Youkai Gakkou no Sensei Hajimemashita! (A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School!)

As an anime enthusiast, I had hoped that this would evoke the same impact to me as Assassination Classroom, but no. It diverged in different ways.

The narrative centers on a teacher who faced multiple rejections from schools. His last resort was a school which on day 1 made him want to quit. He realized it was a 'ghoul' or yokai school - Hyakki Academy. There was a reason why the principal decided to hire him despite his human status, and it was rooted in a pivotal secret that unfolds throughout the series.

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Genre:

Comedy, I laughed multiple times while watching it

Fantasy-Action, it wasn't heavy, but there was some action to it

Horror? Can't say, I don't find it frightening. There may be a light touch of horror.

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The main character is timid but it changes whenever confronted with the need to exorcise a ghoul. The relationships between the teacher and each student is something I liked watching. It added depth and humor to the narrative. Although I personally find the main character annoying, the other characters made it work - creating a balanced dynamic. Overall, it seems to provide a lighthearted yet intriguing exploration of the supernatural within an educational setting, appealing to viewers who appreciate character-driven stories with a comedic twist.

Don't watch it if you are into intense action or if you are interested in traditional school romance or slice-of-life themes. Instead, it offers a unique blend of humor and fantasy, making it a distinctive anime addition to your list. It bears some resemblance to "Assassination Classroom," yet it lacks the meticulous construction that characterized the latter. While both explore the dynamics between a teacher and their students in unconventional settings, "AC" presents a more developed storyline and richer character transformations.

Devil May Cry

After arriving from the office, I thought ‘hey I can probably audit the trackers’. But I saw an anime series which piqued my interest.

The narrative is about a demon hunter who ended up to be half demon. It has 8 episodes and I know there will be more. (Hopefully)

Close friends know I hold AOT in that pedestal and this time, episodes 5 and 6 of Devil May Cry has stunned me to the core. A FullMetal Alchemist Nina and Alexander episode level of heartache and anguish and I tell you, this is a storyline that pains me seeing the antagonist get hurt (except the last episode). It’s both drama and bad-ass action and some subtle humor.

The main character isn’t the only one I’m favoring - weird but I love all of them. It’s worth binge watching. If you’re not into demon slaying or cursing, don’t. I’d like to try the video game. Let’s see.

Overall, I loved it. It was definitely fun to watch. This is different from the 2007 Devil May Cry.

Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Douryou Joshi (The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague)

The first episode immediate shows the main characters' personalities which made it seem relatable - no let me change that term to 'familiar'. I had high hopes for the rest of the episodes as the animation was extremely good. The main characters include Himuro, a descendant of a snow woman spirit, and Fuyutsuki, a human.

The narrative centers on a build-up of a love story - specifically, the budding romance between the two main characters. But as the episodes end and start again, the progression of the storyline seemed slow.

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Genre:

Romance-Comedy, they're trying to make it funny but I could only count the number of times I let out a guffaw - twice. Mainly because of Himuro's sister.

Romantic, yes, but the characters were too timid that the only time I felt 'kilig' was the shrine scene. But I didn't feel giddy for the main pair, I felt it with the supporting characters. Although there was one particular scene which made my heart warm up to them, that was when he gifted her the pair of earrings, and it was in the last part of the series.

Supernatural, why would it not, well they had skills - cool skills. Unfortunately, the skills weren't featured in that manner. The story really just centered on the main characters.

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There are lessons you can learn but it's not something you don't know yet. It's really more of them realizing the changes in their lives; doing things they never thought they'd ever do. But it makes sense because they are now working adults.

The couple expressed light feelings, it didn't feel intense. What was weird was that they get overly stressed about cute things or actions. Well, it's what happens when you have crushes but it really didn't scream 'romance'. Some episodes were too boring to the point that I didn't want to finish it as it seemed predictable. As mentioned earlier, there was no build up in the story. Perhaps they wanted to keep it as a wholesome story but it was not enough to enchant me. It really fell flat.

If you are into laidback slow storylines, this is something you'll enjoy. There's no excessive drama. It's more of a feel-good watch. You'll probably want to watch this Josie series if you liked Komi Can't Communicate. Komi had better progression, I'd say.

