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Jiji 1/2 Needs an Exorcism

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

DanDaDan S2 Ep 5 Review

Well, somehow the gang managed to pull it off. They defeated the Kito Family, killed their pet Death Worm, and saved the village of Byakuja from being destroyed by a volcano. That’s the good news, though. The bad news is that Jiji is still possessed by the Evil Eye, the yokai that’s so far into its crash-out that it won’t be satisfied until it’s killed all of humanity. And because they can’t get rid of it yet, the entire gang is going to have to work 24/7 to keep it under control as we enter into the next arc of the series: The Evil Eye Arc.

This is going to be stressful for everyone involved.

The episode starts off as Manjiro and the Ayase’s attempting to exorcise the Evil Eye from Jiji (who’s secured inside Taro) as everyone watches. Much to their irritation, though, the yokai is so angry that it refuses to leave Jiji or move on to the afterlife. When it becomes clear that nothing’s working, they’re left with only one option: head home and keep Jiji sealed inside Taro until they figure out a plan.

Dang Failed Exorcism

Upon returning home and reuniting with Aira (who wasn’t happy about being left behind), Seiko apologizes to everyone for what’s happened. If she had gone with them in the first place, they might not be in this mess. Therefore, it’s up to her to help Jiji, but even she can’t do it alone. So they’re going to have to hire Hayashi (musicians that exorcise spirits and yokai). In the meantime, Taro attempting to eat some Oden winds up revealing a temporary solution to their Evil Eye problem. When Jiji’s splashed with hot liquids, he turns back into himself. But when he gets hit by cold liquids, the Evil Eye takes over and will go back to trying to kill everyone.

So, for the time being, the gang will have to watch Jiji with thermos’ full of hot water on hand. It’s not foolproof, but it’s better than making Taro serve as a living prison for the poor teenager. Easier said than done, though. Skipping ahead to the end of the episode, we see that all it takes is for a single drop of soy sauce to get on him for the Evil Eye to come back.

If there’s an analogy for this situation, it would like someone being asked to guard a nuclear bomb that is armed and could go off at any given moment.

Yet, despite everything, life goes on.

Life Goes On

Part of the beauty of DanDaDan is that it’s not just a Shonen action series. It’s about teen romance, with the mess that comes with it. By now, it’s clear that Momo and Okarun have some sort of feelings for each other. So, seeing them try to figure out what they are to each other is just adorable, giving us cute moments like this.

https://twitter.com/DandanShots/status/1950958635200475279

As for Aira, though, she’s now reaping the cost of her own actions. After confessing to spreading lies about Momo getting around, she’s gone from school idol to pariah. However, it’s for the best. If people only liked her for her good looks, then they don’t know her at all. She’s found real friends in Momo and Okarun. Speaking of which, she and Okarun move in with the Ayase’s until they fix Jiji.

Mantis Shrimp and Chiqi are here to Stay!

The best part, though, is the return of Mantis Shrimp and the introduction of his son. Due to the cow they got being unsuitable for survival on their planet, Mantis opted to move to Earth for his son’s sake. And they’re right next door to the Ayase’s!

More importantly, though, is how quickly the teens take a liking to Chiqi. Some of the funniest background scenes involve Aira just gushing over the boy’s cuteness, and I can’t blame her. The kid deserves his own plushie!

It’s nice to see that the show’s sense of humor remains as fresh as ever. Considering the headache that the Evil Eye will be, it does a good job of balancing out the drama and action with comedy. Like this!

The mangaka and writers are hilarious.

By the way, this episode reveals what happened to the Kito’s. They got their just desserts and hauled off to prison, with the sole exception of their matriarch. Who also happens to be a being called a Subterranean who’s now out for Momo’s blood. Move on, woman!

Great episode, though. Really great!

I Give “We Can All Stay There Together” a 4.5/5

How I Pulled Out a Giant Worm to Stop a Volcano

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

DanDaDan S2 Ep 4 Review

The phrase “out of the frying pan, into the fire” is often used to describe a bad situation getting worse. But what do you call it when the fire in question is an exploding volcano? A nightmare waiting to happen, that’s what! Just when Momo thinks she’s in the clear after killing the giant death worm, it turns out there was some merit to all those stories about it and the volcano. Now, she has to save Byakuja village from destruction while also dealing with both the Evil Eye and the angry Kito Family. And she doesn’t have Okarun or Turbo Granny to help her! *gulp*.

The Kito Family SUCKZ!!!

