 Can we talk about 30 different anime in one single video? Well, we're gonna find out here on Manga Geekdom. It's my spring anime season 2023 review. Let's do it. Insomniac's After School. A wonderful slice of life coming of age series adapted from the manga of the same name. This is being done by Litten Films, which can be a little hit or miss with me when it comes to these adaptations. But for the most part, this was a wonderful success. Ganta Nakami is a high school student who suffers from insomnia. One day, he meets Isaki Magari, a girl with the same condition. A strange but special relationship forms as they share a secret and catch up on their sleep in their school's abandoned observatory. I enjoyed the progression of our main characters. They were pretty isolated at the start of the story, dealing with not just insomnia, but other mental and physical issues. But thanks to their fateful meeting, those layers of trauma begin to peel back, making way for growth, friendship, and potential love. The series has a laid-back sense of self, emphasis is shown and highlighting the town and the way of life, almost as if it's producing this calming effect to the viewer, reminding us to take each day as they come and cherish the quiet moments. Ganta and Isaki met through the most unusual of circumstances, finding common ground through their peculiar ailment. But as they become friends and interested in each other, a mutual healing began that led them to newer appreciations of life and the people around them. The art on this closely mirrors the original manga, beautiful scenic backgrounds alongside really well-drawn character designs that closely emulate real life. This is easily on my list of best shows for 2023, an exceptionally well-made anime that I highly recommend. Dead Mount Death Play. Originally, I wasn't going to give this series a shot. It was one of those last entries in the season and my list was already full. But this was based on the manga by Ryogo Narita, the creator of one of my favorite series, Dourara. So I had to give it a try. On a first impression basis, however, I wasn't entirely on board with the first episode, something about it didn't click right away and I was very close to dropping it. The show is animated by Geek Toys, who previously worked on Ningen Fushi this year, which I was not a fan of. But like I mentioned, this being a Narita story, I wanted to watch it. Episode two, Turn Things Around, giving us a fun out-of-the-norm isekai story that mixed the genre's tropes with magical elements, teen adolescence, and urban folklore with the fantastical adventure of anotherworldly necromancer that just wanted some peace and now his arrival on earth is changing the lives of the cast for the better. Dead Mount Death Plays excels at telling stories of unusual individuals and the moral conflicts they go through. The art in this series is nothing to write home about, but it works for the type of story it's telling. The color palette is bright and colorful, which greatly contrasts the dark stories being told. One thing that I may be in the minority here are the antagonists. For the most part, in these 12 episodes, I rarely found them as interesting as they were being made out to be. Maybe it's just me. I was mostly focused on the main trio consisting of that reincarnated necromancer corpse god, a zombie assassin, and the guy in the chair, tech slash hacker. While not necessarily my favorite out of the bunch in Narita's catalog, there's still some fun to be had that I do want to come back if they greenlit a second season. Vinland Saga Season Two. 2019 seems like such a long time ago, but that summer was when we got the wonderful anime adaptation of Vinland Saga, a fan favorite manga that told the story of young Thorfinn's quest for revenge. Now, four long years later, we are back with the second season, which adapts the famous Farmland story arc. In it, we follow a much older protagonist as he seeks to find a new purpose in his life. I don't want to ruin the plot or spoil any details, but this is a very character-driven story, and this second go-around is all about growth, dealing with grief, anger, and sadness, while also confronting your past and hoping to move forward from that. Part of Thorfinn's growth will come thanks to the introduction of Aenar, his first potential true friend. The two are now working the fields of this farm as slaves for its owner, Keto. Along the way, we are introduced to a vast cast of characters that work in the farm and will provide a new perspective for our main hero. Mappa took charge of the second season, and in my opinion, did a masterful job at bringing this story to life. Careful attention to detail on the faces, backgrounds, and environment elevate this story in a sort of sophisticated and elegant way. In the end, to have a former Viking reject his former way of life, acknowledge the pain, trauma, and sorrow that he inflicted on others as well as himself, and then to be able to find the courage to seek peace. Now that's some growth right there. This was truly a phenomenal journey to behold. Kubo won't let me be invisible. The series finally returned to air the last half of its season after being previously delayed, as usual with shows of this genre, progress can't be a little bit slow, and it is usually reserved for key moments throughout the end of the series. In the case for Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible, it was really charming to see the dynamic between the two lead characters and the obvious crush they both have for each other. Fortunately for poor Junta, he doesn't have to suffer too much like other lead characters in shows like this. In this series, Kubo's teasing, if you will, is harmless in nature and more beneficial as it helps the main character break out of his shell, becoming more sociable, and develop a wholesome relationship with Kubo and the others as well. I mean, sure, some people around him don't really notice him, but through the self-confidence that he is building and developing, things do start to change for the character. The one negative thing about these kinds of shows goes back to what I said in my opening statement that progress, which can be extremely slow in favor of the slice of life. Eventually things like a hug or a first kiss, or something simple like confessing your love will usually be placed at the very end of the season, only for the following one to restart that status quo, setting the relationship back in favor of humor and more wacky situations. This somewhat happens in this show, but it wasn't as bad as other rom-coms. Bit