Sorry guys, I am not finding the spring season to be a super season. Adequate, but not great. Sorry I forgot to put this in earlier but spoilers ahead!
There are a couple of anime that I’m fairly into right now. Pretty Boy Detective Club has consistently pleased. The plots have left something to be desired but I find the artwork and animation enjoyable. The character designs are pleasing. And somewhere along the way, I seem to have lost my heart to Mayumi.
I hate to call it a reverse harem because I’m not seeing a lot of romantic sparks fly. The main characters are all too narcissistic to fall for another person. That’s fine because I can have her all to myself. She’d be a great nudist because she can see through everyone’s clothes anyhow.
The other anime I’m really into is Super Cub. I am so into it I have been looking for local dealers. The latest year has an MSRP of $3,745. Honda has only been importing them here since 2019 so there isn’t a lot of used inventory. I think I can get a used one for about a grand less than new.
When I saw Koguma in the anime, I was amazed at how empty her life was. Rather like a very young version of Eleanor Rigby. She has no parents, no friends, no hobbies, literally living like a robot on autopilot.
The back story is that Dad died and then Mom just… split? Is it legal to do that to a minor in Japan? What kind of mother would do that to her daughter? (She might be better off without.) Shouldn’t she at least be a ward of the state with regular visits from social services?
Her Super Cub was the first change in her life since her mom left. The freedom and exhilaration (of 20 kph!) wake her up from her slumber. Through it, she meets the vivacious, attractive, worldly, determined, and apparently well-off, Reiko. And finally after 6 episodes Shii, the third important character in the show who rides an expensive bicycle.
Koguma is still kuudere squared. I think you can be that and still be happy.
Moriarty the Patriot started out with promise. I let a lot slide for the sake of a Sherlock Holmes spin-off anime. It went completely off the rails for me when Moriarty revealed his grand scheme to Mycroft and then Mycroft revealed the Holmes backstory. Absolutely off the rails. And the absurd Jack the Ripper arc was just… absurd.
Joran, Princess of Blood and Snow was also pretty good. But then they went and killed Asahi. Or at least I think they killed Asahi. There are anime that like to play pluck the heartstrings and then by magic or a miracle or deception reverse pluck them by bringing a dead character back. With Asahi gone, the most interesting subplot has been eliminated. OTOH, if she isn’t gone and magically comes back, I feel like any feelings I had before have been violated.
Revenge driven plots interest me less than love driven plots. I’m still watching the show though.
Mars Red isn’t too bad. It also started off well and got me invested. But then we have an earthquake that levels the city and separates the operatives of Code Zero. Maeda, who was already obviously marked to become a vampire by his weak heart, gets buried in the rubble which Tokuichi picks up and then promptly commits suicide by sunlight. Maeda’s still skewered by rebar which will kill him anyway only to have the theater vampire Deflot drop some blood into his mouth to vampirize him.
The earthquake is just something that happened. A plot device. Plot… plot… plot.. then bang something happens and it is a whole new show. Like that truck in North by Northwest. Only Hitchcock did it well.
It still isn’t a bad show and I will continue to watch but with less enthusiasm unless it picks up.
I don’t expect anyone else will enjoy “Slime Diaries” but I am. Not a favorite but it is good enough. I’m wondering if some of the things I’ve seen will be important in the next season of Slime.
I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level is a charming slice of life and as long as I don’t expect anything from it I enjoy it. You have to enjoy it for the goofy “obstacle of the week” plot as Azusa accumulates new household members along the way. I’m enjoying it and that means I’m not counting on much.
How Not to Summon a Demon Lord is still kind of fun but feels like it has lost its way. The “uber-powerful demon lord who screams and runs away like a little child at sexual approach by a woman” trope is getting tired. Yet another anime that falls into the “not counting on much” category.
The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent also had a good beginning but started to lose me when Sei fixed her appearance up and got rid of the glasses to be Miss Beautiful. I liked her glasses and I liked her mousiness – even if anime’s mousiness still left her quite attractive. It made her more relatable. Now she’s just another pretty face with awesome power.
The other saint-in-training, Aira, finally got an episode and she is more relatable but her character is not as interesting. I know that it is supposed to be Sei’s show but they were both summoned at the same time. If it were me, I would have put in a lot of effort to get to know her.
Of course there is the 800 lb. gorilla, My Hero Academia. So far the season has been nothing but a big tournament. While it is a well done tournament, I am not a big fan of tournament arcs.
That’s what I am watching now. Seems like a mediocre season with some interesting shows but nothing to write home about.
June 3, 2021 at 15:08
I dipped into Pretty Boy Detective Club but I’ve decided to wait it out and binge it. I’m a binger. That said, I couldn’t resist Super Cub, so I’m watching it anyway. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one pricing them! It would be super handy here in the big city for running quick errands and such. Sure better than riding the bus. Think I can stuff my hubby into the cargo bin?
June 3, 2021 at 17:46
Reiko threatened to stuff Shii into hers, so there would be no problem in trying. We do have the Dragons next month.
June 4, 2021 at 09:48
Some disassembly required…
June 4, 2021 at 12:50
Laughing loudly!!!
June 6, 2021 at 09:20
ROFLMAO – you bad!
May 30, 2021 at 08:27
Very much agree with you about “Super Cub”. For a show about nothing, it sure has a lot of something! They are very slowly working Shii into the group, and Koguma’s attitude towards her is complex and interesting. And Koguma should really move in with Reiko. Will be sad to see Cub end.
Another I am following with interest is Oddtaxi. The story telling is exceptional, although getting darker and darker.
And I am also doing “Blue Reflection Ray”. I would not recommend this one, but it does have some beautiful art in the animation, and the all girls cast relate to each other in highly sensual ways. Basically a magical girl formula where the Reds want to excise bad and painful memories from girls, and the Blues want to keep girls memories whole. Really depressing and ugly backstories on some of the girls being fought over. Currently ranked at 5.51 over at MAL, and with 24 episodes scheduled, has a long run ahead. (Wish Super Cub had 24 eps!)