AustinDR

Pretty short one: Yuri Is My Job! is about Hime Shiraki, a high school girl who wears a mask pretending to be a charmingly sweet high schooler so that she could marry into wealth and live an easy life. She accidentally injures the owner of a cafe so Hime offers to work shifts. It turns out the establishment is set in a fictional all-girl boarding school "Liebe Girls Academy" and realizes that one of the girls has it out for her. The animation is fine and polished and the lighting is good. The opening and ending themes are also good. As for characters: Hime herself starts off as being very much a... See full review

Do you want the most uninspired and derivative isekai out there? Then The Aristocrat's Otherworldly Adventure is up your alley. While I personally would never label a show "boring," you are not missing much. You have the typical OP MC who is reincarnated into another world that wows everyone and he naturally gets some admirers/potential spouses. Though, IMO, how he died being completely unnecessary was funny probably as much as how Kazuma died. The characters...I legit forgot many of their names, especially the ones Cain is slated to marry. They are not characters and can easily be... See full review

The Legendary Hero is Dead! It's not a spoiler; it's right there in the title. The legendary hero Shion Bladearts had seemingly fulfilled his mission of closing the Gates of Hell three years ago. But that is another story. Instead, we follow Touka Scott, a humble radish farmer who loves luscious thighs...especially when they have black kneesocks. One day, Shion arrives in his town, smells some good meat cooking...and falls into a demon pit Touka set. With the Hell Gate opening once more, a new hero arises. That is, Anri Haynesworth, a necromancer, places Touka's soul into Shion's body keeping... See full review

Nothing deep, but nevertheless an infectious watch, Otaku Elf stars Koito Koganei, a 16-year-old miko who works for the Takamimi Shrine. The shrine is noteworthy because 400 years ago, an elf was summoned during the Edo period by Tokugawa Ieyasu. Elda, or Takamimi Hime no Mikoto, is a total shut-in who indulges in playing video games; collecting toys; drinking Red Bull energy drinks for all-nighters, etc. The characters are pretty likable. Koito takes her status as the shrine maiden seriously and often becomes annoyed with Elda's antics. But she also is obsessed with trying on mature clothes... See full review

Skip and Loafer is about a teenage girl named Mitsumi Iwakura, a country bumpkin who went to Tokyo to attend school at West Tsubame High to eventually get into the Japanese government. While trying to get to school on time, she meets Shima Sousuke and the two develop a friendship from there. Mitsumi is your plucky young girl with high hopes. She is a hard worker who is outgoing which can sometimes make her come across as "scary," but she is actually someone who is sweet but is socially awkward when it comes to making friends.  Shima at first appears more laidback and befriends Mitsumi... See full review

My Clueless First Friend is another of those comfort shows. It concerns a Goth-looking girl named Akane Nishimura who is often the target of bullying by her classmates and is given the nickname "Grim Reaper." All this would change when Taiyo Takada, a new student moves to her school and misinterprets Nishimura as actually having supernatural powers. From there begins their cute friendship.   The show handles the topic of bullying pretty well. At first, it is almost hard to watch with how the kids incessantly bully Nishimura which can be hitting too close to some who were targets of... See full review

Honestly a pleasant surprise. Reading about the Dangers in My Heart, I did not initially know what to think about the series (what with it being about a borderline delusional student who fantasizes about killing his classmates), but the show consistently made me laugh and love the characters. I often don't care about school anime shows, but this one is pretty good. For instance, Ichikawa may view himself as having an insatiable blood lust with him wanting to kill Yamada, he's really just confused about how he felt about her. Despite his deprecation of himself, he is actually a nice and considerate person... See full review

Nothing too grandiose. When Asahi finds himself in another world due to getting into a coma, he is not the OP player here; rather it is his sister, Maya. Who is a thirsty bro-con.  The show can be pretty funny for the most part, but repetitive: Asahi is in danger, Maya saves him and he gets the acknowledgment as the "hero." Kilmaria, one of the Devil King's generals, wants to fight Maya due to them being equally matched, rinse, and repeat. But the show can be genuinely hilarious as long as you ignore the whole incestuous obsession Maya has with her brother.  The characters are fine... See full review

So, had been watching my way up to episode 6 of Oshi No Ko. If I am being honest, the show kind of feels overrated. Like don't get me wrong, there are things that I love about the show; the visuals and lighting are good. Voicework is also good, and I love the opening and ending themes.   But with me...I feel that what made the show good at first was the prologue. I was never bored when I was watching it. Sure, it was kind of an exposition dump, but what made it good was Rie Takahashi's performance as Ai Hoshino. She had this infectious, vibrant energy to her but at the same time, her issue was... See full review

At its worse, this is a generic, formulaic Isekai series with several cliches. You have the protagonist who is an overweight loser who gets mistreated and bullied not just at school, but also by his own family. Yuuya is the ultimate escapist character. He becomes a heartthrob overnight; gets invited to a prestigious school. Girls all love him, etc. But with that being said, I think the show does a good job of making Yuuya sympathetic. Albeit, some I feel are exaggerated, he is a truly nice, kind character. It makes it clear that even when he gets to become a "hero" after inheriting the house... See full review

