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Sep 17, 2023
Okaeri Alice is thematically about how social constructs of gender limits us from freedom of expression. It is not necessarily a work aimed at queer audiences, but anyone who is conscious of performative roles based on gender and the pressure that may come from living up to those expectations. Okaeri Alice can be fairly problematic in the way that it executes this message, and it needed more time in the oven to fully realize its message, but is nonetheless a sincere attempt at solving a complex identity issue.
The protagonist Yoh is effectively the vehicle
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for Shuzo to deliberate on his themes regarding identity and repression. Yoh does not show genuine interest in what would be considered "masculine" activities. He just does things based on what is expected of him and what his peers decide is the correct way for a male teenager to conduct themselves. This largely leads him down a path of confusion as he increasingly becomes more aware of his leanings towards homosexuality, which clashes against what he believes to be the correct way of life based on his straight edge environment. The internal conflict that Yoh feels throughout the story is the emotional backbone of the entire manga as you’re meant to empathize with his growing discomfort that he feels within a body that he doesn’t think matches his figurative soul. I found his internal musings to be very moving throughout the story as his conflict feels genuine.
The catalyst for Yoh to find self actualization is Kei, a childhood friend who disappeared and later returned as a transgender. Kei is by far the most interesting character in the story as they work to liberate Yoh and defy the conventions of how people should behave based on appearances. Kei is, regardless of your leanings, incredibly beautiful which seems intended to challenge heteronormative ideas of how beauty should be perceived.
But interesting as this character is, they also lead into one of the more problematic issues of the manga - Kei’s method of freeing Yoh is to stimulate him to the point that he can no longer deny his true desires. This is matter of factly sexual assault and probably more damaging to Yoh than for him to navigate life “normally” under their existing limitations. To make matters worse there is another character, Mitani, who manipulates Yoh as way to affirm her own social standing. She leverages Yoh's (perceived) attraction to her to make herself feel better. So Yoh is in the middle of two forces that are pulling him in opposite directions, both damaging to his mental state. I don’t think Shuzo intends to promote sexual assault nor emotional abuse, but rather chooses the most visceral approach to make a reader question their own views regarding gender and sex. The problem is that it’s the least sensical of all possible solutions (though it does make for a lot of drama, and more intrigue). Some of this could be forgiven if characters outside of Yoh were more transparent, but we get to know so little about them as their perspective is never really shown. We are always with Yoh.
I love reading Oshimi Shuzo manga because it feels like he “gets” the adolescent perspective more than any other writer. He comes close to doing the same here, but needed more time to make this work match the quality of his others under the same subject matter.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Feb 11, 2023
Underneath all the bizarre symbolism and experimental visuals is a story of self-acceptance from an immature youth. Twelve year old Naota is desperate to become mature as he believes that this is the path to being valued by others. But he has to learn that he can only discover his worth through authentic personal growth rather than wearing a mask and pretending to be something he is not.
In only six episodes does Fooly Cooly work to deliver a sincere message about growing at your own pace irrespective of others schedules or desires. If you can relate to Naota’s perspective, then FLCL is one of
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the better coming of age stories you may find in the medium. If you cannot relate to his character, or more commonly find his faux mature persona to be annoying, then you will probably fall on the side that dislikes everything this show stands for and consider it to be grossly delivered. There’s a good deal of fanservice in the show afterall and that can be difficult to stomach if you do not connect the perversion to the emotional instability of the main character.
The older female influences around Naota try their hardest to seduce him for their own self gain, which leads to his growing confusion and fragility. This is unmistakably a case of child grooming which on face value would understandably turn off many viewers. But if you can relate to once being manipulated by opposite sex perspectives, and can admit to yourself how that may have shaped your mentality as an adult, then this story of redemption from Naota who emerges free from those shackles would go from triggering to inspiring. That was the case for me at least, and for many others who enjoy this series even twenty years post production as you can watch it as an teen and an adult and gain different interpretations. Fooly Cooly is not a show about perversion, but how it can affect immature perspectives and what it takes to emerge from outside influences into an independent person.
