100 Girlfriends

So Many Fire Moments of Anime, So Little Time!

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

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

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

Super Saiyan 4 Returns, Dragon Ball Daima

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

Kuma Gets Revenge on Saturn, One Piece

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

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

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

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

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

Natsuko Rewrites the Ending, Zenshu

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

Speaking of which…

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

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

Mecha vs. Space Kaiju, DanDaDan S2

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

Chainsaw Man vs Storm Devil, Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc

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

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

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

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

So Many Great Waifu’s to Come Out of 2025

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

RJ Writing Ink’s Picks for Top Waifus of 2025

Well, another year is in the books, and that means it’s time to reflect on everything that’s happened. For anime fans, that means it’s time to talk about their favorite moments of the year, their favorite anime, and just as important, what fictional characters they would date if they were real. I’m RJ Writing Ink, and once again, it is time for me to go over my picks for the best waifus for 2025. As was the case with last year, I will be including multiple entries from the same series if I deem it necessary. Mostly because some picks are so good that I can’t decide on one.

The Rentaro Family-The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You

First up on our list, it would be crazy to have a waifu list and not include one of the biggest group of best girls out there, the Rentaro family. This year, 100 Girlfriends was happy to welcome five new girlfriends to its membership: a constantly hangry girl, a maid, a tomboy, a beauty queen, and a super-shy girl. Given how well-writen and entertaining they all are, we’re just going to include all of them by default. However, if I had to play favorites, I think my personal choice is Iku Sutou. Firstly, she’s a tomboy, and I believe in tomboy supremacy. Secondly, I love the irony of her being a masochist who’s seiyu is played by Megumin’s from Konosuba. If you know, you know.

Cha Hae-In-Solo Leveling

Admittedly, Solo Leveling is not the kind of anime that you would think of when you think of best girls since it’s focus is on Jin-woo. However, the anime seems to make a notable exception when it comes to Cha Hae-In. From day one, the anime has gone out of its way to include extra scenes focusing on Hae-In, with some not-so-subtle money shots included. Don’t be fooled, though. She’s the strongest female Hunter in Korea, with only a handful of the boys able to surpass her. The most notable being Jin-woo himself, whom Hae-In’s taken an interest in. And it’s not just because he’s the only Hunter whose smell she can stand.

Natsuko Hirose-Zenshu

For the life of me, I can’t remember the last time I saw a woman be the protagonist for an isekai, but man, did Natsuko slay. At the start of the series, she managed to turn her love of animation into a career, and she was incredibly talented at it. The catch was that because she focused so much on her art, her social skills were almost nonexistent by the time she gets isekaied. Over the course of being stuck in her favorite movie, though, she learns how to open up to others, accept help, and even understand what love is. Thanks to that, not only does she manage to rewrite the film’s downer ending, but the ending implies her true love found a way to make it to her world. And, if I’m being honest, she is very pretty underneath that hoodie she wears.

Yihdra Arvoln-The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World

Speaking of the isekai genre, let’s talk about the main heroine for this fun series I mentioned, The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World. Or, as Yihdra would call it, I teamed up with a hot-headed weirdo and ended up falling for him without meaning to. Yihdra is a talented young mage who’s goal in life is to restore her family’s honor and prove that magical items can be used responsibly. That leads her to teaming up with Red to fight against the threat of returning demons, and while his antics do exasperate her at times, his talk about bonds and friendship does grow on her. It also becomes pretty obvious that she’s started to fall for him. She took the bandaid he gave her for her finger and acted like it was an engagement ring!

Huntr/x-Kpop Demon Hunters

Is Kpop Demon Hunters an anime movie? No, and Huntr/x isn’t even Japanese. But if their movie was big enough to get them on the cover of Time Magazine (look it up), then we’re giving them a pass. This K-pop trio of songstresses protects the world from demons and looks amazing while doing so. Their dynamic reminds people of another close-knit trio inspired by anime, the Totally Spies. And everyone of their songs is an absolute banger. Ergo, they’re on this list!

