Writer's Winter Season Anime Review: The Rise of Romcom's and Older men.

[Writers Bloque]

This chilly winter season storms would give good opportunity to hunker down with a good show or two.

Writer's Note: Not all anime is for kids, and just because its in cartoon form does not mean its not for adults.

Sweet and Spicy Romance inbound.

First off we have:

I was forced to marry the girl in class I hate the most:

I read the manga, and it gets pretty good, the first episode proved it. The premise of the show is the MC boy, and MC girl are seniors in high school, the boys grandfather, the head of a huge mega corporation and a widow decides to hook up with his first love from high school, which turns out to be the girl who hates the MC Boy with all of the bloody passion's grandmother. But to make the situation worse, is the boy was slated to be the heir to the group, while the girl's reasons are unknown at the moment. So the two older people forced them into a marriage, even buying them a house for a love nest.

The show asks and answers the question: What if you were married to your enemy?

(Its funny and endearing as the story progresses. The best part is her reaction to a piece of jewelry he buys her that she wanted.)

The Salaryman joins the demon kings army.

Its funny, but then again, it resonates a little with the every working Joe. Middle Aged man gets ran over by a grandma on a scooter and is summoned to a new world to serve as a general. With no powers or weapons, can he serve and survive?

Its a fun watch, not exactly super interesting, but still its only one episode in, so you may be pleased as it progresses

Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms.

The manga was hilarious. The show follows suit.

Lets say you were the popular girl in school. Beauty, grace, and grades, the total package. Everyone is fawning over you left and right. But then a transfer student pays you no mind. Like he doesn't even acknowledge your existence. Not because of anything but pure disinterest. Well this story takes that and amps it up, to the point the girl is going insane in her attempts to get him to notice her. Sounds weird, but then again, high school is a weird place, where hundreds of hormone driven teens are forced to coexist for a few hours a day. Strange things occur.

I really did not want to list this, as its really just thinly veiled smut.

Beheneko.

A great knight was killed and reincarnated as a super dangerous rank S monster, but in its baby form, which looks like a kitten. A slightly ditzy elf warrior, who is STACKED adopts him after he rescues her. Basically its a show about an elf and a kitten, with lewd. I mean the kitten rests on her ample bosom as she walks through town. So yeah.

Less Lewd:

Okitsura:

A wholesome cute anime about a boy who moves to Okinawa, but fell in love with a girl who speaks the traditional dialect, though with a heavy, old lady accent. Her friend has to teach and translate for the boy to know what she is saying. I mean if you are in the mood for a romcom full of misunderstandings, then have at it.

I will update the list as more come out.

[Writers Bloque]

Gotta add a new one to this season:


Sakamoto Days:

Think John Wick, but his wife did not die, has a daughter, and he peacefully retired and put on some pounds. Store clerk, ex-assassin, living out his retirement, except when you see him as a large overweight man, you woefully underestimate him. He might be large, but he still has his moves. A really darkly funny show. Something worth watching when you binged as much as you could, and want something refreshing to enjoy. Can be watched on Netflix.

[Dudester]

When it comes to anime, I have a limited focus and this is mainly because I grew up where was only 3 TV channels but I did spend 5th grade in Los Angeles and when it came to TV I was like a kid, with a pocketful of money, turned loose in a candy store.

1) Gigantor-even as a kid it didn't escape my notice that the bad guy was always an American scientist with a German accent.

2) Speed Racer-this TV series checked so many of my boxes.

3) Kimba the White Lion-It truly pissed me off when Disney completely ripped off this TV series and tried to pass it off as original work. Puh-leez.

4) Star Blazers-I watched this series, start to end, when I was in the military, stationed in California. I truly enjoyed it.

Note:
 
1) My mom saw Princess Mononoke and raved about it, but she had not watched the anime that I had and she didn't know that in anime a lot of artwork is recycled as is the type of characters, so she was disappointed that I didn't go see it.

2) I watched "Your Name" but only because so many people thought Your Name was the greatest thing ever. I was underwhelmed. I'm not against the film, but also I don't think it's the greatest thing ever.

[Dudester]

Let me add, if you ever watch the official video version of Road of Resistance by BABYMETAL, the choreography was clearly inspired by anime.

[Writers Bloque]

When it comes to anime, I have a limited focus and this is mainly because I grew up where was only 3 TV channels but I did spend 5th grade in Los Angeles and when it came to TV I was like a kid, with a pocketful of money, turned loose in a candy store.

1) Gigantor-even as a kid it didn't escape my notice that the bad guy was always an American scientist with a German accent.

2) Speed Racer-this TV series checked so many of my boxes.

