#gi reviews

[arataka-reigen]

Winter Anime Review by Yours Truly 🍄🌻

This season I said I would not watch anything besides dunmeshi. As we can all see... that was a fucking lie.

In total I've started 10 anime (can everyone praise me and be proud of me for being a bit more tame than I was in the fall season? At least it wasn't 20 anime this time).

My reviews are something I make just for fun, and they 100% reflect my own personal tastes. I might give a highscore to shows other people would call absolute trash, and that's okay! To each their own~~ That being said, I do try to make it very informative to aid you in choosing what you might want to check out by adding a summary and a few content warnings along with the actual review.

A little preview: this season has some great romance anime with couples that actually do make progress in their relationship, which is kind of rare for anime couples, always on their "will they wont they" thing, so if anything, i would recommend picking up one of the romances this time around. (And dunmeshi. Watch dunmeshi.)

***This review will include exclusively animes that debuted this winter, so no 2nd seasons or continuing shows from the fall season.

So, without further ado, let's get into it under the read more.

Dungeon Meshi

Summary: Seinen, Fantasy, Gourmet, Comedy

A party of adventurers gets stuck fighting a Dragon even though they are starving and in no shape to survive. In a last ditch effort to make it out alive, mage Falin sacrifices herself to save her brother Laios and their party. She sends them back to the surface but gets eaten by the Dragon. Now Laios and co are in a race against time to save Falin before she gets digested. The problem? They don't have any money for food. The solution? DUNGEON MESHI!!! AH, DUNGEON MESHI!! DUNGEON FOOD!! JUST EAT THE GODDAMN MONSTERS 😋

Rating: 10/10

Review: if you've been following me for 2 seconds or less you already know dunmeshi is one of my all time favorite mangas. And the anime absolutely delivers. The animation is great, the voice acting is great both subbed or dubbed (the english dub AND the portuguese dub are worth it). The comedic bits hit so hard, and we're just at the start but you can already see bits and pieces of a larger and more dramatic story unfolding.

World building is insane. Character design is insane (everyone say thank you Ryoko Kui our goddess).

Not only is the story incredibly well written with no plot holes, the characters are also well fleshed out and three dimensional.

I could sing praises for it for hours, but then it would leave no space for the other shows on this list so I'll stop now.

But if you only have time to watch one anime this season, this one is it.

Content Warning: blood, death, necromancy crimes 🧟‍♀️

7th Timeloop: the Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy

Summary: Reincarnation, Fantasy, Romance

Rishe is not new to the reincarnation business. This is her 7th time around. After being accused of crimes she didn't commit and having her engagement to the crown prince broken off in her 1st life she went on to discover that life is full of possibilities and adventures. But, after 5 years, she died. Only to find herself back at the moment the crown prince broke off their engagement. With each life she explores new countries and new possibilities, but in every life, after 5 years, she is caught up in the war waged by emperor Arnold Hein, and is killed. In her 6th life she dies directly by Arnold's blade and in a turn of fate she runs into him in her 7th life, catching his attention, and maybe his heart? Can she prevent her death this time around and finally live a peaceful life?

Rating: 10/10

Review: ah, we all knew the otome reincarnation was coming. This shit is my life source. That being said, even if it wasn't, I would still probably really love 7th Time Loop. It's just that good.

Rishe is a great main character, in all her past lives she was on The Grind. From being a merchant, to a doctor, to a maid, to a royal guard. And now she tells herself she just wants to chill, but this girl simply cannot chill. She is playing mind games with Arnold, trying to figure out what he is planning and how to stop the war from breaking out.

Meanwhile, Arnold is head over heels in love and probably so so full of trauma we still don't know yet. We must protect this dude. I'm very excited to find out more and more about him and what exactly led him to start a war against the world.

The animation is gorgeous, I love the way the eyes are drawn like constellations.

The romance is great and developing at a very nice pace, Arnold is very respectful of Rishe's boundaries for their marriage and overall just a really great guy.

CW: blood, death, kidnapping.

Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!

Summary: Boys Love, Adult Cast, Workplace, Supernatural, Comedy

Office worker Kiyoshi Adachi has gone 30 years of life without ever having his cherry popped. Due to this profound accomplishment, he gains the ability to read minds through physical contact. However, this new skill has only made his life harder and he now hates crowded spaces.

On the way to work, Adachi runs into his colleague Kurosawa, curious about what an outgoing guy like him thinks about, Adachi touches him and finds out that Kurosawa has a crush on someone from their office, looking further he realizes Kurosawa is actually crushing on him.

Rating: 10/10

Review: first of all, if you say "romance + adult cast" you already have my full attention. Add mind reading to the mix to make sure that the main character doesn't have miscommunication problems and i'm at the fucking table eating it up.

This show is incredibly funny, Kurosawa's thoughts about Adachi are always so sweet and/or horny and obsessed, but he is still just a super great guy with great morals and he would never do anything Adachi doesn't want (much to Adachi's surprise because he thought the dude was going to jump him anytime with how badly in love his thoughts are).

Adachi is straight until proven otherwise, and Kurosawa proves otherwise really fast. The pace of their romance is really great, we dont get ten thousand episodes of "will they wont they" and I really appreciate that.

CW: none that i can think of atm. Let me know if you have anything i could add here.

Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord

Summary: Otome Isekai, Fantasy, School

Yumiella Dolkness is a girl with dark hair and dark magic (characteristics associated with the Demon Lord) and for that she is feared.

When Yumiella was 5 years old she regained memories of her past life in modern Japan, and the game she used to play: Light Magic and the Hero. In it, Yumiella was the secret boss you had to defeat after the Demon Lord. Determined to avoid this fate she applies gamer logic to her life and begins adventuring in dungeons to max her power levels.

Now, 15 year old Yumiella is going to school, where she will meet the true hero of the game. She wants to avoid calling attention and just go through her school years without trouble. But when their power levels are measured in the first day of school, she is measured as a level 99 dark magic user and now even the king and queen have their eyes on her.

Rating: 10/10

Review: you gotta trust me on this one and get through the first ten minutes, I promise it gets so much better after Yumiella is really introduced. They just had to spend a few minutes doing a gag introduction, where you follow the game's hero before you find our beloved villainess. And it was very cool how the opening resemble a dating sim game opening.

Yumiella is great, one of my favorite female leads this season, and that is including frieren and maomao from the fall season animes that are still airing. She is not very aware of all the social cues and has trouble communicating and making friends, but we get to see her inner thoughts and they're always hilarious.

My favorite gag is that dark magic can be used for healing, but the healing process looks fucking grotesque so people would rather not be healed by Yumiella. For some reason that always gets me.

I really fucking hate the 4 hero characters, they're super annoying, but in a "i love to hate them" way, and I love seeing yumiella wipe the floor with their asses without even trying because she is just that overpowered. Most of the anime is just her trying to use just a tiny bit of her power because if she uses her full power people would just straight up die with a simple punch.

CW: blood

Yubisaki to Renren

Summary: ✨️Shoujo✨️, Adult Cast, Romance

(Summary stolen from myanimelist, sorry) Yuki Itose is a hearing-impaired university student whose world has been shrouded with silence since birth. She has lived in the same place her whole life, and rarely interacts with others save for her best friend, Rin Fujishiro. During her commute one day, she meets the silver-haired and multilingual Itsuomi Nagi, a mutual friend of Rin. Unlike most, Itsuomi is unwavering when he learns of Yuki's impairment; this, along with his experiences abroad, fascinates and touches her. After they part, her fondness of him starts to grow. A new world begins to open for both Yuki and Itsuomi as they learn about each other's different lives.

Rating: 10/10

Review: and here we have The Shoujo Of The Season. And it occupies that spot marvelously.

Yuki and Itsuomi are another one of the incredible couples of the winter season. Relationship developing at a very nice pace that isn't too fast and not too slow (like shoujo can be sometimes). Yuki is very inspired by Itsuomi, she wants to see the world and experience new things now that she got a glimpse into his life and realized how big the world is.

I specially love how cool, calm and collected Itsuomi always acts, but how his cousin, Kyouya, lets us know that Itsuomi is really interested in Yuki and just shows it in different ways, like the way his voice gets very affectionate towards her.

The animation!!!!! Wow!!!! So soft!!! So warm!!!! I love it!!!! I'm sure you'll love it too!!!

Sound design is also very good, it's specially interesting during scenes where we cant hear anything because we are on Yuki's point of view. I wish it happened even more often.

I've seen people compare this show with Koe no Katachi but they're very different shows, specially since we get to see most of this one through Yuki's point of view, while Koe no Katachi was not from the POV of the hearing-impaired character and dealt a lot more with issues like bullying and suicide. Yubisaki to Renren is a lot more light-hearted, soft, sweet and overall just a feel good anime.

I am always going to recommend shoujo. Specially when they're as good as this one is. So definitely check this one out.

CW: none that I can think of. Let me know if there is anything I should put here.

The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil

Summary: Seinen, Romance, Comedy, Supernatural

The angels and the devils are waging a war. Things are not looking so good on the devils' side, so they send Akutsu Masatora on a journey to the human world, to find someone that can aid the demons on their fight.

