opinion – Anime QandA

5 Worst Complaints People Have About New Seasonal Anime Before The Shows Even Aired

Wow, that’s some heck of a long post title, huh? This post is something of a longstanding reaction to some of the most egregious continual and consistent complaints that come around at the start of every new anime season and with a new anime season on the horizon what better time than now to bring up these “terrible” complaints people have and offer my strong-worded rebuttals!

5. “It’s A Short Anime So It Won’t Be As Good As A Full Length One”

You know what, this is sadly a view I used to share, I used to flat-out refuse to watch short anime because I assumed it being short meant less money and time and care was put into the show’s production and would reflect in the finished product. That’s simply false though, while certainly some shows might have suffered as an adaption by being made into a short anime, the vast majority of short anime have just as much care put into them as their longer brothers and sisters. From 12 minute anime all the way down to the bite sized 2 minute anime, every length of anime has merit!

4. “Based On The Art/Trailer This Looks Nothing Like The Source Material So I’m Not Watching It!”

Absolute adherence to source material is not only short-changing the complex and multi-faceted elements that go into an animation project but also suggests that there’s only one way to tell a story and I’m sorry but that’s a pretty dim and narrow mind-set to have. So your favourite manga/game/whatever is getting an anime adaptation and the art is different or they seem to have cut some things out, that’s no reason to decry something’s existence–and on so little information too. You can be disappointed after you’ve watched it that they missed something or it’s not up to the same standards of the source material, but refusing to watch something off mere teases and trailers is almost the same as judging a book by its cover.

3. “It’s Got 3D CGI In It So It’s Going To Suck!”

Aside from the fact that every new anime uses some element of 3D CGI (usually in subtle ways that most people don’t notice) the idea that using a different animation medium for part or even all of an anime is somehow going to be a detriment to an anime’s overall quality is ridiculous. If there’s a CGI component it’s there for a reason, either because it involves complex movements that would have cost too much/taken too much animation time to have been done traditionally or it was simply the intent of the artists and/or director. Either way stop being so childish and judging CGI like it’s a plague when it’s actually incredibly necessary in the high turnover world in which seasonal anime is made.

2. “It’s Based On A Visual Novel/Smartphone Game/Whatever So It Can’t Be Good!”

Not all source material is created equal–just because there’s “bad” visual novels and likewise adaptations doesn’t mean that whatever new show is coming out will be the same. Also, as far as smartphone game adaptations go some of them are produced by legitimately excellent studios with highly competent writers and directors behind them and a far cry from being “lazy cash-in’s”, some multimedia projects even have the anime being produced alongside the smartphone game to synergise both products rather than just boosting one off the name recognition of another.

1. “It’s Produced By JC-Staff So It’s Going To Be Rushed/Bad!”

I originally had the ‘complaint’ written as “It’s Produced By [Insert Studio Everyone Hates] So It’s Going To Be Bad”, but let’s face it when it comes to the anime communities whipping boy it’s (sadly) JC-Staff. And I honestly don’t get it, I may have only been watching seasonal anime for a couple of years now but nearly every JC-Staff anime I watch is more than competent in almost every technical and artistic aspect. Maybe it’s just the ‘normies’ out there who only watch big-budget-studio shonen anime coming to shit on an easy target but I can name more than a dozen anime from the last couple of years from wildly different studios with shoddier production values that don’t get 1% of the shit that JC Staff gets. All I can say is JC Staff is one of my favourite studios and they deserve better treatment by the anime community that’s decided to make their name a punchline.

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10 Best Waifu’s of Summer 2019 Anime

My 10 Best Waifu’s of the Summer 2019 Anime season

Too many waifu’s, too little time! With a new season (almost) completed it’s time for me to countdown my 10 Best Waifu’s of Summer 2019 Anime!

~Number 10~
Hibiki Sakura from ‘How Heavy Are The Dumbbells You Lift?’

This show has such high quality waifu potential that honestly any of the girls were deserving of a spot (from an aesthetic point of view I think Akemi is a favourite) but I chose our main main girl Hibiki over the others for a couple of reasons. One she’s got a unique look, she might look like a ‘gal’ but she’s a movie buff and lover of all types of food, she’s got an energetic personality and is very relatable in her weight-loss struggle. Also her voice actress is first timer Egyptian-Japanese which adds a wonderful noticeable difference to the character’s personality.

~Number 9~
Sayu Tsukisaka from ‘Re:Stage! Dream Days’

I’m a sucker for an angry fang-girl, or just a fang-girl in general–okay let’s be honest any and every anime girl–but let’s not understate the appeal of it in certain circumstances. Not only is Sayu super cute but she’s got a fiery temper and is loyal to her best friend.

~Number 8~
Asuka Suzumori from ‘Are You Lost?’

Some of this season’s sexiest visuals have come courtesy of this show and it’s probably no coincidence that Asuka has probably supplied the most of them and has ended up on this list. Sexy shenanigans aside Asuka is a genki, upbeat sports girl with a bit of a stupid streak but that just makes her all the more endearing!

~Number 7~
Tilarna Exedilica from ‘Cop Craft’

She deserves happiness! Such a good girl.

