#I started to watch the new gundam anime - the witch from mercury (what a cool name!)

[bigbrainbiology]

17) Ranka Lee <3

~ 💫✨💖 What 'bout my star 💖✨💫~

[hc-werner]

The Dialectical Humanism of Big-Ass Robots: An Intro

“There’s a deep, earnest seriousness to most mecha shows (especially within the “real robot” subgenre) that implores the audience to grapple with intricate ideas and themes drawn from philosophers like Aristotle, Nietzche, and Rousseau, oftentimes complete with allegorical mouthpieces for competing ideologies.”

My high school students always lose their shit when I tell them that I, Coach Werner, also watch anime. I kinda feel bad about it. By now, I know I’ll see the excitement die from their eyes little by little as they pepper me with questions, searching for a connection with show after show after show. 

“Coach, have you seen Jojo?”

“Nope.”

“What about DBZ or Naruto?”

“Not since before you were born.”

“Attack on Titan? Utena? Tokyo Ghoul?”

“Not yet, though they’re on my list.”

“The fuck Coach? I thought you said you watch anime!”

When I tell them I mostly watch mecha, they get confused. After I explain that mecha are the ones with jumbo-sized robots, they groan. I’ve even had one kid say that didn’t count. As a general rule, I try to not let the opinions of 15 year olds hurt my feelings; I only docked his grade a couple points. 

Whatever my students may think, oversized anthropomorphized robots have fascinated me since I was a kid. Over the years, as I’ve revisited shows from my youth and found new mechanized, cel shaded rabbit holes to tumble down, I’ve tried to figure out what exactly was so appealing about the genre. There’s definitely a bit of wish fulfillment, a sorta kaiju-sized power fantasy, sure, but that’s not all of it. Same with intricate sci-fi world building, and of course the thrill of pew-pew dogfights and beam saber duels. But none of those alone seemed to account for the whole thing. They’re all fun set dressing, definitely worth a watch on their own but not enough, I don’t think, to capture my imagination for nearly a quarter of a century.

This series, The Dialectical Humanism of Big-Ass Robots, started off as a rambling, borderline incoherent and definitely substance enhanced diatribe that tried to explain how excited I was for the first episodes of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury. It feels right, though, both the name and the bigger through line.

There’s a deep, earnest seriousness to most mecha shows (especially within the “real robot” subgenre) that implores the audience to grapple with intricate ideas and themes drawn from philosophers like Aristotle, Nietzche, and Rousseau, oftentimes complete with allegorical mouthpieces for competing ideologies. There’s also the slightly goofy and always physics-defying “rule of cool” concepts of the robots themselves–I mean, who doesn’t want to see a boom cannon with angel wings, or a crucified rage monster, or transforming karaoke jets?–that can easily be laughed off as a kid’s cartoon. Any foolhardy (read: hubristic and dumbasstic) attempt to try to find unifying threads within such a wide and varied genre has to address both of those tendencies. Here, friend, you will find one such foolhardy attempt. 

Mecha anime, more than any other subgenre, has a fundamental tension summarized by two infuriatingly simultaneous, contradictory truths:

Anthropomorphized mechs bring out the best in humanity, allowing us to overcome our flaws and leap forward into a better future.

Anthropomorphized mechs feed into the worst traits of humanity, allowing us to destroy ourselves in new and technologically advanced ways.

Those two overwhelmingly common truths, when taken together, can be summarized in fancy philosophy jargon with just two words: dialectical humanism.

Dialectics is a concept pioneered (in the West, at least) by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel during the late 18th and early 19th century. There’s literally a whole field of study called “Hegelian Dialectics” that we’ll touch on from time to time, but the main thing to know is that two mutually exclusive and contradictory ideas are often both true at the same time. 

Humanism has a long, fraught history, but the most common Western interpretations stem from Enlightenment-era ideals. Essentially, humanism boils down to the belief that humankind can progress beyond its animalistic nature through a combination of empathy and rational thinking. Again, we’ll be touching on a whole slew of humanist thinkers throughout this series.

So that’s The Dialectical Humanism of Big-Ass Robots. I feel like mecha shows–from Astro Boy to Zeta Gundam, and almost everything in between–play with this dialectic, where the mechs themselves represent humanity’s ultimate destruction and ultimate salvation simultaneously. Sometimes we struggle to survive, sometimes we overcome and thrive, and sometimes we find ourselves transformed into an ocean of pink goo.

In this series, we’ll look at:

Magical Newtype Bullshit and radical empathy

Depression, memory, and trauma, and why Shinji can’t just get in the fucking robot

The power of music (and love, hope, and propaganda) in a transforming space city

And much, much more.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go watch a Tanuki pilot a Gundam.