Akutsu is assigned a seat next to Lily Amane, the cutest girl in class. But when he tries to recruit her to the devil's side he realizes she is not a normal human. Now he must deal with the fact that he is tied to his mortal enemy, an angel, and with the fact that he might be falling in love.

Rating: 10/10

Review: More like,, the foolish devil gets played by the angel.

Akutsu and Lily get into stupid mind games trying to make the other fall in love, all while realizing that "hey, angels/devils arent so bad after all" as they spend more and more time together.

It reminds me just a bit of Kaguya-sama how the main couple wants the other to cave first.

This show is simply hilarious, I was laughing out loud at so many stupid scenes. Some gags do get old a bit fast, but overall it's still going strong and makes up for where it falls short with how badly in love these two already are just a few episodes in.

I'm not sure we'll get a proper confession this season, but it doesnt look like these two will be stuck forever in the "will they wont they" stage like the couple from kaguya-sama.

CW: there is a scene by the end of episode one that is completely played as a joke that has one of the lead characters putting a collar on the other lead and the imagery was a bit disturbing, definitely leaning on non con bdsm themes, it isnt terrible, just felt a bit distasteful to me, but nothing big, i dont think it should deter you from watching this, but watch out for that.

Solo Leveling

Summary: Action, Fantasy

(Synopsis stolen from myanimelist again) Ten years ago, "the Gate" appeared and connected the real world with the realm of magic and monsters. To combat these vile beasts, ordinary people received superhuman powers and became known as "Hunters." Twenty-year-old Sung Jin-Woo is one such Hunter, but he is known as the "World's Weakest," owing to his pathetic power compared to even a measly E-Rank. Still, he hunts monsters tirelessly in low-rank Gates to pay for his mother's medical bills.

However, this miserable lifestyle changes when Jin-Woo—believing himself to be the only one left to die in a mission gone terribly wrong—awakens in a hospital three days later to find a mysterious screen floating in front of him. This "Quest Log" demands that Jin-Woo completes an unrealistic and intense training program, or face an appropriate penalty. Initially reluctant to comply because of the quest's rigor, Jin-Woo soon finds that it may just transform him into one of the world's most fearsome Hunters.

Rating: 8/10

Review: everyday that passes I find myself liking battle shounen less and less. This one is not bad, it is actually quite interesting, it's just not the type of stuff i'm into anymore, I guess.

That being said, if you're in the mood for it, this one if very interesting. Jin woo's life is now completely ruled by this game that allows him to level up, and he is getting a bit fucked in the head by it.

Animation is great, I love when his eyes get all shiny because you know he's gone Beast Mode.

Not a lot of characters introduced so far, but it's still cool to see Jin Woo leveling up on his own. I mean... a show named solo leveling has got to make sure that the solo aspect isnt boring lol.

For some reason tho I still gave it an 8, which is high, so... it's pretty good.

Jin woo is just a bit... generic i guess. Nothing you havent seen before from an isekai male lead.

Also... i miss his haircut from the earlier episodes, his current haircut makes him look even more generic.

CW: blood and gore, body horror, torture, death games. Big and scary god statue that smiles in a fucked up way and kills kills kills.

Drop Box

Animes I either already dropped for a specific reason or will probably drop in the future simply because I wont have time to watch everything I started this season, so among the 10 I started, these are the ones i'm least likely to finish:

Majo do Yajuu

Summary: Seinen, Action, Fantasy

Guideau and Ashaf are an ominous pair, working for a mysterious organization that deals with magic crimes. Guideau is a feral and unhinged girl/genderless beast with a curse she wants to break and Ashaf is her soft spoken and calm companion. They go from town to town looking for witches to defeat and trying to find the witch who cursed Guideau and get their revenge.

Rating: 7/10

Review: I do like this one, I just think that if it comes to it and I dont have time, I wont miss it too much if I never finish it.

The blood and gore are heavy, and that might be the reason why i'm fine dropping it, i'm not that big of a fan of gore.

Other than that tho, I find the two main characters extremely interesting and i want to learn more about them, specially Guideau and her curse and that crazy beast mode she goes on when she manages to put a pause on her curse sometimes.

CW: blood and gore, body horror

Gekai Elise

Summary: Reincarnation/Otome Isekai, Fantasy, Medical, Romance

(Again, stolen from myanimelist) In her first life, the renowned and genius surgeon Dr. Aoi Takamoto was Elise de Clorance, a villainess of noble descent. Elise's selfishness, insolence, and obsessive love for her fiancé—Prince Linden de Romanoff—led to the deaths of her family members and, eventually, herself. Only after being reborn did Elise realize the error of her ways and decide that, instead of ruining lives, she would devote herself to saving them. But a tragic airplane crash robs her of her dreams too soon.

By a miracle, Elise wakes up in her original body before her official engagement to Linden. Recognizing the chance to cherish her loving family and free Linden from an unwanted marriage, Elise wishes to use her advanced medical knowledge to continue down the path of saving lives. In a deal with the emperor, Elise is given only six months to prove that her true place is not on the throne, but rather with the wounded and ailing who desperately need her help.

Rating: 6/10

Review: I'd like to say I dropped this show for personal reasons, not because it is a bad show.

It is definitely not the best otome isekai of the season (7th time loop and Villainess 99 win by a mile), but it is quite good and has an interesting premise. The main couple didn't seem too promising or interesting to me tbh.

The thing that interested me the most was the fact that Elise's original life was as a noblewoman, her second life was as a doctor and then he got a chance to relive her first life and change the mistakes she made.

Unfortunately, I am a med student, and I simply can't watch medical related stuff without nitpicking it to hell and back. Mostly, I try to distance myself from medicine related shows because my life already revolves around it too much, u know. I just need a break from All That when I'm watching my silly little shows, so... i had to drop this one.

Also, the main character was kind of annoying, but that might just be me.

Anyway, check this out if you think it sounds interesting. I might not be the best judge of this one.

CW: plane crash, death, medical procedures, surgery

Gushing Over Magical Girls

Oh boy...

I'm putting the CW before anything else because this one is problematic and I don't want anyone acting like I didn't warn them beforehand.

CW: this is straight up softcore porn and the characters are all middle/highschool aged. The anime revolves around BDSM themes (so many and increasingly worse themes, from simple bondage to pain play, to age play and other stuff), and there is nothing more than that to it, all the character growth is about the characters becoming more and more uninhibited with their sexual preferences. Also extremely dubious consent for all of it.

This is just a hentai disguising as an ecchi. It's fully yuri tho. Small blessings lol.

Summary: Mahou Shoujo, Girls Love, Ecchi, Comedy

I'm tired already so this will be short. Utena is a girl obsessed with magical girls. One day she gets the chance to become a magical girl herself, however, she is fooled and actually becomes a villain. She is made to fight Tres Magia (magical girl group) and ends up realizing she quite enjoys inflicting pain against them.

Review: the animation is good, very clean, the boob physics is not all that bad (what. this is an honest review and the anime is an ecchi. i gotta talk abt the boob physics.)

It is indeed super funny and definitely unhinged.

Plot wise, it is pretty straightforward, girl likes magical girls -> girl finds out she likes to watch magical girls suffering and in pain and moaning (well, not only watch, she does a lot of touching too)

Do I recommend it? No. Am I having fun watching it? Yes, it is pretty funny if you're the type of person who can ignore A Lot of things.

I'll probably favor the other animes tho so this one is very likely to get dropped before the season is through.

Thank you for reading (if you managed to make it this far lol, although this list is definitely smaller than my fall anime list)

If there is any other anime you think I should check out this season leave it in the replies and I might take a look at it and update this review with it!

[i-am-l-ananas]

Reading papers and stumbled upon a

[carlyraejepsans]

Do you think the skeleton brothers would enjoy playing chess together or is it like the junior jumble vs. crosswords where one is more partial to checkers than chess and vice versa

one game of chess following skelebros comedy rules would make a grown man insane before the third turn

[vexahlla]

orpheus turns / eurydice forgives

[cieric-of-chaos]

Just finished watching snake eyes origin i think it's s okay..

Anyway look at him...I can't stop thinking about him...I am so focused to him the whole movie and he is not even the protagonist...

[somanykdramas]

MARRY MY HUSBAND

GENRES: Supernatural, Romance, Mystery

SUMMARY: Did some mystery power give you a second chance at life? Of course you’re going to get revenge!

THIS SHOW HAS EVERYTHING: Cats high on nip, Busan stew, clandestine love affairs, murder, adultery, high heels, gourmet food, glow-ups, lake sleepovers, workplace fashion, cancer, candies, glass coffee tables, and mysterious tattoos.

HOT TAKE: I made the mistake of watching this AFTER it ended, which meant having most of the plot twists spoiled for me.

This show could have ended after ep 12, but for some reason it insisted on introducing a whole new 4 episode plot arc at the end. I suppose it did tie up some loose ends, but it also forced watchers to endure more of the main character's ex boyfriend being a bastard abuser to literally every woman he meets.

Song Ha Yoon deserves an award for her portrayal of one of the most mentally disturbed villains I've seen in a ROMANCE in a very long time. A+ performance.

