#tanya degurechaff packs

[xiaotails]

— TANYA DEGURECHAFF ★ ターニャ・フォン・デグレチャフ

[req] - like or reblog if u save

[kurayamineko]

[akaluan]

Erich/Kisuke/Alexis: Soulmate AU + Character in Peril Part 6

They loot the camp, motions practiced and priorities already known. Intelligence, food and medical supplies, ammunition… nothing is left behind that they can use or adapt to use.

Erich slings a pack full of stolen papers across his back, settles his rifle in place, and waits for his men to be done.

He ignores all the Reaper’s attempts at speaking.

(The Reaper can learn to be patient like everyone else.)

(Bastard.)

***

The march back is grueling, burdened by supplies and exhausted by nearly twenty-four hours awake.

He loses track of the Reaper at some point.

He’ll worry about it later.

***

They don’t stop to rest at their previous camp. It’s too close to the enemy, too open for discovery, and Degurechaff had suggested ordering the men they left behind to pack it up.

Everything is ready to go by the time they make it back.

There’s no time to rest.

They keep marching.

***

Erich’s running on autopilot by the time they make it back to their base camp; he’s awake enough to give the correct orders and drop off his own burden, but little else.

Degurechaff all but orders him away in her own way; it’s not an order because he’s her commander, but it’s enough of one that he takes the opening and bows out of the proceedings.

He collapses gratefully into his bedroll and lets unconsciousness claim him.

***

“…tay away from him or so help me, I will carve politeness into your skull!”

“So heartless! I’m just here to help him sleep!”

“Help him sleep? The last time you tried, he attacked you. Learn some boundaries.”

Erich groans and rolls over, burying his head in his blankets. He doesn’t want to listen to Degurechaff and the Reaper argue any more.

“Sir, my apologies for waking you,” Degurechaff speaks, voice low and oddly hypnotic. “The Reaper is insisting on… helping. What would you like me to do?”

“I have a name, you know!”

“I don’t care,” Degurechaff snaps back.

“Make him go away,” he mumbles without thought.

He just wants the arguing to end.

The Reaper squawks in protest and then—

Silence.

He drifts off again.

***

The next time he wakes, there’s enough light in the tent to indicate morning and the sound of men moving around outside means he’s slept in.

Not that it feels like it.

He sits up with a sigh and scrubs at his face, trying desperately to wake up. He feels hungover, feels like he got no sleep at all, and—

His hands are trembling.

Erich stares blankly at his hands, watching his fingers shake with an odd, detached interest.

(He struck his soulmate.)

(He struck his Reaper soulmate.)

(He’s… still alive…?)

A mug is unceremoniously shoved at him and his hands reflexively close around it, accepting it from Degurechaff — Degurechaff? When did she show up…? — before she decides to retract the offer. It’s warm, grounding, and he takes a minute to appreciate the almost-normality of holding a cup of coffee in his hands. It might not be his preferred drink, but he’s grown accustomed to drinking it over the years.

“Thank you,” he murmurs before taking a sip, then pauses as the taste hits his tongue. He blinks down at it. Takes another sip, then another, savoring the taste of almost-correct coffee. If he ignores the faint edge to it, he can almost pretend it’s not ersatz coffee he’s drinking but real coffee.

“I have no idea how Visha does it, so don’t ask me,” Degurechaff says with a touch of amusement, her own cup held in one small hand. She settles on her bedroll and watches him for a moment, occasionally take a sip of her coffee. “It’s one of her hidden talents.”

“Like her talent at cards?” Erich asks dryly, remembering more than one occasion where he came across men on the losing side of Serebryakov’s card skills. He’s almost convinced that she’s a card sharp, but he’s also never spotted her cheating, which is good enough for him.

He’s benefited more than once from her stash of winnings, after all. He’s not about to cut off one of their best means of gaining luxuries if he can help it.

“That’s not exactly a hidden talent,” Degurechaff disagrees. “Everyone who hears about it just thinks she gets lucky and that they’ll certainly not lose to her.”

Erich snorts, conceding the point. His own men had that opinion too, until Serebryakov took them for everything they were worth.

(He could have intervened, but… really.)

(He would have thought his unit more intelligent than that.)

“We’re going to need to stay here for a few days,” Degurechaff says before the silence can stretch too long. She takes another sip of her coffee and glances up to Erich as she says, “The men need rest and our wounded need care.”

(You need rest, he hears.)

“So long as we’re safe, it should be fine,” Erich concedes without a fight. He’s tired and worn and empty in a way he’s rarely been, shaken by the previous two days and uncertain how to find his balance.