So, as soon as the Tshuchinoko, AKA the Mongolian Death Worm, drops dead, the volcano near Byakuja village starts to go off. As Momo is dumbfounded, the matriarch of the Kito Family starts going off about how they were right the whole time and that the Worm was the only thing saving the village from death. But then Momo, being the smart girl that she is, remembers the story that Manjiro, the priest at the shrine, told her about the monster. The story goes that when the volcano blew its stack, a dragon would rise from the ground and cast a rainbow as the lava destroyed everything. But the Worm couldn’t go aboveground without dying in the sun! That’s when she realized something: the whole time, the story had been referring to the geysers that erupt when a volcano is about to erupt.

In other words, not only had the Kito family gotten it wrong this whole time, but they had been sacrificing people for centuries for no reason! So, Momo decides enough is enough, and opts to make sure the story never comes true. Using her powers, she proceeds to turn the dead worm into a firehose and use it to stop the lava from hitting the village. However, instead of admitting their wrongdoing and taking the L, the Kito Family insists on doubling down by trying to kill Momo.

When you think about it, this whole story about Byakuja village is so sad. The Kito Family’s ignorance led them to kill dozens, if not hundreds of people, for no reason. The Evil Eye never had to be created in the first place! Admittedly, though, it’s funny seeing the Family continuing to think they were in the right, because they can’t stand the idea of someone else being the hero. And to make matters worse, the Evil Eye shows up and continues trying to kill everyone present! It must have been so cathartic for the yokai to hit the monsters responsible for its suffering! Thankfully, though, the cavalry shows up to save the day in time.

The Cavalry is Here!

As it turns out, Manjiro is actually a student of Momo’s grandmother, who had called him in advance to say that the quartet had been coming to help. But since that went south and Manjiro couldn’t handle the Evil Eye on his own, Granny Seiko had to step in, and she brought backup. Taro, the living mannequin, Mr. Mantis Shrimp in his UFO, and even his son, Chiquitita, show up to help resolve the situation. It should also be noted that Chiqui (my nickname for him) is super sweet, singing while he pilots his dad’s starship and quickly befriending Momo.

With everyone’s help, the group is able to seal away the Evil Eye inside of Taro, whose insides Seiko covered with seals to surpress its energy. Chiquitita takes over putting out the fire, and even helps Momo rescue Okarun and Turbo Granny from what’s left of the house. Thankfully, the worm goop they got stuck in was lavaproof, saving their lives and leading to Momo giving Okarun a well-deserved hug.

This Could be a Problem

As good as it is to know that the Tsuchinoko can’t eat anyone else and that they stopped the volcano, there are two things that prevent this episode from being a wholly happy ending. Firstly, where did the Kito family go? They seemed to have dropped off the radar amidst all the chaos, meaning they’re likely still out there. They need to face justice for their crimes before they hurt anyone else! Secondly, Jiji is still possessed by the Evil Eye. Sympathetic as their backstory might be, they can’t stay in poor Jiji. They need to either be exorcised, talked down, or persuaded to move on to the afterlife! Sadly, that will have to wait until the next episode. At least anime-only watchers can rest a little easier knowing that giant worm is gone!

I Give “That’s, Like, Way Deadly!” a 4/5

White. Tiger. Power. ‘Nuff Said

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 4 Review

The duel for Naofumi’s freedom has begun. After losing all patience with the leadership of Siltvelt for not giving him a ship to get to Q’Ten Lo, Naofumi’s decided to force the issue. Fohl and Atla will fight Jaralis and his champion in a duel on his behalf, and if they win, Siltvelt will stop stalling. But if he loses, he’ll be stuck in Silvelt and forced to have an unwanted harem of Demi-Humans and Beastmen. While that’s already enough motivation for the siblings to win, they have another motive. Fohl has a score to settle with Jaralis regarding what happened to their late father on the day he died, and he will have his answers and his justice.

Fohl and Atla’s Lineage!

Starting with their introduction in the previous season, Shield Hero has been dropping hints that there’s something about Atla and Fohl that’s special. It’s not just the fact that they’re Half-Human or their incredible strength and will. The fact that Trash, who has a grudge against Demi-Humans, was so nice to them was a big hint that they’re special. As these last few episodes have revealed, there’s a good reason for that: by blood, they’re Siltveltian royalty.

Their father (whom I’m not sure ever gets a name-dropped) was the son of Tyran, the late king of the Hakuko, one of Siltvelt’s greatest military leaders, and the arch-enemy to Trash of Melromarc. While hewas every bit as skilled a leader and warrior, though, Tyran’s son didn’t like war, leading to him being disowned by his father. After that, he met and married his wife (who is important for her own reasons), had Fohl and Atla, only to be forced to fight in another war alongside Jaralis and die on the battlefield. His family lost everything after that, with his wife dying of illness, his kids having to give everything to their staff, and selling themselves into slavery so Fohl could pay for Atla’s medicine.

