Jeoffrey

As someone who has worked in customer service for a couple of years and has come into contact with various clients, this bite-sized film was actually quite close and likable to me. At first, I even thought if it was meant as a training video, cleverly enriched with various animals as a fun allegory, but in the end, it turns out that the animals here have another important role and that the film has at least one more message. Gradually, I encountered several interesting problems and some solutions in line with Japanese culture and traditions in customer service (so apologies and bows are countless here). The whole piece has a pleasant atmosphere, a nice, albeit relatively simple animation style, and quite pleasant characters led by the diligent Akino. As a pleasant short film for the evening, it worked well, and although you won't find much action or tension here, there was nothing unnecessarily long and dragged out, so I wouldn't start getting bored. 7/10

Sometimes the biggest problem of a series can be guessed even before you watch it. Simply, the moment I saw the casting for the first time, it was clear to me that there are too many characters in this 12-episode series, and their names like "nerd A, B, C, D" or "gjaru A, B, C, D" are incredibly vague, and it is very likely that these characters will be just empty templates - simply forgettable background. And that's the case, I'm already sure that tomorrow I won't even remember any of these characters, and even while watching, I couldn't tell the difference between nerd A and nerd B... The only characters that will at least stay in my head for a while will be the main hero Haruka, who is quite likeable (for an isekai protagonist), then the class president, mainly because she was the biggest obstacle for the main hero to achieve his goal - to be calm and alone, and then Angelica, especially because of the last episode, where the creators were able to strongly market her - and they succeeded. The rest were just extras. Likewise, the story, in a week I will only remember that this is a series about a boy who wants to be alone, but no one (including the script) wants to allow it, and sometimes it is entertaining and not entirely bad (even those computer-generated monsters didn't ruin the impression for me) because it has a quite nice atmosphere, but what exactly it was all about, you won't get from me. Was there any part that stood out, something really interesting? Maybe the initial idea of giving Haruka all the remaining abilities that no one wants and he improved them by various combinations and compositions until he became OP. This concept on one hand looks at least a little interesting, but I didn't understand exactly how it all worked and was convinced that it was cool - that didn't happen. So, for me, another maximally slightly above-average, but flowing anime. 5.5/10

This review is rated S for SPOILERS! Proceed at your own risk... As both an anime enthusiast and a long-time fan of The Lord of the Rings—the books that first sparked my love for fantasy at age 12—I went into The War of the Rohirrim cautiously. Let’s be honest: Kenji Kamiyama hasn’t been at his peak for a while, and the trailers didn’t exactly inspire confidence. The CGI-heavy scenes like the Oliphant crashing through a wall and the siege tower bridge landing on the battlements looked rough, like digital chaos with subpar effects. Add to that the somewhat stiff character animation and my waning faith in the franchise after The Rings of Power (which felt like an over-polished, poorly written fanfiction), and my expectations were modest. But I’m not here to critique The Rings of Power—I just want to capture the mindset I had walking into the theater. To my surprise, only two of us showed up for the single screening in a town of 17,000—a telling sign of interest. But enough about my skepticism. How was the film? Better than I expected! Héra, the protagonist, is far more likable and tolerable as a strong female lead than Galadriel in The Rings of Power. Okay, not a high bar, but still. The story is handled with much more care, and it’s evident the filmmakers respect The Lord of the Rings, particularly Jackson’s original trilogy, with many scenes echoing its spirit. That said, while the nostalgic nods worked occasionally, they didn’t fully land for me. The story itself had moments I genuinely enjoyed, but there were also plot holes and scenes where I had to squint to stop the whole thing from falling apart. Some sequences aimed for “cool and epic” but ended up looking awkward instead (Héra’s jump over Wulf). Since it’s anime, I’m willing to let the physics-bending slide—part of the charm, really. Animated works handle that better than live-action (where, for instance, Galadriel surviving a ten-meter fall felt absurd). At least Héra’s five-meter leap seemed somewhat plausible. The characters were enjoyable, with Helm Hammerhand standing out as the MVP. From knocking out an opponent with one punch to his epic battle with a snow troll, he stole the show. However, much like The Rings of Power, this movie struggles with the scale of its battles. The only one that felt remotely grand was the opening fight for Edoras, though even there, the CGI felt artificial at times. The rest of the conflicts came across as minor skirmishes—dozens of refugees facing an army of maybe a hundred soldiers, followed by twenty or so cavalry. Thinking back to the 10,000-strong orc army in The Two Towers makes these battles feel minuscule. Still, it’s better than the forgettable skirmish over a muddy village in The Rings of Power. The plot is coherent and doesn’t stray far from the established lore. The locations are beautifully animated, with richly detailed backgrounds that shine on the big screen. There was one scene in a forest where the perspective felt flat, like I was staring at a painting rather than a setting, but it was fleeting. The character designs were solid, and the music delivered, even if half of it leaned heavily on nostalgia. In the end, The War of the Rohirrim is a good movie—not on par with the original trilogy but comfortably positioned just behind The Hobbit. 6.8/10

