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Jan 10, 2026
What a surprise The Witch and the Knight will survive ended up being. I stumbled on this while scrolling through the Crunchyroll manga app and ended up wanting more.
Actually, let me start with that. I wish we had more chapters here. It did end on a good note and I get why it ended this way, but I wanted more. That's my main complaint about the manga. It needed another chapter or five for me to be fully satisfied here.
With regards to the actual manga, I thoroughly enjoyed this. It starts off with our main MC, Agredios, coming back after long hunt in the forest.
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Unfortunately for him, he arrives and finds everyone in his village dead. Bodies lie along the homes, roads and fields and the only thing he knows is that it's due to the witch in the forest.
So he seeks her out, not really expecting to kill her but to join his counterparts in death. Instead, he finds the witch to be innocent and that changes everything for him.
It's through this fight, and their struggles that emerge soon after, where we find the main theme of the manga. Resilience. The human need to keep going and surviving even when nature, trauma and outside human adversities are trying to keep you down.
The Witch and the Knight will Survive may seem like it should be an epic fantasy, especially with the world building giving us insights to the world of mythical beasts, magic and a church that may be up to some nefarious plots, but the mangaka brought all of this down to a human level and stuck with it, which ended up making me love the story all that much more.
Agredios is a skilled fighter, his sister is equally just as strong, the witch is able to pull up some fantastical feats, but the story is about people coming together through adversity and trying to survive. Through this, they build a new community and prove that humans are resilient even when it seems like they've had enough.
Which is why I wish we had some extra chapters to show us how the community fares in the future. But alas, we don't get that.
Overall, I don't know if this will be everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed this one a lot. The artwork is also lovely too and adds to the beauty of the story.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 7, 2025
Kunigei - Okuni University Art Department Film Program is a story that I wasn't expecting. I read it on a whim. It was available on MangaPlus and I wanted to read something new. I'm glad I did, because the Kunigei surprised me in the best of ways.
The plot in itself is fairly simplistic. Kagami Daisuke is a first year film university student. After winning an award in high school for his film, Daisuke feels like this is just the beginning of his story. And while he right, he'll soon learn that his story will involve bumps on the road, heartaches and a determination that only
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a rival bring out in you.
The set up is something we've seen in many Shonen stories, but what Kunigei does differently is that it feels rooted in reality. The rivalry here is a one sided one that awakens Daisuke's feelings of insecurity and uselessness. That feeling of thinking you're good at something, only to come across someone gifted is heavy. That tension fully saturates the story and instantly connects you with Daisuke's journey.
It's one that does feel immature and the story does say that. It doesn't shy away from showing this. As I said before, it's a one sided rivalry with Osawa Kado who doesn't, or refuses for his own reasons, acknowledge Daisuke.
It's an interesting dynamic, because you'd expect the rival of this rivalry to be more in the story and he's not. Sure he plays a heavy in what Daisuke does, but most of it comes of Daisuke and his own feelings of wanting to beat Kado. That obsession is rooted in Daisuke's own feelings of worthlessness and it just resonated with me. While I've never felt this, I couldn't help but understand and pity Daisuke in making Kado his world.
The story in itself is very simple. It's a short simple story about an ordinary man trying to accomplish his goals, only to come across someone gifted and talented that shakes him to his core. Being simple isn't a criticism here though. It's simplicity allows it to become something beautiful.
It's a short story. Only 28 chapters, but it feels full. Do yourself a favour and check this one out. I know I'm glad I did.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 31, 2025
I'm absolutely in love with this manga! Everything about it is just right up my alley. The art style is cute and creepy, the storyline is cute, funny and creepy and cast is fantastic and creepy. I truly find myself waiting for each chapter to see what happens next.
So far, there are only 10 chapters up on the MangaPlus app but I find myself coming back to it so I can reread it over and over again. That's how much it has me in a chokehold.
The only sad thing is that I don't know if we'll ever see this getting a physical release in English,
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but I hope we do. I'd buy it! I'd buy it right now if I had the chance.
If you like horror, if you like cute characters and fantastic art, then give yourself a few minutes and read this! You won't regret it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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May 27, 2025
This took me a year to finish. Unfortunately, I think that says it all when it comes to my views on Bucchigiri?! I started this when it first came out, but got bored. I decided to finish it when I learned that it was nominated for best Original anime at the Crunchyroll awards.
