Various thoughts on a variety of topics.
Hanabi is in love with Narumi, her neighbor and homeroom teacher she’s known since she was a child. Mugi is in love with Akane, his former tutor and the school’s current music teacher. Both loves are unrequited, and so the two of them become superficially involved with each other to dull the pain.
A complicated love polygon romance featuring unrequited feelings, emptiness, romantic compromise, and unconditional affection.
More Information:
Amazon
aniDB
Fansub.co
Wikipedia
Accidentally awakening a mysterious girl called Koyori, Tazuna Takatsuki finds himself suddenly thrust into the middle of a battle between super-powered couples called ‘hand shakers’. While most of these pairs fight for the opportunity to meet God and have their wish granted, Tazuna fights to keep Koyori from disappearing.
A battle royale action drama with an unconventional style of animation and noticeable ecchi streak.
More Information:
aniDB
Crunchyroll
Wikipedia
Yotaru’s story continues as he encounters and overcomes various obstacles on the path to finding his own brand of rakugo, including his past as a yakuza.
Picking up from where the last season left off, the underlying style and structure here remains the same even though the cast has aged/changed.
More Information:
aniDB
Crunchyroll
Wikipedia
Having been just released from prison, Yotarou wishes to become a rakugo performer by apprenticing himself to Yakumo Yuurakutei. His performance style however ends up being closer to Sukeroku, a deceased friend and contemporary of Yotarou’s, and brings up memories of the past.
A period piece focused on the trials and tribulations of two rakugo performers with vastly different personalities working to move up the ranks. It doesn’t return to Yotarou’s story until the last episode.
More Information:
aniDB
Crunchyroll
Wikipedia
Returning home to France after a business trip to Japan, Oscar has brought many souvenirs for his grandson. Among them is a young Japanese girl who has come to work as a live-in maid. Will she be able to adapt to this radically different environment?
An ambling daily life show set in 19th century Paris. It’s mostly ‘cute girl doing everyday things’ with touches of comedy and drama every so often to liven things up.
More Information:
aniDB
Wikipedia
As a studious, slightly boring girl, Cocona doesn’t have any particular direction or goals in life. One morning that all changes when she encounters the wild, impulsive Papika and finds herself suddenly tossed into a bizarre dream dimension.
Bouncing as it does between settings and genres, this is a difficult series to pin down. I suppose at its core you could call it an embellished magical girl family drama. The comedy is a mix of reaction and situational while the ecchi aspects do not often have any particular attention drawn to them.
More Information:
aniDB
Crunchyroll
Fansub.co
Wikipedia
Natsume’s everyday life continues as he meets new youkai of all kinds, from malicious to benevolent to mischievous.
A mostly episodic addition to the Natsume franchise which can serve as an entry point for new viewers. In comparison to the previous season, there’s less direct conflict here with nearly all the stories featuring longing of some form.
More Information:
aniDB
Crunchyroll
Fansub.co
Wikipedia
Continuing along the road to Nationals, the Kitauji school band must overcome several new personal challenges that threaten to tear it apart from within.
Much like the first season this has a large amount of relationship drama lightened by comedic bursts arising from Kumiko’s personality. Which may be something of a shock if you’re coming into this straight from the movie version, which downplayed the characters’ personal issues.
More Information:
aniDB
Crunchyroll
Fansub.co
Wikipedia
The private investigators of the Armed Detective Agency handle cases the police and military cannot, thanks to the unique powers at their disposal. They’re not the only ones with supernatural powers though and often find themselves facing off against those who direct their abilities toward more nefarious ends.
An action-comedy featuring a mix of character deformation and reaction-based humor peppered with periodic bursts of drama and mystery. It starts off slightly episodic, with each episode being focused on either a single case or a particular part of an ongoing case, eventually becoming plot driven with a greater focus on drama.
More Information:
aniDB (1, 2, 3, 4)
Crunchyroll
Fansub.co (1, 2)
Wikipedia
On a world with no women, populated by clones, androids called Marionettes have been created to both fill that absence and act as soldiers. One night a masked man launches a military coup in the country of Romana, forcing the ruler’s son to flee the capitol city with the help of his two attendant Marionettes. He’s soon joined by a third, and the new quartet must find a way to return to the city in time to save his father from execution.
This OVA series is mostly a dark action/drama lightened with occasional splashes of comedy. Aside from the ecchi aspects, what most stands out about it is the character naming style.
More Information:
aniDB
Wikipedia
