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.

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.

Edit: Ok, so I'm about halfway through. Hit the bit with the Arab prince. The initial episode with him wasn't TOO bad though he is over the top compared to any Muslim I've ever met (and he drinks alcohol). They mostly seem like old school friends that rag on each other (him and the dude), though can't say I love the dynamic. I am guessing the next episode will be the one that really stretches things out of whack, but we'll see. 

As for the romance part, I do always like the shows where the guy realises the attraction first. And this definitely has that. 

Edit: Ok....through the episodes with the Arab prince and they weren't as bad as I feared they would be. Yes, off that he drinks alcohol and Go Won talks about him being a womanizer and "dating lots of girls" and multiple marriages, but nothing the character actually does is that terrible. He proposes and graciously accepts it when she turns him down. Mostly, they just played as two friends that tease each other all the time. 

Other than that, I am finding the show to be in the middle of slow-paced-ness, but things are slowly moving along. I partly haven't watched many more because of an exercise timing thing. When husband is home, I only get 45 minutes to exercise at the gym, so I've been doing either the one Chinese show that's around that or watch anime instead.

Edit: Hmmmm so I started episode 9 today and...I just stopped it about halfway through. While they've finally confessed their feelings (yay), I just...wasn't feeling the pace? I dunno. I may just have not been in the mood. I guess because it feels like they're doing the typical thing of oh they love each other now, let's throw everything we can at them to break them up for some noble idiocy or something. Like, the chaebol antics are kicking off. The well-intentioned but idiot family stuff where grandma is ragging on him because he doesn't have a house...can they just freaking tell the friends and family that he doesn't just WORK at the hotel, his family OWNS it? Not that that should be the important thing, obviously, but, eh, you know how these shows go. I just wasn't in the mood for all of that. And, honestly, while I feel like I see his attraction to her (he's had it the whole time), I don't really feel the zing from her? 

So, I dunno, may try again later.

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.

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. 

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. 

Edit: We finished it! It ended well (and no horrifying reversal like in Yes, No, or Maybe? which I haven't written up yet because I'm still disgusted by the ending). Adorable, really. We actually liked it so much that we've started collecting the books. 

So, am I glad I watched it, really bizarre title notwithstanding? Yes, it was good and came to a satisfying conclusion. Would I watch it again? Hmmm, not sure. Well, that said, I think we will try the live action as I've heard it is good too. So I guess that counts as a yes.

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.

Edit: I finished it! It was charming. The two childhood friends (his and hers) that looked like they would be terribly annoying wound up not being as bad as I feared. Honestly, it was all just very sweet and charming and I really enjoyed it. I've heard there will be a second season and I'll definitely watch it when it is out. It was a very low angst show, honestly, which I really enjoy generally. I know I complain sometimes when there's NO conflict because you do have to have something that moves the story forward. In that way, this one is very slice of life. HOWEVER, both the main leads do show some change and definitely the side characters do.

Meh, I'm not going to dissect it. I enjoyed it. It was lovely. I'm glad I watched it.

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.

Edit: I picked this one up again and am now through Episode 7. It's a good show with nice characters. Nice that he's stayed a hard worker and is not OP at all--everything he has gained he's picked up through some really hard work. Also kudus that they actually show his character changing looks! After two years, he's got long hair and after all his working out he's more buff. He even changes clothes sometimes! I'm enjoying it, though, again, I'd have to admit that it hasn't obsessed me like, say, the Apothecary Diaries, where I really, really want to binge through it.

 

Edit 12 April 2024: I finished it at the gym today! It was a good show and definitely open for a season two. I'd watch it if they do one. The best part to me is how the character changed visually. I don't think he necessarily changed as a person (other than his skills) as he's just as nice at the end as he was at the beginning and just becomes, maybe, even more altruistic? 

It had some harem-y elements, but only minor. While he has a couple girls he crushes on a bit (the two receptionists), the rest of the women he's around he mostly just...respects? And while they like him/love him, it mostly feels more big sister-ly? Which is good. I hate it when the shows get super harem-y and it takes over the storyline. 

