5 Anime To Watch With No Romance

5. Little Witch Academia

This one is just an anime about a girl going to a school for witches. The big thing is that she’s completely inept at basically everything that she does. Her skill for magic is lacking but her heart is what drives this story and what makes this anime so good. It’s also one where it’s an all girls school, which doesn’t have to mean no romance, but it’s targeting a younger audience and handles relationships in a way that is going to make it more friendly to everyone.

This is one that I wish there was more of. It’s so cute and just a good time. It’s one of three on the list that I have watched with my kid and he liked it. There’s action, there are silly moments, and there is adventure, so plenty going on with this one without the romance element.

4. Dr. Stone

Dr. Stone moves away from school while still being about kids. What happens where there is a disaster and everyone turns to stone. But more so, what happens when they start to turn back from stone. It’s an interesting concept and then this anime takes a hard turn into survival, science, and more science.

Now, there are characters who like each other in this. But it’s such a minor point, one of the guys who is turned back from stone first finds the girl that they were dating. But it’s barely part of the story and there is no romance element to it, just that they are in a relationship. Dr. Stone is an anime that really feels like something completely different.

3. Fire Force

Now, when it comes to anime without romance, that doesn’t mean anime without fan service. Fire Force has so much fan service in it. One of the characters tends to lose her clothes, or at least some of them, a lot. And there are other characters wearing skimpy clothing. But in terms of romance, the main character is too dumb and driven to even realize if someone was interested in him.

This is just one big action anime that is just weird, sometimes in a good way, and sometimes in just weird ways. It has that anime thing where it tries to tie in religion, but it takes a weird take on Christianity and more western style religion that shows that the author really was unfamiliar with the concept other than that it was a thing. Now it’s not trying to be religious, but if you’ve watched anime and action anime before, you’ve come across it.

2. Campfire Cooking In Another World

How about a wholesome anime, these last two are the other two I watched with my kid, about a guy who gets sent to another world after he dies. He, though, has a skill that is just absurd as he can access an online grocery store. And the meals that he cooks just look amazing, and all these powerful monsters join him because they want to eat his cooking.

Yup, that is the premise. No girls really at all in it, just ones who are adventurers and things like that. It’s about his journey across the lands, exploring, making meals, and dealing with his familiars and some pesky deities who just want to eat.

1. Bofuri

And the final one is a video game anime. The main girl, all she cares about is not getting hurt in the video game. It’s an odd premise, but she maxes out her defense to the point where nothing can hurt her. And then, it turns out that is a completely broken build.

She picks up a rag tag group of other players to join her guild. But there’s no romance in the guild like in Sword Art Online. Instead it’s just all about the game and everything that is going to happen in there. The premise is a lot of fun and the execution of this anime is just wonderful.

Romanceless Anime

It’s fun to watch this type of anime as well. Sometimes you just want something that doesn’t have that romance and gives you a lot of adventure. Some of these fall into the category of more popcorn anime where if you miss something, because you aren’t paying attention, that is okay. But the ones that I picked here, I do think all have fun stories to them. And even with all the fan service in Fire Force, I would check them out and recommend them.

What is an anime that you like that doesn’t have romance in it?

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5 Romance Anime You Should Watch

5. Horimiya

This one is just a fun romance anime. And you’ll see a few different types on the list. here. Horimiya is not a will they won’t they anime. They start dating quickly in the show and manga. Instead this is more of a romance anime about them growing together as a couple.

It’s also about two characters who are pretty different but also how they have different sides of them. The girl is super popular at school, but just wants to lead a quite life. The guy isn’t popular but actually has this punk/bolder side to him. So it’s interesting to see the characters have these two different sides. But also how they show their true side/nature to the other one but not everyone.

4. Dealing with the Mikadono Sisters if a Breeze

Is this a romance anime, yes it is. But it’s kind of a less traditional one in terms of what you think of romance. The main character is brought into a family with three sisters. There isn’t a big push for him to marry one of them or fall in love with one of them. Instead, this is a show about him bringing them out of their shells and showing them that they don’t need to be perfect. Of course, along the way the girls fall for him.

But this one isn’t as overdone as Quintessential Quintuplets feels like in the same part of the romance anime genre. The main character is more likable for one. And you want to see him succeed at life, not that he must succeed at love. And that balance and character growth works for me. I almost put one of my favorite anime of all time, Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki on the list but that one does many of the same things with less of the focus on it being a romance.

3. My Dress-up Darling

Another romance anime without the will they won’t they. Yes, it is a slower build to them admitting that they love each other, but there is no rivalry to it. It’s just a matter of time for it to happen. And My Dress-up Darling is one of the purest dirtiest anime that you can watch.

How is that, well it’s about cosplay and Marin’s choices for cosplay leave little to the imagination. On the flip side, the romance itself is about as pure as it comes between Marin and Gojo. When they fall in love, it’s something that just feels like it could happen, and they are teenagers and act like teenagers, but not in a horny way, if that makes sense. They really don’t know how to express their feelings.

2. Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

Now, let’s talk about the will they won’t they sort of anime. Kaguya-sama is a hard hitting comedy will they won’t they. Yes, you know that it’s a romance anime and that eventually they will. But for that to work in this anime that is where the anime has to end.

This is an anime where the banter, glares, and trying not to admit you are in love flies so fast and furiously. The story is a lot of fun, but it’s the narration of Ian Sinclair that makes this one shine so much. He is going so hard in this and so over the top that it’s just a joy to listen to. You don’t know that you want an anime where the narrator can steal the show, but this one is great.

1. Our Last Crusade

And then I thought let’s put down an anime that is an action anime but also a romance. And this is another one of those will they won’t they anime. It’s a Romeo and Juliet style of romance. On the opposite side of a war, how can they fall in love. And is their love doomed because they are so important to their side of the war.

It’s a pretty odd anime. And there are good comedy elements to it, but it doesn’t shy away from action either. I think that it feels different from a number of romance anime because of that to me. Now, will it or won’t it get another season is the biggest question for me because I hope that it does.

Even More Romance Anime

I could do another list of 5 more romance anime that I love and then probably come up with more after that. But I might do another list of anime where the romance isn’t even a thing. What anime are there out there, because a lot do the romance, harem, reverse harem thing. But what if you want something with no romance and maybe isn’t one of the main stream action anime, let’s talk about that tomorrow.

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The Plot of You And I are Polar Opposites

As the title of the article suggests, this is a silly romance anime about two characters who fall for each other who aren’t like each other. Miyu is outgoing, over the top, and bubbly where as Yusuke is quite and reserved. But they both like each other so how is that going to work? It’s not a comedy of errors of their two different styles butting heads, though, for the story. Instead You and I are Polar Opposites is about how they make it work and the fun that they have together while being two different personalities.

And beyond that, the story isn’t just about their opposite relationship. It’s about their friends and who their friends like and how they are polar opposites as well.

Fan Service?

You And I are Polar Opposites is an anime about high school students. They go to the beach over the summer break. So yes, that could be some in there, but it’s not over the top and it’s not all the time. This is an anime that knows what it wants to be, a fun, quirky romance anime not a sexy romance anime about passion.

What Doesn’t Work

I think that it might come across as an unexpected shift if you don’t realize that there are more than one couple in this anime. You spend a lot of time with the main characters, Miyu and Yusuke at the start. But then it switches it’s focus, once they are in a good relationship. So if you want to see more of their relationship, it is in there, but it is different from the start. But let’s talk about what works next.

What Works

In You and I are Polar Opposites you get a great cast of characters. And while not all of them are my favorites, there is one downer guy who is a bit annoying, they are great. And there is an intentional plan for the different characters. They are all going to be polar opposites of someone else. At least in some way and that is how you get all of these different couples slowly building up over time. And that element works well as well.

The humor in the show is also pretty solid. I don’t think that all of it works perfectly, but most of it is very solid. The one gag that gets kind of tiring is how the main girl, Miyu, is horrible when it comes to having her picture taken. But the rest of the humor really works in the show because it’s goofy and sweet humor, not always laugh out loud moments. Which those are fun for a show as well, but when you want that goofy sweet heart it doesn’t always work.