[saffronapplemanga]

Recent Read Manga Recommendation Round Up (plus anime!) - Part 3

Manga/anime I’ve been enjoying recently! Links to part 1 and part 2.

Twitter link to this post here.

~Links to my other manga posts~ My personal favs/ones I super enjoyed will have a ✨ on them :)

PLEASE LOOK UP ANY TRIGGER WARNINGS!

CRIME, ACTION, DRAMA

✨GANGSTA. by Kohske

(8 volumes + chapters released past vol.8, hiatus)

Available in English

Please check out my dedicated post I linked for this series. I worked super hard on it!

If you take one recommendation from this list, let it be GANGSTA. I’m begging… This series is going in my all-time favs. I have a whole “Why You Should Check GANGSTA. Out” section in my dedicated post, so definitely take a look at that! But in short: Do you enjoy great character writing? A diverse, adult cast featuring different races and disability rep (deaf MC)? A gritty setting? A FOUND FAMILY OF DORKS?

I'm obsessed and I'm making it my mission to take as many of you down with me as possible...

TIME TRAVEL, SUPERNATURAL

Link Click directed by Li Haoling

(24 Episodes - Season 2 Coming Soon)

Link Click is a donghua from Studio LAN and streamed on Bilibili — the Chinese streaming service that I do some subs for, if you're unfamiliar with them — as well as Funimation. I enjoyed the art, animation, and atmosphere. The premise is that two guys working at a print shop time travel through photos to help their clients. And who doesn't love a trio of kids with a big-hearted jokester, the quiet, mature one, and a feisty girl who reins them in? I think this is my first donghua and I enjoyed it!

Plus, the opening and ending themes are pretty slick ->

Season 1 Opening Theme - Adding it to the playlist.

MECH, POLITICAL, SCHOOL

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury by Yatate Hajime

(12 Episodes + Prologue - Season 2 currently airing)

Let me tell you about me and Gundam.

I used to work at a translation company in Tokyo where I translated some Gundam figure commercials/interviews (which are currently privated on Youtube, unfortunately) amongst other things. I'm telling you guys, every time I walked into the office and saw an email from Bandai/TAMASHII NATIONS with a new Gundam translation request in my inbox, I would cry a lot little inside. I had never watched anything Gundam and didn't know what the heck was going on in the stuff I had to translate. There was this one interview with a figure designer where I was like, "Oh, you have to be a Gundam fan to understand what the heck he's talking about..." I remember me, another translator, and our editor staring at our screens exasperated. We managed, though. Big shoutout to the Gundam Wiki — not that I understood anything from it LOL.

If you told me back then that I would enjoy a Gundam thing, I would've laughed — but here I am, enjoying a Gundam thing. I'm not into mechs, even though I think robots/robot-adjacent stuff + space are cool. Still, I could never get into mechs for some reason. So if you're like me, try The Witch from Mercury. Our MCs are these two girls who end up engaged to each other in a rather hilarious way imo, with a colorful cast of supporting characters. The political themes I hear Gundam is known for really hooked me, and I LOVE how the kids handle a situation they end up in. I won't say more so as not to spoil it, but I think this is a great entry point for Gundam newbies!

Season 1 Opening Theme - Am I turning into a Gundam fan? Wild. Who would've thought the day would come? What if I start getting into Gunpla? A slippery slope, really.

SLICE OF LIFE, SCHOOL

✨Skip and Loafer by Takamatsu Misaki

(10 volumes, ongoing) + Season 1 Anime

Available in English

I remember seeing volume one of this series at the bookstore I frequented in Ikebukuro Station when it had just come out. Sooooo many times, I almost picked it up over the years. But I always passed because I was swamped with work, school, and current reads.

Now, I have a little more time on my hands, and the new anime adaptation has so much love put into it! A great coming-of-age story following young Mitsumi as she moves to the big city for school. This series is so wholesome, it's cavity-inducing.

This opening is the most delightful thing~

SLICE OF LIFE

Hotel Metsäpeuraan e Youkoso by Fukuta Seira

(5 volumes, ongoing)

JP only

In the mountains of Finland is a hotel run by two men. One day they see a young man outside in a snowstorm, and bring him inside. The men can tell that teenager Jun seems to have a heavy past and offer him a job and place to stay at the hotel.

Super cute, wholesome, and has great found family vibes!

SLICE OF LIFE, FOOD

Samenai Machi no Kisaten by Hasha

(2 volumes, complete)

JP only

A chill read with a touch of melancholy. At the end of each chapter is a recipe! The art is very cute and pleasing.

