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For some reason, these special episodes fell through the cracks when I watched the second season of the original adaptation of Spice and Wolf. I've now seen the new adaptation. Should anyone who has watched the new adaptation watch this? Well, I don't know.

First of all, these are short episodes, about five minutes in length. In the first episode, Holo goes on what they eat and drink. In the second episode, Hole tells of her stretching routine.
These are cute episodes, but ultimately pointless. There's no harm in watching them, but there's no loss if you watch them. For some reason, I am mildly entertained here ... compared to how bored I was with Season Two.

If there's a possible reason why those who've seen the new adaptation should check this out, it is to see how different the art style is compared to the latest adaptation. Some fans of the original adaptation chose to skip the new adaptation because they didn't like the art style. I can't blame them, as I like the art style of the original.
By checking these specials, one can decide for themselves if it's worth watching the original adaptation. If, for that reason, this is watched, it might serve as a useful function. But in general, I am not inclined to recommend this. 

This one is hentai, and it's automatically trash. Hence, I cannot give this a high score.

I'll give this a grade of 4 out of 10, which is the minimum score that I can say I enjoyed this piece.

Well, let's be honest. If you're on this site, let alone viewing this hentai, chances are, you've seen other hentai and probably porn involving porn stars depicting various types of people. Chronic consumption of porn might jade you, and the eroticism of the mere sight of a woman's naked body loses its appeal. That's why seeing boobs, by itself, may not be enough.

What makes Guilty Hole ... worth watching, or at least a guilty pleasure? It involves sex with a person of authority and girls under him. It's illegal if done in real life, but if done in dreams as depicted in this hentai, there is nothing illegal about it. It is just morally suspect, and it feels so hot.

A piece of clothing is not, by itself, a sexual object, but when put on by a certain girl, especially in intercourse, it becomes an arousing object that mere boobs cannot. That's what I find appealing about this hentai.

Negatives: It has no plot, merely a vehicle for sexual acts. I wish the girls and the dude talked about their dreams in real life.

Again, this is an obligatory disclaimer; do not have sex with such girls in real life.


NOTA BENE: A grade of 4 out of 10 means I got some enjoyment out of this anime, but the issues are glaring, or simply I rank it higher than my 3's but below my 5's.

My enjoyment spectrum lies from 4 to 10. If I have scored an anime below 4, I actively dislike it.

Nukitashi the Animation Specials are short special episodes on the Blu-ray; four episodes at five minutes each. The format is basically Jun having sex with four girls in his dream: 1) Hinami, 2) Misaki, 3) Nanase, and 4) Fumino.

I gave the main series a 6 out of 10 because I like the message it gave regarding the difference between coercion and noncoercion regarding sex. These specials have nothing to do with that. Jun's heart belongs to Nanase, but it is shown that he is also having sex with three others. Even if these occurred in his dreams, it contradicts the message of the main series. ... That's why I gave it a 2 out of 10.

It's fine if you are gooning, but even then, it's not even good. Jun doesn't even talk during the sex acts. I can't help but feel that these specials cater to the female gaze rather than the male gaze, which is the usual assumption. It feels more like a hentai that females would enjoy watching more than males.

These hentai episodes have no plot. I recommend Guilty Hole as the better hentai. Guilty Hole doesn't have a plot like this one, and it also takes place in dreams. But I can at least guarantee that it caters more to the male fantasy than this one.

Humorous Title: Hired by Dorothy Catalonia to Commit Some Heist

I stumbled randomly on this underrated gem of Summer 2025. It started as a heist but ended up as an anime with an anti-authoritarian theme.


§ Overview

It's a future where civilisation has collapsed, and people are suffering from poverty. Gear, together with his friend, Shirokuma, and his robot with four personalities, is in the business of committing a heist. One day, a mysterious blonde approaches him to steal a valuable artefact, one that's gonna be earth-shattering. The pay is good, and this is something that will enlarge Gear's world.


