Anime Questions, Recommendations, and Discussion

Anime Questions, Recommendations, and Discussion - January 20, 2026

This is a daily megathread for general chatter about anime. Have questions or need recommendations? Here to show off your merch? Want to talk about what you just watched.

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*I'm looking for:* A certain genre? Something specific like characters traveling to another world?

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Commentaires

PGleo862026-01-20 11:37

Is there a subgenre for shows like *Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible* or *My Clueless First Friend* where one of the leads is a terminal introvert dragged out of their shell by the other? I feel like I've watched a lot of them yet still I crave more, and finding them has become a problem at this point - if there's a better way to find them than crawling through MAL that's what I'm looking for.

BigBootyBuff2026-01-20 12:02

Not sure there's a genre name for it but some I have watched that kinda have that theme: April Showers bring May Flowers, Don't toy with me Miss Nagatoro (warning, first episode is pretty rough but gets much better), Makeine, My Dress Up Darling. There's also Honey Lemon Soda which is very much that but your mileage will vary. Some like it, I found it kind of mediocre.

Some that are kinda adjacent: Komi can't communicate and Bocchi the Rock, though both are more about social anxiety, they do have others drag them out of their shell.

Also want to mention With You in the Rain. In that case it's not another person but a pet that brings the introverted protagonist a bit more out of her shell. Though she does stay fairly introverted because she's not unhappy with that.

Hopefully there's some in there you haven't watched yet.

Wiles_2026-01-20 12:56

Welcome to the NHK is also adjacent but a very depressing take on it.

PGleo862026-01-20 12:59

I probably should watch Nagatoro, huh - since release it's always been roughly in the middle of my pile of shows to watch but never actually any closer to getting watched. April Showers Bring May Flowers is there too; With You and the Rain I'm pretty sure isn't quite what I'm looking for. I've seen (and generally enjoyed) the rest of these.

> There's also Honey Lemon Soda

Honey Lemon Soda was fine enough I thought but nothing really special; that said, it DID have one of the best single episodes I've ever seen (E11 I think it was?) where they ripped Monogatari-style cuts out of nowhere. That alone makes me remember it!

awesomenessofme12026-01-20 14:38

Nagotoro was a weird one for me. Some of my 7/10 anime are "not good enough to be an 8", and some of them are "8 but flawed", and that was the latter. It's a very solid romance at its core, but it's brought down by the awful beginning, unlikable side characters that the story doesn't acknowledge, and all of the moments of the author's *very* thinly-veiled fetish shining through. 7/10 still isn't bad, though.

_Ridley2026-01-20 15:41

> (warning, first episode is pretty rough but gets much better)

Always breaks my heart to see people say this about Nagatoro. That first episode is the finest example of humiliation kink I've seen in anime. It's exquisite.

vancevon2026-01-20 15:06

in japanese, there's kind of a genre called "〇〇さん系" (XX-san style) which is what you're talking about. it got its start with teasing master takagi-san. looking at your anime list, i'm pretty sure that you've seen all of them aside from nagatoro. maybe uzaki-chan wa asobitai would work, too

Donnie-G2026-01-20 14:04

What anime is there with really good and raw action choreography? I mean like something where you can see people hitting each other, swinging their weapons around and it's pure physicality. No move name calling, no lightspeed zoom zoom nonsense, no energy beams or cheat moves. Just good old whacking each other, like watching a boxing match or MMA fight.

I think my best example of one is Seirei no Moribito. The fight scenes in that show were an absolute joy to watch. Some of the scenes are fairly fast and complex, yet you can still actually see what is going on.

Another would be Sword of the Stranger. It is a movie, but the sword fights were very enjoyable.

I feel like way too much anime represent 'strength' in this artificial way. Such as learning and knowing this specific 'technique'. They might clash a bit and stuff when a fight breaks out, but it's often determined by using the special move. And sometimes there's some awkward ass exposition dump about why the move is powerful or how it counters the opponent. Like sheesh, just shut up. Just show it through the actual fight itself. But anyway enough about me griping. I wanna see some fights that are about the actual fighting.

awesomenessofme12026-01-20 14:34

Wind Breaker (although more S1 than S2) is the first thing to come to mind.

TehAxelius2026-01-20 14:50

> I think my best example of one is Seirei no Moribito. The fight scenes in that show were an absolute joy to watch. Some of the scenes are fairly fast and complex, yet you can still actually see what is going on.

The Seirei no Moribito scene where the assassins are chasing Balsa and the prince across rice fields is the one that always comes to mind when people ask the "best action choreography" question.

Tarhalindur2026-01-20 16:49

Well, you did just name two of the first three anime that usually come to mind for this question, so that does throw a wrench in my answer!

That said, you might give the third in Madoka Magica a try there. Fighting's not the focus there per se and most of the fights are against monsters rather than human opponents, but man do I absolutely adore some of the fight choreography there, especially in the middle of the show. (Amusingly, the one big exception is the Rebellion fight everyone else loves.) Also the show is just *insanely* well-made and worth watching in any event.

If you want "medium classic with cool fight choreography in a series not focused on fighting per se, but with mecha", you could also look at Evangelion. ~~Pay no attention to how spending like five minutes with old Ultraman franchise clips immediately takes "yeah, Anno is an Ultraman fanboy" from something one knows intellectually to something immediately viscerally obvious, but there are much, much worse things to raid from so.~~

Also tempted to mention Ore, Twintail ni Narimasu here just on the grounds of one brief five-second spar in the first episode. (That said, if you like the choreography of tokusatsu fights in the Super Sentai/Kamen Rider vein, Twintail is a parody of that genre first and foremost and should be right up your alley even if it's not quite what you're asking for per se.)

Dumey2026-01-20 17:00

I've recommended Vivy: Fluorite Eyes Song to a similar request before. There's only a few hand to hand fights in the show, but damn they are fast, technical, crunchy and impactful when they happen.

Jusenkyo_52026-01-20 14:43

I caught up on Fate/Strange Fake last night. I didn't realize going into it that you'd need Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Zero, and Tsukihime knowledge to understand it lol. I must be missing out by not having seen any of the El Melloi stuff? I wonder what else in the Type Moon universe I'm supposed to have seen to understand this show.

Durinthal2026-01-20 14:49

Eh, I'd say there's a difference between "understand" and "get all the references" for this one since I feel like they do a decent job of explaining the necessary bits as they go.

> I must be missing out by not having seen any of the El Melloi stuff?

A bit, not sure how much the Clock Tower will figure into this overall though.

Jusenkyo_52026-01-20 15:06

Yeah, I've gotta assume this will be like other TM works where nothing will make sense for the first 50% of the story and then suddenly it's peak.

Durinthal2026-01-20 15:23

It also fits Narita's style of writing in general, I haven't seen Durarara but that's an accurate description of Baccano's adaptation.

