Anime Reviews

Akira Needs Love, Too!!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , , , ,

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Ep 4 Review

Dating in the modern day is hard; there’s no argument about that. Things like dating apps meant to help people meet and fall in love have only complicated an already complicated act even further. Throw in a zombie apocalypse, and the chances of finding love in the world seem even bleaker for people like Akira. It only gets worse in this episode as Akira gets close to finding love…only for it to be ripped out from under him.

As someone who struggles to find love today, I feel your pain, Akira.ย 

The Quest for the Perfect TV…and Date.

Now that he’s got Kencho living alongside him, Akira’s ready to enjoy that new life with his bro. They’ve got a rooftop camp set up, plenty of food and drinks, and Akira can play video games all day. Kencho even decides to get in on Akira’s bucket list by adding something: wine and dine with a flight attendant. This only leads Akira to remember a painful fact: he’s never had a girlfriend, while his best friend can date anyone he wants. 

This is another reason I like Akira so much as a character: I can see a bit of myself in him, especially in my social life. College was fun, but it kept me so busy I never had time for dating, something I now regret. While I’ve never worked at a place as horrible as Akira did, it can still get in the way of having a social life. In addition, there’s the subtext found in this conversation about how detrimental the kind of job Akira had is to society. The stress may keep people from going out to find love and have families. That may be why a lot of countries have declining birth rates. In other words, the show’s saying work culture is killing people’s chance to find love. Again, I relate to it.ย 

Source-Sportskeeda, Crunchyroll,

At any rate, Akira heads out on another scavenging mission, this time to find an even bigger TV to play video games on. It sounds, and is, stupid, but remember, the show’s advocating the importance of happiness and mental health even in dark times.

Akira Comes So Close to Scoring…Okay, He Doesn’t!

When their adventure predictably ends with them being chased by a mob of zombies (and zombie firefighters spraying actual fire), the duo takes shelter inside an underground mall. Said mall’s already occupied by a group of one man whose name we never get and three beautiful women. All of whom are flight attendants. 

The second Akira and Kencho realize this, they’re on cloud nine as the whole thing soon turns into an impromptu mixer. At least, it does for Kencho. He wins over one girl so fast that they’re already going off on their own the next thing Akira knows. 

Yes, they do sleep together. The show doesn’t dance around that.

Meanwhile, Akira tries to impress the others by drinking an entire bottle of tequila…only to end up puking into a toilet. Anyone who drinks too much alcohol at once can relate to that.

Despite that, he does end up having a sweet moment with one of the attendants, where they both talk about why they wanted to work the jobs they had. While things didn’t turn out well for Akira, the woman, Yukari, admits that despite all the bs, she still likes her job. It’s a sweet moment, even if Yukari does have a boyfriend.

Too bad the old man got infected by a zombie bite. RIP, flight attendants.

Source-But Why Tho?, Crunchyroll

Even this Can’t Get Akira Down

So, to his dismay, Akira loses his best chance yet to find love, but he and Kencho do get that giant TV they wanted, scratching two more items off their bucket list. The last conversation that Akira had with Yukari also inspires him to add something new: remember his childhood dream. 

I love Akira’s optimistic attitude more and more with every episode. Even when mankind’s facing possible extinction, he can bring out the absolute best in people through his carefree nature. By all accounts, he should be dead by now, but he isn’t. It’s part of why this anime’s so fun and inspiring. Keep living your dreams, Akira, no matter how silly or crazy they are.

One last thing: by the time you read this, the dub forย Zom 100: Bucket List of the Deadย will be out. Whether you’re a pro-dub stan or just want to support the voice actors, you should watch it. Zeno Robinson’s voicing the main character, and he’s been killing it with his roles over the last few years. That, and when you hear him as Akira, you can imagine Hunter fromย The Owl House.

I Give “Flight Attendant of the Dead” a 3.5/5

Dang, Rudy is Swole as Heck!!!

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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 4 Review

It’s been two years since Rudeus returned to his former home, only to set out to find his Mom. More importantly, it’s been two years since Eris slept with him and left without properly explaining things. Now, he’s trying to move on with his life regardless, butโ€ฆbeing unable to form romantic relationships due to trauma is hard. Then, a path forward opens as if by date or divine intervention. One that could end up fixing the damage Eris’ foolishness wrought.

Also, Rudeus is swole as heck.

Rudeus isn’t a Cute Boy Anymore. He’s a Man!

The first thing the episode makes apparent is what this time skip has done for Rudeus: he’s gotten stronger. Thanks to his magic, he can now take on a red dragon and kill it on his own. That’s a feat that would require several parties to pull off. In other words, he’s gotten stronger than he was as a kid.

