- 00:00 Intro
- 01:15 Housing Complex C
- 02:17 Human Crazy University
- 02:37 Legend of Mana -The Teardrop Crystal-
- 03:02 More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers.
- 04:55 My Master Has No Tail
- 05:58 The Little Lies We All Tell
- 06:50 VAZZROCK THE ANIMATION
- 07:15 Beast Tamer
- 09:15 Bibliophile Princess
- 10:56 BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War
- 12:15 BOCCHI THE ROCK!
- 13:57 The Eminence in Shadow
- 18:23 Encouragement of Climb: Next Summit
- 20:10 Futoku no Guild
- 21:33 I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss
- 23:37 I’ve Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills
- 24:41 Management of a Novice Alchemist
- 25:19 LOVE FLOPS
- 26:21 Muv Luv Alternative S2
- 27:47 Raven of the Inner Palace
- 28:56 Reincarnated as a Sword
- 30:33 Shinobi no Ittoki
- 31:52 To Your Eternity Season 2
- 32:06 Urusei Yatsura (2022)
- 33:22 Akiba Maid War
- 35:36 BLUELOCK
- 36:46 Boruto: Naruto Next Generation
- 36:51 Chainsaw Man
- 37:56 Do It Yourself!!
- 39:21 Golden Kamuy Season 4
- 40:17 Mob Psycho 100 III
- 40:34 Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
- 43:56 SPY x FAMILY Cour 2
- 46:36 Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun S3
- 47:04 Outro
Transcription
Marina
Welcome to Kaiseki Anime, where we air new episodes every other week. “Kaiseki” covers currently airing anime, older series seen recently, and other relevant topics for the season. I’m your host, Marina, of the blog, “Anime B&B,” and with me is my co-host Draggle, of the cleverly titled “Draggle’s Anime Blog.”
Draggle
This week, we discuss our fall 2022 season impressions. So as usual, shall we start with the trash that we’ve dropped?
Marina
Yeah, and there are a lot just overall, but also a lot in this tier and the one above it. So we need to get going and try to go over them as quickly as we can.
Draggle
Okay, we’ll be fast.
Marina
Okay, so this first one that I have on here, Housing Complex C, have you seen this?
Draggle
Sadly, yes.
Marina
Sadly? Exactly. So one of my followers was mentioning that I probably shouldn’t bother. And I was like, no, no, it’s fine. I need a horror for Halloween. I’m not expecting much. I tried this. And I should have taken their advice because it’s pure trash. Lovecraftian trash that isn’t well written. Very cheesy and currently only available in English. I think we have to wait a bit for the Japanese voices to be available. I’m watching on HBO Max. So yeah, skip.
Draggle
I don’t think the Japanese will make much difference to be honest.
Marina
No, like I said, it’s just badly written. So not much you can do there.
Draggle
The best part was the racism.
Marina
The racism is just like, but that’s also Lovecraftian. Right?
Draggle
Exactly.
Marina
But it’s just like, funny to see it on the screen so blatantly?
Draggle
Yeah. And more, translated to Japan.
Marina
Yeah. The angry woman at them doing their prayers. How dare they?
Draggle
How dare they, yeah. Next one is Human Crazy University. This is like a flash animated thing. And it was like this guy who’s about to be executed but it’s a comedy. I don’t know. I thought it was really kind of nasty and also ugly.
Marina
Yeah, I haven’t seen this. So I have no experience.
Draggle
Don’t recommend it.
Marina
What about the next one: Legend of Mana the teardrop crystal?
Draggle
I saw this. But honestly, I like watched the first couple of minutes. And then I kind of zoned out.
Marina
I probably should have done the same. I think I powered through to the end. But I was pretty tuned out from the very beginning. I’ve always been really curious about these video games. So I thought I’d give the anime a try, but it just feels too juvenile, looks juvenile, and it’s just yeah, it’s not very interesting.
Draggle
Yeah. Dropped. Next: More than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers. This seems like the kind of thing I would like but-
Marina
But?
Draggle
I don’t know. The characters are kind of boring.
Marina
Oh, really?
Draggle
Especially the pink-haired girl. She’s just so boring. And then the other love venture. She’s not really a character at all. She just like, I don’t know, love fantasy object.
Marina
I totally thought this was your jam. I thought you’re gonna be all in on this. I mean, this is the premise–More than a Married couple, But Less than Lovers–we’re in this world, they have it set up so that students have to do like a marriage course, like high school kids, right?
Draggle
Yup.
Marina
Are they high school? And not adults, not full fledged adults. High school. And they have to be paired up with someone of the opposite sex, of course, so that they can practice what it’s like to be married. So not only is it like forcing down your throat this idea of what marriage is, it’s putting it across everybody. They all have to experience it before they’ve even hit adulthood and it’s just really, really bad.
Draggle
Yeah, it’s very stupid. It is kind of funny that they have the security cameras watching them for if they’re in love, but somehow it can’t pick up that they’re only pretending to be in love. So they can get together with the people they actually like.
Marina
Except they’re not supposed to have any physical touch. Right? Like they’re not supposed to actually have sex.
Draggle
Oh, they’re not? I thought they were, they kissed and stuff.
Marina
I don’t, I think that’s fine, but I think they’re not supposed to actually get it on. Unless I’m totally misunderstanding.
Draggle
Oh. Okay, maybe you’re right. I don’t know. It was dumb. There’s like a whole genre, by the way. There’s lots of manga kind of along these lines. Like one of the better ones is Koi and Uso, which you…you probably saw before.
Marina
Yeah, but that one was actually interesting in that-
Draggle
Exactly.
Marina
-it’s not like forced like this shit is.
Draggle
Exactly, that one was good. This one it’s not.
Marina
Let’s move on. The Master has No Tail.
Draggle
This was…she was doing rakugo? Is that right?
Marina
Yeah, and it’s actually cute. Like I liked the art style. I think the character’s are cute. I think the rakugo lady…I don’t know what she is actually, but she seems pretty interesting, but I just have too many other shows that I’m more interested in for something that’s like, sort of passable like this to get me.
Draggle
I think she’s a fox. That’s why the title is my master has no-
Marina
-dude, but foxes have tails. But do they just not show when they do transformation like tanuki?