... § Let's talk about the studio and staff

⚫ The studio is E&H Production, and it has been around for only a few years. This is the first work from the studio I watched.

⚫ The director is Park Seong-Hu, who seems to be polarising. I haven't seen his previous works. All I know is that he previously directed Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 and the movie prequel, but within the constraints set by studio Mappa. He then left Mappa to pursue his artistic passion of creating anime with his artistic stamp.

His previous work, Ninja Kamui, is said by some to be a trainwreck, and this is reflected by the average score of 6.56. This anime, Bullet/Bullet, has an even lower average of 6.37. Whilst I'm not in a position to agree or disagree regarding Ninja Kamui, I can definitely disagree with the low rating of Bullet/Bullet. Bullet/Bullet is a gem.

⚫ The storyboarding, which is done by a team of six storyboarders, including Director Park, is great.

⚫ The musick is decent. The OP, Work Hard by CHANMINA, is great and catchy. At first, working hard is great, but if you dive deep into it, the anime critiques just working hard.


§ Let's talk about everything else

1. The blonde girl in question is named Noah. In my humorous title, I called her Dorothy Catalonia because she resembles Dorothy Catalonia from Gundam Wing, both in look and temperament. She's a badass, but unfortunately, with limited screentime.


2. Other reviewers are correct in that this is a fun anime. I won't elaborate on this point further.


3. Here's where other reviewers seem to miss. This anime has a lot of symbolism, and the director is probably left-leaning.

Without spoiling the details, I saw the concepts of Plato's cave (as found in The Republic), Kant's distinction between noumena and phenomena, Marx's theory of capitalist exploitation, and Adorno's critique of pop culture, which prevents the proletariat from rebelling against the system. Once you see it, the second half is more enjoyable.

____________________________________________________________

“Amusement under late capitalism is the prolongation of work. It is sought after as an escape from the mechanised work process, and to recruit strength in order to be able to cope with it again. But at the same time mechanisation has such power over a man’s leisure and happiness, and so profoundly determines the manufacture of amusement goods, that his experiences are inevitably after-images of the work process itself. The ostensible content is merely a faded foreground; what sinks in is the automatic succession of standardised operations. What happens at work, in the factory, or in the office can only be escaped from by approximation to it in one’s leisure time.”
― Theodor W. Adorno, The Culture Industry

____________________________________________________________


4. But if you're not a leftist, would this anime still be entertaining? You bet! The labourers in the anime simply did not consent to it. They were not informed what they were losing by working, so it is only right that people rebel against such a system. This is where a non-leftist reading can be used if you're not a leftist.


§ Conclusion

Bullet/Bullet is one of those overlooked and underrated anime in Summer 2025. It is enjoyable in its own right, but being able to recognise the politickal implications of its symbolism makes my appreciation for this anime greater.


NOTA BENE: A grade of 7 out of 10 means that I find this anime is very good and two notches above average. I enjoyed watching it.

It is a high score. It's not mid or average, unlike the misconception of some people on this site.

My enjoyment spectrum lies from 4 to 10. If I have scored an anime below 4, I actively dislike it.

Leviathan is one of my favourite anime from Summer 2025, and I didn't expect to like an anime whose source material is a recent young adult novel.

Leviathan covers the trilogy of the same name by Scott Westerfeld: 1) Leviathan, 2) Behemoth, and 3) Goliath. It is an alternative retelling of the events of World War I. In that world, there are two major powers battling each other: 1) the Darwinists, who correspond to the Triple Entente, use genetically engineered creatures for battle, and 2) the Clankers, who correspond to the Central Powers, use mechanised walkers.

Note that even though this is an anime about ... war, it's not about it entirely. It's about the 'bromance' between Prince Aleksandar and Dylan Sharp and how their actions affect the outcome of the Great War.

