catsoupery

Oshi No Ko

as of episode 6/11
I didn’t know what to expect at first when the anime adaptation got announced, only that I was hoping that it would do Mengo Yokoyaris art justice. After six episodes I can safely say: Absolutely! The manga covers have always captured my attention every time I walk past them at the bookstore. Despite not wanting to collect the volumes for this manga, seeing the covers always makes me consider it twice.
The visuals are utterly gorgeous. I’m sooo in love with the color-direction in the show. It really feels like they’re replicating the charme of the volume covers perfectly. Especially Kana benefits the most from the anime adaptation.
Up until now I could never say what drew me to Oshi no Ko. The drama is good, yes. But I really do not care for Aqua and his revenge plot, which always remains front and center to the plot. But episode 5 and 6 made it clear to me finally: I love learning about the industry through such personal storylines, such as the mangaka who’s work got a shoddy adaptation, or Akane who tries hard to deliver a good performance. Seeing all these people connect with each other through their passions always gets me excited for what's next. And the anime does a great job communicating that excitement.

Yuri is my job!

as of episode 6/12
I’ll be honest, there’s not much I can say about this show. I think it does a solid job of adapting the manga. It delivers a good punch to the emotional scenes, especially helped by the voice actresses' great work. The visuals are really pretty too. I’m especially fond of the warm atmosphere it creates. It’s really fitting for the cafe setting. Overall the show really makes me want to visit a themed cafe like that, but alas these are not really a thing here.
I’m only at volume 4 of the manga, so I basically finished the arc that is now starting in the anime. My guess is that this is also where the anime will finish up. But just in case, I should pick up the next volume asap. Despite not having much to say on the anime as an adaptation, I do really enjoy the source material.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Season 2

as of episode 6/12
Wow, what a fucking ride. Season 2 came in swinging and it’s not stopped since. Every episode is a goddamn explosion of “wow” and “jesus christ”. Season 1 was good, but season 2 is on another level. Every episode has like, 2 plot twists, and not a single one misses. This is my first Gundam, and I am very, very glad about it. It’s a phenomenal way to enter this franchise. I anticipate every episode with a lot of excitement.

Heavenly Delusion

as of episode 6/13
Heavenly Delusion has been a pretty good experience so far. It has everything I enjoy: Post-apocalyptic setting, a fun art style, good animation, absolutely bops of an opening and ending, a couple who's slowly growing alongside each other and develop feelings for each other, some weird fucked up happenings going on in the background, horrible horror monsters… It reminds me a lot of Shinsekai Yori in aspect, another anime I absolutely adore. And yet, it’s still somehow failing to grab me. There’s nothing I have to criticize about it. I’m enjoying my time with it a lot and every episode has me thoroughly immersed in its happenings. But for some reason putting on the episodes on a weekly basis is still tough for me somehow.
Oh well, I will continue watching it regardless. Even if it takes a bit of effort to actually watch it.

Skip and Loafer

as of episode 5/12
Oooof what a good show. I didn’t know what to expect going into this show. I’ve never heard much about it, except that people really loved the manga. The hype was actually pretty big. I’ve been wanting to get more into shoujo lately and it looked shoujo, so I figured it’d be a good opportunity to branch out. Turns out this isn’t considered a shoujo? But it doesn’t matter.
I’m enamored with all the love in this show. Love with how the characters are expressed, love taken to craft the atmosphere, the love in all the animation, the love that the characters handle others with. If I ever watched anime for wish fulfillment, this show would be the one. I would have loved to have these people as my friends. The themes of staying true to yourself, while also exploring why people would not stay true to themselves, really hit well. The way the main duo flourish next to each other and really come into their own highlights this even more. I’m also very taken by how their relationship affects their friends as well. This show has probably my favourite expression of the idea that every of your actions have an influence on those around you, even in the most indirect ways.