Anime

How Did Tomo and Jun Meet? Best Friend’s First Meeting!

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Tomo-Chan is a Girl! Ep. 7 Review

You know what I love seeing in TV shows? Extended flashbacks. They can reveal so much about a character’s backstory, what made them into the person we know, and provide greater context to how characters act. In this case, we get an entire segment dedicated to learning how Jun and Tomo first met. And we also get a beach episode.

The Day Jun Met Tomo

The first segment takes place almost exclusively in flashback form, with Jun remembering the day he met his best friend Tomo. It was literally the day after he and his family moved from Tokyo that she wound up in his backyard…and then broke his copyright-friendly DS or 3DS. He punched her in response, her parents begged for forgiveness, and just like that, they became friends.

The entire first segment’s a fun way to show how Jun first met Tomo and Misuzu, and helps to establish much of the group dynamics they have as teenagers. The funniest part is the fact that Misuzu was, and always has been, a massive troll when it comes to Jun. That smirk of hers might rival Anya Forger’s when it comes to meme-worthiness.

More importantly, this segment also proves my point about why Jun keeps Tomo in the friendzone despite her throwing out a ton of signals.

The short version: after Tomo got Jun’s DS back from some bullies, Jun hated how weak he was. So he told her she could keep it until he got stronger than her, started training with her dad, and the rest is history. However, it’s been ten years, and Jun still doesn’t think he’s surpassed Tomo. It’s the hallmark of putting someone on a pedestal, and it’s what’s keeping him from seeing Tomo as the romantic partner that she wants!

As a side note, the fact that kid Jun’s heart wouldn’t stop pounding whenever Tomo did something cute makes it obvious. Our boy Jun is in denial about liking her!

Too bad for him, Tomo and Misuzu have other plans.

The Beach Episode is the Perfect Way to Make Jun Notice Tomo

The beach episode, a staple to many romcom/slice-of-life anime. The perfect opportunity to provide some fan-service…or get your crush to notice how great you look in a swimsuit.

In an effort to force Jun to acknowledge Tomo’s gender once and for, Tomo, Misuzu, and Carol drag him to the beach for a day of fun and relaxation. At least, that’s what it’s supposed to be. Jun takes one look at Tomo in a bikini, realizes how amazing she looks, and now he can barely think straight. It also doesn’t help that Tomo, following Suzu and Carol’s advice, refuses to let him out of her sight. The results are super effective. By the end of their beach day, Jun’s a mess.

This entire segment confirms that Jun does see Tomo as a girl, but is in denial over it and the feelings he clearly has for her. Not only does he freak out over her figure in a swimsuit, but when some creep hits on her, he pulls up on them and scares them off. Granted, Tomo could’ve broken the guy’s spine, and he does the same thing for Carol, but it’s the thought that counts.

The takeaway from this review is that this was yet another fun episode of my favorite romcom of the Winter 2023 season. And the best part is that Tomo’s finally starting to wear Jun down. We might see him caving into his feeling before the end of the season! Either that, or we’ll get a second one. 

I Give “Junichiro’s Promise” and “When Tomo Puts On a Swimsuit…” a 4.5/5 each. 

Jun, Stop Treating Tomo So Delicately!

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Tomo-Chan is a Girl! Ep 8 Review

Whether Jun likes it or not, he can no longer deny the facts: Tomo is a girl. She’s a badass girl who’s also super cute when she tries to be, and one he very much finds attractive. Many people do; why else would Gigguk include a call to join the Church of Tomboys in his review for the Winter 2023 anime season? So why isn’t he doing anything about it? 

We still have until April for the season to end, so there’s more time to see these two lovebirds try and figure out their relationship. More fun for the rest of us, though!

The Summer Festival, another classic trope of Slice-of-Life anime

It’s summertime, and in slice-of-life anime, that almost always means two things happen. Firstly, we get a beach episode. Secondly, we get the festival episode, where the cast dresses up in kimonos, visits stalls, and watches fireworks. And, thanks to Misuzu, Tomo will spend the local festival alone with Jun. Let the romance begin!

There’s just one problem…ever since the beach trip, Jun’s been way too flustered to act like his normal self around Tomo. It gets worse in this episode when Tomo goes to the festival in an amazing kimono, and almost every guy’s floored by how beautiful she looks. The stall attendants are so blown away when they start sharing a photo of her, and the reactions are priceless. Everyone looks at Tomo like she’s this beautiful goddess walking amongst mere mortals. 