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The Mikadono Sisters-Dealing With the Mikadono Sisters is a Breeze

If you read my reviews of Tomo-Chan is a Girl!, then you know I believe in tomboy supremacy. So what’s better than having three tomboys at the heart of this heartwarming anime about family. Kazuki, Niko, and Miwa are three talented sisters at the top of their prestigious school and their respective talents, but they’re also incredibly cold. All that changes when they take in the son of a friend of the family who wants nothing more than to have the family life he never had with his late mom. And, despite being utterly talentless, Yuu Ayase wins them over with his kindness, warmth, and ability to get them flustered without even realizing it. In fact, I don’t even think he’s realized that the three of them have started to fall for him.

Popโ˜†Step-My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

From the My Hero Academia universe, we have the young vigilante, Popโ˜†Step. Well, being a vigilante is not her first choice. She’s actually an aspiring pop star who regularly holds street performances, using her Quirk to bounce high while her singing takes care of the rest. Young, brash, and a little insecure about herself, Pop winds up becoming a vigilante by complete accident when she runs into Koichi and Knuckleduster, and winds up sticking with them. Her ultimate goal is to make it big as a singer, and she’s got the skills to do it.

Nico Wakatsuki-Witch Watch

This is one witch that you definitley want as your best friend, and lucky for you, she probably would want to be your friend. Nico is a witch-in-training who returns to Japan to live with her childhood friend, Morihito. He’s supposed to be her bodyguard and keep her safe, but his efforts are complicated due to Nico’s friendly nature compelling her to use magic to help others, with often disastrous results. Friendly, outgoing, and eager to aid others, Nico is the kind of friend that everyone would want. Her one weakness: her huge crush on Morihito, who just can’t seem to get it.

Reze-Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc

Normally, I wouldn’t include someone who tried to kill the main protagonist on this list, but I will make an exception for Reze’s case. Born and raised as a Soviet agent, Reze was tasked with the mission of capturing Denji and obtaining his chainsaw heart. Despite trying to kill him, though, Reze did seem to become genuinely fond of Denji, enough to consider leaving it all behind with him…until Makima intervenes. While their relationship ends in bloodshed and tragedy, Reze represents the kind of life that Denji could have if the world wasn’t out to constantly screw him over.

Scarlet El Vandimion-May I Ask for One Final Thing?

Admit it: after all the time I’ve spent singing her praises, I would be crazy to not include the queen of crash-outs, Scarlet El Vandimion. All her life, this highborn girl has loved nothing more than throwing hands with wicked people, only to force her to repress that due to her terrible arranged marriage. The second her idiotic fiance breaks things off, though, the dog is let off the leash and won’t go back on. Scarlet is absolutely fearsome and capable of pulverizing anyone dumb enough to arouse her anger. At the same time, though, she’s actually a very kind and caring person who truly loves her kingdom and wants the best for everyone in it. Or as I like to put it, she has a zero tolerance policy for other people’s bs. Given how her victims crimes include corruption, slavery, attempted murder, blackmail, brainwashing, and warmongering, it’s not hard to see why.

Who Were Your Favorite Girls for 2024? Let us Know!

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

That Time Hahari Had a Bad Hair Day

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll, Dubs & Subs , , , , , , , , , ,

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2, Episode 9 Review

Tentacle p***. Of the 18+ concepts to come out of Japan, few are as storied or infamous as tentacle p***. The sight of tentacles or something similar has been a popular subject to parody in anime, especially in the ecchi/harem genres. Knowing that, and knowing that 100 Girlfriends illustrator, Yukiko Nozawa has done doujinshis, it was only a matter of time before 100 Girlfriends did it. Being the ultimate harem anime, it decides to go all out on this.

When Hair Attacks

So, viewers may recall how during the beauty search contest, Rentaro resorted to shaving his head and eyebrows to force a draw. Despite looking like it came back, this episode reveals he was wearing a wig and tape-on eyebrows. So the girls decide to have a hair-styling day, and the cuteness makes Rentaroโ€™s hair grow back. Itโ€™s the rule of funny in effect.

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However, things turn when Hahari chooses to down Kusuriโ€™s hair-controlling and it proceeds to come to life. Then, acting on instinct, it proceeds to act out Hahariโ€™s deepest desire: pet anything and everything she considers cute!

