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LET THE CULLING GAME BEGIN!

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Jujutsu Kaisen S3 Ep 3 Review

My fellow Jujutsu sorcerers, Jujutsu Kaisen is back! Well, it’s been back for about a week by the time I’m writing this, but I didn’t write about the first two episodes. There was no need to, since I had already covered them in my review of the compilation movie. But now that they’re out, I’m free to cover everything going forward as we get into the Culling Games. I’m going into this basically blind, but from what I’ve heard, and based on how crazy the new OP is, this is going to be absolute chaos!

What is the Culling Game?

So, where were we when we last left off? Yuji was a fugitive from the corrupt Jujutsu heads alongside his half-human, half-cursed spirit half-brother. Nagoya “Dbag” Zen’in tried to kill Yuji. Yuta showed up like an absolute CHAD and helped Yuji fake his death. And now all the good guys reunite at Tokyo Jujutsu High to meet Tengen, the immortal responsible for the barriers protecting the high schools in Tokyo and Kyoto. This brings us to this episode, which is more or less dedicated to exposition dumping on what the heck is about to happen.

Which is good, because I’ve always had a hard time understanding the power system in JJK, and I’ve had an even harder time trying to understand what the end goal of the antagonist’s is for the Culling Games.

To sum it up as best as I can understand it, it’s like the Infinite Tsukuyomi from Naruto meets Fortnite.

No, really. The ultimate plan of Kenjaku, the sorcerer who has possessed Geto’s corpse, is to force humanity to evolve by giving everyone access to cursed energy. His plan is to have humanity fuse with Tengen, who has evolved to become less a human and more an abstract entity, granting them all curse energy. To do that, he needs a massive amount of cursed energy be unleashed, hence why he’s been working behind the scenes for a thousand years trying to make the Culling Games happen. He made pacts with ancient sorcerers to have them participate in exchange for bringing them back in new bodies, which he did by feeding people cursed objects containing their souls. He also found people with cursed techniques who couldn’t use them and modified their brains so that they could, using the disaster curses and others to accomplish this. And since users of the Six Eyes like Gojo kept foiling him in the past, he made sure to seal Gojo so the technique wouldn’t pass on to someone else. All of this culiminated at Shibuya, where Kenjaku used everything to awaken thousands of sorcerers, both ancient and modern-day, and unleashed countless cursed spirits across Japan.

Da Rules

So, there a boatload of sorcerers who appeared out of nowhere, hordes of cursed spirits that have formed colonies across Japan, and Kenjaku is forcing them all to fight in the Jujutsu equivalent to Fortnite. All so he can merge humanity for the sake of transcending their current limitations. And to make matters worse, joining the Culling Games is non-negotiable for those picked. There are rules that even say so!

  1. Anyone who gets a cursed technique has to join nineteen days after awakening said technique by entering one of the colonies.
  2. Refusal to join will lead to players deaths by removal of cursed technique.
  3. Non-players who enter colonies become players by default.
  4. Points are gained by killing players and non-players
  5. Point values are determined by game master
  6. Players who gain 100 points can ask game master to add a new rule to the game. No takebacks!
  7. The game master must agree to new rule as long as it doesn’t mess with the game.
  8. Players whose scores haven’t changed after 19 days will die.

And to make sure that the game can’t end if he dies, Kenjaku made it so he isn’t the game master. This Shinigami thing called a kogane is!

Credit where credit is due; as someone who enjoys games myself, Kenjaku really thought this out. A pity that he’s doing this for the sake of evil. And with Gojo sealed in the Prison Realm, and the tools needed to free him destroyed or out of energy, there’s no way for him to stop Kenjaku.

Or is there?

One Chance

As fate would have it, one of those reawakened sorcerers, Angel, has a technique that can nullify other cursed techniques. Which means that she’s able to open the back door to the Prison Realm and let Gojo out. So, if they want to stop this madness, then they’re going to have to find Angel. But since this episode already gave us plenty of exposition, the anime decided to cut us some slack and give us this video explaining the good guy’s plans.

Everyone has their marching orders now, and so everyone must get ready to play the deadliest game of their lives.

Now, some people are no doubt asking why Kenjaku decided to make the rules as they are, let alone give players the chance to alter them or provide an out. That seems counterproductive to his evil plans for forced assimilation. The thing is, he probably doesn’t care if he ends up failing. His only goal is to force humanity to evolve, and conflict has always been a surefire way of seeing this happen. Think of how many leaps and bounds in technology have been made thanks to war making them a necessity. Even if he fails and even if the game falls apart, that won’t change the fact that he’s shaken Jujustu society to its core. They have to change now.

Great Exposition

Personally, I liked this episode. It might have to do with growing up watching Yu-Gi-Oh!, but I enjoy hearing exposition so I can better understand what’s going on. And judging by the comments on that Crunchyroll video, there are plenty who are having a hard time understanding how this whole thing will work. But what I think is my favorite part of this episode has to be the ending as we get our first look at one of those awakened sorcerers. I read about him on TV Tropes, and from the sounds of it (and how he is in the OP), he’s going to be pretty funny. Heaven knows we need that considering what’s about to happen.

I Give “About the Culling Game” a 4/5

So this is Suicide Squad, But Cooler? I Like it!

