I've been trying to catch up on recent anime as well as watch some seasonal shows since I haven't been watching as much anime as I used to, but I'm still so slow haha. Tbh, there are so many anime these days, I don't think I'll ever truly catch up, but I'll comment on some that I've quite liked :D
Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai (Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai)
Genre: Comedy, Romance, School, Supernatural
Episodes: 13
My Rating: 7/10
After seeing how much everyone seemed to love the main couple, I couldn't help but check this one out even though it didn't really feel like my thing. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would though. The dynamic between Sakuta and Mai is definitely the highlight of this show considering how honest, straightforward and refreshing the two can be when it comes to their interactions. They both understand each other quite well, are unafraid to talk openly to the other about anything and yet still be cute at the same time. Although everyone loves Mai the most, I honestly enjoyed Sakuta's personality more. In terms of the story, it was rather engaging but lacks an overarching story to be explored and is instead more of a continuation of which girl is causing problems that Sakuta has to fix so he can go on his merry way to developing his relationship with Mai. Still made it enjoyable but also in essence, forgettable.
Basically, the story revolves around the idea that there is an occurrence and "disease" called the Puberty Syndrome that only affects teenagers but causes supernatural changes around them because of it. This happened with Mai where she began to slowly fade from people's memories and eyes making her essentially invisible to others. And here comes Sakuta, the man that was able to see her and that's how they bond and begin to fix other girls' problems lol. I quite liked the idea because it kinda visualises in different ways how the problems of the heart can affect the people themselves and how they perceive outsiders to view them. Also, I'm a sucker for emotional problems so that made it better haha. I guess what I enjoyed about it was how it felt kind of like slice of life with supernatural elements. The problems the girls have are relatable, and with Sakuta carrying the show as the aloof, straightforward and caring guy, it makes the problem and the girl fun since it's nice to see how Sakuta figures out what the problem is and how to resolve it. I'd say it's worth a watch just to enjoy Sakuta and Mai's relationship, but otherwise not anything special enough to make me curious enough to read the LN.
My Rating: 7/10
After seeing how much everyone seemed to love the main couple, I couldn't help but check this one out even though it didn't really feel like my thing. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would though. The dynamic between Sakuta and Mai is definitely the highlight of this show considering how honest, straightforward and refreshing the two can be when it comes to their interactions. They both understand each other quite well, are unafraid to talk openly to the other about anything and yet still be cute at the same time. Although everyone loves Mai the most, I honestly enjoyed Sakuta's personality more. In terms of the story, it was rather engaging but lacks an overarching story to be explored and is instead more of a continuation of which girl is causing problems that Sakuta has to fix so he can go on his merry way to developing his relationship with Mai. Still made it enjoyable but also in essence, forgettable.
Basically, the story revolves around the idea that there is an occurrence and "disease" called the Puberty Syndrome that only affects teenagers but causes supernatural changes around them because of it. This happened with Mai where she began to slowly fade from people's memories and eyes making her essentially invisible to others. And here comes Sakuta, the man that was able to see her and that's how they bond and begin to fix other girls' problems lol. I quite liked the idea because it kinda visualises in different ways how the problems of the heart can affect the people themselves and how they perceive outsiders to view them. Also, I'm a sucker for emotional problems so that made it better haha. I guess what I enjoyed about it was how it felt kind of like slice of life with supernatural elements. The problems the girls have are relatable, and with Sakuta carrying the show as the aloof, straightforward and caring guy, it makes the problem and the girl fun since it's nice to see how Sakuta figures out what the problem is and how to resolve it. I'd say it's worth a watch just to enjoy Sakuta and Mai's relationship, but otherwise not anything special enough to make me curious enough to read the LN.
Hataraku Saibou (Cells at Work)
Genre: Comedy. Shounen
Episodes: 13
My Rating: 7/10
Honestly, science isn't something I've ever liked, but having this show as a pseudo biology lesson sounds pretty cool. The story revolves around our Red Blood Cell main character as you follow her around as a novice trying to understand her job in this human body. She gets saved by White Blood Cell quite a bit since he fights off bacteria and the whole story basically explores how the cells in your body react to stuff like colds, hayfever and other more serious problems that potentially affect the daily lives of humans and how the cells try their best to protect the body and fix the problems. Honestly, I quite enjoyed this one, I thought Red Blood Cell and omgg the Platelets are so adorablee! It's like learning a bit about your body in a nice anime visual medium with cute characters to make you relate to the cells in your body a bit more hahaha. It's a bit episodic sometimes with how they tackle a different problem or bacteria each time, but I think that's the charm it has with teaching you the different types of cells that react to different problems, how they grow to become what they are and do the job that they do. There's character development, a straightforward concept and a variety of characters that fulfill their roles to the best of their abilities and I think it's rather endearing. It's a pretty unique concept as well! Overall, it's an educational, fun and sweet show that might make you want to take care of your body a bit more haha.
