Slightly disappointed by the first episode of Dungeon Meshi / Delicious in Dungeon on Netflix. The subtitles, as usual, leave a lot of on-screen text untranslated which is annoying but not the end of the world, but mostly I'm just not feeling it. The pacing and tone are a little off, and while I like the colours and character designs, there's something about it that feels even cheaper than usual for a Trigger production. Maybe it's just that the source material doesn't allow their usual hyperkineticism? It's just a bit tame.
Or maybe it's just that Frieren has been so, so brilliant that "decent" isn't cutting it.
I'm late to the party - the second season has started - but I've been very pleasantly surprised by The Apothecary Diaries.
It's part slice of life, part political intrigue mystery, in a Chinese period drama setting. It's also extremely funny, with a success rate to ours jokes that's fairly uncommon in anime. It's also extremely light on fanservice and violence, which I'm appreciating.
Maomao is a young self-taught herbalist working mostly with courtesans and brothels, who gets kidnapped and sold to the royal palace as a servant, but her ability to read and (unofficial) medical training - especially her knowledge of poisons - end up getting her promoted to food taster for one of the emperor's concubines.
The stakes, on a political scale, are often quite high, but the show manages to give them a very human element that makes the immediate consequences matter to the characters (even when the wider outcomes don't), in a way that kind of reminds me of Hyouka, one of the anime mystery GOATs.
If there's a problem I have with the story it's that the titles of the concubines get confusing, but I'm assuming this part is based on actual historical traditions (and the names possibly aren't as easily confused in the original language; I'm watching the dub, which is excellent – one advantage of coming to the thing a season behind everyone else).
It's been a while and I have also not watched Anime in a while (I am still re-reading Sailor Moon though), the most recent was Konosuba because yes, I haven't seen it. I really like it, Darkness is my favourite. (Can we get a Tank in the next Expansion for XIV that is masochist with a masochist gauge please)
Also the anime adaptation for Whisper Me a Love song but that is in scheduling hell at the minute so I can't even be bothered to catch up, it was a pretty fine adaptation so far but I'm not going to out of my way if it's not finished. At this point I'd rather go back to reading it too, shame. Yori is the coolest Yuri character probably.
Also starting Bakemonogotari because I can't take it anymore, I've heard too much about it and apparently the new series came out recently? What a first episode! Stylish as hell on multiple fronts.
Also what the fuck is going on with Netflix? they just announced a million anime series of video games, Devil May Cry, Splinter Cell and Tomb Raider? I guess the second season of Castlevania Nocturne counts. I'm not saying these won't be good for sure, but I am not too keen on DMC yet despite being a big fan because I wasn't too sold on the trailer or the premise quite frankly. And I hated Castlevania Season 3 and especially 4 so much that I don't want to watch Nocturne Season 1 so probably not going to be seeing the second season any time soon!
Finally second season of Edgerunners, the Cyberpunk anime. The first season was fucking amazing and well worth watching but part of me thought it was nice as a one and done.
