Anime Blog

AUZA Needs to be Stopped!

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Ninja Kamui Ep 8 Review

Everyone remembers Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare for starting the “F to Pay Respects” meme, but I also rememebr it for the main villains, the Atlas Corporation. Now I’m adding them to the list of megacorporations that AUZA reminds me of. In this case, AUZA is using their influence to take over the world through its infrastructure, and they’re dangerously close to doing so. If Higan wants to stop Yamaji, he needs to do it soon. And he’s going to need his entire group of allies working together on this. Even if Agent Moriss has to learn who “Emma” really is.

Taking the Fight on the Road

Having shown that Higan means business, he and Aska manage to escape AUZA City in search of Yamaji. One would think that with all the technology AUZA uses, they couldn’t get out without getting spotted. However, the nature of mankind is that of adaptability. One guy makes a big gun, the other makes an even bigger one. Or, when a megacorporation uses too many electronics, a hacker like Aska makes an EM pulse to shut down an entire city. Easy getaway.

The episode also reveals how AUZA is trying to conquer the world from the shadows. Using their reactors as a power source, their goal is to take control of every nation’s infrastructure from within. It’s not as overt as a would-be despot steamrolling across the planet, but it’s effective. The Atlas Corporation, the main antagonists from Advanced Warfare, did the same thing and got dangerously close to taking control of everything. And with the Ninja’s serving as the muscle, there’s little the government can do to stop them. 

But Higan can.

The big fight of the episode takes place at an AUZA reactor Higan and Aska raid, only to run into Big D. (The guy with the flat top.) Whereas Lil was a deplorable person who got off on violence, though, Big D has a sense of honor and respects the way of the Ninja. Enough that when Higan and Aska catch an unlucky break, he lets them go, not wanting to win on a technicality. Say what you want, but he does respect the Ninja way (I think.)

The Need to Trust

The big highlight of the episode, though, is the reunion between Higan and Aska and Agent Moriss and Jason Cardenas. Aska comes clean about everything to Moriss, who is not happy about being lied to. However, it’s not for the reasons you would think. 

Throughout the series, Agent Moriss has shown himself to be the very open-minded and understanding type. For example, despite knowing Higan is a killer ninja, he’s willing to work with him. Both out of pragmatism and knowing Higan has a justifiable reason to want to bring down AUZA. In this case, he’s not mad that Aska lied about being a ninja. He’s mad she didn’t trust him enough. He knows she had her reasons, but still.

Now that the unlikely party is together, the next step is for them to figure out how to stop AUZA. Yamaji’s already putting his plan in motion, and they need to stop him. And with three episodes left, the clock is ticking. Here’s hoping that the series can end on a high note!

I Give “Episode 8” a 4/5

Aska, the Face-Changing Ninja Among Ninjas

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Ninja Kamui Ep 7 Review

When Ninja Kamui started, I didn’t think much of Emma. I thought that she was going to be a secondary character, the young rookie that worked with Agent Morriss. The last two episodes threw that out the window, revealing them to be an elaborate deception. Not only was she a Ninja, but worked from within to bring down the Clan and AUZA. Emma isn’t even her real name; it’s Aska (we think). In the previous episode, Aska told Higan her desire to help him stemmed from the bond she had with his late wife. However, it didn’t dive too much into it due to the oncoming threat from AUZA and the need to get the Kamui suit ready. Now that the threat’s been dealt with, though, Aska dives into her backstory, giving us more info about the entire story. And while some people may not like them, I enjoy flashbacks. 

Higan Sends AUZA a Message

With all the time the anime spent hyping it up last episode, it seemed like the follow-up would focus on showing off the Kamui. We would spend most of the air-time seeing how powerful it would be with Higan using it. As it turns out, the Kamui is powerful. So powerful, in fact, that Higan managed to defeat Lil’, the depraved sadist with dwarfism, in a few minutes. It wasn’t even a fight; it was a curb stomp.