One does not really need to be knowledgeable of World War I, though it doesn't hurt if you do, to be able to appreciate this anime. It's an historickal fiction, and thus the author, Scott Westerfeld, took liberties in representing certain historickal figures in a good or bad light. Some characters are a fabrication of the author's imagination. For instance, Prince Aleksander is the son of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in the anime. Prince Aleksander, however, is not an historickal person.

It's also not necessary to know why they went to war because the story will tell you its own version as to why these powers went to war.

The differences in worldview of the Darwinists and the Clankers reflect the differences between Britain and Continental Europe, an example of which can be seen in the differences between Analytick Philosophy, which values lucid prose, and Continental Philosophy with writings filled with gobbledygook, at least from the point of view of the uninitiated.

It's not a documentary. It's a war story that is only successful if you are moved or not.

And before I forget, the synopsis of the anime and the novels tells us that Dylan is actually a girl named Deryn Sharp. One might be tempted to label this woke. Not so! This anime doesn't run the gamut of having so many token representations of blacks and/or minorities. Also, anime has several examples of cross-dressers; the chief example is The Rose of Versailles.

Like I repeatedly say, representation is not the point of a story, though it's not forbidden either. The point is to entertain and/or move you emotionally. Leviathan succeeds in having you immerse yourself in the world of the characters and being sympathetic to their struggles. Alek and Dylan belong to different social classes, yet they have a common humanity, which the anime is able to convey, and that's why it advances the idea that friendship transcends class, nationality, and other arbitrary differences.

Speaking of the mood, both OP and ED, which are composed by Joe Hisaishi, leave you emotional. In the opening, titled Paths Combine, it's just an instrumental, but has a vocal version in one of the episodes. It serves as background musick to heighten the emotionality of the scene. The ED sang by Lady Diana Garnet is just great. It's an emotional song that serves as a desert after an emotional episode.

If there's a downside, the animation is not as smooth. The characters appear to be 3D, though not to the point of being like CGI cartoons. The movements are not as smooth.

Another criticism is something levelled by fans of the source material. Much has been removed because properly giving the source material its due requires 24 or so episodes. That's why, for them, the anime feels crammed.

But for people like me who did not read the source material prior to watching the anime, I don't see it as rushed. What's adapted is done well. Perhaps if this were given even more episodes, this anime might deserve a higher score.

I had a great time watching this anime. Despite its imperfections, it succeeds in promoting the source material, at least as far as I'm concerned.


NOTA BENE: A grade of 8 out of 10 means that I find this anime is very good and three notches above average. I enjoyed watching it.

My enjoyment spectrum lies from 4 to 10. If I have scored an anime below 4, I actively dislike it.

The Earthbound Mole has been recommended as one of those hidden gems during Summer 2025. Indeed, it's worth watching.

We have two college friends, Kirihara Yaeko and Magi Kuriaki, meeting what seemed like an injured man, Mogura Momoyuki. It turns out that Mr Mogura is actually immortal and must labour for a while to get back to the afterlife. Meanwhile, Yaeko and Kuriaki's meeting with Mr Mogura awakens their ability to see supernatural beings.

Its studio, Brain's Base, has been in business since the mid-90s, coming from the former staff of TMS. Their anime seem obscure, except for a few: Golden Kamuy, Natsume's Book of Friends S1, ... and To Your Eternity S1.

Its director, Ishiodori Hiroshi, did a decent job at this anime, despite not being unpopular, and it seems to be on a budget. He is a seasoned director, even though the anime he directed aren't really that big. He directed the overlooked sequel to the OVA of Bubblegum Crisis, namely Bubblegum Crash, for instance.

This anime has a distinct art style and character design. This is due to Tanabe Youko, who also had a hand in 'How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer.' I wasn't impressed, though, with the character design in the latter. The art style carries this anime more than its animation.

When you think about an anime involving yokai and other Japanese paranormal beings, one would think that such anime is scary, like in Hell Teacher 2025. Not this one, and the art style reinforces that this should not be taken seriously. Instead of horror, this leans more into comedy, similar to Toilet-Bound Hanako.

