Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These - part 3

 Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These - Clash (銀河英雄伝説 DIE NEUE THESE 激突) is the third 12 episode season of the remake based on the novel series Legend of the Galactic Heroes by Tanaka Yoshiki.  The series was originally released as three movies over the Spring of 2021.

If needed, here are the links for Part 1 and Part 2.

    The Alliance is doing its best to overcome the failed coup but there is much unrest and mistrust among the populace, the military and the bureaucracy.  The Galactic Empire on the other hand seems to be falling firmly into Reinhardt's control.  Admiral Yang has been promoted to fleet admiral following his role in quelling the coup.  He is stationed on Iserlohn along with his closest allies.  On his adopted sons first training sortie their fleet stumbles upon an advanced Imperial fleet and a battle ensues, thrusting Julian into adulthood as he has to deal with surviving his first combat experience.  The top science advisor for the Empire proposes a plan to retake Iserlohn using a derelict battle station left over from the defeated nobles.  The idea is to use experimental technology to warp the station within striking distance of the other station and engage it with a powerful force.

    Fezzan is beginning to make their move in the shadows, with plans to tip the balance in favor of the Empire and then assassinate Reinhard.  Their first step is to sow division and rot inside of the Alliance.  A plot is hatched to discredit and ruin Admiral Yang which is begun by summoning him back to the seat of power for a questionable tribunal.  As he is being bullied by hawkish politicians the bold plan from the Empire begins with the unprecedented warping on entire battle station.  While the command staff that Yang left behind would rather their magical tactician be their they employ a series of successful strategies to stave off annihilation, having faith their alerts to the capital were received and Yang would be returning with reinforcements before they were overwhelmed.  With the help of their guest admiral, an Imperial defector, using his intimate knowledge of their opponents to devise a reliable counter.  Yang and his fleet arrive as the battle seems to fall into a stalemate but the commander of the Imperial forces is becoming desperate to achieve victory.

   While part three started off strong it fell into a lot of back story and plot lines of miner characters that may or may not have been useful in the remake.  I started to loose an amount of interest when the story spent too much time focusing on some of Reinhard's underlings and brushed him off as little more than a set piece at this point.  His assistant though is an interesting character in her own right and a blatant copy of Yang's long time assistant.  The war-is-hell perspective as we see more from Yang's adopted son were enjoyable as was the frustrating tribunal Yang faced due to deeper Fezzan interference.  It will be interesting to see what will come of their more open manipulations of both governments.  The epic confrontation between Iserlohn and the recommissioned pleasure palace was fantastic and was a great showcase for the abilities of Yangs staff.  We usually get to see Reinhard's underlings succeed but we never get that from the Alliance side.

    This was the least interesting series so far in the remake.  If anything, I feel it showcases why it was a good move to trim out of lot of the side story stuff from the original series to make the story move in a more concise manner.  This season, at least in the first half, got bogged own by somewhat uninteresting side stories that felt more like distractions than anything else.  I can only hope that the fourth series sheds that off once again and kicks everything into high gear for what is assumed to be the conclusion of the remake and the culmination of the massive shift in the lives of the galaxy.

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

Click here for season 4.

A Town Where You Live - manga deep dive part 1 - Hiroshima arc

A Town Where You Live (君のいる町) is a shonen romance by Seo Koji.  The manga ran from 2008 until 2014 and has been compiled into 27 tankoubon.  It also received a 12 episode anime adaption in 2013 that covered the first two arcs of the story, with the first arc being largely glossed over.  The series and its characters are indirectly related to Seo's prior work, Suzuka, and the ending leads directly into the continuation of that series with the manga Fuuka.

    Kirishima Haruto is about to enter his first year of high school in rural Hiroshima prefecture.  His easy going and idyllic life is turned upside down with the appearance of an unwanted house guest, Eba Yuzuki.  Yuzuki, who's father is childhood friends with Haruto's father, convinces the Kirishima's to let her board with them.  She has decided to get out of Tokyo and spend some time in the country, planning to attend high school there.  Haruto want's nothing to do with the weird girl from the big city and sees her presence as an invasion of his privacy.  His mother see's no problem with the bubbly girl staying with them for the foreseeable future and ignores her sons pleas.

    Yuzuki's first day with the Kirishima's turns out to be a series of problems for Haruto.  First his mother forces him to show her around town.  He tries to get out of the task by loaning her his bike, so she can give herself a tour instead.  Yuzuki tells him that she doesn't know how to ride a bike, further reinforcing his distaste for what he sees as a spoiled aloof girl from the glittering capital.  He begrudgingly bikes her into town, obligated by his mothers request.  As they stop at a convenience store he attempts to distance himself from her, forcing her off of the bike.  Coming out of the store is a classmate and object of unrequited love, Kanzaki Nanami.  Haruto is desperate to distance himself from Yuzuki, to prevent any misunderstandings about their relationship, especially when it comes to Nanami.  The plan fails and Yuzuki excitedly introduces herself to the bewildered girl, hoping they can become friends once school starts.

    Before more damage can be done to his fragile ego, Nanami heads home.  Yuzuki grills him about his behavior at the convenience store, suspecting him of having feelings for the other girl.  Lying, he rebuffs the accusation and pedals faster to get home and away from her.  His home doesn't shield him from further complications as his best friend, Yura Takashi, pays a visit.  Unable to hide Yuzuki from him, he tries to paint her in an unfavorable light, working to establish his level of disinterest in her.  Takashi on the other hand is smitten with the new girl.  He first challenges Haruto for her attention then asks to him help her see him in a favorable light.  Before he can push him out of his house and find solitude Yuzuki needs to go back to the convenience store.  She fell into his families pond and needs to buy some more underwear.  Kanzaki misunderstands the reality of the request and fears shes going commando while wearing a revealing dress.

    With this idea in his head and understanding she will have to ride side saddle on the back of his bike, he tries to force Takashi to go home.  Instead, wanting to spend more time with the new girl, he follows them into town.  During the trip Haruto tries various tactics to help Yuzuki protect her dignity form the prying eyes of his friend.  When they reach the convenience store he stalls him from entering, so he won't find out why she's there.  Takashi again lays down an ultimatum about trying to date the new girl and forcing an unrealistic rivalry with Haruto.  In the end he forgets to buy something from the store himself and continues on home, leaving Haruto alone with Yuzuki once more.  On the return trip she questions his erratic behavior.  He comes right out and tells her he was trying to prevent her from flashing Takashi since she didn't have any underwear on...at which point she tells him she did and just needed more for when she changes clothes after taking a bath in the evening.  After the first, entirely too stressful day, misunderstandings lead to careless actions by Haruto related to this troublesome girl that he doesn't want anything to do with.

    Due to the size of the school, all of the freshmen are grouping in a single class, meaning Haruto is stuck with Yuzuki all day, every day.  To try and prevent people from getting the wrong idea about them, he plans to make her walk the last leg of the way to and from school instead of on the back of his bike.  The first day goes relatively smooth, with Yuzuki being the center of attention among his classmates.  He senses an opportunity to walk home with Nanami afterwards but needs to ensure Yuzuki gets home.  Since Takashi is interested in her he ask him to give her a ride back to his house.  Haruto then follows after Nanami, struggling to have any meaningful conversations with her. As she parts ways with him she expresses her desire to become better friends.  Before he can absorb the implications of her statement, Takashi calls him, telling him he never found Yuzuki.  Frustrated, Haruto back tracks to the convenience store where he finds her hiding nearby.  She didn't know about Takashi's plan to take her home, taking to heart Haruto's concern over people seeing them together to and from school  But, with the implications of Nanami's intentions buzzing around his brain he can't be too bothered with Yuzuki's personality quirks and misunderstanding.