This is probably the funniest anime of the spring season. KamiKatsu begins when Yukito Urabe, a young man who was the heir of a nefarious cult, gets tossed into the sea by his father due to the idea he would be reincarnated as the next leader. As he sinks to the bottom of the sea, Yukito wishes to be born in a world without religion or gods.   Sure, enough, that is where he ends up. But, instead of some world based on RPG games, he finds himself doing the most mundane of tasks and then learns that the Imperial City has an end-of-life system where, as a result of there being no religion... See full review

When Hiraku dies, he is met by a god who apologizes for accidentally bestowing a life of suffering to an innocent man and offers him a second chance at life. From there, Hiraku takes on the farmer life. He starts off small before growing to establish a village. Positives: The food is so appetizing to look at due to farming being the main theme.  The music is soothing. Characters are great albeit some relationships felt weak. For instance Ru being Hiraku's first wife is something that can be easily overlooked because the show calls little attention to it. Which is why when... See full review

Another surprising gem, Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte stars broadcast commentators Endo and Kobayashi as they play an otome game called A Magical Romance. However, on this special occasion, they realize that they are somehow linked to the game, and, upon speaking with Prince Siegwald Fitzenhagen, they learn that they can manipulate events that could potentially save Lieselotte from being corrupted by darkness and death in accordance with the different routes.   To start with, can't say I have possibly seen a show like this. I really like how Endo and... See full review

Mahiro Oyama is your typical NEET who indulges in the otaku lifestyle and is, without mincing words, a total loser. At least until his darling younger sister Mihari, slips her brother a potion that transforms him into a middle-school-aged girl.   Onimai: I'm Now Your Sister! is a pretty controversial anime, well in the western world at the least. I am not familiar with transgender culture, so won't speak as an expert on it.   So going into the show, despite the weird concept, did actually find myself liking the show. It's not the best show of the year, but it kept me entertained because of how... See full review

In the Kingdom of Palettia, we follow an odd princess named Anisiphia. Ever since she was a child, she loved magic, but she was unable to use it herself. However, thanks to her memories of her past life, she uses her knowledge to create several devices with the hopes of achieving her lifelong dream: to fly.   During one of her test runs, she accidentally crashes her broomstick and witnesses her brother Algard publicly renouncing his arranged marriage to Euphyllia choosing a commoner over her. With her reputation in flames, Anis interferes and decides to "take Euphyllia away."   Thus... See full review

In the world of Highland, humans, and fairies used to rule over humans, and in return, there were silver sugar masters, aka candy crafters, who would make these sweets as a form of gratitude.   However, that would change when humans discovered they could enslave a fairy by taking a wing. And so, fairies were sold on the black market. In Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, we follow 15-year-old Anne Halford who is hoping to become a silver sugar master like her dear mom. However, to do so, she has to receive approval from royalty with a medal. But in order to go to Lewiston without issue, she had to buy a... See full review

This show is pretty frustrating IMO. Spy Classroom is about how warfare was exchanged for espionage in a fictional war. There exists a type of assignment known as an "impossible mission" which can often be seen as potentially life-threatening. We follow the spy Klaus who was previously a member of a spy group called Inferno. But things did not go well. He is tasked with taking seven flunkies and one of their first tasks is trying to capture him. The show is structured weirdly. The first half of the anime is the girls preparing to embark on their "impossible mission" with the other half... See full review

Tomo-chan Is A Girl regards a tomboy named Tomo Aizawa as she tries to confess to her childhood best friend Junichirou "Jun" Kubota by trying to be more "girly."   The characters are all likable with their own quirks. Tomo herself is an adorable character who often ends up beating up Jun whenever he tends to misinterpret her actions, but she is also a loyal friend who would fiercely protect her friends leading to some of the most awesome moments of the show. Her trying to be more "girly" is also admirable, showing that she is not just a tough girl, but she was also... See full review

So here we go. Buddy Daddies is an original series about two professional assassins, Kazuki and Rei, who are given the task of removing a human trafficker, but they did not have the gift of hindsight to realize that the guy they just killed was the father of a young girl named Miri. So, the two roommates now have another mouth to feed for the time being. When I first heard about this series, it was natural to compare this show to one of the most popular anime series at the time Spy x Family. Y'know, a "fake family" raising a daughter and all? This obviously tossed some allegations the show's... See full review

Just loving all these wholesome, comfort shows lately The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten is simply an adorable show. I love the primary couple of Mahiru Shiina and Amane Fujimiya. Seeing the development of their relationship is fun. They gradually become familiar with each other with Shiina offering to cook for him and also doing some of his housework when they realize they lived next door to each other. Eventually, the two start developing feelings for each other. I'm serious when saying that I am invested in their relationship. It's probably the whole "loners" thing, but Shiina and Amane... See full review

