Ikoku Nikki is one of the best anime I've ever seen. Without saying anything else, I'd recommend anyone to just go watch it and experience it for yourself, but I will happily gush about it at length anyway.

From the very first episode, what stood out to me is the fantastic directing. It starts by a teenage girl (Asa) and an older woman (Makio) living together, just exchanging casual banter. The show only reveals afterwards that Makio is Asa's aunt, and she lives with her because both her parents suddenly died in a car accident. This choice to start in the middle makes the gut punch even harder, and it isn't the only way the directing plays with your emotions.
The show uses the desert as a metaphor for loneliness, which in itself is already a strong visual. But later, blank pages of a diary that Asa was told to keep stare back at her, and then they turn into lines of sand in that same desert. It's such a beautiful use of animation as an art form, just the right amount of artsy that truly gets me going.

Makio and Asa are the main characters, and they are both really strong ones. Asa is tragic from the start, but she is such a goofball that you cant help but laugh at her sometimes, while still being tugged at your heartstrings about her plight. Meanwhile, Makio is the ultimate introvert, truly unequipped of raising a child, and aside from that figuring out how to deal with losing a sister that she hated and got estranged from. Yet, she tries to show Asa kindness, in her own way, even if true love is hard for her.

They are far from the only characters in the show. Almost every side character has their own things going on. Sometimes it's about bullying, sometimes it's about romance, and yet other times it might be about ambition and the problems that come with it. Everyone is just getting by, and while everyone's struggle is different, ultimately it feels like nobody is really alone in the fact that they struggle.

All these things just make it a good anime, though. I could talk longer about every detail I liked, or mention the subtle but beautiful soundtrack, or the dialogue. But none of that tells you why instead of a good anime, this is my favourite one.
Four weeks into airing, my father suddenly passed away. And then, Ikoku Nikki changed from a good show with objective qualities to something real. Gut punches turned into knives, and weird details suddenly became very relatable. The way she words her texts about her parents dying to her friend right after it happened - very curt, official, because you're not ready to show emotion yet. The way random things make you think about it. How grief can get to you in the most random of moments I'm not Asa, I'm a 27 year old guy, and I lost one parent, not both. Still, it felt real.

My dad was a painter. He hated talking about his work. Something along the lines of "If it could be said with words, you wouldn't have to make the art". Ikoku Nikki is kind of the same. This review might be lengthy, but no words will tell you how it feels to watch it. It also has it's own things to say about art and expression - but I don't want to deconstruct that. It's better to just experience it.

Seriously, go watch it already. Again, if you have to.

Watanare (I'm not typing out the full english title) is bad, and that's a good thing. Imagine if this show actually had substance worth talking about. I'm very happy that I can just laugh at its stupidity instead. And sometimes, maybe even laugh at it's jokes, because it actually can be kinda funny.

So this show is built on the premise that our heroine Renako really wants to make friends, but this hot model chick Mai is madly in love with her because, uh, Renako told her it's okay to show weakness sometimes. That's all it takes. However, they find a compromise - on days where Mai has her hair tied up, they are friends, and on days that her hair is down, they are lovers. A very healthy dynamic that definitely won't go wrong. Don't get your hopes up about resolving it though, because on friend days, Mai still flirts with Renako how she wants, and on lover days, Renako still rejects Mai's advances. This is all mostly done to prove that kisses don't count if you say you're just friends. Friends kiss each other on the lips all the time, right?

Now, a less funny part in all this is that scene, if you know you know. Personally, I believe no means no. Sexual assault is not something to be taken lightly - victims can suffer from trauma over it for years, if not their entire life. So if a show that had something to say made light of it, I'd be pretty put off by that. Thankfully, this show has the emotional maturity of a toddler, so I don't have to take it's morals seriously at all. So if they say that it's okay because she was kinda into it, sure man. Whatever you say.

