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The Accidental Anime Rewatch of 2026 - Nanoha Edition

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha

First watched: 2007 Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 7 New rating: 7

What I really enjoyed about Nanoha’s first season is how important her family and friends are in her life. They help make her believable. The film really did away with some of the most underrated moments in this first season, such as the conversation between Yuuno and Nanoha on the Asura about their families. The first season gets overshadowed by A’s, but there’s so much heart here.

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Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A’s

First watched: 2007 Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 7 New rating: 6

What is often regarded as the crown jewel of the entire Nanoha franchise simply doesn’t hit me the same way anymore, I’m afraid. It continues and expands on the themes of family and the horrible ways adults can treat children. Though it’s unfortunate that Hayate is such a nothing burger of a character. I didn’t care about her much as a kid, and I still don’t now. But Fate’s healing journey with both family and friends is the absolute highlight. Episode 11 alone almost makes it all worth it.

Alas, while the show gives a magical excuse for Hayate’s disability, it comes off as ableist to have her being able to walk again. Narratively justified, but so terribly ableist.

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Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikersS

First watched: 2007, original airdate Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 6 New rating: 4

What a mess. StrikerS does far too much and yet its pace somehow feels glacial. It throws everything into the kitchen sink and fails to juggle it all. Vita (still my favorite character after all these years) and Teana are the only ones who get decent character arcs. The devices were cool--Subaru's roller blade nad gauntlet combo is still a winner in my eyes, despite her dullness as a character. This show did absolutely nothing for Hayate whatsoever. My favorite scene in all of StrikerS was the really lovely conversation between Vita and Shamal about the deterioration of the Book of Darkness's recovery program and their inevitable ends.

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Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha the Movie 1st

First watched: circa 2010 Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 7 New rating: 7

This is a retelling of the first season that also works as a companion piece. This film blesses us with new dynamic fight scenes and a greater focus on the relationship between Fate an Nanoha. as well as Fate and Precia. This comes at the unfortunate of expense of Nanoha's family (entirely) and friends (mostly)—the character who really made Nanoha herself feel more alive.As two sides of the same coin, I don't think it can be easily said that one is better than the other.

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Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha the Movie 2nd

First watched: March 2013 Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 7 New rating (again): 7

Unlike the first season and the first film. I strongly feel that this film is far superior to its TV counterpart. No more stupid masked man subplot! Less time dedicated to repetitive scenes with the Wolkenritter and Hayate—who, unfortunately, is still boring. Also it’s hilarious they reused ‘Snow Rain’ while Tamura Yukari and Mizuki Nana get two new songs each.

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Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha: Reflection

First watched: July 2020 Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 5 New rating: 4

This film committed one of the biggest anime sins in my eyes: a new antagonist emerges from out of bumblefuck nowhere and comes in swinging so hard that she can completely BODY EVERY SINGLE PROTAGONIST WITH ALMOST NO EFFORT. How the fuck am I supposed to buy that as an audience member? NO matter what it is--shounen battle, shoujo fantasy, whatever, this is so fucking stupid.

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Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha: Detonation

First watched: July 2020 Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 6 New rating: 4

Detonation is the film that really exposes how creatively bankrupt Nanoha as a franchise has become. It is content to recycle ideas used before—particularly in StrikerS—Yuri and Vivio are basically the same. Alas. Detonation also toes that thing where all of the antagonists are so painfully easily forgiven, despite everything. Yes, they were victims of other's machinations, but they still did dumb and bad shit

#anime

The Accidental Anime Rewatch of 2026 - Part II

Moretsu Pirates

First watched: 2012, original airdate Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 5 New rating: 4

There are many definitions for the word ‘bodacious.' dictionary.com defines bodacious as: remarkable, audacious, bold, and sexy. In Japanese, the word ‘mouretsu’ translates to ‘fierce.’ Regardless of which language chosen, to use such strong words is almost like delivering the audience a promise.

Bodacious Space Pirates fails to deliver on that promise. Its short story arcs are completely disconnected and have nothing to say. In its eagerness, the show immediately forgets what preceded it within the narrative. Its enormous cast is colourful and they appear bombastic. But they are all defined by one personality trait and one skill each. Like a child given too many toys at once, it doesn't know what do to with them all and discards then when it quickly gets bored of them. Most offensively, the show is safe. It doesn't dare to do anything. The show is even too cowardly to have two girls kiss on screen more than once.

