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Hello :D,

Thanks for this long answer/feedback! I read it the first day but it took me a moment to take time to answer my turn. Don't worry about taking time, we talk about anime and our passion. It's nothing urgent and it's always better when it's done by pleasure not in a rush.

It was fun for me to give you recommendations and I had more than three ideas but I tried to find the best ones so that it wouldn't be too obvious that I was your secret santa ^^ I was also thinking of Hyouka (that's in my favorites and one of the two images on my list) or 365 days to the wedding in place of the ice guy and the cool girl (which was already niche and personal/in my favorites on my mal page). But I was reading it during the event time x). Thanks for the compliment :3 I find it always challenging to suggest anime since it can be really personal/specific to everyone. Especially for Iyashikei and slice of life. No one is receptive the same way to characters or subject/art style which are generally very central in this kind of story. Happy that I hit the target so well!

I totally agree with your impression on the ice guy and the cool girl (I call it like that cause it's the name of the manga in french ^^) It's not the anime that revolutionizes anything but it's super sweet, cute and comfy. No big love drama or situation it's always on the funny and light side which is great. I was a bit scared that you'd find it too childish especially the first ep with all the little sequences. The end is a bit strange even if it's not too much in my opinion with the general context of the anime but I totally understand your point. The side characters are great too, they give a lot of "life" and movement which balances well the introvert main couple. I'm not especially surprised that you like more Komiri than Fuyutsuki. Concerning the manga I need to reread it since I'm two volumes behind and I devoured this series just after watching the anime. It's one of the next in my plan to read but I'm waiting for the next volume. It was a great reading, super comfy and I really like the art style and cover of the manga. The anime is a faithful adaptation. It's in my favorites in the manga part because I already have 10 favorite anime. I try to balance both types of favorites to show the maximum favorites possible ^^ And I like showing personal or really impactful favorites than the ones generally known/accepted as great. If you are looking for comfort manga I personally really enjoy reading Barakamon. I liked the anime and bought the series in second hand by luck but it was a very pleasing and enjoyable surprise to read.

"I think "Natsume's Book of Friends" is my favorite so far." And it seems to continue regarding the way you go through seasons. You will soon overtake me. I stopped (for now) the series with the sixth season. I had trouble finding the movie and stopped. Now I got the movie and the seventh season is out. I just need time and the good mood for it but I did like you, I watched all the episodes in one go without feeling it was too much nor get tired of it. I also really enjoy the connection between the characters and find that it's a great addition compared to Mushishi where there is no social/relation aspect. I like the mix between kind/funny episodes with more deep/thought-provoking ones. The yokai are great and antagonists are well written. It's not black and white. They aren't purely bad. I personally like Taki and Natori which has, in my opinion, the best japanese voice actor for a character like this. I also really like the ending songs (especially S1, S3 and S5 with Aimer :3) I find that they give a great conclusion to the feeling some episodes give. They are unusual, a bit traditional and well sung to perfectly fit the mood.

I will let you finish a place further than the universe without reacting too much on your message. You chose well to take your time. It has a special place in my anime journey so I'm really glad you enjoy it. Curious to read your final review :)
My holidays were good. Nothing particular, it's not a very important period for me and has its mixed feelings of joy and sadness/loneliness that I always find strange. But I had nearly a 2-week break so it was great and I finally had time to watch anime and live a little more during the night which I enjoy ^^ Secret Santa is a great event to meet people with similar anime taste and discovering series. Probably why you both get people you already know as santa/recipient. I got 3 recommendations:

1) Tanaka-kun is always listless which is mostly a funny anime. Was chill and easy to watch with cute and unexpectedly funny characters.
2) Apocalypse Hotel: I had never heard of it and it's quite new. I find it great and it has one exceptionally excellent episode. Probably one of my favorites of all time but also has, in my opinion, 3 weak ones. It has the weakness of an original anime but also the freshness of it.
3) Babysitter School that I still need to watch.

Yep Violet is one of the few anime that impacted me at this point. Steins Gate is probably the only one that "broke" me the same way (in a good but hard to digest way). Violet's story is really helped by the works of Kyoto Animation. The colors and details are wonderful and I love all the ost. Evan Call did an insane job (the choice of instruments, sound of typing machine in the ost) and I really like the fact that it's an orchestral "western style" soundtrack. It fits more the universe in my opinion. It helps a lot scenes like the one in ep 7 to be memorable. I totally understand why you give a lower note to the special ep. It feels a bit less impactful. I just like the fact that she needs her experience she gets during the series to be able to write the best song possible. The Violet in the middle of the anime probably wouldn't be able to do the work.
A little question/debate I like to start when I speak about Violet is: Who do you think opens the door at the very end of the last ep of the anime. She rings the bell/knocks at the door which opens on Violet smiling and saying her sentence: Auto Memory Doll at your service (don't know how it sounds in english). It's an "open ending" that leaves to personal interpretation and I like to know how people feel about it.

