Anime Review: Daemons of the Shadow Realm

Sibling strife and plenty of intrigue in the new anime from the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist

Sibling bonds and sibling conflicts are frequent themes in popular anime. Powerful examples include Sasuske and Itachi in Naruto, Asta and Yuno in Black Clover, and Demon Slayer’s inseparable sister-brother duo Tanjiro and Nezuko. Sibling relations are often a side story in many adventures, adding emotional depth to the characters. In some stories like Fullmetal Alchemist, the sibling relationship is the primary story. Daemons of the Shadow Realm is a new fantasy anime from the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist which brings sibling drama back to the center of the story, but with a twist. Kind, down-to-earth Yuru will do anything to protect his twin sister Asa until he finds out that Asa is not who she appears to be. Neither is his cozy medieval village what it appears to be. The new series is full of plot twists, family angst, lots of betrayal, and plenty of magical creatures who are invisible to the rest of society. In addition to the intriguing premise, the story keeps viewers engaged with its movement between adventure, humor, and very graphic violence. Holding the diverse cast and action-focused plot together is the primary protagonist Yuru, whose particular balance of pure-heartedness and clever, wise cynicism is a refreshing change of pace from the usual shonen heroes.

[SPOILERS for the first episode] Teenaged Yuru lives in a small medieval village with his twin sister Asa. Legend has it that twins born on opposite sides of midnight will have magical destructive power (the power to sunder day and night). This leads to a quiet power struggle by outside forces to control or destroy the children. After their parents disappear, the children are raised by the village. Yuru is mentored in hunting and fighting skills but, for unknown reasons, Asa is kept locked in a cell by the village elders, and Yuru won’t leave the village to search for his parents because he refuses to leave her behind. Despite the strange arrangement, Yuru has strong friendships and support in the village, and remains close to and protective of Asa. But things aren’t what they seem, and everything changes when outsider assassins attack the village and brutally massacre most of the adults. They are led by a dark-haired teen girl who looks somewhat familiar. Yuru and his mentor Ryu (also known as Dera) are able to skillfully defend themselves, but Ryu decides to take Yuru and flee the isolated village. Yuru refuses to leave his sister behind and vows vengeance against the lead killer. But the assassin shares some unexpected news: the little sister he’s been protecting is a fake designed to trap him in the village, and the brutal murderer in front of him is his real sister, who’s been searching for him for years. Then, as he and Ryu flee the magically protected village, Yuru is suddenly exposed to cars, cell phones, and skyscrapers. We learn that Higashi Village is trapped in time but surrounded by contemporary Japan. It’s a lot to take in, but Yuru is surprisingly level-headed as he navigates a completely new world. In the process, he forms a contract with a pair of powerful daemons who fight to protect him. As the world battles around him, he must navigate his powers and fight off those who seek the control him and his sister. All of this is mostly hidden from the rest of the world. Only certain people can see daemons; few people can reach Higashi village, which is hidden from the rest of the world by magic.

But are the people of Higashi Village trying to protect Yuru or use him? Asa has been raised by the powerful Kagemori clan, whose manipulative wealth and crime connections make their intentions suspect. The story is filled with lots of betrayals, plot twists, and power struggles that keep the story enjoyable. But there are also enough sentimental moments to keep the story emotionally anchored. Cynical Ryu becomes a reluctant father figure to Yuru in their modern urban apartment. There are some fun fish-out-of-water moments as Yuru and his giant shadow daemons discover the wonders of modern living. But, despite being mystified by seemingly magical gadgets, Yuru has been raised with strangeness as part of his life, so his humorous fascination is always moderated. The idea of something he can’t understand is already a part of his being. This element is a fun exploration of the wonder of magic versus the wonder of science. And his curiosity is balanced with his solid instincts and a healthy dose of cynicism. After being abandoned by his parents and lied to by those he trusts, and witnessing the massacre of his community, he is not easily fooled by the smooth-talking manipulators who are trying to access his power. Asa, on the other hand, is fierce, cutthroat, and brutal, but she unexpectedly loves intensely, and is completely devoted to the brother she lost. Yuru treats her with bitterness for killing his village, but also with suspicious curiosity, as she genuinely dotes on him and tries to connect with him. Although he won’t forgive her for what she’s done to try to find him, he understands that there are larger issues at play, since control over the combined power of the twins will affect the safety of the entire world.

The pairing of opposites working together is a consistent theme throughout the story. Yuru and other magic wielders have pacts with supernatural beings called daemons. The daemons exist in pairs with opposite identities. Yuru’s daemons are the strong, giant, ancient, male and female warriors named Left and Right, who are fun characters with gorgeous animation and character design. The central story focuses on the twin protagonists who symbolize Day and Night. Yuru represents night and the power of “seal,” locking things down or bringing closure. Asa represents day and the power of “break,” destruction or opening to freedom. The duality symbolism is fun, and many of the various magical characters have their own quirky personalities. Beyond the core characters, the story builds outward with a growing cast that includes the various factions fighting to control the twins. Fortunately, the characters are introduced gradually, which makes it easier to keep track of who everyone is. Other than Yuru, almost all of the characters are morally gray, including Asa, who has no remorse for slaughtering people to get to her brother. This dynamic keeps the tension strong because you never quite know when someone is going to suddenly betray a character. Fortunately, Yuru understands the realities and is clever enough when dealing with the various factions trying to get to him. His balance of youth, curiosity, cleverness, and cynicism makes the show highly watchable without falling into the more common protagonist tropes of either excessive optimism or grumpy bitterness. And the quirky relationship between the lethal siblings is a nice change of pace from the more common protective big brother themes.

So far in season one, Asa feels much less developed than Yuru, but neither of them have extended deep moments of introspection. Fortunately, the brief moments pack a lot of meaning and keep the story grounded. In one passing moment, Yuru realizes and comments out loud that his parents left him behind. There’s not a lot of drama, but viewers can feel the gravity of the hurt in that single sentence. Elements like this keep the show entertaining and engaging despite the growing cast of characters. The show’s premise feels typical, but the delivery is clever and unexpected, with plenty of early plot twists. Additionally, the story gives us a unique and intriguing sibling dynamic that differs from the usual setup of protection or rivalry. Both Asa’s and Yuru’s love for each other has been twisted, leaving the twins to navigate not only the forces battling to control them but also their own personal connection that was brutally damaged through the actions of others. That internal tension is a great way to balance an action-oriented plot in this unique fantasy setting.

Nerd Coefficient: 8/10.

Highlights:

• Refreshing change of pace in the protagonist and relationship set up
• Complicated cast of morally gray characters
• Solid action with plenty of violence

POSTED BY: Ann Michelle Harris – Multitasking, fiction writing Trekkie currently dreaming of her next beach vacation.

Anime Review: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Season Two

Cozy magic vibes and big battles in an entertaining but short season of comfort storytelling

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Season Two continues the story of Frieren, a centuries old, apathetic, eternally youthful, and fiercely powerful elf mage, who begins her next adventure decades after completing a ten-year heroic quest with three teammates whose friendship she didn’t fully appreciate until they were gone. Season One offered a unique style of storytelling featuring a seemingly indifferent protagonist who gradually realizes the value of her past life lessons and her relationships. The combination of poignant growth balanced with fierce battles for survival set the stage for the next level of emotional wisdom and physical strength. This defines Season Two as Frieren’s party journeys to the dangerous Northern Lands. However, with only ten episodes, Season Two is so short that it almost feels like a side quest compared to the twenty-three segments in Season One. The decision seemed to be to adapt the next shorter portion of the manga without venturing into longer story arcs that would end the anime season on a cliff-hanger. Despite the short offering, Season Two has a meaningful tale about the value of protecting one’s community and showcases both Fern and Stark’s substantial growth in strength and emotional maturity compared to the first season. We also see Frieren’s quiet evolution from being socially indifferent to profoundly compassionate after learning the meaning of her past experiences and allowing Fern and Stark form a found family with her.

At the start of Season One, Frieren was wandering aimlessly through life after being a member of the world-famous party of heroes who defeated the oppressive demon king. The group consisted of the heroic and optimistic young leader Himmel; the quirky and kind priest Heiter; and the strong, reliable dwarf warrior Eisen. Years later she is deeply moved by Himmel and Heiter’s deaths, suddenly realizing the connections she had taken for granted. Before dying, the old priest Heiter asked Frieren to mentor Fern a magically gifted orphan girl he had sheltered. Later, the long-lived Eisen, the dwarf warrior, gave Frieren his apprentice, a strong but insecure teenaged boy named Stark. The new trio dealt with a range obstacles throughout their journey, including magical fights, political intrigue, and Fern’s intense journey to be certified as a first class mage. Season One had plenty of spectacular fight scenes but was memorable for its big and small emotional moments between the living and the dead characters. Many key moments were shared in flashback.