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Sentenced to be a Hero Ep 2 Review

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen a group of convicts be used as cannon fodder by uncaring superiors, I’d have a few extra dollars. Which isn’t much, but it’s weird how I’ve seen it happen multiple times in fiction. That being said, Sentenced to be a Hero is looking to be one of the biggest anime of the season. People are praising it for the story, the animation, and the characters, and it’s not hard to see why. Mother’s Basement included it in his list of heavy hitters for the winter 2026 season; he nicknames it “Gantz of Thrones.” That’s incredibly accurate, in my opinion! The Heroes are people being used as fodder in a war they’re expected to die in, but can be brought back for more, and not all of them are mentally put together. But that won’t stop them from doing their job.

So, despite the premiere ending with Xylo getting arrested and accused of stealing Teoritta, he wakes up in a tent with nothing having happened to him. Which makes sense, considering how he’s already been sentenced to the worst possible punishment as eternal fodder in a war. Credit where it’s due, though: that knight Kivia does apologize for the accusation when they meet up later in the episode. But Xylo couldn’t care less, as he tells her point-blank that she wouldn’t have believed him anyway. He’s right; no one would believe him, so why bother?

What does surprise him, though, is the fact that Teoritta refuses to end their contract, despite knowing what he did…or was forced to do by his circumstances. Some would call her naive, but I see it as her being a good judge of character. Xylo may hide it underneath his bitterness, but he’s a good and decent person. If he wasn’t, then why would he make it his mission in life to find the people responsible for Senerva’s death? He’s such a good person that he’s ready to burn everything to avenge her.

Another Suicide Mission

Speaking of mission, the heroes get their next one: defeating some demons called faeries infesting the mines at a town called Zewan Gan. This is when we are introduced to two more heroes, and, in keeping with what seems to be the theme for them, they’re quite eccentric. There’s his majesty, Norgalle Senridge. He’s an expert in sacred seals and magic, but he’s convinced that he’s the rightful king of their nation and everyone are his subjects. I’d say he’s delusional, but I’ve seen crazier things be true, and he does look out for the others. There’s also his servant, Tatsuya. He’s been a hero for so long, he’s practically feral. It’s tragic for him, but it makes him super vicious in battle.

So, we’ve got a fallen holy knight, a thief, a coward, a delusional magic expert, and someone as feral as Ezekiel from Total Drama. This whole thing is reminding me more and more of Game of Thrones meets that Suicide Squad isekai from a few years ago, but better. Consider me invested in it.

At any rate, their mission is to seal up the mines and make sure the demons don’t get out. That is already a hard job. But to add an extra layer of tragedy, its revealed that the faeries they’re fighting were humans transformed into monsters. The heroes and holy knights are basically having to perform mercy kills. The mission gets complicated, though, when they find a survivor who says there are more deeper in the mines. Kivia has orders to collapse the mines, but Norgalle insists they save ‘his people.’ So what can they do?

You Can’t Ignore Being a Good Person

Xylo shows why he’s a good person once again when he tells Kivia “Screw it. I’ll go save them. If I’m not back in time, feel free to blow the place. Not like you’re going to lose anything valuable.” But as a precaution, he refuses to allow Teoritta to accompany him. Which means if they run into trouble, they’ll be at a disadvantage.

If the extra-long premiere was meant to serve as a first look at this world, then this second episode helps to flesh out the world. And once again, the animation is still gorgeous and I love it. I’m now fully invested into this series and I’m looking forward to watching it over the rest of the season. Next week, we’re likely going to see the heroes race against the clock as we see them try to live up to actual heroes. Bring it on.

I Give “Sentence: Clear the Zewan Gan Tunnels Part 1” a 4/5

Sentenced to Be a Hero Might be Anime of the Year Material!

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Sentenced to Be a Hero Ep 1 Review

Happy New Year, everyone! And what a good year it is looking to be for the world of anime! We are going to see the return of many popular anime that we here at the D&A Anime Blog are all looking forward to seeing. However, I think that the first big hit of the year is an entirely new show. A show that’s animated by some of the people that made the first season of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation a legend of animation. As a fan of that Isekai series and agreeing that the animation from the first season was near god-tier, that fact alone was enough to get me interested in this. However, now I’m going to want to stay for the story, because Sentenced to be a Hero has the potential to be one of the best anime of the year.

I feel so good about being right.

Sentenced to be a Hero Inverts the Praise that Comes with the Word

The hero. A four-letter word that has done more to inspire feelings of hope, courage, and inspiration than any other in existence. It’s a concept that appears in every culture that’s ever existed, and one that comes with respect. That is not the case for the premise behind Sentenced to be a Hero, though. Before we even get to see the animation (which is god-tier), we get a text block explaining what a hero is in this story. In this story, being a hero is a punishment for the worst criminals. They are sentenced to fight on the frontlines in the never-ending war against Demons until they drop dead. They’re not even granted the peace of death, as they’re revived and forced to continue fighting, as unending cannon fodder, for eternity.

Now, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen a story where someone called a hero is treated terribly by those they’re having to save. It sure as heck isn’t the first time I’ve seen death being irrelevant to a story. And of course, we have video games, where players are expected to die and then have to start back from their last save. For all we know, science and technology could give people alive today the ability to tell death to piss off for as long as we want.

But dying is still dying, and while Goku and the others are able to shrug it off with zero signs of mental trauma, that’s not the case for everyone. It’s still going to hurt, and even someone with the strongest mentality they could possibly have is going to start cracking if they experience that over and over. And as we are introduced to the world of the show and its main cast, Sentenced to be a Hero demonstrates this in all its nightmare-fueled glory.

