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TBATE, I know you can do Better

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

The Beginning After the End Ep 1 Review

In my time on this blog, you have heard me mention something called “The Seven Summits of Isekai.” Putting it simply, it’s a term I use for what I consider to be the titans of the isekai genre. The series that put in the legwork to make the worlds the protagonists get summoned and/or reborn into feel real. In other words, the good stuff that stands mountains above the usual isekai fare. Mushoku Tensei is among those seven, and, after reading over the webcomic, I was looking forward to adding its spiritual younger brother, The Beginning After the End, to the group. However, after seeing the first episode, I may need to rethink its membership.

For those who haven’t already, I highly recommend you head over and read my initial overview of the series, as it does a good job of explaining the basic premise. This way, I can dive in, review the first episode, and explain why TBATE is going to be fighting an uphill battle.

A Small Divergence from Mushoku Tensei

Over the years, TBATE has been accused of being too similar to the likes of Mushoku Tensei, and its detractors aren’t wrong. As the first episode deals with King Grey’s death in his first life and the beginning of his new life as Arthur, it copies a lot from the start of Mushoku Tensei. Like Rudeus before him, Arthur milks his time as a baby for all its worth to help give himself an early advantage in life. Which eventually leads to both of them revealing their apparent genius in the most explosive way possible.

While it may seem like this is a word-for-word copy of the moment when Rudy blew a hole in his childhood home. However, there’s one major difference between him and Arthur that changes how things play out: their reactions. Unlike Rudy, who was never in any real danger afterwards, Arthur almost dies thanks to some falling debris, only for his dad to save him. It was this experience that finally made the former king-turned-baby realize something that Rudy wouldn’t fully understand until he was an adult: Alice and Reynolds are his parents. They love him, and he loves them, and this realization leads to all them having this very heartwarming moment together. The kind of moment that Rudeus wishes he could have had with his own family before he left Buena Village. It’s very sweet to see…

Is what I would say. Except there’s one problem with this anime that’s so bad, even I notice it: the animation.

The animation…is trash

There’s no easy way to say this about The Beginning After the End: the animation is trash.

I normally don’t put that much attention onto the animation quality for a series, as I usually care more about the storytelling. It allows me to overlook moments that may not have the best animation in order to enjoy the story to its fullest. However, when the animation quality is so bad that even I notice it, then there’s something very wrong.

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Everything about the animation in the first episode only serves to fuel the allegations that TBATE is a cheap knock-off of Mushoku Tensei. That, in turn, will only harm its reputation in the long run. I know how stressful the the anime industry can be, but the people behind this should at least have some level of standard that they’re trying to uphold. Mushoku Tensei was able to get an entire studio founded just so it could succeed in being the best, so why can’t TBATE?

I have become a fan of The Beginning After the End, but it’s seeing the anime in action that makes me question whether this will be worth watching or not. This might be a rare instance in which the webcomic or manga might be better than the anime, and that’s not something that I like to see take place. That being said, I’m going to keep reviewing the anime anyway. If we’re lucky, the story will help to offset the poor animation long enough for it to gain traction. Until then, though…

AARON! Solo Leveling stays the manwha king!

I Give “The Rebirth of the King” a 2/5

The Beginning After the End Has a Long Road Ahead of it

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

The Beginning After the End Initial Overview

A month ago, Aaron and I were talking on Discord about the then-upcoming spring 2025 season of anime. Somewhere in the conversation, he brought up an upcoming isekai anime that, he claimed, could be bigger than Solo Leveling. It was called The Beginning After the End, and it was something that I had vaguely recalled hearing about. Despite being skeptical about his claims, they still intrigued me. Thus, I found myself jumping online and binge-reading through the webcomic that the anime would be adapting. Within a few days, I had read through the majority of the chapters currently out. And, while I still remain skeptical about its ability to be better than Solo Leveling, I do think The Beginning After the End is a good read.

A Western Isekai

Firstly, let us clarify some things: while The Beginning After the End, or TBATE, has gotten an anime adaptation, it doesn’t originate from Japan. In fact, its author, who goes by the moniker TurtleMe, is American. He’s been writing the ongoing TBATE web novel since 2017, with the webcomic coming a year later. If you want to check out the latest chapters, find them on Tapas, or join his Patreon for early access.

As its name suggests, The Beginning After the End is an isekai, and it begins with an essential moment in the protagonist’s life: his death. The protagonist, Grey, was a man who had risen to become the King of his nation on a potential future version of Earth. However, his life was miserable, with his status as King depriving him of any family or friends. Worse, it gets cut short in his mid-thirties by a death so sudden, not even he knows why he died. Being an isekai, his death only means he gets reincarnated into another world filled with swords and magic. While initially unhappy with being a baby in such a medieval setting, Grey, now going by Arthur Leywin, soon sees the second chance he’s been given. Thus, he resolves to make sure his new life is everything that his old one isn’t. IE, one filled with warmth and kindness and surrounded by the friends and family he never really had his first time around.

This is Not Like Rudeus…mostly.

