Anime Questions, Recommendations, and Discussion - July 18, 2026

[u/AnimeMod]

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[u/AnimeMod]

Hello /r/anime, a new daily thread has been posted! Please follow this link to move on to the new thread or search for the latest thread.

[u/AsGryffynn]

Guys, are there any seiyuu you dislike everyone seems to love? I'm doing a survey and I want to know if there are any weirdoes who dislike some popular VAs like me.

[u/Yandirin → u/AsGryffynn]

Yes it's Sawashiro Miyuki, the only role I really liked from her was Aruruu (Utawarerumono) and Kurapika. Otherwise I don't really dislike her, I'm mostly neutral for most of her roles.

Also I love Aoi Koga acting as Kaguya, but like another commenter said she's mostly put in grating high-pitched roles or as a mascot and I think it's a really waste of her talent.

[u/octopathfinder → u/AsGryffynn]

I don't completely dislike them, but Hina Youmiya's airy voice and Aoi Koga's high-pitched voice are pretty grating to me.

[u/mr_beanoz → u/AsGryffynn]

Man, I find hard to dislike someone, to be honest.

[u/KendotsX → u/AsGryffynn]

Idk if people love him necessarily, but Kimura Subaru.

The fact that he's taking over one of my favourite archetypes (Franky, Sakuragi, Todo,...) doesn't help either.

[u/AsGryffynn → u/KendotsX]

I found him interesting but I think he's going to end up in that same "oversaturated" place as Sawashiro with tough girl roles.

[u/cppn02 → u/KendotsX]

+1 for him.

Don't even think he's a bad voice actor but he's just so terribly unlikable.

[u/SSjjlex → u/AsGryffynn]

I don't think I've seen much active seiyuu hate. At worst it's their overuse or one-voice-ness but never anything really related to any specific performance of theirs so I don't think its fair to pin that on them.

Maybe Misaki Kuno for her for being type-cast as every kid with that strong nasally voice that some people find annoying. But that's mostly her being forced into that role, I've skimmed through her other roles that aren't that specific archetype and those are pretty good imo.

[u/mr_beanoz → u/SSjjlex]

Well, when she's out from the typecasting (eg. Kurumi from Lycoris Recoil) she seems to be doing pretty well. But well, her childish voice is what makes her popular, eg. Nina in Idolmaster Cinderella Girls, or Hawk in Seven Deadly Sins.

[u/AsGryffynn → u/SSjjlex]

I thought I was insane when my search for "I dislike Chiwa Saito" led Google to just go "..." because I was sure I'd at least find a comment I made myself... but nope. According to the internet, she has a perfect record and is universally loved.

Not to me, however. She, Maaya Sakamoto, Aya Endo, Kaori Ishihara, Kanae Ito, Sawashiro, Tara Platt, Arryn Zech (less so, however), Wahlgren... Okamoto and Grelle... the Hayamis (both of them, regardless of lack of relation).

(Boy, I needed to get that one out of my chest and possibly into Google).

It's really a combination of overexposure and an absence of criticism. I believe that no one could be perfect unless they're hiding something negative... so by default if I search for something and no one has even one peep of criticism, my mind will start poking holes at everything they do to find flaws and make them public knowledge.

On the other hand, Matsuoka and KanaHana, while not ones I like in any way, don't engender that same kind of annoyance in me they apparently do in others, same for Yuu Kobayashi (maybe because I simp for Katsuragi very badly). So I feel weird that my tastes in anime seem to be on the opposite end of the aisle as most... but it's even weirder when a search for people who might feel likewise turns into crickets.

[u/cppn02 → u/AsGryffynn]

You don't seems to be looking hard if you can't find criticism for those.

Looks to me like just a cheap excuse to hate on popular voice actors.

[u/AsGryffynn → u/cppn02]

I've only found criticism for Saito's singing, not her voice.

And the popularity thing wouldn't explain why there are other popular ones that I do like or don't mind.

What I find to be the case is that the ones I hate are usually type casted as a narrow band of characters, whereas those I like have roles you wouldn't have attributed to them.

[u/KendotsX → u/AsGryffynn]

by default if I search for something and no one has even one peep of criticism, my mind will start poking holes at everything they do to find flaws and make them public knowledge.

So you feel the need to hate on anyone whom you don't find enough criticism for.. that's some dedication.

If you need to have your feelings validated, look up the voice actors you like, and I'm sure you'll find some people who share that sentiment. Not everyone's dedicating their life to being a hater.

[u/AsGryffynn → u/KendotsX]

It's not something I do consciously. It's something my mind literally does for anything. I've done it with movies, games, books, series, etc...

I've done it since I was a kid. It's a casual thing, but I'm always shocked when the internet, in all it's immensity, cannot readily provide a pro AND a con to everything.

[u/collapsedblock6]

I remember someone in the previous season asking about Detective Precure and I was still on the phase of 'ehhh, maybe', but it has really been cooking.

I will refrain from using 'best streak' or 'best since' expressions because I everytime I use them it seems to tank the Precure I'm watching, but its good! It is the Precure that has played the most with its repetitive format.

Like here's how you can tell monster fights and transformations are basically an obligation, because recent episodes are like, the fight starts, the scene jumps to w/e drama is central to the episode, then it jumps back to the fight essentially over for the monster to be defeated. Its the most minimized I have seen action be in a Precure.

