Jeoffrey

Honobu Yonezawa has already proven that he can write compelling everyday mysteries set in high school, with great characters to match. His work on Hyoka left a strong impression on me, and I still love the main character’s energy-saving philosophy: "If I don't have to do something, I won't. But if I have to, I'll do it as quickly as possible." So naturally, I couldn't miss Shoshimin Series, and it’s no surprise that I’m really enjoying it. The first few episodes left me a little unsure as I got to know the characters and their desire to be “normal” while discovering why they feel they aren’t. The series offers a range of quirky everyday mysteries—like figuring out how someone made three cups of cocoa without a way to heat the milk, or where a missing dessert went. But each half of the season had a deeper storyline that slowly unfolded, helping us understand the main duo and the real heart of the show. Compared to Hyoka, this feels even more intimate and low-key. I was thrilled to solve a couple of the mysteries alongside the characters. Visually, it’s stunning in places, and Lapin Track did a fantastic job with the animation. And the finale? The way everything unraveled left me excited for the already announced sequel. Overall, I’m really satisfied, though that slower start has me giving it an 8/10 for now. Still, it's well on its way to reaching the top tier for me.

The future is all about AI and sexy robots, apparently. According to Japanese legends, robo-girls will eventually replace real women, and no man will ever be lonely again (though humanity might just happily go extinct). I can kind of get behind this idea in a futuristic, progressive way—after all, I have a pretty close relationship with my fridge, though I’ve never thought about putting anything in it besides food... That said, if I were to pick my own robo-girlfriend, I’d definitely go for an upgraded model like Super Mina over the older version. Seeing robo-girls with exposed parts doesn’t appeal to me; I’d rather leave a little to the imagination. Plus, the close-up shots of the robot girl’s camera eyes were more creepy than cute. Alright, enough jokes. While I have my reservations about human-robot relationships, I get that some people are desperate and may even crave something artificial. Putting the whole robot thing aside, what I found was a pretty laid-back series with likable characters (even Mamoru, who’s actually kind of adorable). I even found myself rooting for the main duo. So, overall, it's watchable, visually decent, and the music's not bad. As a romance, it only half works, with some awkward moments, but as a slice-of-life show with a unique family setup, it was actually pretty enjoyable. 5.8/10.

This was easily one of the weakest anime I’ve finished this season—or maybe I’m just not the target audience. Imagine Solo Leveling for kids under 12. In this world, dungeons suddenly start appearing, and chosen adventurers dive into them to fight monsters. Sound familiar? I’m not surprised! But honestly, you probably need to be under 12 to be impressed by a protagonist who goes dungeon crawling armed with nothing but a stick and two cans of bug spray, every adventurer’s best friend! And for his first big purchase, our hero buys...a wetsuit. Yeah, because that’s exactly the kind of gear that’ll protect you from everything. Sure, he looks like a bit of a fool, but hey, maybe someone out there finds it clever. The dungeons themselves? Terrifying—mostly because of how much the electricity bill must be! At least up until the 10th floor, where the walls are fully lit, making sure everything is perfectly visible...so the kids won’t be too scared, I guess. And, of course, the deeper you go, the better loot you find. Except, poor Kaito somehow scores all the overpowered drops right on the first floor. Go figure! If that were the case, wouldn’t every adventurer be farming that level for OP gear? But nope, you’ve gotta be a "nobody" or your typical anime protagonist to get lucky. Some adventurers dive into dungeons to find treasure; others seem to go to collect their loli entourage. Honestly, if I got this many loli companions from playing a gacha, I’d uninstall the game. Even Kaito starts questioning if this is really what he signed up for as he builds up a generic harem, heading deeper into dungeons that seem oddly empty except for monsters and treasure waiting just for him and his pals. Looking for positives? The production quality isn’t bad, the animation is decent, and most of the monsters are hand-drawn instead of CGI, which is a plus. The music’s okay too. But as for the story and characters? This is clearly aimed at kids—friendship conquers all, fear is the biggest enemy, and most plot twists are predictable way ahead of time. The characters are cute but shallow, with no real depth. If that’s your thing, maybe this is for you, but it didn’t do it for me. I made it through the whole series, but I can’t give it more than a 4/10. If you’re under 12, you might double that score, but as for me? I’m too old for this shit.