Psyduckisnotaduck2026-01-20 20:27

Well, Flat is in The Case Files of Lord el
Melloi, but he hardly needs any introduction, the madlad that he is.

VoidEmbracedWitch2026-01-20 14:54

Every piece of Nasuverse media if you want to make sure you understand *everything* because Narita is a madman who will draw from any and all lore about the setting he can get his hands on.

But also, nothing because as long as you vaguely know what a grail war is, you have enough of a basis to enjoy it.

Jusenkyo_52026-01-20 15:05

Yeah, it's an interesting show so far it's just cool to see and get all of the references. The burial agency name drop and the "I ask of you, are you my master" line in episode 1 were cool to see lol.

Wanderingjoke2026-01-20 15:05

Inspired by u/Verzwei getting [this](https://v.animethemes.moe/BounenNoXamdou-OP1.webm) stuck in my head yesterday...

What are your favorite songs from anime *you have never watched*?

Shimmering-Sky2026-01-20 15:17

Off the top of my head, a few examples:

- [Domestic Girlfriend OP](https://v.animethemes.moe/DomesticNaKanojo-OP1.webm)

- [Watatabe OP](https://v.animethemes.moe/Watatabe-OP1.webm)

- [SAO: Alicization - War of Underworld S2 OP](https://v.animethemes.moe/SwordArtOnlineAlicizationS3-OP1.webm)

- Both [the OP](https://v.animethemes.moe/DeadMountDeathPlay-OP1.webm) and [ED](https://v.animethemes.moe/DeadMountDeathPlay-ED1.webm) for the first season of Dead Mount Death Play

All of which I know of because they have a "sore demo" somewhere in them (whether it's in the TV size or just in the full version of the song). Because of course *this* is what put the songs on my radar. [](#vashheadscratch)

wloff2026-01-20 16:20

> Domestic Girlfriend OP

That was my first thought. An amazing song. Almost makes me want to watch the show.

...almost.

[](#godisdead)

Shimmering-Sky2026-01-20 16:29

It is absolutely not my kind of show, so I'm content with it remaining as a song I love from a show I haven't seen haha.

Heda-of-Aincrad2026-01-20 17:17

> SAO: Alicization - War of Underworld S2 OP

Also one of my favorites! (But I have watched it, many times because it's one of my favorite shows in general.)

Shimmering-Sky2026-01-20 17:23

I've yet to watch the Alicization seasons of SAO, watched the first two & Ordinal Scale though. Kinda hoping someone could run a rewatch at some point so I can get a refresher on everything I *have* seen before watching Alicization.

Heda-of-Aincrad2026-01-20 19:26

I had actually wanted to host a rewatch of SAO this year, because the Alicization/War of Underworld timeline will line up with ours around July, but Hulu removed the Alicization seasons a while back unfortunately.

[](#itsnotfair)

Shimmering-Sky2026-01-20 19:32

[](#toradorasalute)

Heda-of-Aincrad2026-01-20 19:38

Actually had the foresight to record War of Underworld while it was airing on Toonami, but yeah, I'm still missing the first half of Alicization and even though I probably *could* host it from memory it'd be kind of weird if I can't watch along.

[](#tiredaoi)

IXajll2026-01-20 15:17

Dropped SLF after S1 but S2 OP2 is a fucking banger.

Nomar_952026-01-20 15:34

Couldn't get into Ave Mujica, but the opening is incredible

BiggieCheeseLapDog2026-01-20 15:40

Magical Destroyers is one of my favourite openings and I’ve never touched the show

KendotsX2026-01-20 15:43

* [Beck OP](https://v.animethemes.moe/Beck-OP1.webm)
* [City Hunter OP](https://v.animethemes.moe/CityHunter-OP1.webm) and [ED](https://v.animethemes.moe/CityHunter-ED1.webm) (the whole franchise is full of bangers)

Queue_Jumping_Quack2026-01-20 15:46

These are only unseen for now, as all are on my PTW. But here's a few that immediately come to mind...

* [Noragami Aragoto](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZenmeRytEM)
* [Promised Neverland](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIH38n1o6Kg)
* [Wolf's Rain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A60mDhxHw5Q)
* [Bakemonogatari](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ6gPyYNgPo)

Basic stuff? Yeah, but that's probably why I've come across them ahead of seeing their anime.

Durinthal2026-01-20 15:56

Probably [Sugar Song to Bitter Step](https://v.animethemes.moe/KekkaiSensen-ED1.webm) from Kekkai Sensen.

zsmg2026-01-20 16:28

[Kiko Senki Dragonar](https://animethemes.moe/anime/kikou_senki_dragonar/OP1-DVD480)
[L-Gaim](https://animethemes.moe/anime/juusenki_l_gaim/OP1-DVD480Lyrics)
[Saint Seiya](https://animethemes.moe/anime/saint_seiya/OP1-DVD480)
[Hotuko no Ken](https://animethemes.moe/anime/hokuto_no_ken/OP1-DVD480)

cosmiczar2026-01-20 16:59

I spent so long answering the [Vifam OP](https://youtu.be/EcYXPpnSnkc?si=QI0HPWfU-zQqiwhd) for this type of prompt that even after watching the show my mind immediately goes to it

But for something that actually answers the question in the present, I guess I could mention the [Gantz OP](https://youtu.be/acGqQn9rk0U?si=tQmmLX4JVzObXEXs), which I have been listening from time to time since 2008 or so and I still haven't watched the show lol

There's also the [Under Ninja OP](https://youtu.be/xTTSMxjanAI), which I only learned about after falling in love with [Kroi's OP for Sand Land](https://youtu.be/2KcWcd3wAzQ?si=H3DmODZ7XCw3KeRt) which made me want to hear what else they did

And for a show that I did watch *some* of it, but never got to the season where the song is used, I quite like the [MindaRyn Slime Isekai one](https://youtu.be/q8TGietS5Q0?si=kMJcMujbU_ZipdGp). I also only learned about it because I loved another MindaRyn song (the [Ultraman Blazer ED](https://youtu.be/tCwyWxES3AU?si=Ov-9sjlfOvXIj381), which means it's a case of discovering an anisong by watching Tokusatsu instead)

Shimmering-Sky2026-01-20 17:57

> I spent so long answering the Vifam OP for this type of prompt that even after watching the show my mind immediately goes to it

Me but with [the Shinsekai Yori ED](https://v.animethemes.moe/ShinsekaiYori-ED1.webm). Can't count that anymore since I finally watched the show last year. [](#teehee)

Wanderingjoke2026-01-20 17:37

I just remembered one of my own:

[Gundam Seed Destiny OP 2](https://v.animethemes.moe/GundamSeedDestinyHD-OP2.webm)

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-20 17:51

> What are your favorite songs from anime you have never watched?

Genocide song from Symphogear (Whoever showed it to me, you're to blame for me listening to it in loop for hours)

Well it's the song AND the speech I guess, but some song that plays in Nise(?)monogatari during a speech/dialogue.

