And now, to lower the tone around here, some self-indulgent chatter about anime! :)

This isn't everything, just a sample.

7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy!

Well, I guess this one came out of a light novel.

To be fair, Rishe is a villainess in name only. The prince breaks his engagement with her to marry his beloved, who is presumably the main character of an otome game, making Rishe the villainess from that view. Then she makes a new life for herself, spends five years enjoying what she's doing, and gets killed in a war...and gets restarted at the breaking of the engagement for some reason. Lather, rinse, repeat.

The instigator of the war is Emperor Arnold Hein. Every. Damn. Time. In her sixth loop, making a life as a guard, she even dies on his sword.

For life seven, she takes a different exit from the palace, crashes into Crown Prince Arnold Hein, apologizes, then jumps from the balcony to complete her escape. This change is bigger than she realizes; the man who has killed his father and started a war in every loop before this tracks her down to declare his interest in marrying her.

Fluffy Paradise

Isekai via karoshi. This time, the god who sends our heroine to a new world has a task: Decide if the humans on this world need to be exterminated.

Our heroine gets the standard option for Overpowered Abilities, of course. But she's still a bit loopy, and can only think of how refreshing it was to pet fluffy animals. Kami-sama can work with that...

A Sign of Affection

Romance. I seem to pick up at least one of these every season.

Yuki Itose is the main character. She's the classic sheltered Japanese college student, with one major difference: She's deaf.

So, as is standard for a SJCS, she has no idea how to deal with being attracted to a guy. Is she crushing? Is this love? Did he just learn sign language because he likes learning new things, or because he's interested in her?

Sasaki and Peeps

Sasaki is a salaryman. So, the usual overwork, lack of a social life, and being generally miserable apply. To break the cycle, he buys a Java sparrow. Except, this is a reincarnated archmage, not a bird. It turns out that Sasaki is an apt student of magic, although he remains dependent upon Peeps to transport him between worlds.

Then the real trouble starts. A killer who can transform his hands into blades attacks a woman, and Sasaki uses his Icicle spell to save her, only to find out that she's part of a secret government organization that exists to police psychics. Now they think he's a psychic who can create icicle blades, which works well with a woman who can manipulate water. Together, They Fight Crime!

This one feels like it's going too many directions at once, but it's charming. Also, the protagonist isn't a high schooler, which is a welcome change.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Most anime in a fantasy world start with a declaration to destroy the Demon Lord.

In this story, we start with the celebration of his destruction. The hero's party watches a twice-a-century meteor shower, and Frieren notes that she knows a really great place to see the meteor shower, and they should do that next time.

And they do. But this is the first time Frieren runs up against the harsh reality of being an elf. The cleric and hero of her party are human, and what was trivial time for her is a lifetime for them. So she sets out on a journey to really see things, slowly building a new party for this.

This isn't an epic quest anime, although there are magical battles. This is a character study. Somebody must have thought well of this when planning the release; it started last quarter, and is continuing on this quarter.

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

Frieren is generally touted as one of the best anime of 2023, and like another contender for the spot (Apothecary Diaries) it seems to have been planned as 2 cour, running October to March.

Fluffy Paradise was amusing and then heart-warming when the first episode has the main character, aged about 4, standing protectively over a huge red dragon to keep knights from hurting it.

Rishe, in 7th Timeloop, asserts that this is going to be her time off: she will laze around and do nothing. Which is a considerable lack of self-awareness because she is pretty much incapable of not throwing herself into some new project. And with 30 years of life experience to back this up, she's fairly competent in many areas.

Sasaki and Peeps seems to delight in new curveballs at the protagonist, which means I never know what's going to happen next.

Level 99 Villainess
This takes the inserted into the villainess of an otome game seriously. Most of the first episode actually follows the protagonist of that game.

And then we meet Yumelia Dolkness, the final boss of the game, who has the memories of a Japanese college student who just loves the tactical side of the game and proceeds to grind levels in her new life. The result of which is the title: she's at the level cap and basically a walking nuclear weapon - and has basically never socialized with anyone in her entire life.

Some of my own here;

Shangri-La Frontier: another two cour (at least) show, this has a guy who loves playing ‘Kusoge’ -Shitty Games - trying out a ‘Kamige’ or ‘God game’ - a game that is actually incredibly good, rather than the buggy messes he usually defeats, and excelling at it because he’s trained himself basically on hard mode, with poor hit detection, writing, AI, controls, the whole gamut of stuff that when they’re missing let’s you dominate, like taking off weighted training clothes. The vorpal bunnies are amazing and I love them all. :3

Apothecary Diaries: A poison-obsessed apothecary/pharmacist girl gets kidnapped and sold into the palace of the emperors harem in a pseudo-Chinese world, and proceeds, with the deadpan calm of someone whom is confident in their common sense and knowledge of (lack of) status, solve various medical mysteries. It is so very good, I love Mao Mao. :3

Frieren: while I personally Edge Apothecary Diaries over Frieren, I third this show being incredibly good, I’ve read a sizable chunk of the manga for this (and Diaries) And i think it’s only going to get better!

