Tag: My Anime List

Wise Man’s Grandchild

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

I’m watching Wise Man’s Grandchild (Kenja no Mago) on VRV / Crunchyroll. It follows the adventures of Shin Wolford, the adopted grandchild of Merlin Wolford. Shin has a natural magic ability, that has grown under his grandfather’s tutelage at their secluded home in the mountains. The relationship the two share, is full of love, support, and appreciation.

He also learned the art of sword fighting from Mr. Michel, and how to enhance his gear from the grandmother figure in his life, Melinda (it says “Melida” in the subtitles for some reason). At 15, it’s decided that he will attend a magic academy, so he can learn to socialize with his peers, integrate into society, and practice constraint with his abilities. Shin and his grandparents move, so they are closer to his school. He meets Sizilien and is immediately smitten with her.

Later, when they’re doing a joint exercise with the knight academy, you can see how frustrated Shin is seeing the other fellows fawning over her. But lucky for him, he can take his frustrations out on the demons they have to battle!

Wise Man’s Grandchild, has supernatural elements, romance, humor, family, and friendship. It highlights character traits like humility, integrity, and loyalty. Shin is a very likeable character, and his relationship with his grandparents is touching. Below are scenes from the hot springs episode, where they thank the students for becoming friends with Shin.

Yes, I wanted to hear her tips too! Apparently it’s the treadmill lol.

I’m halfway done with the season, and I’m enjoying it. If you’re looking for a fairly wholesome watch, definitely give this one a try!

Nevin’s Final Dream

My Mom loves The Ancient Magus’ Bride / Mahoutsukai no Yome. I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I gave it a chance, and I’m so glad I did. It has elements of magic, mystery, and the supernatural. I’m only on episode three, but it was my favorite episode (so far!).

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

https://myanimelist.net/anime/35062/Mahoutsukai_no_Yome

Chise, through life circumstances, finds herself with Elias. He makes her his apprentice, and she learns about magic, and more about herself. What felt like a curse, is becoming a strength, as she’s now with people who support and nurture her abilities. Before living with Elias, the Magus, Chise felt isolated, depressed, and unloved. As I’m only episode three, we haven’t learned much about her, but most of what we’ve seen has been painful. While working on Mage matters with Elias, Chise meets a dragon named Nevin. We only know him a brief time, but the anime does a wonderful job of connecting us to him. As a being who has lived hundreds of years, Nevin gives us guidance to reflect upon. Chise’s vulnerability, and the inadvertent sharing of her pain, make Nevin’s words even more poignant. Because we don’t get the hundreds of years Nevin does, it makes our human lives that much more precious. His final dream, which he shares with Chise and us, is beautiful, and a reminder of how wonderful the world can be.

What makes life worthwhile? How does one build resilience and perseverance for the challenging times? Or the ability to overcome pain? I have regret, and pain I’ve inflicted upon others I wish I could take back. Hopefully those sides of ourselves can find peace and healing, as well as those we may’ve hurt (intentional or not). Why do the important parts of life get buried in the day to day affairs? How do we stay present, so we don’t miss the good stuff, the stuff that truly matters? If the ultimate goal of a happy life is to give love abundantly, and to be open to receiving it in return, why does it seem like a challenge in some ways and easy in others? And why is it sometimes difficult to show that love to ourselves? Not the materialistic status symbols many people chase after, but the authentic, and healthy, uplifting connection to oneself (and others).

I’m watching The Ancient Magus’ Bride on VRV / Crunchyroll. If you decide to watch this episode, it may be a good idea to have some tissues on hand.

Suicide is mentioned in this episode. If you, or your loved one need help, assistance is available. https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Quarantine Watch List II

Is this still considered quarantine? I’m limiting my exposure to others, especially considering the health concerns of myself and loved ones. So I’ll be at home continuing to watch anime in my free time. Let’s be honest, even if it wasn’t quarantine I’d be doing that. Instead of continuously updating my original post https://empathmeetsanime.com/2020/04/09/quarantine-watch-list/ I figured I’d start this new post. Overall I enjoyed the majority of the anime I watched and I wanted to track them. In case you’re wondering, the * is for the ones I loved (keeping in mind I tend to prefer comedy, romance, sports, or slice-of-life anime; so if you dislike those they may not be for you).

