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Beyond the Best 6: Isekai Fantasy Romance Manhwa

As you may know from my past posts, I'm undeniably, unapologetically addicted to isekai and fantasy romance manhwas. Since I'm addicted, I wanted to put together a few manhwas that I genuinely enjoyed. They were so good that they made me stay up multiple nights reading. I have no regrets ( ; ω ; )

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Villains are Destined to Die

10/10, ongoing isekai manhwa about a woman who wakes up one morning as a villainous princess who dies in a video game she played. She slowly re-builds the princess's bad reputation to save herself from impending death. This is my most recent manhwa I mega-binged, and I enjoyed it way too much. I like the twists and turns of the story and loved all the stories as well. I think seeing the bad sides of characters then slowly realizing they're not as bad as you think is a cool way to introduce and work through relationships.

Out of all the isekai/fantasy romance Korean manhwa I've read, I like this one the best! Waiting for updates is torture (μ_μ)

What Melvin Left Behind

8/10, completed manhwa about a girl who witnesses the murder of her brother, the heir of the Neus Castle, the night before his coronation. She's rescued by her brother's best friend, and he helps her unfold why his brother died. This is another solid series. I enjoyed this a lot, even though the romance parts are stereotypical of a fantasy romance series. The mystery behind her brother's death and her slowly learning to accept her brother's death are definitely what makes this manhwa stand out the most.

This manhwa is also fairly short, so it's an easy read to binge in a few days. I definitely would count that as a plus!

I Shall Master This Family

7/10, ongoing time-travel manhwa about a girl who is reborn as her former 7-year-old self after witnessing the fall of her family aka her family name and status gets ruined. She promises herself that she will never let history repeat itself and works to protect her family's honor and status by making a masterplan - to become the next head of her family. Similar to <Who Made Me Princess> (check out my review), you get to watch the main character grow up into an adult. I really liked seeing her progress as she grew up and become more confident and powerful. Very satisfying.

Beware the Villainess!

7/10, completed isekai manhwa about a woman who is reincarnated as a villainess from a novel she once read. She decides to do anything in her power to break free from her villainous lifestyle, but the novel begins to fight back to force the original story back on track. This one, although pretty stereotypical plot armor is pretty strong in this series, has a cool twist where it's not easy for the main character to change the original story. I don't want to spoil it, so that's all I can say. But, in short, it was a cool touch that made it a lot more fun!

This one is also fairly short, so if you like binge reading like I do, you can finish it quickly. It's about 95-ish chapters then the rest is just sides stories/bonus chapters.

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I could add a lot more to this list, but I didn't want this to get too long. A lot of these manhwas have a very similar gist to them. Sometimes it's the characters who are similar or the storyline that's similar. But if you go into it expecting similarities, I think they're very easy, fun, light-hearted reads since you know that everything will eventually work out one way or another.

None of the photos in this post are mine!

[mioreviews]

Themed Collections Masterlist

Welcome to the lists of my other miscellaneous collections of posts. As this blog grows, I wanted to create more compilations and writings of other works and thoughts, beyond my main review posts. Enjoy (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

(Go to my main masterlist to see my main reviews for animes, k-dramas, manga, and manhwa)

Last updated: 2025/08/06

Beyond the Best

-- collections of ongoing, unfinished, or short/simple series that didn't make the final cut for a full review

Beyond the Best 1: Manga that's worth it

Beyond the Best 2: Isekai Manhwa

Beyond the Best 3: Shoujo Manga

Beyond the Best 4: Shoujo Manga Part 2

Beyond the Best 5: Upcoming Shounen

Beyond the Best 6: Isekai Fantasy Romance Manhwa

Drop

-- for series I eventually dropped & did not finish

The Way of the House Husband [anime]

Banana Fish [manga]

Black Clover [manga]

A Deeper Look

-- a space for me to post essay-like rants about overarching themes or topics

coming soon

[mioreviews]

Mio's Review Tier List

As more and more reviews pile up on my blog, I wanted to create a space where you can easily see what my top rated, favorite reviews are. I might make a full tier list later, but for now, here are my favorites °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

