Mob Psycho 100 - complete anime review

Mob Psycho 100 (モブサイコ100) is a super natural comedy series based on the manga of the same name by One.  The anime ran for 3 seasons between the Summer of 2016 and the Fall of 2022, airing 37 total episodes.

     A review of the original season was published and can be found here, after watching all three seasons in a condensed time frame I thought it would be good to do a more comprehensive review of this anime.

     Middle school student Kageyama Shigeo is has psychic powers, incredibly powerful abilities that sometimes are beyond his control.  Due to the danger he recognizes he does everything he can to approach everyday life as a normal kid, refusing to use his abilities for his own gain.  As a grade school student he approached 'professional psychic' Arataka Reigen for advice.  Teigen, who harbors zero mystical abilities, is surprised when the meek child demonstrates his abilities during an accident in his office.  What Reigen lacks in special abilities he makes up for in quick thinking and unnatural self confidence.  He runs a psychic business but is in no way capable of actually performing real services.  He see's an opportunity with Shigeo and offers to be his mentor and employer, working hard to keep up appearances that he is also a psychic.  Through Reigens guidance Shigeo, nicknamed Mob, establishes his credence to not use his abilities against humans and to do his best to live as a normal person.

    Mob is a quiet, awkward and subpar student who just wants to have what every other teenage boy wants; friends and a love life.  Mob decides to improve himself by joining the body improvement club in school, struggling to keep up with the overly athletic club mates in jogging and weight lifting, but he is determined to improve himself on his own.  All the while Reigen calls him again and again to banish spirits and face off against an increasing number of enemy psychics.  Before he knows it, Mob has begun to gain the friends he has sought after, through nothing more than his resilience and dedication to improvement.  The friends will start to come in handy as a shadowy organization of power physics makes their appearance, bent on world domination.  Mob finds himself facing them to protect his loved ones and his own desire to not use his powers to get ahead in life.  How much danger can he face though before he breaks down and unleashes his contained strength?

    As with One's other series, One Punch Man, Mob Psycho starts out as a self referential lambast of psychic combat manga/anime.  But over time the humor and unexpected resolutions begin to mirror those tropes and patterns of the stories it starts out poking fun at.  Both stories have entertained me up to the point where it stops poking fun at the genres they mimic.  But with Mob Psycho I was able to push through the rote stories and finish the series, unlike One Punch Man.  This is mostly due to the love of Mob as a character and the enjoyment of seeing his growth.  Not as a powerful badass, which is pretty much the only semblance of character arcs in any shonen battle anime, but his growth as a normal kid.  If you get rid of all of the psychic powers stuff and just make an anime about Mob's increasing self confidence and self acceptance you are left with a really nice story about a lonely kid finding a place among his peers and its really enjoyable.  Unfortunately much of the story in season two is overshadowed with the distractions of world domination and fighting for the survival of mankind.  Season three however pulls it back and makes the threat the only real danger to Mob...himself and the catalyst was worth the terrible and contrived battles that lead to its conclusion.

     Aside from my well documented and boring dislike of anything shonen, the great thing about Mob over One Punch Man is the artwork and how it went with Ones art style instead of going with the cleaner more professional redo..  An endearing thing with One's stories is his artwork, with its goofy simplicity and awkwardness.  Its enjoyable to have that meshed with high quality direction and action to complete a project that might seem at odds with its self on paper, but works quite well in motion.  It makes me wonder how better of a product One Piece would be if it followed the same formula.  Artwork aside, Mob does have an enjoyable cast of characters that remain relevant through out the story.  This would be a significantly more enjoyable show if it remained a caricature of this genre instead of forgetting its self half of the time.  It is also great that the story chose to end at a point instead of needlessly dragging its self out into oblivion, with the hope of more seasons in the future.  From start to end its really about Mobs growth as an adolescent boy and we receive a very satisfying story about that growth, more is not needed.

    This anime is available in sub and dub formats on multiple platforms.

The Rampage of Haruhi Suzumiya - light novel

The Rampage of Haruhi Suzumiya (涼宮ハルヒの暴走) is the fifth volume in the Haruhi light novel series.  It was written by Tanigawa Nagaru with illustrations by Ito Noizi.  This fifth volume was originally released in Japan in 2004 and in English in 2011.

Click here to read the synopsis of the fourth volume, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. This series is 20 years old at this point, but spoilers follow.

    The first story in this volume returns us to the end of Summer and the SOS Brigade members are living up their best lives as high school students...all at the direction and scheduling mastery of Haruhi.  Haruhi realizes that their days of carefree living are almost done so she wants to experience as much as possible.  They go to the pool, work a part time job, hunt bugs, go to a Bon festival, watch fireworks, and all sorts of other stereotypical youthful events.  As the summer break comes to a close she isn't sure they have done everything they wanted to do.  Unfortunately, the other members begin to realize through dejavu and Yuki's computer nature that they have been repeating the final two weeks of summer over fifteen thousand times.  Doing the same activities, with some amount of variation, every single time, having their memories reset in the process.  Yet each time Haruhi is not satisfied and the loop begins again.  If only they could learn from their past failures they could find the solution to their trap.

    The second story takes place after the school festival and the computer club challenges the Brigade to a club versus club battle using their home made computer game.  Haruhi eagerly accepts their challenge and the club has a week to learn how to play the game.  The computer club is hoping to win back their best computer, which Haruhi had forcefully taken at the beginning of the year.  Kyon isn't exactly concerned with winning and lays down some ground rules for Nagato to keep things within the realms of reality instead of a repeat of their baseball tournament.  He expressly forbids her from using any sort of magic or super powers to help them win.  But will they even stand a chance against a group of computer nerds playing the game they developed?

    The third, final and longest story, is the first segment of the light novel series that was not covered by the anime.  We find the SOS Brigade going on the planned winter get away adventure following Christmas.  The Agency, which Koziumi is a member of, once again agrees to facilitate a mystery for Haruhi and the Brigade as they did over the Summer on a remote island.  This time the mystery is known to be a game by the members of the Brigade and is being hosted in a winter getaway owned by Tsuruya's family.  During an afternoon of skiing the Brigade finds themselves isolated from the others during a freak blizzard.  After stumbling around the mountain, blinded, they come across a strange abandoned mansion.  After entering it, seeking shelter from the cold, they begin to suspect something is supernatural about their current situation.  But who could be behind the blizzard and strange building?  Is Haruhi distorting reality again, wanting to fulfill her snowy mountain mystery dreams from the Summer?  Is The Agency's planned activity really more mysterious and complex than they realized?  Is the Data Mind flexing its abilities in response to Kyon's declaration of war against it to protect Nagato?  Is there a new threat making an appearance?