If the synopsis sounds similar to Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, there’s a good reason. In an interview with IGN, TurtleMe said that Mushoku Tensei was one of the biggest inspirations behind The Beginning After the End. Both center around a protagonist who had an unhappy first life before suffering from a premature death. Both are reborn as babies to loving parents in a world dominated by the use of magic and medieval technology. And both use their prior knowledge to help them get ahead in life in order to ensure they live their new lives to the fullest. While some may see this as TurtleMe merely copying Mushoku Tensei’s formula, there are several differences that become apparent as time passes.

Firstly, while they both had similarly unhappy lives and premature deaths, Arthur is radically different from Rudeus. Rudeus had plenty of chances to better himself and open up to others in his first life and wasted them. While Grey also chose to cut himself off from others past a certain point, it was so he couldn’t be manipulated by others once he became king, leaving him little choice in the matter. In addition, there’s how both see their families in their new lives. Rudeus never considered Paul and Zenith his parents until after Paul’s death, something he regrets. In contrast, Arthur initially keeps his distance due to not knowing what familial love is due to being an orphan in his first life. Once he understands the feeling, though, he doesn’t hesitate to consider Alice and Reynolds his mom and dad and becomes fiercely protective of them.

Secondly, while their plots start off similiarly, past a certain point, TBATE diverges from Mushoku Tensei. While Mushoku Tensei will come to encompass this grand plot involving the future for the world, it remains largely focused on the life of Rudeus and his growing family. In contrast, Arthur begins to find himself involved in a conflict that’s bigger than he ever thought possible. The kind of conflict that has the potential to end the world if things go bad. Rudeus will go on to fight great battles in the future, but none will be on the scale of what Arthur and his allies will come to face.

Lastly, and this is the most important part, is the fact that Arthur is nowhere near as flawed as Rudeus was starting out. In other words, Arthur is not as h**ny as Rudeus can be. In fact, that can apply to the entire world of TBATE. They’re nowhere near down bad as Rudeus’ new world is!

There’s Always the Web Novel and Comic

I can’t reveal anything further regarding the plot of TBATE without spoiling things. However, while the anime might not be as good as it could be, I do still think that the webcomic is worth the read. If you want to give it a shot yourself, then I highly recommend going to TAPAS and helping to support TurtleMe. He’s also got a patreon where he releases chapters of the web novel early. I might end up supporting him myself if it means he can keep making this story.

Warm Up This Spring With Some New Anime

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RJ Writing Ink’s Picks for Spring 2025 Anime to Look Out for

The sakura blossoms are in bloom, and that means that spring is finally here! While that means that it’s time for anime lovers to say goodbye to the winter’s big hits like Solo Leveling, Zenshu, Sakamoto Days and more, there’s no reason to fret. Spring 2025 is packed with potential hits. From newcomers trying to make their mark to returning veterans, there will be plenty of anime to binge this spring.

I’m RJ Writing Ink for the D&A Anime Blog, and this is a list of some of the anime that people will likely be paying attention to this spring. Yes, I’m going to be watching most of it. Yes, there’s a chance I’m going to review some of this. And yes, I am aware that by the time this goes up, many of these will be out! That’s a consequence of covering four series at once over the course of the winter!

The Beginning After the End, April 2nd

Isekai anime might be dime a dozen these days, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a diamond in the rough. For the Spring 2025 season, that diamond might be The Beginning After the End, or TBATE. Based on the Korean-American Web Novel and Webcomic of the same name, TBATE is about Arthur Llewyn. Formerly known as Grey, Arthur was a powerful king in his first life before abruptly dying a mysterious death and waking up in a world of swords and magic. Now going by Arthur, the former king strives to master the powers that govern this new world while also making sure to enjoy everything that he missed out on in his first life.

Full disclosure: I’ve binge-read most of the webcomic after Aaron reccomended it to me, saying it could become the next Solo Leveling. While I wouldn’t got that far, the series certainly lives up to TV Tropes description of it being “Mushoku Tensei meets Naruto.” Since I love both of them, that makes it worth my time. The one downside is that everyone is complaining how basic the animation is compared to the likes of Mushoku Tensei and Solo Leveling. Hopefully, that won’t be too much of an issue.

Wind Breaker, Season 2, April 3rd

Let’s get ready to rumble!!! Wind Breaker, the deliquent anime of spring 2024, is back for round two. This time, Haruka Sakura and the members of Bofurin are up against a ruthless gang going by the name of KEEL. And from the looks of the trailer, the boys of Bofurin are going to be in for one heck of a challenge.

Despite seeming like another series extolling how cool the rebel deliquent life seems to be, Wind Breaker turned out to be an anime with a surprising amount of depth to it when it first aired. The fights themselves are well-choreographed and often serve as a means for the story to elaborate on why the characters are fighting in the first place. It may still be a series about fighitng, but sometimes, the questions of why people fight and what’s worth fighting for can be just as interesting as the fights themselves.

Devil May Cry, April 3rd

DMC fans, your prayers have been answered. Capcom’s popular half-human, half-demon Demon Hunter is getting another anime. And from the looks of things, it’s going to be an absolute banger. Set in an alternate contiunity from the games, Devil May Cry will follow Demon Hunter Dante as he comes face to face with the villainous White Rabbit as he attempts to stage a demonic invasion of Earth.

