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Jiji just Went from Zenitsu to Sung Jin-woo!

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

DanDaDan S2 Ep 2 Review

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

The Evil Eye is scary…

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

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

…But his backstory is SO SAD!!

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

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

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

Jiji Goes from Zenitsu to Sung Jin-woo

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

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

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

I Give “Evil Eye” a 4/5

DanDaDan, Check out This Giant Worm!

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

Dandadan S2 Ep 1 Review

When the world needed them most, DanDaDan returned!

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

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

Now, Where Were We?

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

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

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

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

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

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

OG Founder: Anime Confessions & NPSG Impressions!

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Okay…how do you wanna do this…?

Guys, I gotta confess something to you, and this won’t be the only one either. Hope you’re sitting down for this, cuz’ I’m not sure what you’re reaction will be afterwards. Ok, here we go.

I don’t watch anime that much anymore.

I know, I know. Some of you are wondering ‘But why? There are so many good shows out this season! You’ve got Solo Leveling, Demon Slayers’ Final Arc, DanDaDan, like c’mon bro you’re missing out!’ Yeah, yeah, you don’t have to tell me. I know that there are some good shows out, and for many fans they think its the best thing since sliced bread. However when you’re an OG anime fan from the trenches, you get REAL selective of what shows you watch, because your tastes have changed over the years. Matter of fact, the last anime I’ve touched was Fena: Pirate Princess. It was an original anime about pirates that WASN’T One Piece!

Nobody talk about this anymore…

I know I’ve talked about it before, but the anime community is totally different from the time I grew up as an anime fan; especially coming from the 4Kids era of anime dubbing. Speaking of dubbing, how we feeling about the New Panty & Stocking dub? (*goes and reads the comment sections*) Oh…damn…ouch…harsh.

Demon brainwashing created this…let that sink in.

Well, before I address the elephant in the room, I wanna lock this in. You ready? Here we go.

“The OG dub of Panty and Stocking IS the definitive way to watch the series. Jamie Marchi and Monica Rial (hate em’ or love em’) will ALWAYS be the definitive English VAs of OG Panty and Stocking, along with the rest of the OG cast. Even if they don’t come back to the series in the long run, they have solidified their names in PSG dub history, and nobody can take that from them! Even the new cast acknowledged how legendary the OG series is, and that they’ll work really hard to match/capture the same energy. It’s been 15 years since the OG series dropped, and a LOT has changed in the industry since then. We didn’t think we’d get a second season at all, but by God it’s here!”

Now that we’ve got that rant/speech out of the way, let’s talk about the shock to the system that was the recast. When the dub trailer for New PSG got announced, all the hype that the fans of the OG series had, was killed. Panty didn’t sound like Jamie, Stocking didn’t sound like Monica, Scanty was ok, Kneesocks wasn’t too bad, Brief sounded like his OG VA, and Garterbelt…was FINALLY voiced by a Black Man! (*insert Kendrick Lamar’s TV Off Instrumental*) Studio Trigger understood the assignment, and the cherry on top was the redesign of his lips!

Like myself, fans of the OG series reacted to the new voice cast reveal in one of two ways; sheer disappointment over the fact that the whole OG cast was recast, and denouncing the dub in favor of only watching the sub since most of the OG Japanese voice cast is back. It was shocking to find out that the OG cast (especially Jamie and Monica) was not returning (even though they REALLY wanted to), and that Amazon didn’t even bother to give em’ a holla, or anything. As usual fans speculated that the recast had something to do with Jamie and Monica’s involvement in the ‘Weeb War of 2019’, and frankly…I’m past that.

With Crunchyroll in the state that it is now, I can see why Studio Trigger gave the series to Amazon Prime Video. Yes, this will probably mean New PSG will be in ‘Amazon Jail’ long after the series is over, so it won’t get the ‘DBZ Kai’ treatment OG fans are hoping for; for it’s Home Media Release. (Who knows maybe it will, but I dunno.) Look, I know I said I was going to talk about my first impression of the New PSG season, so here it is…

I like it, I really like it!