The relationship between Red Blood Cell and White Blood Cell is very cute and you can't help but cheer the red one on all the time because she's so clumsy but hardworking. It's also quite funny with how bacteria killing is handled, but it can also be quite emotional with how this body is basically the world for these cells and so any problems that occur on the outside is literally shaking their world and causing danger to their homes everyday, it's an interesting and tough life for cells to live, and I think it's done very well to show that.
My Rating: 7/10
Honestly, science isn't something I've ever liked, but having this show as a pseudo biology lesson sounds pretty cool. The story revolves around our Red Blood Cell main character as you follow her around as a novice trying to understand her job in this human body. She gets saved by White Blood Cell quite a bit since he fights off bacteria and the whole story basically explores how the cells in your body react to stuff like colds, hayfever and other more serious problems that potentially affect the daily lives of humans and how the cells try their best to protect the body and fix the problems. Honestly, I quite enjoyed this one, I thought Red Blood Cell and omgg the Platelets are so adorablee! It's like learning a bit about your body in a nice anime visual medium with cute characters to make you relate to the cells in your body a bit more hahaha. It's a bit episodic sometimes with how they tackle a different problem or bacteria each time, but I think that's the charm it has with teaching you the different types of cells that react to different problems, how they grow to become what they are and do the job that they do. There's character development, a straightforward concept and a variety of characters that fulfill their roles to the best of their abilities and I think it's rather endearing. It's a pretty unique concept as well! Overall, it's an educational, fun and sweet show that might make you want to take care of your body a bit more haha.
The relationship between Red Blood Cell and White Blood Cell is very cute and you can't help but cheer the red one on all the time because she's so clumsy but hardworking. It's also quite funny with how bacteria killing is handled, but it can also be quite emotional with how this body is basically the world for these cells and so any problems that occur on the outside is literally shaking their world and causing danger to their homes everyday, it's an interesting and tough life for cells to live, and I think it's done very well to show that.
3-gatsu no Lion (March Comes in Like a Lion)
Genre: Drama, Seinen, Slice of Life, Sports
Episodes: 44
My Rating: 8.5/10
Honestly, I watched the first episode when the show first came out and the visuals, the music and the atmosphere really captured me, but I totally forgot about it until recently. Which then I binged the first season and then the second hahaha. Tbh, I loved it. Initially, the comedy and the sad moment transitions were a bit jarring in the first season since it flips between them quite easily and everything, but I think it actually works quite well into it because that's kinda how it is when it comes to life. You may be in a depressed mood, that guy may be in a depressed mood, but a lot of the time, these things are covered by the optimism and eccentricity of others as you get pulled into the flow of other people, and I think that it's pretty interesting and endearing. Anyway, the story revolves around Kiriyama Rei as he struggles to survive emotionally and mentally. He is a professional shogi player at a young age and although he may be called and blessed as a "genius", his road to becoming this genius was wrought with this sense that he essentially played shogi to survive because that was the only way he knew he could pursue if he wanted to survive. Rei starts off as a guy who is wallowing in loneliness and finding meaning to live and yet has no choice but to have this drive to continue to live, when he then meets the Kawamoto sisters who invade his life and give him what he has lost but always wanted - the feeling of a warm family. He also encounters other shogi pros and his teacher at school that are unrelenting on trying their best to interact with him even if Rei isn't interested.
