bill_allison Reviews

Tonbo! (2024– )

Charming "Slice" of Life with Golf

[7/10 · 7 May 2024]

Excellent animation and charming characters lure you into this uplifting story. Set on a remote fishing island in southern Japan we meet a tomboy girl named Tonbo and a burned-out pro golfer named Igarashi. Each has their secrets, but they form a close friendship on a local golf course. Part of the story's interest is the gradual reveal of their hidden stories. Why did Igarashi exile himself to a remote community center? Why is the multi-talented Tonbo determined to never leave this small island?

The unusual island and its local culture adds to the appeal. Strange weather, unusual fish, and local customs frequently surprise Igarashi.

The story offers interesting and unique insights into golf. This is no surprise as it is based on a long running series in Weekly Golf Digest. You can learn some good ideas from their golf techniques.

You don't need to love golf to enjoy this story, but even a passing interest in golf will make this a real treat.

Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord (2024– )

Entertaining Comedy set in a Magical World

[7/10 · 25 March 2024]

Yumiella played a fantasy-romance sim game in her prior life and has now been reborn into that same world as the villainess who is destined to die!

The premise for this series is similar to several other stories, and even the school and the team of heroes seem familiar. Aside from this, the story delivers easy entertainment with cute characters and fun humor.

Yumiella has lived her life shunned and villified, never even seeing her parents. Her response has been to suppress her emotions and simply accept the unfair treatment she is subjected to. Her goal is to survive, and to do this she grinds her way through dungeons, killing monsters to become as strong as possible. She also tries to avoid people that she recalls as death flags in the computer game in her previous life.

Yumiella is socially inept and clueless about how other people think and feel. This creates an abundance of humorous situations. Her deadpan remarks are often funny and horribly misinterpreted by others. When the first hints of romance begin to bloom, she is totally oblivious to possibility.

The animation and voice acting are nicely done. The original light novels have been skillfully adapted into episodes. There is no blood and gore, and no obvious "fan service". I recommend this.

7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy (2024– )

Delightful adaptation of the light novel series

[8/10 · 19 February 2024]

7th Time Loop has a well executed balance of comedy, drama, and romance. The animation and sound editing are excellent. The voice acting is fine, unfortunately it is currently just English Subtitles. This charming story has similarities to "Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion" and I expect people who like one will like the other. However, I enjoy "7th Time Loop" the most.

The main character is Rishe Weitzner, who was raised by her parents to marry the local prince. When the prince suddenly falls for another woman and cancels their engagement, he accuses Rishe of false crimes and her parents reject her. Abandoned and homeless, Rishe strikes out to start a new life of her own making.

The story only gives brief flashbacks, but we learn that Rishe has previously lived 6 times until the age of 20. She chose widely different lives, yet each one ended with premature death caused in some way by Arnold Hein, Crown Prince of the Hyne Kingdom.

Rishe is now in her 7th time loop, and this time (after being dumped again) she becomes engaged to her mortal enemy - Arnold Hein. As the story progresses, she tries to understand the causes behind Arnold's cold harsh personality and tries to change his circumstances so she won't die in the future. She is also determined to live a fulfilling life, regardless of when she might die.

Arnold Hein looks at Rishe as a self-determined free spirit and watches her living a happy life he wishes he could have. His real feelings for her grow, yet Rishe assumes they are just an act.

Careful writing creates a unique blend of comedy, romance, tension between future killer and victim, and mysterious psychological trauma in the royal family.

This is not fluff, but it is not so heavy-handed that you will find it depressing. I highly recommend it. If you want the full story in English, seek out the translated light novel series, or even the manga adaption.

Alice's Wonderland Bakery (2022–2024)

Delicious Looking Fun for Children

[8/10 · 11 February 2024]

This show has a lot going for it. The artwork is great and the 3D animation is excellent. The characters are super-cute and the food is mouth-watering! There are lots of lively songs. There is well-designed educational value in teaching the importance of following steps and measurements, and it also demonstrates the cause and effect of things we do. Moral lessons about feelings and relationships are taught, but not overdone.

