#tsukasa is an excellent villain and i enjoy him as a character

[mrskurono]

HEARD YOU STARTED DR. STONE AND I MUST SAY, you have great taste in characters. What are your thoughts on Taiju and Yuzuriha if you don't mind me asking? - 🎲

I'm half way through with season two but can confidently say I will certainly be picking up the manga once I'm done. Bc this series is fucking *chefs kiss* Easily in my top ten now. My nerdy ass fucking loves the technicality of it + it's the only series to ever have Senku Ishigami. Win win.

And Taiju and Yuzuriha? I would die for them.

Of course as a queer individual I always want more gays but you know what Dr. Stone does fucking straight people right! This. This is the kind of romantic shit I love. Best friends to mutual pining lovers crap is my heroine. God I love it shoot it right into my veins, mainline this shit. I love them so much together. Same with Chrome and Ruri.

I'm a sucker for "I've loved no one but you for thousands of years" kinda vibe and Taiju and Yuzuriha past the fucking vibe check big time.

Dr. Stone is truthfully one of those shows I genuinely love everyone personally or appreciate from a writing/storyline stand point. I give it one billion points. That funky little series is delightful.

[woolishlygrim]

Winter Weebwatch #2

Alright, Week 2, second episodes, which we are getting to a lot quicker than we got the Week 1 episodes, hence why this post is going out, like, three days after the last one. Hey, maybe by the time we hit Week 3, we’ll be current! That’d be nice. 

Several third episodes have already aired, and In/Spectre always seems to be subbed a little late, so we might skip over it for Week 3 and come back for it in Week 4.

Same seven shows as last week, those being Darwin’s Game, Plunderer, ID: Invaded, Pet, In/Spectre, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen and Infinite Dendrogram. Nothing has been dropped or picked up yet, but the season’s still young.

Darwin’s Game

★☆☆☆☆

Haha, this time I’m reviewing the episode immediately after watching! My memory won’t pull the rug out from under me this time!

So, Darwin’s Game episode two sees … um … sees the guy … whose name begins with a K I think … doing something. Um. Oh! There’s a treasure hunt game with murdery elements on, but … but wait, that happens at the end of the episode? So what happens before that? I think there’s a guy who’s like a boxer with superspeed, and he steals the protagonist’s phone, maybe? But I don’t remember why. I …

God, this show is difficult to review. I swear I just finished watching it, but literally none of it has stuck. It just doesn’t take up any space in my memory, it’s like when you wake up from a dream and you remember it for like six seconds before it starts getting jumbled and confused.

One star again, I guess, because I can’t properly review something that I don’t even have a clear recollection of.

Plunderer

★☆☆☆☆

Fresh off what might well be the worst first episode of the season, Plunderer proceeds to demonstrate that it could have won me over easily if it hadn’t decided to devote the first twenty minutes of the series to making me hate it.

So, episode two kicks off with a fight scene between the protagonist, Licht, and Skeezy Military Guy, and it’s honestly pretty fun, as is the sequence just afterwards where Licht pretends to be an amoral thief as part of a convoluted gambit to keep the deuteragonist, Hina, from being arrested for possession of an illegal Ballot. There’s even a kind of emotional arc in this episode, of sorts. If I hadn’t seen the first episode, I probably would’ve given this one three stars.

Except I did see the first episode, and the consequences of that still apply. I can’t really ever sympathise with Licht or even enjoy seeing him on screen because the very first thing we ever saw of his character was him committing sexual harassment. Despite what my reviews of Darwin’s Game might suggest, I have a memory longer than that of a goldfish, so no matter what kind of emotional moments or ‘Aw, see, he really is a good person!’ moments the show throws out, it’s not going to matter, because his introduction already soured me to him and, to be honest, to the show entirely.

Anyway, the episode ends with some random background extra revealing that he’s actually a major villain, and I guess Hina is going to track down Licht to warn him or something, and I’ve just emotionally checked out at this point.

Pet.

★★★☆☆

Pet wins the coveted Most Improved prize this week, as its second episode retells the events of the first episode, but from the perspective of the psychic criminals. This is kind of a great move, as it shows us how these powers work, sets up rules and limitations, clues us into the character dynamic between psychic crime boyfriends Hiroki and Tsukasa, and their boss, the tyrannical and short-tempered but noticeably less powerful Katsuragi.

With this new perspective, events from the first episode are recontextualised, as we see how Hiroki and Tsukasa alter their victim’s memory, and also see how Hiroki is toying with Katsuragi (most noticeably, by making him believe he’s smoking when his cigarette is unlit), and the tension that arises from Katsuragi’s ostensible superior position juxtaposed against Hiroki’s vastly more powerful psychic abilities, setting us up for a future conflict down the line.

We also get to see Hiroki and Tsukasa’s co-dependent relationship, with Tsukasa relying on Hiroki in their work, while Hiroki is emotionally too tangled up in Tsukasa to function without him. That’s actually genuinely interested, and it’s compared and contrasted with the victim’s relationship with his best friend/possible boyfriend -- a relationship that Hiroki and Tsukasa are, by changing his memories, destroying.

The animation is still pretty bad, but it makes up for that somewhat with some stylistic flair and some interesting aesthetic choices.

Infinite Dendrogram.

★★☆☆☆

Infinite Dendrogram picks up this week with Ray and his new person-weapon Nemesis attempting to level up. After learning about a war between the NPC nations of Altar and Dryfe that ended with Altar’s defeat, Ray’s first attempt to level up sees him making both a new friend in the form of another player named Rook, and a new enemy, in the form of a mystery gunman who shoots him down for no readily apparent reason.

