Topic: Anime & Manga (NO SPOILERS PLEASE)

I finished watching Sherlock Hound and I loved it. There are many really funny scenes. Miyazaki-San was always great.

I finished the "Dog of Flanders" and I wish I would not have watched it. It is a depressing, innocence hating story. When I saw the last scene I felt, that the german version might be censored and I was right. This is just another depressing Hans Christian Andersen style fairy tail or in other words, horror for children.

The german title would translate to something like "Niklaas, The Boy of Flandern", but I think the english title perfectly describes how Niklaas is treated.

Latest Additions:

• DevilMan Lady - Not big into supernatural horror stuff, but grabbed this for spooky season. It was okay at best. At times that 90's vibe & charm shone through, and at times an individual episode's story could be kinda interesting, but it absolutely falls apart at the seams during most action/fight scenes. I'm not sure if it's budget was hit hard by the bubble burst or what, but this has some of the worst animated action I've seen in an anime.
• Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu - I knew this was a spinoff going in, just not a completely comedic centered affair that would totally sideline the mechs. It ended up being pretty hilarious though & I'm glad I watched.
• Macross Plus - The directorial debut of the guy behind Cowboy Bebop & Samurai Champloo, and it's absolutely essential 90's sci-fi anime. Animated gorgeously with some stunning dogfights & imaginative concert sequences, and a personal story between a group of estranged friends that's really gripping. Part of the larger Macross mythos, but outside of a minor bit of lore here & there it's easily able to be followed as a stand alone. It's just a shame that the US licensor has apparently done jack all with anything beyond the original Macross (which they reworked into "Robotech"), as I had to grab this expensive UK collector's set (worth it though).
• My Neighbors the Yamadas - Haven't watched this one yet, but Ghibli is always a safe bet for at least a good movie.
• Patlabor: the Movie - Speaking of essential 90's sci-fi anime (though this one may be late 80's), here's another good watch. I don't think I'd rate it quite as high as Macross Plus, but still very much worth your time. Very interesting police investigation film set in a world where labor is being revolutionized by mechs (appropriately called Labors), following a special unit specifically tasked with solving Labor crimes, and they're out to find out why the machines are going berserk after a new software update. Can be a bit of a slow burn, but the action's fun to when it gets to it.
• the Tale of the Princess Kaguya - Absolutely gorgeously animated, and although I recognized the fable from a few other sources that referenced it (Okami, the second InuYasha movie, etc.), it just didn't really resonate with me the way I'm sure it did with those who grew up on the original fairy tale. I have a pretty odd taste in Ghibli films & this is just another case that confirms I'm more into their realistically grounded dramas (Ocean Waves, Only Yesterday, From Up on Poppy Hill, etc.) than I am their fantasy/fairy tail fair. It's still a good watch at a minimum though, and I would say the studio doesn't really put out any duds from what I've seen.

It's been a long while, but here's everything I've plicked up over the past few months.

the Boy & the Heron - I'm usually not huge on Ghibli's more fantastical fare (maybe I'm an odd duck, but I prefer stuff like From Up on Poppy Hill, Ocean Waves, & Only Yesterday to Ponyo, Princess Mononoke, & even Spirited Away), but I actually really got into this one. Maybe it's because they spent so much time setting things up in the real world. Never thought anyone could manage to make parakeets so unsettling, lol.

Bubblegum Crash - the first & third episodes aren't updated the best (they didn't have access to the original film, so tried upscaling previous a previous SD master. They did get the film for the second episode & it looks fantastic), but at the end of the day it's more Bubblegum Crisis, and that's not a bad thing.

Cutie Honey (+ the Live) - Just started the OG series so I can't say much on it yet. As for the Live, I'm usually not big on Tokusatsu stuff, but this managed to hold my attention the way through so I'm calling it a success. It does do it's own thing with the background lore though & adds two extra transforming girls (& doesn't feature the series usual big bad, even though her organization is still the main antagonizing force).

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex ( + Second Gig) - Haven't watched this since it used to air on Adult Swim back in the day when I was in high school. I wasn't sure if I wanted to add it or not since I wasn't huge on it back then (probably a bit too "deep" for me back then, especially since I wasn't guaranteed to keep up with it every week), but I'm glad I went for it. It's absolutely fantastic (though I slightly prefer the first season), and I had more nostalgia for it than I thought.

Macross: Do You Remember Love? - When I learned that the new Japanese 4K release had English subtitles I knew I had to import it (especially given the rights shenanigans that will probably keep it from getting an official US release). Given that it's a rework of a 50 episode TV series into a single film, it moves at a brisk pace & is probably best watched if you have prior experience with the OG TV series, but it's an absolutely beautiful film & a classic.

Megazone 23 - This has all three OVAs (the third of which is split into two parts). Part of the long tradition of 80's fare of bike riding delinquents getting caught up in sci-fi shenanigans. They're not a patch on Akira or Venus Wars, but worth a look if you like the genre/era. The first two were my favorite.

