Minor Spoiler Ahead (￣ ￣|||)

Note: TLDR at the very bottom.

Story - 6.5

Vermeil in Gold is a none Isekai Fantasy anime which in a sense reminds me of some of the classic magic fantasy ecchi-themed anime like Zero No Tsukaima but with a less intriguing or unique story.

Our protagonist Alto is a student at a magic academy who was not able to summon a familiar was about to have to repeat a year when he found an old grimoire and try to summon something as instructed by the grimoire. He successfully summoned Vermeil, a demon but not just any demon, a sexy, hot, milf demon with calamity-level power.

Vermeil in Gold is still in the end ecchi first and story second so let's talk about that first. The ecchi in this anime compare to some of the ecchi anime in the past like Highschool DxD or Rosario to Vampire is quite mild. You won’t be seeing pantsu or oppai. Oppais are mostly covered with something like hands, hair, object or using camera tricks. What you will get is a lot of kissing scenes and innuendos.

The story is okay. It is not unique and feels very formulated as if the author look at previous similar works and copied the whole structure but forget to give its own unique soul. For new weebs who have never watched fantasy ecchi anime before, this anime story would be pretty good but for veteran weebs, it is okay. Good enough to not make me bored.

The story move bit by bit and didn’t tell much in this season. Alto tries to hide the fact that Vermeil is a demon and tries to go about his daily life in the first few episodes but gets caught up in fights. They later got pulled into mysterious things happening around the campus like people and their familiar going berserk or an instructor going mad scientist mode without knowing who really is pulling the string until later on. The villains mostly move in the background until one of them openly shows up near the end of the anime.

Much like the villains’ motives, the student councils are also very sus and have some hidden motive which is still largely unknown at the point of end of the season and as always we don’t know if season 2 is going to happen.

I like the theme of the anime. It is very Harry Potter like but less dark and more ecchi. The world-building is pretty average. We got to know the basic info about the magic academy, the magic measuring system and so on but it doesn’t go much deeper.

Character - 6.5

Characters in Vermeil in Gold are quite likeable though they are very trope heavy. We have Vermeil a demon milf, Alto a good-hearted but cannot handle girls well protagonist, Lilia a tsundere who is in love with the protagonist and so on. A lot of screen time goes to Alto and Vermeil.

I don’t really like Alto at first. He has a very harem protagonist don’t know how to handle a girl type of personality but I like that he changes later as Vermeil keeps pushing on him and he manages to grow a pair and do what has to be done. Alto also feels somewhat like a typical good naive but bland protagonist but that also changes throughout the anime.

Alto also has a solid aim that he wants to achieve and the anime doesn’t make Alto targeted by a hoard of other side girls but only by Lilia who later pretty much back off and become a side character.

I like that the anime showcase Alto and Vermeil as the main couple and the fact that we can see some sort of progression in Alto such as being comfortable with Vermeil, his magic skill, coming to love Vermeil, becoming a selfless character and so on.

Vermeil is the best character in the anime who is not just a mommy milf but has a cocky and horny personality. She enables all the ecchi moments in the anime to happen while also being a strong character.

Vermeil has an air of mystery when Alto first summoned her and we know nothing about her or her motive but that change when the anime give a solid back story of her which add not only a really good character drama but also shows the less “ara ara onee-san” side and a more cute and vulnerable side of her.

Well, not a lot to say about Lilia though. She is a tsundere character who is in love with Alto and has some beef against Vermeil. She is a comedic relief character who was later pretty much got sidelined as the story moves along.

We also get to see some mildly interesting characters such as Chris who has a very powerful dragon familiar and Rex who has a dinosaur for his familiar. We also see characters from the student council but barely get to know about them. Let's just say a lot of side characters have a flat development or we barely know much about them.

We barely know much about the villains too apart from the fact that they are quite an eccentric bunch of people and they mostly work in the background. The guy who does show up near the end has a basic and typical goal of destroying the world.

Art & Animation - 6.5

Vermeil in Gold anime is done by Staple Entertainment studio which only has one project under their belt as of the writing of this review. I say the art and animation in general are surprisingly pretty solid for a studio without any reputation.

There are some really nice scenes which put some of the low-tier studios to shame and at the same time capture the vibe of the theme pretty well. Unfortunately, there is a huge drop in quality in the last few episodes.

The character designs are pretty solid and differentiate fairly well from other magic fantasy school-type anime. Using the virgin killer sweater on Vermeil may look like an odd choice initially but the design work and it is now stuck in my eyes.

The background arts are pretty solid with a textured filter. Places like the library and Alto’s room look decent with enough detail in the background.
General animation for movements and facial expressions is quite fine but The weakest part of the anime would be the combat animation. The camera angle feels weird in some scenes where both sides are throwing magic at east other. Spell animations could have been better too.

Sound - 6.5

The opening song sounds good albeit a bit on the generic side but the ending song is really nice and is well suited for the theme of the anime plot, especially for Vermil's character story which is about sadness, loneliness and torments.

Background music may not be memorable but it works well for the scenes they are played on. The background music is nice to listen to with its more instrumental wind, string and piano music.

The sound effects are pretty solid in general. The sound effects for the goofy moments are crisp and suitable for the scene. Sound effects in combat are good enough but won’t hurt to have a little bit more punching power and uniqueness.

The Voice acting is great. Almost all character voice match their character and their personality. Vermil voice might be a bit on the softer side and could have sounded more “Ara Ara” to match her looks.

TLDR:

Harry Potter and the calamity-level milf demon but horny with a more typical story. The story is fairly enjoyable for one time watch. Decent production value for a studio without any reputation under its belt.

Note: TLDR at the very bottom.

Story - 8

If you like How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom, You will no doubt like The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt. Man, why are anime names getting longer? The two anime are operating within the same kind of concept and theme and I will be making comparisons to Realist Hero in this review too.

The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt is not an Isekai anime. The story starts with Crown Prince Wein who was put in charge of a small kingdom called Natra which is in debt when the previous King went out of commission. The problem is Wein is lazy even though he is cunning and a genius. At his side is his trusted sidekick Ninym who is from an oppressed minority race called Flahm.

The anime touch on topics such as making money, negotiating with other kingdoms, forging alliances, war and a lot of geopolitics. While Realist Hero also touches on similar kinds of topics, the huge difference is Realist Hero skim the surface without going deep into it while Genius Price goes into all the in and out of what is happening in a more micro-managed style.

Another huge difference between The Genius Prince and Realist Hero is that Realist Hero has a more laid back tone while in The Genius Price, Wein is literally navigating a minefield of politics with his kingdom's neighbours. It is also a much more cunning world where the leaders have to outwit each other. E.g. A prince from another country die cause of an accident in Wein’s kingdom and he has to avoid war from breaking out between the two kingdom or political backstabbing and that verbal promise shouldn't be taken to heart or attempted assassination.

