Because somebody read the manga on YouTube, and I want more of the story

It's estimated that one soldier needs three to six people to keep them in the field. By that figure, Kurt Rockhans of The Unaware Atelier Meister is roughly equal to twelve to twenty-four people. He makes beef jerky that is better than a freshly cooked three-star meal, fine-tunes magical equipment, hauls party loot, and does goddess-knows-what-else to keep a four-person team running.

Naturally, he gets fired, because he can't fight worth beans.

(Also in this group: The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows)

Back for another round

Imagine, if you can, that Encyclopedia Brown and Sally Kimball are played by Japanese high schoolers, and that they want to give up solving mysteries and fighting, respectively. That's the quick summary of the setup for SHOSHIMIN: How to Become Ordinary.

It should come as no surprise that they're terrible at being normal people. Kobato can't resist a good puzzle, and Osanai's past won't leave her alone. I liked the first season, and while the second season is starting off a little weak, I'm confident the writers will pull it together soon.

(Also in this group: I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level)

Cute Girls Doing Cute Things

If you removed the camping from Laid-Back Camp and tried to split what's left in half, with one side being more about traveling and the other more about food, I think you'd get Zatsutabi -That's Journey- and Food for the Soul, respectively. The characters in both shows are in university, but it still fits the general theme.

As with Laid-Back Camp, watching these shows while hungry is not advised.

Ooh, a mystery!

In a world where one of the tallest, most dense slums ever wasn't torn down, Kowloon Generic Romance sets up an interesting puzzle. Why does Reiko Kujirai happen to be a dead ringer for her co-worker Hajime Kudo's former fiancée? What happened to Reiko's unexpected twin? Why can't Reiko remember her past? And does the biotech company Hebinuma have anything to do with it?

I just like the protagonist

Sophia Reeler is a noble from the outskirts, and she's going to school to learn, which means she has nothing in common with the majority of the young ladies at school, who are after a Mrs. degree.

Add her general social awkwardness, and she feels very relatable to me. Except for the part about becoming The Gorilla God's Go-To Girl. Blessed with incredible strength and astonishing speed, she finds herself chosen as a junior knight, which naturally drops her in the middle of several men that the other young ladies have targeted.

---

And that's a sample of the stuff I'm watching, because of reasons.

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

I was just given insight into From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman: My Hotshot Disciples Are All Grown Up Now and They Won't Leave Me Alone.

Beryl Gardinant wanted to be an adventurer, but that didn't happy. He studied the sword and became really good at it, and taught other people what he knew.

Then one of his students, now the commander of the Royal Order of Knights, comes to him with an Imperial Order for him to come to the capitol and teach members of the order. See, the thing is that Beryl isn't just really good. He's amazingly good, and doesn't realize just how good he is. His students, all of who admit he's better than them, are amongst the top sword-wielders in the country, and they got him there to improve everyone.

The thing about this one, though, is that Beryl uses actual (non-Japanese) sword techniques, and also sees himself as a teacher first, so as he's fighting people in the duels that he gets challenged to? He also instructs them in what they should be doing. He's a good teacher, and his goal isn't to be a champion, but to help his students survive.

It's a pretty solid series.

--
Jen Dantes - Darth Mephron
Haberdasher to Androids, Dark Lady of Sith Tech Support.
"This may not be a good idea, but it's the only one I have."

LAST EDITED ON Apr-15-25 AT 03:57 PM (EDT)
 
>I was just given insight into From Old Country Bumpkin to Master
>Swordsman: My Hotshot Disciples Are All Grown Up Now and They Won't
>Leave Me Alone.
>
>

Where is this one found? I suspect I've heard a read-through of this one as well, and if it's available without adding another streaming service, I'd like to catch it.

Peter Eng
--
"Your whirlwind attack is impressive, but all I have to do is move with it to penetrate your defenses."

It's on Amazon Prime.

My single show of the season is Once Upon a Witch's Death, which I had read the first LN volume of fan translated (and just received the official English hardcover of). Cute witch receives a terminal prognosis, has one year to make 1000 people cry true tears of happiness before an congenital curse kicks in and will rapidly kill her.