The Earthbound Mole has a dry sense of humour, and together with the amusing background musick, you can't help but feel part of a well-orchestrated satire, if you will; that there is an underlying inside joke that the characters (and you, the viewer) are expected to get. The script is witty (thanks to Fujita Shinzou), and you can't help but quietly laugh.

The background musick is in par with the art style as something that makes this anime stand out. It is timed well with the script and humour. This aspect is credited to the sound director, Yamada Haru, who also worked as the sound director for Hotel Inhumans. (His sound direction on the Yaiba remake, while decent, pales in comparison to the original, which is why I wasn't that impressed compared with Hotel Inhumans and The Earthbound Mole.)

I almost missed this gem, and I should thank the person who brought this up in that hidden gems thread.


NOTA BENE: A grade of 6 out of 10 means that I find this anime slightly above average, and I enjoyed watching it.

A 6 means a decent score and one notch above average. If you're the kind of viewer who treats anything below a 7 as irredeemable, I'd encourage a broader, more nuanced approach to rating.

My enjoyment spectrum lies from 4 to 10. If I have scored an anime below 4, I actively dislike it.

Humorous Title: Transported to the Hidden Realm and Tasked to Pay Off Her Grandfather's Debts by Cooking, Season 1

This underrated gem, besides Blue Orchestra S1, is my favourite among the anime I watched to catch up for their sequels for Fall 2025. I find it relaxing and love the slow pace.

§ Overview

This girl, Tsubaki Aoi, was taken to the Hidden Realm to serve as collateral to pay off her grandfather's debts. She must marry the master innkeeper of Tenjin-ya inn, an ayakashi (spirit from the Hidden Realm) referred to as Oodanna-sama (literally: master).

Instead of simply accepting her fate, Aoi refused to marry him and promised ... to work and pay off his grandfather's debts. (Her grandfather was such a charismatic figure who often caused trouble.)

She doesn't allow herself to sound helpless. Her voice acting is on point. (She is voiced by Touyama Nao, who also voiced Ema from Sign of Affection.)

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§ BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE:

I have to answer a few criticisms of this anime. Some feel bored with this anime. It has a slow pace, and, for those expecting some Earth-shattering plot, it is understandable why some people are frustrated. After all, this season took place in two cours. I contend that its slow pace is actually its strength.

Even worse is the ridiculous notion of some that this is just food porn, a rather reductive opinion. It's not food porn. If it were food porn, a good close-up on such food is expected, and the visuals should induce you to perceive that this food is delicious and mouth-watering. But the anime refuses to make the food so mouth-watering, even if the characters agree that it is. If this were supposed to be food porn, it fails.

It's not food porn by virtue of the fact that preparing such food advances what little of a plot it has. It helps to develop Aoi's relationships with the characters she meets in the story.

Other studios might actually make this into food porn, but I'm glad the studio did not (or perhaps could not) do so. It seems to me that emphasizing the food too much and making it food porn adds noise.

If you encounter such erroneous notions, better ignore these ideas. Such silliness demonstrates limited imagination and understanding.

____________________________


§ Let's talk about the studio and staff

⚫ Kakuriyo's studio, Gonzo, began its operations at the start of this millennium. It has strong titles, such as Full Metal Panic!, Kaleido Star, and the now-obscure Kiddy Grade.

⚫ This is Okuda Yoshiko's directorial debut, but he has been working mostly as support staff since 1998. I love his directing for this anime as it has a slow pace, yet the good vibe is there. Suffice it to say, he is involved in some big titles such as Fairy Tail, Card Captor Sakura, Your Lie in April, and Blue Box.

⚫ The chief animation director is Suzuki Hikaru, who is with a team of nearly three dozen animation directors. This person would later be an animation director in Rent-a-Girlfriend, 7th Time Loop, and Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus.

This anime has some relatively good animation, but not to the point of being sakuga that big-budgeted battle shounen have. It's at least above mediocre animation.

