Manga

How Come I’ve Never Heard of Red River Before?

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

RJ Writing Ink Looks at Red River

So I was scrolling through YouTube a few days ago during a lull in my day job, when I saw this clip Crunchyroll posted for this anime that came out in July, Red River. It’s an adaptation of a 1990s shojo manga that was apparently pretty popular back in the day, if the Internet is to be believed. Intrigued, I wound up researching it over the next few days, and I have to admit, I can see why the comments on YouTube are upset with Crunchyroll for not promoting this. I can also see that the anime is lowering the bar for what is, for all intents and purposes, the shojo counterpart of Inuyasha.

What is Red River?

Released from 1995 to 2002, Red River is a time-traveling Isekai about Yuri Suzuki, an ordinary girl from modern-day Japan who’s just about to enter High School (college in the anime). Right as she and her boyfriend are walking home together, these tendrils of water shoot out of a puddle, and before she can even cry for help, she gets sucked in. When she awakens, she’s no longer in the land that she knew, or even the time she knew.

To her misfortune, Yuri has been dragged three thousand years into the past, to the heart of the Hittite Empire that ruled what is now modern-day central Turkey. The reason is that this evil Queen, Nakia, wants to use her as a blood sacrifice to kill all her stepsons so that her actual son can become the next king of the empire. Luckily for Yuri, she managed to run into one of those princes, Kail, before getting captured, and he realizes his evil stepmom’s up to something. So he saves her by lying that she’s his new concubine, taking her under his protection until they can find a way to get her home. And when Yuri blows her first chance to go home to avenge a servant boy she befriended, she’s stuck in the past for a whole year with Kail. And with Nakia still after her, she has to keep up the ruse of being Kail’s lover while learning how to be a warrior in a world that’s harsher than the one she knows.

To top it all off, Kail tells everyone that Yuri is the incarnation of Ishtar, this goddess of love and war. So, no big deal.

This has SO MUCH IN COMMON with Inuyasha!

I wasn’t joking when I called this series the shojo manga equivalent of Inuyasha. Besides the two of them releasing around the same time in the mid-90s, they share a lot of similarities in terms of premise and the main characters. And that is both to their benefit and their detriment.

Firstly, we have the lead heroines, Yuri Suzuki and Kagome Higurashi. Both of them are young, compassionate, and spirited Japanese schoolgirls around the same age, though Yuri gets aged up to 18 in the anime. Thanks to forces outside their control, they are transported into a distant past they are not prepared for and become the target of evil forces. Kagome is hunted by Demons who want her dead or the shards of the Shikon Jewel she’s searching for, while Nakia wants Yuri dead so she can take over the Hittite Empire. So to survive, they both come under the protection of the lead heroes and other allies as they learn how to get stronger. And in doing so, they become powerful and respected badasses: Kagome becomes a skilled archer and priestess, while Yuri masters swordsmanship and the art of war.

The only real differences between Kagome and Yuri come down to their circumstances. Kagome’s the reincarnation of the well-regarded priestess Kikyo and can go back to her time whenever she wants. Yuri, on the other hand, is not actually the incarnation of a goddess and doesn’t have the respite Kagome does. So she’s got it harder.

At Least the Male Leads are Different

Then we have the lead heros, Inuyasha and Kail. Honestly, there’s very little similarities between them. Inuyasha is a half-Demon with the powers that go with it, and is brash, crude, and aggressive by nature. In contrast, Kail is handsome, refined, and known as a playboy who refuses to be tied down. The only real similarity between them is how their relationship with the female lead starts out: Kagome and Yuri can’t stand them at first. But like it or not, they are forced to work together to accomplish their goals, and it goes from there.

Plus, there’s also the fact that the more time each pair spends with each other, their relationship grows. They go from dislike to respect and friendship, and eventually, maybe even love.

Which brings me to something about Red River that I think people should be warned about: the mature aspects.

Trigger Warning: DEPICTIONS OF SA TO FOLLOW

I never read the manga, but one thing I remember happening a lot in Inuyasha the anime is how often Kagome was captured or targeted by the bad guys. Often it was because she could locate Jewel Shards or for her immense spiritual power, but there were also instances where people did it because of her beauty; sometimes both!

And Yuri? Imagine the same thing, but worse.

It should be important to note that, while Kagome and Yuri are already considered attractive by modern standrards, that doesn’t initially translate over when Yuri’s stuck 3,000 years in the past. Due to her small size, slim figure, and preference for more masculine clothing (some even mistake her for a boy), Yuri is initially not seen as beautiful by the Hittites. That’s already changing in the anime as she makes up for these perceived shortcomings with her fiery spirit and growing skill as a warrior, making more and people see her as beautiful. Which isn’t a good thing, as it leads to several men starting to want her for themselves, with Kail the biggest culprit.

The first thing Kail does when he meets Yuri is kiss her. Granted, it was so he could hide her from Nakia’s cronies, but still. Then he saves her life by lying about sleeping with her, which she is forced to go along with, which is embarrassing. And to keep up the ruse of being his concubine, the two of them have to share a bed together. And, being a young man, it doesn’t take until the second episode for Kail to try and make that fake-concubine thing the real deal. He stops when she says she has a boyfriend back home, but that doesn’t stop him from repeatedly kissing her.

That’s also not even getting into the other guys end up falling for Yuri, most of whom are even less willing to restrain themselves.

The bottom line, due to this being a product of the 90s, and that Yuri is stuck in a time when morals aren’t as high as they are now, parts of Red River haven’t aged gracefully and will likely upset people.