Some OPs from Re:Zero (well I dropped it, so I guess that count as 'haven't watched'?)

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-20 18:04

> Re:Zero (well I dropped it

this is why we need lolihitler in 2026 to deport you to venezuela

[](#gunfire)

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-20 18:19

[](#flustered)

If it counts for anything, it's the anime I watched the most of before dropping it, ever! But soon as [Re:Zero]>!Rem got lost, I kinda realized I wasn't enjoying a whole lot except Rem on this show.!<

AngleRepulsive54702026-01-20 18:17

[Shugo Chara!! Doki OP 4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrnQ3PYh21U). I actually like lots of songs from anime that I haven’t watched yet lol, this is just the most recent one. I do intend to try Shugo Chara at some point this year though.

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-20 18:51

- [Unravel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aMOurgDB-o) - Tokyo Ghoul OP 1
- [aLIEz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24K4oZjv01I) - Aldnoah.Zero ED 2
- [Crossing Field](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aPOj0ERTEc) - Sword Art Online OP 1
- [Red:Birthmark](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O774SDZJ2QQ) - Gundam: Witch from Mercury ED 1
- [Os-Uchuujin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbVHTZ6nBWk) - Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl OP
- [Monster without a name](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiX5DI--8bg) - PsychoPass ED 1

BiggieCheeseLapDog2026-01-20 20:47

>Os-Uchuujin

Shinsei Kamattechan don’t miss.

Korkez112026-01-20 19:57

Crying for Rain, easy

cppn022026-01-20 20:23

OPs that I watched the most from shows I didn't:

+ [Someone Else](https://animethemes.moe/anime/working/OP1-BD1080) (Working!! OP1)
+ [Taiga yo Tomo ni Naitekure](https://animethemes.moe/anime/zombieland_saga_revenge/OP2) (ZLS Revenge OP2)

Full Songs that I listen to a lot that also happen to be OPs from shows I didn't watch.

+ [Silhouette](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlFA0Zq1k2A) (Naruto Shippuden OP16)
+ [Kawaki wo Ameku](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YF8vecQWYs) (Domestic Girlfriend OP)
+ [Haruka Kanata](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ6A6GC_ki4) (Naruto OP2)

nwl1232026-01-20 15:16

Semi final for "Best Seiyuu of Fall 2025" has [started](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1qi2804/fall_2025_best_seiyuu_of_the_season_voting_semi/)!

Hitman71282026-01-20 15:33

When my Android video yesterday did very well even without the best part (it violates the sub's NSFW rules).

Always happy to share the good word with yuri! (Hitman has his yuri agenda to push)

Appropriate_Check4052026-01-20 15:41

please watch hi score girl, its a romcom

Durinthal2026-01-20 16:20

Why that one instead of the hundreds of other romcoms out there?

[](#ama)

Appropriate_Check4052026-01-20 16:52

the animation is unique and i thought the emotional moments were great, i liked it for a more personal reason though but the aspects i mentioned b4 are probably why i recommended it

Gamerunglued2026-01-20 18:19

High Score Girl is interesting because you get to follow the characters over lengths of time, from elementary school to high school. Not only do you get to watch the characters grow as people over this time, but it's juxtaposed against the progress and changes to arcades and the fighting game scene throughout the 90s; it's basically a period piece. It makes for an interesting contrast, and it's also unique in that it's actually about real fighting games in a way any lover of the genre will enjoy. I think it's a pretty great show, really solid coming-of-age romance.

Alt22212026-01-20 18:45

if it were a wikipedia article, id read it.

Durinthal2026-01-20 19:54

I agree about the positive aspects even if it wasn't a favorite of mine in the years it came out, I was mostly trying to prompt them to give more than a title.

Gamerunglued2026-01-20 20:03

I got ya. I figured they wouldn't answer and decided to flesh that out myself, since I love the show. Iirc it was *just* outside my top 10 for the year it came out (like number 13 or something), and that's for what I consider to be one of the best years in anime history.

wloff2026-01-20 16:25

Best I can do is add it to my Plan to Watch.

[](#glasses-push)

_Ridley2026-01-20 17:02

I've always wanted to watch that, because I, too, was in the 6th grade in 1991 and loved fighting games, so I'll get to it someday.

BaytaCosmico2026-01-20 16:57

So that opening sequence with the cars on the highway is the actual OP for every episode of Shiboyugi? Did not expect that. First time I've come across such a minimalistic OP - both audio and visuals.

I'm curious now - are there other anime that use ambient music for their OP?

CerberusZX2026-01-20 18:05

I don't know about ambient, but I distinctly remember the Shadows House OP not having any vocals.

Blackheart5952026-01-20 21:09

[Babylon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFPGof1S_GY) did a rather unconventional format for its OP, one that I enjoyed quite a lot.

If you're just asking for instrumental openings, there's quite a few more. [Akatsuki no Yona](https://animethemes.moe/anime/akatsuki_no_yona/OP1-NCBD1080) comes to mind as an example.

_Ridley2026-01-20 17:05

Happy Bean Counter anime and manga release day to all (me) who celebrate!

VoidEmbracedWitch2026-01-20 18:06

Happy Bean Counter day!

[](#happycake "thanks for the reminder to put the LNs on my e-reader")

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-20 18:43

Remind me to check the episode discussion thread in 2 hours

[](#mugiwait)

Mods, plz no delete commentos until i do.

_Ridley2026-01-20 19:04

It won't be like last week. The filtering is complete.

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-20 19:18

yeah

[](#sadholo)

_Ridley2026-01-20 19:36

Don't worry, though. The downvoting continues.

[](#cantbehelped)

IvanSemushin2026-01-20 17:27

In other news, yesterday's Jeopardy featured an [ANIME category](https://j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=9360).

Contestants were initially avoiding it, but did well enough in the end (I doubt that the clues could have stumped anyone here, of course).

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-20 17:47

>I doubt that the clues could have stumped anyone here, of course

[](#spooked)

1, 4 and 5 are obviously trivial. We can't see the picture for 2 but I imagine it's Naruto? No idea what 3 is... Spirited Away? (I haven't watched any of these movies).

Would love to see the video, if someone has it!

_Ridley2026-01-20 17:54

3 sounds like Totoro.

lacegem2026-01-20 18:11

It is. If you hover over the dollar amounts, you can see how the answer went. Contestant Aaron guessed Spirited Away, which was wrong, then Tom won with My Neighbor Totoro.

IvanSemushin2026-01-20 18:09

Yes, it was just Naruto on the picture. Also, one contestant tried to guess Spirited Away too.

cppn022026-01-20 18:20

3 is Totoro.

Korkez112026-01-20 19:56

Are they for real? Even when I knew nothing about anime I was still aware of Attack on Titan plot and that's the hardest question of this category.