DYSTOPIAN, SCI-FI

✨Fool Night by Yasuda Kasumi

(8 volumes, ongoing)

JP only

In the future, the sky is blacked out, not allowing any sun through. To survive, technology has been developed to turn people into plants. The real horror is late stage capitalism though. I'm in love with the art and atmosphere of this series. I can't wait to read more!

ROMANCE

Gakusou by Tsurimaki Nodoka

(oneshot)

JP only

This is a super short one-chapter oneshot. Cute little read with lovely art! By the same author as 聖血の海獣/Seiketsu no Kemono, a 3-volume manga I've been meaning to read.

LGBTQ, DRAMA, COMEDY

To Strip The Flesh by Tooda Oto

(oneshot/anthology)

Available in English

An anthology that has some funny stories, and some that made me feel too seen...

DYSTOPIAN, SCI-FI, CRIME, ACTION, POLITICAL

✨PSYCHO-PASS by Urobuchi Gen

Check anilist for all content because the seasons, movies, manga, light novels, and watch order are a little all over the place.

The Psycho-Pass: Inspector Shinya Kogami manga is available in English from publisher Dark Horse.

Set in the future, Japan has implemented a surveillance state that measures people's psyche and flags anyone with the potential to do crime, even if they have not done anything or will never have done anything.

I watched season one back when it first came out in 2012. Since then, I would see ads for new content at the train stations in Japan and thought I’d catch up. There’s a new movie, PSYCHO-PASS PROVIDENCE, releasing May 12, 2023.

I've been having a lot of dumb, edgy fun with this series and its on-the-nose political themes. It's kinda camp-y? I do wish it spent more time on character moments, though.

I love me a trio (which seems to be a theme in this round-up lol) and this series has a good trio! Akane is such a great character, and Shinya and MY BOY GINOZA NOBUCHIKA!!! have been thoroughly entertaining me.

I love him. I wanna bully him and stuff him into a locker...

[ladyloveandjustice]

Fall 2022 Anime Overview- Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

It’s time to start reviewing the anime I watched in the fall season! There’s some anime I chose to save for later, like Bocchi the Rock! (which I’m watching now and enjoying) and Raven of the Inner Palace, though I’ve heard great things about it and it’s a rare shoujosei adaptation so definitely go check it out! I might do a review of that when I do get to watch it, since it’s been overlooked this season with so many heavy hitters.

But onto what I did watch! And this one has so much to chew on it gets a whole post to itself.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

A top contender for anime of the year for me. It’s not over yet though, so I pray it sticks the landing with the next season(s).

The anime follows Suletta Mercury, a girl who arrives at a new school (and new planet!) with her giant robot Aerial. Quickly she discovers a girl named Miorine, who’s desperate to escape to Earth because her bigwig father has decreed that people can duel with their giant robots for Miorine’s hand in marriage. Mio is not at all on board with this, especially because her current fiance is an abusive jerk. Suletta confronts the jerk fiance, challenges him to a duel and...well, you can probably guess what happens, especially if you’ve seen Revolutionary Girl Utena.

(And if you haven’t, go watch it! Though look up content warnings if you’ve got specific triggers or don’t often deal with darker media. I’ve got an episode breakdown here!)

Anyway, Gundam said Gay Space Rights.

Meanwhille, Suletta’s mother, Prospera (yes, it’s a codename AND a reference to The Tempest) has a thirst for revenge after a horrible wrong was done to her by the terrible corporation Mio’s dad heads, and has secret plan brewing behind the scenes. There’s alson conflict between Earthlings and the space-faring people who are exploiting them. Meanwhile all poor Suletta wanted to do is make some friends and enjoy a couple of dates!

This anime is so good so far, and was specifically targeted for me in so many ways it’s not funny. A fun cast of characters? Well written queer girls? Shadowy parental manipulation? A protagonist who’s sweet and shy yet supremely dangerous? Good action that’s driven by good character dynamics? Lots of cool women kicking ass? Tangled relationships and tons or well written relationship drama?

I’ve definitely enjoyed a few mecha shows (like Planet With),but I tend to bounce off them, in part because I have a hard time telling what’s happening when robots are fighting and the technobabble starts flowing. That still is occasionally an issue in this show, but because the fights are so driven by character conflict and there’s clear stakes I can follow along with (like the fact using a Gundam for too long is supposed to kill you), it’s not as much as an issue as it usually is. And Gundam knew exactly how to lure me in. The second I heard the whole first episode was a Utena reference, it pulled me in and I’ve enjoyed every second since.