Secondly, at this point, Rudeus is now fifteen. In his new world, fifteen is the legal age of adulthood, and it shows. He’s gotten taller, his constant exercising has given him a body most guys would kill for, and his cute boyish looks are now handsome. To top it off, he’s becoming renowned throughout the land as Quagmire Rudeus. Life’s going well for him.

Exceptโ€ฆdeep down, he’s still miserable. As I said last week, what Rudeus has is ED; impotence brought on the trauma he went through. Which stinks! He can’t get close to anyone in the romantic sense, so he’s essentially given up finding love. He’s channeled all that extra energy into bettering himself, but you can tell he’s not happy. He wants to regain what Eris took from him!

And that’s when two important things happen.

A Fateful Friend and a Fateful Letter

After returning from destroying the red dragon, who strolls into the bar Rudeus is at, but Elinalise Dragonroad. If you’ve read my recap on what Roxy was up to, then you’ll know three things about her:

  1. She was in a party with Paul and Zenith.
  2. She’s probably Roxy’s best friend.
  3. She’s got a sex drive that puts Rudeus’ to shame.

She needs to have sex regularly because of her curse, but she also likes it, so she’s not too concerned. 

Also, even if Rudeus could do it, Elinalise wouldn’t. She can’t stand the idea of being Paul’s daughter-in-law because something between them made her hate his guts. However, that doesn’t stop her from going after everyone in Soldat’s party. 

The other, more important thing is that Rudeus gets a letter from the Vice Principal of the Ranoa Academy of Magic. AKA the school that Roxy went to, AKA the school that Rudy wanted to attend with Sylphie. The whole reason he went to tutor Eris was so they go together, so everything’s coming back full circle. Word of Rudeus’ skills has reached even their ears, and they want him to enroll as a special student. That means he doesn’t have to pay for tuition or attend any classes he doesn’t want to. In other words, he just got a full scholarship to the best magic school in the world. 

While that offer’s enticing, Rudeus wants to join his father and Roxy and find his Mom first. That’s when the Man-God appears to him for the first time in years and gives some advice. If he wants to cure his impotency, he’ll find it at Ranoa University. He doesn’t say how, but he says that it will happen. 

So, bet. Rudeus is going to school.

It’s Time for School!

Again, Mushoku Tensei is one of those series that is a slow burn, but when it gets going with the action or drama, it does a great job at showing it. And unlike many isekai that focus on the action side of things, Mushoku Tensei treats the slower moments with the same respect and gravitas that they’re entitled to. And that includes the Ranoa University arc.

Some people might see what’s about to happen as a boring slice of life and just want the action, but Mushoku Tensei isn’t a pure action isekai. At its core, it’s about a guy trying to live his second chance at life to the fullest, which includes the slower moments. In addition, to hammer home the importance of what’s to come, the final minutes of the episode depicts numerous people at Ranoa University that will come to play a role in Rudeus’ life. He might not have met all of them yet, but he’s connected to them in some form.

So, yeah. I’m looking forward to the next few episodes and seeing how they adapt what’s to come. This was a good start to this new arc.

By the way, the dub for the second season has started. 

I Give “Letter of Invitation” a 4/5

You Thought Rudeus Was Getting Better? Think Again!

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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 3 Review

Let it go on record that I read ahead about what happens next in Mushoku Tensei. As such, I knew that this moment would happen, but I didnโ€™t make things any easier. If anything, knowing what would happen in advance makes it more painful. Everyone who thought Rudeus was moving on from Eris, prepare for a bitter truth. 

Darn You, Eris!!!

So, on the surface, it looks like Rudeus got his act together. Heโ€™s building his rep as โ€œQuagmire Rudeus,โ€ heโ€™s been working a lot with Counter Arrow. As for Sara, it becomes obvious that sheโ€™s falling for him. So when she asks him out, he agrees. It could be fun. And she does start sending out all the signs that sheโ€™s into him like that. So, Rudeus decides to move on from Eris altogether and takes that leap.

It was at this moment, though, that his despair reached new heights. In that crucial moment, Rudeus realizes something terrible: his trauma over Eris leaving himโ€ฆhas rendered him impotent.

Now you see why I made such a big deal about Eris leaving as she did. However unintentional, she hurt him to the point that he has lasting trauma. Regardless of how you feel about Rudeus, he doesnโ€™t deserve not being able to find love.

Soldat Proves to be a Real Bro

What happens next reverses my opinion about another person completely: Soldat. Even though he acted arrogant and kept insulting Rudeus. But when Rudeus tries to drown his sorrow in beer, and Sol does that again, Rudeus just letโ€™s all that anger burst out until he starts crying. Itโ€™s here that Soldat proves that heโ€™s a real bro.