The whole thing was a bittersweet experience, though more sweet than bitter. While its short length means viewers have to wait to see the titular Kamui’s full capabilities, seeing the depraved Lil’ get brought down was still satisfying. And, while we don’t see it, the fact that Higan sent AUZA his severed head shows how badly they messed up. They had the chance to kill him before, but they wanted to know how he came back from death. The irony is that that was never even his own doing. It was thanks to Aska that that happened. And, as Aska herself tells Higan, the technique wasn’t hers to begin with. It was Mari’s!

In other words, Aska played them all by putting them in this position. 

Aska, the Ninja Who Watches Other Ninjas

With the battle over and a reprieve granted, Aska explains her history with Mari to Higan and, by extension, the audience. As a kid, a terrible accident mutilated her face so severely that her parents abandoned her rather than live with her disfigurement. The previous leader of the Ninja Clan took her in, raised her, and taught her how to use makeup to disguise herself as anyone. More importantly, he gave Aska a particular task: she would watch any potential head of the Clan and kill them if she found them wanting. She would be the Watcher who looked after other Ninjas.

She should’ve done that to Yamaji years ago if that’s true. However, after Yamaji brought the Ninjas under AUZA’s control and let in outsiders who only cared about their fighting techniques, like Lil’, she knew that was a bad idea. So, while those loyal to the old ways fell in line or deserted, she stayed behind to bring them down from within. It was a smart move, but it wasn’t enough to save Mari. 

As for Mari, she was Aska’s mentor as a Ninja, but their relationship became more than that. Mari became Aska’s friend, appreciating her face for what it was and not seeing it as hideous. She was the only person she told about her being pregnant with Higan’s child. Despite being ordered to kill her for deserting, Aska couldn’t bring herself to do it. She chose her forbidden friendship with Mari over the cold detachment that Ninjas were meant to have.

This moment was the best part of the episode. It showed how wrong the Ninjas’ ways of thinking could be when it came to bonds. Besides, they can’t justify it when they allowed unworthy people like Lil’ join them. 

Aska is Helping Higan to Fulfill her Duty

In short, Aska’s helping Higan out for two reasons. Firstly, she’s doing it out of loyalty to Mari, which is admirable. Secondly, she’s doing it because she knows that she can’t fulfill her job as the Watcher on her own. The fact that she lost to Lil’ while buying time for Higan demonstrates how, for all her training, she can’t handle the AUZA-backed Ninjas alone. But Higan can with the Kamui.

For the time being, it appears that Higan can trust Aska. Even if he didn’t, he has little choice. He’s in the heart of AUZA’s territory, and Yamaji (and likely AUZA) are about to unleash their master plan. I don’t know what it is, but given the Shinra and Abstergo vibes AUZA gives off, it’s not good for anyone. 

With only four episodes left in the series until it ends, the time has come for Ninja Kamui to start ramping up the action. Here’s hoping that the final quarter delivers on the action that we want to see. 

I Give “Episode 7” a 4/5

Everyone Digs Cyber Ninjas

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Ninja Kamui Episode 6 Review

Okay, I wasn’t expecting that to happen. In the last episode of Ninja Kamui, Higan tries to fight through AUZA City but gets overwhelmed by the higher-ups of AUZA. Equipped with cyber ninja suits that would make Tony Stark drool, Higan proved no match for them. Thanks to one of them turning on the others, he managed to get out with his life. Meanwhile, Morris had his troubles to deal with. Not only did AUZA come close to killing him, but he discovered that his partner, Emma, might be working for them. As surprising as that might be, the truth was even crazier. As someone who likes to guess how things turn out in stories, this caught me off-guard. 

Firstly, though, a shout-out to Toonami for acknowledging the passing of Akira Toriyama. With Dragon Ball coming statewide in 1998, Toonami got smaller than it did. And thus, anime never would’ve gotten as big in the West as it is. It’s sweet how they chose to run a marathon for DBZ Kai in honor of his memory. That being said, it’ve been more appropriate for them to run the classic DBZ instead. I might not have grown up with it, but Aaron and Donte did, and it feels appropriate. That, and they could’ve made it a 24-hour marathon. 