I really wanted to give this episode three stars, I wavered back and forth on it for quite a while, since this is still a really enjoyable episode, but ultimately I had to scrape off a point for two reasons: The first was the inclusion of some really jarring and irritating fanservice in the form of the antics of Rook’s Embryo, Babylon, which just threw me out of the episode and grated on me. The second is the scene where Ray’s brother Kuma informs him that the war between Altar and Dryfe was lost largely because when Altar’s NPC king (and remember, NPCs are sapient in this game apparently) said he would not be giving out loot rewards to players who assisted in the war, players just outright refused to help.

Which is kind of … wow. Thousands or maybe hundred of thousands of sapient AIs perished because players, who were at no risk of serious injury or permanent in-game death, refused to help out unless they got ultimately meaningless in-game rewards for doing so. It wouldn’t even as if they would be killing other sapient NPCs, since it’s clarified that Dryfe uses non-sapient robot soldiers. To make this a more bizarre turn that frames the entire playerbase of this game as sociopaths, apparently a bunch of players did fight for Dryfe, which offered rewards to them for doing so, and those players actually did murder a bunch of sapient NPCs.

I’ve elected to be fairly forgiving with the absurdity of this show’s premise, but that one worldbuilding detail kind of pushes it into the red for now.

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen.

★★☆☆☆

Not a whole lot happens in episode two.

Actually, nearly nothing happens in episode two. There’s a very brief explanation of the magic system, and a short sequence that sets up the next few episodes, as Orphen is blackmailed by his sorcerous former friends to assist them in hunting down his sister Azalie, and apart from that it’s alllllllllllll flashbacks.

The flashbacks don’t really communicate anything that couldn’t have been communicated in other ways, though. I mean, in general I really don’t like flashbacks, given that they bring a story to a grinding halt, but these flashbacks are just sort of pointless. We see that Orphen was a student at the Tower of Fang, which we knew, and we meet a few of his friends, which we meet again just afterwards so it’s kind of pointless, and we get some explanation of how the Sword of Baldanders, the weapon that turned Azalie into a dragon, got to the town that Orphen is currently in -- only for us to be told the same thing in exposition a second later.

The pacing of this show is just not … great. After two episodes, it feels like there’s been maybe one or one and a half episodes of content, and I know that doesn’t sound like it’d drag too much, but I have the attention span of a horsefly, so.

ID: Invaded.

★★★★☆

Continuing on from last week’s episodes, ID: Invaded -- now on its third episode, since again, it aired two episodes at once in its first week -- picks up with a new case, that of a bomber who mixes fireworks into his explosives, creating brightly coloured displays as he murders people. Diving into his mental world, Sakaido finds himself on a tower surrounded by a waterfall with dozens of people, as a sniper picks them all off. As he attempts to find clues, his progress is hindered by constantly dying, causing him to reset his memory and start over each time.

This is kind of an opposite situation to Infinite Dendrogram, where this would have been a solid three star episode, being entertaining, engaging, occasionally even thought-provoking and atmospheric (such as in the scene where Sakaido is thinking back to the aftermath of his daughter’s death, pointing out as he remembers it that his recollection of it, in which his daughter is able to talk to him before she dies, the body is recognisable, and the mortician praises her bravery, is incorrect), if not for a few small things.

In this case, it’s the final scene that pushes it up to being a four star episode. With the bomber in custody and in the cell opposite Sakaido’s, a solid four or five minutes are devoted to a harrowing sequence where Sakaido uses what he learned in the bomber’s mind to talk him into committing suicide. It’s an atmospheric, tense, and remarkably upsetting scene, made all the moreso by the voice actors’ excellent performances.

In unrelated news, for those keeping count, the surrealist director Ei Aoki references this time around is Koichi Mashimo, director of the impressively surreal and atmospheric .hack and Tsubasa Chronicle animes.

In/Spectre.

★★★☆☆

So, after a first episode that was kind of all over the place, the second episode actually settles into something like a single genre, establishing itself as a light-hearted supernatural mystery with some romance elements. Which is fine, and it does it well, and I’m happy to not constantly be getting genre whiplash anymore.

This week’s episode sees Kotoko summoned up to the mountains by a snake spirit who wishes to know why a murderer tipped the body of her victim into the snake’s swamp. The main bulk of the episode is taken up by Kotoko and the snake’s interactions, with Kotoko acting as prosecutor and presenting plausible theories as to why the killer did what they did, and the snake picking holes in those theories and shooting them down.

It actually kind of works, to be honest. As Kotoko explains her theories, we’re shown them happening on screen, and since the snake points out some pretty reasonable flaws in them, it feels like a nice, even back-and-forth debate, as the two make point and counterpoint. Written well, debates like that can be really compelling viewing, and this episode actually is written really well.

There’s also some nice character development moments early on, with Kuro turning down Kotoko’s offer of accompanying her to visit the snake, only to insist she take a thermos of soup and a jacket with her, and later wandering up to meet up with her anyway. Mamoru Miyano doesn’t have the easiest job here, playing someone who is meant to have extremely flat affect and yet still make them interesting to listen to, but he pulls it off pretty well.

[cherry-valentine]

Summer 2019 Anime Season

Here’s what I’m watching:

To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts is an action series that’s basically about the Civil War (but in a fantasy country! So no one gets offended! I guess) being won on the strength of a military unit made up of people who can transform into mythological beasts (think werewolves, sirens, centaurs, etc.). And then those people begin to go mad and start killing for no reason after the war is over, so it’s up to their captain, Hank, to track them all down and put them out of their misery. It’s a pretty cool idea that results in some fun battles (wanna see a werewolf fight a minotaur? Now you can!). There’s also a hefty dose of tragedy, as pretty much all of these “beasts” were once kind and heroic human beings whom Hank viewed as family. I don’t know if the show is trying to make a point about PTSD suffered by former soldiers (I honestly don’t know if the show is that deep), but it can definitely be interpreted that way. The “beasts” still seem very human, even when they look like complete monsters. The art is nice, with some cool creature designs. I was initially annoyed by a certain female character’s design, as she has hilariously enormous boobs (they literally look like two giant beach balls glued to her chest) and she likes to wear low cut tops and mini-skirts as her “military uniform”. It was just so completely absurd. But she turned out to be an interesting character with a fun personality, not at all the “seductive temptress” type I was expecting. Also, right when I was thinking how annoyed I was with the fanservice surrounding this character, I realized that sexy, buff Hank was standing there in the same shot, shirtless. And he comes out of his shirt very often. So yeah, I can forgive the giant boobs chick as long as we have hot shirtless Hank.

