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Ballpark de Tsukamaete! (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 18, 2025

HERMIT_PAIMON

Recommended

A double edge sword it might bore you it might make your mood happy .
A hidden gem of 2025 spring
It's a treasure for people who enjoys sol with cute moments . A adult rom com is always best because it allows initation unlike other school type rom com shit where mc and girl both tries to hide feelings and drag plot to many seasons ( cringe rom com in simple words)
I only seen positive comments so, there isn't any space of negotiation like should i watch this or not .
Note: this anime has a lot of food shots so, watch at your own ...

Koyomimonogatari (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 18, 2025

NoAdsPlease

Recommended

Koyomimonogatari is the weirdest entry thus far for Monogatari.

Each episode goes forward in time by about 1 arc, so you start the season with Bake, and end off in the current timeline, with each episode only running 10 mins

The first half is snooze-fest short stories that are incredibly forgettable; pretty much filler bits of knowledge that can add depth to the already told stories. Most of these filler bits are incredibly inconsequential, unremarkable and boring, so much so that it takes effort to remember what happened in this half despite watching it 1 day ago.

However once you catch up to the main story and season ...

5-toubun no Hanayome Movie (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 18, 2025

Tsugeki

Recommended

This movie isn't perfect but it's still incredible. The music, animation, and character development definitely lived up to the expectations set by the first 2 seasons and summer specials. The main issue with this movie is how it condenses so much of the story into only 2 hours. If you haven't read/don't plan on reading the manga before watching this movie, know that an extremely valuable and worthwhile character arc (which ends up having a lot of plot significance) didn't make the cut for the adaptation. Still, the movie offers an emotional and unforgettable conclusion to the story. By the end of the movie, you'll ...

Ballpark de Tsukamaete! (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 18, 2025

GT3_gamer

Recommended

Boy, oh boy. What do we have here? A gem in the hard stone?
Seriously, though, I didn't expect this anime to be soooo good. It really felt like a SOL genre, like one of those old shows where there isn't any major plotline, and it's just a show about the life of the MC interacting with people around him/her. And this one really said, "Well, you're not going to get just one POV, we give you all of them", and let me tell you it is absolutely refreshing to see this type of anime from all the trashy isekai power fantasy shonen.
This has to be ...

Mashle: Shinkakusha Kouho Senbatsu Shiken-hen (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 18, 2025

OneeSama

Not Recommended

Disappointing.

It starts fine, but becomes extremely boring by the end.
The show shifted towards a more plot-oriented story rather than a comedy parody.
Felt like I was watching another trash magic isekai's final boss battle.
Overwhelming strength, multi-episode fights, long ability explanations with back-and-forth counters, summoning of excessive or gigantic monsters, sappy flashbacks of friendships giving the good guys the power to push forward. blah blah blah.
The comedy runs dry with the same jokes repeated over and over. It was great in the first season, but became excessive this season. You already know the drill: A new foe appears that is considered top-tier, they duke it out, the ...

Ballpark de Tsukamaete! (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

BrotherCoa

Recommended

On the first glance this looks like standard sports anime show, but the more you look into it you realize that it is less about the sport and more about the people around it.

Animation and music: nothing special on this front. Animation is subpar but for this anime it is working quite well as there are not real action sequences. Music is unfortunately very forgettable. Overall industry standard these days, I will give praise in not doing copy-paste thing with the crowds that many anime know to do these days.

Characters: too many to count. From old security guard, to famous player wife, to vendor ...

Kidou Senshi Gundam: GQuuuuuuX (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

valiantslakr

Mixed Feelings

Preliminary (11/12 eps)

Alright, I'm just going to get these thoughts out of head before it all ends next Tuesday. Gundam G-quacks (how it sounds) is a very mixed bag overall.

First off, if you are NOT familiar at all with main timeline "Universal Century" Gundam, do NOT start with this one; you will be utterly confused, even if this is technically supposed to be a alternate timeline universe; this is definitely a gundam series meant for hardcore gundam fans.

Now, the other elephant in the room, due to production funding issues, G-quacks is INCREDIBLY rushed to be finished within a single cour of a mere 12 episodes, ...

Danjo no Yuujou wa Seiritsu suru? (Iya, Shinai!!) (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

Animehadit

Not Recommended

Preliminary (12/12 eps)

This was one of the worst anime romance series I've seen it was trash the characters were awful and bland the main girl character kept getting on my nerves he was treating the main other boy character like garbage and a lot of the story didn't make any sense I don't understand why they made a season like this plus it was only 11 episode what were they thinking it felt lazy and it feels like they were not even trying I know what they're capable of there's been quite a few number romantic series when this one came out that was pretty good not ...

Shiunji-ke no Kodomotachi (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

boredwatching

Recommended

Preliminary (8/12 eps)

As Jesus Christ from the village hidden in the sand once said in the acclaimed manga The Book of Mormon, "Incest is sincest". But the philosophers behind this work of media, nay... Art, chose to ask a most difficult question: "What if the incest wasn't biological... But instead emotional?". And thus, this celebration of mostly technically not degeneracy was born. It'll make you laugh, it might even make you cry, and oh boy it'll make you uncomfortable, but most importantly it'll have you coming back to the next episode thanks to some great (if somewhat tropey) writing. Just keep in mind: this is not a ...

Aru Majo ga Shinu Made (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

Anime-Isekai-God

Recommended

Man, what can I truly say about "Once Upon A Witch's Death" but other than just how lovely this anime truly is
To get things rolling, let's start with just saying how this anime made us feel, at least how I feel, that every minor character Meg Raspberry comes across has a very impactful moment with her in her journey in collecting Tears of Joy for her curse. Even if these characters only have minutes of screentime, their words and actions behind them are wonderful for the growth of Meg.
Even from the start to now, Meg has stayed true to who she is
Be that a witch ...

Kidou Senshi Gundam: GQuuuuuuX (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

Kirumin

Not Recommended

Preliminary (11/12 eps)

attention: this is my newly created review, i had the first 1 before but i delete is cause its nonsense.

im sure now that this is similar YET entirely different story from original gundam series, PLOT and EXECUTION was really there but the story is fcking mess/confusing for me ngl, its even more confusing than watching a detective genre show that i stop bothering taking notes on the story so far (the 1 episode released every week is not helping it too its better to watch this series all at once), also i think myanimelist need to update this show's theme IT HAD AN ISEKAI IN ...

Ballpark de Tsukamaete! (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

joemaamah

Recommended

It's going, going. gone!! A Home Run!!

I must admit I wasn't expecting much from this series, I was deathly afraid it was going to be a typical tropey anime sports title. I was so pleasantly surprised when this turned out to be more a Slice of Life situational comedy in a ballpark. I've spent more than my share of time hanging around major and minor league stadiums all over the US, and I'll testify the producers nailed the vibe perfectly.

This is not a high budget project. The art is kind of mid, although the character designs are decent enough. Some of the background work ... is really good. Animation is a bit of an issue, as it is less than average. But they pinched the pennies in areas that don't hurt the overall feel of being at a game. It's adequate to get it's points across.

The writing for this is exceptional, even though there is no overarching plot, other than "What is a season at the ballpark like?" Each episode consists of three short skits. The writers succeed because they nail the myriad of characters they present to us, and how they react to the situations they find themselves in. Everyone from the cute little girl with momma and daddy at her first game, to the grizzled old veteran who's been haunting the bleachers for decades, to the food stand girl, to the security guards and stadium announcer. The ball players get some play and good background work, but they aren't really central to whats going on, except peripherially. Like a real ball game, folks are paying some attention, but there's lots of socializing going on, too.

The central character is Ruriko the beer vending gyaru. She's such a pip. She's at her best when she's teasing the downtrodden salaryman Murata, who's escaping his drab everyday life by going to see as many games as he can. Her positive upbeat personality uplifts everyone she comes in contact with. But she manages to display a range of emotion as the season plays out. The interaction between these two characters starts out pretty goofy, but over the season they come to know and understand one another. It's not cliche romcom nonsense. It's nice to see these two just being comfortably friendly together,

Because this is so character driven, everything hinges on the cast. I'm here to tell you, they hit a grand slam. It helps the direction did a pretty good job with the resources they were given. There's even a notable quality to the sound and it replicating that exciting, noisy fun feeling one gets while at the park. The ED is a lot of fun too.

