Prima Doll mixes the aftermath of war with second life for a group of automata for a premiere that has all the trappings of being impactful with none of the impact one may expect.
Prima Doll – Episode 1 — Anime Feminist
A magical girl slice of life that seems to be potentially positioning itself to step into the mary jane’s of many a dark magical girl series before it… after a chat about tea and snacks and being a proper lady.
Smile of the Arsnotoria the Animation – Episode 1 — Anime Feminist
A just okay premiere that plays weird sex chicken at times with its “it’s complicated” stepsibling relationship, but seems to be aware of the line it definitely shouldn’t cross.
My Stepmom’s Daughter is My Ex – Episode 1 — Anime Feminist
At best, it’s bland as a communion wafer, and at its worst, gives two thumbs up to sexual slavery.
Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World – Episode 1 — Anime Feminist
Much like ghosts, you’ll either believe in Phantom of the Idol or you’ll ignore it ratling around in the background due to its pretty okay premiere that, while not polarizing, doesn’t wow like some of Summer 2022’s other options.
Phantom of the Idol – Episode 1 — Anime Feminist
While I’m not a main writer on this article, I did chime in with my Favorite Song of 2021, which was an easy choice since Winter 2021. Here’s a taste, though I hope you’ll read the rest of the article:
“Minikui Ikimono”, or “Ugly Creatures” is hands down one of the best OPs of the year, and that’s not just because it’s performed by CHICO with Honeyworks, though they definitely brought the fire to this track. No, what makes this a 2021 banger are the lyrics, as well as the striking animation, which offer peeks into Sorawo and Toriko’s antics in our reality and the unreality of the Otherside.
Read the rest of MrAJCosplay, Monique Thomas, James Beckett & The Best Songs on the Anime News Network
The next installment of ANN’s Best Anime of 2021 is here with picks from @BeeDubsProwl, @vestenet, and @pixelatedlenses! Plus the editorial team’s favorite moments this year!
While I’m not a main writer on this article, I did chime in with my Favorite Character of 2021. Here’s a teaser:
Super Cub’s lead Koguma has had the strongest staying power for me as one of the slice of life genre’s best female leads. Her backstory is simple: she’s a girl characterized by a life absent of friends, family, and very little in the way of joy. It’s the perfect set-up for dynamic growth, which is what happens to Koguma over the course of the series…
Read the rest of Nicholas Dupree, Richard Eisenbeis, Rebecca Silverman & Best Characters on the Anime News Network
What’s The Story?
When Razzmatazz, a snazzy fairy godfather, and Bon, a burly beast-man, find a human child in the woods, they decide to co-parent the mortal babe… at least for now. What they don’t expect is love: love for their brand-new human charge, love for caretaking, and a blooming love between them both. Will this fantastical found family become a true family, or will love fail to come full circle?
Reviewer’s Note: I received a review copy of Life of Melody as part of my work for ANN. However, as Life of Melody is an OEL/American graphic novel, I was unable to publish the review there. However, I was given permission to publish my review elsewhere, so it’s found a home on my blog. All reviews are spoiler-free and image-free. Opinions are my own.
Life of Melody is a full-color, LGBTQ+/queer graphic novel published, initially, as a webcomic via Hiveworks and now, as part of the Seven Seas + Hiveworks lineup.
The story centers around odd couple Razzmatazz (i.e. Raj) and Bon (i.e. Lancelot) as they raise a little human foundling in a town full of magic, trees, and a very pretty lake. We follow their adventures with their found daughter Melody across the years, witnessing the growth of their partnership from barely cohabitating to something more.
I hated Koikimo, and I’m going to hold fast to that because there’s no world in our infinite galaxy—not any culture on this planet, including Japan—where an adult pursuing a child is okay.
Koikimo – Episode 1 — Anime Feminist
Backlit Pixels 