Xylo Has a Bone to Pick With those in Power

We are introduced to our main character, Xylo, in the middle of a battle against the Demons as one of his fellow Heroes steals something from their “allies.” The other Hero, Dotta, almost bites it and asks to die so he can be revived. However, as Xylo tells him, dying and then having your soul ripped out of the afterlife has consequences. It will erode away a person’s soul, causing them to lose memories of who they were until there’s almost nothing left. He even makes it a point to say that if happens enough times, a Hero will be like a living zombie!

Now, we may never know for certain if there is an afterlife, or if we reincarnate, or cease to exist. But compared to what Xylo is describing, death seems better. Regardless of whatever crimes a person may commit, I don’t think anyone deserves to suffer a fate like that. Whoever came up with that system must be some morally bankrupt sadist!

What makes it even worse, though, is that the crime that Xylo was sentenced to be a hero for wasn’t even his fault. As the end of the episode reveals, he was put in an impossible situation and left to die.

Goddesses are Little Girls.

In the world of the show, there are beings called goddesses, little girls who were created to help humanity fight the Demons by bestowing contracts on their chosen champions. Xylo made a pact with one such goddess after his unit was sent into a battle as cannon fodder with no reinforcements. That goddess used up so much of her power that she hit her breaking point and started to turn into a demon herself, forcing Xylo to put her out of her misery. If that wasn’t traumatizing enough, the country’s leaders placed all the blame on him, saying he acted without orders, that he was never ordered to fight, and that he killed her in cold blood. And they were saying all of this at his trial right to his face.

Basically, take what Naofumi went through and somehow crank that up to eleven. That’s how bad this is. And so, Xylo did what any sane, rational, understandably pissed-off person would do: he vowed revenge. He vowed that he would find the people who set him up and make them wish they had given him the death penalty when they had the chance!

I’ve seen it happen plenty of times in fiction, but it never fails to grind my gears than to see a good person get screwed over by those in power. It takes a rare kind of person to endure that level of getting screwed over to not want to seek revenge, and while I applaud those who can move on, I understand why Xylo acts so bitter throughout this first episode. He’s saving so many lives and looking badass while doing so, but his so-called allies spit on him anyway when they don’t know a thing. Even worse, when he ends up meeting another goddess, Teoritta, his ptsd is triggered. The girl only wants to help him, but he claims he hates goddesses and tries to drive her away. In the end, though, circumstances force the two to work together in order to win, meaning they’re now stuck with each other. And also Dotta, who stole the casket holding Teoritta in the first place.

Remember how Peak Season One of Mushoku Tensei Was? This is it on Steroids

There was a lot to unpack for this first episode, not the least bit because it was an hour long. But beyond the story, which sounds super interesting, the main draw of the episode was the animation. This show is directed by the people who helped to make the first season of Mushoku Tensei one of the most beautiful anime in living memory. From the bread scene to the fight between Dead End and Orsted to Eris fighting those knights in her solo ova, that first season was gorgeous beyond belief. And this episode was pretty much each of those moments extended into an hour.

To start with, there’s the color palette. Most of this episode is set at night, and they reflect this using a lot of dark colors. It’s doubly appropriate considering how this is a dark fantasy series. The animation is smooth as butter, especially during the fighting scenes. As for the fighting scenes, take the best ones from Mushoku Tensei and yourself what made them look so good. Now apply that to every fight in this episode. It’s a visual feast.

I’ve got a number of anime that I want to cover for the Winter 2026 season, and after seeing this episode, I can say that Sentenced to be a Hero is going to be one of them.

I Give “Sentence: Support Retreat From Couveunge Forest” a 5/5

I’m Already Stuffed from Anime, and 2026 isn’t Here Yet!

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All the Anime RJ Writing Ink is Looking forward to in 2026 (So Far)

Looking back on 2025, it was pretty much a golden year for anime. There were so many amazing series, both new and returning, that graced our TVs, smartphones, and computers. But with the new year upon us, that means new anime to appreciate. So much so that my poor brain is struggling to remember everything we have to look forward to. However, that will not stop me from going over all the confirmed series that I think most people will want to see.

Sentenced to Be a Hero, January 3rd

You would think that getting to be a hero would be a sweet gig, but then you remember all the peril that would involve putting yourself in. Then you have what’s going on in this anime, where being a hero is considered a punishment for criminals wjo are forced to fight against demons. Not even death can save them from this fate, as they just get revived and forced to go through it all again. What makes this anime stand out isn’t the story, though. It’s the animation. The directors behind this anime adaptation are the ones responsible for the best scenes from Mushoku Tensei. The first season of that isekai has some of the best animation you’ll find in an anime, so this could end up being one of the most beautiful anime of the year. I’m very tempted to review it myself!

Speaking of which…

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3

One of the pinnacles of the isekai genre will be returning for its third season sometime in 2026, and I’m absolutely stoked for it. A lot has changed in the life of Rudeus Greyrat. He’s back home with his mother and the rest of his family, he’s now married to both Sylphie and Roxy, and to top it off, he’s now a father. All seems right with the world for Rudy, but as we see in the trailer, things are only going to get crazier for him. The return of his ex-girlfriend Eris is just the tip of the iceberg, as things will be revealed that will reframe the entire story thus far. And as someone who read ahead, I’ve been keeping my mouth shut about everything long enough!

