Manga

Rentaro’s New Girlfriend is Mother Nature Incarnate!

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You S3 Ep 5 Review

ZING! KRRACK!! The newest episode of 100 Girlfriends only just started, and Rentaro has already met his fourteenth soulmate! And yes, it happens just as fast in the manga, something that gets lampshaded. Buh golly, meet our goddess of nature, our very own Nausicaa, Yamame Yasashiki!

Let’s back up a quick second. So, Rentaro decided that his girlfriends would look adorable if they were wearing crowns made out of flowers, and Iku suggested he go see the head of the school gardening club. And that’s where we start the episode.

Yamame Yasashiki, Mother Nature Herself

Meet Yamame Yasashiki, or as I like to call her, the living incarnation of Mother Nature. Standing at over 200 cm, she is taller than even Jotaro Kujo, and, according to the wiki, beats even Karane in strength. Not that she would ever use it to harm anyone. For Yamame is a gentle giant, who loves nature more than anything in the world, and has dedicated her life to helping nature grow and thrive. She’s so kindhearted that she even has a separate garden for weeds. She’s so kindhearted that when butterflies started hanging around the flowers in her hair, she let them stay. And over the years, she has used her size to help her protect any plants or animals that are in trouble. She loves nature, and nature loves her back.

So, she’s basically every nature goddess rolled into one. Or Nausicaa, if you’re an anime fan. By the way, if you didn’t know, there is a Nausicaa manga series that I recommend you check out!

Yamame is the incarnation of Mother Nature, no doubt about it. But she has a troubled past. When she was little, her size made her the target for a lot of bullying. It wasn’t until she realized she could use that to help the plants and animals that she started to love herself. Also, she wasn’t joking about walking with stilts around nature. In a bonus chapter of the manga from when she was little, she stepped on a bug by accident. She was so traumatized by it that she almost gave up on going outside. Her pa had to hypnotize her into thinking the bug was visiting her to tell her to forgive herself, and somehow that escalated into her using stilts. The point is, she’s pure enough to ride Goku’s Nimbus!

Oh, and she’s also deathly afraid of fire, as we see when the Vice Principal comes running after her hair catches fire.

It’s this moment that seals the deal for Yamame, as she becomes his fourteenth girlfriend.

GARDENING PARTY

And now, we get the traditional introduction to the Rentaro Family, brought to you by the Gardening Club!

In case you guys haven’t noticed at this point, this show is very open when it comes to referencing other anime. Especially if it’s an anime based on manga published by Shueshia, the company that owns Shonen Jump. In this episode alone, we get multiple references to Yu-Gi-Oh!, which I loved. What I loved almost as much though was seeing the Rentaro Family dressing like nature goddesses and tending to Yamame’s garden. Especially the way that Kurumi was shoveling down those strawberries like there was no tomorrow. I love strawberries, so I get why she’s so into them.

But what I loved even more was how Rentaro made Yamame feel less insecure about the height difference. I know that in real life, not a lot of guys would want to date a girl who’s taller than them. I think it’s because it makes us feel insecure about our manliness. But you have to remember this: in nature, there are plenty of examples where the female is bigger than the male. That, and Rentaro doesn’t discriminate. Kisses for all!

By the way, that ending gag is meant to be a parody of Attack on Titan. It’s way more obvious in the manga.

I Give “Yasashiki-San’s Gardening Club Tour” a 4/5

The God’s Knights are Here and They Suck!

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

One Piece Ep 1172 Review

And so it begins. The chaos that I have spent the past year or so becoming intimately familiar with in the land of Elbaph. I hope that you guys had your fill of the quieter moments of the Elbaph Arc, and yes, I know how that sounds. In the short time since the Straw Hats came to Elbaph, they’ve escaped a giant, traversed the Underworld, reunited with old friends, AND fought a living legend of a pirate. But that was just a warm-up. From here on out, Elbaph is at war, and the God’s Knights are delivering the opening salvoes.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: if the big bad Imu (the monster running the World Government) wanted to conquer Elbaph, why would he only send three people? Shouldn’t he send his strongest fighters to make the giants submit? Plus, there’s no way that the God’s Knights could be so strong as to be able to conquer the strongest country in the world. I think that even I was a little skeptical about the feasibility of this at first. But as Oda soon proved to us, this was wrong. Terrifyingly, nightmarishly wrong. In fact, these three MONSTERS are probably the strongest enemies the Straw Hat pirates have faced to date!

The God’s Knights Strike

The episode opens on a very ominous note at the Walrus School. We see the kids enjoying recess, playing and having fun, doing normal kids’ stuff. It’s what every parent wants to see their kids doing. But the red flags are already there. The shots of Gunko, Qillingham, and Sommers walking towards the school was giving me goosebumps in the worst way possible. In fact, part of me even thought, “Did Toei set this scene up to feel like the prelude to an attack on a school on purpose?“It sounds paranoid, but considering how many schools in America have been victims of violent acts in my lifetime alone, I think the fear is justified.