Soldat lets Rudy vent about all of his problems and the trauma he got from Eris. Heโ€™s watching the guy bawl his eyes out and asking why Eris left him! Then, like a real bro, he tries to give him a pick-me-up. Granted, taking him to a brothel to get โ€œprofessional helpโ€ isn’t a good idea, but itโ€™s the thought that counts. 

None of it works, though. As the woman who tried helping notes, what happened with Eris has left him scared of women. He needs help from a girl he KNOWS wonโ€™t laugh or run out on him. Thatโ€™s part of the reason why I never liked Sara. Sheโ€™s too much like Eris, too quick to judge people. Case in point, when Rudy gets drunk and starts bad-mouthing her, Sara overhears it and slugs him! So much for Counter Arrow.

Moving on to the Next Arc

So, this episode marks the end of the events of Volume 7 of the light novel. While itโ€™s happening sooner than I thought, Iโ€™m not going to complain about the anime rushing things. I never liked this part of the story, and I didnโ€™t like Sara. In fact, I question why the promo material for this season put so much emphasis on her. She barely has any role to play in the story. 

The good news is that next week, the animeโ€™s getting into a portion that Iโ€™m looking forward to. In the episodeโ€™s stinger, we see the elven friend of Rudeusโ€™, father, Elinalise, looking for him. Without giving too much away, Rudeus is about to do something he’s kept on the backburner for a long time now.

I Give “Abrupt Approach” a 4/5

Shizuka Might be Top Waifu 2023 Material

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Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Ep 2 Review

It’s the end of the world, there are zombies around every corner, and the future of mankind is in doubt. But if you’ve spent three years of working in a hellish job like Akira has, you don’t care. You’re just happy to be free to do whatever you want now. As Akira navigates life in the zombie apocalypse, he remains happy as ever, caring only about his own wants. He’s essentially the antithesis of Takashi from High School of the Dead. However, he soon runs into a woman who fits more in line with the mentality of HOTD. Enter Shizuka, who, despite her cold nature, might be in the running for top waifu of 2023. 

Akira Makes Homer Simpson Proud 

While the rest of Japan (and probably the world) are freaking out over the zombie apocalypse, Akira’s enjoying his job-free life. He finally cleans his apartment, throws his trash out onto the zombies below, and his only plans are to sit back and drink some beer. It’s the kind of attitude that would make Homer Simpson and Peter Griffin proud…until he runs out of beer. Thus, Akira’s first day off gets cut short when he has to go on a beer run through his zombie-infested neighborhood. 

In real life, the last thing people should care about in a disaster is having enough beer to drink. As if to contrast this, the episode introduces viewers to Akira’s neighbors who react to things more realistically: they’re panicking and don’t know what to do. Then Akira shows up, casually climbing down a pipe with a smile, and they’re dumbfounded. The contrast makes the moment work as a black comedy. 

As lovely as it is to see someone remain so cheerful despite the world going to Hell, the episode introduces us to someone whose demeanor is Akira’s polar opposite: Shizuka Mikazuki. 

Shizuka, the No-Nonsense Survivalist to Akira’s Fool

When first introduced to Shizuka, the anime depicts her from Akira’s perspective. She’s young, intelligent, attractive, and utterly serious about how things are now. She criticizes how foolish it is for Akira to risk his life to get something non-essential to survival and refuses to give him her contact information. She doesn’t mention her name in the episode; I had to look it up afterward. But after showing Akira’s return home from his beer run, the episode does something interesting. It shifts perspectives to depict how Shizuka’s handling things.

The contrast between the two couldn’t be more significant. Unlike Akira, Shizuka’s living in a high-rise apartment where she’s got a home treadmill to stay in shape. She’s constantly trying to contact other people to determine how widespread things are. Her tv’s always playing every zombie flick or show in existence to help her understand what she’s dealing with. She’s a smart and dedicated woman determined to survive the apocalypse and is more than capable of doing so. 

Here’s the unspoken question that the anime’s asking about Shizuka, though: is she happy?

Happiness is Most Important in Bleakest of Times

When faced with a catastrophic event like a natural disaster or a nuclear meltdown, the last thing most people think about is being happy. They’re more focused on staying alive, which is only natural, and waiting for things to return to normal. Here’s the thing, though: what if returning to normalcy could take months or even years? What if things can never return to a standard of normalcy? Staying constantly focused on survival in something like a zombie apocalypse can be mentally taxing to even the strongest-willed people. We’ve already seen a recent example of how people react to a globally-disruptive event like COVID-19, and how that put people under a lot of stress. Dealing with that every day can make people bitter and cynical at best, or break them altogether. Yet Akira’s happier than ever. 