This is my Rookie of the Year. Comes out of nowhere to become an All-Star. It's not perfect, but just for sheer enjoyment, I'm putting it into my line up card as a 91/100 for an A-. I seriously doubt this would see a second season, as it probably didn't have much mass appeal. But if Season 2 comes around, I'll lace up the ol' spikes and run the bases with it.

Ballpark de Tsukamaete! (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

worlddestroyer

Recommended

Ballpark de Tsukamaete! – A Hidden Gem of Spring 2025

Every anime season, I set aside a few shows to binge once they're complete—sometimes I hit gold, sometimes I end up dropping a dud. But this time? Ballpark de Tsukamaete! turned out to be a grand slam.

This anime flew under the radar among the many titles released in Spring 2025, but it ended up being one of the most refreshing and underrated series of the season. At first glance, it looks like your typical sports anime—but it’s far from it. While most sports shows focus solely on the players' struggles, rivalries, and the pressure of competition, ...

Brave Witches (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

mrfried

Recommended

Brave Witches deserved better
So a little context and background history, I first watched this when it was released in 2016, and the studio deserved all the criticism that was thrown their way. They didn't have enough money, enough time, or enough staff working on it.
They were riding high off the success from Strike Witches, and wanted a spin-off, but then decided that they wouldn't put in the same kind of resources towards making that series. For the studio this was a cash-grab.

But for the team behind it, this was a labour of love, and they did the best with what they had, but it was ... rushed and it showed as episodes were released with CGI that was so bad that it looked like they hadn't even finished working on it, this meant that on its release all anyone talked about was how bad the animation was and how it was a significant downgrade from Strike Witches in that regard, and that did have the result of badly affecting its MAL score too.
They improved the CGI significantly (its still bad in places, but believe it or not, it was a lot worse) by the time of the JP Blu-Ray release, but the damage was already done.

Brave Witches deserved better.

Aside from the mishandling of the studio and the bad CGI, Brave Witches is in my opinion the best 'Strike Witches' series
That is a bold claim to make, but one I shall now attempt to justify.

As a series Brave Witches is 'tighter' and more focused, almost every episode reminds us what a perilous state the 502 are in, they are a frontline base, supplies are low and always at risk, there is far less filler, less 'goofing off' or episodes that are there just for fanservice.
Which leads me to the next point, there is far less fanservice, there is still some fanservice as you might expect, but it is in the background, with Strike Witches it is front and centre to the point that they even centre episodes around it, rather than centring it around the main story. This actually makes it far easier to recommend to others without having to worry about the fanservice.

And then we get to the biggest divergence, our MC, Hikari, she has to fight for her place in the 502nd, it's not just given to her, she's the opposite if Miyafuji, who is scouted, had zero prior training, and constantly pressed to join the 501st, has a huge magic capacity, and gets given everything on a plate.
Hikari has to earn everything, she has had training, she has to fight to earn the right to join the 502nd, to get the respect of the others, she has a very weak magic capacity, and she has to learn how to best use it, she has to learn how to get stronger, and she is also told that she can't be her Sister, she can only be herself, so she has to find what it is she can do, and her own way of fighting.

I prefer Hikari as a character to Miyafuji (who is a bit of a mary sue) and it makes for a better story with her journey, as it is far more rewarding, we get to share in her progress and feel that she has then earned her place and the eventual respect of others. You are far more likely to be rooting for her to succeed.

So while it is not perfect, for me this is the strongest entry in the mecha musume genre.

Sakamoto Days (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

THE_OLD_ONE

Not Recommended

It was an okay anime until the last episode, then it became a racist anime in .5 second’s. So the black guy and brown woman are both deathrow inmates with the highest kill counts? 🖕🏿😑🖕🏿 The writers of this show can go F themselves the show literally has no substance or humor. Its so weird Japanese people picked up on the anglo saxon brand of racism when black people were not the ones who dropped a nuke on them or forced them into internment camps. Yet time after time its the most cartoonish depiction's of racist stereotypes showing the failure of the Japanese education system ...

Aru Majo ga Shinu Made (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

HidamariSeashore

Mixed Feelings

A common question that people get asked is what they'll do if they learned they only had a short amount of time left. Something that never gets considered, however, is what they'd do if they had a way to prevent this hypothetical fate. Would they try to do the thing that would save them as soon as possible, or would they put it off until the last minute and end up dying, anyway? The reason why I'm pondering this is the subject of today's review, Once Upon A Witch's Death, which I found out about when the anime was announced and thought seemed interesting. It ... seemed heartwarming yet simultaneously heartbreaking, and....well, in some ways, I was right about that.

Once Upon A Witch's Death, originally titled "Aru Majo ga Shinu Made", follows Meg Raspberry, a young witch who is an apprentice to Faust, also known as the Eternal Witch and one of the Seven Sages. On her seventeenth birthday, Meg is given some shocking news by Faust: she only has a year left to live due to a curse that, once she turns 18, will cause her to rapidly age and die. All hope is not lost for our young heroine, however, as there is one way to break this curse; she needs to consume a Seed of Life, which can be created by collecting one thousand (crystallized) tears of joy. Why did Faust only tell Meg about this when there's not a whole lot of time to collect them all? Because Faust knows Meg well enough that she knows that she'll procrastinate on collecting the tears of joy until it's too late. (Man, ain't that a mood....) Anyway, with this newfound goal and a limited amount of time to accomplish it, Meg starts to help the people of her town of Lapis with their problems, forming worthwhile connections with each of them and really coming into her own as a witch in the process.

Look, I really want to say that I really like Once Upon A Witch's Death, as there is quite a bit of it to like. For example, I really liked the character of Meg Raspberry. She has a cheerful personality despite her circumstances and a willingness to help the people around her, no questions asked. I really liked seeing how her character developed. I also kind of liked Faust, although I wish the series explored her character more than it did. A couple of other things I liked were the opening and ending themes, which are respectively "Drops" by Maaya Sakamoto and "Hana-saku Michi de" by Aoi Teshima; I'm not sure if I would go out of my way to listen to either of these songs (okay, maybe I would do that for the opening theme), but they do fit in with the fantasy setting pretty well. The voice acting is also pretty decent, with Youko Hikasa giving a particularly good performance as Eldora, even though her character doesn't appear much in the series.

With that said, however, I do have one major problem with Once Upon A Witch's Death, and it has to do with the way Meg is going about collecting the tears of joy in the first place. It's a fundamentally flawed method, since there's no guarantee that she'll get the correct kind of tears she needs for the Seed of Life, if any at all; in fact, there are a couple of times where she gets (crystallized) tears that aren't exactly tears of joy. Another issue is that going around and helping people with their problems would take a longer time than she'd be likely to have. There is one episode where she actually gets quite strategic with how she does this, but she ends up being told that she's in the wrong for it, and it turns into a lesson on actually cherishing the people she meets and helps. It's a great lesson on paper, but things like that do take some of the urgency of Meg's situation away. The anime also has a "screw you, go read the light novels" type of ending where we don't get to see the end result of Meg's quest, so there's that, too.

What else is there to say....? Well, there aren't any unlikable characters (at least, no unintentionally unlikable characters), but I didn't really care too much about all of them. I thought Sophie's backstory was pretty sad, but other than that, I don't really have any strong feelings about her character. I don't have very strong feelings about the animation, done by EMT Squared, either. The colors and character designs are very good, and there are some gorgeous shots occasionally; however, there are some moments where the characters' movements feel a little stiff. At the very least, it's an improvement over anime that they've done in the past, and given the fact that the studio was working on two other projects that came out this season (including the pretty boring "Unaware Atelier Meister"), it's a good thing that Once Upon A Witch's Death didn't turn out terrible!

Overall, Once Upon A Witch's Death was an okay anime, which is a shame, since I really wanted to like it more than I did. That being said, anyone who likes witches and is really into the fantasy genre in general might get more enjoyment out of it than I did. Maybe some moments in it might make you cry some tears of joy of your own!

Ao no Hako (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

NotStonks

Mixed Feelings

This is a strange opera.