Patlabor - My new retro obsession. I've managed to collect everything except set 2 of the TV series (can't find the Blu-Ray for a decent price). The TV series is equal parts cozy workplace slice of life & mecha action, and the movies (what I've seen so far) go for deep political/criminal intrigue with a completely different vibe so there's something here for any mood.

Photon: the Idiot Adventures - Watched this on Amazon Prime a number of years ago & thought it was pretty amusing (and apparently it's a loosely connected Tenchi Muyo! spinoff), so when I heard that it was getting an HD remaster I had to get it.

I've somehow watched 2 different figure skating anime and both are in fact, great. Watch Medalist, it is lovely.

Sort of binged the Solo Leveling manga. Pretty cool. Very Shonen-esq with the power progression. But I began to tune the series out after he became the Shadow Monarch.

Digimon Adventure Beyond looks so cool! The promo video gave me the feeling, that this is the real thing. Digimon was so awesome back in the day. I hope I can watch the new show someday.

Edit: Seems like it is only a special on YouTube.

Zenshu is the other new anime I've been watching, which I thought was merely good at first, but has really grown on me.

I think its just very creative and fun and trying to play with the idea of a cynical world view, when that world is literally fiction in a way that I connect to too much, in this exact season, of early 2025.

Unfortunately this latest episode I watched where the town is revealed to be filled with stupid, easily manipulated jerks especially feels too real in this exact moment of time.

I still can't believe one of the best looking anime of 2025 is Yaiba.

This would be the equivalent of...I dunno, if one of the best looking video games of 2025 was a remake of Mysterious Murasame Castle, or something like that.

Currently I am watching Pokemon Journeys. Ash's mother is so cool and sweet, a real power mama. The ending scene with Ash and Pikachu was so cute. So far it is a pretty good season. Also quite humorous.

I've been collecting and reading the Berserk Deluxe Editions month by month. I just finished Volume 3, which contained Volumes 7, 8, and 9 of the original printed run. Basically I only have one more volume to go before I hit the end of the Golden Age. This arc has been a genuine ride so far, and I can see why so many people hold it in high regard. The way that Miura developed the character dynamics and world makes it feel so alive. It hurts knowing how this will all end, and how Guts will end up by the end of the arc- given how it genuinely feels like he found a space where he could have genuine human connections. I feel like the next few volumes in the Golden Age are going to become really hard reads if it's going to go the way I feel like it'll go.

Finished watching Perrine. I loved it. Tough stuff happens, but in the end it was worth it.

I suppose I might as well summarize what's happening with me in the world of anime and manga.

Anime I'm watching on Crunchyroll:
In Another World With My Smartphone
Wistoria: Wand and Sword
The Apothecary Diaries
Aharen-San wa Hakarenai
Plus, the good ol' reliable that will take me years to finish:
Detective Conan / Case Closed
And on Hoopla:
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
I will watch Shield Hero season 4 after it finishes

Manga:
Inuyasha
By the Grace of the Gods
The Saint's Magic Power Is Omnipotent
How to Treat Magical Beasts
Dictatorial Grimoire
Also, Case Closed is continuing to show its ugly face in manga format, it has over 100 volumes and I'm only on volume 19

Last but not least, I've been reading the light novel of In Another World With My Smartphone on Hoopla and the manga of Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba on Libby

My family renewed Netflix for a month and a half a few days ago, and I've been having a lot of fun binging Yaiba: Samurai Legend and Pokémon Horizons season 2.

I just curious.
Why don't the animator want to make CHIBI form Anime for entire episode anymore like Chibi episode of Prince of Tennis ?
Chibi looking characters looked adorable.
Even my Chibi Boxer looking can be selling.
Are Japanese audience not interested with Chibi looking anime anymore?

@Anti-Matter, there are actually a decent amount of newer anime that have little snippets of chibi style in them. An example of this is The Apothecary Diaries. I haven't seen any newer animes that have full episode chibi though.

City the Animation is one of the most amazing tv anime productions I've ever seen. So I was really worried when I only found the first 2 episodes slightly funny, despite being a spiritual successor to Nichijou, one of the most beloved comedy anime. But episode 3 was wildly funny so...good, the art and animation deserve something great. But I would've gladly watched it even if it wasn't, because its just so nice to look at.

My family and I finished watching My Happy Marriage on Netflix last night. I liked it a lot! 10/10 score from me. My dad said that that the current title makes no sense and it should be called "My Happy engagement" instead 🤣.

@Barbiegurl777
Slam Dunk if you really don't want to watch soccer anime that will hurt your feeling every second you watch.
Better watch Slam Dunk with original Japanese voice acting + English subtitles for the best experience.

@Barbiegurl777
There will be cartoonish Basketball game by Outright Games this September.
Check out my Outright Games thread.