For all the minus in the story and character department, the art & animation department of Tokyo 24-Ku is actually pretty good. The colours are vibrant, the details are solid, the environments look nice and the character design stands out.

The character design looks unique with its drawing and colour usage. The three main characters with it red green blue colours look great along with their hairstyle and clothing choices which reflect their personality.

The background looks nice with a good amount of detail be it indoors like Shuuta’s bread shop or outdoor places like Shantytown which have its own unique colour and looks. Background characters also populate all the necessary scenes. The graffiti that pops up often in the anime also look excellent.

The CG used for vehicles such as trains and cars are ugly.

The animation when they got called by their late friend Asumi with all the transition into the ear canal to the future vision with a ghostly figure of Asumi looks awesome. The overall animation is smooth and the action scenes are also fairly decently animated.

The main focus of the show is of cause the RGB trio consisting of Shuuta, Ran and Kouki but for some reason, they have a very uneven screen time between them with Shuuta having like 65% while Ran is like 25% and Souki at 10%. There are a lot of side characters but they don’t really do much or are just plot devices.

Shuuta who has the biggest amount of screen time is not a very interesting character. He is more of a balanced character between the other two main characters. However, he is the typical superhero wannabe who tries to save everyone and anyone. He is also the dumbest one out of the group and I can't help but feel like he is out of the loop with the technology and mystery of the over-arcing plot. The saving grace I guess is his kindness and the genuine effort he gives.

Ran is a skilled hacker and also a graffiti artist who is actively against the government and the AI crime system of the 24th ward. He has a more laid back, none serious personality but not much to say about him too since he doesn’t have a lot of development.

Kouki is the son of the mayor of the 24th ward. A logical no none sense kind of person and later put in charge of the crime preventative AI system. He also has the least amount of screen time for the main character, even less than some unimportant side characters.	

The three main characters have totally different personalities means more dynamic and interesting interaction between each other right? Well, no. The three when getting along made a really effective team but they are fighting among each other most of the time and the majority of the time they are not even together and kind of just doing their own stuff.

There are a lot of flashbacks, maybe a bit too much even. They mostly show what happened in the past and added a little bit more about how the character become what they are today.

Once again like the story, the character could have been better developed with more interesting and dynamic interaction. Another missed opportunity.

Tokyo 24th Ward

Tokyo 24-Ku

Both the opening and ending songs are super enjoyable songs to listen to. The opening song is a piece of an uplifting rock song and the ending song is a relaxing song. Both songs absolute fit the theme of the anime. They even name the ending 255,255,255 which is the colour code used for RGB colour.

Background music is mostly there to support the scenes, they are not generic sounding but they are not memorable either. The most memorable music would be when the late Asumi call the trio to show them the future and ended with a Suzu bell-like chiming sound effecting.

Sound effects are solid and exist in all necessary places. I say there are decent attention given such as when Ran lay on the sofa but he hit it with his body and leg a few time and not a single sound effect missed those hits.

Voice acting is solid with a lot of experienced voice actors/actresses on board. They manage to bring a suitable voice for each character's personality, looks and age.

The story of Tokyo 24-Ku started out pretty intriguing with an interesting premise but as the story progresses, the story feels very crammed in with pacing issues.

The story mainly follows Shuuta, Ran and Kouki who are named RGB probably due to their hair colours too. The city is governed by a Minority Report-style crime and disaster prediction AI system but one day the RGB trio get a phone call from one of their late friend Asumi’s number showing them a future where something bad is going to happen and it is up to them on which path they want to take.

The bad things that are going to happen are almost always a trolley problem for the RGB trio to solve and they most of the time come up with a miracle option instead of picking one out of the two choices. It is interesting to see what kind of miracle they are going to pull and they don't always pull it off.

The first few episodes get me to continue watching the show since I want to know more about all the underlying mysteries of this late friend calling them and showing them the future. With all the dystopian style sci-fi stuff, it piqued my interest but the show fail to impress.

The main problem with the show is that it wants to tell a lot of things and the pacing suffers. A lot of subplots got added to the main plot as the story goes on. An app which is actually a drug, 24th ward wanted to join Tokyo but to meet the safety standard, to use of the new Kanae AI System but at the cost of heavy privacy issues, clearing out slum zone which triggered protests, a graffiti war which happened and kind of just ended, etc...