As funny and heartwarming as everyone’s reactions are, though, they highlight Jun’s biggest issue. He knows Tomo’s a girl and finds her attractive. Yet whenever he acknowledges this, he starts treating it way more delicately. Tomo likes that to an extent. However, she still wants him to be her best friend and her boyfriend. 

Girl or not, though, Tomo can still kick most people’s butts. And it takes a certain incident to get Jun to snap out of his funk.

Don’t Mess with Jun, Tomo, or Misuzu. 

Once the new term starts, Tomo’s bummed out by how more cautious Jun’s treating her and complains about it to Carol and Misuzu. And as the season’s progressed, it’s clear that Misuzu’s secretly jealous of them and doesn’t want to lose her best friend. However, that gets sidelined due to a certain incident.

If you’ll recall, this pack of bullies made the mistake of going after Tomo earlier in the season, and she cleaned their leader’s clock. Then Jun did the same to all of them at once. When they spot Misuzu and Carol, though, they see this as the perfect chance for revenge, leaving the two girls to run and hide…and call Jun for help. Tomo soon learns, and before long, the cavalry arrives to save Carol and Misuzu. Oh, and Kousuke, the captain of the karate club, comes because Carol’s his friend/and or fiance.

The following curb stomp serves as a reminder to Jun that he sorely needed. Tomo might be a girl, and while it’s fine for him to protect her when she needs it, she can still kick most people’s asses. Given everything we’ve seen of the two, neither can reconcile these aspects.

Okay, Real talk, Tomo and Jun

I normally don’t do this in a review, but I feel like it’s necessary. Jun doesn’t realize how lucky he is to have Tomo.

Tomo is one of the best waifu’s I’ve seen in an anime in a long, long time. Not only is she cute, but she’s also a badass. That is seriously awesome to have someone like that as your best friend. And despite the fact that both are attracted to and perfect for each other, Jun’s as scared as Tomo is about taking that next step. They don’t want to give up their status as best friends, even if it means they become lovers. But is that what will happen?

Real talk: there’s no rule against your best friend being your lover as well. If anything, that’s the best of both worlds. The fact that they’re best friends means they don’t have to put on an act in front of each other and be themselves. That’s the best thing that could happen in a romantic relationship! So for both of their sakes, they better figure that out soon.

Alright, rants over. Once again, Tomo-Chan knocked it out of the park. I love this anime, and it’s one of the best of 2023. 

Also, never anger Misuzu. She will destroy your social life.

I Give “The Night of the Summer Festival” and “The Distance Between Them,” a 4.5/5 each. Best Episodes yet

I Think I Figured Out Jun-Chan’s Deal About Tomo-Chan!

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It might be premature, but Iโ€™m now putting Tomo-Chan on my list for best anime of 2023. This weekโ€™s episode has to be my favorite one yet. Besides Tomo going from total badass to awkward teenager, it also gives us some sweet moments between her and Jun.

Tomo-Chanโ€™s Birthday Makeover

In our first segment, itโ€™s Tomoโ€™s birthday, and she starts acting smug to the others since she has her birthday before them. Besides getting sunglasses from Jun that give her the power of the drip and an actual gold bar from Carol, Tomo receives a special birthday present. Carol and Misuzu give her a mega-makeover. One thatโ€™s way more extensive than the one she got for her date with Jun. then Carol and Misuzu send her out into the world to give her confidence.

Then, as if by fate, she runs into Jun at a convenience store. And Jun does recognize her in her makeover, and heโ€™s super confused about it! So confused that the day afterwards, he goes out of his way to get punched by her to make sure she hasnโ€™t gone soft on him! 

As funny as this whole thing was, it does give us some insight into what Jun sees in Tomo. Heโ€™s suffering from the classic โ€œputting someone on a pedestalโ€ syndrome. 

Dodgeball is Serious Business

In the second segment, a dodgeball tournamentโ€™s coming up. And since Tomoโ€™s too strong for the girls, she has to play on the boyโ€™s team with Jun. Since the two are unstoppable together, they slaughter the enemy. Dodgeball is serious business to high schoolers, after all!

Come the final round, the two face off against the strongest person in school, and Jun gets knocked out protecting Tomo. So Tomo tries to turn the thing around by getting Jun back in the game, but Jun zones out andโ€ฆthey still win, but itโ€™s anticlimactic. 

