Archive for the English Anime Category


Metallic Rouge, streaming on Crunchyroll

February 23rd, 2024

Two women, one with long black hair and pale skin, wearing a shorts and suspenders and one with brown skin, pale hair and glasses in a jersey jacket, snack in front of a futuristic landscape, with the massive body of a mecha in the distant sky.You ever watch something so familiar that you spend the whole time wondering where you’ve seen it before? ^_^ I’m not saying Metallic Rouge streaming now on Crunchyroll, is derivative, but it definitely feels like a lot of other things I have seen.

To begin with, the opening moments of the anime are so evidently by the team that brought us Carole and Tuesday that I wondered if the story was going to tie in, somehow. No…but it sure could have been and worked just fine. A single newspaper cover in common would have been fine. Instead we’re in the glitter/grungy world of planet Mars that the story treats like a single city. Have you ever noticed how often whole planets are treated as if they are one town? One culture, no other languages, food, or politics. Heck, even small cities have more than one of those. But no, “Mars” is one place.

There’s a Noir-ish quality to our primary pair – fighter Rouge and her handler Naomi, mostly in the sense that the two of them do missions for whomever they work for. The background story of who everyone works for is messy, with a shifting cast of organizations vying for who know what.

There is a human racism plotline that feels so familiar but I cannot place it. It’s racism lite, as it so often is, in anime. Upperclass vs underclass. Bad people are bad, and mean people hurt the demi-human Neans and there’s no complexity to any of it. Like a child’s garden of racism. Neans are the underclass that humans created in order to treat them like crap. Yup.

There is mecha, in the form of hardsuits, which feels very Bubblegum Crisis, as Rouge takes on other hard-suited baddies for reasons that shift every episode. With, I should add, some very sticky music that is more of a single riff that echoes in your brain, than a song, per se. I get Devilman Lady vibes off the music.

And there is a very 90s OVA quality to the whole thing. Each episode or two is it’s own arc, and will come to an end…even if it’s not resolved in a meaningful way. Rouge’s memories are already the big mystery, but to be honest, I don’t really think this anime will bother filling in the details in a meaningful way, any more than Carole and Tuesday wrapped up any of it’s storylines before the big pay-per-view concert that resolved nothing – don’t think we’re going to forget that, Bones, because we are not.

Is this a Yuri series? Nah. Nor is it trying to be one. It’s a buddy story and that’s just fine. With mecha, fighting, and repetitive, epic music, and a cast that appears to be the same 5 people back for every other episode. I appreciate that kind of cost-cutting. It works better than just underfunding the animation. Points off for the evil clown, though. Mars has enough problems, it doesn’t need evil clowns.

Ratings:

Art – Very pretty
Story – Many things stick to this wall
Characters – Sure, why not
Service – Why are all “clubs” in the future the same one tawdry sex club? Get an imagination people!
Yuri – 0 and not likely to go past “I got your back, as long as you’re not stabbing mine”

Overall  – 8

Not everything has to be high art. We can just like some pretty crap with fighty robots, then forget it existed after its over. It’s okay. ^_^





Finding the Good in Bad Media or, a treatise on Interspecies Reviewers by Mash Whitehouse

January 31st, 2024

Mash Whitehouse is a transwoman who never updates her blog at mashforxp.com and has written several tabletop RPG books. She can also be found refusing to say anything succinctly about Video Games, Anime, and everything else @mashforxp.bsky.social

After a rousing discussion on bluesky, and a failed attempt to bring Erica in as an expert witness, I found myself deep in thought about fantasy sex work. The only sex work that isn’t real work. When I’m not picking polite fights on social media, I write about RPGs or pretend to be an expert on them. Common consensus is that sex and D&D don’t mix, but you’re lucky that we’re not here to talk about that. I’m here to talk about a manga I like and the anime of it that I hate.

I’m talking about Interspecies Reviewers. Wait, please don’t leave!

IR burst into the western consciousness in a spectacular fashion, when the anime’s release was canceled by Funimation. In the age of streaming, before every company became one congealed Tetsuo-esque amalgam, the many services were scrambling to grab every launching anime they could. Any one of which could be the next One Piece, the next Goblin Slayer, or something actually good. For the 2020 season, Funimation picked up the anime for Interspecies Reviewers, a gag manga about the worst adventurers trawling through the red-light district in a fantasy world, looking to experience the many sensual experiences such a world has to offer, and then publishing their opinions for fellow adventurers.

The premise rides a line to be sure, but perhaps in the days before streaming, with a chance to review the product before purchase, Funi wouldn’t have jumped in blindly. Instead, they found themselves with a very raunchy anime and pulled it, 3 episodes in. I found the situation farcical, but it also piqued my morbid curiosity. My proactive wife bought me the first volume of the manga before I could find a source for the anime.