IvanSemushin2026-01-20 20:17

If the questions were even a bit more obscure, there would be a risk of very few buzzing attempts which they actively trying to avoid. Also, even taking that into consideration, writers surely overestimate/underestimate difficulty of clues sometimes.

Infodump_Ibis2026-01-20 20:56

I agree that pretty easy but to Aaron he got the AOT question right and managed to get the Ghibli one wrong (guessed a Ghibli film from another decade). That's the thing with general knowledge is there can be some blindsights.

If you want a more cryptic one (assuming that archive is complete) ["have we met the anime"](https://j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=2516) is the only other time it came up.

cyberscythe2026-01-20 21:36

[the curse of knowledge is real](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/average_familiarity.png)

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-20 22:47

Watching game shows like that (and seeing a topic you know well) makes you realize 3 things;

1. A lot of things you thought were general knowledge, are not; Lots of people don't know anything about it.
2. The questions in the field you know are RIDICULOUSLY easy (to you)
3. This also means that all these questions you're missing are RIDICULOUSLY EASY in the exact same way, only you don't know anything about those fields.

It's just like when I was watching a compilation of hockey questions in Jeopardy and seeing people fumble the most basic ones and raging at how little the knew, but I wouldn't fare much better if they asked me basketball questions, when my entire knowledge of it is "I know the name of 8-10 NBA players past or present"

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-20 18:05

I'm almost done checking out all seasonals, and by 'almost done' I mean 'I only got 17 left to check'!

[](#panic)

(It's the bottom of the barrel though - either in term of quality, or in term of 'definitely not for me') so I'm pretty sure I'll end up dropping at least 15 of those on the first episode. Goes faster with these!

So far I'm keeping 12 shows (including continuations);

≈100% guaranteed to watch til the end

- Oshi No Ko
- Shiboyugi
- Gnosia
- Ugoku! Neko Mukashi Banashi (not because it's especially good, just because it's 3 minutes and I'm already X episodes in so I don't see myself dropping it)
- Android fuckbot (not because it's especially good, just because it's 3 minutes and I'm horny)
- Girls torturers

Probably watching til the end

- Guys torturers
- Kaya-chan isn't scary
- Darwin Incident (dropped a bit after ep2, used to be '100% guaranteed' for me)
- Mayonaka Heart Tune
- Roll over and die (would be higher if it wasn't for boring sidegirl)

Probably gonna drop at some point

- Hell Mode gamer isekai whatever title (kinda carried by some girl whose name I forgot)

Infodump_Ibis2026-01-20 20:38

> Ugoku! Neko Mukashi Banashi (not because it's especially good, just because it's 3 minutes and I'm already X episodes in so I don't see myself dropping it)

[It's a lot shorter if you don't watch the ED](#whisperwhisper)

Jusenkyo_52026-01-20 19:04

I find it weirdly performative to see people with like 5000+ entries on MAL when they're in their 20s, or when people log every single music video or 2 minute short they've ever seen. It's almost like the list padding is the point more than engaging with the art.

If you're watching 75 shows every season how many are you really meaningfully interacting with? I'm not saying to watch 1 show at a time with a week break after each one, but like 10-15 a season seems like a much more reasonable pace where you can actually digest and interact with the art a little more.

Heda-of-Aincrad2026-01-20 19:30

> when people log every single music video or 2 minute short they've ever seen

The only reason why I add these to my list sometimes is so that I don't just forget they exist, in case I ever want to rewatch them later.

Jusenkyo_52026-01-20 19:55

Yeah, definitely a case by case thing. A standalone short is different from like a 90 second special animation for an existing series.

ZaphodBeebblebrox2026-01-20 23:02

> It's almost like the list padding is the point more than engaging with the art.

Or they've just watched all of those things and added it to their list. You're just assuming they're filling it out for others, right?

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-20 19:08

> Maid dragon movie streaming release

> netflix

[](#megadeathparty)[](#gunfire)[](#megadeathparty)

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-20 20:01

[this](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/1b59a2054475.jpg) new OshiNoKo visual/promoshot looks kinda cool, except why is the girl on the right missing her ass?

[](#bigthink)

wloff2026-01-20 20:26

> why is the girl on the right missing her ass?

YouTubers, man.

[](#riskyclick)

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-20 20:27

youtubers stole her butt?!

[](#maxshock)

wloff2026-01-20 20:46

I meant that she is one, but I guess that's still techincally correct then?

[](#hardthink)

SpaceTurtleHunter2026-01-20 22:14

Youtubing is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-20 22:52

That's Mem; Once you reach a certain age, your ass simply falls off.

TheBigIdiotSalami2026-01-20 20:11

They shoulda made [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQcGnEhciNY) the main song for Hell's Paradise.

SMSmith2302026-01-20 20:14

Having better success with this season with only 7 shows left to check out. Saturday is still a giant hole of catchup though. I did end up with a nice balance once again with only having 2-3 shows a day outside of the weekend so its nice being caught up with mostly everything.

**Keepers:** Frieren S2, To Your Eternity S3, Tojima, Moonlit Dusk, Polar Opposites, Hell's Paradise S2, MHA: Vigilantes S2, Demon King's Daughter, Darwin Incident, Tamon's B-Side, Hell Teacher S2, Sentenced to Be a Hero, MF Ghost S3, Champignon Witch, ~~Medalist S2~~

**I Have 100% Confidence and Will Watch\*:** Medalist S2

**TBD:** Dragon Hatchling, Kaya-chan, Wash It All Away, Bean Counter

**On Hold**: Cat's Eye (way behind), Journal with Witch (Not in right headspace for this), GNOSIA (backlogged since last season)

**Still to Watch:** Dead Account, Misanthrope Teacher, Fate/strange Fake, Scum of the Brave, Shiboyugi, Love Through a Prism, Cosmic Princess

Moonlit Dusk, Tamon's B-Side, and Demon King's Daughter have all been pleasant surprises since I don't usually vibe with shoujo adaptions or kid protagonists. Everything else was either a drop or a continuation of a previous dropped show.

^(\*Jesting with) u/awesomenessofme1

awesomenessofme12026-01-20 20:56

I mean, I can't exactly argue given that I also have 100% confidence in watching it, but it seems a bit silly to put something that hasn't actually started in the "Keepers" section.

IXajll2026-01-20 21:08

> silly to put something that hasn't actually started in the "Keepers" section.

I'd agree for new shows, but for sequels I don't think it's silly at all.

SMSmith2302026-01-20 21:15

any sequel that i highly rated and adored would have a seriously long leash that it automatically is going to the keepers section unlike the TBD section of a few episodes.

awesomenessofme12026-01-20 21:17

There's "Still to Watch" too. But I get where you're coming from.

SMSmith2302026-01-20 22:20

fixed...i jest

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-20 21:33

you know an anime is serious when it skips the opening in half its episodes of the season

Yeah, Hands off Kotesashi-kun is that good

[](#tomboyshades)

anime-rec2026-01-20 21:52

Is it gay to watch gay romance animes? Anybody who watches them as a man? Is it gay to watch gay romance animes as a man?

