It’s that time of the year again!
I have been preparing for this review ever since January. It was honestly hard to write my review last year because I wrote everything last minute, so I couldn’t remember what to tell about the anime that I watched earlier that year lol.
But it’s different this time! I came fully prepared and wrote my review once the show finished, so I shall present to you my anime and manga in 2023 review!
Winter started off with basically new shows and new sequels. Wasn’t the best season, but I did watch a bunch of shows this season. Unlike last year, the reviews are going to be in chronological order…but basically!
The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague: It was okay for an adult-office-oriented anime. Heck, I like Himuro-kun cuz he was so madly in love with Fuyutsuki-san. But to be honest after a couple of episodes, I just pretty much lost interest on it and watched it for completion. Compared to the other office romcoms like Wotakoi and My Senpai is Annoying, this one was okay I guess. It was pretty much SOL without a lot of romantic development. And the show would’ve been better without the supernatural elements (ice man, wolf woman, fireworks guy) but anyways. Cute watch if you want the light-hearted romcom.
Ijiranaide Nagatoro-san 2nd Attack: I’m so happy Nagatoro got a second season and it’s still soooooo gooood. They adapted the sick visit chapter that shook everyone when Senpai called Nagatoro by her first name. And the aquarium date! They’re such a fun couple to watch now because the writing improved so it’s easier for the audience to root for them. Just hoping they do a 3rd Attack and for the manga to have more progress man lol.
Boku no Hero Academia 6th Season (2nd half): After an incredible first half, of course BNHA delivers again in the second half. In general though, S6 was great from start to finish and yey S7 announced.
Bungou Stray Dogs 4th Season: This season started boring and I was admittedly not paying attention. Nothing against my boi Ranpo but I wasn’t paying attention (until I heard Shimono playing a minor character lol). But the second half happened and the Agency got framed…that’s when I started to pay more attention and got more invested! This was a pretty gud season upping the stakes. Too bad this arc isn’t even done in the manga yet lol. But season 5 on July let’s goooo! And I hate those hunting dogs. Even more because I got spoiled that their big boss is the big evil boss.
Danmachi S4 P2: Even better than part one. The sheer tension of whether Bell and Ryu will get out of the deeper floor was real and Ryu’s backstory man… I’m not a super huge Danmachi fan but it’s incredible how the subsequent seasons keep getting better and better. And Ains should step out now for the new and the actual best girl, Ryu.
Hirogaru Sky! Precure: IT’S HERO’S TURN! Precure is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary and what’s better than shaking up the franchise’s formula this year. We got a blue lead! a main boy cure! an adult cure! a baby cure! Truly, hiropre shook the formula this year…yet it managed to bore me after 24 episodes. I honestly think hiropre peaked at episode 23 and it’s been okay ever since. I think Sora is a great protag and after Manatsu and Yui, I was just happy to see a lead who finally gets a considerable amount of focus. Sora is brave but also has a lot of insecurities and it’s good to see that she has a lot of fears and anxieties. But she tries anyways because she wants to be a HERO!
But the show’s plot lore took so long to get explained to the audience. The show’s initial plot was to prevent the Undergu Empire to get Princess Ellee. For what reason? We still don’t know yet! Kaiserin has yet to tell the heroes why she had a falloff with Princess Ellelain and I’m not really interested now tbh. If they actually showed more of the villains in the earlier episodes, I would be invested. But the show took the momentum away to focus on other uninteresting stuff. I honestly think that hiropre shines the best when the head writer is writing the episode, but he’s barely present in the show so idk. Well hopefully the last 4 episodes still manage to be good and give us a good ending.
Update: Now that I actually finished the show, I must say that those last four episodes really went all out huh. The final battle with Kaiserin was great, but get this one, the REAL final enemy is Skearhead instead. Poor Kaiserin getting backstabed left and right. And the REAL plot twist is Dark Sky! Woooow Toei really said “here’s your dark cure now stop asking again”. Anyways, in the end I thought the show was “okay” after the first half. I really don’t like about the fact that the plot lore didn’t get introduced until the last 10 episodes of the show. Also, the parting scene in the last episode wasn’t that powerful because they literally saw each other the next day anyways. It had interesting themes of sky and hero, but I wished they explored these themes. But now, it’s time to say goodbye to the heroes.
Also sidenote, but I’m super bummed that I didn’t see any precure stuff (besides going to a store) when I went to Japan. I wish I could’ve visited Toei Animation Museum huhuhu.
Bofuri S2: After weeks of delay this season finally ended. I’m not the biggest Bofuri fun but it’s a good anime to watch when you just want to have a good time. Plus I like that in this season Maple’s team grouped with the other two teams. The last two episodes with them having to fight these giant monsters were great to see. But they always played the same insert song though lol. And season 3 bait in the end there?
In/Spectre S2: It was again an okay season. I’m not the biggest fan so I watched it for completion. I did enjoy the Yuki-onna and the Otonashi family arc. Also its weird but Kotoko and Kuro’s relationship works even though the latter doesn’t show a lot of affection for the former. Would I watch a third season? Idk honestly.
NieR: Automata: Lol delay after delay. I haven’t actually watched the last four episodes because I haven’t gotten time ahaha…so I don’t really know what to say about this show. From what I remember, this is basically your introduction to the Nier series and your introduction to 2B’s assets. Either way, Aniplex shows keep getting screwed up because they don’t give the studios enough time to animate their shows. Let’s hope their 2024 shows get better.
The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten (Tenshi-sama): I’m not the biggest fan, but it was a pretty cute and wholesome anime regardless. Basically it’s “just date already!” the anime and the studio really hyped it up. When I say really I meant REAAAALLLLY cuz they’ve been advertising it since last year. Also same studio as Higehiro, Tomozaki and Mamaha so they all had the same artstyle (tho I checked only Tenshi-sama and Higehiro had the same Character Designer lol) and I would say same tone. The only thing though was I really really really really disliked the OP visuals so I skipped it idc. They wasted a Masayoshi song for still frames man….Anyways I’m happy there was love confession unlike another anime this season *cough*iceguy*cough* Another win for Manaka Iwami’s character.
