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.
Hello my friends. Welcome to another entry of my blog.
I want to start saying this…. Happy New Year 2024. I hope all of you got really cool, amazing holidays all over this month. But I want to ask you a question… Have any of you ever thought that perhaps you could do something better in the past? That you want to restart again a time in your life to make it better.
Well… That is the thought we got here.
And for me… What a better way to start this New Year than publishing a new review?
Ant this time, I want to start talking about FRIEREN: Beyond Journey’s End
But before I start, I wanted to ask you, especially since we started 2024…
Are you my friends, ok? Feeling healthy?
If the answer is yes, then I am happy.
Now let’s go Beyond the End of the Journey.
PREMISE
This time, I will go something different. Now, I will try to talk about my own feelings with Frieren – Beyond Journey’s End rather than being merely critical about the qualities of the series. For those who haven’t read me before, I tend to pinpoint elements like animation, music, rhythm and narrative of every series I comment, but I now… I will apeak more freely about the anime I have watched.
With that said…
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, or Sousou no Frieren (葬送のフリーレン), is based on the manga written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe abut Frieren, an elf who became a member of the Guild that, after a ten-year quest, defeat the Demon Lord, and as celebration, Frieren and her partners, the hero Himmel, the priest Heiter (or corrupt priest as she calls him, and the dwarf Eisen, watch a wonderful meteor shower, and make the promise of witness the same event fifty years later. And so do they.
But there is a problem – Frieren’s lifespan, as well as elven in general, comprises millennia, and Frieren is not the exception, which is why she practically does not age, unlike Himmel and Heiter. Well, Eisen doesn’t age either, but his lifespan is shorter than Frieren’s. so, she does not really have the emotional and existential touch that humans got, and that allows us to live the present as if it was the last moment.
I am saying this because, fifty years later, the disbanded party meets again to witness the same meteor shower. However, Himmel dies shortly afterwards. Immediately, Frieren expressed guilt over not attempting to know Himmel better, and that perhaps is too late, despite the solace of Heiter and Eisen.
Inspired by this, Frieren embarks in a journey to try to understand humanity better, along with her new magic apprentice, Fern, who was adopted by Heiter at a young age, Stark, a student of Eisen with a great strength and many insecurities, and Sein, a very laid-back priest.
Yamada and Abe started publishing Frieren through Shogakukan, and Viz Media in English language, from April 2020, and as of January 2024, Frieren has already published of 12 volumes, and a total of 122 volumes. The anime adaptation was produced by Madhouse (Monster, Death Note), and it started broadcasting in Spetember 2023, completing a total of 20 episodes.
A super waku, waku factor is that the seiyuu of Frieren is none other than Atsumi Tanezaki
Finally, the first opening, Yuusha, or Hero, is performed by Yoasobi. I think we are all familiar with this musical group, but for those who are not, I want to tell that they performed two wonderful themes before.
1. First opening of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch of Mercury.
2. Idol, from Oshi no Ko.
Now, I am aware that many fans have been a bit critical due to the energetic tone and the upbeat music of Yuusha, because they perceived it was nothing to do with the tone and atmosphere of Frieren. But, for me, I do not have any issue with the song, because I think it gives me a bit of hope for Frieren in her quest to understand humanity, and, as we all know, it can be a big rollercoaster, especially since Frieren is always remembering her previous partners throughout the story.
I know that perhaps this is a very mechanical interpretation, but one I am very comfortable with it. I know someone out there will agree with me, even partially.
Finally, according to Shogakukan, Frieren has sold over 20 million copies.
STORY
Now… The moment I was hoping for.
For the very beginning, I started to enjoy Frieren a lot, especially after the episodes in which she starts her journey with Fern, because I perceive a new perspective about the fantasy genre, in the sense that some fantasy stories are focused more on adventure and fighting evil or the Demon King. Here, Frieren has a similar concept as Mushoku Tensei, studying more the lifestyle of the world the action is taking place.
Now. both Frieren and Mushoku Tensei are fantastic series, but they are the same. For the latter is about a MC that starts to live a fulfilled life, and the former is about trying to understand and appreciate life itself better. Be as it may be, Frieren has a pretty original concept itself.
Every time we watch Frieren, I perceived this feel-good atmosphere, because the series takes its time to develop the characters and make them grow with every episode it passes. And due to the beauty of the animation, you slowly become inmersive enough. And there moments of adventure that are pretty good, especially during episodes 8 to 10, in which Frieren, Fern and Stark have to deal with this character, called Aura the Guillotine, and her minions, Lugner and Linnie. All of them were pretty dangerous, but we could all perceive that these antagonists are not one-dimensional. On the contrary, the three are pretty dangerous, but after you know better Fern and Stark, you are aware of the evolution of each protagonist, especially Frieren.
My only concern is about the rhythm that sometimes I find a bit slow, but wait… I am not saying this as a criticism, I am saying this as a trivia, because probablu not everyone will enjoy a story with such a relaxed pace like Frieren, and perhaps they want to watch something more energetic, like Attack on Titan or The Rising of the Shield Hero. Personally, I love that too, but many fans might find that type of stories frustrating.
However, I always welcome stories like Mushoku Tensei, or Frieren.
Nonetheless, while the animation itself is beautiful, some of the character design does not really convince enough. One example is Lugner, practically due to this meme.
Because, in many cases, it can be dull, especially during the First-Class Exam. After watching some of the new episodes, and seeing some of the design of the characters, I don’t think Madhouse actually got the essence of some of the characters.
One example is Übel.
In the manga, she looks more imposing, but in the anime, despite not looking bad, she doesn’t look threating, and believe, Übel is a force to be reckoned with. if it wasn’t for the story…
Luckily, I was pretty scared with Aura the Guillotine. I find her attractive, but also dangerous, just like Übel. And the dark moments are pretty scary. Trust me, the more you get into the story, the more you sympathise with Frieren, and find it more engaging.
I want still watching the whole Frieren anime, to be honest. But I have found its world and story pretty engaging, I hope it gets a second season, because, like that, I will learn to enjoy as much as I have enjoyed Mushoku Tensei and To Your Eternity, both filled with the same amount of drama.
CHARACTERS
Now, since Frieren is a series about an elf who goes in a journey to understand humanity, that means that the characters must be nice too. And actually, they are.
Despite having passed away during the first episodes, both Himmel and Heiter come across as very good characters, that is mostly because of the flashbacks of Frieren that covers some of its backstory. But you do not need those flashbacks to relate with Frieren, Himmel and Heiter, because they are already interesting.
Before I continue, I like the fact that the names are all German words, Frieren, Fern, Stark, Himmel, Heiter, Eisen. I give Frieren some vibes from the Grimm Brothers, just like with Ranking of Kings and its animation.
However, if I have to be honest, at the beginning I found both Fern and Stark a bit annoying, Fern because of her blunt and stoic personality, and Stark due to being obnoxious when he is scared. As if he was trying to be a second Zenitsu.
But later I thought… That’s ok. They are both children, and that means we still have to go a lot through. That is why both got Frieren and Sein, to instruct them in many parts of their lives. Speaking of both Fern and Stark, I like their chemistry, to the point that there is a point in which you know that they have a mutual crush.
In the words of Sein…
Overall, after you meet our protagonists, and see by yourself what they go through, you love and want to share with them on this aura of feel-good.
CONCLUSION
Overall, Frieren was the biggest surprise of the late 2023. After watching the last episodes of the second season of Mushoku Tensei, Part I, I thought nothing could be this engaging in terms of fantasy genre, especially after watching The Rising of the Shield Hero again, and not being that invested. But after watching Frieren, I know why it has become so popular, personally it has all the chances to be one of the best anime of 2023.
The animation is decent, the characters are fun to watch, the concept is great, and overall, it made me go beyond journey’s end. And hopefully after this series is finished, it will be renewed for a second season.
Only time will tell.
And just like Frieren, we wouldn’t be worrying about being there for finding out.