I have never watched an anime where it was the plot/point of the show, but in some they appear and I find them kinda sweet, I like regular romance animes so I am curious. I know that it is mostly women who watch that stuff, but is it gay for a man to watch it?

Wanderingjoke2026-01-20 21:59

Any guy asking that question is insecure in their masculinity.

Just watch what you want to watch.

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-20 22:10

Yeah, I once watched Pet and I still feel the adverse effects of the concentrated pure homoerotic energy radiate through my body to this day.

I have seen 2077 km^2 of titties of animated titties on screen since then and my mind still cannot forget the unique sensation of Man on Man action.

By my calculations, the half-life of gaydiation is about 6.4 months and at this point I am still 2.87% gay from that one time.

Be warned. Do not underestimate the power of Men.

SpaceTurtleHunter2026-01-20 22:12

> Is it gay to watch gay romance animes?

Yes. And I have even worse news for you, it's gay to think about watching gay romance. So the moment that question appeared in your mind - you became gay. I know it can be tough to accept, but that's just how biology works, you'll have to simply deal with it from now on.

anime-rec2026-01-20 22:18

I mean I am already a homosexual, I was just wondering if it was a gay thing to do

throwaway_9768212026-01-20 22:47

u need to be careful. being exposed to any media with a straight relationship in it will also instantly turn u straight.

i dont make the rules.

cyberscythe2026-01-20 22:54

i think watching a hetero romance is still kind of gay because half of the couple is probably one of the genders you are

if you don't want to start batting for a different team, the safe bet is to only watch romance series where the main characters are genderless rocks

[](#hikariactually)

BarbaricGamers2026-01-20 22:13

I watched Bean Counter last week and my phone auto installed Grindr.

cyberscythe2026-01-20 22:50

> but in some they appear and I find them kinda sweet, I like regular romance animes so I am curious

i watched My New Boss is Goofy since i thought it was just a "straight" comedy, but it ended up being a veiled metaphor for romance

in the end, i found a lot of the same sort of vibes that i found in other romance series, like how comforting it is to open up and be accepted by another person, how trust in the right person is paid back, and the amiable companionship you can have being with another person

there are shows which delve into the nuts and bolts of gay/queer romance in particular, like how Cherry Magic talks about how male-to-male attraction can't be taken for granted like a hetero couple, or in Senpai wa Otokonoko where gender presentation and cultural expectations are central themes, but some gay romance shows are just about two dudes who fancy each other and have a good time and who doesn't like having a good time

in the end though, these are all just voices and the illusion of motion; you kind of have to think to yourself if you're watching these shows because you like to be a tourist looking into other worlds, or if it's because you want to pack your bags and live there

_Ridley2026-01-20 22:52

Depends who you ask. A manosphere influencer on tiktok would probably say watching gay shows makes you gay, but a normal grown adult who isn't trying to sell you something would tell you that the media you watch or read doesn't tell you anything about your identity.

Unless you're me, in which case watching the US National Women's Soccer team in the 90s turned you gay.

oedipusrex3762026-01-20 21:56

Despite how packed this season is, I still found time to watch three high school anime. Here are my thoughts on the first four episodes.

**Hitohira**

* Is this really [Japan](https://imgur.com/a/japan-N59HkXi)?
* Feels like a mashup of Saki (2009) and Tari Tari. It’s got a bit of a[ yuri vibe](https://imgur.com/a/yuuri-e5ZbQGL). The Saki comparison mostly comes from Nono, the drama club leader. She gives off major Hisa Takei energy. She cool, capable, charismatic. The kouhai-senpai dynamic also reminds me of Tari Tari (the Vice President), especially with Nono being pulled into Drama by someone important from her past. Nono’s easily the highlight of the show. Watching her practice alone in the park while losing her voice is rough, and the reveal about her vocal cord injury is what really hooked me. It starts slow, but that extra layer of tragedy gives it weight. An interesting 7/10 show.

**Little Busters!**

* Went in blind and didn’t realize it was a Key / Jun Maeda show. I liked Angel Beats but hated Charlotte, so my expectations were low but it turned out pretty good. The usual Jun Maeda gag timing still works for me, and the cast is full of fun, quirky characters. I checked MAL and saw Kyousuke is the most favorited, so I’m curious where the show goes with this chuuni guy who decides to start a baseball team for no reason. And Kamikita is best girl. She feels like she wandered in from a CGDCT anime, and I love her voice. 7.5/10.

**Hibike! Euphonium Season 2**

* I wasn’t impressed by Season 1’s plot. Not bad, just very plain. It’s a grounded show with KyoAni-level production and a great coming-of-age atmosphere, but it didn’t really do anything special. Season 1 was a 7/10 for me.
* Season 2 is way better, by 200%. The drama is much more compelling. Season 1 leaned too hard on "youth vibes" without enough substance to sustain 12 episodes. Even the Kaori trumpet drama, which was supposed to be the meat of the story, came too late. Season 2 opens with strong drama right out of the gate and keeps it going for about four episodes (technically five since ep 1 was an extended premiere).
* I prefer drama shows to be as streamlined as possible, but SoL is half of Hibike’s identity, so it’s unavoidable. I was tempted to skip stuff like the Kumiko-Reina, fireworks, and pool scenes, but thankfully the pool segment was short and Nozomi brought the focus back to drama.
* I’m pretty indifferent to Kumiko. I don’t hate her, but I don’t find her compelling either. I’m just not into reactionary observer-type MCs, so I never really get the praise for her.
* A bit of a nitpick, but Jukki Hanada’s script is as basic as ever. When listening to the dialogue exchanges, I can practically see the script the voice actors are reading from. His writing is too simple and straightforward to the point of being boring. I’m probably just salty seeing a Novel adaptation with a bland script. You won’t find writing this flat in Shoushimin or The Eccentric Family. Asuka and Yuuko are the only characters with decent lines.
* Let’s just say I’m actually interested in the show now. I wouldn’t say it “won me back” since I didn’t like Season 1, but I’m starting to think it’s worth watching. It’s a 7.5 so far.
* Poor Yuuko \[S2\] >!She got cucked by Nozomi lmao.!<

Shimmering-Sky2026-01-20 22:09

> I checked MAL and saw Kyousuke is the most favorited, so I’m curious where the show goes with this chuuni guy who decides to start a baseball team for no reason.

I used to have him in my favorites (he fell off in favor of characters from other shows). Excited to see what you think of the rest of S1 & Refrain, whenever you get around to watching that.

Queue_Jumping_Quack2026-01-20 22:28

I'm really trying to resist binging through Prism Rondo too quickly and trying to make it last. Some of the anime romance tropes feel a bit too modern (very minor mannerisms etc, nothing distracting \[extremely minor spoilers for Prism Rondo\] >!just stuff like "indirect kiss", people mistaking them for "dating" which I'm not sure was really even a concept then etc.!<) but otherwise it is a real fun watch so far. Rivals to lovers FTW.

cppn022026-01-20 22:55

Fully agree. Five episodes in and having a great time.

