anime dubbed

It’s Official: Atla is terrifying!

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

The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 3 Review

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

Atla Grills All the Adults

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

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

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

Jaralis Suckz!!

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

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

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

Let the Duel Begin!

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

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

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

Grab some popcorn! This will be good!

I Give “A True People” 3.5/5

DEATH TO THE GIANT WORMS!

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DanDaDan S2 Ep 3 Review

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

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

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

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

Burnin’ Down the House!

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

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

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

How do we stop a volcano?

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

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

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

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 2 Review

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

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

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

Naofumi vs. an Army of Horny Demi-Humans

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

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

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

Atla and Fohl are more important than you realize

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

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

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

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

Jaralis did it. We all know he did it!

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

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

I give “Official Welcome” a 3.5/5

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle Premieres Sept 2025 in US

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Friday, September 12th, 2025. Anime fans, mark your calendars, clear your schedule that day, and be prepared to head to movie theaters. Demon Slayer is coming back to theaters for its endgame.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has been one of the most popular Shonen anime of the last six years, earning critical acclaim and fans around the world. And it’s not hard to see why. Between the characters, music, and god-tier animation, Demon Slayer lives up to the hype. It even managed to have the highest-grossing film in 2020 with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train. Five years later, it looks like history is about to repeat itself as the series approaches its climax.

Fans have known for a year now that Demon Slayer would be wrapping up its story on the big screen rather than with a new season. The Final Battle arc, split into the Infinity Castle and Sunrise Countdown, demands no less than that. And Aniplex is splitting everything up into three movies just to make sure they cover all their bases. While the first film should already be out in Japan, Americans will have to wait another two months. And it looks as though it will be released both subbed and dubbed.

Anime has pretty much gone mainstream at this point thanks to the efforts of fans and streaming services, but that doesn’t mean we should be lax when it comes to promoting this film. If we really want to give Demon Slayer the send-off it deserves, then we need to start preparing. Make plans with friends. Coordinate with your local cosplay groups. Make sure that when the time comes, every seat in whatever theater is showing Demon Slayer is filled. Having all three films break box office records in America would be a massive win for us, and I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to see that it happens!

Jiji just Went from Zenitsu to Sung Jin-woo!

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

DanDaDan S2 Ep 2 Review

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

The Evil Eye is scary…

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

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

…But his backstory is SO SAD!!

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

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

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

Jiji Goes from Zenitsu to Sung Jin-woo

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

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

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

I Give “Evil Eye” a 4/5

Naofumi Arrives at Shield Hero Stan HQ

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 1

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

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

Welcome to Siltvelt, Home of the Shield Hero stans!

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

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

One would be forgiven for thinking this.

No, Really. They are Shield Hero Stans

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

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

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

Why Must Politicians Be Politicking?

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

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

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

I Give “Siltvelt” a 4/5

DanDaDan, Check out This Giant Worm!

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

Dandadan S2 Ep 1 Review

When the world needed them most, DanDaDan returned!

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

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

Now, Where Were We?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mushoku Tensei Season 3 First Look!

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Mushoku Tensei Season 3 Coming in 2026

Well, it would seem that my predictions for the next season of Mushoku Tensei were right on the money. Season three of one of the OG members of the Seven Summits will be coming in 2026, and we have the trailer to prove it, compliments of Anime Expo.

Full disclosure: I was on vacation as Anime Expo was taking place, so keeping up with it wasn’t a high priority. However, even I paid attention when I saw the trailer for Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation’s third season came out. And this season could be what ultimately makes or break the anime, as its entering one of the most important phases of the story. And thats not just because of the return of a certain red-head.

What’s to Come in 2026

As was the case with every Turning Point, Rudeus’ life has been drastically altered in a short amount of time. On the one hand, his quest to save his mother ended with his losing an arm, his father Paul, and his mother Zenith’s stuck in a catatonic state. On the other hand, he reunited with Roxy, she joined the Greyrat family as his second wife, and now he’s a father himself. And he intends to keep living his second life to the fullest.