Oh great, it’s like TBATE All Over Again

But enough about that. How is the anime itself? Given how its fans have waited thirty years for it to get adapted, it has to be amaz-it’s mid.

I’m the kind of person who focuses more on the story itself rather than the animation, but ever since the disaster that was The Beginning After the End, I’ve become more aware of bad animation. While this series is nowhere near as bad as TBATE was, it’s not as amazing as it could be. When we get our first large-scale battle, it relies on bad CGI to animate the soldiers, which is a bit of a turn-off. Or when Yuri defeats one of Nakia’s minions that was hunting him and everyone is proclaiming her to be Ishtar, it’s just a handful of soldiers in the anime instead of the large crowd in the manga. It may not seem like much, but if you have read the manga, then you’ll know why older fans are turned off by it.

There is one other thing about the anime that I’m not a fan of, and that’s the censorship, but not for the reason you think. I understand that many of the mature scenes and depictions of dubious consent and assault aren’t going to fly today. I can also understand why the studio would want to tone down things like nudity. The problem is that the show only goes halfway. It should either keep everything to satisfy the fans, or go all the way with the censoring. Compromise can be good, but there are times where doing so will upset everyone.

There are about 7-8 episodes of the anime out by the time this goes up, and it has 28 volumes of manga to cover. That’s not enough time for a 12-episode anime to cover everything, meaning it would need to come back for more season. Those seasons, though, won’t happen if the show doesn’t do well, and so far, that seems to be the case. Even I’m not that overly interested in it, with most of it being due to me liking tomboys like Yuri.

The manga, on the other hand…

After learning about the anime and what it’s about, I wound up going online to find the manga it’s based on. I then proceeded to binge-read the majority of it in the span of a few days, and I have to say…wow. What a story.

Firstly, the artwork is absolutely gorgeous. Far, far superior to what the anime has given us so far. I can totally understand why the older fans are upset with the low quality of the anime, even if it does capture Yuri’s cuteness well enough. And the story! It’s a geopolitical story in the vein of things like Game of Thrones that spans the ancient Near East, and one that Yuri has to carefully navigate her way through to survive. And she doesn’t make it through without suffering plenty of loss and hardship. Plus, the relationship between her and Kail does become genuinely sweet to watch. I have a soft spot for good love stories, you know.

There are Still Some Issues, but Nothing’s Perfect

The main criticisms that I have about the manga, though, besides the adult stuff, center around the plot holes. For example, around the halfway point in the story, Yuri hardly thinks about her family and boyfriend back home in favor of the life she’s built in ancient Anatolia. She doesn’t even get the chance to say goodbye, let them know she’s alright, or give them some form of closure. And then there’s Nakia’s plot, to begin with. Why does she need Yuri specifically? For that matter, why did she need to kidnap someone from 3,500 years in the future when she could have gotten someone from her time? And she just keeps persisting in her attempts to kill Yuri when a more pragmatic person might cut their losses and send her back. She’s not that interesting as a villain.

And there’s also the setting itself. I’m not sure if Yuri knows this, but by the time she gets sucked into the past, the Hittite Empire’s days are numbered. Around 150 years later, it and most of the societies in the region will enter the Bronze Age Collapse that will take centuries to recover from. So, it makes the ending very bittersweet in nature.

Despite all of this, though, and all the faults I found, I couldn’t help but like Red River. It was such a page-turner that I couldn’t stop reading it, even if it gets repetitive after a certain point. It really did remind me a lot of Inuyasha, and I’m grateful for that. Plus, it did give me some ideas for when/if I ever decide to try my hand at my own historical isekai. So, go watch the anime if you’re up for it, but I think that the manga is a much better use of your time.

The Giants Rise Up! Save the Kids!

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

One Piece Episode 1174 Review

Oh, boy; I remember this part of the Elbaph Arc in the manga all too well. This is the part of the story where everything that can go wrong does go wrong for the good guys. I know that it seems like a few things did go right for the Warriors of Elbaph, but mark my words: the show is lulling us into a false sense of security. Need I remind you that not only does Elbaph have to deal with the fire, kids being abducted, and the God’s Knights, but the GIANT MONSTERS? Who, I might add, are incredibly well animated!

The MONSTERS ARE COMING!

The episode starts off by reminding us that not all of the Straw Hats have gotten the message about what’s happening. Besides those in the Underworld, the only one who still wasn’t in the loop was Franky, as he’s with Collun’s mom and ends up running into Lilith and Bonney. They got lost trying to get their papers, and wound up finding this weird, sci-fi looking building.

https://twitter.com/WH8D_88/status/2089044584903106854?s=20

To this day, we still have no clue what this place is supposed to be, if it’s even a building to begin with (it looks like a robot to me.) All we know is that it’s around 3,000 years old, making it older than even the stuff from the Void Century. Knowing Oda, he will eventually enlighten us on its importance. In the meantime, the quartet are attacked by one of the dream monsters!

I just want to say this: the animators for the dream monsters cooked. The animation for One Piece has gotten some notable improvements over the last few years, but they really knocked it out of the park with the dream monsters. The way they’re so crudely drawn really makes it seem they’re something that a kid created. The fact that they are all so powerful and deadly only makes the contrast even more unsettling. Even worse, though, is that nothing the heroes do seems to put a dent in them! Even the adults of Elbaph are struggling to stop them.

And that’s why the Straw Hats have to get involved.

NO ONE HURTS KIDS WHILE THE STRAW HATS ARE AROUND

Nami comes clean about the intruders in the Castle, and between her and her crewmates, our protagonists are able to get a better idea of what’s happening. They know that there’s two or more intruders on the island, and that they have Devil Fruit powers that are causing this chaos. It’s not a lot, but knowing the enemy you’re facing is half of the battle. Too bad Jarul and the other Giants insist their guests not put themselves in harm’s way!