And the show is good about not taking too long. I know that I have watched romance anime where it takes about 200 episodes for characters to realize that they like each other. And while I think that works for Apothecary Diaries, this is purely a romance anime. And I want the romance to happen in this anime. Not that I have to spend so much time with will they or won’t they. In fact, none of the relationships take too long to develop.

Who Is You and I are Polar Opposites For

So who is You and I are Polar Opposites for? I think it is for folks who want to watch a fun anime. Now that sounds mean. I don’t mean that people who don’t watch it watch unfun anime. I mean that this anime is all about that lighthearted good time. And you need to be okay with the fact it is pretty silly as well. I’ve watched romance anime that are way more drama than this one. But I like that this is what it is.

Final Thoughts on You And I are Polar Opposites

I enjoy this anime a lot. And that’s because of what I talked about above. And it’s something that I’ve noticed more in anime recently. There are a lot of these romance anime where the characters fall in love and you wonder, will they or won’t they. But with anime like You and I are Polar Opposites, My Dress-up Darling, The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten, you see them fall in love and start dating quickly.

Now I don’t need that for all anime. Love is War is an amazing anime and that has the will they won’t they throughout the whole series. But that is intentionally done for the over the top drama of that anime and all the laughs that come with it. So that isn’t a bad thing in that case. But You and I are Polar Opposites knows what it wants to be and it sticks with that for a very fun anime to watch.

My Grade: B+

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All The Anime I’ve Watched Ranked

So I’m not going to do a write-up on all of them. But you can see the top 10 here, and for those, I’m going to be doing a little bit of a write-up. And I’ll probably do something even faster for the top 25 or so, so you know why I like them.

1 Dan Da Dan

Dan Da Dan is a really fun and silly anime, though one that isn’t just all gags and nonsense. The story is what drew me into it from the start. A girl who believes in the paranormal and not aliens, and a boy who believes in aliens and not the paranormal. What happens when they both realize the other one is right? That’s the premise of it, but there is great character development, romance, and a lot of odd situations in the show.

2 Sword Art Online

I know that Sword Art Online is popular to hate on, but I really like it. I think that the characters and stories are generally interesting. And the topics around AI, really, are relevant right now. It also had a chance to do something different with how it handles the start of the anime and the “trapped in a game” trope, and I like how it did that. Is it perfect, no, but I really like what it tries to do and the grandness of the vision.

3 Shangri-La Frontier

I think that Shangri-La Frontier could pass Sword Art Online as time goes on. This is another anime about a video game, but the main character isn’t trapped in it. Instead, he is someone who loves the most garbage games out there, the ones where the mechanisms are janky and the story is annoying. But what happens when he plays a “god tier” game like Shangri-La Frontier? How are his skills going to translate over and is the experience going to change him?

4 Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki

Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki is one that has stuck at the top of my list of anime that I just love. And the new season of it has really helped solidify that. The story of a boy who feels like life is an unfair game feels real. And then him learning about how life can be a god tier game and how to play it is really well done. And I like how it isn’t just this simple story of treating it like a game, but how to treat life with respect. Plus a great cast of characters really make the show.

5 The Apothecary Diaries

This is another anime that could go up, I really loved the first two seasons and immediately after watching them I went to read the manga. This is a slow burn romance story of Mao Mao and apothecary, kind of, and Jinshi who runs the Emperors inner courts. But while there is that slow burn romance, it is also has great mystery elements as Mao Mao is trying to figure out different events that happen in the court and help unravel the mysteries. It’s just brilliantly written and paced wonderfully well.

6 Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Another slow moving anime, Frieren is just a standout in storytelling. Frieren is an elf who, after the heroes party with her in it has driven off the demons and defeated the demon king, just goes on her way. She doesn’t think about how her life, being so long, compares to those of her fellow companions. And only too late does she start to realize what she has been missing out on. It’s heartfelt and well done with characters that are great again.

7 Kaiju #8

Kaiju #8 is back to a much goofier anime. I love kaiju, they are fun, but what happens if a human becomes part kaiju, and one who has flunked out of the defense force training program multiple times. This is an anime with a lot of humor and heart to it and that combination just makes it a ton of fun. Plus the music in it is great. That moment when the music hits and you know the main character is going to do something awesome just stands out in my head and is so much fun.

8 My Dress-up Darling

This one is another romance anime but it is an anime that is doing a whole lot more than that. Gojo and Marin are from two different worlds, reclusive and popular, but sewing and cosplay draw them together. And their romance is so cute and wholesome, all while centering around cosplays that are generally neither of those things. But the story is just amazing and like I said, the anime is more than just a romance. It is a story about normalizing hobbies that maybe aren’t considered as acceptable and showing off the diverse and wonderful cast of people in them.

9 Kaguya-Sama: Love is War

I like romance anime a lot. A lot of them tell really interesting and fun stories and Kaguya-Sama: Love is War tells it in a unique way. How do two characters who vie for power on the student council fall in love. And in this war for power in the relationship and student council, who will confess their love first, because whomever does is going to lose the war? It’s very humorous, very cute, and Ian Sinclair’s narration is simply amazing as he goes crazy with it in a perfect over the top way for the story.

10 Assassination Classroom

This is another one that has stuck around my list for a long time. I just remember it being so interesting while I watched it. Assassination Classroom has a super goofy premise, an alien who destroyed the moon is practically impossible to kill. So he takes up teaching a class of misfits and one of their goals, for the class is to kill him. But it’s really about the students, what they’ve been through in their lives, and how the teacher, before they kill him, can help them grow and become better people.

11 through 20

11 Trapped in a Dating Sim – Silly fun trapped in a video game, but this time it’s a dating sim.

12 A Returners Magic Should be Special – What happens if you know the future because you’ve lived it? It’s a trope I love.

13 To Be Hero X – Superheroes, but you get your power from how much people trust you and that can control you or erode.

14 From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman – Old man sword fighter who has just trained folks his whole life, doesn’t think he’s that great, but maybe he actually is.

15 Dealing with Mikadono Sisters is a Breeze – A pretty nobody joins the family of three supremely talented sisters, how can help them and bring them back together as a family?

16 The Ossan Newbie Adventures Trained To Death By The Most Powerful Party Became – Old dude adventurer just getting his start, the trope of he doesn’t think he’s great, but he really is.

17 Monthly Girls Nozaki-Kun – What it’s like to create a manga and all the work that goes into it in a cute romance done in vignettes.

18 My Senpai is Annoying – My boss is annoying, but maybe he’s kind of sweet too, fun comedy romance.

19 Space Dandy – He’s a dandy guy, in space, and his adventures are absurd but so much fun.

20 Steins;Gate – An amazing and heart felt time travel story that does a great job with the time travel and the emotion in the story.

21 through 30

21 Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill
22 The Gorilla God’s Go-To Gal
23 Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie
24 Saiki K
25 Horimiya
26 Mashle
27 Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister
28 Spy X Family
29 The Shiunji Family Children
30 The Water Magician

31 through 40

31 Komi Can’t Communicate
32 New Saga
33 Delicious in Dungeon
34 Food Wars
35 Ghost Hunt
36 I May Be A Guild Receptionist, But I’ll Solo Any Boss To Clock Out on Time
37 I Left My A-Rank Party to Help my Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths
38 Yamada-Kun and the Seven Witches
39 Tsukimichi
40 My Love Story with Yamada-Kun Lv 999

41 through 50

41 My Roommate is a Cat
42 Witch Watch
43 More Than A Married Couple But Not lovers
44 Summer Time Rendering
45 Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies move to a Starter Town?
46 Dagashi Kashi
47 Our Last Crusade
48 Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything with Low Level Spells
49 The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World
50 Beast Tamer

51 through 60

51 Bofuri
52 Cowboy Bebop
53 Fruits Basket
54 Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood
55 Lord of Mysteries
56 Cultural Exchange with a Game Center Girl
57 Once Upon a Witches Death
58 Little Witch Academia
59 Toradora
60 Is it Wrong to Try and Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?