The majority of the trailer is meant to show off the various things that will end up taking place in Rudy’s life going forward. There’s a mixture of faces and locations both familiar and new that come and go throughout the trailer. Besides them, though, the things that fans really need to focus on are the book that we see Rudeus writing in, as well as the images that fly on the screen about fifty-nine seconds in. They only appear for a second, but if you slow down and take a look at them, you’ll notice how dark they seem to be as a group. And you would be right. I can’t say anything about what they’re about, but they’re connected to the book that Rudy’s writing in, and…lets just say that many people are going to end up crying when the anime gets to them. In fact, the anime may dedicate an entire episode to these moments just to show how bad things could get for Rudy.

One of two things that I can discuss at length, though, is the return of Rudeus’ ex, Eris Greyrat. AKA the heartbreaker.

Eris is Gonna Have to do a Lot to Make Up for What She Did

Outside of a quick shot of her in the montage for the end of season two, we haven’t seen Eris Greyrat since she ran out on Rudy. Even if you haven’t read the light novels, though, we all knew she was going to come back. Her going on her anime-training arc to get stronger to protect Rudy was the whole point of why she left. However, if you’ve read my reviews, then you’ll know that I have issues with how she went about things. As bad as Rudy can be sometimes, he didn’t deserve to be emotionally manipulated, stricken with ED, and then left in a state of depression for three years. Needless to say, when Eris does come back, she’s going to have A LOT to answer for, and have to do A LOT to make up for what she did.

The second thing we can discuss, though, is how this season will mark the return of the series equivalent of Sephiroth, Orsted. The trailer has images of him engaged in battle, most likely against Rudy or someone else. Given how their last encounter ended with him barely getting a scratch and Rudy and Eris with PTSD, his return is a big deal.

The bottom line is that when I say that this next season of Mushoku Tensei will be covering the most important arc in the series, I mean it. Novel readers have waited for this for years, and its going to change a lot of what we think we know about the series. And you can bet I’m going to be covering it!

TBATE Ends Disappointing First Season

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The Beginning After the End Ep 12 Review

Many kids dream of living a life of adventure, but since few ever do, they turn to fiction. In Arthur’s case, though, he’s actually getting to live the dream. At the tender age of nine (but the mental of forty-three), Arthur has left home (again) to become an adventurer! Unfortunately, like many things in The Beginning After the End anime, events are…lackluster.

You Call That a Fight?

Firstly, I should apologize about the preview for this episode included at the end of the review for the last one. That scene doesn’t happen until the end of this episode, so it might have spoiled some things. Most of this episode is really focused on the process of Arthur becoming an adventurer. That means that he needs to take a test in the form of a duel. And, unfortunately, that also means that the anime lets everyone down once again.

Even with the low bar that Studio A-Cat has set in terms of animation, the fight between Arthur and Kaspian, the Guildmaster who decided to administer the test himself, is bad. Firstly, the show fools people into thinking the fight would be glossed over, only for it to be told in flashback a few minutes later. The fight itself is not that impressive to look at, the characters movements are stiff, and when Arthur is parrying blows, you can see that they’re reusing the same animation to save money. Plenty of animated series reuse animation to save money, especially in fight scenes, but the best ones do a better job of hiding it!

Narratively speaking, though, the fight is supposed to serve as yet another wake-up call for Arthur. He’s gotten so used to being strong that he’s become complacent. That’s the opposite of what he promised he would be when he was reborn. With this and his fight with the headmistress of Xyrus serving as wake-up calls, Arthur decides to rededicate himself to continual growth.

Remember these People

It should also be noted that this sequence serves as an introduction to two people who will come to play important roles in Arthur’s life: Lucas Sykes and Elijah Knight. The former is a human-elf hybrid fathered out of wedlock with an elf slave by a rich noble, so he’s got an inferiority complex and massive ego. The latter is a human raised by dwarves. If you decide to sit through the second season, remember these two. They will be important!

Sadly, the only other important thing in this episode is learning Jasmine’s backstory. She was born into a family of fire mages who thought their element was the best, and they disowned her when she proved talented in wind magic. It’s a very in-your-face nod to the original Avatar: The Last Airbender and how the majority of the Fire Nation convinced themselves they were better than everyone else. But as Arthur points out, that’s a matter of preference and no one element is superior, just like how no way of life is superior.

Also, Tessia has been spying on her future man, and she’s not happy with him being around another woman.