And this is happening because they decided to make the identity of the final Precure a mystery that the audience has to solve which shook up the plot quiet a bit. Its nice and the recent episode 25 was fire.

Ofc, this is still Precure. I watch it for the silly humor, cartoony feeling and simplistic themes with a very optimistic portrayal. But it is still going strong and wouldn't be surprised seeing it championed in some circles.

[u/Charmanders_Cock → u/collapsedblock6]

It’s hilarious that this lukewarm praise is probably a good indicator of you being directly involved in fighting tooth and nail to push this specific entry for anime of the year eventually. 

[u/collapsedblock6 → u/Charmanders_Cock]

Fwiw I'm kinda retired from AOTY, but at least current gen of awards would receive Detective well as I know them. It is until next year, but as a SoL entry I would def go for it.

[u/awesomenessofme1]

As time has gone on and Quintuplets has started to fade more and more from pop culture relevancy, the Google Images results when you search the word 'yotsuba' has started to skew more and more toward the better one. Meanwhile, unfortunately Love Game hasn't made much of a splash, and looking up 'miku sakura' will still 98% bring you Hatsune Miku in a cherry blossom outfit.

[u/ptd163]

This is the place!

The only place where you can see a Re:Zero girl canonically wear a school uniform.

[u/Wanderingjoke]

You know how a show can easily earn a few points from me? Portray people speaking different languages by actually using those languages accompanied by subtitles.

So yeah, umm... Jaadugar good.

[u/tripleaamin → u/Wanderingjoke]

Reminds me of S3 Golden Kamuy. They did that well.

[u/TakenRedditName]

Finally started all my seasonals, so here's how the first impressions tier list is looking. 3 (4 if we include Inept Villainess) are just based on their first episodes, but the rest are off at least 2.

The season is looking pretty good.

[u/tripleaamin]

The Ogre's Bride, man. I probably should drop it, but not yet. Well, at the very least, I hope people keep an eye on the studio, Colored Pencil Animation Japan.

[u/Wanderingjoke]

Decided to watch the second episode of the Duke's Son. Elsa is such a bore to watch, and everything is way too overt.

Dropped.

[u/Korkez11]

Those who don't know why this anime is called "Witch in Mongolia"/Those who know

It's so interesting to watch Jaadugar while reading about Mongolian history.

[u/mr_beanoz → u/Korkez11]

The one bit about the tent's roof that allows them to know the time, is it true?

[u/KendotsX → u/mr_beanoz]

Yes

There's no point in embellishing details like this one.

[u/riyoo4]

おはようございます！日本人です
アニメ好きなので語り合いたいです！

[u/mekerpan → u/riyoo4]

Welcome! What are your favorite shows?

[u/riyoo4 → u/mekerpan]

とらドラだよ！

[u/North514 → u/riyoo4]

Have you seen Lovely Complex? ラブ★コン It's quite similar, in my opinion.

[u/riyoo4 → u/North514]

知ってるよ！いいね👍

[u/mekerpan → u/riyoo4]

Toradora is very enjoyable. Do you have any recent shows you also love.

[u/riyoo4 → u/mekerpan]

最近だと無職転生とかだね！

[u/mekerpan → u/riyoo4]

The new season has been very good so far.

[u/riyoo4 → u/mekerpan]

mekerpanさんはなんのアニメが好き？

[u/mekerpan → u/riyoo4]

Mainly I like shows about ordinary life best. We call the slice of life (SoL) anime. But I also like shows that involve fantasy elements but only occasional fighting (not fighting all the time).

My most loved shows are Haibane Renmei and Tamayura. Both are older shows. A recent show I loved was Ikoku Nikki.

[u/riyoo4 → u/mekerpan]

いいね！自分は恋愛系や異世界系とか見るよ！

[u/mekerpan → u/riyoo4]

I like some Isekai a lot but find some dull. I like many romance shows. Do you know the new Polar Opposites?

[u/tripleaamin]

Grow Up Show is very enjoyable. Great pick for CGDCT's fans. Though it seems geared towards fans of the genre mostly.

[u/mekerpan → u/tripleaamin]

One could argue that it has both sports and yuri elements as well

[u/wloff → u/tripleaamin]

Agreed! A very enjoyable little anime, just a good time.

[u/Korkez11]

That joke with exploding publishing house in Draw This looks very wrong after KyoAni fire...

[u/vancevon]

Currently two episodes into Bokurano. My initial impressions: Wow, cool robot! Super cool robot! I love cool robots! :)

[u/RawPorridge → u/vancevon]

Such a heroic heart-warming story innit :}

[u/GondolaMedia → u/vancevon]

Who doesn't like cool robots?

[u/Jusenkyo_5]

Now that we've had a good amount of time with "fast romance" anime being the standard, I think I prefer older style romance where the confession is the climax.

Every time we get one of these anime where the confession happens in the first episode I get a little worried about the follow-up. [Meta spoiler]You and I are Polar Opposites manages to pull it off really well as the show tends to focus primarily on connection and the joy that getting to know someone and growing closer can bring.

