Annie May is coming to town - R30 Issue #20

Anime Spring Season is upon us, and I’m taking the opportunity to review some of the shows I’ve watched this past winter. Not necessarily ones that got released, but in general. Sit back and Solo Level.

Solo Leveling. Probably the most popular new show right now, and deservedly so. The second season showed off some spectacular animation, particularly the fight against the insect guy in the season finale. The flow was insane, and almost abstract. Like, what was I looking at? Just sweesh-woosh-wush, lines drawn across the screen. If you haven’t followed up with Sung Jinwoo’s adventures yet, please do so. Interestingly enough, it’s based on a Korean web novel turned manhwa (like manga, but korean), but the anime is produced by Japanese A-1 Pictures.

Shangri-La Frontier. Meh. Why do I even watch this? Oh, I know why. Like all Isekai, it’s a pretty good genre if your brain is depleted and you want to zone out in front of your phone/TV/whatever. SLF features Rakuro, a guy who loves playing trash games: Glitchy shovelware with interesting bugs. At one point he gets bored and starts playing Shangri-La Frontier, a popular virtual reality MMO. The show is interesting for its commentary on game mechanics and gamer culture; the story isn’t too bad. As in, it could be worse. Serviceable. I like the small details like the Loli character that’s played by a 40-year-old man. And has the voice of a 40-year-old man. If you’re feeling stupid and White Lotus is too demanding, go for it. Don’t expect anything earth-shattering. It’s okay fast food.

Beheneko: The Elf-Girl’s Cat is Secretly an S-Ranked Monster!. Now, now, don’t get too judgmental. I know this is one of those big boobs Ecchi animes. Literally every woman in this has gigantic gazongas. The main character gets reincarnated as a tiny kitty with super-powers. That he can level up (Isekai weeehooooo). He saves a warrior elf girl from certain death and becomes her guardian. He sleeps on her boobs, and also she is really horny for him and wants to fuck him. As does every other female character in the show. Look, I just wanted to know what an Ecchi show is really like, that’s it! It’s called intellectual curiosity. In all seriousness, it’s actually passable once you get past the gratuitous nudity. Turn your brain off, and open your pa- no, don’t do that.

I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time. Alina doesn’t like fighting within a group of fellow adventurers, because they all suck. So she takes on the job as a receptionist, thinking it will give her enough time to fight monsters at night (by herself). I don’t think I’ve watched more than two episodes of this, couldn’t care. But I like the concept, and it wasn’t too bad.

Some other shows I’ve watched that didn’t necessarily have a new season:
Dandadan: People raved about this, so I had to check it out. I dunno. Wacky storytelling, wacky characters. Lasted two episodes.
Dr. Stone: This is a very popular show that I never watched. Follows a group of teenagers trying to rebuild civilization? Only watched the pilot of season 1. Maybe every season is a different technological period in humanity’s history? Who knows.
Zenshu: Anime director dies and gets transported to her fantasy world. Sounds interesting, but I feel it wasn’t smart enough to pull off the premise. Shame. I liked the signature song that played every time she used her power (she can bring her drawings to life).
Magilumiere Co Ltd: Magic as a business, with different companies vying to be the best at defeating monsters. Heroes fly around on electronic broomsticks. Cute, watched three episodes.

That’s it for this week. Playing around with new formats for the newsletter. Instead of a link collection, maybe I could be more topical? Who knows. Let’s see where it goes. Hope you enjoy some of the shows!

References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aunnkq7_F9w
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21209876/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28776190/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isekai?useskin=vector
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita_fashion?useskin=vector
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32856718/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecchi?useskin=vector
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33059860/

Solo Leveling Screencap courtesy of Solo Leveling Animation Partners

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