    This volume once again presents a series of unrelated tales of Brigade hi-jinks.  The first story is the foundation for the despised Endless Eight arc of the second season of the TV series, episodes 12 through 19, though the story is really only episode 19.  Unlike the TV show where each episode was a slight variation on telling the two week loop cycle, the short story shows them in the final iteration of the trap.  I really enjoyed the way KyoAni chose to do 8 almost identical episodes to enhance the tension of the story and to throw the viewers for another loop of abnormality.  I was wondering how the story was originally handled and it feels far less impactful than how the anime handled it.  Part of that may be from me being so familiar with the plot and ending, but there is something about being forced to repeat the story that makes the desire to resolve their predicament more impactful.  The second part, Day of Sagittarius, covers episode 11/13 of the original series and is pretty much exactly as it was in the anime.  Not much more to say about this one, but this is one of the more entertaining one shot episodes/stories in the series.

    The final part, the first story that is not in the anime, wasn't exactly the most enjoyable.  Out of all of the stories in the anime, I have never liked the Summer remote island mystery arc.  While not exactly a carbon copy of that story, this one was pretty much the cold weather variation of that segment.  The resolution of their situation was strange and convoluted, with absolutely no foreshadowing.  Outside of what may have set the Brigade up for their isolation experience, this story didn't appear to do anything to move the narrative of the series forward.  For the first story I was not familiar with, this was quite disappointing.  Moving forward though, with the exception of one more segment, everything else will be new territory from here on out!!

   Next up, The Wavering of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Adachi and Shimamura

 Adachi and Shimamura (安達としまむら) is a 12 episode slice of life romance based on the light novel series of the same name by Iruma Hitoma.  The anime originally aired over the Fall of 2020.

     Adachi Sakura doesn't really like being in school or dealing with her mother.  She skips a lot of classes and has taken to hiding away in the loft of the gym.  A classmate, Shimamura Hougetsu, starts to follow course and the two develop a friendship in delinquency.   Adachi becomes increasingly dependent on Shimamura, wanting to spend as much time with her as possible, recognized her growing attraction for her classmate.  Shimamura grows to enjoy the time spent with Adachi and wonders what her new friend truly feels and thinks.  Adachi is cool and reserved, unwilling or unable to open her self up to others, even Shimamura, the girl she is falling in love with.  Shimamura on the other hand does not actively seek attention or companionship from others, instead floating through life, taking her encounters as they come, instead of seeking them out.

    The more time they spend together, the stronger their feelings grow.  Adachi becomes completely obsessed with the other girl, struggling to be with her at times or to interact with her in meaningful ways without getting flustered.  Shimamuro, misreading the situation, dwells on feelings of affection for Adachi but doesn't pursue any form of romantic relationship with her, instead brushing her budding feelings aside and moving through life one day at a time.  Adachi becomes confused at the way her love interest responds to her thinly veiled attraction and reactions.  At times Shimamura doesn't seem interested in anything other than friendship but other times she does things that would typically be signs of romantic interests.  In many ways Shimamura's general indifference to her life adds greater strain to Adachi's unresolved feelings as Shimamura unconsciously pulls away as time moves on.  Adachi must face her trepidation and force herself to express her feelings for the only person that matters to her, but can she find the courage to express herself in a way that won't be misconstrued?

     On the surface this is a mellow story of emotional growth and romantic strain between two lost high school girls.  They spend their time together without a care for the world around them while also internalizing any emotions that may seem out of place.  Adachi understands quite well her feelings and desires but struggles with expressing them, the more they grow the harder it becomes for her to be with her love interest.  Shimamura is unsure of what she really feels deep down or if she even needs companionship in the first place.  While the surface and over all story is enjoyable and alarmingly sweet there is a glaring problem with the anime, a problem that may not be the fault of the light novels.  The anime feels like it exists solely to satisfy adult male voyeurism.  It was subtle at first, odd camera angles that continued to be focal points and an attentiveness to the characters bodies that seemed...less than needed.  You have to step back and remember this is a story about 15 year old girls, who are only beginning the journey to maturity and adulthood.  Are the gratuitous cuts focusing on the gap between sock and skirt as necessary as they appear to be?  Does so much attention need to be focused on Nagafuji's breasts?  As the series goes on Adachi feels less like a realistic Japanese high school girl and more like a rote shonen romance male protagonist, further blurring the point of the story from being one aimed at a sympathetic audience to that of an entirely different group.

    By the end of the series I was struggling to look past the blatant voyeurism and rampant subtle fan service that was threatening to overtake the unfolding relationship.  I need to read the light novels to see how much of this was on the part of the animation team and director...perhaps after I have finished the Haruhi novels.  But it bothered me and made me question what it is I seek as a middle aged man who tends to gravitate to romance stories centered on high school kids, straight or otherwise.  Part of it is due to a significant portion of those stories set in a school setting, so beggars can't be picky I guess, but at what point does it become a perversion instead of an enjoyment of a story?  The sexualization of minors in anime and manga has existed for a very long time and this series is incredibly tame by many standards, even when compared to your run of the mill shonen romance stories.  Looking at you Ichigo 100%.  Yet at what point does it become a problem that distracts from good characters and the ability to tell an enjoyable story?  Though the story its self had some serious flaws in it.  Anything outside of ten or so characters, most of which exist on the sidelines, is utterly ignored to the point of not even existing in the world around them.  The environment is almost devoid of any life that is not directly related to Adachi and Shimamura.  This is a closed world of loneliness, both outside and in.  In addition there is the introduction of an eccentric younger girl that almost serves no purpose to anything related to the story, just a strange distraction that is more embarrassing than entertaining.  The light novels appear to carry the story past the anime story so it will be interesting to see what further developments unfold in there isolated world...isolated unnaturally and perhaps with out any real intention?

     The anime is currently available in sub and dub format on Crunchyroll.