[ygoartreviews]

Skyscraper

I never had this card as a kid (despite owing several Elemental Heroes), but I absolutely watched enough GX that this card is an immediately recognizable staple card from Jaden's deck. I mean, just look at it! Strong perspective work from the buildings along the sides, dark colors without being so dark as to be an imperceptible mess, one spotlight for each original EH, and the (presumably full) moon being ultra prominent to indicate nighttime (as most stars would absolutely not be visible in this scenario). For some reason the immediate comparison I wanted to make to an existing superhero base was the Fantastic 4 headquarters, but what also popped into my head was Gargoyles (the tv show) and how they also live in a giant skyscraper in the middle of New York City. Guess this just means that if you fight evil in New York you have to live in a skyscraper, no matter what. How else are you going to see those spotlights with all the other tall buildings around???

Rating: 10/10, What can I say? It's iconic

[shitpostingkats]

Yu-Gi-Oh Review Roundup: Arc-V!

Favorite main character: Shay Obsidian

Raidraptors slap. Every era of this show has one archetype that makes the twelve year old inside my brain start cheering in adoration, and this time, it’s raidraptors. What can I say. I like birds.

Shay himself also does a whole lot to sell the coolness factor of his mechanical falcons. The blunt, to-the-point, selfassuredness he carries himself with is almost intimidatingly edgelord, but some great voice acting work by Matt Shipman keeps him on the humaner side of anime emos. (Also, if you didn’t know, Matt Shipman, also voice of Reki in SK8 the Infinity, and if you hadn’t made the connection between season one Shay and breakup arc era Reki, I’m sorry that is in your brain now.) 

His design is the wonderful kind of harmonizing amazingly well with his monsters without being overbearing. With all the old fighter plane influence of the raidraptors, it makes perfect sense for Shay to sport his trademark leather trenchcoat that comes complete with the asymmetrical zipper and wide collar of an aviator's jacket. I particularly love the red scarf being the unofficial uniform of the XYZ rebellion, and it going completely unremarked on in the story. It’s clever to see how it’s worked into everyone’s outfit without it being pointed out to the viewer; it’s like an easter egg hunt. On Shay, he wears it in mimicry of a silk flight scarf, another visual nod to WWII pilots. 

And in Shay’s case, it makes perfect sense he would need the outfit of a pilot, because asides from Yuya, he is the one who most routinely rides around on the backs of his monsters. I never get tired of Shay flying onto the scene on a 3,000 pound eagle shaped warmachine, completely nonchalantly. Why is he the only one taking advantage of having his monsters around outside of duels. Let everyone have terrifying monstrosities as their main form of transportation.

Favorite antagonist: Sora Perse

The candy munching warcrime gremlin of all time. While it’s a little weird that Arc-V out the gate started exploring the ramifications of being a card game child soldier, Sora’s arc as he grapples with it is the emotional core of season 1, and it genuinely gets pulled off pretty well. Also, he plays fluffals.

Fluffals is the pitch perfect archetype for Sora. I’ve said before how much I love in yugioh when the cards someone plays tells you more about their character, how I go off the wall when their archetype is a mirror of their personhood. Fluffals is also just great on its own. Perfect yugioh design. Cutesy cuddly monsters that are actually filled with KNIVES and SAWS like they are being dissected by a deranged weird little child. Then the double meaning of fluffals being innocent and adorable, but secretly hiding a darker side, just like Sora. He is constantly switching back and forth between frighteningly competent and “oh my god he’s just a kid”. 

On of my favorite moments in the show is when he and Zuzu reunite and she says farewell by doing the fusion summon salute, only for Sora to jokingly correct her posture. Their friendship is so wholesome okay. Deep down, this kid is genuinely hurt and doesn’t know how to make friends, so he’s reaching out with the only way he knows how, by taking the role of teacher but that's only a facade to get to hang out, and that line is where we first hear them acknowledge it to each other, grins on their faces, happy to still be teacher and student, but also, friends. 

This is in the same stretch of episodes as Sora casually stowing away on a helicopter by jumping fifteen feet into the air and grabbing the wheel well.

Favorite side character: Yugo

I guess they just put a special sauce in the Arc-V blue haired bois.

Why do I list Yugo as a side character? Surely, by virtue of being an au version of the main character, he should be counted with equal narrative status?

Nope! He shows up maybe a dozen times, usually randomly, to yell and crash his motorcycle into things. Then disappears again. I love him.

Yugo has, unlike the other two blue haired bois, this endearing puppy quality that makes every conversation he’s in feel playful and exuberant. And that lends itself well to the few dynamics he does find himself in, whether it’s bouncing off Yuri’s smirky villainy, or having genuinely a more emotionally intelligent discussion with Zuzu about what going on than Yuya ever manages to have with her in the whole series. And while I would have loved to get more time between him and Rin, it’s clear from just a few minutes with him how deeply he cares about her. Winning him the coveted medal of “#1 straight relationship in yugioh I would 100% believe in”. They’re just really sweet. And I would storm the Konami headquarters to get them the happy ending they deserved.

Favorite duel: Shay vs. Sora

They’re my favorites for a reason. 

Shay v. Sora is peak, not only for both characters, but the entire show. It’s certainly in my list of Top 5 Yugioh Duels Ever. Everything about this duel is pure character expression. Shay’s cold and unemotive dueling crashes right up against the peppy dueltaining that Sora has spent the past few weeks learning. At first, Sora doesn’t even seem to take the duel seriously, countering audience expectations that this duel is going to be important. Because we know at this point, that something is up with Sora. That he knows more than he is letting on and this Shay guy is someone who can seriously engage with him about the larger mystery, unlike everyone else who is still in the dark on the dimensional wars.

Then Sora’s slow burn of the facade melting away. All that theatricality can equally double as a dang good yugioh villain performance. The way the duel slides from using its standard duel cinematography to more of a Marik Ishtar unhinged closeup. There is more dramatic tension in the increasing ferocity that Sora chews on his lollipop with than a full fledged horror movie.

On Shay’s side of the duel, we get dramatic monologues of backstory, finally filling in our understanding of the larger plot, delivered by a seriously shaken refugee who is finally able to traumadump about what he and his friends had to live through. It’s chillingly intense, especially contrasted by Sora’s increasing villainous theatricality. While Sora cartwheels and flips around the crumbling city like an acrobat, Shay’s got a utilitarian body language as he dodges debris. He’s not here to put on a show. He is here to survive and get revenge.

And the conclusion. By gods. There’s something haunting about seeing Sora, who has up to this point been laughing and gloating, crack. Not at the thought of being hurt. But at the thought of losing. Of being second best. He screams as Shay walks away, no longer violent and dramatic, but just a broken kid, terrified of receiving a bad grade.

Gods. Good duel.

Favorite arc: Arc league championship

Shay v Sora may be the highlight, but it’s not the only banger duel from that arc. And there’s also a great variety of good duels. From character duels like Julia v. Zuzu, or plot important duels like Sora v Yuto, to just plain fun duels, like Gong v Grizzlepike. And once the finals get going, it’s basically a nonstop duel fest, cutting between a half dozen parties finding eachother and splitting off again, while some duel and others just try to sit down and figure out what on earth is going on. Which shouldn’t work, but it does. 

Listen, if battle city worked the first time, the second time, the third time, and the fourth time, it’ll be good the fifth time. Trust us. We did the math. Now go out and duel in [interesting environment] and wager [this tournament’s gimmick item] on duels until you have [arbitrary number]. 

And hey! The formula works once again! This isn’t sarcasm, I genuinely think this is a great way to make tournament arcs interesting. The citywide split of four biomes allows for some cool backdrops, and every duel being able to happen basically simultaneously means we can simply cut between whatever's most interesting at the moment, instead of having to see every duel start to finish. 

Also, Moonshadow gets introduced in this tournament, and he is the unsung mvp of the entire series.

Greatest strengths of the series: Polish

The Arc League Championship also stands out to me because I was startled by the quality of its episode-to-episode writing. Plot information is slowly revealed on a regular basis, instead of thirty episodes of Shenanigans that’s interrupted by a lore dump. There’s genuine mystery, and intrigue, as we try to figure out what is up with these mystery xyz summoners and Declan’s master plan. And it’s not just scenario writing that’s received a massive punch-up! Dialogue is flowing better than ever, and effects animation is legible and looks awesome, instead of hyper-compressed pixels. Heck, Yuya has a really good looking 3D model, and his eyes aren’t covered by a helmet, and his jacket realistically flutters with his movement!

This may not sound like that big a deal, but the very premise of Arc-V gives us such a clear point of comparison for “How It Started” versus “How It’s Going”. It warmed my little 5Ds adoring heart to see turbo duels back, and rendered in such believable and genuinely excellent modeling. (Though points off for making Jack’s duel runner drive sideways. You guys know it can’t do that.) Aside from a few minor nitpicks, almost everything that made previous shows awesome is lovingly given a fresh coat of paint, from summoning to landscapes. 

And the writing is also pretty good on the au versions of prior characters! I particularly love Actually Not Problematic Celebrity Jack Atlas, the fun writing challenge of taking a character whose story is so deeply rooted in his setting, then trying to figure out what he’d look like without those factors. Happily Married Crow Hogan. Rebellion Leader Alexis Rhodes. Genuinely Lost His Family And Turned Murderhobo About It Kite Tenjo. There’s something so fun about seeing the paths certain characters could have taken, if only their environments had been different. And it’s a far more challenging premise to convincingly pull off than I see it get credit for. On so many levels, yugioh shows, on a purely technical level, have just gotten better as time goes on, and I absolutely adore seeing what each new series manages to perfect.