Fans of Alice in Wonderland will find this show visually appealing.

I do think this show could have a broader audience if the characters were not so overly sweet. A little more "edge" like in the original Alice in Wonderland cartoon would make this appeal to older viewers too. While it is not another Sofia the First, it is a fine program for children up to 1st grade level.

I admit this show is similar to Butterbean's Cafe, but I believe Alice's Wonderland Bakery deserves the Gold Ribbon for best baked program! I do not see much of a comparison to Strawberry Shortcake.

I Woke Up a Vampire (2023– )

inconsistent but gets better

[6/10 · 22 October 2023]

The idea of waking up with superpowers on your birthday is not new, but still makes for some amusing moments. This is a light comedy-drama with scenes in home-school-urban settings.

The episodes are short, so it is easy to finish Season 1 in an evening. My first thought about this is "inconsistent." Some moments are funny, some stupid. Some sweet, some lame. Some action is good, some is juvenile. The musical rehearsals look embarrassing, but the final show is okay.

The story begins like it does not know where it is going, but it seems to gain some purpose around episode 3. The character definitions and dramatic elements become stronger as the show progresses.

The young lead actors are appealing and seem capable of doing more if given a stronger script. The target audience of young viewers should enjoy this. Adults will recognize the many cliches and have higher expectations. After all, a cliche was something new the first time you saw it.

Journal of the Mysterious Creatures (2019)

Lively Comedy Fantasy from Hong Kong

[6/10 · 16 August 2023]

The Journal of the Mysterious Creatures (aka The Record of Unusual Creatures) is a humorous comedy with plenty of action and some mysteries to solve. The animation is good. The English subtitles are sometimes flawed and show the errors of pronouns and gender made by machine translations. The subtitles lowered the score I gave to the series, but it is still entertaining. The series is available on YouTube.

The premise of the show is that Hao Ren, a young man, needs income, so he rents out rooms in his house. His first tenant is Lily. She is revealed to be a werewolf when attacked by a vampire named Vivian. The problem is resolved when Vivian is also allowed to rent a room. The friction between these two becomes a constant source of humor in the story.

After he guides the werewolf and vampire into living together, Hao Ren is called for a job interview by the mysterious Time and Space Management Bureau, which manages the order of the universe. This bureau wants him to assist a variety of alien creatures to become tenants at his home. He will receive a salary with benefits so he eagerly signs a contract. After this, he begins locating and bringing home new species of beings. He also gets involved in a war between Witchers and aliens.

If you are in the mood for a fantasy-comedy and don't mind subtitles, this will give you some pleasant entertainment.

Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror (2023)

An Alternate World for the Girls of Love Live Sunshine

[7/10 · 4 August 2023]

This story is centered on Yohane, our favorite deluded Fallen Angel from Love Live Sunshine. Here she is from Numazu, a small coastal town. She has gone to a big city hoping to become famous as an idol singer. Unfortunately, her money has run out and she must return home where she feels she does not belong. She tries to become a fortune teller, but ends up as the town handyman doing miscellaneous chores. This leads to her meeting many people and she begins to make friends. This clever plot device allows us to gradually meet the girls from LL Sunshine living new roles in this alternate reality. This aspect of the story is especially fun to watch.

A large wolf named Lailaps lives with Yohane. Lailaps becomes her steady sidekick and advisor. Yohane can understand the wolf talking to her, but others only hear barking. Hanamaru is a baker and forces her friendship onto the reluctant Yohane. Hanamaru urges Yohane to sing in the forest, and the music becomes magical and creates a magic staff for Yohane.

