Aight so I am still a binge-watching machine... somewhat lol. Been sneaking a few series here and there when I have time.

Sk8: The Infinity
studio: Bones
extreme sports, comedy, action
This series really takes after the extreme sports genre in its ostentatious, over-the-top take on extreme underground skateboarding, kind of in the same vein as series like Air Gear (yes I'm old ok) or Prince of Stride. If you're looking for something realistic, lol, um this won't be your cup of tea. It's ridiculous and loads of fun, and for me the biggest draw is actually the relationships between the characters. And yeah, so sue me, I totally think Renga and Matchablossom are canon, you can't convince me otherwise (like even the Japanese VA and English dub casts are on board). It's the only recent series where I've watched both the original Japanese and the English dubs (yes, I've seen it more than once, okay stop judging me), and I would watch it again. Only one season, but I'd take more, and I've heard rumors that follow-on projects have been green lit? I think? Either way, thought this was tons of fun. And the animation is gorgeous. And someone, please arrest Adam, he is a creep.


Kakushigoto
studio: Ajia-do Animation Works
comedy, slice-of-life, shounen (like idk how this got this genre but that's what the internet says?)
This series is precious and hilarious all at the same time. Basically, the premise here is that our main protag, a single father named Goto Kakushi, is a manga artist for a living, but because he tends to specialize in crass, off-color series (think more along the lines of Gintama when it's at its crudest lol), he keeps his profession a secret from his adorable young daughter. Basically most of the series is a lot of hijinks where Kakushi keeps getting into hot water where his daughter Hime is constantly on the edge of discovering that her father isn't actually a salaryman. My only complaint, really, is that they had some potential with making a truly interesting ending to the story, but it didn't quite live up to the potential I thought it had. Otherwise, totally cute and hilarious, and it's also only one season.


Those Snow White Notes (Mashiro no Oto)
studio: Shin-Ei Animation
music, slice-of-life, school club competition (like sports but it's not a sport)
Okay so this one. I'm a sucker for these kinds of series, but this one is... well, the animation is gorgeous, for one, and secondly the music is outstanding. The shamisen is such an interesting and uniquely Japanese instrument, and they do such an amazing job of drawing you into the history behind the art form and bringing it into a modern setting. The series revolves around Setsu, a high schooler who grew up learning how to play the shamisen from his grandfather, an accomplished grand master of the art. After his grandfather dies, Setsu loses his passion and moves from the countryside to Tokyo to try to rediscover his own unique sound, since he'd spent much of his childhood learning how to (very admirably) imitate his grandfather's distinct style. Without going too far into the plot, the true draw for this series really is the music and the visuals they use to illustrate it, which are so good, like I can't emphasize it enough. There's only one season for this series and it kind of ended on an unfinished note (which I hope means more seasons??? please????), but seriously this one feels like it really flew under the radar.


Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun (Mairimashita! Iruma-kun)
studio: Bandai Namco Pictures
shounen, comedy, isekai
I usually hate the isekai genre with a burning passion, but this one is a rare exception for me. And it's total brain rot trash but I keep watching it because it's so fucking dumb and hilarious that I keep coming back to it. This one is not a good binge series in my opinion, because I really do feel like my brain is leaking out of my ears after a few episodes in a row, but I've been watching it with a friend of mine and we just have way too much fun enjoying how over-the-top stupidly funny this series is. The basic premise is that there's this high school aged kid named Iruma who was stuck working horrible jobs to survive because his parents were basically human trash, and ultimately they sold him to this high-ranking demon named Sullivan, who just wanted a grandson. Iruma gets pulled into a lavish life in the underworld and is enrolled in the local demon academy (basically a high school for demons). Plot twist though, demons live to eat humans, and Iruma has to ensure that his identity as a human goes undiscovered. You can imagine the dumb hijinks that comes out of this pile of trash, but I am here for it and it's the train wreck that I won't stop watching, stop judging me okay.


Blue Spring Ride (Aoharaido)
studio: Production I.G
shoujo, slice-of-life, romance
So yes, on occasion, I am a huge sap. I don't care. The story centers around a high school girl named Futaba who spends the first part of her high school years really trying to be as unfeminine as possible to make friends who are girls, because she'd been pretty heavily ostracized and outcast in middle school by the other girls because they were jealous that boys were attracted to her. Futaba is a bit bored with her life as it stands, until one day she is reunited with her middle school crush, Kou. Kou had moved away suddenly in middle school, but on his return, he goes by a different family name and has become kind of a jerk. And I think you can kind of get a sense of where this goes... It's super cute and sweet and Futaba is a fantastic female lead, I really appreciated her growth throughout the season. Fair warning, this series is a single season and doesn't cover the full story, and it doesn't look like there are plans for follow up seasons, sadly. However, it's so sweet and precious that I'd still recommend a watch. If you want the whole story though, you should really read the manga.