[Meta spoiler for this season]Otome Kaiju has me a little worried as the romance seems to be the focal point but it's already established that both leads like each other and one has already stated it. The longer the show puts off the double confession the more irritated I'll be about it. Setting the expectation that there will be a relationship but holding off on the last 5% to get it there is a little frustrating to watch in my opinion.

[u/collapsedblock6 → u/Jusenkyo_5]

Those type of romances require character writing that lots of animanga just don't have. Karekano is still my gold standard despite the shenanigans of the last 5 episodes.

I think the 'will they, won't they' is just easier to sell because each progression to a confession feels satisfying even if it comes from crawling through glass at snail's pace. Post-confession romances are a big 'ok, now what' if you aren't sold on the characters and what remain of their journey, which is how I feel [with]Polar Opposites

[u/qwertyqwerty4567 → u/Jusenkyo_5]

I think some middle ground can be found. As much [as the] horimiya adaptation was butchered, the confession scene/s were really well done.

By [contrast] Bokuyaba fumbles it monumentally, by forcing it at the end of the season instead of using the absolutely phenomenal setup it had made in like episode 8. This shit is like a greek tragedy in how much it ruins the entire show and yes, im still coping about it.

[u/Jusenkyo_5 → u/qwertyqwerty4567]

[spoiler]Horimiya gets it right by having it's main characters have sex. A lot of these other romance anime are afraid of physical intimacy so the only milestone you can wait for is maybe a kiss if they don't get that out of the way in episode 1.

I haven't seen the second show you're talking about unfortunately but I can see how that would be annoying.

[u/Retsam19 → u/Jusenkyo_5]

Ehh, it gets some points for that, but it was 100% the series I thought of with your original comment.

Maybe it's better in the manga, but for the anime it felt like "okay, we're going to do a 'no drama romance', where the character just get together early on" and then didn't actually know what to do that, so they went back to stereotypical "romance drama" tropes, but just focused on side-characters and the main couple was just kinda there.

[u/Jusenkyo_5 → u/Retsam19]

Oh no I'm with you there, it's by no means a favorite of mine. I put it ahead of some similar romance anime because it goes further, but it was absolutely one of the shows I had in mind while writing the comment.

[u/SpaceTurtleHunter → u/Jusenkyo_5]

As a famous anime scriptwriter once said, "all happy anime couples are alike; each not yet happy couple is not happy in its own way”

[u/wloff → u/Jusenkyo_5]

[Meta spoiler]You and I are Polar Opposites manages to pull it off really well as the show tends to focus primarily on connection and the joy that getting to know someone and growing closer can bring.

Don't forget they also simply introduced two more couples who are doing the traditional slowly-working-towards-a-confession arc.

There's a reason for it, too. A romance about falling in love has natural drama and stakes, which makes for good story. Once the couple is together... all that drama and stakes is gone. The story is done. Unless you introduce some new twist or new drama, the story between this couple just gets a bit boring.

The standard Western rom-com movie formula has the couple falling in love in the first act, introduces a threat to the relationship that puts the two in danger of falling out in the second act, and has them solving the issue and getting together for real in the climax. (And someone always needs to be running for some reason, usually looking for their loved one.)

[Show name]Kaguya-sama kinda used this formula for anime, extending the story a bit after the confession; but once that drama was resolved, there was not much more left to say of the main couple, and the focus out of necessity moved to the side characters instead.

So, yeah, I agree with you. "These two people are in love and continue to be in love" is just flat out not an interesting story, it's slice-of-life at best. It's fun to see the formula rocked a bit every now and then, but then you remember there's a reason why the formula exists, and gosh darn it, I just like love stories about people falling in love for the first time.

[u/Jusenkyo_5 → u/wloff]

You certainly put it better than I could! I agree wholeheartedly.

[u/vancevon → u/Jusenkyo_5]

[Meta] I don't know to what extent I would say this is even true for Polar Opposites. I'm definitely enjoying Nishi/Yamada and Tairazuma a lot more than I'm enjoying Tani and Suzuki.

[u/Jusenkyo_5 → u/vancevon]

Yeah, I think that's one of the series' best aspects.

I do still like the main pair more than the other 2, but having 3 feasible options to follow puts it a step above a ton of other romance anime for me.

[u/Unalina]

Has anyone gone to an anime convention? If so, are you only able to meet the VAs if you buy VIP? Or can the normal tickets get you in line to meet them take a selfie?

[u/collapsedblock6 → u/Unalina]

Never gone to one with VIP tickets, but usually it is either lottery or first come/served. And for the latter you better have your mouse right on the button the instant, many of the popular guests are out within seconds.

Most guests also vary in what you can do and have signs. Some will give you a poster to sign and you can't bring anything, sometimes you can bring anything to get sign, some give photos and some don't.

I will also tell you to get in early because staff tends to be lax during the first minutes, meaning you can chitchat, take photos and stuff. If you're of the later ones, staff will start hurrying people and not let you do anything but receive your signature.

[u/Shimmering-Sky → u/Unalina]

I went to one where I didn't have a VIP ticket, but I still got to meet Johnny Yong Bosch. I just had to stand in line a lot longer than those with VIP tickets because the VIP line got priority.

[u/IXajll → u/Unalina]

Depends on the con and the guests. From personal experience, meet & greets are almost always lottery based and very limited in number. Signing sessions are either first come, first served; buy merch at a booth, get a numbered ticket; or also via lottery. Most VAs don’t do photos but there are rare exceptions.