I know very little about Devil May Cry beyond the basic premise, but that doesn’t stop me from thinking this series has the potential to be one of the big hits of the season. Firstly, the animation looks absolutley gorgeous, brought to life by Studio Mir of Kipo and My Adventures with Superman fame. Secondly, the voice cast has multiple legends among it, with Johnny Yong Bosch voicing Dante this time around. However, it’s the inclusion of the late Kevin Conroy and Tony Todd that’s gotten plenty of people talking. Having recorded their lines for the show before their passings, this will likely be the final chance people will get to hear the GOAT Batman and Candyman. And I’m going to take full advantage of it.

One Piece, April 6th

It’s only been six months, but if you’re a One Piece fan, it’s felt like an eternity. After going on a vacation for the first time in its history, One Piece is returning with the second half of the Egghead Island Arc. When we last left off, the anime had just finished going over all of the major events that were taking place in the world at large while the Straw Hats are busy on Egghead Island. With everything abroad now wrapped up, though, the series is ready to focus on the Straw Hats as they try to defend the island and the genius Dr. Vegapunk from the forces of the World Government.

And things are only going to get crazier from here.

I’ve been covering every chapter of the One Piece manga on my own blog for years, so I know what’s going to happen with the rest of this arc. I am not exaggerating when I say fans are in for an absolute emotional rollercoaster. I can’t even say anything about what happens without veering into spoiler territory. What I will say is that you should be prepared for some of the most exciting moments in One Piece history as well as some of the most heart-breaking, tearjerking ones. Keep tissues ready!

Witch Watch, April 6th

This rom-com on Netflix is about Morihito Otogi, an ogre who looks like a human who’s loving his best high school life. Until, that is, his childhood friend, the witch-in-training Nico Wakatsuki, moves in with him and decides to make him her familiar. While Morihito is supposed to guard Nico, his job gets harder due to the fact that a.) she lets everyone know she’s a witch, and b.) she is madly in love with him.

After the end to 100 Girlfriends, I’m going to be needing a new rom-com fix. And judging by the description to Witch Watch, this series looks to be right up my alley. I’m a big sucker for the childhood friend romance trope, so I’m sure to enjoy whatever will happen here!

Lazarus, April 6th

If something seems too good to be true, that’s because it is. That is the lesson that the world learns when they discover the wonder drug, Hapna, will soon kill everyone who took it. The only way to prevent this is to find its creator, Dr. Skinner, in the next thirty days. Thus, the worldโ€™s best hope for salvation is in the hands of the task force known as Lazarus.

If this series feels like the second coming of Cowboy Bebop, that’s because it is. This series was created by none other than Shinichirล Watanabe, AKA the creator of Cowboy Bebop. Considering how instrumental the adventures of Spike Spiegel were in bringing anime westward, having Watanabeโ€™s next work come to Toonami is a big deal. This has the potential to be this generationโ€™s Cowboy Bebop, and I am all in for that idea! Bring on the gunfights!

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, April 7th

The story of Deku and Class 1-A might be winding down, but there are still plenty of stories to tell in the world of My Hero Academia. Nowhere is this shown better than with the new prequel series, MHA: Vigilantes. Taking place five years before the events of the main series, Vigilantes follows a pair of aspiring heroes who, after various things happen, wind up becoming unlicensed Heroes. Now they have to fight evil while staying outside the reach of the law.

The big irony of the world of My Hero Academia is that the concept of superheroes has become a profession rather than an ideal. In most works of fiction, superheroes are often vigilantes operating outside the law; people let them do this because they tend to be good at it. If the original MHA focuses on world-ending threats, then Vigilantes is going to be the series that focuses more on the streets, like Batman and Daredevil would. Either way, this should tide people over until the final season hits this fall.

Any anime we missed? I know that there are going to be anime we missed, so let us know in the comments below!

All Hail Sung Jin-woo, our Glorious King

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

Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 Ep 13 Review

It pains me to say this, but the second season of Solo Leveling has come to a close. But after everything that has happened this season, there’s likely not an anime fan out there who hasn’t heard about it. After seeing what he managed to do in the last episode, there won’t be a person in Korea who doesn’t know about Sung Jin-woo, the hero of Jeju Island. Since Solo Leveling is such a good story, though, the falling action is as good as the climax. However, the anime did manage to miss a few details that feel like a mistake to leave out. And for good reason.

Why did the anime skips this?

Looking back on last week’s episode, one problem with its ending (besides being horribly timed) was it left out a key part of Jin-wooโ€™s thoughts. He later acknowledges this to Chairman Go, but in the manwha, Jin-woo spends the time after his failed attempts to save Cha Hae berating himself. He acknowledges that Hunters like Byung-Gu wouldn’t have died if he had chosen to go on the Raid from the start. Itโ€™s an important self-criticism that serves as a reminder that, despite now being the strongest in Korea, Sung Jin-woo is still human. It feels like a mistake not to include that in the anime, and that’s only the first one the episode makes.