A lot of the subplots are pretty neat ideas but for a 12 episodes anime, all these subplots just feel super crammed and messy. Might be a different story if it is a longer 24 episodes anime. A lot of the plot threads don’t have satisfying closure either.

The takeaway from the anime would be the moral choices such as forgoing privacy for security, freedom at the risk of more danger and poverty vs the rich.	

 All in all, a dead average story which wants to tell a lot of things but not enough time to do so. They really should have gone a more focused path like Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song which will still be super enjoyable even if it is generic.

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.

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.

The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt

Tensai Ouji no Akaji Kokka Saisei Jutsu

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.

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. 

The arts and animations quality is the same as in Part 1 and didn’t improve at all.

Characters have a typical anime art style with sloppy drawing from time to time or from certain camera angles.

Indoor scenes are once again barebone with bare minimum objects to populate the scene. The textures are fine, they get the job done but are not the best-looking thing around. Outdoor scenes barely have any background characters unless it is necessary for the scene such as a refugee camp.

Once again, very dialogue heavy anime thus animation you will see commonly are walking and talking. The only combat scene that the anime has is quite clunky.

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Part 2 characters mostly follow in the same footstep as Part 1. Very likeable characters but has very slow character development. Characters in this anime conform heavily to the story and plot. Souma also has a lot of screen time compared to the other characters in Part 2.

Souma is still the same guy as we know from Part 1 but he has become more competent and getting the hang of ruling a kingdom. By the end of Part 2, he no longer says he is a temporary king and has made up his mind to fully take up the role of a king.

Liscia, Aisha and Juna don’t really change much and are mostly supporting characters this time. They do have cute moments with Souma. Also, a small comedy time with Excel Walter and it was amusing. Apart from that, they are supporting characters all the way.

Roroa got some screen time since she came out of hiding in Part 2. She is an interesting character with her cheerful personality plus she has excellent business knowledge but didn’t actually get a lot of time to shine or even use her business skills decently.

It is the same for Genia, an interesting character with an introvert-ish personality but she can hold a proper conversation too. She is into inventing technology but didn’t get a lot of screen time and we only get to see only a few of her creations.

There are a lot of other characters who we got to see such as Maria and Jeanne but they were mainly used to add more plot to the story such as the flaw in Mankind Declaration Treaty thus not a lot is known about them yet or even their side of the story.

All in all, likeable characters if you like how the characters are like in Part 1. Nothing much has changed in terms of character development. It is even a little bit of a step back when it comes to the development of the supporting characters since Souma takes most of the spotlight this round.

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Part 2

Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki Part 2

The opening and ending songs are decent and I say they sound better than the songs used in Part 1 of the anime.

Background music is pretty much the same or similar as Part 1. Not the memorable type but good enough at propping up the scene they are played on. Sound effects are present for almost all the action and scenes that needed one but there are some missing. E.g in one scene, Souma is in a carriage but there is no sound effect for the carriage wheel or horse’s hoof.

Voice acting is great, no complaints here since Part 1. It is quite well done and brings out the character’s personality. The part where the heated negotiation exchange with Julius even makes the environment feel tense.

If you like How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Part 1, Part 2 won’t disappoint you. Carrying on where thing left off in Part 1, the topic the anime touch in Part 2 are equally fascinating and realistic.

While Part 1 goes through lighter issues such as food production and improving trade all the way up to the civil war. Part 2 has much more politic heavy topics. There are a lot of good topics that Part 2 covers from the uprising, annexing a country, refugee crisis to the medical topic such as pathogens. 

We start out with the negotiation with Amidonia and the Empire to give back Amidonia to the prince and there are a lot of good philosophies that went into the negotiation. The part where the people who have tasted freedom and better life won’t want to go back to being oppressed is also so true. My country (as of this writing) is going through something similar too.

The refugee crisis is also not forgotten. Much like any country that is fighting an ongoing war in real life, there are bonds to be refugee situations. I like that Souma gives a fair choice of integrating into his country or leaving the land since they have been living as refugees for so on.

The world-building in Part 1 is pretty good and already a solid foundation. Part 2 adds to it by introducing a more scientific aspect of magic and material the fantasy world have. I also love the fact that the anime added quotes from real-life historical figures into its context.

I really love the idea of Souma abolishing slavery in his country. Since abolishing straight up will mean an uproar by some people, he turns them into employment centres where they train and find a job for the former slaves. Maybe this is why we say working for a corporate is the modern form of slavery XD. 