    Thinking that Nanami would be joining the cooking club, like she had done in middle school, Haruto joins, claiming to be have the goal of opening up his own restaurant in the future.  His plan fails when he learns she was forced to join the baseball team instead.  Faced with this pointless gesture he struggles to find a path forward.  As she heads out to the first meeting of her new club, Yuzuki drops a bomb on Haruto.  She realized why he joined the cooking club, further proving her suspicions about his feelings for the other girl.  Teasingly, she offers to be his object of affection instead, since he keeps failing at getting close to her.  Shocked by the sudden joke, Haruto brushes it off as her being mean to him, but it sticks into his brain none the less.

    Haruto's club rarely meets, so he spends most of his afternoons waiting on an empty classroom for Yuzuki's club activities to end.  To make it up to him, Yuzuki invites him to visit a hot spring on their way home, enticing him further by inviting Nanami as well.  The following day he comes down with a strong fever at school and is taken to the hospital.  While resting at home, worrying about how Yuzuki will get home she enters his room accompanied by Nanami.  As soon as they arrive, Nanami has to excuse herself to answer a phone call from her older brother.  Sensing an opportunity and grasping at still unknown motives, Yuzuki leans in to kiss the bedridden Haruto.  She tries to explain away the kiss by saying it was a way to get rid of his cold, but he's not buying such a flimsy excuse.  He fights with her, accusing her of being a flirt, playing with any boys emotions that looks her way.  She tries to protest but his anger doesn't let him listen to her words.

    The next day his cold keeps him from school.  His mother tells him that Yuzuki will be getting a ride to school from Takashi.  Believing that she really has just gone to the next victim in her twisted world, he settles in to recover for the rest of the day.  Later, after school has let out, Takashi calls him to let him know about Yuzuki's behavior at school, telling him she was different than she had been previously, sitting alone, eating barely anything and arriving late.  For whatever reason she had lied to Haruto's mom about getting a ride to school with Takashi and had walked the entire way.  Worried about her, he rushes out of the house to find her before anything happens to her, ignoring the lingering exhaustion from his fever.  When he finds her on the road, she breaks down and accuses herself of being so useless with out him around.  Both kids remain silent on the way home, Haruto dwelling on why she had been behaving so erratic the past few days and what her intentions really are.  As hes about to settle in for the night Yuzuki calls him, instead of coming to his room, to talk.  She tells him she was happy when he came to find her and that she had turned down Takashi's offer because she only wants to rely on Haruto in those kind of situations.  Before she hangs up she asks him if he's going to ask her about why she kissed him.  When he tells her he doesn't want to know she morosely accepts and hangs up.  The following day she has returned to her normal carefree self...confusing Haruto further.

    Haruto struggles to make Nanami understand that he and Yuzuki aren't dating.  At first she thinks Haruto has an unrequited crush on the new girl and offers to help him with any advice, as a friend.  While he tries to make Nanami change her viewpoint, Yuzuki openly expresses her wishes to Haruto.  She hasn't been acting on a whim or to toy with him, she generally wants to date him.  When he tries to convince her she's being impulsive and wonders why she wants to be with him, she answers, she likes who she likes.  Haturo feels Nanmi slipping away from him, brought on by the introduction of the obnoxious girl from Tokyo who suddenly falls in love with him.

    Haruto's other childhood friend, Akari, rope he and Yuzuki into joining her on an outing with Nanami's older brother, Narumi.  Akari has a crush on the older boy and is hoping this will be a good chance to get closer to him.  During the outing Narumi questions Haruto about Yuzuki, telling him he likes her.  Haruto is astonished, knowing how much Akari wants to date the older boy but is unwilling to let her know that his attention has shifted to the new girl.  Nanami accidentally tells Akari that her brother is interested in Yuzuki, causing her to skip school to get over her broken heart.  Nanami, concerned for her friends well being, confides in Haruto about the dilemma.  Not sure how to broach the topic in a way that will present him in a favorable light, he bumbles into a confession to Nanami.  She doesn't respond to him, fleeing the music room they had gone to for their discussion, leaving Haruto to worry over any damage his confession may have caused.

    Things become awkward between Haruto and Nanami and he tries not to interact with her.  He can't avoid her during a school trip they take and she tells him that she just wants to remain friends, crushing the dreams he has held onto for three years.  Sensing his depression, Yuzuki tries to cheer him up, telling him that even if he's just friends with her for now, that doesn't mean the friendship won't turn into love later on.  Reinvigorated by her encouragement, he works to normalize his growing friendship with the girl he likes.

    While Haruto tries to return to normal with Nanami, his life at home becomes significantly more problematic when his older sister suddenly moves back in.  Aoi is going to college to be a teacher and has come back home to serve as a temporary teacher at Haruto's high school to help complete her certification process.  She and Yuzuki quickly become friends, causing more trouble for Haruto, who feels a need to take care of both of them.  Everyone quickly plans to throw a welcoming party at the Kirishima's house for Aoi, including Nanami.  During the celebration Haruto elects to cook more food and Nanami decides to help him out.  As he agonizes about not getting to date her and hoping that eventually their friendship will blossom into something more, she tells him that he should wait for a proper answer to his confession.

    As Haruto settles into a comfortable peace, with Nanami undecided about dating him, Aoi brings up a lost memory for the past that suggests Yuzuki and he met when they were younger.  After digging through the storage room, looking at old summer diaries, he remembers meeting her in 3rd grade at the summer festival.  She was lost and upset and he did everything he could to calm her down.  She had gotten separated from her family and was frustrated with her father making her come to rural Hiroshima.  Haruto remembers something he said from that time, that if she ever needed help again, to let him know.  He mulled over that declaration and if there was some hidden reason behind Yuzuki moving in with his family.

    He didn't have long to mull over his premonition though as he was faced with a dilemma of obligation on the following Saturday to either help Yuzuki practice riding bike or to help Nanami do some shopping for her brother.  Haruto catches a break when Yuzuki heads back to Toyko for the weekend instead, due to something unknown that has come up.  She tells him it isn't anything to worry about and he forgets about it, seeing it as fate working to his benefit.  This quickly evaporates as his mother urges him to accompany Yuzuki to Hiroshima to catch the train back.  She tells him Yuzuki is returning to Tokyo for her grandfathers funeral and is worried that the girl will run into trouble on her own.  Once there he has to force her onto the train, Yuzuki having severe reluctance to follow through with the trip.  Haruto finds himself stuck on the train as well, heading to Tokyo, forced to cancel his plans with Nanami.

    Haruto makes a point to accompany her all the way to her house, suspecting she will try to avoid whatever shes avoiding.  Before they reach her house they run into her parents, who greet him and take over escorting her, like she's a prisoner.  Haruto backs out of their invitation to come with and spend the night with them, telling them he has other things he needs to accomplish.  Free of Yuzuki, he goes to his sisters apartment to clean it, upon her request.  As he heads out to catch the night bus at Tokyo Station a young woman appears at his sisters door.  The girl claims to be Yuzuki's younger sister Rin, she is looking for the older girl and thought to check if she followed Haruto to his sisters apartment.  Once satisfied he doesn't know where she is, the girl turns to resume the search.  He convinces the younger girl to allow him to tag along.  They search around, not finding her.  Haruto mentions that Yuzukia had talked about not wanting to return home, reluctant to run into someone.  When he mentions this to Rin, the younger girl replies that the person Yuzuki is avoiding is her, that she is the reason her older sister went to live with Haruto's family.

    The kind and courteous girl suddenly transforms into a cold and calculating woman when she begins to talk about Yuzuki with honesty.  Complaining about having to look after the older girl and watch her seduce people to do her bidding.  Accusing her of appearing to be helpless as a calculating way to get attention.  Haruto finds himself dumbstruck with the sudden change in Rin's personality and questions his initial impressions of everyone he has met in her family to this point.  Before he can figure out whats going on, Rin receives a call from her mother about Yuzuki returning home safe and sound.  Rin quickly bids farewell to the boy and runs off, leaving him alone, questioning what happened and needing to catch the bus back home before he is stuck over night in Tokyo.