61 through 70

61 Let’s Play
62 Restaurant to Another World
63 My Hero Academia
64 Fire Force
65 Edens Zero
66 Bleach
67 Gurran Lagann
68 Rascal Does Not Dream
69 The Devil is a Part-Timer
70 The New Gate

71 through 80

71 After School Dice Club
72 Time Travel Girl
73 Ultraman
74 Soul Eater
75 Kill la Kill
76 The Dreaming Boy is a Realist
77 Berserk
78 The Brilliant Healers New Life in the Shadows
79 Rent-a-Girlfriend
80 Masumune-Kun’s Revenge

81 through 90

81 Don’t Toy with Me Miss Nagatoro
82 Dr. Stone
83 My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds The Heroes
84 The Banished Court Magician Aims to Become the Strongest
85 Bogus Skill <<Fruitmaster>> – About That Time I Became Able to Eat Unlimited Numbers of Skill Fruits that Kill You
86 Full Metal Panic
87 Shy
88 Jujutsu Kaisen
89 Tokyo Revengers
90 Demon Slayer

91 through 100

91 Management of a Novice Alchemist
92 Ancient Magus Bride
93 Love After World Domination
94 I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World
95 A Couple of Cuckoos
96 Rising of the Shield Hero
97 Isekai Cheat Magician
98 Secrets of the Silent Witch
99 My Next Life as a Villainess All Routes Lead to Doom
100 Inuyasha

101 through 152

101 Blood Blockade Battlefront
102 Fairygone
103 The Unaware Atelier Meister
104 The Fruit of Evolution: Before I Knew It, My Life Had It Made
105 Fairy Tail
106 Akame Ga Kill
107 Magmell
108 The 100  Girlfriends Who Really Really Really Really Love You
109 Konosuba
110 Tokyo ESP

111 Laid Back Camp
112 Neon Genesis Evangelion
113 Code Geass: Lelouch Rebellion
114 Reborn as a Vending Machine
115 That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
116 My Darling in the Franxx
117 A Certain Magical Index
118 Kakuriyo – Bed & Breakfast for Spirits
119 How Not To Summon A Demon Lord
120 K-On

121 The Greatest Demon Lord is Reborn as a Typical Nobody
122 Death March To The Parallel World Rhapsody
123 Gamers
124 In Another World with my Smart Phone
125 Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear
126 The Detective is Already Dead
127 I Was Reincarnated as the 7 th Prince so I Can My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability
128 D. Gray-Man
129 Cells at Work
130 Sky Wizard Academy

131 Pokemon
132 Why The Hell Are You Here, Teacher!?
133 Blue Exorcist
134 Cautious Hero
135 Overlord
136 Love Tyrant
137 Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero
138 Eureka Seven
139 The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation out of Debt
140 Cardcaptor Sakura

141 Is This a Zombie?
142 The Strongest Sage With the Weakest Crest
143 Raven of the Inner Palace
144 Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles
145 Aria the Scarlet Ammo
146 Am I Actually the Strongest
147 Magi: Adventure of Sinbad
148 Gun Gale Online
149 No Game No Life
150 The Silver Guardian

151 Domestic Girlfriend
152 The Wiseman’s Grandchild

Missing: Chained Soldier and Wandance

Final Thoughts

This is a long list and for the most part, I like these anime quite well. It’s interesting, to me, looking at my list, that a lot of them higher up have pretty strong romance elements to them. I do enjoy a good romance and the storytelling in a good, more serious than comedy, anime romance can be done quite well.

Also looking at the list, and in particular at the top 8 or so, they are all neck and neck. I think in the Top 5, all could easily be #1. And any of those Top 8 could fall into that Top 3 depending on what I’ve watched the most recently or what mood I’m in. Dan Da Dan is one that just really has grabbed me since I started reading the manga and the anime adaptation is just as good.

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Anime I Watched in 2025 Ranked

1. The Apothecary Diaries

This is an easy one to top off the list. The show is just great and I can’t wait for more of it come out. The blend of mystery with the aesthetic stands out among a lot of shows. And the character development and growth as the romance slowly burns is amazing as well. I’m tempted to watch it again because it’s that good. And I’ve read the manga, even though I’ve watched the anime, but The Apothecary Diaries stands out.

2. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Now, this is one that was obviously out before last year. But I didn’t get around to watching it until the start of last year and it’s wonderful. The story stands out as something different. Yes, there is this element of fantasy and adventure, but seeing Frieren as the world and those she cares about pass her by as she’s an elf and they are not is interesting. And the revisiting of parts of her past are great as well. It tells this complete story that feels unique.

3. From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman

You’re out in the countryside living a nice normal life. You run a school that teaches swordsmanship, but overall, it’s a simple life. Turns out you are a master swordsman and you need to heed the call to come and train those at the royal city and take part in that life. That’s the plot, it’s a bit dumb, but I like the I’m really overpowered characters, especially when they are an older man who really just wants to live a simple life. It’s tropes, but with a twist.

4. Dealing with Mikadono Sisters is a Breeze

There are a number of romance anime on the list and Dealing with Mikadono Sisters is a Breeze is my favorite. This one follows a boy who is the son of a famous actor. She passes away and a connection, the Mikadono Sisters’ father, gives him a spot in their house. Of course, they are all elites in their own area, and they expect him to be the same. But he’s not great at anything, he just looks pretty. So how can help help the Mikadono Sisters be sisters and join into their family?

5. To Be Hero X

I wasn’t sure about this one at the start, mainly because watching the trailer it looked interesting, but didn’t blow me away. To Be Hero X is a story of a world where superheroes are a thing. And the more people trust you the more powerful you can become. It’s a cool concept, and creates a lot of interesting situations of people gaining and losing powers. The aesthetic is something else with 3D animation and 2D as well blended together depending on the story. Highly recommend this one for that superhero storyline.

6. The Ossan Newbie Adventures Trained To Death By The Most Powerful Party Became

I’m tempted to say this one should be higher. But it’s also in the Top 10 of 59 different anime, so that’s a good thing. Another older protagonist, and this one who has been trained by the most powerful party and he’s now an old adventurer. But because he was trained by insanely powerful people, he himself is overpowered compared to everyone else. It’s that different perspective of the older character that works well in this one.

7. Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill

I think this is the first Isekai on the list. It won’t be the last. But this one is more of a slice of life Isekai where the main character ends up in another world but still has access to an online shop. So he gains familiars and generally goes on standard fantasy adventures. Again, it’s the overpowered character, and one who just wants to explore and enjoy his life, not become some great hero. Also, a lot of the food looks really tasty, anyone know where to get some orc meat?

8. Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie

Another romance here, and this one has a bumbling main character. No, it’s not Shikimori. She is, in fact, awesome at basically everything she does. Her boyfriend is a bumbling disaster magnet. It’s a really cute romance with characters who just love each other no matter what. And both of them are worried about losing the other, Shikimori if she doesn’t act girly enough, and Izumi because he’s a walking disaster magnet.

9. Witch Watch

We go from a bumbling male protagonist and now we flip it kind of back around. A strong ogre is set to be the familiar of his childhood friend, the witch. Of course, he’s very serious about everything and she’s a ditz and doesn’t really have great control on her abilities. This is a harem anime, but instead of him collecting girls, she’s collecting a lot of different supernatural creatures around her. There are slice of life episodes and then more serious storylines that happen, but as a whole, a fun and funny show.

10. The Gorilla God’s Go-To Gal

This one has an interesting premise, one that I actually think is cool and could have a fun RPG built around it. When you reach a certain age you draw a card and that card determines what animal deity’s powers you get. The main character gets a very rare one, but not one that is going to make her standout in a way that she wants. That story element is a lot of fun, and the main characters just have good chemistry through some of the plotlines are a bit standard.

11. Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister

Another romance anime, this one about a boy who wants to get into medical school, that is his goal. But he’s given the opportunity, one that he doesn’t want, to live at a shrine where three shrine maiden, the Amagami Sisters (not related to each other) live. The interesting thing about this one besides the romance, is the idea of this red string that can cause events to get replayed. It allows for him to grow closer to all of the characters and creates interesting moments as they try and break the loops.

