MY TOP WAIFU OF 2021 – PART 1 (FINALLY!!! AFTER SO MANY MONTHS!!!)

My Top Waifus of 2021 – Part 1

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

Today, I am going to do something completely different.

What I want to do today is something I should have done four months ago, and now, since I have a bit of free time, I think I must start with these right now. For those who have read my entries for quite a long time, you know that I have another yearly tradition, and that is….

MY TOP WAIFU OF THE YEAR!!!!!

Now, since the last year we got more popular anime than in 2021, I will probably divide this section into three parts, and like last time, I will get to talk about five girls in one entry, and then five in another.

Or, on second thought… Let’s think outside the box and do six.

Having said that, let’s talk about My Top Waifu of 2021 – Part 1.

  1. ERIS BOREAS GREYRAT (MUSHOKU TENSEI)

How could I NOT start with one of the most visible female protagonists of one of my favourite isekai of 2021 – Jobless Reincarnation? Don’t worry, I will include Roxy and Sylphiette eventually, but I must start big on these entries.

Eris Boreas Greyrat is the older second cousin of our main protagonist, Rudeus Greyrat, having meeting when Rudy is trying to earn money to enrol both him and Sylphiette on the Ranoa Magic Academy. And their first encounter was… very heated.

At the beginning, Eris and Rudy didn’t get along, but through Rudy;’s tutoring and resolve, she gradually starts respecting him more. And after the Mana Incident that transported both to the Demon Continent, little by little Eris grows more, from an ill-tempered girl to a brave, smart young woman… and falling in love with Rudy.

I think, during the first season of Mushoku Tensei, we are witness of so much character development, in both mind and body, in Eris Boreas. And when you see her abilities in swordsmanship, almost rivalling both her uncle, Paul Greyrat, and her master Ghislaine, you have the same expression of Rudy.

That, along her… well-endowed appearance (if you know what I mean after watching the series for too long). I personally do not consider many tsundere girls as waifu material, but in this case, I believe is fair to say that Eris Boreas has earned her place on this spot.

And one last frame before I continue.

2. SHOUKO KOMI (KOMI-SAN CAN’T COMMUNICATE)

A tagline from Komi-san can’t communicate says it all.

“An important thing to remember is, just because a person has problems communicating, doesn’t mean that person doesn’t want to communicate with others.”

Tomohito Oda

I said it once, and I will say it again. Shouko Komi is one of the most relatable characters of the manga nowadays, because she perfectly reflects a big problem that most of the people suffer on modern times – social anxiety disorder. And from the moment she meets Hitohito Tadano, we see Komi-san on her daily life trying to make 100 friends and trying to overcome her communication disorder. And her struggles are accompanied by those lovely images of her own fears.

Add that to the fact that she is a very kind, loving person, and innocent in a way, and we have a character that we want to share our days with. Furthermore, I must say that her chemistry is wonderful.

Indeed one of the most beautiful friendships in anime 2021

No wonder she was nominated as Best Girl at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, she has everything we want on a waifu, charm, kindness, beauty, class, and a flaw that we can relate with, and that, at the end of the day, she turns into a strength.

3. MAKI ZENIN (JUJUTSU KAISEN)

Yeah. I can hear all the voices that say that they want to choose Nobara Kugisaki, the Best Girl at the recent Crunchyroll Anime Awards.

But the truth is that I grew up to love Maki even more. Because I… have a weakness for the glasses.

Art by Danieri

No, but seriously, from the moment in which Maki decided to exile herself from the Zenin household, until the arc of the Kyoto Goodwill Event, Maki has proven to be one of the most capable characters from Jujutsu Kaisen, and despite being a non-sorcerer, having to rely on her glasses, Maki is indeed a capable fighter, and proving to be a good role model for Yuji, Megumi and Nobara, and of course… Yuta (But I still haven’t watched Jujutsu Kaisen 0).

Honestly Maki’s fight against Kasumi Miwa is one of my favourite.

As well as her second fight against Mai.