        Haruto never gets on the bus, receiving a phone call at the last minutes from Yuzuki.  He knows she's lying and suspects that Rin and her mother were lying earlier when they said she returned home.  He tells Yuzuki to stay where she is and he rushes off to meet her.  He tells her that she doesn't have to go back to her parents home, if it causes her that much trouble, instead she can stay at his sisters empty apartment for the night. (Suzuka side note: they end up watching a show on TV where Honoka talks about meeting Yamato as kids when he fixed her shrines broken bell).  Yuzuki tells Haruto that her siblings are step-siblings from her fathers new wife.  The reasons behind Yuzuki suddenly coming to live with his family comes into focus.  He understands the discomfort she is feeling, faced with living with 3 new members of her family, due to her father remarrying.  Not wanting her to feel isolated, he tells her that she can consider him family as well and for her to let him know when ever she needs help, that he will come and save her any time.  Setting the stage for further development in their relationship.

    Before the night ends, her older step-brother Itsuki knocks on the door and introduces himself, relieved that Yuzuki is staying that night at Haruto's sisters apartment instead of returning home.  Before he leaves he asks Haruto to talk with him in private.  Itsuki explains to him that the friction between the two girls is due to Rin's obsession with her older brother.  The merger of the two families and Yuzuki's outgoing nature has caused the younger girl to see her as an enemy, who is trying to take her brother away.  This perception has lead to a lot of aggression and antagonism from the younger girl, putting strain on Yuzuki, who is trying hard to have a normal life with her step family.   Haruto gets angry with Itsuki and punches him, just as Yuzuki arrives.  To break the tension she tells Haruto that she's going to go home and talk things over with her family.

    Left to his own, Haruto returns to his sisters apartment and finds he missed a call from Nanami.  He calls her back and finds out she felt guilty for inviting him out to something as trivial as shopping with her.  He does his best to persuade her that he was really looking forward to it  He doesn't tell her the real reason he has to cancel, affraid knowing he went all the way to Tokyo with Yuzuki would negatively impact any feelings she may have for him.  The easy nature of the conversation reinforces his feelings for her.  In the morning he meets with Yuzuki and her sister at the train station, by all appearances things honestly look to have been patched up between everyone.  Rin admits to him when she leaves to buy their tickets that her opinion changed about her older sister from competitor to idiot, not worth the bother.  Haruto isn't convinced that this is the end of problems from the scheming younger girl.  They return to Hiroshima and an end to the tumultuous adventure in Tokyo.

    The spring semester comes to a close and as the last day of school ends before summer break, Nanami
asks Haruto to walk home with her.  Jumping at the opportunity he finds himself alone with her again, wondering about the status of his proposal.  Before he can press her about it they get caught in a downpour.  While waiting for the ran to let up she invites him to go to the beach with her the following day.  His thoughts of being alone with her at the beach are quickly squashed when it turns into a group event, chaperoned by her older brother Narumi, who is driving them to and from the beach.  Haruto has a phobia about open water so chooses not to join the others playing in ocean.  instead busies himself with a sandcastle.  Nanami seeks him out when she realizes hes by himself and joins him on the beach.  She asks him is he wants to come with her the following week to the summer festival, alone.

 

     Haruto's lazy summer comes to a halt when Yuzuki's step siblings arrive to stay with his family.  Rin is bored being on the country, with nothing to do.  The entire group goes to a cook out and Rin notices the chemistry between Haruto and Nanami.  Rin also overhears a conversation between Haruto and Yuzuki where Haruto brings up Yuzuki wanting him to fall for her.  Recognizing the potential drama she can unleash, Rin is suddenly more interested in being there.

    On the day before the festival Rin joins the others on a trip to buy yukata.  She casually brings up Haruto going all the way to Tokyo with Yuzuki.  Internally Rin connects the dots and realizes that he lied to her when he told her why he had to cancel going shopping with her.  That night when Haruto calls her to finalize the plans for meeting up she abruptly cancels it and hangs up on him.  Unwilling to let it slide, confused by the drastic change of attitude, he sends her a message to meet him at the convenience store so they can talk.   At the festival Rin gets bored and decides to head to the convenience store to harass Haruto.  She tells him that Nanami isn't going to show and explains why.  She was hoping for him to get angry at her for tattling on him, but he accepts that the situation is his fault.  Frustrated that he's not falling for her bait she leaves him, bound for Nanami's house.

 

    She concerned about the older girl, who despite cancelling the meeting is dressed in a yukata when she answers the door.  Rin coxes the story between she and Haruto's relationship out of her.  During the course of it Nanami realizes that she needs to tell him how she feels instead of dragging it out, waiting for feelings that may never come.  She rushes off to meet him, afraid he has already left.  When she gets there she is prepared to tell him her feeling but us interrupted when the others who also arrived, talking about how they aren't sure where Yuzuki is.  Haruto rushes off to find her, realizing she is probably at a secluded spot where he first showed her the fireworks reflecting on a pond 10 years earlier.  His hunch was correct and he finds her, lost but safe.  They head back and find only Nanami waiting.  Yuzuki, realizing shes a third wheel, runs off ahead of them.  Nanami confirms what Haruto suspected and she declines his confession and tells him she isn't able to date him.

    The following day Haruto is worn out from the depression of having his heart broken.  Rin on the other hand is quite pleased with herself.  When she finally decides to return to Tokyo, he is forced into making sure she gets there safely.  Wanting to mess with him more, she continues to come up with distractions causing her to push-back which bullet train she will take home until she gives up on toying with him.  She had expected him to lose his temper after a while but has come to realize his caring nature knows no bounds.  She returns to Tokyo with a different understanding of Haruto but is still satisfied in her mischief.  Haruto can finally get some well deserved rest for the remainder of the summer break.

 

     According to Rin the reason Nanami isn't able to date him is due to his undying commitment to Yuzuki.  Time after time he has left Nanami's side to aid Yuzuki in something and Nanami is unwilling to compromise her love.  She doesn't want to share Haruto's attention with another women.  As she leaves, she tells him that he needs to come to terms with the feelings he has for the girl living in his house.  Haruto mulls over this, frustrated at Nanami's inflexibility.  Bur her words bury themself into his psyche, strengthened by his sister telling hims something similar when she pries information about Nanami from him.  He suddenly begins to question whether its true, looking at Yuzuki in a different way.  But just as he begins to see her in a new way she confesses to him that she is planning to return to Tokyo in a few months.

     The fall semester brings preparations for the cultural festival.  Yuzuki volunteers herself and Haruto to be part of the executive committee.  They along with the two other members, Kimuro a boy who is on the baseball team and Kikukawa a shy girl, must formulate the plans for the classes event.  The class decided on a cafe and its up to the committee to flesh out the details.  Through being bullied into it by Yuzuki, they decide on a maid cafe and learn that Kikukawa is adept at sewing, leaving the costumes in her hands.  Kimuro tricks Haruto into talking with Nanami about getting apples from her families farm for the cafe.  Since she rejected him at the summer festival things have been awkward between them.  The conversation is normal enough that Haruto decides to ask her once and for all the reasoning behind her rejection.  He jumps the gun during the conversation, thinking he understands what the reason is and prematurely cuts her off.  Satisfied he was told the truth from Rin, he asks her not to tell Yuzuki, fearing it would destroy her if she was the reason Nanami rejected him.  Nanami slaps him in anger, furious with what he proposed without knowing the truth, only assuming things on his own.