Souma also gets all the girls in Part 2 which is not strange for a King to have multiple wives in the medieval era and especially political marriage is a common thing. It is no different here when he marries the girls since it comes with benefits for the kingdoms and his ruling. However, the effect of the benefit from marriage is not as clearly shown in Part 2.

The comedy aspect is on the mild side but the episode where Excel Walter teaches the inexperienced girls the “way” to the man is amusing to watch. Especially the black secret book about Souma. We also get to see the reason why the King quickly relinquished the throne for Souma. Interesting reason but also feel like an afterthought.

Fantasy Bishoujo Juniku Ojisan To doesn’t seem like a high budget show and thus the arts and animations are not outstanding either. It is a bit above average with generic-looking themes overall. However, the arts are consistent throughout without much quality drop and the studio makes the most out of the comedic moment special effects.

Character arts and designs are good but not super detailed. They look nice however and Tachibana shark-like teeth are not the most common sight in anime. I have only mostly seen it done on cool or badass looking characters but it looks nice and suitable for Tachibana character design regardless. 

The background arts are fine. Forest, building, town, etc... look generic. They are not populated with a lot of details and objects either but the art quality is consistent. The outdoor scene that 100% require background character got them but there are scenes where the street is barren too.

Combats aren't long so there is not a lot of animation there. However, the special effect used for comedy scenes is top-notch and amplified comedic moments.

Fantasy Bishoujo Juniku Ojisan To characters are what make this anime real good and funny. Instead of making a character that conforms to the story, it is the character that guided the plot. The result is the characters that are funny but also got some good personalities.

Junguuji is a handsome guy and a close friend of Tachibana. He is good at a lot of stuff from academics to work. He is a total gentleman who has zero interest in girls and distrusts them despite being perfect in a lot of things.

Tachibana is a kind gent who cares about others but is the total opposite of Junguuji when it comes to being competent. He also has trouble getting a girlfriend because all the girls are only into Junguuji when the two are together. He wished he was a beautiful girl that everyone have no choice but to be charmed and got his wish granted when he got teleported to the fantasy world.

Interaction between the duo is comedic and pure chaotic sometimes. The show lives on the interaction between the two and with other characters. Now that Tachibana is a girl, a lot of funny, confused feelings arise making for some more comedic moments. There is even some real emotional drama (as mentioned in the story section) between the duo near the end. 	

Schwartz is a parody of Kirito and all the overpowered Isekai characters combine into one. He even looks like Kirito but acts opposite to Kirito. He is a total clown with Chuunibyou problem but also kind of a coward. The first time he met with Tachibana, he instantly fall in love with her not knowing she is a guy. All the miss understanding of the relationship between Tachibana and Jinguuji from his point of view is also hilarious. 

Even though Schwartz seems like a secondary character, he has some growth compared to the first time we saw him. He was a total incompetent Chuunibyou with an overpowered sword but by the end of the anime, he matured quite a bit.

There are also a lot of other supporting characters in this anime who don’t get a lot of screen time but they pack a punch in the comedic moment.

Life with an Ordinary Guy Who Reincarnated into a Total Fantasy Knockout

Fantasy Bishoujo Juniku Ojisan to

The opening song is a decent J-Pop/Rock music and the ending song have a cutesy J-Pop song which doesn’t sound bad either. Not playlist worthy but they are decent.

The background music is solid, super suitable for the scene but not memorable. The sound effects are solid without anything missing. Detail such as footstep being different from grass to dirt ground, the closing of doors, etc.. are all accounted for. The sound effect for the comedic moments is top-notch at making the scene much more prominent. 

Voice acting is excellent with all the experienced voice actors and actresses on board. They nailed the character's voice perfectly from normal moment, chaotic moment to comedic moment.

Fantasy Bishoujo Juniku Ojisan To is a hidden gem among all the Isekai anime this season and shouldn’t be dismissed just because you think this is yet another generic Isekai anime. Assuming you are okay with the theme of a guy turning into a girl of cause.

The story follows Jinguuji and Tachibana. Two good friends got teleported to a fantasy world while they were drunk. They were also granted their wishes but also got cursed by the Goddess of Love. Jinguuji is still a handsome guy but is now super strong in terms of strength. Tachibana however, got turned into a young girl who is a total cutie but useless in combat. He..err she, does have a passive skill that makes everyone around her extremely attracted or charmed to her. 

