MY LETTER TO AKIRA TORIYAMA (1955-2024) – GREATEST AMONG THE GREATEST. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING

Hello my friends. Welcome to another entry on my blog.

Today… I am compelled to do something different. Without a doubt, this is the most difficult blog posts I have ever written in my life, as difficult as the one I wrote when Luis Alfonso Mendoza passed away four years ago.

You know… Gohan’s voice actor on the Latin Spanish dub.

The truth is that I don’t know how to start, I could even write a whole thesis on Akira Toriyama and Dragon Ball, and it wouldn’t be enough. I apologize to all of you for not knowing how to express my words correctly in case I make a mistake. I’ll do my best.

I was on Friday, finishing my work shift, when suddenly, after watching a video on YouTube by one of the Spanish-speaking creators that I follow the most, I read some devastating news in one of his comments…

“Akira Toriyama passed away.”

I thought… NO! NO! NO! The first thing I did was go to Wikipedia, and I saw the tragic truth… Akira Toriyama passed away on March 1st. The truth is that I was paralysed, surprised, and destroyed. I could not believe it. Akira Toriyama had died. There was a hole in my soul… One of the people who had influenced my career as a Blogger and as a writer. A lifetime of watching Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, and despite its infamy… Dragon Ball GT.

From the moment I saw a small photo, in a magazine called CLUB NINTENDO, where I saw Goku and Yamcha in an RPG style game. At first, I didn’t recognize either of them, but then I came across a series called Dragon Ball, although in Colombia they translated it – The Magical Dragon.

When did that happened? I think it was in 1994 or 1995.

The fact is that that would be the beginning of a large number of beautiful memories that I had in my childhood while watching Dragon Ball, from the Pilaf saga, to when Chichi married Goku. (I started by calling him Kuku. LOL) It was incredible, the fights, the characters, the constant choreography of Son Goku when he fought against the Red Ribbon soldiers, especially General Blue, or Tao Pai Pai, or the amazing battle against Piccolo Daimaku… you know… the “father” of the Piccolo we know. At that time, I didn’t think Dragon Ball could not be topped.

And it was not only Goku, but all the other characters, Bulma and her incredible genius, Yamcha and his shyness with which we had very funny moments, the tenderness of Puar, the perverted but endearing personality of Master Roshi, the power and the terrible grandeur shown by Tao Pai Pai, the redemption of Tenshinhan and Chaos. or the Martial Arts Tournament. And other moments… I spent hours watching all those beautiful episodes almost without blinking, something I didn’t think I could do.

And then Dragon Ball Z arrived.

Until then, the only anime I had really watched were Sailor Moon, Mazinger Z, Saint Seiya, Captain Tsubasa. Also, Magic Knight Rayearth and Card Captor Sakura, but these came later.

What I’m getting at with all this is that all the Dragon Ball entries, including Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super, have brought me many spectacular moments, many lights in my childhood and my adolescence, especially in the most difficult moments – I thought about the next chapter of Dragon Ball Z with my friends, and we all had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs.

I still heard in my mind Mind Power … Ki, with the incredible voices of Hironobu Kageyama and Yuka Satou ringing in my ears, especially when I am about to face my day-to-day life.

All of this was since 1999. And when I started writing, I thought about the teacher Akira Toriyama and the effervescent energy with which we watched all the episodes. Master Toriyama helped me awaken my creativity, he was one of the names that helped me get into anime, manga, and Japanese culture, and when I learned about his work on Dragon Quest, as well as Chrono Trigger, I knew that his great legacy went beyond the manga. But what really made me very happy was that, despite entering university and moving out, I always had Dragon Ball with me. I realized this when I returned to Colombia in 2018 after eight years.

One of the first things I did when I came back was watch Dragon Ball Super. And what a surprise I was with the quality of the series! So many things I didn’t think I’d see, so many characters I thought had disappeared, so many new adventures from Goku and Gohan.

And not to mention Vegeta… He has always impressed me, and to say it in these simple words is an understatement; Since his debut with Nappa, his battle against the soldier Zarbon, and his death and subsequent resurrection, Vegeta, along with Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, Trunks, Videl, and the others, is the face of both Dragon Ball and Akira Toriyama. Without a doubt, a great example of what an anti-hero should be when created.

I even wonder if great characters, like Prince Zuko from Avatar, or Shoto Todoroki, from My Hero Academia, were inspired by Vegeta… Who knows.

As I already said, I could spend hours talking about the incredible things I experienced in the company of this simple name… Akira Toriyama. I don’t think my life would have been what it is if it weren’t for him; he opened the doors to a lot of creative possibilities, from a genre that is as powerful as Western fantasy literature, to an art that I really enjoyed and continue to enjoy, and that perhaps I will enjoy beyond the grave.

All thanks to one name… Akira Toriyama. Like him, there will always be few.

But now, one of the things that makes me very happy is that now his name is in history, along with other greats, like Ozamu Tezuka, Shigeru Miyamoto, Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Akira Kurosawa.

My only regret is that I didn’t complete Dragon Ball Super. I disrespected the master by not doing so, and now that he has died, I have to be grateful to him for the impact he has had, not only on me, but on generations before and after.

Let us unite together, so that the sensei’s memory lives forever.

And I want to finish with a couple more sentences. Thanks to Dragon Ball and Akira Toriyama, I will always know how to direct my work thanks to these wonderful characters, thanks to their evolution, and to the events of battle after battle.

I hope to take advantage of all those beautiful lessons, as well as the beauty of Dragon Ball in the coming years; until then…

Thank you, Master Toriyama. You lived like a genius; you died like a legend.

Whatever happens… Thank you.

My book has been released. JOURNEY OF SEA, HEART AND LAND

JOURNEY OF SEA, HEART AND LAND

Romance

Just now, my book has been released.

JOURNEY OF SEA, HEART AND LAND

https://www.xlibris.com/en-au/bookstore/bookdetails/784628-journey-of-sea-heart-and-land

You can take on the link that I just posted up to order my book and have

The story takes place between 2001 and 2002, with a young Colombian boy, called Elias Gómez, who, after to a fortuitous encounter with an old captain, called Ludwig Bineo, friend and colleague of Elias’s legal guardian, Lina Vespucio, gets hired as a crew member of his ship, called El Valhalla, leading to Elias to live an amazing trip, in which he will meet great people, such as Helena, Ludwig’s niece and Leena Mäkipää, a beautiful adventurous girl that works as scuba diver in Helsinki, and learn great things about love, friendship, future, self-reliance, as well as most of the past of Captain Ludwig Bineo, changing his life forever and slowly shaping his dreams and expectations.

My book has been released. JOURNEY OF SEA, HEART AND LAND

Book Details

Language : English

Publication Date : 30/05/2023

Format : Softcover

Dimensions : 6×9

Page Count : 636

ISBN : 9798369491898

Format : Hardcover

Dimensions : 6×9

Page Count : 636

ISBN : 9798369491911

Thank you so much to the amazing people of Xlibris, and thanks to those who have supported me in this long journey of writing my novel. I hope you guys love it, and it is a worthy work of entertainment. That is all what I want, entertain my readers and give them a smile in their amazing faces.

If I can achieve that, then I am happy. Thanks again for everything.

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – THE EMINENCE IN SHADOW – MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS (FIVE YEARS ANNIVERSARY)

The Eminence in Shadow

Genre: Dark Fantasy, Isekai, Mystery

Studio: Nexus

Hello my friends. Welcome to another entry of my blog.