A few days without having to be on the move will be a blessing.

(Now if only he can figure out what to do about the Reaper…)

He sighs and takes another sip of coffee.

He’ll deal with it later.

(Why does it feel like he’s forgetting something…?)

***

Erich sets aside another stack of stolen papers and sits back to massage his hand. The mage battalion had more strategic information than he expected, including the latest encryption schema, which is a distinct relief. They’re not operating quite so blind for the moment, able to listen in on enemy transmissions, and so far everything is going well.

“Sir.”

He looks up and frowns at the sight of Degurechaff stalking towards his makeshift desk; she’s… not quite angry, but something’s put her on edge. “Colonel Degurechaff…?”

“Was there something you forgot to mention, sir?” she snaps as she halts in front of his desk and fixes him with a flat stare.

He pauses, feeling his frown deepening as he tries to think of what she’s referring to, and—

“Fuck.”

Amusement sparks in Degurechaff’s gaze. “I take it you remembered,” she says dryly.

Erich sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “My apologies, Colonel Degurechaff. I had intended to inform you yesterday when I became certain of it, but…”

“I understand, sir. Other things got in the way.” Her lips quirk up in a tiny, wry smile, and she taps her right hand against her thigh in indication. Before he can do more than nod, though, she continues on, “Regardless, there’s currently a woman at the edge of the camp who says she’s Alexis von Rerugen and that it’s her right as your soulmate to see you.”

“We probably shouldn’t keep her waiting, then,” Erich says as he pushes himself to his feet. There’s a coil of anticipation in his stomach, a touch of relief like he’s finally able to breathe after too long holding his breath. He hasn’t seen Alexis in months, ever since the Empire started to truly crumble and he… he’s happy.

The situation is a mess, she’s in more danger here than almost anywhere else, but the mere thought of her presence is a relief.

(He finally doesn’t have to do everything alone.)

(She’s here, she’s here, she’s here—)

Degurechaff falls into step with him as they duck out of his tent, subtly guiding him towards where Alexis is. Not that he entirely needs it, not this close, not with her soulmark burning strength-determination-love all up his left side and across his back.

The sight of her is like a lantern in the darkness.

She’s wearing modified Quincy war-gear, mottled greys and stone blues instead of white and dark blue, the cloth covered by the simplest style of their armor; it’s just a chest plate, greaves, and arm-guards, but it’s more than plenty against most Hollows.

That she’s decided to don it says plenty about the current state of things beyond his reach.

She has her favored reflex bow tied to her pack and his spare rifle slung across her shoulder, with a pistol hanging from her belt. He can spot at least one supply of ammunition on her in easy reach, and he has no doubt she has more secreted away and extra in her pack. She looks as dangerous as he knows she is and—

It’s such a relief.

“Erich!” she says as soon as she spots him, her eyes lighting up and her smile growing. “It’s good to see you.”

Erich gives his wife the dry look that deserves, but steps closer and waves his men aside. “She’s who she claims to be,” he tells them as he reaches out. Catches her hand and—

Yelps as he’s yanked in, colliding with her armored chest as she wraps him in an almost too tight bear-hug.

“Alexis!”

The men snicker as they disperse, and he can already hear the rumors starting. Hopefully it won’t be too harmful to his reputation.

Hopefully.

(Ugh.)

Degurechaff coughs, a pointed indication that she’s waiting for him, and he pries himself free of Alexis’ hug with reluctance. She’s facing away from him when he turns around, hands clasped behind her back and head tilted a bit up, as if she’s praying for patience.

(He supposes it wouldn’t be the first time.)

(How she’s put up with him lately is a mystery, if he’s being honest…)

“Apologies, Colonel. If I may introduce you, this is my soulmate and wife, Alexis von Rerugen. Alexis, this is my current second in command, Lieutenant Colonel Tanya von Degurechaff,” he says, hoping that Degurechaff won’t take offense at Alexis like she’s taken offense to the Reaper.

(At least Alexis is polite.)

(Usually.)

“A pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” Degurechaff says with a nod, turning back around to face them. She pointedly sweeps her gaze over Alexis’ gear. “If I may ask…”

“I know how to use everything I’m carrying. Our family has long been a believer in training everyone to protect themselves,” Alexis says with amusement. She steps up to Erich’s side and takes his left hand in her right, pressing their wrists together. There’s layers of fabric and armor between them, but he can still feel the hum of their matched soulmarks so close together.