Tilarna is inescapably interesting, not only as a character in this show but as a waifu in general she’s a strong independent warrior from another world thrust into a world where she’s not only an outsider but often vilified just because of her race. She’s also cute, feisty and just a little bit sexy.

~Number 6~
Yuika Koga from ‘Hensuki: Are you willing to fall in love with a pervert, as long as she’s a cutie?’

I’m not a masochist, I don’t have any of those particular tendencies and really don’t see the appeal of being stepped on, but damn if Yuika ain’t the cutest little thing, she almost makes me want to be her slave for life… almost.

~Number 5~
Haruhime from ‘Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon II?’

The whole ‘prostitute with a heart of gold’ may be a trope in Western media, but in anime it’s kind of unheard of (at least as far as I know). So seeing a character as tragic as Haruhimi having to endure the circumstances of her unfair existence is indeed evoking of sympathy. But Haruhime is more than just a victim, she’s a well rounded character with immaculate character design and an all round beautiful person.

~Number 4~
Tamaki Kotatsu from ‘Fire Force’

Forgetting for a second all the endlessly stupid complaints about her character ‘trait’, Tamaki is an absolute goddess; she’s sexy, she’s fun and she’s a badass fighter with a neko-girl aesthetic, what’s not to love?! The only reason she isn’t higher on the list is because we’ve only seen a little bit about her but she’s definitely destined for the pantheon of waifu’s.

~Number 3~
Hitoha Hongo from ‘O Maidens In Your Savage Season’

The *one* girl I couldn’t find a decent gif for.

Oh, Hongo… you frustrated, tortured little genius when will you understand your overwhelming worth as a person. It’s weird talking about Hongo as a waifu because she’s so real and fully rounded as a character and has such depth and believability that she’s kinda beyond being a “waifu” and just a girl I’d like to date. Is that weird? Probably, but I don’t care.

~Number 2~
Yuuko Yoshida from ‘The Demon Girl Next Door’

If there were a venn diagram with ‘sexy’, ‘funny’ and ‘cute’ square in the middle of it would be Yuuko, the adorkable demon girl with a heart of gold and a god-tier chest in front of it. From her overall design, her voice acting, her personality and her comedic timing, Yuuko is just an absolute treasure and I love every minute of her being on-screen.

~Honourable Mention~
Sempai from ‘Magical Sempai’

I felt kind of obliged to include the titular (pun absolutely intended) Sempai from ‘Magical Sempai’ because she is a busty, dumb fun girl who’s just a heck of a lot of fun to be around. She’s not worthy of my Top 10 because the lack of characterisation (I mean she doesn’t even have a name she’s just referred to as ‘sempai’ throughout the whole series) means forming a connection to her is especially hard but it’s hard to deny her appeal!

~Number 1~
Yue from ‘Arifureta’

I could write an entire post about how much I love Yue, few anime characters have made an impression on me as quickly as she did and continue to do so with every passing moment from their first appearance. Not only is she impossibly cute but being that she’s a 500 year old vampire loli means she’s also got an innocence to her overall seductiveness. As far as personality goes, she’s precocious, intelligent, loyal and level-headed–what more could you ask for?!

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And that’s this seasons’ list! I’d love to know which waifu’s made your favourite list this time so let me know in the comments below and as always thanks for reading!

Previous Best Seasonal Waifu Lists:

10 Best Waifu’s of Winter 2018 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s of Spring 2018 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s of Summer 2018 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s of Fall 2018 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s of Winter 2019 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s of Spring 2019 Anime

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10 Reasons Why ‘A Centaur’s Life’ is the Best Slice of Life Anime (And Why Those Same 10 Things Make It So Polarising)

I recently finished a 2017 anime series called ‘A Centaur’s Life’ and I was blown away by two things, firstly by how amazing it was–and secondly, how lowly regarded it was (at least if the MAL rank and people’s general indifference was anything to go by). So rather than make a simple review I thought I’d unpack what issues are among the most polarising but highlight them as 10 of the reasons that I think ‘A Centaur’s Life’ is the Best Slice of Life Anime!

1. It’s a monster girl anime (except it’s not–and that apparently makes them less interesting?)
On the surface ‘A Centaur’s Life’ shares some similar themes with Monster Girl Anime (few as there are) but it’s not really about ogling monster girls–and they’re not really monster girls anyway. Everybody in this ‘world’ is a product of divergent evolution where six legged mammalians became the dominant species and four-legged (a.k.a what we consider human) became extinct. Yes there are people in this world who are centaur’s, and one’s with angel wings and cat ears–but they’re ostensibly just different races rather than different species. Also, there’s men too who belong to these races, so you know, not just monster girls!

Their halo’s are made of hair, also a federal crime to cut them off, not even joking.

2. The anime intersperses it’s SoL shenanigans with intermittent world-building (Rather than just having an info-dump prologue that explains all the rules of this ‘alternate universe’–which apparently some people would prefer?)
We’re never given the full scope of what this world is like beyond the first episode explanation of how the races of this world evolved. We’re given glimpses into aspects of the world–such as people being imprisoned for treating a person of a different race negatively. Likewise we’re never even sure of the political structure of other countries aside from a news report talking about how America has a newly elected “Democratic Communist”. This gradual unfolding of the world is one of the joys of the series as every small, but substantial piece of information feels like its hard-earned and all the more rewarding because of it.