Jaralis is a Low-Class Hater

And despite Jaralis trying to claim to Fohl’s face that their father died a coward, the boy knows right away that he’s lying. So the lion just admits the truth: he murdered their father in cold blood.

Everyone watching should’ve already figured out by now that Jaralis is scum; so much so that the anime wasn’t able to fully capture all the things that make him scum. For example, that incident where Naofumi was almost assaulted by all those beastwomen in the bath? That was likely his idea! That’s strike one! Strike two was him trying to poison Naofumi and his party, and then doing everything he can to deny it like he’s Littlefinger from Game of Thrones. And if you’ve read Allen Blaster’s Shield Hero fanfic, then we see much earlier how slimy he is. But this is the moment where goes from being a slimeball to a hater of the pettiest degree. The man hated the Hakuko siblings’ dad because he was everything he wasn’t: kind, charismatic, and so good at being a leader that even when Jaralis deliberately put him in a position to be killed, he still won. So he pulled a Scar from The Lion King and just killed him himself!

And just like Scar, Jaralis doesn’t play fair. He must have known Fohl could beat him, because he coats his weapons in poison to paralyze him. When that doesn’t work, he dopes himself on a drug that turns him into a giant, four-legged lion. And when that still fails, he resorts to flat-out calling in some thugs to kill everyone, dropping all pretenses of a duel. The man is a hater!

Villain Rule One: Never Monologue

Jaralis, though, managed to make a classic villain mistake: he monologued and told Fohl everything. Between hearing how Jaralis killed his dad, and being pushed into a corner, Fohl gets the push he needs to unlock new power. He manages to transform into a full-on Beastman Hakuko. He looks like a white tiger god!!

As bad as the situation looks, fans should know that Naofumi and the others aren’t in any real danger. Jaralis is the kind of villain who thinks they’re hot stuff, but in truth, is a chump. He has to resort to using drugs, poison, and brute strength to fight a kid, and he can’t even do that. The Shield Hero team can handle him no problem. What fans should care more about is getting to see what Fohl can do in his El Tigre Blanco form. It could end up being what gives him a leg up on his sister! That will have to wait until next week’s episode, though, but we should be in for a satisfying beatdown.

I Give “Entrusted Power” a 4/5

It’s Official: Atla is terrifying!

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

The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 3 Review

Ever since Naofumi arrived in Silvelt, I have been very consistent in my opinion about the country: it’s a fan club that is also a nation. Everyone in Siltvelt worships the Shield Hero and would jump at the chance to help them. But like any large fandom, there are going to be toxic elements. The worst of them are the fans who claim to support what they want, but are really trying to manipulate it for their own ends. And having seen how the leaders of Siltvelt are acting, Atla puts on her Tims and gives the adults the verbal beating they deserve.

Atla Grills All the Adults

As we saw in the last episode, someone tried to poison Naofumi and his party, though everyone knows that it was Jaralis who did it. However, instead of arresting him on the spot, the leaders of Siltvelt went back to arguing amongst themselves. That is when Atla finally reaches the limits and proceeds to crash out and tells them the truth: THEY ALL SUCK.

What follows is three minutes of a child proceeding to verbally tear a bunch of foolish adults a new one, and it is glorious. And in keeping with the fandom analogy, she’s basically the one who’s calling out everyone for making that which they claim to love so unwelcoming to others. Having seen and heard stories about how toxic the fanbases of certain franchises have gotten, it’s nice to see someone not letting something similar slide. And if you thought Atla was cool in the anime, that’s nothing. She starts aura-farming so hard, she breaks the floor underneath her while Naofumi sees the figure of an angry tiger forming around her! PURE EPIC!!

Yet despite everything, and despite Naofumi getting the cook for breakfast to admit being told to use poison, what does Jaralis do? Lying through his teeth.

Jaralis Suckz!!

One would think that the end of the world would be a good motivator for people to put aside their wants and needs. However, the stupidity of some people cannot be so easily cured. In this case, Jaralis outright says that the Waves the world is facing are not the ones of legend, and that Naofumi isn’t the real shield hero. It’s like watching Littlefinger from Game of Thrones. The man will lie straight to people’s faces to get what he wants! It also doesn’t help that the Lion is a racist who continually belittles Atla for being half-human.

As this episode makes abundantly clear, Atla and Fohl are hybrids. Their father was a White Tiger, but their mother was human. And a very important human, at that. However, the fact that Jaralis, a grown man, is willing to play the “hybrid” card on children, just shows how pathetic he truly is. And he’s not going to let this go anytime soon.