 

    Haruto and Yuzuki end up having to walk home together one day and he takes a chance with holding her hand.  She only lets it slide for a little bit and pulls her hand away, leaving an awkward silence fill the gap.  She begins to avoid him and as the cultural festival nears Narumi begins to turn up, flirting with Yuzuki.  He is going to help them pick apples and bring them back to school from his families farm.  This gives he and Yuzuki plenty of time alone together.  At the same time Kikukawa misinterprets Haruto's kindness and begins to openly flirt with him, hoping he will confess his feelings for her at the end of the festival.  Haruto has really shifted his romantic attention to Yuzuki but is uncertain about why shes behaving the way she has been.  Kikukawa is nowhere on his radar for romance and he fears if her misunderstanding continues the let down will be devastating.

    Their classes maid cafe is a smash hit, near the end Haruto and Yuzuki are sent on an errand to get more supplies.  He gathers up the courage to ask her if shes been avoiding him because of holding her hand.  She confirms his suspicion and he tries to play off the act as nothing more than innocent communication between friends.  She asks him to take her to the bonfire.  Shocked, he brings up his suspicions about her going with Nanami's older brother.  Her mood shifts and she tells him it was just a joke.  Confused he struggles with what to do during the bonfire, actively avoiding Kikukawa.  Yuzuki comes up to him and asks him to dance with her.  Shocked at first he goes a long with it but soon destroys the mood by asking what happened with Narumi.  Frustrated by how dense he is and how little he pays attention to subtle clues, she leaves the bonfire and lets him mull over the problem on his own.

    Haruto chases after her but they are both stopped by Narumi.  He tries to get Haruto to pay attention to Kikukawa, leaving Yuzuki to himself.  Instead Haruto drags her out of the area so they can talk more in private, closing the door for both Narumi and Kikukawa.  He confronts Yuzuki about his feelings but downplays it, saying it is hypothetical.  She tells him it would never work out if he was really confessing to her, since she would be moving in six months.  The reality of the situation dawns on Haruto and he drops the subject, never talking with her about it until the day she leaves for Tokyo the following March.

    The day shes set to leave for Tokyo, he wakes her up in the early morning.  He has a surprise in sotre her with a natural formation in the nearby river that only happens in the dead of winter, ice clusters that form flower like shapes.  While there he broaches the subject of dating again, saying they could do it as a long distance relationship, telling her he means it and has liked her for a while now.  She declines again, voicing her concern that the distance between them would make things unstable, especially if he decides that he has feelings for Nanami still.  He accepts her rejection and stays quite all the way up to when she boards the train back to Tokyo.  Before she leaves she tells him that she has changed her mind and would like to try dating him long distance.

    Haruto struggles with their relationship, unsure if shes actually interested in him or not.  He has a hard time interrupting their conversations and gets annoyed when she wants to talk about her new pet bird.  Takashi and Akari try to convince him its mostly in his head but caution him when it comes to his selfishness in their conversations.  A month into the relationship an opportunity to see her presents its self as the class will be taking a trip to Tokyo.  After setting up plans to meet with her during the trip he joins Akari and Takashi doing part time work at a restaurant over Spring break. 

    Haruto chooses to work in the kitchen instead of as a waiter due to his dislike of interacting with people and his confidence in cooking.  Shiho is an 18 year old, who has worked part time at this restaurant for the past three years.  She has enviable talent as a cook and her confidence and prowess has earned her respect from the full time staff.  She is tasked with breaking in the temp employee and boy does she break him in.  The first day he drown in a mountain of dishes, doing nothing but washing bowls and flatware for 10+ hours.  She then makes him do a bunch of prep work to finish out the day. When she questions him about why he prepped shrimp the way he did he tells her it was to reduce the change of water being left over for frying.  This insight and understanding makes her trust him a little more.

    The next day she starts to have him do some of the line work, putting together some of the dishes.  When she challenges his attempt to short cut at one point she demonstrates why he was wrong.  He immediately recognizes why what he did was wrong but his pride gets in the way and he feigns ignorance.  At that point hes back on dish duty.  That evening, sensing shes upset with him, he admits that he recognized the mistake he had made and apologizes for being stubborn about her lessons.  She makes him food during a break on the third day and they begin to talk about long distance relationships.  She warns him that it didn't work for her when she tried it and it may not work out for him.  With that concern in his mind he finishes up the grueling work, earning some respect along the way, and has some cash to buy Yuzuki a present when he meets her in Tokyo.

    They get into the city early on their first day and Haruto hastily makes plans to see Yuzuki that day.  She decides to get his present first and gets stuck on a train after a fatal accident shuts down the line.  As hes waiting for her, Nanami comes to tell him the teacher is waiting for everyone for their first event.  She then asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend for the trip so that she can impress an old friend of hers that she's meeting.  Before he can turn the request down, the old friend arrives and immediately assumes hes her boyfriend.  Haruto is now stuck having to pretend to be Nanami's boyfriend for part of the time, while also juggling meeting with Yuzuki.  Knowing the past between all three of them, Haruto knows it will be hard to explain things rationally to Yuzuki if she catches wind of what hes doing for the girl he used to like.

    Nanami's friend Haruna is bold and unapologetic.  She susses out the truth pretty quickly but lets it pass.  As they part ways, Haruto tries to convince her of the false relationship one last time and holds Nanami's hand as they watch her train pass by.  Before they break the ruse Yuzuki sees them from across the platform.  He quickly rushes to meet her and explain things but she boards the first train that arrived and he has no idea where she is going.  Nanami feels terrible for the mistake and they both wait for Yuzuki at the spot he was going to originally with her.  She never shows and refuses to respond to any emails or calls from either of them.  There is little he can do now and they return to the hotel.

    After trying to get a hold of her into the evening he decides he has no choice but to sneak out of the hotel and go to her house, figuring she will at least be there so he can try and explain things to her.  Nanami and Haruto explain the situation to Takashi and Akari and all three agree to help cover for him, alone on his own at night, away from the confines of the school trip.  He rushes over to her house, only to realize he left his phone at the hotel.  Rin comes up to him and tells him she saw her sister shopping.  Unsure what to do, thinking shes avoiding him and without his phone his options are limited.  Little does he realize the mistake he made in leaving as Yuzuki comes to the hotel they are staying at to visit him.  Not wanting to wait for him at the hotel, her best opportunity is to wait for him at the train station he would most likely pass through as he tries to make curfew.  After Haruto exhausts himself checking the nearby shopping district he decides to call it quits and head back, only to run into her where she decided to wait.  They reconcile and connect on a level they had not been able to reach before.  She gives him his present, but he had left hers back in the hotel.  They spent as much time together as they could, cherishing every moment, but that time was too short and he had to return, unsure when he would see her next.

   Yet that was the last chance he had to talk with her.  When he got back from the trip her number was no longer available.  After their heart felt reunion and bitter sweet departure, Yuzuki appears to have cut off all connection with the boy who had given her his heart.  Yuzuki ghosting Haruto isn't a secret and weeks after she stopped communicating with him and everyone else in Hiroshima, Nanami struggles with how to break him out of his funk.  Akari thinks that he just needs to get another girlfriend, even if its for a short time, to help free him from his feelings for Yuzuki.  Nanami thinks that she could be the person that can help heal him, still conflicted over her feelings for him and the complications surrounding their relationship.

    In an attempt to get closer to him, Nanami quits her position as the manager of the baseball team and switches to the cooking club, of which Haruto is a member of, but never goes to.  Akari forces him to go with her on the first day and a series of mishaps at Nanami's expense brings a little bit of light to Haruto's eyes.  That evening, Nanami gets a phone call from Yuzuki's younger sister, Rin, who tells her that Yuzuki has apparently started to date a new guy.  It hurts her how badly Yuzuki has treated him and she struggles with what to do with the information, fearing it would do more damage to him just as hes beginning to perk up.  In a moment of panic she confesses to him.  He replies with the same thing she told him last year, to give him some time to respond to her. 