Don’t mount centaurs, ‘kay? It’s illegal!

3. The girls in the anime talk about sexuality and body confidence issues (But in a really frank and honest way that puts off fans of ‘traditional’ SoL shows)
In Episode 4, Hime (our titular Centaur) gets a love-letter from a boy but rather than accept the letter she runs away embarrassed. When endlessly quizzed about her uncharacteristic retreat by her friends she bashfully replies that she’s been paranoid that her vagina might look gross. The cause of her hang-ups are from a kindergarten field trip to a dairy farm where one of her classmates tactlessly presumed her vagina would look like a cow’s. Nozomi suggests that they all take a look at each other’s to reassure Hime that there’s nothing for her to be self-conscious about. While the scene is played mostly for laughs it was still a refreshingly honest approach to an issue many people (regardless of gender or genitals) suffer from.

4. Episode 9 is about the Third Reich and WW2-era concentration camps (some might call that tonal whiplash, but if you’re paying attention it’s exactly on message)
Things take a turn for the dark and serious half way through Episode 9 as we’re afforded a flashback to an alternate history WW2 where sadly things aren’t too dissimilar to our own history. A boy watches on helplessly as centaur soldiers execute his family in the street, he’s then forced aboard a train with other civilians and taken to a forced labour camp where he and his ilk are starved, beaten and worked to an inch of their life. It’s a devastatingly effective series of scenes that actually has a surprisingly uplifting ending that I won’t spoil but is par for the course for this series’ messages about tolerance and living with people from vastly different cultural backgrounds and exceedingly different physical attributes. If you’re not expecting it, it might feel like a truck to the face but sometimes something unexpected does not necessarily equal an inconsistent tone.

5. The girls talk about ~typical SoL girl struggles~ like weight loss, studying and boys (Also racism, religion, reproduction, art, politics–things girls in these types of shows apparently shouldn’t talk about!)
The expression “never talk about religion or politics” is fine enough for common every-day exchanges with acquaintances or work colleagues–but why shouldn’t girls in these types of shows have opinions on more lofty subject matter than the ones usually afforded SoL characters. In one episode, Sassasul (an Antarctican “snake-person”) explains that her race doesn’t have time for religion as they are a “logic-based society” to which the three girls comment they aren’t that dissimilar then.

6. The girls are cute and innocent and wholesome (but it also has nudity–which is apparently unforgivable!)
Only 3 of the episodes contain nudity, and 2 of these episodes contain non-sexualised context appropriate nudity. But as always when “children” are involved there’s always a moral panic despite the scene in question from Episode 3 being as innocent as two sister’s bathing. And what’s consistent about the majority of these types of scenes in this show (along with a similar pool changing scene in Episode 7) is that the scenes are less about simple exploitation and more about examining the difficulties living with different body shapes–especially centaur bodies–are for these girls.

Apparently *this* was too ~offensive~ for some people.

7. The parental figures are expectantly peripheral to the show (except they exist as ‘Real’ characters with busy lives and worrying about the future and with interests of their own)
While the collective screen-time for the various parents on this show would probably amount to less than 10 minutes throughout the entire series–their appearances are meaningful and interesting. For example Hime’s mother is scene talking to another parent about investing in the stock market for financial security. Meanwhile a whole essay could be written on the complex relationship between Manami and her father who spends the majority of his spare time painting; for pleasure not for profit which remains a surprising issue of contention between the father and daughter.

8. It has episodes with a decent amount of fan service (And then it has episodes with none–almost like a show doesn’t have to be defined by a single attribute!)
On the other side of the coin from people who were “offended” by the inclusion of any kind of nudity or fan-service, are the people who only watched it for the fan service. Perhaps out of virtue of it being a monster girl anime (which it isn’t) they thought it would supply the goods, and while it does–it does so sparingly that some might call it unreliable. I’d call it realistic.

Boy mermaids are topless just like girl mermaids.

9. The show has such a wide breadth of topics it wants to cover and characters it wants to visit (And 12 episodes just isn’t enough time to do it all!)
A genuine complaint and one I share (to an extent) is that there’s a lot going on in this series and that a lot of characters don’t get nearly enough screen-time. The mermaid race for example has one of the most interesting societies in the series, with their streets and buildings (including schools) permanently flooded to allow ease of travel. From an aesthetic standpoint alone these towns are intriguing–and then there’s the more religious aspect of their society and the revelation that ‘Antarcticans’ may be trying to interfere with their religious practices for ~unknown reasons~. We get what amounts to a single episode with this part of the world and it’s just not enough! But at the same time that’s hardly the fault of the show if it’s adapting a manga that’s unfurling its world and characters at the same slow pace.

