Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Sasaki and Miyano

This is one little dude started watching without me, so I started...and then passed him up. I've finished it now. Sasaki and Miyano is a BL anime and, quite simply, charming and very conciously does NOT contain any of the horrible almost-ever-present bad tropes that you see in a lot of BL shows/manga.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and may even buy the manga too, as I'm sure there's stuff they didn't wind up animating. But, let me start over.

So, Miyano (the short, dark haired one), is a not-very closeted fudanshi. That said, the only time he's ever crushed on anyone (back in middle school), it was a girl. Sasaki has also never been attracted to a guy before -- until he meets Miyano. Strangely enough, Sasaki realises much more quickly how attracted he is to Miyano as they start spending more time together (and he borrows BL manga from him, something he has never read before). And, to his credit, he's not too weirded out by it--it's more of a oh, wow, I need to chill, I don't want to freak him out.  He winds up confessing pretty early on (episode 5, though it's pretty clear even to himself by episode 2 that he's smitten). 

BUT. Even though he bungles the confession a little, he's also very open about how he's willing to wait for a response. And wait he does. It takes Miyano, like, over half a year before he finally gets ahold of his feelings and confesses in return. Maybe more. Basically, the majority of the show is Miyano trying to figure out what he feels and Sasaki trying very hard (and doing well) not to be pushy and just be a good friend, if that's all Miyano wants. 

Seriously, find yourself a guy like Sasaki. He's a good dude. Even the times he's berating himself for slipping up, he doesn't really. He always stops himself and is so conscious of not pushing.

It was interesting that they flipped that, because you'd think that Miyano with his BL fixation would be the one to lead the way rather than the guy who's never even thought about it. 

The friends / side characters are also great with their own little stories and ways of helping out (or deflecting). There's even a one hour long "graduation" special where you get a bit more about Hirano and some of the others, see Sasaki and Miyano coming out a bit to their friends and family without any major hiccups. 

All in all, a really great feel good series and by far the least problematic BL thing I've ever seen. I hope that's a trend that will catch on. Some of the older shows (totally looking at you World's Greatest Love Story which should actually be re-named If Your Partner Does ANY of This, Run) is just really, really full of horrible stuff.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me

Welp, this one kinda threw me for a loop. I thought it was going to be kinda typical first romance (geeky boy + popular girl) thing. And it sort of is. But...Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me has a couple of surprises.

Ryuto Kashima is the classic every-boy geek/nerd. Character design-wise, he looks like about 50 other dudes. Can't even name them all. He's got two other nerd friends, one of which is the chubby one and the VA does the "fat voice" which I have to admit I kinda hate. Anyway. They aren't the nicest of friends; when Ryuto does better than them in the exams, they basically give him a dare: confess his feelings to the girl he likes.

Of course he likes Runa Shirakawa, one of the most popular girls in school. She's always cheerful and has been through a lot of boyfriends (more on that in a minute...). She's also pretty and a bit of a gyaru (character design-wise, she's like a knock off Marin from My Dress Up Darling). So, he confesses to her, fully expecting to be rejected. He's just hoping it will be gentle. But, she's not currently dating anyone and, to his utter astonishment, agrees to go out with him. He's like, WHY? You didn't even know who I was five minutes ago? She believes that the only way to find out if you like someone is to try and date them.

Erm, so, okay, she immediately invites him over to her house. Brings some barley tea. And then basically starts undressing, thinking he must want to sleep with her. Apparently, she thinks that's what she's supposed to do. So, yeah. This girl, who has dated LOTS of guys has apparently been IMMEDIATELY sleeping with them. I mean, she's "known him" all of 30 minutes at this point.

Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying and tragic.

I was kinda tempted to turn it off, honestly. But he turns her down, even though he's tempted (he's a teenage boy...but obviously the only decent one she's ever known). 