Pokemon Mezase Master: After 26 years and 1000+ episodes, Ash and Pikachu’s journey has come to an end. Wow!
Personally, I was excited for this finale series and was hopeful for more companion reunion, but ngl I got bored after 3 episodes. I mean it was still enjoyable and the finale episode was great. Open ending, but I’m glad that Ash found his meaning of being a Pokemon Master. Basically being friends with all pokemon. Honestly, same I would wanna be friends with all pokemon.
Overall though, I started my anipoke journey with XY and man almost 8 years huh? I don’t regret it though because I really liked it. I will always have a soft spot for XY and despite my criticisms of SM and Journeys, I enjoyed them for what they are and finally made Ash a CHAMPION! But yeah, as much as I’m gonna miss Ash, I’m glad that they finally gave us a conclusion to his story. It just hits harder than the other franchises because 26 years man. Imagine if One Piece ended that would be incite an even bigger reaction from everyone. Anyways…bye bye Ash and Pikachu!
Spy Classroom (1st Cour): I admittedly watched this anime because Umehara and other stacked VAs…but man wow this was honestly my least fave this season. Impossible Mission….what a joke tbh it didn’t seem like it was going to be impossible like where are the stakes man. Also they decided to dedicate the remaining episodes to the girls afterwards. It would’ve been better if they fleshed out the girls first before the climax. But oh well Grete best girl. And what was that ending at least announce the second cour! (Update: they did for summer season) Idk which ended more abruptly this one or Sugar Apple or Bungou.
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale (1st Cour): This anime gave me tingles and pain simultaneously. The classic shoujo style of course. I enjoyed it a lot more better than Spy Classroom though. Also Challe’s VA is becoming a new fave of mine (deep baritone voice actors do it right for me). But MAN this anime was so frustrating. Poor Anne gets screwed over every arc and don’t get me started with that douchebag Jonas who kept appearing every arc smh. And the finale made me seethe multiple times. I hate it and second cour better be good. Still, pink/blackhaired pairing this time yes give me more.
Tomo-chan was Onnanoko!: Ahhhh the face of r/manga (and 4ch for a while) finally getting an anime adaptation. I thoroughly enjoyed this anime and TakaRie was great as Tomo. I’m really glad she’s expanding her horizons and showing off what she can do! And Sally Amaki getting more exposure. And a likeable Kaito Ishikawa male lead brings me tears in my eyes…I didn’t really like his character in Cuckoo so Jun is the proof that good writing always matter. But yeah, I’m glad Tomo got a full adaptation and ended on a very high note.
Vinland Saga S2: Farmland Saga more like Peakland Saga because man this season is incredible from start to finish. I loved Thorfinn’s redemption arc because the staff really took the time to flesh it out so it doesn’t feel unnatural and rushed. It really elevated the manga and man it was a treat to watch. I also love the introduction of Einar because he is the best bro. And man…Arnheid…what a woman. Incredible season all around. To Vinland they sail! (hopefully season 3 happens).
And that’s all for winter! Now we go to the blooming season.
Spring
Like last spring, this season is once again filled with romcoms everywhere. Not that I’m complaining though. More romance is good for this hopeless romantic.
The Dangers in My Heart (BokuYaba): In a season where the sequels and ONK dominated, BokuYaba really caught me in the midst of them all. I wasn’t actually planning on watching it, but then I saw my Saturday watching and I was like “hmm I’m not watching a ton of Saturday shows for once” so I decided to watch it. No regrets because gosh this anime was so good. It was basically about a short chuuni boy with self-esteem issues and a cute tall girl who loves to eat a lot and it worked. It really did and I’m glad I gave this anime a chance. I love the way Ichikawa and Yamada’s relationship bloomed throughout the anime and my boy Ichikawa I love him. See this is why Shun Horie should voice a character like Ichikawa and not a character like Kazuya. Anyways, I’m glad BokuYaba is getting a second season and hopefully they reach the confession chapter? Pretty please?
Dr. Stone: New World (1st Cour): In this season of Dr. Stone we have a BIG SHIP! Every Dr. Stone season makes me happy because I know it’s not going down the classic shounen cliches because it’s actually its own show. And we have a bigger threat this time because WHY MAN right? Haha. Also I really miss Byakuya and hearing him this season with a different VA hits too close to home…Either way, it’s a split cour this time so we’ll find out what happens to Senku and the gang in a few months.
Hell’s Paradise (Jigokuraku): I watched this show because again I don’t have anything for my Saturday watch. It was…okay I guess. Again, I’m not the biggest fan of fantasy especially this kind of fantasy. It’s surprising to see the protag have a wife though…that’s rare in shounen especially in a Shounen Jump manga. It got episodes that made me pay attention and episodes that made me not pay attention lol. Anyways, let’s see what the second season/cour will bring to the story.
Kimetsu S3: Swordsmith Village arc!!!!!! I actually liked this arc because Muichiro Tokito my beloved and it was pretty short and sweet. But ufotable reaaaaaaaaally stretched this arc because gosh deym it was really dragging at all times. They’ve been doing it since the first season but gee they won’t stop doing it at this rate lol. Even the finale is 70 minutes and you could probably make it a regular 24-minute episode no problem. Still, it’s Kimetsu that we’re talking here and ufotable takes care of it more than the other studios with their IPs lol. Really curious now how they’ll adapt the next arc though because it’s going to be nonstop from here on!
Insomniacs After School (KimiSomu): Want an anime where the two leads are awake most of the time? Well this is the perfect laid-back romance anime for you. Seriously though, this season is really blessed because this show ended with yet another love confession! And unlike Yamada-kun, this is a seinen series! Man we got really blessed with the Reiwa romance gods this season lmao. Anyways, I definitely enjoyed KimiSomu because it was pretty laid-back and it just felt natural. Banger aiko opening song too. And the starry nights looked breathtaking.
Mahoutsukai no Yome S2 (1st Cour): In this season of Ancient Magus’ Bride….Chise goes to school. You can tell that I don’t remember what really happened in the first season because I really don’t remember what happened in the first season lol it has been like 5 years? It’s a chill season though so we’re all good. Like Dr Stone, let’s see what the second cour brings.
