#ecargmura

[ecargmura]

The Apothecary Diaries Episode 4 Review - The Emperor's Request

I think the best thing about this show is that Maomao doesn’t solve problems automatically. While she knows what to do, the time process for recovery is rather long and not immediate. I like that part about the writing. Maomao is intelligent, but she’s not a magician. It took two months for Lihua to fully recover.

I really liked how Maomao cares a lot about her job. She’s an apothecary, so it’s her duty to see her patients recover. Even if it’s a request from the emperor, she’d still do her best to help Lihua recover. She didn’t lash out when the ladies-in-waiting kept kicking her out and disregarding the meals she made for Lihua. She only lashed out when she realized not all of the face powder had been disposed of. Seeing her slap that servant and drag her by the hair to get to see her wrongdoings was so satisfying to watch. It just shows she knows when to lash out and what not. Ignore the meals she makes? That’s okay; she’ll try again. Use the poisonous face powder that killed her baby son on her face? That’s idiocy right there. Maomao was right to slap her. If it was banned because of poison, DISPOSE OF IT! Why would you want to keep it around? Just to make Lihua beautiful? Then use something else instead of a poisonous face powder! Maomao is also smart to use other methods of recovery like getting Jinshi to make a steam house for her to sweat and for her to drink tea for frequent urination. I loved seeing the progression of Lihua’s recovery from how weak and sickly she looked to having her cheeks fill up over time.

I do like how Lihua is a lot different than she initially appeared in the first episode. At first, she seemed arrogant and stubborn, which did cause her to lose her son after not heeding Gyokuyou’s advice about the poisonous face powder. Spending time under Maomao’s care showed that she’s very kind and graceful, but does have a bit of self-doubts about herself; it shows that her attitude is much better than those that work under her. I really liked the scene where she was caressing Maomao’s head after she fell asleep as a bit of a small token of gratitude for all she has done. The way she asked Maomao didn’t let her die and realizing that she still wants to live for her dead son was also quite emotional. Even if she lost her son, she still has to keep going for his sake. The fact that Maomao taught her a method to charm the emperor using her assets was funny; the fact that he stopped visiting the Jade Pavilion, where Gyokuyou lives, says it all. I hope that she gets a second pregnancy. She deserves it!

I was surprised the servants were being mean to Maomao. If she was sent to tend to Lihua under the emperor’s orders, they should’ve treated her more favorably. It was only when Jinshi arrived that the ladies allowed Maomao near Lihua. I’m also surprised that the lady that accidentally poisoned her mistress didn’t get executed or dismissed. I guess it’s because it’s anime but I’m sure that sort of stint wouldn’t be forgivable outside of animated media; I get that she had no ill will when hiding it, but still…

Anyways, I really liked this episode a lot. I hope I get to see Maomao bitchslap another person in the future. Seeing her take things seriously was a joy to watch. What are your thoughts on this episode?

#the apothecary diaries #kusuriya no hitorigoto #maomao #lihua #review #anime #anime review #ecargmura #arum journal

[a-forbidden-detective]

Another day, another discovery.

The blurry couple on the left will become Unno-san and Donzawa from the Observatory on Solitary Island arc.

The two men on the right will become Torage and his victim.

The femicide victim and her husband are already un-blurred while Kawasemi-san and Yamane still await their turn.

The young woman sitting on the bench’s arm support will become Onodera the photographer and John Grizzly behind her.

Culled from Episode 2, the Case of the Piggy Bank Murder

Much has been said ( @ecargmura ) on the opening song’s blurring of the people around Ron and Toto that has become clearer once these supporting characters have appeared from the episodes.

@plant-akki posted several gifs of these comparisons from episode 3 to the latest.

But have you noticed the man who’s running with the billowing black coat? Once he is seen running in the other direction, but most of the time Ron and Toto are chasing after him.

During Episode 8, the man on the left becomes Jumonji, the director of the observatory. But take a look at the man wearing a black coat running behind him.

He’s now in front of Toto. It looks like the duo is running after him.

He’s appeared now behind them of what looks like a rendition of the “Murder on the Orient Express.”

In the end, he’s pointed the crime scene to them from what looks like a scene from a Japanese detective TV series or mystery film.

The trench-coat wearing Ron is a direct reference to “Columbo.”

Take note that it is only Ron who wears different kinds of clothing, depends on the media he’s dreaming in, while Toto still wears his grey suit.

Anyway, it is none other this guy.

This guy here, Sherlock Holmes, and the man next to him, his John Watson, are fond of running after their suspects in this BBC series. This image is iconic.

It must be an homage, or a running gag (no pun intended), that Ron and Toto should do the same as Ron gets to live his dream of becoming a full-fledged detective like his ancestor with the help of Toto. Hence, Toto holding his friend’s hand who must be telling him, “Hey, slow down, I got you, you are all right. I’ll be here beside you. You aren’t alone now.”

#kamonohashi ron no kindan suiri #ron kamonohashi #totomaru isshiki #akira amano #ron et toto #ron kamonohashi: deranged detective #deranged detective #deranged detective: ron kamonohashi #rontoto moment #rontoto #rkdd vs sherlock bbc #bbc sherlock #sherlock holmes #john watson #sh #jw #benedict cumberbatch #martin freeman #a collision 💥 of my old and new fandoms #rkdd wall of text

[trashexplorer]

BLCD Review: Zanzou Slow Motion

Title: Zanzou Slow Motion (残像スローモーション)

Author/Artist: Janome

Shop: CD + Manga

Release Date: 2021/05/28

Cast:

Furukawa Makoto x Nakazawa Masatomo

Eguchi Takuya

Satou Gen

Tadokoro Hinata

Yasuaki Takumi

Matsuoka Yoshitsugu

Ichikawa Aoi

Yanagi Kouhei

Karino Sho

Synopsis:

What happens when two rival directors who hate each other's guts are forced to share one roof? And what if one of them has a secret he's been harboring for years? Throw in a shared love of movies, BL manga, and an accidental kiss, and you've got the next heart-pumping love story in Midorigaoka High and the sequel to Twilight Out of Focus 1. Jin Kikuchihara, third-year director, main actor, and president of the film club, and second-year director Giichi Ichikawa see eye-to-eye on very little. Jin is flashy, flirty, and focused on keeping everyone happy, while Giichi expects the best from himself and others, and will compromise nothing to see his vision through. Constantly at each other's necks, the two can hardly stand to be in the same club. But what will happen when family trouble forces them to live in the same room? Will their shared interests bring them closer as friends, push them further apart as rivals, or something else entirely?

Review Proper

I love Tasogare Outfocus, but this is actually my favorite Janome.

The second installment curse strikes again!

UGHHHHHHH THIS WAS SO WHOLESOME. Don't get me wrong, Tasogare Outfocus is written pretty decently, but I really don't like how Janome just glossed over Hisashi's SA and grooming like that. It reminds me a lot of Etude vol. 1. I can still get over Etude vol. 1 'cause it's not that uncommon to see in sports and Ichi-san's deal with Futami was given some closure in 2, but given how short Tasogare Outfocus was, Hisashi felt like he just lmao byed his teacher. 😔Doesn't help that it kinda doesn't matter anymore in overlap even though it hasn't been long since it ended. Is my son Hisashi really okay now? 🥹

I'm old, so DK BL doesn't appeal to me that much anymore. It's also hard to find good DK rivalries nowadays that aren't just about fucking or delinquents. Zanzou Slow Motion, however, just checked all the right boxes for the category: simple, no drama, and no loose ends. That coupled with Janome's element of touch?