Acro Trip feels like the family-friendly counterpart to Gushing Over Magical Girls. The premise? A young student becomes obsessed with a magical girl and decides to join the local villain organization just to stay close to her. But unlike its more mature, edgy counterpart, everything here is completely safe. The villain is more about petty mischief than actual evil, and his only real goal is to make the magical girl shine brighter in the public eye. The magical girl has an adorable mascot sidekick, while the villain is supported by oversized teddybear henchmen—basically the kind of characters tailor-made to sell plushies. The show cruises along on a charming, feel-good vibe, and while there are hints of darker undertones about the villain group’s origins and even the mascot’s backstory, these are quickly sidelined. Instead of a big reveal or resolution, the show ends with the most random conclusion you could imagine. It’s funny and strange but definitely not trying to be profound. The characters are likable and memorable, the stakes are low, and everything wraps up neatly. There’s not much tension, but there are some laughs along the way. Still, in the realm of anime, there are similar shows that deliver more excitement and humor. Visually and musically, it’s perfectly average—and honestly, that sums up the whole show. If you’re looking for something light and breezy, like a comforting bedtime story, or if you need a palate cleanser after something as intense as Gushing Over Magical Girls, Acro Trip might just do the trick. 5.5/10.

Season 2 of Shi Cao Lao Long Bei Guan Yi E Long Zhi Ming didn't disappoint and I'm still a fan of the “big bad dragon." While this season takes a narrower focus with just one stop in the kingdom of Asga, it’s a tightly crafted, engaging arc that held my interest from start to finish. Asga has its hands full with a cursed princess, a sinister dragon cult, an ominous prophecy, and a mysterious cloaked man clearly up to no good. The humor didn’t hit quite as hard this time—I laughed less compared to the first season—but the story made up for it with intriguing new characters and unexpected twists. The shorter episode runtime took some getting used to, but I made up for it by watching episodes twice: first in Chinese (which aired earlier) and then in Japanese. The Chinese version boasts superior opening songs, but the Japanese dub, featuring Aoi Yūki as Reiko (Lingzi), delivers stronger voice acting and feels more familiar for anime fans. Visually, the show still charms me and the animation style is vibrant and appealing. All things considered, Season 2, with its mix of mischief, misunderstandings, and of course, those big bad dragons, gets a solid 7.9/10 from me.

Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld left me with mixed feelings. While I’m definitely not the target audience, it offered some interesting elements but also plenty that didn’t quite resonate with me. What I liked: The incorporation of Asian, particularly Chinese, mythology was a nice touch and fit seamlessly into the story. The pacing was solid—things were always happening, and there were some twists that genuinely surprised me. The creators weren’t afraid to put major characters in peril (SPOILER—and yes, some even die—END OF SPOILER), so it wasn’t exactly a carefree stroll. The story itself kept me engaged, and I was curious to see how it would all wrap up. What was hit-or-miss for me: The characters. I got used to some of them, but I didn’t truly connect with many. The show frequently framed almost everyone in a negative light. At times, it felt borderline paranoid, as if the underlying message was to trust no one—parents, friends, partners—all of them are manipulative, dishonest, or trying to control your life. Instead of the usual "power of friendship" vibe, it seemed to lean heavily into themes of self-reliance to the point of promoting distrust. Maybe that wasn’t intentional, but from the midpoint to about episode ten, it left me feeling uneasy. The protagonist spends the entire series trying to find herself, but with everyone around her being so unhelpful (because, frankly, no one seems trustworthy), her eventual "discovery" didn’t really work for me. Everyone here has a secret, everyone has ulterior motives. Was there a single healthy social relationship in this whole show? Maybe one in the second half between the protagonist and her best friend. But I guess that was the point—a commentary on how everyone has skeletons in their closet, and how we need to face them and maybe learn to forgive. The animation was a mixed bag. It had its own style, which I didn’t hate, but it wasn’t very detailed or consistent. As for the humor? It didn’t land for me at all—nothing here made me laugh, even in moments clearly designed to. The music wasn’t my thing either. My tastes lie miles away from the soundtrack, and in the early episodes, the sound mixing cranked the volume up so much that it became downright annoying. When I add it all up, I land somewhere in the middle. The atmosphere was decent, the dialogue hit occasionally but missed just as often, and the only emotional response it managed to pull from me came right at the end. If there were a sequel, would I watch it? Maybe, if I had nothing else going on, but I wouldn’t feel like I was missing out if I didn’t. Overall, this is a middle-of-the-road 5/10 for me. That said, I’m not the target audience—I’m more than twice the age of the teens it’s clearly aimed at.

Creating something appealing, intelligent, interesting, and entertaining - something you can enjoy every moment of - can seem difficult, although occasionally there are some shows that convince me that it is basically terribly easy. For example, they have to be able to get the characters and the atmosphere right and do things like mix something unnatural (and it does not have to be supernatural like it is in this show) with something completely natural. It requires finding the right combination of characters so that the chemistry works. It also has to look good and sound good. This anime series has it all! It is simply always a refreshing feeling to come across a character like Sakuta - incredibly honest and yet so ordinary, amusing, and relatable at the same time. Plus, with a charming, intelligent, and interesting girl like Mai by his side, it makes for a couple that works well together and is a joy to watch and listen to. There are also a few other interesting supporting characters, plenty of girls who need some help with their problems, and Sakuta just has the bad luck to attract these types of people. Does that sound like something you have seen before? Perhaps, but no... This is because no matter what problem the main male protagonist is facing, the anime’s creators manage to end it all in a way that often (except maybe the first two cases) turns out completely different from the usual clichéd way, and at the same time it feels completely natural and normal. Because of this, you do not have to have a problem with the supernatural goings-on, because everything, including the behavior of the characters, seems completely acceptable and endearing - just believable (including all of Futaba’s scientific analysis). Furthermore, if you know how to use atmosphere, i.e. entertaining and amusing moments plus touching sad scenes - then you have a winner. Someone like Jeoffrey is enthralled by this show, he finds it enjoyable and wishes in his heart he could be as direct and wittily sarcastic as the main male protagonist, and he also dreams of having such a wonderful girl as Mai... I have been mesmerized, entertained, and supremely satisfied = I think this is the BEST release of the anime season Fall 2018 - 9.5/10.