(He wishes she wasn’t wearing armor, even if he understands her reasoning…)

(He just… wants to feel her touch against his skin.)

“Yeah, I bet,” Degurechaff mutters, voice barely loud enough for Erich to catch.

Alexis snorts and flashes Degurechaff a sharp grin. “Got read in, I take it?”

Degurechaff stares up at her for a long, thoughtful moment, then nods sharply and turns on her heel. “Might I suggest we take this back to your tent, sir?”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Erich says, squeezing Alexis’ hand and pulling strength from her presence. “Lead on, Colonel.”

(Alexis’ presence doesn’t solve anything, but…)

(He already feels better with her at his side.)

(Maybe they can do this.)

(Together.)

[figureviews]

Review: Nendoroid 803 Conan Edogawa

For some people anime conventions are a chance to have fun... for my wallet they’re the reason he’s emptied due to me getting new Nendo in my collection.

Conan Edogawaf rom the popular anime series "Meitantei Conan" based on the homonym manga, came into my collection exactly when I spotted him (along with other Nendos I’ll talk later on) in an anime convention... (below in an official photo).

I’ll be frank, I was a little hesitant in getting this little guy because I love the manga but I wasn’t sure a Nendo version of Conan would work well since Conan is... well, already chibified so I feared it would simply feel like having a copy of him more than a cute Nendo.

Well... copy or not I’ll admit his Nendo version is still adourable so I’m happy he came home!

His package is... of the old standard size but with a larger window showing him compared to the old standard model. It not only has the Good Smile logo but also the made at GSC's 'Lucky Factory' in Tottori, Japan logo. I guess they were afraid if they were to make it in China there would be too many bootleg of such a popular chara. Try to avoid them as well, the original is so much better.

If you’re not familiar with the old package here there’s a comparative image.

They’re not terribly different but still you can see how the window showing Conan is larger. I wonder if this is the standard package for Nendo made in Tottori as Chris Redfield which I previously reviewed, also made in Tottori had it as well and the same goes for Tanya Degurechaff and Sakura Miku Bloomed in Japan which I’ll review in future and which are also made in Tottori.

Anyway, going on, let’s give a look at Conan’s blister pack.

As you can see the plastic wrapping is the same of the other blister pack, here, look at him without all that wrapping for a better view.

As you can see already he comes with a good amount of spare parts. Nothing over the top but it’s clear they gave him many options for posing.

The stand and the brace (let’s get over with the boring part immediately) are the standard ones.

Of course we’ve instructions in English and Japanese.

And now let’s move to more juicy stuffs, let’s look at all of Conan’s disassembled parts!

Quite a difference in amount compared to Okanehira, isn’t that right? Really, if I compare him and Conan I feel sorry for him.

So, going with order we’ve:

Legs first.

Conan comes with a total of 5 legs, which are meant to be 3 right legs and 2 left legs.

Although you can see bent legs they aren’t actually for sitting, just for kneeling. They don’t really work that well on sitting due to Conan’s short which hint at how his legs are in a straight position. In fact the only slightly bent leg is the one on the left (which Conan uses to go on the skateboard) which, to work, has on its top an extra part that hints at how the fold of the pants get bent.

As I was pretty curious about the working of that leg I couldn’t help but immediately try it out.

Uhum... up close you might notice how the folding of the pants on the leg doesn’t perfectly match with the pants (unless I had a defective leg?) but it’s still something that can work.

Anyway 5 legs are a good selection which gives him mobility options.

Arms and hands now.

6 harms, 3 right and 3 left but with an addition of 2 extra right hands and 1 left hand for definitely A LOT of posing.

It’s also worth to note that you can detatch the bowtie from the hand holding it so you can use that hand for other posing.

As it happens often with chibified figures, proportions of objects change according to the characters holding them or wearing them. While hats or helmets become much smaller when a Nendo hold them opposed to when he wears them, in the bowtie case, the bowtie Conan hold is much bigger than the ones he wear... in fact this Nendo comes with two different bowties, one for wearing and one for holding.

In fact if you look at the upper part of his body...

...you can notice the bowtie can be easily detatched so that Conan won’t look like wearing his bowtie while holding his bowtie.

As the position for speaking in the bowtie still covers the part where the bowtie is, it succesfully hids the slot in which the bowtie would need to be inserted.

The photo don’t really do justice to the colour of Conan’s clothes but they’re bright and ‘television-like’. Sure, they’re very simple and essential but I still love how they come out.

Faceplates now!

They’re the standard amount, 3. The interesting part is that, apart from the serious version, they’ve a sideway look, a hint that Conan is normally better when displayed not straight but slightly turned.