Mashle: “Black Clover with Harry Potter” was immediately my first thought when I watched this anime. Like it was soooo obvious from the first episode that this was an SJ anime because lmao it checked all the shounen cliche boxes. It did work for Mashle but still I can’t help but compare it with BC a lot of times. Mash was basically the mix of Asta and Yuno lmao he’s a good guy but again a stoic MC like him….also cream puffs must have had an increase in sales because of this show. See you next winter I guess.
Oshi no Ko: Undeniably the most popular show of this season. And for a very good reason too. For me, well I started reading it from the very first chapter because Aka Akasaka duh! And the premise looked ridiculous I mean a doctor and a sickly girl who got reincarnated as the twins of their favorite idol? Aka please. But somehow it worked and it developed into basically a revenge story in the world of the entertainment industry. Anyways, you could watch the premier of ONK and it could be good enough for you. I was honestly amazed at how Doga Kobo adapted ONK because man the hoshingan/starry eyes looked so incredible in every episode. I must say they really gave it all for this adaptation and it paid off for them really. Personally though, I feel very lukewarm towards the manga nowadays, but the anime adapted the first 40 chapters perfectly *chef’s kiss* So yeah, let’s see how they adapt the infamous Tokyo Blade arc and that means more Akane for me!
Pokemon Horizons (2023) (first year): Goodbye Ash and hello Liko and Roy! Horizons is basically what pokemon looks like when it focus on the adventure part of a pokemon trainer. And I’m enjoying what the show is offering so far. Obviously, I would love if they focus on getting badges and becoming the champion part, but I guess that’s why Ash’s story exist. But Liko and Roy are going in an adventure to find the mystery and I’m liking it. And Rising Volteceers and the Explorers are interesting to watch! I genuinely love Captain Pikachu and how Cap is so different from Ash’s Pikachu…such a badass captain. And I wanna give a huge shoutout to Conisch for yet another godly OST. I just found out that he composed the music for Twilight Wings and Hisuian Snow, so it makes sense for him to get hired to compose for a main series. And man the music is just sooooooooo good and I hope he releases the show’s soundtrack. Looking forward to see where their search of Lucius and Rakua goes.
Skip and Loafer: I actually thought this was shoujo at first. So did everyone else lmao. But man. Skip and Loafer is a great example of how to write good and nuanced characters. None of the characters are truly bad but they’re flawed and they acknowledged their faults. Besides that one thing that made me ehhhh, I really enjoyed seeing how the characters grew in just 12 episodes and how they have their stories to tell. See, PA Works really thrive on SOL so they should do more SOL ya know…But yeah here’s hoping for a second season and more of golden retriever Shima-kun.
Tokyo Mew Mew New S2: This season was basically like this: individual mew girl’s episodes -> blue knight shenanigans -> some romantic development -> prelude to the final battle -> blue knight plot twist -> final battle -> finale. The thing is I guess the remake is essentially your gateway to either watch the OG anime or read the OG manga. It was wholesome to hear the OG VA’s voicing the parents though…yes yes we need more of that UY influence. But as my opinion last year, I still think Aoyama is pretty booooring and Quiche is the better character. The plot twist was pretty unexpected though…but I found Deep Blue’s characterization to be pretty weak and I wish they explored it better. Anyways, I guess that’s it for TMM’s remake.
Tonikaku Kawaii S2: So the opening for this season teased Tsukasa’s backstory and it didn’t happen…imagine my disappointment lmao. Actually surprised Tonikawa got a second season but it’s fine because we got a Kekkon Desuka reference because of it. But I really want to see Tsukasa’s backstory get animated!
Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion: I was excited about this show becaaaause Yuichiro Umehara and I wanted a clean slate from mister GOKUJO DA last season. Also the trailer really looked good…but man the anime really looked like it barely had any budget… I understand that the studio was fairly new, but Raeliana also deserved better you know? The story was pretty good and Raeliana is a pretty fun and competent protag. I would like Noah more if he didn’t look so QUALITY most of the time geeeee. Anyways, I would’ve enjoyed Raeliana more if it didn’t look like stills most of the time.
My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 (Yamada-kun to Lv999): Just like BokuYaba, I wasn’t planning on watching this show but my Saturday schedule was fillable so I did. Once again, in a season where the sequels dominated…another Yamada show rose up and made everyone squeeeaaaal. Personally, I’m okay with this season. Akane is a great shoujo lead and I didn’t recognize Inori Minase at first man. But everyone sounds breathy in the show lmao. Also, again I’m not a big fan of stoic guys unless you are Shinei Nouzen and Yamada fell on the boring side. But looking back I think the show does more of showing than telling. It’s the same thing in the manga and I’m amazed how Madhouse managed to translate the manga into anime. Sooo I guess you need to interpret things on your own. But anyways, I’m glad the anime ended with a love confession because it was pretty cute. Please do the dating arc pls Madhouse!
So that’s all for the season of blooming love stories! Now we go to the hot season.
Summer season baby! Admittedly, I think this probably the weakest season this year. Not a lot of interesting shows to watch, but here we go.
Helck: You ever wonder what happens when you remember to EGAO a lot? Yep. This show is for you. Actually, I’m not really familiar about Helck except the part that the MC smiles a lot. And the show is pretty fun and funny. But don’t let the comedy fool you into thinking that Helck is just a haha show because oh boy oh boy the train departed during the second half and never stopped ever since. To be honest, not really a big big fan, but I enjoyed the show for what it is and it had a solid plot and characters (Piwi ftw). I’m just concerned that we’re not gonna have a second season after that finale man. We need a happy ending for the good guys…
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2: YOU ARE MY SPECIALZ!!! We are so back bros and there was not single week that I didn’t see a JJK discourse in my twt feed. To be fair, most of the discourse revolved around the show’s abysmal production and we can all thank Mappa for that. But the notorious Shibuya Incident arc was finally adapted and I guess raised the show’s stakes because bye Gojo (and bye to him forever in the current manga arc hahahaha). I’m not really a big JJK fan so thank goodness I’m not super invested in the characters (except for Nanami riiipp and Mahito but that’s because I hated that cockroach so much so he deserved to get eaten by fake Geto). The fights are always good and despite the production problems, the animators really gave their best and that’s why the fight sequences looked so good every single week. If I have to pick a favorite one, it would be Yuji vs Choso…it looked so good and creative. Anyways, see you all in Culling Games where every JJK character you love gets beaten up by Gege.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2: Rudeus is back baby. More MT controversy baby because it is Mushoku after all. But SCHOOOOOOOOOOL ARC! Honestly though, I enjoyed this season because it was all about Rudeus getting healed (literally and emotionally) and it was all because of Fitz-senpai aka Sylphy. I still think Roxy best girl but my girl Sylphy carried herself and this season real hard.
