The Start

I started off on a random day out of options for things to watch, and decided to checkout what "Delicious in Dungeon", or Dungeon Meshi was all about. I was never averse to anime, just hadn't seen any and this was about to change that.

It would be an understatement to say that I liked it, In fact it was so good that I had to look up when the next season was going to be released. Like a child who has just discovered walking, I moved onto my next show SpyxFamily, which again was quite fun and heartwarming to say the least.

After SpyxFamily, its like a blur, although it has only been 8 months, I have probably finished at least 50 anime shows (or I will find out as I write more of this to recollect everything I have seen)

Dungeon Meshi

Also known as "Delicious in Dungeon" on netflix, We follow our protagonist Laios, into a mystical dungeon where the dead can be revived if their body is found. Laios is looking for his sister who saved the remaining team by teleporting them out at the right moment while she got eaten by a dragon on lower floor, he is on a time limit since he has to slay the dragon before his sister gets digested. As his luck would have it, he is out of money and half of his crew is gone, down from 6 to 3, but he presses on, for his sister.

Being an avid connoissior of monsters, he decides to venture forth into the dungeon, eating whatever he monsters he kills. However, his allies, Marcielle, a half-elf magician, and Chilchuk, a rogue halfling, are not very thrilled with that idea but still continue with Laios to help find his sister. Fortunately, they meet Senshi, a dwarf warrior, who has been doing this for years and quickly shows them how they can make delicious food in the dungeon (hehe I said it). I won't give more details for the story (besides the basic premise I outlines) as the story is told beautifully in which each character fits together like a precision-machined component.

I would rate this a very solid 9/10, docking 1 point for not having more seasons, this is a fantastic show with awesome worldbuilding and comedy.

SpyXFamily

As the name suggests, its a about a spy who has taken a family for his mission, but the catch is that his family members are not any less interesting! We follow Loid Forger, or codename Twilight, as he is tasked to infiltrate the Desmond inner circle. In order to fulfill his mission, he has to create a fake family with a young child who can get into Eden Academy, the most prestigious school in the country, and score 8 stella stars to be allowed into an exclusive event where Desmond will attend. Loid picks an unsuspecting girl named Anya, secretly an ESPer who can read thoughts, and Yor Forger, a humble woman working at City hall but secretly an Assassin dubbed the "Thorn Princess".

We follow around the adventures of Loid and Anya alternating between some really cool action and top class humour. Anya, despite from being a mind reader, is still a child and gets into funny situations at the school, mostly because of her not being very bright.

I would rate this show a 9/10 as well, because the show peaks too early in season 2 and has fallen off a bit in season 3. But SpyXFamily is a great watch and I would highly recommend it.

Smoking behind the Supermarket with You

The title understates how meticulous the simplicity of the show is, that might sound like an oxymoron but trust me, the 4.9 rating is very well deserved. The story is about Sasaki San, an almost 40 year old working at yet another soul sucking sales job, but he endures this because of Yamada San who works at a supermarket and has the most cheerful and brightening personality which always cheers up Sasaki. He visits the supa everyday and buys the same thing, although he doesn’t need it just to see Yamada everyday.

One day he is urging for a smoke when a certain Tayama invites him to smoke behind the supermarket, she is the opposite of Yamada, very goth with piercings and talks quite rough. But if you have seen Rab ne bana di Jodi then you would realize that these two are the same people, just two different sides.

The entire show is about how their meetings have a positive impact on each other’s lives, and is a very heartwarming watch. I would rate it a very solid 8/10, a comfort watch for when you are overwhelmed at your job and can live vicariously through Sasaki or Yamada, just waiting for that one moment in the day where they get to enjoy each other’s company.

Horimiya

This is a classic you would find on every top anime list, and rightfully so. Although this predates Kaguya Sama, this definitely gives the same vibe where the story spans more than the protagonists, we explore subplots other characters very well.

I think this is one of the very few animes without a very special plot, it’s just some high school kids exploring and learning about love, how to deal with their feelings and moving on. The protagonists are strong but so are all the supporting cast.

I would rate it a solid 8/10, an interesting story you would want to see if you like romance or haven’t explored your feelings. It has great character development and a comforting story.

The Apothecary Diaries

If you like strong protagonists, not just physically skilled but who possess a greater mental fortitude, then you will absolutely enjoy Maomao going around solving very interesting problems in the Jade palace. If that didn’t intrigue you enough, the romance is another strong suit of the writer, and you might just be hooked on how Jinshi will get his feelings for her through that dense head of hers.

Still not intrigued enough? This is not a show with just one off adventures but also ties everything together amazingly and leaves you simply awestruck with how writing can be done so brilliantly.

Unlike my other reviews, I won’t tell you a lick of the story because I don’t want to spoil even one percent of what is an absolute masterpiece of a show. I will rate this 10/10, no matter who you are, you are going to enjoy it. The only small problem with this show would be that it is absolutely for adults with prostitution, pedophillia and other concepts you just can’t watch with your kids.

Kaiju No. 8

Japanese writers know how to do superpowers really well, and this is another brilliant entry into that list. We get to follow Kafka Hibino who has almost given up on his dream to join the defense force get another shot at his dream but there is a problem, he is now a kaiju himself and knows that the force wouldn’t let that slide.

This is an amazing story about dreams, friendship and duty, questioning whether self is more important than one’s country. Although that sounded philosophical, it most definitely has great action sequences merging traditional and modern fighting techniques.

I would rate this an overall 9/10, well put together story, characters’ individual stories are explored and tie the sequences together. The only reason I am docking a point is because the season 2 cuts very abruptly and sometimes the screenplay just loses the viewer because of where it chooses to cut. But I would highly recommend this to enjoyers of My Hero Academia and other superhero stories.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

This is yet another classic in the mystery genre.