The plot is very entertaining, but the scripting falls short of its potential. Yohane seems a bit too subdued and we could use a few more flashes of her wacky personality. A little bit more music would be nice, even if was just short bits of characters singing to themselves. The magical aspect of the story needs more development. A secret organization protecting the town appears suddenly, then seems to vanish. This needs more explanation and would provide a good subplot to strengthen the story.

The art design, animation, and voice acting are all good quality.

In conclusion, this series will be entertaining for many people and will strongly appeal to fans of LL Sunshine. It is frustrating though, because it has the potential to be better.

My Happy Marriage (2023– )

High Quality Emotional Romantic Drama

[8/10 · 3 August 2023]

This is a very high quality production with lovely art design, fine animation, and excellent English voice acting. It was made for Netflix. The title is somewhat misleading because her marriage will be in the future after a one year engagement and will not happen in season one of the series.

The initial setup is Cinderella-like with the eldest daughter Miyo raised as an abused servant by her step-mother and step sister. Miyo's father views her as worthless because she shows no magical ability. To get rid of of Miyo, she is sent to be the fiance of an icy noble, Kiyoko. Miyo is expected to be rejected and become homeless.

Miyo is emotionally crushed and considers herself to be worthless and quietly accepts the cruel abuse. The power of the story is Miyo's gradual journey toward self-worth and her desire to find happiness in spite of her upbringing.

Miyo works hard with a humble determination to prove her worth, to both herself and to others. There will be challenges, threats, and surprises ahead as the story evolves in its own unique way.

There are 4 volumes of novels translated to English and #5 comes out October 2023. I highly recommend both the anime and the novels.

Too Cute Crisis (2023)

Silly Fun for Animal lovers of All Ages (revised)

[7/10 · 13 May 2023]

The premise of the story is that advanced aliens are exploring the galaxy looking for new habitable worlds. If the world they find has no worthwhile lifeforms, they purge the planet and colonize it.

Liza Luna has descended to inspect the Earth. She thinks the humans are primitive and cities are a dump. The food is average, but then she steps into a cat cafe for a snack. There she sees cats, clearly the cutest animals in the universe! She nearly dies from cuteness overload. Then she sees a puppy - is there no end to the cuteness? Liza has to determine if these superior lifeforms are dangerous, but she is so emotionally over-powered that she can't think properly. She tries to put off her reports to the command ship, but they are getting suspicious. How can she deal with this crisis? Knowing that she is the toughest of the galactic investigators, anyone else will probably die if they see these cute creatures!

So we have a silly premise for a comedy that will give us some good laughs. Now, after watching 9 episodes, I have raised my rating. The show continues to be charming and funny, better than I expected.

The aliens are ridiculous, but the creators of this show have done a good job of observing and replicating the cute behaviors of animals and their caregivers. (We do not really own the pets, rather, they have manipulated us into serving their wishes.) The focus begins with cats and dogs, but many other animals also make appearances. Bunnies get attention in later episodes. They also give tips on how to interact with animals.

It is currently with subtitles, but the whole family can easily enjoy the fun anyway.

Strange World (2022)

visually amazing, but a weak script

[6/10 · 13 May 2023]

The artistic concept and animation are fantastic. It seems like how Fantasia would look if designed by Salvador Dali. I would give a lower score if the scenery wasn't so great. The film makers often seemed to focus on the scenery with nothing else happening, perhaps they knew the script was weak?

The story seemed disjointed when the plot suddenly changed topics and left the audience behind. The plot seemed like pieces of various well known stories were spliced together - did someone use A. I. to write the script? The lessons of the story were overly heavy-handed and left little for the actors to work with. It was not slapstick enough to be just a silly funny film and there was too much over-acting to let the audience participate in the story emotionally. If they had shifted the film one way or the other (either slapstick or nuanced) it would have been better. This is not a sophisticated analysis, just my own reaction to it.

In summary - you must see at least some bits of this to appreciate the fantastic art design, but the story can be ignored as it is mostly unsatisfying.