Horimiya: Piece: Horimiya getting a spin-off in 2023 was definitely not in my bingo card, but here we go. I do like how this season adapted the remaining chapters in the manga because we got even more fluff and more characterization. Also, their haircuts in the end looked ridiculous on them ngl.
Kanokari S3: If I was paid to count how many times Kazuya says “Mizuhara” every episode, I’ll probably be rich because Kazuya has to be the most simp protag I ever saw in my romcom life. The author is certainly good at writing drama because this season had well-written drama, but the characters man they make Kanokari so bad (except for Sumi ofc). And the opening didn’t even have a dance this time, what a mess. I only accept season 4 if they adapt Mami’s arc and that infamous chapter.
Bungo Stray Dogs 5th Season: I was very very invested in this season man. Ever since that twist happened in season 4, BSD got my attention again LOL. My conclusion though, Hunting Dogs suck and I do not care what happened to their leader. But the whole season had so much tension man and the real stars are Aya and Count Bram, especially the former because she just made everything possible for the Agency to succeed. But yeah, now that the anime caught up to the manga, I guess we’re gonna wait for a while before the next season happens. That teaser in the end though man.
My Happy Marriage (Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon): The title of the show sure does not fit the state of the protagonist because oh boy this anime man. Started off as a Cinderella story, ended up with fantasy fighting in someone’s dream. I do think that the strength of the show lies with how they handled Miyo’s character. Sure, she made dumb decisions here and there, but there is that healing that had to be handled so carefully. Miyo was so abused that she doesn’t have an inkling idea on what a family should be like. Even the memory of being called “onee-sama” haunts her real bad (props on Ayaneru though on voicing such a vile character). Reina Ueda voiced Miyo so good and they should give her all the awards please. But yeah, Watakekkon was pretty good even though it frustrated me sometimes. Hopefully, the title gets justified when season two happens.
Masamune-kun no Revenge R: After 6 years, Silver Link came with a surprise and gave everyone Masamune S2. And to think that they did this to promote the sequel manga… (it sucks so far btw). Anyways, this season went exactly as it did in the last 25 chapters, which I hoped it wouldn’t because the last few chapters sucked so much. Even Nisekoi did it better with no switch-and-bait. And reading Engagement soured this season because again, stupid and unnecessary drama. Sighs, I just really wished Masamune S2 improved the manga and Aki Adagaki deserved better!
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale (2nd Cour): After that mess that is season one, I’m glad this season came back stronger than ever even though it was still super shoujo at the core. In this season, we basically got more drama, misunderstandings and most of all…ROMAAAAANCEEEEE. And I can’t believe I got to see Soma Saito and Nobunaga Shimazaki voiced villains this season wew. I wouldn’t mind getting a third season, but I heard it goes even more shoujo-ey drama-wise so erm we’ll see.
Spy Classroom (2nd Cour): Gokujo-da is really back huh. I mean, this season was better than the first but I think Thea’s character sucks. Which is a shame cuz I liked her from the first seaason…At least the opening was a banger.
That’s all for summer!
When I say this is the stackest season of this year, I truly meant it. I had 5 shows to watch every Friday. Five. That’s how stack this season was compared to the earlier seasons. I think fall seasons generally tend to be the stackest season of the year so we’re here once again.
16bit Sensation: Another Layer: How would you feel when you time travel back to the golden age of bishoujo games? Yes, the 90s happened 30 years ago ladies and gentlemen.
I never thought I would see another Wakaki series get adapted and I’m happy they did. 16bit anime is waaaaaay different than the manga since they added Konoha Akisato and time travel, but hey I definitely enjoyed it. Konoha may have a grating voice every single episode, but she’s a very endearing character I would say. The supporting cast was also great but I wish they fleshed them more…I guess you gotta read the manga to see more of cuties Meiko and Kaori. But personally the highlight in this show for me is Mamoru-kun. I swear, I’m pretty sure Wakaki had a lot of input about him because he basically thinks and acts like Keima. Their only difference is one is a galge simp and the other a PC-98 simp. But Mamoru’s a very intriguing character because he’s basically someone who didn’t want anything to change. And he knew Konoha’s time travelling so he’s basically the deuteragonist. But yeah, he reminds me a lot of Keima and I like the subtle character development. And I love how he went from snobby teenager to an ojiisan. I like characters who age throughout the show hehe.
Also, last thing to say…I honestly liked Konoha and Mamoru’s relationship. Weird case I know, but the show made them interact with each other and they’re basically partners-in-crime. Now, are they shippable? Weeeeelll. But yes, they’ll make more games together!
Dr. Stone New World (2nd Cour): Mamma mia this season got me in the edge of my seat man!!!!! I feel bad now for not paying a lot of attention during first cour because we really got a legit good Jump villain this season. Ibara is such an evil villain but he really raised the stakes this season so I’d say he’s a good villain. And he is soooo cautious you might wanna put him together and Seiya in one room and they’re gonna come up so many ways to be extra cautious lol. And I legit liked the final confrontation between Senku and Ibara man. SO much tensions!!! So Senku’s win felt so rewarding…and he’s not alone anymore this time… I’m just so happy TMS is not done with Dr. Stone because season four announced baby!!! I heard the final arcs will be crazier so I look forward to see them go to America and the MOON!!!!!