And, of course, Conan has his eyeglasses.

The shape of Conan’s hair allows the glasses to remain firmly on Conan as the tips of the frame can attach to the frontal part of the hair, while the frontal part of the eyeglasses is further insured in it’s stillness by both by standing on top of Conan’s nose (they don’t quite rest on it but if they come slightly lose it would stop them from sliding down) and also by having the hair covering them slightly. Mind you, it isn’t pressing them down, it’s just stopping them from getting distant from the face.

So let’s look at the hair.

If you want the hair isn’t really shaded, they’re mostly a single colour but it’s also a faithful and good reprodution of Conan’s hair. And yes, if you need to, you can detatch the strand of hair at the top of the back part of the head.

Oh, I forgot to mention, Conan also comes with his skateboard which is really faithfully reproduced.

In case you’re curious this is the original.

And with the skateboard we’ve finished Conan’s accessories.

If I’ve to be fully honest I wish they had given him a soccer ball and a pose for him to kick it as not only Conan often uses a soccer ball to knock down escaping culprits...

...but playing with it is also is favourite method to relax himself.

An alternate pair of glasses with the radar included would also be nice.

... while I think it would have been difficult to use the pose for when he’s using his watch (in his small Nendo size the watch is not even visible)....

but well, although I’m saying so, I still think Conan has enough parts that allow him to make enough poses. So while extra would have been welcomed, he’s already a fully furnished Nendo.

So let’s look in deep to those poses. Conan has many poses that are recurring in the series... but in many variations. Due to this I couldn’t quite find the perfectly matching pictures.

For example the first pose Good Smile proposes is a mix of this two poses.

The bowtie pose is performed actually in various way during the series which include kneeling but also standing or sitting.

As for the skateboard pose... both the manga and the anime presents us with some HIGHLY dynamic skateboard poses so the pose Good Smile suggests feels rather tame but it still works.

The “Only one truth prevails!” pose also comes in many variations.

And the dumbfounded pose also comes in many variants.

Overall the poses are all good and you can vary them to make them more appealing as Conan, as said before, comes with many spares.

Overall I think it’s a really good and well furnished Nendo.

Would anyone who’s not fan of the series, want to buy him?

Hum... maybe.

While I think Conan is really good as a reproduction of his own character, on the whole he comes as a Nendo with the body of a child and with clothes a bit peculiar. You might want him if you plan to custom make a child... otherwises... hum... I’m not sure.

Still, I love this little one!

On an interesting addition I’ll mention Re-ment too also released a Meitantei Conan set, the small day collection.

Accessories don’t involve just Conan but also the rest of the cast... but if you want to give a better look at the Conan accessories here they are... and they include the soccer ball!

[cocoarosalia]

To those calling the crunchyroll awards pointless, stupid, rigged etc

Here’s the thing

A lot of shows were weirdly snubbed and it was odd and unfair that Academia had two entries for both Best Boy and Best Girl. I have no argument there, truly.

 But what a lot of people don’t seem to grasp is that the Anime Awards is NOT the oscars. Yes it has judges, but it’s primarily popularity based so DUH the most popular show is gonna win some awards! What else would you expect!? And here’s the part I don’t get

Why can’t a popular show win awards? And be recognized? Why is it that whenever a show is super popular it automatically needs to be shit upon and deemed unworthy of praise?

Academia DID have good animation. Damn good animation in fact. And it’s action was packed full of intensity and weight. You could feel the meaning behind every single punch. And Deku is still a blooming hero who has no issue throwing himself in front of a train to save others. Academia, to me, deserves the awards ten fold.

Best boy and Best Girl? Honestly, these are terrible categories if they were aiming for a fair and even vote. It’s so subjective that unless your girl won (or was even nominated) then you were gonna feel offended somehow. (though the fact that neither Kanna nor Tohru were nominated strikes me as bizarre since everyone latched on to at least kanna as the internets darling daughter).

So what I'm saying is, is that anime is in a real transition phase. It no longer the niche quiet little group it once was where everyone was basically watching the same shows so arguing over the best was pretty much non-irrelevant. We’re not the same plucky little middle schoolers that were so ashamed of our passions that any mention of it got us defensive. We’re adults now dammit, with so many options impossible for everyone to be on the same page. Grow up, love your shows, and let others do the same

Now if you wanna hear my weeb response to the show just click that pretty little button below

Ok so their choices for villains honestly made no sense to me for two of them Tanya Degurechaff is a dickhead, yes. She’s manipulative and cruel, no doubt. But a villain? Not really. She doesn’t do anything out of malice, every action has the express purpose of pissing off being X and getting her to the lap of security and luxury so I never found her to be quite villainous. 