The opening chapter plays out like this: The Elf adventurer, Zel, has a penchant for spending his rewards from adventuring on a middle-aged human “Succu-girl” (this fantasy world’s term for a sex worker), Stunk the Human questions why he would pick her. The very well named human brings up how wonderful he thinks Elven girls are, and Zel counters with the fact that most Elves are pushing 800 years old, as opposed to the youthful 50 year old woman that Zel frequents.

As the argument heightens in their local tavern, other regulars join in to review the two species. A myriad of different fantasy people, from Halflings to Kobolds all participate in the ridiculous activity, resulting in the middle-aged woman winning, with each barfly giving reasonable reasons for why the idealized and unachievable beautiful elf is not their preference. The gag that won me over was the presentation of the reviews. Four of the barflys write up Famitsu-style critiques: brief paragraphs and 0-10 scores. Excellent. This is an ongoing bit for every chapter. It helps keep the conceit of the title going. To me though, it helps create a theme of sexual positivity, overcoming sexual repression, and acceptance of varied body types and their beauty…while also rating women’s bodies.

Enter Crimvael; the reason this manga would merit a Lambda Award. Crim is a wonderful intersex angel (he/him), and I mean angel literally, his halo is damaged, keeping him from returning to heaven, so he ends up slumming it with these losers. With their “help”, he begins to discover his sexuality, what the mortal world is like, and maybe finds love along the way. On his journey, Crim meets Elza the Gnoll. For those not in the know about fantasy creatures, Gnolls are hyena people, and just how the real world Spotted Hyena have pseudo-penises, (go look it up, nature is amazing!) so too does Elza.

While this is a fun and subtle joke connecting Gnolls and Hyenas, Elza herself is never made out to be a joke, she is cool and arguably sexy, unlike the portrayal of many gender non-conforming characters in media. Crim’s experience with Elza is given a 9, and he leaves no further expounding details. It is a wonderfully affirming queer moment, and Elza shows up from time to time, clearly having left an impact on Crim. The rest of that chapter is focused on the other reviewers getting to experience “lesbian sex” at the Gender Swap Inn. This is treated in much the same way as men’s yuri or lesbian content. Unfortunately.

The manga definitely falls on the seinen side of the seinen/josei divide, and the only regular female character is the harpy bar owner. Who acts like a harpy, in the sense of the derogatory term for women. Of course, the men are no better, constantly drinking, focused on sex and generally being of a low brow demeanor. They are not portrayed in a positive light, but they are at least portrayed. Crimvael, the only queer character of the main cast, is at least likable.

Now we come to the anime. It has a stigma about it. One that is earned. The anime is just softcore porn. The Japanese channel AT-X aired it with no censorship, followed by other channels re-airing with blurred censorship.The manga used diegetic censorship of hair, Crim’s halo, another character, swords, etc., to create consistent background jokes. Which are lost for a chance to show bare nipples and tout a lack of censorship on TV. The conversion to animation damages the message and shifts the focus. A prime example: The Will o’ Wisp Succu-girls, Light Elementals in humanoid form, glow so brightly that you cannot see anything “fun”. A good joke. In the anime, they are just glowing nude women, everything bare for the viewer to gawk at. A joke lost. Without the joke, you are left only with the smut.

So, Because of the widely known fiasco that is the anime, I hesitate to even recommend the manga, despite the amount of charming and queer moments. I would have to give a giant preamble if I ever wished to attempt such a futile endeavor, and if you have to begin any conversation with “I’m not a pervert, but-” you’re not starting from a strong footing. So, I’m not a pervert, but-

Ratings:

Art – 8Story – 4Characters – 3Service – 9 (Anime 11)Yuri/Queer – 4

Overall  – 7

All 9 volumes have a space on my manga shelf. Along with vol 1 of the spin off anthology Darkness.

If you have a secret place to read, or access to blank dust covers, the manga is available from Yen Press. If you’re interested in watching the anime, I recommend getting on a dating app, being honest on your profile, don’t include a picture of your dog, and you’ll find someone that likes you. 

Note: Links lead to Global Bookwalker, as not all volumes of the manga appear to be available elsewhere.





The Vexations Of A Shut-In Vampire Princess, Guest Review by Cryssoberyl

January 24th, 2024

Girl with long blonde hair, wearing red military-ish uniform holds her hand palm out at us,while blue-haired maid clings to her. They are surrounded by generic moe anime girls' heads bedecked by a variety of hair colors and stylesThere is a long-running video game series that I have been a fan of for going on two decades now. It’s called Disgaea, and the general theme is a zany, tongue-in-cheek netherworld of fractious demons who love to war with each other, but ultimately it’s all in good fun and although they are often selfish and pretend to be “bad”, most of them really have hearts of gold…if buried at varying depths.