They Were the One Helping Higan Out?!?

Cutting straight to the chase, the episode quickly reveals the identity of the person who saved Higan: Emma. “Emma” (not even her real name) is also a ninja working undercover in the FBI, but she’s chosen to help Higan. The reason is that she was friends with Mari and kept in touch even after she and Higan left the ninjas. She even tried to save the two and their son the night of the attack, but all she could do was use her ninja technique to fake Higan’s death and fool AUZA into thinking he could revive himself. And to top it all off, she was the one who helped him sneak into AUZA City. She played everyone!

It would’ve been easy for the show to have Emma be a traitor and one of Higan’s biggest obstacles in his quest for vengeance. Instead, Ninja Kamui opted for a far more exciting route by making her a mole for Higan. While her motives remain unclear, it’s safe to assume she’s on Higan’s side for now.

As for Agent Moriss’ side, though, that remains uncertain. The episode doesn’t focus as much on him, with the parts that are about and his hacker friend trying to figure out their next move. While I’m still worried about their safety, they might take a backseat while Higan continues his fight. This time, he’s got a new weapon to use.

We’re in Cyber Ninja Territory Now, People!

Enter the Gusoku suit, a cybernetic suit that enhances the wearer’s strength, speed, and durability to superhuman levels while also working with their ninja arts. It’s also how Higan can turn the tables on the enemy, with Emma getting the latest prototype: the Kamui. This suit can hook directly to Higan’s nervous system, allowing him to control it with his thoughts alone. With the human brain being an organic supercomputer capable of making conclusions in milliseconds, the Kamui has the potential to act on superhuman levels. In other words, when Higan puts it on, he will be strong enough to take down anyone. 

Ninjas are already cool enough on their own. However, seeing them fused with the concept of cybernetic armor like a ninja Iron Man, takes that up to eleven. The previous episode showed us what someone’s capable of doing with one of those suits, but it’s this episode that shows off its full potential. Emma’s fight with Lil combines the action of a ninja battle with the power of hacking straight out of Watch Dogs. It’s incredible to look at, though for a moment, it looks like Emma might not make it. But then Higan, through the memory of his wife, syncs with the suit faster than possible. And as the episode ends, Higan stands in the Kamui, ready to meet Lil on equal terms.

This episode finally gives meaning to the title of this anime, something that I hadn’t even considered beforehand. Now that we know it, though, it feels a little disappointing that we’re only getting this with the series reaching its halfway point. The first half was only a setup for the real action that’s to come. Hopefully, the second half of the series can meet the hype. I am optimistic about everything, though. After all, this series is being directed by the man who directed the first season of JuJutsu Kaisen. That has to count for something!

I Give “Episode 6” a 3.5/5

The Demon Slayers are About to Have a Training Arc

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba-To the Hashira Training Review

In 2023, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba released a new movie to drum up hype for the upcoming Swordsmith Village Arc. It wasn’t so much a new story, though, as it was a compilation. It mainly covered the end of the Entertainment District Arc, which had some award-worthy animation, before segueing into the first episode of the upcoming arc. Having missed out on that, I resolved to avoid making the same mistake this time. So I got tickets for the opening night of the following compilation film, To the Hashira Training. And, even though it meant having to rewatch the finale to the Swordsmith Village Arc, it was still worth seeing. 

The Calm Before the Storm

If you last saw it a while ago or never read my review, the first half of the compilation film is a good refresher. Tanjiro slew Hantengu of the Upper-Rank Four, and, in a tearjerker of a miracle, Nezuko gained the ability to survive in the sun. The bad news? Before he died, Hantengu told Muzan about Nezuko, making her his top priority. If he devours her, he’ll become immune to the sun, making him nigh-unstoppable. The final battle is upon them, and everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps knows it. 

The preview the film gives us of the first episode of season four starts with the Hashiras Sanemi (the scarred guy who stabbed Nezuko) and Obanai (the one with the snake) going on a mission to rescue a woman from Demons. What ends up happening is they get a glimpse of Muzan’s stronghold before getting thrown out. 