And can we talk about this monologue?

Ugh.

I will say Jin's suspenders, Ichikawa's snatched waist, and the ABO shout-out greatly influenced my decision too. Y'all should get suspended in high school, not wear suspenders!

Onto the technicalities...

I don't think I've heard these two co-star before (or I just don't remember), so I was a bit skeptical especially 'cause last I heard Makonyan in a DK was in, well... Given as BLCD!Ritsu. And where else did we hear Yuuma star in a DK too? Yuuma as Anime!Ritsu. We just had Given Anime!Ritsu in Tasogare Outfocus being somewhat friends with Ichikawa and now we have BLCD!Ritsu (thanks to ecargmura for catching this!) trying to romance him. They used very different tones for Ritsu, but the vibe was the same overall. THEY'RE THE SAME PERSON. Makonyan and Nakamo also played tops in the last works I heard of them (Makonyan as Takaba in Kurui Naku and Nakamo as Yakumo in Nu:carnival), so I was concerned about a lot of things. Thankfully, however, instead of Makonyan going for his Ritsu tone or his lighter Kimitte Yatsu for a more youthful vibe, he went all shounen in here lmaooo.

His bwakame was so funny it reminded me of this:

I love roasting Makonyan more than any other seiyuu out of fondness, but I'm really proud of how far he's gone. He's gotten so much better in his delivery, and it's obvious in his budding anime career, too.

But...

I didn't expect there would be improvements in his bedding techniques too...

What the fuck was that? HAHAHAHAHAHA. WAIT. No, y'all don't understand. I have most of this man's r-18 otome CDs and BLCDs, and I have never heard him this... this hot before???? Jin is such a smooth flirt, so I had some expectations on the delivery, but FURUKAWA MAKOTO HISSES. HE HISSES!!! SIR IS THIS APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR FOR A HIGH SCHOOL BOY??? THEY DON'T EVEN SHOW THEM DO THE DO FOR MORE THAN A MINUTE??? WHERE WAS THE NEED?!

PUTS THE GODDAMN FU IN FURUKAWA MAKOTO ALRIGHT!

First it was Ono Yuuki, now it's Makonyan. Is Nakamo's ass really that good that his tops go all in???

I admittedly don't have a lot to say about Nakamo because that man always slays. I was afraid that Makonyan would overpower him during their Netflix and chill, but as soon as I had that thought, Nakamo pushed back like??? THEM SHAKIRA HIPS DON'T LIE!

HOW DO I LEGALLY MARRY GINGER RECORDS???

I didn't read the scan or the official English release 'cause I actually had the raws, so I can't vouch for the translation. As for faithfulness to the manga, however, I need to stress that there were a lot of rearranged events and cut dialogue. One notable instance was Ichikawa's message for Jin. It was placed after their kiss in the last chapter, so I believe that these changes are quite significant. It is still possible to read the manga while listening to the BLCD, but I suggest reading the manga once first so you're aware of which pages you need to jump to.

Chil-chil Awards 2022 was a scam 'cause this wasn't nominated for ANYTHING! This might actually just be my favorite BLCD of 2021... and Makonyan was my favorite actor in this series so far. OKITSU AND MAKONYAN REALLY SWITCHED IN THIS LOG HAHAHAHA. Makonyan and Nakamo at least won in my heart. 😌 Definitely listen to this if you're a Makonyan fan or if you're a fan of the series in general. It's also perfect if you're looking for something light and sweet but immersive at the same time. Chesk gives this a 9/10! Only the third 9 after Sonna ni and KD!

#blcd reviews #blcd 2021 reviews #zanzou slow motion #janome #ginger records #furukawa makoto #nakazawa masatomo #satou gen #tadokoro hinata #yasuaki takumi #matsuoka yoshitsugu #ichikawa aoi #yanagi kouhei #karino sho

[rainwaterapothecary]

Hey @ecargmura I just wanna talk,

#buddy daddies #this line is so beautiful it kicked me in the gut #beautiful words

[catladyshinycelebi]

Hi, I apologize for doing it this way, but I saw your comment on ecargmura's review for Pokemon Horizons regarding a picture of Lucius.

Here's a picture of him.

thank you

[ecargmura]

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Episode 10 Review - The Strongest Mage

You were expecting a big battle between Frieren and Aura? Please, this isn’t a battle shounen manga. Besides, I think what the writer did for this buildup wasn’t to show off how much stronger Frieren is compared to Aura, but the fact that Frieren hates demons so much that the writer even incorporates that hatred into not focusing on Aura only towards the end. Imagine hating demons so much that the one standing in front of Frieren is such a pissant that she’d rather think back on her memories with Flamme and Himmel than focus on the current battle in general. That’s a total disrespect to Aura from Frieren and I wouldn’t have her behave any other way.

Throughout the flashbacks, Frieden’s hatred for demons has been revealed; demons killed the elf village she was living in and she managed to kill the demon general Basalt in retaliation. She was the only survivor and could’ve died if Flamme hadn’t shown up. Flamme decided to take Frieren as her apprentice because they share similarities from hating demons to loving magic. The most memorable lesson Frieren recalled from her tutelage with Flamme had been suppressing her mana in order to trick demons. Her time with Flamme has been finding ways to use magic in order to destroy any demon that stands in her way. At first, Frieren had found it pointless, but now, she uses it to her advantage centuries later when she meets Aura, a demon who’s ability requires her to use large quantities of mana. I honestly loved how Frieren clapped back at Aura’s long live by telling her that she’s a mage who has lived much longer than she did.

Flamme is such a good teacher. She chose her apprentice well. I think the fact that she chose an elf to continue her legacy was a smart decision. She taught Frieren everything and the latter has all the time in the world to retain the magic and then later gets her own apprentice in Fern. I really like Flamme’s personality. She’s like Frieren’s adopted mom, but there was still a bit of a border between them. Her mindset was also a strong, lasting factor in Frieren. She didn’t mind becoming a disgrace of mages if it means to destroy every last demon in the world. I think the sweetest part of the interaction between master and apprentice was that Flamme was the one who taught Frieren the flower field magic that she later incorporates during her travels with the hero’s party and later with Fern back in Episode 2. The chance encounter with Flamme paved the way for Frieren to meet Himmel who says the same thing she once said to her master when she first met her.

Some aspects I like about this episode was seeing the demons animated. Like, in the beginning, Lugner’s eyes wandered around a lot, which is something I quite liked seeing because he was rather emotionless and composed throughout most of his screen time. Seeing Aura becoming panicked when the scales tipped over to Frieren’s favor. When Frieren commanded Aura to kill herself, the detail of the sword cutting Aura’s hair before she did the thing was really good. While I do love amazing animation, little details like these are nice to see too!