cliched, but still a fun story overall. Thankfully, one of the biggest selling points for this anime is the great artwork done by Pine Jam Studios, who successfully bring this manga to life with non-traditional character designs and great usage of color to highlight scenes and moods. Skip and Lover. There's always that one show that is able to capture the hearts of many and surprise everyone with wonderful animation, great writing, and fantastic character work, such as the case with Skip and Lover, the shonen romance that could. Expertly animated by one of my favorite studios, Progressive Animation Works, Skip brings a charm, offering a fresh take on high school adventures, slice of life, and romance. One of the biggest aspects of this series to be at least was the phenomenal job by its voice cast. Tomoyo Kurosawa absolutely steals the show as the wholesome bundle of joy that is Mitsumi Iwakura. This character is an excellent communicator and her ability to voice her thoughts and opinions, even if they differ from those of others, leads to a fantastic relationship with her classmates and friends. These days, we like to throw the word wholesome around a lot. Heck, I do it too. But this show really does embody that. Mitsumi's quirky personality, her obsession with academics, and her naive-like appearance make for an odd lead character, but it's that enthusiasm for personal growth and self-improvement that makes her shine. Not being afraid to take risks and learn from her experiences leads Mitsumi to befriend Shima, Mika, Yuzuki, and Makoto, among others, forming a strong bond by bringing people from different walks of life together, which, to be honest, was a fantastic breath of fresh air. Most of the time, school-themed shows tend to show the ugly side of cliques in adolescence, but Skip and Lover breaks the mold somewhat by dancing around the subject and showing us that it isn't all darkness and gloom, that friendships can be positive, while also not shying away from showing us their traumas, insecurities, and their work towards fixing them. Oshinoko, crazy premise aside, Oshinoko was the engrossing telenovela I needed this season. Flashy, overly dramatic at times, with one of the craziest setups for a plot that I've seen in quite some time, this has a bit of everything for everybody. The glitz and glamour of the celebrity and idol lifestyle gets examined in this tale of revenge and second chances, but also touching on its dark underbelly. From a production standpoint, all the right beats were there, and the art direction by the folks at Dogakoba were incredible. It really captured the crazy vibrancy of the characters with little to no hiccups. I don't want to ruin the plot for you, but the show starts out with a pretty out-of-this-world story of an OBGYN doctor being murdered by the stalker of the idol he was currently treating, only to be reincarnated as her newborn kid. If that sounds too crazy, the plot takes a dramatic turn after the first episode as it skips forward in time to reveal the real intent of this story. If you don't mind the overly bright aesthetic and phenomenal pop music, you'll be in for a fun treat. Highly recommend Oshinoko. It was definitely one of the more unique entries this season. Konosuba, an explosion on this wonderful world. Imagine my surprise when one of my favorite anime decided to return with a prequel spin-off, detailing the early exploits of one of my favorite characters. Konosuba, an explosion on this wonderful world, tells the outrageous and fantastical story of fan-favorite Megumin. This is based on the spin-off manga of the same name. I hadn't read that before, so I was going in blind and I was pleasantly surprised. It didn't always hit the right notes for me, but the overall stories were all right. I guess I was genuinely happy to have Megumin back in 2023 and with the amazing Ria Takahashi voicing her once again. In this spin-off, we get to see Megumin's quote-unquote humble origin as she strives to be the best explosion magician in the land after witnessing it firsthand when she was rescued from danger by a mysterious individual. We then follow her journey into the academy and later out on her own. Well, alongside friend slash not friend, but secretly actually Bestie's union, which was the cause for a lot of laughs this season. I was a little disappointed at first, however, with the story's pacing. I had made the foolish assumption to think the show would remain in her academy days. Instead, it speeds by before you know it and lines up the character to the timeframe of the first season of Konosuba. The art was mostly solid from beginning to end. Occasionally, some jarring drops in quality bugged me somewhat, but after watching anime for so many years, it's just something that you get used to, I guess. The comedy and story beats are fast-paced and greatly showcase Megumin's unique personality. Honestly, this is a series that anyone can watch and mostly find entertainment in it. But I do feel the need to recommend the proper Konosuba first and maybe come back to this spinoff at a later time. Kamikatsu, working for God in a godless world. Man, this might be the hardest series to review on this video. Kamikatsu was certainly an experience. It was the talk of the town on TikTok land as people discovered how insane the animation for the show can really be. I'll do my best here by saying this is a raunchy comedy about a young man that gets isekai into a world without gods. Instead, the people live sterile dull lives in cities where life and death are dictated by the Imperial State. Our main character, Yukito, is now living in the outskirts of town where the outcasts and defects are living. But when he and his new friends are in danger, they are helped by a familiar face. That's a vague outline of the starting arc in this show. What soon follows, however, are satires on life, love, religion, sex, and much more. This was animated by a studio that only started back in 2021, Studio Palette. And for the most part, and for the most part, they do a good job at capturing the designs of the manga. But in certain famous scenes, they clearly took it a step further and made bold choices that are self-aware. Badly made CGI monsters, 8-bit artwork for exposition dialogue scenes, the raunchiest of fan service. At times, even I was starting to blush, perverse characters, self-deprecating humor. Kamikatsu has it all. Unfortunately for me, this show was just a bit too chaotic to the point where it becomes too comical and I started to ignore any potential danger our main characters might face. If you're in the mood for really raunchy humor with fun characters and crazy visuals, Kamikatsu might be the show for you. Who knows? Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beast. This was one of the last shows to debut in this season. It tells the classic story of a human girl that is said to be the 99th sacrifice in a world populated and dominated by terrifying man-eating beast. However, Sarifi is spared by their Beast King, Leonhart, intrigued by her presence, personality, and willingness to be sacrificed. He decides to keep her as his consort and potential bride to be, much to the shock and outrage from the rest of the kingdom. I'm a huge fan of anthropomorphic animal stories. You can usually examine human nature through the quirky personalities of the animal kingdom. And in the case for this show, also examine subjects like prejudice, classism, and the strengths of love against all odds. Sarifi is a wonderful, wholesome character that you can't help but root for. Some of the kingdom dwellers, like the tiny eyeball monsters, Kyuku and Lops, Amit the crocodile, and the king himself, Leonhart, prove that individuals can set aside their differences, get along, and enjoy each other's company. These themes are pretty universal and might be a little cliche at times, but like a good comfort food, you keep coming back to it to reinforce your values. There is good out there in the world and you shouldn't let the negative outweigh the positive. The art is nothing too out of this world, but for the most part it works for the type of laid-back story this anime is telling, which is surprising considering it was JC's staff that handled this adaptation, a studio that can be hit or miss for a lot of people out there. Dr. Stone, New World. The first half of Dr. Stone's third season finally debuted it. Nothing much I can add that hasn't already been said about this series, TMS Entertainment does a commendable job at bringing the manga to life. The art is bright, colorful, with good attention to detail and the acting is pretty fun all around. Covering the beginning of the Treasure Island story, we find the crew traversing to a new island in the search for platinum. That leads our heroes into danger, but they find other villagers living there with a Medusa petrification weapon of their own. I was concerned with what the studio would use as the stopping point here for episode 12 and the one they chose was a pretty sentimental one, though I feel it may have been a little underwhelming for newcomers that expected a more bombastic mid-season finale, considering the risk involved in this story. The season introduced viewers to more new characters including one of my favorites, Francois. Their cooking expertise, demeanor and confidence is one of my favorite aspects of that character and it translated really well to the screen. Regardless, I'm eagerly anticipating for that second part later this year. Yuri is my job. In all honesty, I didn't know I was gonna love this series so much. I hadn't heard of it before it was being adapted by the folks at Passion Studios, which have a pretty distinct character art style that I'm a fan of. So I knew I was gonna watch it and probably enjoy it from a visual standpoint. In this dramatic series, we follow the character of Hime, a beloved high schooler that one day accidentally injures a cafe manager. Worried about the incident tarnishing her reputation as the perfect princess, she's now forced to cover the manager's shift. However, Hime discovers the cafe has one big gimmick. This is a private school themed cafe with the staff acting out stories in this school for audiences entertainment. Now our main character is going to train under one of the veterans of the cafe, Minsky, who just so happens to not like our princess. At first I thought this story wasn't going to be anything to write home about but I found myself engrossed in this novella. This eerie themed story has a pretty unique setting. The more you go into it, you'll be fascinated by the idea that these coworkers are putting on this pretty elaborate made up world and story arcs for their customers. You would think this facade would be the perfect job for our main character who has lied her way through popularity as a defensive mechanism. But you quickly realize that these cafe employees have a lot of unresolved issues with each other. At times the plot can be pretty over the top and melodramatic, especially when Hime's friend is introduced. Yet I kept watching. I was engrossed by the fun idea of their job. The series also tiptoes around love, obsessions, forbidden romance. You're essentially baiting the audience with tropes that won't necessarily come to fruition. Another aspect I wanted to point out is that melodrama. Now it can be a fun thing depending on the show or book but in the case for Yuri Is My Job it got pretty hilarious. Like I mentioned before, there's just so much of it that I couldn't help but laugh. Some of these characters are put through some pretty messy, awkward situations that could easily be solved by talking it out one afternoon and not dragging every other character along. But alas, sometimes melodrama can be fun. It can take us out of our real issues and dilemmas and provide fun, silly escapism. And that's what this show did for me. Ranking of Kings, The Treasure Chest of Courage. One of my favorite shows from 2021 came back for a quick 10 episode run. The Treasure Chest of Courage works as a companion piece to the original show. It spends a majority of its time exploring the world that these characters inhabit, showcasing untold stories set before, during and immediately after the original story. This wasn't entirely needed as the original was a phenomenal adaptation from beginning to end and sometimes more of a good thing might saturate the experience for some. But thankfully this wasn't the case for me. The Treasure Chest of Courage is a wonderful series with some really amazing stories detailing the lives of beloved characters while also showcasing Witt Studio's legendary artistry. There are a handful of tales here that are set right after the end of the first series while the very last episode is a full blown ghost introduction to season two and the next major arc. So fans of the original will definitely want to check it out. As for newcomers, it stands alone just fine but you have to check out The Original Ranking of Kings. Don't miss out on a fantastic series. The legendary hero is dead. The tale of the legendary hero Toka, our main character, a radish farmer from a small town that has his life turned upside down when his home gets attacked by a demon. Toka