Salty1452026-01-20 23:18

There really are only two people in this world: those who have watched *One Piece* and those who haven’t. There’s no way to watch it that it doesn’t become a way of life. Either you binge it for 3 months and it becomes your whole existence or you slowly pick away at over a couple years and it still becomes your whole existence.

Either way, you end up forever changed by your experience with the straw hats.

Jusenkyo_52026-01-21 01:45

I'll speed read it when it's over or watch One Pace, no way I'd waste that much time on one series lol.

Charmanders_Cock2026-01-21 03:47

Even if you choose those options you’d be spending a laughable amount of time with the series compared to probably anything you’ve ever watched. You’d have to straight up skip swathes of content or pay next to no attention to it to accomplish what you’re describing, which I’d call far more pathetic than spending a lot of time on any particular thing.

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-21 05:14

I should watch 1 episode a year so maybe if I live to a thousand I'll catch up (to the current material anyway)

[](#bigthink)

shadowtrickster712026-01-20 23:28

What new anime shows can you recommend for 2026 if I enjoyed past anime like No Guns Life, Solo Leveling, Psycho-Pass, Demon Slayer, Dream Eater Mary, and My Instant Death is so Overpowered?

Nebresto2026-01-21 07:30

Sentenced to be a hero

Wanderingjoke2026-01-21 00:07

Did not expect a mermaid harem in my fall shows.

hentaigabby2026-01-21 00:16

What show?

Wanderingjoke2026-01-21 02:05

[Fujimoto Tatsuki 17-26](https://myanimelist.net/anime/62405/Fujimoto_Tatsuki_17-26)

harrietubmansburner22026-01-21 00:21

I’ve gotta be in the in the very small minority that has Phantom of the Requiem Phantom easily in their Top 5

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-21 05:12

According to MAL, there's at least 4,592 people who have it in their top 10!

[](#yuishrug)

Wanderingjoke2026-01-21 00:33

Probably the [best nosebleed gag](https://i.imgur.com/PHaXAYD.jpeg) I've seen.

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-21 05:11

[I think the only nosebleed gag I ever liked was]>!Chika in Kaguya-sama!<

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-21 00:52

im kind of surprised we had nukitashi specials episode discussion threads. They are literally hentai, at least the first one.

[](#thoughtful)

Abysswatcherbel2026-01-21 01:47

First time hearing about nukitashi specials

And what do you mean they are hentai

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-21 02:15

it's a bit more censored than normal hentai, genitalia is completely censored rather than pixelated and buttholes are also censored.

>First time hearing about nukitashi specials

well, thats because you are a tourist.

[](#seasonallaugh)

ussgordoncaptain22026-01-21 04:57

TBH if we let them I think I won't get in trouble for hosting a rewatch of [the fencer of minerva](https://myanimelist.net/anime/3074/Minerva_no_Kenshi)

also did we actually have a discussion thread for the second special?

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-21 05:04

I can't find discussions for ep 3 & 4, so probably not.

[](#yuishrug)

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-21 05:09

Finally, a rewatch worth having.

[](#awe "I know nothing about it other than the hentai tag")

ussgordoncaptain22026-01-21 05:50

1. it's not a porno, it's this weird series that's less lewd than interspecies reviewers that's all about betrayal, court politics, slavery and bronze age morality. Honestly reminds me a lot of Game of thrones season 1.

BUT it is horny enough to be called porn by 2010 MAL and never got updated, Anilist for example [doesn't call it porn](https://anilist.co/anime/3074/Fencer-of-Minerva/)

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-21 13:54

[1994](#foldedarms)

ussgordoncaptain22026-01-21 23:03

wow MAL actually launched in 2004.... so uhh yeah 2004 MAL was a very different place from 2026 MAL.

1994 had some goated shows :D

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-21 05:09

Oh damn I still haven't watched them...

(Soon as I finish checking out the current seasonals - probably by 2028)

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-21 05:10

They are like 4 minutes per ep for 4 eps. A quick pump and dump

[](#seasonalsmug)

jar00st2026-01-21 01:02

Trying to remember an anime (or maybe a game/VRMMO anime). It had a party inside a dungeon/instance, they entered a side wing/room and found a talking magical item (maybe an orb/book/weapon). The group didn’t react like it was a huge deal, like they were experienced/expert players. I also remember a lot of ‘numbers’ (levels/stats/floors), so it might be a modern world with dungeons or a full game setting. Any ideas?

Donnie-G2026-01-21 09:13

There's so many of these goddamn shows that it's going to be hard to guess. But I'm just going to go out on a limb and say Log Horizon.

jar00st2026-01-21 20:33

Thanks! I wish I remembered more—what I saw was just a short reel/clip that I lost before I could save it. At first I thought it was Solo Leveling, but once I watched it I realized it wasn’t. I’ll give Log Horizon a try and see if it matches

Salty1452026-01-21 01:23

Trying to figure out which ~50 episode 90s show I want to pick off my list next once I finish *Corrector Yui*. I’m thinking *Miracle Girls*, though *Gokinjo Monogatari* and *Mama is a 4th Grader* are both still on the table.

I’m open to being convinced to change my mind.

OmegaVirgin942026-01-21 01:26

I can't help but notice that you haven't seen GaoGaiGar yet.

Salty1452026-01-21 01:28

I thought of that. Will probably save it for when I’m on my *Getter Robo* arc later in the year.

Just gonna overdose on super robots all at once.

Alt22212026-01-21 06:28

as god intended.

Donnie-G2026-01-21 09:10

I never did finish it but I had a good and comfy time with Gokinjo Monogatari. Being a 90s kid, it gave me a nice nostalgic feel as well.

I have not watched the other two.

Salty1452026-01-21 01:29

Why is Netflix releasing *Cosmic Princess Kaguya* on a Thursday? Why do they have to tempt me to watch a two hour film on a work night?

entelechtual2026-01-21 01:31

I’m glad I watched Chitose. When you see what the absolute worst possible harem MC looks like, Mayonaka MC seems like an absolute stud.

Abysswatcherbel2026-01-21 01:46

Which chitose are we talking about? My 4th best romcom ever?

Durinthal2026-01-21 01:59

[](#hardthink)

You know, that's a good way of framing it that I hadn't considered.

pachipachi71522026-01-21 02:05

Woah, worse than Kazuya? I didn't like Chitose and dropped his show on episode 4 but surely he can't be that bad.

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-21 05:06

I think he is worse, yes;

Kazuya is pathetic and cringe and is presented as such.

Chitose is pathetic and cringe and is presented as a god and everyone worships him.

vancevon2026-01-21 02:21

shooting negativity beams all over AQRDT huh, how dare you

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-21 02:26

but, AQRADT told me Chitose was peak?!

