Jeoffrey

A cute, fun, and light-hearted romcom with a nice, brisk pace that manages to deliver a complete story in just twelve episodes. If I had one small gripe, it would be with the animation. It’s not terrible, but it feels a bit basic—maybe that's just the style of the original work, but the animation doesn’t quite elevate the key moments as much as it could. Some more expressive facial animations here and there would have made the whole "pseudo-harem" dynamic land even better. That said, the animation never outright detracted from my enjoyment. The music, on the other hand, was solid. It fit the romcom vibe perfectly—sometimes emotional, always pleasant. Story-wise, I was really satisfied. The pacing was spot-on, and I enjoyed seeing the full evolution of the central duo's relationship. Their playful back-and-forth was a lot of fun, with Eiji sometimes taking the lead and other times letting Rin shine. By the end, I was fully convinced their relationship would continue to be just as lively and interesting, and I found myself rooting for them more with each episode. Initially, Eiji felt a bit underwhelming to me, almost like he was playing second fiddle and letting Rin do all the work. But as the series progressed, he became more entertaining, and the show became more enjoyable because of it. Rin, on the other hand, was fantastic from the start. I'll admit, the whole "pseudo-harem" setup with someone as charming as Rin would be a dream for a lot of viewers. Throw in some cosplay, and you'd never get bored—every day would feel like the start of a new story. Big shout-out to Saori Hayami for her voice acting as well, and I can’t help but love the "cool-chan" vibes that totally reminded me of Yor from Spy x Family. All in all, Giji Harem is a solid, breezy romcom that I'd recommend to fans of fun, straightforward, and well-paced romances. 8/10.

For an anime about an OP hero with one seemingly underwhelming ability, which he’s mastered to absurd levels—basically a premise we've seen a million times—this actually wasn’t bad at all. First off, I gotta say: anyone who tries to claim that "parry" is a weak ability clearly hasn’t spent enough time playing Dark Souls. Anyone who's tried parrying there knows it’s an insanely powerful skill if you know how to use it. So, from the get-go, the whole “parry is useless” concept loses some credibility for me. That aside, there are the usual complaints: clichés and a few repeated jokes, like the hero being oblivious to how talented he actually is. It’s funny at first, but after a while, it makes Noor seem a bit clueless. Which is a shame, because Noor is what really carried this series for me. He’s the definition of a likable guy—hardworking, humble, unbreakable, and totally down to do the dirtiest jobs. I mean, cleaning sewage in a medieval town? That takes guts. He’s a grown man, not another overpowered teenager, and his well-earned muscles make him look cool wielding a sword almost as big as he is. I appreciate that we’re getting more protagonists like him this season; he's way more relatable than yet another Kirito clone. Unfortunately, the supporting cast didn’t stand out as much. In fact, I found myself liking most of Noor’s mentors more than his female companions. The story itself was pretty standard—your classic "zero to hero" journey—but with the added twist that he had to “parry” something in every episode. I do have to give props to the creators for sticking to the title; the challenges Noor faced were often surprising and sometimes genuinely funny, even if his cluelessness occasionally got frustrating (but I've already covered that). All in all, it’s a charming, straightforward fantasy series—something you can easily binge and enjoy without overthinking. I wouldn’t mind watching more episodes, and I even debated giving it a fourth star. In the end, though, I parried that idea, just like Noor would, and landed on a strong 3. 6.4/10.

