Solo Leveling

I don't watch a huge amount of fighting anime and if I do, it's usually with little (big) dude. But for whatever reason, I gave Solo Leveling a try.

I have to say off the bat that I did enjoy it. It's got a fairly original storyline -- in "our world", gates to some other dimension or something started opening and monsters (classic stuff mostly -- goblins, worgs, etc.) came through. At the same time, people began "Awakening" with powers to combat them that are ranked from S down to E. Not everyone has these abilities.

So, our hero Sung Jin-Woo (here you can see that this originated as a South Korean web novel, though the anime is by a Japanese studio), is known as the Weakest of hunters. But, he's smart and dedicated and does his best, partly because this 20 year old is supporting his teenage sister and trying to pay his mother's medical bills. She's been afflicted by some kind of weakening/coma-like sickness related to the Gates.

He does his best event though he's weak and constantly gets injured. But, on a particularly ill-fated mission in a double dungeon, he's brutally killed after being left by the rest as more or less a sacrifice, even though he was the one who managed to keep as many of them alive as possible. But it's some kind of special thing and when he awakens (back with his missing limbs), he's gone through some kind of a transformation. In a world where your skills are set at awakening, he's now the only one with the ability to level up a la game style complete with status pop ups and loot drops.

Anyway, through the first twelve episodes he's trying to navigate that, support his family, and grow stronger while also fending off the lawlessness of the whole "what happens in the dungeons stays in the dungeons" which forces him to kill humans or be killed.

By the end, he's levelled up as some kind of necromancer, a group of Hunters has uncovered that the invaders on Jeju Island have been growing/changing, and there's at least one badass S rank that wants to kill him because he was there with the dude's evil brother died (after trying to kill Jin-woo; don't shed any tears for the psycho killer...he deserved it). 

It's got good pacing, an engaging protagonist, good (though very Kill Bill bloody) art, and compelling stakes. I'll watch the next half when it comes out definitely. I think a live action is in the works, though I honestly am not sure if something so gruesome would translate well. Might be too disturbing.

Chillin' in My 30s after Getting Fired from the Demon King's Army

So, Chillin' in My 30s after Getting Fired from the Demon King's Army was surprisingly decent. I mean, you can tell basically what it's about from the title. But it has a few nice things that set it apart.

I don't want to rehash the whole thing (it's pretty standard), but I'll go over the good (and the bad):

• In this world, "demons" are basically the same as humans except they have magic. However, humans have something that's very like magic, but based on one of four attributes (basically shielding, sword skill, a ranged skill and I forget what the other one is)
• The main protagonist, Dariel, was a human (though they didn't realise this and somehow just though he was a demon without magic) who was adopted by one of the four demon generals and raised as his son
• He's not a teenager!
• When the "real" son of the demon general takes over, he fires Dariel because he's obviously jealous of him. Dariel had been the assistant to the 4 generals and, honestly, was apparently how the whole Demon King's Army was running smoothly, as things start to fall apart as soon as he's sacked
• He soon discovers that he's really human when he winds up in a human village and not long after that, figures out he's a master of all 4 attributes -- so he goes from being the "outcast demon with no magic" to "OP human"
• There are too many boobs. The boobs are too big. They are, in fact, so big that they have little shiny highlights on them that are supposed to make them look rounder, I suppose...but actually just make them instead look like they all have weird whitehead zits that need to be popped. It's kinda gross.
• Dariel is, of course, the son of the former Hero with a capital H who went kinda berserk after he though his wife and son were killed. On the plus side for the demon general that took him in, he had no idea that Dariel was the hero's son OR that he was human
• The main villain is the "brother" who is a grade A ass the entire time and there's a small redemption arc for him at the end and...eh, I mostly just wanted to kill him. I mean, how genocidal do you have to be before people don't forgive you anymore??
• By the end, things are looking up between the demons and humans in part because of Dariel's son (there's a time skip that doesn't totally make sense story-wise, but I guess they needed the kid around) and two doting grandpas that used to be mortal enemies
• It's not really a harem. Not exactly. He marries this one totally OP girl (who's extreme strength is never explained) and while there's two female demon generals, one of which didn't want him fired in the beginning (but really never shows up in the show again), and the other who does run into him again and sometimes flirts with him, it seems like harmless flirtation rather than an actual harem situation. While the new hero female gets a little blush-y around him, they don't make much of it and he's very, very obviously married
• Possibly the best thing are the little Knockers, i.e. mine workers who look like little Jawas and are super loyal to Dariel

