My Little Monster

A refreshingly fast paced and bold anime rom-com that works as a great stress buster. My Little Monster derives a lot of its good elements from Maid Sama, quite noticeably. It follows the story of an emotionally confused girl who can't help being a workaholic, and a socially misunderstood boy with an extremely forward demeanor. It's like they took Maid Sama's plot and changed it a little to prevent getting caught, much like that homework assignment you "did yourself" back in college. That being said, My Little Monster introduces just enough of its own novelty to make it an interesting watch, especially because of how quickly the anime progresses and develops character relationships. 

The star crossed lovers in question are Shizuku and Haru, two contrasting personalities who somehow realize they complete each other in a ying-yang-ish manner. The plot starts with Haru's issues at school and inability to make friends, then progresses to his immediate infatuation with Shizuku who makes him feel safe but also confuses him. We see a lot of serious relationship commentary complimented by well done comedy and levity through supporting characters and ridiculous settings. There are small running plot points, but the overarching theme is understanding if Shuzuku can handle this kind of a relationship and figure out what she really wants. The people are real and likeable, and the story telling is succinct while engaging, what more do you need from an anime rom-com? (thank god because I can't do 100 episodes of build up to hand holding like with most other mainstream shows). 

What I don't like about this anime is that while it's fast paced, there's a lot of annoying back and forth where Shizuku keeps changing her mind about being in love or not. Additionally, Some of the humor is strained and makes certain serious scenes awkward, but all other aspects are fairly well done. 



My personal ratings are:

Story: 2/5
Character Development: 3/5
Dialogue: 4/5
Music: 3/5
Enjoyment: 4/5 

Overall recommendation: One angry chicken 

KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World!

 
People often say things like lol, lmao or even rofl (if you're a boomer). But when was the last time you actually did any of these? KonoSuba once got me so bad, I actually snorted my drink and continued to laugh breathlessly for a couple of minutes after. I can say, without a doubt, that KonoSuba is the funniest anime that I've seen ( and there is weight behind these words). Also called 'Kono Subarashi Sekai ni Shukufuku o!', this show wrote the book on Isekai spoofs and still has other anime trying to rip off its RPG game styled humor and setup. If you're looking for a light, interesting and quirky comedy with outstanding visuals, this one is absolutely perfect. 

The story follows a boy named Kazuma, who's basically a shut-in. One day Kazuma dies in a nonsensical accident and is made fun of by Aqua, a goddess who's supposed to guide his spirit to reincarnation (you with me so far?). Aqua decides to send Kazuma to a world that's fallen into trouble because of a powerful demon king and offers him one super power in order to become a great hero. Kazuma, who is annoyed by Aqua's glib attitude, asks the heavens to send Aqua down with him as a companion instead of giving him powers. Before she can object, both of them are cast into the new MMORPG styled world together, only to leave if they defeat the powerful demon king. Kazuma soon realizes that he made a mistake because Aqua is hilariously incompetent and also a lecherous drunk. Over time he tries to band together a powerful party, but ends up with an egoistical goddess, a sexually masochistic knight and a mage who is overconfident despite knowing just one attack. This party actually gives up on accomplishing anything, but inadvertently ends up solving great mysteries and unlocking difficult quests based on sheer dumb luck. Honestly the combination of these characters is pure genius and their adventures are hilarious enough to knock you off your seat. KonoSuba makes use of circumstantial humor and crafty dialogues to achieve this level of comedy and is unparalleled in executing slapstick perverted jokes. 

While I hold KonoSuba in high regard has a stress-busting and chill anime, I think it has a little more fan service than it needs, and that throws me off sometimes. The show has clever comedy, masked by ridiculous content but is cheapened by un-necessary raunchiness. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate raunchiness, I just think there could be better use here. 

         

My personal ratings are:

Story: 3/5
Character Development: 5/5
Dialogue: 5/5
Music: 3/5 
Entertainment: 5/5

Overall Recommendation: Two of Kazuma's Lives 

KonoSuba is available to stream on Netflix!

Curious Play - Fushigi Yugi

Let's jump back in time, all the way back to 1995- where anime had a distinctly different style. A great example to represent those times is Curious Play, a bold action-adventure and romance anime that stands out as unconventional, even today. Curious Play has so many elements and sub genres associated to it like: reverse harem, seinen and shojo; which makes it really stimulating and gripping to watch. We see very mature content through the anime's progression, covering dark emotions, raunchy relationships, and violent bloodshed. All of this coupled with a fantasy world and eye catching powers makes for a truly unique anime experience. 