Anyway, good solid show.

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.

Edit: Ok, I finished it. It lagged a bit for me at the end but was overall good. I think it's because the anime only covered one book/or one light novel (not entirely sure, but that's what it sounded like from the comments). So they were doing this whole subplot with another country and a sort-of but not exactly evil alchemist and Arnold needed to be kinda like a bad guy...and so it actually felt, in some ways, that he was MORE romantic in the beginning than the end? I guess I just wanted to see more of their romance rather than the political intrigue. Okay, yes, of course you want Rishe to SAVE THE WORLD AND LIVE. 

Anyway. If there's another season of it, I'd likely watch it. I don't think I'm going to go out and buy the books though. I was thinking I might in the beginning but my interest definitely flagged a bit in the last few episodes. You still have no idea WHY Arnold would do/will do the things he's supposed to do and even though she stopped him from invading Coyolles, it's also because he could see the value in the alliance. Or, if he couldn't, he should. If you invade a country in order to take over their skilled workers, a lotta those workers are going to die in the process and you might lose out on what you were trying to take. So his self interest seems intact...though, since he said somethings about how he essentially hates his country and life/father...I don't totally get why he does what he does anyway. Why bother?

So, yeah. I guess I'll leave it at that. I did like that she was a smart heroine. 

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 humour is good, like when Yumiella plays 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.

Edit: Ok! I finished it! I liked this one. However, after reading some of the comments on Crunchyroll about the changes the anime made to the manga, I'm definitely not going to read it. It sounds like they streamlined things and kept the annoying characters annoying bits more limited in the anime. It was good the way it was and Yumiella and Patrick had a nice happy (albeit rushed) ending.

The Apothecary Diaries

Eh, screw it, I'm going to kind of jump ahead to the one I'm really loving right now. I had been wanting to watch and/or read The Apothecary Diaries since I first saw it ages ago. I kept waiting, thinking it would be a good one to do with the little dude, but we kept winding up doing other things so I finally decided to just dive in. And now I'm going to need to buy the books because I love it. And the question is -- do I get the manga or the light novels or both...

So. I'm almost caught up with the anime (have watched 16 episodes of the 18 released; there are 24 in the season apparently). If I had to sum it up in as few words as possible, I'd say it's kinda of a cozy ancient China forensics mystery show. But there's a lot more to it than that.

Maomao is the "daughter" of an apothecary who works in the pleasure district. It's pretty obvious early on he's not her actual father though (pretty sure he's an eunuch). She grew up helping him and her "big sisters" in a famous brothel, the Verdigris House. The old granny madam there would love to make her a consort too, but she has resisted because she is into poisons. Well, medicines too, but definitely poisons. She's clever, resourceful, and has that absolute deadpan style that I love. 

Anyway, she gets kidnapped and sold to the palace to work as a laundry girl. But even though she's trying to keep a low profile, she can't keep her intellect down. When she sees that two of the concubines are ill, as are their newborn babies, she leaves a hint that one of them follows -- it's the white face powder that's poisoning the infant. Grateful, the concubine (one of the four main ones), asks Jinshi (the dude -- who Maomao thinks is an eunuch too as he's allowed free roam of the rear palace but it's clear that he's way more than that -- pretty sure he's the Emperor's younger brother in hiding that everyone thinks is sickly and he might (based on one of the episodes) actually be the son of one of the 4 concubines when (possibly) her baby and the empress dowager's got swapped) to find out who left the clue.

Jinshi is as clever as he is attractive (he literally makes anyone, male or female, melt--except Maomao) and figures out who it is. Thus Maomao becomes a chamber maid of that concubine (and later on, Jinshi's assistant). She continues to solve the mysteries that come her way, though she's always professing disinterest. Jinshi, meanwhile, is obviously growing more and more enamoured of her. She's smart. She's not impressed by his beauty. She's...she's just the best. I love Maomao. 