Here is a very special occasion, because it is the fifth anniversary of my blog.

(picture of the occasion)

And I want to thank all of you my fans and my readers, because it is you who actually motivate me to continue with this work that I am doing. It is you who made possible for my blog to stay alive. I do not have enough words of thanks to all of you, but to every single person that reads me has a special place in my heart.

Also, I want to apologize with you for not posting anything in my blog for almost a month. As you know, Work has taken a lot of my time, and I recently finished a course of Transcendental Meditation, which has improved my life, I definitely recommend it to all of you. But, shortly after finishing the course, my body started feeling very heavy. I never thought my arms and legs would be so at me for not giving them enough rest.

Anyway. After so many weeks, I was able to prepare a new anime that I watched some days ago… started to watch some time ago.

And that is…

The Eminence in Shadow.

But before I start with my words, I must ask you the typical question:

Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy.

So… Now is it time to leave the shadows and seek the light. This is The Eminence in Shadow.

PREMISE

The Eminence in Shadow, or Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute! (陰の実力者になりたくて!) is based on the series of light novels written by Daisuke Aizawa and illustrated by Tozai. The Eminence in Shadow tells the story of a young man in Japan who is very obsessed of exerting the power under the shadows, which technically means to defeat villains, manipulate the events of daily lives, and leave an everlasting impression to the people without revealing his identity and always operating under the curtains, and that is why he trained in martial arts, in many disciplines, and science. But one day, on one of his secret trainings, he gets hit by a truck and dies. And as a normal isekai, he gets reincarnated in another world, as Cid Kagenou, the son of a noble family. In this new world, he becomes a master in dark magic and secrecy, founding an organization called Shadow Garden, which he uses to fight the evil Cult of Diabolos that controls the world.

Except for one detail – everything is a lie. There is no Cult of Diabolos. Cid is merely role-playing and having chuunibyou tendencies. In fact, in both his former life and new life, is to become an NPC character that is mostly mediocre and underwhelming. Nonetheless, turns out that Diabolos actually exists. Now, Cid is hooked in a secret war under his alias Shadow and his constant “role-play”.

The Eminence in Shadow started publication on November 5, 2017, and as of February 28, 2023, it has five volumes, under Kadokawa Shoten for Japan, and Yen Press for English. Also, recently Studio Nexus released a 20-episode anime, which broadcasted between October 5, 2022, and February 15, 2023, with a second season recently announced.

Finally, The Eminence in Shadow features a very ensemble cast, including Seiichiro Yamashita, Kana Hanazawa, and Rina Hidaka.

STORY

Before I start with my opinions regarding the story, I must clarify that I watched the famous Gigguk video analysing The Eminence in Shadow. Here is the link because I find the video pretty worthy.

But seriously, I will suggest all of you to be ready to a very unpopular opinion of my own. First and foremost, I want to talk about the good elements. First one is the animation. Personally, I loved the animation and the colour scheme, which really brings the tone of what The Eminence in Shadow tries to be, a mixture between dark fantasy, mystery, isekai and school life, at least from the first episodes. Of course, the animation of Chainsaw Man and Blue Lock! is way superior, but I will say it is pretty well done.

Furthermore, the backstory of our main character is… pretty decent, and how he founded Shadow Garden is well-written, although sometimes can be a bit slow. Finally, the character design is also enjoyable, especially in the members of Shadow Garden. Those are the elements that I mostly enjoyed from The Eminence in Shadow.

Now it is time to the “bad stuff.”

Just like I enjoyed the backstory of both Cid Kagenou and Shadow Garden, I also found the conflict and setting of the Cult of Diabolos pretty laughable, impossible to take it seriously, because Cid Kagenou made that up, and then turns out that Diabolos exists, with every element that Cid Kagenou mentioned about it, without even having any previous, clear evidence of his words. And I thought:

Really? Now Cid is saying the truth like that out of nowhere?

I found it pretty convenient and rushed. Like there is goddess…

…listened to his words and wanted to shaped reality according to his delusions.

Also… Was that “lie” even necessary? Why he just finds out about Diabolos later on and say something else? Furthermore… Why doesn’t Cid just say he wants to be a vigilante? Or just fight for the thrill of adventure? Something like that.

I don’t know. For me, that was weak.

Another problem that I got is that from one episode to another is that Shadow Garden disappears from Cid. And yes, I know they eventually get back to him, but I wish I could see more about their fight, or shall I say “game”. Or more depth on the relationship between Seven Shades and their master, so I will not feel that Cid was being a jerk. But that sudden departure of Shadow Garden left me unfulfilled, like something was missing. And I think it was the delusions of Cid. I felt that he was being immature and childish, and from there, I found almost impossible to take the story seriously.

Finally, the transition between the plot of “Shadow” and Cid assisting to academy made me feel like I suddenly was watching another anime. Out of nowhere. And that jeopardised my experience with The Eminence in Shadow.

I know it is hard to explain, but that was my impression.  And believe me, I still have a lot to say about Cid Kagenou, or “Shadow”.

Bizarrely enough, I also enjoyed the nature of the story as well. As if I said to myself.

If Cid Kagenou does not seem to take myself seriously. Why should I?

What I am trying to say is that the corniness that The Eminence in Shadow, far from forcing me to leave this anime, it encouraged me to stay, like some kind of guilty pleasure.

Anyway. The Eminence in Shadow does not have the best story, but at least is pretty fun.

CHARACTERS

 Now. I have the same issue with the characters. Because the members of Shadow Garden, especially the seven shadows, are pretty interesting, having definite personalities, powers and backstory. Not the best, but memorable enough.

I think my favourites are Alpha, for her beauty and power; Beta, for her charm and design, Delta because… Animal ears and strength, and Epsilon because of how badass she is. Also, Alexia and her sister are very good characters, but I prefer the latter because of her personality. I am not saying I hate Alexia, but she is not just my type.

And finally… we got Cid.

Despite being the MC, it is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to take him seriously, because he lives in another world, but doesn’t have the charisma of Megumin. His delusions and obsession to be in the secrecy is what make me get tired of him.

Also… The way he dies… (Don’t think is a spoilers, because it was for sure something like that happened to him)… is so stupid!! He gets obsessed with power, more than Palpatine.

And then he LITERALLY throws himself to a truck. Seriously. This guy makes Kazuma’s death as heroic.

CONCLUSION

Overall, The Eminence in Shadow is a must-see if you are a fan of isekai. Nonetheless, I will be a bit concerned if you are a die-hard fan of Re:Zero, The Rising of the Shield Hero, Youjo Senki and Overlord, because sometimes you will feel like The Eminence in Shadow is a parody, and not a good one, so you might not like it.

But that’s only my opinion.

And again… thank you so much guys for these wonderful five years. I hope I can stay with you for another five years.

Keep the spirit of Anime alive… See you soon!

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – ISEKAI OJISAN – MY OWN IMPRESSIONS

Isekai Ojisan (Uncle from Another World)

Studio: Atelier Pontdarc

Genre: Fantasy, isekai

Hello my friends, Welcome to another entry of my blog.

First and foremost, I just want to apologise for being absent over a month, it has been a very crazy month of August, especially because I decided to take a short break from all my activities to calm myself a little bit, and then come back with more strength and ever. And I want to let you know that I have been preparing a lot of reviews, they will come soon.