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, January 5th

My Hero Academia may be over, but we still got the prequel spin-off series to look forward to as it returns for its sophomore. After the events at Narufest at the end of the first season, Koichi and Pop are surprised when Knuckleduster up and disappears, leaving them on their own. Nonetheless, they strive to continue their roles as Naruhata’s friendly neighborhood heroes without their mentor. Anyone who misses MHA will be able to rest easy knowing that we won’t be leaving the world of MHA behind anytime soon.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3, January 9th

Ladies and gentlemen, peak shonen is about to return. I already talked at length about what we have to look forward to with the third season of JJK in my review of the movie preview, but I just want to remind us that things are going to get crazy. Yuji is a fugitive from a corrupt Jujutsu society, Kenjaku has turned Tokyo into a warzone, and one of the craziest arcs in the story is about to begin. And that’s not even going into the sub-plot about the Zen’in clan!

Frieren Beyond Journey’s End Season 2, January 16th

I have yet to watch the show for myself, but even I’ve heard about the fantasy greatness that is Frieren. And now that greatness is coming back for more. I think that’s all that needs to be said.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Season 4, April

We here at the D&A Anime Blog are big fans of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, and for good reason. It’s another example of what I call the Seven Summits of Isekai, and 2026 is looking to be a good year for Slime fans. Not only are we get a new film about Rimuru and the others going on vacation in February, but it’s reported that season four of the anime will be premiering sometime in April. In short, we’re going to be eating well this year.

Dr Stone: Science Future Cour 3, April

Another long-running Shonen series is returning for its final act in the form of Dr. Stone. Despite knowing how things would turn out, I more or less abstained from the second part of the final season because it was way too depressing for my tastes. However, considering how the ultimate goal of the Kingdom of Science remains getting to the moon, I cannot help but want to watch what comes next.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, March 19th

The legend returns, and that means it’s time for everyone to brush up on their JoJo poses and memes. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure will be returning for Part Seven, Steel Ball Run, this March exclusively on Netflix. Set in an alternate timeline from the one we’ve known, Steel Ball Run is Araki’s take on the spaghetti western as we see an alternate version of the original JoJo, Johnny Joestar, participate in a race across the United States that hides some deadly secrets. Steel Ball Run is the biggest shake-up to the long-running Shonen series since Stardust Crusaders, but JoJo is still JoJo. So, expect gorgeous artwork, epic posing, and plenty of memes to be made starting in the spring.

One Piece, Elbaph Arc, April 5th

It’s crazy to believe that One Piece will now be a seasonal anime, but it’s for the best. It means that Oda will not have to worry about keeping the manga ahead of the anime, and that the anime can focus more on quality over quanity. And given how the next arc is also the biggest yet, that is saying something. As the Straw Hat Pirates finally make it to the homeland of the Giants, fans will be in for an experience unlike anything we’ve seen up to this point. Having been reviewing the manga on my personal blog, I can say that Elbaph will be worth the wait.

And this is only the anime that I’m aware of and want to watch. There is going to be plenty more to look forward to in 2026. Happy new year, everyone!

So Many Fire Moments of Anime, So Little Time!

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

RJ Writing Ink’s Picks for Best Anime Moments of 2025

What a great year of anime that we’ve had! 2025 was filled with so many hits that there was no way I could possibly watch them all. From Jin-Woo continuing to slay as an aura farmer to Rentaro’s legendary yap about his girlfriends, there were a lot of anime moments that will live rent-free in my head for a long time. To celebrate the end of the year, I’m continuing my tradition of naming my favorite anime moments of 2025. Full disclosure: I will be limiting this to the anime that I managed to watch. This year got pretty busy for me, so I was unable to follow through on everything I wanted to see.

Super Saiyan 4 Returns, Dragon Ball Daima

Dragon Ball Daima was a bittersweet event for Dragon Ball fans, as it would be Akira Toriyama’s final contribution to his creation before his passing. However, he made sure to cook us up a feast before he died, culminating in the return of one of Goku’s most legendary forms, Super Saiyan 4. While Dragon Ball GT remains a controversial entry to the franchise, everyone agrees that SSJ4 was the best thing to come out of it. Needless to say, getting to see it re-enter the canon at the climax of Goku’s journey through the Demon Realm was like a blessing from the heavens themselves. Thank you, Toriyama.

Kuma Gets Revenge on Saturn, One Piece

If you remember my post praising the story of Bartholomew Kuma, then you also remember how offended I am by the mere existence of his mortal enemy, Jaygarcia Saturn. The monstrous member of the Five Elders of the World Government went out of his way to make Kuma’s life miserable, kidnapping and injecting the love of his life with a fatal illness, giving said illness to her daughter, and then forcing Kuma to give up his humanity to save her life. Needless to say, every fiber of my being wanted Saturn dead before the Straw Hats left Egghead. While that would end up happening, I found it way more satisfying when Kuma came to rescue his adoptive daughter from death at the hands of Saturn, and then repay him for a lifetime’s worth of pain in one cathartic punch. Guess good things come to those who wait.

Rentaro’s 2-Minute Monologue about his Girlfriends, The 100 Girlfriends

I know I like to talk about 100 Girlfriends a lot on this blog, but normally, I wouldn’t include something from it as one of the greatest moments in anime for the years. However, I think this should count as an exception. In the final minutes of season two, Rentaro proceeds to go on an entire monologue about everything he loves about his girlfriends. Besides demonstrating just how much of a CHAD he is, that monologue actually made the record books, earning the record for the longest speech in Japanese Animation at over 7,453 characters. The dub is just as impressive, coming in at more than 3k words! And all of it had to be sped up to fit it into that one scene. Earning a world record is more than enough to make it onto this list!