Anyway, it's a decent show. Honestly, if they reduced the boobage by half, it'd be really good. Hell, even reduced by half the boobs would still be too big. But am I glad I watched it? Yeah. I don't think I'd ever watch it again, but if a second season came out I would probably watch it.

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale

Hm, so I've actually given up on this one: Sugar Apple Fairy Tale. There are elements about it that I like a lot, but...

I made it through 8 episodes of 24. The world building is decent (horrible slavery and treatment of fairies, but there's some structure to the world) and the art is really lovely. But the 15 year old heroine (who we're supposed to ship with the 100+ year old warrior fairy that she bought as a slave...yes, even though she didn't want to) is one of those altruistic idiots who's supposed to change the world by being pure of heart. 

He calls her an idiot often and it's generally well deserved. Why, yes, crazy Duke, even though you've threatened to keep me prisoner or beat me, I said I'd make you a sugar sculpture of your dead fairy wife that you want to bring back from the dead so by jiminy, I'll do it even though an army is surrounding your castle and is probably about to bust in and kill us all. She's supposed to be as saccharine sweet as the sugar she sculpts but...maybe I'm old, but she just seems wilfully stupid. 

And while I like Challe (the warrior fairy)...actually, maybe that's part of it. He's more interesting than she is, but it's more her story. 

And the villains--of which there are many--actually...nearly everyone she meets, including the 'childhood friend' who first follows her to say he wants to marry her and then steals from her, tries to kill her, lies about her to everyone, threatens her, etc. etc. and...nothing happens to him. The last episode I watched didn't have him (Jonas) in it and I felt palpable relief he wasn't there...but I knew he was going to turn up again like a bad penny.

I was feeling a lot of things about the episodes so I looked up some summaries of how things wind up and, meh, I decided to just give up. I'm not going to go into more than that. 

The voice acting is good. The art is good. I think it had potential but it was making me more annoyed than anything else. So am I glad I watched it? No, though I'm not mad either. There were a few nice moments and, like I said, the design and art is good. But, no, not going to finish it or watch any bits again. I'll just make up a story in my head for Challe. Maybe he just needs to be isekai'd somewhere decent.

Taisho Otome Fairy Tale

This is one of the more realistic anime that I have seen in a while. Set in the Taishō era, it's a slice of life romance with both an uplifting story and some dark themes -- and even features one of the most devastating earthquakes in Japanese history. Welcome to Taisho Otome Fairy Tale!

And...um...since I've finished the whole thing, I just looked up a summary of the manga and, man, they changed quite a few things! Some of it are changes for pacing (the singer being introduced later), but the anime apparently leaves off the entire last arc. I'll talk about that at the end though.

Let's start with the anime. Shima Tamahiko's right arm was crippled in the car accident that also took the life of his mother. His incredibly cruel father (seriously, he's the WORST father) sends him off to Chiba to live in an isolated house and declares him "dead". The one good thing he does, though honestly he's so awful that there must have been some rigid societal expectations for this to happen, is to buy a girl to act as Tamahiko's servant until she's old enough to marry him. She's 14 when she arrives and marrying age is apparently 15. Tamahiko, I think, is 17 at the start of the story. 

That girl is Yuzuki or Yuzu and she is a spring storm of positivity, loyalty, and just a general ray of sunshine. She breaks through Tamahiko's brittle and depressed exterior and brings love to his life. I don't actually want to go into a play-by-play of this 12 episode anime, but I'll just say the development of their relationship is really lovely. Tamahiko is also a nice guy and she sees his earnestness and awkwardness for what it is. 

She's also able to break through the hostile armour of his younger sister Tamako when she visits, turning the siblings into actual siblings instead of warring chess pieces. 

