Anime Hajime Review: Hinamatsuri

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

Series Synopsis

Yoshifumi Nitta (voiced by Yoshiki Nakajima) is just your average, everyday Yakuza gangster. He lives in a luxury high rise and has expensive, very fragile tastes. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happens to him.

That all changed the day a strange egg-shaped pod appeared in his living room which contained an even stranger girl within.

Hina (voiced by Takako Tanaka) is a powerful telepath who has come to Yoshifumi’s world because of reasons. What those reasons are Hina can’t be bothered to say. In fact, Hina doesn’t have the slightest interest in most things. Nor does she have motivations, desires, or the will to do much of anything outside of video games and lying around Yoshifumi’s place.

In an act of pure happenstance, Yoshifumi and Hina came into each other’s lives. What will become of these two and the people around them is anyone’s guess.

Anime Hajime Review: Akkun to Kanojo

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Akkun to Kanojo. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

For several years, Atsuhiro Kagari (voiced by Tatsuhisa Suzuki) has been dating his sweetheart Non Katagiri (voiced by Ayaka Suwa). Atsuhiro is madly in love with Non and would do anything for her. In Atsuhiro’s eyes, Non is his entire world, and he is happy to proclaim that to anyone who will listen – willing or not.

However, despite his true feelings, Atsuhiro can never bring himself to say anything nice about Non to her face. Whenever she is with him, Atsuhiro is only capable of insulting her.

Fortunately for Atsuhiro, Non doesn’t let her boyfriend’s words discourage her. She knows that deep down, he does care. Besides, to Non, Atsuhiro’s awkwardness is just one of his more charming points.

Atsuhiro and Non’s relationship may not be the kind of thing you would expect lovers to have, but they are lovers nonetheless. At the end of the day, they are at their happiest when they are merely spending time together – no words needed.

Anime Hajime Review: Working!!!

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

Series Synopsis

For a third time, welcome to your friendly neighborhood Wagnaria. As always, the staff of this small family restaurant is happy to take their customers orders with a smile. If you’re okay with the occasional oddity – be it from waiter, cook, manager, or regular patron – you too can have yourself a relaxing meal at an affordable price.

Now a veteran member of the Wagnaria team, Souta Takanashi (voiced by Jun Fukuyama) is about to witness some changes. Due to his coworkers' varied personalities, sometimes things get a little out of hand, and everything Souta seen up to this point will seem like the calm before the storm. What lies on the horizon is enough to make anyone worry.

Whether fortunately or unfortunately, though, Souta and his friends aren’t just anyone.

If this group can’t solve a problem, you can be damn sure they will do everything in their power to at least make things interesting.

But as they say: All good things must come to an end.

Anime Hajime Review: Koi wa Ameagari no You ni

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Koi wa Ameagari no You ni. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Akira Tachibana (voiced by Sayumi Watabe) is a beautiful 17-year-old high school student. She has many friends, is sociable, and works part-time at a local family restaurant. There is also someone in Akira’s life who makes her heart flutter.

For her, that person is her 45-year-old manager Masami Kondo (voiced by Hiroaki Hirata).

Masami is your average middle-aged guy. He lives alone, has a kid, and he has come to accept that his youthful days are behind him. He never considered the possibility that a pretty high-schooler would fall for him.

Be that as it may, here we are.

Akira insists that her feelings are genuine. Masami sees a young person looking for guidance. Who’s to say one is right and the other is wrong.

Regardless, these two – separated by many years – are facing problems in which age does not apply.

Anime Hajime Review: Hisone and Masotan

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Hisone and Masotan. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Hisone Amakasu (voiced by Misaki Kuno) has always had trouble interacting with people. To distance herself from others, Hisone decided to join the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).

This decision would change Hisone’s life in a way she never expected.

Hisone was chosen as a possible recruit for the JASDF’s most top-secret unit: the D-Pilots.

D-Pilots do not fly airplanes. Instead, they are partnered with an Organic Transformed Flyer; better known as a dragon.

However, not everyone can become a D-Pilot. Only a dragon can choose their rider.

To everyone’s shock, not only was Hisone chosen, the dragon who picked her (voiced by Matsunojo Kanda) had not had a rider for years.

Although this pairing was unexpected, Hisone grows to love her new partner, who she names Masotan. Together, these two become a sight never before seen in the skies above.

Anime Hajime Review: Aria the Scarlet Ammo AA

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Aria the Scarlet Ammo AA. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Crime has grown out of hand. To regain order, the governments of the world have relied on the expertise of highly skilled law enforcement agents known as the Butei.

In Japan, the prestigious Tokyo Butei High trains the next generation of agents. Along with actual field experience, the school offers the Amica program. With this, a younger student can go under the watchful eye of an experienced upperclassman.

First-year student Akari Mamiya (voiced by Ayane Sakura), a lowly E-Rank Butei, wishes to enter the Amica program. Her mentor of choice is none other than the internationally famous S-Rank Butei Aria Kanzaki (voiced by Rie Kugimiya).

To Akari’s shock, Aria decides to give her a chance. Utterly outclassed, Akari does manage to impress Aria. Although not ready to accept Akari as her official Amika, Aria agrees to train her bright-eyed underclassman.

The job of a Butei is a difficult and dangerous one. Making matters worse, at this moment, it is unclear whether Akari will be an asset or a burden for Aria.

Anime Hajime Review: IDOLiSH7

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for IDOLiSH7. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

As a new hire at her father’s production agency, Tsumugi Takanashi (voiced by Satomi Sato) is a bit nervous. She has just learned that she will be the manager of the company’s first attempt at promoting a male idol group.

Tsumugi, not sure if she has what it takes, gets a blast of energy upon meeting the seven boys she will oversee. They are:

Riku Nanase (voiced by Kensho Ono)

Mitsuki Izumi (voiced by Tsubasa Yonaga)

Iori Izumi (voiced by Toshiki Masuda)

Yamato Nikaido (voiced by Yusuke Shirai)

Sogo Osaka (voiced by Atsushi Abe)

Tamakai Yotsuba (voiced by KENN)

Nagi Rokuya (voiced by Takuya Eguchi)

Although still a bit daunted, Tsumugi sees a charm in these seven and commits herself to turning them all into stars. With any luck, the Japanese idol scene is about to witness its newest sensation, and it will go by the name of IDOLiSH7.

Anime Hajime Review: Dances with the Dragons

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Dances with the Dragons. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

The war between dragons and humans has raged for centuries. In this long history, dragons were unstoppable monsters. That all changed once humanity unlocked the power of jushiiki – a devastating fusion of science and magic. Those capable of using jushiiki, jushikiists, turned this one-sided slaughter into a battle of mutual destruction.

To prevent the two sides from wiping each other out, dragons and humans finally put an end to their deadly conflict. To ensure such an essential peace stands, the warrior jushikiists have become invaluable law enforcers.

Working in this unprecedented era are the highly skilled jushikiists Gayus Levina Sorel and Gigina Jerde Dolk Melios Ashley Boeuf (voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki and Yoshimasa Hosoya).

Although the war has ended, revenge, ambition, and lingering resentment threaten to undo everything. Gayus, Gigian, and the other jushikiists must fight to protect the innocent from those who wish for destruction.