A perfect comfort show with several likable characters though the main couple is obviously the focus. You have two introverted lead protagonists who find themselves wanting to know more about each other and are just adorable watching bond. The animation is also pretty beautiful, especially whenever it is showing off Himuro's powers.  The only downside was that whenever Fuyutsuki did something that was "cute" in Himuro's eyes, he absentmindedly starts a snowstorm inside. The first episode had this happen about three or four times. I was initially worried that the joke would immediately get... See full review

This is easily one of the worst shows and degenerative anime so far. There is little plot to speak of, and I don't even know who it's for. The animation is fine, not anything praiseworthy but instead of being enticing, the fanservice is disturbing since it involves a dog.  This is easily one of the worst shows and degenerative anime so far. There is little plot to speak of, and I don't even know who it's for. The animation is fine, not anything praiseworthy but instead of being enticing, the fanservice is disturbing since it involves a dog.   The characters are one note. Karen is a... See full review

This was really one of the cutest comfort shows of the year. It is a simple series about Kubo Nagisa's efforts of trying to make him stand out more.  At best, I thought the show's main gimmick would be this one guy is so unnoticeable, he could qualify as a NPC because virtually all the students and teachers do not notice him. Not even automatic sliding doors pick up on him. If that were to be the main idea for the show's entire run, it would get old really fast. But, the show works the way it does because of Kubo's interactions with Shiraishi where they bounce off each other. She is the one that... See full review

This is truly a gem of the season. The characters were all quirky and likable. Bocchi, for instance, is so insanely accurate when it comes with suffering from social anxiety. She is such a nervous wreck, but you can't hope but love her for it. The rest of the bandmates are also great. There is Nijika who tries to keep everything in the band running smoothly; Ryo, my personal favorite, a bassist who has no common sense when it comes to money who'd spend it all on musical instruments which would then force her to eat weeds. And there is the bundle of energy Kita who originally joined the Kessoku Band due to... See full review

Much like Interspecies Reviewers, there is no real "story" here. Sure, you have a skilled hunter named Kikuru "Key" Madan who wants to retire out of concern he is wasting his life. He gets these apprentices ranging from Hitamu who is a "martial artist,"; Maidena, a healer; Hanabata, a strong fighter who goes into a drunk-like state called "Flower Frenzy;" and Tokiskikko, a lazy black mage. Then the girls get captured by magical beasts and are taken advantage of. Rinse and repeat, and you get the same premise over and over until they introduced the arc with the repel... See full review

So Chainsaw Man finally got around to watching it, and so far, I am enjoying it (except for that vomit scene). Set in an alternate 1990s, we have Denji, a devil hunter down on his luck. His poor excuse of a father committed not alive and leaving his son to inherit his debts would require Denji to, for lack of a better word, become a dog for other devil hunters upon meeting his partner Pochita, an adorable dog-like devil with a chainsaw for a nose. Things change when he is tricked into a "mission" where he is gravely injured by the Zombie Devil. However, Pochita becomes his new heart, thus the... See full review

Pretty interesting concept of a school arranging for students to have a "marriage" even though that seems problematic in some regards. The lead, Jirou, is okay. He initially wanted to be arranged with his childhood friend, but instead, he gets Akari Watanabe, a popular gyaru at the school who had her eyes set on Minami.  I would admit that I had difficulty getting into the show primarily because of Watanabe. She starts as an insufferable brat who took jabs at Jirou's expense for no reason like repeatedly calling him a virgin or continually comparing him to Minami. The school has it that the... See full review

So, ultimately, the show had potential with its limited number of episodes and, for the most part, I did get some of the chills. The setup of dead fish dumped at Kimi's place and the increasing dread were definitely there. However, there is no payoff after everything is said and done. The last episode does explain some things but it comes off as so out of the left field, there is nothing there that feels that nothing of value was achieved. The characters themselves are standard and one-note, you feel nothing when they inevitably are in life-threatening situations and the plot itself only starts picking up... See full review

The series takes place on Tom Sawyer Island where an augmented reality where civilians use devices called decoration customizers with which a user can adjust their surroundings to their liking. We also learn that their form of currency is "love" which is essentially social media likes. However, there is a person of mystery Phantom ZERO who is capable of erasing love so they are more or less a terrorist who is jeopardizing their system. The main character is Berry a young teen who is obsessed with discovering the identity of Phantom ZERO when, because of a faulty deco, she discovers an invisible... See full review

Ultimately a pretty boring show. The plot moves slowly at first to establish the settings and the characters, but it is often lagging. Some episodes tend to go longer than they need to be and could end early. By the time we do get something interesting in the form of Erika trying to find her brother because of her brother complex, it is around 19 episodes in for that development. Nagi starts off as being single goal-minded: beat his cush Hiro at exams and then confess to her. That was until he was wheeled into the engagement with Erika. Not really the best lead character since he comes off as one note, but... See full review