    Haruto is prepared to reject Nanami's confession.  He doesn't want to hurt her with his lingering feelings for Yuzuki, especially when so much is left unanswered.  The day they decide to talk it over she surprises him by coming to his house.  He tries to let her down gently, but she tries to persuade him that any lingering emotions for Yuzuki are not a deal breaker.  He knocks over the present Yuzuki gave him in Tokyo, never opened, spilling a letter out of the bag.  Nanami convinces him to read the letter.  In it is Yuzuki's admission that she was leaving him for another guy, a guy that she liked in middle school.  Haruto can't believe the letter though, thinking it to be something else, perhaps a prank by Rin.

    Haruto tells Nanami that he can't date her.  He needs to find out the truth behind whats going on with Yuzuki and is determined to go to Tokyo to find that out.  She resigns her self to that and tells him that she will wait for him a bit longer to make up his mind once and for all.  On the final day of class before Summer break he stuns the class when the teacher announces that Haruto is transferring to a school in Tokyo for the fall semester.  He is going all in to find out whats going on with Yuzuki and to try and reconnect with her.

    A Town Where You Live takes place in the same universe as Seo-sensei's previous manga, Suzuka.  The apartment complex that Haruto's sister lives at is the same all girls dormitory that Suzuka takes place in.  While he is there the first time there is a passing reference to the two drunken college students who frequently pestered Suzuka's male lead, Yamato.  During the class trip to Tokyo, there is a passing reference to another character from Suzuka, Sakurai Honoka, who had become a fashion model in Suzuka.  The first portion of the manga is really little more than set up and character establishment.  The building of the relationship between Yuzuki and Haruto and the complex interactions with the other kids hes grown up with in his rural community.  Seo-sensei has a passion for drawing teenage girls who look like adults and then exposing their panties and nipples as much as he feels he can get away with.  The fan service doesn't detract much from the story but it does suffer from some rather rote trappings of the genre.

    Romance stories aimed at a young male audience fall into a some similar trappings, story arcs and character personalities that appeal to them.  Vulnerable women, 'every man' main characters and ridiculous situations where drama is forced and insincere.  this manga isn't an exception to those styling, but it also moves away from some of the more annoying traits.  This story is really slow though.  The Hiroshima arc is covered by 79 issues of the manga, ending halfway through the 8th tonkouban.  There is still a long way to go though with the story, sometimes a little too much.  The next phase brings in some interesting plot points and a hope for a more mature story.  All done and said though...Haruto is a fool to throw away Nanami.

Next up, the Tokyo arc.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These - part 2

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These - Stellar War (銀河英雄伝説 DIE THESE 星乱) is the second 12 episode season of the remake based on the novel series Legend of the Galactic Heroes by Tanaka Yoshiki.  The series was originally released as three movies over the Fall of 2019.

See the overview of Part 1 first.

    With the loss of their strategic forward base, Iserlohn, the Empire finds its self in a vulnerable position.  It is now possible for the Alliance fleet to directly attack Imperial planets.  The success of the operation by Yang and his fleet has emboldened members of the ruling council who are hawkish to stoke popular sentiment and push the attack.  A massive invasion force is sent into Imperial space, liberating planets with ease.  The Empire was aware of the attack, thanks for news passed to them from Fezzan spies.  A plan was enacted that would leave the Alliance forces vulnerable and over stretched.  Once the time was ripe, Reinhard ordered his men to attack at different points, overwhelming the Alliance fleets.  Military command has forgone thoughtful strategy, in favor of a smash and grab plan of action and are unwilling to listen to conflicting opinions from the field commanders.  Yang is able to get his fleet to safety, leaving their zone of protection to assist a different fleet, allowing both to fall back and regroup just as the combined forces under Reinhard attempt to destroy them completely.

    Recognized the defeat after so many soldiers were foolishly lost, many members of the council resign and the Alliance falls back, maintaining control of Iserlohn as a defensive choke point.  Political turmoil befalls the Empire as well, with the sudden death of the Emperor and a succession war brewing.  Sensing the civil war brewing, Reinhard launches a plan to keep the Alliance occupied to prevent a new invasion while internal battles begin to take shape.  A military coup destabilizes the Free Planets Alliance as the council is disbanded and many leaders are imprisoned or executed.  A similar coup is attempted by some noble factions in the Empire, as they attempt to assassinate the deceased emperors successor, one of his grandsons, who is too young to properly rule.  Reinhard, through successive advancements, is given supreme command of the Empires forces and wages an all out war against the rebelling nobles.  Just as victory is secured is childhood friend and most trusted advisor, Siegfried, is killed during an assassination attempt.    Meanwhile, Yang moves his fleet to face the leaders of the coup, understanding their roots stem from a plot hatched by Reinhardt through a prisoner exchange that allowed agents to be planted amount the Free Planets.  Faced with the reality, the coup leaders quickly fold, fading away to the return of the elected leaders.  When Reinhard overcomes the grief of his loss he assumes the seat of prime minister and has control over the child emperor and begins to set his eyes on wiping out the Alliance once and for all.  Yang struggles with the uncertainty of the newly reformed government while Fezzan begins enact a plan directed by a group of religious zealots who aim to return humanity to Earth again.

    The second season of the remake continues the fantastic story telling while leaning heavily into political intrigue as both factions begin to be overcome with political turmoil and massive shifts in power.  The intentional hamstringing of their miracle worker begins to be a major plot device as the council that governs the Alliance actively manipulates what Yang is able to accomplish.  Reinhard on the other hand has deftly been able to set up all of his political rivals to collapse in the manner of his choosing.  The writing remains strong with a widening cast of players who all offer interesting focus points in the story.  While the pacing feels rushed at times it does not detract from the over all story that is being told.  There do seem to be some missed opportunities for more depth when sometimes significant events are relegated to being recounted by the narration.  Particularity around some of the events surrounding the death of the emperor.  A good number of players in the fight for the throne suddenly show up with little background information other than their titles and family names.  Its makes it a little difficult to understand the stakes they all have in the battle that revolves around who will take the throne.

    One the Alliance side of things though, the coup plot and insidious plans of Fezzan and the Church of Terra are well laid out and satisfactory in their execution.  You really feel anxiety over whats occurring as Yang tries his best to keep his head above water while two fronts open up before him while his hands remain tied behind his back.  The second season was as far as I originally for when the remake came out around the beginning of the pandemic.  Instead of picking up where I had left off, moving into part 3, I restarted the entire series in order to finish it and finally set up these overviews.  The series did not disappoint in the slightest during the re watch, and I am excited to finally move into part three and all new story!

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

Click here for part 3.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These - part 1

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These - Encounter (銀河英雄伝説 DIE NEUE THESE 邂逅) is the first 12 episodes of the remake based on the novel series Legend of the Galactic Heroes by Tanaka Yoshiki.  The series was originally aired during the Spring of 2018.

    Set in the 36th century, hundreds of years after humanity left Earth for the stars, the galaxy is split between 3 factions.  On one side is an absolute imperial monarchy known as the Galactic Empire, ruled by a dynasty that has held its territory under authoritarian rule for almost 500 years.  A system modeled after the ancient Austrian Empire with deference to the Norse Pantheon and a hierarchy of nobility serving under the imperial house of Goldenbaum.  Early in the empires existence, a large number of planets rebelled and successfully form a democratic coalition government known as the Free Planets Alliance.  The two factions have been engaged in open warfare for the past 150 years will a third power, the Fezzan Domain, sits by claiming neutrality.  As the unending conflict rages in two young military officers from both sides begin to encounter each other on the battlefield, both skilled tacticians who become rivals as their respective power groups begin to shift in monumental ways.

    Reinhard von Lohengramm is part of a low ranking noble family.  His older sister, Annerose, caught the attention of Emperor Friedrich IV and became her concubine.  Reinhard is so incensed by this affront he vows to do whatever it takes to take down the Goldenbaum dynasty.  He enrolls in cadet school, convincing his common born childhood friend Siegfried Kircheis to join him.  His tactical abilities are exemplary, allowing him to rapidly rise through the ranks in the imperial navy, dragging Siegfried along with him.  The opportunity to cement his ability is given to him when his fleet has cornered a much smaller Alliance fleet and moves to destroy it entirely.

