This Week in Anime

Girlfriend's Gotta Have a Gimmick

Coop
I sure am, Lucas! Even though Chris and Steve covered a ton of isekai titles, it looks like we also have our hands full! We have over one hundred girlfriends (and even some boyfriends) to talk about!

Hangry GF is an incredibly relatable and solid note to start this season on.

Aside from a little pre-column homework with season one, this episode was my proper introduction to the 100 Girlfriends. I was surprised by how easy it was to just jump in right away, and the opening narration is like "Here's the list of the silliness, and here you go."

I see why it caught on, too! Its deeply unserious tone is refreshing, and those numerous anime references don't hurt either. Putting a porno-style mosaic over the recreation of a scene from Castle in the Sky is deranged in all the right ways for me.

I'm not sure if it's exactly my cup of tea, but I understand why folks are head over heels for it. Also, did the body swapping at the top of this episode remind anyone else of Scooby-Doo?

Specifically this scene.

Oh yes indeed!
Speaking of creatures that bump in the night, let's quickly shove a stake into Baban Baban Ban Vampire's disgusting heart.

There have only been a handful of times when I've flipped something on and I was sick to my stomach five minutes later. It comes down to the plot and actions of its protagonist. A 450-year-old vampire has inserted himself into the life of a 15-year-old boy (who he's known since he was 5 years old) and plots to control every part of the kid's love life so he can suck his virgin blood when he turns 18.

That is a disgusting display of predatory behavior...and it's played up for laughs. It only becomes more upsetting when Ranmaru, the vampire, is presented rather effeminately—playing into vile stereotypes used in relentless attacks against anyone in the LGBTQIA+ community.
I'd call it "stranger danger" and toss this garbage into the dumpster ASAP.

The idea of talking about it any further leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I'm glad that show at least called out right away, though that doesn't excuse it to begin with.

I agree with you that this series isn't exactly anything special. But I did get some good faces out of it!

If there's anything I can commend the series for, I liked how Shizuri (the NEET Kunoichi) starts to realize pretty quickly how her relationship with Tsukasa could go south if he's handling everything by himself. I'm not confident they'd dive into that topic further, but I think it would be a solid point to base the season's main source of tension around.

That premise sure did stick in my craw though... Especially because it's their grandparents' way of making up for the relationship they DIDN'T have. But it's also clear that they're together now, and when you add marriage into the mix, it gets squicky fast.
At least this exchange gave me a big chuckle. Moment of the episode.


Also, I've gotta ask... What is up with this slice of pizza?

I'd also say it's far from the worst, but I don't see it as anything special either.
On a similar note, Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms didn't exactly leave a lasting impression on me, either. However, a few elements could make this solid in the long run.

Since she was a baby, Mona's charmed everyone she's met. But that changes when the titular character transfers into her school and he's seemingly impervious to her charms! However, we eventually learn that Kuroiwa's rough exterior comes from his nervousness, and this makes her want to charm him even more!

The series' combination of gender flipping the traditional tsundere tale and its "there's no lifeguard at your beach, but this is a bathtub"-energy has the makings of something fun. We'd have to see how it plays out.

I agree, I think a lot of it will hinge on how they play up his background as the heir to a temple. It could be just an excuse to make him nervous around Mona all the time, or be a bit more questionable depending on what we see him do next. I'd also say this is a good three-episode rule candidate for those interested.
While talking about outstanding subtitles, we have to mention OKITSURA. The amount of text being juggled on screen (for a simulcast especially) is incredible.

It doesn't hurt that I loved every minute of this premiere.
OKITSURA follows Teeruu, a kid who's just moved from Tokyo to beautiful Okinawa. As he's getting settled at school, the kid becomes instantly smitten with a girl by the name of Kyan. There's one problem: she speaks primarily in the traditional Okinawan language of Uchinaaguchi—a tongue that dates back to long before the island had become part of Japan. Luckily, his other new friend—Kana—is more than happy to help him learn the language...and she also has a huge crush on HIM.
What struck me the most about OKITSURA (and ultimately charmed me), is the love and respect it shows for the Okinawan people and their culture in almost every frame.


There were moments I felt like Teeruu—being warmly welcomed as people called up their grandma to fry me up some sata andagi because I'd never had it before.
I felt like I was given a wonderful gift that shouldn't be taken lightly because it's truly amazing when someone trusts you enough to share their culture. Looking at it with a realistic eye, I'm curious to hear from Okinawan readers regarding their thoughts on the show and if it's doing their culture justice.

That thought crossed my mind more than once while watching this. Despite how I felt (and probably romanticized it), if we went there, we would justifiably be treated with suspicion due to America's caustic and complicated role in the island's history.
On a less serious note, I loved the extended Evangelion send-up—complete with its own legally distinct Sagisu-esque music to back it up.

OKITSURA is my favorite of the bunch. It hit all right marks for me...and now I'll try making sata andagi...

It makes up for the plot's relatively slow burn and abrupt twist with stylistic choices that make the series stand out. While I think the character designs are too saturated and incongruous with the backgrounds, I admire that the Princess Lessons plays around with aspect ratios and silent film-style title cards.

In addition to those screen shake-ups, I loved how the passage of time was portrayed by showing this tree's leaves changing with the seasons!

While it's too early to get a feeling of where it will go, there might be something here. I found myself constantly thinking of classic English literature—famous novels such as Jane Eyre and Pride & Prejudice. Because of that, I could see bookish teens getting into this series. Teens (especially teenage girls) deserve more titles catered to them. However, I've also been informed that it goes in some rough directions, so take this initial impression with a grain of salt.

I was taken right away by the fact these boys all seem to have the same haircut.

I appreciated that element of the story. I was well out of college when the pandemic started, so I can't imagine what it was like to be a teenager and pulled away from the things you like about school.


I know it's different for everyone, but for some kids, the social element of school is their whole life.

I'm there with you. I'm just glad to see there's a nice-looking, compelling show around for that audience! It doesn't all have to be for the Oldtaku.

And with that, I believe that's all the love out in the air.

If you need a good workplace romance, may I recommend Wotakoi? It'll keep you more than held over until next week's 100 Girlfriends. Who knows, maybe one of the titles we talked about today will end up as a solid recommendation in the future!