There are other great supporting characters -- Gaoshun, who works for Jinshi (and his brother, later), the big "sisters" from the brothel, her dad, the various concubines. There's a lot of story and character development and the mysteries are interesting and well done enough (though a few have been predictable, most aren't overly so). And, let's face it, I do love a show where the handsome rich dude is so completely smitten and can't help it, even when he knows he shouldn't and I love any deadpan characters. Her fascination with poison and practical nature are just icing on the cake.

So, am I glad I watched it? Yes, very much. I absolutely love this one and unlike some others, I think my love will remain. Some fade on a rewatch, but I think this one will stay. It's smart, has heart, doses of humour, and is also beautifully animated. I love the colours and the style too. It's just a winner all the way around. I don't even usually buy light novels, preferring manga, but this time I might actually do both as the light novels came first and I've heard there's some differences between them. And the more time I get to spend with Maomao and Jinshi, the better. 

Edit: Ok! I finished it! Was sad to see it end, BUT I'm pretty sure there's going to be a second season and I will definitely watch it. Definitely glad I watched it. I think it's one of the best I've seen in ages and ages and I like pretty much everything about it. They even brought it around so you don't hate her dad. Would've been nice to have more progress on the Maomao/Jinshi front, but it is what it is. I think there's a LOT more story there.

My New Boss is Goofy

Ok, so, My New Boss is Goofy I watched with little (way-taller-than-me-now) dude and we both loved it. I wanted to see it as soon as I saw the teasers for it. It's adorable.

In a nutshell, Momose (blue suit guy in the picture) had a TERRIBLE boss at his last job but plucked up the courage to apply for a new job at another advertising company because, in part of an ad campaign that inspired him (which, of course, his new boss was actually responsible for, but I'm getting ahead of myself). His health was even affected by his old boss and he basically mainlines tummy meds for an ulcer.

He's really worried that his new boss, Shirosaki, will be horrible too but nothing could be further from the truth. He is literally just the nicest, sweetest cinnamon bun on the planet. Whatever other anime character you thought held that title? Nope. Shirosaki, the goofy boss, now holds it.

He's "goofy" because, even though he's clever and good at his job, he's always doing silly airhead things (drinking from cans that aren't open, etc.) Anyway, Momose heals over time and blooms and grows. They even go through a stint of living together. The show was giving serious BL vibes but it never quite went there, though it did hint at it. I wonder if it heads that direction in the manga? I dunno, but it's definitely a set up for it. I think it is still ongoing.

The other two main characters are the bigger boss, a divorcee with a serious hangup on a teddy bear character and severe loneliness and a sort of flirty younger guy who is very equal opportunity. They're both cute too, but the two main characters are the best. 

Just overall a really adorable, lovely little show that makes you happy. I really enjoyed it and would watch it again. Will even hope for a second season, though I'm not sure where it would go.

Tonikawa: Over the Moon for You

Eh, frick, another one I didn't finish, though even little dude tells me it's good. It's Tonikawa: Over the Moon for You and it also has a second season apparently. 

I'm honestly also not sure how many episodes I watched, as we share a Crunchyroll (though he said he read it too). It shows as 5 episodes out of the first season watched BUT I kinda think I really only watched two. Maybe three?

So...the thing is, I feel like I absolutely should adore this one as everyone gushes in reviews about how adorable and cute and sweet it is. But I wasn't super hooked at the time. But maybe I'll try it again.

Anyway, to summarise what I remember...Nasa (the dude) was a hardworking genius overachiever in school (due in part to what his parents named him) but while on his way to an important exam or something, he sees the girl and immediately and irrevocably falls in love. Then he gets, like, creamed by a bus because he's distracted by her. Blood everywhere. He's broken. But he somehow manages to make it to her sitting at a bus stop and maybe she does something to save him, I dunno. But there's something fishy as hell about her. WHAT is she? He asks her to date him and she says "only if we're married" and he's all "okay!" and then she disappears. 