Draggle
Oh. Maybe that’s right. I don’t know-
Marina
I have no idea.
Draggle
-now I’m confused. I thought she’s a fox like in Naruto there’s the fox.
Marina
I’ve only seen one episode so if they show her being fox-like later, I didn’t see it.
Draggle
I might have just made this up, too. But anyway, I also liked the first episode, but then I watched the second episode…put me to sleep. Okay, there were just so many other good shows this season.
Marina
There’s too many to like, get stuck on this one. Right?
Draggle
Exactly.
Marina
Okay, how about The Little Lies We Tell?
Draggle
Yeah, I gave up on this one too.
Marina
How long did you get into the episode? Did you actually finish it?
Draggle
I think I got like halfway.
Marina
Yeah, I was sort of forcing myself; I don’t know if I made it to the end. I was just not interested…like it’s trying to do like the whole like gag anime and like for cute girls, but they’re all weird in some way. And they’re all lying to each other. And I mean, it’s kind of…I guess it’s silly situation too, like one is an Esper, one is an alien, one is a ninja, and one is…what’s the other one?
Draggle
A boy.
Marina
A boy! That’s right! Which is, it’s kind of funny that the Esper can’t read their mind because he’s not a girl. But after like, they do their whole shtick, it just gets old super fast.
Draggle
Yeah. Good, we’re done with that. And last, but not least, VAZZROCK the Animation.
Marina
This is supposed to be an idol show, right? Like I expected idol boys doing idol things, but they sit around in this room talking for much of the episode and I just couldn’t even finish it because I was appalled at how it’s just like panning back and forth between them talking. That’s it.
Draggle
Yeah. But I wouldn’t have watched this even if it was good. So…
Marina
Yeah, pass.
Draggle
Pass.
Marina
Okay, so let’s go ahead and move on to the next tier, which is more of a to be determined. Like it’s too early to tell. So I’m not quite sure if I’m gonna keep it or if I’m going to drop it. Starting with Beast Tamer.
Draggle
I am sure I’m gonna drop this for the record. This was terrible.
Marina
Oh, so would you have pushed it down if you could have?
Draggle
Yes, this was trash. I’m sorry.
Marina
I guess I’m kind of curious. Like him, confronting his former team, you know, because they dumped him kind of like that other anime where he like becomes a pharmacist or whatever, right? Like an apothecary.
Draggle
So yeah, you want the revenge?
Marina
I want the revenge. Yes. I want to see them come face to face with the regret of having cut this guy without realizing how promising he actually is. And as dumb as I find the monster girls, they are kind of cute. And they’re overpowered and it’s cool that like their powers make him powerful. So yeah, that’s why I’m here. Maybe once we get to the revenge if they like do it earlier, then I might instantly drop it after that. But we’ll see.
Draggle
I think you’re very naive because you haven’t read as many trash isekai slavery manga.
Marina
What do you mean?
Draggle
This is basically slavery, except they call it taming.
Marina
I mean, that’s what I said. Didn’t I tweet that I was like-
You did!
-oh, hey, not slavery. But beasts.
Draggle
That’s why I was shocked you’re watching it.
Marina
I just want to see his revenge. Okay, and like, I guess it’s because I’m used to the whole like, maybe it’s because of my experience and like video games, right? To me like a summoner, he’s kind of a summoner in my opinion, or like a beast tamer. It’s not that weird. It’s just the weirdness is that they’re humanoid.
Draggle
Right. So you understand the feel of the revenge isekai now is what I’m hearing.
Marina
I’ve always understood it.
Draggle
Yeah, this is basically Healer, Hero, whatever it’s called, except without the less explicit.
Marina
Yes, for now.
Draggle
Yes.
Marina
Okay, so let’s go on to Bibliophile Princess.
Draggle
Yeah, I’m all in on this one. I like the first episode.
Marina
Really?
Draggle
Yeah.
Marina
Oh, did you just watch the first episode?
Draggle
No, I watched the first two or maybe three if there are three.
Marina
I think it’s really like fluffy pretty because it’s got this sort of pastel, you know, very light pencil drawing…that’s what it feels like. And I liked the world, I suppose. I think it’s cool that she’s so absorbed in her books. The second episode, I actually got kind of bored and obviously it’s like super predictable with that villainess and her father. Obvious. And the prince just being like “I knew all along who I was saved, we knew all along. Oh, I’ve always loved you.” Like come on, it’s cheesy. It’s predictable.
I know. I needed the cheesiness and predictability.
Okay, maybe this is the healing we’ll need later on in the season.
Draggle
I feel like it’s been a while since I watched like a good shoujo show.
Marina
Okay, well, I hope she becomes more personable right now. She’s just kind of…blah.
Draggle
See this is also a revenge story. You just told me how you love revenge. So…
Marina
Wait, how is this revenge story? It’s over in like the second episode.
Draggle
Yeah, I know, that’s what I was wondering too. I’m also a bit surprised that I thought this conflict would like last the whole show. And now her rival’s already been in jail due to things that happened off screen in the first episode. So it’s kinda weird.
Marina
So it’s like, where are they gonna go from here? They’re gonna have to come up with some new conflict. Otherwise, I’m going to get bored.
Draggle
Yeah, I have no idea what’s gonna happen next. I might get bored too. But-
Marina
We’ll see.
Draggle
-I like the first three episodes or two or however many there were.
Marina
How about BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War?
Draggle
I didn’t watch it.
Marina
So I only watched it because of curiosity. And also because KWoo actually watched a lot more of Bleach than I did, the original, like I stopped after like the first major arc, I think, like after they save Rukia. And he got further than that. I’m not quite sure where he stopped. But we went ahead and we watched like a half hour recap video on YouTube to like, refresh our memories of what we had seen and then like, learn what we hadn’t seen. And then we watched the first episode of this one. And it’s not bad. I don’t think it’s necessary to have read or watched the things that happened before. Someone mentioned that it might be more emotionally impactful, which is probably true, but I don’t think it’s required to understand what’s happening here.
Draggle
Is this just like, more fighting stuff?
Marina
Yes. More fighting. Another big evil is coming awake, right? And they’re gonna have to fight probably. So we’ll see how long I stick with this. If it’s just like, battle after battle, power up after power up, then I’ll probably drop it. But for now, I’ll stick with it.