For those who hoped the season four opener would have some fantastic action, the opening is as good as it gets. The rest of the episode, as will the entire arc, is merely the calm before the storm. The remaining Hashira point this out when they convene at the Ubuyashiki Mansion, saying how Demon attacks have gone down. They know Muzan’s readying his forces to capture Nezuko, making a full-scale war inevitable. And with Rengoku dead and Tengen forced to retire, they’re short on manpower. 

To highlight the sense of urgency even further, the leader of the Demon Slayers, Kagaya, is dying. The sickness that’s rotting his flesh and rendered him blind has progressed to the point where he’s bedridden. This means it’s up to the Hashira to prepare for the final battle. And, since this is a Shonen anime, there’s only one solution: an anime training arc. 

Time to Train!

The Hashira (except for Giyu) decide they need to train not just themselves but the entire Demon Slayer Corps. So, they gathered all the lower-ranked members and organized a massive boot camp to toughen them up. The end goal is to get the lower-ranked members closer to their level, giving them a better chance of winning the war that’s to come. And while we only see the start of things, it looks like it will be brutal. 

The program has another purpose, though. With Tokito and Mitsuri getting the same marks as Tanjiro, which gives him superpowers, the other Hashira wants to do the same. It may be the deciding factor in the final battle. However, all they know is that they can only come out when under extreme conditions that could kill them, and they come in contact with someone who already has the Mark. There’s more to it, though. Manga readers will know it, but the anime doesn’t state to increase the tension. From the looks of things, though, the Mark has some serious downsides. 

The Hashira Training Arc is Coming!

Serious topics aside, the episode has plenty of funny moments to lighten the mood. The funniest, by far, revolves around Nezuko’s attempts to relearn how to talk. When Zenitsu returns and sees her walking in the sunlight, he gets lovestruck and asks her to marry him. Until that is, she calls him Inosuke. The latter insisted Nezuko get to know her name, much to Zenitsu’s annoyance. And my amusement.

The episode/film ends with Tanjiro preparing to join the training. More importantly, though, Ms. Tamayo, who’s been working on a cure for Demons, gets summoned by Kagaya to collaborate with one of the Hashira—progress at last.

How long will the anime’s fourth season be last? It may only cover the Hashira Training Arc, making it shorter than previous seasons. And, as much as I want to get to the final battle, splitting it up would make the pacing easier. Either way, I’m going to enjoy this.

I Give “To the Hashira Training” a 4/5

Jin-Woo is About to Claim Victims

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Solo Leveling Ep 6 Review

Have you ever seen the “You’re a victim” meme? It comes from a SupaHotFire video on YouTube from six years ago, and is best used in situations where a person gets absolutely wrecked. And now that Jin-Woo is no longer the weakest Hunter in all mankind, that’s what will happen to any monsters, or Humans, that get in his way. In this episode, Jin-Woo begins the true start to what will be a long list of people and beasts that he makes victims.

Round 1: Jin-Woo vs Giant Spider

After getting left to die by their so-called party members, Jin-Woo has two options: fight or die. And after facing off against the things he’s fought, the crippling fear that Jin-Woo once felt is not so great. Compared to the demonic statues, a giant spider is nothing.

The fight that follows in the anime seems to take a lot of cues from the likes of Sword Art Online. And that’s not just because it’s produced by the same studio that does SAO. Like Kirito, Jin-Woo’d movements are based around speed and agility. He jumps, dodges, and constantly looks for new angles from which to attack. The way the fight’s animated even evokes some of the frenetic energy of Kirito’s more over the top battles. In other words, it’s pretty fun to watch if you’re into that sort of thing.

Hilariously, by the time it’s over and you see how devoted Jin-Ho is to Jin-Woo, I can’t help but hear Deku, subbed or not. This is the beginning of a beautiful bromance.

Here’s the thing, though: Jin-Woo is not a hero. 

