Title: Wasteful Days Of High School Girls on Blu-ray

Director: Takeo Takahashi (Chief), Hijiri Sanpei

Screenplay Writer: Masahiro Yokotani

Studio: Passione

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: Sept. 22nd, 2020

Format: Blu-ray / 12 episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Comedy, Absurdity

Age Rating: TV 14 +

Overall personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

Tanaka Nozomu isn’t exactly brilliant. But, given that her only goal for high school was to get a boyfriend, who else would fail to realize that attending an all-girls school was a bad idea? Well, there’s always the fallback plan of getting other girls to introduce her to boys they know.

Too bad that Tanaka’s “bright” idea of giving her classmates nicknames based on less attractive character traits has caused her un-flattered friends “Robo” (for her apparent lack of emotions) and “Wota” (a reference to a creepy otaku types), as well as not-friends like “Loli” (who’s hypersensitive about her petite size,) to “reward” Tanaka with the special nickname of “Baka” (“idiot”), which is quickly adopted by the entire student body. Well, maybe the second week of school will be better.

Commentary:

Wasteful Days Of High School Girls is a very funny series that gives us a great view of the minds of some very unique high school girls. I have to admit that there are plenty of moments that I found somewhat taxing and annoying. With that said, I did find the series worth watching and there are plenty of smiles and out loud laughs to be had.

The one character that I had the most difficulty with is Tanaka. She is that hyper active self centered friend that we all know and would love to send her home without delay. On the other hand Tanaka does drive the series forward and provides some of the best moments. All together she is the best and worst of the series.

Overall Grade: B+

As much as I love these quirky, funny anime I found Wasteful Days Of High School Girls a bit uncomfortable from time to time. It is very reminiscent of Daily Lives of High School Boys and almost as funny. I know that many might disagree with that opinion, but I think that there was plenty of opportunity missed.

The writing was reasonably solid and the production level feel generic and property for the series. The point of Wasteful Days Of High School Girls is to create laughs and give us the a picture of the young ladies and the things that motivate them a high school girls.

If you want some laughs and cringe worthy moments then you really want to check out Wasteful Days Of High School Girls.

Title: Z/X Code Reunion: Complete Collection on Blu-ray

Director: Yoshifumi Sueda

Writer: Tatsuhiko Urahata

Studio: Passione

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: Sept. 15th, 2020

Format: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Fantasy, Girl Power, Fan Service, Game Derivatet

Age Rating: TV 14+

Overall Personal Rating: C+

Synopsis:

Years ago, interdimensional gates opened across our world, allowing beings from five warring dimensions to expand their battles to the Earth. Now amidst an uneasy peace, some humans are entering into pacts with the Z/X. For one young woman this is a simple choice: Azumi Kakamigahara can sign a pact with the beautiful Z/X known as Rigel, or succumb to the disease that has left her comatose for much of her life.

What Azumi doesn’t expect is that it means moving to a new Academy where teams of young women and their Z/X partners are being secretly trained to face the next wave of hostile attackers… and no sooner have Azumi and her new friends arrived than the enemy launches its first attack on their school in Z/X Code Reunion.

Commentary:

The second in the Z/X series is a little more fun, but at the same time seems to focus on the girls just for one reason. Fan service is mild in Z/X Code Reunion, but it is a real focus of the series. Why else would they want to focus on just the girls. Of course there is the blended sexual revolution that we are seeing take over the zeitgeist of the under 30 age group and Z/X Code Reunion dances around this in ways that anime seems to do in abundance in the last few years.

Overall Grade: C+

The saving grace of the series is the animation production value. It is solid and smooth, I didn’t feel like there was any sacrifice of quality. The weakness is the writing and overall plot of the series. I understand that Z/X Code Reunion is part of a larger manga and gaming franchise, and that the series has had a strong following in Japan, but I think there is a loss of focus here.

I found it easy to watch, however the plot is all to standard and something of a toss away just to show off these girls. I also found the relationships of these young ladies a little too predictable and somewhat boring.

In the long run I thought there was be a real possibility with the series that was lost with the silly focus on these young ladies and the relationship and struggles to be the saviors of the planet.

Okay, the main characters are very cute and easy to like. The story is boring and hard to really get into. I know that there are plenty of people who will love this series. So, if you love these easy to watch lightly fan serviced series that want to make all of the most unlikely young ladies the hero’s of the world, then Z/X Code Reunion is right up your ally.