The mermaid towns are absolutely stunningly beautiful (in more ways than one, see previous gif)

10. The show is a lot of different ‘Genres’ of anime in one (Go in expecting just one ‘Genre’ and you’re bound to be disappointed)
Smarter bloggers than I have written on the seemingly pointlessness of using genres to define a show but I don’t think any show has ever suffered such a disservice due to the expectations of ‘genre’ that what people had going into this particular show. Too ‘real’ for CGDCT series, too ‘controversial’ for a SoL series, too much nudity for a ‘wholesome’ experience, too ‘wholesome’ for an ecchi. Too smart for a dumb comedy, too dumb for smart dramedy, too dramatic when it’s unexpected, too dull to be a drama. It’s messy… it’s LIFE… it’s ‘A Centaur’s Life’.

And if my words can’t convince you to watch this show then maybe Sue-chan and the Chi-chan’s can by just being their adorable selves!

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10 Anime That Everyone Hates That I Love

10 Anime That Everyone Hates That I Love (aka I Have Terrible Taste In Anime Apparently…)

There’s no feeling quite like finishing a show, loving it, then going to check MAL and finding out that it’s ranked among the bottom of the proverbial anime barrel. To borrow a ‘Simpsons’ quote: “Am I out of touch? No, it’s the children who are wrong!” For the sake of this list I’m presuming any anime under #6000 on MAL qualifies as being widely “hated” and any anime I’ve scored 80/100 or higher falls under being “loved” by me. So with that info out of the way we can count down the 10 Anime That Everyone Hates That I Love.

~Number 10~
Magical Girl Spec Ops

MAL Score: 6.45, MAL Rank: #6147, My score: 80/100

I wouldn’t mind a prequel series featuring these girls.

One of the more recent shows on the list (last season as I write this post), its not entirely surprising that this show didn’t resonate with everyone but I think it had a lot more going on than anyone (maybe even the show itself) gave it credit for.

~Number 9~
Hangyaku-sei Million Arthur

MAL score: 6.30, MAL rank: #6890, My score 81/100

While there were availability issues with this series at the start (it wasn’t on any Western streaming services) that shouldn’t really be deserving of a show scoring so low. Especially one that had such a bright and entertaining cast of characters who were impeccably voiced and had such wonderful comedic charisma with each other. With comedic styling reminiscent of ‘Konosuba’ its utterly perplexing why more people haven’t watched and don’t love this show.

~Number 8~
Girly Air Force

MAL score: 6.39, MAL rank: #6465, My score: 82/100

Another show from last season that seemingly had the internet against it for inane reasons from just the title alone–“girls as planes, pfft stupid” was one of the more frequent and tone-deaf dismissals. But beyond the surface level was an interesting story about war-torn refugees, what it means to be human and the dread of fighting an enemy with seemingly no motif. Also Gripen was adorable best girl!

~Number 7~
Senran Kagura

MAL score: 6.43, MAL rank: #6301, My score: 83/100

The first Senran Kagura series was a big hit in the West and yet its score reflects that it was somehow a disappointment too? Colour me confused…

~Number 6~
Tachibanakan Triangle

MAL score: 5.61, MAL rank #9188, My score: 83/100

Manga readers will tell you that this short anime does a disservice to the source material but I say an anime should be judged separately from its origins. And personally I think this show is cute, sweet and hella sexy.

~Number 5~
Senran Kagura: Shinovi Masters

MAL score: 6.36, MAL rank: #6654, My score: 84/100

Episode 2 was 100/100 though. #justsayin

While the original Senran Kagura kept its fan service in the PG-13 non-nude realm, (thankfully) Shinovi Masters brought us all nipples, all the time! Well at least for the first few episodes until it got all serious–maybe that’s why the score is so low?

~Number 4~
HIMOTE HOUSE -A share house of super psychic girls-

MAL score: 5.81, MAL rank: #8631, My score: 85/100

Yes they are 3D. So what? 3D anime girls need love too!

It’s always devastating to see such an original comedy get neglected and ignored as much as ‘Himote House’ did. From episodes that went their entire duration before revealing a punch-line to a joke, talking the reality of gay-marriage in Japan, and bath-time discussions of cryptocurrency–not to mention all the improvised parts–this series was a breath of fresh air–I could have seriously watched a thousand episodes of this and never got bored.

~Number 3~
SONI-ANI: Super Sonico the Animation

MAL score: 6.18, MAL rank: #7425, My score: 86/100

It’s disappointing to see a show as purely joyous as this one, and a character as wonderfully wholesome and kind-hearted as Sonico-san get so maligned by the MAL anime community. In fact, when I was telling this list to the irlwaifu she audibly gasped and said “not Sonico!” a sentiment I can only echo. If there’s one show that’s worthy of a second appraisal it’s this one–just give it 3 episodes and not just 1.

~Number 2~
Hybrid X Heart: Magias Academy Atraxia

MAL score: 6.39, MAL rank: #6480, My score: 88/100

Aside from the phenomenal fan service this series also had an engaging storyline and considerable character development–obvious points against the show are how things were left unresolved (like most one-season action ecchi shows) but what we got was still compelling–in many senses of the word…

~Honourable Mention~
Pastel Memories

MAL score: 5.22, MAL rank: #100049, My score: 75/100

I’ll be talking about this show’s ED ’til the end of time!