Hwang Dongsuk becomes a Victim

When Dongsuk and his party come back and realize that Jin-Woo and Jin-Ho aren’t dead, they realize they have to cover their tracks. When their attempts to coerce Jin-Ho to kill his newfound bro fail, though, they try to kill Jin-Woo themselves. He no-sells it, but that’s not the issue. The issue is that the System gives him a new quest telling him to kill Dongsuk’s party.

And, if it wasn’t before, what happens next establishes that Jin-Woo is an anti-hero. He might have balked at killing other humans before, but after seeing the worst of humanity in the double-dungeon, he’s ready to respond in kind. Even if the System didn’t threaten to kill him for refusing, Jin-Woo would still kill them. He’s a man whose spent his whole life as a Hunter being a punching bag. Now that he has the power, he’s going to use it. And woe to anyone foolish to make themselves a victim of his. 

Side-note: the music playing as Jin-Woo makes victims is hauntingly beautiful.

This Could be the Start of Something Beautiful

After the ordeal in the dungeon, Jin-Ho and Jin-Woo tell the authorities how the others died in battle, without including the specifics. Even if they did, the law would (hopefully) justify it as self-defense. There’s just one issue: Dongsuk has a younger brother who’s also a Hunter. And from the way he was bragging, he’s likely a big deal. It won’t matter to Jin-Woo, though. He’ll keep getting stronger and survive.

Having been unable to resist the wait, I wound up reading the entire manwha in a few days, and trust me. Things will only get crazier from here. By the time the story is done, Jin-Woo will claim more victims and it will be amazing. This is shaping up to be one of the big anime of the Winter 2024 season!

I Give “The Real Hunt Begins” a 5/5

Ninja Kamui. Like John Wick, but With Ninjas

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Ninja Kamui Ep 1 Review

Few things in this world inspire as much awe, and fear, as a ninja. Spies, assassins, boisterous protagonists of some of the greatest Shonen Manga, ninjas are everywhere. And when Toonami announced that they would be coming out with an original series, Ninja Kamui, people took notice. Especially given how the anime involves a former ninja going on a quest to avenge his dead family. It’s like John Wick, but with ninjas.

Joe Higan Wanted a Normal Life

Somwhere in rural America lives Joe Higan, a family man with a happy life. He’s got a beautiful wife, a cheerful son, and a successful farm, and a cool motorcycle. In other words, he’s set up as the man who’s living the peaceful, rural American Dream. However, not everything is as it seems. 

Truth be told, Ninja Kamui is very cagey about who Joe is and what his past was like in the premiere. Throughout the first act, the anime drops hints that Joe is running from something. When news reports of brutal, identical murders across the country start making the rounds, they put him and his wife on edge. They know who is doing them, but they try to reassure themselves that they’ll be fine. 

Then comes the moment when these assassins do come for them. Even with how obvious it was that this would happen, it doesn’t change the fact that the fight that follows is brutal. There’s blood everywhere, heads roll, and Joe’s forced to watch as his wife and son’s dead bodies grow cold on the floor in front of him.

Sunghoo Park Shows off Why he’s so Great

The show’s second act adds a pair of FBI agents working on the attack, sensing it’s connected to the other murders. They’re not wrong, but when the culprits come back to finish the job, they can’t even do anything. There’s a chance that they’ll play a bigger role in the series, if only because they’re named. 

The real highlight of the episode, though, is the moment those assassins come back for a still-alive Joe. If the entire sequence, which is bloody yet has a dark beauty to it, seems similar to Jujutsu Kaisen, there’s a good reason. Sunghoo Park, the man who directed the episode (and runs the studio that made this anime) directed the first season of Jujutsu Kaisen. The results speak for themselves as Higan goes on a rampage, killing his would-be assassins, and saving the man who killed his wife last. 

Higan become the John Wick of Ninjas

The end of the episode only adds on another layer of mystery surrounding Joe Higan. His family’s dead bodies hinted at it, but it isn’t until Joe pulls off his face that we get confirmation: they were wearing high-tech masks. Between this, the military-grade gear his assassins used, and the savviness they have with technology, paints a grim picture about this group. Whoever they are, they’re dangerous.