Title: Bodacious Space Pirates Complete Collection

Director: Tatsuo Sato

Studio: Satelight

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Re-Release Date: September 15th, 2020

Format: Blu-ray / 26 Episodes / 650 Minutes

Genre: Girl Power, Sci Fi, Fantacy

Age Rating: TV 14+

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

When Marika Kato learns that her late father was the captain of a pirate ship, it’s the second biggest surprise of her life. The biggest? Learning that his crew needs her to take over her father’s old job due to the terms of their Privateer’s contract!

It looks like joining her school’s yacht club is certainly about to pay off for Marika, because who wants to go into space piracy without a bunch of friends their own age to keep it fun? Toss in some outer space rivals, princesses in peril, and a pirate crew pulling double duty as high school teachers, and the next voyage of the good ship Benten Maru is going to be one of the wildest adventures ever! Batten down the hatches and prepare to kick some booty!

Commentary:

Bodacious Space Pirates is one of those many overlooked anime that just might have found a new lease on life. I thoroughly enjoyed the first time I reviewed it back in 2013 and still found it fun and representative of the way that anime manages to empower young women in a consistant manor.

The story is fun because of the way that it approaches the future and how entertainment has changed and how it blends historical events and futuristic visions.

Overall Rating: B+

Bodacious Space Pirates is well produced and the voice acting is well directed. The one weakness is the writing and the fact that there is a unnecessary love interest blended in in the middle of the series. I found it distracting and somewhat pointless.

For me the real strength of Bodacious Space Pirates is the way that it treates these young women and allows them to show that they too can be smart and able to navigate a world that would love to see them fail.

If you haven’t seen Bodacious Space Pirates then you really should check it out and if you are a young lady looking for an anime that will show that you too have a mind and can take on even the most jaded experience adults. Plus it is just a lot of fun without the heavy handed blood fest that all too many anime think they need to be just to be concidered good.

Title: Fragtime

Director: Takuya Satō

Creator: Takuya Satō

Studio: Tear Studio

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: August 18th, 2020

Format: Blu-ray / Feature Film / 60 Minutes

Genre: Yuri, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Romance

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

All Misuzu Moritani has to do is think about it and, for three minutes, time seems to halt for everyone but herself. But three minutes isn’t long enough to go anywhere and come back, especially when you can only do it once a day. So, mostly Misuzu just amuses herself… until she makes the mistake of sneaking a peek up the skirt of a classmate she’s been crushing on and it turns out that Haruka Murakami is somehow immune to Misuzu’s powers! Oops.

And now a really embarrassed Misuzu has to make it up to Haruka. Double oops. Even if it means getting into a “relationship”. Wait, what? With great powers come some really big apologies and maybe a new romance as two girls take a little time off from the world!

Commentary:

Fragtime is a very interesting anime in the way it approached the question posed “If you could stop time for 3 minutes, what would you do”? Of course it took a very narrow view, but it was able to tell a compelling store in 60 minutes. I found myself become conflicted on how I felt about these young yet complex characters who manage to exhibit the polar opposites of personalities in high school. The popular extravert and the quiet forgotten introvert.

In a matter a few minutes I found myself liking one of the two and then see a flip on my feelings toward each one. I think that Haruka managed to flip me back and forth the most. Her positive and popular character is both engaging and then she felt very menacing in a flip of a switch. Misuzu is just painfully introverted and shielding which can make you feel compassion toward and then anger for her inability to express herself.

Overall Grade: B

Not being a fan of Yuri, I thought I was going have some real difficulty getting into the Fragtime. After spending a few minutes I lost that apprehension and began to realize why it was setup as a Yuri anime. It was two fold, first it was made a Yuri just to appeal to the new interest is sexual confusion. Of course the Japanese have always played with sexuality. On the other-hand it was clear that it was easy to show off these characteristics with the female high school persona. I guess that I would have been able to relate if it would have been a extraverted guy and a introverted girl, but I didn’t make Fragtime so, that is just a one sided opinion.

Once I got over the personal bias I began to understand the strength of the film. It is all about how it is hard to be both popular and introverted. I was able to relate to both and in the end I liked both and was happy with the way it ended. 

If you like slice of life that has something to say then you will really enjoy Fragtime. I am sure it will attract the Yuri crowd, but if you are hesitant about Yuri you should give Fragtime a chance, I think you will enjoy what it has to say.