To be honest I like your alternative ending of the movie but most of the fanbase would probably dislike it. It's maybe too "bittersweet" and not a real happy ending like most people like. I really prefer the one from the anime. Concerning the big axe it's in the novel, I bought it in japanese and there is a picture of it. I kinda like it but I find it fine that it's not in the anime. It's kind of strange but also badass. And in the novel there is a character that indeed looks like the wounded soldier. I hope there will be a french version one day. Hyouka got one last year after 13 years and some of the Kyoani stuff starts to appear in manga. I cross my fingers ^^ Moreover "Shunkashuutou Daikousha: Haru no Mai" has been announced for this spring season. It's the adaptation of another novel from Violet's author and it will be made by Wit Studio (that I like nearly as much as Kyoani). Really hype for this one.

My love story has been in my plan to watch for a long time now :$ Nice to know there are great characters in it! Concerning Bloom I don't know where the anime ends comparing to the manga. For now, I will wait but I'm curious about how they animate it. I think that colors can bring a great effect on the art style of this anime. Waguri always seems to shine/irradiate light and there are a lot of chibi/cute faces which can be really fun if well exploited in anime.

Really need to rewatch The Boy and the Heron one day to watch it with the "right" interpretation about Miyazaki's heritage.

I hope your times are better now and less stressful! See you soon :D

hello! 🤍

I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying! I had a lot of fun picking them out for you. ^^

I'm so happy "colette decides to die" is your favorite so far! I was initially nervous because I wasn't sure how you would receive my reference to hades and persephone because I know a few people who are tired of retellings/reimagining's of their story lol.

I had a feeling that "little forest" wasn't a familiar title. I'm not sure if you've heard but, there are also korean and japanese film adaptations of this manga if you want to check them out once you finished reading. I have only seen the korean version so far and I loved it.

out of the three "chihayafuru" is my personal favorite. it's so inspiring and motivational even though karuta is a very unique game, lol. (and yes, her parents are pretty cold and dismissive to chihaya at the start.😡)

I loved decorating your message so I'm happy that it could make you smile! and I would love to hear the rest of your thoughts once you complete them! also if you wouldn't mind, I would like to stay in touch and maybe we could continue passing along recommendations to each other! (it looks like we have similar taste in anime/manga.)

Hello,

I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed my recommendation. It was funny to see your name as recipient and a bit challenging. I wanted to give you things that matched your request without spoiling that I was your secret santa or giving you something disappointing. I've always taken this event seriously but it was even more important this year to be on point.

The ice guy and his cool female colleague was a more personal and less safe choice because I wanted to give you something more niche since the other two are quite famous "in the iyashikei style". But I was a bit worried that you wouldn't like it. I was happy to see that you started with this one and gave it a 7/10.

I'm waiting to read more details about your experience but take your time. Especially since my last message was quite long ^^ Thanks for this short message, I was very curious about your reaction :D Enjoy the rest of your viewing!

See you soon and happy new year to you too!

Hi and thank you for the Secret Santa recommendations! I watched When Marnie Was There and really enjoyed it; seeing Anna get closer to her new friends and her adoptive family (who love her SO much) by the end was incredibly sweet. I think it was a great choice for a rec based on my likes and interests, and I'm glad you picked it out for me.

I haven't got around to watching the other two recs yet (Castle of Cagliostro and Irodoku), but they look very interesting and I'm excited to get around to them. Thank you for taking the time to write me three whole recs! I like the reasons you wrote for the recommendations, and really appreciate the time and effort that went into them.

Also, it's funny that we swapped recs between last year's event and this one! I wasn't expecting my 2024 recipient to be my 2025 santa. If I'm remembering right, last year we were both watching Mushishi at the same time, and now it looks like we're both watching Natsume's Book Of Friends. I hope you've been enjoying that one too, that last year was kind to you, and that you have a great 2026 as well :)

Hello,

Thanks for this long message, I will try to keep my answer as fluent as possible but I will probably talk/write a lot!

Did Thanksgiving and Christmas go as you planned? Hope you enjoyed them and spent wonderful time with friends and family :D I hope you will get something you like for your secret santa! I can only agree with your selected genre/theme, my request is probably similar in some points to yours. Was your recommendation easy to find for your recipient this year?

I'm happy to read that you enjoyed Violet Evergarden all along! It's always a bit delicate to recommend this kind of series with potential "heavy emotional impact". Until now not all the people who watched it after my recommendation liked it. I have many friends that were not "ready" to watch this kind of show and really disliked it. Too slow, lack of action, annoying character,... But these people had mostly watched big shonen and nekketsu. I totally relate to your experience of not easily crying nor even showing a lot of emotion. But in my opinion it doesn't mean that I don't feel a lot of them. It's more "inside" and less demonstrative than some people but it doesn't justify teasing for that. Personally sometimes I would enjoy being able to show more emotion because when I keep it inside it matures and can become harder to digest. Violet Evergarden is the kind of series that leaves a deep mark on me and always takes time to fully recover from a viewing. Don't know if it's the same for you or if I'm overthink it. Episode 7 is great too and I think it's one of the most visually pleasing episodes of the show and clearly a beautiful one where Violet grows a lot.