The first attack comes in the form of a GIANT SERPENT. The students are sent running for their lives as the teachers do what teachers are supposed to do in a crisis: kick ass and protect their students.

It helps that Saul is an ex-Vice Admiral. And the Principal is a retired member of the Giant Pirates. Both of those titles makes them strong by default, and they deal with the serpent. But there’s still the question as to how it showed up. And why it looks like something that was drawn by a kid.

This is Just EVIL!

But that’s not the worst of it. That serpent was just a distraction. While everyone was panicking, the God’s Knights snuck in and put a bunch of kids from Colon’s class to sleep, before leading them away from the school Pied-Piper style. With Gunko’s arrows guiding them, they’re sleepwalking straight for the beach, where they will board a ship to take them to Mariejois as hostages. And when the adults try to stop them, they collapse to the ground in pain from touching something invisible.

Oh, and to matters worse, more monsters show up. And they all look like something a kid would draw because they were, in fact, drawn by kids. It was a class activity where the kids had to draw what they were afraid of the most.

I don’t want to wait for the anime to explain it, so I’m just going to spoil it: this is all the doing of the God’s Knights. Specifically, their Devil Fruits. We already know that Gunko can create things out of arrows, but then we have the other two. Sommers can create vines covered in thorns, while Qillingham, besides turning into a mythical beast called a Kirin, can put people to sleep AND manifest anything from their dreams. The former is ensuring that none of the adults can save the kids, while the latter is using their nightmares to create an army of monsters to rampage across Elbaph.

WHY ARE THEY SO EVIL!?!?

Okay, three things. Firstly, a part of me has to respect the bad guy’s plan for how foolproof they’ve made it. The God’s Knights summoned an army of monsters (who are incredibly well-animated, I might add) to keep all the grown-ups busy. And they made sure that even if the adults try to free the kids, they will get badly hurt in the process. It’s a pretty well-thought-out plan, and I gotta respect that. Secondly, though, it is also pure evil. To this day, Sommers ranks at the top five list of One Piece villains I wanna see get fed their own teeth. Because as you will come to learn, he is a sick, depraved sadist. The man is laughing at the despair he wants to put those parents through like he’s the Joker!

And three, and I need you to pay attention to this one: the Straw Hats have a no-tolerance policy for child abuse. Hurting kids in their vicinity is basically signing your own death warrant, because they will show you no mercy. And when they find out about what’s going on, they are going to drop everything and fight. But the scary thing is that they may not be able to do much with who they have right now. They need the Monster Trio if they wanna win this, and they’ve got their own problems. Or so they think.

Yeah, I’m Calling Loki’s Bluff on this

So, Loki is free, as you might recall. However, Luffy and Zoro aren’t complete idiots, so they made sure to keep one of the cuffs made out of sea stone (it suppresses Devil Fruit powers) attached to his leg. So he can’t use his powers. But Devil Fruit or not, he’s still terrifying. Even though he’s sporting some serious injuries from Shamrock and Gunko, he’s still aura farming. And then he grabs that GIGANTIC HAMMER he calls Ragnir, and threatens to use it to set fire to the giant tree that makes up Elbaph. He’s willing to burn his own country to the ground to get his point across!

I know that this makes Loki seem like an irrefutable villain, but if you’ve read the manga, trust me, this is nothing. Plus, he’s bluffing. Regardless of how much trouble he’s caused for his country, Loki does care about Elbaph. Plus, he hates the Celestial Dragons more than anything in existence. He’s not going to let them run roughshod over his home.

Well, I hope you guys are happy now. The chaos has begun and it’s not going to stop! WE WILL CRUSH THE KNIGHTS FOR THEIR CRIMES!!

I Give “Monsters Appear in Elbaph – ‘What I Fear Most'” a 4/5

Title-Kun Nailed this Episode Perfectly

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, S4 Ep 16 Review

You know what scares me most about getting older? Well, besides the approach of death and the diminishing of my mental faculties. It’s the cynicism. The idea that I could become one of those bitter old men that the heroes in a shonen manga have to fight, like Danzo, the Five Elders, or the leaders of Jujutsu Society. But cynicism isn’t something that you’re born feeling; it’s caused by something. And in this episode of Slime Tensura, we get to see first-hand what made Granville Rozzo the cold, unfeeling jerk that he is.

The Conference is Here

So, the moment that  Luminous has been waiting for is almost upon her: the musical conference brought to her by Rimuru and the citizens of Tempest. Rimuru, his students, Shion, and the musicians arrive in Lubelious a few days ahead of time to enjoy themselves before the conference. They’re all treated to this amazing feast, stuff themselves with food, and then it’s off to bed for the kids. The adults need to have a chat.

So, it goes without saying, but  Luminous decides to say it anyway: she knows Granville and Yuuki are working together. She knows that they’re going to try and crash the conference, but she doesn’t know what their ultimate goal is. What she does know, though, is that Granville is not someone that Rimuru should take lightly; she’s known him for a very, very long time.