So, Atla decides to pull up and put him in his place. She challenges Jaralis to a duel.

Let the Duel Begin!

If you’ll recall, Naofumi once fought a duel against Motoyasu over the matter of Raphtalia’s freedom, completely ignoring the fact that she was a slave in name only and was choosing to serve him out of her free will. This time, though, the terms are simpler. Atla and Fohl will fight on Naofumi’s behalf against Jaralis and a champion of Siltvelt. If they win, the Council will give them their ride to Q’ten Lo and let them go on their way. However, if they lose, not only will Naofumi have to stay in Siltvelt…he’ll have to form a harem.

ATLA, FOHL, YOU HAD BETTER NOT LOSE!!!

Naofumi’s chastity aside, this fight is just as important to Fohl as it is to his leader. He’s got questions for Jaralis, and he will get answers.

Grab some popcorn! This will be good!

I Give “A True People” 3.5/5

DEATH TO THE GIANT WORMS!

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

DanDaDan S2 Ep 3 Review

Well, this is certainly a pickle! It was already bad enough that Okarun, Momo, Jiji and Turbo Granny were trapped underground with a giant worm cryptid. Then they had to contend with a yokai borne from the hatred of the Kito family’s sacrifices. And to top it off, that yokai has now possessed Jiji and turned him into a force of nature bent on killing them all! Fortunately for Momo, Ken is capable of fighting the Evil Eye while Momo works to find a way to take down the giant worm.

Having managed to possess Jiji, the Evil Eye wastes no time in showing just how powerful it truly is, putting Okarun on the defensive and forcing him to flee with Momo in tow. However, it’s not because he can’t win, as the next round proves. It’s because he prioritizes Momo’s safety over his own like a gentleman. Thanks to him, Momo is able to escape the pit to find a way to get them all out before the Tsuchinoko kills them.

With Momo out of the way, Okarun and the Evil Eye can fight for real. Admitedly, though, their fight isn’t as visually impressive as the other fights we’ve seen in the series thus far. Though, to be fair, it might be because it’s not as long as other fights are. Both of them run out of steam due to the poison in the area, meaning they can’t fight to the fullest. It makes up for it, though, by doing two things. Firstly, the Evil Eye lets Aleks Le flex his Jin-woo muscles. Secondly, the way that Ken Takakura rallies would make Jotaro Kujo proud.

Too bad Okarun’s cool moment doesn’t last long. When he tries to save Turbo Granny, he winds up getting stuck in whatever gunk the Worm spews out of itself. Now they’re both trapped. Luckily, Momo has a foolproof plan to get rid of the worm: burning down the cursed house!

Burnin’ Down the House!

While Okarun and Jiji are doing battle, Momo finds out that it’s all but impossible to get them a means to climb out of the pit. Thus, she changes tactics to killing the Tsuchinoko. It can’t take the Sun’s UV rays, so by luring it above ground before sunset, it’ll kill itself. So she burns down the house.

It turns out that worms breathe through their skin, which is why they crawl up to the surface when it rains; otherwise, they’ll drown. And by calling the fire department, she’s able to have the ground soaked in enough water. And thanks to her quick thinking, the monster is forced to the surface, where it shrivels up and dies, just like nature intended. It may not be the most climactic way to finish things, but there was no way Momo could beat the Death Worm in a straight-up fight.

Sadly, after the worm dies, it expels the last things that it ate: the very-much alive Kito Family, who aren’t happy about what Momo did. And to top it off, the part about it being connected to the volcano was true. Now the mountain’s blowing up and threatening to destroy the village.

How do we stop a volcano?

This was a good episode, overall. I wish that we had gotten more time to see Okarun and the Evil Eye fight, but something tells me that more of that coming in future episodes. For now, though, how is Momo going to stop the volcano and save her friends? And, yes, that includes Turbo Granny. That look on her face when Ken tries to save her is enough to qualify her as such.

I Give “You Won’t Get Away With This!” a 3.5/5

For the Last Time, NAOFUMI DOESN’T WANT A HAREM!

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

The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 2 Review

It’s only been one day since Naofumi and his party arrived in Siltvelt, and he’s already growing sick of the place. His only goal right now is to get to Q’Ten Lo and stop them from coming after him and Raphtalia. However, Siltvelt’s leaders seemed determined to keep him in their country for as long as possible; likely forever! And as the follow-up episode demonstrates, the leaders of Siltvelt will play dirty to make sure that that happens. Fortunately, Naofumi has a zero-tolerance policy for red tape and stalling, and when one of the country’s leaders tries to make a move, he decides to put them all on the OPP’s list unless they give him what he wants.