Season Two begins with Fern and Stark following Frieren on her journey through the Northern Lands to fulfill a spiritual connection. The emotional dynamic is more settled in Season Two. Instead of being surprised by her memories of Himmel, Frieren openly embraces her connection with him and accepts the changes in herself inspired by her interactions with him and with others whom she belatedly appreciates. Season One ended with Fern earning the rank of a rare first class mage after a fierce competition. In Season Two, on their journey north, Fern, Frieren, and Stark, reconnect with acquaintances from the mage exam and soon find themselves in a fight for their lives and for the protection of the decimated village of their stoic ally, the powerful mage Genau. Instead of creating a major shift in the tone of the story, Season Two confirms Frieren as comfort anime that offers moments of intense action but solidly focuses on character, relationship, and small acts of morality in a cruel world.

In an early episode, Fern’s party takes a job cleaning a statue of the “Hero of the South,” who Stark is surprised to learn is not Himmel. Statues of Himmel appear in random towns along their journey but the story gives a reminder that the famous heroes in history are supported by many others who are forgotten. In the middle of the season, Fern and Stark finally go on a date with mixed results. The big climax of the season is the team aiding top mages Grenau and Methode in a terrifying battle against the mega-demon Revolte. In addition to some emotional flashbacks for the very unemotional Grenau, we get to see the boys, Grenau and Stark team up against the terrifying Revolte, while Frieren, Fern, and the always calm Methode tackle a mega demon of their own.

Despite Frieren’s growing emotional awareness, she retains her pragmatism and her life-saving cynicism. This keeps the story from drifting into over-sentimentality. Similarly, Fern imitates Frieren’s calm and practical tone even when it comes to Stark to whom she is attracted. Stark remains a foil to them both since he is comfortable with being dramatic, and since he has no magic powers and must rely on his extraordinary strength and speed in their battles with demons. Stark becomes the speaker for the audience by calling out outrageous occurrences that Frieren and Fern take in stride. In Season Two, Stark also steps into instinctive and consistent bravery while maintaining his sense of humor. On the other hand, instead of being a blank canvas for others to write on, Frieren becomes the dispenser of wisdom, not just for battle, but for small human interactions with strangers in need. The episodes explore the importance of honoring unsung heroes who fight for justice, protecting the dignity of those in need, and standing with allies in tough times. In a key moment, when asked why she made a certain choice, Fern notes that it was what Frieren would have done.

Despite the very short run, Frieren Season Two delivers a strong collection of comforting, thoughtful stories, carefully balanced with big fight scenes, humor, and quiet emotions while we wait for the next big story arc to take us on a new adventure.

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The Math

Nerd Coefficient: 8/10

Highlights:

• Solid comfort storytelling
• Intense Northern Lands battles
• Strong character growth

POSTED BY: Ann Michelle Harris – Multitasking, fiction writing Trekkie currently dreaming of her next beach vacation.

Anime of the Year Finalists 2026

A strong year for drama yields an intriguing collection of finalists for Crunchyroll’s 2026 Anime of the Year.

2025 was a big year for intense dramas and powerful character explorations in the anime world. The finalists for Anime of the Year, for the most part, reflect this change of focus through an eclectic collection of nominees. Three returning popular series: 2025 nominee The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2), 2025 nominee Dandadan (Season 2), and the long awaited finale of My Hero Academia (The Final Season) face off against three very unique and intense newcomer stories: Gachiakuta, The Summer Hikaru Died, and Takopi’s Original Sin, all competing for the 2026 title of Anime of the Year.

The Apothecary Diaries - Season Two

In its second straight year of being nominated in the top category, The Apothecary Diaries had another strong year building on the momentum of the first season. In an ancient China inspired setting, seventeen year old apothecary Maomao is kidnapped and sold into indentured servitude in the rear palace, the residence for the emperor’s various concubines. Although she decides to keep a low profile and serve out her time, her high intelligence and curiosity get noticed by the gorgeous head eunuch, nineteen year old Jinshi, who promotes Maomao and gets her help to solve a string of palace mysteries and murders. In season two we get the long awaited official revelation of Jinshi’s true identity as well as the culmination of a major political upheaval along with some disturbing family history. There is a faster pace in this season’s storytelling with plenty of action added to the puzzle box mysteries for Maomao to solve, and the season turns up the heat on the continuing slow burn romance between the lead characters.

Dandadan - Season Two

Dandadan Season Two is a slight change of pace from Season One, giving us a single cohesive action story arc and less of the strange sexual humor. Season One of this supernatural comedy adventure explored the origin stories of nerdy teen Ken, nicknamed Okarun, who gets possessed by supernatural powers that create an alter ego super version of himself when needed. And we meet his new friend, outgoing Momo who learns the secrets of her very youthful grandma’s supernatural talents and her family’s connection to the spirit world. Together Okarun and Momo work to fight curses and demons while still making time for school and their awkward budding romance. Eventually, another classmate, the self absorbed Aira, and later Momo’s kindhearted childhood friend Jiji join them in their demon fighting adventures, creating a more defined supernatural squad. Season two involves the group’s attempt to deal with an evil possession in Jiji’s home. The season long story arc has great fight scenes, a poignant backstory for the antagonist, and a very creepy villainous demon/ghost family. While season one alternated jarringly between outrageous slapstick comedy and the profound, tragic backstories of the various demons, Season Two has more even pacing with a single direct adventure, along with lots of teambuilding and character introspection woven into the action. Overall, it’s an enjoyable adventure (in many ways more enjoyable than season one) but less intensely philosophical compared the rest of the nominees for Anime of the Year.

My Hero Academia – Final Season

The long running anime, My Hero Academia, came to a satisfying end in 2025. After starting out as a kid-friendly, colorful, optimistic, sometimes silly, action-adventure, the series gradually became more intense and powerful in the later seasons with plenty of onscreen tragedy, moral gray areas, family drama, and deep societal questions. After years of increasing tension between the heroes and the villains and the rest of society, the final season of MHA did not disappoint. The ending story arc featured an intense and gorgeously animated dual showdown between idealistic Deku and the tragic villain Tomura, as well as the angry, loudmouth young hero Bakugo versus the sociopathic villain, All For One. Additionally, the final episode of the series delivered an unexpectedly thoughtful and powerful message on what it means to truly be a hero in everyday life. The final season was the total package of action, sacrifice, camaraderie, and meaningful messaging, making it a sentimental favorite as the long-running story comes to an end.

Gachiakuta

Newcomer Gachiakuta was the breakout new show of the year. The debut anime featured familiar story elements reimagined through a unique setting with stylish animation, heavy social symbolism, and diverse characters. Gachiakuta is the story of Rudo an outcast orphan from an elevated world, who is unjustly sentenced to death for murder and thrown to his death into the deadly, garbage covered surface world below. However, he unexpectedly survives the fall into the toxic atmosphere and is rescued by the charismatic Enjin who convinces Rudo to grudgingly joins a group of specially gifted people who destroy monsters and fight raiders in the world’s wasteland and allow communities to be created in the dismal surface landscape. The debut season of Gachiakuta, had lots of action, likeable found-family dynamics, stylish character design, and outrageously appealing characters including the antagonists. The story balances traditional shonen action with intense and tragic stories, along with diverse characters and plenty of real world symbolism. The grunge vibe and edgy visuals made it no surprise that Gachiakuta landed an Anime of the Year nomination.

The Summer Hikaru Died

In a complete change of pace, The Summer Hikaru Died forgoes the usual action adventure and delivers a slow paced physical and psychological horror. The Summer Hikaru Died tells the story of Yoshiki, a quiet teen boy whose outgoing best friend Hikaru disappears from their rural community. When his friend returns some time later, Yoshiki is the only one who realizes that the returned person is not the same Hikaru. The story leans into quiet horror elements with sleek, hypnotic animation, as well as the creepy elements of a small village which is isolated and surrounded by supernatural vibes. The series uses thoughtful storytelling and unusual visual symbolism to explore psychological terror as well as the growing, intimate but dysfunctional connection between the two boys. The Summer Hikaru Died is a standout series for its uniquely creepy plot, unusual animation, and quietly clever story execution.