The plot is very simple: a guy has a cruch on an older girl and they SLOWLY get into eachother. So what's new from a general romance story? 2 things: the fact that they live together and the existence of Hina.

I referenced the bare minimum from the story just to start the review.

About the first point, I don't think I need to go further: you'll se by yourself.

About the second one, let's just say that it's not by chance if Hina Chono has double the likes of Chinatsu and Taiki combined... she lowkey carries the whole 1st season by herself.
Without this ...

Kanchigai no Atelier Meister: Eiyuu Party no Moto Zatsuyougakari ga, Jitsu wa Sentou Igai ga SSS Rank Datta to Iu Yoku Aru Hanashi (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

Panda_Roll

Recommended

This one was a surprise. All the ingredients of this stew were taken from the bottom of the barrel... and yet!

Ingredients:-

1 Gary Stu. Must be SSS rank in everything except one thing.
1 cup of getting kicked out of the party for being worthless (bad at that one thing).
2-3 tablespoons of main waifus. Must fall for Gary Stu on sight.
3-6 teaspoons of side waifus. Must cover waifu checklist left over from the main cast.
1 Mascot character, can be either a cute animal or Anya clone (little girl about nursey age)

...

Kijin Gentoushou (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

Kauga

Recommended

Preliminary (12/? eps)

Let me start off by saying that this show is astounding. I love this anime! Jinya is the man! He is so cool and the way that he hides his power and is secretly op and gets all the girls is so inspiring. Jinya's dedication to slaying demons and protecting those important to him is so incredibly awesome and makes me want to become a demon slayer myself so that I can protect those I deem important and earn some side cash hehe! Please give this show a try if you love slaying demons and if you are in need of a highly stimulating show ...

Ballpark de Tsukamaete! (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

RaidenZilla

Recommended

First of all, as a longtime baseball fan who roots for teams with a tendency to underachieve, this anime just spoke directly to my soul. Seriously, you could replace "Chiba Motorsuns" with "Texas A&M Aggies" and everything about the show would have still been the same to me.

But the real draw, in my opinion, is how the anime is about baseball but also isn't just about baseball. It's a slice-of-life that even people that aren't into sports can easily jump in to. And of course, people that DO like baseball will love it. So it's for everyone.

For that, it's my personal favorite of the Spring ...

Ganbare Douki-chan (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

SgtSalamander

Recommended

I don't watch explicitly ecchi titles all that often, because usually they have something lacking about them, be it story, sound, or something else that it's attempting to hide behind scantily-clad anime girls. However, that is not the case with Ganbare Douki-chan. This anime is a raunchy little romantic comedy that somehow feels wholesome, even with all its cleavage, upskirts, and borderline workplace harassment directed at our faceless protagonist by his three eager suitresses, one younger, one older, and one his age, all competing for his affections at every opportunity. The story is the strongest aspect of this anime, as it manages to explore this ...

NHK ni Youkoso! (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

TheRogueFeline

Recommended

One of the best "slice of life" dramedy anime ever made, especially for teens and young adults, though there are a few polarizing elements that are far outweighed by the actual message that it delivers. It deals with a shut-in who thinks the world is out to get him... I could say more, but it's better to watch and draw your own conclusions. It does embrace various stereotypes about different sub-cultures (though not to a tee), so you may not necessarily agree with how otakus or shut-ins or people with mental illness are portrayed (based on your own personal experiences), but it is nevertheless thought-provoking.

It ...

Happy Sugar Life (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

TheMetaFox

Mixed Feelings

This show has 2 main appeals, one for those who want a suspenseful drama with a cast with different motivations, and another for those looking to pick apart character ideologies and theming. Both are done decently enough to provide an enjoyable experience whether you're braindead or taking notes, but both may need to improve their ability to suspend their disbelief. This show deals with the extremes of humanity and the characters can usually be described quite simply, seemingly in a way that is on purpose. If you don't mind doing some of the extra legwork in your head to give the show a consistent theme ...

Piace: Watashi no Italian (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

SgtSalamander

Mixed Feelings

Piace: Watashi no Italian is a funny little love letter to Italian food, but despite its obvious eagerness to impress, it ends up falling a little flat since it seems to have a better grasp of Italian food in the Japanese context rather than Italian food for its own sake. This is best exemplified by the real-life photograph of the food they made in the show itself at the end of each episode, and it looking distinctly lackluster, or at least distinctly non-Italian. Maybe it's the lighting, but those photographs betray a lack of understanding of the dishes at hand, even if the enthusiasm is ...

Digimon Adventure 02 (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

Firechick12012

Mixed Feelings

Out of all the seasons of Digimon I had watched, Digimon Adventure 02 was the one I remembered the least. The most recently I had watched it was back when it had briefly aired on NickToons years ago, and only now have I finished watching it in Japanese for the first time thanks to Discotek putting out new blu-rays for it. But from what I can recall, Digimon fans consider Digimon Adventure 02 to be quite divisive, and opinions on it are pretty split down the middle. Some think it's a great follow-up to the first season while others think it to be the worst ... series ever. I'm of the opinion that while I don't think it's the worst Digimon season ever (Those titles go to Young Hunters and Adventure 2020 IMHO), I definitely feel it's one of the weaker seasons by far, and for good reason. I attempted to review this back in 2013, but I had a hard time putting my thoughts on it together back then. Now that I'm older and have seen the series in its unaltered format, I had a much easier time doing so now.

Three years after the events of the first season, the DigiDestined have grown up and have gone their separate ways for now. But when a distress call from Agumon draws Tai, TK, and Kari back into the Digital World, they discover that it has been conquered by a malicious boy calling himself the Digimon Emperor, who is using a black Digivice to suppress natural evolution and brainwash Digimon into becoming his slaves. That is, until a trio of new DigiDestined—hotheaded Davis, perky tech geek Yolei, and morally upright Cody—happen upon them, gain their own Digimon partners, and discover the power of Armor Digivolution, which allows certain Digimon to attain more powerful forms that sidestep the Digimon Emperor's embargo on evolution. This new generation of DigiDestined must use their new powers to stop the Digimon Emperor's ambitions before the entire Digital World is consumed by darkness, and he might not even be the only threat they have to face.

Not gonna lie, Digimon Adventure 02 does have a lot of good ideas going for it, but its the execution of all those ideas that leave a lot to be desired. Actually, I'm gonna get the show's biggest problem out of the way right now: Remember how I mentioned in my review for Adventure was that its strongest asset was not only its continuity, but how tight its writing was in making sure that everything made sense and felt cohesive, a few stray plot threads notwithstanding? Digimon Adventure 02 unfortunately doesn't have that asset going for it. Digimon Adventure 02 establishes a lot of ideas and plot threads but never tries to really follow up on any of them, or the few times it does, they do the bare minimum and have them all amount to nothing. Cases in point: Daemon, the Dark Ocean, and the Destiny Stones. The Dark Ocean is said to be another world separate from both the human and Digital Worlds, but how this is so, the show never bothers to explain. Daemon is a random enemy who randomly appears late in the series who needs Ken for something, but the DigiDestined just foist him into the Dark Ocean, and he claims he'll come back to get revenge, but never does. The English dub only managed to make him memorable by making him into a super hammy Disney villain thanks to the late Bob Papenbrook playing him as such. The Destiny Stones are these random stones that apparently keep the human and Digital World in balance, and their destruction is treated as a big deal, but after about six or seven episodes, the resolution is so cut and dry that you wonder why the show even made a big deal out of them in the first place. I've heard differing stories about how the writing turned out behind the scenes. Some say the series turning out the way it did was due to both conflicting ideas between the series' two writers or interference from Bandai-Namco. I don't know which of these is true, but that would definitely explain a lot. I even read that Adventure's original writer, Satoru Nishizono, wanted nothing to do with 02 and left because he didn't think giving the series a sequel was a good idea. Man, imagine how the series would have turned out had he stayed, but I can't really blame him for leaving.