But, since the Straw Hats have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to hurting kids and those they call friends, they’re going to get involved. Which leads to this cute moment where they catch Collun going off to help and decide to enable his plans.

https://twitter.com/WH8D_88/status/2089048886690152809?s=20

That’s just cute.

I WANT SOMMERS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA!

Meanwhile, the God’s Knights are watching as Saul tries to save the kids from the burning inferno that awaits them, and for a moment, he thinks he figured out a way to stop them. But Sommers, curse him, is truly sadistic. Even if they try to stop the kids, they’ll run into each other and hurt each other with the invisible thorns. It’s monstrous!

In case you guys haven’t figured it out, I loathe Sommers with every fiber of my being. He’s one of the few characters in fiction I consider so evil, so monstrous, that the very thought of them breathing feels like an offense to all I hold good and dear. At least Gunko went down on my list because of her love of Brook’s music. That makes her cultured.

https://twitter.com/WH8D_88/status/2089049662825115802?s=20

The Giant Captains and Gaban Move Out!

Ultimately, the episode does end on a bit of a high note as Dorry and Brogy take to the field and annihilate one of the dream monsters with their combo attack. And for good measure, Scopper Gaban is coming with them!

Full disclosure: I don’t know if Dorry and Brogy could make a dent in the likes of the God’s Knights. But Gaban? Gaban could take them on. I’m really looking forward to seeing what a legendary pirate is capable of when they cut loose!

I Give “Save the Children! The Elbaph Warriors Rise Up” a 4/5

The God’s Knights are the WORST

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

One Piece Episode 1173 Review

Elbaph is under attack. The God’s Knights Gunko, Sommers, and Qillingham are trying to abduct the children of the Giants to force their parents to submit to their dark master. If they are not stopped, all of Elbaph will be enslaved. And the irony of all this is that the guy who feared this would happen is trying to intimidate Luffy and his group into setting him free. Like I told you guys, there is more to Loki than what his name implies.

THE GOD’S KNIGHTS ARE THE WORST!

By this point, the teachers at the Walrus school have begun to sound the alarm: Elbaph is under attack. And I can appreciate the fact that the anime finally lets us see the horrified reactions of all the grownups that were partying with the Straw Hats. Some of their kids and grandkids go to that school. Knowing that your child is in mortal danger is one of the scariest parts of being a parent, and while Jarul may still be drunk and acting goofy, that does little to lighten the mood.

As for the culprits behind this attack? They are nonchalantly eating lunch while watching everything go down l. And all the while we have to listen to Sommers the sadist laugh about the love of a parent for their child will lead to them getting killed thanks to the thorns he placed on the kids. And he’s laughing about it like he’s the Joker! And when they all realize the kids are walking into an area that is currently on fire, they don’t care. They just say they can grab the next batch of sleeping kids!

You see why I hate the Celestial Dragons so much? With a handful of exceptions, they are the worst of humanity personified, and I pray for the day they get brought to justice. But for the moment, I’ll settle for the Straw Hats kicking their butts. But to do that, they need their strongest members to join the fight and they’re dealing with Loki.

I Told You Loki Was Bluffing!

When we last left off in the Underworld, Loki was threatening to set the Treasure Tree Adam on fire unless he was fully set free. Doing that would put all of Elbaph in danger, something that neither Luffy nor Hajrudin could not allow. For a moment, it looks as though Luffy and Loki are about to fight, but it turns out that that was never necessary.

Remember when I said that Loki wasn’t as big of a threat as he seemed to be? That’s because I read the manga and knew what would happen next. However, even if I hadn’t read it and went into the episode blind, it was pretty obvious to the more astute people that Loki was bluffing. He just got badly injured by Shamrock and Gunko and has had no time to recover. The anime even drops subtle hints that he’s running on fumes with the way he’s holding his hammer, which I appreciated. Besides, if Oda really wanted Luffy to fight Loki, he wouldn’t have it happen when the latter is this weak. He might tease us a lot, but not to that extent.

In the end, the group decides to spare Loki and get him back to fighting shape. All except for his older half-brother Hajrudin. He remembers how their dad told them how he loved them both and wanted them to work together for the good of Elbaph. But Loki was such a huge bully that he can’t forgive him, and even tries to kill him whenever he has the chance.

That’s when Loki decides to drop this bombshell about the crime that got him imprisoned, ie killing their father: he never wanted to do it.

How did Harald Really Die?

When this came out in the manga, fans had already been theorizing that there was more to the death of the late King Harald than what was initially revealed. The fact that there was that summoning circle in the ruins of his castle was a massive red flag that something was seriously up with the story. Plus, there was also the man’s name: Harald. I remember reading a Twitter thread mentioning how that was the name of Kings who united Norway and Denmark, important parts of the Viking world. One of them also introduced Christianity to their land, beginning the eventual transition from the old Norse Gods to Christianity. Savvy readers picked up on this fact and came to a startling conclusion: Harald might have attempted to give the World Government control of Elbaph, either of his own accord (making him a traitor) or against his will. Loki found out, and was reluctantly forced to kill his father to stop this from happening.

Now, what Loki said can be taken with a grain of salt thanks to his reputation for tricking people. However, I didn’t think he was lying in that instance. The most telling piece of evidence, though, has to be how Luffy is reacting to all of this. The guy is an idiot and can’t do a lot of things, but he’s always been a great judge of a person’s character. If he thinks that Loki can be trusted, then we should give him the benefit of the doubt. Just…just don’t uncuff him. We need to be compassionate, not stupid.