Hula Fulla Dance (2021)

A Pleasant Sice of Life Story with Fine Hula Dances

[7/10 · 13 May 2023]

This is not a story about bikini babes or warring ninjas. It is a pleasant story of five teenage girls training to become dancers at a world famous theme resort. The resort has high standards that require hard work to attain. Each girl has her own strengths and weaknesses and they struggle individually and together to reach for their dreams.

The setup to the story is a little girl named Hiwa idolizing her older sister Mari. A recurring theme is how their two names combined can form Himawari which means Sunflower. Mari was a hula dancer at the famous Hawaiians Spa Resort in Fukushima, Japan. Mari was killed at Hawaiians in the great earthquake of 2011. Jump forward 10 years and Hiwa is now going to Hawaiians to train and work to become a hula dancer too. (The resort is real and the movie was released to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the terrible earthquake that damaged the Fukushima nuclear reactors.)

The animation is realistic with high quality and the acting is very good. The Hawaiian music is nice too. The plot is adequate, but it misses opportunities to be stronger. I feel they could have put more screen time into developing the connections between Hiwa and two of the resort workers who knew her older sister Mari. They also missed the chance to build upon some of the humorous moments that could liven up the story.

Overall, this is a pleasant wholesome movie for general audiences. If you are a fan of hula, then it is a "must see" for the detailed portrayal of dancing.

The Ancient Magus' Bride (2017– )

A Beautiful Exploration of Human Emotion

[8/10 · 29 April 2023]

If I were to describe this concisely, I would call it Violet Evergarden meets Beauty and the Beast.

The artwork and animation are exceptional. There is some unexpected fine music. The voice acting is excellent. There are some action sequences, but the emphasis is an exploration of human emotions and values. How should we value ourselves and others? What is friendship and love? What actions go into a good relationship with another? How do we forgive? How do we put a painful past behind us? You might think of this as a psychology course.

The story is strongly influenced by the folklore and ancient religions of Scotland and Ireland. The music used is a reflection of those traditions.

The Beauty and the Beast relationship may seem creepy at times, but that is the point, to try and make us look at the interior of someone and not the surface. Just like psychotherapy, the characters will gradually discover truths about themselves as well as about those around them. When we watch or read the story, we will go on this journey together.

As for action, there will be some great action from time to time, just not in every episode.

Gekijouban Toaru majutsu no indekkusu: Endyumion no kiseki (2013)

Nice to see our favorite characters together again

[6/10 · 29 April 2023]

This movie has better animation than the series and it is great to see our favorite characters from A Certain Magical Index and A Certain Scientific Railgun.

The basic premise for the story is interesting. A space plane crashed 3 years ago, yet miraculously, none of the 88 passengers died. This event caused the commercial space plane to be cancelled and instead, a space elevator was constructed.

Not long after the crash, a young girl named Arisa became a popular singer. She was a survivor of the crash. At the beginning of the movie, Toma and Index meet Arisa, become friends, and try to protect Arisa from magical attacks.

If you just focus on the individual scenes you will be far more satisfied than if you look at the story development. It seems like someone came up with a list of scenes he wanted and ignored the plot. There are so many holes in the story that I found it annoying. Why do characters fight? Why do they suddenly become allies? Why do they limit their fighting in one scene and go all out in another? To be fair, these kinds of problems are common in a lot of action movies.

If you are a fan of these anime series, then this is a must-see movie. Otherwise, I think you will be confused.

Tsundere Akuyaku Reijou Liselotte to Jikkyou no Endou-kun to Kaisetsu no Kobayashi-san (2023)

Imaginative and Funny Twist to Fantasy Romance

[7/10 · 15 April 2023]

English title- Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte

Endo and Kobayashi are students in the Broadcasting Club. They are playing a video game, "Magical Romance", and decide to practice making commentary about the events in the game. To their surprise, the character Prince Seigwald can hear them and thinks the gods are giving him advice. Their first advice is to let Prince Seig know that Liselotte actually has a kind heart hiding beneath a prickly exterior.