Given is a beautiful, emotionally powerful yet subtle series about boys in a band. Most of the main characters are gay, bi (maybe pan?) or otherwise queer, but I hesitate to lump it into the yaoi category and leave it at that. To me, for a series to be called yaoi, I’ve always felt that it had to focus on the male/male relationships, which is why I consider Yuri on Ice a sports anime, not yaoi, and No. 6 a sci-fi drama, not yaoi, and so on. But Given really does focus on those relationships, yet it still feels very far removed from other anime in the genre, like World’s Greatest First Love and Love Stage. For one thing, the relationships feel totally natural and realistic, not at all like the stylized, often rapey relationships that so often plague the genre. Given is subtle, as I mentioned before. For the first several episodes, you’d have no idea any of the characters are queer if you hadn’t heard about it beforehand. Because Given builds a complicated story with real emotional intensity and complex relationships rather than beating us over the head with fanservice. The art is top notch, with varied, interesting character designs and a soft,warm color palette. As expected of a series about a rock band, the music is excellent, with my favorite opening theme of the season. Given can be a bit quiet, a bit slow-paced, but the painfully honest portrayals of love, infatuation, and loss are so universal and so well written that you can’t possibly be bored.

Dr. Stone is my favorite anime of the season, simply because it’s a fresh concept that I haven’t already seen a hundred times in anime. The basic premise is that one day, out of nowhere, a bright light fills the sky and every human being is immediately turned to stone, with most of them remaining conscious (at least for a while). It sounds horrific, actually. Nearly four thousand years later, our protagonists break free from their stone shells and find the earth reclaimed by nature, taking on a prehistoric look. One of those protagonists is Senku, a scientific genius who decides he’s going to restart civilization and bring technology back to the world. What makes Senku interesting is that, instead of being a cold, stoic sort of genius (the usual kind we get in anime), he’s actually a kind and funny guy (if a bit sarcastic and snarky) who cares deeply about his friends and genuinely wants to save the human race. This makes him a character you want to root for. The villain Tsukasa, a cunning and intelligent man who nevertheless relies on his physical strength to dominate his enemies (he killed a lion with his bare hands minutes after being revived from stone), is also compelling. The show also has interesting and varied lady characters, like the crafty and sweet Yuzuriha and the agile “lioness” Kohaku. The art isn’t a style I’m generally crazy about, but it does the job well, capturing a wild and fascinating world. The music is also great, with amazing opening and ending themes. Dr. Stone doesn’t shy away from things like murder and violence, but overall it’s a celebration of the accomplishments of mankind and the curiosity that drives all innovation.

The list is very short this season, and that’s mainly because I’ve had little patience for shows that just don’t keep me hooked. I’ve dropped three shows this season that I was pretty far into. One was “If It’s For my Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord”, about an adventurer in a fantasy world finding, and then adopting, a small orphan girl. I was very much enjoying this sweet, adorable series about their father/daughter bond. But since it’s based on a light novel series (light novels are often a cesspool of creepy male wish-fulfillment fantasy), you can probably guess what the “plot twist” I heard about was that made me drop the show like a hot potato, seven episodes in. There was also “Fire Force”, which had one of the most engaging and badass opening sequences in a first episode I’ve seen in years. I was all pumped up to love this series. Until I realized that literally every single named female character is there exclusively to be sexy and provide fanservice. How do you know an author has no idea how to write female characters? They rely on fanservice, because that’s the only way they can think of to make those characters likable to the young male audience the story is aimed at. Honestly, the protagonist can only accidentally stumble into so many “sexy situations” before it gets very, very tiresome for any viewer that’s not a twelve year old boy.

Carry Over Shows From Previous Seasons: Black Clover Diamond no Ace Kimetsu no Yaiba

Best of Season: Best New Show: Dr. Stone Best Opening Theme: Given Best Ending Theme: Black Clover Best New Male Character: Senku (Dr. Stone) Best New Female Character: Kohaku (Dr. Stone)

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 1/25/20

Again!!, Vol. 12 | By Mitsurou Kubo | Kodansha Comics – For better or worse, Again!! has always been unpredictable. I appreciate that it didn’t always follow the expected story beats, but at the same time, the inconsistency has been frustrating. For example, Imamura’s fluctuating dedication to the Ouendan had him proclaim at one point how much he wanted his grandma to see him cheering, and had that occurred it would’ve been a heart-tugging moment. But it didn’t happen. Instead, Imamura returns from another do-over (this time, flashing to a future in which his death inspired the other characters) with an apathetic attitude that eventually prompts him to return to 2014—a future where his grandmother is dead—without apparently a single pang about it. The ending is also kind of abrupt and ambiguous. In the end, I find myself wishing this had been more predictable, ‘cos at least it would’ve been more satisfying. – Michelle Smith