A Hero’s fall to Darkness

Hundreds of years ago, Granville was basically the protagonist of his own fantasy story. He was a young, idealistic, and powerful Hero who wanted to protect mankind from the threat of the Demon Lords, with his wife Maria, and this…person called Razul by his side. To that end, they fought Luminous for a while, but then Luminous told them “chill guys! I ain’t interested in killing humans! We can sustain ourselves on just a small amount of blood!” So Granville decided to work for her and help get the West under control. It was going fine, too…until they were betrayed. This one human got bribed by a demon to let them into a wedding they were attending, and during the fighting, Maria was killed.

Maria’s death was Granville’s cynicism catalyst. He had wanted nothing more than for humanity to be safe from beings that could destroy them, only for a human to kill his wife. He saw the best in humanity, but never considered that we can be just as evil as any monster or demon. So that twisted his goal from protecting humanity to “controlling it from the shadows and terminating any threats with prejudice.” Threats like Rimuru.

Honestly, though, the reason why Granville is so against Rimuru isn’t because his granddaughter is dead. It’s because Rimuru’s way of doing things is proof that his way isn’t working. Even worse, it proves that his way of thinking is obsolete. So, rather than bow out, Granville is determined to bring as many down with him, even if he knows he’ll likely lose.

And his plan is nothing if not audacious.

He’s Gonna do What?

So, we already know that Yuuki and Granville plan to do something during the conference so they can steal Luminous’ most prized possession. Besides having Yuuki and the Harlequin’s fight alongside Granville against Luminious and Rimuru, they’ve lured in another party: Demon Lord Leon Cromwell. He’s still looking for Chloe, and he’s starting to piece together that she’s with Rimuru. And one of Yuuki’s agents just told him that Rimuru is planning to sell off the Otherworlder kids to Luminious.

You can see where this is going. They plan on using Leon to help distract Rimuru and Luminous so they can get away with their heist. It’s a crazy plan, and not in the “crazy brilliant” way, but the “crazy stupid” way. Stupid because all Rimuru has to do is speak to Leon with his Nat 20 speech check and explain everything. And stupid because if Leon hurts an ounce of Rimuru’s slimy self, Chloe will hate him for it. And I’m guessing that he’s the kind of big brother who will die from shock if his little sister hates him.

I know that Granville hasn’t had the easiest life, and you can understand why he would turn into such a cynical jerk. But being cynical and not having faith in others is how the world gets worse, not better. And we have enough of that in our world as it is, so I would rather not see it in fiction. Do what you have to do, Rimuru!

I Give “Granville, the Hero of Dawn” a 4/5

Happy Birthday, Norn and Aisha

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

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S3 Ep 5 Review

Fun fact about Mushoku Tensei: did you know that in the world of the series, they don’t celebrate birthdays every year? In that world, birthdays are generally celebrated three times: when someone turns five, when they turn ten, and again at fifteen, where they’re considered legal adults. I don’t think Rudeus ever got a chance to celebrate becoming an adult (biologically), and due to the chaos in their lives, Norn and Aisha actually missed their tenth birthdays. As the new man of the house, it is up to Rudy to fix this!

He loves his sisters so much.

Weddings are so beautiful!

So, it all starts with Cliff and Elinalise’s wedding. I had forgotten about it, but right before Rudy and Elinalise left for Begaritt, Cliff proposed. I guess he does have some CHAD in him. So, we get this nice scene where we see the two of them tie the knot together.

I don’t remember much of it from the light novel, but I think that the whole thing took a lot longer than what we got. Not that I’m complaining, because it was still sweet to see. It even makes Rudeus question if he should have had a ceremony for Roxy and Sylphie but they’re happy with what they got.

No offense to Eris, but I don’t think that she would want that kind of ceremony, either. Her parents would’ve insisted on it, but she would just want to drag Rudy off somewhere and get to the intimacy.

Speaking of which, Elinalise asks Rudy to get her some of that aphrodisiac that Sylphie used to help his impotency as a gift for Cliff.

She bribes him with the promise of talking Sylphie and Roxy into…a threesome. And it works, on every account.

Again, don’t remember much from the light novels, but it still turns out like this. He’s lucky his wives are so open-minded.

Birthday Surprise!

With that out of the way, though, Rudy realizes something important: they missed Norn and Aisha’s 10th birthdays! Thus, the Greyrat family decides to make up for lost time by throwing them a surprise party. This is especially important, since due to their lives have turned out, the girls never got a chance to celebrate their fifth birthday properly. And more importantly for Rudy, hes never had the chance to celebrate their birthdays at all. As such, he wants to go all out. But how to distract them long enough to get everything set up?

He and Roxy take them out fishing while the others set everything up.

The plan is actually two-fold: Norn and Aisha are still not used to having Roxy around. If you’ll recall, Norn made a fuss about her brother marrying another woman. Rudy was hoping that this would help to break the ice. And it actually works. Roxy teaches Norn how to fish, as she’s had plenty of experience from her days as an adventurer. It’s sweet to see the two bond so well.