Also… Good news my friends… My book Magical Missions – The New Chosen Ones, has been improved and released, some of my friends have loved it. Go to Google Play Books, take a look and read it.
Hello my friends. Welcome to a new entry of my blog.
First things firsts…. Merry Christmas!!
I hope all of you had a very awesome celebration with your family and friends. From my regard, I was invited to a lot of parties, and I celebrated Christmas calling my family and friends. And we still have the New Years Eve.
Be as it may be, I am aware that I still have to update myself regarding my blog. And what a good way to end the year than to make many lists of, in my opinion, the best anime of all 2023?
Because yeah, I watched a lot of sweet anime during this 2023 despite not writing as much as in the previous years, some of them have their own pending entry, but until then, I will start mentioning six of my best anime of all 2023.
And I apologise beforehand if your anime is not in this list, but don’t worry, for I will keep doing lists like this for the upcoming days, and I am sure that in one of them, your series will be here.
Until then, enjoy…
THE BEST ANIME OF 2023 IN MY OPINION – PART 1.
6. MASHLE – MAGIC AND MUSCLES.
Yes. This is indeed one of the biggest surprises of all 2023. Just when I though nothing could be as funny as the premise of One-Punch Man, A-1 Pictures releases this little gem of 2023. From minute one, I was laughing hard with all the jokes, and also, I was surprised of the amazing hilarious situations that came from such a simple premise – A world in which magic is everything, yet, one young man, Mash Burnedead, who was born magicless, is going to make his way on Easton Magic Academy.
One could have thought that this is nothing but a rip-off of One-Punch Man, but it is not. It actually takes inspiration from the latter, but ends being its own thing, and that is awesome. You will still prefer One-Punch Man, but there is no doubt that Mashle is memorable by its own merit, for the comedy, the action, and the world itself.
At the same time, the animation is beautiful. I still can’t believe it came from A-1 Pictures. When we are talking about shonen anime, I come up with studios like MAPPA, Wit Studio, Bones, and of course Pierrot. But, somehow, A-1 Pictures perfectly proved it can stand out with other genres, aside from fantasy, sci-fi or romance.
Also, the characters, from Mash to the villains, and the antagonistic Lang House, are relatable and fantastic as well. My favourite characters are definitely Dot and Lemon because they are so eccentric, yet likeable and they beautifully move the plot in their own particular way, giving them more personality.
Combine this all together and you have one of the best and most hilarious anime of 2023.
5. HELL’S PARADISE – JIGOKURAKU
In every project that they release, Studio MAPPA finds a way to make their projects equally amazing, Jujutsu Kaisen 2 increasing the level of drama in many ways, and Vinland Saga 2 exploring a new face of our main character… And of course, Attack on Titan by… making us cry. But in Hell’s Paradise, I was genuinely scared, that was barely happened to me in anime, not even with Umineko, When The Seagulls Cry, because the story presents powerful, yet human characters, such as Gabimaru and Sagiri Asaemon Yamada, and you might be thinking… Nah!! They will survive!!
And then there is a point in which you definitely understand the dangers of their journey at Shinsenkyo, all of the characters, even the main ones, can die. I am not going to spoil anything, but this feeling is because of many factors, the first one is the pretty well-done first episode, in which we see through the complexity of Gabimaru the Hollow, character you end up sympathising with; and also the way story unfolds, allowing you to see that the convicts are not that bad and the not all the Yamada Asaemon are good people, without necessarily hating them – You want, in a way, for all the characters to survive.
And then… the threats of Shinsekyo arrive, and that is where you understand that anything can die, and that they look like real abominations out of this world.
Take that and combine it with the sweet animation and the soundtrack, in order to give you another gem from MAPPA. Some say Hell’s Paradise is not as good as Chainsaw Man, and I kind of agree, but like Mashle, it stands out in the. Best way possible.
4. MY HAPPY MARRIAGE
Time to jump from the action to the drama.
I read about My Happy Marriage months before the anime was released, and I was already touched for the story of Miyo Saimori and Kyouka Kudou. That poor girl being mistreated all her life due to her apparent lack of supernatural powers, and that soldier who just wanted to find true love, in one of my favourite settings of any story – Meiji Restoration of Japan, or the Taisho era according to Wikipedia.
Thanks to their love, Miyo evolves from a quiet and meek girl to having more self-love and self-confidence, while Kyouka is able to open to his true self and finds hope in his life. Also, the first part of the first season does a great job at portraying the Saimori family as abusers without being too over the top, especially Kaya, who is the personification of this quote from The Simpsons.
“Sweet on the outside, poison on the inside.”
Luckily, she receives her comeuppance, and that is one of the sweetest moments.
And the second half, and possibly the rest of the light novels, it’s mostly about Miyo and Kyouka learning to trust each other, sharing moments together, facing problems as both a couple and individuals. But you feel their love, they enjoy being with each other. And for me, that makes them more enjoyable to watch.
Also, the animation by Kinema Citrus is superb, the soundtrack is beautiful. And yes, I am aware that not everyone would enjoy the story, because it is a bit slow and not so action-packed. Nonetheless, due to its story, it brings a wonderful sensation of happiness and comfy despite its initial melancholy.
Finally, My Happy Marriage does something with the story I will be always grateful for – making Miyo and Kyouka a couple from the start, instead of directly confessing their feelings at the last episode, making the narrative more interesting and original.
Because of this, and many other reasons, I consider My Happy Marriage as one of the best anime in 2023.
Those who read my previous entries might know that Mushoku Tensei was one of my favourite anime in 2021. It offered a new perspective with the Isekai genre, in the way of a mixture between bildungsroman, adventure and fantasy, I really welcomed that, especially since I am a very big fan of Isekai, even the worst isekai can actually attract my attention.
From the start, the life of Rudeus Greyrat has been difficult, in a personal and in a social way, and also because the trauma of his previous life deeply affected him; despite this, he worked hard in order to move on, especially after the end of season 1, which for me, was… bittersweet.
But in the beginning of the season, we understand that he truly hit rock bottom, just when we thought he could move on… he hit rock bottom once more. However, with the help of some friends, and due to his previous endeavours, Rudeus is able to enrol into the Ranoa Magic Academy, and meet his childhood friend Sylphy… more or less.
Overall, the season 2 is about the story of Sylphy and Rudeus. We go with them in their difficult trials, and we smiled when we see they made the best of them and evolved as characters, and then, we were present when they know “this something” was missing in each other’s life, and… SPOILER ALERT.
The ending when Rudeus reunites with Sylphy is heartwarming. I was waiting every week to see when they meet again, and when they did, and Rudeus proposed to Sylphy I was almost in tears. Such a beautiful ending for such a beautiful story, despite Part 2 is still waiting.
If there is something that Mushoku Tensei – season 2, taught me is that if we work hard and persevere in life, we can become more than we could ever expected, especially if we are genuinely good people, because our beloved ones might give us the “push” we sometimes need in the most difficult moments.
And for that, and the beautiful animation, is Mushoku Tensei – season 2 is in this list.
2. OSHI NO KO
Oh my gosh!! Speaking about surprises.
I will be honest with you. When I saw the cover of Oshi no Ko, I thought… “Nah. It is another formulaic story of Japanese Idols.” It is not like I hate them, in fact I loved both Idolmaster and Love Live!! But I am not sure that I will be that invested.
And then…
MY POOR AI. WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOU?
This scene was the one who pushed me into Oshi no Ko. But that was only the tip of the iceberg, because I realised this story… is better and more complex than I thought. It got fantasy, it got drama, it got good characters, it got such a catchy opening song, and there, it got our attention.
Furthermore, we are on an idol anime that, unlike many of its predecessors, portrays the ugly side of the entertainment world in Japan, not just the beautiful one, with many real-life similarities that makes Oshi No Ko more relevant that we could ever thought.
Also, the part of the “origin” of both Ruby and Aqua was so heart-breaking and heart-warming at the same time, and the fact that it has some of the most tragic deaths in all anime history makes it more impactful.