The Ministry of Health warns: Deer may cause brain cell loss! Wait, what? Deer! Why? Because DEER! Don't try to make sense of it, you won't win. You'll just end up thinking that Nokotan was probably born one day when a manga artist, under the pen name Oshioshio, went for a walk in the woods, locked eyes with a majestic deer, and thought, "If you were a cute girl, we'd be having a lot more fun!" And so, Nokotan was born, a manga whose entire joke hinges on that one magical word—Deer! Meanwhile, WiT Studio seemed to be going through an identity crisis. Maybe they were tired of hearing that all their recent works—Owari no Seraph, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, The Empire of Corpses—were just Attack on Titan knockoffs. So, they ditched the Titans and brought in some new directors, including the legendary troll Masahiko Ohta, the man behind Yuru Yuri and the unforgettable Umaru-chan. With a fresh approach, WiT was expanding its horizons, dabbling in more genres. Even Ohta got involved, directing Onipan!, which built its own loyal fanbase. It was time for their next quirky project, and with Deadpool still trending, they decided to go all in on breaking the fourth wall with something creative, unexpected, and... well, absurd. Enter: Nokotan. Legend has it that one day Yasuhiro Misawa got a commission to create the opening theme for an anime, with just one condition: the song had to include the series' name, "Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan." What the anime was about or how the song should sound? Nobody told him. So, while working on it, he repeated the tongue-twisting title in his head until he realized—hey, that could be a catchy chorus! And well, we all know what happened next. The creators decided to release that chorus to the world, and overnight it became a total meme. Word about the show spread like wildfire, and when the first trailer dropped, it was clear this was going to be completely ridiculous but potentially hilarious. Fans, including myself, started hoping for a new king of absurd comedy, maybe something that could stand alongside Nichijou and Azumanga Daioh. The hype was real. The full opening turned out to be addictive—millions of views later, it's still stuck in my head. Hours before the first episode aired (and even now, after the finale), people were playing the same chorus on a loop. So, did Nokotan manage to take the anime throne? Did it revolutionize modern anime? Sadly, I have to say... no, it didn’t. It quickly became clear that the whole series was built on one joke (deer) and endless variations of it. Fourth-wall breaking can be brilliant when done right, with a clever meta context, but you can’t just spam it and expect magic. I also realized I'm getting kind of tired of the constant self-aware shtick in so many shows. The jokes about Nokotan’s antlers were amusing at first, but after a while, they barely got more than a chuckle out of me. Even the deer cracker ads started to wear thin. The humor only really landed about half the time, and unfortunately, most of the best jokes were already spoiled in the trailers. The pop culture references were cute, but I would've liked to see more of them. The characters were likable enough—Nokotan was undeniably adorable, and I can see how caring for her would be fun—but she didn’t quite pull me into the "deer cult" (I’m sticking with Mitama). The other characters were fine too, though aside from Torako, they didn’t do much to stand out. What really hurt the show, though, was the botched English subtitles on Crunchyroll’s release of the first episode, which were probably AI-generated and made a rough first impression. Overall, my expectations weren’t fully met. I was hoping for something even more chaotic and high-energy. That said, don’t get me wrong—I don’t think My Deer Friend Nokotan is a bad anime at all. It kept me entertained, made me laugh a few times, and the animation by WiT Studio was solid. But given all the hype and what I thought this series could be, I’m left a bit disappointed. The humor, which was supposed to be the main draw, was often just... average. Nothing groundbreaking here—this deer-centric series is worth about seven out of ten deer (6.8/10). And I’ll end with this: you can’t stop the deer march!

After watching the last episode of Shōshimin Series, I felt an overwhelming urge to revisit Hyouka, and even after all these years, I’m still loving it. Oreki is a character I relate to so much, sometimes it feels like he’s speaking directly to my inner self. It’s not that I’m lazy—I just like to conserve energy, and when I do have to get something done, I aim to finish it as quickly as possible so I can get back to relaxing and, well, conserving more energy. I also adore Chitanda. She’s that curious, lively type who always means trouble, but somehow manages to drag you along with her energy. Who could possibly resist those big, bright eyes brimming with excitement and that iconic “I’m curious!”? I get Oreki so much—I've met a few girls like that who managed to pull me out of my comfort zone and push me to actually try. The chemistry between the main duo is one of my favorite parts of the show. But it’s not just them—the side characters don’t feel like background noise either. They contribute to the story and the solving of these everyday mysteries in meaningful ways. And speaking of the mysteries, they’re presented so well. Sure, sometimes you can figure out the twist early (though in my case, my memory might be kicking in since I’ve seen it before), but even when they’re dealing with seemingly trivial things, it’s always engaging. One thing I have to praise is the production quality. The animation is fantastic, even from the first episode. The way the show blends fantasy with reality in certain scenes is just magical (like Oreki’s first meeting with Chitanda or the moment she’s depicted as an angel). Kyoto Animation really knew what they were doing back in 2012, and the animation has aged beautifully, like fine wine. And the music—the soundtrack is phenomenal. The OST is great on its own, but pairing it with classical pieces from Beethoven, Bach, and others adds such a perfect touch to the mood of each scene. For a show set in a "Classic Literature Club" (where, ironically, they rarely talk about literature), I couldn’t imagine a more fitting score. All in all, even after all these years, Hyouka remains a solid 9/10 for me.