There are a lot more backhanded deals compared to Realist Hero be it politics such as other kingdoms making one face in front but already got thing scheming with another kingdom. This also goes into the business side such as Wein’s making money out of products coming from kingdom A that is at odds with Kingdom B by lying the origin to kingdom B and shipping it to them.

The Genius Price does have some comedy elements to it. It is especially done with Wein being lazy and wanting to get rid of his own kingdom but accidentally improving it instead since he is a genius. There are also times when he is calm and composed but panicking inside. It is an amusing kind of comedy than the type that will make you laugh out loud.

Worldbuilding is decent, it feels a bit fast in some parts but the anime does do a fine job at making sure the viewer knows the different Kingdoms, their rivalry and so on using an overview map. The usage of Wein’s little sister Falanya studying with her tutors for the explanation and narrative of what is happening within the kingdom or what Wein’s doing is a pretty cool idea.

Character - 7.5

The characters also shine in The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt even though there are not a lot of developments. The characters are well designed and come with their own set of interesting personalities and characteristics which make for a fun experience throughout. The dynamic between the characters and outwitting each other is also a big highlight of the anime.

There are also quite a lot of characters but the major focus is on Ninym, Wein, LowellMina and Falanya.

Wein, the lazy but genius prince of the small kingdom of Natra. As much as he is lazy and often complains about selling his kingdom and running away, he got a lot of jobs done in a most spectacular manner. Sometimes also by accident.

Wein may sound like a goofball behind closed doors, the side he only shows to Ninym. However, he is very cunning, creative and very good at outsmarting other kingdom’s politicians or generals. He also takes a lot of calculated risks. All these factors alone make him a really entertaining character to watch. It's like watching Shiroe from Log Horizon plan things out. As cunning as he may be, he also cares for his loved ones and if someone hurt them, he will go out for their blood.

Ninym is an adviser and an excellent aide for Wein. Cool-headed, intelligent, mature and sometimes can be a slave driver when it comes to getting things done. She is also capable of accompanying Wein anywhere from a diplomatic mission to a battlefield. Ninym is also caring for people who she cherishes and much like Wein will show no mercy to people who hurt her close friends. Ninym's relationship with Wein is an interesting one too since they are more than a friend but not lovers too. Definitely waifu material though.

LowellMina, princess of Earthwold Empire and a close friend of Wein. She is somewhat similar to Wein. Intelligent, kind, not arrogant for a noble and have the best interest of the people at her heart. The anime takes some time to establish the back story and relationship between Wein, LowellMina and Ninym too.

LowellMina, being a girl, her advice and idea are often dismissed in favour of her brothers (the princes of the Earthwold Empire) and all of them are gunning for the throne of the Earthwold Empire. The outwitting battle and mind game between LowellMina and Wein is also an intriguing one to watch.

Falanya is Wein’s little sister and someone who looks up to Wein. She can be seen in many scenes where she is studying everything from politics to battlefield strategy with her tutor. She later got a good screen time and development where she proves she is capable as a princess.

Art & Animation - 7

While The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt is not groundbreaking in terms of production quality it is way better than Realist Hero. The overall tone and the details of the arts are pretty good while the animations, in general, are on the weaker side.

The character arts and design are nice. Not only they are unique looking, but also very suitable for the fantasy medieval theme. The details on the character are also fairly nicely done with all the ribbons, accessories, stripes and texture on their outfits. Facial expressions are also spot on from the character putting up a poker face but panicking inside to smirk faces when Wein is winning. The animation of Wein twitching like a kid out of annoyance is also amusing and well animated.

The background also looks nice with good art quality and a fair amount of detail to them. Indoor scenes are well detailed and populated with objects that give an actual vibe of the era. Some of the floorings also look really nice with detailed patterns on them. The outdoor scene also looks equally nice with well-detailed castles, houses and some pretty looking natural environments. Scenes that need background characters have no them and for an anime that is not focused on food, the foods look fairly delicious too.

I also like how the camera transit in the early part of the anime where there is a battle and the camera goes from a carved soldier looking piece on a strategic map to the real general of the enemy army. However, the combat animations are extremely weak. They are mostly still shots with effects, close up camera shots with a few awkward motions and animation.

Sound - 6.5

The opening and ending songs of The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt are decent, they are good for listening to a couple of times but didn’t have retaining power to be in a playlist.

Background music sound nice with appropriate instruments and nice-sounding music which super compliments the scene. They are not so memorable but they do sound good. The background music quality is also well above the music that is used in some budget fantasy anime.

I also don’t notice any sound effects missing from the anime. The anime has the standard level of detail and quantity that I expect from an anime when it comes to sound effects. Things such as the sound of a wooden block when Wein lifted a block from the strategic map or the sound of the carriage’s wheel when inside a carriage are all accounted for.

Voice acting is superb for all characters. The voice acting brings out the wit of each character nicely and things such as Wein panicking or twitching out of annoyance and complaining are also nicely voiced. As a fan of Rie Takahashi’s voice, it instantly makes Ninym a likeable character for me. Takahashi nailed the role of the character even if the character reminded me of Emilia from Re: Zero sometime.

TLDR:

An intriguing anime that goes deep into the geopolitics of the fantasy world. The outwitting battle and mind games between each character or kingdom are also fascinating to watch.

Note: TLDR at the very bottom.

Story - 4

Shikkakumon no Saikyou Kenja is technically not an Isekai anime but also felt like an Isekai anime. The protagonist became the strongest he can be with the crest he is born with but he wants to get more overpowered so he reincarnated himself into the same world but many years later. His aim is to get the strongest crest. Technically, he re-spec in gamer term.

Matty, the protagonist of the show reincarnated himself in the future and got himself the strongest crest but a lot of things in the world have changed. The weakest crest is now understood wrongly as the strongest while the strongest is understood as the weakest. Humanity has also lost the ability to cast spells without chanting. Matty found out that it is the demon’s doing and embarked on the journey with his party to uncover their plan.

I have no issue with power fantasy if it is done right with an interesting story and plot but Shikkakumon no Saikyou Kenja is not that. The show is very simple and predictable. Matty is going to enrol into an academy, geez I wonder who is going to ace the entrance exam? Of cause it is Matty. He was even made an instructor.

Matty is also very overpowered thus he just steam-rolled over everything be it fighting, uncovering mystery or investigating demons. He literally can sense where the demons are or see invisible demons. The show also constantly loves to remind us that Matty is overpowered for some weird reason.

Matty is not only overpowered with his skills and spells. The kings and the academy principal also bow down to Matty a lot just because he is powerful. It almost feels like the kings and the principal have zero wisdom and will be helpless without Matty.