3) Kimba the White Lion-It truly pissed me off when Disney completely ripped off this TV series and tried to pass it off as original work. Puh-leez.

4) Star Blazers-I watched this series, start to end, when I was in the military, stationed in California. I truly enjoyed it.

Note:
 
1) My mom saw Princess Mononoke and raved about it, but she had not watched the anime that I had and she didn't know that in anime a lot of artwork is recycled as is the type of characters, so she was disappointed that I didn't go see it.

2) I watched "Your Name" but only because so many people thought Your Name was the greatest thing ever. I was underwhelmed. I'm not against the film, but also I don't think it's the greatest thing ever.

Your Name was good, but there are other amazing tear jerkers. One I remember was about a boy who bullied a deaf girl, regrets it and tries to help her. and another was about a diver, who saves a wheelchair bound girl, gets hired as her caretaker, and ends up losing his dream to dive in Mexico, because he was severely injured saving her from a traffic accident.

My earliest anime, me and gf at the time loved to watch:

Escaflowne - It was like a bowl of mixed snacks for both of us to enjoy. Giant robot fights and a love story blended nicely.

Patlabor - because hot anime girls and young testosterone.

Agent Aika - My first naughty, heavy ecchi secret from my parents. I had scored the movie/episodes on VHS because I beat an asshole at the game store in Magic, because he talked a whole lot of shit and could not back it up.

I had the complete manga series "Vanity Angels" well because porn.

GF tolerated sailor moon, only because it had fight scenes, but it was too girly for her at the time.

We worked our asses off to buy both the American version and the subbed Japanese version of Robotech/Super Dimensional Fortress Macross. The movie "Do You Remember Love?" was the movie that tugged my teen heartstrings.

Most of the anime on toonami at the time, other than Outlaw Star and Cowboy Beebop was kind of trash, because honestly, how many times do I need to watch the rinse and repeat cycle of Goku?

Also the old game store was kind of sleezy, as long as you did not rat them out, they would sell the adult stuff to anyone with cash, so most shows, like City Hunter, and Bubblegum Crisis had to be bought episodes at a time, usually 2 per vhs. But the owner would some how manage to pick out the choices morsels for secret sleepover viewings.

The best anime movie to me will always be Akira, second is any of the Bleach movies.

As I stated before, it is clear cut as to who which anime or manga is targeted for. Not uncommon for adults to read manga on the train to work, as long as it is not openly smut. Like adult real life stories, with some spice tossed in, like the secret romance of an office lady and her unmarried boss, or the old man assassin is seeking revenge for his daughters murder. Finding something to tickle your fancy is not hard, I have several sites where you can freely read translated mange, with genres and such. Right now I am enjoying re-reading a manga series I had the entire series until I lost the collection in paperback.

Dance till Tomorrow

Imagine your grandfather dying, and leaving you a stamp collection worth millions, but there is a catch to inherit it. You have to graduate college, settle down and get married. After the wake you wake up hungover, and there is a strange girl wrapped in a bath towel on your couch, her hair in a towel turbine and shes drinking your beer.

Basically its a story about seeking love, suspicion and finding out what you truly want as an adult.

Also, sex, and a humorous sex scene where he is looking at the unopened condom and notices a hole clean through it, but he freaks out, and she just says get another condom, as she's holding a strip of normal, undamaged ones.

But I mean remove the cartoonish aspects and its just stories being told. 

Also if you like BabyMetal, then might I offer this?

[Dudester]

Right now, I believe that the Japanese are doing rock n roll better than anyone on the planet. My tastes in Japanese rock:

LOVEBITES-Miyako is the heart and soul of this group and was at a crossroads in her career-become a concert pianist (she is so awesome on piano) or create her own group. She went with the latter and we are so much richer for it.

Band Maid-Made of former "maid" restaurant waitresses, they are so awesome. Also, Band Maid has a devotee, Michelle, who has followed Band Maid on several continents and is trying to play guitar (I think her dream goal is to get called up on stage by Band Maid one night to jam with them).

Waggaki Band-This highly unusual hybrid band plays modern and ancient Japanese instruments in concert.

BABYMETAL-I watched two of their videos in January 2020 and was permanently hooked, but then made the realization that one has to study the lore of this group and it is such an incredible story. Because the pandemic closed down a world tour the group was about to go on, the band owner, Koba, put their September 2016 Tokyo Dome concert on U-toob for a few days and the concert was a magnificent achievement, unlike anything anyone else has ever done so I bought both nights of the concert.

AKB48-unfortunately their salad days were in the 2010's, but the management has focused, not only on the 7 clubs that the group owns in Japan, but also on the 7 clubs the group owns in six other Asian countries.