ghost concert: missing songs (2026)

First episode reaction---this is an eclectic combination of ideas. There's hints of historical figures (Cleopatra being the primary one), a medium, a futuristic world, and room for commentary on AI.

needy girl overdose (2026)

I am vaguely familiar with summaries of this game. The style of the anime is interesting---they've mixed in real-life footage in a few places. Very interested to see where this goes.

midnight occult civil servants

Three episodes in---my initial impression is that this is a slice of life anime with temporary high stakes invoke by supernatural forces. MC is a descendent of Abe no Seimei who was known to many supernatural beings. The show references Japanese and non-Japanese mythology---for example, we've met a version of Huehuecoyotl, a prankster god from Aztec mythology.

The Food Diary of Miss Maid (2026)

An ongoing investigation into Japanese snacks. episode 1: dango, baumkuchen, taiyaki, takoyaki. Episode two hinted at some greater plot. I'm not sure how far they can push an overview of Japanese snacks. I'm not invested in the plot. The shy maid reactions are a bit much for me.

Occultic;9 (2016)

Roller coaster of a show. The animation stood out more than the story. It's chaotic. Camera angles were played with frequently, which really brought out the chaotic atmosphere. There's some scenes from a character's POV; I loved the one where we get to see how anxious this girl is about the weirdass hidden chamber she's about to go into. There's some scenes which are intentionally sideways (or keep rotating). Love it. Blue Moon, the cafe they're in, has some gorgeous interior design. Is the plot slapdash, yes, I'm not going to pretend it's a super coherent story. I appreciated it anyways.

Bartender (2006)

Stand-alone episodes about customers at a bar, their stories, and the perfect cocktail for them. There's a bit of information about alcohol---all of which is context for why the customer gets the drink they get---but it's mostly the story of what led the character to the bar that night. Nice show.

A Place Farther Than the Universe

High school girls get to travel to Antarctica. Also, wow. There's a bit of information about Antarctica, and travel to, but the primary focus of the show is the characters' relationships and personal development. Kimari, one of the main characters, is a high schooler who wants to accomplish something during her high school years. She feels like she's done nothing. And that's kinda true---the only hint we have of her hobbies is a bit of gaming. She meets Shirase by chance, and is determined to join her in her quest to get to Antarctica. Shirase wants to go to Antarctica because her mother died on an expedition there.

Kimari has a strange relationship with Megumi, her other friend. As Kimari grows more involved with Shirase, her relationship with Megumi becomes distant and strange. Megumi is discouraging, spreads rumors, and leaks information to others. This does result in a strange scene with Kimari's mother. Kimari is trying to figure out how to break the news---of her upcoming trip to fucking Antarctica---to her mother. Her and her sister are watching her mother in the kitchen and trying to figure out what mood she's in. "She's acting too normal" (or something along those lines). At the end of the scene, it's implied that Kimari's mother beats her with a ladle. Her father listens from outside the front door, but is too scared to interfere. What the fuck was that scene? Rather, what was the purpose? I wonder if the writers were trying to show why Kimari doesn't really hesitate to spend three months in Antarctica. She doesn't give thought to how her journey will impact her friends, family, or life. The last time we see Megumi is the day Kimari leaves for Australia; she admits to all the things she's done and says she's 'breaking up' with her. She paints herself as a villain, and she ain't wrong. Jealousy is an interesting subplot. Kimari rejects the breakup. I wonder what happens when they get back. Hey, wait a minute...

This isn't an adaptation of a manga. There's a manga adapting the series, but the anime is the original work. Damnit, time to reopen that ao3 account.

To get to Antarctica, Kimari needs a part-time job to get the money for a plane ticket to Australia, which is where the expedition ship is departing from. Bear with me. Here, she meets Hinata, a high-school dropout who is also interested in going to Antarctica. Hinata dropped out due to poor social relationships. Bullying is implied. Her 'friends,' which were her track teammates, were bitches who weren't happy with her being better than some of them. Near the end of the show, some of her 'friends' reappear to try to sweep their past under the rug. She reacts poorly. Her actual friends---the other girls on the Antarctic expedition---say, roughly, fuck you. (Piss off). I loved this moment. Hinata is uniquely driven to be herself. She does try to hide her problems, but her friends know when to help her work through them.

