Art & Animation overall are crisp and clean. Not super detailed like anime movie quality shows but still pretty good.

Character art for the main characters is quite simple or less exaggerated since they wear normal clothing but I like that there are some style and dressing differences between Konoha and the way characters dress in the 90s.

Character animations are quite smooth and the show is more talking than action too so it does quite well. Things such as drawing on a graphic pen, the coloring of drawn characters on the computer are animated quite well. The effects are also solid such as the old retro effects.

The background is also fairly well detailed such as Konoha’s room is full of otaku stuff. The Alcohol Soft studio is also filled up with computers, papers, kitchen equipment and so on. The crowd is also not forgotten when out and about in places like Akihabara with all the anime posters all over the place.

The characters are quite likable and even though not a lot of character development went in, the characters by themselves are pretty solid with most of the screen time going to the two main characters Konoha and Mamoru.

Konoha is the female protagonist of the show with three total brain cells, which are love for Bishoujo games, Bishoujo art and wanting to make her own Bishoujo game. Her passion for Bishoujo games runs deep and even though she may seem like an airhead who doesn’t have the thinking capacity of Mamoru, where she shines is at making really good Bishoujo games.

Mamoru at first impression seems like a stubborn arrogant prick who has an unhealthy obsession with PC98 and its world domination. This guy initially only has PC98 in his brain but also a talented programmer. However, after meeting Konoha, he manages to compromise his love for PC98 and becomes a much more cool and calm guy… Just with a whole army of PC98 in his warehouse. At least it comes in handy and makes for a cool scene.

The chemistry between Konoha and Mamoru can be comedic but also wholesome. Two otakus, one a Bishoujo VN otaku, another a PC98 otaku coming together to make games. There are funny arguments, fights between the two but also meaningful and emotional conversations between the two. The two complement each other and work as a good team, Mamoru the brain and Konoha the creative and passion.

Sadly, not much I can talk about the supporting characters like Kaori or Meiko due to them being quite normal with limited screen time. A lot of other characters are also mostly plot devices or comic relief. At least Touya is an interesting character who changes from someone who looks like a bookworm to a cosplayer with fans drooling for her to the CEO of a game company.

Overall, the character focus is mainly on the two main ones where their passion shines so bright I wish I had taken the game development pathway. The amount of passion the two have is admirable and even though character development is not huge, small noticeable changes do exist.

16bit Sensation Another Layer

The opening song with a retro starting tone sounds catchy but the bulk of the music isn’t so unique. The ending song gives a very relaxing but also nostalgic vibe like a game or anime from the 90s or early 2000s. This is further enhanced by the ending animation using pixelated old anime art.

The background music isn’t memorable or playlist-worthy but it does serve the scene well. The background music also gives out the old JRPG, Visual novel vibe which is very fitting for the anime.

The sound effects are pretty solid and I especially like the PC98 boot-up noise. Not only does it sound accurate and retro but also nostalgic. There are even details like old computer systems running noise in the background.

The voice acting is pretty solid but Konoha’s voice does take a bit of getting used to. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad or anything and the VA has a lot of talent to voice Kaguya’s full range of mental stages in Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai. Just that her squeaky voice needs a bit for my ears to get used to but I have grown on it.

16bit Sensation Another Layer is an otaku genre anime with a theme surrounding Bishoujo visual novel games and their development, time travel and a bit of taking potshots at the western game industry. This anime has a simple plot but is full of life lessons that a game developer and creator can learn from.

The protagonist is Konoha, who is working at a modern day visual novel company that runs like a sweatshop without a drop of passion or creativity. All her game ideas and pitches were thrown out the window by the boss of the company.

Konoha one day runs into a traditional style game shop that is being tended by a granny. The shop is chock full of classic Bishoujo VNs such as Kanon and Rance. After having a passionate chat with the granny at the shop, Konoha leaves the shop only to return again later to find the shop empty. Inside the shop is a bag with Konoha’s name on it and with a few classic Bishoujo games in it. She decides to open the game cover and suddenly gets teleported back to 1992 Tokyo, Japan.

While in 1992 Japan, Konoha runs into Alcohol Soft, which you visual novel fans will know that it is based on real life developer Cocktail Soft. There Konoha decides to help make games for the studio and in turn breaks some time travel laws and changes the future.

For the otakus who are into Bishoujo visual novels, there are a lot to like about this anime from references to legendary VNs such as Kanon, Khizuku, Fates and much more. There are even references to other animes such as Lycoris Recoil. The anime goes a bit into illustration and game creation such as coloring techniques on limited 16-bit colors too.

There are also a lot of lines that our current game industry can learn from, especially the western game developers, which is the importance of passion over making copy paste games just for money. The passion and creativity to make the game you want and to dare to dream about the game you want to make.

There are also shots fired at the western game industry, especially now in 2023, which the western developers are totally in love with making woke ugly female characters. When Konoha changes the future a lot, Fate becomes an American IP and at the same time Saber becomes an ugly character.

The same can be said for other Japanese games that got uglified, which is a form of warning to Japanese developers not to follow the western game industry path or risk destroying what the real fans love. Akihabara also becomes a cold place with no otaku things in sight. Seeing Akihabara become a barren place void of all otaku culture really hit me hard.

The anime also briefly features the mindless mergers and acquisitions happening in the western game industry too by showing Japanese companies that moved to America taking part in it just to become big. There is also a brief topic on AI-generated games being soulless without human assistance.

The comedy is also not bad, some manage to make me smile while some make me laugh out loud. I also love all the otaku easter eggs. The plot seems to be getting off the rail near the end with me fearing that the anime might not stick the landing but surprisingly it sticks the landing fairly nicely.

Studio Bug Film, being a fairly new studio, knocked this one out of the park. I can tell just by looking at the art and animation that the studio put a lot of work and sweat into it. Of course, the employees are not new by any means and worked on other series like Komi-san and Summertime Rendering, but man, the art and animation are really good.

