#Days with My Step Sister

[animebw]

You know, summer usually ends up being the most barren anime season of the year.

That is definitely not the case this time.

MUST-WATCH

Mayonaka Punch: The director of Ya Boi Kongming is back with a show about lesbian vampire Youtubers. Need I say more?

Days With My Stepsister: Don't be fooled by the title: this is actually a very contemplative, serene series exploring the complexities of family. The stuff it's doing with light and shadow has my brain on fire.

Monogatari Series OFF and Monster Season: The ultimate problematic fave is back, and it's just as spectacular as ever.

The Elusive Samurai: Dear lord, this is the most beautiful thing I've ever set my eyes on.

Too Many Losing Heroines: Screwball comedy at its finest. The first episode had me cackling from start to finish.

Shoshimin Series: When a show manages to gut-punch me with strawberry tarts in the very first episode, I know it's operating on another level.

RUNNERS-UP

Oshi no Ko Season 2: god dammit why is this show actually good now

My Deer Friend Nokotan: Shikanoko nokonoko noshikankan shikanoko nokonoko noshikankan shikanoko nokon

Twilight Out of Focus: Always down for more good BL, though be warned it dives headfirst into themes of abuse and pedophilia, so come in prepared.

Senpai is an Otokonoko: Really with the production was better on this was cause the trans narrative at its core is so fucking good so far.

Bye Bye Earth: Thank the gods for classic anime fantasy.

Arti- My Dear Moments: An actual good Key adaptation in this day and age? I never thought the day would come again...

WORTH A LOOK

Narenare: Cheer For You: Incredibly vapid first episode, though the art direction is unique enough I'll probably stick with it a little longer to see if it gets better.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin: This would be an easy recommend in a less packed season, but if you must let one good show slip through the cracks, make it this one.

ON THIN ICE

Tower of God Season 2: I'm willing to give it another shot, we'll see how long that lasts.

The Magical Girl and Evil Lieutenant Used to be Arch Enemies: The story behind this anime's existence is way more interesting than the anime itself.

Suicide Squad Isekai: Tappei Nagatsuki, my guy, what are you even doing?

[anitrendz]

Top 10 Anime Summer 2024 Week 10

Oshi no Ko returns in 4th place after a break. Nier anime reenters Top 10.

[anicastes]

It's a waste of time.

[anime-fyi]

Closing out the Summer 2024 anime season I've come away with a few romances, a few unexpected stories, and a bit of cosplay

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian was an entertaining school romcom with our far too clever protagonist Masachika and the alluring, awkward, kind of tsundere love interest Alisa, aka Alya. Right from the start we're clued into the special scenario here, that Alya has underlying feelings for Masachika she won't be forward about, she says them under her breath in Russian, and it so happens that Masachika actually understands the language - not that anyone knows that except his sister. Right, and the sister, if you watch this you'll meet her and she's certainly got a few different faces and is sometimes there purely for the audience. As the series goes, we learn why Alya has her underlying feelings, positive and negative, about Masachika, and a bit of background on our hidden prodigy boy here.

Recommended? On the whole, as a romcom, yes. Roshidere mixes in enough unique elements, from the Russian language, to the love but also not between these two, to the family dynamics between Masachika and his sister, and the occasional bit of frivolous fan service, to make this an interesting little series with more coming.

Love is Indivisible by Twins was a so-so romantic comedy where twins Rumi and Naori are in love with their shared childhood friend Jun and how their advances create for a difficult love triangle. The set up sounds intriguing, but it all feels a bit soulless. Yes, Rumi and Naori have love for Jun, but ... the reasons feel a bit basic. Collide this with Rumi's indecisive nature, Naori's too aggressive moments, and a boy at the center who's indecisive, all making it not that much fun.

Recommended? Not really. The premise sounded like it could be provocative in some way, but it felt like the romance didn't get time to blossom and as a result the relationships felt a bit flat.

Days with My Stepsister was an intriguing romantic drama where we follow the day to day life of Yuta, the only son of a single father, and Saki, the only daughter of a single woman, and how they adapt to becoming step siblings after their parents married. The important bit to know is that each of their parents went through troubled divorces prior to the story, and the scars of that experience make them both want to keep a distance from one another. It makes for interesting dynamics, their initial coldness turning into something, though whether that's admiration, familial love, or something more isn't clear.

