#artsrecs

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Ao Ashi Season 2 is officially announced and scheduled to broadcast in 2026!!!

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this series made me realize how lucky i am to have an understanding family. i can totally relate to the main character. i don't like feminine stuff even though i was born female.

when i was around five, my mom made me wear a one-piece swimsuit. my family was gushing over how adorable i was, but wearing it only made me uncomfortable, so i started crying. my mother later on noticed that i didn't really like what other girls would typically like so she stopped buying me "girly" stuff. she never bought me dolls, i would only receive such gifts from other people. she never bought dresses or skirts. i only ever wore skirts as part of our uniform when i was in grade school and high school. she would also allow me to use my older brother's hand-me-down clothes. and instead of giving me ladies' shoes, she gave me rubber shoes as her graduation gift. and when we were out shopping for clothes, she would directly go to men's clothing if ever i wanted to buy shirts (she also knows how much i hate wearing blouses xd).

my entire family is supportive of what i wanted and they don't impose what's supposed to be "normal". when my oldest sister tried putting makeup on my face when i was in third grade (it was a special occasion), i started crying (again, lol I'm such a crybaby) and then my father told her to just let me be. my other sister's in charge of choosing clothes for me because i don't know anything about fashion. she knows what i like and what style i am comfortable wearing. when it is necessary to wear formal dresses, i leave it to my sisters to choose the most comfortable dress they could find for me.

and this right here... i'm pretty sure there are still people out there who thinks like this. fortunately, not in our family. we were raised by our parents to learn how to do household chores regardless of our gender. if one knows how to cook, and so are the others. we don't divide household chores based on gender. if I can cook, so can my brothers. if I can iron my own clothes, so can my brothers. and yes, my father did household chores when he was still alive and he's also hands-on when it comes to taking care of us. when it comes to school events, this is how my parents divide their time: school events for boys will be attended by my mother, and school events for girls will be attended by my father. i think it's pretty cute. i really am lucky to have cool parents like them. ^^

i've yet to read the manga but so far, the story is pretty interesting. it's very relatable and depicts things close to reality. i was already emotional watching the first episode. i am looking forward to watching the rest of the episodes. i do hope the manga will publish an official English translation because I don't think the anime can cover the entirety of this series in one season.

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WHY YOU SHOULD TRY READING WIND BREAKER EVEN IF IT'S NOT YOUR CUP OF TEA

Content warnings to take note of before you read: poorly written explanations and BAD ENGLISH [like extremely bad I'm not even joking XD], a few manga spoilers like mentions of characters that might not be included in the current season of anime

A few days ago, I started reading the manga of Wind Breaker by Satoru Nii and reached the latest chapter after two days. Considering I have a life to deal with, this is actually fast because I couldn't stop reading for as long as there is a next chapter to read. This series was suggested to me by my sister and I was already looking forward to the anime. After watching 2 episodes so far, I couldn't contain myself and decided to read the manga instead. In all honesty, delinquent theme is not my cup of tea. At the very least, it is not a genre that I would actively seek. However, this series piqued my curiosity, kept me engaged, and made me want to read more. And now here I am, desperately waiting for the next chapter to come.

Before anything else, I would like to let you know that [as far as the latest chapters are concerned], there are no teachers involved in the story. Even if they are going to school, there are no scenes of them actually studying. There are also no authorities involved. So just think of them as students only doing social studies by protecting the townsfolk and interacting with them daily. But then again, THIS IS FICTION, SO IT'S OKAY!! So with that out of the way, let me point out a few things that I really love about this manga.

THE MAIN CHARACTER

The main character, Sakura Haruka has such a cool character design. Bicolored hair and different eye colors, who wouldn't be interested? To top it all off, he's good at fighting and he is such a tsundere he ends up blushing all the time! He also has a sad past that makes us want to protect this baby boy from all the pain and suffering he encountered thus far. If you've watched the first episode, it's quite evident that he was ostracized because of the way he looks. Ugh, my poor baby boy. T_T

The anime actually did a great job of including more tidbits of Sakura's dark past in the first episode. There were scenes that I noticed that are included in the later chapters. In fact, the first 1 minute and 30 seconds of the first episode gave us something that manga did not give until almost 50+ chapters.

Some of the scenes are these:

And this:

It may seem like a normal dark-lit room but it actually speaks a lot. One room, no other furniture, and just a futon he can sleep on. What I am trying to point out is there is a difference between someone who started living alone as soon as they moved to a different town and someone who has been living alone almost their entire life. Now, don't get me wrong. Sakura's past is yet to be revealed. The full details of how he ended up alone are not yet even shown in the latest chapters of the manga. We can only make assumptions based on what was shown thus far and his behavior as he tries to interact with more people. Anyway, as you read more chapters, you will eventually realize that the main character lived a painful life before coming to Furin High.

