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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How to Play Captain Tsubasa

Captain Tsubasa The Card Game is a back and forth card playing game where players take turns being on the attack or defending to score goals. Determining if you score a goal or not comes down to comparing numbers. But how do you get those numbers?

Creating Your Hand

At the start of each round players draft cards from a center row. These are your first half strategies or second half adjustments as you look at them. So it can be things like a yellow card or a coaching decision of some sort. Starting with the defending player they select a card to add to four cards from their deck. And each deck is one of the teams of the Captain Tsubasa anime. Then the attacking player selects a card to add to their hand.

Card Play

Then starting with the attacking player they play out a card and activate abilities. Cards generally have a few different things on them. Shooting, passing, and defending are the main stats on the card. And those will help determine how well you do your action, passing or shooting when you are the attacker, or defending when you are the defender.

Cards also have special powers. Some of these are play an extra card or draw a card. Or you maybe remove that card from your deck. Some cards also let you get tokens. These tokens persist and you use them throughout the game when you want to alter the value of your action.

Resolving Actions

Once nine cards have been played or both players pass players then total up their value for their action. Tokens can be spent to increase the value by one per token. And finally, both players roll a die and add that to their value. Whomever is higher is the winner and in the case of the tie the attacking player wins.

The attacker does have a choice. When they select their action they pick either pass or shoot. If they succeed or fail when shooting the ball the opponent becomes the attacking player. But if they choose to pass and successfully pass, then they maintain the ball and are the attacker.

Special Cards

Some cards do have special abilities. Some of these can be one time use. It is the anime-esque special shots where players pick a card and compare. If you select the same card the shot is blocked if not the shot is saved.

There are other cards that are one time use as well such as yellow card. That card is going to give a player negative one to all their values until they can deal with it. This comes in form of a card that you can draft which is going to be eliminated but thematically is substituting a player off the pitch who has that card. And there are more of these special cards an powers as well to learn as you play.

Winning

There are six rounds per half. So twelve total rounds in the match with the possibility of overtime if the game ends in a tie. Once overtime is done if the game is still tied players share the victory. Otherwise the winner is determined by who scored the most goals in the game.

What Doesn’t Work

The game is limited in variety, now that is just the base way of playing the game. It is possible to play in other ways where you play with a bench and can substitute your players. That is going to provide some variety. But for me, I wish there was a touch more variety in the cards that you pick for your extra cards for first half or second half. Second half cards are generally better but often times the same for the most part.

What Works

Game Length

The game play is nice and tight in this game. The decisions are more impactful than I actually expected them to be. And you need to think about what cards make sense. The fact that it is only nine cards total per round means that you can create situations where you play six of those nine cards. But is it going to be enough?

The game is also the right length. I think in person it is not going to be too terribly long. The rounds go quickly and while there is a bit to do, because of the low scoring nature of the game, you feel invested the whole time.

The Dice

I like the little bit of randomness for the game as well. There is a card you can select that lets you reroll that die. But that little bit of randomness, a random bounce in a game of soccer keeps the scores more soccer like. And that helps with the tension of the game. Sports games are often hard to do because you lose the pace and tension, but that die roll that happens a few times a game helps keep the tension in the game.

Shooting or Passing

The choice of shooting or passing works as well. Sometimes you feel like you might be able to get a shot through but you need the die to do the right thing for you. But your passing score is higher, in which case, you might want to just pass the ball. Or late game, can you maintain the ball as the attacking player if you are in the lead. That is truly thematic to soccer so I love that element for the game.

Card Play

Finally, I think that the card play works well. Nothing is too much on the cards and if often makes you think about what you want to do. One strategy I haven’t messed around with too much is thinning out your deck of cards. But I think that is a very viable strategy. There are players who are maybe a one for everything, shooting, passing, and defending, but also let you draw a card and then lose that card from your deck. So it is a strategy to clear out some of those cards if you’ve built a different or better deck.

Who is Captain Tsubasa The Card Game For?

This is maybe the most challenging question. Captain Tsubasa is not a new anime so I don’t think it’s for anime fans. Not a ton of people will go back and check it out. So maybe for people who already love that anime or already love soccer. But sports games generally find a more limited appeal for board gamers. I think it is good enough of a game that people who want a different feeling two player game should check it out, but the theme might be a harder sell.

Final Thoughts and Grade on Captain Tsubasa

I love trying new two player games on Board Game Arena. And I honestly went into this game with low expectations. A lot of anime based games are not that great. Though, I think that is an area that if it can be opened up to a larger publishing front it can improve. But Captain Tsubasa really works as a game and while it isn’t a perfect one to one with soccer, I think it hits some key elements.