But 02's writing and lack of cohesion doesn't just extend to its slipshod narrative, but also in its characters. The new characters aside from Ken aren't as interesting as the original DigiDestined, and the latter are mostly shunted into the background or de-powered so the new kids can hog the spotlight. Davis is pretty much a stagnant character in that no matter what happens, he barely changes throughout the series, if at all, and apparently this was due to executive meddling. He never stops being an annoying hotheaded brat, though sometimes the show can be downright mean to him at some points, in ways that I feel are frankly undeserved, with ExVeemon's debut episode being the absolute nadir IMHO. The original DigiDestined are mostly fine, but there are times when the writers have them act completely out of character—again, the ExVeemon debut episode shows them at their absolute worst. Not to mention the explanation behind why the original Digimon can't digivolve into ultimate and mega level is bullshit and only serves as a cheap way to keep the new kids relevant. Not that the show really cares that much about keeping the new kids' Digimon evolutions consistent either, as the first arc shilled armor evolution to the Nth degree, only to shove it into the background in favor of DNA/Jogress evolution. And need I mention completely nerfing previously powerful Digimon and making them pathetically weak? Poor MagnaAngemon got done so dirty in this show.

Honestly, the only character that I found worth caring about was Ken, the Digimon Emperor. His arc is actually the strongest in the entire series, explaining why he became the Digimon Emperor and his subsequent development into the person he used to be before then. But even the best character is yet another victim of the show's skewed priorities, in more ways than one. For one thing, the show constantly mentions that he went to the Digital World once before and had his own adventures, but the context for that is only found in a video game. A video game for a console that never left Japan, and the series expects you to have played it. And since this came out in the 2000s, where that information was in absolutely no way accessible outside of Japan, you were out of luck in those days. Yeah, this series has a problem with its stubborn refusal to make accommodations for anyone who isn't familiar with the aforementioned Wonder Swan games. This would carry over into Tamers, but there it wasn't as bad as it was here. It really says a lot when the first Digimon Adventure anime didn't have this problem and made sure to be as self-contained as humanly possible so it wouldn't alienate anyone unfamiliar with Digimon's lore. There's a reason why series like Ghost Game and Appli Monsters didn't make the mistakes 02 did, even with their own issues! Oh, and before I forget, the series flat-out ignores Ken's development in a later episode where it tries to use some sort of Dark Spore horseshit to absolve him of any personal responsibility for his actions in the first quarter, undermining his redemption, so not even he's safe from the series slipsod writing! Like...what the hell?! Do you really have no respect for your characters, 02?! I know people like to harp on the epilogue, but 02 has so much more problems than just the epilogue. Not even Ken's supposed crest gets used much, it's just another plot device that's thrown away just as quickly as it was introduced, though how Ken even managed to get a crest, the show again doesn't bother to explain!

That said, I don't want to be a Negative Nancy, and for what it's worth, there are parts of 02 that are still enjoyable. For one, the soundtrack still slaps, both using pieces from Takanori Arisawa's soundtrack from Adventure and introducing new songs that are still as good as the ones from the previous series, with Break Up being my favorite out of them. Though speaking of the audio, I did find Yolei's voice to be extremely grating, with it being one of the few instances where I vastly prefer the English dub's voice for her. It's a shame Tifanie Lenhart disappeared off the face of the Earth. The animation is about the same as the first series, and while it's not perfect, it does its job. I really liked episode 29, where the kids have to escape Arukenimon's trap and use some really clever, creative teamwork to get out of the situation, not to mention Ken's whole episode where he reunites with Wormmon after the latter's death and rebirth. I also really liked the idea of the kids meeting other DigiDestined around the world and connecting with them. Why couldn't the series do something like that? That would have been really interesting! Seriously, this series could have been great if it either focused on one or two of its many ideas, fleshed them out better, or did more to develop and respect its characters, both the old and new ones. There are reasons why so many people write fan fics that completely rewrite this series from the ground up, because people know it's a flawed series that deserved better than what it got! 02 feels like a hodge-podge of ideas that got thrown into a blender but never meshed properly.

So yeah, Digimon Adventure 02 is a very flawed series that has no idea what it wants to be. It has its good points, but they're unfortunately not enough to save the show from being an incohesive mess of differing ideas that just don't mix well together. I will give 02 this though: I enjoyed it a hell of a lot more than Digimon Xros Wars: Young Hunters Leaping Through Time! Seriously, if you put a gun to my head and forced me to choose between 02 and Young Hunters, I'd go with the former every tim, including the God awful ExVeemon debut episode! 02 also has a lot more to offer than Digimon Adventure 2020. Come at me.

Yurumates 3D (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

SgtSalamander

Recommended

Yurumates 3D is a delightful little comedy about the realities of being a broke young student out in the world for the first time, and learning that what you lack in funds you more than make up for with priceless memories. Of course, the anime doesn't take it that seriously, as they get drunk all the time and try to find increasingly goofy ways to entertain themselves in their shoddy apartment complex called the Maison du Wish. Still, that feeling of togetherness, friendship, and camaraderie is front-and-center throughout, even as they steal each other's food, pull pranks on one another, and dodge responsibilities. Yurume is ... a newcomer to the building, and despite that, she is pretty much instantly welcomed by Sae, Kumi, and Matsukichi, and it's like they've all been friends forever. That chemistry is instant, and elevates the comedy to another level. Furthermore, the writing is quick, witty, and has an utterly unique sense of humor, putting forward a comedic identity all its own. Even at only a few minutes per episode, the quality of the writing comes through with every single-serving slice-of-life episode.

There is much less to say of the art, however. While it's a simple chibi style, it's still a perfect fit for this anime, and shares the snappy, energetic character of the animation. In its own right, such a laid-back and simple style allows it to enhance the comedy via absurdity, and also emphasizes this moe element which is a nice pairing to the comedy.

The sound is solid, with fun, characteristic voice work, and music which is carefully applied, only drawing attention to itself where needed.

The characters are fantastic, and come out on top as the strongest aspect of this anime. As I said before, their energetic, aimless, sardonic-yet-sincere relationship towards each other feels so potently authentic, like it's speaking to the truth of something everyone's lived through at one time or another, even through its many layers of parody. Everybody in the cast is phenomenal, so it's hard to pick favorites, but my picks would have to be Sae and Matsukichi. Sae feels especially witty and like a driving active force in their conversations, unlike the somewhat airheaded Yurume and the absurdist Kumi. Also, Sae's sister is adorable, and her relationship to her is an added dimension that puts her over the edge. As for Matsukichi, I like him because, as a man, he feels relatable. A young dude living alone, early in his college career, with a living space that's pretty disheveled- that was basically my own life for a time. Plus, his addition adds a unique element to what would otherwise be pretty standard CGDCT faire. Overall, Yurumates is a funny, fast-paced romp about the joys of being young and the silver linings of being broke. It is a nice, lighthearted watch that takes no time at all to finish, even for both seasons, and as a result it is easy for me to recommend.

Apocalypse Hotel (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

rafaero

Recommended

Preliminary (11/12 eps)

I’ve never seen anything quite like this. Like actually... Few are the animes I wait impaciently all week for, and this is one. Set in a world where nature has reclaimed everything and humans are long gone, the scenery is breathtaking—often reminding me of Frieren with its peaceful, melancholic beauty. The animation is top-tier, and the music elevates every scene perfectly.

The story is an easy 10/10. It handles the passage of time and character development in a way that feels both natural and deeply moving. It’s funny, it’s sad, and sometimes both at once.

It’s one of the best original anime I’ve seen—no source material, just ...

Kidou Senshi Gundam III: Meguriai Sora-hen (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

Babonag

Not Recommended

First I'll point out that this trilogy is my introduction to Gundam as a franchise and specifically to the story of the original 79 series.

With the previous two films while you definitely feel the awkward pacing of cramming a series into a movie, the story I felt I got the story without skipping anything too major. This one however really feels like the cliffsnotes of the story and felt like skipping stuff, and worse IMO this movie fails as an end to the trilogy with the final battle not really showcasing any of our cast (besides Amuro) doing anything.

On top of that there's Newtype ...

Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

ZAIRETHEGUY

Recommended

Look, if you’re one of those idiots who rolls your eyes at Yu-Gi-Oh! because it’s “corny,” “cheesy,” or “trash,” then congrats — you’ve just nailed the entire point of the show. This anime was meant to be over-the-top, dramatic, and unapologetically goofy. Its the whole charm of the show. I mean its a 2000s anime dubbed by f**king 4Kids.