The thing about Akira that Shizuka doesn’t understand is that he understands the importance of being happy, especially when things are at their bleakest. While his actions are reckless, his desire to follow his new bucket list (which we see him write this episode) does wonders for his mental health. If he survives to see the zombie virus cured, he’ll come out of things far better than someone like Shizuka. She’ll be even more bitter and cynical than she already is, and some of her seems to understand that. Surviving is important, but so is remembering to have fun.

So, I stand by my assertion: Shizuka has the potential to be a top-tier waifu for 2023. She may be cold and cynical initially, but that will likely change as the series continues. Given how she’s in the opening and ending, it’s a given that she’ll run into Akira again. Once she opens up some more, fans will start clamoring for her. 

I Give “Bucket List of the Dead” a 4/5

‘Zom 100’ is a Hilarious Jab at How Corporate Jobs Can be Hell!

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Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Review

Once upon a time, working an office job for a big corporation seemed like the ideal life. To get paid working in a safe place that required minimal physical labor sounded like a dream come true. Then people realized the truth: office jobs suck! You face annoying commutes to work, do something that, in the grand scheme of things, has no value, and potentially deal with bosses that are either jerks or idiots. And when a person deals with that day in and day out, every day, can you even call that living? It’s less like you’re living and more like being a zombie. 

Then again, being a zombie might be an even better alternative. That seems to be the philosophy that this new, hilariously comedic horror anime called Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead seems to live by. When everyone living through a zombie apocalypse is the equivalent of hell, this show looks at us and asks, “Was life before any better?” 

Akira Tendo, the Corporate Slave Zombie…

The first episode opens with one of the most depressingly realistic introductions to a character I’ve seen in a while. Meet Akira Tendo, who, at the young age of 24, already lives like he was dead. Three years ago, he got a job at a production company fresh out of college. At a glance, it looked like his dream job. He’d be doing what he loved, his co-workers seemed nice, and he even had a crush on this cute one named Saori Ohtori.

It took less than a day for him to start hating it. 

If people in America think corporate jobs are bad, then that’s nothing. In Japan, there’s the concept of a “black company.” In essence, it’s everything negative about working in a big business office job. Everyone’s expected to work overtime without pay; the bosses are more like slave drivers and concern for mental and physical health is nonexistent. It gets to the point where some people would rather die than live like that. I’m being serious.

As depressing as this is, Zom 100 plays up Akira’s horrible life for the sake of black comedy. We hear his coworkers bragging about how much overtime they’re putting in; his boss is an abusive demon, and that girl he likes? She’s the boss’ mistress! He can hear them making out from inside the man’s office. By the time we’re introduced to him, he’s more a zombie than a person.

Again, it’s exaggerated for comedy’s sake, but it’s still a big jab at how corporate work sucks.

Wait, a Zombie Apocalypse? I NEVER HAVE TO WORK AGAIN!!

One day, as Akira’s reluctantly headed to his terrible job, the thing so many people dread happens. The zombie apocalypse begins, and Akira starts freaking out. Then, as he’s busy running for his life, he realizes something. Something that will offer him salvation from his hellish life: he never has to work again. 

Then suddenly, the formerly monochrome world Akira’s in lights up in an explosion of colors. It’s a big, neon-colored expression of how Akira’s happy for the first time in years. Everyone else is reacting to this like it’s Highschool of the Dead, while Akira’s treating it like the best day of his life. It’s a brilliant moment of black comedy that left me grinning at the sheer audacity. The show’s saying that it would be better to face down zombies rather than sit in an office and do a job that gives you no fulfillment. 

So, now alive for the first time in years, Akira does what he should’ve done years ago. He heads to Ohtori’s place to confess his love but finds she’s already a zombie, along with his fat boss. So, killing three birds with one stone, he quits his job, throws his boss out the window, and then confesses to Ohtori before running for it. And he’s still happier than ever.

Get Busy Living Before you Get Busy Dying.

Afterward, Akira realizes that odds are, he’s going to die and become a zombie himself. Before that happens, though, he wants to live his life to the fullest. So, he grabs a notebook from a convenience store and comes up with his bucket list of 100 things to do before he dies. And that is where the first episode is.

There have been many zombie apocalypse stories told over the year, including anime like Highschool of the Dead. But this might be the first time in living memory where the idea of a zombie apocalypse doesnโ€™t look that bad. Yes, society collapses, and people have to fight to stay alive. But when you contrast that to how horrible Akitaโ€™s life was before this, could you even call it living? Life is meant to be more than just slaving away at a job you only do to pay the bills. Itโ€™s enjoying yourself. Maybe Akira has the right idea about what heโ€™s doing. Regardless, Iโ€™m going to enjoy watching this series.