The biggest being that the score is almost always low. That is going to be what gives it that best soccer feel. And even when you set yourself up for a great opportunity to score, you still might not. Again that is that soccer feel.

When I rated it on BGG (Board Game Geek), I looked to see if there is going to be an English version. Right now the only way to play it in English is to play it on BGA. And yes, one is coming. So I think I want to pick it up because it is that enjoyable a game and something that to me feels different in the space of a two player game. Yes, it is that normal two player back and forth thing, but it works really well.

My Grade: B+
Gamer Grade: B-
Casual Grade: C
Strategy (out of 10): 7
Luck (out of 10): 5

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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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Campaign Ideas

We are currently in the Campaign Ideas phase. You can see how I simplify that here. But right now I wan to come up with a few campaigns that could set-up for the next story. And in particular, I want to create the elevator pitches for them.

Now, when I think about coming up with an idea, there is an intimidation element to it. What is going to make a great epic story for a longer campaign? But I think it’s fair for people to borrow ideas from everywhere. So whether that’s a movie, an anime, a book, folklore, whatever it might be, borrow it to help generate ideas. There is a difference between weaving elements into a bigger narrative that show-up elsewhere.

So let’s get down to some ideas.

The End is Known

For ten years there has been war with the demons. No one knows how it started, but demons and devils poured forth from the hells working together. And now only a small band of heroes remains having battled and felt loss over the years. They face off against one last devil, Asmodeus stands before them, and they quake. Asmodeus speaks and it’s all over.

You awake with a new vague memory in your head. A voice that wasn’t there before. It says, something bad is going to be happening. It’s coming, the monsters are coming. But you look outside your window and it’s normal. It’s just another day in your life and nothing seems worse, except for this voice and this vague memory of a devil speaking some incantation. This one is inspired by a LitRPG book I listened to, couldn’t find the title of it, and A Returners Magic Should Be Special.

Notes: This is both the end and the elevator pitch all wrapped into one. The characters kind of know what the end is. But how will these characters now become heroes who can deal with what is coming. And what do they believe, do they believe that is coming or not?

The Puppetmaster

It’s a world of legends and stories. But new stories keep on popping up and they are similar to old stories that you’ve heard before. A magic lamp, three bears living in a house, and wolves, oh so many wolves. The stories are just that, though, right? They are just stories, it can’t be something real.

Notes: Short and sweet pitch here. Not much to set-up, the world matters less for this one, and I wouldn’t even use the title because it’s going to give away some of what the end might be. But this is a question of what if the fairytale world came to life and it wasn’t the happy stories that we know, but the bears, wolves, and everything is now out to kill you?

The Monster Within

The wrought iron gates clanged as a strong wind howled down from the north. It shook the window panes with an unsettling rattle. But neither the clanging of the gate or the rattle of the window were what drew your attention. On the wind there was a song of melancholy and despair. The words couldn’t be made out, but you knew that they came from the castle up on the mountain. There was a narrow cart path leading up there, and that is where you needed to go, because, there was a monster up there who needed to be dealt with.

Notes: This one is going to be a bit different. Clearly I’m going for a gothic horror vibe for it. But I want to go more monster of the week with it. I enjoy the monster of a week trope and it’s going to lean into that with beasts like werewolves, vampires, and other creations that are well fitting for a Curse of Strahd type setting. What does the end game on this one look like? Honestly, it could look like Strahd or some vampire lord, or even work up to a Lich lord who is controlling things.

Time of Legends

No one would mistake you for the heroes of old. They are now something of legend as were the monsters they faced. The demons of old were locked away. How do you know, because you live right outside one of those dungeons. Something strong is starting to happen around the dungeon though. The terrain is changing and you don’t know why. Some thing it is a sign that the seals are weakening. But if that’s the case, who is supposed to stop them. You are tasked to find those heroes from one of the larger towns and are sent out with provisions, a map, a well wishes.

Notes: The obvious thing here is that the seal is weakening on the dungeons. The second obvious thing is that these are the heroes who are needed. But while the players will know that I know that and you know that, the characters wouldn’t. Why think that they are heroes when they just lead normal lives? And the in the big town, that is there real heroes live and fight in wars for kings and defend against assassins and cast amazing spells. This one steals form a lot of anime. I’m not going full Last Dungeon Town (etc etc) where they are super powerful, but they might find that city heroes aren’t what they think.