It’s FYRE!!!

I know we’re only 3 episodes (6 segments) in, but Studio Trigger didn’t miss a beat! The OST is bangin’, and the New Opening sounds like an early 2000s Disney Channel Original Movie. If you’re a fan of the OG dub and are expecting New PSG’s dub to be on the same level (or even better) in terms of localization, I hate to tell you this, but you’re gonna be disappointed. (Its not the Jamie Marchi 2012 Remix you’re hoping for.)

However, if you’re not attached to the OG cast, then you’re gonna like the New PSG. Who knows how many seasons and movies we’ll get from this franchise, but one thing’s for sure, the B*tches are BACK, and Stocking will ALWAYS be BEST GIRL!!

Oh yeah, my other anime confession…

I never watched One Piece. It’s too damn long.

OG Founder!

Out!

TBATE Ends Disappointing First Season

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

The Beginning After the End Ep 12 Review

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

You Call That a Fight?

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

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

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

Remember these People

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

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

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

What a Waste

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

I Give “The King’s Departure” a 2.5/5

Arthur Gains a Teacher

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

The Beginning After the End Ep 5 Review

If you stick with something for long enough, there’s a chance it might end up being better than how it started. If that’s true, then maybe TBATE is finally starting to get better. With the post-credits scene from the last episode ending with Arthur being held at sword point by the Elves of Tessia’s homeland, things did not look good. It looked as though Arthur might be in even more trouble, with Tessa seemingly indifferent to his plight. What makes things more surprising, though, is how this is actually a step up from what happened in the webcomic!

For the first time, the TBATE anime has one-upped its source material.

What Happened in the Webcomic

In the original webcomic, Arthur and Tessia’s arrival in the Elven city is far more lighthearted in tone. The reaction Arthur has when learning that Tessia is the Princess of the Elf Kingdom is more comedic and the attitude of the other Elves is more respectful. Whatever suspicions they had, the fact that Arthur returned with Tessia safe and sound warrants a little courtesy.

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By contrast, the sight of the Elves outright attempting to arrest or kill Arthur could be seen as an improvement on the source material. Not only do the adults’ hostile attitudes increase the tension, but they also drive home just how deeply distrustful the Elves are of Humans for things like slavery. Thankfully, once Tess snaps out of whatever trance she was in, the sweet girl is Arthur’s biggest defender. The sight of her innocently taking Arthur home with her without any prejudice is the kind of thing we should all want to see our kids do.

The original webcomic is already good, but this was probably the first time the anime managed to improve upon things. As funny as Arthur’s reaction to learning his new friend is royalty (and he chews her out over it later), the anime’s decision to have Arthur’s life depend on his ability to talk things through feels more realistic and dramatic.

This episode really helps to hammer home the idea that TBATE seems to be at its best when it’s not focused on the fighting. Instead, the character interactions and the resulting drama help to keep people interested despite not looking as good as other anime. Case in point, when Tessia’s grandfather, the former King Virion, takes an interest in Arthur, he invites him to scrap together. The resulting fight once again shows the series’ criticized “PowerPoint fights,” as the fight isn’t that impressive. That being said, the show does make an effort to include some actual animation.

At Least the Fighting’s Getting Better

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The fight isn’t really what’s important, though. What is truly important is what happens afterward. The reveal of the cause behind Arthur’s increasing chest pains, as well as the fact that they will eventually kill him if left unchecked, is handled well by the anime. As is Virion’s offer to train Arthur as his apprentice. The alternative, though, is what will eventually happen if Arthur doesn’t get help for his chest pains: they’re the result of Sylvia giving him some of her power. And since his body can’t handle it yet, he’ll die if nothing is done.

With Arthur’s plans on returning to his family now on hold for the time being, the show looks set to settle into the land of the Elves for a few episodes. Here’s hoping that things improve for the anime’s sake, or it’s not going to last past the first season.