    Unknown to him his equal on the Alliance side is serving under the commander of their fleet.  Yang Wen-li grew up wanting to be a historian, enrolling into the military academy to gain access to their libraries.  His obsession with history has lead him to studying much of humanities recording military conflicts, giving him a broad view of humanities consistencies and patterns.  Just such knowledge leads him to save as many ships in the doomed fleet as he can once his commanding officer succumbs to wounds in the conflict.  Recognizing Reinhard's strategy he quickly implements a counter measure that will minimize further loss and allow them to escape to safety.  High command is impressed with his ability to take control in the heat of the moment while constructing a way to not be utterly destroyed.  While Reinhard's forces were victorious, the fact he was denied total annihilation angers him and he burns Yang's name into his memory...sure they will encounter each other on another battle field.

    For their efforts both Reinhard and Yang receive promotions from their respective high command.  Both men are given their own forces to command.  Reinhard uses his freshly crafted armada to crush a rebellion in the empire.  Yang is ordered to make a daring assault on a strategically vital space installation built by the Empire.  Yang, recruiting a division of foot soldiers comprised of Imperial defectors launches a surprise attack on the imperial base, Iserlohn.  The base, an artificial moon, sits in the center of a narrow space lane that is the only navigable region between the Empire and the Alliance.  The Empire uses it as a forward base to launch assaults on Alliance plants and to prevent the reverse from happening.  With the invasion succeeding, the shift in power has drastically changed and the Empire is suddenly exposed to a direct attack from the navies of the Alliance.

    Legend of the Galactic Heroes has been on my watch list for a long time now, but until the release of the remake a few years ago it was hard to come by the original series.  This is a well regarded epic space opera and if the remake is anywhere as close to the quality of the original source material it has earned its praise.  This is a fantastically crafted tale of political intrigue, monumental shifts in society and pure tactical wizardry and an amount of plot armor.  The setting is firmly established with a lot of realism in place.  You can truly believe that the future of humanity could turn out this way, with the mistakes of the past always repeating themselves.  While the remake largely focuses on Yang and Reinhard, the novels and original anime show great depth in a wide range of characters, giving the viewer a very broad taste of the reality they live in.  That's not to say that omitting some of the side stories is detrimental, it leads to a leaner story...even though the remake is 48 episodes long.  The original anime spanned almost 3 times that episode count.

    The focus of the story, at least in this first part, is the rise of both Yang and Reinhard.  It begins at their first direct confrontation and digs into their background leading up to that point.  This is the beginning of their story, where their base motivations are laid out and the path ahead of them is still uncertain.  This first part does a good job in establishing the baseline and the setting, allowing further seasons to push the narrative forward more aggressively while continuing to reveal a larger cast of players.  Yang is undoubtedly the good guy but Reinhard it not a character that can be identified as bad or evil.  He has ambitions that are born from altruism.  He is an antagonist but not actually a villain.  Yang on the other hand is the unlikely hero who would rather be unremarkable but is swept up in events without his control.  His goal is to do the best job he can in preserving life.  He only does what is necessary to achieve that goal and is not driven by ambition.  Hes just happens to be the right person at the right time with a healthy dose of plot armor to guide him along the way.

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

Click her for the review of the second season.   

First Look at the New Titles for the Summer of 2024

 The Summer anime season is in full swing, here are my initial thoughts based on the first episode of all of the shows I had earmarked as watching plus a few bonus entries.

Suicide Squad Isekai

    The cast of the Suicide Squad movies have found themselves in a different if overly familiar situation.  A portal has been opened between Earth and another world and the hardened criminals, looking at extremely long prison terms, are thrust into the new world on a mission that they may not survive.  Nothing goes as planned and the 5 super criminals get captured by a faction of humans, following the crash landing of their transport helicopter.  Trapped in a strange fantasy-like world, with only 72 hours before bombs in their necks go off, the misfits have to use every trick in their book to overcome the odds to get out alive and hope for freedom back home.

    I am not a fan of super hero stories, especially DC ones, having at one point in my childhood, been a huge X-Men fan.  But something about the ludicrous and fun loving nature of the Suicide Squad movies has appealed to me.  As well, I am not a fan of isekai and this appears to be a cheap cash grab on the surface.  The first three episodes were released early on Hulu so I dove in and had a great time.  The characterization is fantastic and sticks with the tone of the live action movies.  The story is fast paced, doesn't cling to the normal isekai tropes and has so far been enjoyable so far.  It looks like everyone involved put a lot of heart into this job, which is not the shallow cash grab it appears to be.

The series is streaming on Hulu.

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian

      Alya is a beautiful and confident high school student, with a Russian father and adoring fans.  She only has eyes for the otaku, Masachika, who sits next to her but she would much rather tease him.  She thinks she can play coy by saying things in Russian and telling him it means something else, little does she know but he understands enough to parse out what shes really saying.

    I'm pleased that the idea of the boy she likes knowing what she's saying is how the story is going instead of him being absolutely clueless.  The dynamic of him trying to hide he understands her is far more interesting than the other way around.  For a first episode, this was solid all around.  It did well to establish the core concept of the story, adequately introduced not only the main characters but a number of secondary characters.  I was concerned that the premise of the show wasn't going to be enjoyable after a few episodes but with him understanding her there is a more complex narrative that can be spun.

The series is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Oshi no Ko season 2

    Oshi no Ko picks up a few months after the end of the first season.  Aqua has decided to join the cast of a 2.5D Stage Play, Tokyo Blade, in order to get closer to someone who his deceased mother had personal contact with.  He throws himself deep into the den of wolves and will need to use all of his tactical skills to make sure he doesn't lose focus of his goal.

    The first season of Oshi no Ko was a roller-coaster ride of a story that ended with things beginning to come into focus.  The entire reason to continue watching the show is to find out who is responsible for killing Aqua and Ruby's mother, the teenage mother idol Hoshino Ai.  Right away we are introduced to a large cast of new characters who's motivations and personality ticks we will need to understand for the story to take on the complexity it demands.  We shall see how this season pans out but I suspect this will not be the end of the story, I feel there will be a third and final season at the end of things.  Unless I am wrong about how long this part will be.

This series is streaming on HiDive.

Days With My Stepsister

    Yuta's father suddenly marries a woman he met at a bar one night.  He tells the boy that he will be getting a younger sister.  in reality, his new step-sister is barely younger than him.  Saki is a lonely beautiful girl who considers herself lucky that her step-brother isn't some out of sorts weirdo.  Yuta is diligent and earnest , working hard to save up money for college.  Saki has lived a life of solitary reliance, given that she has spent much of her life living opposite her mother, who works nights.  She is acclimated to being alone and fending for herself and is unsure how to deal with the sudden drastic change in her environment.  Yuta is conscious of her presence but does not want to cause any issue and is eagerly willing to continue living as he has, mindful to not get into her way.

    We have had countless raunchy, fantastical step-sister romances in the past.  This one is quite a different breed.  Morose and subdued.  Saki's upbringing appears to be that of seclusion and living on the edge of poverty as her mother apparently supports them in some sort of hostess or waitress/bartender line of work.  She hints a few times when discussing things with Yuta that he's better off not getting to involved in hr life, for his own sake, like she is some sort of delinquent with a troubled social life.  Yuta seems to be quite ignorant of anything superficial around him and approaches his new strained situation with caution.  The show is very subdued, at least with the first episode.  The only character that exhibited any amount of enthusiasm for life is Yuta's father who seems a bit reckless and awkward.  I fear that this show may just be really boring...but time will tell if it can generate any interest beyond a non-traditional step sibling romance.