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Which leads to some incredibly suggestive scenes that can only be described as softcore tentacle p***. The characters acknowledge how whats happening feels like something of To-Love-Ru, another ecchi/harem that Shonen Jump published.

So This is What Tentacle P*** is Like

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Full disclosure: I am not a big fan of the concept of tentacle p***. I think itโ€™s too out there for me and I dont get why some people like it so much. That said, I appreciate how 100 Girlfriends has the guts to take something often parodied and use it to full effect. In this case, the sight of Hahariโ€™s hair covering the entire world is some next-level ridiculousness. Some people may not like it, but I appreciate the humor behind how silly this is.

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In the end, the hair manages to get almost everyone except Rentaro, Mei, and Shizuka. They grab the Hanazono family helicopter (because, of course, Hahari has one), and Rentaro dives in and uses his CHADtaro powers to save the day.

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They also somehow manage to send all the excess hair into the sun. That doesn’t really make sense, but this is still a comedy series operating on the rule of funny. According to the rule of funny, anything that violates the laws of the universe is permissible so long as the end result is considered humorous. And as much as I dont like tentacle p***, seeing Hahariโ€™s hair give everyone in the world a collective hug is pretty funny.

Don’t…Don’t Question This

As a bonus, the excess hair somehow refuels the sun and prevents a new ice age. Again, it doesn’t make sense but doesn’t have to.

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So, thanks to Hahariโ€™s impulses and Kusuriโ€™s drug, the world is saved. Hahari does spend several days feeling guilt-ridden, but the Family helps her by pointing out no one got hurt. Some even liked what happened.

And that was the day that Hahari Hanazono became a mother to the entire world. And it was all thanks to the power of SFW tentacle p***.

I can’t lie: I didn’t think they would adapt this little arc from the manga. I thought we would slip this part and head straight to the next girlfriend. However, I cannot complain with how things turned out!

Hope you enjoyed the episode! By the way, WatchMojo recently acknowledged this as one of the best anime of the winter 2025 season. Congrats!

I Give “The World Hair Only Grows” a 4/5

Wait, Does Kissing Really Do That to People?

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2, Episode 8 Review

Last time on The 100 Girlfriends, the Rentaro Family was facing its biggest crisis since the incident with Hahari! Rentaro’s tenth soulmate, the beautiful Mimimi Utsukushisugi, refuses to be part of any group with Nano in it due to a past transgression. Thus, the newcomer challenges Nano to a contest where the loser must leave the Family! How will Rentaro use his CHADtaro powers to resolve this conflict? What sort of antics will Mimimi bring to the Rentaro Family? And how saucy can this anime make the simple act of kissing?

That last question will make sense soon enough.

Mimimi’s Problem with Nano

So, after Mimimi threw down the gauntlet last time, this episode reveals the exact circumstances that led to her grudge against Nano. After winning a beauty paegant they were both in, Mimimi tried to be a good sport and extend a hand to Nano. In response, Nano rejected her, saying friendship was a waste of time. What made things worse was that Mimimi secretly entered Nano in the pageant all so the two of them could become friends, only to get spat on.

The first half of this episode is as much about Nano’s character development as it is about Mimimi joining the Family. Before she met Rentaro, love and friendship were utterly foreign to her. Her willingness to accept Mimimi’s challenge speaks volumes to her character development. Something that becomes more obvious over the course of their โ€œbeauty searchโ€ contest.

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Instead of judging each other by what makes them beautiful, they point out everything they find beautiful in the rest of the family. This leads to some very fun moments where everything that makes the others attractive. However, itโ€™s when they get to Rentaro himself that the real funny moment of the episode takes place.

CHADtaro humiliates himself for his Family

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Rentaro uses his CHADtaro powers to turn himself into the least attractive person they can possibly find. He shaves his eyebrows, hair, and puts on a humiliating costume all so they canโ€™t get an edge, and call the entire contest a draw! Thatโ€™s how far Rentaro is willing to go to keep his girlfriends happy!