Bodacious Space Pirates wants to be many things. It wants to be a plucky high school story. It wants to be an epic space opera. It was to be a fun adventure. It wants to be bodacious. Yet it ends up doing so little with nothing to say, failing to do justice to anyone or anything. For how can an anime dare to be bodacious when it cannot commit?

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Break Blade 1-3

First watched: February 2012 Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 5, 6, 6 New rating: 5, 5, 5

I was able to complete three out of the six films. They were so profoundly un-special that I could not be bothered to watch the back half.

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Natsuyuki Rendezvous

First watched: 2012 original airdate Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 8 New rating: 4

This is the anime equivalent of purple prose. The story made a grave error when the dead husband possessed the living suitor. Once that happened, the narrative was content to wallow in cyclical metaphors that are visually lovely, but emotionally stagnant. Whether that was a metaphor for the characters themselves, who’s to say. But it didn't work for me on this rewatch.

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Kamichu

First watched: 2011 Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 7 New rating: 6

A darling and endearing little series about a girl who comes under a lot of pressure and responsibilities very quickly. I thought the beginning episodes were the strongest.

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Taisho Baseball Girls

First watched: February 2013 Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 6 New rating: 7

I had forgotten this one entirely, and was absolutely delighted to be greeted with a song accompanying a very funny in the first episode. It was so fun watching these girls learn how to work together and grow as a team. Episode 8 was really stupid, though. The romance aspects were the weakest ones. Anytime it focused on the team as a whole it was the strongest. This story does not deserve to be forgotten by fandom.

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Darker Than Black

First watched: July 2011 Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 8 New rating: 5

With the exception of the music and Hei and Misaki’s relationship, this was a snooze fest. I couldn't even get into November 11 this time around. The double-episode story arcs are fine as a concept, but they all feel emotionally repetitive and don't feel like they’re building enough narratively. I couldn't finish this rewatch and quit on episode 15. Chers to the amount of Black and Brown people in this show, though. That’s really nice to see!

#anime

The Accidental Anime Rewatch of 2026

First watched: Spring 2011 - original airdate Rewatched: July 2025

Original rating: 8 New rating: 4

AnoHana excels when it is being subtle. When it depicts its characters existing with each other as they gradually rekindle their lost friendships, that is when it’s at its best. But it lacks confidence in itself. In its sheer determination to make the audience feel as much as possible, the drama rapidly escalates into forced sadness. You don't need to have all your characters scream and cry to make something sad and dramatic. I was dreading the last episode and it was even worse than I remembered. In the hands of a better writer, AnoHana could've been one of my all time favorite high school anime dramas. Alas, I’m just relieved that it is over.

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Prétear

First watched: 2006? Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 5 New rating: 5

To me, Prétear is clearly aimed at a pre-teen audience—a lost demographic. Its goofiness is unbridled and it’s got that old school charm. But unfortunately it is easy to see why Prétear has completely fallen into obscurity. Everything it does has been done better in other anime, even among its late 90s-00s peers. But hey, that opening song still slaps. __________________________________

Itazura na Kiss

First watched: 2008, original airdate Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 6 New rating: 6

It turns out I still enjoy shoujo romances when they actually have a plot!

No one really remembers Itazura na Kiss these days, but I remember watching this weekly as it aired. Watching Kotoko and Naoki trying to out-gremlin each other is an absolute blast, particularly in the first segment when they’re still in high school. The high school bit is the strongest, and the story drags on perhaps a little too long post-marriage.

Between the constant jealousy and everyone getting sick and injured, the narrative grows cyclical and stagnant. Kotoko herself suffers from a lack of character development, never truly getting over her almost obsessive devotion towards Naoki. (I personally think it would’ve been more rewarding if she hadn’t gone into the medical field to be with her husband and found her own thing. But for narrative purposes, I understand that it was easier to keep the couple together that way.) Still, there’s so much charm and fun to be had here. It feels indicative of a bygone age of shoujo romance where creators weren’t afraid to have their characters be ridiculous and unhinged. And with the death of the creator, the manga never received a proper ending. I’m glad the anime could grant it a proper conclusion.