Takopi’s Original Sin

The last finalist for Anime of the Year is the very bleak and disturbing Takopi’s Original Sin. This short series packs a lot of emotional damage into only six episodes. It joins shows like The Promised Neverland that are cute-looking and child-centered but are not appropriate for young children due to the anime’s violent nature. Takopi is a round, pink, bouncy, cheerful, naïve alien who believes its mission is to bring “happiness” through its various magical gadgets. It encounters Shizuka, a physically bullied and meek grade schooler. Takopi’s superficial attempts to cheer her up lead to an unexpectedly tragic outcome. Confused, Takopi rewinds time to change the outcome which leads to more unexpected occurrences. Through the course of the series, we learn more about the backstory of the bullied girl Shizuka, her cruel abuser classmate Marina, and about Azuma, a stressed out young boy who is a mutual acquaintance. As the title implies, there is also another layer of culpability on the part of the irritatingly cheerful and naïve Takopi that is eventually revealed. All of the child characters experience various forms of cruelty from their parents and from each other and gradually descend into increasing physically and psychologically tragic behavior despite their own victimization. Despite moments of redemption and hope, the story is intense, bleak, and full of trigger warnings and is a surprise finalist given its unusual content.

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The nominees for Crunchyroll’s Anime of the Year are, for the most part, a surprising change of pace from the usual shonen adventures. Noticeably absent from the nominations are two of last year’s nominees, including Kaiju No. 8, which had an entertaining but less strong second season, and last year’s winner, Solo Leveling which delivered more of the same escalating adventure in its second season. A perfect fit for this year’s drama-focused collection would have been the always evocative Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, but Frieren’s second season released in 2026, past the cut off point for this category. Overall, this year’s nominees, for the most part, represent a general shift towards intense drama and philosophical explorations rather than primarily action adventure. The collection provides anime fans looking for something more psychologically intense with some solid choices for their future viewing.

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POSTED BY: Ann Michelle Harris – Multitasking, fiction writing Trekkie currently dreaming of her next beach vacation.

Film Review: Scarlet

Something is rotten in the state of human hearts

If I had known in advance how the anime film Scarlet would handle its topic of obsessive revenge, I would have made this post a Double Feature with Redux Redux, because both stories use the devices of their respective genres in a visceral manner to demonstrate the self-destructive poison that is revenge.

Scarlet is a gender-flipped retelling of Hamlet that sends the princess of Denmark to an endless limbo when she accidentally drinks a cup of poison sent by her treacherous uncle before she had a chance to avenge the late king. In that barren landscape of sorrow and regret, she learns that her uncle has also died, so she embarks on a quest to walk across the vast land of the dead to find him and make him pay.

If you’ve ever wondered whether Prince Hamlet should have been more decisive in carrying out his revenge plan, Scarlet answers that that was never the issue. Being quicker to punish his uncle would still have played into the narrative conventions of a tragedy, and the thing about tragedies is that the only person you succeed at punishing is yourself. In that intermediate realm between Earth and the Great Beyond, Princess Scarlet fights waves of assassins sent to make her spirit dissolve into nothing. By willingly adopting the role of tragic heroine, by refusing to abandon her one-woman war, Scarlet has built her own hell.

Interestingly, there’s an element of cosmic retribution at play too, a remote, speechless character who takes the form of a celestial dragon and imparts punishment without the distortion of human passions. This addition to Hamlet lore makes Scarlet resemble the Greek Oresteia, where the impartial, impersonal judgment of the state is introduced to put an end to the self-perpetuating cycle of bloodshed that always results from private vendettas. However, in the case of Scarlet, this replacement is not associated with the state but with a more universal sense of justice, with death as the great equalizer.

Learning this lesson takes Scarlet a long, painful journey over beautifully designed scenery that almost steals the spotlight from the story’s heavy themes. We follow Scarlet through deserts and mountains and oceans that take the breath away with their sublime immensity. Even if the plot’s structure sometimes feels too streamlined and easy, the level of visual artistry more than makes up.

Because the other side has a loose relationship with time, Scarlet is joined by a random newcomer: a recently dead paramedic from present-day Japan, who strangely insists on bandaging every lost soul he meets, including Scarlet’s enemies. Even as she slashes and stabs her way through the land of the dead, he follows close behind, providing comfort to those you’d think are beyond hope. His example turns out to be crucial to her choices at the end of the film: the thing at stake is not only the punishment for the usurper king, but the fate of Denmark. Through this paramedic, Scarlet gets a glimpse of a time (which from her standpoint is the future) when people no longer butcher each other in eternal spirals of hatred. This being a Japanese production, it’s easy to perceive a subtextual allusion to the discussion on the remilitarization of the Japanese state. Can we have a future without more bloodshed? Can we escape this interminable journey between corpses and vengeful spirits?

We don’t have to renounce the entire idea of justice. But if death comes for all, it doesn’t need our help. We can face evil, even punish evil, without punishing ourselves.

Nerd Coefficient: 9/10.

POSTED BY: Arturo Serrano, multiclass Trekkie/Whovian/Moonie/Miraculer, accumulating experience points for still more obsessions.

Anime Review: Sentenced to Be a Hero

An intriguing fantasy premise that would benefit from deeper character development

The Winter 2026 Anime season was loaded with the return of major heavy hitters from the past including Jujutsu Kaisen, Frieren, Fire Force, and Hell’s Paradise. This powerhouse lineup made it hard for new shows to stand out. But, Sentenced to Be a Hero arrived as a debut anime with lots of promise, in both its premise and its animation style. The initial concept was unique and the character design was appealing. While the show is entertaining, it’s hard to say why this promising story doesn’t land as a mega-hit the way one would expect, especially since it seems to check the boxes for a fantasy adventure anime.

Sentenced to Be a Hero is set in a magic medieval like world where knights (soldiers), under the direction of the local military and religious leaders, battle hordes of monstrous creatures (demons) to protect civilians from destruction. The knights are periodically helped by magical creatures known as “goddesses” who have special powers. The series is primarily the story of Xylo Forbartz, a heroic knight who falls into disgrace when he is betrayed in battle and falsely accused of murdering his partner goddess. He tries to explain the circumstances of the goddess’s death but it’s clear the trial is rigged. Instead of being simply executed, he is sentenced to serve as a “hero.” In this culture, “heroes” are executed convicted criminals who are magically brought back to life and forced to protect the kingdom. Since they are convicted criminals, they are looked down on by other knights and by the local people. Each hero is sealed by a spell that grants them miserable immortality. In the event that they are killed they are brought back to life to continue fighting and suffering. However, each reanimation strips them of memories and their humanity.

Xylo is wrongfully convicted and sentenced to an eternity of servitude basically doing the kind of work he was doing when he was a holy knight. However, the heroes have minimal resources and are given the most dangerous assignments including suicide missions. Although they can move around and still exist as seemingly normal humans, they are controlled by seals around their necks and must comply with orders or face a painful death and reanimation. Xylo heads a ragtag team of other convicted heroes, including the fearful thief Dotta, the con-artist Venetim, the slightly unhinged killer Tsav, and the mentally unstable Tatsuya. There is also, Norgalle a strong, older fighter, who lives under a delusion that he is a benevolent king. Dotta stumbles upon and steals a box containing a new immature goddess Teoritta. Teoritta insists on forging a pact with Xylo despite his reluctance due to his prior bad experience with his previous goddess. However, when an attack by swarms of demons puts hundreds of military lives at risk, he capitulates and accepts her help. He and his ragtag team of enslaved heroes are forced to assist a squad of knights under the leadership of Captain Kivia, a woman who initially distrusts Xylo but eventually becomes a grudging ally. The rest of the series focuses on various battles and rescue missions involving the growing demon horde and the search for the various demon lords who control them. Along the way we are introduced to more members of Xylo’s team who apparently don’t always fight together, including dragon rider, Jayce and creepy, overly polite soldier Rhyno. Eventually, we learn the story of how several members of team became trapped as heroes. In almost all of the cases, the heroes are sentenced unjustly as part of a corrupt government cover up. Manipulating all of this drama are shady religious leaders, undercover demons, and local demon sympathizers who are happy to betray humanity.

