Halfway through the season · 5:21pm May 6th
Train to the End of the World
Equal parts cute girls doing cute things, surreal worldbuilding, comedy, and horror.
Tonari no Youkai-san
We didn't really need the addition of a sci fi plot. Waiting to see if it can somehow improve the already lofty heights of the show, or it will detract from the coziness.
Delicious in Dungeon
A mystery episode to shake things up.
The Fable
I'm starting to cool on The Fable. It's a quality slice of life, but ultimately now that we know the characters and setting, there's seemingly not much left to experience.
Mysterious Disappearances
Latest episode was slice of life and if it does it again I’m going to drop it. Not really what I signed up for on the premise. I don’t remember the manga being this meh.
New Demon Slayer next week. I’m hearing this will be just half a season, and a training arc at that.
And now down into the manga.
List organized in rough order of my most to least favorite.
Below are those manga that I recommend.
Kagurabachi
In a modern fantasy, a guy's swordsmith father is killed, so he sets out for revenge and to recover six stolen magic swords.
People are saying this is going to be the next big shounen, and I think it could be. I wish there was a little more characterization, but at least the action's good.
I am loved by a genderless man
A woman is dating a guy whose hair, clothing, and makeup are all better than hers.
This would be an extremely cute romance even without the fashion.
Beast Wheeler
A guy hires a stripper...to pilot a robot.
A little bit of a crime-fighting story. I wouldn't call it great, but it's definitely different, and as I've said often enough, that's really all I want. Same author as Countach, and like that work, there's definitely a sense of childlike enthusiasm for machinery. One volume.
Below are those manga that I conditionally recommend.
Challenging the Hero
The demon lord sends his son off to seduce the hero.
Mild twist. Okay romcom for a one shot but could have used more length.
The Gal Who Comes To My House Every Day Has Zero Boundaries But Isn't Kind
A gyaru who wants to lose weight also drags a classmate into the diet plan.
Honestly not sure if a tsundere or actually a bitch, though her tone seems to soften gradually. Still early, but could turn out to be a decent romance. Ecchi.
The Raise
"Pizza party? I know a better way to appease the unhappy workers."
Short wacky comedy. Same Vietnamese author as ADHD Girlfriend.
Becoming Her Lover For the Sake of Love
A girl deliberately breaks dress code to get popular with other girls, but is willing to go monogamous for the strict student council president.
Same author as Trying Out Marriage With My Female Friend. Not sold on the premise yet as much as that one. Still early, though.
Saejima-sensei Wants Them to Pass On
A boy gains the ability to see ghosts, and now they won't leave him alone. The school nurse helps them talk it out.
A bit of a lightweight spirit detective type of story. I wish it was a little heavier, to balance the ton of ecchi.
Sword Saint Adele's Redo
A blind male hero helped win the war against demons, but unfortunately the country's princess died along the way. God gives him the chance to go back in time and fix things, and regain sight, but unfortunately when he arrives, he's a girl.
Only one chapter so far.
A Talented Ogre Hides Its Horns
A male hero dies fighting the demon lord and is reincarnated as a female ogre, and is then told to become the next demon lord.
What's the point of having a monster girl if she doesn't look like one? Only one chapter so far.
Demon Queen–sama Can't Defeat Hero-kun
The young hero has mistaken the Demon Queen for his teacher. She keeps up the charade because he's cute.
This would be decently wholesome if it wasn't so ecchi. As it is, there isn't enough substance to care.
Below are those manga that I do not recommend.
I Was A Man Before Reincarnating, So I Refuse A Reverse Harem
Maybe title is plot summary, but I wouldn't know because two chapters of merely being a slice of life about inventing things with modern knowledge and I bailed.
I’m getting a tiny bit jaded with Train in that all of the encounters are dangerous or at least seem to be at first. Would kind of like to see them mix it up a bit, but I still really like it.
Where you are with Fable is close to where I was from the beginning. Got the premise, then nothing much is happening. It’s only mildly funny, and there’s no drama. It’s like it’s trying to be Way of the Househusband and falling well short.
Mysterious is really stagnating. I agree, it’s going for a similar feel to Dark Gathering, but it’s not keeping up the same pace. We’ve been stuck on the same case for 3 eps without much to show for it.
The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio set up a great conflict that could have carried it a long while, but they resolved it quickly in a glib way, which was disappointing.
Jellyfish had a resurgence of the main’s self-consciousness about her art, and it was done in a nicely sympathetic way. It’s emerging on top of the pile of girl band shows this season.
Whisper Me a Love Song brought in a love triangle element just when it didn’t need to. A Condition Called Love is doing the same “doesn’t understand love” angle better.
That’s all the notable ones anyway. I’m watching so many this season that when it’s over, it’ll fill up my review blog almost all the way through the next season.