But just because Oshi No Ko is dark does not mean it lacks comedy. Check it out.
I know it was a matter of time before Oshi No Ko became this popular, although I am still surprised of how it apparently became so entangled into the anime community.
I am really looking forward for season 2, and the ending of Aqua’s quest of revenge.
DEMON SLAYER – THE SWORDSMITH VILLAGE ARC
My friends…
It cannot be in another way.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is one of my favourite anime of all time. And after the ending of Mount Natagumo arc, I wanted to watch both Demon Train and Entertainment District arcs. But I couldn‘t watch them completely. Happily, I could watch more of The Swordsmith Village Arc, and… it is pure gold!!
Ufotable, once again, has proved to know what to do on the adaptation of Kimetsu no Yaiba, how to make the battles memorable, how to make Mitsuri shine, how to transit the feeling of the story, how to make Mitsuri shine, and how to adapt one of the best moments of Kimetsu no Yaiba.
And… Did I mention How to make Mitsuri shine?
I am going d to watch again The Swordsmith Village Arc from scratch, because there is nothing that I love more than relive the feeling that I got from this adaptation, and everything that has to do with the franchise of Kimetsu no Yaiba.
Nothing else to say. It is something that you must experience… Simple as that.
And there you go. Six of my favourite anime of 2023, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
My book – Journeys of Sea, Heart and Land, is out now, it is having positive reviews and those who have read it are loving it. Order your copy now, I know you will love it as well.
Hello my friends. Welcome to another entry of my blog. It’s been a long trip, but I am finally back from my holidays from my hometown, and I have share some of the pictures that I took from my travels.
But now it’s time to get back to the real world, the responsibilities, the job life and the normal life.
I want to ask my review with a weird question: What would “happen” if the franchises of Harry Potter and One-Punch Man “mated” and have a baby? Definitely, the question will be:
Perhaps some of you felt like that as well, but that’s the impression I got from Mashle: Magic and Muscles. Anyway, I am watching this anime and boy… It is hysterical!! I am enjoying it a lot. So join me and let me share with you my thoughts about this story.
And always:
Are you my friends ok? Feeling healthy?
If the answer is yes, then I am happy. Now, let’s pump it with Mashle.
PREMISE
Mashle: Magic and Muscles (マッシュル-MASHLE-) is based on the manga written and illustrated by Hajime Komoto. The story takes place in a world where magic is the pinnacle of society, depending on the level of magic you get, you will be incredibly successful or extremely ostracized. That can happen for Mash Burnedead, who was born without any magic whatsoever, which is why Mash was raised in secrecy by his adoptive father, Regro. Despite this, Mash has a ridiculous strength that allows him to perform very unlikely acts.
Mash longs for a peaceful life for his family, and that is why he enrols in the Easton Magic Academy and attempts to become a Divine Visionary, a special status granted to the best students. Mash is aware of his lack of magic, but he will use his amazing muscles to be as powerful as magic itself.
Hajime Komoto started publishing of Mashle on January, 2020, and finished on July, 2023, for a total of 17 volumes, under the label of Shueisha. In fact, according to the Japanese Wikipedia, Hajime Komoto was inspired in One-Punch Man to create Mashle. Finally, A-1 Pictures adapted the first season of Mashle and broadcasted it from April to June of this year.
And yes. Recently, Mashle received a second season, set to premiere in January 2024.
Finally, the opening song is “Knock Out”, performed by Taiiku Okazaki, which it is a really wonderful song, while “Shu Cream Funk” by Philosophy of Dance. I want to share the links of both songs.
STORY
Like I said before… Mashle is hysterical. No wonder why it has been considered one of the best anime of the first half of 2023.
Every time I watched the episodes of Mashle, I was laughing out loud. On the first months, I heard a lot of this new product, and in Internet I saw many images of the characters and some random videos about it, even before I knew that the name of Mashle. Shortly afterwards, I decided to finally watch it, always with another name in my mind – One-Punch Man.
And when I watched it… I understand why Mashle is so popular.
The humour is pretty original, the jokes really work, and I will say that each joke is better than the last one. And from the start, you know that Mashle does not need to be taken seriously, at least yet. Another good point is that Mashle makes you feel something unique, a very good feeling that makes you forget your problems and enjoy a good time, and for me, that is because of the rhythm, so energetic and so creative. Mash might be very dense, but as a character, he surprises you with the hilarious tricks that gives a good laugh.
In fact, it is the same feeling from Kaguya-sama: Love is War.
Hum… Another popular anime of A-1 Pictures with creative comedy. Any pattern?
Speaking of A-1 Pictures, the animation is really good, getting the art of Hajime Komoto. Personally I am surprised about the animation, after watching Sword Art Online and Lycoris Recoil, I feel that the art and direction used in Mashle is something that you will use from MAPPA, Wit Studio or Madhouse, but not from A-1 Pictures, because I never imagined this studio using these rough colours and thick lines. This is only my opinion, but from what I saw from Sword Art Online, Lycoris Recoil and 86: Eighty-Six, A-1 Pictures, for me, is a studio expertise in subtle colours, proportional character design, and epic, but standard, animation, which is fantastic as well. Less of shounen and more of light novel artwork
What I am trying to say is that I feel that A-1 Pictures went again out of their comfort zone and gives us a very unique animation in Mashle. The second time this year. The first one being…
And basically, the story of Mashle is Mash being badass in the most hilarious ways possible. And despite Mashle is clearly influenced from One-Punch Man, it is pretty original. It does not feel like a rip-off of the latter. The world-building is decent as well, and because of these elements, Mashle feels authentic and more enjoyable for the fans, and the soundtrack is badass and hilarious at the same time, the mixture between rap and fantasy gives its own aura to a really good story.
All of these makes the story and rhythm of Mashle pretty enjoyable.
CHARACTERS
Aside from Mash, we got a lot of colourful characters in Mashle, such as Finn Ames, who is the straight man of the group, Lance Crown, who wants to become a Divine Visionary for the sake of his sister, Dot Barrett, who is voiced by Takuya Eguchi. Do you know which other characters dubs Eguchi?
Loid Forger, from Spy X Family.
Oh! And… Domas, from Ranking of Kings.
And Dot creates explosions, in the fashion of both Katsuki Bakugo and Megumin.
And Lemon Irvine, the self-proclaimed fiancée of Mash. All have their own personalities, being as hilarious as Mash. I personally do not think if I can get a favourite, but I have enjoyed a lot Lemon. Especially in the second episode, where she believes that Mash confesses to her. That moment is hilarious, and adorable at the same time.
I also found Dot very hilarious. Every time he tries to provoke Mash with little success, and the chemistry between is hysterical.
There are other great characters, but I prefer to invite you to watch Mashle to know them better for yourself.
CONCLUSION
No wonder Mashle is considered one of best anime of 2023 so far. It has everything to look in a comedy series – good jokes, hilarious characters, solid background, and a good feeling. I am looking forward for the second season, can’t wait until January arrives.
Perhaps… I can use magic. I will try so I can forward time.
Wingardium Leviosa!!!
I know it’s not the right spell!!! Don’t mention it.
Damn it!!! My spell went wrong.
I went to Hell!!
And also… I was punished keep lusting for Mona Megistus and her… attributes. This pic exemplifies my attitude regarding Mona.
Anyway. When I escape Hell, I will come back with another entry. Have a great day my friends.
Hello my friends, Welcome to another entry of my blog. I take this opportunity to reveal that in a couple of days I will make a very important announcement, do not worry, it is not what you think. It is in fact… a very… VERY good news. But I will tell you know when the time comes. I am sure you will love it.
Until then, I will continue with the reviews that I love to do… Anime. And here, I will take about a very good series of this amazing time. After so much time, I am trying to recover the lost time, which is why I am starting to talk about…
I hope you like my thoughts of the new goose that lays golden eggs of Studio MAPPA.
But before I start my review, I must ask you the typical question;
Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?