Usagi was an ok villain but in the context of the show he wasn’t evil....just fucking nuts. And a good villain makes you understand their view of life and how they got there and out of ALL THE WARRIORS THEY GAVE BACKGROUNDS TO THE SHOW LEAVES OUT THE ONE WE ALL ACTUALLY WANTED so he was never a deep intellectual foil because A) there was never a main character until the very end and B) again he’s just a fucking loon with dual swords and thighs that could crush steel.

Kobayashi winning best comedy was fucking ridiculous. I love Kobayashi it was my escape into fluff and sweet baby dragons but it was never...that funny. Which made sense, it wasn’t supposed to be funny it was DESIGNED to be a sweet slice of life romp so when it WASN’T EVEN NOMINATED FOR THAT CATEGORY it honestly felt like a mistake. Not to mention I didn’t even WATCH konosuba and I know that should’ve won hands down so yea that was fucking weird af.

Also I can see why March Comes in Like a Lion won best continuing series. Look we’re not arguing for fucking best nostalgia or longest running show (Which btw Shout out to all my peeps who’s first anime was Naruto. We all had the headbands don’t lie). What I hope people judged on was who’s series best upheld the impact the previous season left. And lets be real, is Naruto and Dragonball REALLY as emotionally damning as when you first watched it or when it first came out? Don’t you thing both shows went on for FAR too long. I’m just saying dragon ball could take a card from Naruto and conclude with grace (minus the “Goku’s kid” reboot)

I really wanted my favorite brocco baby to win but Shoto really deserved it and I know that if he could physically take the award he would use the opportunity to elegantly tell his dad to suck off his two temp dick

And lastly for those saying that the show was rigged, if they really wanted to rig it they could’ve let Academia win, I know for a FACT it had the popularity votes but they knew you guys would riot in the fucking streets if they did so they just gave it to next most popular show. And that’s not even a jab at Made in Abyss, I haven’t seen it enough to pass judgement like that and I never will but if we’re talking pure popularity Academia would’ve swept the awards like shit.

[illeity]

Winter 2017 Anime Awards!

(From the ones I actually watched.)

Best Overall: 3-gatsu no Lion/ March Comes in like a Lion

Into the light.

With consistent quality during the second part despite a shift in focus, perfectly managed tone that never leads to excess sentimentality or overt levity, and a story that ebbs and flows with such grace that it melts metaphor and direct description like an impressionist painting, Chica Umino's March Comes in Like a Lion remains the top spot for two consecutive seasons for the simple reason that it tells a rich story of individuals and making meaning.

In the first part, it introduces shogi professional, sometimes student, and introvert Rei Kiriyama and the facets of his life, particularly his close ties with the Kawamoto siblings. At the beginning of Part 2, Rei hugs the youngest Kawamoto sibling, Momo, and says that he has personal and professional matters to deal. While he sees the Kawamoto family as comfort and healing, he understands that he can't come running to them each time. With a major tournament upcoming he stops visiting them and the narrative shifts to the lives of the Shogi players that he plays against. With their own dreams and regrets, he becomes an observer of their lives as he compares it against his own, not to pass judgement on his failings, but to see the possibilities there is to life and to recognize that in the end, there are no bad guys, just people driven by very different motivations and showing how they cope with the consequences of a lifetime of choices.

With another season later in the year and a two-part live action movie currently showing in Japan, the series deserves all the accolades it gets. And if you're ever in the market for something substantial, with a deep, beating heart, this is your anime.

Best Drama: Youjo Senki, The Saga of Tanya the Evil

What is a god to an non-believer?

Tanya von Degurechaff is the fiercest, deadliest, and most cunning soldier of the Empire (Not-Germany) as they wage the first World War (Until it becomes muddled when they introduce a Panzerkampfwagen IV.). She's also under thirteen years old and is hated by God, or a god.

Why is that?

The god sees Tanya has such little faith in him and has therefore cursed her: Should she die a death that is not natural, she will be taken off the wheel of reincarnation and sent to hell.

But why a kid? And why so much hatred for an individual?

While these questions are answered to an extent, the most important thing to consider is that these driving forces are what sets up Tanya as she is placed in conflict for most of the war as she struggles to survive. She puts in as many legal means as possible to leave the war, only to have her end up on the front lines anyway, whether by her own fault, or by divine intervention.