It cannot be overstated that there is a lot of weird imagery in this show - ‘Experimental” is an apt description of the artistic direction. But I believe the point of FLCL is not to understand everything, but to observe how the bizarre mirrors the pubescent perspective. The famous music by The Pillows certainly helps to elucidate that journey, and to this day many viewers will return here to experience it once again from an animated lense.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 2, 2023
3Piece, prequel to the legendary hentai OVA series Master Piece, fails to meet the lofty expectations set before it due to poor production quality. This in no doubt a consequence of the sudden change in studios from T-Rex to the less reputable "Studio 1" that has no notable titles under their name. That stings to acknowledge as the Master Piece is arguably the greatest hentai to ever have been produced, and this is merely okay by comparison.
All returning fans wanted to see here is more of Mira getting fucked by her loving stepson. She is on the Mount Rushmore of anime MILFs and any content
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involving her should be golden. The problem is the animation quality and artistic design degraded substantially, so the Mira we see is hardly recognizable compared to her former glory. This is notable in her facial features being less pronounced - her eyes looking soulless and faded out rather than full and inviting, and there being less attention to detail in showcasing every which angle of her curvaceous figure. She now looks closer to a generic shojo anime waifu whose one redeeming trait is big titties and has no charm or personality outside of that. This would be a bit less problematic if the animation were fluid rather than mostly consisting of lazy static panning shots in which there is zero movement for periods of time, and looped animated sequences that lack any semblance creativity.
It would seem reasonable to expect a sequel to maintain the quality of the original product, but more often than not do production committees rush to create "something" for existing fanbases to consume. And far too often do we, the horniest of anime degens, oblige and settle for the bottom of the barrel. This seems to be another casualty of hentai works that care more about meeting a profit margin than maintaining the integrity of the source material. This is good enough to scratch a quick itch but not enough to repeatedly return to and leave any sort of a lasting impression, unlike the prior masterpiece.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Mar 25, 2022
Conceptually, Slow Loop is about using a cherished pastime to overcome grief and build close friendships. You may not know a single thing about fly fishing going in (I sure did not), but we can all understand the desire to partake in a fun hobby and seek the company of others who are mutually passionate. There are approximately five million SOL anime that execute this very same concept, but this one is at least slightly better than average in that it is legitimately educational about its subject matter and creates likable characters with relatable conflicts. It also fails in some key ways that keep it
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from being a “great” SOL, primarily the uninspiring artwork in a setting that is more often than not outdoors, but you kind of have to take what you can get in the most regurgitated genre in the medium.
First, lets elaborate more on the positive - Slow Loop does a fine job of making the audience understand the nuances and joys of fishing. You go out on a boat or sit by a shore surrounded by nothing but the natural world, free from all technological obsessions and urban concerns. Just man, a rod, and aquatic wildlife. The lead characters Hiyori and Koharu have dealt with immense hardship in their young lives related to the tragic passing of loved ones, but those concerns are eased gradually as they’re connected with nature and grow closer to the friends that surround them. This presents a wholesome message about how no matter the tragedy, you can seek happiness and heal your sorrow with the company of companions over time. There’s also a lot of effort to detail the theory of fishing in terms of effective techniques, equipment and routines. So much so that if a viewer decided to take up fishing, they would be able to do so using the knowledge gained from the episodes.
On the other hand, the production values are bad all around. Not just in terms of animation - there is a profuse use of panning shots during fishing expeditions, but the background art is very bland. There are many instances where the detailed character models appear jarringly out of place compared to the ironically static nature that surround them. As a result Slow Loop fails to make one feel immersed into the outdoors as I'm sure its intention was to do. This extends to the texture of the dishes as well - there are few times in this show that something was prepared that made me salivate at the idea of eating it.
Perhaps its a bit unfair to harp too much on this point though - this was not some highly anticipated, heavily advertised show. Those who chose to watch Slow Loop likely will have their expectations exceeded. There was just potential here to be something great if the artwork were better. My score of a six may seem to imply this show is bad, but I mean it to describe a show that has enough positives to at least be worth watching and perhaps enjoyed by niche communities. This may perhaps be you if you fancy the premise of cute girls fishing and bonding over time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Feb 6, 2022
Can never go wrong with a beach episode. This special takes the Tawawa cast on a tropical vacation where skimpy swimsuits and massive oppai jiggling are mandatory. If you liked what season 2 had to offer then you'll probably love what this special has to offer too.