Weakest points: Scope

Unfortunately, Arc-V just has a lot to juggle. The devotion to quartets means the math spins out of control. incredibly quickly. Four versions of the protagonist, four versions of the female lead, four story arcs in four separate worlds. A handful of cameo appearances for each dimension, but also two to three original characters as well, bloats the main cast to nearly three times that of any previous show. Four different types of playstyles to write, and for characters that use blends of all four, duels four times as complicated in a single turn. Let’s never forget that this is the era that gave us the infamous D/D/D spreadsheet.

Individual moments stand out as excellent, but there simply isn’t enough time for any of them to really shine. All of the characters I’ve stated as loving, Shay, Sora, Yugo, I love in spite of the fact that their stories never really go anywhere. Shay and Yugos’ primary motivations are to find and reunite with their bracelet girls. And they don’t. Sora? After a wonderful bleed from “no morals allowed” to “one moral allowed”, after struggling for almost a season and a half to rationalize his child soldier upbringing, the camera just stops looking at him. And that’s one of the most complete stories Arc-V manages to tell. Even Yuya, our protagonist, ends the series having not confronted anything about his father, or his blatant mental health issues, both things that he is literally introduced with being shockingly core to his character. Very few plotlines are resolved in a satisfying way, if they’re resolved at all.

In the end, I can’t help but feel that Arc-V wrote more ambitious checks than its writing budget could cash. 

Most yugioh moment:

The entire episode where they break out of prison by hosting a talent show. Specifically, the cheer in Yuya’s voice when he says “Good night, FACILITY! <3”

[simonbreeze]

Todays comic reading, loving the 80s Dune comic. Indiana Jones and GI Joe are retro awesome as well 😊

[kverything-official]

Why Should You Watch Kdrama The K2

Honestly speaking, not all of us prefer romance and only romance while settling for a K-Drama. The same goes for me. Personally, I would go for action and thrillers again and again rather than settling for a rom-com (shhh.. Don’t tell anyone but I find them boring). 

So, as a result, my most favorite watch of all time is Korean drama The K2. This drama has each and every element that an action and thriller lover would want to see. But it’s tough to explain in a few words – why you should watch it. So, before the recommendations, let’s find out the: 

Reasons why you should watch Korean Drama The K2

The enigmatic man – Kim Je Ha 

No but seriously, Kim Je Ha is the primary reason to watch Korean drama The K2. He is a genius, be it the talks or the fights, he got the skills. 

A former leader of a special force and now a convict on the run, Ji Chang Wook’s persona perfectly blends with Kim Je Ha and makes him alive. Kim Je Ha is tough on the outside but soft on the inside. He beats people up mercilessly but feeds cats his own food. 

A complicated and one-sided love story 

There are not one but two love stories going on at the same time and both of those involve our protagonist Kim Je Ha, aka K2. One of these love-stories is fulfilling, another one is not. But you need to be attentive enough to catch it.   

Let me remind you that Korean drama The K2 doesn’t serve you with the typical love stories. Here love blooms in the most unexpected way. But I will not spoil anything. You can watch Korean drama The K2 yourself to know what I mean. 

Everybody is a villain 

One of the things that I like the most about Korean drama The K2 is that there is no character that’s casted just to fill a gap. Every character in the drama has a specific significance and they have something to do with the storyline. 

And most importantly, everyone is a villain. Be it by choice or by force, each and everyone makes decisions that are morally ambiguous. Even our protagonist Kim Je Ha does morally questionable things at times. And that is what has become the USP of Korean drama The K2. 

Song Yoon Ah does an incredible job as a bone-chilling antagonist, so much so that you are bound to develop a love-hate relationship with her character. 

I promise you, once you start watching it, you will realize why it is so distinct from other Kdramas of similar themes. 

The dark humor 

Korean drama The K2 doesn’t serve only actions and thrills, there is quite a bit of humor. The banter between Kim Je Ha and his colleagues is everything. There are also a few comic characters brigentening up the mood. The dark humor works like a refreshment in the otherwise tense atmosphere of the story. This is something you will be liking for sure. 

The action sequences – Oh My God! 

The action sequences in Korean drama The K2 are to die for. If you are an action lover like me then you will find your heart beating out of your chest each time Kim Je Ha jumps into action. 

Not a typical happy ending 

There is a happy ending but might not be the happy ending you think. They lose a lot in order to gain what they did in the ending. So, it might be a little heartbreaking to watch but Korean drama The K2 will keep you hooked till the very end, that’s for sure. 

Not every drama can offer the thrill and packed action that Korean drama The K2 offered but there are dramas that are almost as good as this one. Hence, when you are done watching Korean drama The K2, you might be hungry for more. 

That is why, I have crafted this list with 5 K-Dramas to watch if you liked Korean drama The K2. Continue reading it!

[canonsinthehead]

My Review of Yakuza 8/Infinite Wealth.

I'm back! Few days I've completed the game Yakuza 8 and will take the time to share my thoughts on it. Brace yourself!

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. I ASSUME YOU’VE PLAYED THE GAME BEFORE READING THIS.

THE STORY: 4/10

A 50/50 roller coaster between clutching your pearls and an abyss of nuclear waste storytelling trash.

The whole story sounded good on paper, but its execution was poor especially past the first part of the game with Ichiban. Going between his lowkey undermined POV and another attempt (for the 124654th time) for a redemption story for Kiryu like almost all previous Yakuza games. Oh no! Am I dead?! Looks like I am. See you next game!

Many plot holes dragged the story to filth. Minor points/elements were expanded on meanwhile important ones were ignored.

WHAT I LIKE & DISLIKED ABOUT THE STORY:

LIKED & DISLIKE: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT It’s the game’s strength but also its weakness as this game greatly focuses on the character development of the protagonists. Like how in one minute, I was clapping for Kiryu’s newfound maturity and admitting his past faults (something he failed to do since the start of the Serie in my opinion) to the next 5 minutes I’m vomiting at full force because Mr. Repeat-the-same-mistakes Kazuma wants to (yep you guessed it...) go back to the Yakuza. He went as far as disrespecting Daigo, Majima & Saejima for it as if they were obligated to follow him in his shenanigans. He is so hell-bent on being the 1# Yakuza mammy AND CONTINUE TO PUT HIS ADOPTED DAUGHTER HARUKA TROUGH HELL. Thank you Akiyama for trying to punch some sense in him, i would have done the same.

I understand the theme of shame was prevalent with Kiryu but at this point hurry up and die to take the Yakuza out with you (his words not mine). We fell for the clickbait since Kiryu is still among us smh.

As for Ichiban, many points were missing especially a more organic/verbalized connection and relationship with his mom. As much I liked Chitose’s act of redemption at the end, the “lets-stop-everything-so-i-can-disclose-my-boohoo-backstory-so-yall-can-feel-bad-for-me” had me shaking my head into an earthquake (ok I’m lying cause I was snoring). On a positive note, this is why I like the character of Tomizawa since he often came into opposition to Ichiban’s opinion and morals giving unfiltered thoughts.

DISLIKED: DÉJÀ VU & REPETITION DÉJÀ VU! DÉJÀ VU! DÉJÀ VU! The story’s white shirt is so stained with déjà vu spaghetti sauce it's giving rubber bullets, and my undisclosed brother is a CIA agent (if you know you know). Family dysfunction leading to resentment, daddy issues, Maury Povich, Tojo Clan conflict of the day word salad, The Big Bad Chinese™, etc. I know these topics are broad, but many were seen before IN THE EXACT SAME WAY but with different characters along with scenes being replayed as well…

DISLIKED: OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR: KASUGA ICHIBAN! as we could see, they gave Ichiban the Shonen protagonist/Jesus treatment (he is video game Luffy with the outfit too and the ultimate powers of Baryon Mode level Talk no Jutsu). It was all foreshadowed by the blasphemous promotion pic they released. Ironically this same image told us about the presence of a traitor (also the choice of name; Ebina. Hebi = Snake in Japanese) but I digress. Not only the trope is overdone in general, but the issue is also that they are taking away from his realistically “human” qualities and lowkey dehumanizing him into the untouchable unbreakable hero. I’m saying this because in Y7 the dream of being a hero was more him tapping into his inner child and resolving the lost time but now it's my hero = I’ve never met someone like you, Jesus. This same trope was an important point of Kiryu’s demise and (literally) suicidal tendencies. It’s like he’s too good for tears outside of being weaponized during talk no jutsu.

HATED: THE TOJO CLAN IS IN TROUBLE! No matter how much the disbandment of the Tojo and Omi was official we are still talking about the Yakuza conflict as if it’s not 2023-2024. I understand a big part of its presence it demonstrates how much people hold to past ways of life, but I am TIRED of the “Tojo this, Tojo that” like it never disbanded. This long sequence of rambling about hierarchy and the fight for power always sends me into a deep sleep. It always takes 2-3 business days to build everything back in place as if it never disbanded smh and it happens EVERY TIME. Ok, I’m being a hater. I’m sick of the Tojo Clan.