Recommended? For the right audience, yes. This delves into quite a bit of introspection, exploring one's pain and doubts, trust issues, & how to begin to grow into something more. It's slow, thoughtful, in spots difficult, but on the whole good if that all sounds interesting.

Senpai is an Otokonoko was a romantic comedy centered around our crossdressing boy Makoto and the love triangle that forms with his best friend Ryuuji and this girl Saki. Now, sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. This show delves into so much, from the difficulties Makoto has and continues to face as an otokonoko, to how those difficulties caused Ryuuji to have his own rebellious streak to be beside him, to Saki's difficulties within herself and with her family, plus how Ryuuji's hid his own feelings for Makoto, it's a lot to take in.

Recommended? Absolutely. The complexity of the situations here, from all angles, gets navigated with a lot of respect while not shying away from difficult moments. There's also this hilarious tactic the show does throwing in the silliest comedic moments all over the place. It's a great show with a movie coming sometime in 2025.

Twilight Out of Focus was a boys' love romance that gives you the stories of three distinct couples, each beginning with some type of initial interaction that builds into something more. Whether they're roommates, competitive wannabe directors, or two people that get tied together by happenstance, they find something to bond over.

Recommended? Indifferent. It's an entertaining BL, certainly, but encapsulating three different couples, in their own episode sets, in only twelve episodes leaves little time to really dwell on any single pair alone. There's also the appearance of some typical tropes mixed in, which felt uninspiring. A nice watch, but not worth seeking out.

Shoshimin: How to Become Ordinary was a mystery slice-of-life that follows Jogoro & Yuki as they attempt to live a quiet and ordinary life. Thing is, they keep getting wrapped up in mysteries and disasters, which feeds the part in each of them to be anything but ordinary. As the episodes go on, they deal with even the most mundane of things in such an inquisitive and explorative way that it intrigues the mind.

Recommended? If you're open to the type of show that attempts to take a different path, to tell elaborate stories with long dialogs, and won't be disappointed with a simple payoff at the end, then yes. It's delightful in just how much energy is put into the mundane, such as a cup of hot cocoa, but also how more serious events get the same level of complexity. A watch if you're willing to go out on a limb.

2.5 Dimensional Seduction is a romantic comedy that begins as we find Okumura, president of the school's manga club, proclaiming that he has no interest in real girls. As the new school year starts, a girl, Lilysa, wants to join the club. While he's initially resistant, it turns out she loves the same character, Lilliel, as him, and also has a passion for cosplaying. She convinces him to become her photographer, and that's where our story begins as they eventually venture out to a cosplaying event and begin to bring more friends into their orbit.

Recommended? Depends. Fair warning, the start is a real turn-off, Okumura's rigid otaku tendencies coming off cruel. Once cosplaying with Lilysa takes focus the story develops into something driven by helping her achieve her goals, and that's actually fascinating to watch unfold. If that sounds interesting, it could be worth watching, and it's continuing through the fall season. Don't let me get your hopes up too high though, this doesn't have the in-depth moments of a My Dress Up Darling, but it's plenty entertaining in its own way, especially as more girls get into the mix.

And that was my watched series for Summer 2024. Onward to another season of anime, wonder what to watch in Fall 2024 besides continuing with 2.5 Dimensional Seduction.

[chaztalk]

My 2024 summer anime tierlist

[chihiro20]

[my-anime-goods]

Gimai Seikatsu (Days with My Step Sister) - Bonus Figure of Saki Ayase from ordering Blu-ray Volume 1 of the anime.

[nijigasakilove]

Amazing episode as per usual, but this was one of my faves. Saki and Yuta both get very good and relevant advice from the unlikeliest of sources, but how long are they going to be able to run from their true feelings?

I didn’t expect a direct confrontation from Maya like that wow! Just straight up asking Yuta if he likes Saki. Well she knows, but just seeing what he’ll say anyway. Respect to Yuta for not showing any signs of nervousness and staying composed even tho he clearly doesn’t want Saki with someone else.