The second has to do with how it portrays the way Jin-woo saves Cha Hae. I can’t remember if the anime brings it up, but Jin-woo actually has a moral code regarding his necromancy. Having learned he can revive dead humans, Jin-woo vowed to never use that power on another human unless they were evil or deserved it. Kim Chul proved to be a horrible man, so he got that treatment. In contrast, Byung-Gu was an incredibly kind person who hated violence. The fact that Jin-woo was willing to break his own rule is meant to highlight how serious and desperate he was about saving Cha Hae. In addition, whereas he revived him on the first try in the anime, he almost fails to do so in the manwha. Jin-woo has to actually convince Byung-Gu to come back to save someone one last time before it works.

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Beyond that, though, the outcome remains the same. Cha Haeโ€™s life is saved, and Jin-woo agrees to let Byung-Gu rest in peace. Itโ€™s a very emotional moment that earns him a great deal of respect from Byung-Guโ€™s comrades.

Besides, Byung-Gu is nothing in comparison to the real reward: the Ant King himself. Or should we say, Beru?

Welcome to the force, Beru

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The anime does a really good job of capturing the importance of Jin-woo reviving the Ant King. The fact that he can already talk, something no other Shadow can do, emphasizes how special this Shadow is. Also, Beru is a combination of two names: Bernard Weber, a French author who wrote a fiction series about ants; and Meruem, AKA the OG Ant King. Beru more than proves worthy of being Jin-wooโ€™s first shadow general, helping to wipe out most of the remaining ants. Thanks to Jin-woo and the Hunters of Korea, most of the leaderless ants are easy pickings. What could’ve spelt the end of Korea becomes a huge victory for the country.

As for Japanโ€ฆwell, the man in charge brought what happened upon himself. Now he has to live with the fact that 70% of his countryโ€™s S-Ranks are dead. And will likely lose his job in the near future.

By the way, Jin-woo does try to revive the Ant Queen in the manwha, but he abandons that when he realizes that the Queenโ€™s useless as an undead Shadow. That, and it divides the loyalty of the Shadow Ants.

Commence the Praise!

With Jeju Island no longer a threat, Korea is free to mourn those lost. While people give him valid criticism (which he acknowledges), everyone says that Sung Jin-woo is the hero of Jeju Island. While he could’ve helped from the start, joining at such a critical moment saved Korea from destruction. Thus, most people are giving him all the glaze (like I have been.) He’s now the apex predator of the country; the strongest.

So, what now?

Thanks to the experience from the Raid on Jeju Island, Jin-woo has hit an important milestone: Level 100. He’s stronger than he’s ever been. And while some might sit on their throne and reap the rewards, Jin-woo isn’t like that. He’s already making plans to form his own guild with Jinho. And at that this point, he doesn’t need to hide the fact that he can solo an entire dungeon. Yet, not everything is well.

During the cleanup on Jeju Island, one of the teams of Hunters were attacked by two unknown beings. I can’t say who they are without spoiling things, but let me make this clear: Jin-woo will need to fight them in the near future. And right now, not even he may be enough to win. Which is why he needs to keep getting stronger. Not to protect his title, but to protect the people he cares about.

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Now we Wait

Sadly, this is where the season of Solo Leveling comes to an end. At this time, there is no news that can confirm nor deny whether there will be a third season. However, given its meteoric rise to prominence in the anime world in just over a year, people are going to want to see the rest of the story animated. Its not a question of if it will happen, but when. And with the fights only going to get crazier (trust me), Solo Leveling could wind up being one of the biggest anime of the decade.

Until that day comes, though, feel free to go and read the manwha for yourself. Or stick around for a review of the game Solo Leveling Arise. Or go watch YouTubers like AniNews or Anime Balls Deep as they break down the series.

Edit: Third Season drops next year.

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I Give “Onto the Next Target” a 4/5

Until Next We Meet, 100 Girlfriends!

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You S2 Ep 12 Review

Last time on 100 Girlfriends Z, Karane Inda willingly gave up her tsundere-ness due to her own insecurities. But everyone quickly agreed that they preferred Karane the way she was and tried to restore her former self. When Kusuriโ€™s reversing drug failed to solve the problem, it was up to Rentaro to come up with a way to restore the Karane everyone knows and loves. Will his solution make any sense, or will it parody one of the greatest shonen anime of all time? What sort of crazy hijinks will ensue on the season finale? And will we get a third season? All of those questions, except for that last one, get answered now!

Operation: Get Our Tsun On

If the above introduction sounded like the intro to an episode of Dragon Ball Z, then that was the point. The 100 Girlfriends has already garnered attention by its parody of DBZ earlier in the season. However, it’s not done; instead, it double dips in the finale with the Rentaro Familyโ€™s attempts to return Karane to normal. Instead of trying to explain it myself, lets just have the anime sum things up:

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That’s right. They’re going to make a tsundere spirit bomb and throw it at Karane. And it is as hilarious as it sounds! But since 100 Girlfriends is a parody, they can do this sort of thing!