And speaking of people with friendship problems, let's move onto the last high school girl: Yuzuki, an actress since the age of 4. Yeesh. Her difficulties with making friends, and her subsequent lack of friends, are no surprise. She's a minor celebrity in a sense. There's a few nice moments where her Antarctic friends try to understand where she's coming from, what to do for her, and how to help her see that they see her as a friend. Everything is so sweet. I love how these four girls are respectful of each other. They're great friends. Aaand that's the heart of the show.

Rec for people who like slice of life, cute girls, well-developed friendships, and for people who can suspend their disbelief for long enough for them to get to Antarctica.

Mizu no Kotoba

Short and sweet? 9 minutes; introduces the viewer to a small cast of characters who are in the same cafe. The first two characters---a man who recently broke up with his girlfriend, and the barista who he's talking to. Next---two men who are talking about whether or not the fish in a painting is alive. Next---two women who are talking about someone else's relationship with "a guy who's not really a guy." Finally, another women who is reading a scifi novel. What's the point of all of this? Where does it go?

I think the ending encourages one of the characters to step outside and recognize the bigger picture. Look at all these people who are complaining. Put them in their context---some sort of scifi setting---and stop focusing on all the minor details. Stop fixating on the past and live in the present; recognize what's before you. Or something...

My Dress-Up Darling

Loved the show. A+. Kitagawa is adorable and oblivious. She does semi-lude things without that being the intention---they're working on a cosplay, after all. There's many humorous scenarios involving the two of them not realizing how revealing a costume is until she puts it on. These two are so passionate about their interests; it's adorable. Recommend it for people who enjoy slice-of-life.

Food Wars

Despite the show's initial lude nature, the plot, characters, and information are well-developed. The information about food, cooking, and ingredients is accurate. With a few exceptions, each episode takes a recipe / meal and breaks down why it works. How was the food cooked. What techniques were used. What ingredients were used and why. How the ingredients work together. The characters consistently respect their ingredients. There's a lot of good information about cooking in here. This is why I have no intention to do a cook-along for the show---yes, it'd be cool, but I couldn't do the dishes justice.

The character development in this show is also impressive. Each cook learns from their losses / failures. They also learn from each other, constantly engaging in the spirit of friendly(?) competition. I'm partway through season 3 and love seeing how much the characters have grown since the first episode. Overall, solid show, and can see why people would recommend it.

The Daily Life of a Part-Time Torturer

Watched a few episodes. Cute, slice of life, what it says on the tin.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Binged...I can see why this is a classic. Watching all of the puzzle pieces come together (what's going on, what roles everybody plays, who's who to who) was interesting. Scar's character development was a highlight for me; it's like you watch him go from "villain of the week" to "recurring villain" to "huh..." to "reluctant treaty" to "ally i guess." Unfortunately, I devoured it too quickly to enjoy it properly.

Recovery of an MMO Junkie

So cute! Having Harth also be Lily-chan and Sakura-chan was a bit over the top though. I liked getting to see these adults deal with the strange series of coincidences in a rational manner. Morimori-chan's inner monologue when Sakura-chan confessed to being Lily-chan was mature; we see that she sees and understands his side of things.

Classroom of the Elite

Watched a few episodes; not sure what it was supposed to be about. There's some greater idea to the school...?

Assassination Classroom (2015)

all-time fave <3 This was one of the first manga I read + first anime I watched. I love an underdog who I can root for, and this story features a class full of underdogs. Nagisa was one of my favorite characters. I liked seeing him grow from "shy guy in the background" to "confident assassin." Also, Karma is a menace and we love him.

Horimiya (2022)

First impression - this is so cute! I love the contrast between their at-school and at-home personalities. Hori's strong personality is adorable.

Redo of Healer (2021)

A coworker sold this to me as "revenge" and "seeing how messed up this guys mind became." I'm questioning my coworker's sanity. This is about a horny guy. This is porn masquerading as plot. I hate the sleazy grins. The revenge aspect is interesting, but it's as if he's building a harem...

once over, I decided it was a comedy.

"You can do cruel things to other people because you can't understand their pain."

Solo Camping For Two (2025)

Young lady harasses older man into teaching her (and, consequently, the viewer) about camping. Young lady cooks interesting meals. I want her cooking.

Let's Play (2025)

I like how mental health and emotions are personified. These characters are developed---the viewer gets to see who they are and why they are who they are.

Dark Gathering

The side character is vaguely messed up---she's obsessed with being a part of this strange world that she can't see. I wonder if her stalker nature will ever be addressed.

Love is Hard for Otaku

From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman

sweet old guy. Enjoyable, uplifting watch. I liked watching him work with his old students; they each learned from each other.