If the answer is yes, then I am happy.
Now… time for us to go to the most beautiful, worldly part of Inferno with Hell’s Paradise – Jigo… Jigo… Jigokaku? JIGOKURAKU. Damn. Why am struggling with the last word. Anyway.
PREMISE
Based on the manga written and illustrated by Yuji Kaku. Hell’s Paradise – Jigokuraku… (Yeah, I wrote it correctly), takes us to the Edo Period of Japan, with one of the deadliest, most infamous and powerful ninja around, Gabimaru the Hollow, member of the Iwagakure Clan. During one mission, Gabimaru is captured and sentenced to death, but there is a problem – nothing can kill Gabimaru, decapitation, burning, dismemberment, nothing is effective against the powerful ninja, much to the surprise of the officers of the shogunate. However, one day, an executioner, called Yamada Saemon Asagiri, offer Gabimaru the opportunity of a pardon with one condition – he must obtain the Elixir of Life, located in the island of Shinsenkyo, located in the southwest of the Ryukyu kingdom. The problem is that the Shogunate has already sent, apparently, five expedition teams to that place, and. None of them have return, so this time, they are sending a new team consisted on death row criminals, and if any of them can get the Elixir of Life, they can obtain an official pardon, but if any escapes, that person will be slain in a executioner of the Asagiri clan.
Inspired by the love of his wife, Yui, and the chance of a normal life, Gabimaru accepts, always under the watch of Yamada.
Hell’s Paradise – Jigokuraku started publication on January 22, 2018, and ended on January 25, 2021, completing thirteen volumes and 127 chapters, furthermore, Hell’s Paradise – Jigokuraku was published by Shueisha. One fun fact is that Yuji Kaku was a collaborator of Tatsuki Fujimoto.
Studio MAPPA started broadcasting Hell’s Paradise – Jigokuraku from April 1, having a total of eight episodes, for a total of, I assume… 12 or 13 episodes. But still, this time is okay, the series is so good that there is a big chance of having a second season, just like Chainsaw Man. I just hope it is soon.
I am talking of both.
Finally, Hell’s Paradise – Jigokuraku has a pretty nice opening song – “Work” performed by Ringo Sheena and Millenium Paradise, I will be happy to put the link here for you to listen.
STORY
Now. I have just watched the first two episodes of Hell’s Paradise – Jigokuraku, and also, some clips of the anime, especially some featured Yuzuhira, and I got to say that I am being hooked by the premise. A couple of months ago, I was reading about this series, here and there, and it got my attention, almost as much as Oshi No Ko and its sticky “Idol” performed by Yoasobi. And when I say the animation, I really wanted to watch Hell’s Paradise – Jigokuraku.
I thought Gabimaru will be some kind of villain protagonist. But I will talk about him later.
But nope. The story is very similar to Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man in terms of tone, dark fantasy but with some humour that does not overstay its welcome. What do I mean by this? Simple. That is put on the right moments, without ruining the moments of dark atmosphere and tension. Moreover, the story is fun, it has a lot of action, some violence and gore, but with genuinely heart warming moments, most of them brought by Gabimaru and Yui. Also, the first two episodes done a pretty good job by slowing showing Gabimaru as not as hollow as his title points out, and that is something I value in a story – some time for poignant scenes, as well as some humour, it actually helps to sympathise more with our characters, especially both Gabimaru and Sagiri.
Nonetheless, I must admit that sometimes the story can be a bit slow. But one thing is for a story to be slow, and another is to be boring, and Hell’s Paradise – Jigokuraku is anything but boring.
Also, the animation is beautiful, the aesthetics, color palettes and character designs seems to take inspiration from Ninja Scroll, Tenchu and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. I like the animation Unfortunately, despite being wonderful, it is not on the same quality of Demon Slayer or Chainsaw Man. If something, it surpasses the animation of both Vinland Saga and Jujutsu Kaisen. I admit this might be a very unpopular opinion, but that is what I think.
However, once our protagonists arrive to Shinsenkyo… My goodness!! It looks beautiful, the background looks like a painting. A very colourful world that, due to the story’s dark tone, really makes you feel like you are in a hollow Garden of Eden… Kind of.
As Bart points out…
‘Sweet in the outside, poison in the inside”
Finally, I think that the music is nice, especially the opening song. I will take my time to listen to more songs, later on.
I am still have to watch a lot of episodes from Hell’s Paradise – Jigokuraku. But I am having a lot of fun, and I think it is one of the best anime of spring/autumn of 2023.
CHARACTERS
I think one of the elements from Hell’s Paradise – Jigokuraku that surprised me the most is the characters, especially Gabimaru. Of course, we all know that he is not as hollow as he claims, but he has a lot of features, such as his relationship with his wife Yui.
Honestly, I was very happy to watch at them, I am rooting for Gabimaru, even though I read the ending of the manga… for good or bad. Also….
Was I the only one who though in Tomura Shigaraki every time I look at Gabimaru?
I spoke too soon.
Secondly, I also loved Sagiri, because beneath that cold, calm and collected persona, you see a person full of fear and regret due to her occupation. I thought I couldn’t show a image of her and her fear, but they are not as… revealing as I thought. So here it is.
This image perfectly represents her fear in the best way possible.
Finally, one more character I want to mention is Yuzuriha. My goodness! She is hilarious! She is a deadly assassin, and a… femme fatale, but she has a lot of charm with her expressions and her personality you really liked her, probably more than Sagiri.
Just look at her…
I have no comments
Man… Please come and kill me! Yuzuriha!!! Or at least Sagiri, nor Gabimaru.
And finally, I want to make a honorable mention Mei, which is… adorable, but has the power of creating Groots.
But seriously, I liked the characters, but Gabimaru, Sagiri, Yuzuriha and Mei are my favourites.
CONCLUSION
I am enjoying Hell’s Paradise – Jigokuraku, the characters, the action, the setting, the conflict. Everything is so cool so far, probably not as engaging as Chainsaw Man, or as immersive as Jujustu Kaisen, but if you liked the productions of MAPPA, I know I do…
…you will enjoy this as well.
I will be watching more episodes later on, and trust me, I am coming back with a lot of reviews of pretty good anime. I don’t know if I publish another review tomorrow, but I will try… I promise.
And I want to apologize for almost not writing during the month of March, but again, it was a very intensive and very productive month, for two reasons. The first one it is because… I am writing a book. Yes, and I have spent the entire month writing and proofreading the project, and it is because I wrote the book years ago, and I am trying to have it ready soon. Possibly in May or June.
There! I make the announcement.
The second reason is that I just got my Australian passport, and I did a lot of things that kept me from writing in my blog. Overall, it has been a very intense month, without mentioning that I did a lot of Transcendental Meditation.
Anyway. I have a new plan for April. And recently I saw the trailer of an anime that I was looking for. And that is…
And I am so excited about it. I love Megumin, and Chomusuke.
(picture of Kazuma and Aqua)
But before I watch that wonderful spin-off full of explosions, I will talk about that fantastic isekai comedy that started everything. And again, the title says it all. Here is…
(konosuba)
But before I start with my review, I must ask to all of you people, the same questions:
Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?
If the answer is yes, then I am happy.
Now, let’s start with a big explosion with Konosuba.
PREMISE
Based on the wonderful light novel franchise written by Natsume Akatsuki, Konosuba: God’s Blessing on this Wondeful World, or Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o!, tells the story of Kazuma Sato, a shut-in NEET who suffers a very embarrassing death; luckily, or unfortunately for him, he meets the goddess Aqua, who offers him the opportunity to reincarnate in another world, very similar to those he like to play on his videogames, that is of course… after Aqua reveals herself as idiotic and self-absorded makes fun of his demise. But, in a weird twist move, Kazuma chooses Aqua as his companion. Now stuck in a very useless goddess in the town of Axel, Kazuma recruits two members, Darkness, a well-endowed but masochistic paladin that fails every time she swings her sword, and Megumin, a delusional arch-mage that can only performs Explosion Magic, which also renders her useless after summoning it.