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Mimimi almost takes this moment as another loss, but again, this episode demonstrates Nanoโ€™s character development. She may not be able to make up for her past slight, but she makes it clear that she finally understands the value of love and friendship. Which is one of the great things about this series. The girlโ€™s problems arenโ€™t fixed overnight, but thanks to the supportive environment Rentaro gives them, theyโ€™re able to work on them together! And itโ€™s enough to convince Mimimi to drop her grudge and officially join the Family.

Kissing Galore

In what is now a tradition for the series, the second half of the episode is centered on Mimimi integrating into the Rentaro Family through an activity. In this case, itโ€™s helping each of the girls reach their most beautiful selves by partaking in activities that will aid them. In this case, kissing. Lots and lots and lots of kissing.

This entire half of the episode is primarily an excuse for the anime to skirt the line between SFW and full-on ecchi. Using a new lip balm to stimulate the pleasure centers of the brain, the girls each take turns kissing Rentaro. The moments that come out of this are, suitably, hilarious. Like this!

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Or this!

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This one got crazy!

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And this one was a straight-up shoutout to Food Wars and its infamous Foodgasms.

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And look at how what happened afterwards!

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And with that, we now sit at ten girlfriends, with ninety more to go. And this season only has one girlfriend left to introduce, so thereโ€™s no telling what might happen! At least the girls will be able to remain beautiful, though!

I Give “The Beautiful and the Bold” a 4/5

Karaoke Cuteness Chaos

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2, Episode 7 Review

It feels like only yesterday that Rentaro met his first two girlfriends. Now, he’s sitting at nine, with ninety-one girlfriends left to meet and win over! And the more girlfriends join the Rentaro Family, the more chaotic and sillier things will get. Case in point, this next episode has the Family go on another group date. Then, Rentaro finally hits double digits as his tenth girlfriend appears! And she happens to already have history with another girlfriend!

Who Doesn’t Love Karaoke?

The episode starts off making us think Rentaro’s about to meet his soulmate #10, but it’s a fakeout. In truth, the Rentaro Family’s out on a group karaoke date!

The entire date is a demonstration of one advantage that the anime has over the manga it’s adapting. In the manga, readers have to imagine what everyone sounds like when they’re singing. Because it’s an anime, the show lets us hear each girl belt out songs in all their glory. Even better, you can actually hear the OP and ED amongst the songs being played for a few moments. Considering how good they were, it’s a welcomed callback.

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Shizuka’s Flooflness Made everyone Yamcha Pose

The real show, though, starts when Shizuka plucks up the courage to get up there and start singing. And thanks to another one of Kusuri’s drugs, her natural cuteness gets amplified to the point where it physically overwhelms the Family.

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I don’t know what’s funnier: how each of the girls tries to tank this onslaught of cuteness, or how each of them does the famous Yamcha pose when they can’t take it anymore.

That’s one of the great things about The 100 Girlfriends. It regularly includes parodies of pop culture to the point where you could spend each episode trying to figure out reference. Special mention goes to Rentaro and Shizuka’s duet (first CHADtaro moment of the episode) leading to a recreation of the “girl falling from the sky” scene from Castle in the Sky.

NEW GIRLFRIEND APPROACHES

The second half of the episode starts with Rentaro heading to a high-class mall to scout out date spots. That’s when he crosses paths with this girl who’s boasting about how beautiful she is and…ZING!

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Meet girlfriend #10, Mimimi Utsukushisugi, AKA the narcissistic beauty. She is an incredibly beautiful young woman capable of making heads turn as she walks by. Not only does she know this, but she revels in it. She considers herself the most beautiful woman in the world and will not accept anything less. And when she becomes smitten with Rentaro, she immediately gives him a makeover to conform to her beauty standards.

Normally, a character like Mimimi would be seen as toxic. Since this is The 100 Girlfriends, though, she deconstructs the narcissist. She actively puts in the work to being beautiful and maintaining it. She works hard to earn money, does daily maintenance on her face, and taught herself how to speak eloquently. She’s even capable of recognizing how one’s personality traits make them beautiful.

Case in point, when another couple jealously tries to ruin her outfit via spilled boba, Rentaro has his second CHADtaro moment of the episode. He willingly shields Mimimi with his body and ruining the new clothes he got.