Compared to the second season, Minami-ke: Okaeri definitely brought some improvements, and a few episodes, especially in the first half, came close to the quality of the first season. The animation and music are solid, making it an overall pleasant watch. The team behind this third season did a commendable job. The familiar themes are back—focusing on the sisters’ relationships, along with the return of characters like Mako-chan, Fujioka still trying his best, and Hosaka finally being as wonderfully weird and cool as ever. However, I can’t help but feel like it’s time for something to really shift—some big confessions or developments would be great. Maybe in the next season? Though, honestly, I’m not holding my breath. For now, this season lands at a 7/10 for me.

Bye Bye, Earth really sparked my imagination! It’s set in a world like nothing I’ve ever seen, with rules that are both fascinating and bizarre. I found myself needing to focus and use a lot of my own imagination to make sense of the story, and I can totally see why it might lose some viewers or leave them confused. Not everyone is going to pick up on the references hidden in the names of the swords or characters, or be able to connect with the idea that music is a driving force in this world—where battles are essentially musical performances with conductors, soloists, and librettos. The inhabitants of this world are unique, far from your typical elves or dwarves, and even the more familiar fantasy races like mermaids are portrayed in completely unexpected ways. Each episode required my full attention as I tried to grasp everything or at least envision how it all fits together. While I didn’t always succeed, I still found the whole experience intriguing—fresh, different, and oddly captivating. It’s possible that this series will turn out to be a wild jumble of random ideas thrown together because they seemed cool, but for me, it felt more deliberate. The subtle hints and references suggest that there’s a deeper plan, with some pieces already starting to click into place. One thing that hooked me from the first episode was the music. Kevin Penkin delivered again—his work stood out especially in the early episodes, though it did mellow a bit later on. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the soundtrack, including both the opening and ending themes. This show kept me engaged, raised questions that I want answers to, and set up mysteries that I’ll be eager to see resolved in 2025. Overall, the first season gets a solid 7/10 from me.

It's a fun and silly show. Some of its aspects worked out great, others didn’t. It's a weird mishmash of all kinds of things, and there are certain rules that the series often fails to follow or simply forgets. The society is portrayed as a matriarchy, with women supposedly holding the main power, but besides initial conflicts with the stepmother and occasional heroic tea parties, I never got the impression that the position of women was even remotely dominant, quite the other way round. So, it's a pointless premise that is not fully utilized and hardly works at all. The handling of social status and nobility is also quite odd. Another thing that drove me nuts about the series was the constant repetition of "I'm just a mob character..." especially when the main protagonist doesn't act accordingly and then wonders why everything gets so complicated. It's satisfying to see Luxion give him a hard time in the final episode. However, the rewards given to the main character don't feel satisfying. It’s as if someone is throwing them at him against his will. I know it’s the creative intention and it's supposed to be funny, but it works maybe the first time, and then it becomes irritating (just like the hero saying that he's just a mob character again...). And now for the positives. The best thing about the series is the main protagonist, who is rotten and sarcastic, but ultimately still a good guy. He's one of those who understand that before you hit someone, you need to defeat them verbally. I really grew fond of Leon, and I enjoyed almost every interaction he had with everyone else: He had the best chemistry with Luxion, so it’s obvious who the ideal waifu for the main character is! The other characters are also well-portrayed. There are plenty of reasons not to like the prince and his entourage and to root for the hero instead, however, even they gradually reveal some good qualities that made me appreciate them, too. Similarly, the main female characters are sometimes strong, and sometimes tragic, but always relatable and likable. The story is a confusing journey of an involuntary hero, which, thanks to his knowledge of the game, isn't too dramatic or thrilling. It’s fun to watch the hero outsmart everyone, though. It didn't get boring for me even after twelve episodes. 6.4/10.