The first movie is an OVA and probably just a longer chapter in the original light novel. Personally I really enjoyed it because Violet keeps growing in it, she is no more the lost girl that needs help but she becomes a "teacher". I absolutely love the waltz (music and scene) and the fact that Benedict is a bit more important in this story. It seems that you enjoyed the special episode of 30 min less. Was it a bit too much / less impactful after the end of the series? I totally understand that you rated it a bit lower than the rest but I like the song "The Songstress Aria" too much to "dislike" it.

The movie is great and I also find it interesting to see the story through Ann's granddaughter's eyes. It was a great way to introduce the story after the end of the series. Yuri's part was very beautiful for me too and the song: "A Young Boy's Last Wish" has become one of my favorites from the OST. The climax scene was great too and I agree that's a great conclusion to the story. Some scenes are absolutely stunning. I remember that I was left speechless with the moment after Claudia screams "bakayaro" to Gilbert after he refuses to open his door to Violet.

Concerning the movie and the romantic aspect I agree that it's a bit blurry/unclear. For me it's a "deep platonic relationship", a form of interdependence that is close to love but without any physical aspect (except presence/hand or hug for the comfort/cozy element). I personally prefer the story without the movie (even if I like it as a movie). I find that Violet Evergarden's character is way richer and deeper without Gilbert. All the story is about her reconstructing herself without him but with the heritage of his love and "presence". The movie completely destroys that the second she realizes he is still alive by making her dependent on him like when she was a little girl. And I struggle a lot with accepting that 4 years have passed since the end of the anime. It's way too long to be "realistic". The light novel is totally different (I have just read a few pieces of information online since I don't speak Japanese (so I can't read the LN that I bought x) ) and I don't like reading "pdf" books). Gilbert is known to be alive way earlier and some events are totally different (I won't explain since I don't master the subject). I think the anime goes like that because they initially wanted an open ending (which I like more) and then waited 4 years so that Violet is 18 years old. The LN has more chapters and variants. Here is the first trailer of the show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDQikXz4N00 you can see some differences and a really big axe ^^.

It's cool you liked "One Week Friends". It's not the anime of the century but it's indeed very sweet and I really enjoy the art style that's in perfect accordance with the tone of the series. Shougo is the "ultimate best bro" if I can call it like that. He is in my opinion the best character of the show and brings a lot to the story. The manga is airing here in French and it's a 7 volume series so the anime probably cut some parts to keep it 13 episodes.

It's nice you found a quiet and peaceful place to dive into manga if your house is crawling with life. I don't think it's possible to read in the library near my house. It's a place you can borrow books but there aren't a lot of places to read.

For Kino's Journey the episodes you cite are some of my favorites too. Coliseum was already the one I remember the most from the remake. I want to see more of it with a blend of the new and old art style. The remake was modern and great and I like the character design more but there was a lot of CGI and 3D stuff that makes the old one more beautiful for the traveling and landscape part.

Bloom was promoted quite a lot by the editor (free goodies, special bookshelves in the shop). They got big growth when they started editing Horimiya and I think that's their new "big romance series". As I love this editor (Yuru Camp, Horimiya, My Roommate is a Cat, Blissful Land), I was quite curious about their new favorite. Will continue when I have a few more volumes to read.

I watched "The Boy and the Heron" only one time when it was in theaters so I don't remember everything about my interpretation and I read a bit about Miyazaki's "point of view" so it blurs the lines. It will be a bit hard to explain, I hope it won't be too confusing. If I remember well, I interpreted all the creative aspect / art of creation part of the show with all the strange things that happen and the heavy responsibilities as a kind of critique / a warning to science, the "god game" that biologists play sometimes by playing with DNA and evolutionary stuff. The birds that became the new civilization like they evolved to become a sort of human or the fact that the old man's creation is very unstable. I don't remember it all well but I hope it gives you an idea. I need to watch it one more time but I prefer to discover new ones than rewatch it for now. Did you go 3 times to the theater because you loved it too much or because you needed that to fully understand the movie?

Hope I reacted to all your points, if not don't hesitate to bring up some subjects! Have a great continuation with the holidays and a Happy New Year's Eve. See you soon :D

Hello,

I wanted to finish Kino no tabi first since you talked about ! Hope I wasn't too long and that you are well ?

It's okay for violet evergarden I totally understand that you wanted to watch all the serie to have a complete opinion. Hope you are not "mad" at me for the tears? Ep 10 is indeed very beautifull and impactful in many way (the story it self but also how it's made and how violet react to all theses emotions/ to this situation). For me it's one of the episode that still 'hurt' me even if I've already seen the serie multiple times. My mom doesn't watch anime (she like animated movie like disney and co and some like suzume or porco rosso) but I've already wanted to show her few times. So I totally understand why you recommanded it to your mother. And I really like the fact that you use the word : uplifting because i find that's a very appropriated one to describe violet evergarden (at least for me). The ending song is "Michishirube" and it means signpost but can also translate the guide, the person and I find that little detail very cool ! If you are okay with that I would be happy to hear more of your impression once you have finished all.