★ = my personal top picks

Last updated: 2025/08/04

S TIER~*:･ﾟ’☆

-- top reviewed posts rated between 9 - 10/10

D.P. Season 1 & 2 [K-drama] ★

Prison Playbook [K-drama]

Reply 1988 [K-drama]

The Glory [K-drama]

Apothecary Diaries Season 1, Season 2 [anime] ★

Demon Slayer: S1-2, S3 Pt. 1, S3 Pt. 2 [anime], + [manga] ★

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End: Season 1 [anime & manga] ★

Jujutsu Kaisen [anime] & [manga] ★

March Comes in like a Lion Season 1 & 2 [anime]

Pluto [anime]

Violet Evergarden [anime] ★

The Boy and the Heron [anime movie] ★

The Tale of Princess Kaguya [anime movie]

Your Name [anime movie]

Tokyo Revengers [manga] ★

Vagabond [manga] ★

Top recommendations~*:･ﾟ’☆

-- series I really liked even though I may not have rated them highly

The Witcher Season 2 & Season 3 [Hollywood series]

A Place Further the Universe [anime]

Delicious in Dungeon [anime]

Fruits Basket (2019): Season 1 [anime] ★

Made in Abyss [anime] & [anime movie] ★

Nana [manga] ★

Neon Genesis Evangelion [anime]

Yona of the Dawn [manga]

Beyond the Best 4: Shoujo Part 2 [manga]

Beyond the Best 5: Upcoming Shounen [manga] ★

Will continue to update this as I go - probably will update the formatting too at some point.

--mio

[mioreviews]

My Happy Marriage Season 2

Anime / Fantasy Romance

Rating: 6/10

As a fan of the original season 1 series (read my review), I finally watched season 2 of <My Happy Marriage>. It seems like season 2 is the finale, as the ending wrapped up the couple's lives very well. So far, I prefer season 1 over season 2, even though the couple's relationship is much better in season 2. <My Happy Marriage> Season 2 moves on from the initial Cinderella-style story and becomes a fantasy story about the good and bad of supernatural powers & figuring out what "having powers" means to the "powerless" female lead, Miyo.

Very different & new which has its ups and downs. It was refreshing to not have the same plot again, since season 1 was already kind of slow-paced and resolved the initial plot.

A lot more world-building. One thing I liked about this season was that we got to see more beyond the couple's house. We explore more of the supernatural powered world they live in and meet more new characters, which all played a part in the story good writing

For what didn't hit the mark,

Plot holes. Like season 1, season 2 still suffered from plot holes, mainly with why things are happening & characters' emotions/thoughts. If they took the time to build the world more, like show a hierarchy of powers or public controversies about powers, I think the tension would've come off much bigger. It's so focused on only the main couple that we only learn from their opinions.

So much action for a fantasy, romance series. The inclusion of action wasn't the downside. Instead, because the initial story wasn't action-filled, the action scenes were average at best. The powers could've been cooler and more intense. This may be because the powers weren't introduced well, like why do some people have powers and others don't. Similar to the plot hole point above, the powers needed more explanation & build-up.

Overall,

<My Happy Marriage> season 2 was a cute series with an odd fantasy, supernatural twist I didn't expect (which has its pros and cons). Like I said in my season 1 review, I still wish the series made a decision between fantasy & romance. Since season 1 struggled with finding a balance between the two, season 2 came off odd with its full-blown fantasy supernatural story. Although odd, I will say it did make sense to bring Miyo into the world of supernatural powers - it would be even weirder if she was powerless forever, since she's the main character anyways. Definitely not the best series out there, but because I liked Miyo, I'm glad I watched it all the way through to be with her till the series finale.

Generally, I prefer season 1 over season 2, particularly because I was initially drawn in by the Cinderella-style story in the first place.