While obviously not eligible for the list because of my own self-imposed rules (I gave this show a 75/100 while my cut-off was 80 or above) I wanted to mention it because I honestly don’t understand how a show like this can rank as low as under 10,000(!) Yes it’s sometimes lazily animated and is occasionally boring. But it’s also a love-letter to anime itself and that in of itself is endearing enough to mention it! Also it has one of the best ED’s of any anime ever made so shut-up haters!

~Number 1~
Chu-bra!!

MAL score: 6.29, MAL rank: #6929, My score: 92/100

I’ve wanted to talk about this series on my site ever since I first watched the show–it’s something of an anomaly–a female led ecchi series that’s also almost entirely made by women from the script writers, to some of the episode directors, to the key animation as well as the original mangaka. And it’s just interesting as someone like me, who is an unabashed fan of ecchi see something which is ostensibly directed to me (it’s about bras and panties after all) but directed with the female gaze. It’s almost hard to put into words and while I could understand ‘ecchi purists’ taking issue with the unexpectedly innocent and down-to-earth approach of the show, I’m saddened that more people don’t know about this series. It’s a body positive series that’s empowering and informative to women of all ages, that has great character development, plenty of laughs but also a lot of depth too–and it just happens to be an ecchi too–go figure!

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And those are my picks! Let me know which shows you love have found themselves in the “Under 6000” rank on MAL, I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

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10 Anime That Need A Second Season

10 Anime That I Personally Think Need A Second Season The Most

There’s nothing worse than becoming invested in a series only for it to end after a single season, plot lines unresolved, characters unfulfilled and an empty space in the audiences’ collective hearts. The following anime are shows that I personally think are most needing of a second season–chances are my picks won’t align with yours but that’s to be expected, after all I’ve got weird taste in anime! I’ve tried to pick shows that left me with more questions or that made me want to know what happened to the characters–rather than just pick shows that’d I’d solely love to see more of. Also, spoiler warning for any given show listed as I may talk about final episode plot points. Let’s get this started with the 10 Anime That Need A Second Season!

~Number 10~
How Not To Summon A Demon Lord

The thing about anime based on long running light novel series’–especially in the isekai genre–is that answers to overriding plot arcs are going to be mostly left out in service of completing shorter story arcs. There’s so many factions whose ultimate motives going forward are left on the sideline that one can’t help but long for more episodes to answer these questions–also more Shera.

~Number 9~
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

The “will they/won’t they” has been a tried and tested formula of romantic comedies the world over and even if we know in our heart of hearts that Kaguya and Shirogane will end up together that doesn’t make the fact that we don’t get to see as much as a kiss between the two throughout the season! We need more, we need closure! As the newest show on the list there’s still an iota of hope a second season will eventuate but I’m not holding my breath.

~Number 8~
Citrus

The thing that makes ‘Citrus’ such a bitter tease is that its first (and to date, only) season ends on something of an artificially happy note that kind of shoo’s away the potential of a sequel but likewise leaves things otherwise unresolved. This is a “will they/won’t they” where I’m not especially rooting for the couple but just for them to find some happiness, the intrigue would then come from ‘how’ and ‘with who’.

~Number 7~
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero

Cliffhanger endings are the worst–especially if you’re an anime who isn’t guaranteed a second season! While by no means the worst unresolved anime cliffhanger in history this show builds and builds in its final episodes and by the time we’re halfway through the season (now series) finale we come to the gut-wrenching realisation that they’re not going to wrap this up in time. And indeed the show ends just as the story is about to enter a new and interesting phase. Why must you do this to us!

~Number 6~
A Sister’s All You Need

There’s a lot of really interesting things about this series that make it worth watching–even if its polarising opening scene had you scrambling for the stop button. For me, beyond the seemingly endless scenes of playing board and card games, the lengthy fantasy sequences and the wish fulfilment writer life paired with crippling reality actuality the most interesting thing about this series was Chihiro–who had a secret whose inevitable reveal was something that could rock the foundation of the series to its core. But alas in 12 short episodes we never got to see a full reveal of said secret and we were all left wondering what would happen.

~Number 5~
The Devil Is A Part Timer!

There’s so many interesting and nuanced pieces of character development and world-building that NOT revisiting this series feels like a crime. Plus I want to see if Maou and Chiho ever get together properly–I ‘ship them so hard!

~Number 4~
Killing Bites

The only thing worse than a cliffhanger ending is blatant sequel baiting in the form of an epilogue after a series is more or less wrapped up. Had ‘Killing Bites’ ended where it ended with our protagonist Yuya dying at the hands of Hitomi in a a massive betrayal it would have served as a powerful ending to a series that was pretty much never going to get a second season. But instead they tease us with a post credit scene that shows not only did Yuya survive but much time has passed and the world is a very different place then it was. I want to know more! But sadly we never will know!