Murai in Love is a series with solid content but a slightly odd presentation. It tells a surprisingly engaging story of a deep, fateful romance and its resolution. While the student-teacher dynamic might initially seem uncomfortable due to the inherent power imbalance and societal taboo, the series somehow makes it work. Both protagonists are well-written, aware of the complications, and their story unfolds in a way that feels respectful and compelling. Against all odds, you end up rooting for their happy ending. The characters are a definite highlight—not just the main couple, but also Murai’s classmates and Mr. Yamakado, the teacher. Most of them are likable, grounded, and relatable, with clear principles that make their actions feel authentic. The secondary romance subplot was also a nice touch, developing gradually and naturally in the background. At first, I found myself questioning how quickly a woman’s heart can change, but ultimately, it felt believable and left me rooting for this pair as well. What didn’t really work for me here was the humor. Sometimes it felt over-the-top, other times almost silly. While a few jokes landed with a solid punchline, most of them fell flat for me. The animation is another mixed bag. I’m not sure whether to critique or praise it. Either the budget was tight, or someone decided to lean into their artsy dreams. It’s clear that J.C. Staff, riding the wave of success from The Way of the Househusband, figured they could pass off some less-than-polished work under the guise of “artistic vision.” We’re talking minimally detailed backgrounds, occasionally painted like a child with watercolors, and moments where characters are reduced to paper cutouts or outlines. The bright colors give it an “artsy” vibe, but it often feels sloppy and cheap. That said, it’s so consistent that you know it’s an intentional stylistic choice. On the flip side, romcoms don’t need top-tier animation, and the vibrant color palette does help convey emotions. Still, I can’t say I enjoyed the art style—it was more distracting than anything. What I can praise, though, is the music. In the end, this is a decent romantic comedy, but one that won’t click with everyone—likely because of its unusual visual approach. For me, it’s a 6.2/10.

So, it’s confirmed: Episode 13 is the last in the series, and that weird ending is all we’re getting—for now, at least. How do I feel about this “Korean version of Ugly Betty”? Honestly, not great. The animation was pretty weak, especially in motion-heavy scenes. Which is a shame, because the character designs were actually appealing. It’s clear Korean studios still have room to grow in this area. On the brighter side, the music was decent—I enjoyed the opening and ending themes and rarely skipped them. As for the story? Packed with clichés, rushed pacing, and it feels like a lot was cut from the source material. The result isn’t very cohesive. The humor barely landed for me, and the ending was a letdown. If this is where it stops, it’s emotionally unsatisfying. SPOILER The heroine ends up with the guy who had the worst chemistry with her, didn’t know her secret, and barely had screen time. END SPOILER With better storytelling, more polished animation, and sharper humor, this could have been a fun rom-com. I imagine the original manhwa delivers on these fronts, but this adaptation just doesn’t. It’s a 3.5/10 from me.

Oblivion Battery, or as I call it, "Mash and Zenitsu Play Baseball." Seriously, whose idea was it to pair these two character archetypes together? Since I can't stand either of them, I endured a lot before finally giving up halfway through. What's the story? Well, we have a tall, silent guy with a bowl cut who you can't tell if he's supposed to be cool or if he's mentally challenged. His best trait? He throws really fast pitches. And that's it. Then there's the loud, annoying blonde guy who's lost his memory (and probably a good chunk of his brain cells too). Watching this character made me cringe the hardest I've cringed in years of watching anime. He was so irritating that even the third player, the village idiot, seemed more tolerable — possibly even the most normal of the three. I get that Kei has some deep reason for his behavior, some defense mechanism from a past trauma, and that one day, like Zenitsu, he'll have his cool moment. But I couldn't wait that long. Every time he opened his mouth, I was hit with a wave of secondhand embarrassment, which ultimately made me drop the series in frustration. Whoever picked this main duo deserves a slap. Honestly, I didn't even like the character design. While it's original, it didn't appeal to me, making the characters even more unlikable from the start. The rest of the animation was good — MAPPA knows how to animate, though they sometimes burn out and miss deadlines. But aside from the character designs, the show was visually fine. As for the humor, well, it didn't click with me at all, especially since the main source of comedy was a character I found painfully unfunny. Sometimes, unlikable characters can ruin everything, and when even the new team members fail to captivate, feeling hollow and simplistic, it's no surprise you realize you're just wasting your time. I dropped the show after episode 6. 3/10, mostly for the animation.