The whole first episode echoing Utena does show the show’s pedigree (the series composer actually wrote the Utena light novels) and offers a little reassurance for audiences hoping it delivers on its queer storylines But the show is no rip-off, and it it very much does its own thing from that point on. Suletta isn’t Utena, and Miorine isn’t Anthy and this is apparent from the first episode. Suletta is achingly insecure, Miorine isn’t resigned to being a bride and has a short temper and abrasive attitude. The show isn’t about gender or compulsory heterosexuality (so far), it just has a lot of complex female characters in a wide variety of roles and has a developing romance between two women as the central relationship.

But like Utena, abuse is a huge theme, but very specifically parental abuse. Both Miorine and Suletta are being used as tools by their parents in a complex political game- Miorine is aware of this (though not the full scope of it, probably) while poor Suletta is very much in the dark. The way the parents use their children is chilling, but not without complexity- there are reasons to sympathize with Prospera, even if her treatment of her daughter is unforgiveable. She feels like a person, even thought we don’t know her full story.

The show also isn’t subtle about it’s political themes!

That particular conflict has been bubbling in the background, but handled well so far (there are some great, more subtle moments, like the news showing the ‘weapons’ from the protest above, which included ‘molotov cocktails’ clearly put there by the police, and...an umbrella.) But even if works have themes I like or agree with, what really matters to me is the characters and if they’re executed well. Fortunately, the show has a loveable cast whose journeys I look forward to with both excitement and trepidation.

Whether it’s the wonderfully angry Chuchu and her legendary [redacted] in episode 4, or the unpredictable arc of what started out as the show’s biggest (teenage) jerk, or seeing the funny romantic rivalries Lilique unwittingly gets entangled in, the show makes you care about these kids.

It’s also, as a side note, the best treatment of fat people I’ve seen in anime. There are a ton of plus-sized people in different roles, and they’re never made fun of (except for one mild comment in a later episode that is quickly shut down, and the person apologizes). Lilique is a chubby girl who’s allowed to just be the cute romantic one of the group and is canonically popular with the boys. Considering how anime is usually the opposite of body-positive, it’s really nice to see.

The central relationship of the show is, of course, Suletta and Miorine. And it’s a really fun relationship to follow. Even with the Utena reference and casual acceptance of gay marriage, I was a little worried about being baited by the show. But I’m happy to say I’m really satisfied with the development of the relationship so far. Both Suletta and Miorine are layered characters, and it’s great to watch the girls’ feelings grow as they miscommunicate and struggle and learn more about each other. We watch what starts as an engagement of convenience grow into a real bond, and root for these girls every step of the way. And yes, they’re bringing the gay.

But the relationship, and the show, is not without its shocking twists, and the very last minute of the last episode of this show left me a puddle on the floor and begging for more.This show can grab your heart and rip it out and you’ll thank them for it.

All I’ll say is fans of fascinating, screwed up women will be happy. I’m certainly happy! For now, at least. I like this show a lot, so I hope it doesn’t screw up it’s second season. It’s built up a lot of trust for me, but I’ve had that trust betrayed before. Such is the curse of being an anime fan, and a fan in general.

But for now, I whole heartedly recommend it, and encourage everyone to check it out! It’s got all the good things and there’s a ton to speculate on. Come freak out and theorize over that post credits scene where [redacted] with me.

[sukimas]

witch from mercury spoilers

-i hope they're saving some of those tomato seeds. miorine would be sad if she had to start from scratch with new cultivars

-it is really nice that everyone's accepting earth house's help now, though. they finally get that recognition they needed. i hope the goat's ok though

-there is one (1) sympathetic adult in this damn show

-"if control of the fronts were lost, a massive loss of human life would occur at the very least." does this mean what i think it means. please let it mean what i think it means

-congratulations to everyone who predicted lauda of all people would get schwarzette! now: why the hell is it got purple permet stickers

-delling is STILL in the Fridge For Men despite miorine's continued mental breakdown. petra's also there now

-now, granted, miorine absolutely deserves that mental breakdown. i did basically predict that what she did wrt trying to free suletta was playing right into prospera's hands; if she had instead informed someone in power about QZ we would not be in this situation right now.

-if the control of the fronts thing from earlier is true, and with the destruction of the SAL fleet, it might just be that prospera wants to create a world where ONLY ericht can live in happiness. mom of the century (only half ironic this time)

-GUNDAM CALIBAN! or, well, calibarn, per subs. really nice that it's in keeping with the play by being considered a "demon", since it has no protection from the data storm whatsoever. congrats suletta for being invincible with the power of love. (well, probably not invincible yet, that wouldn't be dramatic and in keeping with the tempest. but she will be!)