In summary, Yu-Gi-Oh! is absolute peak nostalgia and pure entertainment—it just is. What did you expect it to be? Some ultra-deep, flawlessly written masterpiece on the level of Attack on Titan or Fullmetal Alchemist? Come on, it’s a show built around a children’s card game! Its charm ...

Tokyo Revengers (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

ZAIRETHEGUY

Not Recommended

Tokyo Revengers had an interesting premise—time travel mixed with gang drama sounded like it could be something fresh. But after sitting through it, I have to say: this show is frustrating to watch, and most of that comes down to the main character, Takemichi.

Takemichi is, without a doubt, one of the weakest protagonists I’ve seen in a while. He constantly cries, hesitates, and somehow survives or “succeeds” in situations through pure luck or because someone else bails him out. He doesn’t grow much as a person, and even when he tries to stand up for himself, it often feels forced or too little, too late. ...

Ore dake Level Up na Ken (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

ZAIRETHEGUY

Mixed Feelings

I watched the Solo Leveling anime because of all the hype, but honestly, it’s not a great series. The story is super basic, the characters are flat, and there’s not much depth or emotion. Once the main guy, Sung Jin-Woo, gets strong, he just wins every fight with no real challenge. It gets pretty repetitive.

That said, the animation is really good, and the fights look awesome. The music also adds a lot of hype. So even though the story isn’t very strong, it’s still kind of fun to watch.

This isn’t the kind of show you watch for a deep plot or strong characters. But if ...

Ballpark de Tsukamaete! (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

bossunhimeswitch

Recommended

This anime was one of my favorites of its cour. I looked forward to each new episode. There was a lot of things to like about it for me. First off, the characters were really easy to like and easy to root for. I especially enjoyed Ruriko and I think making her the lead was a wide choice. I also liked that this anime took a slice of life approach to the story rather than a sports anime approach to the story. We got to know the people working and playing for the Motor Suns. There was less focus on the drama of winning and ...

Maou 2099 (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

Ruzkyan

Recommended

Preliminary (3/12 eps)

Never written a review before, but Demon Lord 2099 genuinely earned it.
Straight up, it’s one of the only anime I’ve seen where I didn't feel like I was just tolerating half the cast to get back to the main guy. For once, a side character fight — specifically Hero Gram — didn’t kill my interest. The moment Gram shows up, he hits with decent enough main-character energy that it actually doesn't give filler vibes — which I think is pretty rare.

The anime’s got that classic “Demon Lord wants to conquer everything” setup, but the way it’s handled is far from tired. It even manages ...

Ore dake Level Up na Ken Season 2: Arise from the Shadow (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

ChecoTACo

Not Recommended

It is like One Punch Man and HxH had a baby... but is an ugly baby, it takes a lot of things from them but is basically a copy, it copies a lot of things from OPM like the system of the "hunters" and from HxH, just as an example, the use of "auras" and the perception of them. Even the arc of the "mutant ants" was plagiarized on this thing... I don´t understand how it became so popular if it is not original in any sense., is not unique, quite predictable and the character has zero-character development, he achieves everything on the first attempt, ...

Aru Majo ga Shinu Made (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

whiteflame55

Recommended

It wasn’t too long ago (a little over a year before I write this) that I watched a little show called Kobato (2009). It’s a sweet series by Clamp that didn’t quite work for me for a number of reasons. But I’m not going to compare this series to that one. The two have a very similar core drive to them: fill a bottle with something that represents a sort of healing or happiness brought to someone else. It’s a simple but effective recipe for a series of interactions between the lead and a wide variety of other characters, placing them in the driver’s seat ... to interact with a broad assortment of individuals that yield easy tear-jerking drama. That’s what Kobato did anyway, combining it with a romantic throughline and a central mystery. So I expected more of the same from this series.

Thankfully, Once Upon a Witch’s Death is decidedly different in its approach. The search for tears of joy is still central to the story, but this is a series that really interrogates what goes into that effort. Initially, it puts Meg through the emotional ringer, but Meg has to gather 1000 of these tears and she meets powerful witches who are all too happy to discuss speed run strategies. It’s very interesting to see the series drill down into the choices she makes under this stress, both with the knowledge that she may not reach her goal (and therefore her impending death) and how the shifts in strategy she tries affect her interactions with the people of Lapis. The more this series digs down into this, the more effective it is for me.

Aside from that element of the narrative, I think the series juggles more than it should over a 12 episode run (it definitely feels like this should have just been two cours rather than two divided seasons, which I still hope it gets), but for the most part it works.

I think the series manages especially well as it finds points of connection between its ideas. The use of magic circles and how to apply them, Meg’s eyes and her ability to perceive things others cannot, the emotions built from connection to various living people and entities, the drive to help in the face of danger, and the bonds Meg forms with a variety of other characters (both distinct from and a part of her central quest) yield a lot of her development over the course of the series. It can feel a bit rapid, but that’s part of the point: what she’s doing is not exactly common practice for witches, and it’s breaking new ground when it comes to wielding magic in this day and age.

Even so, the series meanders a great deal on its way to these points of connection. There’s a subplot about demons that is very consequential in a broad sense, but feels pretty out of place in the moment. There’s a whole episode with a big magic competition that’s decent for showing us a little of the broader world of magic, but also seems like a sideshow. A couple of episodes deeply involve some of the major Sages of this world, and while the bonds Meg forms with them are interesting and sometimes emotional (hard not to get connected with Sophie), their plots can sometimes feel pretty superfluous in the broader scheme of the show with a couple of major exceptions.

Meg’s relationship with Faust is the most interesting bond she has in Lapis and she’s a great mentor. I like both her familiars and they get some occasionally very fun moments. Fine’s inclusion in the plot was… fine. Some decent if repetitious comedy with some light yuri baiting.

Overall, while I don’t think the series quite sticks the landing with an ending that is mostly just a prelude to more events next season (and which necessarily will take Meg away from her mission… is she going to be able to finish that?), it does pave the way for what I suspect will be an interesting continuation of the series, one that will take a longer view on the history of this world and the enmity certain events have bred. It’s not as emotionally resonant as I was expecting, nor is its world quite intriguing enough to hold my attention, but I think when the series explores its premise and takes its time developing its character relationships, it is strong. That’s enough to keep me interested and hungry for a second season.

Aru Majo ga Shinu Made (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

5iv3_

Recommended

Once Upon A Witch's Death overall I want to say was an enjoyable watch. The somewhat episodic layout is nice, a good bundle of characters to push through the plot, and just a nice set-up overall.

The synopsis of this series when I originally heard about it, sounded really engaging and seemed like it'd be a really great show. Now, it's not great, but it was still a fun show to watch. Some episodes are better than others, and some were worse than others. But the complete story itself was good.

I have a few complaints but they aren't big, nor are they that impactful ...

Kidou Senshi Gundam: GQuuuuuuX (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

MythicLegend

Mixed Feelings

Preliminary (11/12 eps)

I'm not entirely sure what the intended audience for this show is but I'm glad i caught up on 0079 and Started Zeta before diving into this, having only seen various other spinoffs before hand.

I feel somewhat disappointed with the overall pacing of the show, especially given that for now? its only 12 episodes. I understand what they're going for with the character dynamics but it doesn't make it any less satisfying with how the story progresses.
I hope in the end there's a positive outcome between the Characters or there's more seasons to come afterwards to flesh it out.

Ive rated it relatively ...

Ballpark de Tsukamaete! (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

AboAhmed130

Recommended

✍️**My Personal Opinion**✍️

Finally, after 12 weeks, we’ve reached the end of what I truly consider a wonderful anime. Here, I’ll share everything you need to know in case you’re thinking about watching it.

A quick summary: this anime is simply about a beer vendor working at a baseball stadium. That’s really all you need to know about the story. The real purpose of the anime is to show you what it means to be a fan inside the stadium. While baseball is the sport used, the anime focuses entirely on the fans. All the characters are either baseball fans or players, and the main focus is ...

Yoake Tsugeru Lu no Uta (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

nozomiEX

Mixed Feelings

An opener oozing out the gills with charm gives way to a flimsy second half largely detached from all the good points being set up in the first.