THE OTHER CHARACTERS

If the main character is great, it's a good series. But it's even better if the other characters are interesting too. The mangaka did an amazing job with the other characters and how they contributed to the story. Each character has their own personality that you will also love. I bet you might even have a top 5 or even top 10 favorite characters just for this series alone.

THE CHARACTERS' DEVELOPMENTS

Now this is one of the reasons why I fell in love with the series. I am not just referring to the character development of the MC but also the other characters! What's more, is that the author finds a way to make their development interesting but brief and how their past contributes to who they are right now. Sometimes, the past is even included in a single chapter and with a few more scenes of the present. Of course, there are longer backstories but I assure you that every scene is important and contributes greatly to the plot.

THE PERFECT BALANCE BETWEEN MC AND THE OTHER CHARACTERS

You know how there are times that the main character feels like they are being forgotten in some series? I can think of a few but let's not mention those. XD Anyway, this one will surely not disappoint. The MC is a first-year high school student and even though it was already proven how strong he is in the first two episodes, there are surely other characters that are more OP than he is.

To me, this is very important. If the MC is the only one progressing, it's quite boring. But if there are other characters developing to the point that it makes you think, oh maybe he's the MC all along, it makes the series annoying. If I ever encountered such tropes, I would immediately put that series on hold and get back to it once I felt like it. Or maybe just never get back to it, at all. XD

Wind Breaker, despite having many interesting characters, manages to highlight the secondary characters without having the main character overshadowed and underappreciated.

THE DRAMA, THE COMEDY, THE ACTION AND THE FOUND FAMILY TROPE

Since delinquency is one of the themes of this series, of course, there's action. And the anime so far is doing a great job with the animation of the fight scenes. The drama is superb. It tears my heart out and rip it to pieces every single damn time whenever one of the characters' past is introduced. And then there's comedy. MC is socially awkward, and tsundere to boot. Who wouldn't laugh at his antics? What's best is that despite the fact that Sakura's behaviors are quite disturbing [signs that indicate that he did not have a normal life], the author managed to portray these scenes in such a way that you will find them painful but endearing at the same time.

As for the found family, I wouldn't want to spoil a lot but just think of it this way, the founder of BOFURIN considers every member not just as a friend but as family. And not just the students, he also considers the people of their town a big part of their family. Not some strangers to protect, but a family to treasure. If that's not sweet, I don't know what it is.

ADDED LGBT THEME

Since it's been confirmed that the anime will only have 13 episodes, the character I am referring to will not be introduced in the anime. As you may have already noticed, Furin High is an all-boys school so needless to say, all students there are males [at least, biologically speaking]. She's the only rose among the thorns. She was included in the screenshot below but I doubt we'll get to see her completely in this season. So I will leave it to your capable eyes to identify who I am referring to. XD

Anyway, the portrayal of this character is very close to reality. Her story of how she struggled with her sexuality and how she wanted to be accepted by other people is so beautifully and at the same time painfully written.

I really love Sakura and this character's interactions. It feels like Sakura has a very reliable and beautiful older sister. I do hope that this series will continue getting more seasons because I am really in love with this character.

I can still go on but I think that I already made my point. Anyway, if you are still having doubts about this series, just give it a try. Read at least 60 chapters and if you really don't like it, there's nothing wrong with it. We all have our own preferences when it comes to anime and manga. I thought I just needed to make this review since it's really a surprise how this series managed to make me love it a lot.

So if you are looking for a series that has these elements: fluff, angst, action, drama, comedy, found family, lgbt themes, you will definitely enjoy it!

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Himesama "Goumon" no Jikan desu

English Title: 'Tis Time for "Torture," Princess

[Another Series added to my Anime Winter 2024 List]

So I decided to watch this series after seeing the first episode. This is a story about a princess captured by the Demon Lord's Army and subjected to torture to obtain vital information about the "Royal Empire's secrets". The word torture may sound nasty but do not be fooled! Their way of torture is by enticing the princess with delicious food. And this is not the gourmet food from a three Michelin-star restaurant cooked by a three Michelin-star chef. Just your typical daily dishes that can be prepared/bought from a typical food place.

The series also demonstrates how to best enjoy these foods like using the bread toast to a bowl of beef stew that has been eaten...

Or eating takoyaki while it's still hot...

I, for one, prefer to eat takoyaki while it's still very hot even if it burns my tongue. ( ◡‿◡ )

Or eating a bowl of ramen as a midnight snack...