Of especial note here is Ai's mom being a featured character. Take one look at Ai and you can only imagine how the originator looks in a swimsuit - Absolutely marvelous. She was the star of the special for me and I'm sure many others would agree upon completion.
This was an awesome way to conclude the second season
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and reward those who support the adaptation. Hopefully that support will lead to a season three someday.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 10, 2022
For fifteen years Kiss x Sis pushed the boundaries of a variety of sexual taboos while being entirely self aware of how ridiculous its premise was, never caring to take itself seriously enough for you to question your moral compass. There are valid complaints that KxS leaned too far into the direction of comedy, rather than fully committing to the forms of degeneracy that it teases, but you’d be hard pressed to find many contemporary series that strike a better balance of ecchi entertainment than what is found here.
As can be observed from the title, the central taboo is the incestual angle of Keita and
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his two loving sibling-in-laws Ako and Riko. The series begins with Keita weakly protesting the sexual advances of his step-sisters, only to routinely cave at each and every opportunity. This progresses onto several other girls throughout the plot as he establishes a harem that increasingly craves the body of Keita, and he responds appropriately by becoming more and more assertive in responding to the advances of his admirers.
Typically, the sex appeal and likability of the admirers for the lucky protagonist are what make or break the appeal of a harem manga. But I posit that it is Keita who made this manga such a successful lewd romp. In Keita do you have a perpetually horny main character who instead of shying away from his admirers, embraced his libido and acted upon his urges at almost every opportunity. The man has no restraint whatsoever and can only be stopped by the divine intervention of Ditama Bow's penchant for ill timed interruptions. He almost completely embodies the will of the reader as he entertains every single member of his harem at various points of the story. While Riko and Ako early on do get the lion share of the attention, there is actually a point where their appearances become fairly sparse and other girls take the spotlight, which truly helps to keep the fanservice of this story fresh and creative.
This ironically leads to the biggest criticism of KxS however - for a series that succeeds so well at entertaining a wide net of perverted antics, Kiss x Sis never pushed its degeneracy far enough to fully climax reader satisfaction. Case and point - not once was there full nudity of the characters involved. While Keita, the main character, can completely see the exposed breasts and genitals of his harem the reader is always left using their imagination to fill in the blanks as their bodies are obscured. This creates a disconnect between the reader and their intended self insert hero as he's always the more privileged observer, which at the very least the ecchi reader asks for is to share their vision when to engage is never a reality.
Another, but far less important, criticism is the lack of a romantic commitment in this story. Kiss x Sis is better described as an ecchi comedy, with a hint of romance, than an ecchi romantic comedy. So if you are someone that gets personally attached to your waifus, ride or die for your waifus, are willing to catch a life sentence for your waifus, then you may want to brace yourself for the disappointment of your waifu not being placed on a pedestal above others and being “chosen”, as this manga is far more concerned about entertaining all parties than prioritizing any one. A lot of veteran Kiss x Sis readers were disappointed by this turn out, so try not to be one of us.
Needless to say, this isn’t in any way some thematically rich or high brow story. Much of the content is episodic and the tone vacillates between extremes of silliness and passionate degeneracy, with little to no in between. If that sounds like something you’d be into however, then this is a must read as there have been very few ecchi that blend lewdness and comedy together quite like Kiss x Sis. I will miss this manga and the niche that it filled for such a long period of time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 5, 2021
If you like big anime titties then Tawawa on Monday is the show for you. I cannot be any more direct than that - this anime is literally about worshiping the voluptuous glandular tissues of cute girls via constant zoom ins, boob jiggles, bras snapping, torso touching, groping, stripping, basically anything under the sun that can be done with a pair of tits is likely to be found in here in bite sized, short episodical formatting (barring nudity, more on that later). Tawawa also entertains fantasy romantic scenarios between faceless, self insert men who are attracted to these women, and are teased incessantly until eventually
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entering a relationship. Wholesome stuff for the hopeless perverted romantics out there.
