idk how to farm rice

THIS IS NOT A SPOILER SAFE BLOG FOR ANYTHING I TALK ABOUT this is essentially just a blog to log what new anime i'm watching and my thoughts on them. i don't know if i want to put non-seasonal stuff or anything unrelated to anime here yet but for now i'm not going to. my favorite seasonals i've watched as they've come out have been kaguya, vinland saga, tpn season 1, bocchi, g-witch, id: invaded, sonny boy, frieren, opera girl!!, dungeon meshi, 86, skip and loafer, trigun stampede, oddtaxi, apocalypse hotel, and ya boi kongming. some other favorites include ex-arm being my fave trainwreck, umineko being my fave vn, and land of the lustrous being my favorite manga. that's probably a lot to write in my bio but it might help inform your understanding of my tastes here.

[warm-soda-solutions]

death games for money i cannot be assed to remember the title

i watched the first two episodes with a friend on his recommendation and have no clue if this will continue

obviously very pretty show. my friend and i were chatting and we both thought it kinda reminded us of if a gohands show had a bit more restraint and taste, and was just generally better executed in every way. lots of emphasis on the 3d environments in a way that gave the show a really distinct visual identity.

that said it's still a death game so i went in very skeptical of the story (i think i have yet to see one of these i think is genuinely good, although some have been very funny (tasuuketsu, mirai nikki to a lesser extent) which is good entertainment in its own right.

i don't feel like there's been time for my skepticism to be proven right or wrong but the first episode was pretty solid all around i felt like. i liked that the tension came more from how the other girls would fare since we know main girl is gonna be fine. felt like it never went in too obvious a direction with who died when, and it felt sufficiently impactful seeing main girl make the choice she did at the end which i really liked. nothing super groundbreaking or unexpected for a death game narratively but overall very well done.

i think the stuffing is a pretty striking visual as well and i think the way it plays into the setting mechanically is interesting as well so i enjoyed that too

really enjoyed the music as well very atmospheric, reminded me of the ender lilies or house in fata morgana soundtracks in some ways, same dude who did ancient magus bride apparently so i guess i gotta watch that show too now.

the second episode was fine as well, still some nice tension but felt a bit more narratively obvious how it was gonna go from moment to moment so not as strong, not as many striking moments but it's mostly been setup and it had half the time of the first ep to do stuff so that's not really a knock against it.

i liked it!

[warm-soda-solutions]

journal with witch 8

really doubting i'm gonna see a better anime this year, at least not one that i wasn't previously invested in/aware of (frieren, witch hat assuming and steel ball run assuming they don't drop the ball, madoka movie if that ever comes out and is also good).

that scene at the end was absolutely heart rending and got me pretty misty eyed, which is not an easy thing to do. such a hard hitting moment. poor asa :(

really enjoyed makio and kasamachi's antics with the lawyer as well. he was definitely being a bit showoffy because of the lawyer being there i feel like. mayyyybe not the best time for that considering they had bigger things going on with finding asa though. wonder if this kind of thing could become a bigger issue between kasamachi and any of the other characters later. definitely felt like there was a bit of truth to asa calling him out there, even if she was kinda snapping at everyone this episode (understandably)

i do still sometimes feel like makio is maybe just a little too good at being understanding/offering sage advice for asa though. like asa feels very realistic in all the ways her situation has made her a bit of a mess, but i feel makio has also been thrust into this totally unfamiliar life arrangement, and yes she does trip up occasionally, but i feel like she comes across a little more zen than would be expected/typical. i feel like part of it is her being a writer and that kind of thing may have made her good at keeping a certain distance and understanding why people act the way they do, but i feel like in actual practice it's a tad strange she's been as patient with asa as she has. hard to judge too much on this much though since she's still pretty mysterious in a lot of ways though. again sort of a nitpick in the grand scheme of things but when everything else is this good these kinds of things bother me a little bit more.

i forgot to post last time lol sorry

also i'm probably not gonna watch polar opposites unless i have a sufficiently empty weekend in which to binge it or something else changes. not for lack of quality, mind. just busy and unmotivated

[warm-soda-solutions]

journal with witch 6

this show is sooooooooooooooo good part of me mayyybe wondered if the bit with makio getting kinda mad at asa for getting called out on being messy wasn't maybe just a bit on the nose though. like i like the idea that's being explored there but just wonder if that direct of a response (in the sense that makio's words directly convey the themes of the scene to the audience) is all that realistic??? although maybe whatever trauma with the sister is more severe than i had pictured and it would lead to something more intense like that. not a bad moment by any means but one that took me out of it juuuuust a bit. i get the sense that emiri likes girls and is having a hard time navigating that, seems to have a more traditional family so i'm very curious where her story is headed, and what role asa/makio might have to play in it. i kinda wonder how much asa might already know/suspect since this episode's interaction was more centered on makio than her. and also OMG MAKIO GET UR MANS that shit was SO good. love some proper adult romance in an anime you love to see it. insane sexual tension that whole park scene it's so peak

i swear i'll get to more polar opposites eventually i have a job and stuff it's hard to find the time :::((((