Lot of good stuff in this episode, for starters I love how happy and excited Saki’s mom got when Yuta praised her in front of the teacher at PTC’s. As a step parent being accepted by your new family is everything and it was a huge relief for her you can tell.

But the second PTC with Saki’s teacher was funny as hell to me. As a teacher saying your student is nothing like the rumours is crazy 😂 you’re not even supposed to be dignifying the nasty stuff high schoolers spread around, but her heart was in the right place. Plus she gave Saki the advice of going to check out the women’s college which I think is good for her

The professor at the women’s college was eccentric as hell, and playing relationship counsellor as soon as you meet a prospective student is crazy, BUT not a single lie was told and Saki needed to hear that stuff so I’ll allow it lol. Saki telling her to call her Ayse at the end made me laugh

I think Saki and Yuta trying to live separate lives and hang with other people will bring them right back to each other in the end as they realise how they truly feel.

One episode left, I can’t believe 3 months have blown by this quickly I’m gonna be so sad to see this end but at least we have the books going strong and the anime is soaring on the charts rn so can’t be too sad.

[njotaku]

Saki is so pretty.

[blerdsunited]

July Anime Releases 2024

• Shy Season 2 x July 1st via Crunchyroll

• The Ossan Newbie Adventurer, Trained to Death by the Most Powerful Party, Became Invincible x July 1st via Crunchyroll

• Tasuketsu -Fate of the majority- x July 2nd via Hulu (Crunchyroll and more after the 7th)

• Alya sometimes hides her feelings in russian x July 3rd via Crunchyroll

• Senpai is an otokonoko x July 4th via Crunchyroll

• The Cafe Terrace and its goddesses Season 2 x July 4th via Crunchyroll

• Twilight out of focus x July 4th via Crunchyroll

• Days with my stepsister x July 4th via Crunchyroll

• Pseudo Harem x July 4th via Crunchyroll

• Nier: Automata Cour 2 x July 5th via Crunchyroll

See next post for part 2. 😁

[regarding-stories]

Some looking back and some rounding up

So, a while ago I did a selection of series I was watching this simulcast season. And some other stuff. Here are my updated thoughts on several of them - plus more other stuff! Yay, other stuff!

...

Dead Dead Demons DeDeDe Destruction

I can say I'm interested where the series is going, but there are two factors stopping me. Following an unfolding catastrophe by itself would already be a downer. But particularly this year, I am really not inclined to watch scenes of cutesy aliens being brutally murdered over and over. First I banned the series from watching at mealtimes, but now, with 11 episodes already watched, I haven't picked it up in quite some time.

GIF by animescreencolle

2.5 Dimensional Seduction

Turned out exactly as I expected it to be - an enjoyable watch all in all, a cute collection of blushing included. I find two downsides with the season:

Unrequited love interest / girl #2 was absent from half the season in spite of being spotlighted in the credits. My guess she was a bit of a filler right from the start, but seldom has a character been sidelined so hard. When she reappeared at the end I actually found she had grown as a character, being some necessary counter-pole to the airhead main girl. (Sorry Ririsa, but your commonsense is entirely absent. The total focus on Ririsa is less surprising when you know (only) her name is in the Japanese title, though.)

GIF by a-titty-ninja

There were... probably two... episodes that were almost entirely composed of internal dialogue that was highly repetitive and stretched out far too long. Yada yada I love all cosplayers. Change of heart. It was tiresome. There's a limit to how much internal dialogue is good in this kind of anime.

I had fun, though.

Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines

I thought this would become a harem comedy or at least have some harem vibes, given the narrator-protagonist we follow around is a dude surrounded by girls with widely differing hairstyles and personalities (and he actually tries to help them all).

I'm gladly surprised how much time this show takes to actually follow along the three titular losing heroines, though. It seems to be very willing to explore their struggles - first with their respective love interests, but now also expanding into shy bookworm's struggle to find friendship, acceptance, and a place in the world she can trust.

GIF by senjo

This focus is reflected in the credits sections which vary and focus on the girl currently taking the spotlight. Bonus: The show has some great music.