The first half of the story is sort of meandering but it's busy setting up so, so many things that I could forgive it for feeling like it's missing a connective throughline. We're introduced to Kai, our protagonist, a mopey, reserved teenager with a passion for music, who shortly gets roped into his friends' band. Yuho, daughter of the big fishing company in town, and Kunio, son of the local shrine priest, happen to find that ... Kai produces music, and would be perfect for their band. Begrudginly he goes along with them to practice on Merfolk Island, where their music attracts the eponymous Lu, a mermaid who loves to sing and dance. Kai is immediately enthralled by this cute little creature, and starts coming out of his shell, spending more time with his friends, making music, and interacting with Lu. That's the gist of the story, but there are so many elements that are being developed in the background. There are tons of side characters, like Kai's dad, his grandpa, Yuho's family, a former upperclassman that wanted to make it big in Tokyo but works a humble job in town now, an old lady who lost her son to the merfolk, and plenty of others. There are tons of themes being built up, like young people being bored to tears of their dusty podunk fishing village and wanting out, a dramatic tension between Kai and his father about following one's passions vs. keeping your head down, studying, and getting a good job, relations between the sea (or more broadly, nature) and industry/man. There's more specific dramatic threads like Kai and his estranged mother, Kai's grandpa and *his* mother, Kai's dad and reconciling his current life with his past when he was more like Kai is now. All the while, bringing the sleepy fishing town of Hinashi to life by wonderful, vibrant artwork showing all kinds of imaginative, immersive landscapes and locations with their own distinct auras but a unifying, cohesive design that makes it feel like a real place, and a real place that you'd want to explore every nook and cranny of at that.

Almost all of this, unfortunately, gets put on the backburner in the second half. The outline of a main plot starts to materialize, concerning Lu becoming popular and being exploited by opportunistic businessmen, but just as quickly as this plot comes together, it's already over with and onto some contrived rescue Lu from a different situation (brought about entirely by misunderstandings that could have been avoided with simple communication) and THEN that's wrapped up and we're on to an even more contrived and more detached from the rest of the movie "save the town" plot. And for most of this, our main character is quite literally holed up in his room with his headphones on. None of the two or three "main" plots actually require the protagonist or have anything to do with him, or any of the dramatic points that were being built up in the first half, and when he finally does get shoehorned back into the mix, the contrivance is barefaced. Instead of resolution for the myriad threads being developed in the first half, we get a slapped-together filler plot with hollow stakes and even more hollow rising to the challenge. The phoned in drama is so much harder to sit through when there's actually real, compelling drama that got left waiting at the bus-stop.

I really enjoyed the first half but almost all of what made the first half of the movie enjoyable is lacking or entirely absent from the second. In its place is generic, flavorless filler content made only slightly less boring by the remnants of charm that could find their way in. I wish I could recommend this but it's not satisfying, I think the second half will lose you and leave you more disheartened thinking about what could have been.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

alexisleone

Recommended

As someone who hasn't played the game, I missed some of the references and terminology, but that didn't take away from this show's impact. What truly stands out is its art style, soundtrack, action, and, most of all, its world building. The visuals and music pull you into a gritty, dystopian future that any Sci-Fi fan can appreciate. While the show can be intense with violence and nudity, the adult content makes a disturbing comment on the trajectory of our current society. The desperate choices characters make, often turning to crime just to survive, reflect a harsh critique of capitalism and class inequality. The characters, ...

Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hashira Geiko-hen (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

MrBest

Recommended

A predictable narrative is not always a weakness. This series proves that exceptional execution can elevate a familiar formula into a must-see spectacle. While its story follows a well-trodden path, the journey is made unforgettable by a masterful command of visuals and sound design. Every frame is a testament to its world-class production quality, creating a cinematic experience that captivates from start to finish. It’s a powerful reminder that how a story is told can be just as important as the story itself, demanding attention through sheer artistic merit alone.

A deft balance of comedy and gravity is maintained throughout. The series cleverly signals its tonal ...

Katsute Mahou Shoujo to Aku wa Tekitai shiteita. (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

KeyboardBunny

Recommended

Considering the genre it ticks all the boxes 10/10 masterpiece if you're looking for some fluffy sweet romance including some magical girl moment vs evil bad guys. Enemy to love interest, poor but hard working super cutie girl and a cool, good looking, powerful kind guy. Very aesthetically pleasing art, the comedy and dark element also on point. If this is the genre you're looking for then this gem. There was only 3 books and it's unfinished which explains why the anime is the way it is. However each episode is very sweet lovey-dovey and funny, I find it very entertaining. It's so unfortunate ...

Gorilla no Kami kara Kago sareta Reijou wa Ouritsu Kishidan de Kawaigarareru (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

Panda_Roll

Mixed Feelings

Preliminary (3/12 eps)

This is pure shoujo. Everything else is fluff intended to make the MC "perfect" in an imperfect way.

Premise: In this world you receive an animal god's blessing at the age of 16. Depending on the blessing you might get scouted for specific career opportunities.

Our MC got the gorilla god, a 1 in 7 billion type of blessing only surpassed by... ok, we'll burn that bridge when we get to it!

Because of this blessing she's scouted by the knights as a defender of the kingdom the very next day... except blessings are kept as personal secrets similar to medical conditions so how does that ...

Kyou kara Maou! (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

Turtezin

Mixed Feelings

Preliminary (8/78 eps)

To be honest, I was expecting something more. It’s your typical early-2000s fantasy isekai—there’s some story, some comedy, and some fantasy elements, but overall, it just feels plain. Maybe if I watched it casually, like one episode a day during dinner, it might hit better. After the first 8 episodes, though, it hasn’t really managed to grab my interest.

That being said, the anime originally aired between 2004 and 2006, so the style and pacing are pretty typical for that era. The humor reminded me a bit of Dragon Ball, and that gave it a nostalgic vibe, which might appeal to fans of older anime.

Overall, I’d ...

Ballpark de Tsukamaete! (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

Marinate1016

Recommended

Catch me at the ballpark is one of several shows this season that are in the running for the biggest surprise of the season. I frankly came into this thinking it would be another generic self insert goonerbait romcom about a loser officer worker escaping his problems at baseball stadium with a hot girl. Every incel salaryman’s dream, right? Never been happier to be wrong. This was more a story about the impact sports teams can have on local communities than anything. Seeing all these different people from various walks of life coming together to contribute to a team’s success was awesome, as was seeing ... the motorsons lift their community up and give everyone something to feel good about. Sports aren’t just recreation. They can be the escape so many of us desperately need, while teaching us valuable life lessons and making us better people and this show nailed it.

If you’ve ever seen something like “Cheers” from back in the day, you’ll kind of have an idea about what this story’s like. You have an ensemble cast of people who on paper could not be more different from one another, yet they’re surrounded by their love of their local baseball team and the community feel of being at the ballpark. I really liked how the show is done in mini chapter styles allowing for multiple characters to get shine each week, but what’s cool is how most of these chapters were connected via a central theme of each episode and all the episodes led up to the climax of episode 11 which left me in tears. Yes, the show I thought would be generic goonerslop ended up being one of the most powerful of the season, crazy I know. I highly recommend giving this show a chance. It’s really a different sort of anime that I’ve never quite seen before. The community aspect really hit home for me as a big football and basketball fan. I know how sports can help communities heal from tragedies and give people something to cheer for in their darkest moments from first hand experience, so this meant something to me. It’s also amazing how the author gradually showed the culture changing around the baseball team and both fans and players realizing they could do something special.

Funny enough, the MC probably ended up being my least favourite character in this. I felt like all the side characters were more entertaining and while he and the FMC have some development, I liked her better on her own just serving beer in the stadium. He does get some development and becomes a little better towards the end, but I was never really impressed with him. The big draw here for me was definitely the cast at large who took me through a wide range of emotions from laughing, to more serious reflections to straight up crying. There’s a character archetype for everyone in this story just like how real life fanbases are diverse. The show does a great job of making sure everyone feels important.

Production values aren’t anything special here, in fact I’d say the animation is subpar. The voice acting is serviceable as well. This is really just a show that captures your heart in a way that’s hard to explain. You just have to experience it and fall in love with the characters.