Goblin Slayer II: GOBLIN SLAYING IS BACK!!!!!! Well, there was less goblin slaying this season and more adventures basically. I actually liked this season because there were more down time moments and the character developments were showcased well. Priestess in particular showed soooo much character growth this season and I’m so proud of her!!! And the episode where GS and the boys talked about their dreams *chef’s kiss* GS definitely grew this season. He might say in the finale that nothing will change, but he definitely did and gosh I hope there’s more sequels…. (with better budget pls).
The Eminence in Shadow! 2nd Season (KageJitsu): Shadow-sama is back! We got: vampires, capitalism, JOHN SMITH!!! weddings, more SHADOW-SAMA, more atomic, JAPAN! So yeah, I enjoyed this season and I always enjoy Shadow-sama’s show even though I’m not a huge Shadow-sama fan. But it is fun to see how Cid tries to BS himself into every situation and manages to win every single time. But what’s even funnier is hearing veteran VAs like Sugita, Namikawa, Show Hayami and Koyasu voice pathetic and funny villains. I’m looking forward to the movie sequel even though it’s probably not coming out to the whole world until 2025/2026…
Kanojo mo Kanojo Season 2: Shino Shino Shino Shino Shino Shino: the season. I’m not gonna lie, my enjoyment this season soured because of the manga. I didn’t read it, but I know what happened and the ending… But anyways, Shino was pretty much the star of this season and I can’t believe ClariS sang the ending…
Kibou no Chikara: Otona Preure ’23: Ever since precure stopped doing timeskip endings, I get always sad when the last episode doesn’t show the future of the cures. I literally made a collage with the cures and their future looks. That’s how I liked timeskip endings.
But fear not! For the 20th anniversary brought us…Nozomi and friends as adults.
Honestly, I still can’t believe otonapre is real. When the trademark came out back in March, I was like, “maybe more merch?” But then they announced Y5 AND MAHO SEQUEL. Yep, I was screaming hard back then. And seeing adult Nozomi’s design??? I would have never thought. It feels so surreal even though the show finished two days before Christmas.
But otonapre! The show tried to mix idealism and realism and it worked for the most part? What I really enjoyed the most about otonapre is just seeing the Y5 and SS women try to navigate this reality called adulting. I mean, most viewers are probably young adults who grew up watching these shows…I’m pretty sure they related a lot. And I did too. Rin was probably the one I related the most cuz I know that feeling when you get told that your best wasn’t enough ahaha…But I also liked the cures bonding with each other. Honestly, the character interactions were the ones I loved the most. And Kurumi! The best wingwoman ever.
However, I’m not a big fan of the cures de-aging. Once Nozomi transformed, the show’s formula got predictable. I was sooo curious what’s gonna be the plot after episode one. But welp, it was gonna be about the cures getting their focus episodes and transform until they reach to that climax part. And ironically, Nozomi was the only one who paid the price despite everyone de-aging and used their cure powers quite a lot during the final confrontation with Bell. Speaking of Bell, she basically almost wrecked the town but somehow had the gall to not apologize in the end…Guess that ending means she’ll be back in the future otonapre shows lol (as long as NHK funds them I guess!).
Lastly, well I wanna talk about everyone’s favorite precure pairing. When otonapre first got announced, my first thought was: Nozomi and Coco finally!? And then it turned out Saki got the ring first. Speaking of Saki, I’m midkey salty that she didn’t end up with Kazuya…like hello?? Yeah right give her a faceless and nameless fiance I guess…But going back to my beloved otp, I have a lot of feelings okay. One hand, I still love them and the show just reinforced why their relationship mattered from day one. Nozomi granted Coco’s wish and Coco made Nozomi dream. There’s a lot of love and trust in their relationship…but there’s also a lot of uncertainty and anxiety in their relationship. Hence, the main conflict for them in otonapre is what comes next? how do we make this bizarre relationship work? And the answer is basically have Nozomi almost die so that Coco realizes that he can never let go of her no matter what. So, in another hand, I don’t like how Coco basically ghosted Nozomi for 4 years (while stalking her duh) because he started to doubt their future together. I rewatched some Y5 episodes and this attitude isn’t really new I guess. But man Coco you’re a real jerk for that one…Good thing Kurumi wingwomaned for them so hard she became the prime minister because she deserves it.
But anyways, for all the ups and downs that otonapre made my otp go through, I am so glad they finally sealed the deal and got MARRIED!!! M A R R I A G E another Kawamura pink got married. Miyuki has to step up her game. We got bluebailed with the kiss though smh Narita. But that proposal is beautiful *chef’s kiss*
Overall, otonapre is basically Toei’s experiment with adult cures and if they’re planning otonapre 2024 then I sure do hope they learned a lot from 2023. I enjoyed seeing Nozomi and friends again and I wouldn’t mind seeing them again in the future. Justice for Komachi/Natts.
The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You (Hyakkano): I have been waiting for this adaptation ever since I started reading it. And man what a good job Bibury did to adapt 100gfs. The adaptation really elevated the manga and I’m pleasantly surprised they didn’t rush anything. I guess Bibury learned from adapting 5toubun lol. But yeah, I really enjoyed this adaptation and I’m so stoked that they’re going to adapt Mei, Mimimi and Meme next season woohooo.
Kusuriya no Hitorigoto (The Apothecary Diaries) (first half): I didn’t have any prior knowledge about this show except the fact that the MC is a poison simp. I must say though, I’m really enjoying Kusuriya so far. Maomao is a great protag tbh I thought I wouldn’t like her too much. But hey, being voiced by Aoi Yuki helps. And I also didn’t expect to like Jinshi. He’s a flirt, but his growing crush on Maomao is so cute. That’s right. They have a great chemistry and I hope the second half develops it a bit more even though it’s basically in the background. And oh, Sumi Shimamoto is the narrator!!
Mahoutsukai no Yome Season 2 (2nd Cour): School arc continues! I must say though this season had the worst grandma villain ever man. Even more so than Kazuya’s grandma (i still don’t like her too). So evil and so vile and she deserves every bit of suffering that she received man. Philomela’s arc was pretty good with how everyone just wants her grandma to get yeeted off already lol. Overall though, MahoYome’s college arc introduced new characters that are pretty interesting. I liked how they became Chise’s friends and how they really bonded throughout the season. Well, everything’s not over yet though! Maybe we’ll get a new season in 2 years? I hope so.
