Askan is down bad, but in an appropriately aristocratic way. I don't really know why she wants to build a bunker, but I am sure she has her reasons.
"I'm a 'Behemoth,' an S-Ranked Monster, but Mistaken for a Cat, I Live as an Elf Girl's Pet" New Key Visual, PV
Premieres sometime in 2025. The new PV is here. Check out the ANN article for additional information. Synopsis from AniList:
> Nobody asked to be a cat! > > After dying in a fight against the forces of evil, a knight is shocked to discover that instead of being reborn as a hero of humanity, he starts his new life as a behemoth-one of the most powerful monsters in the world! The only problem is that a baby behemoth looks an awful lot like...an adorable house cat?! Things grow even more confusing when a beautiful elf adventurer rescues him from the brink of death rather than finishing him off. This house-cat-slash-knight's baffling journey is just getting started...
Alright, so, this edge case popped up on a show last season too. Basically, AniList had the release date scheduled for Sunday (which is still the broadcast release date), then they later revised the release date to a point in the past. Because rikka is only looking forward in time for episodes, she missed the revision of the episode 1 release time, so she still is planning on making the thread on Sunday. I have worked a little on how to address this edge case, but decided to knock out the requestable and wiki modules of rikka first since keeping the wiki updated was taking much more of my time.
As for the show, I am unable to find it available yet (even on the high seas). I see on AniList that it is available on abema, a Japan-only streaming service a couple days prior to general release. They must have revised their release date from the broadcast date to the abema streaming date. So, I would prefer to keep the post scheduled for Sunday when it is generally available if that is when people are actually going to be actively watching it.
However, for episodes 2+, that means the post will get created a couple days early. So, either we live with early episode threads or I commit to making threads manually on the general release day (they should be requestable by anybody as well). I will think about the best way to handle this going forward.
This panel really drove home to me just how incredibly large this cast of characters has grown. No wonder Kuzuhana doesn't have a chance to break through.
[DISC] Yankee JK KuzuHana-chan - Ch. 208
Read Yankee JK KuzuHana-chan Ch. 208 "The Festival is Over!" on MangaDex!
Mostly unrelated to the artwork, but the shirt in this piece reminded me of this video in which a Brit living in Japan tries to teach some of his friends how to use English swear words.
I haven't read this one before, but will probably give it a watch as it promises to have lively comment threads based on two other people I can think of. 😄
This series man...I will never not feel things when Ai shows up like that. I feel like having a relationship with Ai must be like living every day like opposite day. She says one thing but means another. It wasn't until her literal dying breaths that she could properly express her love in a direct way instead of lying.
Her range is kinda crazy to me. She can be Hibiki or Delta on the one hand, then a kuudere like Yumiella on the other and nail both types of characters. She is already very successful, but she is going to have a long and productive career for sure.
Yeah, that checks out. By no means is it the first time that it has happened to a series. Like mentioned above, it isn't so bad that I won't be watching, but it just felt off.
Every romcom could use a character like Yoko. Somebody to just blurt out things to move the plot along when everybody else is being too shy.
I was looking forward to these two finding out, so I am glad that it delivered. I think the next big hurdle will be telling the parents.
RIP Ooya
This pretty much echoes my experience as well. I felt that the horniness around the stocking scene is a bit out of place given what we know about the characters so far. I think this show is going to live or die by the writing and chemistry between the main pair. I think this show has potential.
I had a little bit of time today, so I thought I would check this out before a lot of other shows get going for the season. Overall, it was fine. I think Alya is a kind of fresh take on a tsundere in that she verbalizes her tsun in Japanese and then verbalizes her dere in Russian.
I was kind of surprised that we learn so early in the story that the MC also knows Russian. I had figured that might make for a good reveal later. He has to basically act like he doesn't understand in the same way that Miko has to pretend not to see ghosts in Mieruko-chan. Speaking of Mieruko-chan, this show reminded me of that in the fan service that felt a little out of place. Like, if Alya is too embarrassed to speak to the MC, why is she suddenly teasing him Nagatoro-style with stockings?
In any case, I think there is good potential here, so I am going to try to give it another episode or two. I think a lot of the success or failure of this show is going to depend on the banter and chemistry between the main pair.
@[email protected] I am in this screenshot and I don't like it.
This episode had a lot of heavy lifting to do. It had to introduce the story of the play they are adapting, a whole lot of new characters, and fill us in on the motivations behind the characters that we already know. Overall, I think it handled all that quite well, though there were times where just too much was happening on screen at any given time with subtitles over subtitles, I had to rewatch certain portions to pick it up. We also didn't get much Ruby and no Memcho this episode, but I am sure they will be coming soon.
My favorite sequence through all of this episode is how they depicted Kana's acting limiter being removed. Her and Himekawa had such a fantastic sequence together in rehearsal. @[email protected]
There is a romance in finding a small hidden pocket of the world that only you know about; like this shrine.
