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You cannot turn off your brain while reading Liar Game, this manga will force you to use 100% of your brain to understand its details.

The storytelling is captivating, and the scriptwriting is impeccable. I didn’t find any plot holes in the story.

The characters are very interesting, especially Kanzaki Nao, Akiyama, and Yokoya. The main character undergoes so much development that, even though she’s fictional, I can’t help but feel proud of her.

The characters’ behaviors and personalities are very realistic. They portray how selfish and self-centered humans can be, and how it’s something we can’t fully help, since it’s part of our nature.
It’s much harder ... for us to sacrifice ourselves than to disregard others. The manga effectively demonstrates how a person’s survival instinct can make us lose sight of the people around us.

The art is decent, it gets better as the series progresses.

Some rounds may feel a bit long or have slower pacing, but regardless, from start to finish, I never felt like reading all 200 chapters was a chore.

I highly recommend Liar Game to anyone looking for something complex and thought provoking to read.
However, this is not for those seeking a casual or relaxing experience.

After watching four episodes of Shabake, I decided to drop this anime.
While it has some good qualities, overall it just didn’t hold my interest the way I had hoped.

The music is beautiful.
The animation quality is solid, and the art style has a soft, traditional look that really fits the historical setting. These aspects made me want to keep watching at first.

Unfortunately, the storytelling is mediocre at best. The pacing is slow, sometimes dragging on scenes that don’t have importance.
The characters are underdeveloped especially the main character.

I initially decided to watch Shabake because the trailer made it look promising, suggesting a blend of mystery, folklore, ... and gentle slice of life elements. However, the actual execution doesn’t quite deliver on that promise.

I don’t recommend watching it, especially if you’re looking for something that offers relaxation and wisdom.
It's far better to watch Natsume’s Book of Friends or Mushishi, both series handle similar themes with far more depth.

Land of the Lustrous? Chef’s Kiss.

The concept of the story is very unique, original, and most importantly mind blowing!

The storytelling is impeccable. It’s so well crafted that I’m genuinely concerned about how galaxy brained the author must be.

Seriously, Land of the Lustrous is one of the best pieces of literature I’ve ever read. And that’s coming from someone who’s read the heavyweights: Crime and Punishment, Don Quixote, and other literary titans. But none of them had sentient gemstone people contemplating their immortal lives, now did they?

The art style is minimalistic yet effective. The author has clearly mastered the ancient and noble art of “positive and ... negative spacing” (which sounds like something a monk would teach you in a temple atop a mountain). The pages are so clean and elegant, it’s like every panel was hand polished by a gem cutter.

That said, I do sometimes struggle with telling who’s who because, well, manga isn’t in color, and apparently my brain isn’t designed to recognize individual gems by haircut alone. “Wait, is that Rutile? Bort? Diamond? HELP.”

The action is also something else. No blood, no gore, just shards. When a fight breaks out, it’s not “oh no, they’re wounded,” it’s “oh no, their HEAD popped off.” You don’t need first aid; you need a broom and maybe some industrial grade glue from Rutile.

And the lore? DEEP. Like Mariana Trench deep.

Now let’s talk about the main character, Phosphophyllite aka Phos, aka the heartbreak magnet. The character development here is an emotional rollercoaster engineered by sadistic geniuses. Phos goes through so much trauma, evolution, and philosophical despair that I’m honestly impressed they didn’t just lie down and become rock. By the end, Phos is nearly unrecognizable from the bright eyed gem we met at the beginning. What starts as bubbly optimism gradually becomes a quiet descent into existential dread.

I just wanted to give her a hug. Preferably before her arms fall off again.

And the ending? Unique. Weird. Beautiful. Satisfying. It’s one of those endings that sits in the back of your brain rent free, possibly forever, unless I get amnesia or Alzheimer’s, in which case… well, I hope I rediscover it all over again and cry just as hard.

TL;DR:
Land of the Lustrous is a gem. A painfully beautiful, emotionally shattering, gloriously drawn gem.

Molester Man/Chikan Otoko is the realistic love story we never asked for, but somehow ended up finishing anyway. Supposedly based on a true story, which I guess makes the whole "stalker turned boyfriend material" plot a lot less creepy and a lot more... charming?

At first glance, I thought, "Hey, only 21 chapters? This'll be a quick afternoon read." Fast forward three days later and I’m still squinting at walls of text like I’m deciphering ancient scripture. Each chapter is a mini-novel disguised as manga.

Let’s talk about the art. Or should I say, the brave attempt at art. Character design? Iconic—if by iconic you mean ... it's nearly impossible to tell the three main girls apart unless they’re labeled like Pokémon cards. But hey, it seems like a one man project, so we’ll give points for sheer determination and possibly chronic sleep deprivation.