The way the world is set up in this show isn’t so different from other Isekai anime, you got a fantasy world of sword and magic, MMORPG like status menu and even a demon lord so what makes this show special? It is the Comedy. Yes, this show is super hilarious and I haven’t laughed my arse out in an Isekai comedy anime since Konosuba. It might not be Konosuba level of storytelling or comedy but still funny in it own right.	

A lot of adventuring the duo does in the show is generic or not anything new but the situation they get into or the situation that happens around them thanks to Tachibana’s charm is totally funny. The anime doesn’t take itself seriously and sometimes feels like a parody show. For E.g. Tachibana charmed the bandit, and it works but it works too well to the point he will quit being a bandit, get married to her and want 8 children. There is a lot more hilarious and chaotic stuff and I don’t want to spoil them.

Jinguuji and Tachibana also have to fight the urge not to fall for each other since Tachibana is now biologically a female and a lot of comedic moments spawn from it. Sometimes they would try to get an edge over each other too. A lot of jokes and comedic moments got thrown in and they hit more than they miss.

Some emotional moments got thrown into the show near the end. Feeling such as jealousy, envy and comparing your worth with a friend is a real feeling that people have felt before. The story manages to make it quite realistic while all the comedic stuff is happening at the same time. I don’t know how the authors did it but it works. 

Jinguuji summoning an apartment door to block the laser attack or a knock off Kirito fighting his life off while Jinguuji and Tachibana try to sort out their feeling are priceless moments that happen in this emotional part.

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.

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. 

The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest

Shikkakumon no Saikyou Kenja

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.	

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. 

The art and animation are either average or above average at best. In terms of the overall art style, theme and colour usage, it does go well with the anime. There is some inconsistency in quality here and there and at times the character art looks sloppy.

The character art and design are the highlights of this anime. The monster waifu looks cute mainly because the big boss of Agasita has her hand in it and she wants everything cute. There are some badass or comedic monsters designs too. However, there are some weird and sloppy character drawings here and there, especially when animated.

The backgrounds are okay. The indoor scene like the labs has a fair amount of details while the outdoor scenes are mostly barren unless the scene requires some background character like an amusement park, we get to see some cardboard stand background characters.	

The effects for the dramatic and comedic moments are nice, they hit quite good and make the scene pop. 

The combat animations are hit or miss but I am glad they don’t try to overuse close up shots and still images. Combats have some actual animations even if they can be a bit rough sometimes. Shout out for trying, unlike some budget Isekai animes.

In terms of character development in Kaijin Kaihatsu-bu no Kuroitsu-san, well there is close to none. This behaviour can be pretty much in line with some of the other comedy anime but it doesn’t mean the characters are bland. The character all pull their weight and contribute something to the plot and comedy of this anime. 

The default characterization is pretty solid and a lot of characters are likeable but they lack a tiny bit of impact and recognizability. There are also a lot of characters, some with better screen time and some with very little screen time.

Some of the characters that stand out for me are Kuroitsu, Wolf Bete, Cannon, Hydra and Megistus.

Kuroitsu is the main character of the show but she is kind of a low key main character who isn’t in your face. She is determined, she takes care of her monster creation and tries her best for Agastia to get that sweet promotion.	

Wolf Bete is a guy stuck in a girl's body thanks to one of the higher meddlings while he was being created. He worked as Kuroitsu’s assistant. He doesn’t like being treated like a girl and it often got turned into a running joke throughout the anime.

Cannon and Hydra are both creations that went hilariously wrong as mentioned in the story section. For a supposed evil monster, both are quite sweet. They work at Agastia’s owned amusement park, dealing with visitors and children alike. They both have a decent amount of screen time too. Hydra's different heads have a mind of their own which make for some comedic arguments and moments.

Megistus, the second in command of Agastia look like an evil guy who might murder you ten time over if you cross him but turn out he is quite a gentleman who takes care of his employee’s well being. He is even chill about extending the deadline of the projects. When the two magical girls infiltrated the interview room, wrecked the room and left, this guy props up the table and chair n continue the interview as if nothing happened. The calm in this guy knows no bounds.

Miss Kuroitsu from the Monster Development Department

Kaijin Kaihatsu-bu no Kuroitsu-san

The opening song despite not being my kind of song was super suitable for the anime theme. There are two ending songs. Aimai Identity by Maybe Me suits the theme of the anime but is not my kind of song but Destiny by Maybe Me sounds nice to me.