So you mostly read your manga in library ? You have library that lends manga or have place to read ? If that's right, i find it cool. Here It exist but they generally have big well known serie. Never done that, prefere my room to read, feels more like a "temple" for me.

I've finish Kino's journey and really like it. In reality I had already seen the remake and like it a few years ago. And I've always wanted to see the original serie but i had only find them in 4/3 and 480p with very bad quality. But now they are on netflix so I took my chance. Was very interesting and some episode are really impressive/ make you think quite a lot. And It's still great to watch even if it's older. That would have been a great recommandation :D Not all episode are equal and I must admit that I didn't understand "land of books" (ep 9). But was worth watching and I like the "not everything is black or white" aspect. I will maybe buy the light novel/manga one day if I find it in french. I was reading wandering witch (majo no tabi) a few weeks ago and it's clearly it's spiritual son. The anime was great too If you are looking for something in that style


"The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity" is just call "bloom" in the french version and it's easier to use ahah It's indeed very cute and I absolutly love Subaru character desing.

I totaly understand your struggle concerning seanonal anime. Personally i just had some in my list and watch it when I wanted. I'm generally overwhelm with very popular show that you seen everywhere and got spoil too easily so I generaly dodge seasonal anime and discover it after everybody but on my own pace.


I also went to the theatre with friend for the boy and the Heron. Was great but really hard for me to understand in one take. I need to rewatch it once more. I found some evolutionary/biology theme in it that i find nowhere on review. Was strange (I studied biology).


I take note on your ghibli recommandation, will watch it one day. I've vacation for the end of the year so I will have more time on the evening to watch movies. With work I have to go early to bed and movies are generally too long.

Did you plan on participating to the secret santa this years ? If so what are you asking ? I like the new way they organise it to simplify the process.

See you soon !

Hello,

It's been a long time ! I'm fine and hope it's the same for you ? I was waiting for you to finish violet evergarden before answering, but i completely missed it and only realised today that you had finished it a week ago... I'm really interested/keen to know your though about it ! With as many details as you want and even if i'm completely subjective concerning this serie, i'm not a blind fanboy that will take criticism in a wrong/bad way so feel free to express your real thoughts without filter. Do you think you will watch the first OAV, the movie OAV and the movie ?

I'm glad I asked about fruit basket since the movie was a kind of prequel in my mind, i would have made a big mistakes starting with it ! Will watch it one day for sure but I have a lot of trouble starting anime this moment and i'm trying my best to reorganise my time to take more time for it. I started reading a bit more and it feel really great ^^ i'm happy you liked "Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop". Was a sweet discovery when I watched it and I find it could have more visibility/popularity. I totally agree with your feeling about it.

Don't worry about my list of "recommendation" you have plenty of time and i give you quite a lot to "watch". Still you have already watch 2 of them in 2 month which is a great start.

Concerning seasonal anime, for this summer I add : city the animation, ruri no houseki and ame to kimi to to my plan to watch. And also "The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity"but I first start to read the manga as I start buying them before the anime launch. I haven't read all the french published one yet but I find it really cool until now. This fall season seems less generous than the summer but it has still plenty interesting thing to watch but I have to choose because my plan to watch is already near explosion (way too many anime per season to be able to watch all of them).

Not sure I will rewatch tokyo godfather before a long time, it's not legaly available and i first want to watch the ghibli I havent watched yet. Even if I've already seen some of the great classic I still have some really popular and highly recommanded to watch. And also nausicaä that I will more than probably like but that i'm "scared" to start. It has the potential to be a hit on me so i'm scared to be disapointed and only wanted to watch it a day I really wanted it. So it's in my plan, to watch for ages now... Did it ever happen to you ? And what's your(s) favorite(s) one or the one you would higly recommanded to start with ?

Now that you have seen violet evergarden the last sentence of my previous message about epistolary correspondence may have an other "taste" / "feeling". It's just a curiosity/an idea that popped in my mind when rereading my last message; I find it "fun" to read this after talking about this anime even if I didn't preshot the fact that you will start my list with this series.

Anyway was just an aside, hope every thing goes as you plan and see you soon for more discussion !

Hello, was on vacantion when you answer my message and it took me a long time to go back to my anime list (i'm not watchin japanese stuff for now). Hope you are doing well and enjoying your summer ! No external correction on this text, hope there is not too much mistakes or incomprehensible word. If so don't hesitate to ask for precision. Wanted to test if my fully natural english is great enough. Hope you don't mind

To be honest fruit basket is on my list for a long time now. As I struggle watching anime since i start working i find it harder for me to start long series with serveral season. It's something that i figure out lately : I don't like finishing serie so I slow down my watching for the last few episode or take a break before the last season. It's a terrible idea.... And I don't know if I must watch the movie first or no ?