What was even more entertaining, though, was seeing Rudeus suck at fishing! He was watching Aisha catch them like a pro, and all he got was an old boot. So he resorts to using what is basically Sith Lightning to electrocute the water to catch all the fish. I was shaking my head at the tv and saying how that was just cheating, and Aisha actually said that! Way to be petty, Rudy!

This…this is nice.

After that’s done, it’s time for the party, and it…is just so sweet. Seeing the Greyrat family together, celebrating the girl’s birthdays and how they’ve finally found a new home for themselves is so touching. Yeah, it’s not as cool as the adventures that Rudy has had over the years, but it’s moments like this that make life worth living. And that scene with Zenith…damn. I don’t know if Zenith will ever be back to the way she was before, but just seeing her be able to dote on her daughter and step-daughter like this is just so heartwarming. I think I almost cried watching it.

I need to be taking notes about these moments you guys. I’m hoping to write my own series in the future once I have more time (we need more hands), and I need to keep these slice-of-life moments in mind!

Oh, and I loved the new hat that Rudy got Roxy. She really is the one responsible for the whole family being together again. If she hadn’t trained Rudy, then he, Sylphie, and everyone else might not have survived.

I Give “Celebrations” a 4/5

Money, Piranha Plants, and New Spells

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

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S3 Ep 4 Review

Welcome back to a day in the life of the Greyrat family, and that is where we will be staying for a good while. I know that some people are going to be eager to see the story move forward some more, but part of Mushoku Tensei’s charm is that it doesn’t limit itself to the big moments. It focuses on the little ones in Rudeus’ life in equal value, something that we should already be used to. And I for one am enjoying getting to see these smaller moments in his life as he continues to better himself. And in this episode, he makes his next big leap forward as a mage. Also, the family gets a new pet.

Is Rudy Loaded?

It’s been a few months now since Rudy made it back from Begarit, and all the members of the Black Wolf Fangs (minus Ghislaine) gather at Paul’s grave to bid farewell. Geese and Talhand are headed off on their own with their share of the loot they got, but not before leaving Rudy his and his dad’s cut. And it’s a lot of money, I should note. Enough to last his family for a good, long while.

Come to think of it, I don’t think that Rudy has ever really had to worry about money that much in his second life. He was pretty well-off thanks to his days in Dead End on his globe-trotting odyssey, and even if he wasn’t, he could make do using his magic. Remember those figurines he likes making? If he made that a full-time job, he would be rich in no time! But I digress. Life is going well for Rudy. His mom is more active, even if she still isn’t acting like how she used to, and it was funny to see him try to make his daughter laugh. He looks just like his dad when he was doing that to Norn and Aisha.

Speaking of which, the Light Novels go a little further into it, as Rudeus has this internal monologue about how he sees the ideal dad. And despite all of his faults, Paul is the person he sees as an example. And, if Paul were alive, he would be just as doting towards his granddaughter.

Oh, and that’s not even getting into the surprise that Rudeus discovers for himself in the first half of the episode: Aisha got a new pet.

Piranha Plant

So, you might have noticed that the Greyrat family brought a pet with them back from the Begarit Continent; that giant armadillo? Well, it turns out that Aisha has also gotten herself a pet that she’s been keeping a secret from her brother. Or rather, she had planned to tell him about it, but he found it before she could. It’s not a cat, dog, or any other animal that you would expect a little girl to bring home, either. It’s a…Piranha Plant.

Okay, the actual name of it is a Treant, a type of plant monster that’s this world’s equivalent to slimes. But it more or less looks like a cross between a Piranha Plant and Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors. And Rudeus must be familiar with one of the two, because his first instinct is to want to burn it! But Aisha begs him not to, saying that it’s her pet that came out of this seed around the time Rudy got back from Begarit. And she’s doing a good job of training it to not hurt anyone. But when that doesn’t work, she plays dirty and resorts to blackmail.

I have to admit: I did laugh when Aisha threatened to tell Roxy and Sylphie about Rudeus’ secret shrine to them, complete with Roxy’s “holy relic.” That girl is going to be a menace when she’s all grown up! Thankfully, Roxy shows up and tells Rudy that the Treant is safe. Her people even use them to ward off pests from their farms. So, the plant monster stays. And Aisha has named it Byt. I would’ve name it Seymour or Audrey III.

But then something even funnier happens. Well, it’s funny in hindsight.

Rudy Wants to Level Up

So, the student council got reports that someone was harassing a student at school, so Luke and Sylphie went to see what the problem was. Except when they get there, it’s just Rudy bothering Roxy. Apparently, not everyone is aware yet that Roxy’s a teacher now, much to her dismay. And to Sylphie’s chagrin, the lack of context makes it sound like Rudy is trying to ask Roxy for something dirty, and he thought he was being his usual pervy self. In truth, though, he was just begging Roxy to teach him how to be come a King-Class Water Mage like her, and she didn’t want to. One of the few things that she can say she tops her husband in is her rank as a mage. But she eventually backs down.