No anime has ever felt more like “Disgaea: The Anime” than Hikikomari Kyuuketsuki no Monmon, streaming on HIDIVE as The Vexations Of A Shut-In Vampire Princess.

This was actually an intimidating review for me to approach. I personally really enjoyed the show, but there is no doubt that, especially early on, the show relies on a lot of very “dead horse” off-color jokes and tropes. This is unfortunate, as I feel the early episodes are not good indicators of the show as a whole (something which is a truism for anime in general, but along with WataOshi and 16bit Sensation, was particularly the case for shows of this season). Yes, Villhaze oversteps boundaries, yes there is a persistent gag of everybody wanting Komari. Part of this stems from the fact that this is ultimately an example of the “battle harem” formula, and characters having an absurd preoccupation with the MC is how this song is danced.

For me, the elements that I know other people might find problematic were not dealbreakers. I don’t have a problem with service unless it’s egregiously coercive or humiliating – and I’ll admit, I will give a lot of things a pass if it happens between two women than I would not if a man were involved; rightly or wrongly the feeling of predation, power imbalance, and othering is just not the same for me. Nothing in Hikikomari crossed the line for me, although I certainly rolled my eyes sometimes. Despite these things, I found a lot to love in this show. Even my best friend, life partner, and love of my life Zefiris (LURB <3 n_n) who is much more sensitive to these issues was able to enjoy the show quite a lot on the whole.

Although the characters can be easily defined as “types”, they all had distinguishing qualities. Komari is not simply the hapless harem MC, she has a natural instinct for BSing her way through the messes she find herself in; I for one love characters who display unexpected competence when thrust into unfamiliar situations. Villhaze is no mere kuudere maid, she is also Komari’s spin doctor, tactician, and bodyguard. Sakana the “yandere little sister” type is a skilled assassin and 4D chessmistress when it comes to planning her gambits far in advance. Nelia the deposed princess fights for the future of her country with admirable bravery and conviction. And finally there is Millicent, who after chewing the scenery as a gloriously villainous antagonist, goes on to be that greatest of all characters, the former villainess who becomes an awesomely badass antiheroine.

As mentioned, this is undeniably a yuri “battle harem” franchise, and over the course of the show no less than three young ladies form varying degrees of attachment to Komari. (Four if you count Millicent.) On the one hand this is great, I for one love yurification of existing genre formulas. On the other hand, one cannot but feel sorry for Villhaze, the obviously designated main love interest, who feels like a neglected character after her early arc concludes and the show goes on to focus on other characters. Presumably the source material circles back around to her later, but speaking just for this adaptation, it was slightly unfortunate.

Finally, I must shout out the small cameo by legendary yuri seiyuu Yuuki Aoi. I won’t say who the character is; when the hotblooded screaming starts, you’ll know.

Ratings:

Art – 8/10, pleasantly competent and consistent considering the designs, although visible cracks in some action sequences.
Story – 7/10, sometimes wacky, sometimes unexpectedly serious, frequently bombastic.
Characters – 7/10, for me at least the characters defy their usual typing.
Service – early in the show 8/10, later on 5/10. It definitely drops off, though there are still occasional moments.
Yuri – 7/10, a yuri harem is definitely forming but Villhaze feels left behind after her arc.

Overall – 8/10, it was not art, but it was definitely entertainment.

Hikikomari Kyuuketsuki no Monmon is currently available for streaming, under the title The Vexations of a Shut-in Vampire Princess, on HIDIVE.





I’m In Love With The Villainess Manga, Volume 5

November 20th, 2023

Two girls in red jackets and blue skirt uniforms. One with short, pale hair looks smug, the other with medium-length brown hair looks angry. In the aftermath of the Commoner’s Movement and her loss of someone important to her, Claire has been listless and resistant to any attempt by Rae to lighten her mood. When her childhood friend – and first love – arrives at the Academy, Claire perks right up. But now Rae has a serious problem…now she has a rival.

Manaria Sousse, the Crown Princess of the Sousse kingdom, is a shockingly complex character. Her looks are the the boyish blond butch we are familiar with, flirtatious and charming. But underneath that is an apparently cruel person. And underneath that(!) is something like the truth. Manaria jokes easily about her complicated position in the family, and her desire to win Claire back. She pushes Rae very hard and despite knowing exactly where it will lead, Rae allows herself to be provoked.

I’m In Love With The Villainess, Volume 5 covers the “Scales of Love” arc which is one of the major turning points in this series.

There are two things happening simultaneously in this series. One is a shift from a goofy isekai series to serious criticism of income equality and unequal governmental representation. The Commoner Movement was the first major tone change in that theme, and more is to come.