Edit: this is only about JP people, english VAs might be more chill with the regulations, no idea.

[u/Jusenkyo_5]

I don't think I quite get the appeal of Chainsmoker Cat. The comedy feels pretty outdated and it's hard to take seriously as some sort of social commentary with how corny it's depictions of drug use. It feels like misery porn made by someone who is straight edge.

Japan has a highly negative drug culture so it doesn't really surprise me, but there are a ton of drug addict Americans so it just feels off to me. I don't think it's like a disrespectful view of the situation or anything, it just feels far fetched and underwhelming.

It does do a great job of making me feel gross, so in a sense that aspect of it is well above the average.

[u/awesomenessofme1 → u/Jusenkyo_5]

I am not watching it and it's unlikely although not impossible that I ever do, but a vibe I've gotten from people talking about it is that it portrays a really extreme form of nicotine addiction, akin to a much harder drug. But then it also does include more serious drugs involved with other characters. The whole thing strikes me as a little weird if that's an accurate assessment of what's going on.

[u/Jusenkyo_5 → u/awesomenessofme1]

It portrays it to an unrealistically harsh degree, like she's essentially a homeless bum for smoking cigarettes.

There is a character in the second episode that shoots up and smokes a joint and both are mostly played for laughs? I think the show is very much edited in a way that's intended to be read as a pure comedy, not serious about anything.

[u/Muted-Conference2900]

Hanaori still wants to fight show continues to be a comedy gold.

[u/IXajll → u/Muted-Conference2900]

Yea, that show is way more hilarious than I ever expected. The VAs are killing it, especially Akira Sekine as Meteor is elevating this show so damn much.

[u/FelixAndCo]

Forgot when my yearly Crunchyroll sub renewed... guess I'm supporting them for another year.

[u/Tetraika]

I've come to stab Draw This, Then Die.

I don't hate it, but I find a few of the characters way too irritating enough that it feels like I'm basically just tolerating them being on screen, rather than enjoying their presence. I think it's this combination of naivety of the MC, or how utterly pointless her friend is, and other aspects just makes me feel more irritated watching this than it is fun or interesting. Speaking of which, reading how someone describe in the episode discussion as having "angst" made me realize I didn't like how that part blends with the more light hearted tone.

I'm honestly not sure exactly why it doesn't click for me. Like I feel that there is nothing that should put me off, but the way everything is played out just doesn't sit with me well. I wish I could articulate this better but yeah.

Oh and I don't care for its humor at all.

[u/Rotorscope → u/Tetraika]

The Draw This, Then Die! Shilling Syndicate frowns upon your opinion of the show.

But in all seriousness, sometimes things just don't click even though most others are loving it, which is totally ok. I've also noticed what you said about the push and pull between "angst" and "lighthearted" can be polarizing. I love it but I notice some like a more even tone. And I can see how some of the characters might be irritating which is a very YMMV type thing I guess.

It's ok though no anime is going to be 100% agreed upon.

[u/awesomenessofme1]

The more I think about it, the more insane Magilumiere is on a conceptual level. I know it ran in Jump+ rather than a physical manga magazine so it's not quite so cut-and-dry, but an office worker/magical girl genre crossover that theoretically had a target audience of 12-year-old boys is... certainly something.

[u/wloff]

Draw This, Then Die seems to be settling in that slightly awkward spot where I think it's very, very good, but others are talking about it like it's a genuine masterpiece, and I don't think it's quite there (at least not yet). Makes me feel like a hater about a show I actually really enjoy a lot.

I think what's keeping the show at "only" very good for me is that while the cute and heartwarming scenes, as well as the real emotional drama, are both fantastic, some of the cartoonish humour doesn't really fit in at all. There's some kind of a mismatch in tone that bugs me a bit.

Sachi in particular feels like she belongs in a different show, she's more like an annoying mascot than a real person and I kinda hate her.

Still, a very good show!

[u/merurunrun → u/wloff]

It seems like any anime/manga that is about people making anime/ manga has a contingent of people who think it's OMG THE GREATEST THING EVER solely because of that premise.

[u/_Ridley → u/merurunrun]

I mean, I kinda get it. The mangaka are writing from experience, and they tend to be really earnest stories. It's also neat to get a peek behind the curtain.

It's just that they're are so many of them. It doesn't feel novel anymore.

[u/Rotorscope → u/_Ridley]

It's just that they're are so many of them. It doesn't feel novel anymore.

I think you're overstating the amount of anime that take an all-encompassing approach to manga creation like this one is. Are there really many shows that go for the emotional coming of age with a direct focus on manga creation? And the dual perspectives is a pretty unique spin on top of all of that.

I can understand that it's not going to hit the same for everyone, but I don't think we've really gotten a show like this. And even if there are, novelty isn't really the appeal here anyway, as the writing and execution, in my opinion, are top notch. I do heavily relate to Rei and she's a standout possible character of the year for me with her backstory and chaos, so I guess I'm biased but I still just don't see how the idea of novelty would really apply here since it's executed at such a high level.