Banana Fish
studio: MAPPA
drama, action, mafia, not quite bl but definitely influenced by it
Aight, I admit, I actually watched this series a while ago, but it's still really good and I want to at least drop a mention. The story revolves around Ash Lynx, a teenage NYC street gang leader and former sex slave who worked his way up to becoming an heir to an organized crime family, and Eiji Okumura, a Japanese college student visiting New York to do a study on street gangs. Ash and Eiji form a deep connection (and yes, it's definitely a romantic relationship), but due to Ash's dangerous lifestyle and countless enemies, this constantly puts Eiji in danger which puts Ash on edge. Fair warning for the series as a whole, though--there are a lot of very heavy themes, some of which may be triggering. Rape and sexual assault are directly referenced, and one of the characters involved is underage. It's treated negatively and is the source of a lot of trauma for the underage character, but it's definitely there and if it's triggering, you may want to steer clear of this series. Also, the series has a heartbreaking end to it. I won't spoil what happens beyond that, but I'm still upset, even though I'm turning around and recommending it anyway.


RE-MAIN
studio: MAPPA
sports, shounen, slice-of-life
Aaaand I'm back on the sports series lol, it's my drug I can't help myself. This one is about high school water polo, but with an interesting twist. Minato was a famous prodigy water polo player in middle school, but an accident leaves him with no memory of his middle school years as he starts his first year of high school. He has no plans to play again until he ends up taking on a bet to win the nationals, but he has to start from scratch, and at a high school that has a struggling water polo club. Great characters, really pretty animation (I see you, MAPPA), and a good fun entry in the sports series genre (my weakness!).



A Silent Voice (Koe no Katachi)
studio: Kyoto Animation
drama, slice-of-life, angst
If you haven't heard of or seen this film yet, you are really, really missing out. Fair warning in advance, this movie does address suicide and delves into topics like depression and mental health, so if this is triggering for you, you may need to steer clear. A boy named Shoya used to bully a deaf girl named Shoko in middle school with some of his friends, and as the ring leader, he is singled out and punished for his actions, but this turns him into an outcast. Fast forward to high school, and Shoya now grapples with suicidal depression and really struggles to connect with other people because his reputation as "Trouble" still sticks with him. He eventually reconnects with Shoko in an attempt to apologize and make amends, and the two end up becoming friends. It turns out that Shoko also is dealing with her own internalized issues, and there is still a fair amount of unresolved baggage, and working through all of these issues is where this film really shines. Won't spoil beyond that, but wow, get ready for this film to sucker-punch you in the feelings a few times. Some folks have said this film changed their lives, and honestly, I am not at all surprised; poignant, beautiful commentary on mental health, relationships, redemption, and respect. I can't recommend this enough.


Your Name. (Kimi no na wa)
studio: CoMix Wave Films / Makoto Shinkai
drama, supernatural, slice-of-life, romance?
Okay, so I understand if you might've missed A Silent Voice, but if you missed out on Your Name, you're living under a damn rock. Might be the best animated film of the last 10 years, in my humble opinion. Pacing, storytelling, animation, music... all of it is pristine. It doesn't hold your hand to tell you what's happening, you kind of start picking up on it in bits and pieces, and then it just sucker-punches you with all the feels once you realize what's actually happening. Mitsuha, a high school girl from the countryside, and Taki, a high school boy from Tokyo, suddenly start swapping bodies (like a complete Freaky Friday thing) after Mitsuha (out of boredom) wishes to become a boy from Tokyo in her next life. So Much Hijinks ensues during their body-swapping, like it's so hilarious and wonderful. The two ultimately form this crazy connection as they learn about each other and how to communicate with each other once they both realize what's happening (and despite the fact that they aren't actually meeting in person here). And uh, anything beyond that goes into massive spoiler territory, but just know that shit gets crazy. This movie made me ugly cry and I was totally fine with that, it's a well-earned tear-jerker. SO FUCKING GOOD.


Demon Slayer: Infinity Train (Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train)
studio: Ufotable
shounen, action, historical, drama, supernatural
Okay so yeah I wanted to round this back out to 10 titles, and even though I already talked about this series, I hadn't seen the movie yet but I DEFINITELY HAVE NOW OH MY GODDDD. If you've watched season 1 and plan at ALL to watch season 2 (SOOOOON AHHH), you need to watch this movie. This literally picks up immediately where season 1 left off, and will bridge the gap to season 2. I'm not going to spoil much else because I already talked about Demon Slayer last time, but come armed with tissues. And be prepared for stunning visuals and music, because Ufotable goes hard.


And again, here are a handful that I'm currently watching, or plan to watch soon:

- To Your Eternity (I'm only like 2-3 eps into this and my soul is already crushed ok)
- Tokyo Revengers
- 86 EIGHTY-SIX
- The Way of the Househusband
- Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood (still haven't watched this yet)
- Violet Evergarden (same on this, haven't jumped on it yet)
- A Whisker Away