-where IS miorine? i don't remember all the fronts in this anime, but she's not at the school or plant quetta, i don't think. there's just a normal benerit front out there, right? they say that she's in sector L4, so she should be about 60 degrees of the earth's orbit away from the moon. i don't think we know where that would be relative to the school, though that of course has to be at another Lagrange point (unless it's spending one billion dollars on staying stable in order to remain easy to access; it wouldn't be able to stay in low earth orbit alone thanks to being approximately city-sized, though. i think; i'm not an orbital dynamics person)

-interesting move from peil. let's see how that works out for them. i wonder if we'll see a sixth elan; wouldn't make much sense to just toss pharact out on its ear without destroying it in some way, it looks too cool.

-quiet zero is waaaaay out at the L2 point, on the far side of the moon. same as side 3 in UC gundam. rookie mistake by gundam governments: you gotta watch the far side of the moon or else. there's dudes with plans there. interestingly, though, L2 is an unstable equilibrium, so you'd have to transport fuel there to keep QZ from falling out of orbit even if nobody is there. of course, that's basically the only option, since all the other Lagrange points are visible from earth and at least L4 is already occupied by hostile parties.

-speaking of quiet zero: "hey i want to end war so nobody has to suffer from it anymore" -delling "sweet that sounds like a great idea. let's make something that definitely could not be used to take over the world by force and cause untold destruction to do it" -prospera "sure that's awesome" -delling

-i hope that didn't wipe out the WHOLE SAL army, though. that would be anticlimactic.

in conclusion: the payoff for these two seasons of buildup is starting to go off and i am quite excited. however, seeing as there are three episodes left, there is NO way the earth problems are getting resolved in a satisfying way unless literally all life on the planet is wiped out which i don't think wfm wants to do. i am a bit concerned for how the miorine reunion is gonna go (she is holding a green tomato in the end card, after all- now she's the one with some growing to do) but i figure they can work it out. i trust them.

[zayphora]

hi cori!!!! i’ve been meaning for a while to get into gundam but there seems to be so much of it and i don’t know where to start, what would you recommend as a good place to jump in!!! char i would like to meet him..

HI!!!!! sorry it took me a bit to get to this.

So I would absolutely recommend starting with the original Mobile Suit Gundam show from 1979, also called Gundam 0079 or First Gundam!

it’s the one that started it all, and it’s really a great gateway into Gundam as a whole. if you don’t have the energy or feel like watching a whole show there is also a compilation movie cut of 0079 that is 3 movies, which i believe is on Netflix, though i would still recommend watching the show if you can. (it’s even on the internet archive!)

the show is a little bit dated in its animation but it is honestly really charming and grows on you. the themes are still interesting even today. and also char is there! this is where he first appears and where his story starts.

After 0079, the typical watch order (which is basically just production order) is Zeta -> ZZ -> CCA. Those are the two shows and a movie that followed after 0079 and follow a connected storyline and characters. There are some shows that take place later on after that too, but 0079/Zeta/ZZ/CCA are the main sort of “cycle”.

All those shows take place in the “Universal Century”, which is the original and largest sort of shared universe/timeline within Gundam. There are a number of other spinoff universes, typically just called AU’s, that are not connected to the UC, and follow their own stories. Witch from Mercury, the newest one, is set in an AU. I love the AU’s (one of the more outlandish ones, G Gundam, which combines Gundam with a martial arts tournament type story, is my favorite, lol) but I’d still recommend watching 0079 before you dive into them, unless one of the AU’s is really interesting to you. Watching 0079 really helps you get an idea of the sort of shared tropes that a lot of the Gundam stories work with (see: why they keep Inventing New Masked Guys) so it helps to have it as a basis.

From your posts I also think you would really like Turn A Gundam, another AU show, but you really should watch at the very least 0079 before you try to watch Turn A, because it works best as a show when you’ve seen other Gundam shows before it, because it very intentionally builds on them in ways that i cannot explain without it being a big spoiler. But you have that to look forward to for sure!

All in all, welcome to Gundam! It’s a really cool series with a lot of interesting history. Gundam fans love seeing other people get into the show so i’m excited that you’re interested! Feel free to ask questions if you have em and I’d be glad to do my best to answer. Have fun in space!!!

[senshi-9]

Tag Game

Thank you for tagging me, @touchoffleece! This was a pleasant surprise!