There is a reason why Jun messed up, though: he was expecting Tomo to win without him. This whole episode reveals that Jun has Tomo on this pedestal in his head. To him, sheโ€™s the strongest person he knows, and heโ€™s always been trying to catch up to her, even though she doesn’t see it that way. As a result, heโ€™s got this inferiority complex with Tomo. He knows things are different between them now, but he doesnโ€™t want to move forward until he thinks heโ€™s strong enough to rival her.

In other words, normal teen love drama. 

Best Episode Yet

In a show thatโ€™s already given us plenty of laughs, this episode of Tomo-Chan is probably the best. Itโ€™s got the right balance of hilarious and heartwarming. Say what you want, but I think itโ€™s a great anime.

That, and I want to meme the heck out of Tomo with her sunglasses.

I Give “Birthday Present” and “Burn Up! The Ball Sports Tournament” a 4.5/5 Each

I’m Now Convinced Carol is Messing With Us!

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Another week, another episode of Tomo-Chan is on the books. The rom-com, slice-of-life genre isn’t my usual go-to when it comes to anime, but I’ll make an exception every now and then. If the plot or characters are entertaining enough, I’ll watch anything. And between Tomo, Misuzu, Carol, and Jun, Tomo-Chan has a fun cast. Especially Carol, given how last week gave us this gem.

I had no idea what was going on, and I loved it.

Carol is From a Family of Airheads

Carol Olston might be one of the most airheaded girls I’ve seen in recent anime. Her thought process is a mystery to everyone; she always seems happy. Did I mention the headband thing? That was so random and hilarious!

So when Tomo and Misuzu get invited to her house, it should come as no surprise that we learn that Carol’s mom is just as much an airhead. She mistook Tomo for a boy, she can get lost walking back to her own mansion…and she’s just as affectionate as Carol.

This must be Misuzu’s worst nightmare. Then again, what happens next might be Misuzu’s worst nightmare.

Carol Olston: Ditz, Genius, or Genius Ditz

There is a trope that is known as obfuscating stupidity. Essentially, it is when a character in fiction pretends to act dumb or clueless when, in truth, they’re way smarter. Some people do it to avoid suspicion or the stress of their talents, and others do it for the lolz. After this next short, I’m convinced Carol might be the latter case.

So, the midterm’s are the next day, and Tomo’s freaking out since she forgot, so Misuzu offers to help her study at her place, and Carol joins them. Given how the subject in question was math, I don’t blame Tomo for freaking out. Math was my worst subject in school, and it caused me far more stress than it should have. Unfortunately, if she wants to go to the same university as Misuzu like she wants, she’s got to do well.

Carol, on the other hand, doesn’t need to put much effort into studying for math. She manages to get the top score on their math test, taking Misuzu’s spot as number one, much to her irritation.

Until we learn otherwise, I’m convinced that Carol might be a bigger troll than Misuzu.

The Big Sleepover

The real meat of the episode comes in the third segment, though. When Jun gets a new video game that he and Tomo have been dying to play, he invites her over to his house. Overnight. While his parents are out of town. You see where this is going?

I don’t know what Tomo would be more stressed over. The fact that she’s spending the night over at a boy’s house (even if he is her best friend), or her parents are perfectly fine with it. Her mom even says she will start thinking of names for her grandkids! She says that! It’s hilarious; embarrassing and hilarious.

While Tomo and Jun do spend most of the night just playing video games and best friend stuff, to the show’s credit, they do have a few moments where they could take things a step out of the friend zone. There’s the standard “fall on top of you” scenario, and at one point, Jun accidentally grabs onto Tomo while he’s asleep on the floor. However, they don’t take that next step because it’s too awkward for them. And it stays that way for a week afterwards.

As annoying as this is, though, it did show me one key thing. I’m almost certain that Jun’s into Tomo like she’s into him because he was as flustered as Tomo was. He’s just in super denial over it. 

Now, the anime’s only thirteen episodes long, so I doubt anything will get resolved before the season’s out. If it does well enough, though, it might get a second season, so if you wanna find out if they get together, then support this show on Crunchyroll. Do it for Tomo and Carol, who I’m also nominating for the best girl of 2023!