[](#maxshock)

entelechtual2026-01-21 02:57

This is why I don’t read AQRADT. Unless it’s got -5 karma.

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-21 02:58

but then ill get bored of re-reading my dandadan takes.

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-21 05:05

Is the AQRADT who said that in the room with us at the moment?

[](#bigthink)

I trash talked him a lot in AQRADT (back then, before I dropped it) and I wasn't alone!

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-21 05:08

Someone compared it to oregairu and since oregairu is peak, my expectations were set.

[](#mugiwait)

TheBigIdiotSalami2026-01-21 03:17

Someone should really commission the article "Jeff Vandermeer on Hell's Paradise." It would do numbers.

flatpetey2026-01-21 03:40

I have an Oshi no Ko question from the last episode which I just caught on. Spoilers ahoy.

[When Aqua] >!is having his meltdown with Mem he mentioned he won’t let it happen again. *Does Mem know his history and about Ai?* I can’t remember from S02… !< I probably should go back and listen to the Japanese more closely but figured I would ask here.

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-21 05:03

IIRC [Oshi No Ko]>!She does not, though this moment may have given her a hint about 'something'. The only ones who know are Akane and the Director. (Well, Ruby too obviously)!<

flatpetey2026-01-21 05:41

Thank you. I loved that scene but was like Aqua you are giving half of your secrets away there.

Wanderingjoke2026-01-21 03:43

I was not enamored with Fujimoto Tatsuki 17-26. Most of the stories were not for me to begin with. (Vampires? No, thank you!) Then the presentation was often too pretentious. Mermaid Rhapsody and Sisters were the best of the bunch, but I struggled to even get through a couple of segments. The first half was overall a slog. (The thing about anthologies is that if you think you want to drop it, the next will be different.)

Watanare next, then I think I can start winter.

BiggieCheeseLapDog2026-01-21 07:13

What about the presentation was pretentious? All of them were creatively directed with batshit insane premises that were grounded in Fujimoto’s ability to inject humanity into those batshit insane premises.

IXajll2026-01-21 07:18

One of the reason I hate when people use the word pretentious is that in 9 out of 10 cases the thing isn’t even pretentious to begin with.

BiggieCheeseLapDog2026-01-21 07:22

Like I’m struggling to even get an idea of what they think is pretentious about the anthology. It’s full of aliens, vampires, gore, sex, and over the top feelings of romantic affection, all of which is delivered in a pretty straightforward, colourful manner.

Odd_Obligation_49772026-01-21 03:48

# Genuine question, what happened to the Anime in general? No more big three? New gen people only watching dubbed?

OmegaVirgin942026-01-21 03:58

you don't have to yell, i'm right here

Which "the Anime" are you talking about?

The big 3 are still right there [USA]. [Naruto](https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GY9PJ5KWR/naruto), [One Piece](https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GRMG8ZQZR/one-piece), [Bleach](https://www.hulu.com/series/bleach-0c265948-3450-40ad-89b4-883af457f36d)

Idk about new gen people watching dubbed or whatever.

Donnie-G2026-01-21 07:08

I saw some YT shorts where Crunchyroll released some stats about how 70% of their viewerbase watch stuff dubbed.

Donnie-G2026-01-21 07:08

Covid kinda brought an influx of new fans - much more casual and numerous fans who basically only watch it on whatever streaming service they were subscribed to.

When I first started watching anime, it was on broadcast television and it was dubbed in whatever language(English, Cantonese, whatever). And I just rolled with it. I didn't even think about the difference in voice acting quality and seiyuus until I got more involved.

Which y'know, is just natural. Most people just prefer to watch stuff in their native tongues. I also think they are FILTHY CASULS but y'know, I understand and respect what's happening even if I disagree with their choice.

A lot of people also like to MULTITASK and just watch things on a second screen, or while on their phone or doing anything else. I feel like many people these days can't sit their ass still and just do nothing but watch something. Which ties into the whole dub thing, allows them to better split attention and not miss anything if they don't have to read subtitles.

Odd_Obligation_49772026-01-21 15:31

Yep this is it, Covid actually brought a huge influx of new fans, I know someone who was bragging about finishing the whole One Piece episodes and then to only find out that he watched the whole thing in English lol

cheesechimp2026-01-21 08:21

As long as anime has been getting dubbed, there have been people who prefer it dubbed. Go back to the 90s and you'd find arguments over subs vs. dubs. Honestly in the 60s kids watching Astro Boy, Gigantor, and 8th Man on black and white TVs probably didn't even contemplate the concept of watching those shows with subtitles instead.

flamethrower22026-01-21 14:34

It's not just that: the vast majority of Netflix customers watch it dubbed, according to Netflix (90%).

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-21 04:15

/u/_ridley i was disappointed that bean counter hadnt counted enough beans and comments earlier, but it appears things have [changed](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1qi2nme/isekai_no_sata_wa_shachiku_shidai_isekai_office/)

[](#cinema)

_Ridley2026-01-21 04:22

It's not a graveyard of hidden comments like last week, though. Just people who are into the story.

The downvoting is much worse, though.

[](#taigasigh)

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-21 04:25

/u/shimmering-sky is hiding the good comments from us.

[free the spicy comments](#protest)

alotmorealots2026-01-21 07:04

> The downvoting is much worse, though.

I'd stop by and upvote every comment then, but I'm still planning on watching more so don't want to inadvertently spoil myself lol

~~I should probably just write a bot to do that sort of thing for me~~

_Ridley2026-01-21 15:51

It's the thread itself getting downvoted. They were holding it at like 15 karma despite around 100 comments.

alotmorealots2026-01-22 02:25

Oh, well up voting it from the outside is easy enough then!

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-21 04:47

I promised to someone that I would watch the potion isekai, but I think im about to dip out on ep 1 and not do it.

[](#thoughtful)

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-21 05:00

You call yourself an Isekai fan but you don't even watch the quality ones like Potion?

Even I watched it!

[](#kaguyasigh)

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-21 05:06

It looks so ass. If it was at least like 4 minutes per episode it would be much easier.

AncientYam58442026-01-21 06:02

don't you find it cringe when the moe-cute aesthetic is used not as an instrument to a narrative but as a goal in itself (cgdct, kyoani shows, slice of life)?

PsychoGeek2026-01-21 06:08

AncientYam58442026-01-21 07:08

why? elaborate?

PsychoGeek2026-01-21 08:07

AncientYam58442026-01-21 08:34

elaborate?

OmegaVirgin942026-01-21 06:08

[**no**](#idoruwinkdesu)

AncientYam58442026-01-21 07:07

why?

AncientYam58442026-01-21 07:09

why? elaborate?

OmegaVirgin942026-01-21 07:13

[cause moe **not cringe**](#rengehype)

AncientYam58442026-01-21 08:36

elaborate?