Thereโ€™s more, though. The dub comes out on August 6th on Crunchyroll and Netflix (and has Zeno Robinson as Akira), and the latter is making a live-action version of this. Clearly, the anime distributors seem to have a lot of faith in this, so that should encourage you to watch it. Even if we canโ€™t all quit our dead-end jobs, seeing someone like us do that makes our world a little brighter?

I Give “Akira of the Dead” a 4.5/5

Rudeus is Livin’ His Best Life!

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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 2 Review

It’s not every day when you’re fourteen years old and living on your own like Rudeus Greyrat is. Then again, Rudeus is technically close to fifty, and his life’s anything but ordinary, even by the standards of his new world. He’s already lost his home, his Mom’s missing, and his girlfriend left him, breaking his heart. Many people would give up after what he’s gone through, but Rudeus knows better than most what that can lead to. Thus, painful or not, he’s trying to get his life back together, one day at a time. Even if that means going out and dealing with obnoxious people who rail on him without knowing what he’s going through.

Rudeus is Trying to Live His Best Single Life

Now that he’s decided to try and move on from Eris, Rudeus has spent the last few months living his best life. He’s working out every day (and getting ripped), and doing everything job he can get to grow his rep so his Mom might hear about it. However, he’s still going through his lone-wolf phase, and it shows. He’s even taken to naming his muscles and talking to them! 

It’s not like he’s fully alone, though. Ever since he met them, he’s been working with Counter Arrow on a part-time basis a la Batman and the Justice League. Sara still gives him a hard time, but he’s growing on her. Case in point, she invites him to join them on a job hunting monsters in some nearby ruins.

There’s one problem. This other party ends up taking a similar job and the two run into each other mid-mission. They don’t come to blows, but when everyone gets back, the leader of the other party shows up drunk and starts railing on Rudeus. He keeps saying how he hates arrogant guys like him who act humble but hide how strong they are and think Rudeus’ is making light of their jobs as Adventurers.

Those who know what Rudeus has been through know how uncalled for this is. He’s only doing this to find his Mom, and that requires working with more people. Despite this, Rudeus is still clearly hurt by what gets said to him, something even Sara picks up on. Thankfully, Rudeus knows the importance of staying humble so he doesn’t become lazy like in his last life. 

He does get a good chance to flex later, though.

Becoming Sara’s Knight in Shining Armor.

Sometime later, during a blizzard, Rudeus sees Counter Arrow coming back from a job in low spirits. While they were out fighting, monsters ambushed them, killing of their members, Mimir. In addition, Sara’s missing, presumed dead. While the others plan to head out and find her once the storm lets up, Rudeus has no such compunctions. He leaves without another word, and, using his magic, proceeds to clear the storm all by himself.

What follows is essenitally a glimpse at how strong Rudeus’ gotten since his fight with Orsted. He’s killing monsters before they even have the chance to fight back, and all while questioning why he’s even doing this. Sara was pretty harsh with him and it’s not like he’s that close with her. Still, the fact that he rescues her from getting eaten by a plant monster, and then nurses her back to health before giving her his jacket to stay warm, speaks volume to how kind he is. Even at his lowest, Rudeus can’t help but emphasize with others; he’s become a good person. 

His selfless actions end up being worth it, too. When he gets back and Suazanne berates him for doing something so dumb, Sara steps in and defends him. A tsundere she may be, but he’s wearing her down without even trying. 

One Step at a Time

So, this episode of Mushoku Tensei might not be as exciting or as memorable as some people might like. However, that’s not the kind of story that Mushoku Tensei is. It’s a slow-burn. It trades a lot of little moments doing things like world-building and character development in exchange for isekai action. Once it does get to the real action and drama, though, it pays off in a big way. Not every story has to be filled to the brim with action when the little moments work just as fine. 

Bottom line, don’t give up on this anime yet. It’s only getting started, and when it’s done, it’s going to leave people in tears. That, and the opening and ending are absolute fire!

I Give “The Forest in the Dead of Night” a 3.5/5

What Will You Do Now, Rudeus Greyrat?

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Blogging, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , ,

Mushoku Tensei S2 Ep 1 Review

When we last saw Rudeus Greyrat, he was at his absolute lowest since beginning his second life. He finally lost his virginity to his companion, Eris, and he thought they’d be together from then on. However, then Eris realized she relied on him too much, knew she had to get stronger, and left to train. The problem is, Rudeus doesn’t know this since the girl stupidly wrote a letter that didn’t explain anything. So now he thinks he got dumped! Thirteen years of improving himself almost go to waste because of his low self-esteem and Eris’ mistake. 

Now all alone, Rudeus’ left his old home behind for good, because his Mom’s still missing from the teleportation incident and he has to find her. Before he does that, though, he needs to do something else first: remind himself what makes his life still worth living. 