Vivid colours in a zombie outbreak with blood being multiple bright colours is a genius idea that looks excellent. The creative use of a colourless world for Akira while working like a corporate slave and a colourful world after he gains his freedom is also a nice touch.

The animation is very dynamic with fantastic multiple camera perspectives and camera work too. The action is fluid, especially for how much action and frantic movement this show has. The special effects are also fantastic but not overdone.

The only downside would be the multiple delays, I guess, which I am forgiving of since the studio is new and might not have the best time management system yet. The studio also makes fun of overtime work at their previous studio, so I don’t mind them taking their time to get things done if it means not overworking.

I find all the main characters quite endearing in this anime and their backstories are shown quite well and make the viewer understand why the characters are like what they are now and in equal screen time too.

Akira, our protagonist of the show, is of course a cheerful, optimistic, and caring guy and watching him makes me feel happy and optimistic too. Yes, his personality is not only infectious to the characters in the show but also to me, the viewer.

Kenichirou is also another bright and optimistic bugger whose first impression seems like a guy who doesn’t give a damn about what is going on around him but actually a decent and caring person who knows how to treat people right. It really shows in the last episode where Kenichirou understands the other villain’s wife more than the villain himself. Shout out to Kenichirou’s stripping tendency and his comedic moments too.

Shizuka’s first impression is that she is too calculating and strict while not knowing how to have fun. This makes her see Akira as a fool who is going to die in the zombie outbreak soon. She does change slowly over time as she travels with Akira’s infectious optimism and becomes a more lovable character.

Beatrix at first seems like a trope foreigner character who speaks Japanese in a foreign accent and is a samurai otaku. However, I find her lovely in the way she immerses and respects Japanese culture and despite not having a lot of development throughout the show, she gets her time to shine in the last episode and shine she does.

The antagonists in the ending episodes also get good backstories to help the viewer understand where they are coming from but feel a little bit rushed which makes it hard for me to sympathize with them. Not to mention, some of the outcomes are all due to their own actions. Even though I hope the protagonist’s team beats their ass to no tomorrow, I think how the antagonists meet their end is satisfying enough for me.

Zom 100 - Bucket List of the Dead

Zom 100 - Zombie ni Naru made ni Shitai 100 no Koto

The opening song, “Song of the Dead” by KANA-BOON, is a total head-banger. Not only does it fit the theme, but it is also really upbeat, fun, and playlist-worthy. I love the part in the opening song where zombies are tapping on smartphones on the train, which perfectly embodies our current society. The ending song isn’t so bad, but less catchy and a bit more generic compared to the opening song.

The background music is also unique and doesn’t sound like it was taken from some stock sound website, but I won’t say it is memorable. The background music in this anime is the kind that is used to support the scene to make it feel more epic, comedic, or sombre, and it does its job nicely.

The voice acting is excellent; I like all the cast voices. Akira’s voice actor, Umeda Shuuichirou, despite mostly working in supporting character roles, nailed Akira’s optimistic personality and also did a great job during Akira’s depressed moments. I also really like Beatrix’s voice actor’s impression of a foreigner’s Japanese pronunciation, which I find quite cute.

Zom 100 is a zombie dystopian anime series, but it is different from others as it paints things in a more bright and positive light. Not to mention, under the layer of a simple plot is the theme of freedom and more importantly, disciplined freedom which doesn’t get in the way of others.

Akira, the protagonist of the anime, starts out working in a toxic company where his soul is shackled by long work hours and a hellish work environment. Everything is dark and gray, until the zombie pandemic breaks out and Akira gets his freedom. Colours return to his life and he is free to do whatever he wants.

Akira decides to write a bucket list which will be made up of 100 items before he turns into a zombie and explores the city where he meets other people and future companions: Kenichirou, Shizuka, and Beatrix. Companions who will share his bucket list and go on an adventure together with him.

The comedy is really good due to the story taking an optimistic and non-serious approach for a zombie outbreak, which usually is a dark time. This leads to a lot of hilarious and optimistic plots, such as Akira fighting zombies in a shark suit with full helmet protection or his friend Kenichirou shaking his bare butt to the zombies.

Of course, it is not all sunshine and bright. People do die since this is a zombie outbreak after all, but the story pays enough respect to them and moves on with life, or should I say plot, in an optimistic manner.

Antagonists do exist, but not in the form of physical threats, but more in the form of mindsets, such as Akira finding his old boss and getting haunted by the past, almost turning back into a corporate slave. The final few episodes also embody the difference between disciplined freedom and selfish freedom, where the antagonists are the opposite of the protagonist’s team, with very selfish and destructive bucket lists.

There are also other moral lessons to learn, such as working with others and the community to achieve things, unlike one of the antagonists. Respecting other cultures and integrating in them, instead of seeking to colonize and control them like the modern-day woke people and anime tourists do.

Probably the most hard-hitting part is Akira realizing he hasn’t done anything for his parents. I am at that age where I am trying to give back what I can for my parents, so I fully sympathize with him. The last few episodes are probably the most serious moments of the series too.

Overall, a bright and comedic anime full of life lessons to emulate from, even in the darkest times and when you are down in the dump. I just hope it gets more seasons.

The art and animation are pretty, with bright colours, a solid amount of detail, and good particle and light effects. Some of the nice animation effects are achieved in this anime due to its usage of CG, which blends well with the scenes. The fishbowl-like disorienting camera needs a bit of getting used to, but after a while, I don’t even notice it anymore.

The character designs look good, even though they are not outlandish in design due to the school non-fantasy theme. The colours are bright and lively. The amount of hair strands and the flowy animation of the hair are Chef Kiss masterfully beautiful.