I Give “The Girls of the Olston Family”, “A Feeling I Won’t Give Up” and “Heart-Pounding! A Gaming Overnighter” a 4/5. a 3.5/5, and a 4.5/5

Misuzu Scares Us When She Smiles

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Tomo-Chan is a Girl Ep. 4 Review

In my teen years, one of my go-to romcom anime was To-Love-Ru from the halls of Shonen Jump. Say what you want about harem anime and the fanservice, but it’s a lot of fun when it does stuff right. And one of the best things To-Love-Ru did at one point was splitting the episodes up into segments, letting them tell more stories in a single episode. Some of them didn’t even revolve around the main character; they could be about the supporting cast. Why am I talking about all of this, though? Because Tomo-Chan has reached the pointed where it can start to break each episode up into more segments and focus on the side characters. And the side characters are still pretty funny. 

Misuzu Gives Me all Kinds of Red Flags

An interesting thing about Misuzu: in the dub, she’s voiced by the talented Jad Saxton. A lot of her roles over the years have a recurring theme of being characters who are

  1. Associated with cats.
  2. Actual cat-girls.
  3. Cold & sassy tsundere’s
  4. All of the above

Going by this criteria, I’d say Misuzu was meant for someone like Jad. She acts prickly to almost everyone, and…she’s one of the best characters on the show.

The thing about Misuzu that the first short drives home is that she’s scary. Jun says that when she smiles, it’s like the Devil’s smiling at him. Even Tomo’s a little scared of her smile. However, Misuzu’s scary in a good way because you know she’s going to do something fun. 

Plus, she does care about her friends.

Misuzu Craves Tomo’s Affection

Misuzu may not say it outright, but as the next short makes clear, she deeply craves Tomo’s affection. They’ve been best friends since they were babies, and they balance each other quite well. Tomo brings out the best in Misuzu, and Misuzu keeps Tomo grounded when she lets her emotions run wild. So, when Tomo decides to become more physically affectionate with her girlfriends and winds up getting glomped by Carol all day, she gets jealous. 

Misuzu’s what we call a tsundere. Someone whose harsh to people at first but warm and affectionate to people once she’s warmed up to them. However, Misuzu’s pride also keeps her from expressing her emotions properly. Thankfully, Tomo and Misuzu’s bond is too strong to be broken by things like that.

As a side note: Jun’s a total hypocrite. When he surprises Tomo with a hug out of nowhere, it’s fine, but when she does it, it’s not cool? Either it’s cool for both of them, or it isn’t, man!

Tomo’s Parents are Just Like Her

The final short, while a bit all over the place, is also my favorite because we get to meet Tomo’s parents for the first time. After seeing them, her personality starts to make a lot more sense.

First, there’s her mom, whose just as fiery and passionate as her daughter is, to the point where she threatens Jun when he doesn’t call her by her first name. Then, we finally meet her dad, the head of the Aizawa Dojo. Despite being as much of a meathead as Tomo and Jun can be, he’s powerless before his wife. It’s clear that she wears the pants in the relationship. 

Despite what Tomo thinks of her Dad, Jun understands Mr. Aizawa a little better. He may not look cool in front of his wife and daughter, but Jun understands that he doesn’t need to put on airs in front of his family. He can be himself with them, and that’s the best thing anyone can ask for. The rest of the segment revolves around Tomo standing up to a group of bullies for her girlfriends. And when they seek revenge, Jun whups them offscreen. 

They may not have been as organized as some of the other episodes so far, but I’m still having fun watching them. Better wait for long-term for Jun to wise up to his best friend’s crush on him, though. 

I Give “The Reason for Her Smile” a 3.5/5, a “I Want to Be Playful Like a Girl” a 3.5/5, & “Heroes Fall a Lot” a 4/5

So That’s Why Misuzu Hates Jun-Kun!

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Tomo-Chan is a Girl! Ep 3 Review

Another week goes by, another instance of you guys enjoying my reviews of Tomo-Chan is a Girl! I’m not sure if it’s because I’m writing it for D&A Anime Blog or watching the anime, but thank you, regardless. I’m personally still enjoying this light-hearted rom-com. Speaking of romance, the second segment for last week’s episode ended with the reveal that Jun and Misuzu used to date. Tomo wasn’t aware of this, and the three had been friends since they were kids.

Time for some good old-fashioned drama!