Worldbuilding is weak since the story is mostly shown from Matty's point of view and he mostly narrates everything that is happening. The comedy is not great either, I get zero amused moments let alone laughing out loud. Iris, a dragon who turned herself into a human form tries to pull some comedic moments but I just find her cute instead.

Then if the plot is not interesting, the combat has to be good right? Well, it is very average. Combat feels very repetitive with Matty and Party doing the same thing over and over again without much clever tactical in early episodes. The way they slowly thin the number in a town controlled by demons in a later episode with teamwork is okay but still very straightforward.

The anime is not a harem show despite Matty being surrounded by girls. There are some hints of romance but It doesn’t go anywhere and goes no further than blushing.

Character - 4

Since the plot is pretty “meh”, the character got to be interesting to carry the story, right? Well, no. Since the story is mostly from Matty’s PoV and he is the main character that is moving the plot forward, the side characters have almost no development. This is also bad since Matty is a bland protagonist.

Matty is a monotone character who stays the same throughout the show. He is very overpowered and has a lot of knowledge due to his past life. Matty is also kind of arrogant but sometimes the author tries to force him to do some comedy and it just feels awkward. Matty is also bad with girl's touches like some generic harem MC. If you are this overpowered, at least be a sigma male.

Lurie and Alma are part of Matty’s party and both of them have a tiny bit of character development in early anime when Matty trains them but they stay the same throughout the show after that. Even the way they fight didn’t change. The interaction between the two and Matty is also uninteresting, sometimes even feels distanced. Both of them exist only to support Matty. Lurie does have some romance happening with Matty but it doesn’t go anywhere.

Iris is a dragon girl and an old friend of Matty. She took the form of a human girl to accompany Matty on his adventure and she is the best character in this show. Unfortunately, she also has the least amount of screen time out of the four characters. With her clumsy personality, she tries her best to amuse the viewer from casually bending a sword and scaring people to destroying things.

There are other characters in this show but they are just background characters who make no difference to the story.

Art & Animation - 5.5

Shikkakumon no Saikyou Kenja’s general art and animation are average at best. Overall it looks more like a budget JRPG looking arts and colour usage.

Character art wise, they are okay but they do look like generic budget JRPG game characters. I read the manga a bit and I can see the studio adapted the art style to be the same as the source.

Background art styles are okay, very generic fantasy looking indoor, shops, houses, castles, etc... The details are also fairly decent. What is not so decent is the feel of the town, it feels empty. What is awkward is that there are parts where the close up scene got people around but the view from the sky of the area is empty.

Animations are okay but won’t blow you away. Combat got some slight choreography and animation and is not all close up camera tricks with some background effects. I won’t say the choreographies are good, they are simple and the magic spells are generic looking. The show also loves to add more magic circles and rings to show that the spell is powerful but the spells themselves are not impressive.

Sound - 5

The opening song sounds generic even if it does fit the theme of the show. The ending song is pretty good with its chill and cute vibe.
Background music exists only to support the scene. Nothing fantastic or memorable but the music does fit the theme.

The sound effects are okay. Didn’t notice anything missing but some choice of sound effects such as clashing of the sword and shooting of smaller spells sounded very generic as if they are some stock sounds.

The voice acting is pretty decent. Matty's voice feels a little bit bland or monotonous but the rest of the characters have good voice acting especially Iris with her accent and cute voice.

TLDR:

A generic fantasy anime with a bland story, simple plot and uninteresting characters. Can summarize the story as demons are bad, they mess with humanity's progress so the overpowered protagonist fights them with his party.

Note: TLDR at the very bottom.

Story - 8

As someone who was from a dictatorship country with a very corrupted police force, I really envy countries that have a reliable police force. How corrupted you ask? If you call the emergency line, the police might or might not come. If you file a robbery case, that case will never be solved let alone more serious cases. If they caught you running a red light, you can bribe them. The police will even find trouble on purpose so that you will give them money.

Watching Police in a Pod, I can’t help but feel envious of the Japanese police force which helps fight crime in one of the world's safest countries. It was also an interesting insight into the police force and how they operate.

Police in a Pod follows Kawai, who was a rookie policewoman about to resign because of all the pressure but got teamed up with Fuji who acted as her senior. Kawai instead of resigning keeps on staying in the police force for a bit longer and her view on police work slowly changes.

Since the location is in Japan, a lot of crimes are petty crimes, suicide or sexual assault. You won’t be seeing any shootout here.

Every couple of episodes is about the Kawai and Fuji doing different police work from traffic work, patrol, and all the way up to sexual assault as the story rev up. The way the Japanese police respond to these situations and the procedures are pretty interesting to see such as the reenactment of a molest case, paying respect to the dead body before checking the body, etc...

One fascinating thing is that Kawai and Fuji keep responding to one call from this guy who keeps saying he is going to commit suicide but every time they went and check on him, he seems to be just fine. The guy was also just let off with just a minor scolding too. However, the guy really tries to commit suicide on the final call and if Kawai and Fuji haven’t responded he would be long dead.

In the early episode, there is one scene where people verbally insult Kawai and Fuji saying things such as waste of tax money and the first thing that pops up in my mind is, you guys are lucky you have a police force that is functioning well and keeping you safe.

The anime is not all about police work with a serious tone all the way. Comedies are inserted appropriately such as the two detective pair Minamoto and Yamada often wrecking their police vehicle, how the detective department all look full of Yakuza looking peeps or trying to sketch the victim's face from description without drawing experiences.

I really like that the anime shows that the police are also human beings and are not perfect but they were also trying the best of their ability. The anime also shows the negative side of police work such as overworking, not enough sleep, irregular mealtime, getting called in for duty even if it is your off day, etc...

Character - 7

The character you will be seeing often in Police in a Pod are Kawai, Fuji, Yamada, Minamoto and Makitaka. A lot of character development goes into Kawai since she is the rookie police but the rest of the characters are likeable too.

Kawai joined the police force because she want a stable salary and not because she want to be a policewoman. She was assigned with Fuji when she was about to resign from all the pressure she is getting but following Fuji around and handling different cases, Kawai slowly change her view about police work.

The development of Kawai and her learning more about police work can easily be seen in each and every episode. In one scene Kawai suggested leaving after a guy who keep calling them that he going to suicide because she can’t open his front door but Fuji smashed the window and got inside only to save the guy on time.

An experience like this grows on Kawai and she slowly changes from just being there for the salary to actually being a policewoman. When the anime starts, Kawai looks totally green and cowardly but by the end of the anime, she is chasing a guy who is armed with a knife all by herself.

Fuji didn’t change much from start to end but she is an important character for Kawai to grow and for the plot to advance. Fuji is your role model of a policewoman but she was demoted from detective to sergeant. She can stand all the pressure, handled a lot of cases professionally and was a good mentor for Kawai.