Jin-woo vs the Ant King, Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows

I’ve called Sung Jin-woo the Black Air Force Hunter for a reason, and the second season of his show continued to demonstrate why he’s worthy of that title. There were plenty of epic moments throughout the season, but its magnum opus is, without a doubt, when Jin-woo faces off against the Ant King on Jeju Island. When the best Hunters of two countries are left at the brink of death, Jin-woo shows up to save the day. The entire country then gets to see firsthand why Jin-woo is the strongest as we get this visually spectacular battle between Hunter and Monster. And the music they used was just the icing on the cake!

Natsuko Rewrites the Ending, Zenshu

After getting isekaied into a world based on her favorite movie, A Tale of Perishing, Natsuko did everything in her power to change the story’s ending, only for it to seem to be for naught. As the world begins to be destroyed by the embodiment of despair, the Ultimate Void, Natsuko uses all her drawing skills to make one last attempt to rewrite the story, creating a version of Luke strong enough to destroy it. In doing so, not only does she confess her love for the actual Luke, but manages to recreate the entire world and bring back everyone who died in the process. Not only is this whole thing absolutely gorgeous to look at, but it ties back into the show’s overall message of hope over despair. And it’s a much better ending than the film’s creator could ever have made. Score one for fan writing!

Speaking of which…

Midoriya and the Heroes Defeat All for One, My Hero Academia Final Season

Speaking as a fellow Star Wars fan, I can’t but think that Kohei Horikoshi looked at the climax of The Rise of Skywalker and thought, “hey, maybe I can do better.” I don’t know if that’s true or not, but seeing all of the Heroes help Deku defeat the evil All for One definitely gave off those vibes. As Midoriya puts everything he has left into one final attack, we get a montage of all the Heroes still capable of fighting doing everything they can to help him, culminating in a final, gorgeous moment as Deku lands the blow that will ultimately seal the villain’s fate. To make it even better, the entire thing was played to the series most iconic song, the ever-memeable “You Say Run.” That song really does go with everything!

Mecha vs. Space Kaiju, DanDaDan S2

You know what’s better than giant robots fighting equally giant monsters. Absolutely nothing! There were a lot of standout moments in the second season of DanDaDan, but I think the gang turning the Ayase house into a mecha to fight a space kaiju takes the cake. But even more importantly was getting to see newcomer Kinta not only solidify his role as an ally of Okarun and Momo, but he got to live out his dream of piloting a giant robot. Every Gundam fan in the world has got to be jealous of that guy at that moment! He may have his flaws, but when push came to shove, Kinta proved he had that dawg in him!!

Chainsaw Man vs Storm Devil, Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc

After waiting years for the story ofChainsaw Man to continue in anime form, the Reze Arc movie didn’t fail to disappoint. Denji’s fight against the likes of Reze was already crazy enough as it was. However, we all know that Chainsaw Man is one of those series that thrives on being as chaotic as possible. Ergo, instead of fighting just Reze, we get to see Denji fight her and the Typhoon Devil. All while riding atop the Shark Fiend. What is is crazier than riding a shark into battle?

The Whole Thing, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba-The Movie: Infinity Castle

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle was the kind of film that needed to be seen on the big screen. Anything less would be a great disservice, as would my attempting to pick one moment from it to single out. This entire movie was pretty much one big greatest anime moment of the year. The Demon Slayer Corps charging into their final battle against the Demons. Shinobu’s ultimate fate fighting Douma. Zenitsu killing his former sibling disciple turned Demon. Tanjiro fighting and beating the Demon that killed Rengoku! There’s too much to choose from, so I’m choosing it all! I’m so glad I got to see it on the big screen!

So, what were your favorite anime moments from 2025? Let us know!

Scarlet Finally Satisfies her Fist in Finale to Her Anime

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May I Ask for One Final Thing? Ep 13 Review

Scarlet, when I do my annual list of best waifus for 2025, you are going to be on it. Because you are just built different. Even when having to face down your brainwashed ally, Prince Julius, do you give up? Do you hold yourself back while trying to get through to him? You do not. Instead, you go full bore so you can stop him because he’s standing between you and Terenezza. The final episode of what might be one of my favorite anime for 2025, and Scarlet doesn’t hold anything back!

So, Terenezza continues to prove how stupid she is as she watches with incredulity as Scarlet refuses to back down from fighting the mind-controlled Julius. She fully expected Scarlet to be wracked with despair from this turn of events. But when she isn’t, she’s quick to call her absolutely heartless.

Then we proceed to get a look at what her life was like back in Japan before she got isekai’d. Even as a high schooler, she resented everyone around her for being happy when she wasn’t, and she psychologically projected her insecurities onto others. She wanted to prove that everyone could be as shallow and petty as she could be and see them wracked with despair. To make them suffer the same way she has.

Terenezza Was Never Heroine Material

I normally sympathize with people who are suffering from trauma. I take mental health pretty seriously. But with all disrespect, Terenezza really is a b****. So she was ignored all her life and not treated as the center of attention like she wanted to be. And now that she’s in another world, she thinks that she’s owed adoration when she’s done nothing to deserve it? Does she know how many Isekai protagonists had to work to become liked and admired? Rimuru Tempest got the best possible build to start his Isekai life, but he had to put in the work to build an entire nation and loyal following. Naofumi was framed for attempted assault by some b**** and had to endure an entire country being out to get him before proving himself. And Rudeus Greyrat may have had his knowledge from his past life to give him a head start, but he still has to work on his personality flaws. Yet even with the power of an actual goddess on her side, Terenezza still wants to complain about things not going her way?