⚫ The colours are handled by Iijima Takae and Utagawa Ritsuko. They don't exactly stand out and wow your senses, but if you look at them, the colour combinations are handled well. (It seems the staff who did Season 2 wasn't as successful.)

⚫ OP 1 is a lovely song sung by the seiyuu of Aoi, Nao Toyama. The TV version has good animation, but the MV for the full version is just as lovely. It assaults one's senses with its good production design.


§ Let's talk about everything else.


This anime is effectively an isekai, even if technically, the Hidden Realm is part of the Earth. There are three worlds revealed so far. The world of humans is called the Apparent Realm. The world of the ayakashi is called the Hidden Realm — a world that's like premodern Japan but with floating ships. Later on, the existence of the Eternal Realm is revealed.

I love how slow-paced this is. Unlike the typical isekai, it took her a few episodes before her eatery, the Moonflower, was operational. Even though Season 1 aired in 2018 and Season 2 is airing this Fall 2025, it reminds me of the pacing of old-school isekai; I'm thinking of Fushigi Yuugi, El Hazard, Magic Knight Rayearth, and The Vision of Escaflowne. But unlike these examples, the plot is secondary.

Firstly, she wasn't transported to the other world through death or reincarnation.

Secondly, this anime takes its sweet time getting you to care about the characters. It has a slice-of-life vibe due to how low-stakes things are, yet you follow along with an event that usually mends misunderstandings.

Thirdly, there is barely any romance, but the direction of the story will lead there. The primary love interest, Oodanna-sama, is what people nowadays call 'green flag.' The third wheel is interesting on his own, and some believe he should be paired with Aoi.

If there's any weakness here, the romance takes too long to develop, and this may or may not turn you off. If you are expecting a strong expression of romance right off the bat, you are in for a disappointment.
But as far as I'm concerned, this is a strength. Aoi is the type of protagonist who wants to take control of her fate. She may be weak in terms of combat ability, but as far as determination goes, she is strong, and that's why she is lovable as a shoujo protagonist. (She is a contrast to Miyo from My Happy Marriage, whom I also adore.)

Those who love slice-of-life anime will love this, and those who don't mind that the romance takes a back seat.

A recurring pattern here is that a certain character would be rude to her at first, and then she would win them over through the food she cooks. A great example of this dynamic is Oryou, who previously was jealous of Aoi for Oodanna-sama's affection, and is transformed into one of her cheerleaders.

Let me emphasize this: The food is not the main attraction, as it is not drawn in a sumptuous manner. The food moves the story. An example of this is Matsuba. A dissatisfied customer of Tenjin-ya inn who was appeased and became one of Aoi's allies. Her fondness for Aoi will prove pivotal in the latter part of Season 1.

The two opening songs and the various ending songs are catchy. They have an energetic vibe behind them.

A supporting character is voiced by Ueda Reina. Her voice is so lovely for such a small, barely on-screen role. Many of the supporting characters are like her: small roles but memorable.


§ Conclusion

When I started watching this, I was expecting just a decent watch. I did not expect to watch a hidden gem. I'm glad to have given this a chance.


NOTA BENE: A grade of 8 out of 10 means that I find this anime is very good and three notches above average. I enjoyed watching it.

My enjoyment spectrum lies from 4 to 10. If I have scored an anime below 4, I actively dislike it.

Clevatess has been touted as one of the best anime in Summer 2025, yet I cannot help but feel it's meh and overrated.


§ Overview

Humanity has long dreamt of knowing what's beyond the territories controlled by the Lords of Dark Beats, chief of whom is the titular Clevatess. An expedition of 13 heroes, including Alicia Glenfall, tried to subdue Clevatess but failed.

In retaliation, Clevatess vowed to destroy humanity. In the ensuing chaos, a woman pleaded for Clevatess to spare a certain baby. For some reason, Clevatess decides to spare him and decides from there, wants to understand humans, whether there is something in them that ... is redeemable, so that he will no longer destroy humanity.