digs a pitfall trap and baits it with food in order to kill the demon and protect his village. However, the demon dislikes the food so it continues to destroy the village until the hero, Sion, arrives and defeats it. The hungry hero is lured into the pitfall trap by Toka and falls to his death. And that's just the start of the first episode. Later, a cute necromancer shows up and entraps Toka in the body of the fallen hero so he is now tasked with impersonating him so he can fulfill the quest of sealing a hell gate that has slowly been weakening and letting all kinds of monsters and devils to see through and threaten humanity. Honestly, the plot is probably the strongest aspect of this series. There is a lot of pervy, itchy humor throughout that won't appeal to everyone. Toka himself is pretty lecherous having a strong, odd fascination with thighs which I guess more power to him but it was pretty hilarious to see him fantasize about the girl that he likes putting on stockings to cover her leg. Anyways, drawn by lead in films this adaptation looks and feels middle of the road a majority of the time. Its strength is boosted by the unique plot. If this anime came out 10 years ago the reaction and reception I feel would have been a little bit better. I am looking forward to more episodes. It did end on a strong note so I would like to see how the story concludes but I'm fully aware I'm in the minority when I said I need more of this show. Also the theme song for this will probably end up as one of the best anime songs of 2023. Wild how things work out like that. Give it a listen if you can. Sorry Oshinoko, but this one's coming for that musical crown. Pokemon Horizons, the series. We finally had a finale for Ash and Pikachu's journey in their Pokemon journey anime. Now it's time for New Blood, a clean slate adapting to Scarlet and Violet video games. In Horizons we follow Liko in her journey with Sprigatito as she aims to be a full-fledged Pokemon trainer but also understand Pokemon and the world they inhabit. This is a great starting point for a long running franchise. It definitely breathed new life into the series as we left the formulaic plots of Ash's journey behind. Liko's interests and abilities differ from Ash as she's involved with the central plot of the story directly and her connection to a legendary Pokemon. Mysterious enemies are after her for this and now she is aligned with a ragtag group of explorers called the Rising Vault Tacklers led by Professor Freed and Captain Pikachu. Yeah, there was no way Pikachu would be left out of this show. In Horizons they found a clever way to include the lovable mascot. This time as a full-fledged captain with an adorable hat. Horizons brings the charm from the previous seasons with great animation by OLM Studios and introduces new ideas to complement the anime and video games. Also tagging along is the young kid Roy from Kanto as he also becomes a Pokemon trainer with Fukoko at his side which was my starter on my Violet playthrough. Don't worry, Quaxly isn't left behind as he's got a human partner as well. Two Cute Crisis. Aliens are invading but they are stopped in their tracks by the powerful pets of planet Earth. Yes, in Two Cute Crisis we follow the invader Liza Luna as she comically finds out about cats, dogs and other cute animals we all know and love. This was a hilarious comfort show that I enjoyed week by week. The writing is silly and filled with slapstick humor which would normally get tiresome but I enjoyed Liza's reaction to the power of cuteness and her own journey into adopting a cat. One of the best things about this show is the fact that it celebrates our lovely fur babies with each episode talking about the different types of species that are out there of pets, their quirks and personalities. Also every ending theme features real pet images submitted by viewers. The cuteness was too much, nonstop. That said, I hope we get a season two because it made my Fridays a delight. Mashel, magic and muscles. One of the more unique manga to debut back in 2020 was Mashel. The Harry Potter meets One Punch Man mashup. In this we follow Mash, a young naive boy with frightening strength. All he wanted was to live a comfortable peaceful life in a world that is filled with magic. The twist here being that our boy Mash can't use it. He was born magic-less. At the start of the story, Mash's life is in danger from authorities that want him out of the way, but thankfully his lifelong training comes in handy as he is able to use this muscles to protect himself from magic users. Hygienx and Sue and our main character finds himself enrolled at a magic academy. Hopefully people don't find out about a secret. A funny slapstick shonen from the pages of Shonen Jump, Mashel was a pretty big hit when it debuted it. I would say I've read a good chunk of the manga, but eventually I sadly stopped reading it. I liked the wacky premise, but the humor just wasn't for me all the time. And with the story structure of a standard shonen book, I quickly fell out of that hype train. I know this is probably gonna be a hot take and some people might disagree, but I just wasn't feeling it. I decided to give the series another shot with this anime adaptation. And thankfully for fans, it is a pretty close one-for-one take on what they've read, which ultimately turned out bad for me because it confirmed my suspicions. The fight scenes range from hilarious and silly to downright bad-asset times. But that aloofness to Mash and his situation was at times just a bit much for me. And I honestly found myself wanting to watch something else. By all means, this is a solid show that would appeal to comedy action fans. Please don't let this mean review bum you out from not watching it. Give it a shot. I think you will end up liking it. Tony Kawa, Over the Moon For You, season two. The sweet story of NASA and Tsukasa continues. After a fun-filled wholesome first season, we continue the newlyweds' adventures into life and marriage. The first show had a lot of interesting events unfold from their unorthodox meeting to the struggles of living together for the first time and the unfortunate apartment fire. Things could only go up for our lovely couple. Fortunately or unfortunately for some, this second season takes a breather and gives us a more relaxed 12-episode journey with more first experiences. The only downside to this is that there isn't really any major progression aside from emotional and personal ones for NASA and Tsukasa. This series is a wholesome slice of life about two extraordinary people finding love in each other