There are some other important characters -- Ryo, an older girl who initially tries to take advantage of Tamahiko and cause trouble for him, but slowly changes her ways. I can't say I loved her, though I get why she did what she did...though she really doesn't apologise for it until the very end. I wonder if that's a change from the manga too? And there's Kotori (a famous singer) and her twin brother Harkaru, who also become friends. 

There's a great Uncle figure who throws a lifeline to both Tamahiko and his sister Tamako (taking her in when she decides she wants to be a doctor). From the summary I read, there's actually a lot more to his story and position in the family than what you see in the anime. 

The pivotal event in the anime is the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, which Yuzu is caught up in, as she had gone to Tokyo to visit her pregnant friend Midori. This is the point where Tamahiko really steps up -- he (and Ryo, worried about her brother) walks to Tokyo (about 50 km/31 miles) and actually manages to find her. This is where it drives home to him how much he loves and needs her because he can't imagine a life without her in it.

The story essentially ends there in the anime--they're not married yet, but they have properly declared their feelings, and there's a sense of the changes in the characters, who have all grown stronger (other than the dad and oldest sister, who are both just freaking evil). 

The manga, apparently, has a whole other thing and I kind of wish they'd done two seasons of the show because it would've been satisfying. Apparently, the oldest brother (the heir) dies as a result of complications from being caught in the earthquake. There's a hint of this in the anime, as the dad only shows up to try and demand Dr. Uncle go treat him. After the oldest brother dies, he turns to Tamahiko again BUT it sounds like he kidnaps Yuzu, intending to instead make her marry another younger brother, while Tamahiko would have to marry someone else. Tamahiko says NOPE, rescues Yuzu, disowns his family, and when they do marry, he takes her last name. I gather that the younger sister Tamako and the younger brother Tamao (?, who we never really see in the anime) are on his side. Tamako winds up marrying Hikaru after some time. Tamahiko has a few kids with Yuzu and becomes a teacher. Evil older sister has some kind of bizarre subplot with a bunch of other characters, one of which turns her into the police? Though I guess she becomes her father's hair (no one else left who claims him), she dies of TB while awaiting trial? 

Anyway, can't really comment on all of that as I've just only read the summary, but what sweet justice for Tamahiko to refuse his father's name. I really did enjoy this one, though it would have been nice to see them married. I wonder if they didn't wrap it up that way because they were debating a second season? They left it open enough that they could have. I hadn't heard of it before, so maybe they were hoping it would be bigger than it was? I dunno. It's really lovely, so it totally deserves more viewers/readers. 

So, yes, I'm glad I watched it. Would I watch it again? Hmmm, maybe some day. It's very sweet. If they did do a second season, I would definitely watch it. Yuzu is a ray of sunshine.

The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent (2 Seasons)

I have to say that I both really liked and was annoyed by this one: The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent. 

It's an isekai, though it has a few differences from my recent crop:

• No harem (yay!) though the MC is totally surrounded by exceptionally attractive people to the point that even your average soldier would be a lead love interest in another show
• Female MC who is both overpowered and NOT at the same time--her healing/magic/mana is ridiculously strong, but she can't fight worth a damn and would be toast without a platoon
• Technically TWO isekai'd people (but only the one is the focus)
• The MC is an "older" lady (20s) rather than a teen girl (come to think of it, there's a fair few older male MCs in isekais but I can only think of teen female ones off the top of my head...hmmmm)
• No 'normal' fan service -- there's kinda josei-ish fan service of another kind though -- like, the love interest properly courts her

So, in this one, Sei Takanshi (our MC) and Aira Misono (a teen girl) are summoned from our world (possibly because they lived in the same apartment building, but it's never addressed in the show). The prince of the kingdom immediately gloms onto Aira and declares her to be "The Saint" who they were trying to summon and is incredibly rude to Sei. Turns out he's an idiot (this goes over the whole first season) because, though Aira is magically talented, it's Sei who's obviously the "Saint" as soon as she starts learning how to make potions and cast magic.