12. The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World

I originally read this manga and I had a bunch of fun with it. This is another overpowered main character. He’s the iceblade sorcerer, one of the great sorcerers, but he just wants to go to school and lead a normal life. So he is trying to hide that fact from everyone. But things keep on coming up that make him need to show off his overpowered skills, even as much as he tries to hold back. It’s a good story about trying to lead a normal life when you don’t feel normal.

13. The Water Magician

This anime came out this year, and after the first episode I was hooked. Another isekai, but you go to another world you want to lead a pretty normal life. Turns out that your abilities as a water magician are not normal. But you don’t know that because you honed them out in the boonies before you realized you probably needed to find people and live a more normal life. It feels like it should then turn into a harem anime, but it doesn’t, there is a romance but it just works really well.

14. I Left My A-Rank Party to Help my Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths

What do you do when things in the great A-Rank adventuring party aren’t actually great. They really don’t want you there. so you leave and then you join up with your former students to help them. It’s a fun anime, again a pretty overpowered main character and a typical fantasy world. But there are fun elements like the fact that they can live stream their dungeon crawl adventures and gain popularity. Like The Water Magician, just a fun anime.

15. Lord of Mysteries

I think this could go higher on my list. Mainly because I haven’t finished up the first season. But this is a highly complex mystery series about someone who transports into another world. There he can level up his abilities, but of course, there is a risk that you turn into a monster. Aesthetically this is a stunning show. And the story has so many layers that you kind of need to keep watching it again and again to fully understand everything that is being set-up.

16. Once Upon a Witches Death

Another one I feel could be higher, but it’s here because I watched a lot of great anime this year. Once Upon a Witches Death follows a forty-year-old horny man… wait, that’s not right, it’s a teenage witch who often acts like a forty-year-old horny man who finds out that she is going to die. There is a chance to save herself, so that’s her mission, at the start. She’s not good at staying on task, that lecherous old soul, but she has a lot of meaningful growth in the series. So two thirds fun and one third serious, the series shines.

17. I May Be A Guild Receptionist, But I’ll Solo Any Boss To Clock Out on Time

The title says it all. All the main character wants to do is live a normal life. In fact, it should be a pretty easy life as the receptionist for the adventurers guild. Of course it’s not though because the adventurers are so bad at taking down the dungeon bosses that it’s creating a pile of paperwork for her and that means overtime. Is she able to balance her life and her powers to deal with these monsters and get to the point where she doesn’t have any OT.

18. New Saga

This is a trope that I love. You know what it is going to happen at the end because you’ve been there. You know you lose, and now the question is, how do you keep that from happening? Plus, the stakes can’t just be you lose, it has to be that everyone loses to make it even grander. I love that story trope and with some fun characters and interesting developments in trying to change the world it’s a very good series.

19. Delicious in Dungeon

Another one I want to be higher. I’m going to keep on saying it, a lot of these I love. Delicious in Dungeon is a dungeon diving anime where they need to get down there, figure out what is happening with the dungeon and try and get a party member back. Of course no time to gather any food so you need to make a meal from what the dungeon is giving you. It’s silly and series and sometimes a bit gross but overall a really good anime.

20. The Shiunji Family Children

You grew up with your whole life thinking you had siblings. The fact that you look nothing alike wasn’t a giveaway apparently. Then when the youngest becomes a teenager your dad surprises you with the story that you are all adopted. The oldest is now the heir to the family’s fortune and everyone will be well set-up, but could you fall in love with the person you thought was your sibling? Apparently in this anime the answer is yes. It sounds dumb, and it is a dumb premise, but the writing makes it work.

21. Summer Time Rendering

There aren’t enough horror anime out there. Summer Time Rendering is a great one for that. You get stuck in a time loop but whenever you die you get closer to the point in time where you died, so the loops get shorter and shorter. Can you unravel the mystery that is happening on the island and maybe understand why you are the person who is looping. So good and creepy and a really good mystery.

22. Yamada-Kun and the Seven Witches

Firstly, I want to commend this anime for being one season, telling a complete story, and then it’s done. Yamada-Kun has the power to steal the power of witches, or at least swap with them. He’s a high school student who finds it out by accident. There are always seven witches at the school and now it’s a mystery as to why. Of course, it’s not going to be easy to find them all and not everyone is using them for good. So how is this mystery going to end?

23. Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything with Low Level Spells

Long name and fun anime and manga. This is one that I’ve read as well as watched. The deity who summoned the main character to this world sees that he didn’t get any good powers. So like she does with all of them who don’t get good powers, she dumps them into a dungeon and they can die there. Turns out that his basic powers can level up and soon he’s extremely powerful and kind of on a revenge tour, though that is generally more of a background plot part.

24. Cultural Exchange with a Game Centre Girl

Another romance one and this one is a bit awkward. That is mainly because there is an age gap between the two main characters. It all revolves around a kid who works at a Game Centre. When a foreign student comes in her befriends her not realizing their age difference. And they kind of fall for each other. Once they realize, it becomes a waiting game and trying not let others know. It’s a goofy romance show, but one that I enjoyed.

25. My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds The Heroes

You want the plot or at least some of it, you got it. But the assassin is in an interesting spot. He is the most powerful, and the summoning to this world isn’t on the up and up. He starts out wanting to go home, but is that going to work and what about the characters he meets along the way in the world, can he leave them? Also, does he care enough to help his classmates get home?

26. Let’s Play

Based off of a web comic, this one might move higher as more comes out. Though it’s getting close to being done for this season, I think. It’s about a shy girl who creates a video game and the people in her life. The story is a solid romance where she has a bit of group of boys who like her. And it does a good job dealing with some heavier things that the characters are dealing with. The one thing that does disappoint me a bit about it is that the animation is not as good as it could have been.

We’re going to start going through them faster now.

27. Masumune-Kun’s Revenge

Masumune is rejected when he’s young so his plan is the get in shape become awesome and then break the girls heart back.

28. The Banished Court Magician Aims to Become the Strongest

Following in the footsteps of his mentor the main character wants to become the strongest and a court magician. But when he skills aren’t used as they should be he’s kicked out of the party and is now on his way to being the strongest with his old party.

29. The Fruit of Evolution: Before I Knew It, My Life Had It Made

Imagine you could eat a fruit and get super abilities. That’s what happens to the main character who is dumped into a fantasy world. It’s pretty fun but doesn’t blow me away.

30. Dr. Stone

The world is petrified and Dr. Stone, a highschooler, is the first to awaken. How can he rebuild the world with science and who should he awaken?

31. Shy

Shy has superpowers but she is also really shy. How can she overcome or work around her shyness to be the hero she wants to be?

32. The New Gate

I’ve read this one, but trapped in a death game the main character beats the final boss and everyone logs out except him. He gets a gate into a new world, but really the world he’s been in in the future. What is his new adventure.

33. Rascal Does Not Dream

A surprisingly good show with romance and characters who struggle with puberty syndrome, this being something that makes people forget them and the struggles of why it happening.

34. The Brilliant Healers New Life in the Shadows

Overpowered main character, check. Kicked out of his party, check. Now he’s setup shop in the slums and just wants to help people like he couldn’t before.

35. Bogus Skill Fruit Master – About That Time I Became Able to Eat Unlimited Numbers of Skill Fruits that Kill You

He wanted to be the hero, too bad, he only got the skill fruit master from the fruit of mastery. And you know if you eat two, you die. Turns out, maybe not the case for him.

36. More Than A Married Couple But Not Lovers

Let’s go to an absurd world where high school students are asked to live together to learn how to be couples. But the main character doesn’t end up with who he wants to and someone who actively bugs him. How can they make it work? It’s actually pretty cute considering the absurd premise.

37. Secrets of the Silent Witch

The witch is really shy but extremely powerful. In a world where you can’t normally cast spells without speaking she can. But then she gets an assignment that puts this shy character into a school setting to protect a prince.