and living out their best lives as best they can. However, I was still left wondering if something was going to happen. Ultimately, things were teased, but nothing really came about. This was just about the couple's day-to-day lives and their adventures, which is all right. The art is perfectly fine, similar in execution to the first season, acting is good too, though some characters I did find a little annoying at times. There are major plot hints as to Tsukasa's origins scattered throughout the show that I'm sure if I read the manga, I would easily find out, but I'm intrigued to keep that mystery going with more episodes. Birdie Wing Season 2. Golf in anime is not something you would think I would be excited for, but Birdie Wing takes that sport to new levels with over-the-top drama, action, and much more. Such is the world of Birdie Wing. We finally return with a second season, continuing the journey of Eve and Aoi as they aim to be the top golf athlete in the nation and potentially the world, but also to renew their promise of competing against each other. With all the drama from season one mostly out of the way, this season focuses more on the sport and competition while also tackling the real origins of the two lead characters. In paper, it all sounds fantastic, but I have to keep it real with you and say that I definitely had my fill with the first season. This show can be crazy over the top with bombastic special golf moves as well as the dramatic twists and turns in the story with all the crazy characters. And I get it, you're not supposed to take it serious. After all, the writers clearly did not, but I guess it was just a bit too much for me. I should also point out that the art really suffered this time around. A lot of the scenes just looked okay at best and they only got better quote unquote when key moments arrived in the story. Sorry Bandai Namco, it's a swing and a miss this time around. Don't hate me though. Magical destroyers. On paper, this should have been a slam dunk. The SSC has destroyed Japan's Otaku culture. However, a young revolutionary named Otaku Hero has risen to combat this oppression. Along with three magical girls, Anarchy, Blue, and Pink, they will team up to free the country. An original anime from Beewoodie Animation Studios, Magical Destroyers seeks to subvert expectations and tell a meta narrative of fandom. It's passionate followers and the sacrifices people will go through to enjoy their crafts, their hobbies, their passions. The Otaku Hero is a dorky guy, but he has good intentions and having the girls be real versions of magical girls was a nice touch. They all have distinct, yet somewhat cliched personalities to them, but it works for the show. Unfortunately, that is where the pros heavily slowed down for me. I appreciate the originality and premise, but the majority of the episodes were dedicated to standalone stories and I thought they didn't offer much except having a cool villain of the week. There were no clear explanations as to why the bad guys were doing what they're doing aside from censoring Otaku stuff across Japan. The answer to that was mostly reserved for the final two episodes with some interesting ideas thrown at you in a rushed wobbly sort of way. Also to note, the announcement of a mobile game, Magical Destroyer's Kai, was a bit of a sour note. Making this a media tie-in is one way for me to lose interest in any potential sequel. Art-wise, Bibori tried their best, but aside from the stellar opening animation, the show never really took off for me and everything was always a middle-of-the-road experience. Rokudo's Bad Girls When I first heard of Rokudo's Bad Girls and saw the first visual key, I seriously thought I was looking at an undiscovered hentai from the early 2000s. Yeah, I went there. There's something about the art style used in this show that just calls back to those early years of animation where you didn't know what you were watching until the wrong scene played out on your screen and your near was something you shouldn't be tuning into. Oh, kidding aside, I'm always open-minded with all the shows that I watch, so I gave this one a shot as well and the result was much better than I anticipated. I mean, this story ain't gonna win any awards, but it's certainly going to be one of the big underrated anime when you look back at all the releases in 2023. In Rokudo's Bad Girls, we follow the main character of Rokudo, a young wholesome nerd in a school filled with delinquents. He, along with his two best friends, are fearful of the bullying and violence they are subjected to. This all changes one day when Rokudo discovers a secret scroll left behind by his late grandfather. Upon opening it and reciting an incantation, our main protagonist is now struck by his spell that makes rowdy, bad, delinquent girls fall in love with him onsite. So you see why I would make the joke that this sounds like the plot of a bad hentai. Thankfully, the show doesn't go that route. Instead, it is a pretty standard anime story about a young boy changing the lives of delinquents around him. Rokudo doesn't really want to seduce or love all these random girls. He's just a shy, nerdy kid and mostly just wants everyone to get along, which is a sentiment I can get behind. There's too much animosity out there on the world, so to see that simplified here in this show is a lot of fun. Eventually, the bullies set their differences and become friends with the wholesome squad, and they work together to actually do school activities and study. Our main character does have a potential love interest, though, the mighty Rana Himawari. She is a fierce thug feared by all the school districts and rival gangs, but she has been smitten by Rokudo's spell and is possibly genuinely in love with him. I do wish, however, that the show didn't fully rely on that gimmick scroll from his grandparent, and it was just him actually making a difference, but I guess I can look past it. Overall, just a decent anime all around. Otaku Elf. This was pure delight split into 12 episodes. Otaku Elf tells the story of Elda, the ancient elf that was isekaied into our world 400 years ago and became the local deity of the Takamimi Shrine. These days, however, instead of attending to her divine duties, she has become an Otaku who prefers to lounge in the house and enjoy anime, video games, and more. Her Miko, or Shrine Maiden, is the young Koeito Kogane who is frustrated with Elda's carefree nature but also cares about her as she's known her all her life. Well, the majority of the story is a more episodic approach to their day-to-day activities