Yamada and Minamoto are detectives. Both of them got used as comedic relief a lot but there are also moments where they do serious work. Fuji, Yamada and Minamoto graduated from the same police academy thus rivalry and argument between Fuji and Minamoto are commonly used as comedic relief but at the end of the anime in a more serious case, they all work together perfectly.

Makitaka mostly deals with sexual assault cases and plays an important role near the end of the anime which is about a sexual assault case. Despite her look, she is strong and stands firmly on the side of justice. Moreover, she is also very compassionate toward the victim. A really likeable character.

All in all, not a lot of character development apart from Kawai but solid characterization from the get-go. The characters are suitable for the story and the theme the anime is going for.

Art & Animation - 6.5

Police in a Pod’s art and animation are solid and they get the job done for an anime like this. It has an overall more realistic tone too. The art and animation are consistent from start to end too.

The character design leans toward a more realistic side, not your usual moe art and it looks pretty decent. Detail such as radio, whistle cords and baton are all accounted for though they are not drawn in much detail.

The animation looks natural, most are just regular human animations. There is some usage of close up mug shots in some running scenes to make it feel like the character is running without much animation work.

Background arts are mostly solid too. Police stations look and feel like one with all the whiteboards, cabinets, paper works. The usual stuff you may find at a police station. The outdoor arts are also decent but in terms of details, it is rather hit or miss. There is one scene where Kawai, Fuji, Yamada and Minamoto went on a stakeout mission and there are people and even car moving about in the city but there are also scene where the street is bizarrely empty.

The cars are made with CG and they are okay but didn’t blend exceptionally well with the 2D background but not sticking out like a sour thumb either.

Sound - 6.5

Both the opening and ending songs sound really nice. The opening song rap part is really lovely and the ending song is more chill and cute.

Background music is nothing exceptional but is very suitable for the scenes they were played be it heartwarming or funky scenes. The sound effects are pretty well detailed from background noise in a pub to the squeaking sound of the chair to people rubbing their shoulders. Nothing is amiss.

Voice acting is solid with each character having a voice that is appropriate for their personality and looks. Fuji is voiced by the same voice actress who voiced Mikasa from Attack On Titan. I am surprised how much she was able to capture Fuji’s personality which is way different from Mikasa. The same goes for Kawai voice actress who voiced Destiny from Takt Op Destiny.

TLDR:

An entertaining slice of life anime taking a good look into police work and police life in Japan.

Minor Spoiler Ahead (￣ ￣|||)

Note: TLDR at the very bottom.

Story - 8

Slow Loop is one of those Moe girls doing cute things slice of life anime but with an actual solid theme for the story. To simplify, Slow Loop touch on these three topics, relationship, fishing and a bit of cooking, all neatly put in one simple package.

I always fancy those slice of life anime where you learn about a certain topic be it the manga industry like Bakuman or Game development like New Game to name a few. I don’t really have an interest in fishing but Slow Loop manage to get me hooked and the relationship aspect is done in a very natural way.

The story mainly revolves around Hiyori and Koharu. Both of them are going to be stepsisters due to their parents' re-marrying. Koharu first met Hiyori when she was fishing and slowly take up an interest in fishing with Hiyori mentoring Koharu.

The relationship aspect of the anime is handled perfectly. Through fishing, the two sisters bond gradually and their relationship improves naturally from strangers to real sisters. Of cause, there is no shortage of cute moments between the girls too.

Now, on to the fishing part. I can feel that the author has researched the topic of fishing quite deeply. The fishing part is really detailed but at the same time deliver in a laid back and informative way that won’t overwhelm the viewer.

You will learn about fly fishing, different types of bait, how to attract fish, where to fish, how to cast your line, fishing superstition, etc... The anime even include some information on fish behaviour. For people like me who just want some general knowledge, I believe this is the best way to gain some new knowledge about a topic while also being entertained.

The cooking part plays a minor role in this anime and it usually shows how to prepare the fish that was caught or some kind of fish dishes in different cooking methods. Needless to say, it makes my mouth water. As soon as I know cooking is in the anime, Slow Loop become my go-to while having dinner.

Character - 7.5

There are four commonly seen characters in Slow Loop that the story revolves around while the other characters are supporting characters. All four characters are adorable and feel natural without falling deep into a single trope.

We have Hiyori who is an introvert and loves fishing. She used to go fishing with her dad before he pass away and Koharu happen to pop up and fill that void for her in a sense. Hiyori is way more responsible compared to Koharu too.

Koharu is Hiyori’s stepsister when her mum re-married. She has an opposite personality from Hiyori. Cheerful and extroverted but a total newbie when it comes to fishing. Koharu also loves acting as the older sibling since she used to have a younger brother.

Through fishing, both Hiyori and Koharu slowly got closer to each other, which is noticeable as each episode passed. Much like in reality, two-person doesn’t just become close in a day, it is a gradual process.

Koi despite having a huge knowledge about fishing, despite her dad being obsessed with fishing, hated fishing due to how her dad acted and do things. She eventually warms up to fishing as she accompanies Hiyori more. The two being childhood friends also make for some really nice backstories and relationship views.

Futaba is a younger girl who is into fishing but thought fishing is a hobby for boys and wasn’t able to admit that she loves fishing. Eventually, she openly embraces fishing thanks to the older girls Hiyori, Koharu and Koi.

What this anime has done well is the relationship development and the pacing at which the relationship progresses also feels organic. Relationship development is not just between the girls but with the parents too, especially Hiyori with her new stepdad.

Even though it is a wholesome and cute anime, the anime was able to show that the characters have emotions and struggles through their backstories and past experiences without getting overly dramatic.

Art & Animation - 7

The overall art & animation of Slow Loop is quite good. It has a simplistic but very pleasant to look at art style. The colours are vibrant and the tone gives out a very relaxing feeling to it.

Much like other Moe anime, the character design leans more into the simplistic but cutesy side making the character look a bit younger than they actually are. The character design looks nice with a good amount of emphasis on the facial expression.

Background arts have a fair amount of details in them. An indoor scene such as a store has a good amount of objects populating the background to make it feel like an actual shop while an outdoor scene such as a fishing spot is tranquil and vibrant in colour.

The background detail in the city is kind of a mixed bag. Some scenes got a good amount of detail with all the background characters and objects, while some scenes feel strangely barren.

Some still-shot of the moments when the character manages to get a fish look great, plus the foods look nice even though they are not on the same level as Shokugeki no Soma.

Sound - 7.5

Both the opening and ending songs are soothing and relaxing but I won’t say they are playlist worthy. Personally, the ending song sounded better to me.

The background music is not really outstanding or memorable and sounds pretty much like many other slices of life animes. They are more of, it gets the job done for the scene they are played on types.