The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent Season 2 (SeiMajo): The ultimate slowburn isekai romance of this season. I’m honestly glad this got a second season because I like comfy isekai ya know. But man I won’t be lying if I said there’s not a single episode where I said: “JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!” Man. Maaaaaaan. But I liked that this season focused a lot on the “will they-won’t day” romance between the two leads because I’m a romance sucker haha. Sadly, the finale just ended with a hug but hehe now we know the saint’s magic power is fueled by the power of love™
Sousou no Frieren (first half): The most popular and hyped anime this season and rightfully so. Again, I didn’t have a lot of expectations coming into this show cuz I’m not big on fantasy, but I’m really enjoying it so far. And it’s actually making me curious on what happened during that “short” ten-year journey with the Hero’s Party and how they defeated the demon lord because they’re all interesting as characters. Special shoutout to my dwarf king Eisen…such a good coward warrior. And Himmel!!! Generic kind hero characters get boring nowadays, but Himmel isn’t. He is HIM!!!! But yeah, Frieren has good storytelling, interesting characters and world to explore. Off to more mages next year I guess.
Spy x Family Season 2: Cruise arc!!! Once again, WIT and Cloverworks did a good job adapting the latter chapters in this season. Cruise arc is pretty good so yeah there’s the Yor focus that you all want haha. And I am so happy to see more of the school chapters adapted and the Bond chapters adapted!!! Literally the last episode is a Bond episode…also I guess they hinted another season at the end? Guess that means the manga will need to publish more chapters. But for now, guess gotta wait until the Code: White movie comes out to the west.
The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3: Was this season better than S2? Well thankfully no but I swear Shield Hero peaked in season one. This season was all about dealing with the other three idiotic heroes because they keep on falling on that witch’s scams!!! I swear, they all suck. Lots of the characters in this series suck. And every time the word slavery gets mentioned I just cringe. Naofumi’s not really above all since he uses the slave pact to make sure no one betrays him again. I’m really over that subplot tbh. And all of the training to fight the phoenix only for the season to end with the reveal that Raphtalia is actually a part of the nobility. Thanks a lot for this reveal Shield Hero. Anyways, cool Shingo Yamashita OP. I just didn’t really like this season even though it was slightly better than the second.
Tearmoon Empire: MIA-SAMAAAAAAAAAA!!! DESU WAAAAAAA!!!!! Besides 16bit, I think Tearmoon is another underrated and overlooked anime this season. I guess you can put it in the villainess isekai because it’s all about Mia trying to redeem herself in her second life and avoid the guillotine no matter what. And honestly, Mia is a pretty fun character to watch desu wa. She’s basically Bakarina but gets a lot of luck lol. And the supporting characters are alsoooo fun. Not a single week did I not hear any of them kneel before the Wisdom of the Empire. But yeah, I really enjoyed Mia-sama’s schemes every week. I sure do hope it gets a second season like Bakarina right Silver Link? Please?
Undead Unluck (first half): A shoujo disguised under a shounen series…is what I would describe UU. I mean come on, the MC was literally reading a KimiTodo knockoff in the first episode. And she literally got kissed in like episode 9. I must say though, I’m really enjoying UU so far. Fuko is a good protagonist and so is Andy. I heard a lot of things about the manga and I guess it’s gonna get crazier from here on. So let’s see what happens…but super huge props to DavidPro for this crazy good adaptation.
So that’s it for fall! But this review isn’t over yet!
I didn’t watch a lot of movies this year again. But I watched some movies, rewatched a show and watched new shows this year!!
I watched Suzume in a movie theatre this year and I’m so sorry I forgot to put her in this collage. BUT! Seeing a Shinkai movie in a big screen was a magical experience. I honestly liked this movie more than Weathering with You because of how absurd it was to see a girl try to kiss a chair…an ikemen chair. And once again, Shinkai puts Tokyo in danger with earthquake. He cannot be stopped I swear lmao. But I really enjoyed Suzume and Souta trying to close doors everywhere. And the heartfelt story between Suzume and her aunt. Really though, the last act of the movie was really gooood. Looking forward to see more Shinkai movies.
I also finally watched Furifura aka Love Me, Love Me Not okay!!! I didn’t let my 2022 self let down this time. Honestly, the movie is pretty enjoyable. Obviously, I wish this got a full anime adaptation instead. Some parts looked pretty rushed and the other pairing got less romantic development. But I’m always delighted to see a Sakisaka series adapted. If Kimi ni Todoke can get a third season, then I can always cope that Ao Haru Ride can get one. In the meantime, I rewatch Hal it’s always a good choice.
Now!
Delicious Party Precure Movie: Dreaming♡Children’s Lunch!: Well well well this is the first solo precure movie since the Star Twinkle movie and I really enjoyed it! It’s basically for kids, but Zako’s storyboard carried this movie real hard sasuga. And I really liked seeing the DP fairies get human forms (human Pam-Pam ftw). The main villain was also good and honestly had more characterization than the actual main villain in DP lol. But the movie had a story to tell so better appreciate your lunch kiddos.
Goblin Slayer Movie: Goblin’s Crown: Yes, there were goblins in this movie. Yes, GS and his gang slayed them all. Yes, I didn’t watch this movie until this year. But ya know what, I had a good time watching Goblin’s Crown and most especially, GS and Priestess’s new year moment was finally animated. I’m happi.
Kaguya-sama: The First Kiss Never Ends: I was gonna watch this movie in theatres, but school happened so rip. But yes I watched Iceguya arc finally and my goooodness A-1 keeps outdoing themselves on the Kaguya adaptation. Good direction and storyboard really carries Kaguya so hard. And I was just happy to see my favorite Kaguya arc get adapted. Just bummed out that they darkened Shirogane’s room so the audience couldn’t really see the scale of his insecurities. Regardless, we probably won’t get any Kaguya for a while? Unless they announce one new year. But yes, Kaguya and Prez finally won.