Although each member of Xylo’s team has a distinct name and an overtly referenced personality type (thief, con-artist, killer, dragon-rider), I often found myself double checking who was being referred  when a name was mentioned. The supporting characters were conceptually interesting, but in the execution of the story, they seemed underdeveloped and not fully emotionally engaging. Unlike other anime where the side characters are essential to understanding the main protagonist, these supporting characters are mostly limited in terms of evoking emotions from the viewers. Even Xylo himself doesn’t reveal much about his backstory (family, upbringing, childhood trauma) and doesn’t meaningfully evolve over the very short season. Xylo is grumpy, understandably cynical, and pragmatic. He is paired with the newly birthed “goddess” Teoritta who is sunshiny, childlike, and egotistically optimistic. Even though she is called a goddess, Teoritta is basically still a person and vulnerable to being killed despite her magical powers. Teoritta is distinctly portrayed as childlike and not as a romantic interest. She is similar to Sylph, Yuno’s bossy, possessive, sprite-like wind spirit companion in Black Clover. Her personality is a contrast to the general serious vibe of the other characters. Teoritta and the other goddesses rely on praise to bring meaning to their lives and she is constantly asking praise from Xylo who is initially belligerent to her in a classic grumpy-sunshine trope. Xylo and the supporting characters are likeable but underdeveloped and the series relies more on the political plot than the interpersonal relationships to tell the story

Battling demons to save humanity is a story that has been done often, including in shows like Black Clover, Fire Force, Frieren, and even Bleach. Sentenced to Be a Hero revisits this popular story concept with a fresh premise of the forced sentenced heroes. But once the story gets rolling, the ultimate execution still feels like something we’ve seen before. As such, it is reasonably entertaining but not as innovative and uniquely engaging as it could be. Most major and popular anime have a moment that builds a surprising emotional connection with the viewers through a poignant moment, a tearjerker scene, a stunning moment of battle, a unique character introspection, or at least powerful and inspiring character camaraderie. Those elements are mostly missing from Sentenced to be a Hero. Fortunately, towards the end of this very short season, there are some big revelations and surprising developments that help make up for the intervening flat moments. Ironically, the person with the biggest character arc is the initially antagonistic Kivia, as she experiences a major shift in her worldview. Xylo primarily only evolves onscreen in terms of his treatment of Teoritta, as he gradually grows more protective of her when he realizes how many people want to hurt her. Surprisingly, one of the other best characters, is Frenci, Xylo’s former fiancé who is clever, cynical, and loyal to Xylo. Her status as fiancé also indirectly provides some abstract insight into Xylo’s prior life.

Beyond these small insights, Xylo, remains mainly stoic, vacillating mostly from annoyance to irritation. It’s not until around the seventh episode that we see him actually smiling. His perpetual baseline of irritation makes sense given the premise that the heroes are generally like inmates, not friends, and are not very emotionally connected to each other. That kind of emotionless presentation may make sense for the story concept, but it is hard to pull off without risking disconnect. Frieren is an example of a show with an initially stoic protagonist. However, over time she became a much more complex character. Solo Leveling is another series with little emotional content or fleshed out characters, but it still manages to be entertaining due to the intense and creative video game inspired action. The battles and victories in Sentenced to be a Hero are often overshadowed by the pervasive sense of injustice that are an inherent part of the corruption story. Fortunately, there are a few positive moments of inspiration where the townspeople show appreciation and even Xylo has a moment of surprise at being shown gratitude. 

Overall, Sentenced to be a Hero is a reasonably entertaining show that has a unique initial premise. But the overall plot feels familiar and the characters are underdeveloped in a way that risks disengagement, despite some dramatic moments in the series. Diving deeper into the characters in the future would be a risk that could be worth the payoff, especially given the short season.

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The Math

Nerd Coefficient: 7/10

Highlights:

• Unique and intriguing premise
• Little character development or story energy
• Complicated list of characters navigating a familiar plot structure in short season

POSTED BY: Ann Michelle Harris – Multitasking, fiction writing Trekkie currently dreaming of her next beach vacation.

TV Review: One Piece Live Action – Season Two

Picking up the pace with more quirky characters, lots of fighting, and some tearjerker moments as Season 2 sails into the Grand Line.

After a long wait, the second season of Netflix’s One Piece live action series has finally arrived. Season One of One Piece was a hit with a range of fans as it explored the adventures of a pirate boy and his ragtag crew. Due to the quirky nature of anime in general, it’s normally a challenge to bring those fantastical stories and characters to life in a live action format. Fortunately, Season One managed to navigate the source material’s wild visuals and storytelling to create a show that appealed to everyone from complete newcomers to superfans. The show has strong diversity in its characters and great character chemistry which draws the audience in. In Season One we met the five original Straw Hat crew members, one at a time, with pacing that allowed for poignant backstories and the development of strong character chemistry in the midst of some big adventures. In Season Two, the slower pace is gone, and the show dives right into a dizzying array of new, outlandish characters along with lots of fight scenes brought on by the busy new antagonist, Baroque Works. While the new adventures lack the wonder of the first season, the characters are still charming and the adventures are still entertaining, particularly for long time fans.

Summary: Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) is an enthusiastic adolescent boy in pursuit of his dream to become a pirate and to ultimately become the “king” of the pirates. To do this he must find a hidden treasure known as the One Piece. Luffy gradually assembles a rag-tag but loyal crew to join him on his hunt for the One Piece which is hidden in a dangerous place known as the Grand Line. Among his crew are Zoro (Mackenyu), a fierce and cynical swordfighter; Nami (Emily Rudd), a cartographer and navigator; Usopp (Jacob Romero), a shipbuilder with a knack for exaggeration; and Sanji (Taz Skylar), a suave chef who is talented at both cooking and fighting. Luffy calls his crew the Straw Hat Pirates in honor of the straw hat he wears. Season 2 begins with Luffy and his crew finally entering the Grand Line and realizing how much they underestimated its wild nature and complicated politics. The primary antagonist for the second season is an assassin agency known as Baroque Works whose oddball killers target Luffy and his crew. But things get more complicated when Luffy comes to the aid of Vivi, an undercover princess, and meets a shapeshifting reindeer named Chopper. 

While the first season did a good job of entertaining a wide range of viewers, Season Two seems more targeted to established fans. Many of the new villains appear with little introduction and the plot moves fast as new obstacles and new adventures arrive. But, as in the first season, we are helped out by explanatory signs that fly onto the screen when a new character is introduced. The design and presentation are different from the first season, but it’s still a helpful tool, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve consumed the anime and don’t immediately catch the characters’ outlandish visual cues. The new adventure brings to life episodes of the anime’s early story arcs including the amusing giants of Little Garden and the tragic oppressed kingdom of Drum Island. As the plot and the pirate ship move along, several of the show-stealing characters from the live action’s first season are left behind, or only have brief moments on screen, including pirate captain Buggy the Clown, the pure-hearted Koby, and the stern marine commander Garp.

Fortunately, Season Two adds appealing new characters with particularly good acting. Among the best are the determined Princess Vivi, played by Bridgerton’s Charithra Chandan, and the stalwart, guilt-ridden Drum Island soldier Dalton (Ty Keough), the ultimate green flag hero who finds his true strength. But the most fun arrivals are the sweet and much awaited, Tony Tony Chopper (Mikaela Hoover) and his gruff mentor Dr. Kureha (perfectly played by Katy Sagal). One Piece stands out in anime for its particularly fantastical characters in very outlandish costumes. The live action show does a good job of adapting the character designs, rather than just directly copying them, so they fit in a real-life setting. This is especially true for the adorable Chopper, an orphaned reindeer who gets turned into a human-reindeer hybrid after eating a magical devil fruit. Chopper is the kind of character who seems impossible to pull off in a live action but the show succeeds in making him believably real and endearing, rather than artificial and creepy. Like Golum in the Lord of the Rings movie, Chopper is presented via motion capture so the facial expressions are heartbreakingly engaging.

Some of the future main characters like Brook and Nico Robin appear briefly as set ups for future story arcs in future seasons. The main plot of Season Two is Baroque Works versus the Straw Hat Pirate. With so many Baroque Works agents the story focuses more on adventure and fights and less on the slow moments of character introspection that we saw in Season One. However, we do get some thoughtful and emotionally impactful intervals with the tragic stories of Chopper and his former mentor Dr. Hiruluk, and also with Dalton finding his voice and strength to deal with the despotic oppression of his people. There is even a rare quiet moment of Sanji recalling cooking for his sick mother when he was a child.

While Season Two doesn’t have the same magic of the first season, it is still a fun adventure that manages to capture some moments of emotional storytelling and manages to showcase some appealing new characters. The pacing is fast and the tale feels like it is over quickly, leaving viewers anticipating the next adventure in the Grand Line. But overall, long time fans will enjoy seeing more of the major characters come to life in this latest wild adventure.