And on the topic of hurting people, Renako is honestly not very good to Mai. She will kiss her because that's nice, but she's definitely not into girls, and doesn't want a relationship, so that's how far they will go. But then, she will go out with other people in their friend group, right in front of the girl she is sometimes lovers with. Personally, I consider that cheating. But even if you don't, it's really an asshole move to string someone along on this lovers/friends thing and then play with their feelings only to immediately go further with others that you don't even have as deep of a bond with yet. The only one who actually comments on this is Renako's little sister, who is right about the whole situation, but that of course is used for jokes, because haha, look at this idiot with their common sense.

In this show full of stupid idiots, my favourite character is Kaho, the unapologetic stupidest idiot of them all. Sure, everyone loves Ajisai, cause she's pretty and comfy and all that, but I'm a stupid contrarian so I will like someone else. Kaho barely appears in the story, to the point why I wonder why she was even put in there to begin with. However, she's the only gay who doesn't seem to be a total mess (yet), and we stan those.

This show is utter trash and I love it. However, if they put me on a watch list over it, I would honestly say that's warranted.

I'm a huge fan of Love Live, but the previous seasons of superstar had failed to really grasp me. While season 1 started promising, it got a little side tracked between plot points, and season 2 was an all around mess. I didn't go into this season with high expectations.
However, I'm very happy that those expectation were wrong, because somehow they turned it around and delivered one of my favourite seasons in all of Love Live. Superstar season 3 finds it's own story and really reminds me why I fell in love with the franchise to begin with.
The first episode shows us one of the more interesting setups of a new idol story: Kanon, the protagonist, leaves her old group and joins their old rival Wien. I truly love how this is brought; Kanons motivations make sense from her point of view, she has always been driven by competition and it would feel weird to come back after saying goodbyes. Yet, it is portrayed very clearly in the reactions of others and the sound design that this is misguided in the grand scheme of things. This narrative choice also gives us the chance to give some more screen time to our new characters, Tomari and Wien. Both are excellent additions, have their own motivations for the way they approach being an idol, and them having ties to Liella helps in making sense of them ultimately joining together as one group. However, I will say that is the main point I think was reached too quickly, and a little contrived. It made some of the drama around the two rivalling groups feel unnecessary, because their conflict has no winner and loser in the end.
After this, the show puts the focus on what I think should have been Superstars identity from the get go: succession. The third years are leaving, and are shown pursuing their own future endeavours, while combining this with making one last great effort to win Love Live one more time. If we're real, this victory was never in any doubt, given that Sunny Passion graduated and no new rival is built up at all. However, the focus of succession gives the second years full spotlight to develop themselves, and Shiki, Natsumi, to a lesser extent Mei but to a fantastic extent Kinako all show growth as characters and take on new roles in and outside of the group. This is brought to conclusion with an absolute home run of a final episode, that celebrates the starting five I almost screamed when they went onto the rooftop for Hajimari Wa Kimi No Sora, their debut single and shows that Liella is ready to keep on moving on. It makes sense they are the first back to back winners of Love Live, because they managed to reinvent themselves between the years. However, I would like to see them celebrate a win on stage for once, I don't know why Sunrise insists on having the victory as a timeskip.
The music is good, as you can expect. The ED is a bop that as always has different characters sing it each episode, making it sound fresh every time. Bubble Rise is beautiful, Dazzling Game is something new and fits into the story really well.
Seriously, go watch Love Live Superstar. This season is worth it.