Kimi ni Todoke (rewatch): It was just another day during August. I was pretty bored and school was starting soon…so I checked Netflix and lo and behold! Kimi ni Todoke finally on Netflix. So I decided….it was time for a rewatch. I fell inlove with the series all over again ngl and it still really holds up well. Of course, things started to get more complicated during the second season oh boy. Well I will say more about KimiTodo in the manga section, but the timing of my rewatch couldn’t be any more right because SEASON THREE BABY. SEASON THREE!!!!!!!
Hibike! Euphonium: Ensemble Contest Arc: I’m not gonna lie, I have been so out of the loop with the Hibike series ever since the compilation movies + the chikai no finale movie. But it’s thriving more than ever and season three is coming out next year so yey. But I enjoyed this OVA a lot. Very low stake, but I enjoyed listening to Kitauji High band again. And oh Kumiko is the club prez now and she really showed why she has that position. I really hope they make it to the nationals next season and WIN!
Gotoubun no Hanayome∽: Ahhh 5toubun…you thought everything is over since the movie came out? Wrong. I guess they finally realized that this series can generate a lot of profit, so here comes a two-episode OVA about the unadapted manga chapters. In an alternate timeline, we would have gotten 3 seasons without a movie and it would be adapted faithfully. The good side about this OVA is Shaft. Because this is basically a Shaft show (now I miss Nisekoi…) and made me wish Shaft adapted 5toubun instead…Anyways, I’m pretty sure this isn’t the end of 5toubun, but I am so happy to finally see Yotsuba’s backstory adapted.
Futari wa Precure Splash Star: In anticipation of otonapre, I decided to watch SS and I really really liked this series. The show really shines on developing not only Saki and Mai, but the supporting characters too! I guess this is the greatest advantage of a two-cure focused series. Nowadays, a precure show has 3-5 cures, so there are less supporting characters now. So, I appreciate SS for really utilizing the cast to their fullest. And the Kiryuu sisters clearly paved the way to villains getting redeemed. I loved their arc and based Narita for including them. It’s a bit criminal that otonapre didn’t show a lot of SS characters (especially the fairies and Minori man, just whyyy). But SS is super good and don’t let it being advertised as FW 2.0 fool you because it had a lot of heart. Zekkouchou!
Noein: It was yet another day of browsing through TVTropes. You see, this girl right here still gets into Hugtto phase sometimes, so yes I discovered Noein because of Hugtto lol. Noein is honestly a fascinating series because the main characters are kids, but the plot is not for kids. You have this girl who’s just trying to live her life, then suddenly this weirdos dressed in cloaks come up and try to kidnap her. So yeah, lots of innocence and realism happening between the kids and the depressed time travelers. And it’s just funny to see this weirdo tell his past self that he’s pathetic and can’t “protect” the MC…Anyways, I really had a good time watching the show because I actually love time travelling shows. They’re always going to be a hot mess because of time paradoxes and everything, but I think Noein did pretty good for what it did. I just wish it had another episode because it just kinda ended after the final confrontation. And once again, another main villain motivation that wasn’t fully explored. Will I ever find that time travelling show that actually shows and tells why the main villain is trying to ruin everything? Find out.
Shingeki no Kyojin Final Season Part 3 (finale): 10 years after the first anime came out, SNK is finally over. I’ve had the privilege to watch this actual finale live, but I haven’t watched the subbed version yet haha. BUT anyways, my opinion is still the same. The endings sucked hard. Even though there’s been changes in Eren and Armin’s final conversation, the ending still sucked hard. I’ve detached myself to the series ever since 2021, so I guess no hard feelings this time. Will we get more SNK in the future? I wouldn’t be surprised if we get more new content (we’re already getting a new short story about Levi next year and the leaks are hilarious even if they’re fake). See you later, the boy who cried TATAKAE.
That’s all for other shows and movies! Maybe and hopefully more movies next year?
Manga time!
Again, I tried my best to keep up with reading manga this year. I still need to catch up with the majority of on-going manga I’m reading, but here are actually the ones I’ve read this year.
Oshi no Ko: So this year literally started with a bang because Aqua finally exposed the existence of Ai Hoshino’s twins to the world to save Kana’s career. Aaaaaand a bunch of drama after that. I’m pretty sure ONK is a full-fledged soap opera drama at this point lmao. I do appreciate Ruby/Sarina finally getting moooore characterization this year. We got to learn her backstory so that’s awesome. I just think, however, that ONK is going further downhill. Honestly, there’s no need for Aka to make Kana even more miserable man. Even though I’m not a huge Kana fan, I feel like it’s unnecessary for her to go through the drama every other arc? Also, the twincest undertones are also unnecessary. Anyways, the movie filming arc is pretty slog to read right now. Finish it and make the scum dad act already.
Chainsaw Man Part 2: Crazy year for Part 2. We get more of Denji and Asa and they honestly have a heartwarming relationship. Both are weirdos who just wanna live a normal life. Too bad this is the CSM world soooooo. And more Nayuta this year! They just announced Reze arc as a movie the other day so yey for more CSM content. I do actually need to read the rest of part one though lol. Reading every week but missing context on some parts because I haven’t fully read part one…waaaw.
Hyakkano: I caught up! I stopped reading because I was busy and now I finally caught up. So this year we got 5 new girlfriends: Suu the numbers simp, Eira the super strong yet has phobias, Tama the lazy cat, Himeka the “abnormal” idol singer and Matsuri the foul-mouthed gothic lolita. Gonna be honest, Tama is the only gf I like from this new rooster of gfs. I honestly think I like a gf the most when she’s not really over-exaggerated and has a good characterization. Tama got a considerable amount of characterization and development this year since she legit tried to get a job again. Other than her, none of the new gfs stood up this year. I just hope 2024 brings more interesting gfs. Also, Karane is still the best best girl and actually got the first proposal. Based.
Renai Daikou: Aka’s new manga this year is here. Another romcom but this time it’s about an extrovert girl who’s actually introvert and an introvert guy who’s actually extrovert. But fret not, they have two mascots who are there to help them confess to each other. So uhhh Renai Daikou is okay so far. Not really groundbreaking unlike Kaguya, but it’s certainly something to enjoy. But I swear, it’s not an Aka series without the heroine having parental issues.