Concerning recommandation, I'm not sure you will enjoy all of them but here are some anime that are not on your list but that i find worth watching :
* Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop : cute movie with great color and visual idea
* Tsuki ga Kirei : cute anime with younger character so it's different from classical romcom and very refreshing. Low budget (it's an original) so the background animation can be strange but the main character are great.
* One Week Friends : cute and original with a smooth and pastel drawing
* recovery of an mmo junky : If you like video games. It's only 10 ep with a great oav
These two last aren't pure romantic anime but two of my favorite show that I can only reccomand. I'm totaly biased about them as I love them but I think they have real quality and are worth watching. And it has some romantic aspect :
* The well know violet evergarden ^^ You have more than probably already heard of it but it's one of my two favorite.
* Kono oto tomare. Lesser know but very enjoyable. It's about koto a traditionnal japanese music instrument. It follow the code of music/sport anime but with an immense part of human relationship that are very intense and great. It's the one i would reccomand you the more if you never heard of it.

Did you find some interesting serie this summer season ? They are a lot of highly rated serie this time.

If I find tokyo godfather in french I will check but i don't think it's legaly and easily available. Interresting choice of voice actress for the english version. Was probably more natural/authentic.

Absolutly, you can/should take your time with the rewatching of the great passage. I think it's the kind of anime you can only enjoy if you are in the good mood and wanted to watch it. If you force yourself it won't be enjoyable.

This "epistolary correspondence" is really great don't worry. It take time because "I talk by passion of thing i like so I weight each idea and take the time to think about my message as it feels more "important" to be precise as it's not just a constant flow of message like traditional conversation.

Hope every thing is comprehensible ! See you soon ;)

Hello, finally took the time to answer your message. I haven't watched nor read anything (till this week) since I rewatched and read Fune wo Amu (The Great Passage), so I didn't go too much on MyAnimeList. There is never enough time in a day (or week) to do every kind of activity that I would like (probably the same for you and everyone x) ), but this time I put anime and manga a little bit aside.

You used the expression: "slow-burn romances", which I think I had never read before (but I understand the idea and asked a bot to translate it), and I like it a lot! That's totally the kind of romance I like: when changes in the relationship are smooth and practically imperceptible, but when they all combine so you can see the road the characters have taken. Without doing a deep search, if you have any ideas or recommendations of less known anime (or some of your favorite stuff), I'm always interested (my plan-to-watch list is already long, but I generally choose my next anime by feeling ^^).

Here, due to the arranged marriage, their relationship was forced, but I liked the way they tried to get to know each other step by step, by fulfilling their curiosity, their needs, and thoughts without making the other uncomfortable. As I studied Biology, I was interested in all the plant and traditional stuff related to it ^^ probably why I noticed it "naturally".

For K-ON I've only watched the first season yet but will continue. In the French dub, they just keep the original singing in Japanese (that's generally the same in movies, they keep the English songs except if the lyrics of the song are really important for the story — they sing it in French or at least subtitle it). And when songs have equivalents in French, they can also sing it in French, like some lullabies or kids' songs.

I still need to watch Belle one day, I didn't follow its release in theaters and I'm very slow at watching movies (slower than anime). But I'm curious about Scarlet, the upcoming movie from Mamoru Hosoda. Will probably try to watch it in theaters when it comes out. And I've watched Tokyo Godfathers in Japanese and I'm a bit scared to hear the French dub (if it exists) due to the "extravagance" of Hana xD But I really enjoyed this movie.

Mushishi is one of my favorite anime, so I was sure to at least enjoy the manga. I hope you will get a beautiful new edition of this masterpiece (imo). In French it's a classic edition, but we have some pages in color (introduction of each chapter), and they are incredible. It's like painted in watercolor, and I think that the whole manga could have been in color. But the classic black and white is really great too, and the drawing is super similar to the anime.

Indeed, I read The Great Passage way faster than expected. I spent a long weekend by the coast and decided to take this book ^^ And as I wanted to give you a complete review, I decided to rewatch the anime ^^ And I think I enjoyed it even more. I find that even the animation, music, and art style were really enjoyable. I'm completely biased, but it's really a great anime.

Concerning the manga, it's really different, not bad at all but different. Now I'm curious to read the light novel, which is the original. The manga is too short to detail the whole story, so the mangaka (who is the illustrator of the light novel but not the author) decided to skip a lot of information concerning the dictionary. I think that the manga would have been the same if it happened in another domain of work. The dictionary is only the background theme compared to the anime where it's as central as the relationship between the characters. The manga goes quickly with only 5 chapters, and basically the first one is the introduction, the second the romance, the third is on Nishioka, and then the story is concluded in the last two chapters. The information in the manga is not exactly the same as the one in the anime.