Well, guys, we are now in the thick of things, and I have no idea how far we’ll get this year in the anime. But if it ends where I think it does, then next year is going to be awesome.

I Give “A Nightmarish Game – The Dark Plot of the Knights of God” a 3.5/5

We’re Going back to the Demon Continent With this One

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

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S3 Ep 9 Review

I am sick and tired of the vile accusations that our dear Sylphiette is somehow responsible for Nanahoshi coughing up blood. We knew it wasn’t Sylphie’s fault, so why are we making memes about it?!? Even Rifujin, the author of Mushoku Tensei, is getting in on it!

In all seriousness, though, we know that Sylphie didn’t do this to Nanahoshi; she’s Rudy’s Goddess of Love for a reason, after all. This is just our way of coping with what has happened to her. And, as this episode confirms, this isn’t the kind of problem that can be solved with magic. If Nanahoshi wants to survive, then Rudeus and the others need to find her a cure.

DON’T DIE, NANHOSHI!

Three days after Nanahoshi collapsed in a pool of blood, her condition begins to stabilize a little. Perugius’ familiars are skilled at their work, but there is only so much they can do. At the very least, they confirm what Nanahoshi’s suffering from: Dryne Syndrome. In a nutshell, her body’s unable to neutralize the mana saturating this world, and it’s been slowly killing her. If I had to compare it to a real-life counterpart, it feels a bit like radiation poisoning. Since Nanahoshi has no mana, this means that she’s suspectible to it. And if nothing changes, she’s going to die.

What happens next can only be described as one of the most valid crash outs in the history of crash outs.

I TOTALLY Get why Nanahoshi feels like this!

This moment is one of the reasons why I consider Mushoku Tensei to be one of the best isekai of all time. A lot of isekai treat coming to another world as a form of escapism and act like it’s a good thing. But the truth is, not everyone will see it like that. Nanahoshi was happy with her life back home. She misses her family, her crush, her friends, modern technology, everything. And she was summoned to this world without being asked or even wanting it and has had to work hard to survive.

I think a lot of our hearts went out to Nanahoshi in this moment. A lot of us may see isekai as a means to live the lives we have always wanted, but for every person that would thrive in another world, it feels like there will be plenty who just want to go home. And as harsh as she is to Rudy, she’s also right. He’s had his own share of struggles, but he could’ve gotten it way, way worse. And that’s why Rudy is determined to find her a cure.

How are we going to find he-never mind!

Now, there’s only one person alive who could possibly know a cure for Dryne Syndrome (or is it Drain Syndrome?): Kishirika Kishirisu, the former Demon Empress. AKA that little shrimp that Rudy gave food to one time, and she gave him his magic eye. She wanders around the Demon Continent at her own leisure, doing whatever she wants. Which means that, in order to track her down, Rudy has take himself, Cliff, Zanoba, and Elinalise to the Demon Continent.

Considering how this is the first time in years that Rudy has set foot in the land where he began his great odyssey home, you would think that he would feel a little nostalgic. But the city they end up doesn’t exactly have pleasant memories for him, and he’s too focused on saving his friend.

And then, just when it looks like they’re in for a wild goose chase trying to find Kishirika, this happens.

Un. REAL. The plot must love Rudeus and his friends, because that is the only feasible way that this could happen. The bad news is that they’re not the only ones looking for her: someone has a bounty out for the former Empress. But no spoilers! Let’s just say that we’re about to deal with someone…crazy.

I Give “Lament” a 3.5/5

SMOL NANO AND KUSURIVANIAN FAMILY!

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You S3 Ep 7 Review

You know, when this season of 100 Girlfriends is over, I think I’m going to go back and recap all the whacky adventures that the anime doesn’t cover. Why? Because as time passes and more girlfriends join, the time between then becomes longer and I don’t want you guys to miss out on the fun! But at least we got to see one of my favorite stories make it into the anime. And then, we get the setup for yet another soulmate that is going to make people question their sanity.

SMOL NANO IS SO CUTE!

So, the Rentaro Family is hanging out on the rooftop (which I assume is reserved for them) one day, when Nano accidentally drinks one of Kusuri’s drugs. And it’s the craziest one yet: it shrinks her down to the size of Thumbelina, much to everyone’s surprise. And since taking Kusuri’s reversing drug would be fatal, she has no choice but to wait for it to wear off. Which means we get to spend an entire half episode fawning over the absolute gift from the heavens that is Nanobelina!

This show just has absolutely zero f’s to give, and I love it! The entire first half is all about jokes about smol Nano. From Rentaro and the other girls fawning over her newfound cuteness to seeing her try and continue her daily routine while smol, it’s so funny. But it also gets pretty harrowing. A gust of wind almost blows Nano away to her death, and if it wasn’t for Rentaro (and Mei’s driving) she wouldn’t have made it. Good thing this anime doesn’t linger on trauma!

The payoff is absolutely amazing, though. When Rentaro wakes up the next morning, Nano is back to normal…and without any clothes. And when Nano kisses him as thanks for the previous day, his poor brain short-circuits!

https://twitter.com/Eternal_Anime22/status/2089052431493554184?s=20

The second half of the episode is even funnier, though.

Wait for it…

So, Kusuri has been telling her parents all about Rentaro and the Rentaro Family at home. So, Kusuri’s dad wants him to come over to their house so he “talk” to him. (He wants to beat him up for fifteen-timing her.) And Rentaro braces for the potential of zinging with Kusuri’s mom…only for it to fall flat. I guess the show draws the line at soulmates with still living partners, though I didn’t like that they took out the joke about calling Hahari the show’s Mother It Loves to Feature (get it?) from the manga.