Komi Can't Communicate

 Komi Can't Communicate (古見さんは、コミュ症です。) is a 24 episode slice of life comedy series based on the manga of the same name by Oda Tomohito.  The anime originally aired between the Fall of 2021 and the Spring of 2022.

     Komi Shoko is a beautiful and admired first year high school student who suffers from comically debilitating social anxiety.  The struggles to talk with others or even express her feelings, ending up alone in class.  The boy next to her, Tadano Hitohito realizing her anxiety and social awkwardness, offers to be her friend and help her bridge the communication gap with others in school.  Their goal, get Komi one hundred friends.  Tadano thinks that a good start is his friend from middle school, Osana Najimi, however that task comes with it's own complications.  Najimi easily makes friends with everyone, considering everyone they have met as their childhood friend.  Unfortunately they had first met Komi when younger an the experience has put them off.  Komi's expressions of frustration and doubt come across as her being upset or annoyed.  Tadano is able to convince Najimi of the misunderstanding and they quickly choose to become her friend.  From there it should be pretty easy go gain ninety-eight more friends right?

    Even with the eternally energetic Najimi, and her status as the goddess of their class, Komi continues to struggle with making friends and easily expressing herself.  Some of that however is not her fault, while their school is a high caliber private institution that has excellent academic results, its admission policies are mostly concerned with finding as many strange personalities as possible.  Everyone in class and by a large extension the school, is unique in their personality.  Komi has to contend with a wide variety of strange people who she tries to be friends with.  Agari Himiko is a nervous, glasses wearing buxum girl who desires to be Komi's faithful dog, Yamai Ren is a dangerous stalker who wants to sexually assault Komi, Nakanaka Omoharu is a chunibyou.  Through strange interactions and misunderstandings these form the core of the friend group which at times appears to be den of enemies instead.  Komi, Tadano and the others go about their normal daily lives, enjoying their youth and helping their hapless friend have a better high school experience.

     This series does a passable job of breaking out of the rote 'tonari no' routine where the story focuses almost exclusively on Tadano focusing on Komi's problem.  As it progresses an increasing number of oddball characters are introduced that allow a larger narrative to unfold.  This makes for the two season run to not feel tedious or oppressive.  Instead we get to experience a number of different perspectives and story lines that lightly revolve around the central plot of getting Komi one hundred friends, which in it's self is largely ignored for the sake of advancing the plot.  Instead we see something mare akin to the progressive but isolated stories of the cast similar to Azumanga Daioh or Cromartie High.  The real point of the story is coming up with strange situations for strange characters in the backdrop of normalcy.  Everyone is a caricature of reality but lack any real depth outside of their stereotype.  Even Komi lacks any level of complexity in her character and Tadano serves little more than to be the benchmark of normalcy and narration.

    Where the original source material appears to lack any real substance the series is made more enjoyable due to the animations directing.  I was not a fan of the character designs either, particularly with Komi's hair making it look like her head was lopsided.  Without reading the original manga, perhaps the weakest point of the anime is the source...the animation is well done aside form the characters, beautiful at many points.  But something just seems to be lacking over all that made this something only worth passing the time with and not really being impactful outside of that.  Twenty-four episodes of middling writing to waste some time on a slow day.  Really sad when I think about it...there is some promise and this had the potential to enter the pantheon of epic slice of life anime, but the story just isnt there or didn't push enough into epic territory to make it noticeable.

     The series was produced by and is currently available in sub and dub format on Netflix.

Insomniacs After School - manga overview

 Insomniacs After School (君は放課後インソムニア) is a slice of life romance that originated as a manga by Ojiro Makoto and was adapted into a live action drama and a 13 episode anime.  You can read a review of the anime here.  I was so moved by the anime that I quickly read as much of the manga as I could access.  Sadly Viz has only released up to volume 2 so the rest of the read was reliant on scanlations.  There are 125 issues compiled into 14 tankoubon.  The final issue was published August 20th, 2023.

    Beware, there is the potential to have some things spoiled in the following overview.

       Nakami Ganta is a first year high school student who has trouble sleeping.  His exhaustion and detachment from reality puts him in a sour mood for most of the time.  His classmates try to avoid him and his sullen disposition.  His only friend is all around good guy and pal since kindergarten, Ukegawa Tao, who is a classmate and a member of the student council.  Ganta lives with his divorced father, who works third shift and relies on his son to take care of the household; doing chores, making food and generally being more mature and responsible than most people his age.  Ganta's mother left his father in the middle of the night when he was a young child and his disposition has been negative since then.  His insomnia is strongly linked to general anxiety and uncertainty about his place in the world.

     Magari Isaki is one of Ganta's classmates and is everything he is not.  Se has a close friend group and is well liked by those around her.  She is a member of the swim team, has over protective parents and an older sister who both loves and hates her.  Isaki also suffers from insomnia due to a genetic defect with her heart that has caused her to have multiple surgeries and hospitalizations over the course of her life.  She lives every day facing her mortality, fearing that one day she will never wake up.  Her condition is serious and has lead to a difficult childhood filled with the fear of dying and everyone around her treating her like a glass doll.  This has lead her to be both spoiled and ambitious in her actions, hating to be worried over and wanting to live life to the fullest, understanding it could end sooner than expected.

    The school they attend has an observatory as part of the facility with a large telescope.  At one time an astronomy club existed, but it was disbanded a few years prior to them entering high school.  The telescope lies unused and abandoned, the observatory its self little more than storage space, a space students don't go and staff rarely enters.  A rumor has been circulating the school about a tragic end to the astronomy club.  One of it's members had fallen to her death and haunted the remaining members until they all met similar fates, leading to the idea that her ghost still beckons other students to join her in death.  This has caused some of the first year students to avoid the observatory even more than they normally would.  What no one knows, is the rumor was started by Isaki as a way to keep the place to her self.  She realized early on that the unused space was a great location for her to sneak off to during the day and nap.  Her own isolated home away from home, were the stresses of school and life can melt away, allowing her to get some much needed rest.