Nishioka is more secondary in the story, he is more "sly as a fox" (need a translator for this one), he is often drawn with a large trolling smile. And he is shown jealous of Majime and Kaguya. He is not a bad person, but way more complex and "sad" than the one in the anime. Majime is the same, and Kaguya is shown way more confident. The confession scene is totally different, and Kaguya leads the dialogue and dominates Majime. It's not bad and it's kinda cute, but I really prefer the anime version. This scene is, in my opinion, really amazing, full of little details, smiles, silences, very few words, but all the emotion and sentiment hit their target. Even if I had already watched the anime, I fell once again into this romance. They are so incredible and it's so well written.

When I rewatched it, I was more focused on that point and noticed all the little details showing how and why Kaguya and Majime fall in love, how complementary they are, and how caring they are for each other. They both have a passion that is more important than anything, and they both accept and respect that in the other. (I realize I wrote a lot about their relationship, hope you don't mind, I really really liked it). So the manga is great, but I'm finally a bit "happy" about my mistakes that made you discover The Great Passage through the anime and not the manga, because it's better (imo).

We can keep talking here in the comment section, it's not a problem for me :) It's just that I take time to write this message so I'm slow. But it seems that we both accept that fact and that it doesn't take away from the pleasure of the conversation. It's like an epistolary exchange, it has its own charm :D So it's fine ^^

Hope you are doing well too and wish you a great day. See you next time, with no urgency, for more pleasing discussion!

Hi :D!

This time, I took a little bit more time to answer ^^ Sorry about that. Hope you are doing well and found free time for yourself.

I'm happy that you enjoy Blissful Land, it was a kind of "bet" at the time I recommended it to you. Great that I had a good first impression on it. I totally agree the "laid-back tone" is very appreciable. That's actually the kind of manga I enjoy the most lately. That wasn't the case when I started my manga/anime journey, I was always looking for serious, well-written stories with plot and twists or a lot of action. But then I discovered slice-of-life/romcom and my taste changed to that direction.

I understand that you find the facial expressions funny, that's a kind of humor I also enjoy (that and the "chibi face"). I just found that Khang has that face a little bit too much at times. It was probably to make him completely disconnected or a bit weird/daydreaming (had to use a translator for this expression, hope it's well used. In French, we would say "dans la lune," which is translated word for word as "in the moon"). But Pema was always funny, and it fit well with her "trolling" personality. The conclusion with all the characters was indeed great, it's always a good way to end a story and use it as a "reminder" of the whole story. If it was a bit longer, it would have been nice, but I'm happy with the length. If I remember well, I found that the 4th volume was already mostly composed of "side stories" with no real impact on the main story/characters. It wasn't bad at all, but I think that more volumes would imply more side stories in that style. But I generally like when there are some chapters after the marriage/the moment characters get in a couple. Or some pictures with them in the future.

At the end, it was nice to see that even if it's an arranged marriage, the two of them have found someone like them with their quirks. It was also very interesting to make a parallel between medicine and color to show that the same plant or flower can have different uses based on personal/regional knowledge or culture.

Speaking of singing in the anime, I'm currently watching K-On, and it's very strange. In French, everything is in French, and then they sing in Japanese, which is weird because there is no reason for a French-speaking person to sing in Japanese, it's uncommon. If it was in English, it wouldn't have the same strange feeling because it's common for us to listen to English songs and so sing them. I watch it in japanese but just checked in French out of curiosity because watching CGDCT or moe anime in French sounds very strange, the VA sounds completely fake. They cannot do that "cute/childish/energetic" voice that generally matches with that kind of character. In French, Belle was also sung in French, and they did a really good job. I don't like the French singer who did it, but in that movie, she did a really great job (I haven't watched the movie yet but heard some of the songs). Movie dubs are generally better and more "polished," and the songs are also translated, especially if they are projected in the theater.

Crying is also hard in general in French, they do too much or too "loud" compared to Japanese. It, of course, depends on the VA because some are very, very skilled and great, and I sometimes watch films/series or anime in French only because I like the French casting. It's the same for kids; generally, girl VAs are doing girl and boy roles as well.

I'm very slow at reading Mushishi, haven't given a lot of my time to reading lately. I absolutely love the anime, one of my favorites, and I was a bit scared of the manga at first because I found that the color and the sound/music ambiance is what makes Mushishi so special. So I didn't plan to buy the manga, but I found them secondhand at 18€ (+- 20.5$) for the first 9 volumes, so I didn't hesitate ^^ I only had to buy the last one new. It's very nice, and the anime is really similar and, as I expected, better with the music. But the manga is very great after all. I have no idea of the cost of manga in your country, but here it's between 7 and 8 €. So it was a great opportunity. Will give you feedback on the great passages when I dig in. But be patient, ahah ^^

Concerning the Kids on the Slope manga, I haven't read it all and don't remember enough, but I just found it on Vinted (the first 8 volumes) for 5€/volume, which is really great, knowing that each one is worth 20 to 90€ ^^ So I will read it one day :D

"Yeah, this way of talking can be time-consuming, especially when we have so much to write to each other about" : I can be quite talkative, I admit ^^ Hope I'm not chatting too much at times. I also enjoy speaking here too, that wasn't negative or a criticism. I will continue on my own pace, but if you want to switch the conversation to a chat app, that's possible for me (but speaking here is also nice/great for me).