Why Misuzu Hates Jun So Much

After hearing about the apparent relationship between the two of them, Tomo immediately goes to Misuzu to learn more. The story went like this: one day in middle school, Jun asked Misuzu out on a date out of nowhere, and she said yes. However, his idea of a “date” was bike riding up a mountain road. Misuzu didn’t like it. At all. They did the same thing the day after that, so she couldn’t take it anymore. 

It gets funnier. Even though she wanted to break it off with him, Jun did it first. And that’s why she hates Jun so much: he hurt her pride as a woman.

Hilarity aside, it’s pretty obvious that Jun’s ideal date involves doing things that Tomo would like. Between that and how he becomes violently protective of her around other guys, it’s pretty safe to assume that he likes Tomo like that. He’s just Naruto Uzumaki levels of dense about it. Some might find it boring, but I find it funny to see how long these two will keep fumbling around like this.

Speaking of which…

An Actual Date Between Tomo and Jun!?!?

Tomo finally manages to work up the nerve to ask Jun out on a date! At least, that’s what she intends for it to be. Jun merely sees it as the two of them hanging out like they usually do. Still, Misuzu and Carol both agree that Tomo shouldn’t waste this chance, and advise her to dress slightly more feminine. The end results are pretty impressive to look at; when Tomo puts her mind to it, she looks really pretty.

Too bad Jun remains as dense as ever. As a result, the two continue to do things they normally do, like play baseball and go bowling. And sadly for Tomo, when she suggests they go do karaoke together, she’s left singing kiddie songs while Jun watches. It’s…a little sad to look at.

As seems to be the case, though, Jun slowly does start to see Tomo as more of a girl, as he privately admits that Tomo looked cute in her outfit on their not-date. 

I may not have much experience with dating (sadly), but I do know that a date doesn’t have to be exactly romantic. As long as both people are doing something they love together, then that’s also fine. 

Thus far, I’m loving this anime. I think it’s one of the funniest ones to come out of the Winter 2023 season, and I look forward to seeing how far it’s going to go. 

I Give “Best Buds” and “Let’s Go on a Date!” a 3.8/5 and 3.5/5 

Short Skirts and Cotton-Candy Girls

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First off, I wanted to say thank you to all the people who liked my review to the premiere episode of Tomo-Chan is a Girl! I didn’t expect it to be so well-liked, and I appreciate it. Secondly, it’s still too early to tell, but I stand by my statement. This is going to be a slice-of-life romcom to watch in the winter 2023 anime season. This week, Tomo-Chan deals with skirts and makes a new friend who is…rather weird.

That Intro Screams Best Friends, Though!

This episode also marks the debut of the anime opening, and I have to say, I found it to be very light-hearted and charming. Seeing Jun and Tomo throw fists at each other like there’s no tomorrow and then laugh it off immediately afterward? These two have “best friend energy” written all over them and can clearly be themselves around each other. It drives home just how strong their bond really is. That, and any girl you can pal around with like this is the kind you want in your life. Get on that, Jun!

The Pros and Cons of Wearing Skirts

In the first segment, Tomo and Jun take the bus home from school when some pervert tries feeling the former up. Thankfully, Jun sees what’s happening right away and hauls the guy to the police. While Tomo could’ve done it herself, it’s sweet seeing Jun be protective of his best friend. 

He then ruins any good will he gets by dropping a bombshell: he thinks Tomo should ditch the skirt and wear shorts full-time. She’s…not happy about that since her goal is to get Jun to notice her femininity. However, she’s just as upset by Misuzu’s advice of doing the opposite: ditching her shorts underneath her skirt. Then she basically forces Tomo to do just that to get a reaction out of Jun.

If it were anyone else, Misuzu would come off as a jerk. However, it’s clear that she wants what’s best for her two friends, even if that means she has to push them to each other a little. In the end, though, Tomo and Jun both realize that it’s better to do things at their own pace. I think; besides, anyone else who tries to put a hand on Tomo will get their butts kicked by either one of them. 

Tomo Befriends The Most Popular Girl in School…Who has the Same VA Subbed and Dubbed

In the second segment, we’re introduced to Carol Olston, who’s got the distinction of being voiced by the same person. Dubbed or subbed, she’s voiced by Sally Amaki. She’s the school idol and…she’s odd. Like odd, even by the standards of anime. She mistook Tomo for a girl and then spent the whole day calling her “dumbbell.” Then, to make things weirder, she goes to Misuzu and talks her into getting advice on how to fight Tomo. Or make friends with her. She bribed Misuzu with cake, so the latter was fine with it.