Masamune no Revenge: Engagement: If you think Masamune couldn’t be any more worse, you’re wrong. This series is so bad from the getgo man. You introduce this new girl who kissed Masamune in the first chapter and tried to be a homewrecker throughout the 11 chapters. Aki should’ve dumped him gaaaahhhh. This manga infuriated me so much, and so did the translator with the translator notes at the end there lol. Honestly, Tiv deserves a much better writer. Look, Masamune started decently…but it kept getting worse. Even though Aki won, I also think she deserves better than that Masamune. See you in four years I guess when they make new Masamune content again.
Spy x Family: This year in SxF we goooot: school trip turned bomb threat arc! more individual chapters! more school chapters! more bits of info about melinda! loid vs yuri arc! Wow just remembering these chapters made me forget that the field trip arc happened this year. That was a fun arc. Seeing how the kids try to act when there’s the impending bomb and terrorists in the bus was wew. Ofc Anya saved the day, but funny to see how Damian tried too. Loid almost got wrecked in his battle with Yuri too wow. Lots of high tension chapters happened this year, but I do hope the plot reaaaaallly starts moving forward. The extra chapter where we got a small yet very important detail about Anya got everyone so curious. Give us all the deets axeman!
Mao and Shadows House: I didn’t put them in the collage but I’m up to date okay! For Mao, the plot is moving steadily, but I’m still sad there’s no anime adaptation yet. Come onnnnnn guys this manga is actually better than Rinne imo. On the other hand, Shadows House really went crazy this year WEW. So we got a new set of Star Bearers, new kids who didn’t get brainwashed, and Robe-sama being actually an antagonist. I’m honestly curious how crazier SH will go in the future because it has such a large cast at this point man. Goodluck, Emilico and Kate!
Noragami: So uhh I finally caught up with Noragami and can I just say… what in the world happened in this manga??? It was just full of nonstop suffering mamma mia. The manga ended and I know some of the leaks so far, but oh my gosh Adachi really made suffer Yato, Hiyori and Yukine in the last two-thirds man. I do think Yukine’s arc didn’t need to be this way. He was perfectly fine after he got purified in season one, but he became insufferable again once he joined that scum father’s side because he wanted to know how he died. I think his life was pretty tragic, but Adachi didn’t need to make Yukine unlikeable again. Anyways, Noragami man…incredible series but lots of suffering. Once again, we are asking for a third season Bones.
Kimi ni Todoke: It took me 8 years, but I read and finished Kimi ni Todoke this year. There has been more drama and misunderstanding after season two, but the payoff is really worth it. I guess I’m one of the people who thinks Kazehaya is just a nice guy. He is actually. But the manga really shows you that he’s more than just a nice guy. He’s actually very flawed and he will always be a jerk for not properly communicating with Sawako what he wants in their relationship. But anyways…other highlights are Ayane and Kento and Sawako and Kurumi. Man, I was so gutted about AyaKent…their breakup chapter also broke my heart because I was rooting for them so hard. But it is what it is. And I was honestly surprised that Ayane and Pin didn’t happen. I knew that she was gonna actually fall for him later on, but I didn’t expect for her to get rejected! I guess props to Shiina for handling them properly. And Sawako and Kurumi……..Kurumi’s redemption is seriously good and I love how honest and open she became to Sawako. And Sawako’s character development herself is so good. Honestly, KimiTodo is a good manga. It’s more than just a romance between Sawako and Kazehaya. It’s also about living yourself in high school and growing up. Made me miss high school ngl. But yes, I’m so stoked that there’s gonna be season 3!!!!!!!!!! Please adapt everything IG I am begging you.
Kekkon Desuka: Rika and Takuya’s story ended this year. They really went from strangers who got more speech bubbles during conversations to actually MARRIED! I really enjoyed Kekkon Desuka and I’m super happy for Wakaki because this one was a success compared to the previous manga he wrote. Obviously, Kekkon Desuka was not perfect and I think the series could’ve benefitted if it had another arc, but Wakaki tied everything nicely. More than just what a marriage is, Kekkon Desuka is also about relationships. I like how Wakaki was able to show the realities of life while not being too grim about it. As Rika says, they still have a long road ahead of them! (this is straight out of twgok finale too lmao). I am sooooooo happy that 1) this got an english license (thank u wakaki for quoting my tweet hehe) and 2) it’s getting an ANIME!!! Now, I really hope they give it to a good studio and get a good adaptation!!!
Lastly, just wanna give a huge shoutout to Magical Girl Raising Project because it ended this year. I need to catch up actually because I haven’t read since Black. But I know what happened thanks to the spoilers and I just wanna say…wow. Snow White had such a rough journey but she made it. Finally, the evil has been defeated and SW’s story is over, but the world of Mahouiku will continue! And hooray for season two!!!! I wanna see how they adapt the crazy Restart arc!!!
Well that’s it for this year’s review! Wew, I think this is the craziest review preparation I did so far.
But I wanna give a special shout to one of the highlights of my 2023: Japan arc.
Everything still feels so surreal, but yes I had the opportunity to visit Japan this past June for 6 days. As an anime nerd, I enjoyed Akihabara so much that I could probably spend a day there and still feel like I need to explore it more! (I guess I understand Konoha’s love for Akiba now haha).
But being an anime nerd aside, I enjoyed what Japan offered. Good food, good transportation (wow got to experience the skyliner too). We went to Shibuya and recreated the Your Name staircase scene hahahaha. Tokyo Tower was beautifuuuuuul. It feels surreal as huge CCS fan. I literally grew up watching Sakura on that tower. Spent so much money on souvenirs and anime merch and my feet hurt every single day lol.
But I guess our main highlight was our kimono experience in Narita. The locals were looking at us and some of them even greeted us. Super polite and respectful. Thinking back, I would change some things (like not buying souvenirs during the first three days rip), but it was really an honor to visit a dream country of mine. Arigatou gozaimasu, Nippon.
And that’s it for 2023!!!! Until next time!
Coco's Random Blog and Reviews 