But it makes up for it with the reveal that her parents are just as tiny as Kusuri! They took her failed immortality drug and are stuck like that. And then their meeting goes awry because this spy poisons the parents and tries to kidnap Kusuri to abuse her powers, and the anime makes it into a joke about it being a whole flashback! It’s just so fun!

Oh, and of course, there’s the part where Kusuri’s dad turns into the Hulk and sends the spy blasting off.

By the way, if you guys want to learn how Kusuri’s parents met and fell in love, there is an ongoing side-manga covering the daily lives of the Rentaro Family’s members. Spoilers since there are more girlfriends, but it’s worth it!

And then, just when we think that everything’s ending on a wholesome note, we get the punchline that was set up earlier. Kusuri’s grandma comes back from whatever it was she was doing, and…ZING!

THE PUNCHLINE!

Yes, ZING! Rentaro just zinged with a grandma. Kusuri’s grandma, the secret girlfriend of the season that I had to keep quiet about for the sake of the joke. If anyone was upset about Hahari or Naddy since they’re adults, this next one is going to drive them up the wall! And we have to wait a whole week in suspense.

I love this show. I really do!

I Give “Thumbelinano and the Kusurivanian Family” a 3.5/5

Momiji Momi, the The Gr***pling, Joins the Family

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You S3 Ep 6 Review

Well, at this point, I can safely say that the third season of 100 Girlfriends is speedrunning the manga. Either that, or the studio decided to rearrange all the stories between meeting new girlfriends so they can actually introduce said new girlfriends. If that’s the case, then I’ll likely do a lightning round of all the stories missed, but I’m not complaining. Especially since this means that we get to meet my second-favorite girlfriend of the season. Why? Because I love massages.

I, Momiji, Have Joined

It all starts when Rentaro is looking into this urban legend at school. Word is that this mystery girl is going around giving massages to female athletes that are so good, their brains short-circuit. Wanting to do something nice for his girlfriends, Rentaro tries tracking her down when he hears a scream! And when he gets to the tennis court…ZING!

Meet girlfriend number fifteen, Momiji Momi, a third year in middle school (she sits right next to Kurumi.) I love Momiji. She is one of my favorites of the girlfriends in the series, easily one of my top five personal faves. And it all has to do with the joke about her: she likes groping. A lot.

https://twitter.com/OtakuSpirited/status/2086475552781648371?s=20

Momiji likes touching anything soft and supple, especially women. So much so that she’s dedicated her life to become the worlds best masseuse to ensure that all women grow to be beautiful and soft. Basically, she’s killing two birds with one stone by turning her perverted need for groping into a career. It’s gotten to the point where she can tell when a person needs muscle relief just by looking at them, which is why she takes an interest in Rentaro. His body has gotten so stiff from running everywhere to find dating spots that she compares it directly to Astro Boy!

All of the girlfriends have their own unique quirks that are meant to be used for comedy, but it’s easier to tell jokes for some more than others. In Momiji’s case, she’s a twist on the classic trope of beautiful women in anime getting groped by others. She can get away with it thanks to her masseuse skills and because she’s a girl, which allows for many instances where she creates physical humor for us. For example, in a future chapter, we see get small and proceed to Lupin dive into Hahari’s chest, pose and everything. And im glad that the anime keeps the spirit of this intact, even if it changes the translation a bit.

Also, i loved the joke of Rentaro intentionally getting his body stiff again by becoming the assistant of Nozawa, the illustrator for the 100 Girlfriends manga. Being a mangaka can be agonizingly stressful, and im glad they kept the thank you to her in the anime. What an epic fourth wall joke!!!

And then we get to the introduction on the rooftop. Or massage appointment.

This. THIS IS PEAK

I did like how Karane’s tsundereness released into ecstasy with acupressure, but I think my favorite reaction was Iku’s. It was like using a phoenix down on a zombie!!

How Momiji Met her First Love (Women’s Bodies)

By the way, the anime doesn’t go into it, but there’s a funny story that explains why Momiji is into groping soft things. She’s always liked them, but when she was a toddler, her mom took her to this bounce house. As she was enjoying herself, she bumped into a toddler Hakari and started smooshing her.

It gets crazier. When Hahari comes to pick up her daughter (she should only be 16, but she looks like an adult), Momiji sees her chest, and can’t resist feeling her. Because…evolution! And…ZING!

That’s right. Momiji’s other soulmate is Hahari’s bosom! She doesn’t remember it, but her hands certainly do! The anime takes the joke a step further with that oppai mousepad. In the manga, it’s explicitly Nami, but the anime switches it to Hahari. Either they couldn’t get the rights to do that (which I doubt because they got Rentaro cosplaying as Luffy), or they thought it was funnier. And it was.

I Give “Momiji-chan’s Squishy Festival” a 4/5

Rimuru must have a Nat 20 on Luck

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 18 Review

I’m just going to come out and say it: I think Rimuru got a nat 20 on luck when he reincarnated. Because there is NO FEASIBLE way that what managed to happen in this episode can be explained otherwise. His new subordinates just managed to stop an international incident without him even realizing it!

