice change from the cute-sy girls whose biggest problem is getting enough study time in when they're fighting bad guys all night. I appreciated the voice actress' take on her mental health. You can really tell she's struggling. It's going to be interesting to see how well she deals with continued conflict and what they do about her PTSD.
Kaguya-sama Love is War: Reviewed
Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!
Rating system notes:
Worth Watching = 5 stars
Hm hm= 4 stars
Huh = 3 stars
Meh = 2 stars
Ugh = 1 star
Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate
Rating: Hm hm
The contentious relationship between these two high schoolers is great. Not a lot of action, but you don't miss it. Only 3 things happen in the first episode. The first part is spent on a scenario they've created to get one of them to ask out the other to a movie. The pride and arrogance of their thought processes are hilarious. The monologues and the animation when they're thinking is perfectly synced, and their expressions when they feel they've made tactical errors are priceless. They're both horrible people who totally deserve each other, so you don't feel bad laughing and rooting for them to fail. Or win. Either way, it's going to be fun to watch.
Grimm's Notes The Animation: Reviewed
Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!
Rating system notes:
Worth Watching = 5 stars
Hm hm= 4 stars
Huh = 3 stars
Meh = 2 stars
Ugh = 1 star
Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate
Rating: Huh
An interesting premise. A storybook world where someone is trying to rewrite various traditional stories. Everyone receives a 'Book of Fate' when they're born that tells them what their lives will be like and what to do when. Chaos Tellers take over certain characters in a book using the characters' insecurities to control them and change the story. The protagonists are a group of people whose books of fate were blank and can change into other traditional characters (Cinderella, Alice, Goliath, and Robin Hood) to fight villains that the Chaos Tellers create. There might be some push-back from the Christian community about Goliath being lumped in with fairy tale characters. That aside, I liked that two of the group transformed into opposite gender characters. Robin Hood's attack magic was in a form I've not seen. Cinderella's waltz was not a waltz, but most people won't notice that. Foreshadowing at the end promised some new conflict. And the end credits look like they'll cover stories from around the world, which should be nice.
Date A Live III: Reviewed
Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!
Rating system notes:
Worth Watching = 5 stars
Hm hm= 4 stars
Huh = 3 stars
Meh = 2 stars
Ugh = 1 star
Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate
Rating: Meh
Harem anime with a magical girl twist. Computer generated sludge in the beginning reminded me powerfully of my aunt's 'cooking'. Fight scene is hilariously reminiscent of the old Batman tv series--'BAM!' 'POW!' 'BANG!' 'POOF!'. Couldn't help laughing. The antagonists' revenge is unique and appropriate to the genre, as is her outfit. Nipples would show if she were real. Even I couldn't stop staring to see if they actually would show, though I know they're not allowed to. In one scene they had to put a star over her...area...to cover what was almost certainly a slip of the pen (or mouse, as I'm sure they don't draw all of this anymore). I could wish for more plot and intelligent dialogue, but I won't get it. I'll probably skip the belated and transparent attempt to familiarize us with all the characters in the second episode.
Girly Air Force Reviewed
Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!
Rating system notes:
Worth Watching = 5 stars
Hm hm= 4 stars
Huh = 3 stars
Meh = 2 stars
Ugh = 1 star
Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate
Girly Air Force:
Rating: Meh
Not exactly mecha, more on the harem side of the spectrum, with a smaller harem. Aliens invade and their aircraft is much more maneuverable than ours, so they win air battles until we come up with 'Anima' (basically teenage girls who can withstand higher G's and pilot special planes). But they apparently need recharging and our (male teenage) protagonist is the one to do it. Fairly PG so far, as the recharging extends to a chaste kiss. But I can't see how the plot can get interesting material from this. It doesn't look like it's going anywhere. Sure, the story arc with the older sister type childhood friend seems mildly interesting, but based on foreshadowing and the preview of the next episode, it doesn't look like they'll pursue her pain. Only one of the 3 Anima was in this episode, and the others seem trope-y in the intro. I don't know that I'll bother watching the rest.