As she leaves a trail of bodies, her actions reverberate throughout the war as everyone slowly pushes down into a black hole, no matter who is winning. And as with the nature of war, there are no heroes, only murderers.

Best Comedy: Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o!

"This anime is like every insane D&D story I have ever heard." -henlp

The second season of Konosuba! continues the adventures of Satou Kazuma as he is pulled from the real world into a fantasy world where RPG game mechanics exist in reality. He's accompanied by a Goddess who drinks too much and wastes her skill points on party tricks, a Wizard who knows only one spell (and collapses after every use), and a Crusader who can tank, but cannot hit any living thing with her sword (not out of principle, she just can't hit at all). Also, that Crusader is a masochist.

"Insane and crazy" is the proper descriptor for the way the series is plotted, as comedic plot points are introduced and escalated versions of those plot points are put to use later on. The characters are made aware that they are in the mess they are in because of the solution that resolved a previous conflict made ample fuel for another. "It gets worse" is another descriptor as they are battered by bad luck and only somehow manage to escape as even their most competent moments are displays of excellence borne out of their utter stupidity. It's a show that's shameless enough to throw everything at a wall to make you laugh, and most of the time, what they throw in, sticks.

Honorable Mention: Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon

The Lion falls in love with the Mouse.

Miss Kobayashi is a Systems Engineer who, after a night of drunken revelry, somehow saves the life of a dragon, Tohru. Still drunk, she invites the Dragon back to her apartment, and into her life.

Unlike Konosuba! which fills narrative space with ever increasing, crazy humor, Miss Kobayashi's strength is mixing in the fantastical elements with the mundane, to create the comedy or the heart-warming plots, something that Gabriel DropOut only marginally succeeded in doing.

All throughout are discussions on the comfort between partners and the lives of people from vastly different backgrounds. It's about love and growing into it, even though we've largely been on autopilot. It's about the surprise we get when we realize to what degree people can love us for.

Best Cute Girl Anime: Demi-chan wa Kataritai, Interview with Monster Girls

Science, Folklore, and Free Hugs

Almost all Cute Girl Anime narratives occur within a casting closed system, that is, primary and secondary characters are all girls and they play off their antics onto each other and whatever conflict they find themselves in. So this is a very special case where the Primary female characters shine in their characterization with the aid of a Primary male character, Takahashi Tetsuo, Biology teacher, Demi-Human Researcher, and member of the pantheon of the "Greatest Teachers in Fiction".

So for the girls, we have Takanashi Hikari, vampire, Machi Kyouko, dullahan, Elsa, Kusakabi Yuki, a snow woman, and Satou Sakie, succubus and Math teacher.

The daily motions of these monster girls is already interesting enough, but a subtle beauty comes from the setting and the way the plot is crafted with a keen eye for science and human foibles.

The world-building is present but hardly emphasized, and shows how the world accommodates the Demi-Humans and their special needs. Vampires get blood packs subsidized by the government, Succubi get visits from Demi-Human agencies to check up on how well they're adjusting to their environment, and the rest are treated not so much because they're demi-humans, but how they are as people. Kusakabe Yuki, for instance, is seen as cold by a few of her peers, but never attribute her nature as a snow woman to be the cause.

The science part is interesting, because several chapters detail efforts by Takahashi trying to explain the physiology of the Demi-Humans, drawing on folklore for insight and the scientific method to explain "how" they function, without asking "why". In Magical Realism, whys have never been the point anyway.

And so we have a Cute Girl anime that stands above and beyond what is generally expected of the genre. By having the willingness to introduce other characters in the mix, we experience something a bit more different in how humor is constructed and how conflict is resolved. True to its efforts to ground itself through science, the warmth comes off even more genuine and realistic.

Best Sci-Fi/ Fantasy: Little Witch Academia

Better than Harry Potter.

What started off as a crowd-funded film about a young girl aspring to become a great witch, has turned into a full-blown series as it should have from the start. It carries with it all the trademarks of Trigger: Stark and clean character design, slick animation, and a wild ride of a story. Whereas previous works were about killer clothes and literal shared experiences, this one is a straight-forward romp into the realm of fantasy.

Except, while the premise is straight-forward, the execution has all the majesty and scope of an epic tightly-knit inside the trappings of what is essentially a coming-of-age, high school story. Add a pinch of the ever classic industry versus magic trope, excellent characters and well-realized relationships, and you have something that only ever appears plain and overdone.

Best Girl: Tsukinose Vignette April from Gabriel DropOut

No good or evil, only kawaii.