Realising how useless his companions are, and that the chances of defeating the Devil King, something that Aqua must do in order to go back to her throne, Kazuma does everything to have a very pleasant and luxurious lifestyle, but his moronic companions, and a lot of unfortunate cirncusmtances will be constantly forcing Kazuma to go into the adventure.
The author of Konosuba is Natsume Aktsuki, who also wrote Kemono Michi!! And Combatants Will be Dispatched, which I reviewed before. Here are the links so you can check out.
(link to Kemono Michi)
(link to Combatants will be Dispatched)
Akatsuki started writing Konosuba from October 1, 2013 to May 1, 2020, for a total of 17 volumes. And as of March, Konosuba has been adapting into two seasons, produced by Studio Deen, and a upcoming third season produced by Studio Drive.
Also, Konosuba has a very awesome cast, which I am very happy to remember without having to consult Wikipedia including Sora Asamiya (Spy Classroom, Call of the Night), Jun Fukishima (Tensei Slime), Ai Kayano (Sword Art Online:Alicization), and, as the amazing Megumin, the beautiful… Rie Takahashi (Tomo-chan is a Girl!)
And these two beautiful songs as the opening of the first and second season.
(link to the first op)
(link to the second op)
STORY
Oh my gosh!!! There is only one word that I will use fot the story of Konosuba. And that is… hysterical. Every single moment is incredibly hilarious, and everyone gives you a lot of memorable moments. And what is more impressive is that the story of Konosuba is pretty simple – Kazuma tries to survvie in Axel, Aqua does something stupid, Darkness brings out her masochism, and Megumin does an explosion.
By the way, there is a pretty hilarious song called Bakuretsu, Bakuretsu, La, la, la, that I personally recommend.
(link to Bakuretsu, bakuretsu)
And since the tone is more about comedy in Konosuba, unlike The Rising of the Shield Hero, Re: Zero, and Saga of Tanya the Evil, which are more dark fantasy, you can take it easy while watching every episode and enjoy the shenanigans of our idiot “heroes”, that is during the whole ten episodes of hilariousity. Of course there are moments in which our “heroes” go into adventure and have to face a really nefarious adversary, but these conflicts are either resolved in the most original and comical fashion possible, or have very awkward consequences that puts Kazuma and his guild into more trouble.
Of all these adventure moments, I think the most iconical is the battle against the giant toads, in which either Aqua or Megumin end up being swallowed and bathed in… toad drool? Because of their stupidity, and then Kazuma have to save them.
(photo of the big, bad toads)
And how can you forget the moments of Darkness being Darkness.
(some photos of our beloved masochist paladin)
And this one…
Seriously, every comedid moment is better than the previous one, and that really surprised oof how many great idead the author got in terms of comedy.
But what really surprised me is the fantastic animation done by Studio Deen, who, unfortunately, have the dubious honor of making an anime adaptation of Pupa, one of the worst, most disgusting anime I have ever seen. But I will talk about it eventually. And the more he pretended Nanatsu no Taizai: The Wrath of the Gods exist, the better.
Seriously, who has the idiot who suggested replacing blood for milk?
(scene for Seven Deadly Sins)
And I absolutely love Nanatsu no Taizai. Hail A-1 Pictures! But the Wrath of the Gods was simply trash.
Anyway, the story of Konosuba is basically disconnect yourself from tension and enjoy watching likeable idiots doing that, and resolving situations with the best fashion. It is really hard to describe unless you watch the episodes yourself, because every moment is so hilarious, so original you better experience it by watching the episodes.
Also, the rhythm is so natural that you end upr inmerse in the comedy straight away. And the thing is that Konosuba knows when to go fast, and when to slow down, giving us the opportunity to know our characters, enjoy their misadventures and enjoy a very good isekai in the fullest.
Konosuba is simply one of the best isekai you can ever watch.
CHARACTERS
As I mentioned before, the characters of Konosuba are as hysterical as the story. All the group of Kazuma is so likeable and oafish you, surprisingly enough, you want to be part of their misadventures, and every one adds up to both the comedy and the story in their own way. Aqua being stupid, to the point of being too dumb to live, Kazuma being sleazy and perverted with slected moments of badassery, Darkness making us laugh with the masochism.
One interesting fact. Did you know that Ai Kayano also voiced Alice Zuberg from Sword Art Online: Alicization?
Man! When I watch them together, I find hard to believe they have performed by the same seiyuu.
(photos of Alice and Darkness)
And, after watching Megumin, I understand why she is the most popular character of Konosuba. All of the characters are original and memorable, but Megumin really stands out due to her quirkness, her catchy phrases, her design and her contagious devotion to the Explosion Magic.
(Megumin)
And she is very exaggerated about her personality that I want to become by her, making her so popular.
Nonetheless, I have to admit Aqua can be really annoying, especially of her spoiled rotten attitude and her constant whining.
For the rest, all the cast is pretty good. And there is another character that I enjoy a lot, but I will talk about her later.
(Yunyun)
CONCLUSION
Overall, the first season of Konosuba is amazing, in all the elements. No wonder why is this comedy isekai is pretty popular and well-loved.
And I will later talk about the second season. And I apologize for having to lavea now, so that is why I will leave with an…
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.
Hello, my friends. Welcome to another entry of my blog
First and foremost,…
Happy New Year!!
It has been a long time since we started this wonderful year now, and just like many of you, I have been in holidays for a while, and I posted some pictures of my travels at Ballarat and Canberra at the beginning of the present month. Ane yes! I ahad a good time, and I am prepared for celebrating the Chinese New Year pretty soon near to my house.
But now it is time to get back to work, writing entries in my blog and analysing a lot of anime. And I have watched a couple of pretty nice anime that I really enjoyed. And I am prepared to write about them.
One is Blue Lock, and the other one…
…Is Spy Kyoshitsu, or Spy Classroom.
And I will write quickly about this little series, and about from what I have watched so far.
But before I start, I must ask you the typical question:
Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?
If the answer is yes, then I am happy.
But now, time to go to the mission, here is Spy Classroom, or Spy Kyoshitsu
PREMISE
Based on the series of light novels written by Takemichi, and illustrated by Tomari, Spy Kyoshitsu takes place in a world that recently recovered from a very devastating war, and despite the fact that there is peace everywhere, there is another type of war that is being fought – a cold war. Or if prefer, a spy war. In the words of the story, the war in the light has ended, but there is a war of darkness, a war of information and trickery. In this war, there is a very fantastic team, called Inferno, specializing in “Impossible Missions. But all the members of Inferno has been killed, except for one sole member – Klaus – Now, it is up to Klaus to create another spy team, called Lamplight, that focuses in missions in which the death rate is 90%, and this team is made up of seven high school girls with different abilities and backgrounds. But there is a problem, all of these girls are the worst students of their respective academies.
Will Klaus succeed in this new mission?
Spy Kyoshitsu started publication in Fujimi Shobo on January, 2020, and as of January 24, 2023 (three years later.), Spy Classroom has nine volumes, and another three books of short stories of this story. And Yen Press has been printed all of the volumes in English.
Also, it has released three episodes under the supervision of Studio Feel (My teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, Outbreak Company).
Some of the voice cast of Spy Kyoshitsu includes recognized talent such as Yuichiro Umehara (Goblin Slayer, Darling in the FRANXX), Sora Asamiya (Konosuba, Call of the night), Aoi Yuki (Youjo Senki, One Punch Man).
Finally, according to Myanimelist, Spy Kyoshitsu is going to have 12 episodes, Hopefully I am mistaken, because I am loving this show.
STORY
Now, I know what many of you are thinking, that it is very going hard to compare Spy Kyoshitsu with our all-time favourite anime.
But don’t worry, I am aware that these two are very different series, and I will treat them as such. Having said that, let’s continue.