However, it was a little lucky for her as she was able to start her new life with a bit more freedom -- she goes to work at the The Medicinal Flora Research Institute and is enjoying her new life. She was a nameless, faceless, exhausted salarywoman before coming home every day to an empty house. She soon starts saving people left and right, impressing Johan (the director) and capturing the heart of one of the men she saves from certain death, Commander Albert Hawke (the love interest). There's also the Grand Magus that performed the spell that pulled her in and the next in command of the Magic Academy, who also happens to be Albert's older brother (and is voiced by Yuuichirou Umehara, so you know I love him automatically). They are all ridiculously pretty, which Sei can't help but notice, though it's Al that really fascinates her.

Anyway, they were called to the world because of a spreading miasma and dangerous creatures that the Saint can counteract. There hadn't been one in years. Sei is able to purify the areas, with the help of Commander Hawke and his soldiers. She also makes a good friend of Liz, the betrothed of the stupid prince.

The first season is mostly dealing with the political fallout of the prince insulting her and acting like an idiot over Aira and Sei learning how to use her powers and Al doing his damn level best to court her. By the end, she seems to have realised that her powers come from love AND that thinking of Al leads to her special 'conjury' and you end it thinking, ah, yes, progress in this lovely, sweet romance! 

But, no. The second season seems to reset her back to ZERO understanding and denial. Meanwhile, as the Saint's work is coming to a close as they have been clearing the miasma swamps, the nobles are starting to jockey for position for one of their sons to marry her. Al is one of the candidates, but he is a gentleman to a default and is trying really hard not to push Sei, who acts like a blushing idiot around him, and is clearly uncomfortable with any thoughts of...anything beyond work.

Literally the teenage Liz is offering this older woman advice all the time, warning her that the storm is coming and she'd better figure out what she wants (when it is so very clearly Al) or wind up married off because of political reasons to someone she doesn't want to be married to.

Anyway, I'm not gonna too much more into it, but it was really annoying how she was like an ostrich hiding her head. While the final ending scene when Al proposes to her was beautifully animated and executed, the show literally ends with them HUGGING. They don't even kiss. She never even tells him she loves him in words. I mean, it's kinda obvious as the very air explodes in sparkles that the entire town sees when he proposes, but still. FFS use your words, woman. 

There were some nice moments in that second season--don't get me wrong. Johan being the best wingman (though he also sort of seriously proposes to her) to his best friend Al. The older Hawke brother thoroughly supporting his brother, though he'd probably be a good fit for Sei too. The Grand Magus was more the comedic wild card, but I enjoyed him.

A few annoyances -- once the idiot prince gets sort of caught out, he's house arrested by his dad and then...you never, ever hear anything about him again. You'd think with Liz around, you'd at least get some kind of status update. And though Aira finds a life, she kind of mostly drops out of sight too. 

Anyway, overall I enjoyed this one. The romance was literally the SLOWEST of SLOW BURNS, but it was sweet. I am glad I watched it, though I also probably would not re-watch it as you are left feeling a bit disappointed in exactly how SLOW it goes and you literally don't even get a kiss from them when Al has been in love since the beginning. Heck, she mostly had too, though she was ridiculously dense about it. I mean, I get that she's supposed to be inexperienced but there's inexperienced and then there's just stupid. She came from the modern world after all.

Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers

This isekai is slightly different, but only a bit: Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers. Surprise! The Main Character doesn't come from our world! He's from an entirely different fantasy world!

Bananza, a kind hearted merchant, is transported to another world trying to find heroes. However, he's brought there at the same time as another potential hero, who shows up with high level stats, while his appear to be weak. But they screwed something up and can't send him back and the King just wants to get rid of him so he doesn't get embarrassed. So they ship him off to a far away forest, though at least they give him some supplies first.

But, Bananza (now called Flio so the Kingdom can't find him and wearing a very slight shapeshifting disguise so he doesn't look exactly the same), *did* acquire some mad skills from the world's god--kind of like a super cheat. Once he levels up by accidentally killing ALL the demons in the forest when his 'onboard computer'--think Siri--recommends he purify it, his level shoots up. Most skills are marked with an infinity symbol, though he doesn't know what they mean. 