As for background music, they aren’t memorable but it does a great job at making the scene impactful. E.g. Evil sounding superhero kind of music for some shady moments and funky music for comedic moments.

A lot of usual places and actions that should have sound effects got one such as picking up the telephone, door, chair, etc...The comedic moment sound effects are pretty decent, it is better than the usual everyday sound effects. 

Voice actings are solid for almost all characters and are suitable for the character's personality. I especially like Megistus's voice, very suitable for the character's looks and personality. The same goes for Cannon, the voice actor somehow manage to make that goofy chicken voice match how it looks.

Pretty sure most or at least some of us grew up with some form of Super Hero, Super Sentai or Tokusatsu shows like Power Ranger or Kamen Rider. Kaijin Kaihatsu-bu no Kuroitsu-san is the anime that asked the question of “how did the evil bad guys in those Tokusatsu shows keep making monsters?” but decided to show it in a comedic and parody manner.

The story most of the time revolves around Kuroitsu who works for an evil organization called Agasita. Her task is to create monsters to defeat the superheroes but the team is struggling to develop a monster capable of defeating a hero name Kenshin Blader.

The anime is first and foremost a comedy show. Between all the cheesy superhero or evil monster speech lines are the parody of modern-day corporate bureaucracy but with the context of making monsters. The anime show off the problems of modern-day corporate but in a light-hearted and funny way. E.g. Budget cuts, compromise to meet the death line, getting agreement from other departments and not to mention executives trying to give their two cents and changing the monster design.

Due to corporate bureaucracy, a lot of monsters Agasita produced are defective in one way or another in a hilarious way. The first monster, Wolf Bete was supposed to be a boy but a higher-up came in and change the body into a girl but the poor guy is stuck with the mindset of a boy. 

The other example is a badass looking bird monster with two cannons that was cut down into a chubby rounded yellow chicken with a gun due to a lot of departments mingling into its development. There is also a hydra monster girl who initially only has three heads and is without venom due to budget constraints. Needless to say, she got defeated by Kenshin Blader real fast.

Those kinds of funny monsters outcomes plus all the comedic corporate bureaucracy always get me to be amused or just straight up laugh. It also keeps me looking forward to their next creation. What is more amusing is that Agasita for an evil organization or corporate is more decent than some of the companies we have worked for. The organization abide by the law, the employees are well taken care of and they get a regular annual break too.

The anime also shows the superhero side of things such as Kenshin Blader, a part-time hero who is also working part-time at a shop to make ends meet. I guess the economy gets him real hard. Meanwhile, a magical girl pair who worked full time as heroes have sponsors, anime and different kinds of merchandise about them.

The series has a lot of references to Tokusatsu or local heroes in Japan but you don’t need to know any of them to enjoy the anime. The anime is done in an episodic manner. It doesn’t have a deep plot but the comedy and parody aspects are amusing and entertaining to watch. 

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.

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.

Police in a Pod

Hakozume- Kouban Joshi no Gyakushuu

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.

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...

Watching My Dress-Up Darling is like someone lovingly giving me a hug, the art is really warm and charming. The colours have an overall vibrant and warmer tone, the characters are charming and the animation is silky smooth.

The character art is what caught my eyes in the manga and the anime follow the same art style for its characters. I find the characters really attractive especially the way the eyes are drawn is different from other art styles. 

Character's clothing has a good amount of detail on them, especially the cosplay outfits which are super detailed to the point you can make out the patterns on them. Should be a given since the anime is about cosplaying. The character animation is also silky smooth and might even have more frames than some action animes.

The backgrounds are also well detailed and populated with objects to make it feel real. There isn’t a scene where I thought something is amiss even though they are not insanely detailed. The only thing I feel that is skimmed in detail is what food sometimes looks like, especially what Marin’s omurice looks like in some scenes.

I notice that the anime also use photographs for some of its backgrounds but is altered in a way to fit into the 2D anime. The result is an overpowering amount of details and it looks fantastic. The city and outdoor area are also well detailed with background character doing their own stuff. 

I don’t usually comment on opening and ending visuals since they don’t add much to the actual content but I just want to say, the ending visual is really cute.

The character development is not actually on an insane masterfully done level but the characters are very likeable and I can relate to someone like Gojo as a fellow introvert. The character dynamic and chemistry between Gojo and Marin are awesome. Even though they are like oil and water, yin and yang, they unexpectedly work out well. I guess sometimes opposites do attract. 