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In all seriousness, though, this episode does a good job of continuing the seriesโ€™ deconstruction of the tsundere. While the last episode showed us how hard being a tsundere can be on oneโ€™s mental state, this episode shows us just how amazing Karane is. When Rentaro is holding the tsundere spirit bomb, he’s barely able to withstand the sheer power it radiates and starts saying the opposite of what he really means. The fact that Karane has to overcome this sort of thing every time she expresses her love for Rentaro is nothing short of superhuman. To put it simply, Karane isn’t just a tsundere; she’s the Queen of Tsunderes! And it is great to have her back halfway through the episode.

We Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love Rentaro

The remainder of the season finale can be best described as the anime just having fun with itself and breaking the fourth wall like never before. The fact that the show acknowledges its doing a chapter out of order so it can include Meme and Mimimi, who weren’t there in the manga, is hilarious. The series gives absolutely no fโ€™s about what its doing; it just wants to have fun with its ridiculous premise.

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However, nothing can compare to the final moments of the episode as the anime recreates one of the greatest moments from the entire manga.

This is one of the greatest moments in the history of the harem and rom-com genres. If we had to make a comparison, this is harem equivalent to the legendary Seven-Page-Muda from JoJoโ€™s Bizarre Adventure. Some people openly criticized the anime for apparently skipping over this scene. However, having it wait to use until the finale was genius. And yes, this actually happened in the manga, cementing Rentaro as a CHAD among CHADS!! The ultimate boyfriend that every woman deserves!

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Here’s Hoping We Get a Season Three

Sadly, this is where we must part ways with the 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You. Unfortunately, there is no news as to whether or not the anime will be getting a third season. Which is sad, because that means we wonโ€™t get to see all the girlfriends that have yet to be revealed. Then again, if they tried to follow the series to the end, the anime industry might not have enough people to voice everyone.

If this is the end, though, Iโ€™d recommend going to read the manga. Because the girlfriends are going to get even crazier from here on out. Some of them you will absolutely adore, while others you will end up hating. However, that’s part of the fun for this series! And I, for one, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You.

I Give “100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You (89 to go)” a 4/5

Karane Lost her Tsundere?!?

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2 Ep 11 Review

It’s sad to say it, but the second season of The 100 Girlfriends is almost at an end. We’ve met all the new girlfriends, ranging from the big eater to the super shy girl, as they’ve joined the Rentaro Family. However, the show would be remiss to end its sophomore outing without another big arc. Last season ended with the Family saving Hakari…and having her mother join the Family. However, this season is ending with a potentially greater crisis that could change Karane forever: she loses her tsundere-ness!

Karane’s Insecurities Boil Over

Karane Inda was one of the first two girlfriends and serves as the Rentaro Familyโ€™s resident tsundere. Whenever she gets flustered or embarrassed, she reacts in a defensive manner and goes, โ€œItโ€™s not like I *insert whatever she is being a tsundere about*!โ€ In keeping with the series deconstructing waifu archetypes, she also serves as the Familyโ€™s straight man. She will not hesitate to call out everyone when their nonsense goes too far, and biting remarks are legendary. She is, frankly, the both the ultimate personification and antithesis of the tsundere, an archetype that I adoreโ€ฆbut Karane herself hates.

One of the recurring themes surrounding Karane is how deeply insecure she is about herself. Whenever she gets flustered, she says the opposite of what she really feels, and she fears that this might drive Rentaro and the others away for good. And the more she falls in love with Rentaro, the harder it gets for her to express herself, and the worse her insecurities get. So much so that when Kusuri leaves a drug meant to un-tsundereify a person, she takes it. The result? Karane becomesโ€ฆsuper nice and normal?!?!

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We Want our Karane Back

After getting over their initial shock (and Hakari enjoying Karane’s newfound honesty), everyone quickly agrees they hate this new, timid Karaneโ€”so much so that they want to get started on making a reversing drug right away. However, they’re even more shocked when Karane adamantly refuses to consider taking such a drug. She thinks that she, and everyone else, would be better off if she wasn’t a tsundere, showing just how little self-esteem she really has.

While 100 Girlfriends is first and foremost a comedy/parody, what makes it stand out is its willingness to deconstruct the pitfalls of different waifu archetypes. In this case, Karane is a strong example of how being a tsundere can potentially negatively impact one’s self-esteem. They have to try even harder than most people to express themselves properly. Even then, many protagonists have often been unable to pick up on a tsundere’s true feelings, which only makes things worse.

Thankfully, Rentaro is built different from most harem protagonists. He’s genre-savvy enough to understand that when Karane says she hates something, she usually means the opposite. More importantly, he finds her mixture of pride and shyness to be incredibly endearing, which I wholeheartedly agree with. So, using his CHADtaro powers to remind her that he fell in love with her despite her flaws, Rentaro convinces Karane to restore her normal self.

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There’s one problem: the drug doesn’t work.