Chihayafuru, Vol. 18 | By Yuki Suetsugu | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – This volume is full of choices for Chihaya. It’s time to complete another career survey, and this time she fills in a more realistic goal than becoming Queen. It’s also less ambitious, however, and thus her karuta advisor comes to see her play at the Yoshino Club Tournament to ask someone with more experience whether Chihaya really has the potential to become Queen. Happily, she’s playing with more precision and focus than ever, but her next opponent is Haruka Inokuma, a 4-time former Queen, so her chances really hinge on how she fares in that match. (I suspect Taichi vs. Arata is in the offing, as well.) Too, the school trip conflicts with the Master/Queen qualifiers, and Chihaya must choose which side of herself she wants to cultivate more. I seriously love this series and am eagerly anticipating the next volume! – Michelle Smith

Dr. STONE, Vol. 9 | By Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi | Viz Media – Perhaps being interesting was too much to ask, but Taiju and Yuzuriha are at least contributing now that they’ve been added to Senku’s team—Taiju by being a literal tank soaking up damage, and Yuzuriha by apparently taking all the statues that Tsukasa smashed and sewing them together, presumably so they can be revived. If this seems farfetched, it’s no more so than finding the hospital where Tsukasa’s terminally ill little sister was located and unstoning her, which apparently also cures her illness. That said, Tsukasa may not be the end boss, as there’s another who’s been waiting for the moment to make his debut as a Big Bad. This continues to be ridiculous but also cool. – Sean Gaffney

Hatsu*Haru, Vol. 10 | By Shizuki Fujisawa | Yen Press – Best Couple get the cover, and I continue to be more interested in them than I am Riko and Kai, who are cute and all but also somewhat predictable. The four of them go to the hot springs, mostly as Riko is too nervous to be alone with Kai, and Takaya learns that Ayumi leaves herself wide open. After a cute but slight Valentine’s chocolate chapter, the best part comes when Ayumi gets a bad cold and Takaya visits, meeting her parents and finding out she’s actually pretty rich and her family are famous film creators. Ayumi is not yet ready to reciprocate Takaya’s feelings, but she does open up to him about wanting to seek her own path. It’s great to see, and we have three volumes left after this, so I’m sure it will work out. – Sean Gaffney

ROADQUEEN: Eternal Roadtrip to Love | By Mira Ong Chua | Seven Seas – While not technically manga, ROADQUEEN will likely still appeal both stylistically and thematically to readers who enjoy Japanese comics. In particular, the volume makes an excellent addition to Seven Seas’ catalog of yuri titles. ROADQUEEN originated as a short online comic, followed up by a much longer multi-chapter sequel. Both of these stories and an additional bonus comic are collected in this volume. Leo, the prince of Princess Andromeda Academy, only has eyes for Bethany—her motorcycle. At least until Vega arrives on the scene and steals Bethany away. Vega promises she’ll give the bike back, but only after Leo proves that she can be a decent lesbian (not to mention human being). ROADQUEEN is deliberately over-the-top, Chua obviously having a lot of fun playing with tropes, but it can actually be very touching, too. With an abundance of humor and a ton of heart, ROADQUEEN is an absolute delight. – Ash Brown

Saki the Succubus Hungers Tonight, Vol. 1 | By Mikokuno Homare and studio HIP-CATs | Ghost Ship – I will admit that for a title that’s coming out via the Ghost Ship label, which means “borderline porn,” this is pretty cute. Saki is a fairly new, still virginal succubus who has been thrown out of her family home as she’s old enough to be finding men to “feed” on, but she’s honestly a bit too shy for all that. She is thus near starvation when found by Renta, an adult salaryman who is also a virgin. They clearly fall for each other pretty fast, but are also both innocent and clueless, so nothing happens… well, OK, something happens, she manages to “feed,” but the plot is still “will they ever actually do anything” and the answer is likely “no.” Still, for tease, this is relatively cute and sweet. – Sean Gaffney

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 5 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – Welp, despite what I thought, the series does not end just because the main couple confessed. Indeed, most of the volume involves separating the two—not by design, but simply as Shirayuki has been invited to another country for a get together… her old country, where Prince Raj is. Indeed, after having it out with her a couple of volumes ago, Raj is seemingly turning over a new leaf, but that doesn’t mean he’s comfortable around her at all—he never expected she’d accept the invitation. Her bodyguard for this journey is Obi, and I note that this series is very good at having a bunch of guys in it who are not immediately in love with the heroine. Whether that’s true of the new villain introduced here, who knows? – Sean Gaffney

Teasing Master Takagi-san, Vol. 7 | By Soichiro Yamamoto | Yen Press – Having established that our leads will end up married with a child in the future, the series can now slowly move forward in increments, culminating in the final chapter here, where Nishikata, of his own volition, asks Takagi to the summer festival. But we’re also looking back, as we get to see how the two of them first met, and how Nishikata’s two basic qualities—a nice guy with great faces when he’s embarrassed or upset—inspire Takagi almost immediately. I’m not sure this is exactly when she falls for him, but she certainly has by the end of this book, which gives us another nice blushing reaction from her. Oh yes, and there’s still plenty of teasing. You expected something else? – Sean Gaffney

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 2 | By Kousuke Oono | VIZ Media – This was another fun volume of The Way of the Househusband, in which Tatsu tries aerobics and yoga, intimidates a yakuza by offering him kitchen gadgets, eradicates stubborn stains in Masa’s laundry, plays volleyball with housewives, and more. I really appreciate that we saw more of Miku, his wife, this time around, and probably my favorite chapter is the final one, in which her parents drop by for a visit. Even though the fish-out-of-water setup in this series reminds me of the premise of Saint Young Men, The Way of the Househusband is not only visually superior (better art, great pacing to jokes), but has more heart, especially the bonus chapter in which we see Miku’s dad practicing for the moment when he asks Tatsu if he wants to go outside and play catch. I stop short of calling the manga sweet, but it’s wholly endearing. Highly recommended. – Michelle Smith

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 13 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 13 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – OK, I was probably foolish to think the race would end in this volume. We’re gonna have to wait for fourteen. But in return, we get so much shonen sports at its best. Midousuji does his best, but then crashes and burns. Instead, it’s Manami who gets the bulk of this book, where we discover that he enjoys shifting gears higher when he should be doing the opposite, just to make things even more fun. That said, he shouldn’t dismiss our hero, Onoda, who has his pedaling and his Pretty Princess song to keep him going forever. (Oh yes, and his mother shows up—apparently at rando, as he never told her about the race? This was the funniest part of the book.) Things should end next volume… well, at least this race. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

[recentanimenews]

STAFF PICKS: Crunchyroll Features' Most Anticipated Summer Anime!

  SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE, KIDDOS! And that means a brand new batch of exciting anime to dig into! The Crunchyroll News and Features teams got together and had a chat about which series we're most excited about for the next three months! From the petryfiyingly cool Dr. STONE to DanMachi's long awaited second season, to the extremely excellently titled To The Abandoned Sacred Beasts, this summer is gonna be chock full of excellent anime! Let's jump right in!

  Joseph Luster

  Dr. STONE

I’ve only read the first few chapters of the manga and I think, for now at least, I’m gonna leave it at that. The adaptation looks solid enough to make me want to be surprised as it airs, so I can’t wait to follow this one week by week!

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Season 2

This is one of those series I came late to because I didn’t think I’d like it at all. Turns out I was totally wrong, because I wolfed down the first season and the Sword Oratoria spinoff. I can’t wait to check out the movie, but for now the second season is at the core of my DanMachi hype.

Fire Force

I’ve been covering this series as all the new cast announcements and trailers popped up, so naturally I started getting more and more curious about it. This is another where I haven’t read the source material yet, so I’m ready to see some SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION!

GRANBELM

  The story and characters have me intrigued with this one, but I have to admit most of my excitement lies in seeing what the director of Re:ZERO does next. I’ve got high hopes for this one.

  To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts

I read a few volumes of Maybe’s manga, but it only took one for me to think, “Man, this really needs an anime adaptation!” Flash forward a couple years and I’m delighted to see it happening, thanks in no small part to the idle thought I had while reading manga by myself, no doubt.

Nicole Mejias

  Dr. STONE

  When I was first looking at what was coming in Summer 2019, Dr. STONE intrigued me and quickly sat at the top of my list. After very recently reading the manga, I fell in love with the unique twist on the traditional Shonen Jump action series, using science in place of magic, supernatural abilities, or other usual stand-bys. When I first heard that it would use science, I was pretty skeptical; I figured it would just be an excuse for sci-fi, but then Senku solved a problem literally by using pulleys, and I knew this would be something special. I think people are going to be in for a real treat when Dr. STONE hits, and I can’t wait to see how it all looks in motion!

  Vinland Saga

  Vinland Saga is an absolute classic of a manga (and you should read it!) about one of the least explored historical groups in anime: vikings! A dramatic saga following a cast of characters pulled from actual viking history and from the author’s own imagination, Vinland Saga could be an absolute smash hit if the anime goes off right. Fans of Golden Kamuy may want to keep an eye out for this one, and if you’re a fan of historical series, action series, or PLANETES (the author’s previous manga), then you may be as excited for Vinland Saga as I am! I can’t wait to see Thorfinn and the rest in action.

  Ensemble Stars

I’m a big fan of series like Utano☆Princesama, and I’ve always heard a lot of really good things about the Ensemble Stars game, so when I heard it was getting an anime, I figured now would be a great time to get into the series! I know that idol anime tend to go into totally bonkers directions too, so I’m really curious to see what type of world Ensemble Stars sets up for itself in the anime. While I’m not expecting anything dramatic or a Norio Wakamoto cameo (y’all know you love it!), I'm hoping it will keep me entertained with cute guys and cool music!

Danield Dockery

Dr. STONE

I’m gonna break the trend here and say that I’m pretty excited for Dr. Stone. I’ve been reading the manga since it started in Shonen Jump and I grin like a maniac through every page. I didn’t think that I’d like Senku, with his “I’m smarter than you” personality and post 2003 Tim Burton movie haircut, but I dig him and the whole cast. I don’t think there’s another manga running today that’s as much of a consistent pleasure to read. I can’t wait to see what the anime does with this one.

One Piece

  This isn’t a new show, but it’s entering Wano, a new arc that they’ve been hinting at and hyping up for 11 years. You know what that means? I’ve been getting ready for Wano since 2008, since The Dark Knight was my favorite movie and my favorite song was “Let It Rock” by Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil Wayne. Basically, what I’m trying to say here is that I’ve changed a lot since then (though “Let It Rock” still bumps), but One Piece is still grinding away, being the standard for all shonen shows. God, I’m so pumped for Wano. The manga has been killing it lately, and if the anime is even half as good, it’ll be a masterpiece.

  Vinland Saga

Vinland Saga has been a big manga blindspot for me, despite it being recommended to me by no less than 3 people. So I’m glad to finally watch the anime and know what’s going on whenever my friends won’t shut up about Vinland Saga.

Paul Chapman

O Maidens in Your Savage Season

When this show was first announced, I assumed it would be a weepy, super-serious drama, but after seeing some of the more comedic key art and checking out Kodansha's free preview on the first chapter of the manga, I now expect it to be a painful, awkward, earnest, and very, very funny exploration of budding adolescence as only uber-geek Mari Okada could tell it.

GRANBELM

This original TV anime which mixes moe and mecha flew under my radar until I caught a promotional ten minute preview of the first episode on Youtube. I was hooked by the combination of fantastical production design, cute characters, and heavy-duty giant robot action. GRANBELM might just be a sleeper hit next season.