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And then, when that guy almost slips on his own drink, he doesn’t hesitate to save him. Because, according to him, he was just trying to stand up for his own lady, something he can respect.

Thus, Rentaro gains his tenth girlfriend. His selflessness so moves Mimimi that she says he’s already beautiful as he is and begs him to go out with her. She even takes the news that she’s his tenth girlfriend as a compliment. So all seems right with the world…

…then Nano shows up, and Mimimi goes off.

Uh-oh.

As it turns out, despite calling herself the most beautiful, there was one black mark on her record. She and Nano competed in a beauty pageant in the past, and Nano won! Mimimi hasn’t forgotten this slight, and can’t tolerate joining any group with that has Nano! So she challenges her to a rematch, with the penalty being the loser will have to leave the Family. FOREVER!

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So, the episode ends on the biggest crisis the Rentaro Family has faced since the day they met Hahari! And Rentaro seems powerless to stop this coming duel! Remember, if any of his soulmates don’t date him, they’ll eventually die. This is serious business to him! How will he get out of this mess?

Find out in the next review, which will hopefully be up soon. Also, it should be noted that I had to look up the reference that Nano made at the end. A rare instance where I didn’t get the reference.

I Give “Karaoke Crisis” a 4.5/5

The maids must be crazy

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2 Ep 4 Review

Of all the waifu archetypes in anime, one of the oldest and most respected is that of the maid. The cute outfits, the respectful behavior, the willingness to serve their masters loyally. Many a male anime fan has dreamed of having a cute maid as their girlfriend! However, there’s the expectations, and then there’s the reality of what that’s like. And as Rentaro finds out when he starts a relationship with the Hanazonoโ€™s maid, Mei Meido, being a perfect maid does not immediately correlate to being a girlfriend.

Also, I would like to amend my review for the season premiere. It turns out that the first half of the episode wasn’t anime-original. It was a chapter that I had forgotten about.

Mei has some serious issues!

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So, having gotten Hahariโ€™s blessing to date Rentaro, Mei shows up at his house so that they can have their first real date. As said before, many young guys would kill for the chance to date a pretty maid girl like Mei. However, Rentaro soon discovers that Meiโ€ฆhas some issues.

Mei is so devoted to her life as Hahariโ€™s maid that she has no interests outside of serving her mistress. When he asks her what she likes, all she can answer with are himself and lady Hahari. Then she tries to drive to both their residences, despite just leaving his!

It gets worse. While she does endear herself with a pre-made lunch, her maid mentality is so thoroughly ingrained into her that Mei needs someone to give her a command. If she had fallen in love with someone with fewer scruples, she could be asked to do things that some might seem indecent. The anime even lampshades how fortunate it is that Rentaroโ€™s love far outweighs his lust. Its pretty clear, though, that, like many of the other girlfriends, Mei has her own, deep-seated issues. And while the anime tries to make light of it with a joke in the stinger, the accompanying flashback makes it clear that Meiโ€™s problems should be taken seriously.

Spoiler alert: Meiโ€™s deadbeat, debt-ridden parents abandoned her in the cold. If Hahari hadn’t found her in time, she would’ve died. Thankfully, not only did Hahari find her, she even offered to adopt her as her daughter. In other words, her non-existent self-esteem led Mei to become slavishly loyal to Hahari.

CHADtaro powers, ACTIVATE!

This looks like a job forโ€ฆCHADtaro! In this case, he gives Mei thus command to not be of any use to him whatsoever, only to then point out how thats impossible. Why? Because her very existence is helpful to him!

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The logic and execution behind it seems crazy, but you can understand what Rentaro is going for. He’s trying to build up Meiโ€™s self-esteem by showing her that she doesn’t need to do anything for him to make him happy. Just existing is enough for him because he’s a CHAD among CHADS. It doesn’t fully snap her out of this way of thinking, but none of the other girlfriends have fully gotten rid of their issues. Nor do they need to, because Rentaro accepts them, faults and all.

And with that, girlfriend #8 has been secured. On to the celebration.

Squirt Gun Fight!