From this moment on, we can see that while this story uses all of the standard cliches, it gives them new twists. There are plenty of laughs and unexpected turns in the story. There is sufficient drama to keep us pulled in wondering what will happen next.

Endo and Kobayashi want to influence the story to prevent characters dying and to achieve "The Best Happy End to End All Happy Ends". The story is not limited to the video game characters, but also involves the commentators in unexpected ways.

Its a shame this series is not available in an English dub. However, you can get the source novels in English from the J-Novel Club.

The animation and production values are typical modern animation. The story moves quickly in this 12 episode series. The creative plot is what makes this stand out in a crowded category.

Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion (2023)

Well made historical romantic drama with a twist

[8/10 · 11 April 2023]

Handsome men and beautiful ladies populate this historical romance set in an era similar to the mid to late 1800's. This is an era where nobility plot and maneuver against each other for power while society is also undergoing change as wealthy businessmen compete against the nobility for power and status. This is a perfect setting for romance and intrigue.

The story is based on a completed Korean manga series - "The Reason Why Raeliana Ended Up At The Duke's Mansion" (Kanojo ga Koushaku-tei ni Itta Riyuu). The title may be long, but the manga series moves along quickly. I expect the anime series will prove lively and interesting.

The first episode packs in a lot of exposition to quickly set up the story. It seems that Eunha Park in modern Korea is pushed off a building and awakens in a different world. She is now Raeliana McMillan - and she knows that she will soon be murdered! In fact, she knows a lot of things about this world that normal people do not know. The reason - she enjoyed reading this as a novel titled "Beatrice" in her previous life!

Raeliana does not want to die a second time, so she sets out to change the story. Using her secret knowledge and sharp intellect, Raeliana must secure her safety with a fake romance, solve several mysteries, and overcome her misgivings about changing the story.

The artistic design is richly detailed and very appealing. The English dub actors are familiar and do a good job.

I highly recommend this.

More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers. (2022)

Ridiculous but Fun Rom-Com

[7/10 · 6 April 2023]

The premise is absurd - a school requiring boys and girls to pair up and live together! Schools should have classes about relationships, but this is clearly going too far. Once this silly premise is established, the series can set up an endless variety of relationship issues and situations. Friendships, crushes, romance, embarrassments, lust, jealousy, selfishness and stupidity are all available here. The variety of issues definitely helps make the series interesting. The voice actors are solid, and I find the English dub actors for Akari and Jiro extra appealing.

On the negative side - (this is just my opinion) there is an over-emphasis on boobs and crotches. Sure, lots of guys want this, but it tends to detract from the story and some will find it offensive.

Also - Jiro is thick headed and this can be funny, but he is just a little too frozen in his character development. I know character development is a balancing act for the writer- too slow and we get frustrated, too fast and we lose out on comedy situations. My opinion is let's keep it moving along.

I am looking forward to season 2. Meanwhile, the story is available as a manga. Season 1 video covers the first 29 chapters of manga, there are 58 chapters available as I write this review. Have fun!

D4DJ First Mix (2020– )

Great Feel Good Fun!

[8/10 · 3 April 2023]

If you have ever enjoyed a music oriented series, do not miss this one! It has a great original music in multiple styles, fine dancing, and creative music visuals. The sound quality is first rate. The animation is high quality motion-tracking with smooth frame rates. It looks like a big budget production.

It is available on most anime channels, and also for free on YouTube. At the moment, only season one is dubbed in English, but I hope more will be dubbed soon.

I did not expect an anime about DJ's to include so much technical detail, nor create original songs and choreography. There is plenty of humor and the characters are lively and interesting.

The setting is a large Tokyo High School with a big music program that holds music mixing and DJ competitions. The story focuses on three groups, Happy Around (initially named DJ Mash), Peaky P-key (the reigning champions), and Photon Maiden (created by a record label).