To be fair, it gets worse and worse as the game continues. the first half of the game is fair to display realistically the life of an ex-yakuza in a coherent way in the first part of the game. it may sound like i'm contradicting myself but everything akuza-related gets lost in the sauce further in the story. i just blinked and now it's all about a white saviour and Japanese nationalisim (mentionned by Daidoji family). TF?!

DISLIKED: TEENAGE DREAM ROMANCE I’m not a fan of the romance between Saeko and Ichiban. It seems forced and something the authors came up with for a plot device. Saeko always served One Piece’s Nami when it pretended to her follow male party members (not romantically attracted regardless of proximity). Ichiban you are too old to be this clueless, but I thought this aspect was both at the same time cringe as hell and deeply hilarious.

DISLIKED: FORGIVENESS I think I've said it before, but forgiveness was a big theme but why its always extended to people who need to be thrown in a dumpster and set on fire? This showed how much Ichiban wanted to successfully accomplish the redemption mission which failed with Masato. Which is cool I guess and measures up to Ichiban’s character. It would have been nice to see villains being villains (to the exception of Yamai, protect him at all cost) like Ebina could have openly rejected Kiryu’s teary kabedon, Eiji being left in the dumpster where he belongs or let him surrender himself on his own accord. I was praying for Dai-Jima-Jima to stand on business and reject Kiryu after being disrespected but mam I was wrong. Not saying people don’t deserve a second chance but it was overdone.

Also, the “naïve-and-my-friends-can-do-no wrong” theme with Ichiban was frustrating at times but paid off sometimes. i will lay off the hater train since characters like Sawashiro got what he deserved many times.

NOT A FAN: FANSERVICE & PLOTHOLES The entire presence of characters like Zhao and Joongi was for fanservice (let’s bring back these fan favorites!). they had no real reason to be there ESPECIALLY Zhao. What is he a cook? You are not part of or the leader of the Liumang anymore. Plot holes were filled with Joongi and “the BBC-Sherlock-Holmes-logic” If he could get so much info, why not include him earlier? I’m sorry to go there but the over-focus (and even further) Seonghui’s whole endeavor was to satisfy the male gaze. It’s a Yakuza game after all catered towards the straight male demographic, I’m not delusional. I'll tolerate it to some extent since they have beaten the character assassination allegations for her but WHY AM I SEEING HER BARE FEET?! Let’s be honest, Dai-Jima-Jima appeared for fanservice as well (like they already did in Y7 smh)

HATED: RACISM Chitose. I’m not gonna say more…

DISLIKED: THEY HAD TO INCLUDE THEM VTUBERS! The concept of Vtubers seemed out of place and unserious compared to the story. The protagonists are suffering under the weight of defamation… OOPS! Let’s cut to this Donald Duck Opioid voice having Vocaloid exposing the government. The most valid source of information around! NO FAKE NEWS HERE! Like What?!

ADORED: THE HUMANIZATION OF KIRYU KAZUMA I love how the sensibility, and vulnerability of Kiryu were put to the forefront. Regardless of this game's bad attributes, seeing the man behind the Dragon of Dojima was heartwarming admit his prominent flaws was amazing. This game turned me into an avid Kiryu’s stan. I love his new design, dark colors, and grey hair fit him and his fat ass. Hence why it was painful to see Kazuki and Yuya being avoided by him when they recognized the man’s humanity and pained heart. I will not forgive Kiryu for that.

LIKED: ALL THE PURISTS, DEAD IN A DITCH! I’m rejoicing as this game is RGG/Yakuza games purists’ worst nightmare. The Reddit bros and the “lets-keep-RGG-Japanese” crowd are suffering. First when Ichiban was released for looking “foreign” but now that he is biracial confirmed, THEY CAN PACK IT UP! A game in the USA and moments with pseudo woke agenda (their words not mine). I am feasting on their tears. Again I’m not delusional, RGG will always stay true to their main target audience but I'm celebrating every loss they get, IDC.

ADORED: FUNNY MOMENTS there were many funny moments. Going from unhinged Seonghui, Adachi & Nanba goofing around and Joongi revealing more of his personality. I had many good laughs. Of course, nothing tops all the overprotective toxic boy mom/dusty 40yo son interactions with Kiryu and Ichiban. i almost fell from my chair with the whole "policeman help! this scary tourist is trying to attack me as an america" and the infamous Bruddah!

ADORED: KAZUKI & YUYA perfect style update. They look amazing and better than anybody else. They give TVXQ on 10000% and they got fangirls. I’m dead.

ADORED: YAMAI if there is one thing RGG never fails to deliver on is their antagonists and vilains. i love his unhingedness, his class and how unpredictable he is. the drip is immaculate. aside from that, he has a interesting back story. his role fills up as both a father figure-like to Ichiban keeping him in check and an aloof ally. His taste in women is 124684/10 automatically making his a king.

ADORED: YU NANBA & ETC i really need to take the time say it but the character of Nanba in this game is crucial. His unmatched personality is allowing to revealed others' character. his conpassion (along with Seonghui, Saeko & Zhao) almost form a better party since they act like real friend.

GAMEPLAY: 5.5/10 The RPG-esque gameplay depends on the player's preference. Since I was watching my sister play, I could be biased and stopped after the completion of the main story but here’s the points I liked and disliked about it:

LIKED:

New Attacks. Many of them are super effective in defeating opponents fast.

Pound mates: they were super fun and helpful. While I wished for Yamai to have one as well. My favorite was the one for Kazuki & Yuya.

Kiryu’s Bucket & Memories.

Talk around the city & Bond Bingo.

Throwing Sawashiro in the river

DISLIKED:

LONG AS F. FEELS LIKE AN ETERNITY (AS A VIEWER)

TOO MUCH DUNGEONS

THANKS FOR THE INFO, THAT LED US NOWHERE. (INFORMATION FETCH QUESTS)

ANIMAL CROSSING ISLAND

FINAL THOUGHTS & OVERALL NOTE. A Disappointment. i maybe forget certain things but this game missed the mark. In my opinion the negative out way the positive to the point of being bad. Especially when it comes to the story alone (the gameplay is great regardless of its flaws). I’m not going to repeat my previous point the game is not passing the vibe check. Now all the hype before its release makes sense, RGG made sure to drop spoilers to feed the thirst and so-called “mystery” of the game. The joke is on me since they already got my money and it's only now that we realize this game is not the best (not worth 130-ish$). It all felt like a Yakuza Gaiden extension while actively refusing to give Kiryu a close casket death.

Overall, 4.5/10. Do not recommend it. I honestly don’t knows if I will be there or care for any future RGG game release, it doesn’t look promising.

[reversemoon255]

Figure-rise Amplified Black Luster Soldier

It's funny, because I can read katakana, and while in English is says "Black Luster Soldier," in Japanese it says "Chaos Soldier," because that is, unsurprisingly, the card's name in Japanese. If you've ever wondered why all the "Chaos" Ritual support also affects BLS Rituals, that's why. But, yeah, BLS, another iconic, old school monster. Of all the versions of this card that exist, I think the only one I've ever used is "Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning." Y'know, my deck uses a lot of Level 8s; might be apt to give that card another look...

The Good: This was an extremely fun build, with a ton of really cool parts layering. There's also a lot of interesting tweaks on some common ideas. The shoulder ornamentation has a single strong ball joint in the shoulder to get it out of the way, and the shield handle has a disc in the middle that matches a groove in the hand sculpt, turning it into a makeshift hinge, and fixing the normal circular-handle issue.

The Bad: Only real issue is the posability isn't great. The arms and legs don't have a lot of outward articulation, and the hips are only held together by two pegs, so they pop apart if you move the legs too much.

The Details: While I mostly just used standard panel lining, I specifically added some black to the inside of the collar, which was much more gold beforehand.

Overall, it's a great looking kit, and a very fun build, but it lacks the posability you might want. But, if you're getting a kit of BLS, it's probably because it's BLS, so know that you'll at least have fun building it.

[t4tieflings]

My obsession with the lack of information on Yusaku’s family eventually spiraled into me getting invested head-canoning parents for a lot of the cast. So here’s some of the moms I’ve come up with, also known as the “Strong Mother Son Resemblance” Crew. 

[fukiana]

VIDEO GAMES I PLAYED • 2022 ✨    Elden Ring (From Software, 25 February 2022)    Halo 2: Master Chief Collection (343 Industries, 3 December 2019)    Mass Effect Legendary Edition (Bioware, 14 May 2021)    Destiny 2: Witch Queen (Bungie, 22 February 2022)    Genshin Impact 3.0 (Mihoyo, 24 August 2022)    Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt RED, 10 December 2020)

[mariekavanagh]

Thoughts after finishing A Small Light:

-I really love that this show looks at the story of Anne Frank and her family in a different light. There's only so many films and series that can be told from the same perspective and focusing on Miep Gies and the other helpers was such a refreshing new take on this well known tale.

-I absolutely loved the time spent focusing on Jan Gies and the Dutch Resistence. So many brave, ordinary people did so much at great personal risk to make even the smallest of differences in the face of evil, and this show really is a tribute to them. I never fail to wonder if such acts of everyday heroism would be repeated in modern Europe.