I feel like this is now the end of this arc. I do wonder where Frieren and the others will go now. I’m seriously invested in their adventure towards Aureole. What will they get themselves into going forth? What are your thoughts about this episode and the end of this arc?

#frieren beyond journey's end #sousou no frieren #frieren #flamme #aura the guillotine #lugner #himmel #heiter #eisen #review #anime #anime review #ecargmura #arum journal

[ecargmura]

Tadaima, Okaeri Episode 2 Review - Yukku and Hi-kun

I feel like I am way too hyper fixated on this show to the point that I listened and watched the opening song throughout the entire last week. The first episode was cute and now, the second episode, is also cute. It’s mainly family slice-of-life in an omegaverse setting. The slice of life feels more notable in the first half of the episode where it feels like vignettes of Yuuki befriending Hikari and becoming the baby’s unofficial older brother and Masaki’s unofficial little brother in a way.

I’ve been snooping around Youtube reactions and social media and some people had been wary of Yuuki when he was introduced in the ending of the first episode. I was legit shaking my head at their comments because Yuuki is the opposite of his first impression and legitimately a fan-favorite character in the fanbase. Like, the readers really liked him to the point that he even got his own romance subplot with Matsuo. The subplot between them is even evident in the opening where they are shown together.

But yeah, Yuuki’s a great character. He’s gloomy and anti-social, but he’s proof that Hikari’s innocence can melt even the coldest of hearts. He never had friends growing up, but the Fujiyoshi family become his friends, which is sweet. Hiromu even pointed out that they sudden have a big kid in their atmosphere now. Masaki gets attached to Yuuki because he had reminded him of his old self where he was supposed a lot more self-deprecative and even rejected Hiromu’s confession when the latter had confessed to him in the past. Hikari’s attachment to Yuuki seems to be that he likes people with Masaki’s aura in a way? Like Masaki and Yuuki are similar in vibes, but Masaki’s a lot happier as he has a family. There’s a reason why Hikari doesn’t like Matsuo despite knowing him longer; the baby is almost two and he already has a preference. If you’re wondering, Yuuki is a Beta, so he’s not affected by an omega’s pheromones compared to Hiromu who’s an Alpha; Matsuo is also an Alpha. Also, notice how Yuuki isn’t really as shy or withdrawn as he was with Hikari or Masaki when Matsuo is around him.

The second half of the episode dives into more of the omegaverse lore as Masaki goes into heat and is out the whole day. This means Hiromu has to watch Hikari by himself, so he has to enlist the help of Matsuo and Yuuki who visited out of worry. As Yuuki and Hikari play around, the three discuss about heats and how it’s hard to deal with even for omegas themselves. It’s even harder for the Fujiyoshi family as they have no one else to rely upon during the heat cycle as Masaki’s parents passed away and Hiromu is estranged from his own. Yuuki does comment how there are a lot of difficulties when marrying those of different sexes as it’d be harder to find someone to rely on. Fortunately, the Fujiyoshi family has Yuuki and Matsuo to rely on during these times now, so that’s good.

It was heartbreaking to see what Masaki looks like while suffering through his heat. He legit looks haggard, complete with dark circles and such. While the grown-ups understand the gists of the heat cycle and what omegas go through, Hikari thinks Masaki is sick and in pain, which is why he cried a lot harder after seeing him in a rough state. Hikari’s still innocent to the world of omegaverse which is why his mind comprehends things a bit differently than adults. Also, it was interesting to see how Hiromu reacted to Masaki’s heat as it is the first time the heat cycle is shown in animated form. I think it’s animated well as an omega’s heat reacts to an alpha’s instincts, which was what happened with Hiromu. Also, I do like that while this story is an omegaverse one, the verse lore is present but only when it revolves around the adults. With kids, Hikari exists because of omegaverse logic, but he’s just a normal kid outside of the complexities of the world.

Also, fun fact of the day, Yuuki’s mother is voiced by Yuna Kamakura, who was in Gakuen Babysitters (the character design for Tadaima Okaeri is also the CD of Gakuen Babysitters) as Midori’s mom and she was also in Sasaki and Miyano (the director of TadaOka was the director of SasaMiya) as Sasaki’s sister. I always see her name in the most unexpected places but she seems rather talented because I didn’t recognize her voice at all until I saw her mention her role in a QRT of a post. I do hope she gets that big break because she’s talented!

Speaking of voice acting, I want to praise the voice actors in this episode. They did a really great job here. I did like how Masaki’s voice actor Atsushi Tamaru had a playful tone when he and Hikari were in the supermarket and Hikari wanted to buy milk with his favorite anime character on it. Hiromu’s voice actor, Toshiyuki Morikawa, changes from playful when around Hikari to serious when with others was nice to listen to! Atsumi Tanezaki always makes Hikari be so adorable that it’s crazy how she’s able to produce such a voice. Yuuki and Matsuo’s voice actors did a great job here.

Anyways, this was a cute episode in spite of the somber vibes of the second half due to Masaki’s heat. Hikari is always adorable as heck and I legit gushed during the scene where he was copying everyone by huddling and covering his eyes like them. Next episode will be a bit of conflict as someone seems to come into the picture. While I know who it is, wait and find out next week! What are your thoughts on this episode?

#tadaima okaeri #masaki fujiyoshi #Hiromu fujiyoshi #hikari fujiyoshi #yuuki hirai #Tomohiro matsuo #review #anime #anime review #ecargmura #arum journal #bl anime #omegaverse

[ecargmura]

Bucchigiri?! Episode 1 Review - Hiroko Utsumi Is Back

After the success that was SK8 The Infinity, Hiroko Utsumi returns with another original anime. She sets aside the skater boys and goes for delinquent boys and genies this time around. Will it live up to the hype surrounding her name and trajectory? It’s only the first episode, so I need to see if it’ll be as great as SK8.

From the first episode alone, I liked it. It’s pretty zany, as true to the Hiroko Utsumi formula of having very illogical premises work. The story is about Arajin Tomoshibi transferring to a delinquent high school in hopes of getting a girlfriend and losing his virginity. He then gets involved in school gang fights. Oh, and he finds a djinni who wants to grant his wish. The genie then gives him tremendous strength as a condition to his wish.

You can see that there are a lot of references to Arabian Nights. Other than the concept of djinns and wishes, you can see that Arajin is very Chinese-themed from his outfit to his family’s restaurant being a Chinese one. This is because the original story of Arabian Nights had Aladdin, the character he’s based on, as a Chinese boy. The buildings in this story are all Arabian-inspired buildings. So, this is actually a very creative part on Utsumi. I’m not too familiar with other Arabian Nights stories, so I’m not sure what other references there are.

There are so many characters to keep up with. However, I do like what I’ve seen so far. Arajin is arguably a bit one-sided at first glance as his only defining trait is his desire to get laid, but there could be a reason why he does this when he’s with Matakara. Matakara is this show’s version of Makoto Tachibana, a nice beefy dude who’s childhood friends with the black-haired MC. However, they had separated for five years before reuniting. Matakara seems like a nice guy—the ways Utsumi writes nice guys is that if they’re nice, they’ll always be nice. The other characters are pretty one-note, but I’m sure I’ll see more later on. The character I’m most interested in is Marito, who is very sultry. However, the best character so far is Arajin’s mother. She’s so cute and a super embarrassing but loving parent.