The backgrounds are lively and pretty to look at too, and lean more on a realistic side, but not like real real. It still has an anime art style. It may not be super populated with objects, but whatever is in the scene has a lot of detail, from its texture, shadow, to lighting. E.g., The road has patches that are repaired and uneven.

Suki na Ko ga Megane wo Wasureta is one of those anime which solely focuses on the two main protagonists’ relationship and development. Side characters are thrown in here and there, but don’t really have anything deep going on with them. However, all the characters in this anime are super likeable and even the side characters with zero development remind me of my middle school and high school time.

Mei is the main girl for this anime and is the embodiment of clumsiness. She often forgets her glasses to class, sometimes even wearing fashion glasses instead of prescription glasses. She has no issue getting to school without glasses due to her living near the school and probably muscle memory.

Luckily for Mei, Komura is there to help her every time she forgets her glasses. Even though she may not outright realize her own feelings… yet, she gradually warms up to Komura. A lot of things she does are also cute, such as looking at Komura’s face close up even with glasses to get her fill of Komura’s face, or checking if she is wearing shorts or panties before doing a loop on the gymnastic bar.

Komura, the main gentleman of this anime, who reminds me of myself when I was in middle school, but the difference would be, Komura probably will end up with Mei. Komura may not be popular in class or super good looking, but he has a kind heart. He would help Mei every time she forgets her glasses, such as sharing textbooks, lying to the teacher, lying to Mei’s mum so that Mei won’t get scolded and much more.

The childlike naivety that Komura shows is fun to watch and such nostalgia. Things like blushing when Mei gets close to his face or not being able to sleep from excitement because of Mei’s glasses in his room. Komura’s jealousy and loss of self-confidence also feel realistic on how I have felt when I was his age.

Azuma is the popular guy in class and someone who observes that Komura has feelings for Mei. Azuma often ends up making Komura jealous due to some minor mistakes by glassless Mei. Despite this, Azuma is cheering for Komura.

The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses

Suki na Ko ga Megane wo Wasureta

The opening song is really upbeat and lovely, but it is not really playlist-worthy for me (I am very picky about what goes into my playlist). It fits the anime really well and the opening animation is gorgeous. I like the beginning of the ending song, but the rest of the song sounds a tad bit generic for me.

The background music is beautiful, especially the piano music that plays on romantic or wholesome scenes. The rest of the music and sound effects sound good too, from comedic to despair scenes, but are not really memorable. At least they don’t sound like some stock sounds.

The voice acting is outstanding. Mie’s airhead and calm personality is captured perfectly by her voice actress. Komura’s kind, low-confident and overthinking personality is also done perfectly, even though the voice actor is not really super experienced.

If you like slice of life, romance, comedy anime with a boy-meets-girl theme and nothing but wholesome and very little drama, like Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san or Kubo-san wa Mob wo Yurusanai, you will feel right at home here.

The story for Suki na Ko ga Megane wo Wasureta, aka The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses, is simple and it follows the synopsis of the anime.

It is about Komura, who is totally in love with his seat neighbour Mie, a girl in his middle school class. One day, Mie shows up to class without her glasses and has trouble seeing things, especially the textbook. This gives Komura the perfect chance to strike up a conversation with her by mustering all his confidence.

From then on, Mie often forgets her glasses, leading to all kinds of scenarios and events with Komura, who tries to help her while Mie is oblivious of his feelings or her own feelings. Much like other anime in this genre, the confession and getting together will be delayed as much as possible while the author feeds you with a full course meal of wholesomeness and cuteness.

In terms of wholesomeness and cuteness, this anime takes the cake. I like it even better than Tonikaku Kawaii, which I used to consider the top of the line wholesome. Moments like when Mie gets close to Komura’s face to see him and Komura blushes, or Komura skipping a day of arcade with his friends just to help Mie out.

A couple of side characters are thrown into the story to spice things up a tiny bit, but not to the point that it becomes a full-blown drama of course. More on this in the character section.

The main difference between Suki na Ko ga Megane wo Wasureta and most of the anime of this kind would be that the main girl isn’t really in love with the main guy yet and the guy has to work for it. If you enjoy this wholesome anime and are okay with a non-complex story and relaxing anime, you will feel at home with Suki na Ko ga Megane wo Wasureta.

The art and animation aspect of AI no Idenshi is not really impressive and quite barebones. Giving it a 6/10 for this category is stretching it and I am mainly giving it a 6 because the story is quite nice and the art and animation at least got the job done.

The character designs are grounded in reality, so no colourful outlandish outfits or hair here. Just normal human and robot designs. I would say some of the effects, such as floating augmented reality screens, look decent and the details on the machines and robot brains are not so bad. There are also subtle differences between humans and humanoids, such as how the eyes look like.

The backgrounds are also quite barebones but got the job done. At least a room has enough objects to make sure things don’t look too unnaturally empty. A lot of background objects, such as cars, houses, and furniture, are not really drawn in detail either.

Due to the way AI no Idenshi is structured, character development isn’t really its strong point, which is okay since every episode introduces new and interesting characters that are tied to its story. Dr Sudou and Risa are the main recurring characters that get some development, along with an AI that Dr Sudou uses called Jay.

Dr Sudou is a skilled doctor who treats humanoids and robots and also performs implants on human brains. Dr Sudou has an air of mystery around him. He is not very talkative and is a cool and intelligent character, a Kuudere if you will.

Even though Dr Sudou may be intelligent, he often also questions which is the right thing to do, especially when it comes to his own situation. The whole episodic story could be seen as Dr Sudou learning and on the last episode, he gets a definite answer that he plans to follow through.

Risa is Dr Sudou’s assistant who has a crush on Dr Sudou. She has a bubbly, cheerful and energetic personality. I am glad she got an episode dedicated to her where we got to learn more of her backstory and how much she has changed or grown.