Misuzu’s solution was, of course, Jun. As in, she used the whole thing to get Jun and Carol to spend time together to make Tomo jealous. And it works. Somehow, Tomo and Carol both end up being friends. However, I couldn’t help but be nervous at how Misuzu manipulates her two friends like this. It’s one thing if its because she wants them to be happy. Yet she also seems to do it to mess with them for her own enjoyment. 

That, and the final moments see Jun drop a bombshell: he and Misuzu…used to date. 

So far, this is a really good romcom slice-of-life anime. I’m enjoying it; and now I think Carol and Misuzu are also running for best girls of 2023. 

I Give “Tomo’s Skirt” a 3.5/5 and “The School’s Idol” a 4/5

Tomo-Chan Entered Running for Best Waifu of 2023

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Tomo-Chan is a Girl Ep 1 Review

We’re only a week or two into 2023, and already, we have a nominee for “Best Waifu of the Year,” not to mention one of the anime to keep an eye on. Ladies, gentlemen, and those who identify as neither, I give you our latest candidate in the hall of waifus, Tomo Aizawa, from the new anime, Tomo-Chan is a Girl.

It may not seem like it, but I have a soft spot for rom-com anime. Perhaps its because I devoted so much of my school time to myself or my studies that I never enjoyed any romance, but I’m getting off-topic. I’ve been waiting for this anime to come out for some time, and now it’s up on Crunchyroll, subbed and dubbed. There are reasons why I paid attention to it, but first let’s set everything up.

Tomo-Chan is Awesome!

Based on a manga of the same name, Tomo-Chan is about Tomo Aizawa, who is one of the biggest tomboys I’ve seen in a while. She does karate at her dad’s dojo, acts like one of the guys, and has a figure other girls would kill to have. She’s been in love with her best friend/next-door neighbor, Junichiro Kubota, for years and finally works up the nerve to confess. However, there’s one small problem:

Jun is so dense, he can’t even understand that Tomo likes him like that. He’s so dense that it wasn’t until middle school that he finally realized that Tomo was a girl! That’s how bad things were! As a result, this irritates Tomo to no end, and all she wants to do is make Jun see her as a girl. They also have another friend named Misuzu who just loves to mess with both of them.

This Show is Awesome!

Now there are several reasons why I’m paying attention to this anime. Firstly, I cannot remember the last time a rom-com had a tomboy as the female lead. I’ve always had a soft spot for tomboys who don’t mind doing guy stuff with other guys. I think it’s super cool. So, having Tomo as the main lead naturally caught my eye. 

Secondly, I love how the characters play off each other so well. Tomo is very much a tomboy who loves what she does. She’s usually confident, straight-forward and fun. However, her upbringing combined with Jun’s obliviousness, leaves her very insecure about her feminity. At the same time, the first segment hints that Jun does see Tomo as a girl; he’s just in extreme denial over it because he doesn’t want to ruin their friendship. Meanwhile, Misuzu just wants what’s best for both of them and keeps trying to take that next step. The way she does it, though, is very much like a troll or gadfly; she likes messing with them.

This is an Anime to Watch out for Winter 2023

So that’s the basic premise behind the story of Tomo-Chan is a girl, and the first two segments are pretty fun, both subbed and dubbed. The first one has Tomo continually frustrated with Jun’s idiocy, but Jun’s actions (i.e., getting jealous when Misuzu suggests she’ll get a boyfriend) show he’s not as dense as he acts. The second one sees Tomo dealing with these girls who are jealous of her hanging out with the captain of the boy’s karate club that they like. It’s all very rom-com, slice-of-life stuff. 

I am genuinely looking forward to seeing how this anime develops. If it goes well, Tomo could end up being a candidate for best girl of 2023. Now if only she could get Jun to step out of the friendzone.

I Give “Episode 1” a 4/5

Chainsaw Man Season 1 Ends on Lukewarm Note

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Chainsaw Man Episode 12 Review

Himeno, thou art avenged, and with it, the curtain falls on the first season of Chainsaw Man. At least the first part of the season’s over, but that’s besides the point. The point is that the Devil Hunter’s fight with the Katana Man and his Yakuza ends, and the survivors walk away with their heads held high. That, and Denji and Aki force their enemy to endure one of the worst things any man could endure.