Have a nice day, see you next time :)

Hello :)

Blissful Land was really easy and pleasant to read ^^ I was quite fast for once. The fact that it was only 5 volumes long helped me. (Without any spoilers) I really enjoyed the story till the end and found some drawings/pages awesome. The level of detail in some environments and clothing is very impressive; I can't imagine the time it takes to draw this. I also like the way the author "cuts" some double pages to parallel events from the perspectives of two characters. Hard to explain—I hope it's understandable. ^^

"It's strangely comforting to know that dubs from other countries, like France, can have the same quirks." I think this isn't a coincidence because, for older anime and series, we have the same version as the English one. For example, for the Pokémon series, we have a French version of the English opening, not the Japanese one. Nowadays, I think that's not the case anymore, and French dubs keep the Japanese opening (except for series "for kids (target audience)" like Pokémon, Inazuma Eleven, which are shown on TV).

I think it's hard to sing and even harder to translate a song that keeps the same meaning while respecting lip sync. I've seen the same problem with screams. When a character screams (in anger or sadness), it happens that they keep the Japanese version. Not all French dubbing actors can scream like the Japanese ones, or it sounds weird. The way characters are dubbed is different in Japanese and French. Japanese VAs seem to always have a lot of energy and high voice fluctuations, but that's not natural in French (in my opinion, at least). And most French people have less high-pitched voices than Japanese people. I think it's probably the same in English.

Talking about The Great Passage really makes me want to rewatch it or take time to read the manga. But in French, it's a double volume, so I need to take the time to read it in one sitting. I secretly hope that there's a bit more in the manga than in the anime (especially about Majime and Kaguya's relationship). But I've started reading Mushishi, so this one will have to wait. "This is just me being a hopeless romantic. 🥰" I won't blame you for that; my anime list probably shows that I'm a bit like that, too. x)

Everything is okay, then—I perfectly understand ^^ and if I have a doubt about a word, the internet is there to help, haha. I find that this way of talking (comment to comment) doesn't really fit a more "natural" way of talking. It feels a bit more like sending a letter/mail and tends to result in long messages with a lot of subtopics. It's also harder to reply without losing an idea, and it takes more time than a conversation on messaging/chat apps like Discord. I don't know if you feel the same, but it's one of the reasons I sometimes take time to reply ^^ So I totally understand, and it doesn't bother me at all to wait.

Until next time! Have a great day

Don't worry about the length of this message ^^ It's always fun for me to talk about anime/manga.

I took my time, but yes, I've already passed you in my reading of Blissful Land. I've read two volumes and I regret nothing about my purchase! I find it really cute and it confirmed what I think this manga was when I recommended it to you. I didn't take too much risk in my initial appreciation as this manga is edited in French by "Nobi Nobi", which is a publishing house that specializes in chill, cute, and comfy stories (like Yuru Camp, Little Witch Academia, or My Roommate is a Cat). As you said in your first feedback, the historical and geographical setting are really interesting, as well as the notes about medicinal ingredients and their use and effects. The two main characters are great and I like how they interact with each other (I find it "refreshing", "youthful", and a bit clumsy and so cute ^^) and I also really like the little sister who adds a lot of humor. I find the art style really pleasing too even if some faces (seen in the background) are a bit weird/too simple. But it's nothing bad. Especially as I find that the eyes are really beautiful, especially Rati's, like in the bottom picture of page 50, volume 1, when she is making the medicine ball. Hard to explain, but I find them really nice.

I agree, lip-sync problems can be a little weird. I don't know if it's something in English dubs too, but another problem we have in French is that they don't like silence. They tend to add some words or sound effects/onomatopoeia to fill the void. As an example, a character that is shocked by something will open his mouth. In the Japanese version, he will say nothing, but in French, it will be "oh" (I hope it's clear). It really depends on the production, but it's a thing and it can sometimes bother me in more contemplative anime. And it's a "shame" that they didn't sing the song, it must feel strange if they keep the Japanese version (except if the Japanese VA and English one had really similar voices).

Concerning the "bon" thing, I had to rewatch the French sub ^^ I don't know if my version is an official sub or a fansub, but here they always write "bon" and the first time Sentarou said it, they wrote: (bon = rich kid) as an explanation. In the French dub, they literally explain it so Sentarou says: "I will call you bon, it means rich kid, we will be friends". And it's really strange to hear it in French as "Bon" is actually the French word for "good".

Yes, I got lucky this time ^^ The Savior's Book Café Story in Another World is indeed cute, that's probably the best word to describe it. I scored it 8/10 as I enjoyed reading it (I'm not really severe when scoring manga). The story has nothing exceptional, but it's original for an isekai and the idea behind the story is, according to my interpretation, interesting. The art style is clean and beautiful. If you are seeking something calm, you can try it without hesitation.