I Give “The King’s Test” a 3/5

Arthur Just Made His New Friend

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

The Beginning After the End Ep 4 Review

Despite the heavy criticism it has received in its native West, The Beginning After the End is being well-received overseas. Various pieces of data indicate it’s been fairly popular in Japan, while the series itself has a high number of five-star ratings on Crunchyroll.

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While it might have gotten off to a rough start, TBATE has started to show some slow improvement in the last episode as Arthur met, befriended, and was trained by a mysterious dragon named Sylvia. However, their time together got cut short for reasons that likely won’t be made clear in this season, leaving him on his own once more. However, his quest to reunite with his family leads him to make an unexpected detour, as well as make his first real friend in his second life.

Arthur Goes Assassin’s Creed

As seems to be the case, there was a moment from the manwha that was left out of the anime at the start of the episode. Arthur cries in frustration as the realization that Sylvia’s dead hits him, only to be snapped out of it by a pre-recorded message from her. In it, she explains that she imparted part of her “will” to him, but he can’t use it until he grows stronger. This will become an important plot point going forward, but the immediate ramifications are that Arthur’s mana core will soon start to flare up in pain.

Beyond that, though, what happens next with Arthur and the slave traders is nowhere near as bad as it gets in the web comic. The slavers actually bind and gag the poor girl they captured, and the fact that they don’t do that doesn’t make much sense here. The whole point to that is to ensure the captive can’t escape, making the slavers feel like amateurs. Regardless, the way Arthur kills them is just as ruthless as it is in the comics.

After that, though, Arthur manages to make a new friend. And she’s an elf girl.

The King Makes his First Friend

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This is Tessia, and given how TBATE takes pages from Mushoku Tensei, it should come as no surprise that she takes inspiration from several girls in that series. Her physical appearance, status as an elf, and initial timid personality all scream Sylphie. However, once she starts to open up to Arthur, she starts to display some of Eris’ more fiery and confrontational nature. Thankfully, she’s not violent like Eris is, only going so far as get snippy with Arthur when he’s making fun of her.

The two of them make for a rather odd pairing, especially given how Arthur is mentally an adult. Still, it feels nice to see Arthur being able to have a friend his own age, something that the anime all but states he never really had by the time he died. The anime does leave out a few of the more comedic aspects of their journey together, but the overall bonding and sentiment remain present right up to when they make it to the outskirts of Tess’ home.

Don’t Worry: Arthur Will be Fine

Full disclosure: that post-credits scene was not present in the web comic. It appears that the series might be going in a more serious direction to amp up the drama, or at least leave viewers in suspense about what comes next. Those who read the web comic should also be surprised by what happened, and now have something to look forward to next episode. It feels like TBATE might be on the mend, and hopefully, if we stick around long enough, something good might come out of it.

I Give “Saved by the King” a 3/5

Until Next We Meet, 100 Girlfriends!

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You S2 Ep 12 Review

Last time on 100 Girlfriends Z, Karane Inda willingly gave up her tsundere-ness due to her own insecurities. But everyone quickly agreed that they preferred Karane the way she was and tried to restore her former self. When Kusuri’s reversing drug failed to solve the problem, it was up to Rentaro to come up with a way to restore the Karane everyone knows and loves. Will his solution make any sense, or will it parody one of the greatest shonen anime of all time? What sort of crazy hijinks will ensue on the season finale? And will we get a third season? All of those questions, except for that last one, get answered now!

Operation: Get Our Tsun On

If the above introduction sounded like the intro to an episode of Dragon Ball Z, then that was the point. The 100 Girlfriends has already garnered attention by its parody of DBZ earlier in the season. However, it’s not done; instead, it double dips in the finale with the Rentaro Family’s attempts to return Karane to normal. Instead of trying to explain it myself, lets just have the anime sum things up:

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That’s right. They’re going to make a tsundere spirit bomb and throw it at Karane. And it is as hilarious as it sounds! But since 100 Girlfriends is a parody, they can do this sort of thing!