But fro now, I want to let you know about some series that I was checking last week, and I found extremely hilarious. In case I was thinking that perhaps the isekai is getting boring (which I haven’t by the way), I just met with this series.

Now, let me introduce you.

Isekai Ojisan (Uncle from Another World)

But before I continue with my review, I want to ask you the typical question:

Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy.

And… now let’;s go with my Uncle from Another World (Not mine)

PREMISE

Based on the manga written and illustrated by Hotondoshindeiru, Isekai Ojisan, or Uncle from Another World (異世界おじさん), tells us the story of Yosuke Shibazaki, voiced by Takehiro Koyasu, simply referred as Uncle for most of the episodes, who, in 2000, was hit by a truck and put in a coma.

Oh yeah!!! The old reliable Truck-Kun!!!

Now, he awakes from his coma, seventeen years later, and it is precisely his own nephew, Takafumi Takaoka, voiced by Jun Fukuyama, who pays him a visit on the hospital; during his visit, Uncle (Yeah, I will call him like that) reveals to Takafumi that he was trapped in another world, where we learnt all types of magic. At first, Takafumi does not believe him, but when Uncle creates Wind and Fire from some spells, Takafumi convinces him to use his tricks to become an Internet celebrity. Shortly afterwards, Takafumi takes Yoshioka (On second thought, I will call him by his name), to his apartment, where both live together and Yoshioka shares with his nephew his memories from another world, with extremely hilarious results, because many girls were in love with Yoshioka, including a tsundere elf, a novice priestess, and a reclusive ice magician.

Oh, and Yoshioka is a fan of…

Haven’t seen so much presence of SEGA® since Ben-To.

As a manga, Isekai Ojisan has been published by Kadokawa Shoten, since June, 2018, for a total of eight volumes. Furthermore, the anime started broadcasting on July 6, 2022, for a total of seven episodes as of September 12. However, the anime recently suffered a setback – it suspended the broadcast due to an apparent COVID outbreak at Atelier Pontdarc, the studio in charge.

Here is the link for the article:

https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/09/02/uncle-from-another-world-anime-episode-8-release-sadly-delayed-indefinitely/

But the good news is that it recently confirmed that will continue the episodes on Novbember, so that comes as a relief.

Uncle From Another World Episode 8 To Air on November 25; Broadcast To Restart This October

Uncle from Another World is available in Netflix.

I must confess that I thought that Isekai Ojisan was a series of light novels, before realising that it was a manga. I do not know why I thought that, perhaps it is because I am used to think that all the isekai come in the format of light novels. But when I realised of my mistake, I thought…

«No wonder».

Sorry for the lackluster respond, but that is how it literally happened to me. And regarding the studio in charge, Atelier Pontdarc, this is the first time I heard of it in my life.

Anyway, Isekai Ojisan has a lot of voice talents, including Haruka Tomatsu, Mikako Tomatsu, Aoi Yuki and Aki Toyosaki.

STORY

Ok. I think I will start with the very element that called my attention about Isekai Ojisan, and that is its art. For the time I was watching the episodes, I couldn’t help but start to myself. What kind of art is this? It does look a bit rough and opaque, but I weirdly looks very appropriate, for a story about a guy who stayed in coma for seventeen years, and despite having his magic intact, he has to live with his nephew. In a sense, it is a really weird combination of art for an anime that mixes comedy and fantasy.

In that sense, that was good.

Furthermore, the animation is very fluid and solid for the most part, especially in the parts that Yoshioka summons the memories of his time in that other world. However, I feel really bad for him, because he only wanted to live a life, or accomplish his dream – living in a game… Possibly the closest he could get to a SEGA® game, however the people always confused him with an orc, and began to chase him. Nonetheless, I have to be honest when I say that the comedy really frustrated me, for two simple reasons – The first one is that it felt really repetitive, especially when Yoshioka talked about his love interests. It went to something like this.

1. Yoshioka meets a girl.
2. Takafumi gets excited, for thinking that his uncle… scored.
3. Yoshioka walks away
4. Takafumi gets disappointed.

For the most part, it felt like this. At the beginning it was funny, but then it went flat, for me at least. Nevertheless, there is a mixture of awkwardness and sweetness every time Yoshioka references SEGA, because despite being made for comedic purposes, we notice that he truly loved the brand, and his expressions are true evidence of that.

Sorry… SEGA was never my cup of tea.

Also… I truly ended hating most of the inhabitants of the other world, because I thought…

«How could you confuse a person like that with an orc? You have to be incredibly stupid for that.»

I apologise. I do not tend to be this harsh, but the story forced me to be. If it wasn’t because the appearance of the tsundere elf, I would be full of cringe. And if that was the intention of the author, good for him. As a matter of fact, I would not be surprised of the author intended for us to hate the villagers of the other world.

I have to watch more episodes anyway, so I am still looking forward to how the story unfolds.

But, on the other hand, Isekai Ojisan takes its time to develop the relationship between Yoshioka and Takafumi, which I enjoyed a lot. These two have a bond that feels awkward, but heartwarming at times, and that is one of the best moments of Isekai Ojisan.

But, on episode three, there is a moment that really disappointed me, to the point that I considered it a wasted opportunity. Literally this was my face when I saw that.

Moreover, while some elements of the comedy were repetitive, others were extremely funny, like the references to Neon Genesis Evangelion and Asuka. Isekai Ojisan reminds you that the term tsundere became truly popular in the early 2000s, having this lovely lady as one of the best examples…

And it was hilarious because I felt exactly the same way that Yoshioka… Literally I thought…

«How was I supposed to know that Asuka was in love with Shinji?» Uh-Oh! I hope I didn’t reveal any spoilers.

In other words, despite enjoying the first three episodes of Isekai Ojisan, I felt that some elements are wasted, and I hope that the next episodes will bring some improvement regarding the comedy and the chemistry with the characters.

CHARACTERS

On the other hand, I ended enjoying the characters. If I feel that the comedy was kind of weak and wasted opportunities, I feel that the characters were likeable. I recognised that Yoshioka is an awkward, yet hilarious character, especially when he smiles.

And his chemistry between Yoshioka and Takafumi is hilarious. Also, the latter is pretty nice character, because it is the only one who takes his uncle when no one did. My only problem is that I believe he might need more development. I am sure we will see more in the next episodes.

Also… I want to see more of Sumika, and her relationship between Takafumi. These two, in my opinion, has the best potential to advance their friendship more, thanks to Yoshioka. I think that might happen.

However, at this point, I am more interested in what will happen with the human characters, including Yoshioka, rather than the isekai characters. I do not know guys, but I believe that I have an idea of what is going to happened between Yoshioka and his «isekai harem», so I have more expectations on Takafumi, Yoshioka and Sumika. I am not saying that the elf, Mabel, and the priestess are bad characters, but… I feel that the beginning of the story spoiled me a bit of the ending. I hope I am wrong, so I will watch more episodes later.

CONCLUSION

I admit that I got mixed feelings toward Isekai Ojisan, because it has good concepts and a hilarious premise, but I can’t stop wondering if the studio, or the author, were aware of the many possibilities for the insane plot of this story. Only time will tell. And again, these are simple my first impression, but it does not mean that the story will be bad. It is an impression for you, my beloved readers, and for me to continue watching the series and give it a chance.

Time will tell.

And me… I will tell where was I… Exploring this beautiful land, called Australia.

More specifically…. Mordialloc Beach. You can check my pictures.

