My favourite episode of the season so far. A combination of visual and sound direction makes me feel like I’m watching live action, which works well with this type of story. And Hikaru’s VA is so good I’d never have guessed he voiced Shoshimin’s Kobato last season.

Ugh, those attendants were infuriating. Thankfully, the final part with Marie and Kyros spending time together was full of sweetness.

I’m glad they didn’t go with the abusive step-mother trope in Kyros’s backstory. Laura looked strict but at least she didn’t wreak her frustrations on a child. Oh, she was going to poison him instead.

That body pillow scene was both funny and cute.

Did Kyros get a new one with Marie’s name on it? Considering her severe case of inferiority complex he may need it for quite a while.

Well, your sister dying in an accident on the way to marry the guy, who wanted you in the first place, and your parents sending you as a replacement is certainly a way to get betrothed to your sister’s ex. I wonder if Anastasia may have survived somehow.

To my surprise, I quite enjoyed the premiere. Yes, it was tropey in the way all Cinderella type stories are, but I didn’t mind it. The maid is shaping up to be my fav. Hopefully, it turns out to be a decent fantasy romance.

OP looked interesting, so I’ll continue watching for now.

Monica is an adorable main heroine. Loved every single one of her derpy faces.

@rikka@ani.social

Takopi being an alien from Happy Planet and thus not understanding the concept of bullying is so frustrating to watch at times. Didn’t expect this episode to end the way it did.

I’m glad Kyou-u survived, someone needs to continue interrupting Jinshi when he’s imposing romance on Maomao.

Spring season:

• Shoushimin Series Season 2 - loved season 1, but this one was even better and made me appreciate Osanai more. I’ll miss her revenge plots.
• Apocalypse Hotel was fantastic. Fun, unpredictable, melancholic at times. Loved everything about it. Yachiyo is easily the best character of the show (of the season even), but I want to give a shout-out to Environment Checker Robot, who was a great addition to the cast.
• Kuroshitsuji: Midori no Majo-hen - one of the best Kuroshitsuji arcs, and my favourite animated arc (so far, I hope, and despite a couple of ridiculously long recaps). Am I finally getting fascinated with Sebastian after all these years? Maybe.
• Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray surprised me. I didn’t expect to like it as I tried to watch the first Umamusume a couple of times and couldn’t get past episode 2. Will watch Part 2.
• Maebashi Witches - wasn’t feeling it in the beginning but it became better with each progressing episode. I love how they navigated each character’s arc and the sincerity with which they addressed personal issues and sensitive topics. A pretty little show with a positive message.
• Hibi wa Sugiredo Meshi Umashi - the cast of characters had a great chemistry. A fun group dynamic made the show enjoyable to watch.
• Ballpark de Tsukamaete! - another good slice-of-life. Thoroughly enjoyed this.
• Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de was fun, but too episodic to my liking. It just made me crave for more interactions between Kageyama and Reiko outside of murder cases (the finale was on the right track with that).
• Aru Majo ga Shinu Made, on the other hand, turned out to be less episodic than I expected and introduced some interesting worldbuilding. The characters were likeable, but the emotional part didn’t click with me. It definitely benefitted from being a Tuesday show.

My AOTS is either Shoushimin or Apocalypse Hotel, I can’t decide.

Man, the nostalgia; I was obsessed with Bleach in those days. For me it’s either Velonica or Ranbu no Melody, but I’m leaning towards the latter.

Sword of the Demon Hunter comes out of nowhere to top the chart on AC this week.

It was a pretty good episode both in content and visual direction.

I have been more than satisfied this season

Same.

Osanai destroying Urino was brutal and, I must add, quite satisfying. I can’t stop laughing.

Collecting wives befriending other witches is more important than collecting teardrops that can save your life. Meg knows her priorities.

@rikka@ani.social

Or Osanai has been influencing him too

I’ve also thought about this possibility, but it weirds me out that Urino became so bold with Osanai right after Hiya told him to be assertive with her. Before their conversation Urino was intuitively cautious enough to not overstep her boundaries.

Sometimes I think Hiya’s too suspicious to be such an obvious suspect, which is kind of suspicious in itself. Maybe not all of the arson cases were done by the same person. The first fires could have been a coincidence used as a cover-up to burn the van, and it would be easier to find some kind of pattern between just a few cases and deem it serial arson, like Urino did. Or someone tested the waters with those fires, Urino took the bait, and they decided it was safe to burn the van so no one thinks it was the initial target. Anyway, I hope Kobato solves the case soon enough, so my brain stops with all these theories.

2 minutes and 30 seconds recap just after two episodes is an interesting choice, though I had an impression that in this case it was necessary for the story’s progression. I don’t mind it, since I’ve been enjoying this season a lot, but I hope recaps won’t become a frequent occasion.

Ciel reliving his trauma was painful to watch. The contrast with the previous light-hearted episode is shocking, but not surprising, as we’ve already seen the signs of something ominous creeping in. I love how masterfully Kuroshitsuji oscillates between humorous and tragic moments.

@rikka@ani.social

The tension of this episode had me on the edge of my seat. I felt sorry for Urino first, he’s definitely being played, but he became so full of himself that I actually want Osanai to crush him. This time she gives off strong Moriarty vibes right from the start, though I still think the one responsible for those fires is Hiya. I doubt he’s innocent. After all, he’s the one who led Urino to this case and encouraged him throughout.

Opening and ending themes were worth the wait.

@rikka@ani.social

My personal favourite is Yotsuiro Biyori. It was such a delight to watch. I also enjoyed Kakuriyo a lot, glad it’s getting season 2 this fall.

Very much enjoyed the comedic direction of this episode, from cutting Kazamatsuri’s scream to the whole dinner table scene. Looking forward to all the roundabout ways Kageyama finds to call Reiko a moron.

The pool looks lovely:

Title drop:

They may have zero deduction skills but at least they are capable of catching the culprit. @rikka@ani.social

Blushing Haruka is back!

@rikka@ani.social