    As the class prepared for the school festival, Ganta is selected to retrieve extra cardboard for the class project.  This takes hm to the observatory for the first time and he too discovers it is an ideal location to escape and rest.  But he soon learns that he is not the first one, happening upon the sleeping form of Isaki in the process.  Isaki startles awake and tries to escape the room before he realizes who she is. The lock to the door is broken and Ganta unknowingly has trapped them inside  While they await someone to open the door for them they confide in each other their struggles with sleeplessness.  Isaki offers to let Ganta share the space with her to help him find the rest that he searches for.  A bond is formed between them as they no longer have to suffer alone.  However their time together in the secret space comes to a tragic end as the school nurse, Kurashiki Usako discovers they are stealing away in a space that is semi-off limits for students. 

     In an attempt to keep their access to the observatory they petition the school to allow them to restart the astronomy club.  Surprisingly they are given permission and Kurashiki-sensei is made their advisor.  She is aware of both students struggles and see's this as an opportunity to find some relief from there issues.  Neither student knows the first thing about astronomy or what the club is supposed to be doing.  The last member of the club graduated years earlier and was the sole member for much of their time.  Kurashiki-sensei offers to have them meet the last member of the club, Shiromaru Yui, who had been able to win an award in astrophotography at that time.  Shiromaru is also uncertain of what the club is supposed to be doing and points them towards continuing the work she had done.  The future existence of the reformed club is not guaranteed though.  Two members is not enough to automatically be approved for continuing let alone having access to club funding by the student council.  They have until the Fall to show some sort of progress and plan for the future.  Neither wants to lose this space they have made for themselves, especially as they grow closer with one another.

    That synopsis covers the first tankoubon and gets into the second a few chapters.  The anime covers the first six tankoubon.  If you have watched the anime and want to jump right into the story without treading over the same ground you can easily pick up volume seven and not be lost.   But, you would miss out on the fantastic artwork all over again!  Which is one of the things that drew me into this story, the fantastic and realistic character designs.  Aside from the eyes the characters are very believable as realistic depictions of Japanese teenagers.  No unnatural hair color/shapes.  Realistic body types and clothing.  The characters are seen in a variety of clothing outside of their school uniforms.  Their body proportions and movement is natural and their faces are expressive and realistic.  At times, their reactions do move into the unnatural realm for effect and style..

    Another very enjoyable aspect of the story is its lack of slice of life and romance tropes.  The story stays very focused on the relationship between Ganta and Isaki, which largely takes place outside of the normal bounds of class and school activity.  They connect the most with each other while in the sanctuary of the observatory or in the quiet hours of the night, when neither is able to relax enough to sleep.  The closest we get to the standard episode plots is a portion where Isaki and her friends spend an afternoon at the beach.  But it's a far cry from the typical beach episode which is little more than fan-service for fan-services' sake.  This is a well staged segment where we see Isaki's surgery scars and begin to understand how she struggles with her appearance.  Both characters interactions and dialogue is natural and realistic.  Ganta is reserved and calculated while Isaki is honest and caring.  She quickly latches onto the off-putting boy and opens up to him more than she has outside of her family.  Their emotions smolder slowly but are not hampered by misunderstanding and forced delay.  They don't struggle with misreading the others intentions and rapidly realize the feelings they have for each other, even if they are unsure if they should push forward.

    Their lives are also grounded entirely in reality.  They aren't living in apartments by themselves, devoid of parental attention of care.  Ganta though is close given how detached he is with his father, partially due to their opposing schedules and his fathers benign nature.  Isaki's family is incredibly involved in her life, particularly her mother who is very protective.  Given the struggle she has had her entire life it is understandable.  But even with their guardians being as active in their lives as they are, the pair end up in a pivotal situation where they are all alone for a few days, a period in which their feelings come to fruition.  At this point the anime ends, as so many stories about adolescent love, with the start of their relationship as a couple.  Yet the manga keeps going and takes the story far beyond the start of their relationship.

     Just as they enter a new phase in their relationship, Isaki's family puts roadblocks up as punishment for their innocent eloping, which is entirely reasonable when two 15 year olds end up being unsupervised for a few days in the middle of the country, left to their own devices.  Isaki's mother clamps down on her freedom, restricting the use of her cell phone and keeping her grounded until school begins.  A difficult start to any relationship!  Ganta focuses on continuing the astronomy club, even if Isaki may not be able to be there as much any longer, motivated to preserve their space and time together as long as he can.  But there is more then her strict parents threatening to interrupt their relationship as the condition of her heart begins to worry her doctors she finds she is not able to live the carefree life she wants.

    Once the story moves beyond what was covered in the anime the tone shifts from a sweet slice of life, with a slight tone of darkness into a realm of uncertainty and apprehension.  As you move closer to the end of the story every chapter brings with it the fear of tragedy.  Soon their insomnia and the astronomy club are pushed to the side and the drama of a future not guaranteed becomes the focal point.  Isaki wants to live her life as if she was not seriously ill.  Ganta struggles with what he can do to help her, even shaping his career plans around a life with her, trying to wrap his mind around the severity of her condition.  Even if she survives well into adulthood their time together will be shorter than they want.

    It has been a long time since and anime or manga has impacted me as deeply as this beautiful story has.  I can't recommend it enough for anyone who appreciates a finely crafted tale.  It is hard to find a flaw in the story, even if it ended long before I was ready to say good bye to the characters and their world.  For the majority of the manga the story is laser focused on Isaki and Ganta, with very little in the way of distraction from side stories.  We get to see a little bit about Isaki's friends and their lives in later chapters, but very little.  Its hard to say if we would have been better with more time devoted to side characters, but in the end we have what we have.  There is a level of appreciation in the dedication of the story to plow ahead almost completely focused on the main plot, something that does not happen often as many stories want to stretch their world beyond reason.

    I can't stress enough how heavy this story becomes in the second half, the specter of doom being more noticeable.  It is not unreasonable to compare this with Your Lie In April.  It is a much more focused story than that classic of heart wrenching romance drama.  If you only watch the anime you can leave it with a good feeling, the future looks bright!  That is unless they animate the second half of the story...the hammer of sadness.  I am not going to say how it ends, that is up to the reader to experience on their own, to wrap themselves in the story and get close to these characters and their struggles.  I fear this series will not get the audience it deserves, but I am grateful I have fallen into it. One of the best manga I have ever read...I will add it to my short list of stories that need to be revisited from time to time.

    The manga is currently being released in North America by Viz and at the time of this post they are only on volume 2.