[u/_Ridley → u/Rotorscope]

Everyone is different, I guess. I feel like I'm constantly running into stories about making manga. There's at least one anime a season, and so do a good chunk of the manga I read. I guess I'll see where I land at the end of the cour, but it's not like I'm not enjoying it. It's just not blowing me away.

[u/Rotorscope → u/_Ridley]

It must be the manga you are reading because there really isn't that much anime focused on manga/anime making. And even listing the ones that do exist, they are very different than what's going on here. In terms of recent shows, the closest I can think of are Egatae, Zenshu, Look Back, maybe like part of Mono and a few other shows? But this feels like the show people who loved Look Back have been wanting.

Obviously personal preference and subjectivity play a big role here though, because I relate really closely with this exact story so it does have a big personal bump (and this one is genuinely done well too)

I can see how it wouldn't hit as much if you are coming off a lot of stories that have explored the topic but personally, I can eat this type of thing up every time especially with a unique and well executed take like this one. I don't think it's any different than band anime having tons of iterations or battle shonen having 1000s of iterations and manga/anime making is in the dozens at best, and less than that in terms of high-quality adaptations.

[u/Rotorscope → u/merurunrun]

Or alternatively, shows about making manga and etc... are more likely to have passion and love infused in them, as well as being uniquely relatable and accurate to the experience of creatives because they are written by creatives, for creatives.

Draw This, Then Die! has been fantastic not because of its premise but because the execution is simply great. Rei is an absolute standout character of the season, the production is gorgeous, the way it's written is emotional and relatable... Same thing with Look Back, Eizouken, etc...

[u/_Ridley → u/wloff]

Yeah, it's a 7/10 show for me. I enjoy watching it, but it's kinda just another story about making manga written by people who make manga. The twin stories of the teacher who's lost her passion and the teenager who's nothing but passion is somewhat innovative, but I'm actually having more fun watching Younger Brothers on Fridays. I'll take well executed genre work over most things.

[u/Rotorscope → u/wloff]

I mean I think that most anime will only have a certain subset of people calling it a "genuine masterpiece" regardless, so simply thinking something is "very good" isn't being a hater at all haha. I think for me it's had one of the strongest 3 episode starts for me but I also strongly relate to Rei which is why in my viewpoint it's masterful so far. But even as one of the biggest shills for this show, I'm not sure I'd call anything a "masterpiece" only 3 episodes in though. Honestly, I'm not sure "masterpiece" really is even applicable to TV anime in general haha.

[u/zambonijesus → u/Rotorscope]

I think it is the best show of the season thus far and honestly pretty comfortably so, but I wouldn't call it a genuine masterpiece yet. My seasonal hot take is that I find Jaadugar to be merely good and not exceptional and I don't especially like the World is Dancing or Sparks of Tomorrow. Goodbye, Lara is my #2 show.

[u/mekerpan → u/zambonijesus]

I don't give a damn whether a show is a "masterpiece" or not. Just whether or not I love it. Masterpiece status is something which will be established (if ever) years in the future. I likely won't be around long enough to find out.

[u/IXajll → u/wloff]

Sachi is Oshima’s pride and joy, how dare you.

I’m actually starting to feel this way about Jaadugar. I still really like it a lot and it’s great and all, but today’s episode was once again like 80% world building and comparatively little screentime of the actual MC. And in the few scenes she’s actually there she still has almost no agency so far and is still mostly just getting swept along. It makes sense in the circumstances but it just wasn’t that engaging to watch. At least it’s looking like next episode it will pick up the pace a bit.

[u/Salty145]

Not quite sure why the Babies of Bread comedy just continues to fly over my head. I watched the original short out of curiosity and it pulls of purely visual comedy just fine. Maybe it's the run time, but I dunno, it's just not connecting.

On the other hand, while I'm a few days late, Candy Caries continues to be a joy to watch every week. I had my apprehension that the flat 2D glasswork would limit what Misato could pull off, but he seems fully aware of this and will have more than a few visual gags in seemingly every episode that "break the plane" in this regard. Every episode seems to have some new horrifying and hilarious visual bit like Caries apparently being able to enter Ame's eye to talk to her. Just don't think too much about a lot of the body horror going on here...

[u/Muted-Conference2900]

Tried the Dara San show coz it's like the last show that I am kinda interested in. 1st episode is actually pretty good, nice comedy bits and yeah who doesn't like Snake Lady. But holy exposition dump, like calm down I still don't think I got all the details.

[u/Muted-Conference2900 → u/Muted-Conference2900]

Finished 3rd episode and it's really gets better and better with each episode. The siblings are pretty interesting and funny and then their Dynamics with Dara San reminds me of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (One of my favourite Cartoons). Supernatura lore is also pretty good. Anyways it's cute, funny and quite sad at times.

[u/Muted-Conference2900 → u/Muted-Conference2900]

Finished ep 2. It was much better. Exposition is still there but it's not as much as ep 1. Also I got most of lore this time around so that was a plus. On to the ep 3...

[u/Dull_Spot_8213 → u/Muted-Conference2900]

You get a sense of it from the start, but after episode 3, this theme of not judging others by appearances and shallow stereotypes is solidified. The character cards and overall story about Dara and her sister really hammer this home. It's a cast of misfits finding family and belonging in the contemporary era, and adapting to changes that come with it.