How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?

My interest in the “girls gettin' swole” TV anime from the same author as Kengan Ashura (not to be confused with Senran Kagura) is purely scientific, I assure you. It's all about learning the most efficient way to burn calories. Yes, indeed. Calories.

Kara Dennison

  Dr. STONE

It’s been a long time since a series has made me fall in love with it sight unseen based solely on a trailer. I know the manga’s popular, but am woefully behind on all things manga. The mix of science, setting, and that edge of Ellisonian “I have no mouth and I must scream” got me. I can’t wait for this.

GRANBELM

Writing news for upcoming shows is kind of a slow burn. You don’t always know whether you’re going to be interested until one key piece of info hits. And that key piece of info here is: mecha. The robot/fantasy blend with the Re:ZERO artist handling character designs looks like a lot of fun. I’m wondering if we’ll be getting Escaflowne vibes at all.

  Cop Craft

One of my big loves outside of anime is police procedurals. I especially love shows with a paranormal twist like Sleepy Hollow or Life on Mars. Hoping this will scratch a similar itch. Also the original art is by Range Murata, whom I really enjoy. Can’t wait to see this come to life.

  O Maidens in Your Savage Season

I was unfamiliar with the manga until we started getting in news stories about the anime adaptation, and I’m just enamored. It looks like it’s actually going to be a great coming-of-age series, more interested in being honest than edgy. And I love the literature angle, too.

Cayla Coats

    Dr. STONE

  There are many other articles detailing this series’ premise and “rebuilding-fallen-civilization-with-science” appeal, so I wanted to take a different approach here. Look at the image above this text. That is Tsukasa, the main villain. He’s just so beautiful you can’t not watch this show.

      Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 2

  There are A LOT of isekai series to pick from, but 2015’s Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? remains one of my personal favorites. From the immensely likeable Bell Cranel and his supporting cast to the overall stellar animation, I’m very ready to jump back in to this world.

      To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts

My friend and fellow Crunchyroll employee Andrea Ramirez keeps telling me I need to read the source manga this series is based on, and she has objectively good taste so I’m automatically excited for it. Bonus points for being animated by MAPPA (a studio that’s quickly becoming a favorite of mine) and having an absolutely gorgeously designed main character.

  ---

  Want to see which new series are coming to Crunchyroll? Check out our Summer preview guide here!

Which new anime series are you excited for this Summer? Let us know in the comments below!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[recentanimenews]

Meet the Ten Titans of Totsuki in Food Wars! The Third Plate!

Food Wars! has heated up to a roiling boil with the conclusion of the Winter season. The Elite Ten of Totsuki Academy have voted in a new director with dark designs that could turn the culinary scene of all of Japan for the worse. Now, these talented students represent the greatest threat to Soma and the creative freedom of all of Totsuki's students. It seems inevitable that Soma will have to face off against these chefs to save the day, whether to settle a dispute or even steal a seat among them. Let's take a look at the most dangerous opponents that face Soma and the gang in the newest season!

  First Seat: Eishi Tsukasa

The current first seat, Tsukasa, or "The White Knight of the Table", is a student who, when not cooking, is racked with self-doubt and misery, constantly questioning things as little as the temperature of the room or the comfort of the seats his customers use. Though he dislikes the work associated with the First Seat position, he's wholly committed to the advantages it provides for him. Tsukasa is dedicated to bringing forth the best flavors of each meal without imposing his own personality on them. Though indecisive out of the kitchen, he becomes a master of control when it comes to his own cooking. He's extremely confident of his own skill, in the quiet kind of way that leaves no doubt about his cooking prowess and his ability to bring forth the very best from each ingredient he uses. Furthermore, he will stop at nothing to get the very best for his dish- even if this comes at the detriment of others.  

  Second Seat: Rindou Kobayashi

A playful contrast to Tsukasa, Rindou's main obsession is finding the very best ingredients in the world. She travels far and wide to collect top quality ingredients, often at the expense of the Student Council. She's a mysterious character, supporting Azami Nakiri for no particular reason, perhaps just to sit back and watch the show unfold. Like Tsukasa, she dislikes paperwork, but has no problem foisting it off on someone else. Rather than demonstrate her cooking prowess, she is more interested in sampling the food of others, in keeping with her hobby of collecting quality ingredients. Perhaps the most friendly with Soma, she enjoys cultivating talent and watching others grow so that she can revel in the bounty of delicious food they provide her.

  Third Seat: VACANT

Formerly occupied by Tousuke Megishima, Ramen master on the Council, this position is currently vacant. He opposed the new director and was ousted from his position. The question is...who will fill it?

  Fourth Seat: Momo Akegakubo

Momo Akegakubo is a snake in the grass. Outwardly, she's a very cute girl who refers to herself in the third person and gives her fellow Top Ten members nicknames. She is a pâtissier, the best in the school. Underneath the cutesy demeanor, she is antisocial, stubborn, and an elitist. She gives very little regard to those lower than her in the school's hierarchy. She abhors Shokugeki competitions, mostly because it means she has to accept challenges from those lower than her. Her cute sidekick, Bucchi, is a bear who often displays her emotions (mostly annoyance) for her, as she often remains expressionless. In a horrifying twist of fate, Momo rips Bucchi's paws off to use as oven mitts whenever she cooks, forcing one to wonder exactly how often she has to sew them back on.

  Fifth Seat: Soumei Saito

Soumei is the true warrior type on the Elite Council. He follows the way of the bushido, conducting himself with honor and respect towards opponents to show valiant effort in battle. He initially started cooking to help support his mother, who worked as the head of a restaurant. She raised him alone, and he developed a fierce loyalty and affection for her. When she fell ill, he took over running the restaurant at the age of fifteen, cutting down all who stood in his way and looked down on him. His specialty is sushi and he is excellent at elevating the flavors of his food using basic but classic flavor enhancers, such as lemon, garlic, and butter.

