#Danmachi IV | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

smokeybrandreviews · 2 years

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Feasting

Another season of anime is upon us an i am surprised by how much I've been enjoying it. Like, this year, so far, is on of the best in recent memory. It feels like that we’ve finally found a bit of normalcy after the Great Plague the still continues to Plague. It’s been some time since I've written one of these, mostly because there wasn’t anything that’s really caught my eye, but this season, i ended up following a decent amount of shows. So, for the first time in probably years, i wanted to take some time and give a heads up to the content on my ever-growing list of anime recommendations this season. There might be a few from last on here, too, because some of those were really good, too. My Dress Up Darling, I'm looking at you!

Uncle From Another World

Isekai Ojisan was one that i was curious about for a bit. I am a passing fan of the manga and have been following it for years. I didn’t see how that thing would translate to TV but, i must say, i am happily incorrect. Uncle is f*cking hilarious. I think that the actual kineticism of animation lends itself to the slapstick and exaggerated humor of those old comic panels. This thing was made for top quality animation and, so far, that’s exactly what we’re getting. This sh*t ain’t Mappa, UFOtable, or Madhouse levels fluid but it’s much better than it has any right to be, making this one of the better looking shows of the season so far.

Vermeil in Gold

Vermeil is a mixed bag for me so far. The manga is rather action packed and has a bombshell of a main heroine but, so far, the show is a little lacking. It’s gorgeously animated, it have to be to capitalize on the sex-in-heels that is Vermeil, but the plot is cliche as f*ck. It does get better, recently there have been a few revelations in the book that have kept my attention, but that doesn’t fee like something we’ll get to in one season, which is concerning. Vermeil is a slow burn and it’s wildly derivative of the content coming out today. I’m a fan of the manga so I'm trying my best to hang on but i can’t see this thing picking up enough steam to keep me interested for an entire season. It' a shame because this feels like a throwback anime from the late Nineties or early Aughts. I miss that sh*t. Still, the show is mad pretty to look at, not even going to lie about that.

Call of the Night

Song of the Night Walkers is everything i hoped it would be. It’s animated beautifully, has a spot on voice cast, and looks unique enough to stand out as pure art. I love this show but i was already going into it as a fan of the book. It was a soft sell for me to tune into Nazuna and Kou’s weekly midnight madness but then to see this thing delivered with such attention to detail? Bro, if Overlord didn’t exist, this one would be my anime of the season, easy. It’s wild to say that out loud because i can’t stand Dagashi Kashi at all and Call is written by the same author. That said, i am a sucker for vampires so that might play into it a little bit. Probably.

Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World

So this is the one that is rather... polarizing for me. I am a massive fan of the manga version of Slave Harem. I don’t think i like the show all that much, though. The preview of this show made the animation look amazing. Roxanne was throttling some jobber monster and i was taken aback by it’s fluidity. She was properly thicc and properly deadly. That was dope. The first three episodes of this show have no Roxanne and even less of that high quality action. I remember that it took a while for the manga to catch up and start doing things but, after three episodes, dude just bought her. That means they’re wither about to cut out a ton of content to get the plot rolling, world building stuff like the buying of their house or the explanation of the other Labyrinths, or they won’t and this thing is going to be a slog with dog tits occasionally. Like, there is no reason why the murder of all those bandits should have been so underwhelming but it was.

Danmachi IV

I was a massive shill for the first season of this show. It was animated with care and really resonated on a character level. I remember watching Bell overcome that Minotaur and feeling thing about it. Like, i legit had a moment and, to this day, every time i see that sh*t, it hits me right in the feels. I have not felt the same about this show since then. I’ve watched every season, every special, and while they are entertaining, this series has never been able to capture the same intensity i felt in that one episode from so long ago. It’s wild to say that out loud because i generally enjoy these characters. Hell, my favorite one, Haruhime, was the catalyst of the principal conflict for and was added at the end of, season two. I still don’t care. I’m watching season four more because I'm basically committed at this point as opposed to actually enjoying the show anymore. We’re only one episode into season IV at the time of this essay so we’ll see how this shakes out.