[u/Dull_Spot_8213 → u/Muted-Conference2900]

Ah yes, another convert. Spreading the good word.

[u/Emi_Ibarazakiii]

Kamui blessed us with great quotes once again!

[KAMUI: He's Behind You]boop [KAMUI: He's Behind You]boop

[u/Nachtwandler_FS → u/Emi_Ibarazakiii]

More people should watch this masterpiece )

[u/Emi_Ibarazakiii → u/Nachtwandler_FS]

I'll watch it twice to make up for the peasants who aren't watching it

(I kinda wanted to post a clip of the mini-anime but I'm not sure it's good enough for that)

[u/Emi_Ibarazakiii]

Clearly there's been a mistake, Ranko (my beloved) just lost in the best girl contest.

So I'm guessing we'll have to put an * next to this one too, and we're now voting on who the SECOND best girl is!

[u/zambonijesus → u/Emi_Ibarazakiii]

I mean my best girl winner by a mile is Ontan from Dead Dead Demons and she can't even make the bracket.

[u/Komarist → u/zambonijesus]

Why even elimination round shill when 4/9 still miss the bracket? sigh

[u/GondolaMedia]

[Yomi no Tsugai + FMA]I audibly chuckled when I saw this and this right after was a nice touch

[u/IXajll → u/GondolaMedia]

Honestly might be the funniest sequence of scenes of the show so far, genius way to include a FMA reference.

[u/Korkez11]

Question for geography nerds like me: which are the best anime that take place in Shikoku?

[u/Tarhalindur → u/Korkez11]

Thirding the YuYuYu note, especially Hero Chapter.

A couple of other stray works of note that haven't come up yet: Mai-HiME (Ehime - the choice of setting probably has more than a little to do with the pile of hime wordplay that show likes to use), Seto no Hayanome (Kagawa - not coincidentally, a bunch of the staff who later did YuYuYu worked together on Seto no Hayanome first).

[u/zairaner → u/Korkez11]

Yuuki yuuna of course!

[u/oedipusrex376 → u/Korkez11]

Surprisingly, there aren't many anime set in Shikoku.

Ganbatte Ikimasshoi is set in Ehime

Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero in Kagawa

This Monster Wants to Eat Me in Ehime.

If you're looking for one that really shows off the region, I'd go with Ganbatte Ikimasshoi. I used to drive around Ehime quite a bit, and the anime does a great job capturing the scenery. Lots of beautiful coastline, greenery, and countryside.

[u/Nachtwandler_FS → u/oedipusrex376]

Not surprising concidering that Shikoku is the least developed part of the country due to fucked up geography.

[u/TehAxelius → u/Korkez11]

Not sure about "best", but Belle and Poco's Udon World are both set in Shikoku (Kōchi and Kagawa prefectures, respectively)

[u/WeeziMonkey]

Sometimes you watch a show and you can just immediately tell from the first episode that it's going to be peak. I just finished Witch Hat Atelier and that feeling stayed true until the end.

Been a while since I rated something a sincere 10/10. Last ones were To Be Hero X and Takopii's Original Sin.

The only thing I think Witch Hat Atelier could improve on is the music. Not because it's bad, but in a show where writing, animation, directing etc are all amazing, the music is just fine. Imagine if it had some Kevin Penkins bangers.

[u/pandorasfemboy]

Is GitS Arise worth watching if I thought SAC 2045 was decent-ish?

[u/Nomar_95 → u/pandorasfemboy]

Not a fan of either, but if you liked 2045, then you'll probably like Arise

[u/pandorasfemboy → u/Nomar_95]

Thanks 😸

[u/TehAxelius → u/pandorasfemboy]

Yeah, I'd say so. It's clearly rough, but it has the magic from time to time.

[u/pandorasfemboy → u/TehAxelius]

Thank you! Did you watch the OVAs or the other version of Arise called Alternative Architecture?

[u/TehAxelius → u/pandorasfemboy]

I watched the OVA versions, plus the two episodes from AA that's not in the OVA versions.

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

Oh you've gotta be kidding, Crunchyroll removed Grimgar from its services while I'm hosting a rewatch for it?

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/Shimmering-Sky]

Not cool, Crunchyroll

It's always a shame when shows are removed without warning. Really wish all streaming services in general would give notice at least a couple weeks in advance so anyone in the middle of watching something would at least be able to finish.

[u/Emi_Ibarazakiii → u/Shimmering-Sky]

*Puts tinfoil hat on

A Crunchyroll exec is among the other current rewatch hosts; He wanted to get more attention for his own!

[u/entelechtual → u/Shimmering-Sky]

Hey it’s not that bad, don’t forget that if you buy a premium Crunchyroll membership you can get access to their store and buy the blu ray before they delist it.

[u/cppn02 → u/Shimmering-Sky]

They did it to spite you.

[u/IXajll]

I can’t believe I’ve let Kaiju Girl bait me into getting my hopes up TWICE now within 3 episodes. First with the iT WaS ToO DaRk and now with the NiCe CoSpLaY. The show is alright but that forced upkeeping of the status quo is so fucking annoying and holding it back from being actually good.

[u/_Ridley → u/IXajll]

Your heart lacks joy and whimsy. Accept the silly running gag.