  Sixth Seat: Nene Kinokuni

Nene is a stickler for the rules, strict and taciturn to the point of abrasiveness. She doesn't see the first years as a challenge, and also doesn't see her cooking style as having any potential flaws. She has adopted the Kinokuni tradition of making Soba, following in the footsteps of her family to become an expert in the hand-made noodle production field. This skill requires precision and delicacy, so much so that Nene has every move and touch routinized so that no excessive movement is made while preparing the noodles. She becomes easily jealous at others when they effortlessly master the skills she worked so hard to cultivate, like Satoshi Isshiki, the previous Seventh seat, who lived with her family and had the chance to learn alongside her.

  Seventh Seat: VACANT

Formerly occupied by Satoshi Isshiki, who specialized in Japanese cuisine, this spot is now vacant. Satoshi strongly opposed the election of the new director and was dismissed from his position. However, he used his influence before he was dismissed to create fair rules for those who would battle the remaining Elite Ten in subsequent shokugekis, making it more difficult for the Council to get rid of unwanted student groups. It's doubtful he will just fade into the background, Satoshi is clearly still in the game, even if he isn't part of the Elite Ten, but it remains to be seen if his replacement will exercise the same influence.

  Eighth Seat: VACANT

Formerly occupied by Terunori Kuga, who specialized in Chinese cuisine, this spot is now vacant. Kuga, who battled against Soma during the Moon Festival, opposed the election of the new director. He began boycotting Council events and was then dismissed from the Council. Another seat primed to be filled by a new minion of Azami.

  Ninth Seat: Etsuya Eizen

Etsuya looks like a delinquent and can be cruel and malicious when facing opponents. He thinks official Council business is a waste of time and only attends meetings when he has to. Despite his appearance, he has excellent business savvy and leverages his position to profit both himself and the school. He has an extreme dislike of Soma, who ruined a business opportunity during their Karaage war. His cooking style is "alchemy" cooking, a style which uses certain flavorings to negate the flavor combinations of his enemies so as to better beat them. Using his knowledge of chemical compounds, he constructs his dishes so that they will shine brighter than all others.

  Tenth Seat: Erina Nakiri

Erina is the daughter of Azami Nakiri, the newly elected director of Totsuki Academy. She possesses the "God Tongue", a talent so rare it earned her admittance to the Council upon her enrollment. Her cooking style follows no particular alignment- her only hard line is in the taste of the ingredients. If it doesn't pass her "God Tongue" test, the food is simply not good enough. Since her taste is so specific, she prefers high-quality ingredients prepared in ways best suited to bringing out their flavors. This is why Soma's cooking confounds her- he uses common ingredients but is able to transform the flavors into something even her taste can accept. Traumatized by her father at a young age due to his intense training in culinary refinement, she technically still holds her seat but is hiding in the Polar Star dorms.

  Moving Forward...

  With three seats vacant and one in uncertain status, the landscape of the Elite 10 is primed for a huge mix-up. Will Azami fill the seats with like-minded chefs intent on his villainous plans? Will the former members step back or step forward to join Soma in his defiance of Amazi's plot? Anything can happen in the second half of Food Wars! The Third Plate!

     I hope you enjoyed this post! Check in next week for another recipe. To check out more anime food recipes, visit my blog. If you have any questions or comments, leave them below! I recently got a Twitter, so you can follow me at @yumpenguinsnack if you would like, and DEFINITELY feel free to send me food requests! My Tumblr is yumpenguinsnacks.tumblr.com. Find me on Youtube for more video tutorials!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 8/14/17

The not-so-brief edition!

Akuma no Riddle, Vol. 5 | By Yun Kouga and Sunao Minakata | Seven Seas – How much you enjoy this final volume of Akuma no Riddle may depend on how much you enjoy stories having a happy ending even if they have to pull the logic out of their asses somewhat. The anime finished long before this, but the beats are essentially the same, as is the result. That said, the manga is definitely making things a bit more “yuri,” and since that is the main audience for this series, I imagine fans will appreciate that if nothing else. Also, we have some really hot women in suits on the cover, and that’s worth the price of the book in and of itself. In the end, this is the lesser of the two “assassination classroom” titles, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it—I had a lot of fun. – Sean Gaffney

Assassination Classroom, Vol. 17 | By Yusei Matsui | Viz Media – The first two-thirds of this is fantastic, as we see the class square off against each other to decide whether they will try to continue to kill Koro-sensei, or work on saving him. While lots of people get to show off their previously unseen chops, we’re all here for Nagisa and Karma, and we are not disappointed. There’s some backstory that mostly amounts to “we were good friends but grew apart,” but they also represent two very different kinds of assassins. As you may have guessed, Nagisa wins the day. The last third of the manga is a bit ridiculous, or as ridiculous as you can get in this essentially ridiculous series, but I’m prepared to shrug my shoulders and hum “Pigs in Space” while we power through it. Top-flight shonen. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 19 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | VIZ Media – Central continues its “mop-up” campaign against Totsuki’s various research societies, and the volume begins with the last one of the day, during which Ryo Kurokiba manages to provide the only win out of 33 challenges for our heroes. That battle is interesting, as always, though there seems to be a bit more fanservice than usual, but what’s really fascinating is the cliffhanger ending. After unwittingly helping in a Central-style lesson by serving as sous chef for Eishi Tsukasa (current first seat of the Council of Ten), Soma ends up impressing him so much that Eishi invites him to join Central. Of course that doesn’t go well, and the volume concludes with the challenge: if Yukihira loses, he has to join Central as Eishi’s right-hand man, but if he wins, he gets first seat. Either way, it’s quite a big deal! – Michelle Smith