38. Management of a Novice Alchemist

She’s an alchemist who is learning. And now she has her first shop set-up out in the boonies. How is she going to help the people out there?

39. Isekai Cheat Magician

Isekai, check. Massive powers, check. Still a lot of fun, yeah. Doesn’t stand out, but you get the picture.

40. My Next Life as a Villainess All Routes Lead to Doom

Isekai, yes. No massive powers because the main character is reincarnated into a video game as the villainess and her main goal is to avoid all the bad endings her character gets in the otome game.

41. Love After World Domination

What happens if the two main powers from rival factions fall in love? Can they keep it hidden? This is an absurd but fun story.

42. The Unaware Atelier Meister

Kid is super powerful, don’t convince him of that, instead let him just use those powers to help others.

43. Kakuriyo – Bed & Breakfast for Spirits

You can see spirits and when your grandfather passes away you inherit his debt in the spriti realm. It’s an interesting story but doesn’t quite make it.

44. In Another World with my Smart Phone

Could and maybe should be lower, but isekai but with your smart phone.

45. The Dreaming Boy is a Realist

Should be higher, the main character has a love of his life. He professes it every single day and gets shot down. So one day he stops and just wants to help his love live a happy life, but does she happen to actually have feelings for him.

46. Cardcaptor Sakura

Kids show about a girl who has to capture cards that escaped her basement and only she has the power. Silly fun.

47. How Not To Summon A Demon Lord

Video game characters summon and try and bind a player character bringing him into the game. But the spell bounces back on them and now they are bound to him. Kind of like In Another World with my Smart Phone, doesn’t stand out.

48. Why The Hell Are You Here, Teacher!?

Students keep on finding themselves in compromising situations with teachers. It’s a comedy and not that great.

49. I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability

Not an isekai, the character is just brought back to his same world. The main character is a bit annoying, his sidekick is more annoying, and the story doesn’t stand out.

50. Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles

Reincarnated in another world and into someone who wants revenge. It feels like many isekai before.

51. Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero

You can get pulled into another world, get powers and return. It’s honestly very forgettable for having a different premise.

52. The Greatest Demon Lord is Reborn as a Typical Nobody

Maybe should be higher, but the Great Demon Lord is reborn in the future, a last ditch effort to save himself. Now he’s a new person, or is he, in a new body.

53. Reborn as a Vending Machine

Isekai, check. But this time it’s as a vending machine that can level up. It’s probably too low because it is something different, but also mainly is just okay and fun most of the time. I think it’s that the novelty wears off.

54. Death March To The Parallel World Rhapsody

Isekai, check. But this time into a game that the person created, or something close to that. Doesn’t feel that interesting.

55. Love Tyrant

Your name is put in the Kiss Note (not Death Not) you need to kiss someone or you’ll die and then you fall in love. It’s an okay comedy, romance, harem anime.

56. The Silver Guardian

You’re in love and also in a video game. This anime is just a mess as it’s about a video game that’s going to be shut down and needing protect the person you love. Sounds simple enough, but the anime doesn’t do anything that well.

57. Domestic Girlfriend

You love your teacher, you bang her sister (unknown to you) and then they become your step siblings. It’s erotic and romantic and generally garbage. I’m glad they made a season of it because the actual ending sounds worth than the one season was.

58. Raven of the Inner Palace

This should be higher, but it’s this low because it’s the if you watched The Apothecary Diaries watch this. This, however, has none of the heart, little of the mystery and animation that is flat and lifeless. It’s probably better than some, like I said, but the gap is so huge and it feels like a disappointing anime more than the others.

Final Thoughts

Great year for watching anime for me. And I should say, this is not all I watches. I watched Sangri-La Frontier again. And then there were season two of My Dress-up Darling, Kaiju #8, and Dan Da Dan. Plus I rewatched some anime as well like Solo Leveling and Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki. And of course I’m watching My Hero Academia now. It’s one that I’ve watched before, but with the final season out now, it’s time to watch the whole thing.

What’s your standout anime that you watched this year?

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What Is To Be Hero X About?

Imagine a world of superheroes. We can do that, we know Marvel and DC comic worlds. But instead of these heroes just having powers their powers are stronger the more people love them. That is the world of To Be Hero X. And Hero X is the hero who is most loved.

The show is all about those heroes and the ones who are in the top 10. They all want to be Hero X or at least will be taking place in the tournament to see who will become the new top ranked hero. The show is all about their stories and how they got there.

And I won’t go into more detail than that.

Who is To Be Hero X For?

Firstly, I do want to comment on fan service in this, because that will determine some of it is for you or not. But really, I like to do that all the time because people’s tolerance levels are different. There is very little fan service in this show, and it is never dwelt upon if it happens.

I think that this show is for people who are up for some fun animation. But there is more to the show than that, this is a show that is for people who want that slower build into characters and to delve into them at a deeper level. Is it heavy with plot, there is a lot of story throughout that connects to the whole, but it is also very focused on the characters.

What Didn’t Work For Me?

It is a bit jarring the first time you finish up the story with one character. Mainly because you get to like the character and then you move on to the next one. This is not a bad thing, but it is somethin to be aware of when going into the show.

It is also a bit tricky to keep track of the timelines and when it falls into line with certain characters. Generally you can make sense of it, but they reference events that might be occurring at a different point in other characters stories. And they do a solid job of giving you dates for things, but that is still a lot to remember.

What Worked For Me?

The animation on this show is amazing. And it should be, there are a ton of different studios working on this anime. And it shows in the different stories how there is different animation that is used. They are done to tell different and unique story beats and character stories. And there are some bonkers fight and chase scenes that use animation really well.

I also like the stories. Not all of them resonate with me quite as well, but how they intersect is really interesting. And the vast majority of the character stories are ones that I really enjoyed and I could connect with the characters. Each of them is unique as well and deals with some interesting things that unfold the larger story.

And without going into spoilers, I think the overall plot is interesting. This idea that the more people love you, the better hero you are is really interesting. And it has some very questionable implications to it as well that they dive into in the show. And where it ends, I think that is interesting and it makes me ready for a season two. I think there is a lot more world building that can be done around the main plot. But I suspect season 2 is going to focus a lot on the tournament.

Final Thoughts on To Be Hero X

This show definitely caught my interest throughout the whole show. I think the animation drew me in, but the plot and the characters really kept me there. It takes a bit to figure out everything that is going on in To Be Hero X. And I would say, there are elements that make me want to rewatch it right now to pick-up on some of the bigger story implications that I might have missed. To me, that is the sign of a good anime to watch because it kept me engaged and keeps me wanting more.

If it was one consistent animation style would it be as good? I think it would be. This is not an anime with style over substance but with the lead of BeDream making this and the animation partners, it rocks. And that is something else I didn’t mention but I feel like I always want to listen to the music both the opening and ending credits, but also the music in the show. The amount of time and effort that went into this show is very impressive and makes for a great show visually and story wise.

To Be Hero X is one of my top new anime this year. And you know from the last anime round-up that I have watched a ton of anime this year. So it is sitting pretty as a favorite.

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What Is Isekai?

The term iIsekai literally means “another world”. What is most commonly thought of as an Isekai is an anime where the main character comes from one world into another.

There is some debate about one element of Isekai. That element is if the main character, or the character(s) who have been brought to another world can return. An example of this would be Sword Art Online. While the participants in the death game are trapped there, it is more of a virtual setting. So while considered by some to be an Isekai it is debated. For my list, it is eligible.

On the flip side, BOFURI is not going to be eligible for a list. While it takes place mainly in a game, the main character is able to logout. So it does not qualify.

My Top 10 Isekai

10. The Water Magician

This one the first season is actually still ongoing but I am really like The Water Magician. This is not one where there is much reference or connection to the original world. But that is great. The character comes in, gets dropped in a nice quiet safe area and has water powers. Eventually, because there isn’t anything in the area, he has to head out and find the real world. Turns out that he’s extremely overpowered. But he doesn’t let it go to his head. This one is just a feel good/relaxed Isekai.