Saijaku Tamer wa Gomi Hiroi no Tabi wo Hajimemashita (The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash)

When I saw the trailer, I got hooked with the slime and how enticing the colors were in the animation, I mean, it was appealing. I had hoped that this would be another great anime series I can add to my list of favorites, but no. Not to that extent.

The narrative centers on Femicia who was pushed out of her community because she had zero stars for her skills. Zero stars meant she would bring misfortune to everyone. Although she had the 'tamer skill', it was deemed useless as she had zero stars for it. Then in her escape, she set out on a journey. From what I thought of as a slice of life protagonist story, it was an Isekai - fantasy and adventure.

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Genre:

Adventure - she changed her name to Ivy and disguised herself as a boy. She found a broken slime which was rare and set on a journey with it. As mentioned, the broken slime, which she named Sora, has limited information and that is because they are fragile. Hence, no one has seen one evolve and grow. Following a map in hand, they ventured into different cities and even befriended an Adandala along with other characters in the story.

Fantasy - it really focused on this instead of action (taming monsters)

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The main character is lovable where you'll be supporting the protagonist all the way - you would want her to win in life. But that's because of how heavy her story was set. Though there were a lot of scenes which seemed like long periods of chit-chatting, there was a strong character development. I initially thought it would be a boring storyline as I found some scenes and instances lacking logical support. It was not flawless but it was inspiring.

One thing I don't understand well was that she seemed to be a reincarnation but this was not well explained while she was still Femicia. What I found disturbing was that I thought those weren't memories but rather a different personality since there were dialogues between her and her thoughts. The star system also didn't hold that much bearing as only a few characters got highlighted in the story. Because of how perfect things became, it was as if everyone protected her and it became flawless. I'm not saying it was bad but it was too much. She orchestrated a way to rid of the organization because of memories, but what was her previous identity. What made an 8-year-old so strategic beating the smarts of older and wiser men. Okay, they banked on the reincarnation but what was she then. It's a blur. By the end of the series, it seemed that they quickened the pace.

Don't watch it if you want things to always make sense. If you're a logical person, this will hurt your mind and question what you're watching. However, if the focus is how this 8-year-old kid survived and just wants a feel good series, this is it. There was no focus in action, no focus on the other characters, it was just Ivy and her adventure.

Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki (How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom)

I have divided feelings over this anime as there were misses but there is progression.

This is about a student who was summoned to another world as a hero to help them pay their debt from another kingdom in fighting the demon lord (who never showed up, by the way). Imagine getting summoned as means of payment. This started to be a cool plot but no, this character, Souma, didn't know how to use swords, didn't gain skills upon teleporting to a different world, and didn't show any expertise at all. Instead, with his knowledge of the modern day world (hmmmm), the story portrays how being a realist helped improve the status of the kingdom.

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Genre:

Action, it wasn't heavy, I would even say there's none. I was hoping I'd see fighting scenes. This may be a wrong genre tagging or the anime really just fell short from the expectations.

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I only saw the first season so I'll talk about that.

The main character was showcased as a smart guy but I felt like it lacked so much depth. The story almost seemed like that of Slime, where everything just falls into place for the king. At least Slime had action scenes that would awe you and the animation was good. For The Realist Hero, it didn't quite get there. Also, there were many female characters wanting to marry him but none had the chemistry with the character.

So a lot of issues were addressed, but it seems their means of providing solutions was with just how the MC explains things - just explanations or even statements that things were fixed. He's adored as super smart that even his Prime Minister was dumbed down. Conquering territories, fighting other kingdoms, yet there was no action, if they are showcasing this as a smart (uncommon) storyline, nahhh, there was not an episode you'd say that was brain stimulating. All characters seemed strong when he had the broadcast to look for the greatest talents, but eventually, again, dumbed down so the MC would look smart and the only one capable of deciding for two different kingdoms.