Draggle
Okay. Yeah, that’s what I remember of what I saw of Bleach: battle after battle, power up after power up.
Marina
That’s why I got bored. I was like, he’s gonna get stronger again.
Draggle
Yes.
Marina
Okay. So let’s move on to BOCCHI THE ROCK!
Draggle
Yeah, I really like this one.
Marina
It has promise for me, but I have to admit that I kind of find her annoying.
Draggle
Oh, I think she’s the best part. I like how annoying she is.
Marina
Oh, so you agree that she’s annoying?
Draggle
Yes.
Marina
Okay. But you like it.
Draggle
Yes.
Marina
Why do you like it?
Draggle
I don’t know. It’s kind of funny. Seeing her go on stage in her box. And she’s like, this is all I’ve dreamed of. Maybe not.
Marina
I like that she is like a self-taught guitarist and a pretty popular one at that. No one knows who she is because she never shows her face, right? And like even her bandmates are fans of her account not knowing that that’s who she is because she can’t play like she normally can in public.
Draggle
Right.
Marina
So I’m kind of curious at what point they’ll realize if they’ll ever realize that she’s the same person. She’s just so socially awkward. It’s terrible watching her. I just want to get her to please find some normalcy.
Draggle
She’s like, awkward, but not in like the most cringy way in my opinion.
Marina
Not as bad as like, you know how Komi Can’t Communicate–like she’s not that far gone.
Draggle
Exactly. She-
Marina
So she’s trying.
Draggle
-at least tries, yeah. And it’s really well animated. I thought.
Marina
It looks great. Yeah.
Draggle
Yeah, pretty, pretty well paced. I love their art style.
Marina
I do, too. And I’m surprised that you’re watching this because it’s sort of like a cute girls do music.
Draggle
Yeah, but it’s like cute girls failing at music, which makes it okay.
Marina
Arguably, K-ON! is basically cute girls failing at music.
Draggle
Yeah, that’s why I kinda likedK-ON! too.
Marina
Ah, okay.
Draggle
Yeah, exactly.
Marina
Okay, how about the next one, which is The Eminence in Shadow? I thought I put this lower. Did you raise this?
Draggle
I raised it up, ’cause I hated the first episode because this is like one of my favorite ongoing manga. It’s really funny.
Marina
Oh, I didn’t realize because I thought when you said it was a terrible first episode that you weren’t going to watch it. And so I watched the first episode. I was like, yeah, it’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be like, it’s not good. And I’m not gonna watch it, but it’s not as terrible. And then you were like, yes, it was terrible. So you’re actually sticking with it?
Draggle
Yeah, so I thought it was terrible. Mainly because I had expectations.
Marina
Ah, there you go again.
Draggle
And I still think that the first episode was terrible. But second and third episode: they kind of turned it around and realized it’s supposed to be a comedy.
Marina
Ah, okay.
Draggle
So it was funny in the second and third episode to some extent.
Marina
Okay, because can you clarify things for me? In the first episode, which was the only thing I watched, it looks like that he was kind of this outcast. I don’t know like, socially awkward guy who like helps this girl, he like saves her. And then it looks like he dies and has…he’s reborn into a new world. Right? So did anything that happened in his previous life, does any of that matter in his new life?
Draggle
No, not really.
Marina
So like, that girl, that girl that seemed like she was one of the main characters isn’t even around anymore?
Draggle
I think she shows up later.
Marina
Oh, okay.
Draggle
So like I talked to some late novel readers–I read the manga, and I refuse to read light novels–but they told me that, oh, this was a really clever starting point, because it started on the extra chapter from the fourth volume of the light novel that told his serious background. And I think they’re very foolish. I thought this was a horrible place to start, because it didn’t make you think it was a joke.
Marina
No, that’s why I was like ehhhhh.
Draggle
Yeah. You like took it seriously.
Marina
I took it seriously.
Draggle
Right. So in the manga, and also the second and third episodes, it’s like, this guy, he’s supposed to be ridiculous. Like, the entire thing is laughing at this main character for being a chuuni dumbass.
Marina
Well, I got a sense of that, right? Like afterwards with like, how he was talking at the end of the episode, I was like, so he, like, wanted to save her. And he wanted to, like, fight these people. He’s a little vigilante. But he’s kind of dumb. I got that a bit. But like, for most of the episode focusing on the girl, I didn’t get that.
Draggle
Right. Right, it wasn’t very clear. So again…in the third episode, which I just watched, I thought that was pretty good. He’s currently like pretending to be super weak, because he wants to be in the shadows or whatever.
Marina
Right.
Draggle
But then he like, he takes it really far. So he makes…he makes friends with all these losers and he calls them background characters. And then he, he like, asks this girl out with them because he wants to get rejected like a normal backhand character. But then she says yes and he gets really pissed at her. And…and then it turns out, she only did it so that she could break up with her fiance. And then he’s like, oh, no, I fallen into this main character development. I have to escape from this. And then she offers him some money to stay with…stay with her. And then he’s like, do I look like the pers…kind of person that could be swayed by some money? And then she says, yes. And then he says-
Marina
Yes, obviously!
Draggle
-well you’re right. And then he dives on the floor for the money.
Marina
Yeah. See, that’s where I got confused also, because at the very beginning with that first episode, when he like talks to the girl and he like mutters something about her being a side character, I was like, wait, so is this like, very real life feeling thing actually already an isekai?
Draggle
No, so he like has delusions of grandeur from his prior world.
Marina
Yeah, that’s what I’m saying…Well, no, because he says that in the very first episode to the girl in his real life. It’s like, why would he say that to her unless like, he’s like, deep in chuunibyou? Like, you know, pretending?
Draggle
Oh, yeah, he’s deep in chuunibyou.
Marina
He’s already some hero.
Draggle
Yeah.
Marina
So another, like, poor decision I think on their part.
Draggle
Yeah, I thought the first episode was terrible. But there’s some hope to turn it around from the second and third episodes.
Marina
I’ll leave you at it. You can update me later.
Draggle
Okay, I’ll update you later.