9. The New Gate

Trapped in a death game, does that premise sound familiar? Well, in this case the main character just beat the death game. And everyone else logged out, but he saw a door that kept him in the world. But now it is several hundred years into the future and those NPC’s whom he knew, some of them are gone. And the world itself is massive changed. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t work for the hero to do in the world. If you want big adventures arcs, The New Gate is good for that.

8. My Instant Death Ability is Overpowered

A whole school bus is taken to another world in My Instant Death Ability is Overpowered. But when they get their powers, those who can’t are left behind. Including a kid who is actually very powerful. His ability is that he can just kill anyone or anything. The crux of the show though is how do you use that power. If you kill everything is that good or does that make you the villain? And how do you keep from becoming the villain?

7. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless reincarnation

Another common anime trope is that some middle-aged person gets a chance in a new world. And they are not dropped in as the hero, but they are reborn into the world. That is how the Isekai plot of Mushoku Tensei works. And it is a fun story with a lot of epic moments in it. It is also cringy at times as the main character is young and grows up. But the main character is also a middle-aged man. You can guess how that is weird anime at that point.

6. Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything with Low-Level Spells

This is the second time that this trope for Isekai shows up on the list. It is the being passed over as part of a group. First it was with an instant death ability. Now it is just some low level spells. But what happens when you level up your ability to paralyze and poison everything? That is a very deadly and powerful combination. What I like about this and the other one is that these aren’t just revenge tours, there are plenty of Isekai like that, but these are decent characters and more developed than just revenge fantasy though it calls itself that.

5. Eminence in Shadow

It is not common for characters to go looking for another world. That is the case of Eminence in Shadow. When the main character maxes out his ability as a human, he needs to find a new world to embark into and gain even more power. It works. I like how this character wants to pull strings but pull them from the shadows. He is not the leader out in front sort. The other thing I like is that he creates his “harem” of assassins with a story. But it turns out that what he says about this story he makes up, turns out a lot of it is actually true.

4. Campfire Cooking in Another World With My Absurd Skill

Now we go from big adventure anime to another laid back one. What if you were dropped into a fantasy world, but the power you asked for was the ability to buy things online. It means that you can bring Japanese cuisine into another world. This anime is more of that laid back feel, like I mentioned, with a main character who just wants to live a normal chill life. But turns out everyone is a fan of his food.

3. Lord of Mysteries

Another new one on the list that is still coming out. Lord of Mysteries feels different than your normal Isekai. Some of that is because it comes out of China versus Japan for the story and animation I believe. But it is a mystery in a world where magic exists, but it’s not your normal fantasy setting. Think of this as a setting that is more parallel to our own past. And it is all about the mystery of beyonders, powers, and secret organizations.

2. Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs

From a mystery we go to something that is very goofy. After beating a dating sim for his spoiled sister our protagonists dies and finds himself in that dating sim. But he is not one of the main characters. He is just a background character, a mob. But in his attempt to keep himself in the background and to keep the story progressing as it should, he all of a sudden finds that he has a more important role, much to his chagrin. It is weird, the main character is annoying but in a way that he is supposed to be, so it works well.

1. Sword Art Online

Finally is Sword Art Online. I think that this is my favorite anime of all time at this point. And while not all of it is amazing, for the most part I just love it. And it is one of those where it borders on that Isekai, like I talk about above. But I think the story is great, and it is interesting to tackle a death world and make it all about the people in the world. It is less about clearing the game, in the first season, and more about how people interact and grow and grow desensitized to what is happening.

Final Thoughts

Just to mention a few just off the list. Tsukimichi, The Devil is a Part-Timer, and The Fruit of Evolution are all ones that I like quite well. And while I love the genre, it is one that you need to think about what you watch. There are a lot of not so great ones out there. And now that the genre is so popular and common there are even more common place ones out there.

You also likely see that I don’t have a few bigger names on my list. Mainly KonoSuba, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, The Rising of the Shield Hero, Re:Zero, and Overlord being some of the biggest I can think of. And they are some that I have watched. I thought Overlord was fine. And KonoSuba, That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime, and The Rising of the Shield Hero have good arcs but aren’t always consistent. I dislike Re:Zero, I don’t find the main character interesting or the plot consistently interesting. But I know a lot of people do.

What are your favorite Isekai?

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Anime Round-Up First Half of 2025

The Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries is a slow burn romance with a lot of mysteries thrown in. This one is great because of the main character, Maomao. Even without suspecting that there is a romance of some sort, the story just works well.

I Left my A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths

A fun anime about a hero who is overlooked because of his class. Of course turns out that he’s extremely powerful. It is a trope that works well and in this case, I think it’s done in a more entertaining way than most.

To Be Hero X

This one is pretty different. First off a lot of the animation is 3D and it looks amazing. Plus it’s vignettes around a whole lot of different heroes. What if you got your powers not through some accident or something like that, but because people trusted you? That’s the plot and it’s really interesting, this is a very good anime.

I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability

Honestly, this one is just okay. I find that it was solid background noise anime. Not an Isekai, the character is in the same world, but they come back and they are more powerful. Plus they keep on getting roped into things while trying to hide their power. It’s a very common trope now, the “I’m actually really powerful” trope.

The Shiunji Family Children

What would happen to a family if they found out they weren’t really related? That’s the premise of this romance anime, they find out that they aren’t related, and turns out that all the girls might figure out they kind of like one of their brothers. It sounds like a bad anime premise but the show is actually well done and a good romance anime.

Once Upon a Witch’s Death

A witch learns of their death, it’s going to happen no matter what in a year, unless they collect tears of joy. Well, that’s easier said than done, especially when you’re a teenage girl who has an attitude of a 30 year old man. It’s a heartfelt and fun show that uses humor around dealing with big events in a way I wouldn’t expect from an anime.

Witch Watch

An ogre is contracted to be a familiar for a witch. This witch, unknown to her, is slated to die in a year. Now that sounds pretty serious and very fantasy, well, an ogre is just a very powerful humanoid looking creature and it’s set in the “real world.” And the premise comes off more as a slice of life anime than anything else. This is a very cute and great show. Something that feels really different.

The Brilliant Healers New Life in the Shadows

I mentioned the super powerful trope, well here is another anime like that. The healer gets kicked out of the adventuring party her is in and sets up a clinic in the slums. But it turns out that he’s so ridiculously powerful that his life isn’t going to stay as normal as he hoped. It’s a classic trope at this point, but I like this anime as one that doesn’t fall too far down the trope path.

The Gorilla God’s Go To Gal

In a world where everyone gets a blessing our main character ends up with the blessing of the Gorilla God. It’s extremely rare but also makes her stand out and she doesn’t want to standout. This anime is another super powerful trope and is mixed with a nice romance/reverse harem without being a fan service anime. I really enjoy this anime as just a fun one to watch.

Yamada-Kun and the 7 Witches

Yamada-Kun is a tough guy, but when he accidentally switches bodies with the smartest girl in school hijinks, mystery, and romance occur. I think this anime is great because it does such a good job of blending everything. And it tells it’s story in just a short period of time.

Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie

I need to finish watching this one, but I paused because I think my wife will like it as well. But it’s a cute romance anime where the guy is a bad luck magnet and his awesome girlfriend is always there for him. It’s a wholesome romance and one that is just enjoyable to watch with low stakes.

Love Tyrant

Love Tyrant is a harem romance anime with a bunch of comedy in it. I found that there were times and characters who were fun, but overall it’s an anime that just repeats the same jokes over and over again. Love Tyrant is a background noise anime at best.

Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai

I read the first manga/arc of this a while ago. And I was surprised with how much I liked it, then I dove into the anime and Rascal doesn’t disappoint. This anime surprised me with how genuinely good it is and how it dives into this world of mysteries in an interesting way with great romance. The title doesn’t help it, but check it out.

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom

What happens if you get Isekai’ed into an Otome game, but instead of being the hero you are the villainess? That’s the plot of this anime and it’s one that is fine. It’s all about the main character trying to avoid the “doom flags” for her character that will lead to a bad ending. Of course everything she does changes the plot more than she’d expect. It’s a fine romance/harem/reverse harem anime.

Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World Season 2

I already reviewed the first season at least shortly. This is an action romance anime and it works well. The second season is almost as strong as the first. It takes the classic Romeo and Juliet sort of thing and works with it. I like it for a romance anime that doesn’t try and do too much, plus has some fun fights.

The Unaware Atelier Meister

See the super powerful trope again. This one is probably the most tiring of them that I watched. I am not 100% sure why I watched it all. It’s not bad it’s just really derivative. I want it to add something knew and it doesn’t.

Campfire Cooking in Another World With My Absurd Skill

What would life be like in another world if you could buy stuff and have it show up from your local corner store? Turns out a whole lot more powerful than you’d think. This is just a fun anime. Is it kind of background noise, sure, but it is also different.

Fruit of Evolution: Before I Knew It My Life Had It Made

A loser to winner story where the main character is a nobody and accidentally eats what is known as a Fruit of Evolution in a new world. It’s what you expect from an anime like this. It isn’t bad but also isn’t good.

The Ossan Newbie Adventurer Trained To Death By The Most Powerful Party Became Invincible

This one was way more fun than I expected it’d be. It is still the super powerful trope, but now you take it with an older character who is just starting out as an adventurer. Instead of it being a hot young upstart, he has years and wisdom on his side. So he just takes everything in stride. I love this anime. It’s a lot of tropes, but also just a lot of fun.

Tsukigakirei As The Moon, So Beautiful

Two quite kids fall in love. That is the basics of the plot. But there is more than that, and it’s just a fun time. It’s not really a slow burn romance too of will they won’t they which I really enjoyed.

How Not To Summon A Demon Lord

A person gets summoned to a game world when NPC’s in that world try and summon them. The spell bounces back on them, and now they are under the Demon Lord’s control. It’s not a great anime just one that I thought I should checkout. I think it is decent background noise.

Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything with Low-Level Spells

This one for some reason worked for me as a manga and as an anime. Again a weak to strong story where everyone abandons him but turns out his ability can be turned extremely powerful. I think it’s because he is a less jaded character than some in this sort of story. I this that Failure Frame is a fun anime.

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

Imagine getting stuck in a video game that you are making. That’s what happens to the main character, though it’s not like SAO (Sword Art Online) style of stuck, this is just a standard Isekai. I think that the anime is okay.

Isekai Cheat Magician

You get summoned to another world and you are very powerful. And your friend trying to save you from being summoned gets sent there too. This is a fun Isekai. I don’t know that I’d say seek it out, but I’d recommend it over some others on the list.

Wind Breaker

A tough guy wants to go to a tough school. Turns out that the tough school always has a heart and wants to protect their town. Wind Breaker is not an unexpected twist on what the main character expects but a nice one. I want to watch more of it, I just need to get back to it as Wind Breaker is a solid anime with good fights.

Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki Season 2

You already know that I love the first season. So I love that we got a second season and it didn’t disappoint. Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki might be my favorite anime so of course I love it.

I May Be A Guild Receptionist, But I’ll Solo Any Boss To Clock Out On Time

Super powerful, check. But this one again just falls into that category where it is just fun. The premise is that she doesn’t want to be a hero. She wants a nice normal job as a guild receptionist but the adventurers can’t take out the boss monsters. So she keeps on getting roped into fighting just in the hopes of avoiding overtime. I think this anime is fun with a really fun premise.

Solo Leveling Season 2

For me, I think that Season 2 of Solo Leveling might top Season 1. I like Solo Leveling a lot, both as a Manhwa and as an anime. The arc from season 2 I think starts to really create more depth for the main character. I think Solo Leveling is great.

Dr Stone

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one. Dr Stone is half a science show and half an adventure/survival anime. There are great heartfelt moments in it and still a lot of conflict between groups. I wish that some characters stuck around longer as main characters but that’s my main knock. Dr Stone is a good anime.

Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister

I like a lot of romance anime. Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister is a very good romance anime. And it’s not just who will he marry of these shrine maidens. There are good supernatural elements to it as well and you get to learn a lot about all the characters and what motivates them.

Mashle: Magic and Muscles Season 2

Another season 2 on the list, Mashle is always just a fun time. I really like it for what it is which is a lot of punching and fighting and crazy powers with a little plot in there as well.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Frieren is a masterpiece. I could stop at that. But the story of an elf who is beyond the main adventure and now is dealing with the mortality of the rest of her party and finding meaning in the world. I love it.

Masamune-Kun’s Revenge

Another not to hot anime. Though this one is a situation where the main character is maybe a bit wrong in what they are doing. After being betrayed for their feelings when they were younger, they wanted to get revenge by making that person fall for them later. It’s an entertaining anime that has a bit more plot than I expect it to. Not a stand-out but not bad.

The New Gate

I’ve read a lot of this manga. So for me this is a fun anime. The game world is over, you and logout now, aka SAO style world, but for the person who defeated the monster to end it all they are given a gate to a new world or so it might seem. It’s a fun but not all that unique anime.

In Another World with my Smartphone

Another Isekai but this time, what you had your smartphone? I heard a lot about this one I was underwhelmed by it. It’s not bad, it is just not all that exciting either.

2.5 Dimensional Seduction

This one surprised me in some ways. It tries to be a bit like My Dress-Up Darling that pulls off a lot of good conversation about cosplay and normalizing it. But this one is a bit more risque, somehow with a bit less plot to it. I think that 2.5 Dimensional Seduction is fun but not worth checking out over My Dress-Up Darling. Warning, lots of fan service.

Chained Soldier

Monsters in another world, a group of women to protect the real world from the monsters, and guys can’t get powers to do that unless they agree to basically become a slave. Doesn’t sound like a great premise, but somehow it turns into a harem anime with some fun fighting and more of a plot than I would expect. This one is fanservice forward like 2.5 Dimensional Seduction. But it’s a better story than I would expect.

From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman

The second old man but is actually really powerful anime. I’m not sure I like it as much as the Ossan Newbie Adventurer but it’s in that same line of anime. I really like the main character though, again it’s this wise, humble and kind hearted character that an older protagonist can give you. I enjoy this anime quite well.

Domestic Girlfriend

A romance anime where the guy sleeps with his step sister while being in love with the other step sister. Of course the sleeping with the step sister is before they are step siblings. And he doesn’t realize it’s the sister of his crush who happens to be his teacher. It’s a weird who is in love and what is acceptable anime story that apparently if it were to continue has an ending people don’t like. I thought at the anime was fine.

The Dreaming Boy is a Realist

One final one and it’s another romance. The main character professes his love to his love every day. And she always says no. After getting hit in the head by a ball and having an epiphany of what he’s doing he stops and just is focused on the main girls happiness. But it turns out that when he stops she finds that she might actually have feelings for him. So not it’s a will they won’t they. I think this one is fun and I like the weird premise for it.

Final Thoughts

So let’s count. I think I got them all and I don’t think I watched any one Netflix, which is where I’d likely miss them from. I did skip over Summertime Render which is on Disney+/Hulu because I wrote a review on that one already. That’s just 41 anime. So if you want 5 that I’d recommend:

1. Frieren
2. Solo Leveling
3. Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki
4. The Ossan Newbie Adventurer Trained To Death By The Most Powerful Party Became Invincible
5. The Apothecary Diaries

They aren’t in order. And I could come up with more that I’d recommend from the list as well. Is there one of the anime that catches your eye?

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The Plot of Summer Time Rendering (No Spoilers)

As it says, no spoilers in this section. You’ll just some synopsis of what you can see in that first episode and the theme of the show.

Shinpei is returning to his home island after going away to study in Tokyo. He hasn’t been back in two years, but when his friend passes away, one whom he’d grown up in her home after his parents died, he returned for the funeral. He didn’t plan on staying long. But on his journey there he has a bad dream that something is wrong. And when he gets there, there are a lot of things that tip him off that something isn’t as it should be. Is Ushio’s death really an accident or is there more going on?