His life kinda falls apart after the accident and he winds up living in a tiny flat and working part time jobs or something. I don't think he goes to Uni as he was basically BROKEN. Then, one day, she shows up years later (because, I guess, they're now old enough to get married?), marries him that very night because he's still totally smitten, and then moves in. 

Thus begins their married life.

And I realise it's all supposed to be cute and awkward but I'm kinda, like...dude just got steamrolled and none of this makes sense and WTF is she and why is no one concerned about any of this? And I guess all of that was in the back of my head while you're watching them futon shopping. So even though it's supposed to be all about the adorkableness, I just couldn't quite do the suspension of disbelief thing. 

I'm sure I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for it. I mean, I LOVE adorkable stuff. But there was too much WTF-ery going on that the dude just wasn't even asking about and, eh, it just rubbed me the wrong way. Have a backbone, my mane. Maybe it's also because they both look like they are 12? Will I try it again another time? Maybe. There's just so much out there so I dunno. Loads of people love it, so I'm sure it's fine. It just didn't hit for me when I tried it.

The Duke of Death and his Maid

Hm, I'm not sure why I paused in watching The Duke of Death and His Maid. It might have just been a timing thing. It was ages ago that I started it and apparently I've only watched three episodes, though I thought I had watched more.

Basically, the Duke in question is a young man (eldest son in his family) who was cursed at a very young age -- anything he touches will die. Consequently, he was exiled from everyone and sent to live in a large mansion. He was there for years pretty much alone other than a butler (I think) but was joined at some point with Alice, a maid. He's now desperately in love with her and, for her part, she seems to love him too--though she also teases him a great deal (she's one of those anime characters with a, um, larger than life personality...mostly concentrated on her chest). She's also the daughter of the mother of the duke's dead(?) best friend/maid(?) and looks a lot like her mother. I also very much suspect that the "witch" who cursed the young Duke was the mom or connected to her.

Though I have no idea why anyone cursed the kid. He's remarkably inoffensive. Anyway, there's a bit too much <BOOBS!> in this one for me, but other than that, the characters are actually all very sweet and innocent. I was also thankful to see that the duke's mother, that seemed like she was being set up to be evil, wasn't (or, at least, not in the glimpses I got of her) and that the siblings of the Duke are actually pretty nice and supportive. Overall, it's mostly a very earnest, awkward type of love they've got going on and a bit...poignantly weird? 

Maybe I stopped watching it because I was mostly watching at the gym and all the BOOBS were a little too obvious to people walking by. I dunno. But maybe now that I've been reminded of it I will finish it. Though...honestly, there's been other shows that captured me more (I just am really not fond, haha, of all the gratuitous boobage) so...maybe I'll just find a summary of it. Art-wise, I thought it was actually fairly well done, though atypical.

Hm. And I just saw that there's a second season already out. Which both encourages and discourages me from picking it up again, so we'll see.

Higehiro

I'd honestly forgotten about this one until I looked at my watched list on Crunchyroll. 

First up, Higehiro. Which is, actually: Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway. Yeah...sounds awful, right? 

So, I would NOT have actually tried this one at all based on the title and the description: On his way home from drinking his sorrows away after being rejected by his crush, the 26 year old salaryman, Yoshida, finds a high school girl named Sayu sitting on the side of the road. Yoshida is completely drunk out of his mind and ends up letting Sayu stay at his place overnight. Not having the heart to put Sayu out on the streets since she ran away from home, Yoshida allows her to stay at his place...

Because there's a whole lotta potential NOPE in that.  But, I saw in the comments of another anime someone talking about it and I decided to try it. It's actually both better and worse than I would have imagined and a far cry from what I thought it might be based on different shows with sort of similar themes.

One, it's very clear that she's been abused since she ran away and has been basically selling herself to find places to stay. They animated some scenes in flashbacks where it was just, like, whoa. Had to actually pause it once and check I was on the right show, thinking I wandered into something else entirely. When Yoshida meets Sayu, she is at her lowest and has no sense of self value at all. 