I personally didn't like it. There were so many things happening, some scenes were slow, and some scenes (like that portion where they walked in the slums) they had to quicken the pace. Like I get it, just to show they thought of all aspects of a nation, they had to add those scenes which didn't benefit the show - it only added to the "very smart student king" but not helpful. Don't watch it if you are into the traditional Isekai, where a summoned or reincarnated hero fights with swords. It was okay if you want to kill time. But, seriously, just not good enough for me to recommend to you guys.

Sekai Saikou no Ansatsusha, Isekai Kizoku ni Tensei suru (The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat)

Here's another work of Rui Tsukiyo. For those who do not know, he wrote Redo of Healer.

Going back to the Anime series, I only got to see the first season but I can't wait to see the second. This is one of the decent Isekai reincarnation stories as the MC isn't a NEET in his previous life. It makes it somewhat traditional with a spin. The MC was a previous number 1 assassin who at the end of his career was assassinated by the only organization he was loyal to. All his life he was under the organization's care which in turn he pledged allegiance to, until his last mission. He died but a goddess decided to give him this option of getting reincarnated but with a condition - he will have to kill the Hero from this other world, a hero who is bound to kill a demon lord.

Getting reincarnated, he was born in an aristocrat family of physicians but were known as underground assassins. He's now Lugh of the Tuatha De clan.

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Genre:

Action - Since the goal was to kill a Hero, he's set out to be stronger and prepared once the time comes

Fantasy - the magic system was well explained and it was easy to understand; although some would raise questions about his knowledge but given his previous life and his current upbringing, it would make sense

Harem - there were girls he saved who grew to admire him but his interest was elsewhere, what's weird though was the fact that he fell in love with a distant cousin (but that's common during the medieval times)

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Because his memories were intact and his upbringing under Cian (MC's father), he's grown to be tactful, knowledgeable, and intuitive which becomes significant in his journey.

It's not a bunkum series, not perfect but not crappy at all. So, I'd recommend you watch this anime.

Kumichou Musume to Sewagakari (The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting)

Another anime which divided my feelings. From the title, it's about a member of the Yakuza babysitting a 7-year-old girl. Well, I really expected for this to be humorous, although to some extent there were funny scenes, I would have wanted for it to revolve around the two MCs - Yaeka (the young Miss, daughter of the Sakuragi gang leader) and Kirishima (second in command known as the devil or demon of the Sakuragi Gang).

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Genre:

Comedy - they tried, but it leaned more to drama

Slice of Life - this was probably the target as the story was somewhat slow and emotional, to which the second episode immediately became a tearful episode

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Babysitting was the gang leader's way of teaching Kirishima how to control his temperament. Although the title would interest you on something uncommon, I expected for a chaotic comedy for the two. It made a different turn as it showed how the task made developments in both MCs Kirishima and Yaeka. It would show how to value family and how to slow down since violence was the means of communication for this yakuza. It did show great character development like the characters in Buddy Daddies.

However, there were many things happening which if taken out would still allow the story to flow. One example was Kirishima and two other gang members becoming accidental celebrities as "Team Cherry" but didn't make sense as it was, confusingly, just a dream. Another was having this old schoolmate having a grudge and other Yakuza gangs wanting to get revenge and it fell short. It would have been great if his being a Yakuza was highlighted. The series liked building context, hence, the many flashbacks - too many flashbacks but it helped.

I personally enjoyed it since it's a feel-good anime series and yes, you'll cry a lot especially the birthday episode. But there were scenes to which you'd question what it's for.

Migi to Dali (Migi and Dali)

Here's one which was good to watch. It wasn't what I expected based on the trailers and scene snips on social media but surely did well.

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Genre:

Comedy - different kind of humor; It was painful to watch how they laughed, but there were a number of scenes which would give you a chuckle, not a guffaw, a chuckle

Suspense/Horror - they tried and tagged this anime under horror, but although there was some horror to it but I would say it was more in the suspense as it was about murder and there's this darkness to it

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So the narrative is about revenge. The MCs Migi and Dali lost their mom while young. At a young age of 5, they became orphans. No history, no trace of family, hence, the only thing they had with them was the memory of a wallpaper fueling them to get revenge for their mother's death. But who that would be was not who I expected it to be.