Frankly, I don’t blame Sylphie for thinking Rudy was up to something pervy. Most of the people in their world are pretty horny, if you ask me!

That Was Awesome

So, we then get to see this awesome moment where Roxy teaches Rudy and Sylphie this King-Class water spell, and it’s basically like calling down lightning from on high onto a target. And, like most of the anime, it’s superbly animated. Absolutely breathtaking to look at! And Roxy manages to pull it off rather well.

But then Rudy tries it, and…well, it’s basically like him dropping a tactical nuke. I swear, that guy could end up destroying an entire city if he’s not careful!

Well, with that done, Rudy is now a King-Class Water Mage, and he and his wives head home to continue their lives. But, honestly, I think that Rudy could take it even further. If he applied himself as much as Eris is in her training, he could become the strongest mage in the world in a few years. Maybe he’ll need to do that, depending on the motivation he has. Questions for later, though.

By the way, it’s not mentioned in the anime, but in the light novels, we start to get these little anecdotes about legends of Ranoa University revolving around Rudy. Well, it’s basically stuff that Linia and Pursena spread about their “Boss.” Like, how he has trained monsters at his house, how he can summon lightning from his fingertips, or (this is my favorite) can fire his arm like a rocket. It’s funny.

I Give “A King-Class Water Mage” a 3/5

MISS NADDY IS BEST GIRL! NO ARGUMENTS ALLOWED!

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You S3 Ep 3 Review

Guys, there are a lot of waifus and husbandos out there, and I’m pretty sure that there are at least one or two who we would marry in a heartbeat if they were real. And I think I just found the one from 100 Girlfriends who would qualify for me. She is not only beautiful, but also loves and appreciates the best aspects of the land of the Stars and Stripes. Introducing our newest member of the Rentaro Family!

Miss Naddy is Perfect

It all starts on a typical day in school for the Rentaro Family. The language teacher for Rentaro’s class just hit the lottery and retired, so the position is now conveniently open for a new character. And as the gang’s wondering who they could be, we get this amazing punchline when they walk in and show what an actual character they are.

Say howdy to Miss Naddy, everyone! She is just so funny to me, mostly because of how AMERICAN she acts. As an American myself, I’ve grown up seeing the oddities of our country as something perfectly normal. So, getting to see how other countries view America can be pretty interesting. In this case, Naddy is an over-the-top parody of what some people probably think we’re like, constantly spouting the joys of freedom and of living life the way you want. Some people might see it as offensive, but I can tell that she was not made with any malice in mind.

Also, between her pretty face and cowgirl attire, I’m pretty much sold on her. And so is Rentaro, once they zing.

So, Naddy keeps Rentaro late so she can get closer to him, and if this weren’t a romcom, I would call child protective services. But any chance of that happening went out the window the second Hahari joined! But then comes the big twist that makes Naddy even better: Rentaro figures out that she’s not really American.

Miss Naddy is actually Japanese-born and bred. And her actual name is Nadeshiko Yamato. She just has everyone think her name’s Nadia.

Miss Naddy’s Parents Must DIE!!!

The irony is that her name is the reverse of the Japanese term for traditional beauties: demure, submissive, and devoted to their family. And Naddy is actively trying to be none of those, and for good reason, because she might have the saddest backstory out of everyone in the Rentaro family. She came from a super strict and traditional household and was forced by her abusive parents to be this personification of her name. And she HATED every minute of it. I don’t blame her, either! Seeing her mom lock her in the shed for not playing an instrument right is enough to make me go Super Saiyan. It was only thanks to her being exposed to American culture that she realized that she didn’t have to live like that. And as soon as she was old enough, she gave her mom the middle finger and left on her own. Good riddance.

All of this has left Naddy feeling very insecure about herself, as she’s worried she will be scorned for being a fraud. Thankfully, Rentaro is the ultimate CHAD, and he doesn’t hesitate to accept Naddy for who she wants to be. And neither do I. Like I said before, I think Naddy genuinely appreciates the best of America and tries to embody it, maybe even moreso than some Americans these days. As far as I’m concerned, she’s alright. Also, I love her cowgirl outfit!

Rentaro Family Fashion Show!

Speaking of outfits, Naddy’s introduction to the Family might as well be a fashion show, because after they get over the shock of having a teacher join (mostly Karane), Naddy encourages them all to embrace freedom. By which we mean she has them dress up  tbe way they would if they were free to be what they wanted. The result is something that reflects the girl’s personalities in all their glory.

RENTARO IS KING OF THE BOYFRIENDS!

Is it wrong that I’m surprised Hakari’s outfit doesn’t show more? And I’m happy to see that Hahari can still pull off the high schooler look, but I’m also concerned about how that will look to outsiders. Or DeviantArt.

This entire episode is just so much fun. If I had the power, I would give Miss Naddy full American citizenship for how much she appreciates this country. Also, my personal headcanon always had me imagining Miss Naddy’s dub voice as something like Applejack from My Little Pony. That’s right, I’m a Brony.