Two, though he is, perhaps, tempted when she tries to throw herself at him (thinking that's what she "has" to do), he is a decent guy and refuses. They wind up in a sort of quasi-sibling relationship. He's by no means rolling in money though, so there are definite sacrifices on his part, but it's also the start of her starting to learn what it is to be treated like a person. Of all the people she could have run into, she found herself in the hands of the right one.

Looking at the episodes, I stopped when I was 6 episodes into the 13. I do think I will go back to it at some point because, horrid title or no, it was going interesting places and it was surprisingly wholesome (though kinda depressing). However, they'd also introduced two women (one who Yoshida was crushing on who is his boss? and another younger lady who is way too nosy) and...I dunno. There's something OFF about both of them but I'm not sure I'm supposed to feel that way or not. It's actually been quite a while since I watched it so I'm having trouble remembering exactly why they were icking me out. 

It's definitely a show where it had a lot of potential to go very, very wrong but seems to actually go very right. I sincerely hope the ending upholds that, which is why I will likely go back to it now that I remember watching it. There was a lot of real life stuff going on in between then and now, so yay for the reminder of watched lists.

Dream

Er, yeah, if I hadn't just checked my Netflix viewing history, I would have forgotten to write up this one. Dream has Park Seo-Joon, so you know why I watched it. 

I actually watched this around the same time I watched #Alive. So...yeah, I'm gonna give a really quick overview. Seo-Joon is a somewhat disgraced football player who winds up coaching the national homeless football team for the Homeless World Cup in an effort, in part, to rehabilitate his image.

It is based on a true event (the 2010 Homeless World Cup), though I imagine it is loosely so. But, who knows! 

Park Seo-Joon is his normal self, which is always enjoyable to watch and it also features IU as the reporter/videographer that is documenting things. Their initially frosty relationship morphs into friendship, though it never breaks the romantic path, which I halfway expected.

The homeless team supporting cast were all good as well, with everyone having their own heartwrenching story. 

It was a good movie. I wouldn't say it was a great movie, but it was a good one. I suppose it was the fact that it was very predictable? I mean, there's no surprises in it, but it was a generally good "feel good" movie. Am I glad I watched it? Sure. Would I watch it again? Erm, probably not. I've got dramas with those actors that I enjoy more. But it's a good entry movie.

Let's Make a Mug Too

I am really, really behind. I have actually been watching and playing things, but I've just been busy. But, I'm going to try and catch up a bit, partly because one of the new shows I'm watching I'm really loving. Not this one, though I did really enjoy it too! But I want to go in order. Though I'm not entirely sure I am in order, but, eh, whatever.

Let's Make a Mug Too is a charming little anime. It has two seasons, though I've only watched the first one so far. Toyokawa Himeno moves to Gifu prefecture's Tajimi city, which is where her father and mother grew up and fell in love. Himeno's mother died when she was very young (it hasn't said why so far, but I'm guessing an illness?) and she was an accomplished pottery artist.

The weird thing is that Himeno has no idea about this even though their house is full of her mother's crafts. And they have an altar to her and everything. So living here is a huge surprise for her when she winds up following in her mother's footsteps (sort of) and joins the pottery club. She gathers information about her mother (who was award-winning) while her father tries to make a go of running a cafe with her grandmother. 

She makes some new friends (one perhaps an old friend? As they seem to know each other, but if they explained that, I missed it) and starts to grow as a person. It's not fast-paced by any means but is generally quite sweet. Not sure why, but it gives me Laid Back Camp vibes.

The episodes are alternated with episodes of the real life voice actresses experiencing Tajimi -- making pottery, eating local foods, etc. It's definitely got a tourist board-y feel, but is very sweet as well and fun to watch. I wouldn't mind visiting there myself, which means, I suppose, that they were successful. I do miss making pottery sometimes though, so there's that. 

Anyway, am I glad I watched it? Yes. Would I watch it again? Um...maybe? I definitely will try and watch season two. That said, I can't say that this is one that lights a burning desire in you (unlike one that I will talk about in another post), but it's one of those calming, no angst ones that I like to dip into.