If you fall into this very transparent target audience, then there’s really only a few areas of criticism that can be made. One is the lack of actual nudity and intimacy - at no point will you see any of these girls wearing less than a swimsuit, and never will the couples be shown doing anything beyond holding hands and a kiss on the cheek. There is a line that this ecchi will never cross no matter how much you may want it to happen, and that can be a point of irritation for us degenerates that want the full package that prior shows have bridged in the past (such as the legendary Shinmai Testament, for instance). But on the contrary to that criticism, others find it more enticing to be teased of a possibility that is dangled in front of them. To that end Tawawa is one of the better anime that can exist, as it finds creative ways to show you the allure of big titties without ever allowing you to see them entirely exposed or embraced. It’s not smut nor hentai, but it can kinda co-exist with those shows as a less lewd cock teasing alternative.
Another point of contention is the art style difference from season 1, as the studio’s changed so did the character artwork - the faces are noticeably wider than before, as if some invisible force is stretching their cheeks apart, and the eyes shapes are larger to fit a more moe aesthetic. There is a divide in the Tawawa community over whether this change was for the worse or is negligible - I belong the latter camp, as I recognize this as a fantastical anime where everything is out of proportion, and it does not break my immersion for the character designs to lose the sense of realism.
You can pretty much tell whether or not you’ll like this show from looking at the promotional art. Despite my wall of text analyzing the quality of this tit show, the content is as shallow as a puddle and the merit is apparent on chest value. If it weren't for the character limit I'd probably just end the review at the first sentence - If you like big anime titties then Tawawa on Monday is the show for you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 27, 2021
Part of being human is to encounter a problem that subtracts from our enjoyment of life. Whether this issue is in the form of addiction, illness or phobia, it would surely make sense for us to wish those problems away so that we can evolve into our ideal selves. Right?
This manga poses an interesting thought experiment to this topic - if you got rid of your most problematic behavior flaws, would you not change into a foreign version of yourself? Who is the you that no longer suffers from social anxiety? Do you remember the version of yourself who never feared rejection? "You" may
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cease to exist if such ailments are removed entirely. In contemplating such topics, this manga prods existential themes of knowing the self in the absence of what defines you in the present, and how it’s perhaps not necessary to get rid of these issues in order to move on in life. The reality is that once you are addicted to something, or are used to a certain behavioral pattern, the urge to return back will always exist in some form even if dormant (or we may compensate by finding another addiction). It becomes more practical to manage that urge rather than ignore it entirely.
The way that these messages are delivered is another matter, however, I found the plot to be rather confusing. In this narrative there exists a medical case that spreads from person to person like a contagious disease, hence parasyte, and this is the cause for various mental afflictions some of which are deadly. And because this is an adaptation of a novel, the dialogue does become rather heavy handed and technical to an extent that I’m not entirely sure was necessary. As the story progressed and got more confusing, I felt myself wishing that I’d read the light novel instead as it probably gets across the messages a bit more concisely.
This is a conceptually fascinating manga, and the artwork is also very immersive. The character drama felt moving at some points as its fairly easy for one to self insert themselves into the internal conflict of a person suffering from an addiction. But the evolution of the plot into scientific technical jargon felt rather hard to follow, dropping the score from what began as a masterpiece to around a 7 where I mark a note to read the source material someday.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 15, 2021
In case it wasn’t clear from the promotional material, Megami-ryou is a transparent appeal to lovers of ecchi harem fanservice. There is no attempt at constructing a continual narrative nor to create riveting characters who act in genuine ways. This is literally designed for the viewer to watch with their pants off as six girls all desire to hump one boy. If that sounds like something you’d be into, this show is golden. If not, you shouldn’t be watching.