What’s the Next Step for this Dungeons and Dragons Campaign?

The next step is pitching the idea to the players. We spun up a Discord Server to share links and notes from the last session. So I plan to drop all of the options in there today with any tweaks that I want. And then the players will get to decide what campaign sounds the most interesting to them. If I ran a game for you, which one would you want to pick?

As the Dungeon Master, I like the idea of them all obviously. But I think that if I were a player, I like the sound of the first and the last the best. The other two feel more monster of the week whereas the first and last feel like they are going to lead to a more epic end. But let me know your pick on the Facebook post or down in the comment section below.

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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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Monolith Revolution

Champions of Rokugan

This is going to be a game set in the L5R (Legends of the 5 Rings) universe. This is cool. It’s going to be a cooperative game. And I’m very interested in this game. I love the Japanese theming of the game with L5R. And one cool element is the idea of honor. This is important for the RPG, but it’s going to be important in the game as well. I’m super interested and the minis look great. I hope that this has a great rulebook. I’ll save that for the end, but Monolith isn’t known for the best rulebooks.

This is going to be a dice based game which is going to determine how you play different actions out there. This is going to feel a bit more like a miniatures game as well, which I think is interesting for me. I’m going to be curious about how it balances board game or miniature game.

Follow the campaign here.

Berserk: The Board Game

Oh man, this is an interesting one. I did watch the original anime of Berserk which is crazy and intense. But it’s a very dark manga and anime, so I’m kind of interested and kind of not. I want to know how it is going to work as a game.

This is going to be a cooperative game. You are playing out cards to with hand management is nice as well, and then attack dice for combat. It’s interesting because you’ll be able to play as a campaign game or as one off scenarios. That’s a nice element for the game as well. And the more cards you play, you lose fatigue, so it’s going to be a nice balancing act of pushing more actions at time or not.

Follow the campaign here.

Reichbusters Reloaded

This one is coming up on April 2nd. This one you can see some stuff around now. And it’s a game that you might know about. I actually owned this game when it was with Mythic Games. I’m curious to know what is going to be changed. They are trying to improve things with fewer keywords and the noise system is going to be better. It sounds like they have taken the feedback and improved things a lot.

Honestly, this might be the point where I dive back in. I love the idea of the weird world war setting. And who doesn’t want to go in and blast away or maybe sneak around. And the improvements really make it sound a ton easier to play. It’s still going to be a similar game but it’s going to be faster. Overall it sounds like it’ll be faster in almost every way from set-up to turns. And if you own the previous game you can grab upgrade packs.

Follow the campaign here.

Mythic Battles: The Roleplaying Game

This is going to be an RPG like it says. If you’re not familiar with what Mythic Battles is, this was originally a board game where you would play as gods and throw trees at each and basically have a big throwdown. It’s interesting that they are bringing in an RPG. For me this one is less interesting for me. I do enjoy running and playing an RPG, but I’m sticking with Dungeons and Dragons and the Marvel RPG system, which I still need to try. But if you want a different idea, I think this is going to be interesting.

Follow the campaign here.

Final Thoughts

Which one is the one that interests you the most? For me, Reichbusters is definitely the most interesting. The Reichbusters game was one that always interested me, but I made the mistake of getting too much to start. Now I want to get this new core box and play that game, keep it simple is my new theory for a lot of games.

Berserk and Champions of Rokugan interest me as well. Berserk though, I think that I’ll pass on it. Mainly because it’s such a dark setting, it’s amazing, but it’s so dark. I don’t love to steep myself in something that dark. For Champions of Rokugan, I want to know more about how the game plays. Is this a miniatures game, is this a board game, where does it land on that?

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Top 10 Anime of 2024

10. Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian

This was one of the bigger anime during the summer season, I believe, because it was a cute romance anime with an interesting premise. Alya has feelings for the protagonist, but she also doesn’t really want to say anything. So she says them in Russian, all of that makes sense from the title, unknown to her, her happens to speak Russian. He had learned it as a kid because he had a childhood friend for a few years who spoke Russian as well, but he can’t remember who it was. Turns out it’s Alya’s older sister, but this is the pretty standard, but cute, high school romance anime.

9. Tower of God

Now, I will caveat this and say, I haven’t caught up on the second season yet. But the first season was really enjoyable. I read the webtoon/manhwa for Tower of God and enjoyed that as well. And I think the story is very well translated to the screen. I’ve heard that the second season maybe doesn’t have as good animation, but the first season is really good. And the premise of this anime, this getting out of the dark and climbing the tower to find the person you care about, it’s well done. The characters have complexity and the whole story is just enjoyable.