I will put more picture soon. But now… Time for another adventure. Right Truck-kun?

See you soon.

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – SWORD ART ONLINE ALTERNATIVE – GUN GALE ONLINE – MY OWN IMPRESSIONS

Sword Art Online Alternative – Gun Gale online

Genre: Sci-fi, action, adventure

Studio: 3Hz

Hello my friends, welcome to another blog entry.

It is time to go back a bit in time, to the year of 2018; on that day, I saw one series that I enjoyed a lot, and that I wanted to talk about since that time. And to be honest, it is definitely one of the best entries of Sword Art Online I have ever seen, until the arrival of Alicization, to the point that I still affectedly remember it today.

Okay. I am talking about more like a nostalgic. I simply don’t know how to describe this frenzied feeling, but I will do my best in this entry.

With that said…

But before I continue with my entry, I must ask you the typical questions:

Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy.

Now, let’s proceed with arming ourselves to one hell of a ride, with some hot bodysuit beauty. Right Pitohui?

This is Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online.

PREMISE

First and foremost, I must clarify that Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online is a spin-off of SAO, along with Sword Art Online Alternative: Clover’s Regret, which does not have an anime, but if I can read the light novels, I will do it with all joy as well.

Furthermore, the author of Alternative Gun Gale Online is not Reki Kawahara; instead, this story is written by Keiichi Sigsawa, and illustrated by Kouhaku Kuroboshi, pair that was behind one of the best anime based on a light novel ever created – Kino’s Journey: The Beautiful World.

Alternative Gun Gale Online takes place after the events of Fairy Dance Arc, where the VRMMORPGs come back into existence thanks to the Seed that Akihiko Kayaba gave to Kirito. We follow an university student, called Karen Kohiruimaki, from Obihiro, Hokkaido, who has always suffer a complex due to her height, and in order to face that problem, she is introduced to Gun Gale Online, where she creates a cute avatar, called Llenn, and little by little, becomes an expert marksman and a popular player. Shortly afterwards, Llenn enters a tournament, called Squad Jam, in which many squadrons fight for a price in a Battle Royale style. In the tournament, she meets a lot of friends who fight and become stronger.

Sword Art Online Alternative GGO was animated by Studio 3Hz, the same company behind Princess Principal, anime that I reviewed a year ago, and Flip Flappers, one of the most «interesting» magical girl anime I have ever seen.

Also, Sword Art Online Alternative GGO was released in 12 episodes, from April 8 to June 30, 2018, under the direction fo Masayuki Sayoi (Overly Cautious Hero, Noragami), and the music is composed by Starving Trancer. And as of November 22, 2021, Sigsawa and Kuroboshi have released 11 volumes, from 2014, always under the supervision of Kawahara himself.

Finally, the opening them – Ryusei, is performed by none other that Eir Aoi, who, as many fans would know, performed many of the best openings from Sword Art Online: Alicization.

STORY

Let’s just put it like this. In the very first episode, we got our main characters, Llenn and her partner M, in the middle of Squad Jam, who take their time to carefully analyse the enemy, their weapons and numbers, at the same time, the episode slowly establishes the setting, the conflict, what Llenn and M are thinking. In other words, Sword Art Online Alternative allows us to fully understand everything, and to put our characters in what clearly is a disadvantage, being absolutely out numbered and ill-equipped.

That is the first half.

And then, the second half gives a very awesome glimpse of Llenn, with her short height allowing her to be fast; having a clear expertise on her adorable pink FN P90.

And while Llenn attacks directly, M is the sniper, waiting coldly to the moment of shooting, ultimately both win the match. Meanwhile, Karen, in the real world, is praised and lauded.

Finally, episode 2 introduces us to Karen in the real world, how bad she feel about the height, her failed attempts to get into Alfheim Online and other VRMMORPGs, until she finds herself comfortable inside Gun Gale Online, creating her pink avatar, training hard, learning to handle the controls, improving, and showing the results of her training, befriending my favourite GGO character, even more than Sinon.

Ladies and gentlemen… PITOHUI

Believe me, the pacing and the rhythm of the first two episodes of Alternative Gun Gale Online are simply gorgeous, because we get familiar with everything, and somehow, we feel submerged, especially with the characters and the story. Also, the action scenes are simply spectacular. I admit, it, the animation is not as polished as in Sword Art Online: Alicization, or with 86: Eighty Six.

However, Studio 3Hz created some amazing worlds with the notorious contrasts between light and shadows, for both the real world and the virtual reality.

Moreover, I remember that some of the complains of the people who watched Sword Art Online was that Kirito was not well-written, that all the time he is a Gary Stu, and… I cannot say I disagree. In fact, that is one of the reasons of why I don’t like Fairy Dance Arc, but that will be for another moment.

With Karen that is not the case, she is surprisingly well-constructed, simple, but sharp enough, equal to Kino from Kino’s Journey. And I immediately noticed that Keiichi Sigsawa tends to develop his female protagonists in a more believable way, both mentally and physically, something that I indeed value a lot.

And after the first two episodes, you want to see more, because the other elements, the music, the animation, the characters, and the story goes in such a natural way, and in a pretty balanced, defined style, that you do not get bored. You get hooked with the story because of how it is presented as an anime, and then, when the action scenes come, you feel like hypnotised. Some are not that long, but they are exciting enough.

At this point, I won’t be surprised if many consider Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online their favourite entry of the franchise.

But what about the…

CHARACTERS

One thing is for sure – Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online has better characters than some of the story arc of the original story before Alicization.

Like I said, we got Llenn, M and Pitohui, who are absolutely badass and human in their own unique way, and don’t worry, because throughout the twelve episodes, we know more about all of them, and we grow to love them even more. They are awesome, yet flawed; they win, yet they also make mistakes, and they are forces to be reckon with, yet relatable enough.

Something I wish I could say about… THIS MESS.

Let’s admit it – Fairy Dance Arc is sh&t!

But they are not the only ones, we got Miyu Shinohara, a.k.a. Fukaziroh, Karen’s best friend, and the one who introduce the latter into the VRMMORPGs. And then, we got SHINC, a.k.a. Shintaisou Club, or the rhythmic gymnastics club.

Cute…

but deadly.

And during their episodes, we see that they have very good motivations. It is done by exposition, I tell you, but before that, you see them as a perfect squadron, and you get to understand SHINC better by the time you know their backgrounds.

Great characters indeed.

CONCLUSION

Without a doubt, Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online is one of the best entries of the SAO franchise, creating good characters, badass action scenes, and hilarious moments in some time, and I think it offers some quality that the other Sword Art Online stories previous to Alicization lacked, so I would be surprised if many fans consider this series the best of SAO. Personally, Alicization has better story and a bigger lore, but the anime of SAO that I enjoyed more, as a whole, is this one.

Trust me, go binge it through Crunchyroll. You will have a sweet, amazing surprise. ARRIBA GUN GALE ONLINE.

And now, since you can’t have enough of sweet, sexy Pitohui, here is come…

I mean, for you Pitohui, I will become full-fledged masochist.

JAINITUOS MANGA/LIGHT NOVEL REVIEWS – I AM IN LOVE WITH THE VILLAINESS – MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I am in Love with the Villainess

Genre: Yuri, Isekai, Romantic Comedy

Publisher: GL Bunko

Hello my friends. Welcome to another entry of my blog.