[warm-soda-solutions]

journal with witch 5/polar opposites 1

journal with witch continues to be really good. love love loved the stuff with the mom saying one thing but then doing another and effectively making all these decisions for her daughter but then asa not really knowing how to deal with the sorta decision-paralysis that she gets as a result of her mom in an environment where she's no longer there. just really real shit this episode (as always). polar opposites is just a good vibes kinda time, and having read most of the manga i feel pretty much the same way seeing it animated. i feel like i tend to enjoy these romance-anthology type shows a little more than the standard anime romcom affair since multiple dynamics can be explored simultaneously. normally i'm not a big fan of couples getting together in episode one for something that's more low-stakes, since it removes what little tension you would normally have and these kinds of shows don't tend to explore any actual relationship issues people can have after they get together, but knowing the other couples relationships' develop at a different pace pretty much solves that issue lol. characters in this are a bunch of lovable dorks and it makes for a pretty enjoyable watch overall. gapacho best boy ever of all time

[warm-soda-solutions]

other

other weeb shit i forgor about finished gachiakuta from last season as well which was insanely boring, suuuper dissapointing, just a completely vacant sort of show been reading the house in fata morgana which i am not done with but kinda mixed on so far, started it cuz i heard a lot of hype about it and saw a lotta recommendations for people that liked umineko. see a lot of people talk about it as this super well written vn and i don't really agree at all. gonna discuss my thoughts in details with only very light spoilers. COMPLAINING TIME: note that i have not finished it yet but i've found the central romance to be really lame and tropey (did we really need an accidental boob grab scene), it's felt very obligatory so far. i just don't think the romantic leads have any chemistry or a very interesting/unique dynamic at all. most villainous characters have felt very moustache twirly, and the game doesn't really know when to leave certain things to implication (it generally doesn't feel like it respects the reader's intelligence very much). certain sections of the story (jacopo) really just don't work at all because the plot is reliant on certain characters (jacopo) just being extremely stupid in a way that doesn't make any sense. i don't really love how the dialogue is written either but that's a more minor complaint, it's kinda storybookish which is interesting and maybe intentional given the aesthetic but idk i think i just tend to prefer more natural sounding dialogue, or at least less stiff. PRAISING TIME: on the brighter side, there's a bit with the logs i found really exciting and creepy, and i generally appreciate the unique vibe of the game with its particular art style and soundtrack (although i've found the soundtrack frequently just as grating as it is interesting/atmospheric in its weirdness). it's been fun to see the different permutations of tragedy in the mansion and to speculate on certain elements and characters within the story. i've found the game's exploration of processing/healing from a certain kind of trauma fairly interesting and well done/nuanced as well (unlike most of the rest of the writing) so far. also enjoyed seeing the ways the house is different across all the different time periods in the game overall i've found it fairly interesting and i want to keep reading it, but mostly just to finish it and see if it picks up (i don't think i have a ton left? hard to tell, i'm reading blind here so don't spoil). probably like a 5/10 so far, it's decent enough in the moment usually but the more i think about it the less i like it, may write more when i finish it. i find it very confusing that people refer to this as a good thing to read if someone liked umineko because the things that they have in common in terms of subject matter (romance, trauma, class) are basically all explored in much greater depth and in a much more interesting/entertaining manner in umineko (which i'm rereading while showing it to friends).

[warm-soda-solutions]

breaking the mold type post

i don't normally post about manga here but the jojolands is like so fucking good like what the fuck why is there nobody else in my life caught up on this shit. unironically the best jojo part if it stays as good as it has been, only bits that come close are steel ball run and the best bits of jojolion

[warm-soda-solutions]

update post for no one/seasonal first impressions

i am back to shout into the void once more I did not watch any of the stuff from last post except from scattered bravern episodes (about halfway thru and it has its moments but is overall sorta losing me), apothecary diaries (thoroughly excellent), and mooost of the first season of panty and stocking (english dubbed since its much funnier that way. I will not likely get to those other shows because i have full time employment now but i did watch some other stuff in the meantime, being Let's Play (pretty bad but engaging for how unhinged it sometimes is and overall cringe in a harmless but kinda fun to rag on way), and Dusk Beyond the End of the World (unfathomably dogshit). i ended up not feeling very motivated to write about much from last season because basically nothing seemed interesting and the only shows i did watch sucked. i guess i did also watch the reze arc movie which was a lot of fun on that note it's very nice to have good shows back, since this season has some real heavy hitters and is even getting me to watch sequels which is fairly rare. i'm currently watching Frieren (comfy as usual, no El Dorado this season makes me sad tho), JJK (adapting a pretty messy and bad part of the manga (barring the one part IYKYK) but with surprising stylistic flair that i find very interesting/fun), and Trigun Stargaze (kinda slow so far but i loooove orange) for sequels. new shows i've got The Darwin Incident (building up tiny straw men to flick down effortlessly AKA really funny) and Journaling With Witch (reminds me of skip and loafer (the highest award i can bestow) but a bit heavier and more adult oriented). Will probably watch Polar Opposites tomorrow (enjoyed the manga as it was coming out for most of its run, never quite finished it but never felt like it really lost me either) and mayyyybe (probably not) some other stuff. one day i might go back to those older shows but if there was ever a time it was the barren season we just had and that is now over (too much going on in my life)