The series is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Ramen Akaneko

    Awkward human Tamako gets hired at a cat run and employed ramen shop, Ramen Akaneko (Red Cat Ramen) based on a recommendation from her aunt.  The restaurant is completely operated by talking cats who are well aware of the work it takes to ensure their hair does not get into the food.  Tamako was hired partially on the need for a human to frequently brush the staff.  She finds it only somewhat difficult to acclimate too but is grateful for the opportunity given to her, especially given how toxic her previous employer was.

    This was a cute and amusing first episode that did well to establish the characters, their personalities and the concept of the show.  Biggest complaint is that the artwork is low quality and awkward CG made to like to traditional animation.  But this isn't the type of anime you would expect to have ground breaking realistic artwork, it just feels like there was minimal effort in the design.  The story is wide open but it will be interesting to see where each episode take it as the personalities and motivations of the characters are slowly revealed.  Though...aside from being a unnatural work place story, its hard to see how much new material can be added to this story beyond what was demonstrated in this first.

The series is streaming on Crunchyroll.

 

Pseudo Harem

    Nanakura Rin, a new student runs into an upper classman while looking for the schools dram club, in hopes of joining.  The older boy introduces himself as Kitahama Eiji, the head and sole member of the club, eagerly accepting her application.  When he leads her to the club room she mysteriously finds it full of people.  This is the first of many jokes that Eiji has in store for the new girl, who greatly impresses the real head othe club with a test read of Romeo and Juliet.  Nanakura becomes smitten with her weird senpai and the two grow closer.  He admits to her that he dreams of having a harem and to make it up for him, she continues to change her personality to match standard dating sim tropes.   

    This is one of the cutest anime I have watching in a long time.  It has little substance to it other than consistent and amusing flirting between the two main characters.  The story moves between different points in time effortlessly and doesn't waste any time with unneeded exposition.  It is literally all about these two playfully teasing each other and growing closer.  This is going to be a really enjoyable series to watch.  Even though it lacks any sort of central plot or motivation, the well crafted banter between the two MC's is so enjoyable you just keep watching to see what else happens between them.  The character designs are...odd, but I'll chalk it up to adding to the charm of this show and move on.

The series is streaming on Crunchyroll.

 Twilight Out of Focus

    Tsuchiya Mao and Otomo Hisashi are room mates at an all boys high school.  As they move into their second year, things begin to change for Mao.  Hisashi comes off as a loner delinquent but has a secret he works hard to keep from everyone around him, a secret that he revealed to Mao early in their first yar as room  mates.  Hisashi is gay and in a long term relationship.  Mao has never had any problem with his room mates sexuality or in protecting his privacy.  Things become complicated when the second yer brings a special film project for the club he is in.  They are going to be filing a BL story and the writer/director of the project specifically asked Mao to see if his room mate would be interested in playing the lead roll.  Uncertain of how to broach the subject with out arousing suspicion, Mao waffles.  In the end Hisashi is approached about it by the director and agrees to go along with it.  While he struggles with why he hesitated so much a thought occurs to him, that he may be falling in love with his room mate after all of this time.

    I was uncertain about jumping into this one, not being a fan of the way the character designs looked in the preview as well as coming off of a terribly boring BL, Tadaima, Okaeri.  But this first episode was a fantastic set up for what feels like a really juicy solid drama.  My hesitation over the character design was mostly washed away as the show unfolded, appreciating the choices and level of quality around them.  I think this is going to be a good romance that will do well to wash away the taint of the previously consumed BL.

The series is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Senpai is an Otokonoko

      Aoi Saki confesses her feelings for an older girl in school, Hanaoka Makoto only to find out Makoto is a boy who dresses as a girl in school.  Saki had fallen in love with Makoto to such an extent, their gender has little to do with it.  The revelation that Makoto is a cross dresser enhances the desire, given that he represents the best of both worlds in Saki's mind.  There are just two problems.  Makoto has never had any romantic feelings and can not go out with Saki, for concern over being unfair to her.  Makoto is also overtly aware of their reputation in school, as all of the second and third years know full well his secret.  He is a social outcast and does not want Saki to receive any negative attention by being associated with him.  To compound her mission, Makoto has a childhood friend named Taiga Ryuji who goes to extreme length to protect his friend...who he may have feelings for him.

    On the surface this series could have been a socially blind and made this a ridiculous and cringe worthy punch down comedy punching down on being trans.  Instead we get a story that seems to be equal parts comedy and drama.  Makoto struggles with peer rejection and even rejection and disgust at home over his true self.  Ryuji is well familiar wit this and does everything he can to protect his childhood friend, but there is only so much another teenager is able to accomplish when faced with real authority figures.  Saki is absolutely the comedy of the series with her op front and unabashed enthusiasm.  Makoto is the wounded loner who is just trying to be real to himself and survive the grind-house that is adolescence.  I think this will end up being a sweet and endearing series.

The series is streaming on Crunchyroll.

My Wife Has No Emotions

    Takuma is a young professional who has little time to take care of himself so he bought a house keeping robot.  He struggles with whether this appliance would be a suitable stand in for a real relationship.

    There is a lot to unpack with the concept and execution of this show based solely on the first episode.  Mina is a facsimile of Yamato Nadeshiko, the idealized subservient girl.  The ultimate otaku fantasy girlfriend.  Obedient, timid, existing solely to please the man.  Not sure how many episodes of this I can stomach...but we shall see.  Also, Mina apparently is not governed by Asimov's 3 laws of robotics.

The series is streaming on Crunchyroll.

2.5 Dimensional Seduction

     Okumura's otaku paradise comes under threat when a first year girl wants to join the manga club.  After graduation he was left as the sole member and is eager to accept the isolation.  It will allow him to continue enjoying perverted manga and other peripheral goods to his hearts content.  Through a few roadblocks in his life, he has sworn off pursuing a real woman, choosing to instead fall for imaginary women who can't reject him.  He's no sure anymore when he learns the first year girl, Amano, shared similar tastes in manga and anime.  Her goal is to cosplay as a character they both love and have him be her principle photographer.

    This feels so much like a cheap knock off of the fantastic My Dress-up Darling.  Okumura is a pathetic, stereotypical otaku and Amano is a little too removed from reality.  Too much of this feels like it serves no deeper purpose.  My Dress=up Darling had a lot of character and heart, evken if there were some questionable moments, but at it's core it was sincere.  This just feels like masturbation.

The series is streaming on HiDive.

Dungeon People

     Clay has been searching the dungeon for her father since he disappeared years earlier.  She has gotten deeper than the guild officially recognizes and is charting unknown territory.  A wall gets demolished during a fight with a Minotaur, who turns to her and asks for a pause in combat.  Stunned by what transpires, she is further astonished when an innocent looking girl enters the exposed room and apologizes for the situation.  She then explains to Clay that she is the dungeons manager and she has a proposal for her.  She wants to recruit her to work with her running the dungeon.  After loosing to the girl, Clay agrees to work for her, in hopes she will find some trace of her father.

    We have plenty of dungeon crawling adventure anime but how many times have we gotten one that showcases the behind the scenes operation of a dungeon?  Honestly, I can't think of any.  So far this is a super cute anime with fun character designs.  Not sure how long the gag can last but I have high expectations for this one.

The series is streaming on HiDive.

Shoshimin: How to Become Ordinary

    High school students Jogoro and Yuki were friends in middle school and are relieved to be int he same high school.   Jogoro's friend from elementary school, Kengo is also a co-ed.  Jogoro appears to have an inate ability at slving mysteries and Yuki has been by his side for many of them in the past, they look ahead to the future that lays before them and wonder what will happen.

    It honestly really hard to get a good read for what this show is about with the introductory episode.  A lot of this is really speculation based upon the slow unfolding of the characters.  It appears that a lot of the story may be devoted to revealing the characters them selves to the viewer along with what ever things they stumble into that they decide to resolve.  This comes from a novelist of note, who is also responsible for the novels that the anime Hyoka was adapted from.  If anything, the animation for this is top notch with a simmering melancholy to the tone of the show.