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The Math

Nerd Coefficient: 7/10

Highlights:

• Faster pacing, more fighting
• Appealing new characters
• Emotional moments buried in the non-stop action

POSTED BY: Ann Michelle Harris – Multitasking, fiction writing Trekkie currently dreaming of her next beach vacation.

Anime Review: Spy x Family: Season 3

Spy x Family returns for a bold, emotional, and action packed season 3.

Anime seasons ebb and flow, with some seasons feeling slower and others being absolutely amazing. After an uneven second season, everyone’s favorite fake family has returned in fierce form for an action-filled and emotion packed Season 3. The latest stories of super-spy Loid, lethal assassin Yor, mind-reader Anya, (and clairvoyant dog Bond), are poignant, stressful, and very entertaining.

Spy x Family takes place in Ostania, a fictional 1960’s style country in a cold war with its enemy, the neighboring Westalis. To prevent another devastating war between the neighboring countries, a cynical Westalis super-spy (Agent Twilight) is ordered to spy on an extremely reclusive Ostanian political party leader. The only way to do this is to enroll a child in the elite Ostanian private school that the political leader’s son attends. To create the required fake family, the spy takes on the fabricated identity of psychiatrist Loid Forger and adopts young Anya from an orphanage but is unaware that the child is a telepath. He then meets Yor, a sweet and kind city hall clerk who needs a fake marriage to help with her own job security because, in Ostania, single women over a certain age are often suspected of being spies or insurgents. Unbeknownst to Loid, his new wife Yor is secretly an elite assassin. Yor is genuinely kind when she’s not killing people at her night job, but she is a little clueless when it comes to normal life and she is unaware that mild-mannered Loid is a super-spy. 

Only telepathic Anya knows the truth about her adoptive parents’ true identities but, thanks to her obsession with violent crime tv shows, Anya finds Loid’s and Yor’s hidden occupations to be very exciting. After a wild adventure, the family adopts a clairvoyant dog they name Bond but only Anya can sense Bond’s premonitions about the future. Rounding out the cast are Anya’s grade school classmates, Damian, the political target’s young son, and Becky, a pampered but friendly heiress. We also meet Franky, the comic relief informant, and we meet Yor’s stressed out younger brother Yuri, whom she helped raise after their parents died. Unbeknownst to Yor, her brother is a member of the secret police who is suspicious of Loid. Because Loid, Yor, and Anya are all orphans, the show emphasizes the importance of both biological and chosen family ties. The balance of cuteness and violence is what sets the story apart, especially with a cast of funny supporting characters, all with 1960’s fashionable clothing and a cool retro setting. 

Season 3 has three primary story arcs. The first and strongest arc is the long awaited deep dive into Loid’s backstory. Throughout the series, we are reminded that “Loid” is a fake name for the spy “Twilight” which a fake name for a person whose true identity remains a mystery, even to viewers. Like Sai in Naruto Shippuden, Loid/Twilight has lost his original identity and takes on a new transient persona for every job. Also like Sai, Loid begins to change when he takes on a role in his new found family that reignites his long hidden emotions. But who was Loid before he accepted his life of deception? Other than a few fleeting flashes of a crying child, we know nothing about Loid other than that he suffered the devastation of war. Over a series of beautifully written episodes in Season 3, we learn about Loid’s creative childhood friends, his harsh father, his protective mother, and the idyllic town in which he was born. Without revealing his or his parents’ names, the story shows us how he went from being a playful imaginative boy to being a war orphan, then a jaded soldier (including a poignant early encounter with his current informant Franky), and eventually accepting recruitment into the spy program. After losing everything he loved, he learns to be distrustful of others and to use deceit to survive. However, despite the repeated negative impressions of the Ostonians who attacked his country, it is ironic to see how close and protective he has become of his make-believe Ostonian family. 

The second major story is a terrorist hijacking of Anya’s school bus. Conveniently for the plot, Loid and Yor are unavailable to help, which means this story is focused on Anya and her school crew who are on their own against a violent group of hostage takers. Unlike Loid’s backstory arc, the hijacking episodes have lots of traditional Spy x Family humor notwithstanding the tense premise. Despite the weapons pointed at her, Anya’s mindreading gives her an upper hand with the kidnappers as does Damian’s grumpy bravery and protectiveness, and Becky’s cleverness and loyalty. But the key to cracking the situation occurs when Anya discovers tragedy involving the main hijacker’s daughter and her involvement in a political protest. This gut-punch of sadness sits in sharp contrast to the primary humor and adventure tone of the story. 

The third major story is the spy conflict that ultimately pits Loid against his brother-in-law Yuri in a tense battle of wits and fists. Loid’s Westalis spy agency is betrayed by a double agent who steals their information and plans to sell that data, including the identity of their agents, to Ostania. Loid is ordered to stop the traitor before he makes it to his meeting with the Ostanian secret police. Unfortunately, Yor’s brother Yuri is part of the squad meeting the traitor and he is on the lookout for the famous spy Twilight to make his move. After much speculation throughout the series, we finally see Loid and Yuri facing each other in their true spy versus secret police personas. The result is intense and fast paced excitement with just enough family drama and irony to tie it together. 

A shorter but still funny mini-story is the introduction of Damian’s seemingly cheerful mother, Melinda whose encounter with Yor leads to a day of fun in which Yor repeatedly and inadvertently shows off her superhuman strength. However, in the hijacking arc we later find out that Melinda’s cheerful exterior hides disturbing thoughts and emotions towards her mostly neglected son. 

A common thread throughout the third season is the importance of family in all of its various forms. A second, less endearing theme, is the harm caused by authoritarian regimes and political machinations. Spy x Family’s premise is modeled on regimes that are politically repressive. Yor was originally willing to accept the fake marriage because being a single woman makes her look suspicious in their society. However, in Season 3 we truly get to see how repressive a society Ostania is. We also finally get to see Yor’s brother Yuri in action as an agent of the Ostanian Secret Police. His single-minded dedication to the government is unsettling, especially since it is the same government that puts people at risk just for being “different.” Overall, Season 3 of Spy x Family has the strongest storytelling thus far. It dives into difficult subjects and pauses the humor long enough to do those moments justice. But there are still moments of the traditional Spy x Family dark comedy, especially with Anya having to navigate a dangerous situation with the help of her elite school classmates instead of her super powered parents. This combination of intense storytelling and complex emotions make Season 3 of Spy x Family the strongest so far.

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The Math

Nerd Coefficient: 8/10

Highlights:

• Tragic and poignant backstory
• Big themes of family and political machinations
• Strongest storytelling so far

POSTED BY: Ann Michelle Harris – Multitasking, fiction writing Trekkie currently dreaming of her next beach vacation.

Anime Review: My Hero Academia — The Final Season

It’s the end of an era and My Hero Academia sticks the landing in the final season

It’s hard to believe the iconic anime My Hero Academia has come to an end. After multiple feature films and eight seasons of escalating battles, emotional struggles, physical loss, and societal betrayals, the series has wrapped up with a satisfying conclusion that doesn’t hesitate to lean into the imperfections of the characters and the reality of loss, while still leaving viewers with a profound sense of hopefulness. The long-running series follows the adventures of Izuku (Deku) Midoriya, a determined boy whose dream of being a hero inspires a diverse range of heroes, antagonists, and ordinary people, while he battles his own inner demons. MHA started out as a traditional underdog shonen anime with bright animation, fantastical character designs, and a feel-good plot. It seemed to be the kind of comfort adventure anime to enjoy without a lot of emotional exhaustion or complexity. Soon retail stores and cosplayers were diving into the show’s colorful palette and fun costumes. But early on, MHA began to dig deeper into its characters’ psyches and into the problems of families and of society as a whole. In between the energetic fight scenes and inspiring training montages, the show dealt with child abuse, domestic violence, racism, and mistrust of the government. After eight seasons and a significant last episode time skip, the characters grow from optimistic children into mature, flawed, emotionally complex adults. The last episode delivered an unexpectedly thoughtful and quietly powerful ending, one which embraced both imperfection and hope in its final message that everyone can (and needs to be) a hero on some level. This full-circle moment from the first episode of the first season was a powerful way to end the saga and answer the question of what it really means to be a hero.