episodely updates unlikely, i'm a workin guy now

[warm-soda-solutions]

also

i may still post to catch up on shows from previous seasons that i want to go back to if i ever get around to it. never finished anne shirley or undead girl murder farce or bravern or the summer hikaru died or negative positive angler or mecha-ude. also still watching gachiakuta from last season (which is thoroughly ok), and considering checking out some shows i never got around to checking out, mainly orb and medalist. also been on and off watching og panty and stocking as well as apothecary diaries season 2. probably won't get to or post about all of those but may post about at least some of them

[warm-soda-solutions]

initial first impressions

only watching 2 new shows because this season is extremely barren of anything worth watching, and the ones i am watching aren't even good. let's play - this is the funny bad show of the season for me. lots of super on the nose writing about mental health that's hard to take seriously as a result. lots of casual sexual harassment treated like it's completely normal (this isn't funny). heapings of cringy millenial humor and low effort video game references. just kind of baffling all around in a way that i really wanna keep watching. towa no yuugure - this is this season's PA Works original and those have a fairly strong track record over the past few years but this one kinda isn't really it at all. i'm sticking with this for the action scenes and to see where it goes but it smells like a trainwreck so far (hopefully of the entertaining variety). lots of dumb stuff including: "incest but it's totally fine cuz they aren't blood related", elon musk but he's an anime girl and the show depicts her as being anything other than an awful fucking lunatic. genuinely baffled how towa is supposed to be likeable in any capacity when the two things we know about her are that she wants to fuck her adopted brother and that she's making neuralink and grok which are totally not anything people need to worry about at all (for sure!!!!!!!!!!). episode zero i was having to pause like every ten seconds to process whatever bullshit i just saw it was crazy (and entertaining for it, i'd much rather this than being bored).

the first two episodes after episode zero were better because they didn't have towa and did have some pretty sick action scenes. loved the lightsaber and railgun stuff in episode 1 and was pretty surprised by how gory the action was (not a complaint). unfortunately i can't get too invested in the specifics of how yuugure works and to what degree towasa exists within her because of all the incest stuff in episode 1. also don't love how towasa presumably programmed her to be fine with sexually harassing akira about the marriage stuff. episode 1 and 2's focuses on nontraditional marriage and slavery seemed really surface level and uninteresting, but maybe it'll circle back to those later in a way that's more interesting/infuriating (episode 0 has not inspired confidence). villains were also very mustache twirly and the orwell stuff was really on the nose and dumb.

gonna stick this one to see just how dumb/infuriating it gets but also to see more cool fight scenes. just kinda interesting to see such a dumb story attached to an original anime that is genuinely very nice looking and has some pretty impressive production value (as expected of PA works). you'd think they'd get a good writer to go with it but ah well.

[warm-soda-solutions]

maybe am back

thar be new shows and i am watching them

[warm-soda-solutions]

shoshimin 6

urino got absolutely ANNIHILATED lol so so satisfying

[warm-soda-solutions]

yachiyo crashout 3

this show is soooooooooo good very curious to see where things go from here now that the tanukis have shown up, and they weren't even from the vial like i thought they were! i feel like yachiyo is gonna have a bad time when she learns that the humans are probably all dead, really makes me wonder where the show is gonna end up tonally

[warm-soda-solutions]

moe cooking 2

This show seems chill and cute but I don't think I really have the time for it

[warm-soda-solutions]

anne shirley 3

This is starting to pick up more as we meet more of the cast. Anne breaking her slate over Gilbert's head was really funny, and I'm curious to see what finally convinces her to go back to school. She's so real for zoning out and envisioning a little person dancing on the lake. Easily one of the strongest shows of the season so far.

[warm-soda-solutions]

urino is cooked

and he deserves it too for trying to force that kiss also kobato getting 3 timed and not giving a single fuck is hilarious

[warm-soda-solutions]

moe cooking

watched the first ep of food for the soul, solely because it's a PA works original. not sure this one has enough going for it in the first ep for me to stick around though. none of the characters really grabbed my attention.

still some nice relaxing vibes though and i wonder if there'll be some friction between makocchi and the other club members since she seems to want to actually cook. might give one more ep just to see if it goes anywhere interesting with that but probably dropping otherwise.

too many good shows to watch everything mildly intriguing

[warm-soda-solutions]

lycoris short 1

always glad to have more chisato and takina, it'd be a waste to leave things with just one season when their chemistry is so good. short was decent enough but too little to get really invested, not gonna post about them more probably. hoping these are leading to a season 2