While this isn't the most exciting series, there's quite a bit to say about it. Let's start with the production values. The animation is far from spectacular, with a lot of the monsters being CGI, and it doesn't look great. It's not the worst I've seen this season, but the stiff, unnatural movement stands out in some scenes. The effects, especially explosions and flames, are downright bad. I get that they're working with large battles and armies on what is probably a limited budget, but understanding that doesn't make it any better. It still takes away from the epic feel they're going for. On the plus side, Kohta Yamamoto did a decent job with the music. The soundtrack fit the scenes well, sometimes even salvaging moments where the animation fell short. It's a solid fantasy score, but then there's the rock opening, which is easily the dullest I've heard this year, and a lifeless ending track. Sure, I can skip them, but it’s a shame when the background music is solid, and the theme songs are such a miss. As for the characters, visually, only one caught my eye—and that’s just because I’ve had a soft spot for girls with pointy hats since Black Magician Girl. Personality-wise, though, none of them grabbed me. The main character was bland, and the girls around him, including the small/big demon lord, were forgettable. The comic relief from Jiron mostly fell flat. The knight Alistair had some potential but was quickly sidelined, and General E Rudole was interesting for a couple of episodes, though it looks like the story might keep him around. The plot itself was a bit of a rollercoaster. There were moments that mildly piqued my interest, especially when the author dabbled in strategy, but more often, it was a mix of tired clichés and dull stretches. In the end, I’d call this a slightly below-average anime. I’m not sure if I care enough to see where it goes next—probably a 4.4/10 for me.

Yes, Your Majesty. Alright, I’ll admit, this latest Code Geass continuation worked for me in the end. Like I mentioned with Lelouch of the Resurrection, I just don’t get why anyone felt the need to follow up on what was already such a perfectly wrapped-up story. The original finale was one of the best anime endings I’ve seen, and with all these sequels, it feels like its impact is being watered down. Especially here, where we find ourselves back in almost the exact same situation as the beginning. Neo Britannia is behaving just like the old Britannia, and it’s painfully similar to the original series. The only takeaway from the opening was the reminder that humanity seems to love repeating its mistakes—plenty of real-world examples of that. Once again, we’re fighting oppression, the main character unknowingly holds a crucial role, and there are tons of twists and reveals—some excellent, some a bit questionable. That "Palpatine-esque" reveal of the main villain's identity? Yeah, I could’ve done without that, even if it wasn’t as ridiculous as it was in Star Wars. But, looking at the story as a whole, I was pretty entertained throughout. It kept me hooked, threw in some surprises, and overall delivered on the narrative front. So, credit to the writers where it's due. With only twelve episodes, though, the show didn’t have much room for deep character development. It was just enough for the main players, while the supporting cast mostly echoed characters from the original series, making it feel like we didn’t need much more from them. I did enjoy the cameos from key figures in the Code Geass universe, including those from the Akito films—it was nice to catch up with them. Animation and music? On point, as expected. Given that this was also meant for the big screen (hence the movie version), Sunrise really delivered on those 2D mecha (Knightmare Frame, of course) battles. That vibrant, smooth action sequence in the final episode was a real visual treat. The ending hit harder than I expected, though I kept thinking it would've been more impactful if there had been more episodes to flesh out the relationship between Sakuya and Ash. Still, it was a solid and emotional conclusion, even if it doesn’t quite reach the heights of Lelouch’s saga. All in all, while this isn’t the legendary Code Geass of old, it held its ground. A decent 7.2/10 from me.

An intriguing short film that doesn’t rely on dialogue at all, featuring only a single song, yet it still manages to convey a message. At first, I found myself just watching the repetitive scenes, unsure of their purpose (I’m still not sure what the deal was with all the smiling face emojis), but as the film gradually built up to its finale, it started to click. That slow build-up really makes the ending hit harder, especially as it ties together some of the film's themes around the title and the floral imagery. Visually, the animation style was quite charming, and the one chosen song fit perfectly. I might not have fully grasped all the symbolism, but even so - 7/10.

From an animation perspective, The Imaginary is definitely an interesting and well-crafted piece of work. The soundtrack is also solid, and the film is full of imagination and clever ideas. Still, I couldn’t fully connect with its charm. There were moments where I found myself making cynical comments and noticing where the creators had drawn inspiration. The fantasy world was captivating with some well-thought-out rules, but I struggled to believe in how it connected with the "real" world—it didn’t quite mesh for me. The characters didn’t grab me either. The main protagonist didn’t win me over enough to root for him, and I found side characters like the cat, the dog, and even Emily far more engaging. The villains were well done—they were intimidating and commanded respect—but I couldn’t help seeing clear influences from Miyazaki and even elements of a Dementor. One of the villains' partners felt like an anime twist on Sadako from The Ring. Still, it worked, and I can’t complain too much. In the end, The Imaginary is a charming film full of great ideas and a touch of life lessons, wrapped in a vibrant, colorful package. But maybe I’ve grown too old and lost touch with my own sense of wonder, and my imaginary friend has long since disappeared. That might be why it only resonated with me at around 68%.