Guy would have gotten away with it…

After Diablo’s little dust-up with Rain, he is greet by his old frenemy/rival, Guy Crimson, the first Primordial and first Demon Lord. Now, Guy had no idea that Diablo had incarnated until now (I think), nor did he realize that he’s working for Rimuru. But before Diablo can start praising his lord and savior, Guy gives it to him straight: he’s here to cause trouble for humanity. While the incident in Lubelious is taking place, he has his other subordinate, the Primordial Demon Mizeri, agree to help the Rozzo family in their final f you to those they see as betraying mankind. Sure enough, Guy’s minions are currently attacking the other Western Nations, while Granville’s other flunky and their hired mercenary band, Vert, attempt to slaughter the Council. As it turns out, the goddess the mercenaries worship is Mizeri, who they summon with the goal of wiping out Engrassia.

I can’t go into further details about the why, but Guy has his reasons for doing this. Basically, he needs humans to continue to be afraid of monsters and demons as part of this grand plan he’s got going. And when they begin to grow comfortable like they are now, he reminds them of why they shouldn’t be like that!

…is what he should’ve gotten away with, if weren’t for a certain slime ruin his plans without trying.

If it weren’t for that meddling slime

As you recall, Rimuru made Testarossa Tempest’s representative at the Western Council. Which means that she is present when Granville and Vert summon Mizeri for their mass-murder plan. And since Rimuru made it her job to keep the Council safe, she is not going to let Mizeri have her way. After realizing that Testarossa, who is a Primoridal Demon like herself, is not only there, but has fully incarnated, Mizeri takes one look at what’s going on and comes to one conclusion: NOPE.

And so, Testarossa saves the day, while barely lifting a finger. And she and her followers start praising Lord Rimuru for it. They think that he knew that something like this would happen and that he had the foresight to put Testarossa in place to keep it from happening.

RIMURU IS SO LUCKY!

LOL

I was audibly laughing as I watching the Demons praise Rimuru like this. Rimuru may seem like this all-knowing god to his friends and followers, but we know the truth: if he didn’t have Raphael, he wouldn’t be able to pull off half the stuff he does. At this point, I’m pretty sure that he’s the only one who doesn’t know that Diablo and the other Colors are Primordial Demons. Even Guy freaks out when he realizes that Rimuru now has four Primordials working for him and doesn’t know it. He’s going to have to have a talk with him later!

Back in Lubelious, Rimuru and Hinata are still fighting against Granville. And since he stacked the deck against them, he’s lasting a lot longer than he would otherwise. Say what you want about the former hero, but he knows what he’s doing. Rimuru has to pull his punches with the Otherworlders (that was a bluff, though.) so he doesn’t kill them, and that distracts him enough to let him focus on Hinata. And that’s before he pulls out his wildcard in the form of Leon Cromwell.

Just keep up the ruse until you can strike, Rimuru and Leon

We already know beforehand that Leon didn’t come to Lubelious to fight. He just wants to see for himself that Rimuru is looking after his beloved sister, Chloe. But then Granville tells Rimuru how he helped Leon summon Otherworlder kids like Shizu, knowing that Rimuru isn’t happy about what Leon put her through, even if it did help her live to adulthood. Basically, Granville is trying to emotionally manipulate Rimuru into fighting Leon and making things worse. Both of them know this, but since they still don’t know what Granville’s game is, they have to play along. Plus, Rimuru did genuinely want to punch Leon for Shizu’s sake.

Little do they know, but Yuuki has already got what they wanted: Chronoa the Hero. And when she wakes up, things are going to get crazy.

The episode ends with Granville’s plans already starting to come undone without him realizing it, but at the same time, he and Yuuki are about to get what they want. And if the title of the next episode is any indication, then things are about to get pretty heavy. That Nat 20 luck that I think Rimuru has is going to be needed! As for this episode, though, I liked it by sole virtue of it making me laugh at how lucky Rimuru managed to be!

I Give “Turbulence in the West” a 4/5

Did you know that Norn Greyrat has a fan club?

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

Something that the Mushoku Tensei Might End up Skipping

Well, I didn’t want to have to go over this. I really didn’t. But given how Mushoku Tensei is trying to make it to a certain point in the story before the first half of the season ends, I don’t blame the anime for skipping over some things from the light novels. Heck, I already have plans to tell you about a few certain events if the anime decides to either gloss over them or save them for an OVA. But for this event in particular, I’m not going to keep quiet. It’s not that important to the overarching story, but it’s a fun little anecdote to Rudy’s life. I call it “That time Rudy wrangled a fan club for his sister Norn.”

Norn takes so much after her Mom

So, at this point, I’m going to assume that we are all familiar with what Rudy and Norn’s mother, Zenith, was like before she ended up the way she is. She was everything you could want in a mother: naturally nurturing and fiercely protective of her family, as well as headstrong and willing to stand up for herself. I’m pretty sure that smirk Rudeus gets when he’s thinking something dirty is the same look his mom gets when she’s smug about something. Not to mention that she is incredibly beautiful, easily one of the most attractive women in the series.

And whether she has realized it or not, Norn has inherited several of these traits from her mother. Which is how this story begins.

So, it all starts after Rudy comes back with news of Paul’s death. After grieving the loss of her beloved dad, Norn asks Rudy for his sword and for him to train her. Now, he’s not that great as a swordsman, no matter how much Paul wanted him to be, but he decides he should help Norn in their dad’s stead. So the two begin training together, with Rudy teaching her the basics while also trying to get her body strong enough to handle the rigors of sword fighting. And that is when the trouble started.

SIMP ALERT!

It happened when they were out training on the grounds of Ranoa University. Norn had just run off to get changed into her regular clothes when Rudy noticed that they were being watched by a decently-sized group of people. All of them young students at Ranoa University.