I'm glad I got the chance to finish the show, but it was disappointing mess. This is very much a character driven story. The plot isn't really relevant, it's the characters that make you want to watch the show. The problem I have is that I don't really like anyone.
The three characters
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that really matter are Arajin, our MC, Senya, the Majinn possessing Arajin and Matakara, Arajin's childhood friend.
Everyone else is a one dimensional mess that's not worth mentioning. Out of the three mentioned above, and this is going to be an unpopular opinion, I actually think Matakara was the least developed and most annoying. While not one dimensional like the rest of the cast, his characterizations didn't feel natural.
He also placed Arajin on a pedestal, so he comes off as someone who is idealistic, but also annoying. Meanwhile, Arajin has some past trauma and doesn't want to be seen as a hero when he's not. This is something Matakara doesn't understand and keeps ignoring for the sake of his own dreams and desires. It makes the dynamic of the two tense, which is fine. It's just that there's no real change or growth from either of them until the end. And I literally mean until the end.
Arajin is a flawed character who doesn't want to fight or be in gangs. He just wants to lose his virginity and have a normal high school life. But because he's in the world of Bucchigiri?!, he stands out like a sore thumb. He also has trauma when it comes to fighting and Matakara, but because the story is about teen gang fighting, he gets roped into that world whether he wants to or not.
His dynamic with Senya was actually fun. They're opposites who get along at the end of the day. Unexpected friendship. Senya also understands Arajin more than Matakara and doesn't put him on a pedestal. Both call each other out which is something Arajin doesn't have with the other characters. Sure the others call out Arajin, but they all do it in a way that erases Arajin as a person. They all just want him to fight or fix things he doesn't want to be involved in.
Senya doesn't do this (he does want Arajin to fight, but it feels different) and that's why his relationship with Arajin comes off as the better one on the show.
As for the rest of the show, I felt like the comedy bits were stale and the serious bits were overly serious. Things dragged on for no real reason and the resolution was too quick.
I did like some of the director's other works, but this one was a miss for me. It had potential, but the characters deserved more.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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May 2, 2025
*no spoiler review*
Deep Raputa is a quick read that will have you feeling a lot of different emotions. The first one is amazement because the artwork is beautiful! The characters have so much life to them, even though the story is about AI.
The second thing you might be feeling is curiosity because the story is one that will keep you wanting more. The first chapter introduces us to 12 yr old Kei, who is a nice guy. He just wants to play a shooter game and grow up to be like his dad, who is in the special forces. Kei ends up befriending a military
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AI, Raputa, that is trying to learn military tactics by playing the game.
She then falls in love with him, and wacky hijinks happen... at least, you might think that with the setup, but Raputa soon gets creepy, and you find yourself filled with worry and dread for poor naive Kei.
Things do hit the fan quickly, and at one point, my jaw dropped. The first 10 chapters truly had me on the edge of my seat, and I was shook. Truly and utterly shook by what was happening.
I could have gone back to sleep, but I kept reading because I wanted to find out what happens next.
And I think this brings us to our last emotion, which is bittersweet disappointment. I'm glad I finished the story and I did find it engaging, thrilling and jarring, but it also had tons of potential that it kind of squandered in the end.
After everything that happened within the first ten chapters, I wasn't sure where we would go from here. But I also feel like the mangaka didn't really know either. Things were set up, but it lacked the same sort of punch as before. This rears its head at the last chapter, while in hindsight it make sense for the overall story, it also felt like a confusing mess that could have benefited from a chapter or two to wrap things up with the same finesse the earlier chapters got.
So it was bittersweet, because the manga started off with a bang, unfortunately it kind of fell off and had a disappointing end.
I'm glad I read it though and I did enjoy the choke hold it had on me. Hopefully we can see the mangaka try another thriller story, but one with a more satisfying end.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 1, 2024
I was thinking about Golden Kamuy the other day. I really loved the manga. The plot, the great cast of characters, the history and the artwork! Everything was amazing and it made me wonder what Noda Satoru was up to, since I knew he was working on a new series. That's how I discovered Dogsred. A sports manga about hockey.