What a guilty pleasure! ( ◡‿◡ *)

I am looking forward to other dishes! And I will probably make food GIFs too. So if you are like me who enjoys watching anime that features a lot of food, this series is definitely for you!

A bit fair of warning though, make sure you are full or you have something to eat when watching this because if you're hungry and with nothing to eat, it may seem that you are also being subjected to torture. (￣▽￣*)ゞ

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Just found this shounen manga. I really do love the kiddo-older guy combination so just the manga cover alone caught my attention. I've only read five chapters and I'm enjoying it so far. Oh, and the gangster neighbour is quite hot. 🤭🤭🤭 Jokes aside, I do hope that this will get animated one day. 🙏

Manga Title: Boku to Jinginaki Ojisan [Me and My Gangster Neighbour]

Author: Momose Wataru

Published Date: Dec 2022 - Oct 2023

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I was checking for fall anime 2024 and I was like wtf!!! Yohaji is airing next season??? And Seimei's CV is Oosaka Ryouta?? I was kinda imagining Kamiya (maybe because of Yato and Natsume) but oh well, Oosaka Ryouta (Sawamura Eijun's CV) is a fine option too. :))

Based on the PV, I can sort of tell that the comedic tone is there. Although the art style couldn't match the manga (this is just my opinion though). Sano is way more handsome in the manga imo. XD

Anyway, I am so excited about this series. I remember answering an animanga ask about series I wanted to be animated and I am sure I mentioned this manga. I can't believe I only need to wait 2 months to see this animated. This is an amazing series so I highly recommend it.

NOTE: If you want to check the manga before watching the anime, you can check youkaigakkou-tl for translations (they also post in MD). I tried reading this series a few years back with only around 11 translated chapters. I was so happy to find, a few years later, that there are around 90 chapters. The story gets more interesting in every arc and luckily the translator is doing a fantastic job in continuing this series.

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okay, so hear me out. ever since i found out that sugita is yanagida's seiyuu, i always end up imagining his voice when i'm reading the manga (i decided to reread the manga from the beginning). XD i think he's really a perfect choice for this character. i failed to notice sugita's voice first because he literally only has this ↑ one line in episode 2. and there's this one kappa extra with sugita's voice and i was like, WHAT?? WHY ARE YOU USING SUGITA'S VOICE IN THIS EXTRA CHARACTER THAT WON'T PROBABLY BE SHOWN EVER IN THE SERIES???. as it turns out, upon rewatching the episode, he was indeed playing yanagida's character. (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) maybe they asked him to voice this extra character because he only has one line for this episode.

anyway, i am enjoying watching the anime so far. some manga readers might not be contented with the art style and how the storyline is being rearranged in the anime adaptation but i'd like to believe that it has a purpose? i personally believe that the key strengths of this series are fully displayed in later parts. so for those anime watchers only, maybe try to stick around a bit more. because i swear this is just like bokuyaba. i watched bokuyaba first before reading the manga and i was about to drop it but decided to watch a few more and i am so glad that i didn't stop. i think you'll feel the same about yohaji. the anime is no doubt removing a lot of scenes but i think they have a goal for this. like maybe they really wanted to animate the episodes that would convince watchers to continue watching.

and if you're not yet convinced, maybe try checking this POST. this was created by the translator that continued yohaji. i only ever dropped the series because there are no more available translated chapters and there was no official translation yet at the time. i also tried reading the official translation but i personally prefer the op's translation. i swear they are doing such an amazing job.

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I have recently been enjoying Japanese TV shows streaming on Netflix. I now frequent Netflix for its extensive collection of jdramas and anime.

I completed watching Life's Punchline (Konto ga Hajimaru), which was released in the spring of 2021, a beloved TV series of one of my favourite actors. Due to my admiration for Kamiki Ryunosuke, I initially became involved, but soon fell in love with both the plot and characters. The series follows five individuals in their late twenties as they strive against personal setbacks.

For the previous 10 years, the comedy troupe Macbeth (Makubesu) was unsuccessful, with its three main characters comprising the group. The comedy trio involves two sisters as additional characters. One sister struggled with depression due to work-related trauma, while the other maintained part-time employment, still searching for her career path.

Each character resonates with the audience in some capacity. The older sister's character resonates most with me, yet I find all the other characters equally relatable.

I also loved the way the actors portrayed their characters. They look so natural in my eyes. And it felt like I was simply watching recorded video clips of actual people who are trying to achieve a happy life.

If you're intrigued by jdramas, consider watching this series. Just like me, if you're unsure of your next steps in life. This series might suit you. Be prepared with tissues though while watching this because it will definitely make you cry.