Jay is an AI assistant for Dr Sudou. Even though he doesn’t have a physical body, Jay gives some solid advice from time to time to Dr Sudou. I cackled when he warned Dr Sudou about voiding the car warranty when he plans to drive it manually (reminds me of Apple's restriction on phones and computers). I also really like the advice Jay gives to Dr Sudou near the end of the season to redirect his concern to Risa. For an AI, he does have some personality.

The rest of the characters are episodic characters with some of them coming back for a few scenes here and there but nothing concrete. They are mainly story tools and depending on the story have okay to good characterization.

The Gene of AI

AI no Idenshi

I really dig the opening song. Not only is it quite upbeat and sounds really nice to listen to, but it also fits the futuristic theme of the anime with a hint of mystery. It also matches the opening animation quite nicely. The ending song, though, is nothing special. It is just a chill generic-sounding song.

The background music doesn’t really sound memorable. It does its job of supporting the scene but is not really outstanding and sometimes feels quite generic. The same can be said of the sound effects.

The anime does have solid voice acting for most of the characters. Dr Sudou is voiced by Ootsuka Takeo, the same voice actor for Aqua in Oshi no Ko, and he made a solid impression of Dr Sudou’s cool personality. Risa’s voice also suits her personality and the voice actress Miyamoto Yume also voices another robot teddy character in the anime quite nicely.

As a software engineer, AI no Idenshi raises a lot of intriguing questions that me and my friend often discuss. Not to mention, the anime came at the perfect time, at the height of the current AI boom.

AI no Idenshi’s protagonist is Dr Sudou, a skilled doctor who is really good at treating robots and humanoids, which are AI that look just like humans. However, the story is not much about him, at least in season 1, but more about asking the hard-to-answer questions.

We all have some form of AI with us, such as camera AI, chat AI, etc. Current AI tech is in its baby stage, but it does feel inevitable that we are heading toward a more advanced AI future. Can you imagine human-like androids walking among us? Do we treat them as humans or objects?

AI no Idenshi’s topic is rooted in “What does it mean to be human”. The anime shows a lot of different scenarios in an episodic manner, following different individuals, humanoids and robots and their ordeals, all while asking the hard-to-answer and morally ambiguous questions.

For example, while a child considers his robot teddy bear with an advanced AI as a friend, his parents consider it as an object. Who do you think is correct? When you backup your humanoid’s memories and consciousness and restore from the backup due to a virus infection, is that person the same person because her behaviour changed a bit? Is it even morally correct to do so if the previous consciousness got overwritten or deleted?

The anime tackles even some scenarios I haven’t thought of before and they are all different in situation. All the questions asked in the anime are valid questions that we all should be asking ourselves when AI gets super advanced and one thing is for sure, it is not something we can tackle alone and has to be done from top to bottom. The anime also presents that by not fully answering any of the questions it comes up with and purposely leaving things neutral without forcing an answer.

I also really enjoy that one episode where some morally high-ground people try to ban an anime just because they don't like it. Remind me of the woke crowd and anime/manga tourists.

The biggest flaw of the anime would be that the main story revolving around Dr Sudou in episode 1 is totally forgotten until the last episode. It was barely even talked about throughout the anime which in my opinion the author should have turned this into an episodic anime without an overarching story since the episodic stories shine.

Reborn as a Vending Machine has a clean and straightforward art style but I wouldn’t say it is the best I have seen in anime. It is decent and gets the job done. Probably the only thing I can say about it.

Boxxo has the best character detail which makes sense since he is a vending machine and the different vending machines he transforms into have a good amount of detail drawn for them. Other characters’ designs are pretty standard and I wouldn’t say they are anything special or stand out in any way but I do like the clean art style.

Background art most of the time looks good but there are blurry ones from time to time. The town has background characters even though they are not really animated. The town after battle has damage that looks nice and fits into the setting too. Indoor scenes are fairly detailed and populated but it is also sometimes hard to tell since the anime likes to show things close up.

There is barely any choreography or animation in fight scenes. Mostly close-up shots but it is still okay since the story focuses more on how Boxxo comes up with new ideas and tactics to defeat the enemies than on how flashy the fight is.

As for the characters, Boxxo and Lammis are the stars of the show. Hulemy has some presence but the rest of the characters I would say might as well be background characters because apart from being there in fights or in parties, they are not really focused on.

Lammis is a female hunter blessed by the blessing of might, which makes her incredibly strong to the point that she can carry a thousand-pound vending machine on her back. Because she lost both her parents due to being killed by monsters and being an orphan, she doesn’t really seem to have anyone she calls close. Despite having a lot of strength, she also seems to miss every attack she throws consistently.

Boxxo, despite being an inanimate vending machine, has quite a nice range of personality from being business-minded, and kind to even mischievous which he sometimes plays pranks on the bad guys. The best part is Boxxo’s commentary on his plans or thoughts which can be amusing such as him trying to justify purchases he made when he was human or thinking how to explain how to use certain items to the people around him.

The relationship between Boxxo and Lammis is also quite wholesome. Remember when I said Lammis misses all her attacks? That is solved when she carries Boxxo on her back, giving her the control and balance she needs to accurately land her attacks.

Not to mention Lammis genuinely cares about Boxxo so much so that she will track him down to dangerous dungeons. Boxxo also has a crush on Lammis and the thought of Boxxo turning back into a human is thrown around in the story too but let’s be real, that will only happen near the end since if he turns back into a human, the novelty of vending machine is gone.

Another interesting character would be Hulemy who is Lammi’s childhood friend and someone who acts like her older sister. She is a talented magical item engineer and someone who is fascinated with Boxxo. She is also often the person who figures out what Boxxo might be trying to say with new items or vending machines he introduces.

