Webtoon

Let’s Play. Is it a Hit or a Miss?

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

Let’s Play Initial Series Review

Nine years ago, I was browsing on the WEBTOON App and keeping up to date with some of the comics I follow when I came across this relatively new one called Let’s Play. Being a gamer and an aspiring YouTuber, I knew right away that this series had to have something to do with video games. Lo and behold, as soon as I clicked on it, I was happy to see that I was right. It was this romcom/slice-of-life comic created by a talented creator called Mongie, and it had me hooked from the first panel. Sadly, due to issues with WEBTOON, Mongie has since moved the comic to another app called Tapas where they’re post all the old chapters before giving us a fourth season. In the meantime, though, Let’s Play has joined the growing list of webcomics and manwha that got made into a TV show, this time as an anime on Crunchyroll.

Having already seen another popular webcomic get the anime treatment earlier this year, only for it to be a massive letdown, I was skeptical. I got burned once, and I didn’t want it to happen again. However, I couldn’t help but remember all the good, and it made me want to give it again without giving it a bad review. Which is important, considering how the catalyst for the entire series is someone giving a bad review of something the main character worked hard on out of ignorance.

Sam Must Be Protected at All Costs

Meet Sam Young, a young (pun not intended) computer software developer and lover of video games. She spent a lot of her life in and out of the hospital due to health problems, so video games helped to keep her going all that time. That, and seeing a let’s player by the name of Marshall Law playing video games on ViewTube. And like some gamers, her love of games led her to try her hand at making her own game, Ruminate, a free-to-play puzzle game in the style of an RPG that she posts online. And it manages to do great…until Marshall Law decides to play it.

This is what happens.

This isn’t just because Sam made the tutorial too confusing to understand, by the way. This is because Law failed to read it altogether, resulting in him playing it wrong and causing his fans to tear her to shreds online. It threatens to end her career before it can even begin. But then comes the twist: Marshall Law ends up moving in next door to her. And that’s when the drama really begins!

It’s Nice to See this Series again

As one of the first people to start reading the Webcomic when it first came out, I have the beneift of already knowing a lot about the cast and what happens going in. Therefore, I was a little surprised at how the plot of the opening episode is structured. It’s more or less taking several of the early chapters and combining them into one, while also mixing up what happens when. This is done so that the show can give us a crash course on who is who and their basic personalities. Surprisingly, it manages to do a good job at it. We get to know Sam’s friends and family, all of whom have their own distinguishing traits. Out of all of them, though, I’d say the quirkiest has to be Sam’s dad, the CEO of the software company she works at. He’s the kind of dad who dotes on his daughter to the extreme. It gets to the point that when he thinks somene is hitting on her, we get a cutaway imagining him strangling the guy. It’s pretty funny, if you ask me.

As far as the animation goes, I’m still not entirely sold on how it looks. What can I say? The look of The Beginning After the End left a bad taste in my mouth. That being said, watching this episode reminded me why I fell in love with Let’s Play in the first place. Besides all the romcom and office drama taking place, this series contains a lot of shoutouts to video games. From platforming classics to RPGS, there’s going to be plenty of things from games present in this. As a gamer myself, I can appreciate it, even if I don’t always like the art style.

I was actually on the fence about whether I wanted to cover this series, but after watching the first episode, I think I might give it a chance. At the very least, it’s a great way for me to get back into Let’s Play as it works its way to a fourth season on Tapas. If you want to read what happens, then I’d recommend you go read it there. Otherwise, enjoy.

Fall 2025 Has Some Good Anime to See!

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

There’s no getting around it anymore: it’s Fall. Leaves are falling, the capitalist system is preparing for the Holidays, and new anime seasons of anime are on the way. There’s just one problem: for the first time in a while, I’m worried that I won’t have an anime to cover on a weekly basis. There are plenty of great anime coming out to watch, but I’m not sure which one to cover for the D&A Anime Blog. That being said, it’s not stopping me from talking about some of the big names that might be worth watching.

Let’s Play, October 1st, Crunchyroll

Our first potential pick is potentially for anyone whose a fan of video games, romcoms, or webcomics, Let’s Play. Sam Young is an introverted 22-year-old software developer whose love for video games led to create her own, Ruminate. At first, it did great on the market, until her favorite Let’s Player, Marshall Law, gave it a bad review, leading his fans to trash it. It gets worse, though, as she discovers Law has just become her new neighbor. Talk about a drama bomb.