You got to admire someone who refuses to deal with baloney.

Before we get started, let’s back up to the season premiere. A few days before it premiered, I remembered I had the light novels that this season should be covering on my smartphone. I started reading through them, and thanks to that, I’m better able to notice a few things that the anime has changed or rearranged. More importantly, it made me remember that the story established earlier than the anime that Jaralis was going to be a problem. For example, in the light novel version of his audience with Silvelt’s leaders, Jaralis starts by singing Naofumi’s praisings before twisting his words into saying that they should go out and crush all who oppose them. And then he basically ends the meeting early by having everyone walk out.

Naofumi vs. an Army of Horny Demi-Humans

Unfortunately, this episode, while rearranging the order of certain events, still meets with the same outcome: irritating Naofumi. Firstly, he’s told that his party must stay in a separate bedroom while he sleeps in one meant for royalty. It’s clearly an attempt to separate him from those he trusts. It’s only thanks to his insistence that Raph-Chan stay with him that it falls through.

And it’s a good thing that Raphy (Raph-Chan’s name in the dub). Without her, he might not have made it through what happens next with his chastity intact.

While the light novel doesn’t have the water laced with aphrodisiacs and the women were waiting in advance, everything else is accurate. If Raph-Chan hadn’t been there for backup and to call Raphtalia, Naofumi would’ve had his chastity stolen that night. Not lost, stolen. And considering what Witch did to him messed him up so bad he’s all but sworn a life of celibacy, this experience was one giant trauma button for him. Needless to say, his blow-up at Werner is more than justified.

Atla and Fohl are more important than you realize

Unfortunately for Naofumi, the rest of his experience in Siltvelt isn’t any more productive. He’s forced to attend parties, banquets, and other social gatherings in his honor, all while listening to the elites trying to outdo themselves in their efforts to glaze him. He doesn’t buy it for a second, and the longer they stall, the more Naofumi decides to just figure things out on his own.

Thankfully, this is where Fohl and Atla manage to come in handy.

I’m not sure how much of their story has been revealed thus far in the anime, but Fohl and Atla are not ordinary Demi-Humans. They are part of the Hakuko, AKA the white tigers. Years ago, they had been one of the four most powerful races of Demi-Humans in Siltvelt, and their father had been a prominent leader. However, when Siltvelt lost the war against Melromarc, and they lost their parents, the Hakuko fell from power. And we know how Naofumi found them.

In any case, though, the siblings still have allies in Siltvelt. Through them, Naofumi starts making his own plans to get to Q’ten Lo, since it’s clear the country is useless to him. But then something happens that makes everyone leading the country into an OPP: someone tries to poison Naofumi and his party.

Jaralis did it. We all know he did it!

Well, to be fair, it’s Jaralis who did it. The smug look on his face says it all. However, when Jaralis and Werner continue to be at each other’s throats, Naofumi decides that this farce has gone on long enough. In a rather surprising twist, though, he’s not the one to start blowing off. It’s Atla.

This should be interesting to watch. That girl is Naofumi’s number one stan, so seeing her get mad at the people in charge of Siltvelt should be entertaining. Still, it’s a little frustrating to see multiple scenes from the light novel get removed from the anime. But the plus side is that this makes me look forward to seeing what will happen when Allen Blaster’s fanfic gets to this point!

I give “Official Welcome” a 3.5/5

Jiji just Went from Zenitsu to Sung Jin-woo!

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

DanDaDan S2 Ep 2 Review

Do you guys remember that one episode of DanDaDan last year about Acrobatic Silky’s backstory? The one that garnered critical acclaim and broke the Internet from its sheer sadness? If you thought that the tragic story of Silky’s life and death was sad, then brace yourselves. It’s gotten a sequel. As Ken, Momo, Turbo Granny, and Jiji are at the mercy of a giant worm, an even bigger threat appears: a yokai with a backstory as sad as Silky’s. Maybe even sadder, because the Yokai in question…was just a little kid.

The Evil Eye is scary…

At the end of the last episode, the group was in a bad spot. They were already being cornered by the Mongolian Death Worm. But then, Okarun starts going ghost and tweaking out and trying to kill himself, with Momo soon following suit! As Turbo Granny explains, the Worm emits psychic waves that compel people to off themselves. It’s the ultimate predatory skill, and for some reason, only Jiji is immune to it. All he can do is run for his life while keeping his friends from killing themselves/realizing that this might be what made his parents try to kill themselves.