Northward Bound, Rudeus Travels Alone (Sort of)

Sometime after leaving the ruins of Fittoa behind for good, Rudeus starts traveling north to start looking for his Mom. That brings him to the land of the magical countries; ironically, he wanted to study at this big university there before the teleportation incident. Now that he’s there, though, he’s in no mood to enjoy it. He’s too busy feeling sorry for himself because Eris left him hanging. 

While Rudeus has always been somewhat of a serious person, he’s remembered to enjoy his new life as much as possible, no matter what the circumstances. Throughout this episode, though, we see how badly Eris’ insensitivity affected him. He keeps sighing, he’s got this empty look in his eyes, and looks ready to give up on it all. It gets so bad that, during a job, he barely does anything to defend himself from monsters, like he’s ready to die. This is Rudeus at the absolute lowest since getting reincarnated.

The question, then, is what will he do now?

Meeting a New Party in Counter Arrow

Despite officially disbanding his old party of Dead End, Rudeus doesn’t start work alone. While traveling up north, this woman, Suzanne, who’s the co-leader of this party called Counter Arrow, sees how depressed he is. Feeling bad for him, she invites him to join them on a job killing grizzlies, and most of them are nothing but nice to him. Except for this one girl close to his age named Sara. Sara is a total tsundere to him, acting abrasive and getting annoyed with how, from her perspective, he’s ungrateful to Suzanne. And the whole time, it’s just making Rudeus feel worse, because she reminds him way too much of Eris.

From my understanding, Sara and Counter Arrow were created as original characters for the light novels; they weren’t in the web novels. So, Sara was made to be a lot like Eris: outspoken, abrasive to strangers, and has a hard time opening up to others. The problem is that she’s too much like Eris, and after the events of last season, that could rub viewers the wrong way. They could either see her as a replacement for Eris, or think she’s too much like her and find her off-putting. None of this helps Rudeus’ emotional state, though. He still looks like he wants to die. 

Thankfully, he remembers how stupid it is to think like that. 

Rudeus Remembers How Much He Still Has to Live For

It’s during this job with Counter Arrow where they’re surrounded by grizzlies and fighting for their lives that Rudeus starts to snap out of his depression. He’s about to throw away this second chance he got at life, something a lot of people could only dream of having, while everyone around him is fighting for the one life they do have. And he remembers how, when he got reborn, he wasn’t going to waste his life again. So, he snaps out of it, pulls up on the monsters, and wastes them like the badass that he is. Then everyone goes home victorious, and the whole adventuring guild starts cheering his name, and for the first time that entire episode, he starts smiling.

So, having hit rock bottom, Rudeus begins to make his way back up. It won’t be an easy task, and it’s not going to be done over the span of an episode or two, because that’s not how Mushoku Tensei works. It goes out of the way to show the effort Rudeus puts into being a better person. It’s worth it, though. And the first thing he does is burn the locks of hair that Eris left him. He misses her, but he can’t let it ruin his life.

So, the journey of Rudeus Greyrat begins anew. It’s not the most exciting start, especially compared to other isekai filled with a lot of action. However, Mushoku Tensei is a slow burn. Once it gets started, then it becomes interesting to watch. So, while not the most epic of reintroductions, this episode makes up for it with the emotional drama. This is going to be the isekai anime to watch for the summer season.

I mean, listen to the music!

I Give “The Brokenhearted Mage” a 4/5

Mushoku Tensei Season Premiere Answers What Happened to Sylphie

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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2, Ep 0 Review

After waiting for two years, fans of isekai anime can be happy because one of the best, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, has returned. Even though there are many anime in the market, Mushoku Tensei stands out because it is based on one of the light novel series that helped make isekai so popular in the last ten years. Since this blog has covered the anime’s first season extensively in recent weeks, new viewers are encouraged to read the four-part recap if they need to catch up. Unfortunately, those who expect season two to continue right where the story of Rudeus Greyrat left off might be disappointed. Additionally, the first episode of this season reveals things that are only discussed later in the light novels, spoiling what could have been a big surprise for anime-only fans. However, this episode, labelled as episode 0, focuses on Sylphie, one of the most important people in Rudeus’ life, who will have a major role in the upcoming season.

The Trials and Tribulations of Sylphie

For those who don’t remember or didn’t read the recap, Sylphiette, or ‘Sylphie’ for short, was Rudeus’ best friend/potential love interest from Buena Village. After he saved her from bullies and taught her how to use magic, the pair remained inseparable. It reached the point where Rudeus’ father, Paul, had to send him away to work as a tutor to keep them from becoming codependent. Unfortunately, like everyone else Rudeus knew, Sylphie fell victim to the teleportation incident that destroyed their home. Whereas Rudeus and friend/student/other love interest, Eris, got sent to the Demon Continent on the other side of the world, Sylphie wound in the royal capital of their homeland of Asura. After inadvertently saving the life of Princess Ariel Asura, Sylphie gets taken in to serve as her bodyguard. In exchange for protecting her under the alias of “Silent Fitz”, Ariel promised to find her lost loved ones.