I have reached the conclusion that in the world of Gabriel DropOut, the one reason neither Heaven nor Hell have made any greater stride against the other is not because of balance, but rather because both are equally inept.

That being said, Tsukinose Vignette April, a demon from Hell, is the worst kind of inept but the also the best kind of character to be best girl: Kind, disciplined, being the one person responsible enough to go over to Gabriel's home to wake her up for school, scared of horror movies, and just... angelic. Compound her difficulty with being the only straight man in a comedy quartet gives her the patience of a saint.

Some people, like Gabriel, could never grasp the responsibility of being a divine being. For Vignette, she was just unlucky enough to not have been born to a role she's a natural in: that of a normal human being.

Best OP: "Shadow and Truth" by ONE III NOTES from ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept.

"It's never really what it seems."

In the latest of slice-of-life/ food/ mystery anime is ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept, where Otus tries to do his job as inspector in what is ostensibly a Fascist state that is under rumors of a coup.

Of course, the general goal of any good OP is to draw the viewer into the show and communicate what they'll come to expect from it. And for a show with such style and class it's masterful to pick a song that blends hip-hop and jazz as the vocalists rap about the hazy nature of truth as people play games with relationships and politics into each other.

The striking visuals complement the song nicely, with shots of the various characters shifting in and out of blur and limiting visuals to white, black, and one more color for every scene to evoke a unique feel for every single character and teasing the role they'll play in the show.

Best ED: "Los! Los! Los!" by Aoi Yūki from Youjo Senki, Saga of Tanya the Evil

Bedenke, dass du sterben musst.

An ode to madness and bloodlust, Los! Los! Los! (German for "Come on! Come on! Come on!") is a war speech in song form with very simple visuals: Shots of Tanya's face in various states of anger/ madness, a battlefield, and a few illustrations by the Light Novel's artist, Neichiru. How and when they're shown is where the song melds and gains greater power.

The angry/ mad face and the battlefield are shown and interchange with each other to follow the beat of the song during the chorus, which are commands in German to attack, take cover, or stand in attention.

Neichiru's illustrations take over during the verses, which celebrates war, the joys of taking away life, and surrendering your own life to your country, which the song sees as a great achievement, good enough to reach heaven for by building dead bodies one atop another.

Listening to the full song is recommended , as it expands on the nihilism even further, calling for those who advocate peace as weaklings and calling for ceaseless violence and depravity akin more to Heaven rather than Hell.

For its dark and horrifying thesis (sung with the voice of a young girl), the song would not be out of place in a battlefield setting where you know there is no way out, so you might as well go and fight and relish every drop of blood spilled, whether your own, or your opponents.

[game-refraction]

Anime at a Glance: Saga of Tanya the Evil

Dust flies, the shells ring out in the distance and everyone rushes from the trenches. Like lambs to the slaughter the soldiers charge forward amidst the fire of mortars and rifle shots. The few who make it far enough get pinned down and surrounded, disarmed and awaiting their final moment to end. Shells hit the enemy troops, clearing a way for a mage to drop in and extract the lone survivor in the area to be taken back to the trench. Given strict orders to stay until the last man, they cannot retreat.

“Believers, have faith in the Lord’s blessings. For the Lord will not abandon us. Give me the power to destroy the enemies of the Fatherland.”

Her eyes turn golden, and a powerful explosion rings through the air and decimates the forces below. The platoon commander descends and orders everyone to fight. Tanya Von Degurechaff, rising through the ranks, is one of the second lieutenants on the battlefield. She is on her way to becoming known for her victory in the current Rhine battle, despite being only 9 years old.

In the present time, several major powers are involved in a war spanning across the continent. Tanya serves the Empire fiercely and seeks to rise among the ranks, crush her enemies, and live a long life after the war ends. In the midst of the battle, a few of her Corporals rush forward to destroy the enemy artillery, disobeying their superior commander’s orders and charging forward. Corporal Serebryakov watches as Tanya’s eyes turn cold, expecting the worst.

After the battle, they take a well-deserved break before being summoned to the second lieutenant’s tent. After disobeying her orders, she’s relieving them of their duties and sending the two reckless fools home. The situation turns even more tense when they refuse to be sent home, believing their actions to be correct, stirring up more anger in Tanya as she prepares to draw her sword. After calming herself for a moment she releases the grip of her sword and puts Serebryakov’s mind at ease by dismissing them once again.