Except that it wasn’t just the Worm that was the threat. Believe it or not, it wasn’t the only creature haunting the house. There was another being; one far more terrifying than the Worm. A yokai that makes even the likes of Turbo Granny freak out: the Evil Eye.

…But his backstory is SO SAD!!

The Evil Eye is, quite possibly, one of the most powerful yokai in the entire series and a nightmare to deal with. Like the Worm, the Evil Eye also has the power to make people want to off themselves just by looking at them. The upside that its waves cancel out the Worm’s waves, bringing Momo and Ken back to their senses. The bad news? Now they have to run from both while making their way through the Uzumaki-like labyrinth. And when Jiji looks right into its eyes, he sees its whole backstory, and it is a tragedy.

The short version: the Evil Eye was once one of the sacrifices the Kito family gave to the Worm. They had locked him up underground until he was an emaciated husk before burning him alive. But instead of moving on, he somehow became a cursed spirit. And whenever anyone other than kids saw him, they would be compelled to off themselves! And then the Kito Family just buried the son alive in the house as another sacrifice, leaving him to starve of die of asphyxiation, while the spirit couldn’t do anything to help him. And this just kept repeating victim after victim, until that sweet little spirit finally crashed out and decided to kill all humanity. Everyone would die as penance for the cruelty those people were shown.

I thought that Acrobatic Silky’s backstory was sad, but this? This happened to a little boy. A child! And they were doing this to countless people for years to a monster that didn’t care about them and just ate them the first chance they got. No wonder the Evil Eye crashed out. A lot of people would wind up doing the same thing if it happened to them!

Jiji Goes from Zenitsu to Sung Jin-woo

And this just tugs at poor Jiji’s heart, and he goes into “righteous Shonen protagonist” mode. He makes it all the way to the spot where E.E.’s body lies and promises to be his friend and play with him as much as he wants. In other words, he’s offering up his body to be used as a vessel for the yokai, like Ken and Aira.

Big. Mistake. It turns Jiji from a goofy Zenitsu…into Yokai Sung Jin-woo. And I’m not just saying that because all three share the same voice actor. I’m saying that because E.E. Jiji is him! In fact, its revealed that Jiji has a ridiculous amount of dormant spiritual power. Combine that with the Evil Eye’s collected malice, and he turns into an apex predator. And he wields that football like it’s a cannonball. If Okarun hadn’t shown up when he did, Jiji would’ve killed Momo and Turbo Granny.

There’s a reason why DanDaDan fans consider this and the proceeding arc to be among the series best thus far, and its for moments such as this. Now, Okarun has to protect Momo and Turbo Granny from Jiji and the Death Worm! This is going to be a tough fight, but one that fans are going to be enjoying to the fullest extent. And I cannot wait!

I Give “Evil Eye” a 4/5

Naofumi Arrives at Shield Hero Stan HQ

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

The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 1

Q’ten Lo just made the biggest mistake it could ever make: it made the Shield Hero mad.

When we last left off with The Rising of the Shield Hero, things got crazy. One minute, Naofumi had Raphtalia cosplaying in a miko outfit because he thought she looked good in it (and she did.) The next minute, his village was attacked by Demi-human ninjas saying that Raphtalia would die for “making her claim to the throne.” It turns out, Raphtalia’s royalty from the isolationist nation of Q’ten Lo! Her parents had left the country to be together, but their countrymen had had assassins keeping watch over them the whole time. In other words, they knew that she had been captured and enslaved and didn’t do a thing about it. Naturally livid, Naofumi and his group have gone to settle things with Q’ten Lo. There’s just one problem: they have to get there via a nation of Shield Hero stans.

Welcome to Siltvelt, Home of the Shield Hero stans!

The new season picks up as Naofumi, Raphtalia, Raph-Chan, Sadeena, Atla, Fohl, and others are headed to Q’ten Lo. With the Phoenix due to revive in a few months, Naofumi can’t afford to worry about fighting another enemy out to get him and Raphtalia. However, since Q’ten Lo is an isolationist country, the only way to get there is to travel by ship from Siltvelt, AKA Shield Hero fan club global HQ.

For those needing a refresher, Siltvelt is a powerful nation comprised of Demi-Humans. Since the Shield Hero is historically known as a protector of Demi-Humans, they exclusively worship the Shield Hero as their god. That makes them the exact opposite of what Melromarc was at the start of the series: an entire nation of Shield Hero stans. Thus, one would think that Siltvelt would be more than happy to assist their god in his time of need.

One would be forgiven for thinking this.