The djinn is actually a lot cuter than I expected. The trailers had him as this hulking spirit that looks all serious and straight-laced, but he’s very cute. Like, he hangs around Arajin and even watches TV in his house. He’s super chill and friendly, contrary to his appearance. Like, I think he might be the dark horse in terms of stand-out characters because I didn’t expect this character to be so freaking adorable.

What surprises me the most is that Utsumi is actually using a female lead, or a heroine, for this story. If you’re familiar with Utusumi’s works, she really likes ‘fujo-bait’ shows. With Free, there are a few female characters but none of them are too significant other than Gou who isn’t the female lead; the main characters are all male. With Banana Fish, there aren’t that many female characters as the main characters are primarily male; Eiji, a male, is arguably the heroine of the show. With SK8, there are some females, but they’re mainly supporting characters as the show is about guys who like skateboarding. I think this is the first time Utsumi is using a heroine for her works. Mahoro is so important that she’s even the main focus in the ending—this has never happened before. However, how important she will be will depend as she’s mainly a sadistic brocon who gets turned on by her brother Marito beating up her potential suitors.

Because this is animated by MAPPA, the animation is very good. I just hope they’re treating their animators well this time. Workplace abuse is a huge no for me. The anime feels very over the top, but also well-animated in that regard. The fights are handled great, but there’s also the mix of the classic Utsumi fan service sprinkled in; she clearly loves back muscles as she emphasized Matakara’s a lot.

The voice actor choices are actually very surprising. You’d assume there would be a cast of new faces, but not exactly. While there are some new faces like Anna Nagase, there are a lot of veterans and voice actors who aren’t well-known. For example, Arajin’s voice actor, Genki Okawa, was in Yugioh Zexal as Mizael, but other than that, he isn’t a big name. Some big named veterans in the cast are Nozomu Sasaki as Marito; he voiced Johan Liebert from Monster, Eriol Hiiragizawa from Cardcaptor Sakura, and Yusuke Urameshi from Yu Yu Hakusho. Other big names like Kappei Yamaguchi (Inuyasha, Ranma Saotome), Makoto Furukawa (Saitama), and Ryota Takeuchi (Elias from The Ancient Magus’s Bride, Ushijima from Haikyu) are casted here but I don’t know who their characters are because there are so many introduced from the get go. The other voice actors are small names, but I do hope they get big. Everyone deserves a chance at the spotlight!

Overall, I’m a huge sucker for Hiroko Utusumi’s works so I might be a bit biased in this review. However, I can say for a fact that her works are always entertaining to watch. I hope this one is the same. If you’re watching this show, what are your thoughts?

#bucchigiri?! #arajin tomoshibi #mahoro jin #marito jin #matakara asamine #review #anime #anime review #ecargmura #arum journal #senya

[ecargmura]

Tadaima Okaeri Episode 1 Review - The Fujiyoshi Family

It’s here! It’s here! Ah! My most anticipated show for this season is finally here! It’s the first ever omegaverse anime! Before I get into the review, I’ll inform you of two things:

If this reminds you of Gakuen Babysitters, you are perceptive! The character designer for this anime, Mina Owada, did the character designs for Gakuen Babysitters. The three kids in this anime are all voiced by voice actresses who were in the anime too with Hikari, the black-haired baby being voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki who voiced Kazuma Mamizuka and Kirin’s mother, Yayoi Kumatsuka, Michiru, the brown haired boy being voiced by Kaede Hondo, who voiced the infant Midori and Ryuichi’s classmate Yuki, and Hinata, the infant girl, voiced by Konomi Kohara who voiced Kirin.

What is Omegaverse? It’s a universe where male and females can be impregnated by those of the same genders, but there are additional sub-genders, alpha, beta and omega. Alpha are the elites, the ones on top of the hierarchy. They excel in anything they do and are considered the favored species in the universe. Beta are ordinary people. Omegas are usually considered inferior because they go into heat cycles, which causes their pheromones to become stronger in order to attract mates, specifically alphas. Males can impregnate other males, females can impregnate females, and in some cases, females can impregnate males in this universe. So yes, Hikari is biologically Masaki and Hiromu’s child and he’s not adopted or born from surrogacy.

Now that you understand the basics, here’s my review of the premiere!

The premiere of the very first omegaverse anime is adorable as heck! You can see there is a soft, sweet and domestic atmosphere in the Fujiyoshi family with Hiromu, the black-haired husband and an alpha, and Masaki, the brown-haired husband and an omega, being the sweetest and happiest couple with their equally adorable son Hikari. The story is just about their daily lives as they deal with being an alpha-omega couple in a world where different sex couples are looked upon unfavorably compared to marriages of the same sex.

The first episode shows the type of world Hiromu and Masaki live in and details of how they dealt with prejudices from how the previous home they lived in discriminated against Masaki to Hiromu’s subordinate being shocked that his boss married someone of a different sex. It can be shown in their behavior too with Masaki being rather self-degrading and timid when these topics are brought up and Hiromu being rather protective of his mate and child because of this. There isn’t a lot of gender drama in this first episode, fortunately. It’s mainly a set-up to how future conflicts will come to them.

Hiromu and Masaki are written to be a couple that has been together for a long time, but still act like newlyweds and it’s adorable. Individually, a lot can be said for both of them too. Hiromu is extremely doting towards Masaki and Hikari and is pretty much Maes Hughes from Fullmetal Alchemist if he was put in a domestic omegaverse setting. Masaki’s personality shows that while he is living a happy life, he still has his fair shares of insecurities and self-doubt due to him being an omega; I can tell that he’s someone who dealt with a lot growing up. Actually, I read the manga (and many times at that), so I know how the story goes!

Hikari is adorable and is a boy growing up with loving parents. As he’s almost two, he’s just a toddler. He’s still blind to the world of omegaverse, but that doesn’t matter as long as his parents, an alpha and omega, are happy. I can tell he will grow up to be a kind and sweet child just from how his parents talk to him and how he behaves around them. He’s legitimately so adorable. I was legit acting like Hiromu during some of his cutest moments here.

Other than the main three characters, there are a few other characters introduced. There’s Matsuo, who is Hiromu’s co-worker and childhood friend who’s like an older brother. He’s the biggest victim of Hiromu’s love life as he’s the one Hiromu shows off his family to the most in picture and video form. There’s the Hirai family who lives next door with the mother who treats Masaki and his family kindly by giving them flowers after complimenting her garden and going along with Hikari’s cute antics. Her son is introduced towards the end, but he won’t be formally introduced until the next episode, so I can’t say much other than he’s not a source of conflict, as you can tell by the opening that he’s going to be involved with Matsuo. There are also Hiromu’s subordinates whose names I don’t know, but the female one with red hair is super cool.

This anime is animated by Studio DEEN, who is practically the go-to studio for BL anime at this point. They animated Junjou Romantica, Sekaiichi Hatsukoi (a personal favorite of mine), Hybrid Child, Sasaki and Miyano and now Tadaima Okaeri. While the studio does get some flack for non-BL anime, you cannot deny their BL animes are some of the visually prettiest of their works by far. I think the animation in general is a step up from their previous works. Look at the scene where Masaki kisses Hiromu’s mole. The way he brushes his hair back was really smoothly animated.