Three Ships:

-Sulemio (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury) - Gosh, this was one of those that took me by surprise. I was already interested about the 'new mainline Gundam series with its first female protagonist!'. The whole 'Witch from Mercury' title also sounded so cool. And after watching the prologue which left me in tears, I was already sold. Come first episode, I was absolutely not expecting the Utena inspirations, and my jaw dropped at that end with Miorine calling Suletta her groom. Seeing how their relationship changed from beginning to end was wonderful, and I love how much they complement each other. -Kumirei (Sound! Euphonium) - This one I know is a bit prickly nowadays, but I was keeping up with the anime as it aired, and it was something I wasn't expecting at all out of Eupho. The trailers and promo images had me going, "Okay, so KyoAni's doing K-On but with concert band. This'll be a cute slice of life to keep up with!" Wrong. I found Kumiko to be such a relatable protagonist with the whole being kind of scarred from pursuing something she enjoyed and growing to come off as nonchalant about it (playing the euphonium and then with what happened in middle school, wanting to distance herself from it), and then when given that spark (in the form of Reina), she grows to find the drive to genuinely want to stick with her craft and improve. That scene where Kumiko runs to the bridge repeating "umaku naritai" was so powerful, I felt. I loved the dynamic between her and Reina, and while I understand a lot of frustrations people felt with season 2, I do enjoy re-watching the series seeing how they grow and influence one another. Special shout-out to the other Eupho ships, AsuKao and NozoMizo (have you SEEN Liz to Aoi Tori??? One of my all-time favorite movies) -Widowtracer (Overwatch) - This gets a mention because while I was always a fan of things, I never really participated in fandom until getting into this niche part of the Overwatch fandom. While my excitement for OW2 died after all that had happened, I'm happy to have made some close friends during what I felt was the height of all the OW excitement, and it was through there that I got a similar drive to Kumiko (mentioned in the above ship) in that I got back into drawing and wanted to seriously improve.

First Ship Ever: oh gosh, I think it was back in high school? Haruhi and Mori from Ouran High School Host Club.

Last Song: Black Classical Music ft. Venna & Charlie Stacey by Yussef Dayes. From Yussef's latest album. If you're into jazz, definitely give this album a listen.

Last Movie: Joyland.

Currently Reading: Dancing at the Edge of the World: Thoughts on Words, Women, Places. It's a collection of talks, essays, and more from my favorite author, Ursula K. LeGuin. I always enjoy her talks and essays, and while not my favorite collection, it's still a good read (highly recommend The Wave in the Mind: Talks and Essays on the Writer, the Reader, and the Imagination - that would be my favorite collection of her talks and essays)

Currently Playing: Baldur's Gate 3

Currently Watching: For the currently-airing season of anime, Sousou no Frieren (been reading the manga, so this was my most-hyped for the fall season of anime!) and Overtake!. Also waiting on Apothecary Diaries to start airing. Had recently wrapped up Undead Girl Murder Farce from last season, and that was such a fun series.

Currently Consuming: trying out this mango mead from B. Nektar

Currently Craving: a burger from my hometown

People I want to know better but don't have to participate: I'm a bit shy to tag some people, so I will refrain

[vivi-mire]

hii i just watched the two episodes of the witch from mercury bc the stuff u were reblogging looked interesting so i figured why not check it out And. wowie .i feel like this is going to destroy my brain (in a good way).kindof obsessed with these gay people (ive known them for 40 mins. i forgot their names .the red one is eri i think and i would give her the world) ive never watched any gundam before so this is very cool and i cant wait for more episodes .lesbians win !that being said um. if someone were to hypothetically get into gundam what would u recommend they start with next. Asking for a friend

Love won! In space.

Also woo! my gwitch posting worked. Yeah I can tell already that this one's gonna fuck me up.

As for recommendations- this one is a bit tricky lol. I would first recommend just watching gwitch as it comes out so you're not juggling series.

So, gundam is all about timelines. Gwitch is it's own brand new timeline, so there's nothing right now in that same setting.

Personally, I would say maybe Iron Blooded Orphans? Its the most recent mainline series after gwitch. it will also fuck you up so that's a bonus. it's in it's own timeline as well so you don't need to know anything to start it.

Gundam 00 is also a pretty good starting point. it's also in it's own timeline. If you like a lot of political drama it's pretty good for that. There's also some gender going on. as a treat.