No, Really. They are Shield Hero Stans

Calling Siltvelt a nation of Shield Hero stans isn’t just an exaggeration on our part. The official definition of stanning is being a fan of something to an extreme degree; in other words, potentially more than what should be healthy. Many real-life fandoms have members who engage in behavior that can be considered toxic. One could even argue that being an overzealous fan of something is itself toxic, as it can lead to behaviors like gate-keeping and disparaging people they don’t consider “true fans.” Even worse, though, there are members of fandoms who claim to like something but are just using it for their own benefit or to manipulate the thing they claim to like for their own ends. And as Naofumi quickly discovers, the leadership of Silvelt is filled with those kinds of fans.

After Naofumi and his party arrive in Siltvelt, it’s not long before they’re met by their adoring public. The entire population shows up to greet their hero, and Atla is praising them all for seeing his greatness because she’s Naofumi’s biggest fan. However, it’s when they meet with the leaders of the nation that it becomes clear that things won’t be so easy.

Rough translation: they don’t want him to leave.

Why Must Politicians Be Politicking?

Even in the face of Armageddon, there are going to be people who only care about being on top. In this case, Siltvelt is doing the same thing that Melromarc did to the other Cardinal heroes: glazing them to get their support while planning on using them as pawns. Thankfully, Naofumi has learned not to let this happen to him, and will be quick to put people in their place. However, that still makes it an issue. Especially since the final moments of the episode involve the introduction of a certain someone, a lion Demi-Human called Jaralis.

It’s been a while since I’ve read Allen Blaster’s fanfic, but I remember Jaralis all too well. That man is a problem, and he will need to be dealt with.

All of that can wait, though. For now, I’m just looking forward to seeing more of Naofumi. After the spring disaster that was TBATE, I need an Isekai palate cleanser.

I Give “Siltvelt” a 4/5

DanDaDan, Check out This Giant Worm!

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

Dandadan S2 Ep 1 Review

When the world needed them most, DanDaDan returned!

Welcome back, everyone, to an all-new season of the megahit Shonen anime, DanDaDan. When it came out in the Fall of 2024, this anime set the entire world on fire. The animation was god-tier, the characters were hilarious, and the OP was so good, it wound up trending on YouTube. Not to mention how the episode “To a Kinder World” went down as one of the best moments in anime history. Needless to say, people have been eagerly awaiting its return, and are grateful we did not have to wait long. Especially since the first season ended on a big cliffhanger. Okarun and Jiji found a creepy room in Jiji’s house, and Momo was under attack from a gang of perverts. Anime-only fans wanted to know what happened next, and now is the time!

But first, let’s discuss the new OP, “On The Way” by AiNA THE END. As with the previous OP, fans are treated to a visual spectacle as they see Okarun, Momo, and their growing list of allies face the forces against them. It’s got the same high-tier animation as before, if not better. At the same time, though, I feel like the song itself is a little softer. It’s not as great a beat as that of “OTONOKE”, but that’s just my personal opinion.

Now, Where Were We?

The episode opens up right where we left off in December: Momo being attacked by perverts. Guys peeping on girls is not out of the ordinary in anime, but that doesn’t make it any less disturbing. Thankfully, the hot spring was falling apart, so Momo was able to escape unharmed. In addition, it’s revealed that Turbo Granny smuggled herself along for the ride because she wanted to enjoy the hot springs, and her cat body might have helped. It’s good that she’s not alone, but it’s unsettling to hear her say that the entire house is bad news. And she is absolutely right.

The short version: the locals have a legend about the nearby volcano being home to a dragon that will destroy the village unless it receives a sacrifice. And guess who the dragon’s priests are?

Meet the Kito family, aka Jiji’s landlords and the perverts who tried to molest Momo. They’ve been luring victims in for two hundred years and sacrificing them to the dragon to keep the volcano dormant and the hot springs running. It’s like the sacrifice from The Wicker Man, but with a dragon. And Jiji, Okarun, and Momo are their victims this time. Naturally, none of them are keen on this happening, and they refuse to go down without a fight. However, once they arrive in the lair of the Tsuchinoko (the dragon), it’s revealed that it’s not a dragon. It’s a cryptid called a Mongolian Death Worm.

As soon as we learned the “dragon” was a Death Worm, I knew that things weren’t going to turn out how the Kito Family expected. That didn’t dampen the black comedy, though, when the beast chose to eat the Kito Family first. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the quartet is now facing a giant worm cryptid, and Okarun and Momo start tweaking out!

Man, what a good episode! DanDaDan is back and it is looking to be one of the best anime of the year for a second year in a row! Definitely looking forward to spending my summer watching this!