[Spoilers for earlier seasons] My Hero Academia is the story of a near-future version of Earth, where a genetic mutation eventually causes most humans to be born with some variation of special powers (“quirks”). Those with particularly strong powers are sent to academies to be trained as licensed superheroes (simply called “heroes”). The protagonist, Izuku Midoriya (a.k.a. Deku), is one of the few children born with no special power (quirk) at all. Not even a minor one. But he idolizes the ridiculously brash and popular number one ranked hero, Toshinori (a.k.a. All-Might), and dreams of somehow becoming a hero to fight the violent superpowered villains who plague the country. After a dangerous act of bravery, Izuku is secretly gifted a transferable superpower from All-Might, who can no longer fully maintain it due to a critical injury. Izuku now has the potential for super strength, super speed, and super agility. He enrolls in UA, the top hero academy, where he trains his body to accommodate and control the enormous and dangerous power he’s been gifted. While at UA, he builds bonds with his teachers and friendships with his fellow students, who have a range of powers, personalities, and complicated backstories. But the idealistic setup is upended when a group of superpowered villains directly attack the children at the school, leading to a long term-battle over the next seven seasons that exposes upsetting truths and pits the young heroes not just against the villains but also against society itself and their own personal traumas.

MHA starts out as a kid-friendly, colorful, inspiring hero adventure with a simplistic plot: heroes versus villains and natural disasters. In fact, the main antagonists are a criminal group simply known unironically as “The League of Villains.” But, like all good shonen, the story quickly takes an intense turn. Deku’s powerful but stoic classmate Shoto is a victim of child abuse with a disturbing backstory which involves domestic violence by his father, the number two rank hero, against his mother, who is also a hero. Deku also encounters a child, Eri, who appears to be kidnapped and abused, and he struggles to help her in the face of societal denials that anything is wrong. When the heroes lose a major battle, much of society turns against them and against Deku in particular. The country begins to question the usefulness and trustworthiness of heroes and the government. Viewers see how easily people can be manipulated when fear and distrust take over. The fantastical character design of some of the heroes turns into an exploration of racism, as Deku learns about the bigotry faced by his classmates who are heteromorphs, those whose quirks create unusual physical features. We also see Deku’s journey to physical and emotional resilience while holding on to his core values. And we see Deku’s childhood friend and antagonist Bakugo progress from a loudmouth bully to becoming a true hero who is willing to sacrifice everything.

Building on all this, the final season dives into lots of climactic emotional intensity and plenty of powerful moments, including the final critical battles against the two main villains, with Deku versus the tragic and tortured Tomura, and Bakugo versus the sociopathic All For One. The final storytelling is elevated, showing the full heroic redemption arc of former antagonist Bakugo. We also see Deku’s maturity as he faces devastating physical damage and a high cost for his choices. The animation and music are powerful, and the character design of the two final heroes is symbolic, making them look more serious, mature, and less cartoonish in a way that reflects their inner development and the intensity of this final fight for their lives. The entire UA class gets in on the action, and the final battles also provide an opportunity for cameos from prior side characters from the MHA feature films or from earlier seasons. So many familiar faces cheering on the heroes is a nice way to signal the end of the larger story.

Unfortunately, a drawback of the series has been the two-dimensional treatment of the main villain All For One. However, in the final season, through a flashback, we finally learn the full backstory of All For One (a.k.a. Zen) and his peaceful younger brother Yoichi, the original owner of Deku's transferrable power. We see how their desperate childhood led to abuse, violence, and to Zen’s obsession with power and control over Yoichi. That twisted love and obsession ultimately fueled a decades-long battle between the brothers that reshaped the fate of the heroes and the country. There is a nice symmetry in the brutal Zen having the power to take while the kindhearted Yoichi has the power to give, with those opposite concepts defining “evil” versus “good” in the series.

For a show that started out playfully, the ultimate story arc and messaging became surprisingly insightful, particularly in this final season. The perpetually optimistic Deku had dark moments in prior seasons and eventually became an outcast vigilante. In season 8, Deku again experiences significant loss, and he is forced to make peace with an imperfect reality. In an intriguing scene, Deku talks with Spinner, an incarcerated villain, who calls Deku a murderer. Instead of arguing or crying about it, Deku calmly admits that he is indeed a killer when needed. The two have an odd conversation that acknowledges their significantly different worldviews but sparks inspiration in both of them.

The final season emphasizes the need for a cross-section of people to create the world we want to live in. Not just physically powerful fighters, but also engineers, teachers, people of different abilities, and ordinary members of society, because, as the final season shows us, physical power may be flashy and fun, but it is fleeting. Eight seasons ago, MHA began with a tearful Deku asking the cliched question, Can I be a hero? In a key moment in the final episode, two random characters, an aged grandmother and an abused boy, have an interaction that answers that question: Not only can ordinary people be heroes, but they need to be. Not in flashy ways, but in small, ordinary acts of compassion and courage. In the final season, many of the former heroes have suffered irreparable injuries and are gone from the traditional arena. But in that full-circle moment with two random people, we see the way small acts of kindness or courage can literally change the world. A major theme of the show is to go beyond our comfort level to do the right thing. Hopefully, it will help all of us to better understand what it truly means to be a hero.

Nerd Coefficient: 8/10.

Highlights:

• Ultimately satisfying despite some sad moments
• Solid ending with profound messaging
• Big fights, big emotions, and quiet introspection lead to a powerful final season

POSTED BY: Ann Michelle Harris – Multitasking, fiction writing Trekkie currently dreaming of her next beach vacation.

Anime Review: 7th Time Loop

There's a little bit of everything in this compact time loop/romance/action/adventure

Anime series usually fall into distinct categories: shonen adventure, romance, magic and fantasy, portal adventure, etc. Seventh Time Loop is a fun, compact story that offers a little bit of all the things viewers might want from an anime. Its full title is: The Seventh Time Loop: The Villainess Lives a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy. Although it seems to tell the complete story, the title is intentionally misleading. The protagonist Rishe is not a villain, and her life in her seventh time loop is not at all carefree.

Rishe is a young noblewoman forced into an engagement to her kingdom’s arrogant prince. When false rumors paint Rishe as a villain, the prince denounces her and publicly cancels the engagement. Rishe takes the opportunity to flee and start life anew in an unexpected trade. However, she is eventually killed and reborn into the same moment of the original engagement being broken. In the style of Russian Doll, Groundhog Day, or Source Code, Rishe restarts her life with all the knowledge she amassed from her prior incarnations. In each time loop, Rishe has extended time to build skills, find practical mentors, create friendships, and learn about the world before she dies. Through her various incarnations she learns, with the help of others, to be a maid, a merchant, an herbalist, an academic scientist, a soldier, and other practical tasks, and she becomes stronger and smarter after each life.

In each time loop Rishe’s death is, directly or indirectly, brought about by Arnold, the cruel prince of a neighboring kingdom whose warmongering brings, in various forms, destruction to Rishe. However, in her seventh reincarnation, Rishe has had enough of her fate being controlled by both princes. She tells off her fiancé and jumps from a balcony to escape. She is intercepted by the same prince Arnold, who stabbed her to death when she was a soldier in her last life. Arnold is powerful, sharp-tongued, and stoic, but intrigued by Rishe’s fierce, unladylike behavior. Fascinated, he immediately proposes to her. With several caveats, Rishe decides to accept in the hopes that a closer relationship to her six-time killer may give her insight into him and possibly help her bring peace to the realms.

In many romance anime stories, the protagonist is shy, unpopular, or otherwise insecure, and is constantly dazzled or flustered by the other stronger/more popular/richer person’s attention. In Seventh Time Loop we don’t have that sort of unbalanced dynamic. Rishe is smart, physically strong, and very clever. Arnold is the same. Arnold is confident, although stoic, and he knows Rishe is no ordinary princess. Intellectually, Rishe has the upper hand, since she has relived this existence six times. The cat-and-mouse dynamic is reminiscent of the always entertaining The Apothecary Diaries but without the mystery elements. Both characters call each other out when they detect deception or manipulation.

However, the slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance takes a back seat to explorations of a range of issues, including class oppression, the role of women, using commerce to help build economic stability, and the unending cost of war. Since Rishe has lived life as everything from a scullery maid to a royal to a merchant to a soldier to an academic, she has insight into options other than war and oppression. But these are the options Arnold feels compelled towards. In each episode she uses one of her past experiences to redirect Arnold.

In addition to Rishe’s time looping, we also get insight into Arnold’s backstory, including how his abusive father shaped his bitter personality and led to a toxic relationship with his troubled younger brother. The story also introduces likeable side characters from various aspects of Rishe’s reincarnations. For those who like action and adventure, there is plenty of sword fighting, palace intrigue, war flashbacks, family drama, and political upheaval. For those who like romance, there is plenty of witty parlor banter (in the vibe of Queen Charlotte), ballroom scenes, and swoon-worthy moments between our bold heroine and her morally gray fiancé. The writers do a good job of painting Prince Arnold as a complex and problematic but still potentially redeemable character. In the vibe of Bon Appetit, Your Majesty, the time travel premise provides a perfect device for subtly redirecting a tyrant.