Kyoukai no Rinne / Rin-ne Season One*

https://myanimelist.net/anime/28423/Kyoukai_no_Rinne_TV

Senryuu Shoujo / Senryu Girl

https://myanimelist.net/anime/38787/Senryuu_Shoujo

Kyoukai no Rinne / Rin-ne Season Two

https://myanimelist.net/anime/31610/Kyoukai_no_Rinne_TV_2nd_Season

Kuroko no Basket / Kuroko’s Basketball Season One*

https://myanimelist.net/anime/11771/Kuroko_no_Basket

Kuroko no Basket / Kuroko’s Basketball Season Two

https://myanimelist.net/anime/16894/Kuroko_no_Basket_2nd_Season

Kuroko no Basket / Kuroko’s Basketball Season Three

https://myanimelist.net/anime/24415/Kuroko_no_Basket_3rd_Season

Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii / The World is Still Beautiful*

https://myanimelist.net/anime/22101/Soredemo_Sekai_wa_Utsukushii

Akatsuki no Yona / Yona of the Dawn

https://myanimelist.net/anime/25013/Akatsuki_no_Yona

Kuroshitsuji / Black Butler Season One

https://myanimelist.net/anime.php?id=4898

B-gata H-kei / Yamada’s First Time

https://myanimelist.net/anime/7817/B-gata_H-kei

Otome Youkai Zakuro*

https://myanimelist.net/anime.php?id=8476

Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes / Holmes of Kyoto*

https://myanimelist.net/anime.php?id=37458

Kuroko no Basket Movie: Last Game

https://myanimelist.net/anime.php?id=31658

Anime to Make You Laugh and Lift Your Spirits (Part I)

Generally, my favorite anime contain humor, romance, supernatural elements, slice-of-life, or some level of cuteness. During this time of uncertainty, when many of us are stuck in our homes, you may be looking for a happy distraction! In that case look no further. In no particular order, here are some anime that may provide merriment, good humor, and cheer to your hearts!

  • Tamako Market: An anime about life at Usagiyama Shopping District, there are cute girls, a love interest, family and friends, strength of community, music, humor, romance, and an exotic talking bird! The opening is adorable and the song her Dad wrote makes me me smile every time I hear it! https://myanimelist.net/anime/16417/Tamako_Market

Yea same here Dera. I’ve been going to bootcamp for two months…maybe I need to reconsider my nutrition…

If you enjoy Tamako Market, you’ll want to check out Tamako Love Story!

  • Servant x Service: Anime about working in a government agency may not sound funny, but it is! There’s a talking pink bunny, what to do if you have a wardrobe malfunction at work, romance, dealing with the public, and hiding at your desk because people keep interrupting your efforts to do work. https://myanimelist.net/anime/18119/Servant_x_Service
  • Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun / Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun: Imagine if you will, there’s a hot guy who writes a shoujo manga, but in real life he can’t pick up on the fact that a close gal pal is madly in love with him. Everyone in their friend circle can see Chiyo Sakura loves Umetarou Nozaki…except Nozaki! This is one of the few shows I’ve seen, where I actually enjoy every single one of the characters! And this was an anime my entire family and I could agree on. The creaters did a great job building these characters as multi-dimensional people, that weren’t bound by gender stereotypes. Some people may be appalled to hear this, but there’s something about Yuzuki “Lorelei” Seo, that I connect to on a soul level (unfortunately I don’t like scary movies, or have her singing talent or sports skills, so just her other good qualities maybe? LOL) https://myanimelist.net/anime/23289/Gekkan_Shoujo_Nozaki-kun?q=monthly%20girls
I too, am interested in science….
Credit: Crunchyroll
  • Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii / Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku: Finally a love story that happens in an office with adults! And it’s funny and charming, plus there’s cosplay and witty banter! My heart is already fluttering! Is there a single fellow like Hirotaka Nifuji in real life?! https://myanimelist.net/anime/35968/Wotaku_ni_Koi_wa_Muzukashii
  • Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai / Tada Never Falls in Love: MAJOR SPOILER….HE DOES! You probably saw that one coming. Mitsuyoshi Tada is a photographer. He’s walking around, capturing beautiful images, when he runs into Teresa Wagner, an exchange student. Now she’s the one doing the capturing…of his heart. Haha so cheesy but I couldn’t resist writing that! There’s also a cat, Nyanko Big, who doesn’t talk, but we get to hear his internal monologue as he watches his family and the other humans interact. His observations are entertaining. Plus the music in this anime is beautiful. As they say in the show; “Always Make Your Heart Rainbow!” Here are some videos with SPOILERS and a fan-made video.
  • Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun / Toilet-bound Hanako-kun: I know, what a name right? Perhaps you’ve heard the Japanese urban legend about Hanako, a spirit that dwells in a school’s bathroom? In the tales it’s usually a girl, but in this retelling Hanako is a boy. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this anime. I was pleasantly surprised. The artwork is beautiful. The characters are interesting, endearing, and show growth and development. I like the supernatural element as the characters solve mysteries at the school, the comedy is great, and we have a touch of romance and intrigue. The teacher’s story about Hanako, when he was a student of his that dreamed about becoming an astronaut, was my favorite episode. While it tore at my heart, it created a stronger connection with Hanako. Okay maybe I should warn you, while this series has humor, at moments it can cause moments of insight, reflection, and sorrow, so if it’s too much during this time definitely hit the pause button. https://myanimelist.net/anime/39534/Jibaku_Shounen_Hanako-kun

I have tons more anime that I recommend! Hope to have those posts later this week. Stay safe, healthy, and well my friends!