No wonder she can’t be the heroine. She’s just not cut out for the role, whereas Scarlet is. And to prove it, she does what any great heroine does in a time of crisis: uses the power of love to ruin the vilainess’ plans.

True Love’s Kiss

Julius’ own blessing is actually something super embarassing: Heroic Tale, which only activates when the person the bearer loves the most is in danger. When that happens, they enter giga-CHAD God mode and are unstoppable. You can guess where this is going.

It should come as no surprise that the two end up kissing. Their dynamic, as strange as it may seem, has always had this romantic edge to it. Personality-wise, the two compliment each other so well. In fact, it makes me wonder why they weren’t engaged in the first place instead of Scarlet and Kyle.

At any rate, Terenezza crashes out and is possessed by Palmia herself. But like I said before, even with an actual god in her corner, she’s still a *****, and it doesn’t take much effort for Scarlet to send her blasting off like Team Rocket. She’ll live…probably.

All’s Well that Ends Well

And so, our tale of Scarlet the crash-out queen comes to an end. With Terenezza bested, the rank and file Palmians see her for the fraud she is and quickly return to Dianism. Especially since Saint Diana, or rather, Saint Sanya, saved them all. The leaders of the Palmians are arrested, and their religion is disbanded. The remaining foreign armies stand down. Dios becomes an agent for Julius in exchange for a pardon. And order and peace is restored as Sanya restores the barrier crystals. All is right with the world…until Scarlet realizes that Julius put himself in danger on purpose just to get her to do what she did. Punch time!

I have to admit, I didn’t think that I would like this show as much as I have, but I was pleasantly surprised. The fall 2025 anime season hasn’t had as many good anime that I can write about on this blog, but this kept me going. At least starting next month, we will be in for a feast.

I Give “May I ask for One Final Thing” a 4.5/5

Terenezza Faces her Punishment

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May I Ask for One Final Thing Ep 12 Review

The time has come, Terenezza. She has been a very naughty girl and committed multiple nefarious acts against the kingdom of Pallistan. Murder, brainwashing, blackmail, acts of terrorism, and orchestrating wars. But worst of all, she managed to piss off Scarlet El Vandimion beyond belief. And one way or another, she’s going to have to accept the consequences of her actions. In this case, the pounding of Scarlet’s fists. But it seems like the bitch has one last card to play.

So, Scarlet, Diana, Dios, Julius, and everyone else of importance flies to where the second gem is located, where the Palmians are holed up, and where Terenezza’s waiting to finish this. The Palmians are dug in like ticks and rigged the place with traps, but…okay, do we really expect any of this to work?

Seriously, at this point, why’d the Palmians even bother with the booby traps. They should know by now that Scarlet can no-sell everything they throw at her. It’s a little more than comedy to see her waste them.

At any rate, it doesn’t take them long to reach the Palmians. They are heavily outnumbered by the cultists, and can only hold them off for so long without Diana’s powers. And to make matters worse, Dios reveals he had to give up his protection from the wind spirit to get the Elves to fall back. They’re basically trying to hold back a flood.

Julius Triggered a Trap Card

Julius gets a chance to shine, at least. He faces off against the Palmian’s Grand Inquisitor, this man who’s so irrelevant that I can’t even remember their name. All that I know is that the fight between these two is surprisingly interesting to watch. We’ve rarely gotten to see Julius have the chance to cut loose, but when he does, we can see why he’s considered the crown prince. He’s close to being Scarlet’s equal in combat as he wipes the floor with the Grand Inquisitor.

It’s too bad that he managed to activate his trap card in the process.

Meanwhile, Scarlet finally manages to reach her goal: Terenezza, the bitch from another world. On the one hand, her stupidity was the reason why she was able to finally break off her leash for good and give Kyle his punishment. On the other hand, though, Terenezza is guilty of all those other things I mentioned, including making her future little sister sad. So, she gets a double dose of punishment.

The fight between the two, if you could even call it that, was pretty much decided before it even started. Whatever Palmia gave Terenezza to work with, Chronoa gave Scarlet double the amount. It doesn’t take her long to get in close and grab her by the hair before retrieving the power she had stolen. Thanks to that, Diana gets her power back in time to save everyone’s hides.

Terenezza is Only Delaying the Inevitable

Unfortunately, this is when Terenezza plays her trap card. When Nanaka was under her thrall, she had him place a spell on Julius to enable her to mind-control him with her charm. It didn’t work, merely weakening the defenses he had as a prince. However, the Grand Inquisitor had used his powers to tear a hole in space connecting her to Julius, allowing her powers to fully take control. In other words, Julius is now fighting for Terenezza. She’s gambling that Julius can kill Scarlet and that Scarlet would be too reluctant to harm Julius to do any real damage.

Once again, this girl is all kinds of stupid. Not only has Scarlet made it clear that she’s willing to beat up even Julius, but she will do it without hesitation. And Julius would want her to do that if it meant snapping out of this brainwashing. If anything, Scarlet’s probably happy at the chance to pay him back for all the times he’s annoyed her.

And this is where we stand going into the finale. A mind-controlled Julius is all that stands between Scarlet and the bitch responsible for all this chaos. And as we have come to expect, nothing will stand between Scarlet and whatever has invoked her wrath. So, this final episode should prove to be very interesting, indeed. Don’t hurt Julius too badly, Scarlet!