As a Canadian, I've grown up around hockey. While I've never been rich enough to actually play it, I've played road hockey and watched the NHL both on TV and at the arena. But a hockey manga? I didn't know if I wanted to read
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it. Even though I grew up with hockey, my feelings towards it has waned throughout the years, to the point that I no longer watch it. I don't think a hockey manga would do anything for me, but Noda hasn't failed me yet so I took a chance and read it.
By chapter 23, I stopped and came here because I'm angry. I hate how much I've been sucked in by another sports manga. I don't really read much sports manga or watch sports anime, but when I do I get sucked in and Dogsred is no different. Actually, no, it's a classic sports manga set up but the characters and the situations we find them in is classic Noda. Chapter 23 was possibly one of the most epic chapters that I've ever read. Not just in a sports manga, but in life. It's that amazing.
And it's only the first day of training. If it's that hardcore now, what is going to happen in the future?
I love this. I'm already hooked and I want more. If you've been wanting a Golden Kamuy fix, try this. If you want a sports manga fix, try this. If you just want to see the epicness of chapter 23, try this!
Just try it, because I've been having a smile on my face since the first chapter and it hasn't gone down yet. So I'm going to go back and catch up to see what happens next.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 17, 2024
(non spoiler review)
I want to start off my saying that I really enjoyed Akuma to Love Song in the beginning. Maria was an interesting character that felt different from the regular shoujo heroines. She was someone who spoke out and was blunt and insensitive, but you could tell that she was like this as a means to protect herself. Because deep down, she hated how she was.
It was a compelling to watch her slowly being down her walls and open herself up to the world.
I also liked her rag-tag group of friends, since they were a great bunch who called out Maria's bluntness but
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also provided her a good buffer to help her sort out her feelings and change.
Then....the story fell apart. We learn about why Maria is the way she is and became a soap opera. That doesn't have to be a bad thing. Soap opera are popular for a reason and have always been a staple in shoujo and josei storytelling. But when you have characters behave in ways that betray your expectations then it came be a bad thing.
Instead of growing, it felt like the characters stopped for the sake of the soap operaness of the story. For such a character driven manga, that's a crime. Not only did out female lead become a shell of herself, but the male lead had me actively rooting against him. The second and even the third male leads were miles better than him and it just got boring to read about their struggles. Struggles that could have been solved very easily.
As for Maria's female friends, in the second half of the manga they become non-existent. Instead of Maria changing with the help of her friends (both guys and gals), it became a story of Maria's trauma while three of her guy friends, who all love her, hang around and brood.
Again, there are tons of stories that are like this and some I've liked too, but the story wasn't initially presented that way and changed in a way that hindered the characters instead of making them flourish.
Unfortunately, I ended up dropping this at chapter 71 because I couldn't take it anymore. I did read some comments here about future chapters and I'm glad I stopped before I got to that nonsense. (One reviewer said that the manga made them have Usagi Drop flashbacks and I don't want to feel that way, so it's better for me to drop now before they happens to me too)
I'm bummed, because I liked the story in the beginning and liked all of the characters, but then I just got annoyed.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Jun 5, 2021
Gakuen Ouji is something you'd expect from a Shoujo and while it starts off strong, it goes downhill rather quickly and ends in a rushed manner. It's a shame too, because the story did start off with tons of potential.
Story (spoilers here, sorry): The premise....is messed up. An all female high school starts including guys and while you may think there will be some weird hijinks here and there, it ends up much worse. The majority of the women at this elite school a rapists and sexual offenders. The men have to choose between going with the flow and letting the women have their
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way with them or become the boyfriend of another female student and promise your chastity to them. It honestly makes no sense. Truly, it makes no sense. How can a school exist like this? And the teachers don't seem to care when the students are chasing down a male student so they can rape him.
I honestly hate the premise of the story since sexual assault is always a disgusting practice. Anyways, outside of this we meet our two MCs who decide to pretend to be a couple so they can be spared from this. Only the female MC gets bullied throughout the series because of the guys she's monopolized from the rapists.
The second half of the story had the two MCs separated as the FL starts going out with the second ML, but before they she spend time with the third ML. She honestly has more relationship time with them then the actual ML, but whatever. Misunderstandings sperate them and no one is capable of communicating their ferlings in a healthy manner, so they run from each other.
She had better chemistry with the second ML, but she is destined for the first one because that's how it goes. While I understood why the ML liked her, I don't know why the FL liked him. The story doesn't really do a good job showing you that or making you feel like they could be a viable couple. But the series had to end so they end up together even though they spent more time apart.