The series focuses on two girls: Miaka and Yui who stumble upon a book in the library called Universe of the Four Gods. They mysteriously get sucked into this book that connects to a parallel world set in a feudal era. In this world they are reincarnated as maidens of ancient gods who must fulfill their duty to the gods of Suzaku and Seiryuu respectively. Miaka must find and assemble the seven celestial warriors of Suzaku so that she can summon the god and be granted three wishes. This is how she meets Tamahome, one of the warriors who pledges his loyalty to her, and becomes a major romantic interest that drives a wedge between the two maidens. The journey is split into different phases in the anime: assembling the seven, figuring out allies and enemies, forging bonds and final battles. Seeing how the two worlds are connected and the different character dynamics across each one makes for great entertainment, especially in that old-school animation which has its own aesthetic vibe. Also giving a quick shout out to comedic elements that really ties the anime together, providing just enough levity to a stern plot.

The primary drawback to watching Curious Play is its lengthy and roundabout manner of story telling. The anime drags on too many arcs that should have been short and creates unnecessary buildup to small plot points. Too much build up makes the conclusion feel underwhelming which is unfortunate given the great set up that the anime creates. 



My Personal Ratings Are:

Story: 4/5
Character Development: 3/5
Dialogue: 2/5
Music: 2/5
Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall Recommendation:  One Naked Tamahome 

This anime is too old to be found on any new streaming platforms, most of it should be on YouTube to watch. 

Steins;Gate

I never knew something so beautifully intricate and complex, yet absolutely engaging could exist. Steins Gate is a gem of an anime with a justified cult following because of its unique take on story telling. This sci-fi thriller is the anime equivalent of Doctor Who in terms of plot complexity, and is a delight to watch for all time travel lovers. I think watching Steins Gate is like entering a big maze: you start off excited, get worried about where it goes in the middle, and feel utmost excitement when you reach the end. Please note that this is a heavy, occasionally dark, fast paced and sometimes confusing anime that will swing between plot building and culmination like a pendulum. I don't recommend watching it unless you are in the right mindset for such a show. If you like these elements however, be ready for an absolute treat. 

Without giving much away, the story follows a scientist called Rintarou Okabe who is a quirky anarchist that loves to indulge in vague conspiracy theories and whacky scientific ideas. On a faithful day he discovers that he may have altered the flow of time using a tweaked microwave and is able to send messages through time when attaching a phone to it. His team comprising of a pervy programmer, his childhood friend and a renowned female scientist who's destiny gets all mixed up in Okabe's business, are suddenly thrown into a chaotic situation where they may have just discovered time travel. The anime has many angles to this plot: the politics behind inventing time travel, the effects it can have on the world and the stress it puts on their personal relationships. Steins Gate quickly becomes gritty and intense, showing the consequences of even the smallest actions involving time travel. As expected he show eventually introduces villains who have less than scientific motives and pose a threat to our team of protagonists. I think the anime does a great job balancing action and thriller elements with overarching character sentimentality. It creates a world you can get sucked into, coupled by a longing to know what happens next.  

My biggest issue with Steins Gate is that it can be complicated just for the sake of complexity at times. You can tell that certain plot points could have been made simpler without affecting the story, but instead still go about involved and lengthy routes that can cause frustration. 



My Personal ratings are:

Story: 5/5
Character Development: 4/5
Dialogue: 5/5
Music: 4/5
Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall recommendation: One Future Gadget Laboratory

Steins gate is available on Netflix, crunchyroll and Hulu across different regions.  

My Hero Academia

Shonen Jump's new front running anime has already made the halls of fame with a massive fan following, its own global conventions, and a couple of box office friendly movies. My Hero Academia is an instant classic that follows all shonen tropes the usual viewer loves, with an added spice of social commentary that makes us reflect on more than just the plot outcomes. The anime balances light and heavy elements well to create an action packed, adventurous show full of tasteful plot points and comedy. Not to mention, it does really well on character building and has some of this years most compelling protagonists. I think watching MHA is like making a new best friend, it gives you a happy and safe feeling, even though there are times when it can be annoying and steals your french fries (maybe that's just my friends).