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In all seriousness, though, this episode does a good job of continuing the series’ deconstruction of the tsundere. While the last episode showed us how hard being a tsundere can be on one’s mental state, this episode shows us just how amazing Karane is. When Rentaro is holding the tsundere spirit bomb, he’s barely able to withstand the sheer power it radiates and starts saying the opposite of what he really means. The fact that Karane has to overcome this sort of thing every time she expresses her love for Rentaro is nothing short of superhuman. To put it simply, Karane isn’t just a tsundere; she’s the Queen of Tsunderes! And it is great to have her back halfway through the episode.

We Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love Rentaro

The remainder of the season finale can be best described as the anime just having fun with itself and breaking the fourth wall like never before. The fact that the show acknowledges its doing a chapter out of order so it can include Meme and Mimimi, who weren’t there in the manga, is hilarious. The series gives absolutely no f’s about what its doing; it just wants to have fun with its ridiculous premise.

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However, nothing can compare to the final moments of the episode as the anime recreates one of the greatest moments from the entire manga.

This is one of the greatest moments in the history of the harem and rom-com genres. If we had to make a comparison, this is harem equivalent to the legendary Seven-Page-Muda from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Some people openly criticized the anime for apparently skipping over this scene. However, having it wait to use until the finale was genius. And yes, this actually happened in the manga, cementing Rentaro as a CHAD among CHADS!! The ultimate boyfriend that every woman deserves!

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Here’s Hoping We Get a Season Three

Sadly, this is where we must part ways with the 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You. Unfortunately, there is no news as to whether or not the anime will be getting a third season. Which is sad, because that means we won’t get to see all the girlfriends that have yet to be revealed. Then again, if they tried to follow the series to the end, the anime industry might not have enough people to voice everyone.

If this is the end, though, I’d recommend going to read the manga. Because the girlfriends are going to get even crazier from here on out. Some of them you will absolutely adore, while others you will end up hating. However, that’s part of the fun for this series! And I, for one, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You.

I Give “100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You (89 to go)” a 4/5

Karane Lost her Tsundere?!?

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2 Ep 11 Review

It’s sad to say it, but the second season of The 100 Girlfriends is almost at an end. We’ve met all the new girlfriends, ranging from the big eater to the super shy girl, as they’ve joined the Rentaro Family. However, the show would be remiss to end its sophomore outing without another big arc. Last season ended with the Family saving Hakari…and having her mother join the Family. However, this season is ending with a potentially greater crisis that could change Karane forever: she loses her tsundere-ness!

Karane’s Insecurities Boil Over

Karane Inda was one of the first two girlfriends and serves as the Rentaro Family’s resident tsundere. Whenever she gets flustered or embarrassed, she reacts in a defensive manner and goes, “It’s not like I *insert whatever she is being a tsundere about*!” In keeping with the series deconstructing waifu archetypes, she also serves as the Family’s straight man. She will not hesitate to call out everyone when their nonsense goes too far, and biting remarks are legendary. She is, frankly, the both the ultimate personification and antithesis of the tsundere, an archetype that I adore…but Karane herself hates.

One of the recurring themes surrounding Karane is how deeply insecure she is about herself. Whenever she gets flustered, she says the opposite of what she really feels, and she fears that this might drive Rentaro and the others away for good. And the more she falls in love with Rentaro, the harder it gets for her to express herself, and the worse her insecurities get. So much so that when Kusuri leaves a drug meant to un-tsundereify a person, she takes it. The result? Karane becomes…super nice and normal?!?!

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We Want our Karane Back

After getting over their initial shock (and Hakari enjoying Karane’s newfound honesty), everyone quickly agrees they hate this new, timid Karane—so much so that they want to get started on making a reversing drug right away. However, they’re even more shocked when Karane adamantly refuses to consider taking such a drug. She thinks that she, and everyone else, would be better off if she wasn’t a tsundere, showing just how little self-esteem she really has.