While the ones who directly killed his family are dead, Higan knows it’s not over, leading to some payoff for a good instance of foreshadowing. Earlier in the episode, Joe found his son playing with an Oni mask, something that he and his wife were uneasy about. Given their killers similarities to Oni, it’s a big hint that they were once part of this same group of ninjas. Seeing Higan pull out an Oni mask out of the secret hole in his house is just confirming what we already knew. That, and that Higan is about to go John Wick on these ninja’s butts.

As far as premieres go, Ninja Kamui does a good job of balancing the thin line needed. It provides the basic setup and premise to use, but at the same time, it leaves enough unanswered to keep people in the dark. And when people are left in the dark about something, they tend to want to know more. What is the name of this group of ninjas? Why did Joe and his wife leave them behind? Those questions will be answered over the course of the next eleven weeks, and I’m looking forward to it. 

I Give “Episode 1” a 5/5

God of War, Solo Leveling Edition

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Solo Leveling Ep 7 Review

If Sun Jin-Woo had any remaining doubts that he’d gotten stronger, they are gone. Last week, he didn’t just kill the boss of the dungeon he was in. Except for Jin-Ho, he killed the party that tried to kill him. At this rate, he might start thinking he’s unstoppable, which could be a huge problem. Thankfully, Jin-Woo’s conscious enough to understand that if he doesn’t want to die, he needs to keep getting stronger.

This is good because he’s got the authorities interested and angered one of the strongest Hunters in the world. Time to level grind!

Jin-Woo is Getting Noticed

For someone who just had to kill six people, the episode starts with Jin-Woo handling things well. Some people would be traumatized by killing another human being, even if it was in self-defense. Jin-Woo, though, doesn’t even use that as an excuse to cope. It’s more concerning how irritated he is at how they thought they had a chance against him.

Jin-Woo recognizes the benefits that becoming a Player has given him, both for his confidence and his family’s well-being. Plus, he discovers in this episode that his body detoxes him so fast he can’t get drunk. However, and not just because the System forces him to do so. It’s because he’s attracting unwanted attention.

First, reports about what happened have reached the Hunter Bureau and the desk of Mr. Woo. AKA the guy who saw Jin-Woo after the Double Dungeon Incident. He’s starting to suspect that something’s up with Jin-Woo, which could be an issue. However, what’s more important is the guy that Jin-Woo’s angered.

Remember Dongsuk, the leader of the party that Jin-Woo killed? He wasn’t joking about his little brother being a big deal. He’s an S-Rank Hunter living in America and is now out for revenge. 

Jin-Ho is a True Bro

At least there’s one person who isn’t out to get Jin-Woo right now: Jin-Ho.

It might be because his dub voice is done by Justin Briner or the sincere manner in which he conducts himself, but Jin-Ho is the kind of guy Jin-Woo wants in a best friend. Not only does he keep his mouth shut about what happened out of gratitude, but he makes a massive offer. His dad’s the CEO of a big construction company, and he wants to set up his own Hunter’s Guild. If Jin-Ho helps do raids to help him become a Guild Master, he’ll give him a building worth billions.

It’s a very tempting offer, one that benefits both of them. It would help Jin-Woo hide his strength for a bit longer, and Jin-Ho can show he’s worthy of his father’s trust. Sadly, Jin-Woo has things he must accomplish first. 

This whole conversation highlights what’s great about Jin-Ho. While he wants Jin-Woo to help him for his benefit, he’s also doing it to help Jin-Woo. He’s genuinely grateful to him for saving their lives and wants to do everything to help. Even if Jin-Woo still says no, he’ll keep his secret. Granted, he’s worried that Jin-Woo might kill him, but the loyalty is genuine. That’s authentic bro material, there!

God of War: Manwha Edition-Cerberus Boss Fight

The big highlight of the episode, though, remains the impressive fighting. After blowing past his daily training, Jin-Woo gets a key to unlock an S-Rank dungeon. He can’t resist the chance to see how far he’s come, leading him to head inside. What he encounters, though, can only be described as God of War fused with an urban apocalypse. 