If you’re a sports fan or just want to watch a chill and unique anime , highly recommend giving this one a chance. You won’t regret it.

Catch me at the ballpark gets 8 home runs out of 10.

Kijin Gentoushou (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

ninjaaw14

Mixed Feelings

Preliminary (12/? eps)

There is a good story underneath this show. But the good story I refer to is the source rather than this adaptation. Often with anime adaptations, disappointment and criticisms center around art, animation quality, and occasionally when important scenes are cut. The art here is quite nice, the animation is serviceable, and the adaptation is mostly faithful. So what went wrong?

First there are some blatantly obvious failures in direction and art direction, where characters will look past each other due to incorrect angles, and the anime will linger on the laughable image for 15 seconds so that the animation work can be limited to mouth ...

Ballpark de Tsukamaete! (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

KANLen09

Recommended

Catch Me at the Ballpark! - It's all fun and games, romantically and enthusiastically, and you can only find it right at the heart of your nearby baseball stadium!

If you thought that baseball is an exclusively American pastime, then as a bona fide Westerner, you're mostly right. But (as a trivia) in Japan, baseball is equally as strong as the fans can cheer from the land they belong to, and it's even more intense as both the U.S. and Japan's ways of baseball were radically different. This is until one such gaming company turned the tables on each other and created a new generation of ... baseball where both locals and foreigners are of one heart to enjoy the same sport, with the same amount of craziness and fandom alike (see The Gaming Historian's YouTube video on how Nintendo changed baseball forever globally).

Wait...what are we talking about again? Oh right, baseball! Yes, if you didn't know, the sport's competition in Japan is equally as acute as its Western counterpart, and though we've seen baseball AniManga come up once or so often, there's nothing quite like the feeling of being one with the audience and players...which is where mangaka Tatsuro Suga comes in with his work of Ballpark de Tsukamaete! a.k.a Catch Me at the Ballpark!, a pseudo Nagatoro-san with the backdrop of the everyday common folk being either spectators or workers at the same ballpark cheering on for the commonality of the hometown's team.

So, you might be thinking: "If this is an anime about a ballpark, which attempts for the sports element of its players and fans to be all in one place, and also acts as a slice-of-life, then where is this 'Nagatoro' element from?" Simple: just take one look at the "main" characters of Ruriko and Koutarou Murata. The simple story as such from the POV of beer vendor girls and their customers who they regularly interact with for them to become their "regulars", it all starts from either's spark of wanting to go and watch a baseball game and to be taken care of by girls carrying heavy beer kegs on their backs, always filling up the rather large cups of beer so that they can earn their keep as part-time work as well.

From the outset, we're getting introduced to Murata as a salaryman who's hopelessly in need of a lifestyle change. After his jobs didn't suit him well, he needs an avenue to pent up his frustration. And as a coincidence, the unlikely sport of baseball keeps his attention on the ballpark nearby his place: the home of the Chiba MotorSuns (not a real baseball team), where Ruriko and her group of beer vendor girls are ready to start another bland day of work, simply because the status of the Chiba MotorSuns is akin to a soccer team due for relegation. The chance coincidence of the beautiful blonde-haired gal meeting the rather stymied salaryman, then, makes the interaction all the sweeter, for the interest of the latter in baseball helps to grow the former's work commission, and the bond between the two growing oh-so-close to romance is all sorts of comedy, plus given the voicing sanity of Ruriko's VA, Ai Fairouz, it's a natural.

Of course, what's baseball without the other people attached to it: the players, managers, the mascot of the Chiba MotorSuns, and the random people working elsewhere at the ballpark, like food vendor Natsuno Yamada? On that front, don't put too many expectations on what is an otherwise episodic series that's the epitome of a couch potato that's easy to pick up and put down, and the cycle repeats itself over and over again. There's a wide range of characters here that, although you may not find yourself connecting with them much, just know that your spirit is with them to do their very best at whatever they do, for better or for worse, even when it clicks or feels cliché.

For a show of this standard, studio EMT Squared need not push boundaries for what works best, even in their mediocrity. And I'd go as far as to say this because the Spring season has brought the studio the production insanity trifecta of shows: the "EMT Squared Tuesdays" with both this show and Aru Majo ga Shinu Made a.k.a Once Upon a Witch's Death airing alongside each other, as well as Sunday's Kanchigai no Atelier Meister a.k.a The Unaware Atelier Meister (which, quite honestly, is a nothingburger). The animation looks alright and nothing special and gets the job done as far as I'm concerned. And since this is in-house director Junichi Kitamura's 2nd rodeo at directorship (after Winter 2024's Isekai de Mofumofu Nadenade suru Tame ni Ganbattemasu. a.k.a Fluffy Paradise), the anime just doing things at its own pace meant that he and his staff team could just do some touch-ups, and it generally looks good.

The music too does its minimalistic job alright; it's nothing too fancy, but also nothing that's overboard at the same time. The OP and ED pairing are another story, though, as mixed dance and vocal group GENIC's 2nd Anisong for the OP has lots of good feelings for a generally low-key banger song, along with Ruriko and the beer vendor girls helming their own ED song, with a dance visual that is all sorts of great.

Ballpark de Tsukamaete! a.k.a Catch Me at the Ballpark!, is one of those series that could exist in any seasonal watchlist, and yet, it has the consensus on the majority of elements that are good and just a blast to watch on the off period. You come here not just for Ruriko and Murata's developing romance (though the author hints at this disposition many times) but for the feeling that as a fan who loves baseball; the admiration of the similarly thinking fans; the food vendors that bring you your food and drinks when you're starving, and the camaraderie of it all are worth the trip just to experience a pastime that people can cheer until the game is over.

So go forth, and let the Yakyu baseball seep into every fibre of your being! I'll Catch You at the Ballpark!

Aru Majo ga Shinu Made (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

KANLen09

Recommended

Once Upon a Witch's Death — What awaits us at the very end of the tunnel...or in this case, the unpredictability of life where we would be told to depart from the world early?

In a world where the likes of Kanehito Yamada's Sousou no Frieren a.k.a Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, and other similar adventure fantasy stories exist to keep the belligerent mind thinking of existentialism and the like, it always comes down to the hard-hitting questions that are the utmost and deep, but sane, questions that linger in our minds when topics like life and death are not often raised. Such is the case of ... one such show this Spring season: novelist Saka's lone work, Aru Majo ga Shinu Made a.k.a Once Upon a Witch's Death, a show so underrated that everything on the surface seems simple; however, it is anything but.

What are you going to do if you're told at your Sweet Sixteen, turning seventeen once your birthday strikes, that death incarnate awaits you in a year's time? If you're thinking of partying and enjoying what life has to offer for the year-long limited time, you're right. If you're thinking of just giving a heck of a care to the world but are still being taught life stories that, as cliché as they sound, are life lessons that you can't take away, you'd be right too...if you can put yourself in the shoes of the laid-back magical girl of Meg Raspberry. The apprentice to one of the Seven Sages of the land, the Eternal Witch Faust, whom the lone granny has been taking care of this girl for quite some time, it's quite the bombshell of truth to be given a death sentence of an incurable curse this early, and yet, not feeling like there's enough time to savour life at its finest. As much as the unwilling magician sucks her thumb at the disposition of the stark truth, she's told one final "quest" before she departs from the world: "Collect in a bottle a thousand Tears of Joy. No questions or answers; how you decide to collect them is anyone's guess." That, there and then, starts the grumbling young magician trying to understand how cursed her life is...or, in a twist of blessings in disguise, spending time with people to get those Tears of Joy anyhow she could.

From the get-go, you know that this show is something special when, like Frieren, it doesn't try to sell you man-made creations for the sake of drama, hype, and the like. This is an anime that gets to the heart of the truth at its very core, and it's not pandered to sugarcoat the frailty of life as something that is a throwaway thought at best. Through Meg, her POV into her death incarnate circumstance forces her to (literally) "go out and touch grass" and visit people whom otherwise she would not have met. Should she choose to just laze like a couch potato, this "life" of hers would not have hit the same as like motivation lost from an incurable disease. From the newfound friends of fellow magicians (like Sophie Hayter) to the ordinary folk who would otherwise just see Meg as a nuisance of a young adult, the unwilling young magician herself peers at her surroundings with the magic of her know-how to help even the most maligned of people, and in turn, allows the softening of her heart to learn and have a burden for the same group of people she interacts with. It's like Jesus Christ and the 12 Disciples along their journey of Christendom, spending time with people of all statuses, and not in a single moment judging them for who they are, serving them to their humble roots.