What a Waste

With that, season one (or first cours) of The Beginning After the End. And despite TurtleMe trying to put a positive spin on things, it’s obvious that TBATE is one of the biggest misfires of 2025. TurtleMe got screwed over by Studio A-Cat, who did a poor job of bringing his story to life. The fans got screwed over because its unlikely the show will make it to a third season. And worst of all, TBATE itself got screwed over. It could’ve been the next big isekai, but it got wrecked. However, that shouldn’t discourage people from reading the web novel and web comic. Both are better than what the anime gave us, and TurtleMe deserves the support. For those who stuck around until then, you deserve a trophy.

I Give “The King’s Departure” a 2.5/5

Government Conspiracies are the Worst

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

Lazarus Ep 11 Review

One would think that the threat of most of humanity dying would be enough to get everyone on the same page. One would think that the threat of mankind being reduced to a small fraction, less than 1% of its total population, would be enough for our species to get its act together for a short time. Yet even in the face of unprecedented death, there’s still some fool who wants to profit from it. And if it wasn’t made clear by now, then Schneider, the man from INSCOM (Army Intelligence) is not only trying to stop Lazarus from finding Dr. Skinner. He’s willing to let the majority of humanity die.

Schneider’s a Jerk!

The team of Lazarus is scattered and divided. Eleina and Doug make it to Pakistan to find Popcorn Wizard, who might have the key to finding Skinner. And with Eleina starting to succumb to the effects of Hapna, they dont have time to waste. Unfortunately, this episode marks the moment when Schneider of INSCOM decides to drop all pretenses and tries to kill Lazarus altogether.

As Hersch manages to put together, Schneider is the one responsible for setting the events of the series in motion. He was the one who caused the incident at the airport that released the prototype Hapna by attacking Skinner. He likely used that as cover for him to steal the prototype and conduct illegal tests on life sentence prisoners and death row inmates. All of that likely wound up being Dr Skinner’s breaking point, prompting him to turn Hapna into a deadly trap, endangering the majority of humanity. Now, he’s trying to keep Lazarus from finding Skinner for whatever reason, likely because he’s got some means of surviving so he can gain power in the aftermath. And he’s proven willing to bribe a minor, hire an assassin to cover up his experiments, and abuse his power to sic INSCOM on Doug and Eleina.

Oh, and to top it off, when Hersch tries to blackmail him into standing down, he detains her for treason. The fact that he doesn’t even try to think of a reason shows how much he doesn’t care.

Eleina is in Peril

Schneider disgusts me. He is the absolute worst of humanity. Even in the face of possible extinction, he is willing to throw his entire species under the bus, condemn entire cultures to oblivion, all so he can be on top in the aftermath. It’s people like him that make people like Skinner lose faith in the world. If nothing else, I hope that we at least get the satisfaction of seeing Schneider get his just desserts. Alas, some members of Lazarus may not live to see that happen.

In Pakistan, Doug stays behind to give Eleina a chance to make it to Popcorn Wizard, leaving himself to be captured. Unfortunately, by the time Eleina makes it to the hacker, she’s all but collapsed from the effects of Hapna. Unless Popcorn Wizard helps her in time, then Eleina is going to die, and with her, any chance of finding Skinner.

Axel Just Got Run Through!

The real draw of the episode, though, is the fight between Axel and the phantom assassin Soryu. It takes place throughout the entire episode, interspersed between everything else that has been happening. Upon seeing the compilation of whats happening, though, its obvious the anime means for it to be the big fight of the series. Assuming that the final episode won’t see it get topped, that is. And while TV Tropes would say that Schneider is the second coming of Vicious, Soryu still contains plenty of Spike Spiegel’s rival in him.

And unfortunately for everyone, Axel ends up losing the fight. The only reason he doesn’t die is because Chris arrives in time to save him. That, and Soryu freaks out when he sees Axel’s necklace and has flashbacks to his training days. Its doubtful that we’ll learn more about it in the time we have left, though. And frankly, I wouldn’t care.

So, Lazarus is under attack on all sides. Eleina is about to die. A madman is willing to let most of humanity die. And the man who might be the key to its salvation is clinging to life with only five days left. The one consolation is that the preview for the next episode reveals that Axel is alive. Fingers crossed, the last two episodes pull off a miracle. Mankind is going to need it!

I Give “Runnin’ With the Devil” a 4.5/5