The story is set in a world where a majority of the population is born with a quirk or a power. Society has reformed as a result of these abilities and new jobs have come into existence, a prominent one being professional super hero. We start by following Young Midoriya who was born quirk-less, but desperately wants to become a hero. On a faithful day he inherits a power called 'One For All' from the worlds greatest hero, All Might, who sees potential in Midoriya's future. From there he joins the world's top hero training academy UA High and is paired up with all kinds of aspiring heroes, each with their own backstories and intentions. He even comes face to face with his childhood bully Bakugo who has more to him than meets the eye. This is the story of how a class of ambitious yet problematic heroes face the world's toughest generation of villains, especially when they learn that not everything in the real world is black and white. 

My issue with MHA is that it was intentionally made to appeal to masses and become mainstream. Because of this you see many cliché shonen tropes and filler arcs that can offset an otherwise serious storyline. That being said, this is still one of my favorite shonen anime and it's a must watch for you.

     

My Personal Ratings Are:

Story: 4/5
Character Development: 4/5
Dialogue: 4/5
Music: 3/5 
Enjoyment: 5/5 

Overall Recommendation: 20% Delaware Smash! 

Catch MHA on Hulu, Netflix and Crunchyroll across different regions. 

Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen is, without a doubt, a bridge that shows us the way to the future of anime. This action Shonen series has visuals so stunning, you'll want to re watch every frame out of disbelief. With this plus Attack on Titan's final season, the production house - MAPPA basically knocked it out of the park. While the show's story itself isn't mind-blowingly special, the anime gets full points for execution and direction. You'll be so engaged by battle sequences, every droplet of sweat from a character's face becomes noticeable. Watching Jujutsu Kaisen is like watching a talented street artist spray graffiti on the wall, it just gives you an innate sense of satisfaction and amusement.   

The plot focuses on athletically gifted Yuji Itadori who inadvertently stumbles upon the hidden world of curses and supernatural phenomenon through an incident at school. To save his friends from danger, he gets himself cursed and obtains special powers, but also becomes a threat to all of humanity. In order to control his abilities, Yuji is enrolled into a school that teaches cursed techniques and is full of odd specimens. There's an interesting angle about the internal politics in the school that sway to and away from supporting Yuji across different levels of hierarchy. Jujutsu Kaisen does a great job in getting us involved with characters, battles and plot outcomes. The thrill of this anime stems from over powered character clashes, vibrant visuals and good old fashioned shonen sentimentality. 

The only negative I find with this anime is its slow story progression. I feel like episodes are too short and don't cover as much ground as I would have liked, but that being said, you can't rush great potentially long running anime.



My personal ratings are: 

Story: 3/5
Character Development: 4/5
Dialogue: 5/5
Music: 5/5
Enjoyment: 5/5 

Overall recommendation: One of sukunas fingers  

Jujutsu Kaisen in on Neflix Japan and on Crunchyroll in other regions, use a VPN to watch!

Jigoku Shojo

         

Jigoku Shojo or Hell Girl is an extremely compelling horror anime that never fails to send a chill down the viewer's spine. This horror thriller seems very docile and slow paced at first, but always gets you in the end because of its vivid dark imagery and portrayal of twisted human minds. The story is broken into many seemingly unrelated arcs that are all individually and suspensefully brought to culmination in a repetitive yet intriguing manner. I'll explain this plot device more below.

The story follows an urban legend of a cursed website. According to rumors, if someone holds a real grudge against another person, they can visit this website at midnight and request the 'Hell Girl', Enma Ai to kill their enemies. Here's where it gets interesting- if Enma and her associates from hell believe the grudge is strong enough, they will appear in front of the website user and hand them a black doll with a red string around its neck. If the string is removed, the grudge will be realized and any person the doll's owner chooses will be tortured and instantly dragged down to hell. The consequence is that the doll owner will also give up their soul and be sent to hell when they naturally die. The choice of using this double edged sword is what makes most of the show juicy. Hell Girl will explore the dark depths of human psyche and show what it takes to push a person to their limit. Each story arc is short and will get you ambivalent about the respective doll owners who range from petty and selfish individuals to helpless and victimized ones. This eerie plot bolstered by its creepy art style and sound track makes for a great pick if you love horror as a genre. 

Hell Girl does have a main overarching plot, but spends a lot of time on individual stories of people's grudges. Now because each story is unique, story progression can get a little disjointed. Think of this as a horror novel with many creepy chapters and a big finale, but you can only appreciate the finale if you put up with all the precursory chapters, some of which can be dry or monotonous. I for one, recommend sticking till the end.  



My personal ratings are: 

Story: 3/5
Character Development: 2/5
Dialogue: 3/5
Music: 3/5
Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall Recommendation: When One Soul is Cursed, Two Graves Are Dug