The sound effects are actually well detailed. For example, sounds such as rain hitting the water, fish splashing, the screeching and creaking of the fishing rod, cracking of the fire when grilling, etc.. are all in the anime.

The best part of the show would be the voice actors and actresses. Hiyori voice actress seems like she is still a newbie but she nailed the Hiyori reserved personality and voice. Koharu is voiced by the same voice actress who voiced Shii in the anime Super Cub whose voice I really like. Of cause, the rest of the cast also have solid voice acting suiting for their adorable personalities.

TLDR:

A charming and adorable anime about relationships, fishing and a little bit of cooking. You might learn a thing or two about fishing but in a relaxing way.

Note: TLDR at the very bottom.

Story - 7.5

The World's Finest Assassin is an Isekai anime and much like other Isekai anime I chew up for one-time enjoyment, I didn’t expect much from it. However, The World's Finest Assassin managed to pleasantly surprise me.

A cold-blooded and emotionless man who happen to be the world best assassin in our real world got betrayed by the very organization he worked for and is disposed of. He was then selected by the goddess to be reincarnated in a fantasy medieval world where he have to kill the Hero before he reach a certain age. He was then born in a noble family of Tuatha Dé house where he is named Lugh Tuatha Dé.

Finally, an Isekai where the protagonist is not a NEET, high schooler or a salaryman but an actual skilled person who got summoned to the fantasy world to solve the problem. A goddess with some commonsense but we did see in the short but entertaining cuts about her summoning different people who fail to complete their mission.

The anime can be roughly divided into three arcs. The first arc showcases Lugh growing up, training and meeting a girl who will become his assistant. The second arc is where Lugh saved a group of girls who are being sexually abused and use them to establish his information network. The final arc is the arc where he saves his lover from danger.

For an anime about the assassination, it might feel like the story is slow and we only got to see a couple of assassination scenes but as someone who appreciates intriguing details in my Isekai anime such as Ascendance Of A Bookworm with its details on making things or Log Horizon going over all the guild politic, I enjoyed all the setting up Lugh did to ensure his future assassination go smoothly and ultimately his assassination of the hero.

Things such as creating a long-range sniper rifle using magic, finding people who have mana to train them so that they can assist him with his assassination and making the information network through his business are all important assets for Lugh career.

Let address the elephant in the room, is this anime another OP power fantasy? Yes and No. Lugh is powerful but some enemies are way more powerful than him as I see in the final episode. However, as an assassin, you never want to fight an enemy head-on and match them fist for fist. Lugh doesn’t do that too, instead, he comes up with clever schemes to fight his enemy.

The story so far is entertaining even though it might not be overly unique but still above all the mass production tier Isekai stories.

Character - 7

Most of the characters traits and character interactions in The World's Finest Assassin are quite interesting.

Lugh was emotional-less in his previous life and vow to be more emotional and human-like in his new life and we see him become more emotional as the story went along. As an assassin, he is still strict and but at the same time caring for his companions.

It is also nice to see that Lugh no longer blindly follow the order as in the past and investigate the target before he judges if the target should be finished off or not. Unlike other Isekai protagonists, Lugh is a chad who can handle a woman and won’t go running off. Moreover, he has his romantic target set straight instead of beating around the bushes.

I admire the way how Tuatha Dé family raise their child. For a family of assassins both the father, Cian and mother, Esri are loving parents. I like how Cian is strict when he trains Lugh but also funny and loving other times. He also let Lugh decide things for himself than just blindly follow his order. Esri is mostly there for comedy relief and to fuel your milf fantasy.

Female characters fall in love for no valid reason in other Isekai anime but in this anime, everyone has legit reason since they are saved from death or events that are worse than death.

Tarte, Maha and Dia are the supporting characters of this anime and they are not very developed but what is pretty neat is their backstories, each having their tragic circumstances. Tarte backstory is short but pretty messed up. I especially like Maha back story, it is dark, gritty and extremely mess up.

The character backstories may not be much, but they are like adding a cherry on top for the world-building elements. They help us know how to mess up their world can be.

Art & Animation - 7

The art and animation in general look clean and well-drawn with vibrant colours. It will not blow you away but it is a cut above most Isekai anime that were mass-produced.

Character art looks sharp and neatly drawn. There are some really good shots of the character in the first half of the anime. E.g. when Lugh was hiding behind a tree with half the face in the shadow.

The characters design are good enough to be able to tell which anime the characters are from. I find Lugh and Dia to be less unique, I have seen similar-looking characters in other Isekai anime. E.g. Rio and Celia from Seirei Gensouki.

A minor touch that I like is in the ending song visual which got minor alterations depending on the content of the episode’s story.

Background arts are solid. Cities look believable with background characters doing their own thing, Indoor scenes are decently detailed and populated with objects and sceneries look pretty. There is a minor decline in visual qualities and details in the second half of the anime (e.g. there are streets that look strangely empty when Lugh go around the city with Dia) but it is still pretty solid.

The most jarring thing in the art and animation department is the CG, most noticeably the horses, the horse carriage and the soldiers which stick out like a sour thumb from the 2D arts.

As a show about an assassin, a lot of the combats ended in one long ranger sniper shot, using poison or other assassination methods, but in scenes where Lugh do hand to hand combat, the choreography is respectable. e.g. the part where Lugh spar with his dad.

Sound - 7

The opening song is lit, no it's a bomb, wait, scratch that it's a nuke. It is an absolute headbanger and the black and white visual for it fantastic. The ending song is an equally good well-made song with its soothing and relaxing melodies. Both songs are going into my playlist.

Background music is solid with very medieval-ish sounding music and some music sound straight out of a fantasy RPG game. They sound good, compliment the scenes but they are not memorable. I also don’t notice any sound effects to be missing or out of place either.

Voicing actings are also great in this anime with characters having a voice that is suitable for the character’s personality and design. I like how Lugh sound, very calm and analytical. I am also a fan of Dia’s mellow voice and her singing on episode 10 ending is surprising good.

TLDR:
A refreshing story about a capable assassin who got Isekai-ed to a fantasy world with a mission to assassinate a hero. The story is more like a prologue to what is to come in the future.

Minor Spoiler Ahead (￣ ￣|||)

Note: TLDR at the very bottom.

Story - 8.5

The Isekai genre is overrun with generic fantasy adventure-themed stories but every now and then we got a gem like Meikyuu Black Company.

The story starts with Ninomiya, who is living a comfortable life after managing to become a top brass in our real world got teleported to a fantasy industrial era world and become a corporate slave at a company. Ninomiya after living a comfortable life is not happy with the result and plan to get out of the corporate slave life.

Meikyuu Black Company is an exaggerated satire comedy about corporative culture, corporate slavery, bad working condition, company that treat their workers as just expandable resources, unpaid overtime, etc... Just name any bad thing about corporate life and it is likely to be in there.