I am taking again this opportunity to write about a small project that really called my attention months ago, and that… after so long reviewing anime, it brings me a new challenge because, just like Hamefura, has an interesting viewpoint regarding the Isekai genre. (I was about to use the word Subvert, but after some bad experience with a… red-haired, arrogant woman from some Netflix I meet in July… You get it.)

Having said that, here it is…

I’m in love with the villainess

But before I start, I need to ask you the two most important questions:

Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?

If the answer is yes, then I am very happy. Now, let’s go with Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijou.

PREMISE

On this occasion, I am going to focus in both the light novel and the manga, because as of September 23rd, 2021, there is no plan for an anime adaptation. And I will do my best to bring you a solid entry of this story.

I’m in Love With the Villainess, or Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijou (私の推しは悪役令嬢) is a series of five Japanese light novels from the isekai genre, written by Inori and illustrated by Hanagata (Remember that light novelists tend to use pseudonyms for the sake of privacy). Rei Oohashi, a typical Japanese worker, dies from overwork, and then she resurrects as Rae Taylor, the main heroine of her favourite visual novel, Revolution. She can become the fiancee of any of the three main heroes. But Rae has no interest in boys, she is a lesbian, which is why she got in love with Claire François, the game’s main antagonist. And she will do anything for fall in love with her.

And yes, I know what are you thinking.

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Akuyakureijou (That’s the name I gave this story) has borrowed elements from both Slime 300, and Hamefura, but saying that it is a copy of both stories would be outrageous, and incorrect.

Inori started publishing Akuyakureijou on the site Shosetsuka ni Naro on January 14, 2018, releasing its final volume on August 26, 2021. Like I said, there is no announcement of any potential anime adaptation of this story, although I will absolutely welcome it. I really enjoyed Bakarina and her adorable adventures, and now it is the turn of Bakae (Sorry for the terrible pun).

However, I want to share with you some beautiful official art pictures of Akuyakureijou. Courtesy of Hanagata.

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At the same time, I want to share this beautiful fan animation of Rae and Claire, the artist’s name is Plang.

Hopefully this won’t be the animated short of Akuyakureijou.

And before I forget, the artist of Akuyakureijou is called Anoshimo.

STORY

Art by Hanagata

At this point, there is not too much I can say about the story, but I already got some of the experience from watching many episodes from Hamefura, so I know what to expect: a typical, reincarnated Japanese worker – Rae Taylor (or corporate slave in the words of Azusa Aizawa), who awakens in a completely different world from her typical Japan, and she discovers that she reincarnated inside Revolution, earning a new opportunity in a new world – Blume Kingdom, and attending the most prestigious school of magic – Royal Academy. Once she realises of what happened to her, Rae meets the spoiled, rich antagonist who will act as a bully for a main protagonist – Claire François. But trying to earn her love is not her only challenge, she must also avoid the group of potential love interests – Rod, Thane and Tud Bauer, the princes of the Blume Kingdom royal family.

So far, I have read the first two chapters, and I am really liking this story; it has very nice characters, especially Rae and her best friend, Misha, who is trying to make sure Rae does not get bullied by Claire, in a fashion of the well-known best friend in the story. And I have to say that some of the art of the manga is pretty neat.

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Honestly, this is the type of art you would expect in a romantic comedy. With big eyes, cute facial expressions, beautiful school uniforms, and some standard humour. Rae is hopelessly in love with Claire, and of course Claire hates Rae, but the latter will tolerate all the abuse if she can win her heart. And throughout the story, especially the light novel, we see glimpses of Rae’s sexuality from the beginning. I mean… even before she got reincarnated. And finally, she got all the optimism about her feelings, stopping at nothing to hear her love.

Meanwhile, Claire is the typical tsundere who is willing to treat Rae like garbage, just to prove her status. Yet, she gets easily frustrated about the «resistance» of Rae, so she is willing to be nastier with her.

And again, Rae doesn’t concede and becomes Claire’s maid. A true force to be reckoned with.

If any studio animates Akuyakureijou, it will probably be pretty similar to Hamefura.

That aside, I find pretty interesting of how the story of Inori takes the same concept of being reincarnated into you favourite visual novel, and keep it unique. I think the reason of that is that Akuyakureijou answered the question:

«What can I do that Hamefura hasn’t?»

And from there, Inori started writing her story.

One element that does not fully convinced me is that the story jumped directly in the present of the story. No time to develop Rae from her childhood, no explanation of how Rei died, and how she got enrolled in the Royal Academy, unlike Hamefura. And yes, later the story develops her more, as well as Claire, but I wish that the manga took some pages to introduce her as the protagonist of Revolution.

But that’s only my own opinion.

Overall, Akuyakureijou has a nice story, and if you are a fan of yuri genre, I deeply recommend it.

CHARACTERS

Honestly I think I already said what I needed to say about the characters. Rae is a really wonderful protagonist, hopelessly in love with the main antagonist, who is trying to follow her heart. And that is why…

«We care about both her heart and whom her heart desires.»

Claire is a loveable character as well. Our sweet tsundere.

I cannot say a lot the rest of the characters, hopefully I will get there eventually, but something tells me that I will enjoy learning about them too.

CONCLUSION

I am In love with the Villainess, (a.k.a. Akuyakureijou) is an excellent must-see for those fans of yuri genre and light novels. I can’t recommend it. And even if you are not a yuri fan, Akuyakureijou is still nice.

So get a copy of Akuyakureijou, either manga or light novel, and read Akuyakureijou, because I love Akuyakureijou. In fact, I should make a Akuyakureijou petition at Change.org to finance a Akuyakureijou anime. I just can’t live without Akuyakureijou. Now… Akuyakoureijou is my life, and soon it will be yours. Join me to the campaign of Akuyakureijou, and let’s make the Akuyakureijou possible…

WOULD YOU SHUT UP ABOUT THAT HORRIBLE NAME?!!!

«Oh. Hi Henrietta!! How are you?»

I TOLD YOU TO START WRITING 86:EIGHTY-SIX FIRST IMPRESSIONS!

«Sorry. Very Busy, But I will do it… eventually. Ok?»

I THINK WE WILL KILL YOU!!

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – After the Rain – My Own Impressions

After the Rain (a.k.a. Love is like After the Rain)

Genre: Slice-of-Life, Romance, Drama

Studio: Wit Studio

Hello my friends. Welcome to another entry.

I do not know if I mention this before. If not, I will say it again. Slice-of-Life anime is one of my favourite genres, because it gives the opportunity to explore a bit of ourselves and the society in which we live in, not just Japan (i.e. Sing «Yesterday» for Me, Hyouka, Uzaki-Chan, and the rest of Kyoto Animation masterpieces). And in many ways, it can gives us a bit of calmness for we find something to guide in case we suffer from something like Social Anxiety.

And recently, I started watching a little series that makes me think about love and dreams. Of course, there was controversy about the plot, but we will get to there later. And I am sure that many will agree with me on this.

Having said that, let me introduce you:

After the Rain.

But before we start, I must ask you the Question:

Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy? Protecting yourselves?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy. Now, let’s go with Koi wa Ameagari no Yō ni.

PREMISE

Love is Like After the Rain (Or After The Rain like many media names it now), is based on the same manga written by Jun Mayuzuki and published by Shogakukan, it tells the story of the seventeen-years-old student, Akira Tachibana, who also works as a waitress in a restaurant, part-time of course. There, she fells in love with her site manager, Masami Kondo, who is a divorcee and has a son called Yuto. Now, she is trying to find out some sense toward her feelings, as Kondo invited her to a coffee, unveiling a story about our feelings and what could possible be the true meaning of love.