Marina
Okay, so this next one, Encouragement of Climb: Next Summit, I want to make very clear that it took me a bit to realize this, but this is a full length anime with full length episodes, right? The previous seasons have all been shorts. The first one was like very, very short, I don’t know, like five minutes or so. And then the follow up one was like 15 minutes, they extended it. But this current one is like, full 25-ish minutes. Unfortunately, I think they’re starting out with several episodes of recap, recapping the events of what happened in the seasons before, which I guess isn’t bad for people new to the franchise? I just find it kind of disappointing because I wanted to, like start where we ended. But that’s not gonna happen, I think, until like the latter half of the show.
Draggle
Okay, so maybe I could watch this recap, since I never watched the originals.
Marina
Yeah. And you’re gonna have to tell me what you think as a new viewer, because I sort of put them on in the background just to like, get an idea of like, how many of these are recap, and so far, like the first three that I’ve seen are all recap things. And to me, it was kind of slow because I already knew what was happening. Right? And I was looking for new things. So maybe you can give me a little bit more of idea if you thought they were slow. Or if you actually thought they were interesting.
Draggle
Okay, I watched only the first episode.
Marina
Oh, you did?
Draggle
Yeah. I didn’t like it too much.
Marina
Yeah, I don’t know why they feel like…because to me, those actually do fit better as shorts. And trying to like slap them together into like longer episodes makes it feel slow to me.
Draggle
Yeah, it did feel kinda slow.
Marina
So I don’t know how successful it’ll be and maybe like the latter half will have better writing that actually fits the length of the episode. We’ll see.
Draggle
Okay, well hopefully you’ll enjoy the later parts.
Marina
I hope so. Because I really do love these characters and I’m kind of sad that I’m not enjoying it so far.
Draggle
That’s too bad.
Marina
Anyways, next one: Futoku no Guild. I can’t believe I watched the first episode. I wish I could gouge it out of my memory.
Draggle
It was such trash. I loved it.
Marina
It was such trash. So like the whole point of this is that it’s this guy right that…he’s like really strong. And then he gets teamed up with like these other beginner adventurers, right?
Draggle
He’s not really that strong. It’s just his partners are so weak that they think he’s strong.
Marina
Oh, okay. I wasn’t sure ’cause I only saw the first episode and he seemed to be pretty competent.
Draggle
Yeah, he’s like competent, but he’s not super strong on and he’s trying to retire. But all of his younger people who would carry on his job are so useless that he can’t.
Marina
I just don’t understand why he feels like he even needs them to carry on his job. Like does he really think that the town is going to expire if he retires? Like don’t be so full of yourself.
Draggle
That’s the premise, but yeah.
Marina
And the girls are so stupid, especially the first one. Just the whole like fighting with the slime. I just was so appalled.
Draggle
Yeah, it’s terrible.
Marina
It’s terrible. But you’re gonna watch it?
Draggle
Of course.
Marina
Oh, my god.
Draggle
I like this manga, too. It’s pretty good.
Marina
All right, I’m glad you enjoy it. I wish I could forget it.
Draggle
Okay. I hope you can’t forget it.
Marina
Thank you.
Draggle
Yeah, next is another shoujo one: I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss.
Marina
Yeah. And you know, when I first saw this, I thought it was going to be like the other villainess anime, right, which was really cute. And like, I really liked her. But this is not just a copy. This is its own thing. And I actually…I’m quite enjoying it.
Draggle
Yeah, I like it, too.
Marina
So it’s like a similar idea, right? Where she’s like…is she reborn in this world?
Draggle
Yeah, she’s reborn as the villainess.
Marina
Okay. And she…does she know what’s happening. She knows what’s supposed to happen, right? She realizes that she is the villainess.
Draggle
She knows she’s the villainess, so…and she knows like if it follows the events she’ll die. So she tries to change the events. It’s the same premise basically, as the other villainess show.
Marina
She just goes about it a different way, right? Like instead of endearing herself to everyone, like the previous anime, she decides to just cut it off. Like don’t be around this toxic prince. He doesn’t deserve her. He’s an asshole anyways. And she goes off to befriend the guy who actually kills her in the game, right?
Draggle
Yeah.
Marina
-and sort of endears herself to him. Not intentionally, she just already has that charm to her personality. And I’ve been having a lot of fun with them sort of being a duo together.
Draggle
Yeah, I liked it, too. It does seem like a bit childish at times, like with the familiars and stuff, but-
Marina
Yeah.
Draggle
-that’s okay.
Marina
I’m kind of feeling like we’ve already done and taken care of one conflict, so I’m kind of curious where we’re gonna go from here, you know, through the end of the season.
Draggle
Yeah. We’ll see. Prince is in trouble.
Marina
Which one? The the one that’s been supplanted already, or the previous demon lord?
Draggle
The one who’s been supplanted already?
Marina
Ah, okay.
Draggle
I’m confused by the way, how is the demon lord and the prince brothers? I couldn’t quite follow this.
Marina
Yeah, I’m not quite sure. Like, why he’s the Demon Lord, if it’s just by chance, because he has magic. Like he got demonic magic somehow. I don’t know why he has it.
Draggle
Okay. That was kind of my impression, too.
Marina
And maybe they’ll explain that, like, maybe that’ll be part of like, the overarching conflict? I don’t know.
Draggle
Yeah, I guess we’ll see.
Marina
Guess we’ll see. The next one: I’ve Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills.
Draggle
I’m shocked you put that this high.
Marina
This is the one where the guy got stronger inexplicably from like, leveling up his farming, right?
Draggle
And he defeats like the dragon on the way to town.
Marina
I mean, that was kind of funny when he like threw something and it exploded. But now I’m struggling to remember. I thought that was funny. And I think I had sort of a positive reaction at the end of this, but I don’t actually recall. Doesn’t he get like betrothed or what happened at the end?
Draggle
I think the princess is after him. I don’t remember if he actually got betrothed.
Marina
Yeah, he’s endeared himself to the royal family, right?
Draggle
Yeah.
Marina
But then doesn’t he escape or something?
Draggle
I think the princess follows him though. I don’t know. I didn’t follow it too carefully. It seemed kind of standard to me. Standard isekai thing.
Marina
I’ll give it another episode or two. But based off the first episode alone…like I’m not offended by anything.