There are other characters in the show like the party members of Menagerie of Fools such as Captain Kerioyl and various other fighters and mages but they don’t really get much character development and are more like plot devices and supporting characters.

Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon

Jidou Hanbaiki ni Umarekawatta Ore wa Meikyuu wo Samayou

The opening music, even though it fits with the theme of the anime, doesn’t really feel that nice to listen to. I like the ending chill and slow song more. It gives a childlike laid-back vibe.

The background music and OST are quite okay. They give the anime the atmosphere it needs but I wouldn’t say they are memorable. I wouldn’t say they are generic either and the composer did put effort into the background music.

Sound effects-wise, it was pretty decent too and I don’t feel like anything is missing. From the metallic sound of Boxxo when an item drops, the transport cart to battle spells, the SFX is solid. If I have to point out a weakness, I would say the battle SFX sounds a bit generic.

The voice acting for both main characters is really good. Boxxo has a metallic-sounding voice when speaking out of the machine and also his internal monologue, even though we can’t really see his face, he gets his emotion and personality across.

There is a reason why I still give Isekai anime a fair shot every season. Despite the age-old joke of Isekai multiplying like hamsters, I still get some form of entertainment out of them. Some of them bring one or two novelties into the story or setting too.

Reborn as a Vending Machine is one such anime. Truck-kun? Traffic accident? Death by murder? Forget about those. How about death by a vending machine? Yes, the protagonist, while on his bike, plants his face into a vending machine that falls off a truck.

When he wakes up in the fantasy world, our protagonist is already reborn as a vending machine in the middle of nowhere. Being a vending machine, of course, he cannot move and that is when Lammis comes in.

Lammis finds our protagonist while absolutely famished. After eating the food from the vending machine (the protagonist), she tries to communicate with him, but he has limited speech such as “Please Insert Coin”, “Too Bad” and “Thank you very much!” due to him being a vending machine. Lammis also gives the name Boxxo to our protagonist, the vending machine.

I enjoy those Isekai anime with an informative element attached to them, be it doctor and medical topics, civil servant managing a kingdom, cooking, etc… Reborn as a Vending Machine perfectly fits into that category because it gives so much insight about vending machines.

Japan has a lot of vending machines for every kind of different usage. You can even find vending machines in the middle of nowhere where you might not find a single human being around. Not to mention some of their vending machines are quite advanced and the anime did a solid job to showcase this with Boxxo’s ability to change into different kinds of vending machines.

It is always interesting to see what kind of vending machine Boxxo is going to transform into next. What is even more interesting, he explains the background of the vending machine too. I also look forward to seeing how he creatively uses his vending machine functions in combat and dungeons along with his companions. E.g. Transforming into a cardboard vending machine and using balloons to temporarily fly.

The reactions other people in the fantasy world give after tasting the food from the vending machine are also priceless. I can imagine people from the medieval era liking the food from the vending machine even though we in the modern era might find it not that tasty. Boxxo even solves the birth rate issue of the town by introducing condom vending machines.

Of course, no Isekai is complete without a JRPG system. For Boxxo he converts coins into points which he can then use to unlock more skills, and new vending machines and allocate status points. Apart from that, the story is laid back and simple but well-paced. World building is from Boxxo’s perspective so, whatever Boxxo finds out, we the viewers will know about it too.

The art and animation of Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers are solid but not mind-blowingly good either. There are plenty of shots where the visuals are above average, but for normal scenes, they are pretty standard. For example, the magical girl transformations are not only high-quality in animation but also very creative and unorthodox. The opening song visuals are also excellent.

The overall art style is also unique compared to the standard anime art style, with bright contrasting colors and distinctive drawing style. The closest thing I can compare it to is FLCL.

The characters look solid, especially the three magical girls when transformed. The main character, Otaku Hero, looks a bit more normal since he has no special power, but I love what he did to his helmet, like soldiers in World War II.

The background looks solid most of the time, but a lot of things take place in the ruins of Akihabara. There are scenes where I think it feels too empty or sloppy.

The animation is also nicely done for the most part, especially for the parts that matter, such as magical girl transformations and high-adrenaline fighting scenes. The combat animation area is well-balanced between combat choreography and close-up shots, which makes it just right and doesn’t feel awkward like a low-budget anime. Outside of combat, the animation in everyday life and movement are pretty normal.

There is not a lot of character development going on here, but the main characters are not only likeable but also quite relatable.

Anarchy is one of the magical girls with red hair. She is deep down a caring girl who will protect the otakus, but at the same time, when it comes to combat, she is crazy and dangerous. She is an easy-to-understand, straightforward character and a supportive pillar for the Otaku Hero. Also, I think she has the best magical girl transformation moment.

Blue is a masochist girl with blue hair who loves to joke around. She is the main source of masochist comedy and will make all kinds of lewd faces when in masochist moments with all the kinky stuff. She also happens to be the mouthpiece for Pink because Pink doesn’t really talk and she is the only one who can translate for her.

Pink is a small girl with pink hair and while she may seem cute and only make “Gobo Gobo” noises instead of talking, she is one crazy bitch. Her weapons are syringes and she is into drugs, yes, the hard stuff. I really enjoyed the episode where the Otaku Hero went to get her back into the team with all her followers drugged up and all kinds of crazy things happening.

The Otaku Hero, the hero all the otakus need, the brain and leader of the revolution, is a guy who we otakus can relate to since he is just an ordinary human without any special power. Because the Otaku Hero is an average guy who the other otakus can relate to, they follow him as a leader and fight together with him to achieve a common goal.

The Otaku Hero uses tactics to win fights, but he is not like a master tactician protagonist like Lelouch from Code Geass or Shiroe from Log Horizon or Sora & Shiro from No Game No Life. He is a normal guy doing his best to come up with tactics that will win the fight and gain respect from others who follow him. The Otaku Hero is also very human in that he has moments when he is low on morale, depressed or sad, but he also has moments when he will chill and enjoy the achievements that he has made.