8. Oshi No Ko

Now we go to an anime that feels very anime like, but also different. It’s different in that there are elements of this show that’s a mystery. And of course, it’s odd that because the two main characters are reincarnated as the twins of the Idol that they love. I like how the anime and manga don’t really hide from the more questionable sides of the Idol industry and the entertainment industry as it tells the story. And the mystery element is interesting as well and offers some good challenges for the main character.

7. Horimiya

Horimiya is one of my favorite manga that I’ve read. I really enjoy the dynamic between the couple and just how wholesome the whole thing is. And they do a good job of translating at into the anime. They do some odd stuff with the anime in that they condense it and skip arcs and storylines in this teen romance again. But I appreciate that the main characters fall for each other quickly and there isn’t a ton of back and forth of will they won’t they nor is it a harem where all the girls like the main character. It’s just that good wholesome romance.

6. Sign of Affection

And speaking of a good wholesome romance anime, Sign of Affection is amazing for that. The story is of a deaf girl and her falling in love with a guy, and the guy falling in love with her. But it’s just this heartfelt story for them, and it feels like a real relationship. Yes, there is some jealousy and an attempted love triangle in it, but for the most part it’s just this great story about a wholesome relationship. And the male lead, they do a good job of creating a character who puts in so much effort, like learning sign language, that it’s just even more wholesome.

5. Solo Leveling

Now we move into action with Solo Leveling. I am pretty sure that this was my most anticipated anime of 2024 and it really didn’t disappoint. I like Solo Leveling a lot, but there are a few that make it higher that I watched. The animation for this show is great and it stays true enough to the story. It really gives you some iconic moments from the manhwa and it does a good job with them. I enjoy the premise as well of that weaker character becoming strong, but not becoming an edge lord in the process.

4. Kaguya-Sama: Love is War

The final romance on the list is an anime that’s been out for a little bit, but I love this one. It’s so fast with the characters spitting back and forth insults and romance at the same speed. All because the two most popular and powerful kids in the school are in love with each other. But if either of them breaks and admits it to the other, it’s a sign of weakness and the other will have power, that’s their worry anyways. It’s really fun and funny and Ian Sinclair as the narrator is amazing in this, he goes so hard on being over the top and comedic.

3. Shangri-La Frontier

The top three are all ones that I assumed that I’d like because I like the manga lot for all of them. Shangri-La Frontier is no exception, clearly, and I appreciate this one as a video game anime. I love how the video game is highly developed in this anime as well. It makes it feel more immersive, and you get little bits of the real world and real world elements affecting the game, but it’s much more focused on the game itself.

The main character is fun as well, I appreciate as well that he just wants to have fun. It could be a serious gamer, but not. He is a trash gamer, plays bad games, and now he’s just trying out an amazing game. And his two gaming friends are entertaining as well as they give each other a hard time. Even the NPC companions that he has are great.

2. Dandadan

Dandadan is so close to being my top anime of the year, it was really a coin flip between two for me. But I enjoy how absurd this one is, and then how it had an amazing heartfelt moment in it as well. The premise is just goofy. Ken believes in aliens. Momo believes in spirits. They don’t believe in the thing the other believes in. They both challenge the other to go to spots where aliens and spirits are seen. And, well, they both turn out to be right. And it gets crazier from there. The animation is amazing, and like I said, it has some beautiful moments as well. This is romance, comedy, adventure, supernatural all in one.

1. Kaiju No. 8

Finally, my top is Kaiju No. 8. I love this one because Kafka is a dummy but a great character. He’s washed up just fine with working in kaiju disposal. He takes one last crack at the defense force and, well, with a little bit of help from being infected by a kaiju, he’s able to make it. It’s all about his challenge and striving to be a hero and be able to be at his friends side. Of course, his friend is the most powerful kaiju hunter out there.

The cast of characters is a blast as well in this anime. Kafka, like I said, is a dummy, but he has this heart of gold. Mina is stand off-ish but it’s a tough shell. Reno I love as a character because he wants to be tough and cool. He thinks that he can do it all but develops such a soft spot for Kafka and helping him along and worrying about him, as one of the people who knows he’s infected, it’s amazing. And Kikoru is the prodigy that everyone is chasing down. But also is a character with more depth. It’s just such a fun show with everyone, plus great kaiju fighting action and gross kaiju clean-up.