In conclusion, Maki has everything to become one of the best female characters of Jujutsu Kaisen – wonderful design, excellent background, awesome abilities, and a really cool attitude, A part of me has not truly recovered to what happened to her at the Shibuya incident, but she already got my heart.

Sorry guys, but If I must pick one, I will definitely pick up Maki over Nobara. Ipso facto

HOW DARE YOU?

4. VLADILENA «LENA» MILIZÉ (86 – EIGHTY SIX)

There is something, among many other things, that Mushoku Tensei and 86: Eighty-Six have in common, both have a bunch of female characters to choose from as waifu material.

Major Vladilena Milizé, a.k.a. Lena, is a Major from the Military of the Republic of San Magnolia, a Handler of a group of soldiers, in charge of piloting the Juggernauts, big mechanised weapons that fight the Legion, an army of automatised war machines from the former Empire of Giad.

But there are two horrible truths behind this. – the first one is that the government of San Magnolia is extremely supremacist, with the Alba discriminating the Colorata. The second truth is that San Magnolia forces them to fight Legion as disposable assets rather than human beings.

Unlike other Handlers, Lena firmly disagrees with this agenda, and treats the Colorata as human beings, much to the annoyance of her peers, taking her time to knowing them better and protect them at all cost. But it is not just her compassion what makes Lena so compelling, also her gorgeous character design, her high intelligence, resolve and resourcefulness to discovering the truth.

DON’T F^%K UP WITH BLOODY REGINA

One can say that Lena is unpredictable too, but that is another element that makes her so badass. Every moment with her is a delight, even during the second cour, Lena keeps an aura of awesome and kindness that makes one of the best characters of 2021. No wonder why she was nominated as Best Girl at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards.

And now… some extra gallery to Lena. Hail Bloody Regina!!!

5. KYOUKO HORI (HORIMIYA)

I already talked a lot about Kyouko Hori-san, from HoriMiya, included her on my list of FIVE OF MY ANIME COUPLES.

You can check out the link here.

So this tiem I will keep it simple.

Kyouko Hori is the most beautiful and popular student at her school, but at home, she is the housekeeper, looking after her brother and keeping the house neat when her parents are out. Everything changes when another popular student, Izumi Miyamura, meets by chance at home, and… full of tattoos and piercings, completely different from the aloof, otaku-like persona that Hori-san thought Miyamura was.

Hori-san became one popular character of 2021, mostly due to her eccentric personality, but willingness to do things right; also… the fantastic work of Haruka Tomatsu voicing her really helps. And throughout the series, Hori-san and Miyamura develop a closeness that makes our hearts wamr every time we watch them together.

But… I have two reasons for putting Hori-san so low on this list.

The first one is that she treats her dad horribly. And I mean like FREAKING GARBAGE.

Sorry, couldn’;t find a decent GIF

But, to be fair, Hori-san’s dad is kind of a dickhead, so yeah. The guilt is for both parts.

The second feature that I TRULY DISLIKE from Hori-san is that she is a masochist… Out of nowhere. Seriously, at no point, I saw any evidence that Hori-san was a mascohist before episode 8. And yes, I know it is only for Miyamura, but yet, it feels really contrived.

And no. Hori-san «cute» faces don’t make it any better.

Nevertheless, Hori-san is still one of my waifu of 2021, and I must praise her for how well constructed she is. (Excluding her strange masochism).

6. AZUSA AIZAWA (SLIME TAOSHITE 300-NEN)

In our world, Azusa Aizawa was an officer worker who only existed for work, no social life, no friends, no hobbies, no dreams. NOTHING!! Only work. And she stayed over 50 days without any rest, so naturally, she ended up died for exhaustion (Or Karoshi). Immediately, she meets a beautiful goddess, and Azusa has the offer to reincarnating in another world, as an immortal witch. Azusa gleefully accepts, and since she will never die, she decides to spend the next 300 years living a peaceful, uneventful life, simply hunting slimes, for being the weakest and easiest to kill creature in her new world.

Because of this, she is quickly known as the Witch of the Highlands.