The music is really cute! I am listening to the opening song on repeat! The song is sung by MADKID, a J-pop boy band. I do wonder if they were influenced by K-pop in a way because their song does have a K-pop feel. It reminds me of Seventeen in their rookie days with the refreshing concept. The ending song is also nice to listen to! The froggies being the Fujiyoshi family is a nice little detail!

The voice cast is very strong. Did you know that before the anime, there was a drama CD of Tadaima Okaeri? Well, the cast in the anime have been reprised from the drama CD. Masaki is voiced by Atsushi Tamaru. He’s a BL regular. For non-BL roles, he voices Kunimi from Haikyuu and voiced the stalker dude who stabbed Ai in Oshi no Ko. I love how his voice is so gentle when voicing Masaki. Hiromu is voiced by the one and only BL emperor Toshiyuki Morikawa. He’s practically a household name in the BL world. I love how silly he can be with Hiromu, especially the scenes where he’s gushing over his family. Hikari is voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki. If you’re not familiar with the name, her roles may be familiar to you. She is the voice actress of Anya Forger from Spy x Family and Frieren from Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. Shocking, right? She did voice Hikari in the drama CD and reprised the role! Tanezaki is seriously a versatile actress as she can voice babies to immortal old elves. Another big name in this cast is Kosuke Toriumi who voices Matsuo. If you’re not aware, Toriumi used to be super active in BL in the past, but not as much recently. Some of his roles in BL includes Haruhiko Usami from Junjou Romantic and Akira from Togainu no Chi. Some of his non-BL roles include Yuri Lowell from Tales of Vesperia, Imaizumi from Yowamushi Pedal and Gilbert from Pandora Hearts. During the drama CD era, I thought Toriumi was a bit of a miscast at first, but now, I think he suits Matsuo well as he gives off the aura of a handsome elite. He doesn’t have to be deep-voiced; instead, the voice makes him sound caring, which he is. Also, the boy introduced at the end of the episode, Yuuki, is voiced by Taku Yashiro. He’s also a regular in BL in recent times. His non-BL roles include Friede from Pokemon Horizons and Spitz from Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective. In all honesty, the voice cast is super strong and they all do an amazing job.

I can’t believe I can look forward to Mondays thanks to Tadaima Okaeri! I just hope the animation stays consistent as well as the cuteness. I can’t wait for Mondays to be my happy days—shocking, I know! If you’re watching this anime, what are your thoughts on the premiere?

#tadaima okaeri #welcome home #masaki fujiyoshi #Hiromu fujiyoshi #hikari fujiyoshi #Tomohiro Matsuo #Yuuki Hirai #review #anime #anime review #bl anime #omegaverse #ecargmura #arum journal

[ecargmura]

Wind Breaker Episode 1 Review - Better Than Bucchigiri?!

As the finale of Bucchigiri approaches, I watch Wind Breaker and I realize that this is the delinquent anime I was expecting the former to be, but wasn’t met with it. Wind Breaker’s premise starts off strong with an impressionable main character with a goal to become the strongest. A bit typical, but at least it’s consistent with his story. Haruka Sakura (First name is Haruka and last name is Sakura) might have the girliest name ever, but he’s a lonely boy with a rather prickly side due to being shunned from others for a very long time due to his unusual hair and heterochromatic eyes. He fights because he believes that’s the only way he can fit in and be something other than a pariah. In the case of Arajin, he’s stuck with a fight-crazy genie, yet only fights like 3 times in the show so far (and four once the finale airs on Saturday). His schtick is that he wants to get laid and wishes to lose his virginity. Also, when pressured to fight, he starts getting toilet problems; the interesting fights in the show are all from characters not named Arajin. Look, I don’t mean to compare two shows, but it had to be done. 

WInd Breaker is a story about Haruka Sakura moving into a new town and the first thing he does after moving in is to beat up scummy gangsters trying to hit on a lady named Kotoha. Sakura sees this and beats them up and as he does, he tells them to remember his name so that the weak can avoid him and the strong will come to him. After getting treated to omurice by Kotoha, she teaches him about what this town is like and why Sakura won’t be able to become the top of Furin High School. It’s because the school has started to reform into a place where “good” delinquents beat up gangsters and anyone who causes harm to the town. After another scuffle with the gangsters from earlier and getting help from his future schoolmates, Sakura realizes that what they’re doing—being Wind Breakers and protecting the school from evil gangsters—is exactly what he wants to do as well.

Just seeing a delinquent anime where the characters just use their fists for their fights is nice to see. The fact that Clover Works is the animation studio and the way they animated Sakura’s beating up the rival gang by himself was a real treat to see. Hot damn, they’re doing an amazing job from episode 1. The fight scene was the highlight of the premiere. If its already this good from the beginning, I can’t wait to see what future fights will be like. The music is nice too! I liked the soundtrack that the fight scene had and I also liked the opening song.

From the opening, there seems to be a large cast of characters, but for this episode, a few of them show up. Sakura seems like the textbook delinquent at first glance, but he’s a lonely boy who had been hurt from society shunning him for his hair and eyes. He’s used to misunderstanding, but it still took a large toll on his self esteem. He’s actually super adorable! Like when Kotoha thanks him, he gets all shy and his face turns red because he’s not used to gratitude. When she treats him to food, he starts acting super cute when the food is good and even asks if she does takeout. While he’s a great fighter, I do wonder if his past will be explored later on, I’d like to learn more about him.

About his hair, I remember watching a Korean talk show program called Hello Counselor where civilians talk about their concerns in public television. One concern I remember watching was about a mother who’s very young daughter had partially white hair and was worried about how society would treat her growing up. The daughter had a large streak of white hair in the front, so it made me learn that such thing does exist. It’s considered albinism. Despite this, Sakura’s design is mesmerizing. I love how unique his design is.

Kotoha seems to be the cool big sister type. I just hope she’s not his love interest because he’s a child and she’s an adult. It’d get weird given that Sakura might not even know what love is due to his loneliness. I do love how strong-willed she is. I just hope she isn’t the constant target of gang leaders because female characters tend to be that, especially in stories where it’s mainly male characters. Then there’s Hiragi and his posse. They seem like honorable people that the town loves, but I’d like to learn more about them.

The voice acting is amazing. Yuma Uchida really does show off his range. While he’s an expert at voicing tsunderes, I do love how gravely his voice is when Sakura shouts. It sort of reminds me of Yoshitsugu Matsuoka’s gravely voice, especially when he voices Inosuke. Kotoha is voiced by Ikumi Hasegawa. I normally hear her voice teen girls, so for her to voice an adult is a first for me, but I’d like to hear her voice adults more often. She has a strong tone. Hiragi is voiced by Ryota Suzuki, who’s another rising star in the voice acting industry. I’m familiar with his role as Kurosawa from Cherry Magic and the Wanima brothers from Blue Lock.

In my opinion, this was a strong start. I just hope it stays consistent and not stray off. I want to see the same type of action scenes presented in this episode. I want to see the main character be active and prominent to the story’s plot. I want to see growth and friendship too. Just give me things that Bucchigiri lacked. If you have watched the premiere of this anime, what are your honest thoughts?