Remember what I said about Norn naturally inheriting her mom’s looks? She was still in the cute phase of her life, but she would eventually grow to be just as beautiful as Zenith. Between that, her attempts to do her best, and her tendency to be clumsy and trip over herself, she had managed to win over a lot of the boys at school. And they got it into their heads that Rudy was bullying her, not realizing that she was his little sister or that she had asked for this training. And, at first, Rudy thought that they were just worried for her sake.

But then Norn came back, and the boys couldn’t help but reveal their true colors, complimenting her and saying how cute she was. And Rudy realized what he was dealing with. It was something that he knew all too well from his first life:

Putting the Foot Down

When he heard one of them mentioning how they would buy Norn in a heartbeat if she somehow ended up a slave (no joke), Rudy knew he had to put his foot down.

So, in the interest of protecting his little sister from a potential threat in the future, he organized them all into a group. Thus, the Norn Greyrat Official Fan Club was born, with Rudeus as its leader. All so that people could respectfully admire his sister without causing any trouble.

By the way, when the other members found out that Rudeus was taking baths with his sisters, they kicked him out for breaking the rules.

So that’s basically the story of how Norn got her own fan club at Ranoa U. I doubt it will end up being adapted into the anime, so I thought it would be fun to bring up here. UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN!

Granville is Making his Move!

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 17 Review

Due to some sort of scheduling conflict or error going on in Japan, we didn’t get a new episode of Slime Tensura last week. It’s unfortunate, but given how I was at a convention that day, it worked out for me. But don’t know what isn’t going to work out? Whatever the heck Granville is planning on doing. He and Yuuki have this crazy plan to attack Rimuru and Luminous so they can kill them/steal the body of Luminous’ best friend. And they are going all out on this! And to make matters worse, not one, but two other Demon Lords are getting involved! At least one of them isn’t actually looking for a fight, at least.

Leon Loves his Little Sister!

So, we need to talk about Leon Cromwell. If you recall, he was the one who summoned Shizu to this world and sealed the Fire Demon Ifrit in her. This kept her alive, but it also led to her eventual death as Rimuru had to stop him from rampaging. Naturally, this didn’t leave us or Rimuru with a very good impression of him. But if the last few episodes have shown us anything, it’s that Leon isn’t a jerk. He’s more of a…dork.

Yes, if the last few episodes have shown us anything, it’s that Leon isn’t a bad guy. He’s just incredibly socially awkward. He doesn’t know how to talk to people properly, and since he’s a Demon Lord, people get the wrong idea about him. Since he’s so focused on finding Chloe that he gets tunnel vision and can’t really see how his actions come off towards other. Combine those two, and it explains why he hasn’t found Chloe on his own. In fact, when he finally decides to ask Elmesia for help, she tells him that he could’ve saved himself a lot of trouble if he had asked for help.

No matter, though. He’s off to Lubelius to reunite with his adoptive little sister! And for his sake, I hope he plays nice with Rimuru. If Chloe has her way, the slime could be his brother-in-law in ten years, LOLOLOL!

The timing couldn’t be worse, though. Granville and Yuuki are on the march.

Granville is on the Warpath

So, Rimuru and Hinata are just enjoying a relaxing get-together as platonic friends, sipping tea and enjoying their morning. Then all of a sudden, they learn that Lubelius is under attack by an army of warriors! And at the head of them is Granville Rozzo.

Granville has assembled a small army and marched them on Lubelius, all with the goals of stealing Luminous’ most prized possession and killing her and Rimuru. At least Granville is being smart about this. He knows he can’t face Rimuru in a fair fight, so he’s rigged it in his favor. Using an army of mind-controlled Otherworlders knowing full well that Rimuru wouldn’t harm them is a good handicap. And the Harlequin Alliance is currently keeping Luminous and her guards busy. He even resorted to using necromancy on his wife’s body to have her fight Luminous. But we know that this is only a stalling tactic. Granville couldn’t beat Luminous in his prime, so there’s no way that he can beat Rimuru. And if anything, seeing someone that she knew and likely called her friend at one point being revived as a puppet is only going to enrage Luminous rather than shock her.

But that’s the whole point of the plan. The bad guys are distracting our heroes so that they can steal the body of Chronoa, wake her up, and have her kill them. As far as plans go, it’s decent.

But that’s not the real highlight of the episode. It’s what Diablo gets up to.

Diablo Takes Care of Business

So, while Shion and Diablo are fighting this giant bug…thing, Diablo gets distracted. And it’s soon clear why: someone is lurking nearby, waiting for him. So, at Shion’s behest, he decides to go take care of this problem.

Also, note how Diablo and Shion addressed each other by their names. That’s a first!

The person that Diablo sensed is none other than Rain, the personal maid of Guy Crimson, the first and strongest of the Demon Lords, as well as the first of the Primordials. And Rain is also one of the Primordials like Guy and Diablo. So, she’s crazy strong. But she’s also not on the same level as Diablo. Even before he got his name, Diablo was able to fight Guy to a standstill. And then, Rain commits the ultimate sin in front of Diablo: she calls Rimuru trash.

What happens next is on her!

The episode ends with Guy Crimson himself showing up in the aftermath. I don’t know why he’s there, but this might have just added another wrinkle to this brewing crisis. Rimuru can handle himself just fine, but Guy Crimson? The OG Demon Lord? Yeah, he’d lose. Please don’t let this end badly for him!

I’m still looking forward to seeing how this all turns out, though.

I Give “Lubelius, the Point of Convergence” a 3/5

The Pikachu has Returned!