Draggle
Right. I’ve certainly seen worse.
Marina
It just seemed kind of silly. Yeah.
Draggle
Okay, should we jump to Management of a Novice Alchemist?
Marina
So far is just, oh, it’s kind of cute. She has to open up an apothecary in the middle of nowhere in the boonies. So I’m kind of curious because I typically like apothecary sort of, gathering or botanist kind of, shows. So it’s really just like a first impression from the first episode. I thought it was cute.
Draggle
This one is totally not my thing. I fell asleep. This is a true cute girls doing cute things. They’re too good at their jobs.
Marina
Yeah. And like I had mentioned before, it’s still too early really to give my opinion on whether or not I should drop this. Like I’m not bored yet off the first episode.
Draggle
Okay. Next is LOVE FLOPS, which…I like this more than I expected I would like it. I especially liked how there’s robots in it. This is the one with the robots, right?
Marina
Yes. Because it takes the girls underwear.
Draggle
Oh, yeah. It also tried to throw out the girl as trash. Which I…I liked that part.
Marina
Grabbing her skirt! There are so many clip-worthy gifs here. Oh my god, the boy with the dog which just…I can’t believe they did that joke twice in the same episode. It was killing me and now I’m like terrified of those dogs. I don’t want to think about that.
Draggle
Yeah, so it was a memorable show.
Marina
It was memorable in such a bad way to me.
Draggle
Yeah. So I’m gonna stick with it and see what happens. Although I expect it will go downhill. But you never know.
Marina
Is this something you’re gonna watch with your friends?
Draggle
Maybe we have to decide between this and Futoku no Guild, so it’s a hard choice this season.
Marina
Oh, I’m sure. What about the next one Muv Luv Alternative season two. Is this possibly in the contention?
Draggle
Oh, no, this one’s not too classy. This is like a giant, robot-fighting alien show.
Marina
Yeah, but hasn’t this been notoriously like terrible but also extremely ecchi? I don’t remember.
Draggle
It was pretty terrible. I don’t think it was too ecchi. Like it has these these stupid suits, where they have like extremely giant boobs.
Marina
They’re very shiny.
Draggle
Yeah. But that’s about all the ecchiness.
Marina
Okay.
Draggle
So I don’t know. I already…I felt like I already watched one season. I might as well finish it. But I don’t have too strong feelings about this either way.
Marina
Did you already see the first episode?
Draggle
Yeah, I saw the first two or three episodes.
Marina
Okay, this is just like follow up on the previous season, pretty much right after those events?
Draggle
Yeah, exactly. It’s kind of hard to follow this show for me honestly. It goes really fast. And apparently, it like skipped the first two thirds of the game. The dating sim. This is based on one so it’s kind of confusing, and there’s like time travel and stuff. So-
Marina
Sounds needlessly complicated.
Draggle
Yeah, it’s very complicated. But whatever. I like how it’s racist, so that always interests me when they have this like…Japanese nationalism shows.
Marina
You should watch Housing Complex C.
Draggle
Yeah, no. No. Okay, let’s move on. Another shoujo that I really liked: Raven of the Inner Palace. I love these palace shows-
Marina
Yeah I liked it, too.
Draggle
-where there’s like betrayal.
Marina
Well, plus, you also like the Chinese setting, right?
Draggle
Yeah, Chinese palace. I just finished reading Dream of the Red Chamber, which is like, perfect.
Marina
Perfect.
Draggle
Yeah.
Marina
You’re ready.
Draggle
Yeah, this one was just okay, honestly. I wish it had more portrayals and more intrigue.
Marina
I mean, there’s sort of the overarching intrigue about the previous dynasty, right with her being of their-
Draggle
Yeah.
Marina
-I don’t know, race or whatever. The ones that are pretty much exterminated with the people with their white hair. That whole family and she’s like the soul survivor, supposedly, but yeah, I find that interesting. I don’t know if they’re gonna go further with it. Probably. Yeah, right now it feels a little episodic with the mysteries that are proposed to her.
Draggle
Exactly. I don’t know. I’m not as big on the episodic mysteries, but I know you like that stuff.
Marina
I like it. Yeah, it’s not like groundbreaking or really that new to me. I like the world. I like this kind of style of show. So I’ll stick with it to the end.
Draggle
Yeah, I’m gonna stick with it, too. Hopefully it’ll have more betrayal.
Marina
Yeah. What about the next one, Reincarnated as a Sword?
Draggle
This is another one where I watched the first episode and I thought it was the worst thing ever.
Marina
Oh, really?
Draggle
Yeah, it was like an entire episode full of isekai menus. That’s what it felt like.
Marina
I mean, if you were reincarnated into the world like this, would you not spend a lot of time looking through your menus?
Draggle
I would, but I wouldn’t share that in the anime about my life.
Marina
Yeah, well, it was very stationary for a bit while he was looking through the menus trying to figure stuff out and then like leveling up as a sword, like that was pretty boring.
Draggle
Yeah.
Marina
I feel like we’ve seen it done a better way with like, you know how Reincarnated as a Slime he does a similar thing with trying to figure out what his powers are, what he can do. And you have that here as a sword, but done in a far less interesting way.
Draggle
Yeah. But anyway, I watched the second episode and I was surprised because it was…it was pretty good.
Marina
Oh, really?
Draggle
Well, I mean, it’s still an isekai, but I liked it. The sword and the girl, they, they were pretty fun together watching them. I like kind of how this one’s like a pretty anti-slavery as far as these things go.
Marina
I mean, yeah. Why aren’t they all?
Draggle
My standareds are low now, but yeah…I thought the second episode was pretty fun.
Marina
Do you think I should give it another try, because I was kind of like this sword is kind of lame, all this menu stuff is kind of lame. I was not into it.
Draggle
Maybe watch the second episode and see how you feel about that?
Marina
Okay.
Draggle
I thought the second episode was better than… yeah better than Eminence in Shadow’s second episode.
Marina
Oh, that does sound maybe like something I should try then. The next one is Shinobi no Ittoki is about ninja family, right? Except the kid doesn’t know until later that that he’s part of this family. He’s been trained since a child for reasons unknown to him. But then he finds out now that he’s being hunted down as the heir to this family.