[mioreviews]

Squid Game Season 2 & 3

Kdrama / Thriller Drama

Rating: 7/10

Season 2, 9/10; Season 3, 6/10

Warning: Blood, violence, death

<Squid Game> has finally ended with its last season. Season 3 was a continuation of season 2, so I grouped them into one review. If you haven't watched <Squid Game>, it's about a game of life and death where you must survive children games with a deadly twist for a huge cash prize. Season 1 (read my review) was about an initial group of game players, and now season 2 & 3 has another round of games with new players. May the games begin!

New games & twists. First off, I liked how they did not reuse any games, not even the famous dalgona game. The games were kind of confusing (the gist is that they use children games but some were weird), but I still appreciated the creativity of the games and the new drama that came with them.

Characters with meaning. Since the audience already knows how the games work through season 1, it gave season 2 & 3 more time to give their characters more purpose and personality. I liked how different everyone was with all their different background stories & reasons for being in there.

Clear messages. I liked how the new seasons had a clear message it wanted to say. It comments a lot on humanity and morality all the way until the last episode.

As for the downsides,

Shaky final group of characters. Season 2 had a great cast, both for the good guys and bad guys, which is what I said above. But you could see the cracks when the cast got smaller near the end. They started to lose their best, well-developed characters, which left behind half-built ones.

Season 3 > 2 is also another issue. Similar to the last point, but it was slightly disappointing to see season 2 build its characters and story so much just for the last season to do what it did. Season 3 lacked the story/world-building it deserved. It felt slightly rushed, almost like it just wanted to end quickly and quietly.

And just because it truly annoyed me, I personally thought the people in the animal masks were annoying. You'll know when you see them.

Overall,

<Squid Game> Season 2 & 3 had a great start with an anticlimactic or an artistic tragic end, depending on how you view it. I did enjoy the new games, fresh characters, and the involvement of the main character from season 1 instead of just replacing everything & everyone by dropping the season 1 story. Like I said before, it had a clear message it wanted to convey, but at times, it was a bit on the nose with no room for the audience aka us to play with possible interpretations & theories. Unfortunately, <Squid Game> may be one of those series where season 1 was their best season.

As season 3 ended, it made me feel unsure with if I liked the way it wrapped up or if I wanted more action, lore, build-up, or tension - I don't know, something felt like it was missing. It's hard to point out a specific part that could've been better, as I think the storyline was a bit shaky from beginning to end.

Would I watch it again? Season 2, yes. Season 3, maybe but not more than once and not by choice.

[mioreviews]

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2

Anime / Historical Mystery

Rating: 10/10

Season 2 is finally complete! I already reviewed Season 1, so read that review at this link. Overall, <The Apothecary Diaries> follows the life of a female apothecary, Maomao, and her life in the Emperor's rear palace where the concubines stay. Like season 1, Maomao mainly solves mysteries and problems in the palace.

Great story pacing. One of my critiques on season 1 was that it had too many side stories, and season 2 solved that problem! There was a bigger focus on the main storyline and more build-up than the first season. I liked that they didn't stick to the same thing as before. The story overall was strong and purposeful to keep the story pushing forwards. I'm glad season 2 wasn't a "filler season".

Main and side character growth and relationship growth too (wink wink)! It was nice to focus more on the characters we're already invested in, instead of introducing more and more side characters and lose sight of the main plot.

Leaned heavily into the "historical" side. If you like historical series, I think you'd enjoy season 2 a lot. Especially in the last half of season 2, no doubt that it's historical for a reason. Political controversy, rebellion, you name it!

One downside, which is honestly for both seasons...

What's their unique storytelling formula? They've shown us that they can do A LOT - short stories, long stories, history, comedy, playful, serious, and even romance. So now that gets me questioning what is their classic "formula" going to be or will each season change every time? Essentially, there isn't that much consistency between season 1 and 2, which is nice because it's fun but also concerning because it's random.

Overall,

<The Apothecary Diaries> is definitely a must-see in my book! Although season 1 and 2 are different, I still thoroughly enjoyed both seasons. I like the wide range of character narratives the series has proven it can bring, and I appreciate that it can also deliver them well in both artistic and enjoyable ways.