#Wind Breaker #Haruka sakura #sakura haruka #Kotoha tachibana #review #anime #anime review #first impressions #spring 2024 anime #ecargmura #arum journal #Youtube

[ecargmura]

Bucchigiri?! Episode 9 Review - Matakara's Bad Day Continues

That ending…. While I am worried about what will happen to Matakara in these last few episodes, another part of me is excited because I want him to beat the crap out of Arajin. I am fully on Team Matakara on this one.

This episode is basically Ichiya fully possessing Matakara and how Matakara copes with the possession while still stressed and emotionally broken over Mitsukuni’s “death”. Unlike Arajin and Senya’s rather harmonious cohabitation, Matakara and Ichiya are anything but. Ichiya, as a character, is manipulative and vengeful. He manipulates Akutaro so that he will bring him towards Matakara in order to have full possession of him via bullet. He then casts him aside as he’s now inside Matakara. I do wonder what had happened for Ichiya to become the way he is. Senya’s flashback with him and Ichiya showed that they were once long-time friends but had a falling out.

Then there’s the issue with the black shadow figure. I thought the black shadowy figure was Ichiya, but I guess it’s something else entirely. Ichiya describes it as a figure of weakness that looms over Matakara as he is a weak-hearted person underneath. Matakara may seem sweet, but there is a bit of darkness that looms within his heart that has been there since he was a kid. Despite having friends and a place where he belongs, it still lingers. I do have a feeling that Ichiya could be lying about it. Watch the black shadow be a twist villain.

I can’t believe the Mitsukuni story arc ended with him getting killed off-screen. Wait, is he even dead? His funeral is not even shown. I’m on the boat of ‘pics or it didn’t happen’. If he is dead, then it’s serious wasted potential. I know that Mitsukuni is mainly used as a sort of lifeline of Matakara’s mentality, but for him to have a face, name, background and even a voice just screamed ‘important character for the story’ and he got yeeted off-screen. Why do I get the feeling that someone’s going to yell to Matakara that Mitsukuni is at the hospital and not be actually dead? I can feel that happening and I’m not going to like it at all.

Oh boy, Arajin… While it is nice that Arajin is thinking about Matakara, the fact that he still sort of finds him an annoyance and still doesn’t fully check up on him annoys me. He still simps for Mahoro and even she calls him out over his incompetence. She learned that Mitsukuni is in critical condition, or even dead and she tells Arajin if he has ever considered Matakara’s feelings for once. At least Mahoro knows how to sympathize while Arajin cannot. On top of that, Arajin starts wondering if Mahoro has a thing for Matakara. WHY IS THAT THE FIRST THING ON YOUR MIND? We’re 9 episodes into the show and there’s still no redeeming quality of this guy.

I do wonder what Akutaro’s role will be in this portion of the story. As he got abandoned by Ichiya, he wants revenge. However, the anime still doesn’t answer how he managed to stumble across Ichiya in the first place and why it’s possible for these djinnis to possess someone without a bullet.

I enjoyed the comedic parts of this episode the most. It was a nice way to get my mind off of the angst and pent-up annoyance towards Arajin. What are your thoughts on this episode?

#bucchigiri?! #Arajin tomoshibi #senya #Matakara asamine #ichiya #Mahoro jin #Mitsukuni asamine #Akutaro shindo #review #anime #anime review #ecargmura #arum journal

[ecargmura]

The Mochi Mayhem Epilogue Was Hilarious (Review)

Here it is. The finale of the DLC. The ending to an era. How should we celebrate this milestone? Excuse me? Could you repeat that again? The Chicken Dance? What?

Anyways, this epilogue is bringing in the main story and DLC together by making the Paldea trio meet up with Kieran and Carmine, the DLC characters in one last misadventure to stop the land of Kitakami from doing the chicken—er, Mochi dance by a mysterious Pokemon that looks like a Pecha Berry.

The overall epilogue was very hilarious, but it also got me having a lot of questions. I know that the event starts in Kitakami when you examine the peach plush in Peachy’s. After the little scene that happens, Arven calls because he wants to come over to the player’s house, meaning you have to travel all the way back to Paldea where Nemona and Penny tagged along and then Kieran gives the player a letter, which then makes the Paldean group go back to Kitakami, which is when the event starts happening. I don’t know why the game makes it so that we have to jump through different regions. I know it’s for plot as the Paldean trio didn’t get offers to study abroad. It made me wonder what would’ve happened if they had come along during Teal Mask.

Despite that, Kieran meshes well with the Paldean trio. It sucks that Carmine was possessed throughout the whole story, but it makes sense as she had her fair share of spotlight in the Teal Mask. This is Kieran’s time to shine! I find it hilarious how he was theorized to have been possessed, but when Pecharunt showed up with the evil mochi, Kieran is the only other person aside from the player to not eat the mochi as it hit his forehead and flew off. Ha, take that, theorizers! I wonder what would’ve happened if Nemona had been involved in the Teal Mask DLC—maybe that was why they took the Paldea trio out of the story for the DLC because the story’s issues would’ve resolved fast.

Pecharunt is a weird Pokemon. While it has a connection with the Kitakami lore, it was never really explored. It just showed up and wrecking havoc. While it did give the Loyal Three their toxic chain, it never really had an involvement in Teal Mask until this DLC. The Loyal Three are its retainers, but there were slight hints of its existence sprinkled here and there. I’m also confused on why it decided to wake up and decided to possess everyone with toxic mochi. Is it angry? Chaotic? I’m not sure. Despite that, Pecharunt is no slouch in battle.

What I liked about the DLC is the fact that Kieran joins the player as a Multi Battle partner which is a definite redemption from his behavior in the Indigo Disk DLC. It was nice being able to battle together with him. I was actually surprised that Kieran’s grandparents were trainers too. They were pretty tough. Arven and Penny were challenging too. I do like that in the midst of the double battles, the last match is against Nemona, who is challenged as a single battle. I loved the mix-match of battling styles.

Once you complete the DLC, Nemona, Arven, Penny, Kieran and Carmine can be interacted with in the League Club with the former three being special coaches. I do like that they give you such a bonus afterwards. I feel like it’s a good way to end everything as you are reunited with the three most important characters in the main story followed by the two most important characters in the DLC. What makes Paldea special is the unique varieties of characters that makes it a worthwhile experience.

Argh, it’s going to be hard to say good-bye to these characters because they’re all so good. All the Gym Leaders, Elite Four, teachers, Team Star, students and DLC characters were just so GOOD! Scarlet and Violet legit shot up to my third favorite mainline Pokemon game because of how good the game and DLCs were. What will Pokemon do now after the masterpiece that was SV? If Unova remakes are true, will it live up to SV’s hype? Will it be better than BDSP? Only time will tell. What are your thoughts on this epilogue and the DLCs as a whole?

#Pokemon #pokemon scarlet and violet #mochi mayhem #epilogue #DLC #nemona #arven #penny #kieran #carmine #review #game review #ecargmura #arum journal

[ecargmura]

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Episode 26 Review - The End Of The Second Stage

The second exam comes to a close in a rather crazy way. While Frieren and Fern are still duking it out with the replica Frieren, the other mages fight off the accumulating replicas of their fellow test-takers with some interesting match-ups and more join the fray.