~Number 3~
Slow Start

I know what you’re thinking, “what’s a mediocrely received CGDCT show doing on this list?” First of all, how dare you ‘Slow Start’ is amazing and secondly while it’s true CGDCT shows don’t generally lend themselves towards forwarding any kind of dramatic narratives. But where ‘Slow Start’ excelled was its side characters, specifically Eiko and her homeroom teacher Kiyose whose relationship moves (rather aptly) slowly but steadily throughout the first season. But it’s never enough, every intense and suggestive encounter leads to wanting to see what will happen next between this student and teacher–it’s utterly irresistible but sadly will be relegated to the pages of the manga and not any subsequent anime season…

~Number 2~
No Game, No Life

The movie doesn’t count! It was a prequel/side story! We need a second season of this now!

~Number 1~
Watamote

This choice is purely motivated by having read (most) of the manga and wanting to see the rest of Tomoko’s growth from socially awkward loser with no friends to social awkward loser with some friends in an animated form. It might not seem like a lot–especially for the Number 1 spot–but I’ve always had a sort of personal affinity towards Tomoko and her struggles in life. Its a journey that deserves to be continued in anime form.

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And those are my picks! I’m sure you’ve all got anime you think should have gotten a second season so let me know in the comments below and thanks for reading!

If you liked my post and want to support my content, please consider supporting my Patreon page, or donating by buying me a coffee on Ko-fi!

10 Best Waifu’s of Spring 2019 Anime

My 10 Best Waifu’s of the Spring 2019 Anime season

The seasonal tradition of counting down the best waifu’s of the season continues! In previous seasons I’ve struggled to narrow down the sheer wealth of waifus down to just 10 but there was something ~lacking~ about this season that meant I had no problem finding 10 girls for the list. Somewhat a mixed blessing as it made for a rather straightforward decision process! Here we go counting down the 10 Best Waifu’s of Spring 2019 Anime!

~Number 10~
Akane Ukita from ‘Cinderella Nine’

I mean sure, this image is from the mobile game, but unlikely are you going to find a pic of her this cute from the anime! (Spoiler alert, the anime is cheap looking)

Interminably shy, insecure but still high-spirited nonetheless. Aside from being physically cute (where can I get a hoodie with cat ears?!) watching her slow but steady rise from inexperienced at baseball to… adequate(?) is a level of adorable-ness all of its own!

~Number 9~
Mio Shimazu from ‘YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of This World’

She looks rather *plain* considering my usual waifu choices but she’s got a certain charisma about her personality that’s irresistible.

Sometimes a waifu is more than just looks, you know? Okay, I don’t know what I’m talking about either but as far as ‘YU-NO’ goes there’s no shortage of attractive girls (and women) but for some reason I found myself drawn to substitute teacher Mio above all others and I’m not even sure why.

~Number 8~
Tohru Honda from ‘Fruits Basket (2019)’

Speaking of “wholesome and kind-hearted”, few girls in anime embody everything that’s wonderful about the fairer sex than Tohru Honda. And while I still have issues with the show itself, its hard to fault this ‘Fruit Baskets’ protagonists embodiment of love and light.

~Number 7~
Ao Horie from ‘Ao-chan Can’t Study!’

She’s got stunning eyes, hey her eyes are up there! Where are you looking?!

She’s a complex girl who’s forever battling her own disgust for her fathers’ career (he’s an erotic novelist) while trying to reconcile her own burgeoning feelings of lust for the hot boy at school who is endlessly (but insufficiently) perusing her. Basically she’s DTF but too proud to admit it, and that makes her endlessly adorable. Also she’s got an amazing body and beautiful eyes.

~Number 6~
Bellnoa from ‘AMAZING STRANGER’

I wouldn’t mind “toying” with all the 1/6 scale girls in this show but for me it’s the fantasy-series derived tsundere Bellnoa who captures my attention. She’s stoic and proper, but cute and cheeky when she needs to be.

~Number 5~
Hikari Hazakura from ‘Why the Hell are You Here, Teacher!?’

Not see-through enough… guess we’ll have to wait for the uncensored version…

Before she’d even spoken a word–just seeing her in the OP–I knew Hikari would be my best girl (woman?) from ‘Why the Hell are You Here, Teacher!?’, she’s tanned, she’s genki… yep that’s pretty much my checklist checked off for the perfect anime girl. Also, ~nice oppai~!

~Number 4~
Nako Sunao from ‘Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu’

And that tiny mole below her eye too, *chefs kiss*.

As a character, none are better in ‘Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu’ than the title character of Bocchi herself. But when it comes to the serious business of picking a waifu its her first (and best?) friend Nako who wins my heart. She’s a misunderstood “tough-girl” with a heart of gold and a wry sense of humour–what’s not to love?!

~Number 3~
Senko from ‘The Helpful Fox Senko-san’

The thing about Senko-san is she’s #theperfectwoman by design, which kind of feels like cheating. I mean Senko herself literally describes herself as the protagonists “wife” and “mother”–which aside from the obvious awkward Oedipus connotations–is basically what every man (apparently) looks for in a partner. Oh and she’s an 800 year-old loli fox girl, so you double perfect.

~Number 2~
Sicily von Claude from ‘Wise Man’s Grandchild’

The comparisons to Aqua from ‘Konosuba’ are inevitable but they should stop at the superficial because Sicily is a wholesome, pure princess without compare. She’s kindness and joy and sincerity and beauty in a single well endowed package! And if that’s not the makings o f a top tier waifu then I don’t know what is!