Anyone who’s ever read Greek mythology will know how dangerous Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog of the Underworld, is. The Cerberus that Jin-Woo fights is something straight out of the likes of Dark Souls and as bloody as God of War. It also isn’t as one-sided as it is in the manwha; it’s a deliberate attempt to make Jin-Woo not feel so OP. In the end, it makes his ultimate victory all the more badass.

Solo Leveling keeps managing to raise the bar when it comes to fights, and this is only the start. If you’ve read the Manwha (I binged it in less than a week), you know how insane the fights will become. 

In the end, Jin-Woo leaves the dungeon feeling a little more confident in himself. What he did in the last episode wasn’t a fluke. Now he knows he’s tough and will only get more challenging. At the same time, he took enough of a beating that he knows that he’s not invincible. No matter how powerful he gets, he shouldn’t start thinking himself to be unbeatable. However, doing these dungeons will still be worth it, as they lead him on a path that could end with a potential cure for his comatose mother. 

Sadly, there will be no new episode next week. We’ll only be getting a recap. The silver lining, though, is that we’ll be able to catch up on the dub. 

I Give “Let’s See How Far I Can Go” a 4.5/5

RJ Writing Ink Doing a New Series

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Hello, everyone, RJ Writing Ink here with a special announcement regarding a new series I will be doing. So, a few months ago, it was announced that Donte, co-founder of this blog, would be leaving to pursue his own projects, leaving Aaron as the head of the blog and myself as one of its writers. Before he left, Donte liked to write recommendations he was watching for everyone to check out. In the past, I have done some posts for anime that I have liked but didn’t have the time to review episode by episode, such as My Clueless First Friend, and The 100 Girlfriends. It’s a fun, easy, and time-saving way to get the word out about what’s airing that’s worth watching.

In the spirit of what Donte did, and with Aaron’s permission, I will be picking up where the former left off. I’ll be checking out anime that I feel are worth writing about but don’t have the time to review each episode. The first post to this series will be coming soon! Hope you enjoy, and thanks for your continued support of the blog!

‘Fluffy Paradise’ is the First Feel Good Anime of 2024

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Fluffy Paradise Initial Review

Lots of people in the world love animals. They’ve helped us with our work for thousands of years and can serve as good companions for years on end. Being comforted by an animal can even serve as an excellent way to reduce one’s stress; it’s why animal videos are so popular online! Which is why the first isekai of 2024 is one that, while a bit silly in premise, is one capable of melting animal-lovers hearts: Fluffy Paradise.

Wanting to Live for the Fluffies!

Midori Akitsu was a 27-year old office worker with a horrible job and no way to relieve her stress. Thus, when she came home from work one day and dropped dead from exhaustion, she couldn’t help but lament her sad fate. Until a being that called itself a god plucked her from death and made her an offer. He’d give the usual isekai treatment and send her to live in another world called Asdyllon with a special power of her own. All she had to do in return is decide if that world’s humans, who persecuted non-humans, deserved to be saved or wiped out.

What does Midori ask for? Instead of super-powers or great knowledge, she just wants to pet fluffy animals forever. So, God gives her the ability to make non-humans love her, and off she goes. She’s now Nefertima ‘ Néma’ Osphe, the youngest daughter of a warm and loving Duke’s family. 

Three years later, and Néma now a little girl, and true to the god’s word, all animals love her and want to be around her. Life couldn’t be better! However, then Néma’s mother takes her to the Royal Palace where she works, and the girl wanders off and befriends the Crown Prince’s pet sky tiger. Then she befriends the giant dragon that her sister summoned in front of an entire stadium of people! It doesn’t take too long for those in power to realize that Néma has some kind of special power, and then the more unsavory types start getting this gleam in their eyes.

Néma, though, doesn’t really care. Having known naught but stress and toil in her first life, she just wants to be surrounded by a fluffy paradise. 