Blue Lock season 2 truly sucks all around. Everyone knows the animation is bad, and yeah, it is. Sometimes its almost decent, most of the time it's well below that. Every soccer scene is the same, someone tries to defend someone, they fail, they are surprised, Isagi monologues about it as if the greatest thing ever just happened, when in reality it was one of the most basic soccer moves ever. Lowlight of this is when Oliver talks about Reo copying his move, when all he did was head a ball away. Also, have you noticed that no goalie who isn't originally a striker has saved a shot yet?The overarching story is confusing and unsatisfactory, and yet manages to reach the most boring outcome. You expect me to believe there are this many great soccer players, yet none of them play for the national under 20 team, and somehow, neither does Sae? And if he didn't why wasn't he called up for Blue Lock? Also, why are we not seeing what happens to the corporate people who desparately didn't want to lose the match? Why does Sae tell the coach not to make substitutions? Why is there no focus on how he made one of the worst mistakes in the sport in losing the ball on your own half in the final minute, costing them the match? He just shrugs it off. And then, what the hell is this deus ex phase two doing here? Also, I expected them to lose the game early in the next season so they could build back up. But of course, the protagonist can't lose an important game. However, worst of all is how it refuses to commit to what it set up in season 1. Igaguri somehow makes it through the eliminator there and is presented as a possible threat in the end, and goes back to being a joke background character. They divert from the battle royale formula that made the concept interesting in the first place. Turns out, as soon as you abandon the elimination aspect, the hook of the show holds no weight anymore. On top of that, it means they suddenly have to play normal soccer, so they have to pull some bs like introducing new characters who excel in assisting (how did you make it this far in Blue Lock if you aren't egoistic?) and turning other characters into defenders or goalies, who not only accept this role (aren't you supposed to want to be the best striker too?) but perform up to par with the best of the country, too.
It really feels like nobody who worked on this really understands the game of soccer, because it fails at delivering both traditional soccer and the antithesis of soccer they try to set up. This is on a narration level as well as a visual one, because you rarely get to see plays from an angle where you can make out what is actually going on.
Additional time is fun, though.

I was really hyped for this movie, but I ended up really disliking it.

(spoiler warning here, go back if you haven't watched it but want to)

When it comes to an anime season being followed by a movie, it is almost unavoidable to compare the two. In the show, all girls get introduced smoothly, they are either being shown or being mentioned before their arc begins, their problems get a proper introduction, and then the story goes on with what Sakuta can do about it. In the movie, however, Shoko-san arrives to the scene very abruptly and does some morally questionable things. This causes me to dislike the situation she creates from the start.

It is later revealed that she is very sick and that her actions were done out of a sense of urgency; One part of her was anxious about her future because she might not be around for it, and she is in love with Sakuta (must be nice being a romcom anime protagonist), and she wants to live out her dream while she can. I feel like Shoko's problems are in a weird way relatable and understandable, and I actually quite like this part.

What I don't like is everything that follows.

It is revealed that Shoko will get a heart transplant, and that Sakuta gives it to her because he will die in a car accident. We know this because Shoko can time travel in some way that the movie fails to explain properly. Like, sure, at this point it's acceptable because there is college Shoko who has to know who gave her her heart, but it gets really weird later on.

Sakuta gets the idea that he should save Shoko and get himself killed. This is where the movie truly loses me. Sakuta has a loving girlfriend, and while Shoko is a very important person to him, she is not the most important person in his life. In the show, they even close off her arc by Sakuta not meeting her at the beach and instead writing in the sand that he has a girlfriend now. He should not be willing to give his life for Shoko, considering what it'd do to Mai. This is the first time I've mentioned Mai in this review by the way, because she hasn't been important at all up until now, which is another thing I dislike. Mai is a strong character and her not being as relevant as in the show does hurt the movie.

When she finally becomes important, it is not in a way I appreciate it. She catches on to Sakuta's plan and cries about it, desparately asking for him not to do it, because she couldn't live without him. Now this could have been a touching moment, but the way she does this is so out of character for her (Sakuta even says so) that it doesn't feel right with me. I'm not buying where the movie is going at this point. But we do arrive at the point where Sakuta (accidentally) is about to die, but he doesnt.

Mai pushes him out of the way, dying in his place.