~Honourable Mention~
All the top waifu’s from ‘Isekai Quartet’

Look at all these adorable, silly, crazy, stupid girls (in that order).

So ‘Iskeai Quartet’ brings together 4 separate anime series’ each with at least a couple (if not a lot) of cute girls and smushes them together for comedic shenanigans. And likewise amongst the “smush” is a whole lot of top tier waifus sharing screen time together! Rem from ‘Re:Zero’, Shalltear from ‘Overlord’ and Darkness and Aqua from ‘Konosuba’, All worthy of a spot, but let’s face it, this is a short-form comedy spin-off so we’ll save individual mentions for their inevitable sequel seasons!

~Number 1~
Takemoto Uruka from ‘We Never Learn!’

Y’all know how I like those tanned, genki girls right? I’ve made no secret of the fact that those two factors add up to winning best girl potential. So let me not undersell the fact that Takemoto from ‘We Never Learn!’ is potentially the pinnacle of tanned, genki girls. She exists within the framework of her tropes but showcases such nuanced characterisation and growth throughout the show that she’s without compare. Also, those tanlines… I’m gonna need a minute to recuperate.

***

And that’s this seasons’ list! I’d love to know which waifu’s made your favourite list this time so let me know in the comments below and thanks for reading!

Previous Best Seasonal Waifu Lists:

10 Best Waifu’s Of Winter 2018 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s Of Spring 2018 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s Of Summer 2018 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s of Fall 2018 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s of Winter 2019 Anime

If you liked my post and want to support my content, please consider supporting my Patreon page, or donating by buying me a coffee on Ko-fi!

10 Best Waifu’s of Winter 2019 Anime

My 10 Best Waifu’s of the Winter 2019 Anime season

Here we are counting down another anime season’s worth of top tier anime waifus! A reminder that this list by no means comprehensive and only concerns the shows I watched in the Winter 2019 Anime Season–also these picks are my opinions so if they don’t line up with your opinions then make your own damn list! With that out of the way here are my 10 Best Waifu’s of Winter 2019 Anime!

~Number 10~
Yotsuba Nakano from ‘The Quintessential Quintuplets’

I was a Yotsuba ‘Stan’ from day 1. Genki dumb girls need love too you know!

~Number 9~
Nozomi Makino from ‘Magical Girl Spec Ops’

Speaking of “genki”, as I mentioned in Day 24 of my ’30 Day Fan Service Challenge’ I’m an absolute sucker for genki tanned tomboys and Nozomi fits the bill in spades ~as well as~ having the added benefit of being a shameless pervert and (probably) lesbian. She’s the ideal woman, it’s just a shame she’s in a series that’s so dark that she can’t truly shine like she would if she were in a CGDCT or Ecchi series!

~Number 8~
Arisa Ichigaya from ‘BanG Dream! 2nd Season’

The trouble with picking a best girl from ‘BanG Dream!’ is that the series literally has 30+ characters in it, meaning that a) there’s a lot of waifu material in it, and b) some of the best characters don’t get nearly enough screen-time. Classic tsundere Arisa has not only had an uptake in screen time from Season 1 but also remains the most grounded among the cast which makes her reactions to some of the absurdity in this second season all the more endearing.

~Number 7~
Gripen from ‘Girly Air Force’

Gripen is ‘unique’ in all the best senses of the word. She’s adorable, pouty, speaks with a monotone deadpan but still has an endearing childish heart. I love this weird girl!

~Number 6~
Meiza Endust from ‘Endro!’

Mei is an otaku at heart–even though she lives in a pre-industrial fantasy world she still exhibits all the symptoms with her obsession for collecting magical cards. That’s a personality trait that makes her all the more appealing, but add to it her love for puns, honest attitude and adorable look–then there’s really no faulting her!

~Number 5~
Rui Tachibana from ‘Domestic Girlfriend’

Few shows got ‘sexy’ down pack like ‘Domestic Girlfriend’ this season…

I don’t know what it is about stoic, emotionally unavailable girls who reveal only their true selves in private but they seem to really get my blood pumping…

~Number 4~
Asahi Rokka from ‘BanG Dream! 2nd Season’

Bright eyed and ready for whatever life throws at her!

Normally I try to avoid having two girls from one show on a list like this but, well, it’s ‘BanG Dream’ my favourite show of the season, and there’s freakin’ 30+ potential waifus in that show, what do you expect from me?! Asahi, unlike almost every other character in the series was a new character for season 2 and (also) unlike a lot of other picks on this list it wasn’t love at first sight. The geeky, nervous, slightly stalker-ish super-fan of ‘Poppin’ Party’ won me over gradually and I’m not even sure why. Maybe it’s just because she’s so damn cute and yet can shred a guitar like no-one’s business!

~Number 3~
Chika Fujiwara from ‘Kaguya-sama: Love Is War’

As if I wasn’t going to include a gif of the now famous ‘Fujiwara Dance’!