On the surface, Sylphie’s circumstances seem far less dangerous than those that Rudy and Eris endured. Those familiar with medieval politics (or Game of Thrones), though, will know how cutthroat and dangerous court life can be. During the episode, Sylphie has to endure the barbs and scorn of the highborn silently without showing any weakness or fear. On top of all that, there’s the physical threat of assassins working for Ariel’s relatives, trying to end her life and eliminate a rival to the throne. To make matters worse, Sylphie has to deal with the reminder of her trauma on a physical and psychological level. Not only did the teleportation incident turn her once-green hair snow white, but it’s left her suffering from PTSD nightmares. She does everything she can, but it’s clear to Ariel and Luke, her fellow bodyguard, that this new life might be too much for her.

It would’ve been, too, if Sylphie didn’t find the best friend she could’ve ever hoped for in Ariel.

Ariel Becomes Sylphie’s New Foundation in Life

While not to the scale of what Sylphie went through, Princess Ariel also bears scars from the events that brought Sylphie to her doorstep. Right before that happened, she watched as one of her closest advisors died, powerless to do anything to help him. Despite her loss, though, Ariel has to keep a straight face at court, knowing that faltering for even a second could cost her her life. Despite everything, though, Ariel’s compassionate nature enables her to recognize the suffering Sylphie has endured. As a result, she goes out of her way to help Sylphie heal from these past scars, and it shows. By the end of the episode, their relationship’s evolved from that of royal and bodyguard into a genuine friendship.

Ultimately, though, life at the royal court proves to be too dangerous for Ariel, Sylphie, and Luke to handle on their own. Thus, the trio have no choice but to flee abroad and forge the connections they need to help Ariel become the next Queen. Despite offering to let Sylphie go, Sylphie refuses, vowing to help the woman who saved her at one of her lowest points. One can practically hear Rudeus in her voice when she affirms her resolve to protect Ariel from her tormentors.

A Great Episode, But Might Have Revealed Too Much Too Soon

One reviewer’s first impression of the season premiere for Mushoku Tensei points out how this episode 0 shows what makes this isekai stand out amongst all the others. It has heart, intrigue, and action comparable to Game of Thrones at its peak, but in anime form. While I will not dispute any of this, I had one issue with this episode: what it focused on.

While waiting for the new season to premiere, I read the light novels and the manga adaptation, and both of them revealed that ‘Silent Fitz’ was really Sylphie when ‘Fitz’ had already been around for some time. It wasn’t until the moments where the story shifted from Rudeus’ perspective to that of Sylphie’s that readers would realize the truth about who ‘Fitz’ was, making for a significant surprise. However, revealing that Fitz is Sylphie immediately removes much of the wonder that would’ve come from the revelation down the line. Now people who only watched the anime will just get frustrated at what’s to come. 

Trust me; I read the light novels. You’re going to shake your head at a lot of what happens.

Issues aside, this was a solid start to Mushoku Tensei‘s second outing, and I hope that it keeps up this momentum throughout the season. After having to watch so many of its kind fail to live up to what it helped set the trend for, it’s refreshing to see one of the great isekai return. When the dub will come out, though, is another matter entirely.

I Give “Guardian Fitz” a 4/5

The Anarchy Sisters Are BACK!!

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Last year during Anime Expo, Studio Trigger confirmed that a second season of Panty & Stocking was in the works. While AX is still happening right now, Studio Trigger dropped a lil’ promotional video about the next season. If you wanna know what they got cookin’ for the Anarchy sisters, then check this out!

Repent Motherf*ckers!!!

13 years…that’s how long its been since we’ve seen the infamous post-credits scene. To many fans it was also the day GAINAX ruined Christmas. For 13 years fans of the Anarchy sisters wondered if we were ever going to get a second season. In 2016 we saw a post from Gainax West teasing a return of the fallen angels, which only turned out to be a Panty & Stocking themed cafรฉ. It was at this moment fans started to realize that their favorite rotten angels were only going to get a one-season run, and that would be the end of it. Or, so we thought…

Last year at Anime Expo, Studio Trigger dropped a bomb on the fanbase telling them that they officially own the rights to both Panty & Stocking, as well as Gurren Lagann. This reignited the otherwise ‘seemingly dead’ fandom, and now that the promotional trailer has dropped, it has hyped up the return of the Anarchy sisters even more. With a brand new season finally on the way, fans have started to speculate what will happen with this new season entitled “NEW Panty & Stocking”.