My Dress-Up Darling

 My Dress-Up Darling (その着せ替え人形（）は恋をする) is a 12 episode slice of life anime based on the manga of the same name by Fukuda Shinichi.  The series originally aired over the Winter of 2022.

     Gojo Wakana lives alone with his grandfather who runs a business making and selling hina dolls.  Wakana has been fascinated with the painstakingly crafted dolls from an early age, unfortunately his love of them has caused him to be distant from his peers.  While in elementary school a friend who was a girl outright rejected his love of the dolls, focusing on them being made for young girls and it being weird that a boy would be so fascinated with them..  The reaction from his friend did a lot to destroy his self esteem.  As a high school student he has closed himself off from those around him, focusing on getting through life and trying to be be as good of a doll maker as his grandfather.  He hides his passion from those around himl.  His world is opened up when a classmate, the beautiful and admired, Kitagawa Marin, decides that she is going to understand him more.  Marin learns that Wakana has some skill with a sewing machine after he is forced to use one at school when his antique model at home dies.  For the first time he tells someone about his passion for hina dolls and Marin is completely open to it, telling him in return that she is trying to make her own cosplay.

    Marin is everything that Wakana wishes he could be.  She is earnest, open and honest about her self and her passions.  Even though her passions are usually met with disdain and social rejection, her friends accept her for who she is, something that Wakana has never been able to achieve.  The beaming popular girl suddenly gives him the world that he has desired, acceptance and understanding.  Marin, overly energetic, convinces Wakana to help redo her first attempt at a cosplay.  Wakana has lead a largely insular life, focusing intently on his grandfathers trade, not building friendships or experiences outside of that life.  Marin pulls him kicking and screaming into a world hes not experienced of understood, a world he becomes fascinated with.  Marin causes him a lot of emotional distress because of her unfiltered personality.  She doesn't hesitate to do whatever is necessary to achieve her goals, her modesty and his embarrassment be damned.  As she spends more time with the demure boy she begins to fall in love with him, but finds it hard to express her feelings or even understand if they are real.  Instead she unknowingly opens him up to the life he has missed out on all these years.

     This series was far more enjoyable than I anticipated, even with my general dislike of unnecessary fan service, of which this series has its fair share of.  Not to say I'm a prude or anything, I just feel that most fan service is used to patch up a shoddy story.  The story and characters are so good that I could move past my normal tastes.  This show is just that enjoyable.  This also doesn't fall into your standard high school romance patterns.  They go to the beach...but instead of being an excuse to show of the girls in bikini's they have to contend with ninja food snatching seagulls.  They go to a pool...but again, its not the typical scene by a long stretch.  They do go to a festival and watch fireworks but don't expect the standard tropes there either.  The bulk of the narration is about Wakana learning the world of cosplay manufacturing and Marin's struggle with her feelings for the boy shes relying on to make her dreams reality.  There is absolutely nothing about Wakana having feelings for her.  He struggles with her openness and his discomfort around her at time as well as his thought process related to costume design.  He barely registers the fact that she, unknowingly, is opening him up to the world and the life of a normal high school student.  Even though he is the main character most of time it feels like he is being pulled along as a participant.  There are a handful of side characters to take up some amount of the story but in reality the sole focus is on Wakana and Marins relationship.  They are put in awkward situations which are done in a way that makes sense and doesn't feel forced.  The characters are natural and believable which helps to carry this story.

    That said, it feels like the anime is only scratching the surface of these two.  You can sense a deep seeded loneliness with Marin given her home situation.  Wakana's life has been so closed off, mostly by his own doing, that he feels like someone from 100 years ago.  Its hard to understand if that's due to his devotion to doll crafting, his early personality collapse by his friends outright rejection or the loss of his parents at a young age.  There is just so much room to explore these characters more.  They are what drives the story beyond anything else.  We will have to wait for the second season to see how deeper into their psyches the story will take us, I can't wait!!  But now I have another manga I have to rapidly consume, these characters and their lives are that enjoyably.

    The series is currently available on Crunchyroll in both sub and dub formats.

Vivy - Flourite Eye's Song

Vivy - Flourite Eye's Song is an original 13 episode sci-fi anime written by Nagatsuki Tappei and Umehara Eiji, produced by Wit Studio.  The anime originally aired on the Spring of 2021.

    In the 23rd century AI wages war on humanity, threatening its existence.  A scientist makes a desperate attempt to save everyone by transmitting an AI a hundred years into the past, to work with the remaining original AI to undo mistakes that he believes lead to the threat.  Diva is the first AI produced but she has been relegated to singing at a barely attended side stage in an amusement park, unable to touch the hearts of the human visitors.  In the development of AI, it was imperative that the scope of the programming was narrow enough to avoid complications and failure in their operation.  Each AI is given one task that their programming forces them to achieve above anything else.  Diva's task is to 'sing from the heart and make everyone happy with her songs'.  She struggles with the definition of this task and her inability to move the hearts of the humans around her.  

    The AI from the future, Matsumoto, comes to Diva and works to convince her of his intentions and understanding of the future.  His one goal is the success of the effort to work with Diva to alter time enough to prevent the war between humans and AI.  Using his advanced programming and technology he is able to update her abilities to match the tasks at hand.  Altering the past can be difficult when the record that you have does not change based upon the alterations made.  In order to make as little impact as possible outside of the scope of his mission, Matsumoto only appears at random junctures in the timeline to guide Diva with specific tasks.  Without understanding how their changes will effect the future, will they really be able to prevent the destruction of humanity at the hands of AI?   

The primary objective of the story is a cautionary tale about artificial intelligence.  Time travel by way of altering the 'past' plays a heavy role in the plot as well.  Attempts to halt the coming destruction of the human race at the hand of AI relate closely with an anti-terrorist organization as Diva and Matsumoto interact with them again and again, struggling to alter the world enough to prevent the future Matsumoto comes from.  The time jumps make some of the plot points hard to follow at first, particularly when passing dialogue references characters from prior segments that may not have stuck in memory.  Even with binging the entire series in one sitting I found myself having to reference past episodes to fully understand all the links being presented.  It seemed rather tedious and would distract from focusing on the story as it unfolded.  At times the story felt rushed as well.  Some points in time seem like there could have been a slower pace.  Though given the series filled up 13 episodes it's impossible to say that an entire second cour would have been justified.  It just felt like more time could have been spent on some portions of the story.