After that rocky start, things improve and it's more about them slowly learning about each other. I actually went on to watch three episodes (to give it the "three strikes" go) and it's improved since then. They've introduced Ryuoto's first crush, recently returned, and sadly I accidentally got spoiled for next episode's plot twist when I went to find a picture and look up names to write this up. Apparently (I've said that a LOT this time around), the girl is Runa's fraternal twin sister?? But they haven't lived together?? And she was the one spreading rumours about Runa because she's jealous? FFS.

Anyway. Their first date(s) were darling and Ryoto is a green flag of a boy, so I do think I'll keep watching it in the hopes that Runa realises / grows because, so far, her life (notwithstanding her popularity) is really kinda horrible. And sad. Because you know there are real girls like this out there.

Edit: Ok, I finished it (it was the only one I was watching that's finished...the rest I am waiting on the next episodes to hit). Overall I mostly liked it though it was both better and worse than I thought it would be. The stuff with the sister/twin was almost entirely annoying. The whole bit about her wanting to break up with him even though she didn't WANT to break up with him was also on the annoying side. Believable, yeah, probably, given who she was and her experience with relationships so far (basically, as soon as things got a little tough, break it off instead of working on it). I mean, I get it...they are 17. But at that point, the poor dude is cutting out other people because he doesn't want to do anything that would make her jealous and, yo, dude, that's actually not healthy for you to be saying "it's ok if I don't have any other female friends; she's all I need." 

Then there was the bit with the fat friend who gets skinny via depression after getting turned down and then the girl all of a sudden wants him when he wasn't good enough before and she'd ripped him a new one for even deigning to ask her out. Oof. And the one "demon gyaru" friend who pledges to wait for the one dude even though he's dumped her twice (once so he could literally fool around with other girls after he took her advice and improved on his looks...and they'd actually only dated the first time for TWO WEEKS back in MIDDLE SCHOOL) and...what, are they trying to be the poster child for what relationships should NOT be like? 

Hmmm. Yeah. Okay, I liked Ryoto. Not really sure about the rest. I probably need to go watch something with middle aged people now. Am I glad I watched it? Eh, 50/50. Would I watch it again? Nah, I doubt it. I am always easier on flaws the first time around. A second time and I just get more pissed off. There were a few nice true moments (like when she has regrets about not being able to experience a lot of "firsts" with him and he has a great response) but there were also a lot of frustrating things...at least for an old fart like me.

Monday, February 26, 2024

King the Land

There was a lot of talk about this one when it came out, not all of it good (apparently there's an Arab character later on and it's done very badly), but the clips I'd seen (none of which have that character) seemed pretty good, so I thought I'd try it. Also have now realised that King the Land has Lee Joon-Ho aka Junho (from 2PM) as the lead (Gu Won) and I've been wanting to see him in something else since Wok of Love. The bromance in that show was WAY better than the romance and I really liked him in it, so it's nice to see him in something.

It's been awhile since I watched a chaebol type drama too, so that didn't hold me back. They drive me crazy sometimes, but it's been enough time that I think I can handle one. I've watched three episodes so far and am enjoying it. 

Anyway -- the story. Gu Won is the son in a chaebol family with an older sister who seems very back-stabby and works hard to keep him away from Dear Daddy. There's some mystery about Gu Won's mother as well--he seems to be trying to work out who she was? Or something. It's not been super clear on that, but obviously they must have different mothers. And he's so persistent about it that I honestly don't understand why the dad or half-sister doesn't just tell him what's up. You'd think the sister would just to get rid of him when he's been clear that he's not there for the company (though, honestly, isn't he? At least partly? Maybe not. Three episodes in and I haven't actually seen him do any work as far as I can tell). Anyway, she seems like a total bitch and very two faced. Dad is the standard chaebol dad: All Duty, No Love.

Our female lead is Cheon Sa-Rang played by Lim Yoon-A aka Yoona from Girl's Generation. I know who she is but haven't really watched much with her in it. Sa-Rang is from a much humbler background and also has some type of mom thing (probably dead?). She's always wanted to work at a hotel and has good memories of going to a King hotel with her mom when she was young. Strangely enough, it's evil big sis that hires her and keeps promoting her, seeing Sa-Rang's go-get-'em attitude and hard work. 