It should be a recognizable formula by one: once Rentaro secures a girlfriend, the Rentaro Family will spend half an episode or a whole episode attempting to integrate the newcomer through comedic hijinks. In this case, Hahari has them all dress up as maids and have a water gun shootout. The winner gets a hug and kiss from Butler Rentaro!

The fight itself is funny due to how seriously (or not) the girls take it. The anime really leans into each girlfriends unique quirks to demonstrate how they win or lose. And, since this is a rom-com harem, each girl gets a gratuitous money shot of them soaked in their maid outfits. Unfortunately, Meiโ€™s loyalty to Hahari leads to none of the girls winningโ€ฆwait, that’s not unfortunate. They all get a kiss from the best boyfriend in harem animeโ€ฆand a money shot of Butler Rentaro.

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One might think that having the series down to a formula would get boring, but what matters more is the execution. And with how many girlfriends with different personalities will be joining the Family, this isn’t going to get old anytime soon.

Though, admitedly, some of Hahariโ€™s motivations can get grating if they’re not used in moderation. The fact that Hahari saved Mei mainly because she was cute is not something we needed to know!

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By the way, they updated the ED since they don’t need to hide Mei anymore! Secret route UNLOCKED!!!

I Give “Super Soaked Maid Party” a 4/5

Guess Who the next Girlfriend is? The Answer might Surprise you!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll, Dubs & Subs , , , , , , , , , ,

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2 Ep 3 Review

Maternal. Refined. Poise. All of these adjectives could be used to describe Hahari Hanazono. At least, they were, until she met Rentaro and the floodgates were opened. Now sheโ€™s the absolute goofiest member of Rentaroโ€™s growing family, much to Hakariโ€™s dismay. But maybe all Hakari needs to do is walk a mile in her motherโ€™s shoes (with Rentaro) to understand why Hahariโ€™s now acting like she is. All of this, plus the next girlfriend awaits on 100 Girlfriends!

Rugrats was a good cartoon!

One day in their usual hangout, Hahariโ€™s back at her childish antics again. This time, she convinced Kusuri to make a drug that would turn everyone into babies, all so she can dress them up in baby clothes and pretend sheโ€™s their mommy. However, Hakari finally reaches her breaking point with her motherโ€™s behavior and calls her out on how embarrassing it is as her daughter. Unfortunately, the fallout gets delayed because, thanks to Kusuriโ€™s messing up, everyone but Rentaro and Hakari gets turned into babies. Tiny, adorable babies.

With a minimum of an hour before they can take the reversing drug, Hakari and Rentaro have to take care of the babified girls. Itโ€™s like one of those tv episodes where students have to raise an egg or flower sack as a pretend kid, but with actual stakes. Itโ€™s cute at first, until Hakari learns something: parenting is hard. The babies crawl everywhere, Karane and Kurumi keep trying to feed off of Hakari, and the only the two can get them to stop is by Rentaro injuring himself.

Despite all this, though, Hahari still consoles her daughter like the mother she is.

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Tell your mom you love them!

The whole experience is an eye-opener for Hakari as to how hard raising kids can be. Hahari had the good fortune of being wealthy enough to be a single mother, but becoming one at age 13 would be stressful for anyone. Herein lies the reason for why Hahari acts so silly: because she neber got to enjoy her teens and grow up quickly, sheโ€™s trying to make up for lost time. Thus, surrounded by the Rentaro Family that loves her for all her faults, she lets herself cut loose. Itโ€™s not ideal, but Hakari learns to accept that part of her motherโ€ฆto an extent.

The second half of the episode skips past a chapter focused on Kusuri playing with a toy penguin named after Rentaro, sadly. However, itโ€™s a good segue into the Familyโ€™s next misadventure involving Meido.

And Girlfriend #8 is…

Meido, age 19, Hahariโ€™s personal maid whoโ€™s always smiling for the sake of her mistress. Sheโ€™s best described as being like a dog, in that sheโ€™s so loyal to Hahari, it unnerves Hahari sometimes. She even says that she will take cyanide if Hahari asked her! Yet, underneath her smile and closed eyelids, Hahari claims she has beautiful eyes. Sheโ€™s kept her face in professional maid mode for so long, though, she might qualify as blind.