So really, the best thing about it all would definitely be the characters. The vast cast of characters is probably a normal thing, but here there is a great amount of them that are humanised and relatable to the point that it's hard to dislike any of them because they all have reasons for becoming who they are now, and seeing them interact with Rei is very intriguing. There are a lot of shogi matches shown, but as a person who knows nothing about it, I could still enjoy the anime, maybe people who know shogi might enjoy it even more since the author consults a shogi pro and has interacted with the shogi association to make it as realistic as possible. I also really enjoyed how Rei's opponents across the shogi board, as well as his seniors are fleshed out as characters, you get to see their motivations, how they've lived and what they strive for in a matter of minutes and yet you can't help but feel like you know them, and can understand why they are all as driven as Rei to win and to survive. The Kawamoto sisters are also amazing with how tough their lives are and yet how bright and loving they all are. Watching them makes you really think, these are the types of people that really love life and are kind enough to help others understand the enjoyment of life as well.
After reading the manga to the latest chapter (I definitely recommend the manga as well!), I would also like to say that Shaft really did justice to the manga and in a sense, it made it even better tbh. It recreated the feelings, the thoughts and everything so beautifully! You could tell how much they loved the original work. The addition of music and all the colours etc just made it so much more engaging and impactful, I definitely recommend watching the anime even if you've read the manga because it enhanced it in every way. This quality is maintained for both seasons and you could say it got even better in S2 haha. Everyone loves S2 more and I really do as well, but I did very enjoy that melancholic, tense and heavy atmosphere that S1 recreated so well so I think it's hard to compare the two when they follow different themes of life. S2 follows a bit more on how Rei has grown from a person that would feel bad for inconveniencing others to someone that would reach out to the people around him as much as he can to help them to the best of his ability. Seeing him grow so much is such a great highlight, but S2 is also heavy in another way as it tackles bullying. It was very emotional but also great and I think Hina's attitude throughout that arc was amazing. It really showed that even though this story is focused on Rei's growth, everyone else is also experiencing problems and growing as their own person as well.
Well, that was long LOL. As you can see from my paragraphs, I can't recommend this anime enough tbh and I could probably go on but it's long enough hahaha. I think if you love character growth and an emotional story, you'll really like this one :D
My Rating: 8.5/10
Honestly, I watched the first episode when the show first came out and the visuals, the music and the atmosphere really captured me, but I totally forgot about it until recently. Which then I binged the first season and then the second hahaha. Tbh, I loved it. Initially, the comedy and the sad moment transitions were a bit jarring in the first season since it flips between them quite easily and everything, but I think it actually works quite well into it because that's kinda how it is when it comes to life. You may be in a depressed mood, that guy may be in a depressed mood, but a lot of the time, these things are covered by the optimism and eccentricity of others as you get pulled into the flow of other people, and I think that it's pretty interesting and endearing. Anyway, the story revolves around Kiriyama Rei as he struggles to survive emotionally and mentally. He is a professional shogi player at a young age and although he may be called and blessed as a "genius", his road to becoming this genius was wrought with this sense that he essentially played shogi to survive because that was the only way he knew he could pursue if he wanted to survive. Rei starts off as a guy who is wallowing in loneliness and finding meaning to live and yet has no choice but to have this drive to continue to live, when he then meets the Kawamoto sisters who invade his life and give him what he has lost but always wanted - the feeling of a warm family. He also encounters other shogi pros and his teacher at school that are unrelenting on trying their best to interact with him even if Rei isn't interested.
So really, the best thing about it all would definitely be the characters. The vast cast of characters is probably a normal thing, but here there is a great amount of them that are humanised and relatable to the point that it's hard to dislike any of them because they all have reasons for becoming who they are now, and seeing them interact with Rei is very intriguing. There are a lot of shogi matches shown, but as a person who knows nothing about it, I could still enjoy the anime, maybe people who know shogi might enjoy it even more since the author consults a shogi pro and has interacted with the shogi association to make it as realistic as possible. I also really enjoyed how Rei's opponents across the shogi board, as well as his seniors are fleshed out as characters, you get to see their motivations, how they've lived and what they strive for in a matter of minutes and yet you can't help but feel like you know them, and can understand why they are all as driven as Rei to win and to survive. The Kawamoto sisters are also amazing with how tough their lives are and yet how bright and loving they all are. Watching them makes you really think, these are the types of people that really love life and are kind enough to help others understand the enjoyment of life as well.