in the shrine as well as the nerdy problems Elda finds herself in. This was not a deterrent for the show. The relaxing tone and wholesome interactions between our main characters was a delight. It made me forget about how bad these past three months have been in my life. It's really a magical thing whenever a choke and whisk worries away and brighten up your day for at least 30 minutes. I really enjoyed that the jokes and overall humor make use of up-to-date technology in Japanese nerd culture. Elda's playing with a switch, browsing on her laptop to buy model kids, rare figurines and just enjoying her anime. There are several characters introduced throughout the story that are also elves like her that have been brought to our world and each of them have distinct personalities that create a pretty funny contrast with our main elf. Also, I may be obsessed with elves but we don't need to talk about that on this episode. The story doesn't go too over the top either. It settles on a comfy middle ground of showing the stress of a young girl growing up while also being in charge and responsible for a shrine following in her family's footsteps while also dealing with Elda the practically immortal elf. All of this is bolstered by the absolutely gorgeous artwork done by C2C. They clearly went above and beyond to elevate the original manga. I highly recommend Otaku Elf for some genuinely wholesome fun. Hell's Paradise. Yuji Kaku's supernatural action mystery manga, Hell's Paradise, finally got an anime thanks to the folks at Mapa. A story about the assassin known as Gabimaru the Hollow, a ruthless ninja that has been betrayed, caught and sentenced to death. His only hope for survival is to follow the government's proposal of a secret mission alongside other criminals to a long hidden island and recover an elixir that is supposed to cause immortality. Failure is not an option. On this island there are hideous monstrosities, mutated insects and weird human hybrids that will kill anything that sets foot in their home. As the criminals and their executioner guards venture inward, secrets are revealed about lost civilizations and the mysterious power that these creatures possess. This is an action-packed story with great visuals and clever creature designs. So I was really happy to see a team like Mapa tackle Hell's Paradise. Gabimaru is a strong character that is now face-to-face with his possible end. But this journey instead reinvigorates his desire to keep on living, if only for his beloved. Unfortunately for this show, there are a lot of characters introduced that you clearly know won't survive this journey. So when we get random moments of exposition to convey their emotions and origins towards us, I don't think it's as impactful as they would like it to be. It can be a little bit hard to feel for a random person you've just met in one episode only to have him be brutally murdered towards the end of it. Another notch against the show is the animation itself. Mostly great, but I felt it never really reached the detail and grit that Yuji Kaku puts to his artwork. There's a level of grim and grittiness missing. The show looks just a little too clean and bright to my personal liking. The action, blood, and intensity are all there, but the experience wasn't as visceral as reading the original manga. One other positive before I wrap this mini-review up is the character of Sagiri and her journey as a swordswoman. In a profession typically dominated by men, her story of perseverance and self-realization is actually one of my favorite aspects of the book and it translates pretty well in this adaptation. Hell's Paradise is a badass escapism. A suicide mission with some fantastic visuals and interesting characters. If you like action stories with a little bit of the mystical side, you can't go wrong with checking this one out. Tengoku Daimako or Heavenly Delusion. A long time ago, a friend recommended I check out Heavenly Delusion, but with Denpa's slow manga releases, I kind of forgot all about it until the anime popped up this year. This was an awesome experience. Such an emotional journey with a lot of highs and lows. Tengoku Daimako is split into two stories, but the overall plot is in the distant future of 2024. The world has collapsed and now hideous monsters lurk amongst the ruins of what was once Japan. What's left of its citizens are now scraping together in whatever way they can to survive. We follow Kiruko, an odd job girl that accepts a woman's dying wish to take a boy named Maru to a place called Heaven. Meanwhile, in a facility safely guarded from the horrors of the outside, many youths are being raised by nursery-type robots. With stories like this, it can be difficult to keep track of multiple narratives and still have a satisfying outcome, but thankfully, Production IG is able to replicate the manga's story and tell it with an even pace. The two ongoing plots don't collide with each other and are allowed to breathe. A post-apocalyptic story is always fascinating with the right kind of world-building, mystery, and characters. And in this case, it mostly succeeds. We really don't know all the answers and that's a good thing. The plot slowly chips away at the mysteries of this frightening new world. Kiruko and Maru's journey is one with peril and friendship as the two grow closer, each dealing with personal issues that link them up as they go along. Meanwhile, we've got the isolated kids at the nursery and the scarier upbringing they are going through, which is something of a nightmare, if you ask me. That story brings more questions to the origin of the catastrophe and how humanity ended up the way that it is. The kids there aren't as fully fleshed out, but they are still interesting and you want to come back to their side of things and learn more about their journeys. Production-wise, IG did a phenomenal job bringing this manga to life and that mix of CG and 2D provide for a super well-made adaptation. I truly think this is easily one of the best shows of the year, but I do want to mention there are some pretty sour, dark things that happen throughout, as is expected of a story like this. Heavenly delusion doesn't shy away from the darkness that brews in desperate situations when society collapses, but ultimately this is a story of hope and survival as different people venture forward into an unknown. My love story with Yamada-kun at level 999. College student Akane Konchita has just faced a bad breakup after her ex had an affair with a woman he met playing online. As a stress reliever, Akane decides to venture into the online game they