    With it's faults this was an enjoyable series.  It is pretty much a combination of standard Isaac Asimov classic sci-fi mixed with the feel and drama of Violet Evergarden.  The story is as much about trying to save humanity as it is building humanity into Diva.  What is an odd choice stylistically is how all other AI have emotions and motivations outside of their programing, yet the main character is presented as an automata.  Or perhaps this dichotomy is done purposefully to further underlie her uniqueness and lack of emotion.  She is one of the first AI if not the first...that part seems to be somewhat murky to be honest.  Yet, all of the other AI that have any level of interaction with the story have some level of emotion.  There is a lot of compassion for Diva from the viewer as she is witness to a series of personal tragedies through out her story, I admit it was quite emotional at times, particularly when a ballad would kick in to heighten the feelings.  It's not as compelling of a story as Violet Evergaden was but is was still worth the time.  Each story segment feels like an excuse to play around with different sci-fi tropes with only the end goal of Diva being the unifying thread.  Its hard to find truly original content with everything that but made, but comparisons to other well known franchises are hard to ignore, particularly The Matrix and Terminator.

The series is available in sub and dub format on Crunchyroll.

The Yakuza's Guide To Babysitting

 The Yakuza's Guide To Babysitting (組長娘と世話係) is a 12 episode slice of life anime based on the manga of the same name by Tsukiya.  The anime originally aired during the Summer of 2022.

     Kirishima Touru is a hot headed lieutenant in a small yakuza family.  Over the years, due to his violent and dangerous nature he has earned himself the reputation of a demon who doesn't hesitate to kill anyone.  The head of his family is tired of his shoot first mentality and after scheduled negotiations turned into a blood bath Kirishima is given a job that might help to teach him some patience.The head of the families daughter, Yaeka, is a quiet and reserved girl.  Her mother has been in a coma for a number of years and Yaeka has been living with her aunt since then, only able to see her father when he is not busy.  He has decided that she needs to be closer to him and has her move into the family house instead, entrusting Kirishima to look after her.

    Unwilling to refuse the boss and recognizing it as a painless way to atone for his transgressions, Kirishima accepts his new responsibilities.  Taking care of an elementary school aged child requires far more tact and patience compared to the work he used to doing for the family.  The young miss is respected as an extension of her father, meaning everyone in the family does everything they can to keep her safe and secure.  This shift means that Kirishima must act with deliberation and kindness, working hard to keep the violence and deprivation of their world from tarnishing Yaeka's daily life.  While Kirishima may be growing as a person by taking care of this small life, others in the underworld as disturbed by the demons softer nature.  Elements of that dissatisfaction begin to poke and prod at him to see if his reputation is still deserved.

     I went into this series expecting it to be a goofy comedy akin to Way of the House Husband.  I was pleasantly surprised that there is more drama than comedy and greatly enjoyed the experience.  This story could have gone a lot of different ways, the path it took feels like the right choice.  The path of serenity and reflection.  For the most part the characters are calm and subdued, choosing to move through their world with thought and consideration.  Yaeka, who hasn't had the easiest of lives, is timid and reserved.  She grows attached to the man watching over her and starts to be more open to children around her.  Kirishima becomes more tolerant of things that may be perceived as attacks on himself.  He begins to consider if his actions are something he would want the young miss to see him do, choosing instead to ignore things or deal with them verbally.  The bosses plan seems to be working as his demon begins to be subdued by the little girl.

    What feels off with the anime are the characters who are within the inner orbit of the criminal group but are not actually a part of it and their complete acceptance of the families niche.  Most notable is Yaeka's aunt, who has zeri hesitation for interacting with the hardened criminals, often cooking meals for them at the family house.  In the flashbacks that you see Yaeka's mother, she too only portrays a doting wife and mother, instead of the tensions of a woman married to a crime boss.  The premise of the story wouldn't work any other way, but its interesting that they all approach their existence as if it wasn't a world filled with danger and secrecy...mostly.  There are times where that portion of their world is apparent and reflected upon, but much of the perspective is done from a position of shielding the young girl from their true nature.  No one really understands what their parents do for work when they are that young, all she knows is the house is filled with a bunch of guys in suits that respect her family a great deal and are always kind to her.  Professionals.  The story it's self really does not have a defined plot trajectory, instead it follows the main characters as they grow closer, peppering flashbacks to build depth of the characters and their circumstance.  In the end it just concludes the view into their lives and we move on to something else.  No great catharsis or plot resolution, just a quid pro quo and a good bye.

    The anime was in part produced by Crunchyroll and is available in sub and dub formats on their platform.  

Sonny Boy

 Sonny Boy is a supernatural anime that was produced by Madhouse and written by Natsume Shingo.  The 12 episode anime originally aired over the summer season of 2021.

    A group of middle school students find themselves and their school stranded in a void of space and time.  Some of them have developed super natural abilities, the supplies replenish themselves and injuries to them and destruction to the environment repair rapidly.  Not all is well though in the small isolated community.  When individuals who yearn for structure and organization to help form their existence, stresses begin to appear between everyone.  Once order and rules begin to be enforced punishments begin to manifest in their small world.  As some of the students rebel against the imposed order reality shifts around them and they find themselves in a different location, an isolated tropical island.  The sudden change of location sparks life into the group returning to their previous lives and helps temper the strain of confinement.  Yet the work to find a real solution to their problem brings greater challenges to the groups as a whole.

    As the group see's a possibility of escape, leaders begin to emerge.  One in particular, an exchange student named Rajdhani, begins to study the world, the way certain members of the group can manipulate it and formulate a plan through the scientific method.  Through testing and analyzing the results he recognizes that one particular member of the group is capable of, in the the very least, moving them to different areas.  The person, Nagara, is skeptical of his responsibility related to finding a solution for their problem.  His reluctance begins to cause some of the more frustrated members of the group to look for scapegoats..  They move between various outcast members of the group but ultimately lay the blame for the origins of their situation at Nagara's feet.  The group begins to fracture further when they learn there are others also trapped in this reality, some who have been there for thousands of years.  The strain and stress of the situation forces them into different groups as they try to search for salvation, in the face of an impossible imprisonment.  Can Rajdhani find a solution or a reason for them being lost to time and space?  How much control does Nagara really have over the realities around them?

