Seasonal Anime Reviews: Summer 2024

A few more shows this season, I also tried to write better reviews, and hope to continue to improve the quality. Dropped shows: Oshi no Ko season 2 (Lost interest), Wand and Wistoria (beautiful animation, but I don't care about harry potter fanfiction).

Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san

A delightful treat this season, reminiscent of the kind of show you’d see airing in 2013, Alya-san was a treat of a show this season. Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian follows the story of Masachika Kuze (Kuze-kun), and his highschool life, following his interaction with Alya-san, and, thusly, the student council. Alya is a classic tsundere, with the twist of speaking her true “dere” feelings through Russian, falsely assuming Kuze cannot understand the language (he can). The protagonist is kinda like if you made Hachiman (Oregairu) less annoying. While enjoying the classic-style romcom, I was delighted to find that each ending theme is a cover song. I was pleasantly surprised when I heard Hare Hare Yukai start playing from my TV. Nothing too phenomenal happens with the show, but it does what it does well.

FINAL RATING: 8/10

Giji Harem

What if the theatre kids performed a one-woman harem? Giji Harem effectively answers this, cringe included. The girl pretends to be many different types of girls in a harem and teases the MC. The characters are not too interesting, I cannot recall any others existing besides Boy A and Girl A. I do not have anything specifically horrible or good to say about this show. It is one of many romance shows from this season.

FINAL RATING: 4/10

The Cafe terrace and its goddesses 2

The second season of Cafe Terrace is here, introducing a whole new cast of characters. The season starts off with a rival cafe arc, featuring waitresses hired to rip off the personalities of the girls in the real cafe terrace. The rivalry quickly ends and I am left wondering why the arc began in the first place… The latter half of the season focuses on the girls recognizing their feelings for Hayato and attempting to win him over, rivalries and all. The latter half was definitely stronger, it makes the first half feel like filler. A weaker season that the first.

FINAL RATING: 6/10

Senpai wa Otokonoko

Senpai wa Otokonoko introduces itself as a sincere understanding of Makoto and his experiences with expressing his self identity, but becomes so much more, ultimately telling the tales of Makoto, Aoi, and Ryuuji, their love triangle, and their teenage struggles. Makoto is a boy who adorns himself as a girl (an “otokonoko”, what we used to call online a “trap,” but now, perhaps less direct of a term “femboy”), while he attends school, unable to at home due to his mother. Aoi, assuming Makoto is a girl, confesses her feelings for “her,” finds out he’s a he and still has feelings for him. Ryuuji, believes he is just best friends with his childhood friend, Makoto, but later figures out the feelings are romantic and gripes with the struggles of accepting his sexual orientation. The show handles the love triangle while also telling each characters’ individual story. For those privy to anime, one may assume this is an otokonoko fetish show, though I assure you it is not, but instead a very sincere tale of teenage identity and struggle.

FINAL RATING: 10/10

Shoushimin Series

The animation is very beautiful, though I don’t care about the slow, artsy pacing. Detective show.

FINAL RATING: 3/10

2.5D Seduction

This show clearly rides the success of My dress up darling, though it does it’s own fun thing. For those with otaku interests, and enjoy shows of that topic, it’s an interesting watch. The show continues to air into the fall ‘24 season, so final thoughts to come soon…