I still think that inevitably the protagonist's kindness will lead to a second round of falling-in-love trouble, especially given that girl-who-never-stops-snacking seems to already fill the girlfriend role in most aspects.

Still, loving the attention to characters, emotional scenes, some drama, and it being outright charming, funny, and delightful - this is so hard to wait for each week!

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian

Ended up watching it, and it's a fun diversion. It actually works quite well as anime!

I still think the MC and his sister are absolute jerks when it comes to pranks. And the time he spent in Russia is even more sidelined than in the light novels.

Pseudo Harem

Now for an entry I picked up late. The basic premise is easy - there's a girl named Rin with a crush on her Senpai in drama club. To overplay her cowardice and blatantly flirt with him she invents a series of characters she portrays based on tropes/stereotypes (Imp-chan, Tsundere-chan, Cool-chan, etc) that her Senpai is absolutely enthralled with - so it becomes their own private thing (and probably a bit of a love language).

It surely helps the character is the most adorable little thing ever and voiced by the same voice actress as Yor in "Spy x Family", lending her this particular quality that is a bit timid and easily lured into blushing embarrassment.

The only downside I see to this series that can make you seriously go "Squeeee!" is that it overly focuses on only two characters and hence is more like a gag-comedy manga in terms of plot than an unfolding story (though it has elements of both). The anime certainly transports the whole thing way better than the original manga which I sampled at random before the show was picked up but I found a bit lacking.

Not sure why Senpai and his family (at least his mom) have constant "I lack sleep" eyes...

Days with my Stepsister

In hindsight, a chore with nothing much happening. Girl who is a loner who only relies on herself becomes stepsibling with boy who is a loner who detaches himself from everything. They fall in love.

Which is what you see mostly not happening for a dozen episodes as you watch them asking themselves questions and denying their feelings. And lots of inner monologue.

(Can't find a GIF for this under the English or Japanese title, so tumblr seems to have spoken...)

The show aims for an elegic, nostalgic quality, but it sometimes feels just slow. It is better, though, than shows that stall the plot with over-the-top drama. I watched it to end, after all. The end of the season is such that I find it hard to relate to her as a character, given how he discovered her feelings way before him. (I get that this is a heavy conflict for her, though.)

Side characters are almost entirely sidelined and mostly there to further what little plot there is between the main couple. And it wins the prize for the worst way to draw eyes in female characters, I thought at times she was having a mascara accident when it turned out it was still part of the eye.

Solo Leveling

Didn't expect that one, huh? I was rather annoyed by the hype, as I sometimes am, and had a preconceived bias about what the show is, well, about.

So glad to be wrong!!

The premise is much better than anticipated. Instead of this being about a game, it's about events unfolding that have game-like characteristics underneath. Except the protagonist is the only one to find that out after many years of this going on and hence in a unique position to improve his station in life - though through a very risky, painful means.

The show is well-paced and gorgeous in general, though also gory and overly dramatic. It pulls it off so well, you're on the edge of your seat rather often. And it manages to pull you in for the ride first.

The main criticism I have of this one is that the human side of the MC is... too passionate, focused, and a bit unconvincing. Come on! There is this girl desperate to go out with you but you're not only too consumed in feeling like a loser to take her up on it when you're failing, you still have no clue when you're succeeding! I don't buy into this level of onesidedness. (I guess the "hero" is destined to be with the ice queen we see portrayed so often. But season 1 has zero contact between them and they live in completely different worlds.)

A very harsh show, gore-wise, and more than a tad cruel. Be prepared.

Haganai - I Don't Have Many Friends

It's hard to have an opinion on this one. I read on in the manga because the show leaves off somewhere in the middle. And I must say, it really really has flawed characters - and displays them in all their misconceptions.

At one point I thought I almost got it - when the manga turned against the whole "rumor" and "reading the mood" and the mood turning on people culture. It was nasty how the group-think blamed one girl for the fact a dude had a stupid crush for her instead of the other girl. Of course she contributed to it - not through encouraging the dude like she was accused of (so she was essentially slut-shamed, I guess), but because her response was so horribly tone-deaf as well.

But when you read the defense her friend conjures on the spot, it's no better. So is the author himself horribly tone-deaf or is he meaning to portray characters that are so strongly flawed? I couldn't decide.