The anime series showed two identical twins who, I jokingly told my brother were thinking like psychopaths, were interesting. Although I expected a highly directed/written storyline, it was okay. Its weirdness is acceptable. There were early episodes which I didn't want to watch, I still managed to finish the series. There were less hooks except the later episodes which built the suspense. It got better on the 8th or 9th episode.

For me, the ending fell short. Like all stories, we want good endings. I had hoped the father openly acknowledges Migi and Dali and Karen is reunited with her biological mom. It was pretty wholesome and I cried once when Migi saw the wallpaper they've been looking for (sorry for some spoilers).

Kotarou wa Hitorigurashi (Kotaro Lives Alone)

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Genre:

Comedy - It wasn't humorous but surely there were those moments.

Slice of Life - It focused on learnings and character development for the characters. There was something missing, but I guess Kotarou being a kid can be an excuse.

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It's about a 4-year-old kid who lives alone. It's a simple animation and focusing on its emotional storyline made it easy for me to follow. There was a lot of crying but the cute fun scenes were good.  I thought this was going to be like Crayon Sin-Chan but it was entirely the opposite - disciplined, smart, and skeptical. He was very meticulous and it was because of what he went through. This kid is someone you would root for - actually I just wanted all the characters to be happy.

There were cringy moments and some things didn't make sense considering the genre. However, its impact on the viewers hits different. What I didn't like was how ungrateful he was towards his support group and it somehow got irritating to watch, but he's 4 years old and is skeptical so I guess that was fine. But there was no closure. Normally, a kid that age would be reported to authorities as intervention but they let that be. There was no closure about the mom and dad.

For me, it was still a good watch. I think parents would want their kids to watch it. (LOL) I liked it though. It was simple. Didn't become a favorite but it did fine.

Sasaki to Miyano (Sasaki and Miyano)

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Genre:

Yaoi

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It's my first BL anime and I loved how wholesome it was. I still do not have any comparisons for this but this anime series made me feel giddy even from the first episode. The first six episodes were interesting but the delay in Miyano's response seemed to have dragged it out until the twelfth episode.

The storyline isn't complicated. It's about highschoolers realizing they both fell for each other. The writers/director didn't try to complicate it either. It's unproblematic in a sense that it flowed well.

Here's the downer, imagine a fudanshi who never considered dating guys. This was not given clarity. I didn't understand the hold up. Is he not open about being a homosexual? Is he in denial? What was the reason he was in denial? Is his family conservative? (His family was not even featured.) If there will be no second season to explain this, this isn't as great as what I initially thought it would be. It started out promising but the drag was too long.

I still loved it though. Animation is great. You guys can check it out. I'd recommend this to anyone who'd like to try watching a Yaoi.

Buddy Daddies

A few people mentioned to me that this was somewhat like Spy x Family. However, it's not. In case you’re wondering, having 2 dads taking care of a kid, well, it's not BL.

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Genre:

Comedy - It is refreshing to see how Kazuki makes most of the scenes funny.

Action - Although this was tagged as Action, I think it didn't highlight many action scenes as I expected. Comparing that to spy x Family, it would have been fun if Kazuki and Rei (MCs) were like Loid and Yor (of Spy x Family) - highly competent assassins. I think this series fell short. I'd say this was rather, Slice of Life.

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So the narrative is about two assassins who end up adopting and taking care of a 4-year-old kid. Why? They ended up killing the father, who was supposed to take care of the child. The plot was easy to understand. I mean, there was potential considering the trope.

Miri, the 4-year-old kid, was annoying. Although it's expected of a kid, there were no qualities which I enjoyed or would highlight. I guess it became too realistic. I believe they wanted a relatable storyline, one where parents juggle work and child care.

In comparison, although I got annoyed by Anya (from Spy x Family), Miri was irritating. As mentioned earlier that this was a good assassin trope and although there's so much lacking, the characters just grow on you and you start enjoying their journey as two dads.

It obviously was well produced and that's because it's P.A. Works, the producer of Skip and Loafer (if I'm not mistaken). But I think it's still a good watch if you want to kill time. The soundtrack was great though.

Shijou Saikyou no Daimaou, Murabito A ni Tensei suru (The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody)

The plot was simple - a demon lord wanted to be reincarnated solely for the purpose of making friends. I guess being up there makes it lonely.

