Anime Hajime Review: Tokyo Ghoul:re Chapter 1

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Tokyo Ghoul:re Chapter 1. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Some time has passed since the battle at the Anteiku coffee shop in Tokyo’s 20^th ward. Many lives were lost that night, but the fight is far from over.

The war between humans and ghouls continues, and both sides have gotten new sets of players.

To give themselves an edge, the Commission of Counter Ghoul (CCG) has established the Qunix squad to hunt down and eliminate powerful ghouls. This team is unique because they, too, can tap into the strength ghouls use in combat. To lead this group, the CCG has put in charge the young, talented, and mysterious Haise Sasaki (voiced by Natsuki Hanae).

Haise has no memory of who he was before joining the CCG. Although not knowing his past, Haise’s current life is a happy one, and he vows to protect it. However, there is one enemy that threatens to destroy everything he loves: himself.

Deep within the recesses of his mind, Haise hears a voice filled with darkness and suffering, as well as great power. Haise fears what will happen if he lets this side of him take over.

After all, Haise’s true identity is none other than the infamous one-eyed ghoul, Ken Kaneki.

Anime Hajime Review: Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori

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

Series Synopsis

Welcome to the Japanese style coffee shop Rokuhoudou. Every day, this tiny, tucked away, bamboo-laden paradise welcomes customers who just want a moment to relax with a hot meal and delicious sweets. Ensuring that every visit is a pleasant one is the accommodating staff of this small café.

Kyousui Tougoku (voiced by Junichi Suwabe) inherited Rokuhoudou from his grandfather. To maintain the store’s reputation, Kyousui relies on his friends Tokitaka Nagae, Gregorio Valentino, and Tsubaki Nakao (voiced by Yuuichi Nakamura, Daisuke Ono, and Daiki Yamashita).

These four men love their work, and they are extremely good at what they do. Along with serving their customers’ orders, the staff of Rokuhoudou is more than happy to listen to whatever troubles someone is going through.

All year round, the employees of Rokuhoudou are always trying to improve themselves. Kyousui and his team don’t dream of being the best and fanciest restaurant in Tokyo. However, if they can make sure that every person in their establishment leaves with a smile, to them, that is a job well-done.

Anime Hajime Review: Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Narumi Momose (voiced by Arisa Date) is an otaku. Although she loves anime and manga, every time Narumi has revealed her fandoms, that admission has destroyed every relationship she has ever been in. That is why she is determined to keep her true self a secret at her new job.

Fate, as it seems, has other plans.

Narumi quickly discovers there are fellow otaku among her co-workers, including the longtime couple Hanako Koyanagi and Taro Kabakura (voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro and Tomokazu Sugita). However, the biggest surprise comes when Narumi learns that one of her new colleagues is her childhood friend, the chronic gamer Hirotaka Nifuji (voiced by Kent Ito).

Since Hirotaka is an otaku just like her, Narumi instantly opens up about how her nerdom has put a strain on her love life. She asks Hirotaka why she can't find a guy who can accept her interests. Upon hearing that, Hirotaka offers a suggestion.

Why don't the two of them try dating?

Narumi accepts Hirotaka’s proposal, and the two friends become a couple. They soon learn, though, that love is difficult for otaku.

Anime Hajime Review: Magical Girl Ore

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Magical Girl Ore. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Saki Uno (voiced by Ayaka Ohashi) is your typical teenage girl. She has big dreams, as well as a crush she fawns over constantly. However, she never finds it in herself to be a coherent human being whenever she is around the person she likes.

Then one day, demons appear and try to abduct Saki’s most special person. In order to save her one and only, Saki must become, of all things, a magical girl.

Upon professing her love for the whole world to hear, Saki begins her mystical metamorphosis. The once average teenager transforms into a valiant warrior of justice, complete with a magical rod, broad shoulders, glistening muscles, and a giant bulge in her pan…wait, what?

Yes, Saki becoming a magical girl didn’t entirely go the way she thought. Rather than becoming the typical adorable hero one might expect, Saki turns into the very powerful, and the very male, Magical Girl Ore (voiced by Kaito Ishikawa).

Although unconventional, Saki is still a magical girl. Despite her constant embarrassment of that fact, she commits herself to protecting the people she cares about.

Anime Hajime Review: Magical Girl Site

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Magical Girl Site. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Every single day, Aya Asagiri (voiced by Yuko Ono) wishes for death. For far too long, her life has been nothing except pain, suffering, and torment.  No matter where she goes, and no matter who she turns to, Aya only ever finds misfortune.