This scene and the ones following it are all done phenomenally. Not often have I been this shocked by a work of fiction, and the survivor's guilt and depression that Sakuta develops are also portrayed in such a powerful way. It is very dark and serious, but that is a good thing. Too bad that none of it is real, because Shoko is back and she randomly allows Sakuta to time travel to save Mai by sacrificing him for himself, so nobody dies in the car crash. It doesn't make any sense at any point in time and it really sucks. I really hate it when a story puts their protagonist in a hole they cannot possibly climb out of, only to get them out of it because of bullshit. It's supposed to make Sakuta look amazing by achieving the impossible, but the use of some absolute ass-pulls makes it entirely meaningless. It also makes the grieving Sakuta did meaningless, because Mai isn't dead afterall.

But nobody died in the accident, so Shoko doesn't have anybody to get a heart from. This means that surely she'll die, right? Now I am not wishing her dead because I hate her, but it makes even less sense when she survives too. She does. After all this happened, Shoko revelas that her time travel powers are even stronger and that she will alter the past to a point where she never met Sakuta, so he doesn't have to grieve over her death. And then, if it all wasn't good enough yet, she survives in the end anyway, the closing shot is her and Sakuta encountering each other again.

I just hate how this movie tries to make everyone and everything happy in the end. In the show there was a lot of focus on the fact that not everyone could get everything they wanted and how to cope with sadness and grief - Koga and Futaba never got their love wishes fulfilled, and Kaede returns to her old self, essentially making sure "Kaede-chan" is dead, which causes Sakuta to grief. The movie has none of this, instead nobody loses, everyone is saved, the end. That is the main problem I have with it.

I feel really bad this is how the Bunny Girl Senpai anime is followed up. The show is one of my favourites, but this movie isn't the same on a fundamental level, even when superficial things (like Sakuta's witty jokes) are. Unfortunately, I have to say that this movie gets a 5/10 from me.

Hachigatsu no Cinderella Nine is one of the worst anime I have ever seen.

First of all, and one of the most important parts for this is that the art quality just isn't good enough. Throughout the entire show, this anime is filled with rough animation, still shots to save on animating at all, and even in those stills characters will look off-model. The result is that you get less invested in important scenes, less invested in the baseball part because the sport isn't portrayed in a dynamic way, less interested in the girls because they don't look very cute when their eyes are not in the right place on their heads, and so on. There is one scene in which a girl has done a lot of running, so she is panting a lot, and they didn't even bother to animate her chest going up and down as a sign of it. Nothing ever feels lively like this.

Another part that makes it feel unlively is the writing; it's a slice-of-life show without comedy mixed in. So you just get girls doing baseball things. Aside from the last episodes, no events seem relevant due to there being no plot, and events not being brought up again in later episodes after they happened. Without comedy to distract from this, you might as well be watching paint dry. And the "drama" that happens is often so weird and could be solved in so many other ways that it doesn't make sense and is hard to get into emotionally. I'll give Maiko's recruitment a pass for this, she struggles with real issues and the way they handle it is well done and probably a realistic showcase of how stressful situations and the mental baggage that comes with it can be handled. I liked that, even though it was the only thing.

Most of the other characters are boring as hell too, though. After their introduction, their character often completely disappears or is shown very sparingly. Yuuki, who is supposed to be a main character, might just as well not have been in the show - I still don't know what her characteristics are supposed to be. Or Aoi, who is supposed to be extremely lucky, never ever shows it in their baseball competition. Sure, they give her a bunt as a signature move, but then one of their opponents goes on to comment how wildly unpredictable she is, even when she ALWAYS goes for it. It's really shocking. Or Akane, who says her family is poor but that is never mentioned or shown again afterwards. She's just a regular loli. Even Tsubasa is pretty boring for a genki team captain, usually a captivating personality in cute girls shows.

The reason why this show doesn't get any lower is because it still has some endearing moments, and it is an okay-ish watch if you really like anime about cute girls competing. The show is heavily outclassed in that regard by Love Live and Girls und Panzer, however, and I'd recommend those over this one to the most hardcore baseball fans in a heartbeat.