There's more of this - like the male lead thinking this girl attracting so much attention and supposedly super smart (but lacking any commonsense) is some sort of goddess. It's hard to tell if that is his flawed thinking or partially the author's? Because she's very flawed, and in turn the anime constantly makes fun of her - including playing a "moo" sound whenever she runs towards someone because, you know... dare I say it? Cow udders.

So it's a flawed show with a desperate amount of fan service and flawed characters, but I was still interested in where these characters would go. And it can be quite funny and/or sweet at times. It doesn't exactly inspire me to read the light novels, though.

My First Girlfriend Is a Gal

Now here's an anime that had some issues that had little to do with the actual story. Boy asks gal out on a dare and she actually accepts - apparently she had a secret crush? Whatever gets the ball rolling.

What the show does make clear is that she as a person/character is very different from the hyper-sexualized image some guys seem to have of gyarus. It actually mostly is a sweet and rather harmless romance with typical anime hijinks - let's go to the onsen (hot springs), MC gets to see her in a yukata, etc. And in this regard the show does fine.

However, the anime version specifically is turning what probably were very short scenes in the mind of the MC into long "censored" sequences, entertaining - at length! - the exact same mindset the character herself so noticeably disproves. While I only started reading the manga picking up at some point towards the end of the show, I don't see the same there. It nowhere takes as much focus. It's clearly a device the anime makers seem to have come up with.

I also have failed to find so far the story arc the show's only season ended on. The whole late story arc was so confusing in the end, not even I was sure what was supposed to happen between them versus what happened. It was a whole lot of "you should have known better" and "I'm disappointed in you" that I couldn't quite follow.

If you look past the blatant "sex sells" treatment the anime got, you find a nice enough story mixed with very silly and unrealistic hijinks. Not exactly destined for greatness, but it's worthwhile (and quite long-running, actually).

My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex

While I'm watching shows I originally had no interest in, this one turned out to be quite decent. The setup is interesting - boy and girl have a middle school romance between nerdy loners that breaks up when they can't cope with change and the communication needed to keep the relationship up. Shortly after the breakup his dad marries her mother, with neither knowing they used to date.

The show varies between different territories. On the one hand it plays with the lingering feelings, especially hers towards him. A lot of the show's humor and premise is based on this, and frankly, it's quite sweet.

What sold me in the show much more, however, is the introduction of a third character into the equation. Another girl who loves the boy - but most of all she treasures the friendship and connection she has with him - more so than "having to have him" or "being the only one." She just is happy to connect to this person - and a romantic relationship would be a bonus.

First the other girls think she is naive and hasn't admitted her feelings. But in the end, her take on emotions, feelings, and love is more mature than frankly most people's (in the show or outside of it) - including the mother of the newly formed family. Her character seems entirely believable and is an interesting expansion of what characters exist in these kinds of stories. She's also a wonderful combination between clueless and having a deep understanding of what love actually is. Brilliant!

The show then proceeds to portray as much the failed relationship as their current one, highlighting the need for personal growth and going beyond the past. The middle school romance isn't portrayed much at first, but as its realities are laid open, we understand how much of the current situation is rooted in them having been socially inept people - or simply kids growing up.

While doing all of this it's a lighthearted show full of banter and little silly situations, and people trying to guess each other's true motivations and feelings. Which makes it a really good take on the premise.

[animebw]

I regret to inform you that a show called "Days With My Step Sister" is unironically one of the best anime airing this season.

[anitrendz]

Top 10 Anime Couples-Ships Summer 2024 Week 3

Our first Couples & Ships chart is out!

[anicastes]

For me, these clothes are the armaments that help me survive in society.

[anime-fyi]

A few captures from the twelfth episode of Days with My Stepsister. This is one of those shows where I'm left with confusion on the take away they want us to have. It's a cliffhanger, not in the traditional sense, but in that the emotions of our pairing aren't rigidly defined when we leave them, but still in this fuzzy space that they seem to be figuring it out themselves. An end that suits the series honestly.

[chaztalk]

My updated manga/LN collection. Pretty good company me thinks