The Rentaro Family resorts to their various antics to try and get Meido to open her eyes, with predictable results. All their various attempts to scare, make her laugh, or startle her end in failure or just more hijinks! The most they manage to do is Nano making Shizuka cry and Kusuri and Kurumi having to comfort Hahari.

Once again, though, itโ€™s Rentaro who manages to come in clutch.

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Now we have a maid girlfriend

THATโ€™S RIGHT! Meido is girlfriend #8, here to fulfill everyoneโ€™s fantasies of dating a cute maid! And, as per the norm by now, sheโ€™s got her own issues that she needs to deal with before they can seal the deal. In this case, Meidoโ€™s loyalty to Hahari is so great that she refuses to act on her feelings until Hahari orders her to.

This could be Rentaroโ€™s toughest battle yet. How will he get through to the super-loyal Meido? For that matter, why is Meido so loyal to Hahari in the first place? Expect to learn the answers to both in the next episode. However, as far as this episode goes, it was yet another barrel of laughs for this writer. Ever since Hahari came to accept Rentaro and his harem ways, her goofy antics have been the source of a great deal of the series comedy. Considering how she had to suppress her own desires for 16 years for her daughterโ€™s sake, though, itโ€™s understandable. Youโ€™d be surprised how many adults wish they could cut loose like Hahari does. Also, seeing the baby versions of the Family get into trouble while the โ€œparentsโ€ struggled feels like watching an episode of the classic Rugrats.

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I Give “What Does the Maid See?” a 4/5

They Cut off Part of the Manga for the Eating Contest

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll, Dubs & Subs , , , , , , , , , ,

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

Last time on the legend of CHADtaro, our hero managed to secure his seventh girlfriend, Kurumi Haraga, the girl with an appetite to rival that of a Saiyan. But despite choosing to date Rentaro, the little Kirby will not associate with the rest of the Rentaro family. Thus, CHADtaro decided to enter them all into an eating contest to help them bond. Can the Familyโ€™s stomachs survive the turmoil to come? Find out now on The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You!

An Eating Contest?

As stated above, in order to break the ice between Kurumi and the rest of his girlfriends, Rentaro has them all enter an eating contest, with a special gelato being the grand prize. However, things are easier said than done, as Kurumi rather coldly believes the other girls will only hold her back. To make matters worse, their main competition happens to be a competitive eaterโ€ฆwho cheats. They disguise themselves as a giant man to hide the fact that they use a vacuum and food collector to store everything they โ€œeat.โ€ Itโ€™s something so ridiculous that even the anime calls itself out on the sheer ridiculousness of it!

Being that this is a food competition, most of the episodeโ€™s humor stems from the competitorโ€™s efforts to keep from exploding from eating so much, with each girlfriend going to absurd lengths to win!

Shizuka? She chews boba like sheโ€™s a cute little chipmunk?

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Nano forces herself onto a ledge so that the fear will somehow make her able to eat her last piece of food!

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Hakari and Hahari power through the potential weight gain by remembering the fat will go to the places that matter.

Hilariously, Karane and Kusuriโ€™s part gets cut off to save time.

The Rentaro Family wins (duh)

In the end, the final round predictably comes down to Rentaro and Kurumiโ€™s efforts. Unfortunately, not even Kurumiโ€™s stomach can handle all the food sheโ€™s eaten, and she begins to give out. At least, until the Rentaro family pulls through. With the help of their collective stamina, theyโ€™re able to bring the cheater to his knees! And then Rentaro just comes in and secures the final win using the power of love and whatnot!

And afterwards, Kurumi and Rentaro celebrate by having their first kiss. And with that, girlfriend #7 has been secured for the Rentaro Family.

So, how was this little outing? Hilarious, but thatโ€™s the case for almost everything in this wacky harem anime. If anything, it would be more surprising if it wasnโ€™t silly and over-the-top. However, it may be because of the sheer amount of food being consumed, but this episode wasnโ€™t quite as fun as the previous one. Then again, you canโ€™t expect every episode to be a winner.

Unless youโ€™re Rentaro. Then theyโ€™re all winners.

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I Give “The Beginning and the End! Food Fight Festival!”