The second shift in the story I have begun to describe this way: The story starts off gay and becomes queer. We’ve gotten a little of this as the narrative has made room for Rae to discuss her feelings and concerns about her previous  life as a lesbian. Now the story is doing something extraordinary – using it’s own tropes to make the story just a little bit queerer.  Both these two shifts will continue through the entire series and neither of them will back off. Narratively, it’s one of the best things about the whole series.

Visually speaking, this arc is the bomb. And, as it’s likely to be where the anime ends, we’ll get both the climactic battle and that extraordinary resolution to Rae and Manaria’s conflict. I commented in my review of this volume in Japanese that the art here is outstanding, and I thought that again as I re-read it. There is a panel where the princes and Misha are tensely watching events which has them leaning forward, concern etched into their faces, the rush of what is going on indicated by motion lines…it is absolutely perfect. Aonoshimo-sensei just kills it in this volume. I truly think Aonoshimo-sensei’s art elevates the heck out of the story, making this manga absolutely worth reading, even if you’ve have already read the light novels.

A fine job on translation by Joshua Hardy, and excellent work by letterer Courtney Williams. I hope Seven Seas gives her the time and money to go complete retouch, because on panels where it is full retouch, it just looks so good! Cover by Nicky Lim and George Panella is fantastic….every time I get a English-language manga with a great adaption of the JP manga cover I am made happy. I remember the olden days when getting cover art from JP rights holders was the equivalent of a publishing tough mudder. ^_^ Thank you all to the folks at Seven Seas for taking good care of this series.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Yuri – 7
Service – Manaria is a whole tropeload of service, on her own. ^_^

Overall – 9

Things are about to get serious again…then silly…then very serious, but from this point on, the series will always be queer. And I really appreciate that. Thank you inori.-sensei!





The Vexations Of A Shut-In Vampire Princess Anime

October 22nd, 2023

Well, we have one more for Reali…../screeching noise of needle being pulled over a record surface/

No, no. There is nothing real in today’s review. Quite possibly my opinion is an unreal as everything else here. ^_^  The Vexations Of A Shut-In Vampire Princess, streaming on HIDIVE is the last of this season’s Yuri offerings and as offerings go, it’s pretty pale and thin in comparison to some of our other choices.

A weak vampire is not much of a threat
Until her army is much in her debt
When she throws down the glove
Her maid who’s in love
Takes on enemies and friends and et. cetera.

Terakomari Gandesblood is not a great vampire. Small, weak, unable to stand blood, she’s been a shut-in for the last three years. But circumstances drive her to ascend to the generalship of an army, which she runs with the assistance of her pervy, obsessed maid, Villhaze. As a series from a Gangan magazine, I had little to no hope that it would be good, but that I might find something to talk about. In both cases, I was correct.  ^_^

The plot is a very violent one and that, at least, I approve of. Vampires that are not appalling violence machines bore me. (Well, all vampires bore me, honestly.) But the violence here is impermanent, wars are pointless and death is played for a gag most times.  And then in episode 3, a plot complication arrives that completely killed my interest in the story, but it might be to your taste. 

We learn that Terakomari became a recluse because of bullying at school. When her bully returns, she is clearly entirely, sadistically psychotic and gloating, as she kidnaps and tortures Villhaze to manipulate Terakomari into fighting her. This one sentence contains all four things I despise most in story-telling, so I am highly likely to nope out of this series shortly.

Episode 3 also gives us the clearest glimpse that Villhaze’s perverted obsession with Terakomari is actually rooted in genuine admiration and love, and so is another example of exactly the kind of problematic behavior Rae engages in in I’m In Love With The Villainess for the exact reason she states that she does it. Villhaze has no hope that her love will be returned and so over-acts her affection as a creep, in order to make it a joke. For many queer viewers that kind of “joke” is well more than tired and trite. And loads of people have commented that Rae’s behavior makes them uncomfortable. So to see that same exact thing presented here as the “comedy” in an otherwise fairly horrifically violent series is…well, it’s not fun for me, at any rate.

I do like the OP of Terakomari dreaming she’s a pop idol, though. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – Murgh
Story – Dumb Ways to Die
Characters – The animals are far more likeable than the humanoids
Service – Yes, absolutely, constantly staring at Komari’s legs from below and between is extremely weird and creepy
Yuri – You have to ignore everything else about Villhaze to think her love for Terakomari is sweet

Overall – 4

Thankfully there are a number of other wonderful Yuri anime for us to enjoy this season and Whisper Me A Love Song coming our way in the new year. My hatsumode wish will definitely be “May we never to have to suffer the indignities of “funny” same-sex harassment in anime ever again.”