To help him in this task, he resurrects Alicia Glenfall, who now serves as his servant.


§ Studio and Staff

⚫ Its studio is Lay-duce. It's over a decade old, and most of their works are obscure, except for Magi: The Adventure of Sinbad TV, which I haven't seen.

⚫ The director is Taguchi Kiyotaka, who also worked as its sound director. This is his directorial debut, and Clevatess is actually his third entry in MAL. He worked as an episode director for Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 and in special effects for the first season of Panty & Stocking. It is interesting that he didn't seem to be involved in the anime industry, at least judging from the lack of MAL entries, from 2011 to 2024. As the director of Clevatess, the anime is not bad; some even believe it to be a masterpiece.

⚫ There are three chief animation directors here, along with dozens of animation directors. It's understandable as it requires more sakuga moments than the average anime.



§ Let's talk about other stuff

1. Clevatess is evil, and the direction of this anime is that he would show mercy to humans. How his heart softens is, I reckon, one of its appeals. As someone I know said, it's like being on the side of the antagonist of The Lord of the Rings.


2. Clevatess may or may not be relatable, but Alicia definitely is. She has some sense of being a complex character, and her motivation for originally attempting to kill Clevatess will be revealed in the latter part of the season.

One way to view her is that she is the conscience of Clevatess, the person who reminds Clevatess of why he gave humanity the chance in the first place.


3. Speaking of which, do you remember the story of Lot in the Bible? He is Abraham's nephew, and he lives in the lands of Sodom and Gomorrah. When the angel of the LORD is about to visit these degenerate lands, Abraham pleaded that these be spared if ever he finds a few righteous men there. You know what actually happened in the biblical story.

I can sense some parallelism here. If not for the baby and Alicia, Clevatess would have destroyed humanity, if not for them.


4. Speaking of which, the show does not have a flattering view of humanity. Sure, there are humans like Alicia, Nelluru, Rhode, among others, who are good. Yet, with how most humans are portrayed — evil, merciless, petty — one cannot help but feel that humans deserve to die. If you're a Christian, it is easy to attribute this to the fallen nature of man. But if you believe in natural selection, selfishness and being evil, being out of our uncivilised nature, is just our natural propensity that would lead to survival and replication. Regardless of the explanation, the conclusion is that man is below beasts. Clevatess and other beasts are too damn powerful in this story. Not only are they more powerful, but by implication, it seems that they are even more moral than man here.

This is an aspect that part of me is not comfortable with. I believe civilised man is and ought to be above beasts.


5. Let's move away from this implication. The story ticks many of the things you would like from fantasy. There is some lore behind this story, and more will be revealed in a hypothetical second season.

That said, I can't help but feel that something is missing. Sometimes it feels dull and uninspiring. Part of it is perhaps that Alicia is not a fully autonomous being. She lives under the whims and mercy of Clevatess. That, on my part, is why I couldn't be that invested in her, even if she is a decent or even a great heroine.


6. If there's going to be a second season, I might watch it, but I won't be pissed off if we only get this first season.


§ Conclusion

Clevatess is decent, but it's overrated as to how good it is. It feels dull, yet at the same time, it's better than the usual fantasy anime. I have my reservations because the first half isn't as compelling. It starts to be promising in the latter part of the season, but it seems that it's only the beginning of either something great or just some dullness.


NOTA BENE: A grade of 6 out of 10 means that I find this anime slightly above average, and I enjoyed watching it.

A 6 means a decent score and one notch above average. If you're the kind of viewer who treats anything below a 7 as irredeemable, I'd encourage a broader, more nuanced approach to rating.

My enjoyment spectrum lies from 4 to 10. If I have scored an anime below 4, I actively dislike it.

'Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Season 2 Part 2' has a solid fanbase, and it is a solid anime. I'll be brief on what I like and what I didn't like because I have already written about how it has a unique art style in previous reviews.

