Anime Hajime Review: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai. Reader discretion is advised. ***

Series Synopsis

The small country town of Hinamizawa remains cursed.

Time and time again, the village has witnessed countless acts of violence. And the residents have been stuck in a perpetual loop surrounding the June of 1983. It seems that fate has doomed this land to suffer the same tragedy for eternity.

Throughout the course of each cycle, one of four scenarios will play out.

One, Keiichi Maebara (voiced by Soichiro Hoshi) succumbs to deep paranoia. Two, twins Shion and Mion Sonozaki's (voiced by Satsuki Yukino) psyche snaps. Third, Satoko Houjou (voiced by Mika Kanai) must suffer at the hands of her abusive uncle. Four, Rena Ryugu (voiced by Mai Nakahara) believes to uncovers a plot that will lead to the death of everyone.

When one world ends, the next begins. At the center of it all is the one who appears destined to die, Rika Furude (voiced by Yukari Tamura).

Yet for the first time, hope has made itself known. Perhaps the curse of this endless June will finally end.

Anime Hajime Review: Welcome to the NHK

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Welcome to the NHK. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Ninety-nine percent of conspiracies are nothing more than the rantings of nut jobs. Tatsuhiro Sato (voiced by Yutaka Koizumi) believes he's discovered that genuine one percent.

Sato knows he's become the target of the world's most vile organization. The Nihon Hikikomori Kyokay, a.k.a. the NHK. Their goal is to turn functioning members of society into crippling recluses. Or in Japanese, a hikikomori. To combat the threat, Sato has secluded himself in his apartment for the past several years.

One day, Sato has a chance run-in with a cute girl who seemed unaffected by his bizarre anti-social behavior.

After the encounter, Sato receives a strange note instructing him to go to a nearby park. On a whim, he obliges and to his surprise, he meets the girl from before.

Misaki Nakahara (voiced by Yui Makino) claims she can cure Sato of his hikikomori ways. Dismissing the claim, Sato has no interest in the proposed counseling sessions.

Anime Hajime Review: Non Non Biyori

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Non Non Biyori. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Welcome to Asahigaoka, a small village far and away from the conveniences of the big city. There are no large supermarkets. The trains and buses are few and far between. And the only school consists of five students in one tiny classroom.

Renge Miyauchi (voiced by Kotori Koiwai) is your typical first grader. She is curious about the many oddities of life around her. She knows little and cares even less about the world outside her hometown.

Hotaru Ichijo (voiced by Rie Murakawa) is a transfer newest student from Tokyo. Though awed by the unfamiliar atmosphere, she grows accustomed to country life. Her soft-spoken demeanor envelops her in a mature light. Despite only being in the fifth grade.

Sisters Natsumi (voiced by Ayane Sakura) and Komari Koshigaya (voiced by Kana Asumi) are in sixth and seventh grade. Natsumi's energetic, impulsive and a poor student. Komari is self-conscious about her short stature and does not do well with scary things. They also have an older brother named Suguru in their class. But he doesn’t say much.

Anime Hajime Review: Joshiraku

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Joshiraku. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

This anime is full of ordinary dialogue so that viewers can fully enjoy how cute the girls are.

-Joshiraku Episode 1

In the dressing room of a small theater sit five rakugo comedians.

Marii Buratei (voiced by Ayane Sakura) is the loudest and most spontaneous of the group. She is often the spark of discussion or the butt of many jokes.

Kigurumi Harokitei (voiced by Kotori Koiwai) is the youngest. To match her childlike appearance, she behaves and talks in a cute and innocent fashion. A clever act to hide her true, ruder nature.

Tetora Bohatei (voiced by Nozomi Yamamoto) is always laid back and carefree. She almost never succumbs to stress or hardship. Her level of good fortune is the stuff of legend.

Gankyo Kurubiyutei (voiced by Yoshino Nanjo) is the most level-headed. Despite her analytical mind, she can turn violent. She harbors a short fuse and limited patience.

Kukuru Anrakutei (voiced by Saori Goto) is the quietest of the group. Yet her emotions are unstable. She finds pleasure in negativity.

Anime Hajime Review: Fight Ippatsu! Juden-chan!!

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Fight Ippatsu! Juden-chan! Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

A Charger Girl maintains and removes depression within the human world. When someone's self-confidence falls, they're rejuvenated with a shot of electricity. Thus, replenishing their energy and positivity.

Plug Cryostat (voiced by Kaori Fukuhara) is one of these Charger Girls.

Though she loves her job, Plug isn’t that good at it. Yet she remains dedicated and wishes to help the people in her care. Her goal isn't to relieve depression. Instead, she hopes to remove it at the source.