Final Thoughts

I made it through 10, and I should be able to skip honorable mentions. But I want to talk about a few more that I really enjoyed as well. Both Mushoku Tensei and Tsukimichi Moonlit Fantasy are fun isekai to checkout. And I found some enjoyable comedy romances with things like The Quintessential Quintuplets, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really Really Really Really Really Love You and My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU. Those three are all just good fun with The 100 Girlfriends Who Really Really Really Really Really Love You having such an absurd premise.

What is your favorite anime that you watched in 2024? Based off of my tastes, at least from this list, are there any that I should really checkout?

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Anime Round-up

Shangri-la Frontier Season 2

The second season is currently coming out and I’ve been enjoying it a lot again. I really enjoy the manga so I expected to enjoy this as well. We’ve gotten beyond the first big battle and now are into progressing more of the plot of the game. I still really enjoy that aspect of the story. It seems like the author has put a good amount of thought into that and the anime is staying true to what has been in the manga. If you didn’t like season one, though, of Shangri-la Frontier, this season isn’t going to change your mind.

Dandadan

My favorite that I’ve watched, and I think I wrote about the manga already. But I love the premise of this one. Momo doesn’t believe in aliens. Ken doesn’t believe in ghosts. They both believe in the thing that the other doesn’t and they challenge each other to find out if they are real. The premise is silly, and the whole story is goofy with a lot of Japanese lore thrown into it. It’s a fun coming of age story and experience with some heartfelt moments, a lot of comedy, and of course aliens and spirits and ghosts.

Oshi No Ko

The hit two years ago now, Oshi No Ko is an interesting mystery story of the death of an Idol the Idol’s sons attempt to try and track down the person who put the crazy fan up to it. The story is interestingly done and I appreciate how it sheds like on the seedy and hard and corrupt elements of the Idol business but also just of show business in general.

Of course it has weird anime elements like the son actually being the doctor who was supposed to deliver the babies but was killed before that happened reincarnated as one of the idols twins and a kid who the doctor had treated and who had passed away being the other.

Eminence in Shadow

This is another manga that I’ve enjoyed pretty well. The story is an isekai which I tend to enjoy. The main character intentionally trying to control everything from the background, to be a vigilante hero but more than that, to be a puppet master of everything behind the scenes. When he ends up in another world, he wants to continue to build upon that, since there is magic here. And he creates a shadow organization around a story that he makes up. But turns out that the story is way more real than he’d think, and in fact, he struggles with actually believing that it’s real, which is an interesting element to what’s being told.

RE:Zero

RE:Zero is an anime that I’m going to take a pause on, at least for a little while. It’s, honestly, just not that great. The premise is an interesting one and an isekai, but the main character is just frustrating. And the story progresses in okay ways, but generally they don’t use the interesting element or unique element that well. That is that the main character, when he dies, he restarts from a changing save point until h e gets things right. And I like that element of the story and just what that could do to a character. But generally it’s made him more whiny than anything and the story suffers because of that.

Arifureta

Another one that I started to read but then gave up on if Arifureta. I think that the anime is better, though it is also an anime that I find makes good background noise. A character with a seemingly pointless ability is abandoned by his classmates, but turns out that his ability is great. And with the harem that he creates around him, he becomes more powerful than anyone really. He is also not that great a character, though less of an edge lord than it might sound. I wish that this anime was less trope heavy, but because it is so trope heavy, it just makes a good background watching one.

My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU

Now for something different in the anime realm. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU is a lot of fun and very light hearted. A main character who is just kind of a boring background character with no ambitions in life is sent to get from a club that helps people and he joins the club. He and the other person in the club are very different. But the story is just fun and silly and it’s kind of that odd couple group that is created in the club. And the characters ways of handling the requests for help almost always end up working, but not in a way that is great.

My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered

Final anime is one that is an isekai as well. though, the possibility to return to Earth seems to remain open. It’s a story of a character is again extremely over powered. His ability is instant death. He is somewhat hesitant to use it though. But I feel like in every episode he does. He just wants to get back home. And the world has these evil gods in it too. And the rest of his classmates are there, most with powers. The story is oddly complex for something that is generally a lighter hearted show.

Final Thoughts

Out of all of these I do like Dandadan the best, though Shangri-la Frontier is still a lot of fun for me as well. Some of them we’ll see if I continue. But ones like My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, Oshi No Ko, and My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered I’m likely to keep watching. I find them to be a lot of fun still.

What anime should I check out next? The nice thing is a new season starts soon. And with that Solo Leveling is coming back. So I am excited to watch more of that one. But what’s a good comedy anime I should checkout?

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