After reading the manga to the latest chapter (I definitely recommend the manga as well!), I would also like to say that Shaft really did justice to the manga and in a sense, it made it even better tbh. It recreated the feelings, the thoughts and everything so beautifully! You could tell how much they loved the original work. The addition of music and all the colours etc just made it so much more engaging and impactful, I definitely recommend watching the anime even if you've read the manga because it enhanced it in every way. This quality is maintained for both seasons and you could say it got even better in S2 haha. Everyone loves S2 more and I really do as well, but I did very enjoy that melancholic, tense and heavy atmosphere that S1 recreated so well so I think it's hard to compare the two when they follow different themes of life. S2 follows a bit more on how Rei has grown from a person that would feel bad for inconveniencing others to someone that would reach out to the people around him as much as he can to help them to the best of his ability. Seeing him grow so much is such a great highlight, but S2 is also heavy in another way as it tackles bullying. It was very emotional but also great and I think Hina's attitude throughout that arc was amazing. It really showed that even though this story is focused on Rei's growth, everyone else is also experiencing problems and growing as their own person as well.
Well, that was long LOL. As you can see from my paragraphs, I can't recommend this anime enough tbh and I could probably go on but it's long enough hahaha. I think if you love character growth and an emotional story, you'll really like this one :D
Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen (Kaguya-sama: Love is War)
Genre: Comedy, Romance, School Life, Seinen
Episodes: 12
My Rating: 7.5/10
I think this one took me until around episode 4 to really actually enjoy. Initially, I wasn't sure what all the hype was about, but then after they fleshed out the characters a bit and Ishigami came along, it really became a fine piece of comedy. The story revolves around Kaguya and Shirogane, the vice president and president of the Student Council as they try their best to make the other admit their feelings for each other. It basically follows their everyday life in the Student Council with Chika (secretary) who frequently sabotages them and Ishigami who just makes the whole situation so relatable and great as a viewer. A lot of people compare the mind games that the main couple does to get the other to confess as akin to how Death Note is, with how they're always thinking of a plan to counter the other's plan and a counter for that counter etc, and I guess in that sense, it kind of is like that. It's a great romcom where they are both so cute for not being honest, and it's pretty hilarious the extent they go to making the other fall into their traps to express their feelings. However, comedy aside, I also think it really does do a nice balance of comedy and romance and it actually does further their relationship and love even if it's not explicitly apparent until the last few episodes. Chika is also a great girl that foils their plans all the time haha. Definitely one to check out if you like romcoms! I have also read the manga and I can recommend that as well, it really developed their relationship and it is very satisfying to see too!
I think this one took me until around episode 4 to really actually enjoy. Initially, I wasn't sure what all the hype was about, but then after they fleshed out the characters a bit and Ishigami came along, it really became a fine piece of comedy. The story revolves around Kaguya and Shirogane, the vice president and president of the Student Council as they try their best to make the other admit their feelings for each other. It basically follows their everyday life in the Student Council with Chika (secretary) who frequently sabotages them and Ishigami who just makes the whole situation so relatable and great as a viewer. A lot of people compare the mind games that the main couple does to get the other to confess as akin to how Death Note is, with how they're always thinking of a plan to counter the other's plan and a counter for that counter etc, and I guess in that sense, it kind of is like that. It's a great romcom where they are both so cute for not being honest, and it's pretty hilarious the extent they go to making the other fall into their traps to express their feelings. However, comedy aside, I also think it really does do a nice balance of comedy and romance and it actually does further their relationship and love even if it's not explicitly apparent until the last few episodes. Chika is also a great girl that foils their plans all the time haha. Definitely one to check out if you like romcoms! I have also read the manga and I can recommend that as well, it really developed their relationship and it is very satisfying to see too!
Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu (Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-)
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Psychological, Thriller
Episodes: 25
My Rating: 8/10
I also watched one or two episodes of this when it first came out and then forgot about it, and now I've binged the whole thing as well! Hahaha, a lot of anime I've missed out on with my forgetfulness lol. This is an isekai that I really like~ It follows the story of Natsuki Subaru who somehow got summoned to another world when he left a convenience store (no trucks here hahaha), as he wanders around trying to discover what kind of place this is, he gets attacked by thugs and is saved by a kind hearted girl that is looking for her stolen insignia. As he decides to help her out, he ends up encountering something deadlier and deeper than he thought, and is *SPOILERS* brutally murdered alongside the girl he helped. But then to his surprise, somehow he wakes up with no wounds on himself and as he wanders again thinking it as a dream or something, but then he goes through similar events he had experienced before as if he was reliving that same day again. I don't even know why I'm trying to make it sound mysterious since I'm spoiling stuff all the time anyway LOL, but anyway, I like Subaru's story because he is essentially an active human (did gym at home) who got a bit better in terms of physical abilities after coming to this world, but still essentially "useless" compared to the abilities of everyone else. The only power he has which can be fortunate or unfortunate is that when he dies, he restarts his life from a certain point and he can redo things from there, and I think the anime shows the progression of how lucky and unlucky this power is very well.