The anime uses some business terminology but do not worry, they are mostly surface-level usage which most young adults should be able to understand.

The comedy is really similar to Combat Agent Six or Konosuba with Ninomiya having the same vibe as Combat Agent Six or Kazuma where Ninomiya plays dirty, comes up with really questionable plans, or gets rich quick tactics.

I got a good laugh out of the anime and a lot of things they make jokes about are spot on in corporate life and modern capitalism. The downside would be that the comedy reaches its height pretty fast and just flat out from there. Some jokes and comedy do get repetitive too.

The plot jumps around from time to time. E.g. A new episode story starts in the middle of nowhere and I have to check if I miss anything in the previous episode. Despise this problem, the overarching story is still about Ninomiya trying to get his arse out of corporate hell with his trusted friends.

Character - 6.5

The highlight of Meikyuu Black Company is Ninomiya. The rest of the characters are mostly supporting or plot devices even though they are all likeable. Ninomiya mostly carries this anime. His personality and action are what make this anime better.

Ninomiya is the total opposite of most Isekai main characters. He is selfish, clever, manipulative, satirical, overconfident but also has contracting personalities such as being fair to his friends, being dumb, being thoughtful, and also charismatic.

A lot of comedy happens thanks to him. Throughout the story, he has tried different plans, ventures, and scams to get out of his corporate slavery life along with his friends with varying degrees of success and failure.

As for other characters, we have Wanibe who is a really likeable guy who is loyal to Ninomiya. A loli dungeon boss call Rim who have a bottomless pit in her stomach. A hero name Shia is loyal to the corporate and Renga is a mage from the future but also a trap.

All the characters mentioned are likeable and add to the fun and comedy of the anime but Ninomiya is the one who shines above everyone else.

Art & Animation - 6.5

The character art does look unique with the use of heavy lines and bright colour but I can’t help but find the character art to be sloppy in multiple scenes. There are also a few characters where I find the character's face proportion to be quite weird. One thing the character does excel in is at making funny and exaggerated faces.

I dig the background art though, they look like they are sketched and coloured in and have a good amount of texture detail to them, making the bad living condition of the corporate drone that much believable. (e.g. the building walls are not just single colour perfect-looking walls, they got scratches and stain-like texture on them too)

Animation-wise, it is very average. Some characters' movements in some scenes are not as fluid and the CG are not as good either.

Despite the average art & animation quality, it does manage to set the atmosphere of the anime to be suitable with the theme the story is set to achieve.

Sound - 7

The opening song sound cool and upbeat. The ending song is quite chill and easy going. Both of them sound nice and have a good ring to them. Might be a playlist worthy for some audiences.

The voice acting for Ninomiya is absolutely godlike. The voice is so suitable for his overconfident and scheming personality. All the other cast also have a voice that fits the character's personality.

The background OST suits the theme and helps create the atmosphere of the scene. Some of them sound unique and have a nice ring to them but are the type that will be forgotten you finished watching the anime. Sound effects are also fitting for the scenes and I don't notice any scenes that should have some sound effects but are missing.

TLDR:
A refreshing Isekai anime tackling corporate slavery and modern capitalism in a parody and satirical manner which is bound to give you some good laughs.

Minor Spoiler Ahead (￣ ￣|||)

Note: TLDR at the very bottom.

Story - 7

The Duke of Death and His Maid story revolve around Bocchan (the duke) and his maid Alice. Bocchan is infected with a curse where any living thing he touches withers and dies. Therefore his family kicked him away to live in another mansion with his butler and maid.

Bocchan slowly develops a romantic feeling for Alice but due to his curse, he cannot touch the one he loves. Therefore he makes up his mind to break the curse he got.

The story summary seems like a heavy topic theme but this is a light-hearted show. Things like the pain of not being able to touch a living thing or someone you love, the hatred of your own mum who abandoned you, being shunned and feared by friends, or the feeling of loneliness are present in the story but handle in a way that won't drag you down to the depth of despair.

Half of the story is about Alice teasing Bocchan much like "Teasing Master Takagi-san" but, the difference is Alice tease Bocchan in a flirty and sexual way to get a reaction out of him or to bring him to his limit.

The other half is a good mix of Bocchan dealing with his sibling, having fun with Alice and his new friends, or dealing with an event that happens around his mansion.

Of cause, the curse part is not forgotten (even if it doesn't progress much) in between all the fun, comedy and being tested. Bocchan still tries to find a way to break it. He even went to a witch gathering ground in hope of finding a solution and Alice also tries her best to find a clue on who might have put the curse on her young master.

There are also a lot of scenes where Bocchan and Alice should have held hand or kiss but they cannot due to the curse which most of the time end on a funny note but there is one scene that makes me sad where they only end up holding hand in a dream.

The teasing may be in a flirty and sexual way but the show also managed to pull off a lot of wholesome moments too. Some of the teasing methods do become overused in the show but there are still plenty of scenes that make me grin.

The Duke of Death is getting a season 2 and I am kind of looking forward to it, hopefully, the story moves forward more than it is in season 1 which doesn’t get anywhere significant on the curse front.

Character - 7

I really like the characters in this show even though the bulk of the development goes into Bocchan and Alice. The characters are also what make up most of the story for this anime.

Bocchan is the main guy for this anime. He has a kind and gentlemanly personality but is very prone to be teased by Alice. Bocchan also gets a proper backstory about his curse, how he was treated and how Alice bring him back out of the darkness.

Alice is Bocchan personal maid who often has fun teasing Bocchan in a flirty and sexual way but she is also sweet and wholesome when the time calls for it. Alice can be seen putting Bocchan feelings first and trust Bocchan immensely.

The character interacting between Bocchan and Alice is just priceless, it is funny and wholesome. Bocchan slowly opens up his feeling for Alice and it is obvious Alice loves him too but they are not officially labeled couples yet.

Another character I like is Rob. A supporting character in this show. He is very gentlemanly but when he is pissed off, he will chase you around with a smile while trying to correct you.

Zain and Caph are also interesting pairs. Both are them are wizards and witches who Bocchan befriended. Unlike Bocchan and Alice, both of them seem to have a feeling for each other but never let each other know.

Art & Animation - 6.5

The art is a mix of CG and 2D art. CG done right can look nice but The Duke of Death and His Maid’s CG is not exactly on that kind of CG level but it is alright.

The characters are done in CG and they look unique and have their own charm. The problem would be some of the awkward animations these characters do from time to time and sometimes the animation can look laggy.

The background captures the vibe of victorian era style perfectly from the colour usage to the detail of the objects. The background also has a painted on canvas look and the quality is consistent throughout the show.

The number of background objects is sparse but I think it is accurate of that era especially all those huge mansions back in those times.