Anyway, he has no idea that the spells he is using are high level. He lived in a fantasy-esque world before and just thinks the rules are different. He goes off and joins an adventurer's guild so he can make a living. Through reasons, he winds up entangled with a lupine girl/demon (who's brother he just killed) that actually works/worked in the Demon King's army that the other hero is supposed to be fighting, and she pledges to stay with him after he bests her in combat (in her race, all the women want the most powerful husband, and he's definitely that). 

He collects some more lady warriors who want to be taught, but happily it doesn't look like a traditional harem show as the lupine-lady gloms on to being his wife after he suggests it as a way they wouldn't look suspicious while in town. Even after just three episodes, it actually seems more like this is going to be a happy show with them as the couple.

The King, who doesn't know that he's the "other" hero, has even sent people asking for this new adventurer to help (he's been killing crazy big stuff easily, especially with his new wife's help), but Flio says no--he's happy to just be chillin'. 

While I don't think this one is particularly groundbreaking, I am enjoying it. Also liking that Flio was against slavery in his own world and doubled down in this one -- he's just a decent guy. And, based even just on the cover images of all the books already released, he's a one woman man and a walking green flag.

Edit: Up through episode 7 now and I am just really enjoying this one. I have no complaints other than that it is still releasing and I have to wait a week between episodes.

Edit: Finished it! Really enjoyed this one. It wasn't amazingly inventive or anything, but I quite liked it.

As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World

Ok, another ridiculously long title one: As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World which is, obviously, another isekai. 

I'm thinking it will be easier to just go over what's different in this one. The set up is the same as, like, every other isekai out there. Dude gets reincarnated as Ars Louvent, a nobleman's son. By the time he's three, he's learned to read and write, etc. and he has a special skill--he can appraise OTHER people (but not himself) and sees their skills, etc. represented as numbers. 

Learning the world's history, he sees that it is inevitable that this world is headed towards war and bloodshed. He starts collecting talented retainers, not paying any attention to race or gender, etc., just their skills. He is a teeny, titchy little paragon of virtue who wants to help people and make a difference in the world but so far doesn't seem to have any "power" other than his appraisal skill (and inspiring his followers). 

Happily, his dad seems to realise and appreciate his talent right away and basically lets him do what he wants, even accepting new retainers that are from 'despised' foreign countries, etc. 

Another plus, I'm pretty sure this isn't going to turn into a harem. Honestly, if it did, it'd be very sick, because dude is still a little child. In a flash forward, we see him looking like maybe 10? But either way, YOUNG. 

I've seen 3 episodes so far and it's pretty good. Not super exciting, but good. 

Edit: finished it a while ago. I found it interesting and worthwhile, though a bit slow paced. Definitely there was a LOT unfinished by the end of the season. That said, I do think I'd watch a second season if they make on. However, it's not one that watching it made me want to go out and buy the books, so there's that. Oh, and it did NOT turn into a harem, thank goodness. Though I could have done with less boobs.

I'm Giving the Disgraced Noble Lady I Rescued a Crash Course in Naughtiness: I'll Spoil Her with Delicacies and Style to Make Her the Happiest Woman in the World!

Continuing in the vein of very, very long and misleading titles, we have: I'm Giving the Disgraced Noble Lady I Rescued a Crash Course in Naughtiness: I'll Spoil Her with Delicacies and Style to Make Her the Happiest Woman in the World!

Sounds absolutely horrid, doesn't it? The first part anyway -- which is the half you see on Crunchyroll. 

Allen Crawford is a rather grumpy sorcerer nicknamed the Demon Lord. Charlotte is the disgraced noble lady, who was living a Cinderella-like existence in a neighboring kingdom (Cinderella pre-fairy godmother) who was framed by her betrothed but managed to escape certain death. Allen finds her and takes her in.

He may be all-powerful and have a scary reputation, but the normal extent of his "evil" ways is correcting the grammar in other people's magical treatises. We learn part way through that he was an orphan adopted by the headmaster of THE magical school and was so clever he graduated at 12 and became a teacher. But, for the last 3 years he's been living in a mansion out in the woods...which is where Charlotte finds herself.