Now, for those who previously read my review of Princess Principal, I think they remember that my main “complain” with that particular anime was the fact is that was not based either in a manga or a light novel, because of the amazing potential and meaning for Princess Principal should was based on another source. By the way, I am going to leave the link of my review of Princess Principal here for those interested.
And now, some months later, I meet Spy Kyoshitsu, I feel like someone was answering my whim. Because this is exactly how I was imagining Princess Principal coming from light novels – a nice background, beautiful artwork, enjoyable adventure, and the most important thing… the great feeling that all of this excitement will be there for me after an anime adaptation.
Yeah. Not a big difference, but I mentioned it.
Anyway, I want to talk about one of my favourite elements – the art.
I got to say that I was surprised of the artwork. For a series that takes place in a very “dystopic” world that has spies, this artwork is amazing. It kind of maintains a balance between the beauty and the grim, similar to Call of the Night, another series that I will discuss very soon. Honestly, there is no way I can pass out this, that single frame of one of the main characters, Lily, is beautiful.
Another element that complements the art pretty well is the animation, at least in my opinion. Many of the stills are well-connected, and there is a pretty solid flow in action scenes; despite not being too inventive, of as immersive like in Chainsaw Man, they are in quality of Ranking of Kings. And the story keeps a nice tension, although it can be predictable, that means… you know that very few of the main characters will die, but that does not mean the episodes do not get you with a surprise.
Because that is another point – the tone is still dark; people is still going to die, and do not expect any shyness with violence. It is not very graphic, but it is still imposing enough. It is the opposite of Spy x Family, while the former is light-hearted and family-friendly, Spy Kyoshitsu can be a bit disturbing at times.
Also, the rhythm is… enjoyable. I got to admit that it can be pretty slow, but with the necessary dose of character development and storytelling expected in a light novel series like this. In other words, you understand what is going on, assimilate the conflict and enjoy the events as the story progresses.
However, under no circumstances, do not expect Spy Kyoshitsu to be very similar to Spy x Family. No! Spy x Family is about a spy, an assassin and a telepath being a family, being that the main story with some side stories involving their jobs with huge amounts of comedy, while Spy Kyoshitsu is about girls trying to be spies, in a war that can destroy the world, not just Westalis and Ostania.
Still, if you like Spy x Family, try to give a taste of Spy Kyoshitsu. I cannot promise you will like it as much, but you will not get bored.
CHARACTERS
Indeed, one of the best elements of Spy Kyoshitsu is their characters. Klaus, being the stoic, yet caring founder and mentor of Lamplight. Lily, code Flower Garden, is the kind leader and expert in poisons; Sybylla, code Pandemonium, is the athlete of the group and the strongest member; Grete, code Dearest Daughter, is expert in disguises, being as great as Loid Forger; Monika, code Glint, is expert in fighting and stealth; Thea, code Dreamspeaker, specializes in persuasion; Sara, code, Meadow, is the expert in information; and Annette, code Forgetter, is the engineer of the group.
From the very first moment, you know all the identities of each member, and the story emphasizes the scope of the ability of each member. And their character design is pretty awesome.
As a matter of fact, I thought Lily and Sybylla were relatives.
My only issue is that, at least on the first three episodes, the ones who has more time of developments are Klaus and Lily. That’s something great because they are main characters. But what about the rest? Yes, it is already established all of the members of Lamplight, but I wish the episodes will emphasize a bit more in the rest of Lamplight, not just some mere minutes.
Still, there are pretty good characters, and indeed the best element of Spy Kyoshitsu.
And there are a couple of surprises regarding the characters in the first three episodes. Of course, I will not reveal, because it is a spoiler, and I do not want to be a bad spy.
But sure, you will enjoy as much as I did.
CONCLUSION
Spy Kyoshitsu is better than I thought. And yes, I am well aware that many fans will still stay woth Spy x Family, but if you are one of those fans, take your time and watch Spy Kyoshitsu. It has everything you will enjoy – Loveable characters, solid background, nice animation, better character design, and sweet action.
Take my word, you will not regret it.
And now… I must flee.
My enemies are behind me, and I must accomplish my mission, otherwise, it is the end of the world… my world.
And that mission is…
To find out…
Which will be my votes for Crunchyroll Anime Awards?
Wish me luck… Perhaps I am not coming back alive, my heart can’t take all that excitement.
Hello my friends, Welcome to another entry of my blog.
First and foremost,… Congratulations Argentina – FIFA World Champion 2022.
They indeed deserve their victory, and our Argentine brothers really need this historical moment. Thank you so much for this, guys, thanks a lot for that… Messi
I feel so happy, to the point that I want to extend this happiness to all of you my friends, talking about one of my favourite anime, and for those who read my review of Outlaw Star, I think we all know which one am I talking about.
I mean… Trigun.
But before I start, I must ask you my friends the typical question:
Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?
If the answer is yes then I am happy. And if you wanted for Argentina to become champions in Qatar, then I am euphoric.
Now, wish me good luck to get the 60 billion double-dollar man in Trigun.
TRIGUN
Based on the manga written and illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow, creator of Gungrave and Blood Blockade Battlefront, Trigun gets us to the planet Gunsmoke, a place completely full of desert and a relentless sun every day, and cold nights. In this planet, there is a living legend, about a man who causes death, destruction, and madness wherever he goes, no one is safe, not the women, not the children, not the elderly, no one. Everything that crosses in his path… apparently dies.
That man is called… Vash the Stampede.
There is a reward of 60 billion double-dollar for his head. Furthermore, he is also called… The Humanoid Typhoon. Rumours and stories like these has been displacing and spreading around the planet Gunsmoke, which is why the Bernardelli Insurance Society sends two of its employees, Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, to look after the damage supposedly caused by Vash the Stampede. Once they meet him, they both realise that Vash the Stampede is not what he looks like, because despite his reputation and superhuman abilities, he often displays a goofy attitude and a pacifist perspective toward life, refusing to kill his enemies.
Now, Vash, Meryl and Milly go around many locations of the planet Gunsmoke, meeting new people and discover the truth beneath the reputation of Vash the Stampede and an accident, in which a city was destroyed because of Vash, many years ago.
Yasuhiro Nightow started publishing Trigun from April 1995, first through Tokuma Shoten, until January 1997. But then, Nightow continued its publication in the Shonen Gahosha magazine, under the title of Trigun Maximum, from October 1997 to March 2007, bringing it a total of almost 19 volumes, with both magazines. Due to the success and popularity of the manga, Studio Madhouse produced a total of 26 episodes, which were broadcasted between April 1 to September 30, 1998.
Again… 1998. The year of the two beautiful Space Western anime that I love and cherish.
Outlaw Star& Cowboy Bebop
Moreover, the anime was written by Yosuke Kuroda, known for Excel Saga, Jormungand, Gungrave, and a personal favourite…
Sword Art Online: Alternative Gun Gale Online.
In addition, Trigun was produced by Shigeru Kitayama (Noir, Trigun: Badlands), and its perfect score was composed by Tsuneo Imahori (Wolf’s Rain), the latter being a member of The Seatbelts, the same band as Yoko Kanno, from… We all know.
With these fantastic, talented artists in charge… What can possibly go wrong?
For my viewpoint… Freaking nothing!!
STORY
Ok! Where to start?
Trigun is a fantastic mixture of drama, comedy, adventure, and the spirit of the Old West I almost grew up during the childhood, brought by the spaghetti westerns created by Sergio Leone…. Almost. Before I continue let me share with you a little anecdote.
It was 2006, and I was watching Cartoon Network – Latin America of course, and I remember finishing an episode of that anime, whose animation remember me a lot of Rurouni Kenshin, called Sakura Wars – I was knocked, and I enjoyed in a way, but then, shortly afterwards, I watched one anime that… reminded me of a very hilarious AMV, I think I got the link here…
Yes!!!
I really love that video.