Before the events of the story, Tachibana was a member of the track and field team, but a leg injury forced her to quit, making her more introverted. But… is perhaps her infatuation toward Kondo a path for her to find a way to believe in herself and the future?

Sorry. That was my own assumption.

Anyway, After The Rain starts publishing in June 27, 2014, and recently ended in 2018, having a total of ten volumes. Furthermore, the original anime consists in 12 episodes, released between January and March, 2018. There is also a live-action film, released in Toho in May, 25, 2018, and the whole series is available on Amazon Prime Video.

STORY

Now, before I continue with the story, I must revealed that I already read on the Internet all those pointless, ridiculous comments, accusing After The Rain of promoting pedophilia, that the author is a perverted, and that the protagonist Masami is disgusting. That kind of crap! And… At first glance, I was surprised that an anime had a story of a middle aged man having a friendship with a high-schooler.

But on the other hand, I must ask you all:

How many of us has fallen in love with a person older than us?

And keep in mind that just because I say «fallen in love» does not necessarily mean you guys ended up… you know! But we go in an inner journey to understand why do we have these feelings? How come? Or better yet.

The Simpsons’s New Kid on the block deals with Bart falling in love with Laura, a teenager

Furthermore, one character falling in love with another, and then confessing, does not lead to a relationship, whether is platonic or sexual, but too many possibilities that help the characters to mature, to both of them. For instance…

Ikuno and Ichigo (Darling in the FRANXX – Episode 18)

Well. I am going off the track. My point is that, for what I have seen so far, is that this is the main story of After The Rain. The full title says it – some of us feel the rain as hopelessness, that life is not worth it. But then, we find the solution and some hope on the least possible outcome, and that leads us to have experiences that teaches us to handle life better. In this case, Akira is a girl who is going to that process, to understand how love works, how we have to deal with those feelings, and regarding Masami… I would say that he is the same, trying to be strong, and learning new things of life through his time with Tachibana, and getting better.

I have seen just 2 episodes, so this is only another assumption.

But this is exactly why I love slice-of-life anime and manga. And After the Rain manages to be relatable, and kind of nostalgic in many ways; and because of the story, I got to say that I have a lot of excitement of knowing more about these characters. Furthermore, After the Rain has a narrative style that takes its time in character development and backstory, helping us to understand our protagonists better.

Finally, the animation is really beautiful, but has better colour palettes than Sing «Yesterday» For Me. And that makes it for a nice slice-of-life story about love. Not a romantic one, I will not call it like that, I will simply say that it has a good start about helping us to learn about what we feel for another person.

CHARACTERS

Both Akira and Masami are very sympathetic characters. While Akira has this cool, aloof expression that makes her very stoic about her world, Masami is a generous and reliable man, who is always trying to do the right thing fir his family and his employees, including Akira. And throughout the series, we will see that both are more complex that we could imagine

One thing that got my attention is that Masami looks like a relative from Kogoro Mori, from Detective Conan.

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Honestly, I cannot stop thinking that they are relatives.

On the other hand, every time I see Akira and the rest of the characters, they remind me of Clamp, who draw very tall characters, both male and female, incredibly attractive, and with beautiful face expressions.

Yeah. And I still need to see the rest of the series.

If that is the things we are about to see, then After the Rain is a winner is my book.

CONCLUSION

And there you go!

I really enjoyed watching After The Rain, because I feel that it is a more original, and perhaps profound story that I could ever expect, and hopefully, you will enjoy the other episodes as much as I did. Just give it a go… And remember, it is not that… crime against humanity called…

UKOB ON OCIP (Or There are really Fates worse than Death)

And more importantly. After The Rain reminded of the importance of self-love. If you want to love others, always remember to love yourself.

And now… Despite Valentine’s Day is over. I will Rent-A-Girlfriend, and I decided to rent… MAMI.

Why does Hori-San keep saying that?

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Horimiya – First Impressions

Hori-san to Miyamura-san (Horimiya)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Studio: Cloverworks

Hello my friends. Welcome to another entry of My First Impressions.

I am wondering how to begin this entry. I guess that the best way is to start defining the genre – Romantic Comedy, in other words, a sub-genre in fiction that combines slice-of-life and comedy, in which true love is able to overcome some nasty obstacles, and that has a very light-hearted tone and humorous situations.

Ok. This is not done by me, this definition comes from Wikipedia, with me changing some words.

I am saying this because, for me, one of the best media that has the best stories of romantic comedy… is anime. And here, this story is no exception.

My friends, let me introduce you:

Also, I apologise for not writing in my blog for so many weeks. There have happened so many things in my life, including many visits to the doctor and to the physiotherapist. Nothing to worry about, but this is why I insist in keeping us safe.

And now… on to Horimiya.

PREMISE

Based on the manga written by Hero and illustrated by Daisuke Hagiwara, Horimiya (a.k.a. Hori-san to Miyamura-san) tells the story of Kyouko Hori, the most popular girl in Katagiri Senior High School, and the typical otaku introvert, Izumi Miyamura, whose personalities couldn’t be more opposite.

Or at least, in front of the whole high school.

In reality, Hori acts like a housewife, taking care of the house and of her little brother, Sota, and does everything to keep it as a secret. Then, one day, when Sota gets hurt and picked up by a rock-loving looking person, filled with tattoos and piercings… Turns out to be Miyamura. Hori and Miyamura agreed to keep their real personalities a secret to the others, starting a great friendship that then evolves into love.

As I mentioned before, Horimiya is animated by Cloverworks (The Promised Neverland, Darling in the Franxx), but what is interesting is that, in 2012, Studio Gonzo, Marone and Hoods Entertainment, released four Ovas from Horimiya that… well. Just look.

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They are more adapted from the start of the webtoon itself.

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Just a small trivia, but it was worth mention it.

Naturally Horimiya is based on the artbook done by Daisuke Hagiwara (Well, Duh). Anyway, apparently Horimiya will comprise 12 episodes, being released in January 2021, nonetheless I want to recommend the OVAS, which are very good.

One more trivia, Hori-san is voiced in Japanese by the always charming Haruka Tomatsu, who also voiced…

Zero Two (This picture with Hiro is just beautiful)

But I have a question. How is the…

STORY

I must be honest with you. It’s been quite a long time since I have so much fun with a romantic comedy, and when I say a long time, I mean a couple of months. Because Rent-A-Girlfriend and Fruits Basket are still two of the best romantic comedies of 2020.

And now… we have a charming start, just like with Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!!!

Hori-san and Miyamura-san have a very cute chemistry, watching them together is really satisfying. And the story takes its proper time to develop, I mean, not too slow or too fast, simply focusing the necessary time to develop their relationship, while they keep their true personalities from the rest of the school. Yes. I am well aware that talking about the story of Horimiya up to this point would be ludicrous, but the five episodes released as of February 9 offer the proper amount of fun. We see very common plots making the proper impact in both Hori and Miyamura, such as Hori-san wanting to know Miyamura’s first name without him finding out, or the childhood between Hori-san and the student council president, Sengoku (I will talk about that later).

Furthermore, up to this point, the animation is beautiful, so fluid, vivid and realistic that you can stop watching it, especially when you get the expression of the characters.