Because the storytelling style was all over the place, I'm a little worried for how season 3 will turn out (it's already confirmed!). Comparing season 1 to 2, this new season lost some of the playfulness from season 1. Even though I critiqued the many side stories in season 1, I unexpectedly lowkey missed them because season 2 generally didn't include many side stories. I definitely hope future seasons has a better balance of everything.

[mioreviews]

Beyond the Best 5: Upcoming Shounen

There are many, many new anime adaptations that are coming in 2025/2026. When I see these anime news, it gets me curious about if the original manga is actually good or not. I mean it has to be getting an adaptation for a reason, right?

So hi, I read them for you (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

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Gachiakuta

10/10, ongoing manga with an upcoming anime in July 2025 about a boy who is innocently framed for murder and cast to the "Abyss". In the "Abyss", he joins a group of fighters to figure out who is actually responsible for the murder, so he can prove his innocence and go home. Very interesting and cool dark fantasy world! The art style is dark & graffiti-like. I like it! I like the uniqueness of this series and am very excited to see the anime adaption. Reminds me of a mix between series like <Soul Eater> & <Fire Force>, but with a darker, gritter vibe.

If the adaption does well, this could easily become a new trending shounen series. If it ends up doing well, I'll make a full post on it, so TBA!

Kagurabachi

7.5/10, ongoing manga with an unknown upcoming anime possibly 2026? about a boy who is fighting his way through sorcerers and swordsmen to retrieve his dead father's legendary katanas. Another series with an interesting sorcery/sword-fighting story + mystery to draw you in what's up with so many shounen series having dead fathers. So far, the manga plot pushes forward fairly well, but I do think it could use more well-rounded character development for all the characters. It's still in the early stages (only 60+ chapters), so I hope it gets better as more chapters release.

Hell's Paradise

9/10, ongoing manga with upcoming season 2 anime in January 2026 about a ninja assassin who teams up with some death row inmates and executioners to hunt for the "elixir of life". It takes place in Edo-era Japan on a mysterious, dangerous island and has themes of action, horror, and what it means to be human and moral. The manga's story-building and world-building is smooth and fun & I like how everything slowly unfolds as you go.

I know this series already has a season 1 anime, but I still wanted to mention it. I think it has a lot of potential if they adapt it right. If they don't, my recommendation would be to read the manga instead. It's worth it. I'm considering making a full post later once season 2 comes out.

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Besides that, I'm also excited for more <Sakamoto Days> (read my manga review) and <Kaiju No. 8>. I heard both of them are getting new seasons, and I hope they're fun. I especially like the <Kaiju No.8> manga series so far. I'm looking forward to it!

[mioreviews]

Sakamoto Days

Time to review the manga and the anime for <Sakamoto Days>!

First four manga covers ↑

<Sakamoto Days> is about a retired legendary assassin (his name is Sakamoto obviously). Enjoying retired life, he suddenly finds himself dragged back into the assassin world with a new bounty on his head. As he goes about his daily life, assassins go after him, and we learn about their stories.

The manga has a good balance between family, comedy, and action. I liked the pacing of the ups and downs of the storyline, as well as how it always brings it back to Sakamoto's reason for why he retired - his family. I really like Sakamoto's character design, plus the side characters' designs too. It's a funny, fun, and heart-touching series.

Though there are other minor cons to the manga series, like some story arcs being awkward and wanting to see more of Sakamoto's backstory, the biggest downside of this series is the anime adaptation. The anime, although good, didn't add much to the series' development. I think the biggest problem with the anime was its identity. Did it want to be a comedy anime or action anime? It would've been much better if it had a clear identity and followed through, instead of giving us half of each.

For example, not to make comparisons <Spy x Family> was also a comedy, action series, but it had a clear identity - more comedy than action. We all know we're not watching it for the action scenes. A more distinct identity, like that, would help <Sakamoto Days> have a stronger sense of uniqueness to it.

Overall,

In my opinion, <Sakamoto Days> manga > anime. The original manga has great potential to be a memorable series that meshes action and comedy together, which is probably why it got adapted to an anime in the first place, but the anime was sadly a flop. I'm a fan, so I'll probably watch season 2 if it comes out. But I'm not sure how well it'll do, unless the anime series has more fans than I thought if yes, then good for them. If it does, I hope the storyline and pacing is smoother with better character introductions. [EDIT: I spoke too soon. There will be a season 2 in July 2025!]