And we’re no exception to this ourselves, so here we go!

Final Boss Stocking

If you stop the promotional video right at 0:50 seconds, you’ll be greeted to a ghost that looks a bit like…Stocking?! Okay, around 2011 fans saw a promotional picture with Scanty, Kneesocks, Brief, and Garterbelt. They also saw Panty in the background fighting what appears to be a ghost-like Stocking. Based on the promo video alone, it looks like she’ll be the final boss of season two. It’ll be interesting to see what Trigger does with this storyline.

Final Boss Stocking Anarchy

Panty & Brief’s Character Development

Throughout the first season Brief has basically been the butt of all jokes thanks to the Anarchy sisters, and the only time we see any genuine interaction between Panty and Brief, is near the end of the 12th episode of the first season. At her most vulnerable point, Panty felt the embrace of Brief and decided to make him not just her 1000th lay, but also her first time. We could see more moments like this in the next season, so it’ll be fun to see what direction Studio Trigger goes in regards to their character development.

The DUB will be Legendary

We all know the DUB of the first season is the most definitive way to watch this series, so if the same dub crew returns (with the exception of Chris Sabat, Joel McDonald, and the late Chris Aryes), and Jamie Marchi is behind the writing, they have a lot more comedic and lowbrow material to work with. The first season didn’t pull any punches, so it’ll be interesting to see what the dub cast will come up with for the second season.ย ย 

There is so much to be hyped for now that the promotional trailer has dropped. Panty & Stocking was a game-changing anime in the 2010’s in terms of style, experimental creativity, and outlandish randomness. A lot has changed in the 13 years since its heyday; with political correctness and hyper sensitivity being at an all-time high, many fans were also worried about the show due to its controversial nature. Ironically, that’s what made the show a hit, and as long as Studio Trigger doesn’t read into it that much and goes ‘balls out’ like they did in 2010, Panty & Stocking will be seen as one of the most unconventional, experimental breakout anime titles of all time.

That’s it from us, stay nerdy! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Breaking News From D.J. Lewis: I’m Back! (Sort of…)

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime, Anime Conventions, Anime Reviews, Blog Updates, Con Appearances, Filler Posts

Let’s see…how do I put this…

I’m back…but on a occasional basis. It’s been almost a year since my last appearance on our Youtube channel and podcast. A lot of things have happened IRL; some of which is too sad to talk about, while the rest is just me reprioritizing certain aspects of my life. As for where I am right now, I’m not fully where I want to be just yet, but I’m doing much better mentally and emotionally than I was seven months ago. Although I’m back on occasion, I didn’t come empty-handed. I came with some awesome announcements to share with you guys about what’s going on for the remainder of 2023, and possibly 2024. So, here we go.ย 

We’re Back on the Road to Conventions as D&A Studios Entertainment!!

While I was away for half-a-year (Youtube-wise), I was still reaching out to anime conventions in hopes that we would at least be picked up to do press work for them. Most of them haven’t responded back yet, but one convention reached out to us almost immediately! October 21-22 we’ll be making our FIRST convention appearance (as Press) since Animore 2020, at PuchiCon at the Camelback Resort in Pocono Mountiains, PA! They also have a second convention in Atlantic City, NJ so we might even get booked there in 2024. After three years of no conventions for ya’ boyz, D&A is back on the road again!

Avidd Minddset has a New Event Coming Spring 2024 Powered By D&A Studios Entertainment!

So this came to me in a vision I had last week; although we don’t have enough resources to produce our own convention just yet, I want to create something that brings together all of the entertainment attributes that makes anime/gaming conventions fun. So I decided to create a brand social ‘afterparty’ type event called BASSMODE: Nerdz Nite Out. This event is a celebration of the love, respect, and passion we have for not just anime as a medium, but the anime/gaming community and nerd culture as a whole. The inspiration for the theme of this event stemmed from other nerd entertainment brands such as NYC’s Senpai Project, and Otakus With Attitude (OWA). Could this event become something major down the road? Ya never know! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Occasional Posts, Reviews & Articles!

Since I’ll only be around occasionally (both on Youtube and the blog), I’ll also be occasionally posting articles and reviews on anime, and other current events happening within the industry. You won’t see me on a consistent basis, but when new announcements drop, you’ll see a post or article about it. I may occasionally do a One-2-One on anime characters like ‘days of old’, or even a Top 10. You never know what might pop up, but yes, I’m back…but on an occasional basis.

That will do it for me, so until next post, stay nerdy! ๐Ÿ˜‰ย ย