[DISC] Houkago Kitaku Biyori - Ch. 23
Read Houkago Kitaku Biyori Ch. 23 "Let's Go to the First Shrine Visit of the Year" on MangaDex!
These are homophones in Japanese. Same thing as words like their/there/they're or seas/sees/seize, etc. Words that sound the same but are written differently. The Japanese language has tons of them. Often, the ambiguity around homophones is used as a source of humor, causing misunderstandings between characters in anime/manga or puns that add a layer of humor to an otherwise normal thing to say.
"A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School!" New Teaser Visual
Premieres October 2024. Check out the Crunchyroll article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:
> Rookie teacher Haruaki Abe is as cowardly as they come. It's hard enough for him to handle human students without whimpering-and now he's going to be teaching at a school full of monsters?! It's a classroom of horrors for Haruaki, as his mischievous students use every means at their disposal to prank him! Will this poor teacher be able to get his group of ghouls under control, or is this class destined for failure?
An excellent art book chapter. I would love to see a colored version of that spread. I am looking forward to Komichi meeting up with Erika again. Don't get me wrong, all this family backstory is great, but I think I enjoy her interactions with the other girls the most.
"The Mikadono Sisters Are Surprisingly Easy to Deal With" Anime Adaptation Announced with Teaser Visual
No date or PV released yet. Additional information will be announced this Fall. I haven't found an English language article yet, so here is the Natalie source (edit: ANN article). Synopsis of the source manga from AniList:
> Though Ayase Yuu is the son of a renowned and talented actress, he is below average in anything he does. He is entrusted to live under the care of his mother's friend and later discovers that he will also be rooming with the three sisters from his school who possess both beauty and talent. Though Yuu thought that an understanding would be impossible to reach between an ordinary person and those blessed with talent, the three sisters are surprisingly...?!
Man, if I didn't know the context of this series coming to an early end, then I would be confused as hell. In the end, this fiancee served little purpose other than to tell Taiyou to go confess. At least with Hiiragi, she is being pushed by the friends that we have spent time getting to know and have grown closer to her. It doesn't feel as out of place on her side of things.
The real question is, do you think they will find the Tsuchinoko before the series ends?
This reminds me of a D&D character I played for a while that would constantly use Thaumaturgy to cause doors to fly open as they walked around even if there was no need to do so.
I had missed that this was a .5 chapter when I started and was really confused. I was expecting some kind of resolution to the big cliffhanger from last chapter. I will never complain about a hot springs chapter though.
"Clevatess" Anime Adaptation Announced with Teaser Visual, PV
No date announced yet. The new PV is here. Check out the Crunchyroll article for additional cast/staff information. Synopsis from AniList:
> The story centers on the the titular Clevatess, the lord of all magical beasts, who wields both uncanny intellect and destructive power. Frustrated by the 13 heroes tasked to destroy him, he has decided to be rid of humanity once and for all. However, he has been charged with one nuisance: the care of a newborn human baby. Now the world stands upon the brink of Armageddon, with the obligation of raising one child holding it all back.
"The Magical Girl and The Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies" New Key Visual
Premieres July 9th, 2024. Check out the Crunchyroll article for additional information. Synopsis from AniList:
> The story centers on Mira, the clever brains behind an evil organization that invades and destroys everything in its path. One day, a magical girl named Byakuya Mimori decides to stand up to the organization, and Mira falls in love with her at first sight.
"Sorairo Utility" New Key Visual
Premieres January 2025. Check out the ANN article for additional information. Synopsis from AniList:
> "At this rate, I'll just graduate as a plain background character A!" > > Minami Aoba was troubled. She had no particular strengths or things she wanted to do. Is it okay for her high school life to end as such an ordinary supporting character!? > > Leaving school behind, Minami searches for her own "special uniqueness." She stumbles upon the nearby golf practice range by chance. Approached by part-time worker Haruka Akane, Minami grasps the golf club—the "utility." > > And thus, it was the encounter between Minami and golf. > > Winning is not the only thing in golf! Everything related to golf is enjoyable! > > Together with the genius golfer Haruka and Ayaka Hoshimi, who aspires to be an influencer, they seek the moment when they can become the "protagonist"! As a super beginner, Minami swings her club once again today.
That is fantastic. I know some people don't like when localization goes beyond just translation, but that is a work of art.
Daisuke is just too strong at this point. He has been on a 300+ chapter training arc in the background apparently.
It makes me sad that there are just four chapters left to go, but I will definitely be keeping tabs on this author going forward. Between this series and Shinryaku Ika Musume, their sense of humor for SOL is just so perfectly aligned with mine. Really glad to see that we are getting some time with other characters next chapter.
[DISC] Atsumare! Fushigi Kenkyu-bu - Ch. 375
Read Atsumare! Fushigi Kenkyu-bu Ch. 375 "The Mystery of the Next Prez" on MangaDex!