The anime's bright color palette and the characters' colorful personalities are commendable though. I'm glad they kept that in the adaptation! In short, if you're interested in <Sakamoto Days>, I highly recommend reading the manga instead.

[mioreviews]

D.P. Season 1 & 2

K-drama / Action Drama

Rating: 10/10

Warning: violence, blood, bullying, mental health, suicide

Finally a new k-drama review! I watched season 1 and 2 of <D.P.>, and I really liked it as you can see by my 10/10 lol. It's been a while since I watched a k-drama, and my love for them is reignited. <D.P.> is about the mandatory Korean military service. Specifically, it follows the branch of the military that solves the cases of enlistees that desert or run away. Lots about bullying in the military, depression, and even other topics you might not expect.

Heart-wrenching plot. Like I say all the time, I'm a big fan of heart-wrenching, sob stories. <D.P> made me laugh, cry, angry, cry, then laugh again all in one episode. I really liked the plot overall.

Call backs. There were a few times here and there where the older characters would revisit or we'd get an update with the characters you grew attached to from a few episodes ago. I liked that choice, instead of never seeing the side character again.

Koo Kyohwan. Although I like the big-time actor, Jung Haein like you don't understand how much I like him lol, I weirdly grew attached to Koo Kyohwan's character. His character's comedic relief in such a sad, dramatic k-drama was one of the best things about this k-drama for me. I didn't really know him, but now I really like his acting and look forward to his next piece!

For the downsides, it's honestly kind of hard to think of any, but if I have to find something...

The beginning of season 2. Normally, there is a time skip between season 1 and 2, but season 2 picks up exactly at the end of season 1. Because of that, I thought the first few episodes were a little weird. There's a build-up that you have to sit through very early on. It's weird but also cool that they did something new. Big "meh" moment, but once it starts to pick-up again, it went back to what I liked from .

Overall,

<D.P.> was one of the best action, dramas I've seen in a really long time. I like heart-wrenching k-dramas, so it was exactly what I like. The actors and actresses were so good with making you hate them then love them then hate them again. Such a roller coaster of emotions! I liked the pacing and the storytelling of the plot too. I'm guilty of watching one too many episodes at 2am. If there was a season 3, I'd totally watch it. But I respect their choice of finishing right at season 2.

[mioreviews]

Apothecary Diaries Season 1

Anime / Historical Mystery

Rating: 8.9/10

Because season 2 is out, I decided to catch up with season 1 of <Apothecary Diaries>. I'm currently watching season 2 now, so I'll post a season 2 review once I finish it. In short, <Apothecary Diaries> is about a girl, Maomao, who ends up being a servant in a fictional Imperial China palace. As an apothecary, she helps solve royal mystery cases that happen in the palace.

Unique historical setting. I generally like experiencing the world building of different worlds that I can't experience, whether that's due to them being fictional or in the past. I thought the multiple settings was very unique and definitely made this series stand out. The settings and color choices match each other well too.

Interesting main storyline. This series uses the "there's a main, overarching storyline among the smaller storylines" style, and I think it fits the series well. It has it's own storytelling style that mixes main and side story well.

Sweet, humorous characters. The characters are very sweet, have great senses of humor, and are as impressive as they are flawed (in a good way - as in it makes them more "human"). The main characters, Jinshi and Maomao, definitely carry the series. With the interesting storyline slowly unfolding their deeper stories, you learn to like the characters more and more.

As for the cons,

The side stories. Possibly too many side stories? Although I'm a big fan of the mystery genre, I sometimes felt like there was too much side story mysteries and not enough build up on the main story. I kind of wish season 1 had a bigger climax. Instead, it seems like the author chose to use smaller climaxes that spanned over a few episodes. But who knows maybe this was a good choice because now here I am watching season 2 lol

I want more apothecary story! This is kind of a personal preference, but I personally liked the first few episodes more than the rest. I think the "apothecary" character choice is so cool and impressive - I really hope that they give us more apothecary/medicine/poison stories where we can see Maomao shine her brightest. I really want to see her do what she likes (and see her do it amazingly too)!