Sound - 7.5

The opening song sounds fun and lively while the ending song also sounds catchy but more serious with a hint of somber. Both songs really suit the anime and I especially love the ending song.

Most of the background musics are done using piano since Bocchan himself play the piano in the anime. Other classical instruments like the violin are also used.

The background music captures the moment of the scene perfectly be it sounding classy, sad, clumsy, or lively. For example, one of the music Bocchan plays when he visits the town totally captures the festival vibe of the old victorian era.

As much as the background music sounds nice and fits the scene perfectly, they are not particularly memorable. I forgot about most of them when the show ended. It is more of the type of music that makes you feel immersed while you are watching the anime.

The voice acting is also very fitting for the characters. Alice especially has a flirty and charming voice but at the same time can sound sweet depending on the scene. Bocchan also has a fitting voice for his personality and sound believable especially when he panic from Alice teasing him.

TLDR:
Teasing Master Takagi-san but in victorian era time with a twist of MC being cursed. The art is good if you can grow on the CG character and the music match the theme perfectly.

Minor Spoiler Ahead (￣ ￣|||)

Note: TLDR at the very bottom.

Story - 35

Shikizakura is an anime with a unique mix of the sci-fi power suit and Shinto folklore but the story is so boring I have to drag my feet to watch at least 6 episodes so that I can give it a fair shot.

Our MC, Kakeru happen to get caught in a certain disastrous event when he was a child and is the sole survivor of said event. Fast forward into the future, he got caught up in a fight between the team in power suit fighting the Oni.

Between all the chaos, Kakeru stumbles upon a power suit that is possessed by an Oni but manages to control it and join the fight against the Oni.

Maybe because I am old and doesn’t really dig this kind of show anymore. Maybe kids would love it better and I am the wrong demographic for this anime.

The story overall is fairy standard Power Ranger or Super Sentai stuffs. The Shinto folklore stuff is not used in any deep way. The best you get is cleansing Oni. Even the Oni design doesn't seem to resemble any of the folklore Oni.

The story is predictable, and the writing is bland. I can see the plot from miles away. E.g I predict one day someone or some other team is going to find an issue with Kakeru’s power suit being an Oni and challenge them and voila it happen in later episodes.

The separation of the realm when fighting is a refreshing addition such as the Oni realm where most of the fighting happens and the real world but this concept is nothing new too. Seen those a lot in other animes and games.

Character - 30

The characters are super stereotypical and made up of extremely common tropes which will make typical common tropes looks miles better.

Kakeru is basically a kid who wants to become a hero/obsess with being a hero and have a heart of gold with some idealism that won’t work in real life. Kakeru is super bland as an MC and seems to only have a one-track mind which is to be a hero and save people.

Ooka is your stereotypical strong-willed princess-like character who can’t actually take part in combat because her skill can only be used for cleansing.

Ryou is your super serious guy who acts like a douchebag but actually got a good heart.
Kaede and Haruko is a tomboyish and girly duo who are actually good friends with each other but are very forgettable as a character.

Some characters do have decent backstories even if those backstories are generic, overused, predictable situations. Sadly the decent back story wasn’t able to salvage the bland characters.

Honestly, I have more interest in Kakeru’s close friend Kippei who have zero special power whatsoever. He actually just seems like a great buddy who will support Kakeru. The way he talks and tries to dig info out of Kakeru because he seems to be hiding things from him is also somewhat funny.

Ibara is the Oni inside Kakeru’s power suit who happens to be a pretty funny guy. His personality also outshines Kakeru in both personality and wit departments.

Art & Animation - 60

It is obvious that the characters are in 3D CG but it is quite decently done. Not a dumpster fire like Tesla Note. The CG is much more obvious when the characters are moving.

Character designs without power suits are uninspiring. The characters have little detail while the power suits have more details. The power suit designs are also better, very Megaman-like with more details.

The background detail is hit or miss. There are scenes where it is well detailed with good textures, background characters walking around and some even look quite realistic. On the other hand, we got bland and empty-looking rooms too.
The usage of red and pink colours for Oni realm can be overwhelming.

The CG animation can be stiff or unnatural at times but due to the use of CG, battles are well choreographed and allow for more freedom in the camera department where the camera can rotate around or follow the character.

Sound - 55

The opening song is a typical J-Pop song without much impact for me, the ending song is a tiny bit better with its chill vibe.

Sound effects in combat got a nice impact. You can feel every punch, clashing of sword and sound the machine gun fires are pretty solid too.

The background musics got a decent mix of traditional Japanese style and modern rock. The traditional Japanese style musics stand out pretty well. However, modern rock musics are quite generic.

Voice acting is hit or miss, Kakeru, Ooka, Ryou, Kaede and Haruko who are the core team got uninteresting and flat voice acting. Meanwhile, Ibara (the Oni inside Kakeru's power suit) and Kippei (Kakeru's close friend, a supporting character) got better voice acting.

TLDR:
A typical colour coded Power Ranger style anime with some surface-level Shinto folklore in it. The story is uninspiring and the characters are bland but battles are pretty well-choreographed.

Note: TLDR at the very bottom.

Story - 70

Isekai Shoukudou is one of those guilty pleasure shows or a comfort show. I didn’t think this show is going to get a second season but I am glad it does.

The show is about a restaurant call Nekoya which is set in our real world. However, the restaurant has doors that appear at random places in the fantasy world. People of different statuses and races of the fantasy world stumble upon the door and come into the restaurant.

Isekai Shoukudo 2 may be about food but It is not like “Food War” where it has a strong story, competition, suspense or lewd. It is one of those easy-going, comfortable, laid back anime where people enjoy the food in their own way with a rough explanation of said food.

Despite the anime being episodic, every time a new character stumbles into the restaurant, the anime adds a bit of world-building of the fantasy world from the new character perspective.

I also love seeing that the restaurant also have an impact on the life of the people from the fantasy world. Some try to recreate the food, some high-status noble meet in the restaurant and fall in love, former enemies meet and become friends, etc...

There are also cute, wholesome and comedic moments sprinkled in between too. Cute moments such as Aletta and Kuro getting brain freeze from eating shaved ice.

All in all, the anime is probably not for everyone if you don’t like this type of anime but for me, it is my go-to dinner time and stress relieving anime. I am not crazy enough to watch this outside of dinner time because I am just going to get hungry.

Character - 55

There are no deep character developments in Isekai Shoukudou 2 and it is not what this anime aimed to be either but that doesn’t mean there is zero character development either.

Every episode, be it new characters or old characters, we got treated with a few minutes of their life in the fantasy world before coming to the restaurant. We also get to see what they go on to do after they leave the restaurant.

The characters come with their own personality and their favourite food. Sometimes they would discuss why their favourite food is the best and debate about it. It is also quite funny some of the characters remember the people in the restaurant by the food they order instead of their name.