Unbeknownst to Azusa, killing slimes fully maximises her, become the most powerful witch of the world, soon, many adventurers visit her for a fight, including a red dragon, called Laika, who destroys Azusa’s house in the middle of the battle. Of course Azusa wins, and when Laika states that she will overwork herself to rebuild Azusa’s house, the latter refuses, claiming that Laika must never overlook her health, and give some time to rest and enjoy.

Wow!! What a long summary!!

Slime 300 is an anime that I truly enjoyed, and with all the comedy and adventure of it, we see how powerful, yet caring and compassionate Azusa truly is, remembering her past experiences to encourage others not to repeat her mistakes, and the passion she puts on her family, including her «daughters», Halkara the elf, Beelzebub and Flatorte, made her a character that I cherish.

And one of my waifus of 2021.

Let’s hope for the best at season 2.

CONCLUSION

WOW!!! So many waifus.

And more are to come.

Thanks for checking by my Top Waifus of 2021, Part I. I hope you guys like the list. Despite waiting for so long, I was able to work these months on it. And I think this is pretty decent.

Again. Hope you guys like it. See you soon.

AREN’T YOU FORGETTING ME???

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – 86: EIGHTY-SIX – PART II – MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS

86: Eighty-Six (Part 2)

Genre: War, Mecha, Romance

Studio: A-1 Pictures

IT’S ABOUT TIME!!! JERK!

Yep. It is about time.

Although I haven’t properly watched the first part, like I should, I have watched from episode 12 to 14, and some parts of today’s episode, and I think I have an idea of which are my impressions of 86: Eighty-six. Don’t get me wrong. I have watched some of the episodes of Part 1, but I did in a very messy way, so I have to rewatch them properly, and them make a proper review about it.

Nonetheless, I think I will agree in what many fans think is one of the best anime of 2021, and simply a worthy product from our beloved A-1 Pictures. But, most importantly…

How to say NO to two of the waifus of 2021.

Lena and Henrietta

But first, I have to assk you the typical questions:

Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy. Well, partially, because I am right now with a big headache, and I should be in bed, but I decided to write this review now, and then, go to bed. Hopefully I will be fine by tomorrow. Ok Henrietta?

She looks so excited!!

Anyway. Let’s go.

PREMISE

Based on the light novel series, written by Asato Asato, and illustrated by Shirabii, 86: Eighty-six (Part 2) adapts the second volume of the light novel.

After the events of episode 11 of the anime, the remaining members of the Spearhead Squadron, Shin, Raiden, Kureha, Theo and Anju arrived to the territory of the Federal Republic of Giad, where they meet with Ernst Zimmermann, their prime minister, who grants them citizenship, equal rights and a home; they also encounter Frederica Rosenfert, a young girl who is cared by Zimmermann. At the beginning, all of them seem to enjoy the civilian, peaceful life, however, none of them can forget the sacrifices of the rest of the Squadron, so they decide to go back to the battlefield, this time as officers of Giad, discovering that Frederica is Augusta Fredrich Adel-Adler, the last Empress of Giad, and that her blood grants the power of psychometry.

All of them depart for the battle, afterwards.

Meanwhile, in San Magnolia, Vladilena «Lena» Milizé is demoted from major to captain, but she still the best Handler of the 86 district, this time with an agent called Cyclops.

The first episode of Part II was released on October 3rd. This second cour has as opening, Boundary Line (or Kyokaisen for its Japanese words), performed by Amazarashi, while the new ending is called Alchemia, by Regal Lily.

STORY

Alright. I started saying the obvious. I really loved 86: Eighty-Six, Part II, and as of November 7, 2021, as much as as I have enjoyed Part I. I do not think it is possible to say, until now, which is be better, but I loved both equally.

86; Eighty-Six Part II has a lot of cool elements, but first I will start with the easy ones, you know, the ones that will not force me to write whole paragraphs. First and foremost, the animation – it is beautiful, but that does not surprise me, because we are talking about A-1 Pictures, who, after all the amazing curriculum that they have, we cannot expect any less from them, or from Cloverworks, especially 2021.

Both HoriMiya and Wonder Egg Priority are proof of that talent indeed.

Let’s not forget the character design, although this is more the merit of both the writer and the illustrator.