[DISC] Ijiranaide, Nagatoro-san - Ch. 153
Read Ijiranaide, Nagatoro-san Ch. 153 "What's your dream, Senpai?" on MangaDex!
"Magic Knight Rayearth" New Anime Adaptation Announced with Visual, PV
No date announced yet. The new PV is here. This was announced to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the original anime adaptation. No English source yet, so here is the Natalie source (edit: Crunchyroll article). Synopsis of the source manga from AniList:
> Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu, girls from separate schools, find themselves linked together as they fall through the floor during a field trip to the Tokyo Tower. They land in a place called Cephiro, where their will controls what happens. They meet with Guru Clef and find out that they were summoned to save Princess Emeraude who has been imprisoned by High Priest Zagato. They learn magic and acquire weapons on their quest to save Cephiro from the evils of Zagato.
"The Rose of Versailles" Movie Adaptation New Key Visual, PV
Premieres sometime in early 2025. The new PV is here. Check out the ANN article for additional information. Synopsis of the source manga from AniList:
> Oscar François de Jarjeyes is a young noblewoman raised as a son by her father. As commander of Marie Antoinette's palace guard, Oscar is brought face-to-face with the luxury of King Louis XVI’s court at Versailles. Joined by her servant André, Oscar is privy to the intrigue and deceit of France's last great royal regime.
[DISC] Isekai Teni Shite Kyoushi ni Natta ga, Majo to Osorerareteiru Ken ~Aoi-sensei no Gakuen Funtou Nisshi~ - Ch. 10
Read Isekai Teni Shite Kyoushi ni Natta ga, Majo to Osorerareteiru Ken ~Aoi-sensei no Gakuen Funtou Nisshi~ Ch. 10 on MangaDex!
"Blue Miburo" New Key Visual, PV
Premieres October 12, 2024. The new PV is here. Check out the ANN article for additional information. Synopsis from AniList:
> It's 1863, the twilight of the shogunate, and Japan is on the cusp of monumental change. The streets of the nation's capital are soaked in blood as political upheaval and rising tensions between masterless, wandering ronin and government samurai set the stage for one of the most turbulent times in Japan's history. Young orphan Nio is no stranger to the harsh realities of the world, and yet he can't help but cling to his burning passion for justice and desire to change the world for the better. > > One day, he crosses paths with two men who will become central figures of the coming revolution: Hijikata Toshizo and Okita Souji, two of the founding members of a group of hated ronin known as the Miburo—who would later become known as the Shinsengumi. Inspired by the efforts of the so-called "Blues Wolves of Mibu," Nio decides to join the ranks to help carve a path to the world he wishes to see. But with new betrayals and reversals every day, will Nio be able to stay true to his conscience?
"I'll Become a Villainess That Will Go Down in History" New Key Visual
Premieres October 2024. Previously released PV here. Check out the ANN article for additional information. Synopsis from AniList:
> I absolutely hate a world filled with sweet talking. I'll fight the Heroine's rationale head on!!! > > After waking up as the villainess she admires so much from her favourite otome game, Alicia trains hard every day to become the greatest villainess of all time.
"Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter" Anime Adaptation Announced for 2025 with Teaser Visual
Premieres sometime in 2025. Teaser image source is the official Twitter account. Check out the ANN article for additional information. Series synopsis from AniList:
> After failing the final exam for his dream job at the royal court, promising young sorcerer Allen wants nothing more than to retreat to a simple life in the countryside. Unfortunately for him, he can’t even afford the train fare! His only solution is to get a job, but his one lead is anything but modest—Duke Howard, one of the kingdom’s most powerful nobles, needs a private tutor for his daughter Tina. Despite her academic brilliance, Tina is incapable of casting even a single spell. To make matters worse, entrance exams for the prestigious Royal Academy are fast approaching, and magical aptitude is mandatory! Can Allen use his unique brand of spellcasting to help Tina overcome her magical impairment, a mystery that not even the kingdom’s finest sorcerers have been able to solve? And does her father, the duke, even want him to?
Manga Questions, Recommendations, and Discussion Thread [Week 27]
Another week in the books. Let's chat about manga in the general discussion thread! Feel free to use this thread for questions, comments, recommendations, etc.
Like normal, please be careful with spoilers. I wrote a guide about spoilers in case you need a refresher on how to handle them (also linked in the sidebar).
Anime Questions, Recommendations, and Discussion Thread [Week 27]
New Monday, new week, new season of anime. It's time for fresh beginnings! The very first summer shows have already aired, but the bulk of them are starting over the course of this week. Also happening this week, where I am from, it is a holiday (July 4th in the US). So, if you are like me and will be out on the beach a lot this week, then here's to us, enjoying an irl beach episode.
In any case, please use this thread for all your anime discussion needs. I want to hear what your thoughts on the new batch of shows are. Thanks in advance for letting me know what to watch vs. skip when I get back from vacation!
As always, remember to be mindful of spoilers. If you want to know more about how to handle spoilers in this community, check the guide here (also linked in the sidebar).