There is also some progress on some characters from the first season. Namely Adelheid the princess of the Great Empire and Shareef the prince from Land of Sand. I’ll just leave it at that to avoid spoilers.

Art & Animation - 70

Typically in anime like this, I would expect the visual quality to be average at best but Isekai Shoukudou 2's visuals are nicely done.

A different studio is handling season 2 for this anime so there is some difference in art and animation. Noticeable ones are the handling of lightings and how foods look but the new studio kept the overall art style the same.

Backgrounds are fairly detailed. Be it in the restaurant which is appropriately decorated, town, forest or other fantasy world locations. From time to time there are shot that could be wallpaper worthy.

Character designs are fairly distinct too and there are a wide variety of them from different races, statuses and rank all having design appropriate design.

Finally, the visual quality of the foods is 10/10.Period. Looking at it will make anyone mouth water.

Sound - 80

Both opening and ending songs are relaxing and catchy. I will instantly be able to tell the opening and ending are from Isekai Shoukudou 2.

Background musics suit the overall theme of the anime. The background musics may not be high-end orchestra musics but quite a bit of the background musics are memorable and the tones are unique to this anime.

The sound effects on foods and when the customer eats them is handled perfectly. Be it cutting into the breading of the fried meat, customer biting of the bread or the sound of the cutlery. The sound effects combined with the visual of the food is bound to make anyone hungry.

The voice acting is solid and a lot of fairly experienced voice actors/actresses are used even for characters that are only going to show up for a couple of episodes. The voice actings are also appropriate depending on the age of the character, race, looks and personality.

TLDR:
A relaxing anime about a restaurant in our real world and how food affects the life of the people in the fantasy world. Mouthwatering visual on the foods.

(°ロ°)! MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD!!!

Note: TLDR at the very bottom.

Story - 85

Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut is set in the space race era with the Republic of Zirnitra (based on the Soviet Union) and the United Kingdom of Arnak (based on the United State). Irina Luminesk, a vampire was selected to be a test subject before the first human space flight with Lev who was to train and supervise her.

The world-building is nicely done with explaining stuff like vampires and how humans thought of them or how vampires thought of humans. Things like racial discrimination against vampires, the length the military goes to cover up events and falsification of information. All of this makes the anime world more believable and also in line with how USSR operated back in the day.

The anime by all means is not a propaganda piece, It is more about the story of Irina and Lev who are both space nuts. Although some event in the story is kept accurate to historical reference (e.g. Laika first dog in space), the author has also taken the liberty to change things to make the story interesting.

The romance between Irina and Lev is also progress in a natural way. The shared struggles between the two and similar goals make their relationship progress naturally with a lot of wholesome moments. Romanticist elements such as ice skating under the beautiful night sky are included too.

The anime shows the amount of intense training and struggle that a person has to undergo to become a cosmonaut. The amount of competition that exists between the candidates are also showcased.

The anime also manages to keep me on edge when Irina as days get closer for her rocket to launch into space. Knowing the space tech in that era, the rocket is not exactly the safest thing around and I was praying hard that Irina can return to Earth safely.

To make matter worse, Irina might be disposed of like some animal after the space flight her over and that is another thing that makes me worry about Irina throughout the anime.

The balance between politics, space-related topics and romance is perfect. The pacing is excellent, I was worried the ending might be rushed but it ended perfectly. The space race era is an under-utilized theme in anime and the way the romance elements are told is quite a treat.

Character - 85

The character development and interaction are the best part of Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut. Irina, Lev and Anya all make the anime so much better to watch.

Lev is the chad of the show. A person with a strong sense of justice. A lieutenant at UZSR’s Air force who got disqualified from being a candidate to go to space because he hit his superior officer. In charge of Irina training and supervision, Lev treats Irina as a person and not an object as others do.

Irina is a cute vampire who is obsessed with going to space and the moon. She doesn’t care much about being frowned upon by humans or treated like dirt, as long as she got the chance to go to space. She got a bit of a cute tsundere side to her, is stubborn and sometimes childish.

What makes the anime so lovely is the character dynamic and romance between Lev and Irina. Their relationship starts off in caution mode. On Lev side, the propaganda state that vampires are blood-sucking monster. For Irina, all humans are murderers.
Despite the cautious start and the difference in personality, the chemistry between Lev and Irina is just beautiful. They both put aside their differences and bound naturally. The progression of their relationship is paced naturally and is totally satisfying to watch.

Lev trains Irina well to make sure she can return back to earth safely even though he might not be chosen as a candidate again, he wishes to see Irina able to get to space. When Irina return from space and Lev got re-initiated as a candidate to go to space, Irina want Lev to be chosen and take the path she have paved in front especially for the rocket development.

Irina become really cute when her relationship with Lev got closer too. Showing her vulnerability and her cute side. Moreover, never knew getting blood-sucked by a vampire romantic, where is my cute vampire girl at?

Anya is the best winggirl for Irina and Lev. She is another character who treated Irina well. She works as a researcher at a biomedical lab and is assigned to study Irina’s physiology.

Art & Animation - 70

The general art and animation are pretty solid. It is not anything special that will make it stand out like high budget animes but it held its own. The overall aesthetic gives a strong feeling that this is set back in the 1960s fictional USSR making the anime more immersive.

The character arts are pretty decent. They go for a more realistic design thus Lev design might seem a bit plain but his personality made up for it. I like how Irina is designed and her eyes are also very pretty. However, Anya design with her pink hair seems out of place for the era the story is set in.

Background arts are also above average. Whatever they got on screen got good texture and a decent amount of detail to them. From time to time we are treated with gorgeous shots. E.g. When Irina did ballet dance while ice skating under the night sky or the Northern Lights that look really pretty.

CG is used on vehicles and spaceship but they blend quite well with the hand-drawn art and doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
However, there are drops in art quality but usually, those are in less important moments. The CG of Earth from space doesn’t look as good too.

Sound - 80

Both the opening and ending song fit into the 60s themed anime. They are both great songs, but I dig the ending song more. The opening somewhat gives out a USSR-ish feeling with a bit of Dracula mixed in. The ending song is chill and gives out a very comfy vibe.

The studio nailed the background music to give a 60s feel. All the jazzy pieces fit into the theme of the anime, and to add to that, they also nailed the USSR-like music.

Special shout out to the jazz piece that plays during romantic moments and the vocal piece that plays in special moments. They are both really gorgeous songs.

Sound effects are also present in places that should be present. Such as when riding in the truck, there is shaking noises of the truck. The sound of a rocket launch also sounds powerful.

Voice acting performances are excellent and the voices naturally fit into the role and personality of their character.

TLDR:
An excellent romance anime set in an under-used era of space race set in a fictional USSR. Accompanying it is a beautiful sound design and character progression that feel very natural.