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Finally, I am familiar with the composer Masaru Yokoyama (Fate/Apocrypha, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans), but I haven’t really took the time to listen to his compositions for Horimiya. But definitely I will do it later.

Promised.

CHARACTERS

Once again, both Hori-san and Miyamura-san are very well-defined and likeable characters, and their chemistry is simply beautiful. But those are not the only sweet characters, we got Sota, Hori-san’s little brother, Toru Ishikawa, Miyamura-san’s best friend in love with Hori-san; Yuki, Hori-san’s best friend (the blonde girl); Kakeru Sengoku, the student council president and childhood friend of Hori-san (who simply share some of the most hilarious moments of episode 2).

Also I want to bring special mention to Remi Ayasaki.

I think she is definitely second most beautiful female character of the series, surpassed only by Hori-san.

Aw! Cheer up Remi. You are still kawaii

And all of these characters share their respective amount of time, going with both Hori-san and Miyamura-san, bringing really wonderful, hilarious moments throughout the series. In the end, you will end up loving them all. Especially you Remi.

One last trivia… useless, but I am sharing it. Every time I see Hori-san, I immediately think in one of the most beautiful characters of Idolmaster: Cinderella Girls. One of my top idols – Minami Nitta.

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I just can’t stop comparing them. Both are wonderful.

CONCLUSION

Horimiya gives 2021 a good start for anime. It has everything, good animation, wonderful characters, and a decent story you can always repeat. And with all the wonderful titles that are about to come, I am absolutely looking forward to binge the sweet, crazy adventures of these two.

And I strongly recommend to do the same. Horimiya has potential to be one of the top anime of 2021.

Also… I just discover that Valentine’s Day is next Sunday. And I am still single. But I am still happy. I am making this year too. Right Ayasaki?

Why is she looking at me like that?

Why is Hori-san saying that?

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – YURU CAMP – SEASON ONE – MY OWN IMPRESSIONS

Yuru Camp.

Studio: C-STation

Genre: Slice of life. Iyashikei

Hello my friends.

Right now, as of January, 2021, the second season of a very beloved anime series has been released, a series that I am convinced it has its large number of fans, especially because it is about really peaceful moments, travelling around many campsites of Japan.

Man!!!! I am making it sound like a documentary. But I am actually talking about…

Yuru Camp (a.k.a Laid-Back Camp)

But before I start with my entry, I must ask you guys, the typical question.

Are you people ok? Feeling good and staying safe?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy. Nevertheless, I must apologise beforehand, because in these times of pandemic, reviewing an anime that urges us to go in camping can be a really bad idea; on the other hand, Yuru Camp is very feel-good, and that means you can enjoy it either indoors or in the comfy of your tent, near the pool. In any case, I apologise.

What do you say Nadeshiko? Do you forgive me?

NOOOOO!!!!!

Now. On to Yuru Camp.

PREMISE

If I am to describe Yuru Camp in one sentence; it will be…

«Cute girls doing cute things at camping.»

Based on the manga written by Afro, and published by Houbunsha, Yuru Camp takes place in the Yamanashi Prefecture, and tells the story of Nadeshiko, Rin, Chiaki, Aoi and Ena as they go to different parts of Yamanashi, having camping adventures, learning about camping and giving us some facts about camping. In other words, it is a simple, yet fascinating slice-of-life anime that makes feel the warmth of nature and the peace of landscaping. The manga was first released in July, 2015, and as of January 13, 2021, it has 11 volumes.

The opening of the first season is Shiny Days, performed by Asaka, and the ending is Fuyubiyori, performed by Eri Sasaki, who, unfortunately, does not voice any of our protagonists. Finally, the first season was released from January to March 2018, for a total of 12 episodes and three OVAS.

As i mentioned before, Yuru Camp released its second season this month. But I missed most of the first season and I am rewatching it again. So No!!!! The second season has nothing to do on my decision of writing this entry. Nevertheless, what I watched before really hooked me, and Yuru Camp stayed with me since then.

One funny fact is that, until today, I thought that Yuru Camp was written and illustrated by the same team that created Non Non Biyori. But no!!!! Yuru Camp was created by Afro, while Non Non Biyori was created by Atto; although both series have a lot in common.

I hope I make a My Own Impressions of Non Non Biyori anytime soon, but first, I must say that Yuru Camp has become a personal favourite, not just for its atmosphere, but also for its educational value regarding camping. And since I haven’t done camping in years, I think I can reconsider doing that.

Because…

Absolute tears of joy!!!

How can you say NO to camping after seeing Yuru Camp. Look at her, she is so happy she is crying.

STORY

Yuru Camp starts with our protagonist, Nadeshiko Kagamihara, who recently moved with her family to Yamanashi; shortly afterwards, she ventures with her bicycle to see Mount Fuji, meanwhile, Rin Shiima, or Shimarin, is having another of her trademark solo campings, when she crosses to Nadeshiko, watched her like this.

Sleeping beauty.

He!!!! That instant in which Nadeshiko is sleeping always cracks me up.

Unfortunately, for her, it becomes very late and she gets scared of the darkness of night. But then Rin helps Nadeshiko, offers her part of her noodles, and both see the Mount Fuji, in all it’s amazing glory. Inspired by this joyful experience, Nadeshiko joins the Outdoor Activities Camp, in order to be part of more camping.

From this moment on, we see another eleven episodes of three OVAs of absolute camping extravaganza. And each episode presents camping from a particular perspective, with new trivia that you must know about camping, and about the beautiful landscapes of Yamanashi. And trust me, each episode is as beautiful as the previous one; with the great job done in the colour scheme and the animation, both creating visually stunning landscapes that, despite not being as beautiful as many of the works done from studios like A-1 Pictures or Kyoto Animation, allows you to feel that you are physically there too.

Furthermore, the peaceful music adds more sauce to the feeling. By the way, the composer of Yuru Camp is Akiyuki Tateyama, who previously worked in series like Kemono Friends and Are You Lost?, both of them praised for its beautiful, atmospheric build-up.

For those who have read my previous entries, you will know that I always appreciate a feel good history in an anime, or slice-of-life, because we not only have other great options for the already massive anime lineup of 2018 and beyond, but also because we learn very useful and great things about life and Japan itself.

And if you can have a peaceful, warm feeling, like the one you will find by watching Yuru Camp, even better. It reminds me of the nice sensation that I found in anime like Monster Girl Doctor and Violet Evergarden, the former for its original plot and the latter for its amazing animation.

But what about the…

CHARACTERS

Sometimes, a story is as good as its characters. And with Yuru Camp, that also applies. We have our main protagonists, Nadeshiko, who contrary to what her name represents (a perfect maiden for those who don’t know), she is an absolute ditz, who cheerful, curious personality is one of the driving forces of the adventures of the Outdoor Activities Club, while Rin Shiima is the calm, reserved girl who knows everything about camping. And the combination of these two, making for a solid odd, yet engaging couple.

But we got the top members of the Outdoor Activities Club, the two that invite Nadeshiko, Chiaki Ogaki, who likes adventure, fun and calling Rin «Shimarin», and Aoi Inuyama, who is always finding creative ways to make camping even better. Finally, we got Ena Saitou, one of the closest friends of Rin.

And of course our supporting characters, Sakura (Nadeshiko’s older sister), Minami (our sensei who likes alcohol), and more. All these characters have a personality and a present that definitely gives Yuru Camp its uniqueness, especially from most slice-of-life anime.