While 100 Girlfriends is first and foremost a comedy/parody, what makes it stand out is its willingness to deconstruct the pitfalls of different waifu archetypes. In this case, Karane is a strong example of how being a tsundere can potentially negatively impact one’s self-esteem. They have to try even harder than most people to express themselves properly. Even then, many protagonists have often been unable to pick up on a tsundere’s true feelings, which only makes things worse.

Thankfully, Rentaro is built different from most harem protagonists. He’s genre-savvy enough to understand that when Karane says she hates something, she usually means the opposite. More importantly, he finds her mixture of pride and shyness to be incredibly endearing, which I wholeheartedly agree with. So, using his CHADtaro powers to remind her that he fell in love with her despite her flaws, Rentaro convinces Karane to restore her normal self.

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There’s one problem: the drug doesn’t work.

This is Going to be Tougher than we Thought

In an interesting twist, the reversing drug doesn’t work. In order for it to take affect, the others need to subject Karane to enough external stimuli to provoke the proper response from her brain. In other words, they have to get her so flustered that she starts tsund-ing again. Sadly, all their efforts while staying at the Hanazono home manage to do is prove two things:

  1. Hakari’s body is incredibly sensitive to touch.
  2. Hahari gets so many nosebleeds, her staff has blood transfusion equipment on standby.
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This is going to be harder than the Family thought, but with one episode left in the season, they’re bound to help Karane return to her usual, lovable self. Without her, the Family won’t have its straight man, which could be disastrous with how they are.

I Give “Tsundere Lost” a 4.5/5

Rentaro’s Newest Girlfriend Has Ninja Powers!

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2, Episode 10 Review

Shy girls; there’s just something about them in anime that makes them endearing. Their lack of confidence in themselves and what they can do makes many anime fans naturally want to root for them. We want to see them break out of their shells and achieve whatever goal they have in life, whether it’s to make a hundred friends like Komi or get the boy they like, like Hinata or Sylphie. The 100 Girlfriends already has a shy girl in the form of Shizuka, but Rentaro’s next girlfriend makes her look like a social butterfly in comparison!

Also, that comparison to Hinata is very accurate.

Girlfriend #11-Meme Kakure

As the Family is having a class on maintaining beauty, Rentaro is headed home when he runs into a girl in his class. A girl who normally keeps her face hidden underneath her bangs, until the wind (and a runaway sign) give Rentaro a look at what’s underneath and…ZING!

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Everyone, meet our 11th soulmate, Meme Kakure, AKA the super, super, super shy girl. She wants nothing more than to spend her life acting like she’s a background character, never standing out or attracting attention. Unfortunately for her, her appearance deliberately invokes the kind of attractive, faceless girl you would find in a trashy doujinshi. Complete with a figure that would make readers drool and girls envious. She actually has to bind her chest to keep it under control, and even then, it matches Hakari’s in size. In reality, she’s big enough to make even Hakari jealous!!

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Meme takes the shy girl archetype to new levels, making Komi and Hinata look like the most social people ever. The Hinata comparison isn’t arbitrary, either. She’s mastered the substitution jutsu to the point where she’ll vanish even when someone is looking at her! All that you’ll find is a cute toy she knitted in her place!

Meme proves to be a challenge for Rentaro to win over, as she keeps vanishing whenever he talks to her. It gets to the point where the story has a fake-out ending, acting like he’s the one girl that Rentaro couldn’t save. In true CHADtaro fashion, though, he flips the script and manages to beat her in a battle of attrition. One quick talk using his max level charisma, and Meme is convinced to give their love a chance.

Who Doesn’t Love Hide and Seek

The second half of the episode sees the Rentaro Family’s traditional welcoming of their newest member. And it might be the sweetest one yet, as all the girls are quickly enamored by Meme’s shyness and talent at knitting. So, to help her become more comfortable, everyone decides to play the most hardcore game of hide-and-seek. Rentaro has to find everyone, and the winner will get a kiss from him (that was Hahari’s idea.)

For me, the parts where the newest girlfriend integrates into the group are some of the best parts to the series. As more and more of them join, we get to see the entertaining interactions between them as they have fun. In this case, getting to see them try and hide from Rentaro, only to get caught in weird positions is hilarious.