-I was disappointed that we didn't get any follow up to the storyline between Miep and Tess. I would have liked to see if Tess did marry her Nazi after all and if she came around in the end. It would have been a good ending to find out her fate after the liberation.

-Overall I'd give it an 8/10. Definitely will re-watch again at some point.

[odanurr87]

Alchemy of Completed 2022 Kdramas - Part 1

Last year I watched a bunch of kdramas, too many for me to properly review at the rate I write about them. As a result, I'm gonna try something different and quickly review those dramas that released in 2022 that I watched, and maybe recommend a few alternatives here and there in those cases where the show didn't live up to the task. Considering it's been a while since I watched some of these dramas, I binged a couple of them again to better inform my commentary. If you're short on time, or just want to add kdramas to your ever-increasing watchlist, you'll find a ⭐ next to the titles I wholeheartedly recommend, and a 💀 next to those I feel should best be avoided, but you do you. If you still haven't watched some of these shows, this list will hopefully give you some idea of whether you'll enjoy watching them (or not).

A brief note on my rating system before we begin. I use bins for my 1-10 scale in the following way:

Anything between 5 and 6 is considered average

Shows between 7 and 8 are considered above average

Shows in the 9 to 10 range are the cream of the crop

Anything between 1 to 4 is considered below average, with the 1-2 range reserved for the worst offenders.

Thus, I have two possible scores for the average, above average, and cream of the crop categories, what I believe makes my life a little easier when rating shows. I have occasionally given half point ratings (e.g. 7.5) to certain shows when I feel they're halfway to a better grade, but that has been the exception rather than the rule.

So without further ado, welcome to my Alchemy of Completed 2022 Kdramas - Part 1!

A Business Proposal⭐

Episode count: 12

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: "You know I'm good at a lot of different things, right?"

We start with one of my favourites and the best short romcom of 2022. Based on the manhwa of the same name by Haehwa (original story) and NARAK (art), Taemu Kang (Ahn Hyeo Seop) plays the 'perfect CEO' stereotype who ain't got no time for love so, after several hilarious events, he eventually hires Hari Shin (Kim Se Jeong) to play the part of his girlfriend to fool grandpa. Unbeknownst to him though, Hari is his employee. Will their fake relationship turn into a real one? You bet your ass!

The show ticks almost all of the required tropes, subverts some -what was a pleasant surprise- and entertains throughout, making perfect use of its runtime. The second lead couple, played by Kim Min Gue and Seol In Ah, also turned several heads, not to mention the latter had great BFF chemistry with Kim Se Jeong. Week after week, I was looking forward to every episode of this show, especially considering how disappointing another romcom that aired around the same time turned out to be, and that you may or may not find in this list. You could say this show aired just in time for Samantha and Rachel to cure my FLAWless disappointment.

Again My Life⭐

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: Lawful Lawyer is back!

The better Lawless Lawyer of 2022. Kim Hee Woo (Lee Joon Gi) is a prosecutor who travels back in time to put the people who murdered him behind bars while the audience wonders which female lead he should date. And between Kim Ji Eun, Hong Bi Ra, and Veronica Park Kim Jae Kyung, well, he's definitely not lacking in choices. Fortunately, time travel is merely used as a trigger to tell the story (similar to 365: Repeat the Year in this respect), so we don't have to worry about kdramas' rather abysmal track record with sci-fi. The show keeps you hooked episode after episode, finding a good balance between the scheming, putting people behind bars, throwing some punches (has those trademark LJG action sequences!), all the while going after the next big fish. Last, but not least, it does an incredibly good job at managing an ensemble cast of characters, and there are a lot of them! If you're a fan of Lawless Lawyer or Lee Joon Gi, you can't go wrong with this one.

Alchemy of Souls - Part 1

Episode count: 20

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 6/10

Verdict: Watch a fantasy cdrama instead

Alternatives: Fights Break Sphere, Fighter of the Destiny

When I watched the character promos for this show I thought this could be Korea's answer to some of China's fantasy dramas, possibly Xuanhuan dramas, and I was all for it! I liked the male actor, Lee Jae Wook, in other dramas I'd watched with him (he was great in When the Weather is Fine and Search: WWW), and Jung So Min playing a master assassin and mentor in a fantasy drama was quite appealing. Of course, I was a bit worried when the teaser dropped, with its emphasis on some weak comedy, but I decided to give the show the benefit of the doubt. Sadly, Part 1 didn't live up to the task. It meandered a lot, definitely under-using its 20-episode order, focusing on every romantic relationship under the sun and then some, ultimately delivering an unsatisfactory hero's journey for the ML, while the antagonists played ping-pong with the alchemy of souls. At times, I was reminded of Hwarang, a show I have reviewed very poorly and that seems to have relied on the idol factor to garner popular appeal.

I've previously compared Jang Uk's journey to that of Xiao Yan from the cdrama Fights Break Sphere, in that I expected the former, from the previews, to undergo a similar rise to power as the latter, rigorously training under his master, slowly climbing his way back to power, but with the additional appeal of developing that romantic relationship between Jung So Min's character and Lee Jae Wook's, what would've made for a more rewarding journey for both the character and the audience. This is a tried-and-true formula, also used by the popular anime The Rising of the Shield Hero, to mention but one other example. Unfortunately for us, Jang Uk can hardly be bothered to train (supposedly, he "trained" with twelve masters for years and didn't learn a damn), except at the very specific, and limited, times that the script dictates, instead relying on luck and plot contrivances to "skip ahead" his way to power, what makes for far less memorable scenes. Additionally, the cdrama nails the master-student relationship thanks to the great rapport between Baron Chen's Yao Chen and Leo Wu's Xiao Yan, but there's hardly such a bond between Mu Deok and Jang Uk.

In the end, Part 1 of Alchemy of Souls should've been about Jang Uk's rise to power under the guidance of his master, and later love interest, Mu Deok, but it's too unfocused, its attention constantly diverted by comedy, love polygons, or caricaturesque villains doing dumb things under everyone's noses. Perhaps its only saving grace was the character of the Crown Prince, brilliantly played by Shin Seung Ho, who was able to nail both the comedy and the drama when called for. However, if you're looking for a good fantasy drama with a more traditional (or any) hero's journey, watch Fights Break Sphere instead, with the caveat only the first season has been released, and it's doubtful there'll be a second. I'd also recommend Fighter of the Destiny, with Lu Han. It probably doesn't have as good CGI or sets, but it has a better grip on the hero's journey than Alchemy and nails the camaraderie aspects.

Alchemy of Souls - Part 2

Episode count: 10

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 7/10

Verdict: Works better as a standalone watch

I should've probably left Part 2 of the show for Part 2 of my list, but I'm going in alphabetical order so that's that. This is one of the shows I decided to rewatch to refresh my memory and, to my surprise, it fared much better the second time around. Why's that? Read on to find out!

Part 2 of Alchemy of Souls starts strong, much stronger than Part 1 did, something many were doubting when the news hit that Jung So Min wouldn't return for Part 2, instead being replaced by the original Naksu actress, Go Youn Jung. Fortunately, she does an excellent job throughout, but especially in the beginning of Part 2, which comes across as more of a fairy tale (Rapunzel's), and where the show decides to embrace some of the typical marriage contact tropes, as Young Jung's character fake-marries the now uber-powerful Jang Uk in order to escape from her mother's tight grasp. Honestly, I wish the show had started with Part 2, in media res, and used the material from Part 1 for flashback storytelling, in a similar vein to how The Untamed did it. God, that would've been so good! Precisely because Jang Uk has become sort of a demigod he can boss around all of the useless supporting characters from Part 1 (I'm looking at you, Pathetic Assembly of Evil), and pretty much do whatever he wants, so it's quite commendable to see him return smarter and more measured in his decision-making.

As someone who watched Part 2 live back then, it started to lose its initial glimmer when an inevitable reveal kept being delayed episode after episode, hinting that it would obviously occur the next one. Of course, this never happened, but what made matters worse was the fact that the ML was kept oblivious while everyone around him found out and chose not to tell him because... reasons? I can understand one person keeping the secret for his own agenda, maybe a couple, but I find it astonishing that even Jang Uk's friends and family shared this same agenda, as they also kept the truth from him. Additionally, the more this delay continued the further the narrative possibilities were constrained and, thusly, certain scenarios conjured up by fans never came to pass. However, this will not be much of an issue for people coming in blind to Part 2 (or with a healthy distance from Part 1). Perhaps even the fact that the noble idiocy card is played, or that the main antagonist is obstinately preserved by the writers until the very last episode to little effect (when he shouldn't have made it past Part 1), won't present much of an issue to newcomers.

Having said this, I still feel the final battle for the fate of the world remains rather underwhelming and anticlimactic, not helped by the fact that certain characters are resurrected right before said battle. After all, if the show outright establishes death is not permanent, minutes before "the end of the world," why should I fear for any of the characters? Even Jang Uk himself, during this final battle, doesn't show an ounce of worry that maybe this time he will not make it out alive, regardless of his powers, making the fight seem entirely mechanical and perfunctory. The writers even throw in some half-baked plot device about the King's Star being powered by seven other stars, and since it had never been explained throughout the show a character has to exposition-dump it on our laps (there's quite a lot of exposition dump going around in Part 2, what helps newcomers to the show). It's a plot device prominently featured in the cdrama Fighter of the Destiny, which I previously recommended, so maybe it was inspired by it?