For fans of The Apothecary Diaries, this is an ideal short series to tide you over until the next season finally drops. But, the storytelling is more linear and direct, and lacks mystery elements or extended moments of introspection. The overall tone and animation style is much more simplistic. And the historical setting means there will be plenty of troubling content to wrestle with without resolution because of the short length of the series. However, despite these limitations, Seventh Time Loop packs a lot of entertainment, social commentary, humor, and adventure into twelve very bingeable episodes. With optimistic, brightly colored animation, and a pragmatic point of view, the series provides balanced storytelling with just enough adventure, moral depth, romance, and humor to keep you satisfied.

Nerd Coefficient: 8/10.

Highlights:

• Slow burn, time travel romance
• Clever exploration of social issues
• Compact, linear storytelling

POSTED BY: Ann Michelle Harris – Multitasking, fiction writing Trekkie currently dreaming of her next beach vacation.

Anime Review: The Summer Hikaru Died

Creepy, artistic, poignant, coming of age, horror

The Summer Hikaru Died is a unique, hypnotic, creepy horror series with lots of coming of age angst addressing the stress of social and family pressures. The series is a perfect addition to the list of cerebral horror stories for those who don’t always like horror, but enjoy solid, mind-bending storytelling. High school age Yoshiki is devastated when his best friend Hikaru goes missing in the creepy mountains in their rural village. Hikaru is cheerful, funny, outgoing, and popular, whereas Yoshiki is more serious and reserved. The boys have been close friends since childhood, growing up in a small town where everyone knows each other. Hikaru is found safe a week later and his family and friends rejoice but Yoshiki is the only one who realizes this returned person is not the same Hikaru. When Yoshiki confronts the returned Hikaru, Hikaru admits the deception and quickly reveals his inhuman nature but states he wants to live as a human in Hikaru’s body. Hikaru asks Yoshiki to keep his secret because he doesn’t want to have to kill Yoshiki, (but he will). Yoshiki, in a moment of grief, decides that he would rather have this monster version of Hikaru instead of truly facing his loss. However, Hikaru’s presence begins to attract grotesque spirits and a mercenary demon hunter. All of this leads to disturbing revelations about the town’s dark past and danger for Yoshiki and his friends and family.

The Summer Hikaru Died is a clever combination of horror, coming of age, and friendship that artistically addresses deep questions about grief, identity, and the value of human life. Most of these themes are explored through Hikaru himself. The returned Hikaru has the face and persona and memories of the original young, fun-loving boy. But he is also lethal, physically monstrous, and comfortable killing innocent people. Through their strange friendship Yoshiki tries to teach Hikaru to respect life and understand emotional connection to others. Over time we also learn the secret backstory of the real Hikaru and the troubling history hidden by his family. This mix of slice of life, horror, and coming of age is vaguely reminiscent of the first two seasons of Stranger Things. However, the result is much more subtle and hypnotic.

The art design of the show is highly unique and captures the quiet horror aesthetic by contrasting normal slice of life vibes with sudden terror. The characters are drawn in soft lines with flowing movements that exude the soft fluid vibe of Studio Ghibli. However, that softness is dramatically contrasted with jump scares of shadowy, grotesque humanoid monsters with fearful faces. Additionally, the animated scenes are sometimes interrupted with abrupt real-live photographs, jarringly interposed on an intense moment. Even ordinary moments are given a creepy vibe by using unusual “camera” angles. For example, in one passing scene, Yoshiki is buying items at a small grocery store while the middle aged cashier gossips non-stop about the problems she perceives in Yoshiki’s family. We see the cashier from various angles including an odd view looking up at her face from below and close ups of her mouth. The criticism filled conversation is punctuated by the incessant beeping of the scanner and strange views of a cat shaped speaker near the register. All of this happens while Yoshiki stressfully absorbs the cheerily delivered comments about how messed up his family is. That small scene is filled with as much macabre tension as another scene where a very creepy monster directly attacks Yoshiki in the woods.

While the art design and the primary plot emphasize, and solidly deliver, traditional horror, the series is, fortunately, not oppressively grim. The creatures who haunt the town are more creepy than horrific and the violence is mostly off camera. In fact, much of the show is focused on Hikaru moving from faking an understanding of society (through his acquired memories) to actually seeking to truly understand his community. Through Yoshiki, Hikaru is encouraged to develop a taste for treats and to bond with their fellow classmates, Asaka, Maki, and Yuki. However, the show deliberately chooses genuine and terrifying complexity in the boys’ relationship rather than a happy linear redemption story. Hikaru and Yoshiki’s interactions becomes more fraught as Hikaru fails to maintain control and Yoshiki realizes how dangerous Hikaru is and is forced to make an upsetting choice. Against this backdrop, the series explores larger life themes of sexuality as well as societal and family pressures. Hikaru openly teases Yoshiki about possibly being attracted to him and the two have highly unusual and terrifying symbolic intimate moments in the form of body horror. It’s all so well done that it feels both hypnotic and horrifying at the same time.

The only disappointing element of the series is the subplot about the hired demon hunter, Tanaka. After a promising introduction in the early episodes, the character mostly just lurks and doesn’t offer up any helpful content to build the story. The other old men who hire him (and constantly yell at him) are equally problematic in their lack of usefulness to the story. Every monster movie needs a stereotypical monster hunter to explain the monster and to add tension. However, this character, despite periodic encounters with Hikaru and Yoshiki, ends up not really contributing anything in either of those regards—at least not in the current season.

The Summer Hikaru Died offers an unusual story in a gorgeously intellectual and artistic horror palette. Although I’m not primarily a horror fan, I do enjoy a well-executed, low gore, cerebral horror. The Summer Hikaru Died is fascinating, engaging, creepy, and disturbing, and is definitely the kind of show that is worth a re-watch to catch the subtle hints and one of a kind art design. The quiet storytelling and fluid art style stand out from most other anime and deliver an engaging experience on multiple levels. If you are in the mood for something creepy and emotionally fascinating, this story of a boy and a monster navigating life and death in rural Japan is definitely worth watching.

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The Math

Nerd Coefficient: 8/10

Highlights:

• Engaging, cerebral horror
• Thoughtfully presented themes of sexuality as well as societal and family pressures
• Unique animation elements

POSTED BY: Ann Michelle Harris – Multitasking, fiction writing Trekkie currently dreaming of her next beach vacation.

Anime Review: Gachiakuta

Classic story elements reimagined with unique animation, heavy social symbolism, and diverse characters

Imagine a world with extreme class stratifications and aggressive indifference to the environment, where policing is extreme and justice is arbitrary. Gachiakuta brings viewers a new allegory for society’s shortcomings by using a fantastical concept to deal with real life issues. With heavy symbolism and archetypal characters, a gray world of trash, treasure, graffiti, and monsters becomes the dystopian setting for an angry child’s coming-of-age story.

Young Rudo lives in an elevated world called the Sphere, where society is divided into two geographically separate classes: the wealthy, snobbish elite and the poor, struggling working class that is despised by the elite. The community is policed by white-uniformed officers known as the Apostles. Rudo is an angry antisocial orphan being raised by his compassionate and thoughtful foster father. His biological father was executed by the elite’s police system, and the fate of his biological mother is not explained. His only connection is a pair of unusual gloves inherited from his biological father.

Rudo is an outcast even in his outcast community. He is obsessed with secretly repairing discarded items from the garbage, although doing so is not allowed in their society. In a moment of courage, he gifts a carefully repaired toy stuffed animal to a young girl who is his only friend in the Sphere.

Rudo’s poverty-stricken outcast existence is upended when he comes home to find his beloved adoptive father murdered. In the Sphere, those believed to be criminals are hung over an abyss and publicly dropped to their deaths as the preferred form of execution. Rudo is quickly blamed for the death, despite opposing evidence, and is sentenced to public execution even though he is only a child. No one supports him or comes to his defense, not even the girl he befriended. However, he somehow survives the very far fall to the hellish surface world below, which is covered with the bones of other victims, dangerous garbage, toxic air, and lethal monsters.