Magical Destroyers

Gospelion in a classic love by The 13th tailor

Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers

Both the opening and ending songs are bangers that fully represent the theme of Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers. The opening rock song is a total headbanger that will stimulate all your senses and make you hyped up for the anime, and the ending song is full of emotion and, with the visuals that accompany it, it’s a hard-hitting song.

The composer of the background music and OSTs also did a heck of a good job for this anime. It delivers hard, especially those background music pieces that play during the magical girl transformations, where the three have different styles of music. The tense scenes feel more tense, and emotional scenes hit harder than they should, all thanks to the OSTs.

The voice acting also delivers with experienced voice actors and actresses that have starred as main characters in high-profile to mildly successful animes. The voices suit their characters’ designs, personalities and sound real. For example, Anarchy’s voice gives a vibe of more rebelliousness and Blue’s masochist moments are done really well. 

Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers is not your typical anime about magical girls. It has a unique premise that come at a right time exploring the oppression and resistance of otaku and weebs by an organization that claims to protect them while taking away their hobbies and interests. Your waifu figures and dakimakura? Confiscated. Your fellow ecchi anime lover? Jailed. The surviving crew of otaku and weebs revolt against the organization and its leader, Shobon (which means dejected in Japanese), from the ruins of Akihabara with the help of three magical girls and the protagonist Otaku Hero.

Why do I say it come at the right time? It’s because the anime reminds me of the modern-day woke, tourist and cancel culture that tries to judge and change anime based on their own tastes and colonialist views on long-standing anime culture, such as loli or incest, while having very little knowledge of this medium and what makes it unique. I can’t help but see Shobon and his organization as those kinds of people, but apart from the eerie similarity, how is the story?

The story doesn’t really take itself seriously and it is one of those stories where you should turn off your logical circuit while watching. Why are there real magical girls in the anime? Don’t ask, but they are there to kick Shobon’s ass and give you a good time. It’s a story that goes from 0 to 9000 in a few seconds with crazy ideas thrown into the pot, and if you try to analyze it logically, it’s a leaky pot.

If you have been part of the otaku culture for quite a while, you will feel right at home, especially when the Otaku Hero raises the otaku flag. It was quite a sight to see. You will witness all kinds of otaku culture, ranging from anime/manga to things like guns, RC cars, itasha and much more. It is fun to see how the otaku use their armoury of different anime merchandise, airsoft guns, RC cars with bombs attached, etc., to defend themselves against Shobon. I find it really creative. Not only that, there are plenty of inspiring lines from the Otaku Hero in the story.

The comedy is pretty solid, not many laugh-out-loud moments but ones that will make you grin and relate to. The three magical girls also provide some solid humour and don’t follow the typical pure innocent magical girl route. Plus, there are wild scenes, such as giving an injection in the ass to a giant robot, forcing it to make sexy noises. However, the anime doesn’t fully commit to the craziness either and also has emotional moments, such as older otaku and newer otaku coming together.

I was hoping they would try to end the anime in one season because getting a season 2 seems unlikely, but the story didn’t end here unfortunately and all we can do is hope that season 2 does happen. The story also lost some of its craziness as the season finale drew near. The takeaway message from what Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers wants to convey is: Live your own life the way you want, protect what you love (especially from those woke tourists), don’t be ashamed of what you love and enjoy it fully.

With Madhouse Studio leading the production, the art and animation of Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru are actually quite good. The art style features clean, bright, and colourful visuals with good attention to detail. The overall aesthetic is visually pleasing, making it a good-looking anime.

The character designs are closer to reality since the series is set in modern-day Japan, without any extravagant fantasy elements, yet they are all well-drawn. The in-game chibi characters also look great and come to life effectively. The facial expressions and comedic moments are portrayed accurately, and there are plenty of close-up shots showcasing the characters' expressions beautifully.

The backgrounds are adequately detailed, though not overly intricate. Indoor settings, such as rooms, have decent details, but some places like bars could benefit from additional background objects. Outdoor scenes are particularly impressive, with well-drawn background characters engaged in various activities, detailed trees, and buildings.

The animation is smooth and fluid, whether it's character movements, facial expressions, comedic timing, or special effects. Attention to detail is evident, such as when characters are caught in the rain, with raindrops splashing on their shoulders and heads, and water dripping down from their hair, adding to the immersion. Overall, it is a visually appealing anime.

All the characters in Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru are incredibly relatable to me, perhaps because I've witnessed similar situations during my time in Final Fantasy XIV. They are all likeable characters, and although the main focus is on the development of Akane and Yamada, the supporting cast is also solid.

As a guy, I naturally watch through Yamada's perspective. I must say, he is the perfect embodiment of a gamer upon first impression. Introverted, socially awkward, tech-savvy, and with games, raids and min-maxing status on his mind. However, being a Shojo anime, he looks stunning and exudes a mysterious vibe. Let's just say, I really like his character, and I gained even more respect for him when he rejected a girl trying to confess to him by saying it was almost time for a raid event in-game soon. Total Chad even though he didn't know the girl is trying to confess.

Jokes aside, Yamada undergoes subtle changes after meeting Akane, and these become more noticeable as the show approaches its end. His realization of his own feelings is also apparent. One of his crushes, Tsubaki, even puts these changes into words, watching him like a CCTV camera... Just like I did with my first crush (sigh). Not to mention, his confession is incredibly wholesome.

Akane is an overall lovely and bubbly girl. She's not a gamer by any means but joined the MMORPG Forest of Savior because of her ex-boyfriend, and I kind of respect that—few girls would do the same. Her cluelessness in games is portrayed in a natural and relatable way for someone who has never played games before. I couldn't help but laugh at her hoarding tendencies in the game, as I do the same. 