Draggle
Yeah, and he had his childhood friend. It was secretly a ninja guarding him. Yeah, it wasn’t very secret, ’cause she like wore a mask in class. And acted like a ninja.
Marina
Yeah, I was gonna be like she’s obviously sort of like a guardian to your family, but okay, and that the whole date thing was kind of funny, I guess. But based off of what I saw, and like the promotional stuff, I’m assuming that she’s eventually going to become kind of a love interest. I don’t know.
Draggle
Oh, really? Okay.
Marina
Well, I don’t know. She seems to be a major character than just like a throwaway girl who tried to date him at the first episode. I feel like she’ll be more reoccurring than that.
Draggle
Oh, you mean the one who tried to murder him? I thought you meant his childhood friend.
Marina
Yeah, well her, too. But I feel like they’re both gonna be regular faces. Probably.
Draggle
Yeah, I don’t know. I like the first episode. The second episode kind of bored me. And then the third episode, it started off with them going to ninja school.
Marina
Oh, no!
Draggle
I was like, oh, no, not this again. But then the episode was actually pretty good, so I don’t know. I have very mixed feelings about this one.
Marina
Too early to tell, huh.
Draggle
Yeah. Also too early to tell: To Your Eternity season two, which hasn’t come out yet. But I know it’s gonna be good based on the first season.
Marina
Yeah, I’ve already added it. But we don’t know what it’s gonna be like. I don’t know if anything’s changed. I haven’t looked into the staff or anything. So we’ll see.
Draggle
Yeah.
Marina
And last in this tier is Urusei Yatsura (2022), Because this is a remake of a very old classic anime. Did you watch this?
Draggle
I never watched the original. So I thought I’d give this a try.
Marina
Same.
Draggle
Yeah, and it’s very dated. That’s for sure.
Marina
Yes.
Draggle
It’s also very well made. I thought the animation was pretty good.
Marina
I was appalled at how well made it was, but I guess I shouldn’t be because it is quite beloved.
Draggle
Yeah. I don’t really know why it’s so beloved. But I haven’t watched it. So I guess that makes sense.
Marina
I think based on when it came out, there probably wasn’t anything like it. And the characters, especially the girl, alien girl are probably very novel at the time. So she’s just sort of this figure that’s become legendary. I’m assuming to older fans that…even people like me like I’ve never watched the original. I don’t watch these kinds of shows typically. Even I know who she is. So yeah, I didn’t like the show at all. Felt old, felt sexist as fuck, and not interested. So even though it looks fantastic, I’m gonna drop it, but maybe other people like…are you gonna stick with it?
Draggle
Yeah, I’m gonna stick with it. Although, I completely agree with everything you said, but that’s part of the appeal, I think.
Marina
Yeah.
Draggle
So we’ll see how it goes. It’s definitely very well made. Okay, shall we move on to our more promising shows?
Marina
Yeah. And talking about very well made is Akiba Maid War.
Draggle
Oh my god, this is so good.
Marina
This is probably one of the most surprising shows of the season because I mean, I know war is in the title, but I still did not expect the brutality and the comicalness of seeing these maids do what they do in this first episode, and I’ve only seen the first episode.
Draggle
Okay, second episode is good, too.
Marina
Okay, don’t spoil the second episode, because I had so much fun with the first one that I’ve…yeah, I’m really excited for what’s more to come.
Draggle
Yeah, you’ll enjoy it.
Marina
I think like you said, that’s basically yakuza, but maids.
Draggle
Yeah, that’s exactly yakuza but maids. They’re like in debt. They run hit jobs on people. They’re part of some family-
Marina
They have turf wars.
Draggle
Yeah, turf wars.
Marina
I think it’s kind of funny that all the maids that I’ve seen so far are some sort of animal like, what’s up with that?
Draggle
Yeah, it’s funny how they’re the pigs. Oink, oink.
Marina
Right? It was kind of like, all right, I don’t really get what’s appealing about pigs but okay.
Draggle
Yeah. And it kind of like…it’s set in Akiba in the 90s, right?
Marina
Yeah.
Draggle
And it has like kind of the feel of an anime from that time in some ways.
Marina
It does.
Draggle
Just like how it looks kind of dark.
Marina
Yeah, the art style. They were able to evoke that feeling.
Draggle
Yeah, I wonder if teenagers now are gonna be like, oh, this is what the 90s was like.
Marina
Maybe! Wow, I want to go back to 90s Akiba, seems like a hardcore place.
Draggle
Yeah.
Marina
No, I think the…what is it…the 35-year-old maid is awesome. I was like, oh, wow.
Draggle
Oh, my.
Marina
That was her in the intro, right?
Draggle
Oh, yeah, it was.
Marina
Yeah, how they show like, way back further and they…like a more traditional maid outfit and I think that was her and then now that she’s like still a maid probably out there for revenge again, delicious revenge.
Draggle
Yeah, I like the scene where she goes and murders all those people. And then that like-
Marina
Yeah.
Draggle
-blood spurts, like five feet.
Marina
But it’s okay, because the other girl was wearing the little ramen bib so it’s fine.
Draggle
Exactly. Yeah, I knew. Definitely everyone should watch this show. It’s really good.
Marina
Everyone should try it at least. Now what about BLUELOCK, which is about soccer? And I recommended it to you. How did you feel?
Draggle
It was really good and I’m not gonna watch it ’cause I hate soccer that much.
Marina
But you thought it was good!
Draggle
I did think it was good, but it’s soccer.
Marina
Okay, so putting aside your hate for soccer, what did you think was good about it?
Draggle
It’s like the Danganronpa of soccer.
Marina
Yeah, ’cause it’s a…what do you call this? Like elimination? Or what’s another word for it?
Draggle
Yeah, kill them all.
Marina
Yeah, you gotta survive, right? Because they’re looking for the best-
Draggle
Survival game.
Marina
-shooter?
Draggle
Yup.
Marina
They want to make like the number-one shooter for the Japanese team so that they can compete on the world stage and win. And they’re always like, we’ve always been mediocre. We’ve always been like, second best or lower. We’ve never won. It’s time for us to change that. And we’re going to do whatever it fucking takes to turn you guys into winners. And that’s where our main character comes in.