Charlotte is a brow-beaten, soft-spoken goody-two-shoes who, basically, says sorry for a living. Allen is determined to show her how to let loose a little (and maybe even get angry at her evil family for once). So all the "naughtiness" is stuff like "eat dessert for dinner!" and "go on a shopping spree!" 

It's cute and there doesn't seem to be any evidence of a harem. However, I'm nine episodes in on the twelve and they didn't really stick to the shtick of "let's spoil her" for very long. Ostensibly, each episode is supposed to tie in to it but instead it started just throwing characters at the viewer. A delivery cat-girl, a younger step-sister (who, thankfully, is NOT in love with her brother, though she is determined to get him and Charlotte to admit to each other their obvious feelings that literally ANYONE else can see), a hell capybara (no, I didn't just make that up) who can transform into a buxom older woman, a jealous magical fenrir (like a big magical puppy who calls Charlotte "mommy" and growls at Allen), and even an elf lady writer who was the former owner of the mansion who had been hiding out in, like, a root cellar for the last THIRTY years. And in the latest "arc" (can't really call them arcs, but whatever), Charlotte's younger half-sister who they think is in trouble but...is actually attending the magic school and has become the top, er, gang leader?

So....um. I mean, I actually am mostly enjoying it, but I kind of wish it had stayed with the original conceit. It feels like anime salad. But, I do like a nice guy helping out his lady love, even if he can't admit it and goes all blushy. 

Edit: Okay, I finished it. Overall, it's a good show and sets itself up for a season two. However, I personally did want at least a LITTLE progress on the romance aspect so I was disappointed in that respect. Will I watch a season two if there is one? Eh, probably. It's not one I'd go out and buy the books for though. I did appreciate the 4th wall break when the cat girl pops up again and he's, like, "Oh, haven't seen you since episode 6." So perhaps the author realised the annoyance of all the characters being thrown at you. I really just wanted to see more of the couple together.

Now that I'm caught up...

So, now that I am finally caught up on all the shows (I think), might as well do a general update. All the things. Well, most of the things.

The Bad...Back in December, I slipped and fell right before Christmas on our slippery deck. Tried to catch myself on the concrete planter and wound up jamming my shoulder up completely and messing up my rotator cuff on the right side. Months later (April now) and it's still slowly getting better, though a lot of the pain now is in my neck. Having trouble being on the computer for long (D&D nights leave me a bit wrecked now the next day). Have been going to an osteopath, though I'm still waiting on my NHS physical therapy appointment (in May). It's massively slowed down my writing as I just can't take being on the laptop long. Which is probably one reason I've watched more dramas and anime lately...

I am also, truth to be told, very over this D&D project now. I very much wish I'd never started it or had taken the out when WotC gave me an excuse with their mishandling of the SRD/Open License stuff. It's nearing draft completion (just a couple chapters to go) but there's a lot after that, if I'm actually going to Kickstarter it. And I am mentally just ready to throw it all away. I won't, but I feel like it. We'll see how it goes. I wish I'd just picked a novel to work on instead. I dunno. Or just quit it all for now. I don't have to write anymore. And, honestly, it's really not worth it.

The Medium...I'm about two months in on restricted calorie diet + more exercise and I've lost a stone. Coventry has, let's be honest, been a very bad place for me. It was a move that made sense for us at the time but it's not been a good place for my mental health (any of us, honestly) and definitely not my actual health either. I was this close to being able to get off my blood pressure medication before we moved here. Then I gained a stone and a half at least. Allergies are bloody debilitating here too. Don't generally like the people. Or the place. If there's a nice restaurant or store--it closes. Just feel generally trapped. It's just that bit too far that taking the train into London for the day isn't easy and if there's anything else going on--which there always seems to be something--there's just no way to justify it. On those rare occasions when I do make it in, it feels like a literal weight has been lifted off of me. Ha, and I can breathe better, literally. 

I'm just lonely here. 

But I was supposed to be talking about the medium good stuff here -- I am really happy that I've finally lost some weight. I'm eating 1000 or less calories (usually around 800ish) a day and exercising about 6 days a week. Hubs is away visiting family this week, so I'm doing an hour in the gym (usually only get to do 40 minutes when he's here, as he swims). I am SO close to breaking into the next bracket (120s), which I haven't been in since basically we moved here. Body fat % has also gone down 7%. So I am feeling more like "me" than in a while, other than the shoulder/neck thing.