One fun fact, every time I think of Chiaki, I can help but remember Ikuno, from Darling in the Franxx, because…

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…Are they twins? They really look alike!!!

So there you go!!! Great story, a solid feel-good atmosphere, and a roster of entertaining characters you can choose from.

CONCLUSION

To sum up, I really enjoyed Yuru Camp. And despite living in times of COVID-19 Pandemic, it offers a good time, either for having a break of the real world, or just learning about camping, or any other purpose you got, but one thing is for sure. Yuru Camp will not disappoint.

So if you want to feel the comfy of camping, and have some good laughs with cute girls doing cute camping, Yuru Camp is definitely for you.

And for those who want adventure, we got…

THE CAMP FOR DAREDEVILS, ADVENTURE SEEKERS, OR THOSE WHO WANT TO EXPERIENCE DEATH!!!! WITH OUR OFFICAL MASCOT.

JASON VOORHEES

so… WHAT ARE WAITING FOR? COME TO CRYSTAL LAKE CAMP…

YOU’LL DEFINITELY FIND ONE HELL OF AN ADVENTURE.

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – THAT TIME I GOT REINCARNATED AS A SLIME – MY OWN IMPRESSSION

That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime

Genre: Fantasy, Isekai

Studio: Eight Bit

Hey guys.

And welcome to another anime reviews. I apologise for not writing for a long time; the issue is that I have been in a very important project. One that has took me years. Honestly, I hope I can have it ready by the end of this 2020.

But anyway. Here I am again. with another impression of an anime. I really wanted to talk about, in my opinion, one of the best isekai ever done. The title says it all, but I will repeat anyway…

THAT TIME I GOT REINCARNATED AS A SLIME

Furthermore, there is another reason of why I am reviewing this anime now; I knew that a second season was going to be released in these days, unfortunately it was postponed to January 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes me worried about other second seasons, or remaining seasons for that matter, due to a high possibility of a new moving date.

Nevertheless, that reminds me…

Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy and safe?

If the answer is yes, then I am very happy. Because remember…

COVID-19 IS STILL DANGEROUS

Especially after the news from New Zealand, and new confirmed cases in Australia.

Anyway… let’s go to the east… to the west…

PREMISE

I also want to cuddle that slime

Based on the light novels written by Fuse and illustrated by Mitz Vah, That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime (Or Tensei Shitara Suraimu Datta Ken for its name in Japanese), tells the story of Satoru Mikami, a single 37-year-old salaryman who, during a meeting with a co-worker and his fiancee, gets stabbed to death. Shortly after his demise, he gets incarnated into apparently the weakest creature of this new world, a slime. Or is it? Not really! Because after his awakening, he got a really powerful ability, «Predator», which allows him to absorb every power and mimic it. During his first days, the slime befriends a sealed dragon, called Veldora. After releasing him from his prison, Veldora allows the slime to absorb him and grant him his power.

Shortly, the slime comes to see the world, with a new name… Rimuru Tempest.

Yeah. I know. It is a really long premise, but somehow this gives the impression of what we are going to see in this isekai series. Firstly, when I read about the premise, I ask to myself…

How is possible to do an isekai with a slime as a protagonist?

Of course, on those days, I was absolutely ignorant about the genre. By then, I just have seen Re:Zero, Konosuba, Youjo Senki, Log Horizon, Magic Knight Rayearth, so I still have no idea of how powerful was the isekai genre. But then I saw Overlord, The Rising of the Shield Hero, Overly Cautious Hero, and my knowledge about isekai improved.

But I will continue talking about of their respective versions. For now, I will say that the anime of Tensei Slime (Yeah, that is how I will call it now), was released on October 2, 2018, and this first series consists of 24 episodes and apparently five OVAs. The first opening, «Nameless Story», performed by Takuma Terashima, is one of the best songs I have ever heard, and its second intro, «Another Colony», performed by True, is also extraordinary; I recommend both songs.

And regarding the second season… Fingers crossed that the pandemic will be solved too. And before I move on… there will an anime based on the spin-off, The Slime Diaries, will be released in April 2021.

And now…

STORY

After Rimuru Tempest starts travelling around this new world, every single episode is a big introduction to many of its elements, especially in landscape and in races; we see goblins, ogres, lizardmen, humans, fairies, spirits, demon lords., and all of these races are among many of the elements that moves every episode. Because, at least for this first season, we are witness of how the actions of Rimuru influences a lot of the plot. Ok. I will go with this details later. But the story is basically about how Rimuru adapts to this new life, not just with the help of his powers, but also with the help of his wit. Those who know me, already know that this is one of the elements I really like about a protagonist; To be a man of action, and Rimuru uses every talent available to defeat his enemies and overcome his obstacle, reason of why I believe it makes Rimuru Tempest one of the best protagonist on the anime season of 2018. But again, I will talk about that later.

In this sense, everything evolves; while Rimuru becomes stronger, the rest of the story also evolves. And of course, there is always a very important enemy that Rimuru must defeat so often. And let me tell you… those battles are epic, and the scale of the enemies is so big that it makes for a great experience when the occasion arrives.

So yeah, there is a true evolution of the world and in the characters. And that is precisely the idea of this story. As the title states, it is about how someone has a new life as a new lifeform, in a new world. And in that sense, Tensei Slime delivers a charming, engaging story. And it is delivered with notorious imagination, and memorable animation, that it immediately makes Tensei Slime really unique.

In other words, it succeeds in making us live the life in a new world, just like Youjo Senki and The Rising of the Shield Hero.

Furthermore, the animation is pretty wonderful too. I have to admit that I didn’t see much of the previous work from Eight Bit, except for the two seasons of Infinite Stratos, but now I see the resemblance; after all, Infinite Stratos has a great balance in managing of colours; when it is day, you really feel like it is day, and when it is night, it feels like a pleasant night. But in Tensei Slime, the palette of colours is more varied, something that makes this new world more vivid.

CHARACTERS

GABIRU!!! GABIRU!!! GABIRU!!!

Oh wow!!! The characters in Tensei Slime are just fantastic. Rimuru Tempest, is without a doubt, one of the best anime protagonists of the 21st century, because he has such a great development in every aspect; appearance, powers, knowledge, friendships. No wonder he was voted as the Best Male Protagonist at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards in 2019. Also, the rest of its cast has a neat evolution, from both their experiences with Rimuru Tempest, and the great difference we noticed between episodes.

And aside from Rimuru, I got some personal favourites, including Gabiru, and ….

Benimaru

Souka

Gobta

Shion…

YEAH!!! WOW!!!

And finally…

Demon Lord Milim

Who, I think, got the same fashion adviser from Jack the Ripper, of Fate:Apocrypha.

As you see, each of the characters have a really nice design and personality, adding a great flavour toward this isekai.

And actually, it makes me feel why isekai genre would hardly age, due to the great possibilities in everything.

CONCLUSION

Let’s be strong guys!!! Season two will come!

To sum up, That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime is a very entertaining series and a great addition in the isekai genre. One of my favourite series. And who knows what we will find in the second season.

Overall, this is one of the reasons of why I really like fantasy anime a lot, because it proves that a mixture of quantity and quality, and of course, a lot of imagination, makes for a really great experience.

Wow!!! I have talked about a series about a very unlikely hero in the isekai, now, it is time for me to show in another proposal, a dark, petite girl with a very dark reputation that will cause to feel fear and makes you think you are facing a demon.

That’s right…

Time for Catarina Claes to shine.