Black Summoner

This one was a surprise. I did not expect Kuro no Shoukanshi to get an adaption. I literally JUST picked this manga up, read the first four chapters, and then powered through the rest over the course of three days. It’s exceptional and i highly recommend getting into it. I was literally going to write a whole essay about my love for this book and then, quite by accident, i stumbled on the anime. It is top tier. The animation, the characterization, the world building; All of it is on point. We’re three episodes in so far and i am having the best time with it.

The Devil is a Part-Timer II

Listen, the first season was a surprise for me. I ended u enjoying ti way more than i thought i would and was mad bummed out that it never got the return it earned. Like, that first season earned a second and then nothing. For years. All of a sudden, there’s this resurgence of shows that died a painful death. I got a second season for Tanya the Evil and even BLEACH is coming back to finish what Kubo couldn’t in the manga. I’ve only watched one episode so far, there’s two available, but this thing feels like it hasn’t lost a step. Part-Timer was one of my favorites when it aired the first time and, so far, this one is stacking up to be just as endearing.

Overlord IV

Of the top, Overlord IV is my “must see.” I love Ainz and his rag tag band of misfit monsters. I’ve loved them since the very beginning all those years ago. Literally anytime there is an adaption to be released, I'm on it, even if the quality is a little lacking. Lord Momunga and Rimuru Tempest have that in common, actually. Season II was a bit of a let down, if i recall, but IV is ramping up to be something special. We’re three episodes in and i am having a goddamn blast. The first episode was a little rough around the edges in terms of animation, most episodes coming back from such a long hiatus tend to be, but this show has continued to get better with each, successive, outing. We Albedo fans are eating good!

That’s it for the current Summer season of anime. There are a few that i am still curious about but haven’t officially started to watch. Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer, The Maid I Hired Recently Is Mysterious, and Lycoris Recoil all look interesting and i might pick them up as the season progresses. We’ll see. I already have a full plate with eight shows on the watch list. That’s the most I've had in probably a decade. However, this entire year has been solid as f*ck for anime and i wanted to just highlight a few standouts that have made an impression since the Winter season.

Spy x Family

Its rare that i say this but the hype for Spy x Family is real as f*ck. I mean, Yor replaced Marin as the “It Girl” fairly quickly but the show, itself, matched Sono Bisque in quality, too. I was mad surprised by how much i ended up enjoying this thing and i wanted to drop it after the first episode! I am so glad i didn’t because this thing turned out to be one of the best anime i have ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

My Dress Up Darling

Look, i loved this show, alright? It’s adorable, gorgeously animated, and the sweetest f*cking thing I've seen since Ore Monogatari. Most people don’t know this about me but i am a sucker for a cute love story, man. I’ve been a closest CLAMP fan for decades and absolutely adore Chi from Chobits. Marin gives her a run for her money as top tier dandere material. Plus, i mean, the narrative is so endearing. It captures what it feels like to be so youthful and energetic about life. The passion Gojou and Marin have for their hobbies mirrors my own when it comes to writing and art. I absolutely identify with that.

Skeleton Knight In Another World

Gaikotsu Kishi-sama, Tadaima Isekai e Odekake-chuu got an anime adaption and it was everything i dreamed of. It feels a lot like TenSura but i am fine with that, I love me some Slime which makes it very easy to love me some Bones. I generally enjoyed the cuts and changes made to the narrative i remember from the manga, too. It’s the same plot just kind of remixed a little bit, to make it more palatable to a wider audience. In all honesty, I'm a little surprised this one didn’t have more backlash because there are some notes that can be seen as problematic here in the States. Hopefully, we get a second season with this one because i rather enjoyed my time with Skeleton Knight.

It’s as if the new year started and Japan decided to drop a constant blaze of hot fire. I mean, these three are just the cream of the crop for me but there are a ton of other shows that i ended up checking out, most of which I'll circle back around and finish later. Summer Time Rendering, The Executioner and Her Way of Life, The Rising of the Shield Hero II, Life With an Ordinary Guy Who Reincarnated Into a Total Fantasy Knockout, Bastard!!, and I’m Quitting Heroing, all could have made this short list but i wanted to highlight these three specifically because, goddamn, were they excellent! And the year isn’t even over! I mentioned the return of my darling Tanya Degurechaff and Ichicgo Kurosaki, but Mappa is putting something special together for their Chainsaw Man adaption and i cannot wait! 2022 just might go down as one of the best years in anime, ever!