In the end, if you still want to get a taste of the Alchemy experience, I wholeheartedly suggest you treat Part 2 as the original show, with Part 1 being the prequel made to cash in on the show's success that, ultimately, you may not even need. Thus, as a standalone, I'm revising my original rating for Part 2 from a 6/10 to a 7/10, bumping it into my above average bin.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 6/10

Verdict: Better luck in S2

Alternatives: Good Doctor, Again My Life

Woo to the Young to the Woo started off with a bang and had me sold after binging its first four episodes (I had a bit of an offset), making me hopeful this could be one of my favourites from 2022. Sadly, it was thereabouts that the quality of the writing slowly started going downhill for me. Woo lost me on two fronts: the weak framing and execution of the legal cases, and the underdeveloped cast of supporting characters, who were mostly neglected in favour of Park Eun Bin's Young Woo. Don't get me wrong, Park Eun Bin nailed the character, and her conversation with her mom in Episode 8 was particularly poignant and well executed, but it wouldn't have hurt to give characters like Min Woo or Jun-ho a case that resonated with them, like "The Strife of the Three Brothers," which was relevant to Young Woo's BFF Geu Ra-mi.

I'll take Min Woo as an example because, out of the whole cast of supporting characters, he showed the most promise. The show mentions in passing that Min Woo is his family's sole breadwinner, what could explain why he's so competitive and regards Young Woo as a threat rather than a boon, but the show never tries to explore this when it has the perfect medium to do so in the form of the legal cases. So why not give him a case that echoes some of his struggles trying to support his family while making headway into the competitive legal world, thus allowing us and his teammates to get to know him a little better? In essence, show us, don't just tell us. How am I then supposed to buy his sudden change-of-heart in "The Blue Night of Jeju" when you've given me nothing to support the fact he's bonded with anyone in the team? (besides Jun-ho who was already his flatmate) Perhaps not surprisingly, this particular episode throws a bunch of arcs left and right for the supporting characters to try and grab hold of, but too little too late.

As a procedural, I feel Extraordinary Attorney Woo is pretty average. It either didn't know how or never intended to handle its supporting cast of characters and successfully integrate them into the narrative, similarly to how a show like Again My Life did. To draw a curious parallel, the final episode of Again My Life gathers all of "the good guys" at the restaurant of Hee Woo's parents. There are 14 of them in total, not counting Hee Woo and his parents, and I feel like they've truly become one big extended family by show's end. Extraordinary Attorney Woo has a similar scene, gathering everyone at Min Shik's place that is meant to convey the same feeling, but they don't quite feel like a team yet, let alone a family. Maybe in Season 2?

If you're looking for a show featuring another savant autistic lead, but with a better grasp on developing an ensemble cast of characters, as well as a romantic relationship between the leads, then Good Doctor is the show for you. On the other hand, if you're looking for a kickass lawyer, well, you probably already know who I'm talking about.

Fanletter, Please⭐

Episode count: 4

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: A lot of heart in a small package

The first among three shows in these lists that feature Choi Soo Young and Yoon Park as either main or supporting leads. I'd only previously watched Choi Soo Young in So I Married an Anti-Fan, a show not without its share of issues, but her as the female lead wasn't one. Indeed, she was one of the highlights and I was looking forward to seeing more of her work. As such, I was looking forward to this mini-series, more so when I realised Yoon Park would play the role of a father willing to move heaven and earth for his daughter, what is not a typical setup in kdramas (in my watching experience, mind you). Off the top of my head, I can only think of Marriage Contract and Lie After Lie as similar shows, in terms of how much of a protagonist the child actor is. Both are shows I would wholeheartedly recommend.

As for Fanletter, Please, I was positively pleased by how much content and social commentary this show was able to fit into its 4-hour runtime without harming the storytelling, something that even full-length kdramas struggle to achieve. Having said that, I would've welcomed one or two more episodes to let it breathe a little bit more and, of course, to watch some cute family moments! This is definitely a case of so good you want more of it. Still, Choi Soo Young and Yoon Park make it work within the available runtime, what's a credit to them and the script. CSY was on a roll last year (as you'll find out in Part 2!) so I'll have to keep an eye out for more of her dramas, and it was very welcome to see Yoon Park play this devoted father character after the disappointing Forecasting Love & Weather (though he was pretty good in it). Give me more short dramas!

Forecasting Love and Weather

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki, Netflix

Rating: 6/10

Verdict: Couldn't forecast love and I have my doubts about the weather

Alternatives: She Would Never Know, The Rational Life

I have a soft spot for Park Min Young, having watched romcoms like What's Wrong With Secretary Kim? and Her Private Life, or even melodramas like When the Weather is Fine. And who can forget Healer, where she played the part of Lois Lane to Ji Chang Wook's Clark Kent (watch it, it's a classic). I couldn't remember a drama with her that I didn't enjoy watching, so it broke my heart a little to see what a disappointing mess Forecasting Love and Weather turned out to be. I should've heeded a friend's advice to steer clear of Song Kang dramas, even though the script was clearly the worse offender by far.

The show hooked us in with the initial romcom elements, and then decided to veer into slife/melo territory, as the relationships between the different couples started to fray, with conflict being driven at an accelerated pace by the issues that arose from poor communication, or an outright absence of it, and how the different couples handled (they often didn't) the results of their miscommunication. I didn't much mind at the time because I felt they were being somewhat mature about it without overplaying their hand, and because my weekly romcom fix was being delivered by A Business Proposal, but they were treading a fine line... that got utterly ground into dust in the last six episodes. At this point in the show, the nonsensical drama was amped considerably, to the point it could've given Young Lady & Gentleman a run for their money, setting us up for the inevitable breakup. Why? Because the kdrama gods have written that a breakup must inevitably occur in Episode 14 or thereabouts, and this show is not about to subvert that trope!

Like Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Forecasting Love and Weather failed at properly handling its ensemble cast of characters, trying to juggle five relationships to some very mixed results, when it would've been better off simply focusing on the main and secondary couples. As a result, by show's end I could've cared less what happened to the main couple, and was actually a bit more invested in the secondary one, played by Yoon Park and Yura, possibly because they at least tried to talk to each other and work things out. Honestly, Yoon Park's Ki Jun got the better deal out of all the characters in the show. How do you make Ki Jun, the guy who cheated on his fiancée with Si Woo's girlfriend, a more likable, or at least interesting, character than everyone else? You have him grow from an immature baby into a more or less responsible adult. You could argue that the main leads experience growth of their own, but it struck me as a bit aimless, a bit hollow. I mean, 16 episodes for Ha Kyung's boss to tell her you learn more from your mistakes than you do your successes? Seriously? Just go to r/GetMotivated for that.

Would I recommend this show? Unless you want to learn a little about what goes on behind the scenes of a weather forecast, not really, but maybe it's my fault for having high expectations due to PMY. It's not a bad show though, just average. If you want far better executed takes on this concept, check She Would Never Know on the kdrama side, and The Rational Life on the cdrama side.

Glitch💀

Episode count: 10

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 3/10

Verdict: Watching an episode of Ancient Aliens on the History Channel would've been more exciting and a lot shorter too

Alternatives: Circle

Can I get away simply by saying watching this show was a glitch? No? Dammit. I should've known better than to watch a Netflix-produced kdrama, even if it does star Nana, 'cause they've all been a bust for me, but Glitch was one of the privileged few shows I watched in 2022 that made me feel I had utterly wasted my time, with no redeeming qualities about it. 500 minutes to tell a story that lacks focus and is all over the place, perhaps stretched thin to meet a Netflix episode quota, with a FL that is not particularly interesting to follow, as she goes through a midlife crisis and teams up with Nana to investigate a UFO cult that may or may not have kidnapped her ex to sell his kidneys. Okay, maybe I made up that last bit about the kidneys.

The comedy doesn't land, the mystery doesn't land, the drama doesn't land, and the UFO doesn't land either. Undoubtedly, the finale is the better episode of the show, not least of why because it marked the ending, but also because the show didn't have any more time to dawdle as it had been doing for the past nine episodes, what gave it some much needed focus. To make matters worse, the surprises and twists at the end of each episode just weren't good enough to keep you hooked, nor, I'm afraid, were the leads. I was tempted at the time to give this show my first ever 1/10 for the way it wasted my time over the span of those 500 minutes, with a story that was infuriatingly inconsistent and lacked a lot of common sense, but it's probably not that bad. Still, I would only recommend watching it to my enemies, probably alongside something like Sisyphus.

Good Job

Episode count: 12

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 7/10

Verdict: Good fun

Alternatives: Secret Royal Inspector

Another ENA network show, like Extraordinary Attorney Woo, but shorter and more entertaining, as we follow the crazy antics of Eun Soon Woo (Jung Il Woo), a chaebol CEO who doubles as a private detective (think Bruce Wayne/Batman), and Don Se Ra (Kwon Yu Ri), his newly-recruited superpowered assistant, as they aim to solve a 20-year-old cold case while uncovering other, smaller, cases, helping people and rectifying injustices along the way.