    This is a fantastic original anime that presents a story that is out of the ordinary.  On the surface it feels like a sci-fi take on the classic horror manga Drifting Classroom.  But in reality its closer to something like Tatami Galaxy, just serious instead of fantastical.  The concept is enjoyable and the mystery keeps you wanting to watch more to unravel it.  It does feel like it looses clarity as the climax begins, shifting into weird metaphysical self analysis, not dissimilar to the original ending for Evangelion.  The pacing is slow at first, focusing more on establishing the circumstance and the characters personalities.  Once the groundwork is laid out the narration begins to branch off into different directions, dropping random pieces of the mystery as it goes, leaving the viewer to solve the mystery.  In the end things are not clearly laid out, leaving interpretation to the viewer, for better or worse.

    The artwork is as strong as the unique story.  The characters are not highly detailed but fit the feel of the story quite well.  This was a welcomed escape from the current standards for anime stories.  It highlights that there is still room for fresh and enjoyable original content, instead of continuously plumbing the depths of existing manga and light novels to create what amount to long form commercials.  I suspect that this story wasn't able to gain enough traction to shake things up though.  Its a story aimed at minority audience, instead of some blockbuster well recognized title that draws a ton of eyes.  Its not flashy or familiar, so it would be hard to draw in a lot of casual viewers out of pure curiosity.  On top of that, as it was airing I saw very little in chatter on the internet about the show.  Regardless, it was a very welcome distraction to the current trends in broadcast anime.  These random experimental shows are what make continuing to consume this medium worth it.  There is still interesting writing out there, even if this one does lose its focus as it wraps up the narration and shifts into bizarro world.

    The anime is currently available in sub and dub format on Crunchyroll after it was initially broadcast on Hulu.

The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya - light novel

 The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (涼宮ハルヒの消失) is the fourth volume in the Haruhi light novel series.  It was written by Tanigawa Nagaru with illustrations by Ito Noizi.  This forth volume was originally released in Japan in 2004 and in English in 2010.

Click here to read the synopsis of the third volume, The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya. This series is 20 years old at this point, but spoilers follow.

     We find the SOS Brigade preparing to celebrate Christmas by having a secretive hotpot party in the club room.   On the day Haruhi plans to reveal the entire plan for the clubs activities Kyon finds himself is a different world than what he went to sleep in the night before.  The first sign that something isn't right is running into a severely exhausted Taniguchi, who the day before had been practically sprinting up the hill beaming about a Christmas date he had.  Instead he mumbled about how his father won't let him stay home to rest and questions Kyon's sanity when asked about date plans.  Kyon brushed this off as something sudden and embarrassing on Taniguchi's part and heads to class.  Class however proves even worse when half of the students are absent with this same sudden illness.  Even the seat behind him remains empty, meaning the mighty Haruhi has also befallen pray to the cold.  During lunch as Taniguchi is telling him its been going around for days, Kyon's entire world shifts to the realm of peril as the last person he expects to walk into the class puts her things at Haruhi's desk.  Asakura Ryoko has suddenly reappeared and no one seems to think its odd that the girl who transferred out in the Spring has waltzed into the room as if she has been there the entire time.  In reality Asakura was destroyed by Nagato to stop her from killing Kyon...yet suddenly here she is, sitting in Haruhi's seat, as if she wasn't a biological interface for the data entity that also created Nagato.  Kyon freaks out, questioning why she is there and why Haruhi isn't a part of their class.  The half empty room stares in horror and refutes his accusations and pleas, forcing him to flee the class in search of any semblance of familiarity.

    He searches for Koizumi first, only to find his entire classroom is no longer a part of the schools floor plan.  Next he searches for Asahina, finding her wandering the hallways with Tsuruya.  In a lapse of judgement he grabs her and begins to babble about how everything is wrong.  When her shocked and frightened reactions cause him stress he continues about how he knows she has a star shaped mole on her breast to try and convince her that they know each other.  The ever protective Tsuruya removes Kyon from Asahina at which point he recognizes that things are very wrong, he flees to the last refuge he can think of, the club room.  Once there he finds the room restored to its state before Haruhi usurped it from the literacy club and as always, the lone figure of Nagato is seated at the table, reading a large book.  With out thinking Kyon begins to interrogate her as he did Asahina only to realize this is not the robotic Nagato he is so familiar with.  Instead the bespectacled girl is frozen with fear and surprise at the sudden intrusion of her sanctuary.  No, this Nagato is a normal, shy and bookish high school girl, not an all powerful living computer.  Kyon finally admits to himself that he has somehow woken up in a version of the world were the people he calls friends are ordinary humans, lacking all of their special qualities.  The question is, does Haruhi even exist in this world and what will it take to return to the world he knows, the pain in the ass, stressful, supernatural world full of terror and danger.  The world he loves.

     Out of anything in the Haruhi anime universe the movie is my favorite so it was fantastic to return to this story once again in text format.  I've seen the movie so many times I could hear the characters say almost every line of dialogue as I was reading the light novel.  That also put into perspective how faithful the anime really was to the original source material and how disappointing it was to know that very little was left out.  I was hoping to experience a bit more in the book than in the movie but aside from some interesting side details it was exactly like the movie.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the read from start to finish, and it made me want to watch the movie yet again, but its a little disappointing that it was so faithfully transcribed.  That said, there were a few details that made things come into a bit cleared perspective.  I don't recall as much detail being given to the exact whereabouts of Kouyouen Academy in the movie.  In the book Kyons internal dialogue explains that the private school is located at the base of the hill that he travels everyday to go to school.  The way the movie portrays it, the school feels like it is much further away.  Another noticeable change, that seems quite significant and a little less dramatic compared to how it was handled in the movie, was the identities of the figures that show up in the climax of the story.  In the movie Kyon's point of view is hazy and confusing and you can only half guess at who is all part of the climax.  In the book he clearly goes over in his mind who was all involved, laying it out more than the movie did, of which it was a passing point of narration.

    Either way, this is one of the strongest story line in the Haruhi world, at least in the parts that are covered in the anime.  As I approach the volumes that take place outside of the anime, I grew eager to finally have some new adventures with this crazy cast of misfits.  Up next...the dive into how the notorious 'Endless Eight' are going to be handled in volume 5!  The Rampage of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Tonikawa: Over The Moon For You Season 2

Season 2 of Tonikawa (トニカクカワイイ) is the 12 episode continuation of the anime slice of life romantic comedy based on the manga of the same name by Hata Kenjiro.  Season 2 aired originally during the Spring of 2023.