But does it do a good job of capping off the season? Meh.

I Must Not Fear, Fear is the Mind Killer

On Aki’s part, when faced with the Ghost Devil, the same one that worked with Himeno, he’s left terrified. Fortunately, since this is a shonen anime, all it takes is a reminder of Himeno in the form of a cigarette that she wrote on to snap him out of it. Like a true badass, Aki manages to kill the Ghost Devil, who uses fear to sense its enemies. And Aki, having committed to his path of revenge, has no fear. 

This is both equal parts badass and disturbing. I’ve already said several times that most of the Devil Hunters will die young in horrible ways. Given what the Future Devil saw, Aki’s death is going to be horrible. This should concern him, even though he already knows he has only a few years before he dies. Instead of doing something else with his life, though, he chooses revenge. 

Revenge can feel good, but it can also make things worse.

Chainsaw vs Katana is the best fight of the season.

As for Denji, he has his rematch with the Katana Man, but not before the latter tries to take the moral high ground. The Katana Man says all he wants is to avenge his grandfather; he doesn’t care if he has to turn himself in afterwards. However, his pleas fall on the deaf ears of Denji, and, hopefully, the audience itself.

Firstly, the Katana Man ignores the fact that his beloved grandpa was a Yakuza gangster who did a lot of terrible things. Denji did everything the man asked of him, and he chose to kill him anyway. Secondly, he was already a zombie when Denji iced him, so he was dumb enough to make a bad deal with a Devil. Instead of accepting that his grandad got himself killed, Katana Man tried to kill Denji, and got Himeno killed. Thus, Katana Man gets what’s coming to him.

The rematch between the two is, arguably, the best of the season. It also marked the first time in several episodes that I started to get excited about the fighting. Even though it, once again, ended too soon for my tastes, while it was going, it was fun to watch. 

The Ultimate Nut Shot

The best part of the entire episode, though, is what Denji and Aki do to the Katana Man after he gets his butt handed to him. As punishment for killing Himeno and their other comrades, they dish out the ultimate punishment: they take turns kicking him below the belt. Whoever makes him scream the loudest wins.

I honestly thought that this whole scene was hilarious. It was petty, vengeful, and unnecessary of them to do this, but it also felt like a good way for them to deal with their excessive anger over Himeno’s death. Also, you have to admit the man had it coming. Thus, the season ends with the Devil Hunters walking away with their heads held high. 

So why is it that I don’t feel fully satisfied with what happened?

Not as Fun as I Thought it Would Be

I haven’t read the Chainsaw Man manga before I started watching the anime, but I kept hearing everyone saying a ton of good stuff about it. They said that it was amazing, that it was an instant classic, and one of the best shonen manga of the next generation. And I bought it for a bit-it certainly looked cool. However, as much as I wanted to deny it, the Chainsaw Man anime…wasn’t as exciting as I thought.

I’d say I over-hyped the series in my mind after hearing what it was like, but I’m not so sure. I even read that a fan petition started to have the anime redone. I think that might be a little much, but I can’t help but think what we would get if this was animated by Studio Trigger. 

Regardless, I still think that the Chainsaw Man anime has potential. Hopefully, once I start watching it in dub form, I’ll regain my excitement. In the meantime, I’m going to be cautiously optimistic for the next season, whenever that comes out.

I Give “Katana vs. Chainsaw” a 3.5/5

2022 Was a Great Year for Anime

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The Best Anime of 2022

Another year over, another year closer to anime fans achieving pop culture hegemony. All jokes aside, 2022 was a particularly good year for Japanese animation. Not only did we get some incredible films and series in 2022, but several of these ended up breaking the Internet. As the year comes to a close, it’s time for us to look back on the best anime to come out of Japan.

Full disclosure: in addition to anime series, we will also be counting movies. Considering the success that several anime films had at the box office this year, it’s justified.

Attack on Titan Season 4, Part 2

Just when you thought that Attack on Titan couldn’t get any bigger, it does just that. The second part to the hit anime’s final season premiered in January 2022, and the Internet went crazy over it. Given how this part saw series protagonist/antagonist Eren Yeager enact his plans of unleashing an army of Titans to wipe out all humanity beyond his island home, that was to be expected. In addition, when the opening for the new part, “Rumbling” went up on YouTube, it wound up trending. Given how the part ended on a massive cliffhanger, fans are chomping at the bit to see the grand finale in all its animated glory. 