And that was exactly what they were looking for.

An eerie webpage appears on Aya’s computer. The mysterious site promises to heal an unfortunate soul by turning a person into a magical girl. Aya quickly disregards the suspicious offer, but sadly, this is an encounter that a person can't simply ignore. For poor Aya, she has just entered into a world of what seems to be assured death.

Fortunately, Aya doesn’t have to face the coming nightmare alone. She meets fellow magical girl Tsuyuno Yatsumura (voiced by Himika Akaneya), and the two form a makeshift alliance. Soon, though, this team-up grows into an unbreakable bond.

At every turn, Aya and Tsuyuno may have to struggle for their survival. Though frightening, they must push on because one thing is certain. If they do nothing, a fight will come for them regardless.

Anime Hajime Review: Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Mitsuyoshi Tada (voiced by Yuichi Nakamura) is an avid photographer. While out looking for his next great shot, Mitsuyoshi comes across the most breathtaking thing he has ever seen through his camera’s lens. Like a dream, he meets the beautiful Teresa Wagner (voiced by Manaka Iwami).

This fateful encounter brings with itself a lot of coincidences. Teresa has come to Japan as a foreign exchange student from the European country of Larsenburg. Not only will she be attending the same school as Mitsuyoshi, but Teresa will also be staying at the apartment complex next to Mitsuyohsi’s small, family-owned coffee shop.

Due to this, Mitsuyoshi and Teresa grow close.

However, these two tend not to say what is really going on in their minds. For Mitsuyoshi, he has always kept his emotions closed off. For Teresa, she appears to be keeping a rather large secret, and it is a secret that will greatly affect how far her relationship with Mitsuyoshi can go.

Anime Hajime Review: Darling in the Franxx

 ***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Darling in the Franxx. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

In a post-apocalyptic world, humanity is in constant war with creatures known as klaxosaurs. To fight these gigantic beasts, humans rely on their secret weapons: the Franxx.

Franxx are giant robotic battle machines that require a two-person team – a male and a female – to pilot them. These specialized pilots, better known as Parasites, are children, and they are kept separate from the “adults.” Most Parasite units are rigid and uniform, but there is one that is special.

Squad 13, for unknown reasons, is allowed a lot more freedom than other teams. Among this group is Code: 016, a.k.a. Hiro (voiced by Yuto Uemura), and he has reached a breaking point. No matter how hard he tries, Hiro is unable to find a partner he can fly a Franxx with. As far as he is concerned, he is worse than useless. That all changed the day Hiro met her.

Code: 002, a.k.a. Zero Two (voiced by Haruka Tomatsu) is an ace Franxx pilot with a frightening reputation. None of her partners have been able to survive three flights with her. It is as if she is more monster than human. But one look at Hiro and Zero Two knows she has at last found her one and only darling.

Anime Hajime Review: Fumikiri Jikan

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

Series Synopsis

Japan is a country that runs on rails.

Each and every day, thousands upon thousands of trains run all throughout the country’s biggest cities and smallest towns. Therefore, countless numbers of people must stand and wait at the occasional railroad crossing.

Pausing for a train to pass is such a mundane event, most of us never think twice about it. However, since it is something that happens so often, this dull moment might lead to an unexpected memory.

Perhaps its two friends on their way to school. Maybe it’s a brother and sister conversing. Or it might be an unbelievable meeting of fate. The point is, no one really knows what can happen in the few seconds it takes for a train to come and go.

If there is one thing we can take away from all this, though, it’s that you should never write off these little encounters.

Anime Hajime Review: Amanchu Advance

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

Series Synopsis

Welcome back to the beautiful seaside town of Ito, and the small diving shack Amanchu-ya.

Having only lived here for a few months, Futaba “Teko” Ooki (voiced by Ai Kayano) has grown accustomed to her new life. Unlike before, Teko’s days are full of excitement, wonder, and rewarding challenges. All this is thanks to Teko’s dear friend, Hikari “Pikari” Kohinata (voiced by Eri Suzuki).

Though difficult at first, Teko has slowly become a much more experienced scuba diver. This has allowed her to explore the underwater world she has grown to love. With Pikari to cheer her on, Teko no longer believes anything is impossible.

However, one can’t spend their entire time in the water. As the seasons move forward and the warm summer air turns colder, there are plenty of other wonders to find.

Together, Teko and Pikari are sure to find enjoyment no matter where they are.