There appears to be a sub-genre of Villainess anime lately.
The anime opens with a girl passing away from terminal cancer, clutching a handheld games console playing her favourite otome game, Regalia of Saints.
Said girl awakens in the world of Regalia of Saints having been rejected by Prince Cedric at the Ball.
She is Aileen, the game's Villainess; using her knowledge of the game, she decides to manipulate events in her favour starting by falling in love with the Demon Lord Claude, initially to avoid her own demise at his hands, the love for Claude becomes genuine as she learns about his side of the game; the whole plot shifts through three scenarios preventing everything from betrayal, sabotage and outright murder, Aileen will do anything to save Claude, but it soon becomes clear that she's not the only one who knows how the game works.
A true costume drama with all the trials and tribulations of many a trashy romance novel with all the fabulous fashion that comes with it, Villainess finds a good mix of a very well written main character in a world that doesn't give her an easy time with a twist very few saw coming.
It's a nice balance that's worth sitting through but there are one too many subplots and the cast could shed at least five or six characters that add nothing to the plot but distraction.
Not seen the dub but there are certain actors I expect in certain roles and I'm proved right so it's average.
Final Verdict: It could use with shedding a few pounds but it's hardly a deal breaker and the main character is definitely worth cheering for to the point where you forget it's an Isekai.
Let's see if this anime has given me the pay off I'm missing from season 1.
Continuing from the previous season, Sei as the Holy Saint continues her mission to purify the miasma swamps to eradicate the monsters however during a peaceful period of quiet, Sei gets introduced into high society along with intrigue from other nations about her talents.
So it doesn't sound much different to season 1, in fact even less plot appears to happen in season 2, the dub feels as competent as ever but the question I want answered is, does season 2 offer me the pay off that season 1 couldn't?
In all honesty, yes, although how else would a series like this end? An Isekai with a female protagonist will almost always have the romantic ending, hardly a spoiler, there are very few alternatives, although I'd take a wedding over a romantic light show any day.
Final Verdict: It feels as if the anime was offering less which gave it the perfect opportunity to end on a high and that was at least worth the journey.
A surprise anime with a surprise plot.
Appare is an eccentric genius, inspired by the novels of Jules Verne, Appare builds a steam boat to achieve great feats of engineering in 1890 Meiji era, but when Appare's caretaker Kosame attempts to take him back, an incident triggers a unscheduled trip to Los Angeles. Having achieved an unbelievable feat already, Appare moves on to the next goal of competing in the Trans-America Wild race from Los Angeles to New York rebuilding his boat into a hybrid steam vehicle but with pro drivers and outlaws against the young inventor, Appare will need more than his brains to survive.
If you've seen Redline then you'll get a kick out of this late Victorian era take on the gumball rally plot, the cast are very colourful with each racer being larger than life, even characters who don't compete like Sophia manage to leave an impact, what really sells the series are the likes of Appare, Xialian and Crazy TJ who bring a unique mix alongside more common troped characters like Al Lyon, Dylan and Kosame, this also makes for a strong dub especially Appare who paints the perfect image of an inventor.
If I have a complaint is that the big bad guy is utterly bland and in a series that has such high standard of characters, that's a shame, also not a terrible amount of racing in this racing anime.
Final Verdict: A fun adventure with fun, memorable characters let down by a bland villain, if you want more racing you won't find it will quite scratch the itch but it's still good enough to warrant your time.
I'm only two years late for this anime, no biggy.
Hana Uzaki enters college and meets with her High School senpai Shinichi Sakurai from her days in the swimming club, but after a year of observering the introvert, Uzaki takes it upon herself to show her senpai a more exciting college life much to Sakurai's annoyance.
Encouraged by well wishers, the two slowly develop a more intimate relationship as the series progresses.
This romantic comedy is proof that you can make a compelling love story without resorting to the outdated tropes of yesteryear, it also helps that Uzaki herself isn't always in gremlin mode, the series would otherwise be unbearable to watch, the dub is already unbearable to watch, nothing against Monica Rial but this should never of been her role.
Also to address the Sugoi Dekai in the room, you kinda get used to the fact that Uzaki has giant boobs and while they do get used in gags, it's not the main focus as Uzaki's personality is better at grabbing your attention and that's a big win for the anime.
Final Verdict: It's easy to be nervous when the lead character is so noticeably well endowed but the anime really grows on you the longer it goes on.
Why can't anime stop calling me out?
Together with Maman is a popular pre-school show based on an actual real life pre-school show with a similar name, it's cast members consist of Gymnast Uramichi, mascots Usahara and Kumatani along with singers Iketeru and Utano but behind the cheerful performances lies a cast of barely functioning adults as each one showcases the darker sides of adulthood with lead character Uramichi often revealing insightful and disturbing advice to the kids that appear on the show.
The premise itself is very much in the dark comedy category but as someone who is older than the cast of the show (late 20s or over 30) I feel frequently called out by everything the cast talk about and go through, it's not something I enjoy especially as I've jumped in and out of depression for the last five-seven years and I watch anime to escape this sort of thing.
Let's break down the five main characters and their issues.
Uramichi: The best example of the burned out working adult, Uramichi is one bad day away from snapping.
Usahara: Someone who didn't get the memo that he's nearly 30 and constantly blows his money on gambling and expensive food and drink not to mention he's likely going to be killed by his co-workers for talking shit behind their backs.
Kumatani: Looks the most functional but due to anger issues triggered by unpleasant people, he looks like he's holding back his emotions constantly knowing he'll lose another job if he loses his temper.
Iketeru: He's an adult with clear autism, he misses plenty of cues by constantly spacing out and needs clear instructions just to function but is likely the most talented in the group. He needs protecting.
Utano: The only female cast member is stuck in a go nowhere relationship with her comedian boyfriend and is desperate to marry if only to have validation for her previous mistakes in her singing career.
So do I like this anime?
Hard to say really, it's extremely well written and the sub has a level of layers that would be lost on the average fan, even the dub isn't that bad but I wish Uramichi had a better voice actor, considering the subject matter, this would suit a washed up voice actor like Vic Mignogna.
Final Verdict: A solidly written series that is in equal parts funny and uncomfortable especially for people around the same age or older than the cast.