The next mission goes by with the two Corporals moved to the rear lines in a pillbox, for people joining to die for their country this seemed like the simplest resolution. Serebryakov is simply happy that they’re in the rear where it’s safe, though with all the constant fighting she falls from exhausting during the night mission to the ground as they discover an advance mage troop and Tanya orders a strategic fallback to inform their commander.

With new information, the Commander asks Tanya to rally her platoon to take out the new mage threat on the front lines. An argument is made with Serebryakov’s safety and reliability is made after the fall from the previous sortie. Worried about holding everyone back, Serebryakov throws herself forward to volunteer for the mission to sway their Commander’s opinion back. Seeing her dedication, he assigns Tanya and her mage platoon to the rescue mission and sends them off to prepare.

Upon entering the battlefield, they watch as the soldiers they’re sent to rescue being destroyed already. Unhappy with the option of returning to base and aborting operation, Tanya orders her soldiers to fight and take out the mage unit they’ve been sent against. To make it easy, she’ll take out three platoons, the rest of them only must defeat the remaining one.

“I pray unto God. Lord, save my Fatherland.”

Her eyes become golden once again as she activates her mage jewel, and she dashes in towards the entire enemy mage battalion.

The enemies take defensive positions and the commander urges them to start firing, to shoot her down but she’s far too small, and fast, to be able to hit. Dashing through the fire she raises her rifle and lets loose three shots, causing explosions to obscure the enemy vision, charging forward still. As some of the smoke clears the enemy mage commander watches her charge a bayonet through her soldier’s head, decapitating him, with a twisted smile across her face. Her speed is unrivaled as she ascends further into the sky to chase three enemies down. The rest of their company begins to ascend after her, though limited by their magic equipment they are forced to stop.

Tanya stops and raises open communications across the radio with them, declaring them to be invaders of the Fatherland, asking them to leave. They fire at her, only to watch everything pass through a hologram. “Negotiations have broken down it seems.” Letting out an audible sigh of disappointment. The enemy commander fires a powerful explosive shot towards her, directly hitting her. A moment later the smoke clears as she lowers her barrier and waves her hand, displaying a magical targeting grid. Locking her next projectile onto the remainder of the mage company in front of her.

“Oh, Lord… Save our Fatherland from these faithless invaders. At the end of our long road, we shall reach the promised land.”

Her rifle glows a cascade of colors, barely able to contain the power she’s contained within this next shot, before she pulls the trigger and releases a giant explosion within the enemy ranks.

She announces to the battlefield of enemies to lay down arms and they’d be declared prisoners of war. No one would want to stand against this display of power.

Back at base camp, Serebryakov receives a letter from a messenger within the army that the previous corporals previously dismissed by Lieutenant Degurechaff have been killed in action. She deems it only fitting to break the news to Tanya herself. As she walks into the tent and begins to mention their names, Tanya appears to have already guessed the conclusion.

“After all, a pillbox doesn’t move, and stationary targets are perfect for artillery.”

This anime mirrors World War I as far as a timeline would go, obviously changing the military and country names but for a reason other than you’d think. The main difference of this world is that magic is present, and some people are born with an affinity to utilize it. With mages becoming a tool to be used in a war, they appear to be used in place of fighter planes or scouts, as their mobility is heightened using technology being adapted to strengthen or modify a Mage’s capabilities beyond their normal limits.

Tanya is another matter, as she possesses an experimental jewel that enhances her magic far above what other mages are issued. There’s a reason for her to recite a blessing or chant for each time she uses her magic as well, though it’s revealed in the second episode, I’d rather not spoil anything from the show so far. Her above average intelligence is also explained under the same reason, as well as why the names of the countries are all changed.

It’s like a more widespread magical adaptation of Izetta: The Last Witch from last season. If there was more than just one person in the war that used magic, it’d probably be more like Saga of Tanya the Evil. It’s not surprising to learn that it was also licensed by Funimation this season, as Izetta was the previous season. Though made by different studios their opening premise isn’t too different, though they branch apart completely within a few episodes and have nothing in common afterwards.

The most impressive part about this anime has been the action sequences, as following political agendas would be just too boring for almost any show. While it may be filled with violence, it also hasn’t dipped into heavy fan service, like most anime do, but there is still half a season left at the time of posting this introduction to the series. It is an action-packed adventure into an alternate history of the world if wars were fought using mages and technology to say the least. There are some political scenes that offer some extra exposition or plot advancement, but it is usually kept short and to the point.

Pop over to Crunchyroll to check out the first few episodes of this amazing show.

Anime at a Glance: Saga of Tanya the Evil was originally published on Game-Refraction