Anime Roundup

That's right, it's time for another Anime Roundup! Let's see, the last one was in...October of last year?? How can that be? I mean, I feel like I've been watching just as much anime as I always do, although I guess based on the fact that I only have four of them to talk about this time around, maybe not. After all, I have been a little busy with a film project you might've heard of...

Tonikaku (anyway), here we go!

Delicious in Dungeon

A D&D-style party of adventurers go into a dungeon and fight monsters and then...eat them? Yup, you heard that right. A lot of the episodes end with them going through the steps of preparing and cooking the various creatures they just vanquished, with recipes that seem like they could actually work in real life. In fact, I think my bass player/director of photography even tried one out, using chicken or beef instead of harpy or basilisk meat. Oh yeah, there's also a plot involving a rescue mission - the party isn't simply on a dinner run (even though that part alone is fun to watch).

The Quintessential Quintuplets

Another entry in the "multiple girls inexplicably fall for the same boring dude" sub-genre of anime, in this one the girls are quintuplets, and the guy is their classmate who is initially hired to tutor them but then ends up becoming their object of affection despite his apparent lack of interest. Maybe it's that lack that makes him attractive to them? Who knows. Anyway, it's a light-hearted, fun rom-com that eventually had me asking my TV "who will Futaro choose??" (if you watch this show - there's two seasons plus a full-length movie - mild spoiler: the answer may shock you. Or not.)

Rising Impact

Like Naruto, but with golf! Seriously. The main protagonist is a short blond boy who has a seemingly unrealistic goal (Naruto: to become the leader of his village, Gawain, from this show: to be the world's best golfer), there's a brooding friend/rival (Naruto: Sasuke, this show: Lancelot), people have individual specialty powers (Naruto: various jutsus, this show: various unbelievable golf shots), and the hero, as he progresses in his journey, encounters other groups of people who are like him but their strengths escalate along the way (Naruto: other villages, this show: the other golf schools). As a big fan of both Naruto and golf, I approve this message.

The Rising of the Shield Hero

Netflix: You're gonna love this one.

Me: I dunno...it looks like a standard paint-by-numbers isekai portal fantasy where some average dude gets transported to a D&D-type world and then fights monsters and saves the day.

Netflix: Trust us.

Me: It doesn't seem like anything special. Plus, I already have a show with the word "Rising" in the title lined up for the next Anime Roundup. Why don't I check out Terminator Zero instead?

Netflix: Sure, but believe us, you'll want to come back to this.

Me: (sighs) Fine.

* watches show *

Me: Whoa...I can't stop watching this! But, I mean, why? It's basically what I thought it would be. And yet, it's so compelling. Is it because of the protagonist's chilly, anti-hero personality that he develops only after being wrongfully accused? The underdog nature of him being the only hero without an offensive weapon? (By the way, Captain America might have something to say about shields being non-offensive weapons.) Could it be the catchy and awesome theme song that I'd heard before in anime song mixes? No idea, but - you were right, Netflix. I'm not sure how you do it. It's pretty scary, actually.

Netflix: You're welcome.