Overall,

<Apothecary Diaries> is a colorful, fun, and unique anime series that mixed the main story and side stories well. The story talks about remembering and respecting where you came from and not judging a book by its cover. The series mixes sadness, regret, love, humor, and cleverness well together. I enjoyed binging it during my free time.

The mystery aspect of the series is fun to watch, but sometimes I'd notice it was going a while with no main story progress. I'll still be watching season 2 though! I have high hopes for season 2, which could end up being my downfall (the normal pattern with series generally is that season 1 is almost always better than season 2). I guess we'll wait and see!

[mioreviews]

Beyond the Best 4: Shoujo Manga Part 2

Welcome back to <Beyond the Best> where I post lesser known manga that isn’t mind-blowing but still good reads! I love shoujo, so I end up reading a lot. Due to a request (and because I'm addicted to this genre) it’s time for more shoujo \(★ω★)/

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Choking on Love

9/10, ongoing manga about college students! Both students are art students and unexpectedly meet and fall in love with each other. I like it because the romance scenes are very cute. It's also more "realistic" as they have their ups and downs with their relationship early on. I would say this is a 10/10, but there unfortunately is not that many chapters out right now (only 19 chapters). So I feel like, although it's fun and cute, the story needs more! Give us moree!

Honey So Sweet

8/10, finished manga about a delinquent high school guy who secretly likes and confesses to a cute, sweet girl who goes to the same high school as him. This is the definition of "high school shoujo manga", and I wouldn't be surprised if it's considered a classic high school shoujo work. The only reason why I gave it an 8/10 is because it's an overused story, however, sometimes a classic story is exactly what you need!

Telework Yotabanashi (Home Office Romance)

8/10, finished manga about 2 adults that have jobs that have taken over their lives. They meet each other and fall in love through teleworking or working from home, which is a very cute, relevant story since so many people work from home nowadays. It's a short manga, but still great! I liked how the manga was a work you could easily read in one day.

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That's it for now! I have also been reading more romance manhwa (aka Korean-styled manga) nowadays, so maybe look forward to that in the future! unless I decide to post something else before that which I probably will lol

None of the photos in this post are mine!

[mioreviews]

Bocchi the Rock

Anime / Slice of Life Music

Rating: 7.5/10

I really like music animes, so you know I had to watch <Bocchi the Rock>! <Bocchi the Rock> is about an extremely socially awkward and anxious high school girl, Hitori Goto, who wants to form a high school band and her journey as she slowly breaks out of her shell.

Relatable storyline. All about slowly overcoming your fears, whether that's social phobia or fear of performing. I thought it was very relatable as a musician myself.

Great music. I loved the music! I don't think I've seen any j-rock (japanese rock) animes, so this was a nice change of scenery and pacing. Hitori is amazing!

Impressive animation choices. They mixed different art styles here and there. But I was most impressed by how they used specific camera angles to make it seem like they hooked a camera on the guitar or to the ceiling. I thought it was a cool choice that they followed camera rules in an animated form. There's also lots of watchers that compliment the accurate hand movements for the instruments as well!

As for what didn't go as well...

Short series, short story development. I personally thought the series was very short and, although there was some character growth and story development, the story didn't push forwards as far as it could have. Not to compare with others, but I've seen other animes that push the story development way more in the same number of episodes. So maybe this is a pacing thing? It's hard to put a one-word label on it because I think it's a combination of a few things, like short series, slower story, etc. I think it desperately needs a season 2 or maybe I desperately want it lol.

Overall,

<Bocchi the Rock> was a fun, cute, relatable anime that every musician or music-lover will enjoy! Especially if you like j-rock and cute girls trying to make their own j-rock music, I think you'll enjoy <Bocchi the Rock>! Although I think the anime could use more depth in the story, I enjoyed the music and the visual aspects a lot. I'm hoping a season 2 comes out that'll give the story and characters more depth with more exciting challenges!