Spy x Family

It’s the spy comedy that’s taken the anime world by storm, Spy x Family. Making its anime debut in 2022, Spy x Family combines all the action and escapades of classic spy films with the kind of comedy that will leave you in stitches. Set in a fictional world locked in a cold war, Spy x Family follows Twilight, an agent tasked with spying on an enemy politician to stop a potential war. To do this, he builds a fake family with a little girl named Anya and a woman named Yor. The twist is that Yor’s secretly one of her country’s best assassins, and the only one aware of this is the mind-reading Anya, whose desperate to keep her found family intact.

Even though it’s the new kid on the block, Spy x Family has already won the hearts of millions, and it’s not hard to see why: the characters are so likable. Anya’s a precious little cinnamon bun who only wants to have a real family and will go to great lengths. Despite only taking them in as part of his cover, Loid comes to genuinely care about Anya and Yor. Lastly, Yor’s dual nature as a deadly assassin but clumsy and caring housewife makes her one of the top waifus of the year. If you haven’t already watched it, you should check out Spy x Family.

One Piece

This year was a good year for One Piece, period. On the manga front, the series completed its biggest and longest arc to date, the Wano Country Arc that saw Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates go head-to-head with one of the strongest pirates in the world. Meanwhile, that same arc continues to be adapted into anime to great fanfare. When Crunchyroll posted some of the best clips on YouTube, they trended several times. 

Lastly, the series latest film, One Piece Film: Red, saw massive success in its native Japan and overseas, with its soundtrack trending on iTunes. With the series entering its final saga and Eichiro Oda promising it to be more epic than ever, now’s a good time to be a One Piece fan.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero 

After so many years of getting the short end of the stick in favor of his dad, Dragon Ball finally made Gohan great again. When the remnants of the Red Ribbon Army come out of hiding (again) while Goku and Vegeta are away, it falls to Gohan to deal with the threat. However, Gohan’s neglecting his training again, much to everyone’s disappointment. Frustrated by this, Piccolo uses this chance to force Gohan to reawaken his fighting spirit.

Even though this movie sees the franchise use 3D animation as opposed to 2D, it doesn’t make the film less amazing. The film brings back much of the humor from the early days of the original manga while carefully balancing it with a ton of action. In addition, the film sees Gohan and Piccolo gain new forms that put them in the running for strongest characters in the franchise once more. The former gets a form that, for all intents and purposes, effectively canonizes the popular fanmade transformation El Blanco. El Blanco is canon, people!

Chainsaw Man

Yet another newcomer to the Shonen anime scene, Chainsaw Man has also taken the anime world by storm. Set in an alternate 1990’s Japan where Devils exist, the series follows Denji, a young, teenaged Devil Hunter whose life’s cut short by a group of Yakuza. However, Denji gets a second lease on life when he fuses with his Devil friend, Pochita, becoming the infamous Chainsaw Man. Now, Denji hunts down even more Devils. Not for the sake of humanity or for justice or revenge, but for the simple goal of living a normal life. That, and to get lucky with a woman.

Chainsaw Man is one of the most popular anime on the market right, and it’s not hard to see why. The characters are quirky and the series is filled with so much blood and over-the-top violence that it would leave Attack on Titan jealous. If you haven’t been watching it, then you need to be. It’s a slow burn at first, but once it picks up, you’ll see why it’s so popular already.

My Hero Academia Season 6

While the fifth season may not have been that exciting, it was just a prelude to the real show: My Hero Academia, Season 6. With the villains growing more powerful than ever, the heroes make their move to put an end to the destructive plans of Tomura Shigaraki. However, what should’ve been a decisive victory for the heroes turns into an all-out war that pushes both sides to their absolute limits. Characters die, heroes and villains unlock new abilities, and shocking revelations emerge. This is My Hero Academia at its absolute best, and the season’s only halfway over.

JoJo : Stone Ocean

Netflix ruined the hype for this. JoJo’s Bizzare Adventure is one of the greatest shonen series ever. The last decade’s seen the anime inspire countless memes as it finally achieved worldwide popularity. However, the decision to have Part 6 air on Netflix prevented it from reaching the heights it should have. Netflix made the decision to release the season in batches, which is good for streaming but terrible for building up hype. As a result, the final act in the original JoJo timeline almost flies under the radar.