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The Summer 2024 Anime Preview Guide

L0ken wrote:

Plus unfortunately turns out that said gimmick spoiler[ isn't even relevant or explored much in the source beyond surface level, it could be easily replaced with any other language/culture since there aren't anything specific involving choice of 2nd language.]

spoiler[It's relevant insofar that Masachika's grandfather was an avid watcher of Russian movies, and it was there that he learned the language. The plot hinges on that.]

Quote:

I'm reading the source right now and honestly isn't impressed either, spoiler[ while there is some exploration of both MCs, series becoming more harem-like despite other girls having obviously no chance and most importantly - romantic progress between or MCs is reeeally slow. ].

spoiler[I don't agree on 'harem-like', the pairing is well established. The girl teasing him the strongest is his real sister and it is just that, teasing. Why they hide that fact is from family drama in the background which will become more prominent in the plot going forward.]

The only real critical thought I had during it was: what's up with the childhood friend trope? Maybe I'm just odd, but the idea that meeting a friend at ages 4-7 (?) was such a pivotal event that I'd still be wistfully looking back on it some ~10 years apart is kind've alien to me. I think I was entirely too forgetful and whimsical at that young an age to be so intensely attached to a relationship that didn't itself grow up with me.

NeverConvex wrote:

The only real critical thought I had during it was: what's up with the childhood friend trope? Maybe I'm just odd, but the idea that meeting a friend at ages 4-7 (?) was such a pivotal event that I'd still be wistfully looking back on it some ~10 years apart is kind've alien to me. I think I was entirely too forgetful and whimsical at that young an age to be so intensely attached to a relationship that didn't itself grow up with me.

I'm about 90% sure this is just one of those self-perpetuating cycles in anime. Like how nobody making anime today has ever seen a girl in those bloomer-style gym clothes, but all the anime they grew up with had girls in those gym clothes, so they draw it anyway. Same thing with, like, school swimsuits, eating lunch and hanging out on the roof, etc.

the implication seems to be that there's no one right way to be any gender, and the only real answer is to just be yourself

I presume, high school, prefers to dress as a girl at school, although I couldn't tell you yet if they identify as female.

flamemasterelan wrote:

NeverConvex wrote: The only real critical thought I had during it was: what's up with the childhood friend trope? Maybe I'm just odd, but the idea that meeting a friend at ages 4-7 (?) was such a pivotal event that I'd still be wistfully looking back on it some ~10 years apart is kind've alien to me. I think I was entirely too forgetful and whimsical at that young an age to be so intensely attached to a relationship that didn't itself grow up with me. I'm about 90% sure this is just one of those self-perpetuating cycles in anime. Like how nobody making anime today has ever seen a girl in those bloomer-style gym clothes, but all the anime they grew up with had girls in those gym clothes, so they draw it anyway. Same thing with, like, school swimsuits, eating lunch and hanging out on the roof, etc.

I will say that I had a Japanese exchange student in one of my classes this year, and when I asked her about it, she confirmed that (at her school at least) kids hang out together on the roof all the time. They even had a community garden that they worked on up there.

Twilight Out of Focus and Senpai is an Otokonoko are both really good so I’m enjoying their anime adaptations! My only gripe is the English subs for Senpai is an Otokonoko seem to be somewhat censored by the translator. I’m not sure why but hopefully it’ll get fixed going forward.

SinisterOracle wrote:

Twilight Out of Focus and Senpai is an Otokonoko are both really good so I’m enjoying their anime adaptations! My only gripe is the English subs for Senpai is an Otokonoko seem to be somewhat censored by the translator. I’m not sure why but hopefully it’ll get fixed going forward.

Can you clarify this?

...Days With My Stepsister has such glacial pacing in its first episode....
...The problem is that it's interminably boring....
...Day-to-day details are all treated with a seriousness that they don't merit....
...But that's the overall feel of this episode: mild. Mild surprise, mild annoyance, mild actions, etc.; nothing is important, and life goes on. I suppose that's the definition of a slice-of-life show in some ways. I could see this feeling soothing for that reason, but it's not my cup of tea....

...Well, this premiere starts off right away telling you that's not the case in far more words than I care to quote. The following episode then proceeds to insist and reiterate that no, this isn't one of those kinds of shows. Nobody's getting stuck in the dryer here, thank you very much! Yet if an episode this plodding and uneventful is the alternative, I'd almost prefer the trashy sex comedy instead....
...The problem is that basically nothing happens in this episode....
...Yet by the time credits rolled, I wasn't intrigued to see more or excited to watch these two grow closer – I was just thankful it was done....

...On the other hand, though…Days With My Stepsister is just unbearably dull. That's the other side of the coin when it comes to treating your characters like real people instead of emotionally unstable drama dolls: Real life is pretty boring!...
...I cannot imagine myself watching any more of it in the future. Unless, of course, my melatonin craps out, in which case it would be handy to have such an effective sleep aid at my disposal…

...rather than going the route of ripping the poor parents' relationship apart so as to make their kids' love more acceptable in the eyes of God/The law/Everyone else in the world....