He is rescued by Enjin, a charismatic masked young man who helps Rudo survive in his new world. Enjin is part of a group called the Cleaners, specially gifted people who destroy the monsters in the wasteland and allow semi-safe communities to be created in other areas of the dismal surface world. The Cleaners use spiritually infused objects to channel their powers into individual weapons called vital instruments. Rudo’s special fighting prowess, through a series of unfortunate events, alerts Enjin that Rudo also has the power to be a Cleaner. However, Rudo just wants to find a way to return to the Sphere to kill those who wrongfully condemned him and those who murdered his adoptive father.

Throughout his time on the surface world, Rudo hones his fighting skills and reluctantly builds friendships with an eclectic team of fighters, support workers, and artists in the grungy Cleaner community. He also encounters various antagonists, all with unique motivations and some with disturbing and upsetting backstories.

Gachiakuta initially seems like a traditional coming-of-age shonen, drawing on elements of classic stories such as Naruto, Black Clover, and My Hero Academia. However, the show subverts the trope of the idealistic, determined hero by giving us Rudo as a protagonist who is (understandably) angry, cynical, distrustful, and violent. Rudo is the hero we would get if we let Naruto’s Sasuke or My Hero Academia’s Bakugo take the lead role. Rudo is also intensely immature. On the surface world he is dazzled by sweets (which he had never tasted before) and embarrassed to have a girl in his room. However, his true nature is anger. In one unexpected scene he loses control and beats a defeated opponent almost to death with his fists. In addition, his wrongful execution and the disturbing backstory of antagonists such as the child-like Amo, along with the surreal landscape of garbage-based monsters, make Gachiakuta seem closer to more mature and violent stories such as Hell’s Paradise.

Gachiakuta also stands out for its distinctive art style and character design. The intense facial features fit the cynical, fantastic vibe of people building a life out of decay and garbage. The characters are drawn with stylishly grunge clothes that fit the apocalyptic background. If aspects of the anime experience feel vaguely familiar, it may be because Gachiakuta is from the amazing Kei Urana. She worked with Atushi Ohkubo on Fire Force, and some of the story’s elements and design style resonate in a way that almost makes the two shows seem like different parts of the same larger universe.

The story of Gachiakuta also leans into very strong use of symbolism. Rudo is cast off by society and treated like garbage, but is saved and mentored by his foster father. In the same way, Rudo is obsessed with saving and repairing physical items that have been cast away as garbage. In the Sphere, the separation of the elite and the working class is symbolic of racism and classism. In the surface world, art, runes, tattoos, and graffiti are sacred expressions with physical power, and artists are essential to their society’s survival. Community is another strong theme, with Rudo building bonds with the confident Enjin, cynical Zanka, and cheerful Riyo. There is also a nice exploration of community, with the Cleaner team being made up of not just fighters but also equally important statisticians, support workers, and artists. The anime also has several distinctly Black characters in key roles, including the Cleaner’s team leader Corvus, the intellectual Semiu, and the antagonist raider Jabber.

Beyond the engaging art style and thoughtful social symbolism, Gachiakuta also has plenty of the usual shonen fighting and action, with dramatic monsters in the wastelands and lethal human antagonists trying to steal the weapons (vital instruments) owned by others. However, the show also delves into difficult subjects, including a particularly unexpected and heart-rending episode about sexual abuse.

With so many thoughtful visual and emotional elements, Gachiakuta is a unique storytelling experience that continues to build as each episode progresses. The worldbuilding is intense and sometimes slows down the narrative pace, but the overall effect of the symbolism and social commentary is unexpectedly powerful and fascinating as viewers follow Rudo through his resurrection into a world of outcasts and rejects who, despite society’s hierarchy, turn out to be the real heroes.

Nerd Coefficient: 7/10.

Highlights:

• Unique art style and heavy social symbolism
• Antihero energy
• Diverse characters and mature topics

POSTED BY: Ann Michelle Harris – Multitasking, fiction writing Trekkie currently dreaming of her next beach vacation.

Anime Review: Kaiju No. 8 — Season 2

A shift from character and comedy to action and intensity

After an entertaining and engaging first season filled with the right combination of comedy and action, Kaiju No. 8 successfully earned a nomination for Anime of the Year, joining powerhouses like Frieren, Solo Leveling, and The Apothecary Diaries. Season 1 gave us the unusual hero origin story of Kafka, an older, ordinary, working-class person who gets a last chance to chase his childhood dream of becoming a kaiju hunter. But when an unexpected attack turns him into a kaiju, he has to fight to remain a hero while keeping his newfound intermittent transformation a secret from the rest of the defense force. In season 2, Kafka’s kaiju secret is out and he must find a way to rebuild trust with his teammates and the rest of the defense force as they all take on a terrifying new enemy who seems unstoppable. While the first season focused on relationships and character motivations, the second season is primarily action. The pivot from character introspection to action results in a season 2 that is fast-paced and entertaining, but not as fully comedic or relationship-driven as season 1. However, the relatively short season 2 and the cliffhanger ending make it clear that viewers are still in the building portion of the larger story arc.

In season 1, thirty-two-year-old protagonist Kafka became part of a found family of much younger new recruits competing for a spot on the Kaiju Defense Force. Kafka’s best friend and confidant Reno supported Kafka as he used his kaiju transformation to secretly help his comrades out of lethal situations. However, an unexpected attack in a major battle forced Kafka to reveal himself publicly as he risked his life to save his team. Season 2 begins with Kafka’s role in the defense force redefined to include tests to use his kaiju powers to help in the fight. However, his fear that he might irreversibly lose control inhibits his ability to fully use his hidden strength. He also gets the bad news that repeatedly transforming will dramatically reduce his life expectancy. These new obstacles arise just as the unusually intelligent Kaiju No. 9 plots to destroy all humans in the country. Whereas season 1 focused on kaiju as mindless beasts, season 2 introduces thoughtful, strategic, super-strong monsters who are intentionally destroying people in coordinated mass attacks. As the human body count grows, Kafka has to decide if he can rise to the challenge.

Although season 1 was reasonably violent, season 2 is far grimmer as it brings viewers into the bleakest moments of the narrative. There are still some very funny moments, but comedy is no longer the primary story element. The original squad of diverse personalities is disbanded in season 2 as the original team of recruits is split up and sent to different squads. Some previous regular characters mostly disappear from the story as new characters compete for screen time. Although the cruel and creepy Kaiju No. 9 appeared in season 1, it now takes on a lead role as the main villain coordinating a team of similarly intelligent and homicidal monsters. As a result, the on-screen body count is specific and violent rather than vague and abstract. Additionally, the previously sassy and strong Shinomiya has a personal loss that drives her to greater seriousness in the ongoing battle.

All this intensity makes the 11-episode season seem very short, as the fast-paced stories fly by and end in an abrupt moment of mounting tension. Fortunately, despite the more serious tone, there are still some very funny elements that balance out the intensity. New character Gen Narumi is the pink-haired squad leader who is hilariously video-game-addicted and social-media-obsessed. His superficial immaturity stands in stark contrast to his cold-blooded killer skills on the battlefield, and the juxtaposition of both elements makes for great scenes in season 2. Shinomiya’s interactions with Narumi are entertaining as she moves from intimidated to irritated with Narumi’s immaturity. Additionally, the previously serious vice-captain Hoshino gets lots of funny moments. The season starts with a standalone short film called Hoshino’s Day Off, in which the members of the original squad secretly follow the vice-captain around on their mutual day off to see what he is up to as he engages in a series of suspicious activities. The short film (which was previously released in theaters) is a fun break from the carnage and a last look at the old squad working together during a comedic adventure. Also, each episode of season 2 has a post-credits scene featuring Hoshino as a late night television host interviewing various characters. One micro-episode references Narumi’s social media obsession, and another segment comments on the poor amount of screen time given to previously regular characters. The micro-episodes are a self-aware and amusing palate cleanser after the intensity of the primary stories.

Beyond the battle intensity and the still present comedy, season 2 has some moments of introspection. Kafka and Mina have a quiet lunchtime together for the first time in the series and reminisce about their childhood fears and dreams. There is also a poignant moment when Kafka admits to Shinomiya that he hasn’t looked at his phone messages because he is afraid of what his former teammates think of his monster status. Those quiet moments are a reminder of why Kaiju No. 8 retains its appeal even as the narrative tone shifts from comedy to intensity. Although the season ends in a moment of mounting action, it will hopefully lead to a worthwhile payoff if fans are willing to endure the wait for season 3.

Nerd Coefficient: 7/10.

Highlights:

• More intense action, less comedy
• Lots of hero angst but reduced focus on relationships
• Strong new character, less time for prior regulars

POSTED BY: Ann Michelle Harris — Multitasking, fiction writing Trekkie currently dreaming of her next beach vacation.