Okay. On that time, I already got the spirit of Cowboy Bebop so ingrained that I thought perhaps nothing will ever surpass it, until I watched Samurai Champloo, but that’s another story, for another moment. I also watched this anime called… Trigun, I was 100% curious about who that blonde guy was? He looked like a nice guy, and then… Wow!!! He was extremely different from Spike, Jet, Faye, Ein and Ed – Goofy, clumsy, and extremely idiotic… And I love him. He was so full of energy and passion, I wanted to see more. Something different from the gloominess and existentialism of Cowboy Bebop. It was wonderful.
From there, I binge every episode of Trigun. Until the middle of the series, where the darker, most serious episodes take place, the part in which we know more about Vash the Stampede, and why he became so infamous. Those episodes almost shred me to tears, because again… I thought things will not end up well. Yet, I stayed until the end, despite the fear of being as depressed as I was with Cowboy Bebop. Those who watched the latter, will definitely know why?
Luckily, there is some happiness… some fantastic lessons almost at the end. And that was enough for me to consider Trigun, along with its animation, storytelling, and characters, one of the greatest anime of history, and one of the few that can actually… REALLY ACTUALLY… be as amazing as Cowboy Bebop, along with Outlaw Star.
That feeling of adventure, of uncertainty, of calm before the storm, of the relentless atmosphere of the cowboys, and at the same time, that beauty, that folklore, that sci-fi world that gets you for its thoughtfulness and vastness – all of these elements that make the world of Cowboy Bebop so immersive are indeed present in Trigun, but the latter does not copy the former. No. It gets better and more powerful despite being a little being simpler than with Cowboy Bebop or Outlaw Star. Yet, I am not making justice to this great feeling that I felt with the animation, the atmosphere, and the beauty of Trigun. In fact, I think it is something that you must experience by yourself, because trust me…
Very few western anime are able to get this sensations in a perfect fashion. I don’t think you will find something more intense, yet fascinating, and that is why I cherish Trigun the way I do.
Also, I must confess that I enjoy Trigun a little bit more than Cowboy Bebop, for a simple reason – Hope. It teaches you the meaning of hope; with every episode, you know there is hope, with every action of Vash, Meryl and Milly, there is a lesson to be learn, and also… comedy to enjoy.
For me, every episode is better than the previous one. Man!! This is not just an entry, it is a love letter to Trigun. I love westerns, the more action-packed, the better; the more creative, the better, and definitely Trigun is one of my most beloved ones.
Also, for me, the original score of Trigun is as memorable as the one of Cowboy Bebop. Why am I surprised? After all, their composers were in The Seatbelts. And the ending… Wow!!! Simply wow!!!
Anyway, I can keep talking and talking about how great Trigun is. First with some good comedy and adventure in the beginning, and then with thoughtful drama and tension, with the great balance and beauty as Cowboy Bebop and Outlaw Star.
Apologies for the constant comparisons, but I can’t avoid it. Just remember, watch Trigun and believe it.
CHARACTERS
Like I said, all the characters are great. Vash the Stampede is like Kenshin Himura, a laid-back, kind, friendly main character that hides great abilities and a very force to be reckoned with. Kenshin is always one of my favourite characters, and now Vash can compete with him in every aspect.
But… his design is incredible, and I apologise for those who are expecting Trigun Maximum in 2023, but…
This new design does not convince a lot.
Meryl is an excellent female counterpart for Vash, and even though Milly acts as a klutz, she is actually a very profound character, in fact, Milly is definitely the voice of reason for both Vash and Meryl. I have to admit that, aside from Vash, Milly was always my favourite character because the way she is, sometimes when she does something that we could consider stupid, then we see a moment of brilliance and poignancy. It is just wonderful.
And Millions Knives himself.
With that smile, he is definitely a charismatic, scary guy. Trust me, every time I saw Knives, Legato, or any of the Gung-ho Guns… Terrifying.
But…. The best is definitely Nicholas D. Wolfwood, the priest with the great gun, who is a very effective foil for Vash, at least in my personal opinion. Cool, wise, compassionate, but, at the same time, complex. I love him.
Someone said that a hero is as good as his/her villains, well… I say… for Trigun, a male protagonist is as good as its foil, and that is Nicholas D. Wolfwood.
CONCLUSION
There you go… My honest, everlasting thoughts about Trigun. One of the most perfect, sweet, cool, entertaining, wonderful, enjoyable, and well-balanced masterpieces of anime of all time.
Nothing else to say.
I know this conclusion is really short, but I hope it’s enough to share the honesty for the masterpiece that is Trigun.
Hello my friends. Welcome to another post on my blog, and this time, I bring you my opinion on Episode VII of Chainsaw Man.
First of all, I want to apologize for taking me so long to write this post, but I was very busy with work, I had to work six days a week due to an emergency, but now I’m free, and I take this opportunity to tell you that I just saw Episode VIII – The Last Denji. And what an episode! But first, let’s get things right and talk about Episode VII – The Denji Awakens… more or less.
Enough already! Enough of the Star Wars references, now let’s sharpen the chainsaw.
But first, I must ask you the usual question.
Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?
If the answer is yes, then I am happy.
Now… let’s move on to Chainsaw Man.
EPISODE VII – RETURN OF THE DENJI
The episode begins with Denji recriminating Aki for getting in the way of being stabbed, but far from doing it out of malice, it reminds him a lot of the debt his father left him with the yakuza.
Having said that, he proceeds to pull the rope on his chest and launch himself squarely against the Eternity Devil. And at the same time that we see, again, a spectacular animation by studio MAPPA, the third ending as background music. remember? Which for me is the second best ending of the Chainsaw Man anime.
And is not for less. – The third ending theme, Hawatari 2 Oku-senchi is the personification of everything that Chainsaw Man is , and Fujimoto-sensei’s vision, art, genius, and a lot of violence, which by the way this battle does not skimp on it.
But that’s what makes it so entertaining, because it’s not afraid to show the brutality of the moment, in a way it reminds me of Saving Private Ryan and its graphic portrayal of war. I wonder if Fujimoto-sensei loves that movie too.
Of course, Himeno, Kobeni and Arai are horrified.
Unfortunately, for Denji, the Eternity Devil takes a lot of his blood, causing his chainsaws to wear off. What’s more, Power herself mentions what is happening.
And look at that pretty nightmare face! Courtesy of the Eternity Devil.
All seems lost until Denji has an idea – to consume the blood of the Eternity Devil, to heal himself and attack again with more force than before. And at this point, the utter loss of Denji’s humanity is shown, since, despite the fact that the Eternity Devil’s blood is sh*t, it has a rich flavour thanks to allowing him to suffer a great bulk of agony.
Simply put, Denji is overjoyed at the grotesque spectacle.
And again, we get an appearance from one of my favourite Chainsaw Man characters, Kishibe, giving us another taste of his «wisdom». That devils only fear the most deranged Devil Hunters, explaining that Himeno’s former companions died precisely because they were sane, and they feared the attack of devils.
But on the other hand, the devils fear those who are mad because it is impossible to know how they think, how to attack them.
The point is, Kishibe leaves, leaving Himeno on her own, but not before asking her to train Aki well, and although Himeno says she’ll take her time, Kishibe tells her she can’t, because Aki is still sane, and she can let the devils kill him.
Faced with this bleak outlook, Himeno proposes to Aki that they become a civilian hunter, so they don’t have to search for the Gun Devil and risk death, but Aki rejects that offer.
Although I have to be honest, seeing Himeno smoking in this scene makes it so much more beautiful.
At once I anticipate that, thanks to this episode, Himeno has already far surpassed Makima as my favourite waifu. A very unpopular opinion, I know, but a very honest one. And if it’s not her, in the end it will be Power.
Returning to the present, the Eternity Devil nearly kills Denji, but thanks to the Ghost Devil, Himeno manages to pull his heartstring and wake him up.
And that’s when Denji comes up with the best idea of all – drinking his enemy’s disgusting blood, hundreds of times, as many times as it takes, to heal and keep cutting him, causing the devil so much pain that it will want to beg to die. .