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Genre:

Action - Animation wasn't great as it sometimes looked dull, hence, it was so-so. What was funny was how the MC was an OP and that most antagonists were a one hit target.

Fantasy - It is a good watch if you're doing something else.

Isekai? I'm not sure if it is considering he was just reincarnated in the same world. He didn't even come from another world.

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Okay, so after being reincarnated, I don't think there were changes. It would seem like he only opted for a change in his appearance or hair style and color. With this, perhaps the goal of this anime was for play. The funny moments were cute and I think that's why I finished the whole season. Aside from this becoming a weird kind of harem (both girls were constantly fighting while being overly sexualized), there was nothing new.

Anyway, I liked it to some degree. There's something about OP MCs that I enjoy like One Punch Man.

Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers)

 

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Genre:

Drama - The anime was full of emotions. One episode I'd be ecstatic, another angry, another sad. There were a lot of things going on. There were episodes which I wanted the protagonist to just disappear, all the while, another episode makes me root for her.

Romance - It's the kind of romance that happens in most novels. Overpowering, brutal, mean, wealthy, handsome (not in the anime) guy falls for the MC. Episode 50 made me shed tears.

Comedy - Although it wasn't tagged as one, there were funny moments. That's high school, and it's expected there will be funny moments, most especially with the MC's love interest. MC's family was fun to watch too.

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Before I begin, the animation style sucks. I do have a bias because Crayon Shin Chan (under Shin-Ei) isn't as great as well, but Toei Studios just didn't put much effort into Hana Yori Dango. Given that it was aired 1996, Sailor Moon under Toei also was not well made, but Dragon Ball GT was aired in the same year but looked better. The visuals will discourage anyone, which almost made me give up before finishing Episode 1. The intro music isn't good but I like the beat so it's still playing in my head for weeks now.

Going back to the plot, this is a Shoujo anime where the MC (Tsukushi Makino) is entirely different from the typical Shoujo heroines. She comes from a lower middle class family who was sent by her parents to an elite school, for wealthy students, just so she can marry one - Funny. She's headstrong and practical which made her stay in the school entertaining. Well, it wasn't easy for her but let's cut this to what made it great and awful. I can't do justice providing a review to the 51-episode series as I would rather have you watch it because it is good. However, I hated how bullying was shown here but it depicts how it was back then. Since this is a romance/drama, I'll focus on the romance piece.

She has 2 love interests who had opposing feelings towards her. This is where I have mixed feelings with. One, Tsukasa Domyoji isn't someone I'd admire due to his extremely menacing character. His violent altercations with the MC and the terror everyone feels in his presence still makes me boil, but his character development was great. Two, Rui Hanazawa is just aloof and although treated the MC better, obviously wasn't in love with her. His personality was quite appealing at first but became rather boring. The MC wasn't perfect either. I hate how she would jump from one love interest to another which would have been acceptable if she cut ties with one before kissing another. She would go after someone who didn't want her and disregard someone who is into her - well, in most cases, it's realistic.

For me, it was a good watch. It will inspire you to love someone wholly. Overall, it's a great romance anime. The advances, I can disregard given how things were in 1996 and how extreme students are. The bullying, it was just bad, really awful scenes to watch. But I fell in love with Domyoji. I fell in love with Tsukushi. I fell in love with Hana Yori Dango.

Natsume Yuujinchou: Ishi Okoshi to Ayashiki Raihousha (Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor)

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Genre:

Supernatural - well, they deal with yokais

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I would say I didn't understand it at all so I realized I should check out if there are missing episodes - I only saw two (because it's a movie cut into two episodes). Turns out, the main series shows the main character (MC) dealing with yokais but this one shown on Netflix was not clear for me. I figured those two were standalone episodes but it didn't really give out what the plot was about. I should watch the series.

Animation is good but I think I'd enjoy it more if I watched the series. It was disappointing because the film didn't give away the manga/series plot - disappointing but let's see.

Bai Yao Pu (Fairies Albums)

If I have to recommend an anime to watch, this would be it. It is well-made. I became a fan of Chinese animation because of this.