And nothing quite says it all like the symbolism of raspberries: the plant's bushes used as boundaries to protect sacred spaces from unwanted spirits; its leaves and canes believed to have magical qualities that could drive away negative energy and promote harmony. In a modern context, they represent kindness and virtue in the language of flowers, often used in bouquets and garden designs to convey these attributes. The resilient and tenacious nature also makes them a symbol of perseverance and determination, qualities highly valued in modern society, and their ability to communicate subtly yet powerfully enhances the emotional impact of gestures.

For a show of this nature, character is of the utmost importance, and novelist Saka gets the formula right, interpreting Meg Raspberry as the girl who didn't know that she could do things beyond her scope as someone who sees people as equals and learns of their ambitions and struggles—that's the daily bread of the ordinary folk. I love Meg for a lot of reasons, one of the utmost important traits of which is her steadfast willingness to help without judging, which is a fine character trait to have and one that helps bolster her own circumstances with the people that deeply care for her, no matter if she's going to die in a year's time or the next day. That's melancholia in quite the rosy way, as cheesy as it sounds, and as playful as Meg always puts it out to be. In fact, she's one of a handful of female protagonists who are not only strong but can also joke at their circumstances (when the situation is right) and live life on a pedestal as if death doesn't faze them. No matter the issues that she faces, both minor and major, she takes them with a happy heart, not wanting to worry the people around her, and just goes around being the good Samaritan that'll please people out of kindness and virtue. If anything, this is a show where "girl power" is not only first and foremost, but it excels to a degree that (to my knowledge) hasn't been seen much in the anime medium yet. Still, blending both the old and tried tradition of magic with modern technology? It's quite the aesthetic for standing out in a way that's not done without risk involved. Also, the Raspberry name isn't just for show, but its hidden meaning, which is linked to love, kindness, and protection; they are also associated with fertility, abundance, and even fragility due to their delicate nature.

For the 3rd-rate studio of EMT Squared, the studio has constantly been bombarded with bad and mediocre works left, right, and centre for quite a while now. But in this Spring 2025 season, other than Sunday's Kanchigai no Atelier Meister a.k.a The Unaware Atelier Meister, both this show and Ballpark de Tsukamaete! a.k.a Catch Me at the Ballpark!, to dub the "EMT Squared Tuesdays," have been quite the blessing in disguise for such anime of different calibres, yet both are enjoyable in their own right. Moreover, I'd say that out of the 3 shows this season, this show has definitely been given EMT's big glow of production, and it benefits all the more from it with rich and luscious animation (even when it feels minimalistic at best), so not once do I feel like this ever came from the studio at all. And as a crowning achievement, this is in-house director Atsushi Nigorikawa's first show, and he has done a marvellous job adapting the LN, with the assistance of series composer maestro Keiichiro Ochi at the scriptwriting helm.

Even better, the music is tailored for it. Going into this anime with the help of famed music composer Akiyuki Tateyama (of Yuru Camp fame) for the OST, I instantly knew that I would be experiencing a whiplash of emotions, and truthfully, this is what we got, unapologetically front and centre. Maaya Sakamoto coming with her slow burn of an OP song, "Drops" is simply put, her latest and most emotionally exuberant song ever that helps lean and grow the anime's charm when it comes to accentuating emotions, and I LOVE it. Aoi Teshima's ED, on the other hand, is fine and all, but calm, collected, and enjoyable due to Yuki Kaijura's composition, though considerably less than the perfect OP.

Instead of gloating about the current AniManga industry filled with hype, shill, and the like, I'm just sad that works like these are few and very far in between. This show has been quite the acid trip of emotions that, at times, can be speechless and/or unspeakable, filled with joy and such that even when desperation wears on the sleeves of all of us, hope for the better is never too far away. And in such thoughts, we should care for existentialism just as much as shows like this have taught us how to be better people, and while we may not have the magical fantasy, it still captivates us in a manner that brings us to our very knees to shed Tears of Joy, something we can wish for where we can afford to be a little more like Meg Raspberry.

A bittersweet tale of fantasy adventure that's wrapped with human humour and supernatural magic that, when combined, gives you a sense of emotion? That's why the quiet ones shine when the big guns fizzle to nothingness, and I can promise you that Aru Majo ga Shinu Made a.k.a Once Upon a Witch's Death, is a show that will pander to the soft and beautiful hearts wanting and wishing for hope for a better day, every day. It's a crowning achievement for a show that's not Frieren, but there's a story to be learned as well.

Watashi, Nouryoku wa Heikinchi de tte Itta yo ne! (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

Sidarif

Mixed Feelings

This anime delivers exactly what the title promises—an isekai journey that plays with the concept of being “average,” but of course, with a twist. While the story follows a fairly standard isekai formula, it brings a light-hearted and comedic tone that makes it enjoyable to watch.

The main character, Mile, wishes for an average life in her next reincarnation, but what she gets is anything but average. This contradiction sets the stage for a series of silly, adventurous, and heartwarming moments with her quirky group of friends. The anime doesn’t take itself too seriously, which works in its favor if you’re looking for something simple and ...

Aru Majo ga Shinu Made (Anime) add (All reviews)

Jun 17, 2025

Marinate1016

Recommended

“It’s the waiting that’s hard”
What would you do if you only had a year left to live? Being aware of one’s own coming mortality makes every day, every interaction and every moment so precious. More importantly, it makes you keenly aware of the impact you have on people. For most of us, there would be an initial shock and depressive stage where you don’t do anything for a while because you’re so upset about the bad news. Not our MC, Meg, though. This badass totally not gay™️ witch sets out to break her curse by bringing tears of joy to people. What we end ... up getting is a very well done character driven anime that took us through every emotion from dying of laughter to bawling our eyes out. If you’ve been wanting more Majo no Tabitabi/Elaina, look no further, you got it.

I should temper expectations, AruMajo never gets as dark as Majo no Tabitabi and the best cases from that series are better than the best ones here, but where this show excels and surpasses that show is the character development and cohesive narrative. This is one continuous journey where we see tangible evidence of Meg developing as a character. Every person she meets has an impact on her and we often see them as recurring characters in the story which can be used as frames of reference for how much our girl grows. Meg is a very real protagonist. She’s not perfect, she goes from wanting fame and success to getting that and letting it get to her head to redeeming herself and understanding WHY she has magic in the first place. In an ideal world, every 12 episode anime would handle character progression like this. I want to look at my MC and know they’re a better person at the end of all their struggles in a season.

Most episodes are self contained mini-arcs where Meg has to help someone, but they’re not disjointed. They all feel like they build on the last and the skills and mentality Meg acquired from the last job are always relevant to the next. It’s a very surgical style of storytelling where there’s no fluff or wasted time, which you have to appreciate in modern seasonal anime.

You can’t have great character growth without great supporting characters and this has them in spades. Whether it’s Meg’s adoptive mother or the numerous members of her ever growing lesbian harem, there’s so many fun and memorable characters here that made this a great experience. I really appreciate how everyone introduced is actually plot relevant and moved the story along too. This is a very purposeful story, every episode and interaction has meaning and now that it’s over, it’s really going to leave a hole in my heart. I really fell in love with this story, the characters, the magic mechanics, the unique mix of magical and modern technology, it’s great.

Production wise the show is solid. Nothing to go crazy about save for a few really cool action set pieces, but I like the character designs a lot. The voice acting is also quite good and helped push me over the edge and cry on a few occasions.

I had a lot of fun watching this show every week and came to see Meg as one of the best characters of the season. She’s beautiful, powerful, determined, but most importantly she’s flawed. She isn’t perfect, but she has a profound impact on those around her through her deeds. I think that’s a lesson we can all take from this show... along with magical yuri being awesome.

Arumajo gets 9 broomsticks out of 10.

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