The universal century timeline is the very first one, so there's a LOT of parts to it. But some of my favorites are in it so if you really feel like delving in it can't hurt to start from the beginning. Just a word of advice though- watch the compilation movies for the og show. they compress things very well and you don't need to sit through too much questionable 1970s animation. After that you can be free to move onto the normal episode style for zeta and beyond if you want. If you want to start with something more modern for UC then tbh the Origin OVAs work just fine, and are really fun to watch

[shazzeaslightnovels]

February 2023

(Series: Demon’s Crest | Artist: Yukiko Horiguchi)

No. of Reviews: 5

List of Reviews:

Demons’ Crest 1

Hamefura 12

Kami wa Game ni Ueteiru 5

YouZitsu 9

Astrea Record 3

As promised last month, I’m going to use this post to delve into my top 10 anime of 2022. It ended up being long and I can tell that I’m not going to be able to do much about that without really cutting more details out and I’ve already tried to make it shorter so I’m just going to put it under a cut instead. Before the list, here are some honorable mentions: Summer Time Rendering, Delicious Party Precure, and Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. Really, GWitch should be on the list but I’m still traumatised from the disappointment that was the second half of Ranking of Kings so I’m being cautious. It’ll probably end up on next year’s list if all goes well with the second half.

10. Raven of the Inner Palace - I watched this one shortly after it finished airing and was very impressed. The story was really interesting and engaging, the characters were charming and I loved watching them grow, and the lore was fascinating. The only major issue is that it does end of a somewhat incomplete note. It feels like it wraps up Shoxue’s character arc satisfyingly but it’s clear that there’s more story to come. I definitely would be interested in reading the novels but I’d struggle a bit with some of terminology in Japanese so if I did read it, it would be in English.

9. Shadow House 2nd Season - The first season just missed out on being one of my faves of 2021 so I was pleased that it got another chance so soon and it more than earned it’s place on my top 2022 list. The plot of season 2 was consistently engaging and I appreciated the focus on characters like Rosemary/Maryrose and Barbie/Barbara who I was interested in from the first season. I hope we get more but I know I’m going to be reading the manga when I can either way.

8. Love Live! Superstar!! Season 2 - While I didn’t like the second season of Superstar quite as much as the first, I did still really enjoy my time with it. I was a bit iffy on the new characters at first but they did grow on me by the second half and I was able to enjoy it a lot better. I think the best part of this season is the introduction of Wein. She’s got such a cool character design and a lovely voice and her performances were so good. I was also incredibly fond of the episode about Ren’s gaming addiction. I was initially annoyed about the ending but now I just can’t wait to spend more time with these characters and see what’s in store for season 3.

7. Bocchi the Rock! - There were three things that stood out to me while watching this anime: the music, the visual gags, and the representation of anxiety. The music was great and the visual gags were hilarious and I really related to Bocchi. Aside from the relability, I also really liked that Bocchi was allowed to grow throughout the twelve episodes. Compared to something Komi Can’t Communicate, which I do like but it has flaws of course, where it’s been 2 seasons and Komi still can barely string together a sentence, it was nice to see Bocchi actually grow and be able to talk to others in ways that she couldn’t have imagined at the beginning. I really appreciated that. I think I will rewatch this one in the future as I wasn’t in the best of moods when I did watch it but I still enjoyed it and I really hope we get more.

6. Spy x Family - I don’t know that I have anything to say about this show that hasn’t already been said. It’s fun show and I enjoyed watching it every week, though there were a few dull moments. I enjoyed seeing the family grow and it’s such a good-looking show. I can’t wait for more.

5. Sasaki and Miyano - Sometimes a simple romcom is all you need. I’ve been a fan of the Sasaki and Miyano manga for years and I was so excited for the anime adaptation. While I was a bit wary of the adaptation choices at the start - like the awkward character designs and anatomy and the random cut-aways to cats doing stuff, it melted my heart by the end and became such a joy to watch. I loved seeing these two characters fall in love with each other week by week. It was just so sweet.

4. Lycoris Recoil - This anime was such a blast to watch each week and to look at all the new fanart of the characters and the ships. The animation was superb and I loved the characters and watching them and their relationships develop. I know a lot of people were disappointed that the story didn’t challenge it’s own flawed premise but I think it was satisfying as a story about Chisato and Takina and I appreciated it for that, though I do wish we had gotten more from characters like Fuki and Mizuki. I know we’re getting a sequel and I’m cautiously optimistic about it.

3. The Case Study of Vanitas: Part II - I enjoyed the first half of Vanitas well enough but Part II really surpassed my expectations. I was so invested in the story and the characters and it was such a pleasure to watch each week. I hope we get more of the anime at some stage.

2. Kaguya-sama: Love is War - Ultraromantic - To be honest, I wasn’t massive fan of the first two seasons of Kaguya-sama. It had some great visual gags but I wasn’t attached to the characters or anything and a lot of the gags fell flat for me. And then Ultraromantic came along and I finally fell in love with it. Each episode was hilarious and I was surprised by how invested I was in the romance aspect. I loved all the visual gags and this one stands out as being one of the most memorable anime that I watched last year. I can easily recall several scenes and that’s not something that I can say about most of the shows on this list. So I guess Kaguya-sama won this game.