This is Going to be Tougher than we Thought

In an interesting twist, the reversing drug doesn’t work. In order for it to take affect, the others need to subject Karane to enough external stimuli to provoke the proper response from her brain. In other words, they have to get her so flustered that she starts tsund-ing again. Sadly, all their efforts while staying at the Hanazono home manage to do is prove two things:

  1. Hakari’s body is incredibly sensitive to touch.
  2. Hahari gets so many nosebleeds, her staff has blood transfusion equipment on standby.
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This is going to be harder than the Family thought, but with one episode left in the season, they’re bound to help Karane return to her usual, lovable self. Without her, the Family won’t have its straight man, which could be disastrous with how they are.

I Give “Tsundere Lost” a 4.5/5

Zenshu Gets a Happy Ending! TAKE THAT, HAG BIRD!

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

Zenshu Ep 12 Review

And thatโ€™s a wrap, people! After three months, twelve episodes, and a ton of shout-outs to great anime and the people who made them, Zenshu is over! And what an ending it was! At the end of the last episode, it looked as though Kametaroโ€™s horrendously depressing ending was going to come true. In his grief over the loss of Natsuko, Luke had destroyed the final Soul Future, heralding the arrival of the Ultimate Void. Yet, thereโ€™s something that that old bag of a director never understood about humanity: that no matter how bad things may get for us, we keep looking for a light in the dark. In this case, that lightโ€™s name is Natsuko Hirose.

Don’t put too much stock into Destiny

Picking up where the previous episode left off, the transformation of Luke into the Ultimate Void helps us to understand why the mindless monsters are called Voids. In a nutshell, theyโ€™re the personification of the despair that people can hit when they begin to think that nothing they do matters. Itโ€™s something that everyone will experience at some point in their lives, and theyโ€™re left with two options. They can either give into despair like Luke, or they can do what Natsuko does: roll up their sleeves and tell despair to shove it. And does Natsuko tell despair and hopelessness to shove it.

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Even as the entire world begins to fall to pieces and everyone gets the Thanos dusting treatment, Natsuko refuses to give up. She draws harder than sheโ€™s ever drawn anything before. She draws an army of Lukes and throws them at the personification of hopelessness and despair. Thereโ€™s probably some sort of deeper meaning behind it, but itโ€™s hard to find over the sheer amount of awesome animation.

Despite being the last one standing, Natsuko gets some unexpected aid from someone she thought was gone for good: QJ! Memeln and her friends gathered the fragments of his body and rebuilt him just in time for him to come to Natsukoโ€™s aid. And together, the two of them manage to do the impossible. They change the ending of the story.

Not the first time I’ve seen a world remade

Some people might complain about how Natsuko effectively rebuilt the entire world into one where the Voids no longer exist. They may take Kametaroโ€™s side and say that itโ€™s a lame cop-out that makes no sense. I, on the other hand, think that itโ€™s the right kind of deus ex machina. Then again, this isnโ€™t the first time Iโ€™ve seen a protagonist recreate the world from nothing, nor will it be the last.

Sadly, the happy ending is mired by the fact that Natsuko returns to her world, with Luke vowing to come find her, somehow. No explanation as to how the film was capable of creating an alternate world given, nor any explanation as to why Natsuko got summoned to it or got her powers. Nor do we get a chance to see Luke and Natsuko kiss. In fact, the only proof that this wasnโ€™t a dream brought on by a near-death experience is that Natsuko kept Unioโ€™s horn as a hairpin.

That being said, this is still a monumentally better ending than what A Tale of Perishing was in the film version.

Top-Tier Ending for a Top-Tier Anime

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Debunked dream theories aside, I was right about this whole experience changing Natsuko for the better. The ending has her adopt a more open nature towards her coworkers, symbolized by the fact that she no longer hides her face behind her hair. And because sheโ€™s learned how to work in a team, her rom-com film becomes a massive success. However, the ending leaves things ambiguous regarding whether or not Luke finds his way to her world, which is a little frustrating. But not enough to take away from the fact that this was a good ending. A bit cliche, maybe, but still a good ending!

And with that, Zenshu has come to an end. It may have had its ups and downs at times, but as whole, it was one of the great shows of 2025. You can tell that Studio Mappa put a lot of love into this original creation of theirs. It pays tribute to the Isekai genre in a unique way. It pays tribute to the people who make anime possible. Most importantly, though, it shows a great deal of respect for the fans that drive entertainment forward and how they can find ways to improve on what has come before. In this case, that means taking a terrible ending by a woman who didnโ€™t  know what she was doing and make it into an uplifting story about first love and daring to hope in the face of impossible odds.

Also, it proves that sometimes the fans can do a better job than the creators!

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I Give “Zenshu” a 4.5/5

The Power of Hope over Despair

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

Zenshu Episode 11 Review

The moment that everyone dreaded to see has finally arrived: A Tale of Perishing has seemingly gotten back on track for its horrendously sad ending. With the Last Town reeling over the loss of QJ, everyone turned on Natsuko. They blamed her for everything going wrong and the Voids copying her drawings. Then, in the biggest wham moment of the entire series, Natsuko and Unio were seemingly killed by one of those new Voids. And now, Luke begins to succumb to despair.

But where there is despair, there is also hope.