Ok. So, Gu Won got some kind of hint about his mother, which is why he's back in Korea (he's been living in the UK for the last 7ish years and got his MBA, etc. So he and Sa-Rang keep running into each other and, ya know, hijinks ensue. Oh, and Sa-Rang has a rubbish boyfriend currently that I'm sure she's about to split up with...

What I like so far -- Go Won has actually already started to realise he's got a bit of a crush, which is refreshingly early for a show like this. And I'm happy to see Junho in something. Also like that Sa-Rang's two best girl friends seem to have storylines of their own with a decent amount of time devoted to them. Oh, and so far the chaebol inheritance stuff has been relatively minor in the plot. I'm sure it'll increase, but I'll enjoy it while I can.

Don't like the sister, though I'm not supposed to. Though it has been interesting to see the contrast between how she's helped Sa-Rang and the way she treats her brother, presumably because she sees him as a threat. I don't really get it. They've got more money than any one person can possibly use. Why squabble and backstab over it? Be a family FFS.

Will report back either at the end or in the middle, but so far so good.

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Sasaki and Peeps

Sasaki and Peeps is an oddball one. It's sort of an isekai and sort of not. So, there's a middle aged salaryman living a dull life. He'd love to get a cat or a dog, but he can't afford one. But one day he stops off in a pet store and buys a java sparrow. But...it's not really a java sparrow. It's a wizard/magician/something from another world that was transported/reborn/whatever into Sasaki's world. In exchange for assistance, "Peeps" (who's real name is, like, Piancarlo?) gives some of his magical power to Sasaki. And thus, they embark on a partnership.
Perhaps the strangest thing about this one is how much happens in the first episode (which is a whopping 45ish minutes). Traveling back and forth between Peep's world and Sasaki's, they set up trade (real world goods into this fantasy world, which deals in gold coins), open a restaurant, get in with a local lord, Sasaki learns some magic, and then Sasaki saves a woman from a strange attacker by shooting an icicle ... but it's not an ordinary damsel in distress, it's Hoshizaki, an agent in some paranormal government monitoring bureau and she immediately recruits him (he's not given a choice). Oh, and there's a next door neighbour teenage girl that might possibly have a crush on him (but, at least so far, he thankfully seems oblivious).

Whew.

That was a lot. I mean, that's like an entire SEASON worth of things to happen. I haven't even seen another episode yet. 

Anyway, things that I liked so far -- Sasaki actually seems like a middle aged man. Peeps, though a powerful magician or whatever, does actually seem to view it as a partnership and Sasaki as an equal and it isn't that thing where he is constantly insulting the MC. The set up seems interesting. Sasaki's preoccupation with having a comfortable bed and decent food is realistic.

I'm not at all sure about the teenage girl or the woman/girl agent as yet. Little bit worried about those elements.

But, overall an interesting first episode jam packed with stuff.

Friday, February 23, 2024

The Demon Prince of Momochi House

Ha, so I actually started this one (while exercising) because I thought it was an old, already completed one. Nope. Another in progress one. I think it has a title or art that reminded me of an old one or something, not sure. Though The Demon Prince of Momochi House reminds me of Kamisama Kiss if anything. At least it does appear that the manga it is based on is actually complete (2019?)

So, Momochi Himari, an orphan, receives a bequest from her deceased parents on her 16th birthday -- Momochi House. But when she arrives she discovers the house is already occupied by Aoi (who was once a human boy, but is now Nue, the Omamari...which I've just typed out from memory so there's a good chance I misspelled it) and his shikigami Yukari (water dragon type, cool guy) and Ise (fiery tsundere type) and a whole load of lesser ayakashi/yokai. Aoi cannot leave the house, which sits on the boundary between the human world and the spirit world.