>Apothecary Diaries: A poison-obsessed apothecary/pharmacist girl gets
>kidnapped and sold into the palace of the emperors harem in a
>pseudo-Chinese world, and proceeds, with the deadpan calm of someone
>whom is confident in their common sense and knowledge of (lack of)
>status, solve various medical mysteries. It is so very good, I love
>Mao Mao. :3

Maomao is wonderfully snarky. She was actually raised by a doctor who serviced the capital's RedLight District, and her connections there - and her real family - become occasionally important plot points, but it's mostly her solving mysteries and trying to avoid this Way Too Handsome Guy (Who Could Have Her Head Chopped Off For Looking At Him Wrong If He Felt Like It).

I have characterized her in the past as "House MD - The Ancient Chinese Not-Exactly-A-Harem-Girl Edition".

Seems like most of the top contenders for this season are covered, and to that end I'll second recommendations for Frieren, Shangri-la Frontier, and tentatively (since it only just got started so consistency is unknown) Level 99 Villainess.

My own addition would be The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic. This is in many ways a standard 'classmates summoned to another world' isekai, with the standard option that only 2 of the 3 summons were supposed to be pulled through. The swerves are that the king and his advisors in the isekai land they end up in don't seem to be shady, the summoned kids all seem to get along and generally be decent people with nary a sociopath among them, and despite what might be feared from the title healing magic doesn't seem to be used in any horrifying ways. Instead said magic is used to powered a training regimen that yields Saitama-esque results, as demonstrated by the kingdom's terrifying chief healer lady.

It's in no way anime of the season worthy, but seems solidly made so far and generally light-hearted fun, though there are hints at the usual battles to come.

	-={(Astynax)}=- "I'm also following some decidedly more risque series, HiDive is leaning into their niche hard this season, but Chained Soldier and Gushing Over Magical Girls are not really fit for general recommendation."

Ooo, I read a bunch of that one in manga form a while back, it's pretty good~

I'm only watching two new anime, currently:

Mr. Villain's Day Off, which is a rather goofy iyashikei anime about what a Super Sentai villain does during his time off.

(There are many many pandas)

Then there's Brave Bang Bravern!, which has one of the greatest marketing swerves I've ever seen. It technically doesn't start until Thursday, but I watched a raw.

LAST EDITED ON Jan-16-24 AT 11:16 PM (EST)
 
....Okay, so, the official trailer here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAS2PABgej4

does not REMOTELY match up with what the opening is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkg_03wzNKQ

I almost want to yell false advertising, because, WOW, this is a heck of a bait and switch if you only saw the trailer. :)

EDIT:
What in the balls did I just watch?

>....Okay, so, the official trailer here
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAS2PABgej4
>
>does not REMOTELY match up with what the opening is.
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkg_03wzNKQ
>
>I almost want to yell false advertising, because, WOW, this is a heck
>of a bait and switch if you only saw the trailer. :)
>
>EDIT:
>What in the balls did I just watch?

My point exactly. I haven't seen a swerve like this since Citizen V and the Thunderbolts unmasked.

>....Okay, so, the official trailer here
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAS2PABgej4
>
>does not REMOTELY match up with what the opening is.
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkg_03wzNKQ
>
>I almost want to yell false advertising, because, WOW, this is a heck
>of a bait and switch if you only saw the trailer. :)

Good thing, too, because that show the trailer was for looks terrible. :)

They did sneak in what feels like a little hint to the show's true nature in that trailer, though. Gaogaigar veterans' ears, in particular, will instinctively prick up at that little speech about the power of courage. The art style of the logo is a tipoff, too, if the fact that the show's title has "Brave" in it twice isn't clue enough. :)

--G.
"Final Fusion—APPROVED!"
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

> Good thing, too, because that show the trailer was for looks terrible. :)

It puts me in the mind of Gasaraki, which is kinda like if Full Metal Panic....was boring and sucked.

There’s a short list of anime I’ve seen all the way through and regret the time spent doing so. Gasaraki is on it, along with Bubblegum Crisis 2040.

>does not REMOTELY match up with what the opening is.
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkg_03wzNKQ
>
>EDIT:
>What in the balls did I just watch?

Speaking of "what in the balls" OPs, I ran across this one completely at random this evening.

I know nothing about it and am not even sure how I ended up watching it, but man, Yakuza 8 looks lit.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>
>Speaking of "what in the balls" OPs, I ran across
>this one completely at
>random this evening.
>
>I know nothing about it and am not even sure how I ended up watching
>it, but man, Yakuza 8 looks lit.
>

Ooh, Akiba Maid War. I'd heard good things about it, but it's on HIDIVE, and I didn't have the spoons or the cash to add them.

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

The OP really doesn't convey the true content of Akiba Maid War.

This does:

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

Or, if you prefer dubs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=23F4UFoz2vU

>The OP really doesn't convey the true content of Akiba Maid War.