Good Job is just a fun ride overall, even if the comedy can be a little hit-or-miss sometimes, especially when it drags on for too long or tries the Marvel route of undermining certain scenes. The writing too could've benefited from another revision, as some events feel gratuitously delayed, like when a character refuses to reveal a certain name only to do so a few minutes later, while others are forced to a head, like Se Ra discovering Soon Woo's batcave. Oh, yeah, he has a batcave, of sorts, and even an Alfred, in the form of Lee Joon Hyuk's Director Hong, whom you may recall from Mystic Pop-Up Bar. He also has a talented sidekick and comedic support, Jin Mo (Eum Moon Suk), both a lawyer and a hacker, who also gets into a romantic entanglement of his own with Se Ra's best friend, Na Hee (Song Sang Eun). This is the mini-Justice League you'll see play dress-up (these scenes are so over-the-top fun!) from episode to episode, as they go undercover to solve cases and get one step closer to their goal. In this sense, this show could be compared to something like Taxi Driver, but, unlike the latter, Good Job doesn't take itself too seriously and neither should you for maximum enjoyment.

While the resolution of the final case felt a bit underwhelming, and perhaps a tad perfunctory (I did appreciate the brief redemption arc for one of the antagonists though), Good Job achieves in 12 episodes what Extraordinary Attorney Woo could not in 16, making its cast of characters grow into a team, one I would not mind accompanying in more adventures in future seasons. Will that happen? Probably not, so if you're looking for more fun adventures of the sort, and don't mind traveling to the past, I would not hesitate to recommend Secret Royal Inspector, with Kim Myung Soo and Kwon Na Ra.

Grid💀

Episode count: 10

Where to watch: Disney+

Rating: 4/10

Verdict: Another nail in the kdrama sci-fi coffin

Alternatives: 365: Repeat the Year, Reset, Circle

Sci-fi is one of my favourite genres, but kdramas have had a rather lousy track record at delivering good quality sci-fi and, sadly, Grid does nothing to change that. Our story starts in 1997, when a mysterious time traveler known as "the Ghost" laves a program for an energy grid to replace Earth's failing magnetic fields. This Grid is now managed by the Administration Bureau who intend to track down the Ghost and unlock the secrets of time travel... eventually. The show's comprised of only ten episodes, yet the pacing of the first half is slower than it has any right to be given the events depicted (hint: they aren't that exciting) and the dialogue isn't stimulating enough to sustain such a slow burner. This "season" could've been compressed into 5 or 6 episodes and it would've been stronger for it. Of course, then it would hardly qualify as a "season" (though Netflix seems to think it does).

The main plot line focuses around this serial killer and the fact that the Ghost is helping him evade capture. Why is this time traveler aiding and abetting a criminal? Honestly, this question was never interesting enough to fuel ten weeks of watching (the pain!) and it shows. Additionally, it is not answered conclusively, although there are some bread crumbs for the viewer to put the pieces together. In fact, this statement captures the show in a nutshell; it raises questions, but never provides any conclusive or satisfying answers, playing on the viewer's knowledge of other (better) time travel stories so they can come up with their own. Perhaps the worst example of this is the season finale, which is only meant to set up events for a possible S2 (in your dreams, or nightmares), thereby raising even more questions.

The writer behind this, Lee Soon Yeon, is apparently quite good, having written for Stranger and Stranger 2. I haven't watched either show so I can't comment on them, but time travel stories aren't for everyone. Having said that, the "mysteries" that are supposed to keep viewers hooked were also underwhelming. I remember reading an article that recommended Grid as a show that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I suppose it's possible to fall off your seat while asleep, right? If you want a show that uses time travel well, though in very limited fashion, merely as a trigger for the plot to unfold, watch 365: Repeat the Year. The cdrama Reset is a great exponent of using a time loop and one of my favourites from 2022. If you want kdrama's best exponent of sci-fi to date, watch Circle (review on the way).

If You Wish Upon Me⭐

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: The genie from Aladdin would be proud

First things first, there is a better version of this show if you take out the gangster storyline, which was entirely superfluous, and better integrate the sister storyline into the main plot. You can also drop the jealous doctor who added surprisingly little beyond being jealous at the required times (what a waste of a perfectly good character). Repackage it all into a shorter, 12-episode, season and this show could've reached 9-10 territory for me. Those are pretty much the weakest aspects of the show.

With that out of the way, it's a very good show. People have compared it to Chocolate given that it takes place in a hospice ward but, for my part, I dropped that show after 5 or 6 episodes, partly because of the ML. No such problem with Ji Chang Wook's character here, an orphan and ex-con with a heart of gold, and a cute dog he's named "Son." Despite all the abuse he's been subjected to throughout his life, he slowly starts to open up as he does community service at the hospice. Paired with Choi Soo Young's flirty Nurse Seo (love her!), these two alone make a powerful case for watching this show. Sung Dong Il also delivers a great performance and has some wonderful exchanges with Ji Chang Wook's character.

The show follows the "case of the week" formula for the most part, certainly during the first half of the drama, as Team Genie tries to fulfill the final wishes of the hospice's patients and often positively impact other people's lives in so doing. Be prepared and have tissues at hand. Beyond the gangster detour that wasted our time towards the end, and drew dangerously close to upending all the good will the show had garnered throughout its run, the final episode really brings it home, coming full circle and delivering a really satisfying conclusion to our story, one final surprise as Team Genie brings down the curtain on their show and bids us goodbye.

In short, yes, it could've been better with a tighter focus but, as it stands, it's one of the better shows to have come out in 2022, and perhaps Ji Chang Wook's best work since Healer (with the caveat that I have not yet watched Suspicious Partner nor Lovestruck in the City). And Choi Soo Young is now 2 for 2! (this girl's on 🔥🔥)

Jinxed at First💀

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 4/10

Verdict: Oh, it's jinxed alright

Alternatives: My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, Goblin, Scripting Your Destiny

I had measured expectations for this drama. Na In Woo had previously worked with the same director in 2021's River Where the Moon Rises, a show I enjoyed a great deal, though mostly because it was the first time I delved deep into the history behind the drama, namely the tale of Princess Pyeonggang and On Dal the Fool, and the history of the Three Kingdoms' period. He was brought in late, with production underway, to replace Ji Soo; he barely slept, had to adlib a lot of his scenes, and still managed to have great chemistry with Kim So Hyun and, to my mind, had the better grasp on the character of On Dal. I'd hoped Jinxed at First would give him another opportunity to shine, but, alas, that was not the case.

The first episode alone is a hectic storytelling mess (and, incidentally, River Where the Moon Rises alumni reunion), rushing through a lot of backstory and setup for the rest of the season. We're introduced to Soo Gwang, a bright student with a promising future and powerful friends, whose life takes a turn for the worse when he meets Seul Bi (Seo Hyun), a woman imprisoned since birth by his best friend's dad because of her strange ability to see a person's future through a single touch. Cut to a year later, where we find Soo Gwang working as a fishmonger under a different name, only for Seul Bi to track him down again, determined to remain by his side.

Honestly, I'm not sure what genre this show wanted to be, but I'm pretty sure it failed at most of them. For the first 6 or 7 episodes it tried to resemble something like My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, as Seul Bi is just as innocent and naïve as Miho was (even if Miho sold it better than Seul Bi did, to my mind), and both male leads were resolved to get rid of her. This is perhaps the strongest portion of the show, as Seul Bi adapts to her new environment and neighbors, making new friends while at the same time helping Soo Gwang get rid of his (never explained) bad luck. I even enjoyed some of the comedy. However, unlike My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, there is not enough chemistry between the leads to have them fall in love with each other over the course of 6 or 7 episodes. Well, not in Soo Gwang's case at any rate, as Seul Bi has been infatuated with him for years. Upon falling in love, the trope that naturally follows is a break-up, after which point the show starts to resemble more of a makjang, turning to corporate and chaebol intrigue and infighting. This is also around the time Soo Gwang's best friend, Min Joon (played by Ki Do Hoon, from Scripting Your Destiny), decides he's in love with Seul Bi (what?), something even more out of left field, especially when he's already engaged to Lee Ho Jung's (Soljiwan!!!) charming character, Ja Kyung, who effortlessly stole every scene she was in. Min Joon, if you don't want her, I'll gladly take her off your hands!

Seemingly having exhausted the depth of its narrative well, the show dragged its feet for several episodes, eventually deciding the story was better served by turning a character into a psychopath, who also wanted Seul Bi for himself and was willing to kill anyone in the process, an eye-rolling set of circumstances eventually resolved thanks to Seul Bi's expansive (aka nonsensical) repertoire of supernatural powers. And, of course, in a show of this caliber, the amnesia trope could not be absent, a card that is dealt in the very last episode and resolved at the very last minute. What a payoff.

When I first learned of this drama I recall reading an outline that went something along the lines of, "Unlucky man meets a goddess of luck." Would it have been too much to ask for a show fitting that description, but in the vein of the excellent Goblin instead? Or maybe something like Scripting Your Destiny, which is certainly not as good as Goblin, but is still way better than this, and much shorter too. If you want to watch a show that features a romantic relationship between a god and a human, I encourage you to give those a try instead, as well as the aforementioned My Girlfriend is a Gumiho.