>My single show of the season is Once Upon a Witch's Death,
>which I had read the first LN volume of fan translated (and just
>received the official English hardcover of). Cute witch receives a
>terminal prognosis, has one year to make 1000 people cry true tears of
>happiness before an congenital curse kicks in and will rapidly kill
>her.

Thanks for the recommendation. I was on the fence about this one, but Meg managed to win me over in short order.

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

>My single show of the season is Once Upon a Witch's Death,
>which I had read the first LN volume of fan translated (and just
>received the official English hardcover of). Cute witch receives a
>terminal prognosis, has one year to make 1000 people cry true tears of
>happiness before an congenital curse kicks in and will rapidly kill
>her.

Solid show throughout. This season covered volumes 1 and 2 of the LN with the very last episode putting a foot inside volume 3 as a cliffhanger/intro. (Kind of a strange decision IMO but I guess it works from a marketing perspective.)

As the series itself should only be 4 volumes, here's hoping we get a second season in a year or two to wrap things up.

None of the wholly new ones I’ve seen anything about seem especially appealing to me yet this season. I’ve got a couple that show promise, but I don’t know when they hit, or if they’re being subbed if they’re already out.

Aside from the new Gundam, that is, but I’m having to wait a bit on that.

I want a new super robot joint....hey Sunrise, wanna hit us with a Mazinger Zero?

The Super Robot Wars gods must be fed.

The only anime I'm currently watching right now (it's a 2-cour show, so technically Q2), is Gachiakuta, which perhaps could best be described as "Black Clover on Planet Junkion."

Except better.

The animation is insanely fluid, and the MC lacks most of the default shonen hero tropes.

Dub trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtHD9MlW6mA

Parts of one of the better fights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChZ-mlGwdZU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y_LeWAWiOw

One of the goofier fights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t00_QqfhwBk

>The only anime I'm currently watching right now (it's a 2-cour show,
>so technically Q2), is Gachiakuta, which perhaps could best be
>described as "Black Clover on Planet Junkion."
>
>Except better.
>
>The animation is insanely fluid, and the MC lacks most of the default
>shonen hero tropes.
>

Oh, yeah. Rudo is allowed to be a novice, which...well, maybe I missed it, but that doesn't seem to happen often.

If I was going to compare where he lives to anything, it's Gally's home planet, except he starts in the slums of the overcity before being ceremoniously dumped into the junk side.

The only thing I'm unhappy about is that he hasn't collected a small pile of things he wants to repair. That was his hobby before, so I have no idea why he isn't continuing it now.

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

>The only thing I'm unhappy about is that he hasn't collected a small
>pile of things he wants to repair. That was his hobby before, so I
>have no idea why he isn't continuing it now.

There was a bit before this recent mission where they went to a junkpile for him to find items to use as weapons. Perhaps he'll start doing more of the "repair diving" once things have settled down?

(Assuming they do. I mean, this IS anime...)

LAST EDITED ON Oct-05-25 AT 08:03 PM (EDT)
 
...I'm putting Witch Watch here.

I picked it up expecting a romantic comedy - childhood friends reunite in high school, he's an ogre, she's a witch, hijinks ensue, they obviously like each other but he can't say it. The usual.

The first cour ended with a rather dark "guess what, she's a rare witch and somebody's out to kill her and steal her powers" arc, but other than that, it's exactly what I expected...

...except for the part where they haven't stopped releasing episodes, just taken short breaks. Maybe they're just running late from last quarter. If not, I hope the animators are getting some sleep somewhere in all this.

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

Peter,
I am right there with you. I'm seen nearly everything on this list.

Add, the Wrong way to use Healing Magic, My level as an assassin far greater than the hero (paraphrased) for a few more.

If you like fantasy, I do recommend the Faraway Paladin. It is pretty good and the character is a decent example of how a D&D Paladin should be played.

The Raven of the Inner Palace is a nice mix of mystery and magic. Similar vain as Apothecary Diaries.

Thanks!
Phantom

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." - Sherlock Holmes