This is Heartbreaking to Watch

The first half of this episode is, frankly, the visual embodiment of despair. The Voids start to slaughter both the cultists and the mob (no lost tears for the latter) while the rest of the named characters are fighting for their lives. Through it all, Luke has the thousand-yard stare as his mind starts to fall apart. You can practically hear the sound of glass shattering as he goes into full-on denial of the people heโ€™s lost. Once Natsukoโ€™s pegbar dissolves into light, though, he fully breaks. Itโ€™s like taking every sad moment in a Shonen series and rolling it into one.

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Meanwhile, Natsuko is still alive inside the Void, and sheโ€™s in the middle of her own form of despair. She sees everyone sheโ€™s ever known mocking her, calling her drawings trash and saying sheโ€™s not as good as she thought she was. In other words, Natsuko is dealing with the bane of every creator to ever exist: haters. And they get to her.

Natsuko herself doesnโ€™t like to touch upon it, but the series itself has no such compunctions as it shows just how much stress she was under before she got isekaiโ€™d. Everyoneโ€™s expectations for her were sky-high, and she was under so much pressure to meet them, even though she didnโ€™t know what she was doing. Itโ€™s one of the biggest drawbacks to this kind of runaway success. When people expect you to keep topping whatever you did last, eventually it becomesโ€ฆimpossible.

Natsuko Completes her Character Development

I loved this part of the episode because it went so in-depth into Natsukoโ€™s insecurities. Underneath her carefree attitude is a women whose suffering from a very realistic fear of failing. Nobody likes to fail, especially when people place so much trust into them. However, failure is going to happen one way or another at some point in our lives. What matters is if we can recover from it. And if we canโ€™t, thatโ€™s what having other people around is for.

Which is why the animeโ€™s choice of having Unio being the one to get through to Natsuko is brilliant. As he was the one who was most at odds with Natsuko, having him admit that sheโ€™s the only one who can help him has the most impact. Which leads into yet another amazing moment for the episode.

There’s Nothing Wrong With Loving Fictional Characters

As a proud nerd who isnโ€™t afraid to show his love for works of fiction, Iโ€™ve never understood why people feel the need to mock someone because they love a fictional character. People get called weirdos because theyโ€™re obsessed with this one character from their favorite show or movie. However, what those people fail to understand is that when you truly love a character from fiction, then they can remain a positive influence on your everyday life. They can encourage you when youโ€™re feeling down about life, which will happen often. Their actions can serve as an example of how you should live your life. Seeing what they do could very well inspire someone to do something great with their lives. It could spark a lifetime of love for something. Donte and Aaron had the characters of Dragon Ball, and I canโ€™t keep count of how many characters have inspired me over the years!

And for Natsuko, that character was Luke.

Natsuko has likely been in love with Luke ever since she first saw A Tale of Perishing for the first time. It took her getting to meet the real Luke to get her to realize her love, though. Which, honestly, seems like a dream come true for everyone whose ever had a crush on a fictional character. Itโ€™s great that she gets to live the dream.

So, with Natsukoโ€™s confidence restored and Unio by her side, the two head back into the world to save it from a bad ending. And not a moment too soon, because Luke is about to commit a canon event. Though, just like in the Spiderverse films, screw the canon events!

I Give “Despair” a 4.5/5

This is Overkill for Course-Correction!

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

Zenshuย Ep 10 Review

Interesting thing about me: there is only so much sadness that I can handle. Thatโ€™s true for everyone, but I have a harder time than others handling sad moments due to how my brain works. So, when faced with a story that veers into the realm of overwhelmingly depressing, my mind reacts in the only way it can: it waits. It waits for things to get better before it lets me go back to something. In the case of Zenshu, the ending to the last episode, coupled with the spoilers for this one, made me do just that. Otherwise, I wouldโ€™ve plunged into despair like Natsuko does as the story goes from correcting itself to over-correcting.

Rock. Bottom

QJ is dead, to begin with, and the entire Last Town is nearing rock bottom. People have been forced to flee from their homes as refugees, and Luke is pushing himself to his breaking point once more. Except, unlike before, he does not have Natsuko to save him, because sheโ€™s handling QJโ€™s death even worse.

In a nutshell, this entire episode can be summed as Natsuko being pushed further and further into despair. She blames her hesitation for making QJ sacrifice himself. She blames her drawings for being used as fuel for the Voids. And to make matters worse, Elder Baobab drops a big bombshell about the prophecy of the Nine Soldiers: itโ€™s a lie. It was something someone made up to give people hope that they could survive the end of the world. Whoever came up with that prophecy wanted to give people hope against impossible odds, but they didnโ€™t believe it would come true.

This is Barbaric Overkill

There was probably some big, Game of Thrones-type lesson that Kametaro wanted to teach people when she created this story. However, itโ€™s beyond me. Prophecies can wind up being hit or miss in fiction, so that doesnโ€™t help things. What makes things worse, though, is how the world of the story begins to overstep its bounds trying to correct itself. Firstly, Destiny tells Natsuko that sheโ€™s going to marry the Chairman after all. Then, out of nowhere, the townsfolk start believing that Natsuko is a traitor because her drawings turn into Voids. The craziest part, though, is the fact that the Void Cult returns and starts saying Natsuko is their antichrist.