Like all Charger Girls, Plug has the ability to use phasing. This makes her invisible to human eyes. However, she meets Sento Oumi (voiced by Hiroki Takahashi). To her shock, he is the first human who can interact with her.

Due to her dismal work ethic, Plug's placed under the supervision of Alesta Blanket (voiced by Ayahi Takagaki). The polar opposite to Plug, Alesta can't stand how her junior performs her job. In contrast, Plug finds it annoying how Alesta keeps getting in the way of her work.

Despite differing personalities, Plug, Alesta, and Sento work to keep depression levels down.

Anime Hajime Review: Yamishibai Season 2

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers Yamishibai Season Two. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Yamishibai continues with thirteen more stories of the strange and the macabre.

Taro-chan - A ventriloquist performs his act with his old wooden puppet.

Kitchen - A woman visits her friend’s new apartment. While there, she can’t shake the feeling she's being watched.

Inside - A boy returns home with an old Russian doll. The boy's mother takes the thing to throw it away. She returns hours later cradling the doll.

Wall Woman - A man sees a strange creature climb up the side of a building. Right into an unsuspecting apartment.

Locker - A girl is struggling with love and decides to test out an urban legend. Rumor has it, there's a locker with the ability to grant any wish.

Nao-chan - While a family sleeps, the young son smiles at the ceiling. Looking into the shadows, the boy whispers the name Nao-chan.

Anime Hajime Review: Himouto! Umaru-chan

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Himouto! Umaru-chan. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Umaru Doma (voiced by Aimi Tanaka) is, in the absence of a better phrase, perfect in every way. Great looks, intelligent, good at sports, and an absolute pleasure to be around. She is the epitome of excellence. Or at least, that is how she is in public. Only her older brother Taihei (voiced by Kenji Nojima) knows the truth.

Umaru is, in reality, a huge couch potato. Her only true interests are video games, manga, and junk food. She has no motivation to even attempt the simplest of physical tasks. She much prefers to come up with hair brained schemes to get what she wants. If those should fail, she has no qualms about throwing a tantrum like a five-year-old.

Poor Taihei tries his best to take care of his sister. Juggling a busy work schedule, he remains willing to go out of his way to be there for her when she needs him the most. A trait sometimes exploited, but never forgotten by Umaru.

The siblings don't often see eye to eye. However, when push comes to shove, they couldn’t imagine being without each other.

Anime Hajime Review: Kannazuki no Miko

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Kannazuki no Miko. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Living in the town of Mahoroba are Himeko Kurusugawa (voiced by Noriko Shitaya) and Chikane Himemiya (voiced by Ayako Kawasumi). Though they've chosen to keep it a secret, these two are close friends.

Himeko is shy, quiet, and timid. The result of a harsh childhood. She met Chikane years ago, drawn in by her beauty and confidence. Himeko considers Chikane to be an irreplaceable friend. One that she cares for very much.

Chikane is the daughter of a well-respected family. Although beloved by everyone, her first and only real friend is Himeko. In fact, her feelings towards Himeko go beyond friendship. But Chikane is afraid to confess her feelings in fear that they may not be mutual.

Life is like a paradise for the girls. But on the day of their shared sixteenth birthday, an ominous black cloud appears in the sky.

An apparition proclaims itself to be a terrifying god who plans to destroy humanity. With the help of its eight servants, the Orochi, this ancient evil seeks to plunge the world into darkness. To do that, however, the Orochi must eliminate the two people that can stop them. The Solar and Lunar Priestesses.

Anime Hajime Review: Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai Shinai Taikutsu na Sekai

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai Shinai Taikutsu na Seikai. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Japan has risen to become the country with the highest public morality. This clean society is a result of the Law for Public Order and Morals in Healthy Child-Raising. The act bans foul language as well as any and all forms of erotic media. Even dirty words and suggestive hand movements are forbidden.

Tanukichi Okuma (voiced by Yusuke Kobayashi) attends the country's top morality school. He hopes to rid his association with his father, a radical opponent of the public morality laws. And due to his father's teachings, Tanukichi has a vast knowledge of the perverse.

For his expertise, the student council recruits Tanukichi. His job is to protect the school from the notorious erotic terrorist Blue Snow. To help him is the Student Council Vice-President, Ayame Kajou (voiced by Shizuka Ishigami).

Ayame has made a name for herself as the no-nonsense enforcer of the council's mission. But in reality, this is nothing more than an elaborate front. For the VP's true identity is non-other than the one and only Blue Snow.