I totally agree with your feeling about The Great Passage and the fact that any subject can be interesting. I'm curious by nature and I really like watching "original" anime and generally discover a new subject or an aspect that I didn't expect to appreciate. And some of my favorite anime are the ones with "atypical" subjects (camping in Yuru Camp, karuta in Chihayafuru, or some music instruments (Hibike Euphonium, Liz and the Blue Bird, Kono Oto Tomare)). And The Great Passage is probably one of the most unusual I've watched. But it has that depth and poetic aspect that I really enjoy about the meaning of words. People writing this story are indeed real passionate. It makes me think about "words" while I use them every day without paying attention. I understand that the time skip is a bit rough, but I also think that it's necessary to increase the weight of time in the story (and also because making 24 episodes would probably be a bit too long for this story). You said that you are happy for them to get married and I totally understand. I personally really enjoy the romantic part of this story, even if it's quite secondary, it's made with the same intention as the story. It was interesting with a character like Majime, who is clearly not comfortable with that kind of stuff. And I found it really cute and find that Kaguya was a beautiful character, not only in her "visual" but also everything that she carries with her, passion, calm, kindness. Her first appearance was a bit mystical/angelic and it perfectly fit the character in my opinion.

I think I've reacted to everything and that my message is as long as yours xD sorry for the reading^^ the answer is not urgent either.

As English is not my first language, I write all my messages in English by myself and then ask a GPT to correct my grammar/orthography. I ask it not to modify my way of writing or my level of vocabulary. So I hope my message is quite natural/fluent to read and not too "robotic" nor conventional. I perfectly understand English, but it's harder to write ^^ If something is unclear, don't hesitate to ask.

Wish you a great day/night and a good continuation in your reading/watching.

Hello,

I finally have Blissful Land in my hands ^^ It will be my next read and I will share my thoughts with pleasure. But first, I want to finish one of my Secret Santa's recommendations (I will talk about it later in this message ^^). It's hard for me to read multiple series in parallel, and I generally have to reread a few volumes if not the whole series when it takes months for a new volume to be published. Bad memory for details and I like being in one "world" at a time.

I understand why you watched Kids on the Slope twice ^^ And comparing sub and dub can be fun too. I personally enjoy comparing manga and anime versions more. French dub is a bit too random. If it's a big production or a very famous license, it tends to get a great French adaptation with talented and well-directed voice actors. But too often it feels a bit rushed and awkward. Older series like the ones from the late 1990s and early 2000s have some great dubs. For some, I even prefer the French version (Samurai Champloo or The Garden of Sinners, for example). For Kids on the Slope, which one did you prefer? I personally really like Sentarou's voice. The way he says "Bon" to call Kaoru has a special effect on me.

This time I got lucky and received 6 recommendations, all from the same person (he probably had a hard time due to my "specific" request), and he did a really good job. For anime recommendations, I got: NegaPosi Angler, which I really enjoyed watching, Hanhua Riji, a goofy Chinese show that's fun to watch to chill and relax, and Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san. I haven't seen that one yet, and I'm waiting to be in the right mood to fully enjoy it. As for manga, he gave me: Ex-Yakuza and Stray Kitten (which I will buy soon), Run on Your New Legs, and Isekai ni Kyuuseishu toshite Yobaremashita ga, Around 30 ni wa Muri nanode, Hissori Book Cafe Hajimemashita (had to copy-paste this one xD), which I've already begun. It's really nice and cute; that's the one I wanted to finish before starting Blissful Land.

I also saw that you finished The Great Passage. How was it? You scored it an 8, so I guess it was good, but was your first positive impression accurate, or did it disappoint you a bit?

Have a nice day/evening!

Hello,

Terribly sorry for the late reply. I've had a tough time at work and didn't have much time to go on MyAnimeList. Thanks for your reply, and don't worry about the possible slowness of your reply ^^ Nothing is urgent :)

I'm a slow reader too, so I totally understand. Take your time ^^ Personally, I like reading alone in my room when I have the time to read at least one volume without interruption. I need to dive into the story ^^ And I ordered "Blissful Land" last week :D

I also love the "My Favorite Thing" cover; this scene is so nice. I also really like the medley they do at school; it's probably one of my favorite moments of the show. And you watched it twice in a row? Did you need to fully appreciate the show or was it because you felt a void/miss after the first time?

Did you get any other anime recommendations during this event? Were they great?

Hope you are doing well, and again, sorry for the late reply.

I'm so happy you're liking the show! I wasn't sure if the tone would stray too far from the drama-light optimistic rec you were hoping for, but I had hoped the other elements in terms of overall theming, setting, production and so on would win you over. It sounds like your manga santa was thinking something similar, it's funny that we both came to the same idea

Thank you for the kind message! I'm so glad you enjoyed the message and the gift. Hope you've been well too, and happy new year 🥳