I Give “Like, This is the Legend of the Giant Snake” a 4/5

Lord of Mysteries Has me Tripping Balls

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

Lord of Mysteries Ep 1-3 Review

This past spring, we were robbed of a good isekai. The Beginning After the End was a disappointment, especially when it came to animation. Anime watchers have been needing a palate cleanser since then; a real isekai that can make people’s eyes go wide and their jaws drop! And about two weeks ago, we may have gotten just that with this new donghua: Lord of Mysteries.

If only we could fully understand what’s going on!

This is a Donghua

First things first, lets clarify what Lord of Mysteries is. While it is being marketed as an anime by Crunchyroll, its not Japanese in origin. Its a donghua, or Chinese animation, and its based on a popular web novel series written by someone called Cuttlefish That Loves Diving. And to put it bluntly, trying to understand it as a newcomer is going to be an exercise in brainpower.

The story starts when Zhou Mingrui, a young man from modern day China, wakes up in another world in the body of one of its inhabitants, Klein Moretti. This new world he finds himself in is overtly Victorian steampunk in nature, and is one filled with supernatural forces. What’s more confusing, though, is the fact that Zhou’s new body has a bullet hole in his head, the result of a mysterious suicide. Obviously, Zhou is not happy about being yanked from his life into this new world, and he makes it his goal to try and find a way home while blending in as Klein (and we will refer to him as such,) while piecing together what happened to the OG Klein. Unfortunatetly for him, he swiftly becomes embroiled in various supernatural events as he attracts the attention of people known as Beyonders. Some of them are good, and some are bad, but all of them are dangerous.

If you’re lost regarding what Im talking about, do not worry. Apparently, a common issue newcomers have with Lord of Mysteries is how thorough it is on the mystery aspect. There are plenty of different media that include an element of mystery to the plot. Part of the appeal behind that is allowing fans the chance to figure things out as they go along. What makes Lord of Mysteries frustrating to some, though, is that it seems to take this concept to its extreme. Other shows like Gravity Falls will sprinkle clues and hints meant to keep the audience privy to more than what the characters may know in-universe. But when we arrive in this steampunk world, we’re as clueless about how things work as Klein is! Its not even until the third episode that we get an explanation behind the power system that the series runs on; and even then, I had to rely on a YouTuber to best explain it. But to save everyone some trouble, I’ll just explain it here as best as I can.

The Powers of the Beyonders

At the core of this story is what it calls Beyonders. Beyonders are beings who have drunk one of ten magic potions that allow them access to supernatural powers. Those powers get split into twenty-two separate skill-trees called Pathways. Each Pathway has its own abilities, advantages, and drawbacks, and all of them have ten ranks, from zero to nine. The lower the Sequence Number, the stronger a Beyonder’s powers are, with the strongest being on par with gods. The drawback is that the stronger the powers, the greater the risk for a Beyonder to lose their sense of self. If that happens, they go mad and turn into monsters.

Its complicated, I know. And the show has yet to fully explain it. Nonetheless, its impressive that Cuttlefish came up with such a deep power system for the story. That shows genuine effort put into it!

I Wanna Go Home

At any rate, Klein wants to go home, but until then, he has to lay low and gather more information. The first thing that he does is pose as a being known as ‘The Fool’ to a pair of Beyonders and establishes a club to gather more intel. The second thing is that he gets a job with a group called the Nighthawks. They’re a police force that deals with Beyonder-related crimes, one of which involves the recovery of a book that Klein came into contact with.

Again, this is all very confusing that doesn’t fully make sense. Nor is it going to fully make sense for a while! Its like the show has the opposite problem of TBATE: the story was easy to understand, while Lord of Mysteries can make your head hurt.

Lord of Mysteries has Dang Good Animation

The irony is that Lord of Mysteries has the animation that TBATE should have had. I have no idea who did the animation for this series, but it is downright god-tier. Imagine the best animation of Solo Leveling, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Attack on Titan, and Mushoku Tensei fused into one, and you’ll get the animation for Lord of Mysteries.

I’ll be honest with you guys: I’m not sure if I’m going to keep reviewing The Lord of Mysteries. It’s a very confusing story to try and follow, and I’m not sure if I’m capable of doing so. That being said, it’s existence and the attention its getting seems to reflecting a larger trend that started to gain traction with Solo Leveling. The world of anime is evolving, and what was once a term used to refer to animated shows coming out of Japan is changing to refer to shows coming out of the Far East altogether. With how badly Japan managed to fumble with TBATE last season, the execs are likely going to be sweating when they see what Lord of Mysteries has to offer.

Though I don’t know if I’m going to be reviewing this series.