Want an easy life in a fantasy world after being reincarnated? Just have kids! Suddenly, you're living better than the average young Japanese salaryman, and the gods throw in a full zoo of magical creatures to keep the little ones entertained. What follows is a carefree stroll through this new world—no tension, no challenges, just endless gifts. Sure, it all feels completely unearned, but who cares, right? This attempt at a light and cozy fantasy quickly fell apart for me. Everything went so smoothly that it became mind-numbingly boring. Each episode was just more of the same—traveling from place to place with nothing truly exciting happening. The humor felt childish, and while the show desperately tried to be cute, the twins with their simultaneous exclamations ("That's a door!" "That's a treasure!") started to feel as grating as watching Teletubbies while hungover. The main character didn’t help either, being yet another bland "perfect dad" type, simply collecting rewards for doing the bare minimum. The animation wasn't anything special either—plenty of bright colors, sure, but the action scenes felt like someone was moving paper cutouts across the screen. Backgrounds were often lazily drawn too. That said, if you treat it like a light Sunday afternoon cartoon for kids, it probably works just fine. In the end, this show clearly wasn’t for me. If the goal was to make me think about starting a family, well, Alan and Elena failed spectacularly—my only takeaway was a headache. 4/10

Honobu Yonezawa has already proven that he can write compelling everyday mysteries set in high school, with great characters to match. His work on Hyoka left a strong impression on me, and I still love the main character’s energy-saving philosophy: "If I don't have to do something, I won't. But if I have to, I'll do it as quickly as possible." So naturally, I couldn't miss Shoshimin Series, and it’s no surprise that I’m really enjoying it. The first few episodes left me a little unsure as I got to know the characters and their desire to be “normal” while discovering why they feel they aren’t. The series offers a range of quirky everyday mysteries—like figuring out how someone made three cups of cocoa without a way to heat the milk, or where a missing dessert went. But each half of the season had a deeper storyline that slowly unfolded, helping us understand the main duo and the real heart of the show. Compared to Hyoka, this feels even more intimate and low-key. I was thrilled to solve a couple of the mysteries alongside the characters. Visually, it’s stunning in places, and Lapin Track did a fantastic job with the animation. And the finale? The way everything unraveled left me excited for the already announced sequel. Overall, I’m really satisfied, though that slower start has me giving it an 8/10 for now. Still, it's well on its way to reaching the top tier for me.

The future is all about AI and sexy robots, apparently. According to Japanese legends, robo-girls will eventually replace real women, and no man will ever be lonely again (though humanity might just happily go extinct). I can kind of get behind this idea in a futuristic, progressive way—after all, I have a pretty close relationship with my fridge, though I’ve never thought about putting anything in it besides food... That said, if I were to pick my own robo-girlfriend, I’d definitely go for an upgraded model like Super Mina over the older version. Seeing robo-girls with exposed parts doesn’t appeal to me; I’d rather leave a little to the imagination. Plus, the close-up shots of the robot girl’s camera eyes were more creepy than cute. Alright, enough jokes. While I have my reservations about human-robot relationships, I get that some people are desperate and may even crave something artificial. Putting the whole robot thing aside, what I found was a pretty laid-back series with likable characters (even Mamoru, who’s actually kind of adorable). I even found myself rooting for the main duo. So, overall, it's watchable, visually decent, and the music's not bad. As a romance, it only half works, with some awkward moments, but as a slice-of-life show with a unique family setup, it was actually pretty enjoyable. 5.8/10.