[mioreviews]

Arcane Season 2

Hollywood series / Action Science Fantasy

Rating: 8.5/10

You know the drill - It's been a while since this came out and I'm writing a post late (⌒_⌒;) I do this too often. Anyways, <Arcane> is a series based off of a video game called League of Legends. This is a review for season 2 and directly picks up right after season 1 ends (my review for <Arcane> season 1).

Amazing story. Although there are some cons to this, I really liked the emotional, rebellious, addicting story. Very lore-heavy series. I watched the first few episodes here and there. Then when I hit episode 3 or so, I just couldn't stop watching! It's been a while since I had a binge moment like this where I couldn't stop.

Character consistency and depth. I said in my season 1 review that I liked the characters, and I still do! In season 2, I liked how villains aren't simply evil and the heroes aren't simply good-hearted. I like how the characters keep their humanity.

As for the cons,

Rushed story with a little too much. Although it did help to make it feel not dragged out, I felt like season 2 easily could've had more episodes to explain the story more. This was a downside I mentioned in my season 1 review, and it seems like nothing really changed with the rushing.

Similar to the point above, A few parts of the story were very random. I felt like there could've been more build-up to certain situations to make it feel more natural than forced onto the audience.

Overall,

<Arcane> Season 2 was a great follow-up to Season 1, even with its flaws. Even with its flaws of the rushed story and interesting plot points, I still really enjoyed the series. Like I said earlier, it's been a while since I enjoyed a series this much! The lead-up of the story from season 1 worked and flowed well with where season 2 went. I think <Arcane> doesn't need a season 3 now, which I have mixed feelings for. Although I would love more, I'm not sure where or how the story could evolve further. I pretty much think they've milked it enough and hope they start a new story, instead of dragging out Jinx and Vi's story more.

[mioreviews]

Tokyo Revengers Manga

Warning: Blood, violence

<Tokyo Revengers> is a manga I've seen everywhere but never got around to read. My time has come!

First four manga covers ↑

<Tokyo Revengers> is a very popular manga that was completed in 2022. The anime is still on-going and is at season 3 as of 2023. The story is about the main character, Takemichi Hanagaki, who is a gloomy guy living with regrets. He learns that his first love died and finds himself transported back into time where he tries to save her and fulfills his life-long regrets.

Even though the story is about gangsters and fighting, the story surprisingly looks at heart-felt topics, like friendship, trauma, and loyalty. It reminded me of Neon Genesis Evangelion (which I actually reviewed already here) where it's all fighting and action at first but actually has a deeper layer hiding beneath the first impression. I personally really like when series have a twist like this, so it made me enjoy the story and the pacing of <Tokyo Revengers>!

There are a few downsides though- the anime not being as good as the manga and Takemichi's plot armor. Most of the <Tokyo Revengers> complaints I hear are all from the anime. I haven't watched the anime, but if the anime is disappointing like they say, I say the manga is WAY better than the anime. Going off that, I kind of liked Takemichi in the manga because the plot wouldn't move if he never made the first step, but he definitely has severe plot armour, which can get annoying. If you look past it though, it's fine.

In short,

<Tokyo Revengers> was a fun, action-filled, and heart-felt manga that is worth the read! I've heard lots of negative reviews of the anime, but the manga is completely worth it. I enjoyed it a lot and the plot is amazing. Even if you normally don't read gangster/fighting mangas like me, <Tokyo Revengers> has more to offer so don't judge a book based on its cover!

[mioreviews]

Gyeongseong Creature Season 1 and 2

K-drama / Historical* Action Thriller

Rating: 7.5/10

Season 1: 9/10 & Season 2: 6/10

*note: only season 1 is historical

Warning: Violence, death, gore, torture

Sorry this review took so long! I was watching it casually then realized season 2 was coming out, so I waited to watch both seasons. In short, <Gyeongseong Creature> takes place in 1945 during the occupation of Japan in Korea and the resistance groups unraveling the mysterious experiments affecting people in the town. Season 2 then takes place in present time where the horrors from 1945 are still not over. Very violent and bloody series.