A Feel Good Anime for Animal Lovers

So far, Fluffy Paradise only has four episodes out at the time of this writing, but it already gets its premise across pretty well: it’s meant to be a feel-good anime. It’s not a story that has the fate of the world at stake or some dark lord that needs to be stopped…or a misguided hero that needs to be stopped. It’s just an anime about a cute little girl trying to get as much cute and fluffy time in to make up for her first life. And, despite not doing anything so far to move the isekai genre foward, it works.

Why? Because it’s a show about cute little girl getting spend time with all kinds of animals. From little birds and kittens to dragons and tigers that can, and would, end you in real life, Néma loves all animals. And seeing them fawn all over is, honestly, adorable.

Plus, despite the light-hearted premise, there are hints that things could get darker. Néma’s whole reason for being sent there was to judge if humanity is worth sparing. Given how the second episode sees nobles and priests openly talking about how they can use Néma for their benefit, they could become a problem down the road.

So, if you’re the kind of person who likes animals and wants something to take the edge off our lives, then I recommend watching Fluffy Paradise. It’s a feel-good anime to help start the year on a positive note.

‘Monsters’ Finally Adapts Eichiro Oda’s One-Shot Manga

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Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation Review

Before he became the man who created One Piece, Eichiro Oda was a young man who aspired to become a mangaka. In the 1990s, he cut his teeth in the industry with a series of one-shots that would be published in a collection after One Piece started, but one in particular stood out. So much so that Oda would eventually incorporate it into the overall story of One Piece itself. Almost thirty years after it was published, this one-shot has been adapted into an ONA on Netflix. While Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation doesn’t reach the same levels of action and silliness as One Piece does, it demonstrates the groundwork for what would later become Oda’s massive success. 

A One Piece Prequel

Taking place several hundred years before the events of One Piece in an unknown location, Monsters revolves around Ryuma, a wandering swordsman with a few eccentricities. Chief among them, he’s constantly begging for food, always repays his debts, and considers anyone who bumps into the scabbard of his sword as challenging him to a duel. That seemingly comes back to bite him when a passing con man frames him for trying to attack him and uses a horn to summon a giant dragon. However, there’s more to the story than people realize…

The main that should stick out regarding this ONA is how familiar the main character, Ryuma, feels. With his appearance, wandering nature, and skill and dedication to the sword, one would assume that he’s the prototype for Roronoa Zoro from One Piece. They’re not wrong, as Oda would refine many of Ryuma’s traits into Zoro. It’s more than that, though. After the end to the Wano Country Arc, Oda confirmed in an OBS that Zoro is, in fact, a direct descendant of Ryuma. This only makes the events of the ONA all the more important to the greater lore of One Piece. In addition, the special ends with the moment when Zoro bested the zombified Ryuma during the Thriller Bark arc, earning his sword and (unknowingly) the right to call himself his descendant.

Not that Zoro would ever care about something like that. 

The Seeds to Oda’s Success

Look closer at Monsters, and one will also find some of the concepts and ideas that Oda would incorporate into One Piece. Besides the dragon, there are two main villains. One is a hammy bandit that wouldn’t look out of place next to Buggy the Clown, while the other acts like they’re the good guy, only for it to be a facade. One is a card-carrying bad guy, the other is more insidious, but both are bad news. And both are the kinds of enemies that the protagonists usually fight in One Piece. 

The special itself is short, only clocking in at about 25 minutes. However, it makes up for it by capturing the anachronistic feel of the original one-shot, the art style of the anime, and Oda’s sense of comedy. Getting to see a creator’s early work adapted and comparing it to what they’re most famous for is an interesting experience. And while Monsters isn’t as grand, silly, or epic as One Piece would become, you can see the seeds of what Oda would one day create.

Overall, Monsters is less of a must-watch for 2024, and more of a gift for longtime fans of Eichiro Oda. If you ever wanted to see more of what Oda did in his youth and how it would help shape the mangaka he would become, though, I’d recommend giving Monsters a watch.

Also, if you want to read the original one-shot, Viz Media just published it onto their website. Click this link to see it for yourself. 

I Give “Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation” a 4/5