used to play together. In there she ends up meeting another gamer called Yamada, to whom she ends up spilling all her drama in anger. Yamada coldly replies that he just doesn't care. After Akane decides to get back at her ex at an offline game meeting, she ends up actually meeting Yamada, a somewhat of a gaming legend. Sparks fly. Well, at least for Akane. Yamada is only interested in gaming. As Akane's feelings grow, will Yamada's focus stay on the game? I didn't know about the original manga, but I was intrigued when I heard Madhouse of All Studios was the one adapting it. Their legendary status is enough for me to check it out and I was not disappointed. Charming, wholesome, funny and unique, my love story with Yamada-kun has a great cast of characters that feel real. Their trials and tribulations are relatable to a lot of people and I found myself caring for their journey. Akane is a bundle of joy. She is not tech savvy at all but really likes playing Forrest of Saviour and getting along with everybody. Her cluelessness for video games was a lot of fun to see. Also of interest is Yamada. Beneath the looks and the cool persona, you have a man unsure about himself and people of the opposite sex but with good intentions nonetheless. The plot overall is a simple one but where it shines most is with the interactions both between the main couple to be and the people around them. Really had a fun time with this. Hopefully we can return for a second season. The second season of Eden Zero is finally here. I was a big fan of the first one and was eagerly anticipating its return. The first half of the season concentrates on the crew of the Eden Zero having recently acquired their four shining stars and continuing their journey to see Mother. Only they notice a warship following them belonging to the fears Drakken Joe. Shiki and crew attempt to infiltrate but the results are not what they hope for. Much darker storytelling than the first season Drakken proves to be quite the formidable foe. Testing our heroes to their absolute limit and featuring some pretty shocking twists that I have to admit I didn't see coming. It has the formulaic shonen tropes that we all know by now but I can't help but like the charm brought by these characters. Shiki's optimism and wish to befriend everyone is an admirable trait but this is put to the test against a ruthless mob boss that does not care for pleasantries. Shiki will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Most of the cast takes a backseat in terms of development in this first half but the one exception being Rebecca. Her role for this part of the story is integral to its resolution and honestly I'm still a fan of hers. I think she's my favorite character in the show. I like that she's a struggling content creator. Finally I can relate to an anime character to some extent. Overall this was a satisfying return for Eden Zero much more dramatic and intense than the previous story arcs and I'm really looking forward to the next one that is already in full swing with some really surprising developments regarding Shiki's origin and family. A galaxy next door. Ever since Ichido's father passed he has been struggling to support his siblings on nothing but his inheritance and his salary as an up and coming mangaka nearing the breaking point and fearing losing his job in enters Shiori Goshiki applying to be his new assistant but there's something out of the norm about her and almost otherworldly ethereal feel about her presence. She's an incredible artist always on time with work but she also seems to know an awful lot about him. Soon Ichido finds his life turned upside down when she suddenly declares them engaged to Mary. I talked about the manga on the channel before but we finally have an anime for a galaxy next door an extremely sweet love story with a supernatural twist. All the characters here are well written they feel realistic and the weird circumstance that our leads define themselves in provides for a lot of the humor, lore and romance in the story. The animation by Asahi Productions can be run of the mill in certain scenes but the framework is there in the character designs. Really good stuff perfectly emulating Gido Amagakure's distinct style. At only 12 episodes I highly recommend checking this one out if you're in the mood for some sweet romance and friendship. The dangers in my heart. Young Ichikawa Kyoto suffers from low self-esteem. He is a gloomy, anti-social, sadistic boy that spends his time daydreaming on how to disrupt his classmates' lives and kill others. Only that it's the misunderstood fantasy of a young kid still learning about life. In reality our main character isn't as troubled as you might think. In his class we also meet Anna Yamada a bubbly quirky sweet-sloving girl that is the class idol. An encounter with her at the school library leads our anti-social protagonist to fall for this popular girl but she's also hiding things from people. Will Ichikawa and Yamada defy their expectations of each other and of themselves? The first impressions from certain crowds and social media was pretty insane for this series. I was baffled by the hot takes and wild accusations made by people that had only seen one episode and didn't give the story a chance to grow and develop. I was intrigued by the art style. Beautifully done by Shin-E animation. The dangers in my heart is a feast to the eyes. It beautifully captures the unique character designs by Norio Sakurai by mixing 2D and 3D elements with some really wonderful coloring. Ichika was a nice down-to-earth kid that is simply needing to be heard or seen. He's a kind boy with an unfortunately low self-esteem and will sometimes go to the extremes in his head with how people perceive him. Turns out the only person who doesn't think badly of him is Yamada. Admired by her classmates she's the talk of the town as a model with everyone holding high regards for her and how perfect she seems to be. When in reality she's just as insecure at certain things and is kind of an airhead who is obsessed with sweets and having a fun time with friends. This was such a sweet series. I looked forward every week for more episodes to see how the relationship between the two characters would blossom and I was not disappointed. Seeing the shy, introverted Ichikawa open up and embrace his feelings for Yamada was just wonderful. Heck, I enjoyed this series so much that I went ahead and grabbed the volumes from Seven Seas. Now that's commitment. Before we wrap up, let me take a moment here to chat about all the shows this season that I either dropped midway because