The soundtrack is beautiful too, well, one of the composers is Hiroyuki Sawano, from Seven Deadly Sins (also from A-1 Pictures until Wrath of the Gods). Also the designs of Legion and the rest of Mecha are fantastic.

Now let’s go deep into the other well-done stuff. This still represents my feelings.

The story has a good introduction. I mean, from the moment Shin and company arrived to the Federal Republic of Giad, the episodes shows solid backstory about the country, the military, the society, the characters, and how its citizens support the freedom of the Eighty-Six, and the immediate differences between Ernst’s humanitarian personality and Frederica’s childish antics, making a powerful contrast with San Magnolia. And then, the next episode, the feelings and inner conflict of the Spearhead are explored, taking its time to make both solid and convincing.

Not just a good rhythm, I would say a special care of which elements contribute to the development of story and characters.

Another element that I loved is to see Shin, Raiden, Anju, Theo and Kureha finally being treated with dignity.

Yes. I know that all return to the battlefield afterwards, but those minutes of the Spearhead Squadron living normal lives and treated as human beings are really heartwarming, especially after all the abuse, prejudice and loss they suffered thanks to San Magnolia. And let’s not forget the cuteness of Frederica and Shin together.

Also I give credit to Episode 13, from this sequence.

From Raiden to Shin, all of them are backwards, and enjoying the daily life at Giad.

And this scene is very important, because it reflects the inner conflict the Spearhead Squadron is facing right now, because despite having freedom, the very thing all of them fought for, none of them can forget their fallen comrades, or where do they come from.

More importantly, from the arrival to Giad until the basic training as officers, there is a natural pacing throughout the episodes, allowing the viewer to relate with our main characters even more.

Because of that rhythm, and the beautiful world-building, you enjoy the action and the realism of war better (especially if you watch Part I).

Finally, we got the social commentary from Part I, profound and interesting to say the least. There is some violence, but it belongs to the context, and the feeling that, perhaps… I mean, perhaps. Part II will be darker.

Like I said, if you enjoy Part I, you will enjoy Part II.

CHARACTERS

By the time we reach Part II, we are already familiar with the characters. We know who is Shin, who is Anju, who is Kureha, who is Raiden, who is Theo, who is Lena and who is Annette; but since we saw how they behave in a civilian context, we see another part of their personalities, for a few minutes, but that’s good enough. Also the voice acting, at least in Japanese, is really good, you can tell that the actors already know their characters and how they will react.

But, I want to an honorable mention to…

For her voice, of course. Yes! Anju is a BEAUTY!!! Her code is the Snow Witch for a reason. But I love her more because she is voiced by one of the greatest seiyuu of history.

SAORI HAYAMI

Hail to you!!! Seiyuu Princess.

I love your precious contribution to anime…

…that sadly, includes that filthy, treacherous «b&*ch», Rachel, from Tower of God.

Furthermore, we can agree that there a lot of memorable female characters from 86: Eighty-Six, a lot to choose for my Top Waifu list for 2021. Until then, all I can saw is…

And finally, we cannot forget the true star of the show. And not Lena, I am afraid…

I mean Frederica. She is a girl, and like I said, she does a lot of childish antics throughout Part II, but not to be point of being obnoxious… AND I LOVE HER.

Seriously. she is truly the perfect mascot. (And no. This isn’t me, that’s her position on the Nordlicht Squadron, according to myanimelist.com)

And… Let’s indulge ourselves with another gallery of her childish enthusiasm.

ARRIBA FREDERICA! I will be very nice with you!!!

CONCLUSION

Indeed, 86: Eighty-Six Part II is as entertaining and solid as Part I. I already said what I needed to say, but if you enjoy Part I, you will definitely enjoy Part II.

Someday, I will review Part I, but even then, I have something very clear.

86: Eighty-Six is one of the best anime of 2021.

I know it is only Part II, but it is something. Hopefully Henrietta will be happy. Right Henrietta?

Oh. Ok.. Would you do some fanservice with Lena for me?

DROP DEAD!! SHUT UP AND GO GET MY MONEY!!!