That seems to be kind of a recurring theme in this thread. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

*makes a note about Brave Bang Bravern*

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

Alright, after all three episodes out on Crunchy right now, I honestly don't know if I like this show or if I find it infuriating. It seems like the whole world is going insane around Isami, and he's the only sane person left, who's not on board with this being a shonen super robot show.

>Alright, after all three episodes out on Crunchy right now, I honestly
>don't know if I like this show or if I find it infuriating. It seems
>like the whole world is going insane around Isami, and he's the only
>sane person left, who's not on board with this being a shonen super
>robot show.

I think the way Isami's responding is more a result of how the US government treated him than the business of being The Only One Who Can Ride The Giant Robot. If he'd been treated like most shonen heroes are treated, that would be one thing. He was really into it at the end of episode one.

But...well, I'd guess that Shinji Ikari had it worse in his lifetime of suffering, but for single-episode dumping on a main character, I'd say that Isami's ahead.

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

There are definitely some shenanigans going on here.

How does BRAVERN! know about a movie from at least 35 years ago?

And why does he keep "painting the 4th wall", as the Great Timesink puts it?

>
>And why does he keep "painting the 4th wall", as the Great Timesink
>puts it?
>

Considering that he showed up with fight scene music, he isn't so much painting the fourth wall as he is showing up with spray cans and making street art.

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

>Considering that he showed up with fight scene music, he isn't so much
>painting the fourth wall as he is showing up with spray cans and
>making street art.

I was referring more to his logo physically appearing during his action pose.

>There are definitely some shenanigans going on here.
>
>How does BRAVERN! know about a movie from at least 35 years ago?

On a point of order, that's a significantly less arresting feat than knowing about movies from at least 35 years in the future.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>On a point of order, that's a significantly less arresting feat than
>knowing about movies from at least 35 years in the future.

Fair point. Although, 2059 was a really good year for movies...

>I think the way Isami's responding is more a result of how the US
>government treated him than the business of being The Only One Who Can
>Ride The Giant Robot. If he'd been treated like most shonen heroes
>are treated, that would be one thing. He was really into it at the
>end of episode one.

I'm not entirely sure he *was* that into it...but yeah, that certainly didn't help any, and jesus christ that scene.

>For life seven, she takes a different exit from the palace, crashes
>into Crown Prince Arnold Hein, apologizes, then jumps from the balcony
>to complete her escape.

"You will always remember this day as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow."

>Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
>
>Most anime in a fantasy world start with a declaration to destroy the
>Demon Lord.
>
>In this story, we start with the celebration of his destruction.

I finally got around to watching the first episode and a half of this last night, in a member watchalong stream with Koseki Bijou, of all things. Sadly only an episode and a half, because my DSL modem chose that exact moment to die. :/

I quite liked what I got to see. When I can stream again without burning mobile data (as I'm doing right now for Calli's pre-hiatus stream), I'll have to get caught up. I think they ended up going to episode 5.

Lot of feels there, though. Looooot of feels.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

SO many feels in Frieren. It's feelings central up in there.

>SO many feels in Frieren. It's feelings central up in there.

It was kind of hilarious how often it kept blindsiding Biboo. I mean, she's not what you would call a stoical individual in the first place, but...

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>>Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
>>
>>Most anime in a fantasy world start with a declaration to destroy the
>>Demon Lord.
>>
>>In this story, we start with the celebration of his destruction.
>
>I finally got around to watching the first episode and a half of this
>last night, in a member watchalong stream with Koseki Bijou, of all
>things. Sadly only an episode and a half, because my DSL modem chose
>that exact moment to die. :/

I really need to go back to Frieren, I think I stopped around episode 4. Not out of distaste or anything, I simply lack the time; that whole "life" thing keeps intruding on opportunities to watch anime.

Relatedly (to the member watchalong concept), does anyone else feel almost guilty about not watching streams? Like, I want to watch everybody, but then they overlap/stream when I'm asleep/are Kaela and I just don't have enough hours in the day to keep up (even when I let streams roll while doing life activities, something that I can't really do with anime not in English).

"This is probably a stupid question, but . . ."

I used to try to hit the streams, but then I just started finding more interesting and varied things to watch, and the girls started playing stuff I wasn't interested in, or was VERY interested in, and wanted to consume it on my own. These days I just maintain my subscriptions, as well as watching VODs and clips. Vods for sleeping noises, mainly~

Some of the silly details in this show really please me on some hard-to-define level.

For instance: the scene where Fern asks directions to a sweets shop and is directed to the seediest-looking dive bar, which is full of the roughest-looking characters available who say everything in the most sinister possible tones of voice, so that everything sounds like sarcasm as prelude to brutality. "Sweets, is it? Oh yeah! Me an' my boys can show ya to the best sweets, baby. Ain't that right, boys?"

And then they all get up and... take time out of their day to escort her to a café-pâtisserie that does the best puddings and little cakes in town. I love it when shows do stuff like that. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.