I Give “May I Pay Off the Massive Debt My Fists Have Accrued?” a 4/5

So We’re Shipping Scarlet with Julius, Right?

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

May I Ask for One Final Thing Ep 11 Review

No plan survives first contact with the enemy, especially when you’re relying on a group of hot-headed knuckleheads to pull it off. Thanks to the Dragoons of Vankish being hot-headed as they come, it’s up to Scarlet to make sure everything goes according to the plan.

So, Dios and Nanaka’s route to Falconia’s army has been blocked by more monsters that the Dragoons are keeping at bay. They wanted to wait for them to clear a path so they can make it through. However, when Jinn gets grazed by an enemy attack, he took it personally. The next thing they know, its chaos. Thankfully, Scarlet is able to pull up on Alflame and get him to rein his men in. And then she has to bail him out later when he’s about to be overrun by monsters.

The whole time, Nanaka is weary of Dios for his previous betrayal, as Scarlet has given him a second chance. However, Dios manages to prove he’s as good as his word. When the Elves led by his uncle come, he’s able to convince him to have Falconia withdraw by making a deal. They didn’t want to fight in the first place; the Beastkins were brainwashed by Terreneza. And while we dont know what this deal was supposed to be, I can imagine that it’s going to cost Dios in the future.

At any rate, the allies have won the day. They managed to take out the majority of the monsters and talked Falconia into standing down. Sadly, Alflame and the Dragoons must return to Vankish. But before they do, Alflame straight up asks Scarlet to come with him so she can be safe if Eldrand attacks. Right in front of Julius, no less.

By now, it’s pretty clear that despite saying otherwise, Julius has romantic feelings for Scarlet. Who wouldn’t, though? Scarlet is just that awesome! So seeing him become possessive of her is rather touching. We even get more hints when they talk later that he’s been in love with Scarlet for years, though it’s disguised, humorously enough, as a love for apple pie. Way to flirt, Julius!

The moment is ruined, though, when Alflame tries to challenge his “love rival” to a duel, and he has to be dragged back home by his men.

Alflame’s men may not always respect him as their leader, but you can tell by looking at them that they do care about him. The fact that they’re able to treat him in such a casual manner despite being royalty is proof of this in my eyes.

Terenezza Must be Punished

With the immediate threats dealt with, all that is left is to deal with the root of the problem: Terenezza. She’s trying to destroy another one of the gems holding the barrier protecting Pallistan together. It will take her a few days to be ready, so if they want to stop her before that happens, they have to do it now. So Scarlet, Dios, Diana, and the others need to track her down and punish her before that happens.

Elsewhere, the bitch in question is having an argument with her puppet master. It would seem that Palmia’s desire to see Pallistan ruined extends to the point that she wanted her puppet to raze every settlement in her path, despite Terenezza wanting to actually rule Pallistan. As if anyone in their right mind would want a shrew like her to be their leader. But now that she knows that the heroes are coming for him, she’s putting her own plan in motion. And our last sight for the episode is of Nanaka standing over a sleeping Julius, doing…something. Something bad, obviously!

We’re in the endgame now, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this ends. In hindsight, though, a lot of this mess could’ve been avoided if Scarlet had known back in the first episode to beat Terenezza to the point where she’d be breathing through a tube for the foreseeable future. It would be wholly justified in this case! Good thing Scarlet can fix that.

I Give “As These Appear Undercooked, May I Turn Them Into Minced Meat?” a 4/5

Scarlet Goes to War…and Ends it!

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May I Ask for One Final Thing? Ep 10 Review

So, let’s recap: thanks to that absolute shrew, Terrenezza, one of the crystals keeping Pallistan safe has been shattered. There’s an army of bloodthirsty monsters about to invade. And to top it off, two of the kingdom’s neighbors have declared war for the love of the game. In short, everyone looks to be screwed to the point that not even Scarlet can handle this alone. Lucky for her, her not-so-secret admirer from another country has come to help her.

Sweet!

War is Coming

In the time that Scarlet was asleep, the Palmians were busy being a menace to society. They managed to talk two of Pallistan’s neighbors, Falconia and Elrand, into declaring war. Between them and the monster horde, the kingdom is facing a three-way battle on its borders. Even if you’re not a strategist, you should know how less than ideal that is!

The good news, though, is that now that Scarlet is awake, she’s ready to subject everyone deserving of it to punishment. The problem? She can’t be everywhere at once, so that means they have to divide and conquer. Dios will handle the other elves, while Nanaka will handle the Demi-humans. That leaves the Monster hordes to Scarlet…and Aflame.

Yes, Prince Alflame of the Vankish Empire has returned. Instead of backing the Palmians, though, he’s choosing to throw his lot in with Julius. In exchange, they’ll give him support for his bid for the throne. Because in his lands, the firstborn is not a shoo-in for succession. In exchange, he’ll provide himself, and his personal army of a thousand Dragon Knights. It might not seem like much, but then you remember the fact that they’re all riding dragons. Giant, flying, apex predators that can breathe fire. If you’ve ever seen the Game of Thrones franchise, then you know what a handful can do. And they have a thousand of them. Do the math.

So Scarlet takes Rex and goes to the battlefield with Alflame. And as it turns out, she already has quite the reputation amongst his followers.

The Infernal Bride? Sounds so Cool!