Esovan132026-01-21 06:22

You are making an argument that requires a certain assumption (that cgdct, kyoani, and slice of life shows do not use the moe-cute aesthetic as a tool for a narrative) without actually doing anything to establish that the assumption is correct. Perhaps start at step one, proving that all cgdct, kyoani, and slice of life shows do not use the moe-cute aesthetic as a tool for a narrative, before moving on to step two.

AncientYam58442026-01-21 07:08

can you ignore that and try to reply?

Esovan132026-01-21 07:10

No. Your question is fundamentally flawed. It is a bad question. Fix your question first.

AncientYam58442026-01-21 08:34

not everything is reduced to logics. that's metaphysics in fact.

cppn022026-01-21 06:24

AncientYam58442026-01-21 07:08

why? elaborate?

wloff2026-01-21 07:26

How do you elaborate on *not* finding something "cringe"?

[](#dontgetit)

AncientYam58442026-01-21 08:36

tell us/describe about your personal aesthetic experience when you consume it. like a phenomenological description

Charmanders_Cock2026-01-21 06:36

This is like walking into a puppy store and randomly yelling that you hate cute animals.

AncientYam58442026-01-21 07:09

Not exactly hate them but there's more than that

cyberscythe2026-01-21 07:19

why? elaborate?

AncientYam58442026-01-21 08:35

that "more than that" is non-moe things

Donnie-G2026-01-21 07:03

You don't have to like slice of life shows my dude.

ududbsisysveiudvdid2026-01-21 07:20

what do you find cringe about it?

VoidEmbracedWitch2026-01-21 08:30

Why would I?

Also, you seem to operate off of a base assumption that moeblobs are not an instrument if played straight, which feels reductive. To take the CGDCT show that got me into anime in the first place, in *A Place Further Than the Universe* the moe qualities enhance adventurous spirit of the show.

AncientYam58442026-01-21 08:38

more like moeblobs is n element inside a bigger thing/narrative/frame

VoidEmbracedWitch2026-01-21 08:43

okay... I still don't get what your problem with them is

Blackheart5952026-01-21 09:20

It's certainly less cringe than when the isekai setting is used not as an instrument to a narrative but as a goal in itself. At the very least, it's a stylistic element.

AncientYam58442026-01-24 22:07

Interesting. Could you elaborate if possible?

AncientYam58442026-01-24 22:08

Could you give an example of that type of isekai?

Blackheart5952026-01-24 22:28

The remark was mostly made to allude to the common "standard narou isekai except gimmick" anime that we've been getting so many of in the last decade. I'm sure you won't need me to point out examples.

AncientYam58442026-01-25 16:12

i do need. i'm not into isekai. if possible

Blackheart5952026-01-25 21:07

Gotcha. I haven't exactly explored that kind of show much either, but [Smartphone Isekai](https://myanimelist.net/anime/35203/Isekai_wa_Smartphone_to_Tomo_ni), [Kenja no Mago](https://myanimelist.net/anime/36407/Kenja_no_Mago), [Tensei Kizoku](https://myanimelist.net/anime/55265/Tensei_Kizoku_Kantei_Skill_de_Nariagaru), [Fluffy Paradise](https://myanimelist.net/anime/52359/Isekai_de_Mofumofu_Nadenade_suru_Tame_ni_Ganbattemasu), [Weakest Tamer](https://myanimelist.net/anime/53590/Saijaku_Tamer_wa_Gomi_Hiroi_no_Tabi_wo_Hajimemashita), [Fruitmaster](https://myanimelist.net/anime/59002/Hazure_Skill_Kinomi_Master__Skill_no_Mi_Tabetara_Shinu_wo_Mugen_ni_Taberareru_You_ni_Natta_Ken_ni_Tsuite) are some examples that come to mind.

-GeeVee2026-01-21 06:38

I've got a question about 2 kind of different anime

1. Does KonoSuba get any better? I've watched the very beginning (up to episode 3) and it's kind of funny..? I guess? Feels like fan service is through the roof as well, I thought it would get more mild but then I'm being hit with that panties scene, like jeez

2. Is Goblin Slayer worth watching? I watched the first episode and it was brutal but I liked it, I just heard that it loses its tone and turns into a slog

ududbsisysveiudvdid2026-01-21 06:55

Konosuba continues to have fanservice and there are scenes more gratuitous than that. But it is so rare you find an anime *that* funny, that i wonder if you might want to look past the fan service. Depends on your tolerance level i suppose.

i can’t remember anything memorable about Goblin Slayer when watching it. A lot of people do like it, so there’s probably something there which i am missing, i don’t see why you should not give it a few more episodes. Are you worried you might be wasting time by watching it?

-GeeVee2026-01-21 07:43

I don't mind fanservice at all, it's just that my watching buddy (my sister) really isn't into it, see, we're coming from Frieren (the absolute GOAT masterpiece), Dungeon Meshi and CSM, Edgerunners was pretty amazing as well so I guess we're looking for some serious themes and characters?

As far as Goblin Slayer is concerned I'm just wondering if it keeps it's brutal tone throughout or not, because it's kind of refreshing to see authors not shying away from such things

Donnie-G2026-01-21 07:01

That's kinda KonoSuba in a nutshell. Pervy jokes and generally just a parody of most isekai type shows/premises. If it doesn't make you laugh then maybe it's just not your kind of show.

-GeeVee2026-01-21 07:45

Shame, I've been seeing Megumin fan art blasting for eternity now and her first appearance was funny, also seeing all the cute key arts really convinced me to give it a try

Donnie-G2026-01-21 08:06

Maybe you can just try thinking of it a different way. I understand that fanservice is not for everybody.

Personally what I find amusing isn't necessarily the fanservice, it's that Kazuma is just an absolutely shameless scumbag. I don't support his behaviour, but I can still find his antics funny. Of course if I met him in real life I'd wanna beat his ass, but he's just an anime character.

And that's entertaining. Just what new lows will this dickhead get up to next?

-GeeVee2026-01-21 09:35

A shameless scumbag in what way? From my first impression I take it he treats his party like trash?

SMSmith2302026-01-21 12:56

you could try watching the Megumin spinoff KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World!

actuallyrndthoughts2026-01-21 08:24

Yea, Goblin Slayer gets increasing toned down the longer it goes on, couldn't make past 2nd season personally

PGleo862026-01-21 08:42

I personally found the first season of Konosuba a little bit mid, but something clicked for me at the start of S2. S1 feels like the introduction in a lot of ways, such that after it you get into the meat of the plot and it starts getting really fun. If it doesn't click, well... nothing you can do really, but I'm also not super into fanservice and it's now one of my favorite series.

SpaceTurtleHunter2026-01-21 10:13

> Does KonoSuba get any better? I've watched the very beginning (up to episode 3) and it's kind of funny..? I guess?

That depends on your tastes obviously. Do you think a joke gets funnier the more times it's repeated? If yes then you'll be having a blast by the end of the season.

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