[u/Emi_Ibarazakiii → u/_Ridley]

Some people may be annoyed for the "groan, another silly romcom misundestandings!", but I think some may also dislike that because what they wanted was "Boy dates a girl who sometimes turn into a monster and they deal with the shenanigans", not "Girl hides her monstrous nature from boy"

[u/IXajll → u/Emi_Ibarazakiii]

Yea, that’s basically it for me.

[u/IXajll → u/_Ridley]

Nah, that kind of gag is running too close to the misunderstanding/miscommunication corner of annoying romcom tropes for me to enjoy.

[u/Wanderingjoke → u/IXajll]

I think it's a fun play on the trope.

[u/_Ridley → u/IXajll]

Is it, though? It's thematically on point: she feels monstrous, but all he sees is a normal cute girl.

[u/Emi_Ibarazakiii → u/_Ridley]

Yeah the real life parallels are very on the nose, with people who think themselves unattractive (especially when going through puberty, or because overweight or underweight, or because boobs too small compared to others, too tall, too short, etc)

[u/IXajll → u/_Ridley]

[Kaiju Girl]How is the "nice cosplay" bit not one gigantic misunderstanding requiring a ridiculous amount of suspension of disbelief? She grew her tail, claws and horns literally right in front of him in real time, there is no way any sane human thinks that is just cosplay. It makes so little sense I thought he must've realized and is just lying to her but there is no logical reason to go that way.

all he sees is a normal cute girl.

I mean, yea, it's obvious that he doesn't care and would be 100% supportive about her kaiju thing but that doesn't make it any less infuriating since as the outcome of the reveal is so clear already, prolonging the gag is just pushing back the inevitable. I get that some people like it that way, but I'd much prefer they don't stretch out that "middle part" of Arata not knowing more than necessary. At the very least don't write in situations where he should find out only not do it because of some ass pull reasons, or "gags" if you wanna call it that.

[u/_Ridley → u/IXajll]

You don't seem to like conflict in romance. Like, if you make the changes you list, what are we going to do for ten more episodes?

[u/IXajll → u/_Ridley]

Assuming that wasn't a rhetorical question, there are so many things the show could do and you should kinda already know this as well.

• Exploring Kuroe's background and the origin of her condition, and how her mom is involved in all of it.

• Have the usual romcom fair you have in shows where the couples get together early.

• Just because Arata will know doesn't mean anyone else does. I wouldn't mind at all (actually, I'd welcome it) if Kuroe is still getting into trouble trying to hide her identity, but just with Arata as a team and getting into hijinks together.

• I also heard from manga readers that [plot direction]there will be other Kaijus who will apparently fight Kuroe

There's really no shortage of what the show could do if Arata was simply in the know sooner. Which is all I'm really asking with this anyway, so that there are less annoying misunderstandings. Which is the actual thing I don't like in romance, rather than conflict.

[u/_Ridley → u/IXajll]

All of those are a significant departure from what it's doing right now, though. The tension of really needing to keep her feelings under control lest her crush find out she's a city stomping monster is a pretty clear stand in for puberty making you feel insane. Once you remove that, what's your hook?

[u/IXajll → u/_Ridley]

All the points I mentioned are more than enough of a hook, they are just different. So at this point it’s just a matter of taste about what you want to see on screen, I don’t know what else to tell you. And even so, the only clear departure one would be the 4th one, the 1st one will get tackled sooner or later anyway and the 2nd and 3rd one is very similar to what the show is currently already doing.

[u/Rotorscope → u/_Ridley]

Am I misreading it or something because I thought he already has a feeling and was just making up excuses to let her tell him on her own accord? Or is he just actually not realizing? Great show either way tho.

[u/Emi_Ibarazakiii → u/Rotorscope]

If he KNOWS, somethings off because he asks questions that hint at him not knowing.

He does suspect there's something strange with the Kaiju, but he doesn't seem to fully link it with her (which yeah is a bit silly, but I don't think he's pondering "Is she the kaiju?", at least not at this time).

[u/IXajll → u/Rotorscope]

was just making up excuses to let her tell him on her own accord?

That would at least make more sense than believing a tail, claws and horns that grow out of someone in 1 second is somehow cosplay, but even then why not just tell her "hey I know, big fan btw", what difference does it make to "let her tell him on her own accord"? The latter is just keeping her in her struggles longer than necessary.

[u/Rotorscope → u/IXajll]

My reading of it might be wrong he just might be oblivious, but the benefit of letting her tell him on her own time (or even from a narrative perspective) is that she can learn to love herself outside of his validation.

[u/tripleaamin → u/_Ridley]

Kuroe to me feels a well executed of the girl who thinks she’s ugly because she sees the transformation as a monster.

So her just being accepted in the manner of even of gag is good because while it’s used for comedy it’s still a big deal for kuroe.

While her character is different from Ichikawa from “The Dangers In My Heart” both have clear issues they need to overcome. If there was too much progress early then I think it would be a bit too much too soon to add on.

Kuroe is not a self insert like Yuzu from Ogre’s bride using an example this season.

[u/Ham_PhD → u/_Ridley]

Is this show just a metaphor for puberty

[u/Ocixo → u/Ham_PhD]

Kuroe certainly got a bad case of acne.