Draggle
Not sure I buy their logic, but it makes it for an entertaining premise.
Marina
Yes, I was waiting. I was waiting for him to betray the other guy that was like the nice guy. And it happened in such a glorious way. I haven’t seen anything past the first episode so far, but I’m pretty excited about it.
Draggle
Cool. Hopefully it turns out good. The next show is Boruto, which is still amazing. Y’all should watch it. And then next is chainsaw man. So good.
Marina
I’ve heard some conflicting opinions on this. It feels like most people like it. I liked it.
Draggle
I liked it.
Marina
I thought it was awesome. But I’ve also heard some people complain that it looks like they’re not a fan of the art style…looks too realistic, I suppose. So I thought that was interesting. Like just the art style and the character designs apparently was-
Draggle
Interesting.
Marina
-less unique than expected or desired for fans of the source material.
Draggle
It seemed fine to me, but I can’t see where they’re coming from.
Marina
I can see where they’re coming from too. I’m not familiar with any of the source material and I thought it was fantastic and appropriately dark and brutal. And I love the dog.
Draggle
Do you know what happened to the dog?
Marina
I mean, obviously they merge, right? It happened in the first episode.
Draggle
Good. Good.
Marina
But I like, I love their little relationship. I thought that was great.
Draggle
Yeah. Pet chainsaw dog.
Marina
Yes.
Draggle
So cute.
Marina
And now he is a demon chainsaw man.
Draggle
Yes. Did you watch the second episode?
Marina
I have not yet.
Draggle
Okay. You should. It’s good.
Marina
Yeah, I’m excited. What about Do It Yourself? So cheesy!
Draggle
I love this so much. I moved it up to this category; you had it lower.
Marina
Oh, I mean, because it’s like cute girls do do-it-yourself.
Draggle
I know!
Marina
And she is ridiculously clumsy. And she’s a little annoying. I can kind of see why her friend is annoyed by her. But her friend is also annoying.
Draggle
Maybe this is when I like cute girls doing cute things: when they’re incompetent.
Marina
You really like being incompetency, huh?
Draggle
Maybe. Yeah, but this one was so good.
Marina
I’m not the biggest fan.
Draggle
Oh, I’m the biggest fan. This was like maybe my favorite show this season.
Marina
I mean, I’m a fan of the setup. Like I like the effect of having a DIY club. And that’s really cool. And I’m interested to see what they make. That’s probably what excites me the most, is like what kind of projects they’re going to make? And I kind of want to see, I’m assuming she’s gonna make a bench. I don’t know if that’s like end game here. Or if that’ll happen sooner and then they’ll have other stuff, but the main character herself like I’m not the biggest fan of like dumb, klutzy characters. I want to see her improve.
Draggle
Yeah, okay. Yeah, you’re the complete opposite of me because I don’t care what-
Marina
Yeah.
Draggle
-they make at all.
Marina
Okay.
Draggle
I love all the robots. And I love how incompetent she is. And I love her friend and how they fight
Marina
Yeah, we’re totally opposites, but I mean, we both enjoy it, but for different reasons.
Draggle
Yes. So I’m quite excited.
Marina
Maybe that’s promising for listeners then because they’re like, oh well either way I’m gonna enjoy it.
Draggle
Yes. Oh, Marina, did you see the Golden Kamuy author’s tweet?
Marina
No. What?
Draggle
The Golden Kamuy manga author had a listing of everyone’s penis size, penis size ranking.
Marina
What!?
Draggle
Yeah.
Marina
You’re gonna have to send that to me later?
Draggle
Okay. I’ll look it up.
Marina
Yeah, thank you. Not now, later.
Draggle
Yes.
Marina
And talking about Golden Kamuy season four: I’m very excited. I’m here for it. I’ve only seen the first episode.
Draggle
Oh, it’s so good. I saw the second episode, too, and…I forget…maybe the third episode. Such a good start to this new season.
Marina
Yeah, it picked up exactly where it left off: familiar characters still going on in their journey. I’m all here for it.
Draggle
Although, I can’t believe Hijikata got…fell for that so easily.
Marina
What, fell for what? I don’t remember.
Draggle
Oh, maybe this was…did he eat the poison? Maybe this is second episode.
Marina
I don’t remember.
Draggle
Well, look forward to the second episode.It’s wild.
Marina
Okay. And I’m also here for the next one, which is also a sequel, Mob Psycho 100 3, so the third season. Still everything I love about the previous Mob Psychos, excited see where we’re gonna go from here. I don’t know what else to say about this. What about you?
Draggle
Yeah, it’s off to a great start. Can’t wait.
Marina
So the next one is Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. And this one, as we mentioned in our previous Kaiseki episode, this is a series but it had a prologue from last season. So we’re…we can talk about them both here. But the prologue was actually more interesting to me. And then the main series, I think you feel the opposite. Right?
Draggle
I felt the complete opposite.
Marina
Yeah, I knew it.
Draggle
Yeah, this…this is the best Gundam ever. I can already tell.
Marina
What? No! Like, okay, so I liked the prologue because it was like an intriguing setting. I like that they were mostly adult characters. That’s…like I liked their maturity and their focus.
Draggle
The prologue is like every other Gundam show ever made.
Marina
No it’s not! You always have some stupid juvenile character as the pilot. And that’s exactly what we have with The Witch from Mercury. She’s stupid. And the classmates around her are stupid. And the school and its rules are stupid.
Draggle
Yeah, that’s what makes it so great.
Marina
Which is like all the other Gundams; they’re always these young pilots. And they’re all dumb. And look, we have it again.
Draggle
That’s not true. In the more recent ones there’s the…those OVAs with the jazz ones
Marina
I haven’t seen those.
Draggle
Okay.
Marina
My favorite one in recent memory is Iron-Blooded Orphans. And that was a little more serious. I don’t know if you saw that one.
Draggle
Yeah, of course I saw that one. Yeah, I guess that’s true. I guess it’s more a lot in the OVAs and movies that they have adult main characters.
Marina
Yeah, I haven’t seen those, so maybe that’s why we have such like different views of it. And I’ve also been slowly working my way through the original Mobile Suit Gundam and like that pilot’s young and dumb, so it’s like fresh in my mind.