of how busy real life was or some that I just couldn't get past the first couple of episodes for X or Y reason. So here's to you shows in Memoriam. Okay, home stretch, here we go. My clueless first friend, Akane Nishimura is a sweet fifth grader that isn't fond of her classmates teasing her by calling her Shinigami or the Grim Reaper because of her gloomy appearance. However, the new kid in class loves it. Taiyo Takada is instantly won over by Nishimura and wants to be her friend, helping her to get out of her show. This is probably the sweetest thing to come out of the spring anime season. My clueless first friend is a slice of life episodic show about the sweet and touching journey that these two friends will go on. Takada will always stand up for Nishimura and even if he's not the smartest in the room when it comes to understanding the bullying that happens, he is an honest kid with a ton of heart. He will defend and praise his new best friend in front of everyone, leading to some funny and embarrassing situations for poor Nishimura. Animated by Studio Signpost, same makers of the kingdom anime. They do a really nice job of emulating the watercolor artwork and character designs from the original manga by Takukawa Mura. While there's nothing groundbreaking here, this is 100% a pallet cleanser that is very much needed after all the ugliness that's out there in the world. A genuine take on friendship and potential love. If you're in the mood to uplift your spirits, then check out my clueless first friend. My home hero. Devoted husband, loving father, Tetsuo Tosu worries about his rebellious daughter, Reka. This is aggravated one day when he discovers a bruise on her face. Fearing the worst, Reka has a secret boyfriend, an abusive man belonging to the Yakuza. He's part of a crime ring that's using her to steal her grandparents' wealth. Wanting to know more, Tetsuo snoops around only to be caught by this thug and threatens to kill Reka. Fueled by rage and fatherly instincts, Tetsuo fights and murders him. Now his wish for a simple life he and his wife Kazen had for their daughter has been reduced to a wish for survival. On the run from the dark criminal underworld, this middle-aged and weak man must put his life on the line using only his wits in order to protect his family. That all sounds extremely fascinating. My Home Hero would be a fantastic live-action series or a live-action movie. I had high hopes for this anime adaptation. Visual keys seem great, along with the trailers and voice talent, but what we got was not what I was hoping for. I don't try to be negative and rag on studios with their artists and art. I respect their commitment, their effort to bring us these wonderful adaptations, but My Home Hero's artistry left a lot to be desired. I was simply not feeling this show at all. It was mostly the plot and characters that made me stick with it until the very end. Tezuka Productions have adapted great-looking anime in the past, Dagashi Kashi, Honata Summoner Demon Lord, Young Blackjack, to name a few. But here with My Home Hero, I wasn't a fan. Clunky and not as fluid as other times, this show could have benefited from an A-team on the studio or perhaps a higher budget. Regardless, the overall package here isn't horrendous. I did enjoy this crime mystery thriller with Tetsuo's harrowing journey. The fact that it all took place within a relatively short amount of time made the story that much more tense and suspenseful. There are some questionable moments throughout with certain actions taken by characters, as well as the crime bosses, but overall, it didn't deter from the action and intensity of the plot. If you like a good revenge story or ones about crime and Yakuza, you might dig My Home Hero. I thought Tetsuo was a good person dealt with the wrong hand and forced to commit some regrettable things in the name of family. The manga does continue though. It is still being published, so I wonder if the show will garner enough interest for a renewal. If we don't, the show does have somewhat of a conclusion. There was still room for more, but I didn't mind how the 12 episodes played out. Finally, we have come to the return of Demon Slayer, Kimetsu no Yaiba. The third season was subtitled as the Swordsmith Village Ark. After the intense fight at the Red Light District, Tanjiro's quest continues as he ventures into the Swordsmith Village to get his katana fixed for the upcoming Deadlier Battles Deadly Ahead. In here, he reunites with two of the Hashira, Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito, and the love Hashira, Mitsuri Kandoji. However, little do they know that even high-ranking demons have snuck into the Hidden Village. Adapting a relatively short arc in the manga, UFO Table is back at it again with another gorgeous season. I do have to question the decision to turn the story arc into an 11-episode season. Much of what happens in these episodes are straight-up 20-minute fight sequences for at least five to six episodes. I could have seen the story made into another successful movie, and it still would have been just as impactful as the previous material and more. The story sequence here is very similar to the previous arcs, an introduction to the new powerful allies and foes, fighting demons and their ridiculous power levels, learning about their past and then eliminating said threat. There are some new elements, however, that warrant a view. Tanjiro, Muichiro, and Mitsuri are great heroes that have wonderful stories that will appeal to most, and I think the studio did a great job in bringing these tales to the viewers. The finale, however, for this season is one of my personal favorite moments in the manga, and I was very happy to see it brought to life in a very emotional, satisfying way. The artistry shown here by UFO Table continues to be top tier, and I have no doubt that that level of excellence will continue into season four, the Hashira training arc. That, my friends, was the spring anime season in a nutshell. Sure, I missed a couple shows, but I think I covered most of what was important. I hope you enjoyed this crazy video. This was a labor of love to make. Sometimes it takes time away from actual manga reading, but I'm just a huge fan of animation in general, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to gush or rant about all these amazing shows. So that's going to be it for now. Thank you for watching. Hit that like button, share this video with a friend, or subscribe to the channel. It would mean a great deal to me. Stay safe, everybody. God bless. I will catch all of you on our next video.