She refuses to leave and they settle into ye olde forced cohabitation trope-land. I've watched 6 episodes of the 7 that are released so far and I can say a few things: 1) I'm generally enjoying it but 2) it feels like a lot of other stories but 3) it has a plucky, proactive heroine which is good. 

There's obviously a lot going on that hasn't been explained yet. Who were Himari's parents? Why/how did they die? Why was Aoi drawn to the house and then transformed? Why him? What's up with the evil ayakaski Kasha? He doesn't seem to have a decipherable goal beyond "Let's screw things up for Nue". What's up with the teacher they've shown a handful of times--he's either got to be related to Aoi (who was basically "erased" from the memories of those who knew him when he was human) or he's the Kasha dude in disguise. But, then, how does a busy, evil Ayakashi have the time to teach high school classes enough that the other students know him well? 

Anyway, it's decent enough and I am enjoying it overall. The art varies; sometimes it is really nice (and I do love the colours and the details of Aoi's clothes in particular) but sometimes it kinda loses cohesion, especially in side views. I do not love the eyes of any of the girls. They're big even by anime standards. I mean, not as bad as some, but distracting. It actually makes it look older than it is? Maybe that's why I thought it was an older show.

I'll edit this once I'm done watching it. I do have kind of a sense that the story kind of goes too fast? We get these little flashbacks to the past, but sometimes it just isn't enough to put us emotionally where we need to be, if that makes sense. We'll see how it ends up. 

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Cherry Magic

Yeah, so, okay. The full title of this one kind of makes you shudder in disbelief but it's actually quite good so far. So. It's Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! and it's a Japanese BL series (there's also a live action version, but I haven't seen that yet, though it came before the anime) I gotta say, anime and manga names are getting weirder and longer every year. 
So, Adachi (the dark haired one) did indeed hit 30 without ever experiencing any romance -- physical or otherwise. And suddenly he has the power to hear what people think when he touches them (there are a lot of movies similar to this like US blockbusters What Men Want and What Women Want...but with much simpler titles). Most of what he overhears is just annoying, like when he's crammed in the train and overhears everyone's grumbles.

But then...he's got this handsome coworker named Yuichi Kurosawa who Adachi imagines must have all the luck with the women, with work, with whatever. But as he comes into contact with him more, he, to his shock and somewhat horror, realises that Kurosawa has a crush...on him

Adachi has NO romantic experience, though up until this point it seems he was attracted to women. But as Kurosawa's care and attention (and internal thoughts that reveal what he's really thinking) occupy more and more of his time, he starts to fall for him. He slowly develops some self-confidence (and self-awareness). 

I did a modicum of research and how the story came to be published/produced is actually quite interesting. I did particularly like this quote: Toyota also intended for the theme of Cherry Magic! was to show how, even if one has magical powers, self-confidence is necessary for progress.

We're about halfway through the story so far, me and little dude, and it is charming and quirky. Might even go on to watch the live action afterwards, even though I almost never do that. It's a goofy kernel of an idea, but it's nicely done. Will update when I'm through with it -- it's still being released and we're caught up, so there's a while to go yet. 

A Sign of Affection

I've only done a couple of episodes of this one as I am watching it with little dude and there are some others that are higher on our combined list, but I am quite liking A Sign of Affection so far. 

A fairly sheltered deaf girl goes off to university and one day is helped out by an upperclassman she knows just by sight as he's in a club that a friend of hers goes to. They are, it seems, equally intrigued by each other and (I suspect) by the end, will open up each other's worlds. 

It seems quite sweet so far though there's an obligatory annoying childhood friend of hers that is already showing signs of over protectiveness and jealousy. But, as always, I imagine it is too little, too late. 

The art style is interesting -- it has a Korean feel to it and is more watercolour tones than normal Japanese anime. The way they are drawn has that feel too -- and little dude though the same thing (he's, like, the dude looks like a Kpop Idol). Not a good thing or a bad thing, just a thing. 