There is a subplot that has the FL's former bully come back to bully her, but it felt convoluted and dumb. In Shoujo mangas, you'll have the FL get secondary male characters vying for her attention, which happens here, and you'll have the ML get the same thing...only in this manga the guys are decent while the women just want to rape the ML. I almost wish we got a proper secondary FL who made the actual FL jealous so she could realize her feelings, but instead thr ML just gets rapists.
I did mention that the story did start off strong, and it did, because it was about two people coming closer as they pretend to date. The more drama and misunderstanding the story brought forth, the less it made sense.
There's also a plot point of a male student finding our FL with drugs in her making her want to have sex. This leads the male student being questioned by another male student about consent, which is great, but this is also a manga where rape is common place and female students do this to male students all the time with no consequences. It's such a weird side story considering the world the mangaka created here.
Characters: As you can tell I forgot everyone's names despite the fact that I just finished reading this. The FL seems like she's strong, but she's just kind of there and goes with the flow. The ML does shoe some growth, but the rushed ending puts a damper on it. He is the better written character though, which is why the second half falters because he's not shown as much as he was in the first half.
Art: It's fine.
Overall: I've been trying to read more Shoujo stories, because I want to expand my manga horizons. While I'm not the biggest fan of romance, I have come across some Shoujo mangas that have made me fall in love. Unfortunately, Gakuen Ouji isn't one of those stories. There's so much potential here, which is why I feel slighted by what we got. We go from the ML and FL as pretend couple maybe become more in the first half, only to throw it away for the FL and second ML becoming a couple in the second half. They were built up better and had better chemistry, but because the FL and ML have to be together that gets tossed aside at the final chapter. It would make sense if there was more development between the two, but it's not strong enough for me to care about them. Or care why the FL is crying about the ML.
I wanted more but got nothing in the end. I am in the minority though, so if you think you might like the story you should give it a chance. It is short, so you have nothing to lose. I just hope you enjoy it more than I did.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Jul 6, 2020
When I first heard about this anime, I was all in. An isekai where you're placed in an Otome game sounds interesting and finding out that our MC is the villainess who has to work hard to not get a doom ending was intriguing.
And for the beginning of the show, I was truly captivated. Not only was the show funny, but a nice change to the other isekai shows that we've all come to expect. It was also due to this show that I started to seek out other villainess stories and for that I'll always be thankful.
Unfortunately, I feel like once the
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show had it's time-skip and Catalina started school, the show kind of fell apart. Each episode had a mini time skip too. There were times when an episode would start and I'd think, "Huh? Did I miss something in the last episode?"
We know that all of the characters love Catalina, but I wish there was more development for the characters to shine as teens. It's strange, but it seemed like all of the characters had more life to them when they were kids.
It's not a bad show, but you could tell that the writers were trying to cover as many major plot points as they could, which ended up causing the show to lose that initial spark that it had.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 21, 2019
Sarazanmai is the newest anime from famed director Ikuhara and overall, it was okay. The story is fairly straight forward and while it is linear, it can feel deep depending on how you look at it. It's all about connecting and forging through relationships, even if they end badly or you get hurt. These connections help shape who you are and it's better to confront them then to toss them aside.
Each character goes through their own struggles and hardships when faced with these connections. Kazuki feels like he has no connections and due to the guilt he feels towards his younger brother, he creates
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a new persona just to connect. This is meant to help his little brother, but it's more about Kazuki's victim complex.
Enta is seeing his best friend, Kazuki, slip further and further away from him and this ignites his obsession and fear of abandonment. Toi is similar in that sense, but he is also trying to protect a connection that uses him to do bad things. ps. Enta and Toi are the best characters in the show.
At it's heart, there's a lot of good here. I do like the general idea of the anime and what Ikuhara is trying to create here, but unfortunately everything kind of falls apart here. What started off as a quirky 'monster' of the week type thing soon gets boring. The same song and dance numbers get replayed each time and I just started skipping them. It doesn't help that they served no purpose to the actual story.
At around episode 7 things do pick up and I started to really enjoy the show, but the last episode ruined things for me. All of the stakes that were brought forth vanished and while I don't mind the ending in the grande scheme of things, it felt rushed and incomplete for all of the build up that we got.
So it's fine. It's not the worst anime around and it's not the best.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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