In/Spectre, Vol. 5 | By Kyo Shirodaira and Chashiba Katase | Kodansha Comics – This is based off of a novel, and I’d be very interested to see what it was originally like. The manga does a very good job of managing to keep things interesting given that this is nothing but talk, talk talk the entire way through. The way this is done is by dramatizing the events that Kotoko is theorizing about as if they are happening (which leads to one of the few moments of humor in the book when Kotoko sets up Saki as the prime suspect) interspersed with Kuro fighting Steel Lady Nanase in the background, which is a well-choreographed if somewhat tedious fight—by its very nature it’s going to last the whole book. The next volume is the final one—will our trio pull it off? – Sean Gaffney

Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 25 | By Taeko Watanabe | VIZ Media – Every year, I am so happy when a new volume of Kaze Hikaru comes out and every year I get so annoyed with its main character. It’s to the point now where the series would genuinely be improved by her sudden demise. But yet, I do so love the deep feelings of love and loyalty between Hijikata, Okita, and Kondo, and those are enough to overlook Sei’s foolishness. She’s once again getting all bent-out-of-shape over bushi discipline which, again, she should’ve known to expect when she joined the troop. But she just can’t help making an undignified scene trying to spare an accountant guy his fate when money goes missing. At least in the end, she sees that Hijikata is not actually cruel, the accountant shouldn’t have been a bushi either, and the real culprit was a creep. If only it’d stick and she’d mature some. Oh well. I’ll still be eager next year, I’m sure. – Michelle Smith

Maid-sama!, Vols. 17-18 | By Hiro Fujiwara | Viz Media – As is appropriate for a two-volume omnibus, this is definitely divided into two halves. The first one shows us Misaki coming to Usui’s rescue, and it’s as ridiculous as you might have expected, complete with her trying to jump off a great height because she knows he would easily do it. (She sustains light injuries herself.) The second half shows us that after all this time the true antagonist is still Misaki herself, and her need to be respected warring with the fact that she works in a maid cafe. Once she gets over this and is able to tell everyone how proud she is to do that, there’s nowhere else for the series to go, so it ends with a wedding, albeit ten years in the future. Far more variable than expected, but overall I enjoyed it. – Sean Gaffney

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Vol. 4 | By coolkyousinnjya | Seven Seas – And this is where my enjoyment of the lead character and vague yuri is completely overshadowed by my dislike of stupid fanservice and annoying villains needing to be redeemed. Ilulu proved to be even more annoying than her introduction at the end of the last volume suggested, and I also groaned and slapped my head at the ‘let’s give Kobayashi a penis’ chapter. At times the series can still be intriguing, such as the chapter showing us how Kobayashi met Tohru on that drunken night, or the occasional depth Kobayashi receives. But it’s just not worth trawling through endless pages of ridiculous breasts and screaming lolis to get to it. Sorry, but this is the end for me. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 9 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – Over the past few months, it’s become clear that we have a new contender to take over the “Big Three” position now that both Naruto and Bleach have ended, and that contender is My Hero Academia, which has gotten staggeringly popular. And with good reason, as reading this volume shows us the author at the top of his game, with several villains infiltrating our heroes’ training camp and attempting to abscond with Bakugo. Things get very rough for a while, mostly as, being heroes, the kids need permission to fight back with all their strength. But once they do, great things happen, particularly with Midoriya, who remains the star of this ensemble. If you haven’t read this series yet, please start now. – Sean Gaffney

Nisekoi: False Love, Vol. 22 | By Naoshi Komi | Viz Media – As expected, Marika is written out, though in the end she’s not killed off OR married off—she’s sent to Pittsburgh, the only place that can cure the unnamed Love Story Disease she seems to have. But not before we get a thrilling rescue attempt with lots of wild fighting and far more helicopters than you’d really expect. Meanwhile, in terms of the only two girls who matter (sorry, Tsumugi), Onodera is still not QUITE ready to confess, but is trying to warm Raku up to it. I doubt that will go well. And Chitoge and Raku have another disaster of a date where she keeps completely misreading what he wants, which isn’t helped by his not really knowing. We’ve got three more volumes after this, so SOMEONE needs to get a clue soon. – Sean Gaffney

Scum’s Wish, Vol. 4 | By Mengo Yokoyari | Yen Press – We’re just about midway through this series, and I’m starting to wonder if it’s going to turn dark and tragic. Hanabi is travelling down a spiral that I’m not sure she’s able to control, and Minagawa is not helping there at all. Probably the most intriguing moment in the manga comes when Minagawa is bored out of her gourd on a date with Kanai… till he accidentally calls her Hana-chan, and it’s as if all of a sudden it matters to her. One thing that the author excels at is showing us the tempestuous fire of desire and sexual heat without ever, ever having it connect into anything resembling love. It’s so sordid, and again, I wonder how long things can go without someone snapping and a murder or suicide occurring. Addicting. – Sean Gaffney

UQ Holder, Vol. 11 | By Ken Akamatsu | Kodansha Comics – There’s a lot of stuff happening in this book. Yukihime rejects Touta as she still loves Negi, we find out Negi was possessed by the big bad from Negima! and has been suffering the last 20 years, Fate and Eva are trying to save and kill him respectively, both thinking they carry out his true wishes, and finally far more of the Negima! cast are still around than we’d previously thought—indeed, Zazie’s even turned into a shipper. But no, at the end of the day this is the volume that tells us that Karin was actually Judas Iscariot, her immortality a result of betraying Christ, who Touta, seeing Karin suffering because of that, offers to punch in the face the next time he sees Him. I… don’t know where to begin. What the what? – Sean Gaffney

By: Michelle Smith