I Give “The Japanese Teacher Has Blonde Hair” a 5/5

Well, that went as well as I thought, Rentaro

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You S3 Ep 2 Review

Gather round, folks, gather round! It is time for more 100 Girlfriends! And to say that this next girlfriend is controversial is probably underselling it. I still question how whatever Japan uses for standards and practices let this pass. And I will not lie, I do think the concept of Chiyo is cringe. But I’m just along for the ride, and I know better than to question Rentaro. It was still funny to see Chiyo meeting everyone, though.

Oh, boy.

So, Chiyo’s introduction to the Rentaro Family goes about as well as you’d expect: Karane’s straight man compels her to question how this was allowed, and Hahari says “thanks for the meal.” Good lord, thank god this is a comedy, or Hahari would be on some list of predators. But things go south when Chiyo’s OCD kicks in and she starts “tidying up” everything “wrong” with the Family. I’m just going to show it instead of describing it.

I think I almost lost it when Chiyo said Hahari and Iku’s existence was a problem.

Fortunately for everyone, Chiyo is quick to realize the chaos she has wrought and starts feeling bad about it. I’m gonna be honest: it was funny, but she was also trying to force her ideals on people that didn’t need nor want them. And when she starts crying, everyone is quick to comfort her, showing just how welcoming they all are. It’s honestly heartwarming to see how close they’ve become as a makeshift family. And yes, they are a bunch of weirdos.

Now, the second half of the episode is actually what surprised me, as it completely skips over what happens in the manga. In the manga, Chiyo’s introduction is followed (after an ad for keychains) by a chapter where, upon learning how kiss-happy the Rentaro family is, she bans them from kissing during school hours. And their plan to get her to loosen up almost turns her into a kissing zombie.

I will be blunt: I didn’t like that chapter. I thought it was repetitive considering how Chiyo had just learned to accept the Family’s oddities. I didnt like how they had the youngest member do that to them. It was just a forgettable chapter. Though, that makes the second half of the episode even stranger since it changes gears to Mimimi and Meme.

This Was Way Better

So, there’s this noisy photographer from the school paper who’s obsessed with getting a photo of Meme, and she mastered this Demon Slayer breathing technique to do it. Rentaro, naturally, is prepared to burn the newspaper club to the ground, saying this constitutes terrorism. And Hahari can’t stop her because she’s being blackmailed with proof of how much of a freak she is.

The entire second half is more or less the Family trying to help Meme protect her privacy, with predictable results. They have her dressed in a bunny girl outfit to train her evasiveness up, but really, it’s just so Hahari can enjoy the view. But in the end, they come up with an even stronger version of Meme’s substitution jutsu: they swap out Meme for Mimimi! And Mimimi is just so good at posing!

I like this. I like this very much. And if I’m correct with my math, then the next episode is going to introduce one of my personal favorites in the entire series! I can’t wait for more laughs next week!

I Give “Chiyo’s Family Coaching” a 3/5

Really, 100 Girlfriends? How did the Producers Approve this?

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You S3 Ep 1 Review

That’s right, I’m back with more 100 Girlfriends as we move to season three! I have to admit, I was almost tempted to skip reviewing the new season of the ultimate harem anime because of my busy writing schedule (I write for more than just this blog), but then I remembered that this is one of my comfort anime. I’m way too invested in the laughs to stop now! And the first episode made it clear that we were going to get plenty of laughs from the start. Why? Because the Love God is trying to do this serious exposition dump to catch people up on the story…and the show ends up spoiling some of the girlfriends joining this season! The eye pop the foolish God does is hilarious!

Which is good, because the next soulmate joining is going to be…controversial.

Wait, are we Jumping Ahead?

Wait, did the anime just skip a few chapters? And are they adding some of the spoiled girlfriends to the gathering?

Yes, it seems that for the first episode of the season, the show director decided to mess with us. So they skipped to a future incident in which some of the new girlfriends have already joined the family, and they’re being interviewed by this show about dating, and they’re telling stories about Rentaro’s CHAD powers. And it’s freaking the host and crew out. It’s nothing but the show leaning into its gag status, and it’s pretty hilarious. And then Rentaro gets interviewed and they make the mistake of insulting his girlfriends.

It is very likely that this will become a lost episode creepypasta. But I do like how the show staff doesn’t give two cents at this point and is just doing what they think is funny. And now we have the new OP.

Welcome to the church of Rentaro.

Now, here’s the controversial part.

Really? Are we Really Going Here?

It all starts when Rentaro is asked to look his cousin that he’s never met before while his uncle is out. He thinks it’s going to a romance-free day. But then…

Yes. This is real. This is actually happening. And yes, Rentaro in the manga asked the same question to Shueshia about whether they were really doing this. How the mangaka managed to talk his publishers into letting this slide is beyond me, as this is going to attract controversy. But if Shueshia was willing to approve Hahari, they must have been willing to approve…dating your cousin.

Maybe Shueshia approved this because they thought it would be funny to see people freak out about it. Also, it should be noted that in Mushoku Tensei, Rudeus and Eris are distant cousins. We’ve got no right to judge 100 Girlfriends.