Also, Kotoko may be one of Mizuki Nana’s strongest acting performances. (However Yuuki is my favorite. I loved watching him grow up.) __________________________________

Kamisama Dolls

First watched: 2011, original airdate Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 5 New rating: 3

No wonder this faded into obscurity. Kamisama Dolls is a shameless, annoying, unhinged disaster that feels like it was conceived by a thirteen year old edgelord. It has no idea what to do with its story or its characters. So its solution, to no avail, is to keep adding more. It wasn’t impressive back in 2011, and it’s certainly not impressive now.

Also, it’s ugly as sin and has a great opening song that it doesn’t deserve.

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Noein

First watched: I have no idea. Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: none New rating: 4

Teenage angst and alternate dimensions. Noein is a mixed bag on all fronts. There are fleeting moments of a compelling show. (Thank you, episode 14.) But those moments are buried under infodumping, comically evil antagonists that are impossible to take seriously, and repetitive story beats.

The first half in particular was a chore to get through. And more often than not, watching Noein felt like like tonal-dissonance-table-tennis. There were also rare moments when the animation suddenly grew very fluid at the expense of looking half finished. (Amidst the woeful monstrous CGI abominations.)

Noein has fallen into obscurity for probably being “too weird,” even though it’s no weirder than anything else. But I just don’t see modern audiences taking to it.

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Sketchbook ~full color's~

First watched: 2007? Rewatched: July 2026

Original rating: 7 New rating: 5

Any episode or scene focusing on the cats? 10/10 Everything else? 5/10

Fell into obscurity because the slice of life/iyashikei-adjacent market is so oversaturated.

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Rave Master

First watched: 2006-2007, on Toonami Rewatched: July 2026 (incomplete)

Original rating: 5 New rating: 4

This one was particularly painful. Its sense of humor is bizarre and unhinged, and it's extreme even for a shounen in the early 2000s. All of these character are stupid and it makes liking them really hard. Even by edgy boi Sieghart couldn’t save this one for me.

#anime

psycloclo

before concert ~

kyoterii

i dont even go here 😛

kcatghost

A fight for the right to exist

lumorie

Is any of this for real ... or not?

Things I liked:

the sense of humor. (Warlock of Doorlocks, “thou art a total legend!”)

The HD-2D style is visually distinct from Octopath.

The music is nice, and was played by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphont Orchestra? Incredible.

Things I didn’t like:

The level curve and gameplay loop were so horrendous. I set myself on easy and invincible mode four hours in because I simply don’t have time or patience to level grind like that anymore.

This was definitely the blueprint for this franchise. It doesn’t get more basic than this.

It was such a lonely journey. Not having any orher party members is so weird. (The princess does not count. I am not carrying her everywhere.)

#video games

shoomlah

Multiculturalism for Steampunk is starting up a weekly art challenge, and it looks promising. SO EXCITED. I’ve had a bunch of ideas for non-Western steampunk outfits floating around in my head, and it’s nice actually having a weekly deadline to motivate me to finish some of them. This is pretty subtle in its steampunkery (read: no extranneous metal bits), but I was just trying to bring in a few western/Victorian elements to traditional Indian clothing- legomuttoned sleeves, the double breasted, collared choli, and adapting the churidar into buttoned spats. …Also a sweet hat. -C

Editing to add commentary in response to toryot: No such thing as being oversensitive with this sort of thing! I appreciate it, honestly. I tried to avoid choosing anything specifically British (or any of the imagery specifically associated with colonization/“exploration chic”, things like khaki and piths), and tried to make it seem like the character had agency. I definitely don’t want to pretend I’m creating this in a void, that there aren’t historical and cultural contexts surrounding the politics of dress, but was trying to integrate elements that didn’t overwhelm the original culture.

Granted, I am of the opinion that Steampunk that erases past racial greivances (i.e. alternate history where white people are awesome and never did anything wrong and we’re all best friends) is kinda shitty and naive- that’s why I drew this as a character, and not as a costume design for something I would wear (as a white chick). If one were designing a Steampunk world, it would be unfair to assume that this cultural crossover didn’t happen and wouldn’t have existed, but I honestly apologize that the original post might make it seem like this was drawn solely for aesthetic purposes- and I’d like to address that and make it clear that I am definitely trying to keep context in mind, and am happy to be called out like this.