The new girls in Happy Around develop their group, grow friendships and work hard to build their skills. There are plenty of "slice of life" moments as the girls reflect on themselves and try to understand relationships with each other. Happy Around has a lot of fun performing, and is both surprised and excited to move up the rankings. They become friends with girls in the competing groups Peaky P-key and Photon Maiden. The new girls have a chance to qualify for the big end of year competition. They struggle with how to evolve as a group so they can compete at a higher level.

This show has lots of energy and will leave you smiling.

Akebi's Sailor Uniform (2022)

Another Winner from Cloverworks Studio

[8/10 · 11 March 2023]

This young studio was spun-off from A-1 Pictures and is overflowing with talent. They have great art design and fine animation. Their editing and acting are excellent. The shows Spy x Family, Horimiya, The Promised Neverland, Wonder Egg Priority, Bocchi the Rock, UniteUp, Shadows House, and My Dress Up Darling are just some of their current hits. You should consider trying everything from this studio, so lookup their web site. (It is in both English and Japanese.)

Akebi's Sailor Uniform is a feel-good slice-of-life story. The same genre as shows like Slow Loop and K-On! Some people won't like how this show radiates so much positive energy. However, I think after watching one of the many dark and violent animes, good mental health requires a bit of happiness, and this show is one way to get some.

Akebi has always wanted to attend her mother's school and wear a sailor uniform. But when she arrives, that uniform was retired long ago! She is nervous that she will be considered weird and be rejected. She tries to be friendly anyway, and is rewarded with lots of good experiences and new friends. In the series, Akebi's energy and encouragement influences everyone around her in positive ways.

The general theme is about personal growth, getting to know people, and making new friends. There is shyness, insecurity, and mistakes along the way, but if you keep trying, you can make good things happen.

The events in the series are often typical of anime in a school setting. However, the high quality of the show and its unique interpretations, make it an enjoyable experience.

Love Live!: School Idol Project (2013–2014)

Friendship, Music, Dancing - Wholesome Fun For All Ages!

[8/10 · 6 March 2023]

This was the first of several Love Live! TV series and the inspiration for massively popular world idol tours, movies, music albums, and idol related figurines, posters, and products. Promoters and merchandisers have made loads of money from the idols, but that does not change the fact that they are very entertaining. I suspect this show had some inspiration from the series K-On!

Each of the Love Live series is good enough that any one could become your favorite. This original one is my favorite because of the characters and their stories. (However, there are more musical performances in Love Live! Sunshine!) On YouTube you can find several good English covers of the Japanese songs and great samples of the Love Live! World Tours.

The story shows that hard work and determination are necessary, yet do not guarantee success! There are many others out there competing against you, so all you can do is try and find pride in doing your best. Working together and building friendships are a guaranteed reward, but if you can win, then that will be a bonus.

While the show has cute girls in short skirts, it is not focused on boobs and butts or sexual innuendo like many anime. Kids and adults can both enjoy the energy, enthusiasm, dancing and music.

Superkitties (2023– )

Similar to PJ Masks but with Super Cute Kittens

[6/10 · 12 January 2023]

Four cute kittens who live at a cat day-care have secret identities as super heroes. When duty calls, they jump down secret tubes where they suit-up and become Super Kitties. They have two adventures each episode. Sometimes they face a random trouble-maker, and sometimes they fight the super-villain Lab Rat.

The animation is high quality 3D CGI and the kittens are adorable. The simple city setting helps educate preschool children about the world around them and the stories give lessons on good behavior.

My only criticism (based on two episodes) is the stories are very simple and I think older children will quickly lose interest. If you need to satisfy multiple children at one time, you might do better with Puppy Dog Pals or Sophia the First.

Beast Tamer (2022)

Light-hearted fun, fantasy-adventure for the family

[7/10 · 8 January 2023]

This is a light fluffy series good to relax with and suitable for the family. Even though Rein, the Beast Tamer, accumulates a harem of cute demi-humans, it is like a family and not presented in a perverted or sexual manner.