Also started HRT and that's helped too, I think.  At least on some things. It definitely isn't a cure all, but some things have improved and not getting migraines either and skin has calmed down. Honestly, that is a good thing -- it SUCKS when you're, like, 50 and getting pimples again. It's, like, FFS. Give me a break. So happy it helped with that. Menopause is a sucker punch.

Playtime...I'm playing (regularly) just a few things right now. I've mostly given up on Trading Legends, though I check in every now and then because I like the people I met in the guild. But it basically became impossible to win anything ever because of the crazy Russian whales. Instead my main game is Isekai: Slow Life, which I don't think I've written about? Maybe I have. It's very similar to TL, actually, but isekai/anime based. Have met some nice people there too, and even dragged some TL people over. Am running a guild, though also regretting that I bothered doing that. Glutton for punishment, I suppose. 

Other than that, I have weirdly picked up MeChat again for the last couple of weeks. It is, admittedly, just as poorly written as it was before. But I was feeling a Mystic Messenger shaped hole in my life and though I'd tried to run an otome-style game in ChatGPT's DeepGame, it just really wasn't very good at it. I did even try to do MM again but, honestly, I can't be waking up in the middle of the night or keep track of the chat timings during the day. MeChat is generally awful (writing, art, money-grabbing to unlock anything decent) but you can just sign in whenever and spend a couple of minutes. 

I won't talk about any of the particular LIs as even the ones where I'll be, like, hey, I'm actually enjoying this one a bit and then they do something stupid and it sucks as bad as the others. So I honestly don't know why I'm bothering. I have NOT spent any money on it. It's kinda funny, actually. They added an AI option and after chatting with it about what I wanted out of the game, it basically told me I should go somewhere else. Ha. It is right. I think I just don't have the spoons to pick up a new game right now. I suppose I could try the DeepGame thing again. Sometimes it does really well and sometimes...not. But at least it isn't raunchy like MeChat (which sometimes even happens in the ones that aren't labeled "spicy", which is super annoying).

Other than that, I am still midway through the Bakarina game second run through. The problem with that is I always forget about it because it's on the Switch. And I guess it makes me feel more guilty about work stuff if I pick it up? Since my phone is right there and I can spend a few minutes and then move on.

Anyway, I guess that's enough of an update. Going to try and actually get some work done today.

An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride

The only reservation I have about An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride is that it has the potential to turn into a harem show, but I'm hoping it won't. Other than that, I'm mostly charmed thus far, three episodes in.

We meet Zagan, the supposedly evil sorcerer when he saves the life of a girl (who happens to be a knight of the church, though he doesn't know that at the time) from a different evil sorcerer who wants to sacrifice her. Zagan, though, cleans up her clothes and teleports her somewhere safe. 

Another sorcerer, this one a sort-of friend (he's short on friends, apparently) called Barbatos tells him about the death of one of the Archdemons (which, in this world, just seems to mostly mean Uber sorcerers with lots of power) and that some of his things are being auctioned off.

They go, and in an Ancient Magus Bride kind of twist, Nephelia the elf girl is being auctioned off. Zagan, this supposedly tough guy who hates everyone immediately falls in love with her and buys her, spending basically his entire fortune to do so. And immediately says terrifying things when he really means nice things...which probably adds to his reputation.

Basically, he brings her home to his castle, which was previously owned by someone who had a taste for torture (and he's never bothered to get rid of the stuff) and they begin their very socially awkward cohabitation. She, of course, would just like to know how he intends to kill her.

We soon learn that Zagan had it tough -- he was an orphan child scrambling to live when a sorcerer tried to kill him and he managed to live. Since then, he's tried to make himself stronger and stronger to keep himself safe. He still eats like a half feral child, not knowing anything else, and seems to sleep in his chair. Nephy was known as a "cursed child" and actually has serious power (which she unleashes when the church knights return, thinking Zagan was behind a spate of recent kidnappings, and tries to kill him). 