Gojo is orphaned as a child and grew up with his grandfather who love to work on Hina Doll. He took up the same hobby as his grandfather but was frowned upon for his hobby just because it was a guy working on Dolls. 

Gojo's past also makes him get social anxiety, making him into a loner and someone who keeps his hobby secret. Much like how I used to hide the fact that I like anime back in high school just because it is not the norm. Now I wear the weeb badge proud. Gojo's meeting with Marin is a blessing for him, she accepted him for who he is and he gets to experience a lot of different things. 

Marin slowly pulls Gojo out of his shell and in a sense influences him too. Helping Marin with cosplay also indirectly improve Gojo's Hina Doll making skills too since doing make up and making outfit share the same fundamental. Now he has some character development, one great friend and a waifu. Let's be real, most of us otaku wishes we have a girlfriend who cosplays too.

I am not really a fan of Gyaru but Marin turned that upside down and give it a good shake. Marin is the very example of not judging a person base on first impression because she is kind, confident, caring and also clumsy. She is mature but is a huge otaku. 

Marin gives out an impression that she has no issue at all in life but the truth is, she doesn’t have a mom and her dad is never home. In a sense, somewhat similar to Gojo despite a cheerful front. But she never really dwell on the negative of her life and live life to the fullest and I could learn a thing or two from her.

Plus Marin is very cute and wholesome and the way she says love (wuv) in a slightly playful and cute way pulls several of my heartstrings. Top 10 Waifu materials right there.

The other two major characters are Juju and Sajuna. Even though they don’t have huge character development, they play a major role in the plot by introducing things such as cosplay studios renting to do the photoshoot. Juju also introduces the more serious side of cosplaying while Sajuna introduces the opposite side of cosplaying that it can be done on budget and still have as much fun.

My Dress-Up Darling

Koi no Yukue (恋ノ行方) by Akari Akase

Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru

The opening song isn’t really a hit with me, it sounds generic but the ending song is really adorable. To make it much better, the artist in their official MV did a beyond perfection cosplay of Marin.

The background music is not memorable but they do sound different from other generic slices of life background music. The background music is also super calming and relaxing, perfect for an anime like My Dress-Up Darling. 

Sound effects got a good amount of attention to detail. Thing such as the noise of paper when Gojo show the sketch to Marin, the rustling of the clothes when Marin changes to her cosplay outfit or the footstep sounding different depending on if the floor is wood or concrete and much more are all accounted for.

The voice actors/actresses doing god's work for this anime. The voices are fantastic at bringing out the character's personality to life. Gojo may be meek and awkward sometime but the voice where he goes “say what now?” is perfecto. Let's not forget Marin's bright personality and the way she playfully says love (wuv), which is godlike.

I am a fan of the My Dress-Up Darling manga and when I heard that it is getting an anime adaptation, boy I am taking that front seat and It doesn’t disappoint. A lot of the plot and story stays very close to the manga too.

My Dress-Up Darling along with Komi-san and Tagaki-san to name a few are the living proof that you don’t need a super complex story or 300 IQ plot to make an anime entertaining. The anime has a very simple premise, romance, cosplay and Hina doll making.

Gojo who is an introvert and a loner met with Marin on one fated day. Gojo found out Marin love cosplaying and is trying to make her own cosplay outfit but isn’t going well. Marin found out that Gojo have knowledge of how to make outfits and asked his help to make her cosplay outfit. And a beautiful journey begins from there.

It is quite interesting that the author brings the topic of Hina Doll into the anime which is a lesser-used culture in entertainment media. It is an interesting peek into Hina Doll making and how much handiwork goes into it.

The romance is intertwined into the plot and it is an organic progression. Gojo and Marin spend a lot of time together such as shopping for material to make the outfits, discussing about cosplay, discussing about anime and going to cosplay events. It is only natural that Marin slowly falls for Gojo. She didn’t even realize her feeling for Gojo until one day.

The insight into cosplay culture is interesting too. I always admire people who have perfect cosplay. The anime gives a lot of useful info about cosplaying for an otaku who doesn’t cosplay and it is done in a very entertaining way. I learn about using masking tape to change the eye shape, I learn about how to get the shape of a male body when a girl is cosplaying a male character by using a breast hugger bra, I also learn a bit about outfit-making and much much more.

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