Akane is the type of person who gets along well with almost everyone and is the person you'd want to guide a newcomer to your guild. However, she does have a slight jealous side to her when she sees Eita and Yamada having fun together in the game, thinking they're a couple before meeting them in real life.

Eita is the perfect guild leader. His first impression in-game might make you mistake him for a girl in real life. Yes, I've seen my fair share of those in Final Fantasy XIV. He doesn't undergo much character development, but he's such a fun character to watch and someone I can relate to as a former guild leader. Although he may seem aloof, he genuinely cares about his guild members.

Runa, Eita's little sister, is a middle-school girl who dresses in a Lolita outfit. She's the jealous type, wary of newcomers joining the guild, as she is more introverted and wants to maintain the same friendship and guild dynamic. I understand Runa since it's a legitimate fear for some players that the guild's vibe might change due to new members.

Kamota is another player who has a small, cotton-like creature as his avatar but is actually the oldest adult in the guild with a vast network of business connections. He's like that one guy you rarely see around the guild, but when he logs in, he gets along with everyone. He has very little screen time and is used mostly for comedic scenes.

Looking at all these characters, their interactions, and the situations they find themselves in, really makes me miss my Final Fantasy XIV days.

My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999

Gradation (ぐらでーしょん) by KANA-BOON feat. Yuuho Kitazawa

Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru

The opening song of Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru is incredibly catchy and a joy to listen to. It brings a fun and energetic vibe. On the other hand, the ending song has a jazzy feel to it and, while not as catchy, remains pleasant to the ear. Both songs are a perfect fit for the anime.

The background music is also quite good, even though it may not be particularly memorable. You can still discern when the background music is well-crafted for the anime rather than just generic ones. The sound effects are also well-detailed, including elements like birds chirping in the background or the sound of ice breaking in a drink. These small details add to the overall experience.

The voice acting is fantastic, with a talented team of voice actors and actresses bringing the characters to life. For instance, Kouki-san perfectly captures Yamada's cold and aloof personality through his voice. Inori-san, known for voicing characters like Rem and Itsuki Nakano, does an excellent job portraying Akane's voice and personality, capturing them perfectly.

As someone who used to be deeply involved in Final Fantasy XIV and served as a guild master for years, Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru hit a bit too close to home for me, much like other similar anime such as "Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii," "Net-juu no Susume," or "Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko ja Nai to Omotta?"

Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru is a romance anime centred around a newbie gamer girl named Akane, who plays an MMORPG called Forest of Savior because her boyfriend plays it. However, she gets dumped after her boyfriend meets a girl in the game and falls for her instead, in a comical manner, mainly because I find the new girl unattractive.

Following a heartbreak, Akane meets Yamada one day in her guild called Chocolate Rabbit. Later, she encounters him in real life at a gaming event, where she trips, and almost starts crying. Yamada picks up her shoe when she tripped and approaches her, thus begin a boy-meets-girl scenario.

Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru portrays many experiences that I've encountered myself or witnessed with my friends in Final Fantasy XIV. It captures elements such as guild gatherings, guys falling for girls in my guild or vice versa, heartbroken moments when things don't go as planned, and having to listen to guild mates pour out their hearts, similar to what Akane does with her best friend. Of course, real life is less comedic and wholesome than anime, but it does hit close to home.

This anime is a romance series, but not one with high drama or complex relationships. It takes a more relaxed approach, with relatively low stakes and light-hearted tones. Emotional scenes exist, but they are presented in a softer manner, and themes like jealousy, breakups, and rejections are handled with an overall chill and happy vibe.

While most of the scenarios take place in real life, there are also in-game moments, with approximately 70% of the anime focusing on real life and 30% on the game. Real-life typical events like guild gatherings, work, and school are used to create incidents and foster romance between Akane and Yamada.

My description may sound generic, but the series is genuinely entertaining and fun to watch, not to mention incredibly wholesome. Additionally, anime has the ability to make every confession cute and beautiful, even if it occurs in a non-romantic setting.

Of course, the in-game elements are well-executed as well, featuring gamer terminology such as weapon rarity, guild chests, questing, and boss fights. The anime also touches on things like a bubbly female character in the game might not be a cute girl in real life but revealed as a stunning guy instead (minus the stunning guy part in reality). Since this is a Shojo anime, the male characters naturally have stunning appearances.

Unlike "Net-juu no Susume" or "Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko ja Nai to Omotta?," Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru concludes in a satisfying manner without leaving any cliffhangers. It can be considered a definite end if desired, while also leaving room for a continuation if the studio wishes to release more seasons.

The art aspect of Megami no Café Terrace is pretty solid, with its bright and lovely colour palette choices and clean art style. However, the animation aspect leaves quite a bit to be desired. Nonetheless, being a non-action Harem Ecchi anime, this is still quite acceptable.

The way the character designs are drawn reminds me of the good old days of Harem, and Ecchi anime. They are beautifully drawn, clean-looking, and not over the top or overly designed. The depiction of breasts and butts is also handled quite well by Tezuka Production, which is fairly important for an Ecchi anime. I am telling you, those panty shots are *chef-kiss* solid. My only complaint would be some rough facial drawings in certain scenes.

The background art is good enough to not feel empty, but it lacks intricate details, whether it's indoors or outdoors. The backgrounds are decorated with a decent amount of details and objects, enough to get by.

As for the animation, it is rough, and many scenes, such as when one of the girls falls down the stairs with her panties on full display, have barely any animation and rely on camera tricks and line effects. To be honest, anime like this don't really need top-notch animation, but it would be nice to have some decent animation too. At least the quality remains consistent throughout the anime.

Even though the story of Megami no Café Terrace is fairly simple, the characters are quite likeable, and each of them has a solid backstory. However, like in many Harem anime, the girls are tied to certain tropes.