I always love the stuff where the guys fall first and I like the socially awkward, misunderstood types. It's goofy but also terrifying in this world and I so just want Zagan and Nephy to succeed and find happiness in each other. 

I'm just hoping the lady knight doesn't get in the way (though I think she's already figured out that he's not your typical evil sorcerer). He hasn't become an Archdemon yet, but it's obvious he'll be the next one. Who knows whether he actually wants to be or not. I think he'd be perfectly happy if he could just hang out in his castle and eat Nephy's cooking.

Edit: Up through roughly episode 8 now and I am finding this one adorable. They've also picked up an adopted dragon kiddo.

Edit: Finished it a bit ago. While it's not remotely groundbreaking, I quite enjoyed this one. I do love a found family thing. I hope they do another season.

A Condition Called Love

Welp. I, uh, don't totally know what to think about this one. I was seeing A Condition Called Love in bookstores and the covers were screaming "cute high school romance" so when I saw it pop up on Crunchroll I thought I'd give it a try. I've seen two episodes now and...

I...uh...am not entirely sure he's not like potentially crazypants serial killer predator or something. I mean, maybe not? But also maybe? 

I'll start over. Hotaru, the girl, has never experienced love or even been terribly interested in it. She's in high school. While out with some friends, she sees Hananoi, the guy, getting dumped by his girlfriend. Later, walking home, she sees him sitting alone in the snow and puts an umbrella over his head.

And he immediately falls totally in love with her, this girl he's never met before.

Ok, sorta sounds sweet. The boy who falls in love too easily and the girl who's not sure what love is. Anyway, he talks her into at least trying to date him to see if maybe they could really be boyfriend and girlfriend.

And he immediately goes off the deep end trying to do things for her. On the one hand, it's sweet. On the other hand, it's, like, seriously excessive (like showing up two hours early to wait for her in the morning or staying up all night to write up study guides for her or nearly freezing in the snow to try and find her lost hair pin).

The first episode erred more towards the sweet side, but in the second...he, uh, says some really really borderline stuff. And it's feeling skeevy but people in the comments were all "It's not like it looks! This is the sweetest! Seriously!" so I guess I'll stick it out for a bit but dude needs some help on figuring out proper boundaries. 

So I'm reserving judgement for now and just hoping he's not a budding serial killer. Maybe it's also 'cause I'm old. My rose coloured glasses broke a long time ago.

Edit: Ok, I've watched 4 episodes now and...hmmm. The dude has toned down the serious red flags but he's still wavin' 'em, just not as loudly. The girl, while on the surface she seems like she should just be sweet and charming, she's also slightly getting on my nerves because I don't see how she can be THIS clueless if she's not neurodivergent (which she doesn't seem to be). Has she never seen a movie? Read a book? Paid any attention to her friends or their relationships? Paid attention to PEOPLE? 

So, I mean, I guess it's mostly sweet but with an edge that makes me want to take them both to therapy. It feels like they could both use it.  

Edit: Er, okay. I'm at episode 7 now. And I really just feel like this show should come with warnings for teenage girls. All the comments on Crunchyroll (well, most of them) are gushing about how romantic and sweet it all is and the DUDE IS A WALKING RED FLAG. He is a FOREST of red flags. He declares that he needs no other people, just her. He doesn't want them to hang out with friends. He's obsessive and compulsive on anything to do with her. She finally confesses that she likes him and he basically tells her he only wants to date if it's just the two of them and no one else matters and then ghosts her for her to "think about it". And they try and make it out to be okay by having her sort of talk him around to being more reasonable and showing the backstory as to why he's the way he is (mostly neglect on the side of his parents and some questionable advice from an old dude). But, here's the thing, in real life, those guys do not change after having a little conversation. Oh, maybe they act right for a while, but they reel people in and keep isolating them until it's too late. Also, all the adults in this seem freaking useless.

I guess I'm still watching because I'd like to see it work out, but if it was real life, I would be telling that girl to RUN.

Edit: I finished it and overall it is sweet, but I never could shake the feeling that it only works because it's an anime. In real life...yeah, no. I don't think he'd change that easily or be as self aware as he is. So, eh, am I glad I watched it? Sure. I especially liked the title song.