Directed By: Hideki Tachibana

Written By: Hideki Shirane

Studio: J C /Staff

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: August 4th, 2020

Format: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes and OVA / 350 Minutes

Genre: Harem, Action & Adventure, Fan Service, Comedy, Fantasy

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Grade: B+

Synopsis:

There’s rarely a dull moment when you’re the champion of a tiny Familia, and things only get rougher for Bell when the God Apollo declares war on Hestia and her followers. With Apollo’s Familia able to field a hundred times as many men, Hestia will have to work a lot of favors to keep her Familia from being completely destroyed. 

Even if Bell and Hestia manage to pull off the impossible, a major debt that Hestia owes is about to come due and Lili’s sordid past comes back to haunt her! Which means that when Bell and his friends come to Lili’s aid, it sets into motion yet another impending clash of the titans that may destroy everything!

Commentary:

The Bell and Hestia saga gets back underway. After plenty of time away from the main plotline it is great to get back to the story. There is no loss of connection here. I still like Bell and several of the other main characters and there is the connection with the other familia. I loved the way Hestia in her simple ways manage to garner friendship and loyalty, but the real loyalty is with Bell. This rather naive young man who manages to make all the girls swoon is the star of the day.

Honestly, the series is built around this natural magnatism that Bell has and what makes harem anime work so well. It is the pure essence of the main protangonist’s ability to allow others to be apart of his journey without picking favorites, even when there are favorites in the group. Simplicity is the key.

Overall Grade: B+

I really liked the main story, but was very let down by the beach OVA. there is a small plot line to the OVA but it really is all about showiing off the girls.

Anyway, the second season is wonderful and if you want more of this lovely series then you need to get in line and pick up your copy as soon as the selves get refilled.

Don’t worry, I am sure there will be more, I just hope they get tired of the silly lets go to the beach episodes.

Title: Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle: Complete Collection

Director: Masaomi Ando

Anime Writer: Yuuko Kakihara

Music: Akito Matsuda

Studio: Lerche

US Distibuter: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

US Re-Release Date: Aug. 4th, 2020

Format: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Fantasy, Fan Service, Action,, Mecha

Age Rating: MA 17+

Personal Overall Grade: B+

Synopsis:

The Royal Knight Academy was established to train the heirs and scions of the lands how to fight using the ancient mechanical dragons known as Drag-Rides. Those noble intentions, however, go royally astray when Lux, deposed prince of the Arcadia Empire, accidentally stumbles upon the Kingdom of Atismata’s new Princess Lisesharte in her royal bath and sees altogether more than he should have.

Challenged to a Drag-Ride duel when the Princess bares her anger, Lux finds himself thrust into a series of events that could ultimately expose the darkest secrets of both their royal families! Now, whether he wants to or not, Lux will be spending his time fighting monsters, corruption, and the attentions of his female classmates, both lethal and otherwise!

Commentary:

Well that genre that is all aboout sudo mecha anime that is really a simple harem has a new star. The Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle has it all. A somewhat naive protagonist who is much more powerful than any expects and a full line of young women who fall in love with him. Honestly, I really like Lux, he his a lot more than the naive leed male character, he is a likeable guy who is placed in a awkward place where he has to do something very special and he manages to get us were we want to go.

Overall Grade: B+

Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle is a winner in my book. The only issue I really have is its narrow adherence to the mecha harem genre. I thought the writers did a great job of creating some characters you like and somewhat care about. Lux is by far the strenght to the series and it is great to see a leeding male character that is both solid and vulnerable at the same time. The rest of the female characters are also very strong and interesting.

So, if you are looking for a fun and entertaining harem mecha then Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle is for you,]. If you haven’t seen it then you should take the opporunity to sheck it out. Be sure to give it 4 to episodes to get the real feel of the serie.

Title: RE: STAGE! Dream Days: Complete Collection

Director: Shin Katagai

Writer: Team Yoree

Music by: Kota Yamamoto

Studio: Yumeta Company Graphinica

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: June 23rd, 2020

Format: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Girl Idols, Music, Comedy

Age Rating: TV 14+

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

When Mana Shikimiya joins her new school’s struggling Lyrical Tradition Dance club, she finds herself swept up in a dream shared by thousands of other middle school girls across Japan: To someday compete at the Prism Stage, where teams of young women battle in song and dance for the chance to become the next generation of top idol singers!