[u/_Ridley → u/Ham_PhD]

It's about as subtle about it as Christ the lion in Narnia.

[u/Ham_PhD → u/IXajll]

Well at least your expectations should be set moving forward lol

[u/tripleaamin]

Man, today's Bookworm episode really showcases what I love about the series. The character writing in particular is so outstanding. I just wished the pacing in the adaptation was better because Part 2 and Part 3 both really could have used an extra cour each.

It's quite interesting people mention all the isekai it sadly gets overlooked. Granted, I understand why it happens to it.

[u/Emi_Ibarazakiii → u/tripleaamin]

people mention all the isekai it sadly gets overlooked

Probably for the best if you like it, when people mention Isekai it's usually in a negative way.

[u/mekerpan → u/tripleaamin]

I have learned to just appreciate the anime as a condensed and excerpted audio-visual supplement to the novel series. Even when it is most messed up by pacing, one can appreciate the Japanese voice acting.

[u/tripleaamin → u/mekerpan]

Maybe I’ll finally get to reading the novels. Tho I’ll probably read slime first.

[u/entelechtual]

Goddamn watching Draw This Then Die! and Kaiju Girl back to back is too much for my weak heart.

[u/tripleaamin → u/entelechtual]

Add Neko to Ryuu to give your heart the trifecta.

[u/mekerpan → u/tripleaamin]

Way too many heart-warming shows, right?

[u/tripleaamin → u/mekerpan]

Never too many.

[u/mekerpan → u/tripleaamin]

;-}

[u/Korkez11]

What's the difference between Mangaka's Wonderful Workplace and Draw This Then Die? I see so much praise for latter it makes me want to drop one of my shows to make room for it.

[u/mekerpan → u/Korkez11]

This is a fairly unique set-up, following both an adult lead and a child one -- detailing their respective involvement with manga appreciation and creation, which become deeply inter-connected. It features my favorite VA (Saori Hayami) in a very fine (and individuated) performance as the adult lead -- which would make it a must-watch for me, even if the rest was not as lovely as it also is.

[u/tripleaamin → u/mekerpan]

I think the realistic portrayal and execution of that is really well done. Compared to Eren last season, which had a realistic portrayal that was interesting, the execution was a miss.

[u/mekerpan → u/tripleaamin]

Eren was such a frustrating show. It seemed like it could/should have been so much better executed.

[u/SSjjlex → u/Korkez11]

From what I can tell and remember, Mangaka's Workplace is (as the name suggests) much more industry oriented. Exploring how they manage deadlines, demands, communications, relations, volume releases, etc. and how that affects the characters in the show.

Draw This Then Die I feel follows the more traditional club anime themes of discovering one's love for manga through the creation of manga. There's still the possibility of exploring that business aspect through its second PoV, but even if it does I do think it'll still lean more on the passion end of things than business.

[u/mr_beanoz]

The twist on the first episode for Draw This was quite a surprise, I mean who'd expect that person to be that?

[u/mekerpan → u/mr_beanoz]

Actually, I kinda sorta was not TOO surprised. ;-)

But I WAS delighted.

[u/Wanderingjoke → u/mr_beanoz]

Who?

[u/mr_beanoz → u/Wanderingjoke]

Lmao, that one

[u/TermEnvironmental812 → u/mr_beanoz]

Nah. That's definitely two different people

[u/ActualRound7699]

This season is another banger. Another 31 show follow season. I also finally got hip to Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid and all the wholesome and Yuri goodness.

[u/Psyduckisnotaduck → u/ActualRound7699]

Ugh yeah I don’t have time for all these anime but I just watched the first two episodes of Grow Up Show - Sunflower Circus, and yeah that’s another keeper.

Grow Up Show, Kaiju Girl, Draw This Then Die, The Ghost in the Shell, Smoking Behind the Supermarket, Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games, Though I May Be an Inept Villainess, Sayonara Lara, and Yume Mita are all fantastic. And Polar Opposites 2, MT 3, Clevatess II, and 100GF 2. And I don’t really like it but the production is impeccable on Sparks of Tomorrow so I can see why someone would be hype about it. And I haven’t even started Dying Day or Jaadugar.

[u/mekerpan → u/ActualRound7699]

48 still -- and kind of desperate to shed a few (and not finding enough candidates to drop).

[u/ActualRound7699 → u/mekerpan]

it’s so great that there are so many good shows honestly. When I see stuff like this, it makes me shake my head seeing the posts “theres literally nothing to watch”. Are you sure?!?!

[u/mekerpan → u/ActualRound7699]

At least I am retired -- but even so I find the number of worth-watching shows to be overwhelming.

[u/TermEnvironmental812 → u/ActualRound7699]

31? I only watch 8 titles weekly so far. I took a rest last season by only watch 1 title weekly so I can have enough energy this season (reaching 30 years old make me tired easily)

[u/ActualRound7699 → u/TermEnvironmental812]

I’m 38, so I get it. but yeah, 31! had 31 last season too 😅

[u/cppn02 → u/ActualRound7699]

I'm at 35 (granted three of them are shorts) but I definitely still want to cut that down to atleast somewhere blow 30.

[u/ActualRound7699 → u/cppn02]

I’m really at like 25 brand new shows. there are a handful I am watching that stretched from last season and then also One Piece