First of all, I am impressed by the animation of its OP. If I didn't know the anime, I might mistake it briefly for any of the OP or ED of the Apothecary Diaries, which everyone knows has solid visuals.

Let's get straight to the point. I was a bit bored with this, and it doesn't seem to have that much of a ... compelling theme compared to Part 1 of Season 2. Hence, I score this a 5 out of 10. That's just me.

On the upside, if you're a fan of this franchise, it might be the best season yet, owing to the fact that 1) we get to more of the backstory of Hanako-kun and his brother, and 2) there is a nice romantick development, which is probably a major reason why about half or so of its fans are watching this.

In conclusion, I have mixed feelings in that I did not enjoy this that much, but I can see where other people might enjoy watching this.


NOTA BENE: A rating of 5 out of 10 means that 1) I find this anime to be average, 2) I enjoyed it to some extent, but it has some flaws. 3) Or simply, I rank it below my 6's but above my 4's.

A 5 means a passing score. If you're the kind of viewer who treats anything below a 7 as irredeemable, I'd encourage a broader, more nuanced approach to rating.

My enjoyment spectrum lies from 4 to 10. If I have scored an anime below 4, I actively dislike it.

Let's Go Karaoke! is one of the anime in Summer 2025 that some people point to as a hidden gem. Is it really the case? Well, it's a mixed bag.

§ Overview

Oka Satomi is failing as a singer and the leader of his choir. Despite that, he is approached by a yakuza member, Narita Kyouji, and asked to be the latter's singing teacher. That's because their gang members often compete in a karaoke competition. Satomi reluctantly accepts, and this is the start of an interesting dynamic between a middle school student and a gangster.


§ Notes

1. It has only five episodes. The manga is just a ... single volume, and this volume is adapted into four episodes. The final episode is an anime original and tackles Kyouji's backstory.

That's why, in some sense, I consider the first four episodes as equivalent to the typical one-cour anime, and the fifth episode as the special episode.


2. The visuals and the character designs are nothing to write about. They are forgettable, though one might think that the character design seems seinen-like. There's no information whether the manga is shounen or seinen, but content-wise, it seems to be borderline shounen and seinen.


3. It's unbelievable that Doga Kobo, a studio more known for its adaptation of Oshi no Ko, Roshidere, and Shiunji Kodomotachi, made this adaptation, as this seems to be underrated compared to their more overhyped shows. Nakatani Asami directed this, who has another anime running for Summer 2025, i.e., Muchuu sa, Kimi ni.


4. It starts as boring for two episodes until it becomes an okay, if not good, anime. Its best episodes are Episode 4 and Episode 5.

If the anime only ended in Episode 4, it would have been alright as well. But the addition of Kyouji's backstory is a nice cherry on top.


5. Other stuff to note. I also gave it a humorous title of 'Karaoke Bromance.' It's not a BL, but the chemistry of Satomi and Kyouji is bordering on one. It's not to the point that it would make you uncomfortable like The Summer Hikaru Died, which is why, despite me scoring both a 5 out of 10, I give this anime an edge over it.


§ Conclusion

The boring first two episodes made me decide to score this only a 5 out of 10. Can you imagine other anime being boring for 6 episodes before being decent in the latter half? People would probably drop in such cases. Despite that, it may be worth soldiering on to reach the final two episodes.

Its one defining virtue is that at least, it's not another school anime. It has two elements of Japanese culture all in one anime: 1) the yakuza, and 2) karaoke.


NOTA BENE: A rating of 5 out of 10 means that 1) I find this anime to be average, 2) I enjoyed it to some extent, but it has some flaws. 3) Or simply, I rank it below my 6's but above my 4's.

A 5 means a passing score. If you're the kind of viewer who treats anything below a 7 as irredeemable, I'd encourage a broader, more nuanced approach to rating.

My enjoyment spectrum lies from 4 to 10. If I have scored an anime below 4, I actively dislike it.