1. The Orbital Children - This was one of those series that reminded me of how much I love sci-fi. There were so many interesting ideas and details. The plot was gripping and the characters were so much fun, especially Mina. I do think it got a bit convoluted at the end there but I still really enjoyed it and it ended up being my favourite anime of last year.

[ladyloveandjustice]

My Top Seven Anime I Watched in 2022

Here are the best of the best, alongside a few bonus good, good anime. Please note that I’m only including premieres I actually watched in 2022, and there are a few ones I haven’t gotten to yet. I only started watching Bocchi the Rock! this month (and I’m enjoying it) and I’ve heard good things about Raven of the Inner Palace, so I’m planning on checking that out.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury

Suletta Mercury arrives at her new school with a mech named Aerial and a checklist of friendship milestones she wants to achieve after being homeschooled for years- only to immediately get involved in giant robot duels and engaged to a prickly heiress. Unbeknownst to Suletta, she’s a tool in her mother’s revenge scheme against the terrible corporation that destroyed their family, and things will only get more complicated. Sometimes a fun romp, sometimes an action-filled thriller, and saving its best twist for the very end, this might just be the anime of the year for me. The romance between the two girls at the heart of the series always has you rooting for it, it introduces you to some great kids (and a ton of cool ladies) and as a bonus, it’s wonderfully inclusive. The only think holding me back is the fact it’s not over yet! I’m praying the second season keeps up the good work.

Read my full review here.

Spy x Family

The smash hit about a spy dad, assassin mom, and telepath child who all form a ‘fake’ family- but will they develop real familial feelings? Cute, funny, nicely animated and full of wacky fights and missions, it needs no introduction. It’s just a good time! The second season isn’t quite as strong as the first, but it’s fun to watch throughout and there’s more good material coming!

Read my full reviews here and here.

Akiba Maid War

A fun genre mashup that depicts early 2000’s maid cafes engaged in violent battles over territory (similar to yakuza movies). Features a lot of outrageous comedy and the world’s most loveable terrifying murder maid in Ranko. One of my favorites of the year.

Read my full review here.

Kaguya-sama: Love is War Season 3

The romantic comedy offers some slick animation and bombastic humor as always, while featuring some truly satisfying relationship development.

Read my full review here.

Mob Psycho 100 Season 3

The final season of one of the best anime of the last decade, it offers a perfect resolution to the offbeat relationship of young psychic Mob and his con-man mentor Reigen, while making a strong final statement on the series’ themes of power, identity, self-acceptance and deception.

Read my full review here.

The Executioner and Her Way of Life

In Menou’s world, kids dropping in from Japan and gaining incredible superpowers is a common occurrence. This rarely ends well, so it’s Menou’s job to murder these teens before they can become threats. But her latest target, Akari, has powers that make her unkillable- and she has feelings for Menou! What’s an assassin to do? A darker take on the isekai formula, the show is uneven in parts, but it’s a fun ride and most importantly, full of flawed, murderous women getting in cool fights and having romantic attention for each other. I gotta love it. The world has a ton of potential, so I hope this yuri action romp will get a follow up someday.

Read my full review here.

Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story

A tough teenager is embroiled in an illegal golf ring run by the mafia- you heard me- and while navigating ridiculous obstacles and dirty tactics, she becomes smitten with a rival Japanese golfer named Aoi and wants nothing more than to see her again…

I debated on whether to include this because the second season is really going to dictate how I feel about it, but it made a hell of an impression, so I had to. After all, in the first episode alone, Eve hits a golf ball through a moving train while up against someone in a clown mask. A gloriously stupid and ludicrous take on golf that only anime could do, Birdie Wing makes the most of its low budget to give a unforgettable experience. Just please don’t do a “Eve and Aoi are secretly sisters” twist in Season 2.

Read my full review here.

Bonus anime I really enjoyed:

Aharen-san wa Hakaranai (Aharen is Impossible to Understand) is a very adorable, funny anime about two ridiculous kids finding each other and has a nice trans-positive treatment of one character,

 Shikimori’s not Just a Cutie (review here) is a cute anime about a soft-hearted boy and a very cool girl who date,

Ya Boy Kongming! is an anime about famous military strategist from the Three Kingdoms era suddenly finding himself in modern Japan. He comes across a talented but unknown singer and decided to put his gift for strategy to use in managing her singing career and helping her to the top. This is just plain fun, and has a really sweet (and shippable) female friendship at it’s core by the end.

And finally, Sasaki and Miyano (review here) is a slow paced but sweet romance between two boys.