Will update once I've had a chance to watch more of it, but it looks very promising.

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Jingai-san no Yome

Welp. I found something even weirder than the mermaid boy taking over a bathtub show. Jingai-san no Yome which apparently translates to "Non-Human Creature's Wife". 


Similar to Orenchi no Furo Jijo, these are very short 3 minute (of which a chunk is the credits) episodes of weirdness. I mean, I've written battle scenes with a talking cat army but this is a whole other level of odd.

Tomari Hinowa is a high schooler and is picked out of a yearbook to be Kanenogi's wife. Kanenogi is a big fluffy non-speaking thing that eats concrete. And Hinowa isn't the only one -- some of his fellow school friends are also married to a wide variety of creatures -- a hair-losing curse-giving Pokemon-like pink fluff ball, an animated mummy-bandage-person who can't speak but communicates via writing, and twin one-eyed cyclops-ish girls. At least they talk though. Sister-husbands? I dunno.

It's basically little spurts of "happy married life" anecdotes covering anniversaries, school athletic festivals, and sakura blossom viewing. It is So. Damn. Weird.

Like, literally, you can't think about it too hard or too much. None of it makes sense. There's no backstory. There's no plot. There's no explanation whatsoever why a bunch of high school boys are being married off to essentially yokai. I mean, I can think of some reasons, but there are NONE given in the show. It is just unapologetically "it iswhat it is". Fluff. Fluffy fluff, just like Kanenogi's fur.

It's charming and adorable and very, very, very weird.

The Great Cleric

Ok, last catch up post today. The Great Cleric. I've only seen two episodes of this one so far, but I didn't want to forget about it, so I'm writing it up now.


So, yadda yadda yadda, salaryman reborn into a fantasy world as a 15 year old healer. Er, why do I feel like I could just stop there? I guess because, so far, it's basically your standard isekai thing. Though he's at least not initially OP and seems to be a hard worker and an earnest little dude. I do need to try some other episodes, but while I'll say that the two I watched seemed just fine and the protagonist is a good guy, it also didn't light a burning fire in me to watch the next episodes, which is why I haven't seen any more since I started it over a month ago. 

I do think I will go back to it, probably. It seems nice and inoffensive so far. But...not exciting? Maybe I am getting isekai overload. I do like his design, art-wise.
 

7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy!

Ok, another Villainess one: 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! though this one isn't tied to otome. It's more a classic isekai thing...sort of...since she isn't reborn into a new world, she just keeps reincarnating back to the same point--the moment after her dickhead prince fiancé declares that he's dumping her and banishing her from the country (similar to I'm the Villainess, so I'm Taming the Final Boss).


But! This is not a fainting violet kind of girl. The story opens at the end of her 6th life, which she spent disguised as a male soldier and she gets killed by who we soon learn is Emperor/Prince Arnold. All of those previous lives were spent doing something worthwhile; the best thing that ever happened to her was when the idiot prince dumps her. She became a merchant the first time, a herbalist another, an accomplished maid in yet another one, etc. In each one she has learned and perfected her skills. 

So. It's her 7th time around now. The only thing all her lives had in common is that she dies after 5 years, caught up in a war caused by Arnold. Which is, probably, why she spent the 6th one learning swordsmanship as a soldier. This time, she decides to exit out of the castle a different way to see if she can make up some time and runs right into the soon-to-be-homicidal emperor. Then she leaps off a 2nd story balcony, determined to get back to her family home in enough time to pack up some essentials and run into the merchant company that she knows will be nearby (they gave her her first start back in life 1). But colour Arnold intrigued by this graceful woman who leaps off a balcony and knows who he is. He follows after.

But when she gets to her house, the idiot prince is there, demanding some satisfaction since she didn't give it to him. Then Arnold arrives and...proposes? And the King, who takes his son to task and encourages Rishe to entertain Arnold. 

She agrees, on some conditions -- she wants to live a carefree life and he's not to touch her.