But what really makes me laugh is that Denji mentions winning the Nobel Prize that way.
And I already imagine it!
DENJI WINS NOBEL PRIZE FOR KICK BOXING.
Or the one of Peace?
And as a sample of Himeno’s beauty! That excited face! Again… more beautiful and charismatic than Makima herself.
The thing is, the battle continues for three days, and everyone is tired, while Himeno goes to check on Aki.
Meanwhile, the Eternity Devil gives up and is thus killed by Denji.
Oh my gosh! For that alone, I would give Denji the Nobel Peace Prize! And really, what Denji did was an incredible feat! If I were Makima, I’d hug, french-kiss him, and have sex with Denji, all after giving him a Medal.
Here Denji! For your heroics, I give you… a Stella.
Not for nothing, Denji ended up passed out and in the hospital.
Although it seems that Aki did not need it, since after a few days, he returns to the service in the company of Himeno, who proposes to have a baby shower, to celebrate that Denji got Himeno pregnant. Nope! It’s a joke! What happens is that she believes that Division Four has never met to meet, and also because, according to her, both Kobeni and Arai are sorry for trying to kill Denji.
Oh! Of course! Now that the danger is over, they feel bad. Of course! Well, in real life, people are like that, so I don’t know why I blame them, although I still think Arai is a clown. And Kobeni still has a lot to give.
The funny thing is that even Aki «rebukes» Himeno for suggesting killing Denji. no matter! Even so, Himeno… I do forgive you.
What’s more, I’m going to take this wise advice.
Thank you Himeno! I hope one day, to be the SIMP you deserve, or the one you are looking for.
Damn you Himeno! I’m already so in love with you, and with Aki, and now you want my heart to break out with your beautiful smile. The thing is, Aki ends up agreeing, on the condition that it be this week, because Makima will be leaving for Kyoto soon, and with that, Himeno asks the million dollar question.
Two million dollar questions.
With that, we finally move on to the beautiful restaurant scene, where all the members of Division 4 gather to be friends. And I remember this week of the manga very well, but the anime adds this endearing human touch that characterizes the animations of MAPPA. I’m going to say it in case it wasn’t clear!
Tatsuki Fujimoto and MAPPA – Winning Combination.
That and the fact that Poderosa hogs the sashimi.
But. Whoa! Look at pretty Kobeni, with her cute little clothes, her girlish beret and her beautiful face. He opened my heart. Kobeni… All forgiven! Although it will not be so for Power if you steal her fried chicken.
At once, I say that this scene is very beautiful, seeing the members of the Fourth Division socializing like this and being friends is very endearing, and seeing Denji, Kobeni and Power happy for the food makes me very happy – the three of them love it deserve. Thanks to the menu though, Denji remembers something very important – that debts to Himeno should not be forgotten.
Therefore Himeno agrees to kiss Denji, after being drunk, at the same time that Denji forgives her for suggesting to kill him.
Did I say the scene was beautiful? Well, with the introductions of Denji, Kobeni and… for some reason, Arai make it even better. But I say right away; Arai still disgusts me, I don’t care that his hobby is Haiku.
The interesting thing is that he also has a contract with the Fox Devil, just like Aki, who reveals that he is friendly with humans, and even more so with Devil Hunters, with whom he has entered into many contracts.
However, we soon remember that Devil Hunters may die soon, thanks to one of the guests, Fushi, saying that his partner, another rookie, passed away the day before, and this expression of Kobeni’s says it all.
Luckily Himeno always breaks the tension, especially with the idea of the kiss.
Just when Makima finally arrives. Hey! One moment.
Isn’t this Devil Hunter supposed to take off her tie? Why does she suddenly have her back? Does she have a contract with the Ghost Devil or what? This is very weird!
And here is the best part of the bar scene! Let the images speak for themselves!
It’s seriously a lot of fun to see Denji in that dilema. But then we go to boring Aki, who starts questioning Makima about Denji and his identity. And Makima is willing to answer Aki, on one simple condition.
And with that, the party is finally set, especially since Power seems to have developed an addiction to the local food.
Reminds me of me at work parties! But one thing is for sure, Makima deserves a bottomless pit from Duffman, and Power regales us with her brain’s most important revelation – her IQ.
Worthy of a Nobel Prize!
But you know what’s as good as the Nobel Prize? Taste Himeno’s sweet tongue!
Yes! Finally Himeno kisses Denji with her little tongue, just as she promised. Incredible! I’ve seen a lot of hentai in my life, especially Shoujo Sect, Boku to Nurse, and Amakano , but I think this kiss beats those by far. Powerful, incredible, and really erotic, or at least in the first ten seconds.
Ladies and gentlemen! Before you… one of the most disgusting scenes in anime in general.
Yes. Himeno vomits into Denji’s mouth. Hmm! Premium vomit! Freshly baked from the factory of filth, with its lubricated acids and drooling bits of food. Ugh! Gross! One thing that does make me laugh is that the vomiting is censored. Come on! It’s the bloody Chainsaw Man! They show all the violence, gore and blood they want, but a vomit is consored. It’s as if I censor myself when I say F*CK, but not when I say SHIT. And I don’t remember if that happens in the manga, but I would swear it doesn’t. I understand that this was done because of the time the Episode premiered in Japan, and I respect that. But when they release the Chainsaw Man Blu-Ray, they will no longer have a reason to continue with the censorship.
The point is that the scene provokes very mixed reactions, Makima asks for tissues to clean, Kobeni is disgusted, and as always Power giving very funny comments.
Hey Power! I’m not a doctor, but I think that’s called eating or drinking depending the case..
And worse still… Denji swallows the vomit. Ugh!
Then we go back in time, when Denji was a kid and he rummaged through the garbage to eat a good burger, and with Pochita, he sees some rats eating someone else’s vomit, which provokes him to make fun of it, and a very cool comment .
But then we’re back to the present, when Denji…well…does what anyone would do after swallowing someone else’s vomit against his will.
Arai ends up helping him, and reveals that he is envious of Denji, who immediately questions him, saying a line that broke my heart.
Seriously, Denji’s bad luck is relentless. His childhood was already horrible because of the yakuza, and now he must endure having his first kiss stained with dirt, both literally and metaphorically. And it breaks my heart because Denji isn’t bad – he’s impulsive, perverted and kind of violent, but he’s not bad. And maybe, no matter how many good deeds you do, life always seems to want to give you nothing but horrible moments, always against your will.
And after seeing Arai help Denji like this, I have to say that the character doesn’t disgust me as much as before. What’s more, I’m even starting to like him better. My respects.
Anyway, soon after Himeno takes him home, and… Despite what happened to Denji, Himeno gives him a beer kiss!
And you can tell she’s still drunk, because she asks Denji why he’s at her house. And after some hijinks and gibberish, Himeno ends up with a proposal that I sincerely hope Denji won’t turn down.
We all know what he’s talking about. And not just because we read the manga.
And with Himeno delighting us with her sensual lingerie, we finish this chapter.
CONCLUSION
Another great chapter of this great anime. It goes without saying, but this particular episode is divided into two parts, one that is the end of the battle against the infamous Eternity Devil, and another that is the restaurant, and although the first one is spectacular, it means that the restaurant scene should come flat. Both have their strengths, which we can all enjoy equally.
But one thing is for sure, thanks to this chapter, Himeno became my favourite waifu, far surpassing Makima herself, and that is that even in the ending, Himeno looks much more beautiful than Makima.
Speaking of the ending, I liked that eighties lo-fi style that they put on it, although the song is not that good. Really. Why do they have such a hard time getting past Chainsaw Blood and Demon, in the name of Devil? I’ll never know, but a part of me feels like maybe they shouldn’t have so many endings, even Dorohedoro had three songs per ending by my count, and that was enough.
Still, it is enjoyed.
Well, I hope you enjoyed reading my review as much as I enjoyed writing it. And go buy a box of tissues, because when we talk about Episode VIII, we’re going to need it.
Jainituos Presents 