The story begins with Rein kicked out of a "Hero" team and called useless. Rein is depressed and feels low self worth as he begins a solo career as an adventurer. Rein gradually accomplishes tasks and proves himself. He accumulates his own team of special creatures who support him and make him stronger.

This has a good combination of action adventure, quests, comedy and friendly fun. There are some nasty villains to create dramatic tension but not any blood and gore. This may be boring to some, but just right for others. I think this will share an audience with Land of Leadale. I personally find Leadale slightly more appealing, but Beast Tamer has better animation.

Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions the Movie: Take on Me (2018)

Satisfying End to a Unique Rom-Com Series

[7/10 · 5 December 2022]

Another fine production from Kyoto Animation. As usual, the artwork is lovely and the animation is of high quality.

The story has some commonly used elements - high school students who belong to a club and struggle to interact with each other. The unique twist is that the students are deeply wrapped up in lives of fantasy or are trying to put their embarrassing fantasy pasts behind them. The long scenes of imaginary battles will appeal to some viewers and put off others, but they are well animated in either case.

The female lead, Rikka Takanashi, is struggling with her future - will she remain devoted to her fantasy world or evolve into someone more grounded in reality. Will she lose her identity? Her boyfriend, Yuuta Togashi, thought he had put his fantasy life in the past, but gradually accepts it is still a part of who he is. He would like Rikka to "grow up", but still loves her either way.

The supporting cast does a good job of adding dramatic tension or comedy relief as needed.

I did not expect to watch all of this, as it is not my usual type of show, but the quality of execution kept me watching to the end.

Witch Hunter Robin (2002–2003)

Moody Atmosphere, Feels like the X-files

[7/10 · 28 November 2022]

The first 2 episodes are a bit slow as it creates the atmosphere and introduces the fine cast of characters. Stay with it and you will be rewarded. However, this is not intended to be an action show, nor will you find any "fan service". The animation is 2D, but gives the look of a night-time TV crime drama. For its genre, this is a fine, memorable show. It would be great if they remade it as a live-action series or movie.

The first half of the series focuses on investigations of "abnormal" crimes and the capture of "witches", people who have developed powers. Some of the people who hunt these witches also have powers but are labeled "craft users". You are either a hunter or the hunted. The hypocrisy is obvious.

The second half of the series focuses less on "captures" and more on investigating and revealing secrets about Robin and the agencies. Conflict develops between the agencies.

It has a good ending and leaves me wanting more.

Mysterious Girlfriend X (2012)

Weird, Sweet, Innocent and Sexy

[7/10 · 26 November 2022]

This is a sweet love story. The weird part is it is based upon exchanging drool as a way to share emotions and physical sensations. This act only works between select individuals who have a mysterious bond. The girl, Mikoto Urabe, is very mysterious in every way. She hides her face behind long bangs. She might have suffered a childhood trauma - she does not like to be touched and carries scissors in her underwear for self defense. However, she does fall in love with Tsubaki and while the road is slow, someday they will be exceptionally close.

Genevieve Simmons smokey voicework as Urabe really adds a lot to the story. Josh Grelle is a solid countpoint as Tsubaki. The anime is done in an old fashioned 90's artistic style, but with the high quality of the best modern anime.

3D Kanojo Real Girl (2018– )

good relationships and good acting

[7/10 · 26 November 2022]

It is hard to score this as I disliked some parts where everyone was nasty or sucker punching or worse. However, I enjoyed the many parts that are funny, enlightening, or emotional. The anime focuses on story and not fan service, but there will be some "mature" parts. The plot has some twists that may surprise you and the acting (dub) is quite good. The studio has previously done some good work, but this series has below average animation. I wonder if the budget was too low or if they were short-staffed?

The more episodes you watch, the more you will like this. It definitely grows beyond the opening cliches. Don't miss the powerful conclusion!