I know the title says it, but this girl doesn't actually know how to relax or be carefree. As soon as she gets there, she's shaking things up and constantly surprising Arnold with her skills. Now, as to why he immediately proposed to her...I'm not sure. Is he stuck in the loop too? Because it doesn't totally (at all) make sense that he'd propose to her based purely on her unexpected leap off a balcony. 

Anyway, the biggest Pro for this one is that Rishe is a great character. She's clever, resourceful, insightful, dedicated, and loyal (immediately pulling in again the merchant boss). She's true to herself and isn't, really, afraid of anything. Arnold would be an idiot to not fall in love. 

The jury is still out on him for me. Unlike Raeliana's beau, even after 6ish episodes, there's no clear reason why Arnold did/does the things that he does. He's supposed to kill his father and then embroil the lands in war at some point...but...he seems a guy who actually cares about his people in his actual present-day actions (though a bit bitter and potentially cruel, as he pushes people away like his brother for...reasons). So how was he supposed to end up that way? If the father (current Emperor) is as horrible as I suspect he might be, why does killing him and taking over lead to Arnold being just as bad, if not worse? 

I mean, it's obvious that this is *the* life because Rishe is there, but it is a confusing set up. I look forward to them making it make sense. Oh, and so far there's no randomly evil rival for our MC, which is refreshing.

Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss But I'm Not the Demon Lord

Alright, I just give up. I'm jumping all over the place and will just catch up as I can. Who cares anyway if it's in order? This is just for me so I actually remember what I've watched. So. I generally will always watch anything with an otome/isekai theme, and Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss But I'm Not the Demon Lord is another in the new lineup of these stories. Seriously. I feel, as a writer, I oughta just churn one of these out because they are EVERYWHERE. Anyway.


Plot-wise, it's very much like Bakarina (My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!). In this one, a college student gamer is reborn into an otome game as a villainess and, like Catarina, realises it at a young age. But, unlike Catarina, she's actually good at magic and was supposed to be the Hidden Boss in the game. She's also a Dark magic user (just as rare as a Light magic user). By the time she gets to the Academy or college or whatever it is, she's at Level 99 because she's a gamer and just went about levelling herself up in a methodical, kinda suicidal fashion. As her parents (also unlike Catarina's) leave her alone and she never sees them and is left to her own devices, she had free reign to just sneak out to dungeons and clear them ad infinitum. 

She had no idea until she got to the school and they did a sorting hat kind of test that she was that high. So, there goes her original idea to just avoid the MC and the LIs. Like Catarina, she's kinda clueless, but more in a social awkward, earnest deadpan way. She concentrates so much on levelling up and thinks that everyone else would have the same desire when most of the other kids just kinda want to be...normal. 

Anyway, I don't want to really hash out more than that as I've got some other Villainess ones to write about too (seriously, they are popping up constantly now). 

The Pros: Yumiella has a serious Kagari from Witchcraft Works vibe and that same deadpan delivery. She's likeable and a different kind of clueless. I like the dude (Patrick) that is her love interest (he's not one of the original LIs from the game), though I have a fear they are setting him up to be something more than just another noble. Who knows. The art is good. The humor is good, like when Yumiella plans rock, paper, scissors with one of her dark magic spells. 

The Cons: The standard otome trope LI dudes and the MC are just kinda flat and annoyingly stupid. Like, the MC girl is kinda dumb and thinks Yumiella might be the actual Demon Lord because she has black hair and does dark magic. The dudes first didn't believe she was as powerful as she was and then are just basically jealous. And the prince is particularly idiotic, letting out state secrets like that the Demon Lord will be returning in two years. But, at least the King and Queen seem decent-ish -- they recognise Yumiella's value quickly. Of course, they'd be stupid not too.

I'm caught up on the currently released episodes and I wouldn't say this one is doing anything particularly new, but I am enjoying it. It's an easy watch and the annoyances are balanced by the humour. Will update once I've finished it.