It’s really interesting to see how intelligent Denken is as he strategized the whole match-up scenario as different mages pair up to defeat mages that aren’t themselves. Land, Ubel, Wirbel and his group eventually join the fight as they buy time for Frieren and Fern to finally defeat the replica and Spiegel. I do like how out of the mages present in the floor, the one they are most terrified of is the replica Sense. Detecting her mana is hard and when she does show up, she literally ambushed Lawine and Richter to the point that they had to retreat and fail the exam. I honestly wanted to see the fight between Methode and replica Fern because she’d be the third scariest replica excluding Frieren as she is already powerful in her current state—the holes on the walls after Methode defeated her replica showed how terrifying Fern can be.

Fortunately, the only one who isn’t terrified of the replica Sense is Ubel. Her specialty magic is cutting magic; it works in a way that if she imagines she’s able to cut something, it can be cut and her magic works. It stemmed from her childhood with her seamstress sister as she watched her cut fabric. I think this is how she works; she tries to copy people’s magic by observing them the same way she tries to observe what she can cut. This is how she was able to copy Sorganeil and make it her own; she observed Wirbel using the power, imagined that she can do it and that’s how it manifested in her arsenal as she understood what sort of person he is from the moment they clashed. Land is a bit of a harder person for her to crack, hence why she’s following him. Anyways, since Sense’s magic revolves around her hair, Ubel imagines being able to cut hair as it is something that is usually cut and always is, so that’s why she was able to defeat her. Ubel’s flashback of how she killed a proctor was shown too. The proctor had unbreakable cloth, but since Ubel is an expert with cloth, she is able to cut it, but she accidentally killed the proctor by mistake. Sense finds her terrifying because of this and also the reason why she got a light punishment. I can say that she’s rather interesting.

The fight between Frieren and Fern against the replica was still an animation treasure trove. The fact that Frieren shows off more advanced magic like making golems and other fancy magic was a real feast for the eyes. I did feel bad for Fern. She almost had the upper hand, but armless replica caught her off-guard and slammed her against the wall, causing her staff to break into smithereens. Yikes. Will she get a new staff after this or will it get repaired? Can it even get repaired?

Despite the action-heavy scenes, I did like some of the comedic moments like Scharf and Ehre having to be carried by Wirbel again, Frieren getting stuck inside another mimic—a gold one this time, and Edel boasting about the golem’s healing capabilities to Richter but he has no idea who she is. It’s a nice balance.

Now that the second part has been finished, what will happen next? Given that there are two more episodes and that the preview mentions a third part, I’m assuming the third part will be very short. Will Serie be involved in this one? What’s it going to be about? What are your thoughts on the episode?

#frieren beyond journey's end #sousou no frieren #frieren #fern #sense #ubel #land #denken #methode #lawine #richter #review #anime #anime review #ecargmura #arum journal

[ecargmura]

Paradox Live Episode 7 Review - Boys On The Rooftop

Before I start the review, I want to thank people who left comments on my review of the previous episode. I really appreciate your time explaining to me about the source material and what part was anime original and what not. I’m glad I’m writing reviews. The engagement and interactions motivate me to keep going. Now, onto the review!

(TW: S**cide)

I was told last week that this week’s episode was going to be a strong one. I agree with their statement wholeheartedly. This was quite the episode. It answered the questions I had in the previous episode, but also gave me new questions. It was nice to see the overall plot slowly coming into play here.

Last episode, Shiki told Ryu that the ghost in that building could’ve been the friend that he killed. While Ryu doesn’t believe him (also had some weird split personality moment), Shiki decides to head out to check the building one day. It turns out that he has a past with Nayuta. Shiki grew up a loner, but encountered Nayuta one day and became friends. Their friendship was so cute and sweet to look at! Nayuta had a mysterious part-time job that turned out to being a lab rat; I assume he was being experimented on by Alter Trigger? Anyways, the experiments got to be too much as he developed Phantometal corrosion and decided to jump off the building to not make Kanata worry. Unfortunately, this left Shiki traumatized for good. I finally understand why he’s always apologizing when getting a trap reaction. That is seriously something traumatizing for Shiki.

Now this pegs the question of just who Nayuta is. Why is Nayuta still alive with Kanata but supposedly died when he was with Shiki a few years ago? What’s with the long-haired Nayuta in the post-credit scenes? I made some theories after watching the episode. I think Nayuta survived the fall in the past and that’s why he’s stuck in the lab present day. But then who’s the Nayuta with Kanata in the current time? I’m theorizing that the current Nayuta is an apparition created from Kanata’s phantometal as that was the reason why Kanata had a nightmare about Nayuta dissolving into liquid. Maybe he knew Nayuta had died, so he uses his phantom metal to create a projection? But he can still eat, right? Or was the bowl that ramen guy was eyeing in Episode 5 Nayuta’s? All I can say is that there’s really more to Nayuta than meets the eye. I really want to know the truth.

Is phantometal corrosion the reason why Hajun is visiting a back-alley doctor? Does Hajun have symptoms? Can it be cured? I hope this illness can be explained in a future episode, because I think it makes the plot even more interesting than before. Is the Akira Ishida character the final boss of sorts?

The special ending song with Nayuta and Shiki was wonderful! I really liked it! I think the lyrics summarize their relationship perfectly. Is this a new Paradox Live song or something they had before? The special artwork was really beautiful. I’m making it the thumbnail for this review because that is way too gorgeous to pass up. Also, what I noticed was that the preview for this episode was shrouded in purple and blue last week. This makes sense as Nayuta is in cozmez and Shiki’s in TCW. I do wonder why they titled it “Love”. Are they hinted to be canon? ARE THERE EVEN ANY CANON PAIRS IN THIS STORY?

When my bunch of questions are answered, I get more. I’m getting invested in Paradox Live a lot. I can’t wait for next week as it seems to be BAE vs Akan Yatsura. I hope it’d be a good episode! What are your thoughts on this episode?

#paradox live #paradox live the animation #shiki ando #nayuta yatonokami #cozmez #the cat's whiskers #tcw #review #anime #anime review #ecargmura #arum journal

[ecargmura]

Pokemon Horizons Episode 45 Review - The End Of The Second Chapter

What a great way to end the second chapter! The raid battle against Rayquaza was intense but great! Liko, Roy and Dot show off their improved battling tactics alongside Friede and Amethio, who shows up unexpectedly after his colleagues retreated. Just seeing the fruits of their hard work from Amethio mastering Terastal to Liko and Roy battling so competently without the need of Friede’s handholding to Liko’s Sprigatito evolving into Floragato, a rare occurrence for Grass-type starters.

The battle between the Trainers and Rayquaza was really good. I loved how Friede chose to split them up as he took Roy and Fuecoco with him and left Cap with Liko and Dot so that he could command him to use Volt Tackle to launch up Quaxly and Fuecoco in the air. The way Roy even landed a hit on Rayquaza with Disarming Voice was so cool to see! When Amethio comes into the fray, he shows off his Tera Ghost Ceruledge and the double battle with him and Tera Dark Charizard was so cool! I can see why the kids want to learn Terastal now.