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

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S3 Ep 6 Review

Did you guys know that Mushoku Tensei fans have a nickname for the main girls based on their hair colors? Sylphie is the Bulbasaur for her originally green hair. Roxy is Squirtle, since she’s a blunette and specializes in water magic. And lastly, Eris is Charmander, both because of her red hair and how dangerous she can be when angry. But what about Pikachu? That would be Sara, the one that got away. Now, I’ve made my feelings about Sara pretty clear: I think she was a poor man’s substitute for Eris and a means to show us how badly the latter’s leaving hurt Rudy. I would’ve been fine if we never saw her again, but Rifujin decided to give us some closure with an entire chapter being dedicated to her reunion with Rudy. And that entire chapter just managed to get adapted into an entire episode of the anime.

Sara’s Back! *Gulp*

So the first thing that stuck out for me about this episode was how it managed to cover something that I thought the anime had chosen to skip over: the return of Suzanne, the old leader of Counter Arrow. In the light novels, it’s revealed far earlier that after Counter Arrow had disbanded, Suzanne and Timothy had moved to Sharia, married, and started their own family. And Rudeus hired her to be Lucie’s wet nurse, leading them to reunite. This actually took place much earlier in the novels while what happens in this episode takes place later. That left me genuinely convinced that the anime was going to skip over it, and thus left me pleasantly surprised.

In hindsight, though, it makes sense that the anime moved the order of events, considering how this entire episode is dedicated to Sara.

The main plot of the episode is about Rudy and Roxy helping to escort this Ranoan princess on her coming-of-age pilgrimage to some shrines. Since Ariel wants to build connections, she tags along with Luke and Sylphie, meaning most of the gang is present. But they’re not the only ones guarding the princesses. The Ranoan Princess hired this party of all-female adventurers to escort her. And guess who’s joined them since Counter Arrow split up?

I know we can technically hear what Rudy’s thinking thanks to his internal monologue, but the moment he sees Sara, I can imagine him completely freaking out.

Sylphie, you are a Saint!

So, Rudeus spends a good chunk of the job (when he’s not simping for his wives) doing his absolute best to avoid Sara. And frankly, I don’t think most guys can blame him. He thought he burned all his bridges with Sara, and so wanted to give her the space he thought she’d want. But Sylphie, who knows her husband so well (bless her heart) sees this and realizes “my man can’t keep doing this forever. He’s gotta rip the band-aid off or else someone could end up dead.” So Ariel, being the chess master she is, has Rudy and Sara go look for some fruit as an excuse for them to face each other.

As a quick aside, it’s so great to see how well Ariel knows Sylphie so well. It’s a good she’s her best friend, because I don’t think that the Greyrats could handle being on her bad side!

The next sequence is nothing short of cathartic, as it isn’t Rudy who ends up apologizing first; it’s Sara.

Sara Apologizes First

So, shortly after Sara had angrily slapped Rudy for badmouthing her and thinking he was just looking to get laid, the woman Soldat took him to came and told her everything. So Sara immediately realized that she had made a huge mistake, especially when she found out that Rudeus briefly tried to off himself. Remember that? Rudeus was so overcome by despair that he might have killed himself if Soldat hadn’t been there, and it would have been all her fault (and Eris’)! So she ran all over town trying to find him and apologize, but he was long gone by then.

Now, Rudy was not entirely blameless. He should have at least tried to explain his problems at the time. But given his mental state back then, I don’t think any of us can fault him for not thinking things through. I don’t think that I would have been thinking straight either.

At any rate, Rudy and Sara have their little heart-to-heart and apologize for how things ended. But you know what the most important part of this was? It’s them acknowledging that any romantic relationship between wouldn’t have worked out. I already knew it. I even acknowledged that Sara being too similar to Eris was going to cause problems and just make her Rudy’s rebound girl. That’s not a healthy foundation for romance, and I’m glad that they acknowledge that in-universe. Pikachu was not meant to be.

Friendship!

In the end, the job goes off without incident, and Rudy and Sara part ways, the two mutually deciding to stay in the friend zone. The most important aspect of this, though, was that it helped Rudy figure out for sure what type of woman is his type. Well, he is already married to Sylphie and Roxy, but reuniting with Sara made him realize why he fell for them, despite the Greyrat family being notoriously attracted to well-endowed women. It was because they had both saved him when he was at extremely low points in his life. Roxy helped him overcome his fear of the outside world that had kept him shut inside in his first life, and then helped him when Paul died. Sylphie became his first friend and helped him get his confidence back as a man. So, where does that leave Eris?

What’s Eris up to?

Look, Eris is going to come back into Rudy’s life. I know it; he knows it; even Sylphie knows it, and she’s never even met the redhead! The question isn’t if Eris will come back, but whether Rudy will be willing to let her back into his life. She was indirectly responsible for the ordeal that Rudy and Sara went through, and she has to answer for that.

Speaking of Eris, the end of the episode is dedicated to another part of the Mad Dog’s training arc. She, Nina, and Gino have been training for years now, and the Sword God is ready to elevate one of them to Sword King, the third highest rank a swordsman can have. Eris and Nina duel over it, and, predictably, Eris wins. The irony is that she doesn’t care about ranks like that. Such titles are meaningless when wanting to fight someone like Orsted, but it’s still impressive.

We are nearing the tail-end of Rudeus’ slice of life at Ranoa University, sadly. Which is a shame because I was hoping that the show would focus more on this part of his life. But if the show is trying to get to where I think it is before the first half of the season ends, they can’t afford to wait around. Heck, I’m not even sure they can make it to that point before time runs out! No spoilers, but let’s just say that things are going to get crazy.

I Give “Another Domestic Disaster” a 4.3/5