First, though, she’ll have to help save the club from being shut down, and then she and her new friends Sayu, Mizuhua, Kae, Kasumi and Minori will have to up their musical game in order to make it to the first level of competition. Because no matter how badly they want to win, there are hundreds of other girls who want it just as much… and those girls all have a head start!

Commentary:

In the over crowed world of girl idol anime there has to come a point were the story has a just lost its appeal. Re: Stage manages to do something unexpected. It finds a way to make you care about these girls and all of their quirkiness and awkward social habits. It all starts with Mana trying to get out from underneath the family shadow to Minori and her overbearing nature that makes this little series worth while. 

Living in the shadow of series like Love Live and Idolmaster you get the feeling that most of these girl idol series are out to capitalize on the enthusiasm for the genre. RE: Stage gives you just a little more and makes you want to continue to watch to see if this funny group of young ladies can make it work.

Overall Grading: B+

The production levels of the series are a little above par and the graphics program used manages to make the images smooth and easy to watch. The writing is by far the strong point with the series. It allows the viewer to actually care about the characters and watch them progress. The voice acting is very much what you would expect and at times a little over the top, but with these types of series you have to expect plenty of high pitch shrill in the voices.

Re: Stage just might be coming to this genre a little late, but I hope it finds a solid audience. It is much better than many of the series that have been released over the last couple years and deserves a chance. If, School Girl Idol anime is your preferred genre then you really need to give this one a chance. The characters are full of life and have enough personal idiosyncrasies that makes you want to really root for them. Check it out you just might like what you see.

Title: To Love Ru Season 1 on Blu-ray

Director: Takao Kato

Anime Writer: Akatsuki Yamatoya

Studio: Xebec

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks

U. S. Release Date: March 31st, 2020

Format: Blu-ray / 650 Minutes / 26 Episodes

Genre: Ecchi, Fantasy, Sci Fi, Comedy

Age Rating: 17+

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

To Love Ru Season 1 contains episodes 1-26 of the anime directed by Takao Kato and features a new English Dub.

What do you do when a naked princess from outer space suddenly appears in your bathtub? If you’re Rito Yuki, the confused teenager who’s rub-a-dubbing when the perky Princess Lala of Deviluke splashes down, you inexplicably find yourself engaged to her royal highness’ heavenly body, whether you want to marry her or not! Oh, and you’re ALSO now heir to the throne of the Planet Deviluke, as well as the target for an endless stream of intergalactic invaders, assassins, rival suitors, and an unbelievably long cosmic chorus line of gorgeous women who are all determined to wormhole their way into Rito’s heart and/or bed! And that, needless to say, is probably going to make getting together with the nice Japanese girl who Rito’s actually in love with just a wee bit more complicated!

Commentary:

Yes here it comes again with a new English Dub. To Love Ru, is one of those anime that just keeps on giving and with a very specific target audience the giving is oh so welcome. Funny thing is that I may not be part of that target audience and end up seeing the flaws that most viewers miss because they don’t care about things like writing or true character development. Now I will give it very high marks for staying true the Japanese formula of having a helpless shy embarrassed young man as the main protagonist and a buxom bouncy wouncy space princess as his kryptonite. Never-the-less, To Love Ru brings it all in your face and makes you either root for Rito or better yet root for Lala to crush his helpless existence. Either way there isn’t much hope for either.

I realize that this anime was first aired in 2008. There might be all kinds of reason why it really looked more like a late 1990’s production and why the writing is so shallow, but it was clearly popular enough in Japan to keep coming back for more. I guess that every shut in Otaku wished he was Rito. Of course there are moments I would have like to be Rito, but those are few and far between.

Overall Grade: B

As I mentioned, I found it strange that the animation production levels look old for a 2008 production and the character design was also outdated. This made it a little harder for me to watch it, but the most frustrating issue I had with the series is its writing and character development. I know what the series is meant to do and that is to titillate the viewer and this is where it excels. The characters are one demential and don’t give much reason to care about any of them.

Every episode is just a setup for the series to show off women’s bodies and in the end make young me want more. I wish this one could have been left on the shelve longer, it just left me feeling sorry for the guys who are going to line up to get them some To Love Ru. Of course, it is for this very reason that I give it a B and not a lower grade. The series does not try to hide what it is in fancy writing or over the top animation, it just is what it is and does have merit.

So, if you are looking for that classic Ecchi anime then you need look not further, To Love Ru is here for you.