For those that fall into the intended audience - you’ll be pleased to know that this is not the type of ecchi that will manifest censorship beams
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across the bare bosoms and bottoms of the harem, only to later remove them in a BD release. The nudity was totally uncensored upon airing on ATX channels, as far as Japan’s decency laws will allow for, and delivers the goods within the first few minutes of episode one. You will see accidental groping of tits, accidental slipping into the missionary position in the bathroom, intentional stripping in front of the MC in order to attract his attention, and an endless amount of other scenarios that high level degens should be familiar with.
Megami-ryou also succeeds in having an aesthetically attractive and diverse best girl cast. You have the adorably naive, caring Athena who acts like an onee chan to the main character. She has nice tits. The shy goth cosplayer Frey who loves to use the MC as a fashion model. She has nice tits. The dorky bespeckled researcher Mineru...she has nice tits. There’s a loli, because why not. There’s a cute mysterious kuudere grill in Serene - ofc with pale blue hair, and a fiery tomboy with crimson red hair with tsun tendencies. Basically all the popular fantasy girl templates are present in the show - truly someone for everyone of the proud degens who watch the program.
The young main character - and I mean young, he's twelve, may be a turn off for many who prefer their harem leads to be peers to the girls that pursue their balls. Afterall most people who watch this program will be double the age of Koushi. But this does tap into a fetish that many degens have of seeing young, submissive leads receiving a crash course to puberty by the aggressive and fully developed beauties that surround them. Is it morally wrong for a twelve year old to be in such an environment? Yeah. But that's part of the appeal, I think, as being told something is forbidden can make it more tantalizing.
The immediate comparisons for this show are Asa Made Jugyou and, more recently, Sunohara-sou no Kanrinin-sa. Both revolved around a timid young boy surrounded by gorgeous girls who all find him adorable and crave his attention. Neither of these harems truly “went” anywhere insofar as intimacy or a conclusive ending, because that’s never the point of these shows, only to endlessly tease and explore the possibilities of what could occur in this fantasy scenario.
This however does raise a fair complaint concerning the cyclical, sexually non-committal ecchi of this nature though - wouldn’t this premise be better executed as a hentai? If you were in this situation as the MC, would you be able to resist the open invitations to have sexuale relations with with these girls as the MC never does? This is a common “problem” with full immersion into the ecchi genre as the decision making of the MCs is consistently unbelievable, minus a few rare cases. This problem in and of itself is why I’d have to dock the score a bit, despite being a success in ways that an ecchi is intended to be.
What you see is what you get here. This is very much so a derivative of past successes and isn’t reinventing the wheel in any shape or form. But because there is so rarely these days ecchi anime that are willing to be fully nude romps that showcases the female anatomy in ways the viewer wishes they could irl, this shines as a perverted wish fulfillment tool that harkens back to days where these types of shows were much more plentiful. For that reason it should be particularly celebrated as a recent success of the ecchi genre that has been starving for a bit for more bolder works.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 8, 2021
The MAL community is generally forgiving of Slice of Life anime with banal premises - see the reception of K-on, Non Non Biyori, so I wondered why JK Meshi was scored among the worst entries to ever appear in the database. Surely it can't just be the fact that its only three minutes long per episode?
About a minute into the first episode I understood why - JK Meshi fails to execute the bare minimum of what a slice of life anime needs to be loved by at least a portion of the anime community - cute and personable characters. All of the girls have bland,
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uncreative, forgettable designs. The animation looks like it was done in flash with choppy movements and barely any variance in facial expression or gesture. You’re not gonna find any waifus here nor will you find any cute personality types that will endear a viewer to a character.
This could be somewhat forgiven if the topic explored was well executed - JK Meshi does in part aim to be an educational cooking show of simple meals that anyone can prepare, but because the art is so fugly it makes all of the food look disgusting. It’s the exact opposite of Souma in that respect, or the lesser known Osake wa Fuufu that damn near made me an alcoholic with its appeals to creating adult beverages.
So here you have what is quite possibly the worst attempt at a SOL ever, failing to be likable from a character endearment standpoint and failing to have a topic or a familiar setting that viewers can immerse themselves into (take for instance, school life environments). I suppose it being a short anime does give it some reprieve, as you don't waste much of your time in efforts of completing it, but even so it's deservingly placed among the worst anime for sucking at the foundational points of its own genre.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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