Believe it or not, I’m actually one of Let’s Play’s earliest fans, having read it from its first chapters on WEBTOON. At first it seems like another romcom built around gaming, but once Mongie starts picking up steam, she starts getting into some pretty heavy subjects like depression, trauma, and insecurities. Unfortunately, I don’t think that the show’s animation lives up to Mongie’s own artwork. Having been let down by The Beginning After the End earlier this year, that’s left me a little weary. However, I think I’ll at least give it the benefit of the doubt.

My Hero Academia Final Season, October 4th, Crunchyroll

Ever since the manga came to an end last year, fans have been waiting to see if the My Hero Academia anime can live up to their expectations. As the final war between the Heroes of Japan and All for One nears its climax, Deku will be drawn into his final confrontation with the ultimate villain and Shigaraki in a battle to decide the fate of the world.

For the past decade, My Hero Academia has been one of the biggest names in the Shonen genre, and anime in general, and for good reason; people

love superheroes! The series has had its highs and lows, but given how the manga ends, people are eager to see if the anime can live up to the hype or surpass it. Having covered the series on my own blog since Season Four, getting to see the finale will be a bittersweet experience for me. At least we’ll still have Vigilantes to look forward to, though!

Ranma 1/2 Season 2, October 4th Netflix

Last year, Netflix gave us their remake of one of the OG romcom anime, Ranma 1/2, and now it’s back for more. Too bad for Ranma, his misfortunes when it comes to love, as well as his curse, are going to keep giving him grief.

When anime and manga started arriving in force to America back in the 90s, Ranma 1/2 was among the first wave, helping to introduce fans to Japanese romcoms. Granted, modern audiences might take issue with several things about it, like how argumentative Ranma and Akane are, or how they’re betrothed by their dads without their consent. However, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still one of the OG romcom anime, and it’s cool that it’s getting more love.

Spy x Family Season 3, October 4th, Crunchyroll/Hulu

Everyone’s favorite spy family is back for a third season. As Loid continues to work towards his ultimate goal of completing Operation: STRIX, the Forger family continues its efforts to keep looking like a normal family. Which is tough considering how the “Dad” is a spy, the “Mom” is an assassin, neither knowing that, and their “daughter” Anya has to help keep it that way. Which will be hard, considering how this season is slated to include an escort mission on a cruise ship and Anya’s school bus getting hijacked by terrorists.

I’m not that overly big a fan of Spy x Family, only really watching it when I have nothing better to do. However, I can appreciate why people like it so much. The characters are likable, there’s a good balance between action and comedy, like many great Shonen, and the animation itself is great. What might tip the scales, though, is that this season will give us a look at how Loid became the superspy Twilight.  

Star Wars: Visions Volume 3, October 29th, Disney+

Four years ago, Disney teamed up with some of the biggest animation studios in Japan to give us Star Wars: Visions, an anthology series that combined two of the greatest things in the world: Star Wars and anime. Now, it’s returning to those roots with a third season that promises to be just as good, if not better, than the last two. Not only will we be getting new shorts inspired by the Star Wars universe, but three are going to be sequelss to some of the most popular shorts from Volume One: The Duel, The Village Bride, and The Ninth Jedi. If you’ve seen the shorts, then you know why this alone is worth the hype.

I’ve been a fan of Star Wars since I was a little kid, and despite how Disney has kept fumbling things since 2012, I’m still a big fan of the franchise. Combining it with anime is naturally enough to get my blood pumping! Given how amazing the first two volumes are, I’m eager to see what comes next from this anthology series!

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, October 29th, Theaters

It’s been three long years since the end to the first season of Chainsaw Man, and while manga-readers have feasted, anime watchers are starving . But all of that changes as Chainsaw Man gets the movie treatment with Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc.

After defeating the Katana Man and his Yakuza flunkies, Denji continues his work under Makima as a hunter of Devils. His world winds up getting turned upside down, though, when he winds up meeting a girl his age named Reze, and she actually seems interested in him! But since the universe seems to love seeing Denji suffer, you don’t need to read the manga to know that this cannot end well.

I had my criticisms of the first season of Chainsaw Man, and for good reason. Considering all the hype about the manga, it felt like the anime failed to meet my expectations when it comes to action. However, I did promise myself I would go back and review it again once it continued, and I intend to keep that promise. Given how effectively Demon Slayer has adapted arcs into full-on movies, I have high hopes for this flick. Hopefully, it also means that the anime will be coming back soon with a new season.