What Doesn’t Work

I’m going to say that the end isn’t a 100% smash success for me in this series. It is still very good, but based off of where everything started and the twists and turns along the way, I’d have loved one more flashback element to it to just really flesh out the story and motivations.

I also want to say that I found the dub not completely consistent. By that I mean I think they got good voice actors doing the work for it. But how the audio comes across from some of the voice actors isn’t quite as consistent as I’d expect. It’s more of a situation where it sounds like one or two of the voice actors weren’t in a room where it was as well padded for sound as needed.

What Works

This is a time looping story, you get that right away in the show. And it uses it to great affect. It reminds me of something like Steins;Gate that way which I really enjoy that one as well. This one has some solid twists on it as well. It feels like it’s telling it’s own unique story as well.

The characters are very solid as well. I think that the main three characters, Shinpei, Ushio, and Mio are all well done. And the supporting character work is very good as well. The story does a good job of building up those supporting characters and while Shinpei and Ushio are the main characters with the most screen time, the rest feel like they impact the story a ton as well. Especially Hizaru is worked well into the story and given a lot to work with for those supporting characters.

Another aspect that I want to touch on is the mythology weaved into the story. I think that it was just great and really fleshed out the island and the superstitions there. I want to say that it gave me a Stephen King type feel in some of what it did with the mythology. Though, it did a better job of building it more and creating something that felt like there was a payoff in the end. While that payoff wasn’t 100% landed, I think it worked really well.

Who is Summer Time Rendering For?

If you like something that is a mystery, mythological, and spooky while still having emotional moments and heart to it, this is a solid show for that. I won’t way it’s a direct comparison, but there are elements of what the story does that remind me of Stranger Things. The question of who knows what is happening and who believes the kids is important to this story. And it also has that unsettling feeling that you get from Stranger Things and Steins;Gate.

My Final Thoughts on Summertime Rendering (Spoilers)

First off, I did really enjoy the show. My issues with it are minor. In particular with the voice work. I think that it was well done, it was just not mixed or recorded quite properly. Though that element of it does give it an unsettling feeling as well. The best way I can describe it is that it feels like there is too much empty space and you can just hear and feel that. Which, in a lot of the ways works with the story.

The Time Travel

Let’s talk about the story as well. The time travel is well done. I said that before and I’m sure I’ll say it again. But it works for the show. And I love how it works. The system is simple enough, Shinpei getting the power makes sense. It is the idea that this is a closed loop in some ways, while the world is still changing in others. The end is always decided but it works because you don’t really feel that until the end.

The fact that Shinpei has to die to reset the loop is great for the story as well. And when Ushio and Hiruko start traveling with him as well, that is an added element to the story. Especially with Hiruko it really ups the tension when we as the viewer start to understand that Hiruko is now so tied into the time loop.

Finally with the time travel, I like how the loop shortens every time. That means that Shinpei becomes more and more limited as to what he can change. When it stays longer, like in Steins;Gate it plays around more with the depressing and hopeless feeling aspect of it. But in Summer Time Rendering with the shortening loop you feel the stress and the tension more as more and more events become locked into place.

The Mythology

Since we’re talking about Hiroku/Haine, I think it’s great to talk about the horror and mythology that the story creates. This idea of these shadow people. Haine creating some to really save the island originally but it not just being that. That now these shadows copy people and are used to replace people is really interesting and horrifying. The tell for if they are are a shadow or not also works really well. The idea that the shadow doesn’t care about the “body” but they don’t want people to touch the shadow is great.

And the idea of Haine and how she came from this other land out of time is interesting as well. This idea that she lived in the ocean for a long time after crashing to Earth and only when she beached herself as a whale did she become a “god” so to speak. But at the same time while she is the god of the island, she is also just a little girl. And seeing those interaction with Hizuru really change how you see Hiroku/Haine.

Final Grade

I really like this type of anime or show. I don’t want to watch the likes of it all the time. But when I’m in the mood I really enjoy something that just leaves me feeling unsettled. And while it ends good with just little fragments and memories and people reconnecting, it doesn’t feel like that’s a big miss from the show. Nor does that make a ton of sense. It’s kind of like how most seasons of Stranger Things end with them “winning”.

And the journey along the way for Summer Time Rendering is just so well done. And, yes, I’m saying it again. The time travel just works so well and it sells me on the show. Another example I could give of this great and unsettling time travel is Dark. Summer Time Rendering isn’t as dark as Dark, but I think there are times it is as unsettling.

My Grade: A-

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What Were 2024’s Resolutions?

I just did Board Game ones which you can read here.

Play Unplayed Games – I did okay with this one. I played quite a number of new to me games last year. I played 81 new games, so that did put a dent into my unplayed games. However, that is also going to include games from Gen Con that I played. And there are certainly games that I added throughout the year as well. So we’ll call this one a wash, I did some but I could and can do more. And I did say that my target for unplayed games was 75 to play, so I hit that number.

Buy Trading Cards/Games with Store Credit – I won’t lie, both of these fell off fairly quickly. Now, not completely. I do feel like I purchased fewer games overall without store credit. But there are certainly a number that I did purchase. Also trading cards, not so much. But I managed a couple of good sales of games through trading them in or through a board game sale.

2025 Nerds-Year Resolutions

So let’s talk about this upcoming year. What resolutions do I have, or goals am I trying to set for myself when it comes to nerdy things. Let’s be clear, it’s mainly going to be around board games, but I want to give myself some different challenges than previous years.

Prototype Game Idea/Work On Other Idea

I have two game ideas that I want to continue to work on. Both of these are of course board games. I have stuff to prototype one of them. i just need to get to it and get some prototypes into the wild and get people playtesting them. Because I would love to get a board game created at some point in time. Even if it’s just something that I use Game Crafter for, great resource by the way, and have fun with. Plus I have a bigger idea that I want to keep working on, it’s going to be a big passion project if it ever get completed, but I want to try.

Learn A New Game Per Week

Thanks to Board Game Arena this should be pretty easy for me to do. But I want to learn and play a new game on there, or in person, per week. Now, this is going to be different than last years goal. Last years goal was simply to play new games. With this I want to be intentional about learning something new. This is the first full week so a great time to start this one.

Watch Seven New Anime

I think this is setting the goal low for me. But I want to watch more new anime. I am pretty sure that I crushed that resolution this past year. But I want to keep it up. Especially since I know that I will have a lot anime returning in 2025 that I want to watch. So if I want to get to this goal of seven, I need make sure that I make time to watch new stuff as well.

Read 100 Marvel Comic Issues

This one is probably going to low again. But I know myself. I go in runs with this, and I want to be very intentional about it. I want to read more comics this year. That said, I am off to a solid start by reading a bunch of Ultimate Spider-Man comics by Brian Michael Bendis. So I want to keep on building on that.

And a sub resolution to this one. I want to put out comic book content videos on 10 Minute Marvel. Basically, with this reading, I want to use it to help grow that channel and see that continued growth be around news, rumors, comics, and more, but the additional content being around what is in different books, and what is worth checking out or themes and stories worth checking out.

Four Videos a Week on 10 Minute Marvel and Four on Malts and Meeples

So this is changing up the numbers slightly from what they were last year. I ended doing three on Malts and Meeples and five on 10 Minute Marvel. I still want to do five on 10 Minute Marvel. But that might be for the channel and if my co-host does one per week, fingers crossed that habit gets started, that can mean I do four. But also, I want to start doing more not live content on Malts and Meeples. I love my live game plays and that schedule will stay the same, but one uploaded video per week is my goal beyond the live stuff.

How About You?

What are your resolutions around nerdy things for 2025? Let me know in the comments section below.

I definitely set a few more harder/more challenging goals this year. In particular around videos, but I hope that I can hit some of them and at least start off strong with them. Because I want to keep this website growing and the YouTube channels as well.

I did drop off some this year around Gen Con because my goal is just to go, play games and have fun. And that’s going to be my goal for a long time. We’ll see if I make it any other cons, but I don’t want to assume or overextend myself with them.

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