Let's start with the main character, Hayato. Unlike other Harem, Ecchi anime, Hayato is not a total simp, pervert, or gigachat. He is a well-balanced character who falls in the middle of those traits. He can be somewhat edgy at times but also displays a more mature side. Despite being strict and calculating for the sake of the cafe business, he has a kind side that he subtly shows. Moreover, he is willing to learn the necessary skills from the girls to run the cafe.

Ouka is the red-haired Tsundere girl who has a sharp tongue but is actually very caring about the girls and the cafe. She fits the typical tsundere girl archetype.

Akane is the short-haired Kuudere girl who gives off a mysterious, arrogant, and distant vibe at a first impression. However, her backstory reveals a lot to like about her, and she also has a cute side.

Riho is the Hiyakasudere girl with orange hair. Honestly, I just like her teasing and cheerful manner. Behind the facade she puts up, she is very hardworking to the point of exhausting herself.

Shiragiku is probably the most normal one among the girls, but if I had to assign a trope to her, it would be Dandere. She has green hair, big boobs, a lovely voice, and is more shy and laid-back compared to the other characters. She also tries her best to get along with Hayato, but when alcohol kicks in, no matter how small or even the smell of alcohol, oh boy, our eyes are in for a treat.

Ami is the blue-haired girl, and she is just a straight-up Bakadere. She is a hyperactive, muscle-brained Ahogirl who operates on a completely different wavelength than the other girls. She often serves as the main source of comedy or livens up the scenes.

I mentioned that the characters have solid backstories, and this is true. They even include backstories of Hayato's late grandma and how she treated the girls as her family and cared so much about Hayato. Each of the girls has a solid backstory, with their own unique situations that make me sympathize with them. Moreover, the slow growth of Hayato went throughout the anime can clearly be seen. 

The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses

Unmei Kyoudoutai! (運命共同体) by Neriame (音莉飴)

Megami no Café Terrace

The opening song is very catchy. It starts out with an appealing tone and flows well overall. The ending song is more laid-back and feels a bit generic.

The soundtrack is fairly generic but sufficient to accompany the scenes; it's average, to say the least. The same can be said for the sound effects, whether they're for everyday activities or comedic moments. They don't really scream high quality, but at least they get the job done.

The voice acting is great, featuring a mix of newcomers and more experienced voice actors and actresses who have previously voiced the main characters. Both the newcomers and the veterans did a solid job of voicing their respective characters and sounding suitable for each one. The comedic, embarrassing, angry, and energetic moments all come across pretty well.

Ah, Megami no Café Terrace, such a throwback to the good old days when I was a weeblet. This anime runs like one of the mid to late 2000s Harem, Romance, Ecchi anime. As someone who fully dove into this medium and became an otaku thanks to an anime called Love Hina, which also happened to be a Harem, Ecchi anime, how can I say no to Megami no Café Terrace?

If you have watched Harem anime before, like Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai, Shuffle!, Love Hina, To Love-Ru, or even the more recent and popular 5-toubun no Hanayome, you know half of the things you can expect from Megami no Café Terrace already. But that doesn’t mean it's not fun to watch, assuming you like Harem anime, of course.

Our lucky bastard in the anime is Hayato, who inherited his late grandma's house and café named Femilia Cafe Terrace. There he meets the five girls who live in the house with his late grandma and work at the café. Since this is an ecchi anime, you cannot just "meet." It comes with plenty of side boob, butt, and panty shots for your eyes to feast on.

Apart from the Ecchi element in the beginning, the overarching story or goal of the anime is to save Familia Cafe Terrace from its financial crisis, and a lot of things that happen in the story revolve around that goal/theme, be it conflict, drama, romance, or ecchi.

The anime also tones down the Ecchi element a bit in favour of the story as the anime progresses, and Ecchi is added in to liven things up. The anime takes serious events and situations seriously. Each episode has a plot that is linked to the main goal of the story, and they are fairly interesting.

So, what about the comedy? Well, you won’t be rolling on the floor laughing, but they are more amusing and will make you smile at most. There is also a lot of slapstick comedy coming from one of the girls. The comedy insertions are fairly well executed and overall fun.

All in all, Megami no Café Terrace, much like other Harem anime, has a simple story and doesn't do anything new, but it is genuine and goal-driven. It is fairly enjoyable and well-executed. The story also comes with plenty of well-executed ecchi, romance, and even some really wholesome moments. Megami no Café Terrace is something I would watch when I want to destress.

As mentioned in the paint section, this is a relatively simple figure, as most of the colors are white, and there isn’t much shading. However, her cuffs, buttons, patterns, belt, and earrings are all detailed accurately, just like in the anime.

Included with the figure are two additional faceplates, an openable suitcase, a blue moon weed flower, her staff, and a book. They even provide a blue moon weed flower strip to place on the Nendoroid's base.

My biggest complaint, at least with my unit, is that her left shoulder mantle doesn’t sit properly in the hole or slot on her back and tends to fall off.

The Frieren Nendoroid is relatively simple to paint, as her outfit is primarily white with black, gold, and red accents. The paint quality is impressive, with even the small red buttons on areas like the neck and cuffs applied cleanly, without any noticeable spillage. The metallic sections, like her earring, also have a nice shine to them, enhancing the figure’s details.

Her skin tone looks natural, but her hair color leans a bit more gray than white, which somewhat gives the impression of age. (Yes, I know she’s over 1,000 years old, but she’s definitely not a grandma...yet!)

This is a highly poseable Nendoroid with plenty of accessories to play around with. I took a photo of her in her iconic pose, floating with the moon behind her, looking down.

Other possible poses include an innocent (=w=) face with her index fingers touching, holding a book to read, sniffing the iconic blue moon weed flower, or a traveling pose with her suitcase. There are plenty of options, so it’s up to you to decide how you want to display her. 

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