I was very surprised that the writers would allow Sprigatito to evolve into Floragato. Usually, the anime writers have a severe allergy towards making Grass-type starters evolve. Since Black and White, Ash’s Snivy never evolved; Clemont’s Chespin never evolved; Ash’s Rowlett ate an Everstone and couldn’t evolve; Goh’s Grookey didn’t evolve. I was expecting the same thing to happen to Liko’s Sprigatito, but the writers actually went beyond my low expectations. I have hopes that the same will happen for Roy and Dot and that all three kids will get their Starters to be fully evolved later on. Fuecoco also learns Flame Charge. It’s nice to see Fuecoco learning all sorts of moves. I do wonder when he’ll evolve. Maybe in ten episodes?

I’m glad that the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers are okay after the major damage the airship took. I do worry about Carkoal’s safety as it’s not present with the other evacuated airship Pokemon. Hopefully, it’s just safe in the engine room as it does look quite heavy to be evacuated safely (yet they were able to move a Nosepass with ease). Because it will take a while for the airship to repair, their adventures come to a halt here. Since the kids will attend school, I do wonder what the adults will do. Will they take up jobs nearby and meet up with the kids occasionally?

The Explorers section was quite interesting. Gibeon tells them to lay low and wait for the Rising Volt Tacklers to get the Six Heroes and then take them from them. That sounds like a solid plan for now. He also wants them to monitor Terapagos and Liko. Uh-oh. The fact that Gibeon knows Lucius, which means that he is most likely aware that she is his descendant. A glimpse of Gibeon is seen towards the end. He has white and black hair, but in a different pattern from Amethio. I’m assuming they’re related, but as ancestor and descendant as Gibeon isn’t supposed to be alive in this era. I’m convinced he’s an AI. He also has a Shiny 10% Zygarde, meaning that Legends Z-A lore will be implemented in the near future, or it’s just an easter egg for the upcoming game. I’m also wondering why Spinel smirked at the end before being dismissed from the meeting. He seems to have more ambitious goals, so I’m curious what his deal is—and it’s not because he’s my favorite or anything, okay?

Overall, the Terapagos’s Shine chapter was a good arc. It was nice seeing progression for Liko and Roy as they grow from novices to more experienced trainers. I can’t wait to see how they will grow with Dot once they study about Terastal at Orange Academy. In fact, I can’t wait to see their school adventures! What are your thoughts on the second chapter now that it ended? Are you anticipating the third chapter?

#anipoke #pokemon horizons #liko #floragato #roy #fuecoco #dot #quaxly #friede #captain pikachu #charizard #amethio #ceruledge #gibeon #zygarde #rayquaza #terapagos #review #anime #anime review #ecargmura #arum journal

[ecargmura]

The Apothecary Diaries Episode 8 Review - Early Morning Poison Case

Even when Maomao returns home, she has to treat poisoned patients. Being an apothecary is a lot of work. While she doesn’t solve the case, she does try to figure out what the cause is due to her innate curiosity. The poison case also shows how the pleasure district is like underneath the glam.

I find it interesting how Maomao does cure patients, but she cannot track down the culprit or take action on someone in some scenarios. Like with Lihua’s case, she slapped the lady-in-waiting for doing something stupid like using the banned poisoned makeup powder, but she cannot solve cases like sleepwalking or track down the color-changing fire culprit. Those cases are far beyond her capabilities and status, which makes sense and it’s nice on the writer’s part to not make Maomao solve everything. Like in this case, Maomao treats the poisoned patients, but she cannot confront the culprit because she got hush money from the brothel’s madam and got treated to some fancy snacks usually reserved for customers. Maomao’s job is to treat poison, not solve mysteries.

It does show how dirty the pleasure district can be underneath all of the glam. Problematic customers take courtesans for granted and if they have money, everything can be resolved. Even if the problematic guy was rich, handsome and had women falling for him left and right, killing him means that it’d be a huge problem for the brothel itself due to the power imbalance his family has compared to a place for entertainment.

However, I also like how Maomao does have a bad habit of overthinking. Even if she cannot be too involved in poisoning cases other than doing the treatment process, she still has time to think about what has transpired and what sort of items were used in these situations. Luomen, her father, tells her to not make assumptions, but she still does. It’s a flaw she has, but it’s a good one for someone like her. She figures out that the little girl who sought for the apothecary knew the poisoning wasn’t too life-threatening so she went to the apothecary and not a doctor; she also notices how the little girl got Luomen to come to their brothel, but was considerate enough to walk at his pace as he is crippled. She also figures out that the person who caused the situation was the courtesan who was also poisoned, but not as severely as the male customer. Maomao makes a really good detective in addition to being an apothecary.

Speaking of Luomen, I do like the relationship he has with Maomao. Despite being father and daughter, they are also teacher and student. He goes over the case with her and asks her about certain plants like tobacco leaves and what it can do as a poison and how it can affect someone. Maomao realizes that while tobacco leaves were found in the room, none of them were regurgitated. While she is talented, she still makes slip ups every now and then, and takes her mistakes to heart and makes sure to not make the same one twice in the future. This scene shows that Maomao does take her job seriously and she loves learning above all else.

I have this feeling that Maomao and Luomen aren’t truly father and daughter. I had that feeling last episode but that theory protrudes more this episode. Why I think that is because once Meimei mentioned her going to the Verdigris House’s annex, there’s a scene of her in the corner of the room with a bed-ridden woman. She doesn’t mention this person to Luomen, meaning that Luomen and Maomao aren’t related by blood, most likely. If they were biologically family, she would’ve mentioned that woman’s condition if that was his wife. Given that she said nothing, the bed-ridden woman isn’t his wife; this means that Luomen isn’t married and that Maomao is his adopted daughter. I hope my theory is correct. I do wonder who that bed-ridden woman could be; given how somber the scene is and how serious her eyes looked, I have a feeling that might be Maomao’s mother. If so, I’m surprised that she has a mom and that she’s still alive.

Maomao’s return to the Jade Pavilion was hilarious. Jinshi shows off his jealous side and when he asks about her homecoming and about Lihaku, the context behind Maomao’s words flies over Jinshi’s head. While it’s true that Lihaku did take her out and that she gave him a night of pleasant dreams, it wasn’t sexual on her part, but Jinshi takes it as if they had sex and makes the most hilarious face he has produced by far. Surprised Jinshi face could give Pikachu’s a run for his money. The way Gyokuyou was being a tease and laughing through all of this was hilarious. The reactions from Hongniang and Gaoshun were hilarious to with the former being fed up and the latter tired.

This was a good episode! I did like that the homecoming wasn’t just one episode and that it was a two-parter of sorts. Since she did get two more hairpins, maybe there will be another chance for her to go out again and take Jinshi with her next time so that he’d stop being petulant. Now that Maomao has returned to the rear palace, what sort of cases will she solve now? What are your thoughts on this episode?

#the apothecary diaries #kusuriya no hitorigoto #maomao #luomen #jinshi #gyokuyou #gaoshun #hongniang #meimei #review #anime #anime review #ecargmura #arum journal