     If you are not familiar with the original season from 2020, here is the previous review.  Nasa and Tsukasa have settled into their lives living in the guesthouse of the public bath run by their friends, the Arisugawa's.  Things seem to be going quite well for the newly weds except that Tsukasa starts to become needy for attention.  She struggles to express herself in a way that the analytical Nasa can easily comprehend leading to him not fully understanding his wifes' desires.  Nasa also struggles with his lack of experience and apprehension regarding his wife, unsure how to proceed with activities that are more inline with their relationship.  Even with help from those around them, usually in straightforward ways, the couple has a hard time being lovey let alone intimate with each other.  Are they really married adults or middle school kids in their first relationship.  In the end....both may be equally true.

    As soon with the brief synopsis not a lot really transpires in this season.  Its started to get a little tedious honestly that we have an entire plot line that refuses to move forward, for little more than extension of the story.  So much emphasis is put on the idea that they are to timid to consummate their relationship with sex that it overshadows more interesting aspects of the story.  Particularly what is the truth behind Tsukasa's origins and identity.  There are brief looks at her past in regards tot he relationship with the woman that acts as her guardian, the elderly Tsukuyomi Takiko.  Takiko has begun to inject herself into their life as a way to ensure Nasa is right for her and to entrust her desires to him.  We are introduced to a few more odd ball characters who make random cameo's but in the end almost all of the story is devoted to continuing their 'will they won't they' plot line.  Season two does spice it up a bit as they become more bold in their interactions but in the end its still juvenile and unreasonable their level of modesty.

     That said, Tonikawa is still an sweet and enjoyable show.  The characters are simple and fun and the pairing of Nasa and Tsukasa is quite pure.  Yet, the way the narration drags through the same tired routine gets old quickly.  There is so much more potential to have a more developed story and greater complexity with there two lovable characters, but instead it continues to fall back on worn out obstacles.  I can only hope that we start to see some actual progression in season three which, at the time of this review, is about halfway through its broadcast.

    Tonikawa is currently available in sub and dub formats on Crunchyroll.

A Galaxy Next Door

 A Galaxy Next Door (おとなりに銀河) is a romantic supernatural slice of live anime based on the manga of the same name by Amagakure Gido.  The anime originally aired during the Spring of 2023.

 

    Goshiki Shiori is the princess of a semi-super natural people from a remote island.  She has come to the mainland in search of experience in the outside world.  Once she turned 18 her grandmother allowed her access to her private manga library.  Goshiki was instantly drawn to shoujo romance manga and decided she wanted to experience that type of love life.  One artist in particular attracted her attention.  She diligently studied his style, becoming able to faithfully recreate it.  She sought out his publishing company and applied to be one of his assistants.  The artists, Kuga Ichiro, struggles to find success writing manga. He is determined to continue his career in order to pay for his younger siblings future college expenses.  Ichiro has been left to raise his two young siblings alone, following his fathers passing.  He not only cares for them but also maintains his families share house.  He was serialized as a teenager but has struggled to make a successful story that will ensure his success as an author.  Goshiki shows up at the best time as he faces a perilous deadline and currently has no assistants.

    His is utterly amazed by the abilities of the proper and reserved Goshiki, considering her a stroke of luck.  Their relationship becomes complicated soon after she begins to work as his assistant.  After an all-nighter working to meet a deadline they both pass out in his office.  He wakes to find her slumped over a chair with what appears to be a drawing utensil stuck in her back.  Fearing she is injured he grabs at the object to remove it only to be struck with an unusual sensation.  Horrified by what has happened, Goshiki reveals that it is a part of her body that is tied to her peoples heritage.  The act of Ichiro touching it has meant, by her peoples traditions, that they are destined to be wed.  Ichiro questions her adherence to the traditions of her people, when she is trying to forge a path in the world for herself, unfortunately there is a bit more to their connection than a vow of matrimony.  They have been interlinked in a metaphysical level now, Ichiro being receptive to her emotions and any relative distances between them.  This is a new level of complication to his life where he is trying to ensure the success of his young brother and sister, not exactly focused on his own happiness or companionship.  What does the future hold for these two people now that they seem to be linked in multiple facets.  Can Goshiki really defy the will of her parents and heritage or are they able to reverse the bond that was unknowingly created out of concern for safety.

    I wasn't sure what to expect from this series so went in quite blind.  The supernatural aspects don't really take a lot of precedence in the story.  The marriage bond is really the only thing that is of any importance but beyond the start of it everything else related to it was mostly mundane in nature.  What is surprising is Ichiro's willingness to accept that Goshiki's family has any supernatural elements to them at all.  Once she tells him about her secret he goes along with it without further ado.  Its also quite strange how quickly everyone excepts Goshiki instead of questioning her anachronistic mannerisms and behavior.  The story quickly shoves any of these easy narrative targets and instead focuses on the two main characters relationship with each other as it evolves over time.  Beyond that though its a pretty straightforward story.  The characters don't hesitate a great deal and their lives progress towards the conflict of Goshiki's family and her desires to break away from tradition.

    This series isn't bad but it isn't amazing either.  It was enjoyable but easily forgettable.  A lot of reasonable conflict and complexity is brushed to the side in favor of focusing on the day to day details.  The entire concept of Goshiki's family circumstance is largely ignored, explained away with the retelling of a semi legendary tale of her grandmother as a young girl.  Whats really hard to swallow is how an entire island population so readily accepted the change her grandmother brought to their community.  Was her family perceived as royalty beforehand?  How was she capable of so easily converting the inhabitants previous view of reality to fit a new dogma that lead the younger Goshiki to be revered like a sacred princes in the Heian era?  Ichiro's circumstance seems significantly more realistic on its own, but when compared to Goshiki's...its definitely irrelevant beyond set up.  Maybe it was due to the nature of the anime and the time constraints, but there seems to be a lot of narration and plot that could have taken place or might have been omitted for unknown reasons.  By the end of the story it seems like we barely even know any of the characters.

    It is currently available in sub and dub formats on Crunchyroll.