The series is streaming on Crunchyroll.

 

My Deer Friend Nokotan

    Torako is the idea high school girl, excellent grades, well loved, talented at sports.  She hides a past as a delinquent and has strove to keep it from being discovered, for fear of loosing her current status and ranking.  All of that comes into jeopardy with appearance of a transfer studded names Nokotan...a weird girl deer hybrid who can detect Torako's true personality and flaunts it without heed.  Torako comes to an agreement with the odd girl and part of the bargain leads to her taking up the mantle of president of the newly formed Deer Club.  What kind of twisted reality will Nokotan imbue on the reformed thug?

    This is the series I anticipated the most and the first episode almost didn't live up to my expectations.  That doesn't mean it wasn't a crazy ride.  I did enjoy this show, it will be interesting to see how it unfolds and I can't wait for more antics.  It just wasn't hectically paced like I was anticipating.  But don't let my desires get in your way of enjoying this crazy new comedy. 

The series is streaming on Crunchyroll.

 

Tower of God season 2

    Six years have passed since Bam's betrayal at the hands of Rachel.  Through following another character, who is struggling to pass the test on the 20th level, we see what this time has done to Bam.  He is stronger than he used to be, brooding and more sure of himself.  He has joined a criminal organization known as Fug, who are openly opposed to the towers royal family.  What is Bam and Fug's goal and how much has puberty hit him?

    The long awaited return to this fantastic manhwa adaptation.  Luckily for me, its been so long since I read this part, I've mostly forgotten whats going to happen.  The animation has greatly improved and the hype is very very real!  Get ready for some awesome shonen tournament style action!

The series is streaming on Crunchyroll.

 

Plus Sized Elf

    Elfuda traveled to Earth from her world and has become addicted to modern junk food, to the point where she has gained too much weight to allow her to pass back through the portal to her homeland.  The portly elf is now caught between the love of Earth's delicacies and her desire to see her land again.  She seeks the help of a dietician to help give her the guidance she needs to get back into shape.

    I had read the manga years ago when it was on Crunchyroll's manga app and was a bit amused when it was given an anime adaptation.  To be honest there is little actual substance to the manga and that carried over into the anime, with the addition or some more obvious fan service.  Don't get me wrong, I got nothing wrong with the body imagery fetishized in this series, I like the ladies thick, but there is honestly little substance to this 'story' so its gone on the cutting block after the first episode.  At least everyone got the answer as to why HiDive made a statement about the anime being uncensored on their platform and I'm happy the production is being honest with its self in what it wants to become instead of the restraint in the manga.

The series is streaming on HiDive.

Love is Indivisible by Twins

    Naori and Rumi are fraternal twins and each harbor feelings for their childhood friend Jun.  Rumi, he more athletic of the two, strikes first and asks Jun to go out with her.  Even though Naori approves of and supports her sisters progress with Jun, she struggles with what that means for her feelings.  She and Jun are similar, both incredibly intelligent and studious, deeply discussing literature since young.  Naori's abilities have always isolated her from the per group, something she's never really been bothered by.  She has understood that Rumi has also liked him for a long time and decided to hold off on her desires to see what her sister would do with hers.  Rumi abruptly ends their relationship, bewildering Jun and leasing Naori to reflect on what will happen next.

    I wasn't exactly looking forward to an apparently low hanging ecchi romance but I wasn't prepared for how wrong my first impression was for this series.  This is a brooding drama that has the potential to be a great soap opera of betrayal.  From the initial episode this seems far superior to the story telling in a similar title...Domestic Girlfriend but only time will confirm that for sure.  I am quite enthusiastic to watch this show now as the first episode was a strong introduction to the story and its characters.  Just remember.  Naori has the mole next to her eye and Rumi has the mole next to her mouth.  I suspect it will come in handy.

The series is streaming on HiDive.

VTuber Legend: How I Went Viral After Forgetting to Turn off My Stream

     Rookie VTuber, Kokoroni Awayuki struggles to make an impact after 3 months of streaming for a living.  One night she forgets to shut off her own stream as she blows of steam by watching of streamers while pounding high alcohol chuhai.  Unknown to her, the viewers of her stream are hearing all of her unhinged and off the cuff comments on the what shes watching.  Word quickly spreads and the number of people tuning into her stream has greatly increased.  When she wakes up the next day, responding to a call from her manager, she finally learns that her stream has been live this entire time.  The cat is out of the bag for what shes really like and she has to decide how she wants to proceed with her attempt at a streaming career.

    This is another unexpected one to check out for the season.  I did so at the suggestion of a friend and I was not disappointed.  The concept is amusing as hell and Awayuki's drunken personality is quite amusing.  I fear for her liver though!  It will be interesting to see what course this story will take and if we ever get to see what the real person behind the VTuber looks like.

The series is streaming on Crunchyroll.

ATRI: My Dear Moments

    Set the near future, after a sudden and unexplained change in the ocean levels have inundated  communities in coastal regions, high schooler Natsuki struggles to survive in a changed world.  A shady older woman has partnered with him in attempts to salvage anything they can for quick cash.  Using his grandmothers repaired sub he dives into the water that enveloped his home, searching for her laboratory.  Instead he finds a realistic humanoid robot named Ari, who was owned by his deceased grandmother.  The older woman wants to sell her for a tidy profit, but the quirky robot says she has one final task to complete that she doesn't recall the details of.

    This is based on a virtual novel and its hard to not see that once its known.  The first episode really played out like you would expect in something made at the dawn of the bishoujo virtual novel boom.  You can even pick out decision tree branches in different parts.  The three woman we've been introduced so far fit firmly into stereotype dating sim characters.  There is the mysterious and forceful older woman, the awkward childhood friend and the quirky younger sister style character with Atri herself.  You know what though, I'm going to give this series a chance and see what happens.  I'm mildly curious about the mystery aspect of this.

The series is streaming on Crunchyroll.

 

Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines

    Kazuhiko, a newer student in his school, doesn't have any friends and barely interacts with his peers.  He loves light novels, consuming them with veracity but otherwise floats through his days.  He encounters classmates in the middle of a public breakup at a family dinner and the girl that gets dumped, Anna, noticing him, comes to his table to vent.   Not willing to cause a scene he sits there as she vents about the situation, while he offers curt replies grounded in reality.  The next time they meet in school he brings up the amount of money she owes him for all the food she ordered and couldn't pay for.  She negotiates to pay off her debt by making him lunches, which means he has to continue spending time with her as she sorts out her romantic failings.  This is the sort of stress he has been trying to avoid.

    This may be one of the most amusing series of the season.  The animation is very clean and fluid, with a lot of detail put in to not only the focus characters but the people in the background.  This show has a lot of life, something you only expect to see in a theatrical production.  The personalities of the characters introduced so far are large but realistic.  Kazuhiko doesn't fill the roll of a passive observer whom the viewer injects themselves into.  Something about the delivery and premise established in the first episode makes it seem like this may be the best show of the season.  The understood premise is that Kazuhiko continues to find himself as the unwilling sounding board for va variety of girls in his school when they have relationship problems.  Kazuhiko's realist personality makes it amusing as he tries to make the person in front of him see the rational side of things and just wants to be done with their problem as quick as possible.  He's the apathetic version of Saukta from Seishun Buta Yaro.  Man, this is going to be fun!!

The series is streaming on Crunchyroll.

I can't recall ever watching this many new shows during a Summer cour, this is insane with how much anime...quality and interesting titles at that, which is being released these days.  Heck, I'm not sure Ive had a Fall or Spring season in the past this full...not since the days of watching almost everything to review on.  These days I am way more selective, as my time is limited and I don't want to waste it being miserable.  It is definitely not tenable for the health of the industry.  But...since have no abilities to force caution on them, I will enjoy it while it lasts.