Spike Spiegel once said that he loves a woman who can kick his butt. As we already know, Alflame is of the same mindset, because the last time they met, he decided that Scarlet was the one for him. Since then, he’s been going around telling his Redsky Dragoons that she’s his fiancée and that he gave her Rex as a gift. They’ve even taken to calling her the “Infernal Bride.”

Scarlet is not amused. But her retaliation doesn’t freak the Dragoons out. If anything, they’re impressed. And I can understand why.

Their respect only grows when the time comes for the actual fighting. When an Orc Lord takes one of the Dragoons’ own hostage, it tells Scarlet that the first thing the monsters will do is to devour the women and children of her country. Scarlet’s response? To beat it to death with its fists.

This is one of Scarlet’s finest moments of butt-whooping. Not only is the Orc Lord thought, but it has a healing factor allowing it to regenerate from even a decapitation. Her response. Slow down time to deliver hundreds of punches at once! Enough to overload its healing factor and become another feast for Scarlet. The Dragoons are so grateful they start calling her big boss.

Bow to the Queen

So that’s one problem solved. But now there’s another one. Dios and Nanaka’s peace negotiations are not going anywhere due to more monsters being in the way.

Uh-oh. Is Scarlet going to have to get involved to save the day, or can Dios and Nanaka pull this off? It could go either way, honestly!

I Give “May I Cook This Thick Cut of Pork Through With Body Punches?” a 4/5

There’s a Special Place in Hell for Those who Manipulate the Good

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

May I Ask for One Final Thing Ep 9 Review

You know what I hate? Villains blackmailing nice people to do what they want against their will. It breaks my heart to see sweet, pure, and worthwhile people being forced to perform acts of evil against their will. It’s one of the reason why I hate villains who blackmail good people to do their dirty work, and Terenezza definitely qualifies as such a villain. Thanks to her and her b**** goddess, Scarlet’s home is in grave danger. But even worse, though, is the fact that the Palmians forced sweet little Sanya, AKA Saint Diana, into becoming their pawn.

They are all going to be needing some punishment before this is over, and Scarlet will see it done.

Palmia Must be Stopped

So, after the failed ambush of Terenezza last episode, Scarlet fell into a deep slumber. And while she has slept, things have only gone from bad to worse. Terenezza has led the Palmians to destroy one of the crystals creating the barrier protecting Pallistan. With its destruction, the entire kingdom is at risk from invading monsters. Even worse, two neighboring countries declare war and are on the march. This is something that the Palmians have been planning for some time now, and it’s about to come to fruition.

It’s almost impressive just how thorough the Palmian Church’s plans to destroy Pallistan were. They intimidate the Dianists, corrupt the nobles from within, and Terenezza would use her powers to have one of the princes wrapped around her finger. However, knowing all of that only serves to demonstrate just how massive a spanner in the works Scarlet has proven to be. She’s managed to derail almost all their evil plans, and they were only willing to act once she fell asleep. Thankfully, she wakes up from her beauty sleep halfway through the episode, fully committed to punishing the naughty Palmians.

Especially after learning how they manipulated poor Diana.

And the Good Book Said “Thou who Manipulates the Sweet Little Girl Shall Suffer”

For some time now, Julius and Sigurd suspected that there was a spy in the Church of Diana feeding the Palmians information. As it turns out, that mole was none other than Diana herself. They forced her to be their agent with the promise of being able to restore her missing powers as a Saint. Little did she know, it was the Palmians themselves who stole her powers in the first place. And poor little Diana, desperate to prove her continued worth and value as a person, fell for their Faustian bargain hook, line, and sinker. It’s only after seeing what’s happened to Scarlet, the person she cares about the most, that sje decided to put her foot down in front of their agent, Dios. Thankfully, Scarlet manages to de-escalate things with her fists, and while Julius does intend to punish her after all this done, I doubt she’ll get in serious trouble. The Palmians stole her powers and emotionally manipulated her. It would be hard for many people in her shoes not to act like she did. At the very least, Scarlet responds to her actions with empathy and understanding.

Which is not something that could be said regarding her reaction to Dios…at first.

Wasn’t Expecting That

So, Scarlet remembers that when Diana’s life was in danger when her palanquin collapsed, Dios was genuinely worried for her safety. Thus, she knows he’s a true believer of Palmia and a decent person. As it turns out, she’s spot on. Dios doesn’t give two cents about Palmia; he just cares about Diana, his half-sister.

Dios is half-human, half-elf. His mother was an elf, but his father was a human and also Diana’s father. He tracked them down in the hopes of chewing him out over it, but as soon as he saw Diana, his big brother instincts kicked in. And when Diana lost her powers, the Palmians pulled the same con on him that they would then use on Diana herself. However, now that he knows that the Palmians themselves are responsible for stealing Diana’s saintly powers in the first place, he’s done with them. He even offers to give Scarlet info on them…but she refuses. Instead, all she wants is for Dios to prove himself by doing right by his sister by stopping the Palmians.

Thankfully, Scarlet and Julius won’t be alone in this effort. Remember Prince Alflame of the Vankish Empire? It would seem that the Palmians tried to reach out to him to get him to join in on their “crush Pallistan” plan. Instead, he’s going to help the woman he’s madly in love with. So that makes two examples of simping in a single episode.

We are nearing the endgame of this story, and there is still plenty of ground left to cover. However, I’m confident that this show can stick the landing. With luck, Scarlet will be giving us all an early Christmas present of battered and bloody Palmians.

“May I Explain That This is Not Something That Just Anyone Can Do?” A 3.5/5