The hardest part about making this list was having to exclude the titular Kagua from ‘Kagua-Sama: Love Is War’ because she’s deserving of a spot in her own right. So why did Chika get a spot in the top 10 (and so high) while Kagua was left out? Because Chika is a blessed goddess that anime has bestowed upon is and we are not worthy to be in her presence–all hail Chika!

~Number 2~
Milim Nava from ‘That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime’

Before she even properly appeared in the show I was besotted with this spritely, scantily clad demon lord–even just seeing glimpses of her in the first cour’s opening credits made me stir with curiosity. But when she did finally appear, not only did she live up to all my expectations but she blew them out of the water!

Before we get to the number 1 pick, here’s an honourable mention…

~Honourable Mention~
Nishihara from ‘How Clumsy You Are, Miss Ueno’

She’s a sweaty sports girl who’s plenty perverted and baits the audience into believing she’s a lesbian. She’s also ludicrously sexy to the point where I was questioning whether her existence was in anime I watched or some lurid eroge or dojin. The only reason she didn’t feature on the list is because she’s only appeared for a few minutes in a single episode (as of the writing of this) meaning she’s hardly even qualifiable as a supporting character let alone a full-fledged waifu.

~Number 1~
Grea from ‘Mysteria Friends’

From a physical perspective, no one this season has brought ‘the sexy’ like Grea has. She is an immaculate feminine specimen the likes of which I’ve not seen since ‘Monster Musume’ and based solely on her appearance alone I could have given her a spot on the list for sure. But why Grea “wins” the top spot is largely down to her personality. She is shy and insecure but friendly and patient, she is quiet and reserved but affectionate and endearing. And, sadly, she is not my waifu but clearly belonging to her love interest Anne in this series. But even just being observer to their courtship is enough for me. Grea is perfect and that’s why she’s Number 1.

***

And that’s my list! Let me know which anime waifu’s made your favourite list in the comments below, thanks for reading!

Previous Best Seasonal Waifu Lists:

10 Best Waifu’s Of Winter 2018 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s Of Spring 2018 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s Of Summer 2018 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s of Fall 2018 Anime

If you liked my post and want to support my content, please consider supporting my Patreon page, or donating by buying me a coffee on Ko-fi!

Don’t Call An Anime You Don’t Like “Trash”

A post regarding the flippant usage of the word “trash” in specific regard to anime

What are we talking about today? Y’know, I think one of my absolute biggest pet peeves with this whole society of ~amateur criticism~ that we find ourselves in (thanks to the internet and mostly social media) is that people devalue the significance of their words.

Oh. Is this about online bullying or something? Not at all, I don’t have the time or nuanced intellect to deal with an issue that large and impactful on society. No, this is about a single word that gets thrown around to describe all manner of media (but specifically anime in the case of this blog post) and how using it is detrimental not only to the media its ascribed to but also the person who uses it.

And that is? Don’t call an anime you don’t like “trash”.

Hmm, okay. And why exactly? Aren’t people entitled to their opinion? Freedom of speech and all that jazz? Absolutely, there’s no greater believer in freedom of speech than I (probably, maybe) but I’m talking about the ramifications of blanket labelling an entire series “trash” without thinking about the consequences of such unspecific language.

Okay, so you want people to elaborate? Like “x anime is trash because y”? That’d certainly be a step in the right direction, but let’s think about the words we use a little bit harder. Calling something trash implies it has no value–it is essentially garbage, refuse, something to be discarded without thought–and I think a lot of people underestimate the power of throwing out a cursory tweet or hurried blog post that labels something they’ve given a passing glance at as “trash”.

Haven’t you ever heard of the expression “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? I have and that doesn’t change the fact that criticism without critiquing leaves everyone poorer for it. I don’t expect people to write thousand word dissertations about why a certain show rubs them the wrong way or fails to connect with them on any level. What I do expect–at least from the people whose opinions I still hold in some regard–is a degree of self-awareness and too consideration that people might be affected by the negativity they are putting out into the world with such reckless language.

Sounds like you’re being a bit of a precious little snowflake if I’m honest… I don’t know. Maybe I am, maybe this is an absolute non-issue for most people and I’m being especially sensitive to the opinions of others. But here’s the thing, if you want ~me~ an amateur critic existing on the internet amidst a million other voices screaming for attention to take ~you~ a likewise amateur critic existing on the internet seriously in any capacity then you better believe I’m going to hold you to the same standards I hold myself. There’s plenty of times I’ve watched a single episode of a show and thought, “fuck this trash!” but the difference is I at least try and keep that abrasive and unedited thought internalised until I can come with reasons why it made me feel that way and present it against backdrops of personal experience and critical discourse. And at the very least find a place to appreciate the fact that some people out there did find value with the media I’ve reacted so strongly against and let those people know their opinions are not disregarded in the face of my own.

That seems like a lot of work tbh… Sometimes being a respectful human being is a lot of work but being otherwise just doesn’t sit right with me.

Tl;dr? Don’t call anything categorically “trash” without realising the impact of such a shallow summation.

This was a different kind of post for me, not talking about a specific anime but an issue within the anime community that I felt compelled to talk about. Let me know if you want more of this, or alternately if you want me to STFU and GTFO–either’s fine to be honest…