Although there's an evident limitation to Chinese culture and traditions, this is a lovable anime. I've only seen the first three seasons and I'd say it's truly an amazing series. Not only are the episodes tear-jerkers, you'll relearn long-lost practices we've had growing up (obvious Chinese culture influence, which is applicable to Asians only). I immediately got hooked after the first episode. You'll have to give it a watch to understand.

This is a story about a doctor who only treats spirits. The different stories revolve around those she met in her journey - some of these spirits have long requested for her healing but has just decided to do so just because she lost something (selfish, yes, lol). She lost the Fairies album.

I wouldn't want to spoil what's in that album and why it's important for the spirit world but if you do watch this anime, let me know at which episode you started crying, lol.

There's so much emotion and love in this anime series that if I had kids of my own, I'd have them watch it. There's fantasy with a blend of humor. All throughout the series, it was enjoyable; each episode gives you that warmth.

Meng Qi Shi Shen (Cinderella Chef)

Another donghua ONA series which I somewhat enjoyed is Cinderella Chef. Its storyline is like many of the Chinese dramas advertised on FB nowadays - a story of a renowned chef from the modern era who got reincarnated back in time - an isekai.

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Genre:

Romance - it didn't drag the series but it also didn't make it more enjoyable. The MC also wasn't annoying for a lead, rather her boldness makes her likeable. The MC's love interest didn't seem to be invincible but I wanted more from the character.

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In all honesty, it would have been fun if it was a cooking series like Campfire cooking, or they could've focused on why she was given to the gang to allow her sister to marry her fiance without her knowledge.

Another, I wonder how the male leads like her unconditionally (maybe because of cooking), but there's really not much conflict. Although she hides her identity and guises herself as a man, I feel like the plot has reached a dead end for the three seasons.

Animation is great though - as expected of Wawayu.

Dekiru Neko wa Kyou mo Yuuutsu (The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today)

Funny thing about this anime series is that it's forgettable. However, because of the giant, life-sized cat, it becomes memorable.

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Genre:

Slice of Life - What got me going was anticipating what the cat would do next

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The plot? I don't think I remember it. There isn't one. There was no development whatsoever - not even a plan to not get drunk again. I guess this is why it's a slice of life.

Intro was tiring. The first episode made me sleepy and I got bored again on the second episode. Don't get me wrong, animation was great but it was just that.

The cat owner, Saku, was terrible. Absolutely terrible. Okay, this is just anime but as someone who owns cats, she isn't fit to have one. It started to be fun on the 6th and 7th episodes though. I was about to drop it after the fifth episode.

It depicts our lives. Boring. Office, home, office, get drunk, home, office, home, play with cat, office, home. Boring and slow-paced. But, including the huge 'masterful' cat made it better. I did wish my cats were that big.

Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi (The Elusive Samurai)

 

First and foremost, the intro and ending soundtracks were good.

Written by Yusei Matsui, I had high hopes for this Shounen. For those who don't know him, he authored Assassination Classroom. Clowerworks also did pretty well with the animation (although some obvious CGI misses, but overall didn't affect it). Because of the animation, the trailers got me hooked which made me want to watch this series. And it didn't disappoint - all 12 episodes.

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Genre:

Adventure - Tokiyuki Hojo was the sole survivor of the Hojo clan. Being a sole survivor marked the start of a twisted adventure - a journey with brutal, fun-loving, unique youngsters.

Comedy - Not at all. There was nothing hilarious in it. If there was, it didn't land well.

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Being the son of a Shogun, he was expected to succeed his father. However, he was not one to engage in training. Rather, he would escape everyday to avoid being forced to practice his archery and swords skills. Because of this, he has mastered how to evade every single time. But his carefree life was put to a halt when his family was massacred by someone he truly admired - his father's trusted man.

Tokiyuki was not depicted as an overly-powerful MC but he acquired skills to compensate for his lack of combat skills. Expect a character named Suwa to be obnoxious but he plays an important role in guiding Tokiyuki. I don't want to add more as I might give away the entire plot but the storyline was what kept me invested. I believe this is a good watch.