Draggle
He’s very dumb. But these ones are…these ones are dumb in different ways, I think.
Marina
Yeah.
Draggle
So usually they’re like too hot-blooded and they, they want to fight all the time. And they have no fear. This one has…she’s dumb but in different ways, I think. And they’re girls. It’s like the first girl Gundam drivers.
Marina
Yeah, that is a cool part of it.
Draggle
Main character girl Gundam drivers.
Marina
And maybe that’s why I’m more annoyed, Draggle, is I feel like we never see female pilots. And then we finally have them here. Like as a main character. We’ve had them as side characters before like in Iron-Blooded Orphans. But I kind of wanted them to be more competent. And it annoys me that it’s like now we finally get a girl pilot and she is annoying and dumb.
Draggle
She’s just like the male Gundam pilots. What do you want?
Marina
I guess. Yeah.
Draggle
But she’s dumb in different ways. And I like the white-haired girl a lot.
Marina
She’s also dumb.
Draggle
What do you have against being dumb?
Marina
I just wish they weren’t so like, I don’t know.
Draggle
Can you imagine how boring anime would be if everyone was intelligent and logical and-
Marina
Competent?
Draggle
-incompetent? Yeah.
Marina
Yeah, you’re right. It’s not entertaining for sure.
Draggle
Exactly. Like Akiba Maid Wars if the manager wasn’t such a dumb ass…would be really boring.
Marina
I guess so. But I mean, Witch from Mercury looks fantastic.
Draggle
Yeah, it’s amazing.
Marina
The suits look awesome, like the Gundam look really cool. Characters are great designs. I won’t disagree.
Draggle
I love the hair of that mecha repair girl. The blue-haired girl.
Marina
All their hair is great.
Draggle
Yeah-
Marina
I like her hair.
Draggle
-but her hair is like a different color underneath.
Marina
I’ve always liked that when they do sort of like those two-tone kind of hairstyles.
Draggle
Right. Anyway, the next show is also full of dumb people, but I think you enjoy it. Spy x Family season two.
Marina
You mean, I fucking love Spy Family.
Draggle
Yeah. Isn’t Anya dumb?
Marina
Well, obviously, but I’m more just like I have been squealing nonstop with the introduction of the dog. I love the dog.
Draggle
I told you, I told you.
Marina
I am so happy. Okay, I was so frustrated last season when they like hinted at the dog but then we didn’t get him, right? I was so mad. But I can see now why they held back. They wanted to start really strong, and strong it was by opening with Bond, the best dog in the world.
Draggle
Yes, he’s a good boy.
Marina
He’s a big, big good boy. I just want to hug him. I’m so excited for the rest of this season.
Draggle
I wanna ride him.
Marina
Well yeah, isn’t it a dream? It reminded me so much of…do remember Azumanga Daioh?
Draggle
Yeah.
Marina
It reminds me so much of Chiyo with Tadakichi-san, riding on her fluffy white dog. Here we have it again with Anya and Bond and it’s so ridiculously cute. One of my favorite things about him is not only is he a fluffy white dog, but he has the cutest black socks.
Draggle
I didn’t even notice that.
Marina
What do you mean? That was the whole like joke about his name, right? Because he’s like Bond because Bond has like the gloves, and she’s like, oh, well, he’s got black gloves: my dog.
Draggle
Oh, I thought it was because he…he delivered the lost gloves to Anya.
Marina
Yeah, but she was also referencing his feet. I’m pretty sure that they like looked at his feet and said, oh, he also wears black gloves.
Draggle
Oh, I completely miss that.
Marina
And I’ve totally loved his feet since I first saw them.
Draggle
Okay, I need to pay more attention to dog feet.
Marina
Well, my dog is the reverse, right? I have a black dog with white feet. So yeah, I love dogs with like socks or masks. I like it when they have like those differnt colors over their eyes.
Draggle
Oh, it’s his fur that’s a different color. He’s not actually wearing socks.
Marina
No, he had white fur and…but his black feet.
Draggle
Oh. I thought he was wearing socks, and I was like, how did I miss this?
Marina
Not at all, he just has black paws. They’re…they’re black, but they like go up higher like socks.
Draggle
Okay, okay, I get it now. I get it. I’ll pay more attention.
Marina
You obviously don’t have very many friends or you have much experience with pets when I say things like oh, the cat’s got socks. The dogs got socks. It means their fur color.
Draggle
Yeah, I had no idea.
Marina
Or like the dog has a black mask. It means that they have got sort of like the patterning, like a pattern of a different color on their face that makes it look like they have a mask.
Draggle
Oh, okay. Well, now I know. Good.
Marina
Yes, the more you know. Also, I would like to see more development of Yor. She’s still doing Yor things. Nothing interesting so far. She’s still great.
Draggle
Yeah, she’s definitely the weak point at the moment.
Marina
Yeah.
Draggle
And last new show: Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun season three. Continues to be great. This is like a shounen show. It’s like more for kids., but I think it’s quite good and I’ve really been enjoying it.
Marina
Yeah, like I said that Legend of Mana felt juvenile and kind of for kids but this one feels like it’s for kids, but in a good way, like in a way that adults can enjoy, right?
Draggle
Yeah, that’s right. I really enjoy it.
Marina
I will try to watch the first season sometime for you.
Draggle
Yeah, Ido it.
Marina
Tune in again to Kaiseki Anime Podcast two weeks from now. Please feel free to send us questions or comments on Twitter with #KaisekiAnimePodcast, or on our individual accounts at @draggle_kun and @animebnb.
Draggle
Listen and review us on Apple Podcast and Spotify, so we can continue to grow and improve. You can also find us on Google Play. Thanks for listening. See you next time!
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
You can find Kaiseki Anime Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Play. Subscribe to us now! Please also take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts—these reviews increase our visibility to new viewers, as well as gives us the feedback we need to improve.
If you have any questions or comments, let us know by commenting below, through Twitter with #KaisekiAnimePodcast, or on our personal Twitter accounts.
Music Credits:
- “Clover 3” by Vibe Mountain
- BLUELOCK OP: “Chaos ga Kiwamaru” by Unison Square Garden
- “Seasons” by roljui
Anime B&B 