Great mystery with great suspense. I was initially and consistently intrigued by the the unraveling of the experimentations plot. As you can tell, I really liked Season 1, which had the most unraveling. This k-drama was a really good mystery and thriller series!

Character-driven. The characters work hard to make a difference in a world they are powerless and have really touching character development moments. This kind of bleeds into the next point...

Impressive cast. I'm a Park Seojoon fan, and this reminded me of why I like him! Very good acting from everyone in both seasons. The entire cast was really good.

As for the downsides,

Season 2 wasn't my favorite. I'm an all-out season 1 lover with no shame! I loved season 1 and lowkey wish they stayed with the historical drama. I do think season 2 was a good attempt at doing something different instead of reusing the setting and story. But season 2 simply fell short, which effected the overall review rating (took the average of my season 1 & 2 rating so it would be fair).

A lot jammed into one plot. I personally think, although I really liked the story, there was a lot going on at once. It definitely added to making the audience relate to the characters by feeling overwhelmed, but I also think one or two things could've been removed without effecting the overall purpose won't say what they are due to spoilers.

Overall,

<Gyeongseong Creature> is a great k-drama that built suspense and mystery really well. Season 1 is a must-see and season 2 is a see-it-if-you-want. Overall, I did like the messages of the story resisting oppression, fighting back even if you feel small, that kind of stuff and liked how the character development played a part in the story progression. I liked the characters more than I thought I would, and I hated the antagonists with all my heart which just means the actors/actresses did their job well lol. If you like historical, mystery, action/horror/thriller shows, I would recommend watching season 1 and then going from there depending on how much you like the series.

[mioreviews]

im getting into classic shoujo i love them please post more shojo

I assume you're talking about my Beyond the Best post! Thank you for enjoying that post. Posting more shoujo is something I'll gladly do! I like to get a good overview of a few mangas so I make actually good recommendations. It takes time to read, so all I can say right now is ~coming soon~

Welcome to the shoujo lovers club (*´▽`*) and look forward to more soon

[mioreviews]

Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain

Anime / Historical Fantasy Mystery

Rating: 8/10

Warning: Unalived bodies

<Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain> is a unique movie I watched simply because the art really intrigued me. The story of <Mononoke the Movie> takes place in Ooku, which is historically the women's quarters in the imperial palace, and follows 2 new maids and a deep secret that the Ooku is desperately hiding.

Unique art style. It's been a while since I saw a Japanese anime movie with really unique art. The entire movie looks like traditional art done on rice paper or some kind of textured paper with the most colorful palette ever! I love it when movies and series use art or good filmography to tell a story without explaining everything if you know you know lol.

Good intriguing story. The way they use the mystery of the Ooku to draw you in is built very well. At first, I had no idea what was going on, but I got roped in really fast as the story went on. Great storytelling and great pacing.

Amazing traditional Japanese folklore. If you like the folklore creatures and stories, you'll like this! I'm not the most knowledgeable person in this area, but it was still great because it created more mystery for me.

As for the downsides,

Storytelling is better than the characters. I think the storytelling and the mystery did most if not all of the talking. The characters are not developed the best, and it kind of felt like they were all just pawns in the story that could be replaced by anyone else but then again maybe that's the point. I did like some aspects of the characters, but in the end, I only stuck around to see how the problem resolves.

Need to watch part 2! I wasn't aware of this, but as soon as the movie ended, I was like "oh no, there's a part 2 to this" and there is! The second movie is coming out in March 2025, so if you decide to watch this movie, you should know that you won't get a full ending in one movie!

Overall,

<Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain> is a very unique movie with good mystery and art to draw you in! If you're a casual anime fan, this movie is definitely in a more "experimental" side of anime movies, especially with the unusual art style (I've seen some people complain about how the art is overwhelming). But I personally love these kind of "experimental" things. If anything, I really appreciated it for the commitment to the art style then I stuck around because the story was written very well. If you need something new to spice up your life, <Mononoke the Movie> may be the right spice for you! I'll look forward to the second movie!