Chiyo Iin, the Loli-Cousin With OCD

Anyway, meet Chiyo Iin, Rentaro’s 12-year-old cousin. She just started middle school recently, and is a class rep who is considered super responsible and dependable by everyone around her. So, besides the very specific niche she fills, what quirks does she have that set her apart?

OCD. She has OCD, and whenever she sees something disorderly, she gets upset and tries to fix it while growling like a puppy, as she does after various mishaps befall Rentaro. Oh, and whenever she loses her glasses, she starts crying like a baby.

I’ll be honest: Chiyo was always going to be a landmine for me, but I think that was the joke. Nakamura wanted to do this to mess with us and remind us that he is willing to go there. What I thought was even funnier, though, was the reveal that her father set all of this up to make the two fall for each other. Why? Because he’s an overprotective father who only considers Rentaro worthy of dating Chiyo because he saved him from Truck-Kun as a kid.

Is this entire family looney?

Look, it’s best not to take anything that happens seriously. The anime and manga have already established that they are not taking the story seriously. If you don’t like it, don’t watch. Otherwise, enjoy.

I Give “Cousin and Girlfriend” a 3/5

Chloe is Super Important to the Story!

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 15 Review

You know how in anime, when a person shows up in an OP or ED, that means that they’re going to be important to the story? It’s just something that I’ve noticed from years of watching anime, as the OPs and EDs for a show can reveal potential spoilers. Well, there is a pretty big one for the new OP and ED for Slime Tensura that has to do with two people: Chloe Aubert, Rimuru’s student, and this mysterious, black-haired woman who keeps appearing throughout the show who Chloe seems connected with. If you’ve read the light novels, then you already know what’s going on, but if you haven’t, then you’re about to understand just how important Chloe actually is.

The Black Numbers Get their Jobs

Thanks to Diablo’s recruitment drive, Rimuru now has three powerful Demon women working for Tempest: Ultima, Carrera, and Testarossa. Thanks to them, he’s finally able to fill some positions that he’s been needing filled for a while to help with their diplomacy and legal system. Testarossa is now Tempest’s representative with the Western Council to help keep them on the level. Which is good, because she is great at making sure people fall in line! Ultima and Carrera are now the Chief Public Prosecutor and Chief Justice, respectively, meaning that they will be in charge of enforcing the law. Though it’s a little bit concerning that Carrera’s immediate reaction to potential crimes is the death penalty. Hopefully, they’ll learn to let the punishment fit the crime!

All of this means that for the first time in a while, Rimuru can take it easy and have some more free time. And the first thing that he decides to do is visit Tempest’s school.

Chloe’s Progress

If you want to make sure change sticks into the future, you have to educate the next generation. That’s where school comes in, and the one that Rimuru has set up in Tempest seems to be doing a good job. In the episode, we see how the students come from the many different races that inhabit the world, both human and monster. By having them grow up alongside each other, it can eliminate the prejudices that may otherwise develop. More importantly, this school means that Shizu and Rimuru’s old class now has plenty of new friends to play with. We even get a scene where Ryota and Alice are arguing like regular classmates! However, it’s not all the students that we should be focused on, but one student: Chloe Aubert.

Since her introduction, the anime has been dropping several hints that there’s something special about Chloe that sets her apart from the rest of Rimuru’s students. She’s got the potential to be the strongest of all of them, a fact that gets hammered home when she and Rimuru have a brief sparring match, and he gets reminded of Shizu and Hinata due to how strong she is.

Then there’s the fact that when Rimuru got her a spirit to help stabilize her magicules so she wouldn’t die, this woman appeared and jumped into her after giving him a phantom kiss. The sight of her was enough to anger Veldora, who seemingly knew her.

Leon Wants to find His Little Sister

The biggest reveal, though, comes from the Moderate Harlequin Alliance’s meeting with Demon Lord Leon Cromwell. He’s been trying to acquire kids summoned to this world for a long time, which is how Shizu wound up there. As this episode reveals, though, he’s doing this because he’s looking for one person in particular: Chloe. He even has a painting of her in a private room!

I can’t tell you why Leon wants Chloe so badly without spoiling the story, but I just want to say this: Leon isn’t simping for Chloe. Let’s just say that he’s more like a protective big brother to her, and it seems that it won’t be long for he and Chloe reunite.

Which brings us to the setup for the next big moment in the story of Rimuru: the visit to Lubelious.

Luminous Wants some Culture

Ever since the opening festival, Lady Luminous has been desperately wanting some cultural exchange with Tempest. And she’s getting tired of waiting, so she has Hinata go and ask Rimuru when they’re going to get on that. Well, with his workload now lighter, Rimuru is free to focus on that. So, he tells Hinata that he plans on traveling to Luminous’ country for a musical conference to satisfy his fellow Demon Lord. Unfortunately, there are people in the shadows looking to cause trouble like always: Yuuki and Granbell.