Of course Hakari and Karane would end up in this kind of situation. I’m fully convinced that if it weren’t for Rentaro, the two of them would be soulmates.

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The beauty queen and mini Kusuri sleeping like a master and pet is cute!

So was Shizuka and Nano’s hiding spot.

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Poor Kurumi. She shouldn’t have chosen to hide with the biggest pervert in the Family.

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Iku and Mei have impressive endurance.

As for Meme…she’s great at hide-and-seek.

And with that, we now have every girlfriend meant to be introduced this season. However, the season still has 2-3 episodes left, meaning that it’s got something big planned. I don’t know what it could be, but I’m looking forward to seeing it play out!!

I Give “Peekaboy-Meets-Girl” a 4.5/5

That Time Hahari Had a Bad Hair Day

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll, Dubs & Subs , , , , , , , , , ,

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2, Episode 9 Review

Tentacle p***. Of the 18+ concepts to come out of Japan, few are as storied or infamous as tentacle p***. The sight of tentacles or something similar has been a popular subject to parody in anime, especially in the ecchi/harem genres. Knowing that, and knowing that 100 Girlfriends illustrator, Yukiko Nozawa has done doujinshis, it was only a matter of time before 100 Girlfriends did it. Being the ultimate harem anime, it decides to go all out on this.

When Hair Attacks

So, viewers may recall how during the beauty search contest, Rentaro resorted to shaving his head and eyebrows to force a draw. Despite looking like it came back, this episode reveals he was wearing a wig and tape-on eyebrows. So the girls decide to have a hair-styling day, and the cuteness makes Rentaro’s hair grow back. It’s the rule of funny in effect.

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However, things turn when Hahari chooses to down Kusuri’s hair-controlling and it proceeds to come to life. Then, acting on instinct, it proceeds to act out Hahari’s deepest desire: pet anything and everything she considers cute!

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Which leads to some incredibly suggestive scenes that can only be described as softcore tentacle p***. The characters acknowledge how whats happening feels like something of To-Love-Ru, another ecchi/harem that Shonen Jump published.

So This is What Tentacle P*** is Like

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Full disclosure: I am not a big fan of the concept of tentacle p***. I think it’s too out there for me and I dont get why some people like it so much. That said, I appreciate how 100 Girlfriends has the guts to take something often parodied and use it to full effect. In this case, the sight of Hahari’s hair covering the entire world is some next-level ridiculousness. Some people may not like it, but I appreciate the humor behind how silly this is.

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In the end, the hair manages to get almost everyone except Rentaro, Mei, and Shizuka. They grab the Hanazono family helicopter (because, of course, Hahari has one), and Rentaro dives in and uses his CHADtaro powers to save the day.

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They also somehow manage to send all the excess hair into the sun. That doesn’t really make sense, but this is still a comedy series operating on the rule of funny. According to the rule of funny, anything that violates the laws of the universe is permissible so long as the end result is considered humorous. And as much as I dont like tentacle p***, seeing Hahari’s hair give everyone in the world a collective hug is pretty funny.

Don’t…Don’t Question This

As a bonus, the excess hair somehow refuels the sun and prevents a new ice age. Again, it doesn’t make sense but doesn’t have to.

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So, thanks to Hahari’s impulses and Kusuri’s drug, the world is saved. Hahari does spend several days feeling guilt-ridden, but the Family helps her by pointing out no one got hurt. Some even liked what happened.

And that was the day that Hahari Hanazono became a mother to the entire world. And it was all thanks to the power of SFW tentacle p***.

I can’t lie: I didn’t think they would adapt this little arc from the manga. I thought we would slip this part and head straight to the next girlfriend. However, I cannot complain with how things turned out!

Hope you enjoyed the episode! By the way, WatchMojo recently acknowledged this as one of the best anime of the winter 2025 season. Congrats!

I Give “The World Hair Only Grows” a 4/5