First Look: Haigakura
There are lots of pretty boys and they’re gods, and they have to stop other gods who are probably not as pretty.
There are lots of pretty boys and they’re gods, and they have to stop other gods who are probably not as pretty.
In 15th-century Poland, religion is king, and those who suggest otherwise or fall prey to wicked beliefs are burned at the stake for heresy. Rafal, a highly intelligent but arrogant boy interested in astronomy, is sure he will live a life of privilege, lauded for his brilliance — until an encounter with a man who suggests a radical theory of heliocentrism challenges his beliefs and sends him down a far more dangerous path.
Akane learns she is betrothed to a boy named Ranma, the son of her father’s friend. While waiting for Ranma and his father to arrive, a girl and giant panda appear instead. Turns out Ranma and his dad can transform when splashed with water, and hilarity ensues.
Ever since an encounter with a witch as a child, Kurumi Mirai has dreamed of attending the prestigious Redrun Magic School. Yet somehow, despite topping her junior high classes, she’s failed the admission test for the main course. Now she’ll have to adapt to life lower down on the academic scale, and deal with the quirky new teacher who’s been assigned to her.
In a world where “magical girl” is as common a profession as any, college graduate Kana Sakuragi is struggling to find a job. Yet when a monster disrupts her latest interview and Kana gets a taste of what working as a magical girl actually entails, she finally discovers a career opportunity that allows her to put her unique skills into practice.
We give our final thoughts on the shows we watched in Summer 2024, including a few surprise backlog items. This episode is better than 3 out of 5 stars, I promise.
Haru and Gaku are two school friends who start a business, with the goal of making a trillion dollars. What their business does is not important: making money is easy when you have Haru’s charm and Gaku’s brain.
Ordinary high school student Hikaru has his life turned upside down after he unwittingly forms a connection with “Alma”, a sentient mechanical arm now permanently attached to his hoodie. Pursued by an evil organization, he must use Alma’s power to overcome their diabolical schemes.
Momo Ayase, a high school girl descended from a family of spirit mediums, meets Okarun, an occult geek. Momo believes in ghosts but not aliens, while Okarun believes in aliens but not ghosts. To prove the other wrong, Momo agrees to investigate a UFO sighting while Okarun visits a tunnel rumored to be haunted. Turns out they’re both right. Momo gets abducted by aliens while Okarun gets possessed by a ghost. Together, they must fight the paranormal forces that threaten their everyday lives.
Taiki Inomata is obsessed with badminton and the cute girl who practices her basketball in their school’s gymnasium. Will he ever muster up the courage to go talk to her? Does anyone care?
Kamihate Uryuu has moved in with three sisters that work as live-in shrine maidens. The usual harem stuff ensues.
Chizuru is a quiet, withdrawn girl who finds an outlet for her passion in following the local magical girl, Berry Blossom. Unfortunately, interest in Berry Blossom is decreasing due to how easily she can beat her arch-enemy Chrome. It’s with this in mind that Chizuru decides to team up with Chrome, improve his evil plans, and put Berry Blossom back in the spotlight.
A travel agency in Japan is looking to open a branch in Alaska but can’t find any volunteers to move there. They announce mandatory transfers with priority on single employees, leaving two co-workers with no choice but to pretend they are getting married if they want to stay in Japan.
A small Japanese coastal town is haunted by the shape of the spiral. The shape seems to manifest in every facet of of the town, from whirlpools and ferns to spiral patterns appearing on peoples’ bodies. As the inhabitants of are drawn deeper into the mystery, the town is grotesquely transformed by the spiral’s curse.
Tsunehiro’s life has fallen apart, culminating in news from his doctor that he only has two years left to live. After accidentally falling off a bridge, he is rescued by a group of rogue fishermen (gender neutral) who force him to chill and try some fishing.
We get nostalgic in both good and bad ways as we preview some of the big name anime airing in Fall 2024.
Another shout out to Megan thee Stallion, a new Kamen Rider, and our final predictions for the Summer 2024 anime season.
A young man named Shoma flees from his mysterious enemies through a magical realm of doors, and falls through one to be washed up on a beach. Rescued by a local boy, he soon finds that stomach-mouthed monsters are abducting ordinary people. Thing is, Shoma also has a stomach-mouth, except he’s got a taste for justice as the snack-powered hero Kamen Rider Gavv!
Before diving into our usual anime coverage, we say a few words on the passing of voice actress Atsuko Tanaka, laugh at the absurd English language release of Girls Band Cry, and share final thoughts on the disappointing Kamen Rider Gotchard.
We cover two big anime adjacent news events with the end of the My Hero Academia manga and the official English language release of the original Fate/stay night visual novel. Forget the clickbait, listen on if you want to hear the real title of this episode.