This was easily one of the weakest anime I’ve finished this season—or maybe I’m just not the target audience. Imagine Solo Leveling for kids under 12. In this world, dungeons suddenly start appearing, and chosen adventurers dive into them to fight monsters. Sound familiar? I’m not surprised! But honestly, you probably need to be under 12 to be impressed by a protagonist who goes dungeon crawling armed with nothing but a stick and two cans of bug spray, every adventurer’s best friend! And for his first big purchase, our hero buys...a wetsuit. Yeah, because that’s exactly the kind of gear that’ll protect you from everything. Sure, he looks like a bit of a fool, but hey, maybe someone out there finds it clever. The dungeons themselves? Terrifying—mostly because of how much the electricity bill must be! At least up until the 10th floor, where the walls are fully lit, making sure everything is perfectly visible...so the kids won’t be too scared, I guess. And, of course, the deeper you go, the better loot you find. Except, poor Kaito somehow scores all the overpowered drops right on the first floor. Go figure! If that were the case, wouldn’t every adventurer be farming that level for OP gear? But nope, you’ve gotta be a "nobody" or your typical anime protagonist to get lucky. Some adventurers dive into dungeons to find treasure; others seem to go to collect their loli entourage. Honestly, if I got this many loli companions from playing a gacha, I’d uninstall the game. Even Kaito starts questioning if this is really what he signed up for as he builds up a generic harem, heading deeper into dungeons that seem oddly empty except for monsters and treasure waiting just for him and his pals. Looking for positives? The production quality isn’t bad, the animation is decent, and most of the monsters are hand-drawn instead of CGI, which is a plus. The music’s okay too. But as for the story and characters? This is clearly aimed at kids—friendship conquers all, fear is the biggest enemy, and most plot twists are predictable way ahead of time. The characters are cute but shallow, with no real depth. If that’s your thing, maybe this is for you, but it didn’t do it for me. I made it through the whole series, but I can’t give it more than a 4/10. If you’re under 12, you might double that score, but as for me? I’m too old for this shit.

Compared to the second season, Minami-ke: Okaeri definitely brought some improvements, and a few episodes, especially in the first half, came close to the quality of the first season. The animation and music are solid, making it an overall pleasant watch. The team behind this third season did a commendable job. The familiar themes are back—focusing on the sisters’ relationships, along with the return of characters like Mako-chan, Fujioka still trying his best, and Hosaka finally being as wonderfully weird and cool as ever. However, I can’t help but feel like it’s time for something to really shift—some big confessions or developments would be great. Maybe in the next season? Though, honestly, I’m not holding my breath. For now, this season lands at a 7/10 for me.

Bye Bye, Earth really sparked my imagination! It’s set in a world like nothing I’ve ever seen, with rules that are both fascinating and bizarre. I found myself needing to focus and use a lot of my own imagination to make sense of the story, and I can totally see why it might lose some viewers or leave them confused. Not everyone is going to pick up on the references hidden in the names of the swords or characters, or be able to connect with the idea that music is a driving force in this world—where battles are essentially musical performances with conductors, soloists, and librettos. The inhabitants of this world are unique, far from your typical elves or dwarves, and even the more familiar fantasy races like mermaids are portrayed in completely unexpected ways. Each episode required my full attention as I tried to grasp everything or at least envision how it all fits together. While I didn’t always succeed, I still found the whole experience intriguing—fresh, different, and oddly captivating. It’s possible that this series will turn out to be a wild jumble of random ideas thrown together because they seemed cool, but for me, it felt more deliberate. The subtle hints and references suggest that there’s a deeper plan, with some pieces already starting to click into place. One thing that hooked me from the first episode was the music. Kevin Penkin delivered again—his work stood out especially in the early episodes, though it did mellow a bit later on. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the soundtrack, including both the opening and ending themes. This show kept me engaged, raised questions that I want answers to, and set up mysteries that I’ll be eager to see resolved in 2025. Overall, the first season gets a solid 7/10 from me.