No matter how you slice it, whatever the world is doing to make things turn out like this is overkill! Natsuko herself recognizes this as an angry mob tries to kill her right as more Voids attack. However, I think the fact that things start turning out this way is the whole point. The story is trying so hard to get โ€œback on trackโ€ that itโ€™s made things far worse. The most sinister aspect of this railroading, though, is what it does for Natsuko. It effectively has her take Destinyโ€™s place in the story as the one whose death will send Luke over the edge.

This is Why I Waited

This is why I had to wait until the next episode to review this. If I hadnโ€™t done that, I wouldโ€™ve spent the entire week driving myself crazy over what happens next! Itโ€™s chaos, plain and simple!

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Luckily for us, the anime will have already finished by the time this goes out. Hereโ€™s hoping that it winds up being a banger.

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I Give “Chaos” a 4/5

When the Story Starts to Clap Back

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

Zenshu Ep 9 Review

I owe everyone an explanation about why I suddenly stopped putting up reviews for each episode of Zenshu. I am a sucker for spoilers; once I see them, I canโ€™t forget them. So, despite not finishing episode 8, I wound up spoiling myself with clips from the next episodes. And once I saw what was going to happen, I knew I would have to binge everything. Things get incredibly dark incredibly fast as Kametaroโ€™s warnings to Natsuko start to ring true. The story of A Tale of Perishing is now beginning to clap back against Natsukoโ€™s changesโ€ฆand it leads to tragic results.

Luke has had a terrible Life

The firet third of the episode comes in the form of an extended flashback as the series retells events from Luke’s perspective. Zenshu has gradually revealed bits and pieces about the Nine Soldiers’ past, but this offers the most detailed look at Lukeโ€™s life. Through his own inner monologues, we see just how hard the burden of being a hero had become for him. He thinks heโ€™s failing in his role as the hero, and because of that, his friends and the rest of the whole world suffers. As we learn later, the events of the movie would only be the final nail in this coffin of despair.

Then Natsuko arrived and she changed everything.

Once Natsuko appears in his life, Lukeโ€™s mindset starts to change for the better. The man was close to his breaking point, but by virtue of being herself, Natsuko gave him hope and joy for the first time in forever. Thatโ€™s what leads Luke to fall in love with Natsuko: to him, sheโ€™s the embodiment of hope and joy. She made his life better simply by being in it; thatโ€™s something that is true for many couples in both fiction and in real life.

The question is, though: does Natsuko love Luke back?

When Natsuko comes to back in the Last Town, she has no idea how to react to Lukeโ€™s love for her. Her lack of experience with romance shows once more, and this leads to some rather humorous moments. Alas, Natsuko doesnโ€™t have the chance to think about this new feeling, as the Spectre of Kametaroโ€™s words hangs over her.

How It Originally Ended

Over the course of the series, Natsukoโ€™s inner thoughts have gradually revealed the ending to A Tale of Perishing. However, itโ€™s during a conversation with QJ that we finally learn what was supposed to happen:

  • Everyone turns on Luke and Destiny after Memmelnโ€™s death. The former for killing his comrade, the latter for โ€œseducingโ€ Luke
  • Destiny dies in the next Void attack
  • This drives Luke over the edge, leading to him destroying the Soul Future, bringing forth the Ultimate Void and ending the world.

Good grief, no wonder A Tale of Perishing was panned by audiences and critics. That ending is as depressing as they come! While one could argue that endings like that do play out in real life, most people donโ€™t want to be reminded about that! They want to see stories that will ultimately help them forget about their troubles, not make them want to give up on existing! The world can already be dark enough as it is!

Regardless of how much people may think the storyโ€™s ending may stink, the story itself doesnโ€™t seem to care. And just as QJ gives Natsuko a pep-talk, the story steps ups its attempts to course correct to new levels. During the next Void attack, Natsuko sees, to her horror, that the monsters arenโ€™t just coming up with original ideas anymore. Now, theyโ€™re copying her own drawings! The story is weaponizing plagiarism to mess with Natsuko.

The worst part? It works. The knowledge that whatever she may draw could be used against her, coupled with Kametaroโ€™s words, causes her to doubt herself long enough for things to start to course-correct.

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RIP QJ

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And in the end, one of the Nine Soldiers does lose their life. However, itโ€™s not Unio; instead, itโ€™s QJ.

From a storytelling perspective, QJ dying makes the most sense. He had the least amount of importance to the plot as a whole until this episode. However, his decision to sacrifice himself achieves the same results that it would have had Unio done so. The only difference is that it breaks Natsuko the most.

This is what TV Tropes calls a case of Cerberus Syndrome: the point in which a light-hearted story takes a darker and more serious tone. And itโ€™s not going to let up over the remaining episodes as we now approach the endgame. Which, by the time this goes out, will have already taken place! Since I didnโ€™t watch it (mostly) yet, fingers crossed things get better.

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I Give “Hero” a 4/5