With Maribel dead thanks to Rimuru (even though Yuuki was the one who killed her), Granbell is out for the slime’s non-existent blood. So despite having worked for Luminious for a thousand years because she promised to keep humanity safe, he’s throwing that idea out of the window. He is ready to go to war with her if it means that he can bring down Rimuru, and he and Yuuki have a plan to do so. While everyone is focused on the conference, they plan to steal Luminous’ most prized possession: the legendary hero that she has in stasis. You know, the one that she keeps talking to and hugging while naked despite the pain it causes? The magic used to keep the seal in place is dangerous to her, but since she can regenerate, the worst it does is cause pain and destroy her clothes. But yeah…she is into her.

https://twitter.com/animefants/status/2078149753741729899?s=20

In case you haven’t noticed, that woman bears a strong resemblance to at least three other women we’ve met so far: Chloe, Shizu, and Hinata. And that’s a good reason for that, but I don’t want to spoil it. All I want to say is that we should expect things to get crazy. I can’t wait.

I Give “An Unsettling Feeling” a 3.5/5

Wait, Diablo got WHO?!?!

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 14 Review

There have been several times throughout the series where Rimuru has come close to dying. The most apparent example was his initial fight with Hinata, where he had to resort to using a body double to escape. However, our GOAT has come close to dying without even realizing it, which is why so many people are left dumbfounded when he does something unbelievable. And thanks to Diablo, we just got to see the biggest example of Rimuru cheating death without even realizing it. And he does it by gaining the loyalty of a trio of beautiful Demon women.

Who are the Primordials?

While Rimuru and the others were dealing with things with Maribel, Diablo was largely absent for the first arc of the season. That’s because he decided he wanted some extra hands to help him serve his glorious king. So, he headed back to the Demon Realm, the dimension where all Demons originate. Spawned from chaos, they constantly fight, die, and revive in a struggle to get stronger. It’s basically a place of anarchy, chaos, and survival of the fittest. Being the ultimate glazer of Rimuru, Diablo decided that his master deserves only the best minions, so he decides to recruit the biggest, baddest, toughest Demons in the Netherworld: the Primordials.

In the Demon Realm, power is determined by how old a Demon is and (I think) how long they’ve gone without respawning from death. And at the very top of the food chain are the Primordials, of which Diablo is one. They’re the original seven Demons that appeared near the dawn of creation, making them some of the most powerful characters in the entire series. For reference, remember Guy Crimson, the oldest and strongest of the Demon Lords? He’s the original Primordial! With all of that said, is it any wonder why so many people have freaked out upon learning who Diablo is? He could’ve easily killed Rimuru when they first met if he had wanted!

And he wants to recruit three more of them.

Three Demon baddies who can kill you

First up, we have Jaune, the delinquent. Her main hobby is firing off nuclear magic at the base of Demon Lord Leon Cromwell, simply because she’s bored. And when Diablo comes to her to spread the word of his lord and savior, she tries to kill him…to no effect. He just tells her about the glory of Rimuru the slime while she tries in vain to beat him. But all that ends with her being planted into the ground and told to think about her attitude before he comes back.

Next is Violent, the Princess. She actually has some history with Tempest from the series first movie, where she had made a deal with a royal family that was supposed to end with her getting her a body to incarnate in. Thanks to Rimuru, though, she found out one of her subordinates broke the rules of the deal, forcing her to end things. Needless to say, she’s pretty sadistic. But Diablo wins her over when he says that her counterparts will get to incarnate into the mortal world. Now, it’s important to note that Violet, Jaune, and the final Demon have been competing for eons to see who can incarnate first, so it’s important to them.

Speaking of the final Demon, we have Blanc, one of the oldest and strongest. She is the textbook image of an elegant, beautiful lady, and she is already aware of Rimuru. It doesn’t take much to persuade her to meet with our resident Slime. But she also shows just scary she is by casually maiming two of her subordinates for speaking without permission.

Again, these are the ones that Diablo wants serving Rimuru. Three Demon ladies that most Demons fear. And Rimuru has absolutely no idea about any of this.

Thank god that Rimuru has Raphael to back him up. Because if he hadn’t figured it out…the girls would’ve killed him. But the danger was worth it to see him flex his Haki.

Good Lord, Rimuru doesn’t even know what he’s doing.

And so, without even meaning to do so, Rimuru managed to hire three of the most powerful beings in the multiverse as his newest minions. And with them, the 700 Demons that serve under them, giving birth to what will be known as the Black Numbers. And, in keeping with Diablo’s name, he gives the girls car-based names: Carrera for Jaune, Ultima for Violet, and Testarossa for Blanc. And he gives them all artificial bodies so they stay in the physical world for as long as they want.

This is honestly hilarious. Rimuru doesn’t even realize just how much power he’s managed to obtain for his nation. It’s probably going to end up upsetting the balance of power in the world of Tensura before it’s all over! But, again, he’s not entirely at fault. I blame it mostly on Diablo gassing up Rimuru. Either way, things are about to get a lot more fun!

I Give “The Black Numbers” a 4/5