A lot of people don't like Subaru and I have to say I'm not one of them lol, because I honestly thought his mental breakdown came later than I thought and it was shown very well. With this OP power and the experiences of having to die over and over again in different gruesome and painful ways, and even by people he thought he could trust would make anyone start to go a bit insane and I think that was depicted very well. It kinda shows how realistically an isekai would be for a normal person and how terrifying and painful it is to live with such a power in an unknown world, which is why Emilia's existence was such a breath of fresh air for him and as something he tried his best to live for since she is like his beacon of light. Rem is such a self-sacrificing great girl but you know where Subaru's heart lies. Anyway, the battles are great, the mental anguish, the pain and the death scenes are awesome because I felt like I could feel a bit of his pain a lot of time and how uncomfortable it was to see him die like he did a lot of the time. I also like how Subaru learns from his previous mistakes and does his best to rectify things after each death, and I think the breakdown was necessary for him to continue since you could tell his joking facade was how he temporarily coping with everything, so that's my thoughts for that. Overall, I love how it deals with Subaru's tough and lonely journey of having to redo so many things, cultivate relationships again, and having to live a truly lonely life as the only one that knows and that can know he has such power and yet always being burdened with this struggle to survive beside the person he wants to live for. It's saddening, it's crazy but this is definitely one of the isekai anime that I remember and love.
My Rating: 8/10
I also watched one or two episodes of this when it first came out and then forgot about it, and now I've binged the whole thing as well! Hahaha, a lot of anime I've missed out on with my forgetfulness lol. This is an isekai that I really like~ It follows the story of Natsuki Subaru who somehow got summoned to another world when he left a convenience store (no trucks here hahaha), as he wanders around trying to discover what kind of place this is, he gets attacked by thugs and is saved by a kind hearted girl that is looking for her stolen insignia. As he decides to help her out, he ends up encountering something deadlier and deeper than he thought, and is *SPOILERS* brutally murdered alongside the girl he helped. But then to his surprise, somehow he wakes up with no wounds on himself and as he wanders again thinking it as a dream or something, but then he goes through similar events he had experienced before as if he was reliving that same day again. I don't even know why I'm trying to make it sound mysterious since I'm spoiling stuff all the time anyway LOL, but anyway, I like Subaru's story because he is essentially an active human (did gym at home) who got a bit better in terms of physical abilities after coming to this world, but still essentially "useless" compared to the abilities of everyone else. The only power he has which can be fortunate or unfortunate is that when he dies, he restarts his life from a certain point and he can redo things from there, and I think the anime shows the progression of how lucky and unlucky this power is very well.
A lot of people don't like Subaru and I have to say I'm not one of them lol, because I honestly thought his mental breakdown came later than I thought and it was shown very well. With this OP power and the experiences of having to die over and over again in different gruesome and painful ways, and even by people he thought he could trust would make anyone start to go a bit insane and I think that was depicted very well. It kinda shows how realistically an isekai would be for a normal person and how terrifying and painful it is to live with such a power in an unknown world, which is why Emilia's existence was such a breath of fresh air for him and as something he tried his best to live for since she is like his beacon of light. Rem is such a self-sacrificing great girl but you know where Subaru's heart lies. Anyway, the battles are great, the mental anguish, the pain and the death scenes are awesome because I felt like I could feel a bit of his pain a lot of time and how uncomfortable it was to see him die like he did a lot of the time. I also like how Subaru learns from his previous mistakes and does his best to rectify things after each death, and I think the breakdown was necessary for him to continue since you could tell his joking facade was how he temporarily coping with everything, so that's my thoughts for that. Overall, I love how it deals with Subaru's tough and lonely journey of having to redo so many things, cultivate relationships again, and having to live a truly lonely life as the only one that knows and that can know he has such power and yet always being burdened with this struggle to survive beside the person he wants to live for. It's saddening, it's crazy but this is definitely one of the isekai anime that I remember and love.