Now the romance... I’ll admit, it’s the only part that felt genuinely fresh. For once, the MC doesn’t end up with the typical "first girl wins" heroine. Nope, plot twist! He ends up with her best friend instead.

So yeah, would I recommend it? If you enjoy romance and don’t mind getting emotionally invested in something that looks like it was drawn in a math notebook during detention—go for it. Just don’t let the chapter count fool you. Those 21 chapters? Buckle up. It’s a full-on journey. Bring snacks.

Wow! Round of Applause

City: The Animation was a special show. It’s clear that the creators poured so much love into this anime. It even looks like there were no budget limitations during production.

The animation was legendary, so smooth and chaotic at the same time. It was so well done that you can’t even find a single flaw in the art. Salute to the animators who worked so hard on bringing this show to life.

The sound effects were precise and perfectly timed. They really added to the humor of the show.

When it comes to comedy, this anime was genuinely funny. The humor and gags were effective ... without being exaggerated, unlike the over the top comedic relief in some typical shounen anime.

The voice acting was superb. The cast really put everything into their performances, whether they were screaming, laughing, or crying, it was all convincing and matched the scenes perfectly.

The singing in the final episode was surprisingly great and pleasant to the ears. Most singing in anime doesn’t actually sound as good as the characters make it seem, but this one nailed it.

The opening and ending songs? Total bangers.

I loved all the characters in this anime. Not a single one was annoying. Each of them had a distinct personality that complemented the others and added to the show's delightful chaos.

My favorite characters might be the duo Ecchan and Matsuri. They were fun to watch and surprisingly deep with their philosophical questions.

I also loved that each episode exceeded the usual 25-minute runtime, which is pretty unusual for anime. I’m glad we got so much content every episode.

Everything about this anime was great.
What a fun ride!

The Summer Hikaru Died has such an original and unique premise.
I liked the story, it's intriguing, and it feels like something that’s never been done before.

The music is also great, especially the opening and ending songs.

The art style and animation are beautiful, you can tell the animators put a lot of effort into creating this.

There are only three truly interesting and important characters: the two main characters and the girl who can see ghosts. She has a meaningful impact on the story.

Now, my criticisms about this anime:
...
The pacing of the story is very slow. There’s a lot of mystery in the plot, but it takes too long before the show even begins to offer partial answers to the questions it raises.

Although the anime is part of the horror genre, it doesn't actually come off as scary to me, maybe because I was expecting shocking jump scares or a spine chilling narrative.

In conclusion, I liked this anime. I just wish the pacing were better.

Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 is extremely mediocre!

The concept might seem interesting at first, but the storytelling is average and cliché.

The animation is also mediocre, it feels like an anime made in 2010, running at 12 frames per second most of the time.

The script is so weak that the only lines side characters seem to have are ones hyping up other characters.

The characters are one dimensional, and the main character is an adult who acts like a teenager.

The best thing about this anime might be the music, it's exciting and gets you pumped. But overall, it still follows the typical battle oriented shounen formula, complete ... with obnoxious tropes like the power of friendship, dramatic speeches that randomly power up characters, and unfunny comic relief.

If you're looking for an entertaining anime that lets you turn your brain off, you can watch this.
But if you're hoping for deep storytelling, character development, or anything that hasn’t been done a thousand times, you’re gonna be disappointed.

Kaiju No. 8 is so popular that I honestly wonder where they spent their animation budget.

No Home is a deeply moving and exceptionally well written manhwa that clearly targets a mature audience specifically those who have experienced the harsh realities of life. Its storytelling is powerful, emotionally resonant, and far from superficial.

The scriptwriting is of high caliber, with dialogue that feels realistic, heartfelt, and impactful. Every exchange between characters carries weight, often stirring strong emotions in the reader.

The character development is particularly noteworthy, not only are the main characters richly developed, but even the side characters show meaningful growth and play significant roles in the story.
My favorite character is the bald teacher. He stands out as a kind, wise, cool, ... grounded, and full of life experience.

While the artwork is decent perhaps not outstanding, it effectively supports the tone of the narrative. The English translation is serviceable, though there's room for slight improvement in phrasing.

At its core, No Home is a sad, painful, and heartbreaking story. It's a tearjerker that hits close to home for many readers, tackling themes that are too realistic.

In conclusion, what I love most about this manhwa are its story, dialogue, and characters. It absolutely deserves the high rating it has received from readers.

Fantastic storytelling.
Highly recommended.

I love the Yamishibai series. It's unfortunate that there aren't many horror-themed anime in the industry.

The voice acting in each episode is consistently good not half baked at all. The storyteller’s voice is excellent, as always.
The ending music, however, is just "meh."

The animation has improved slightly, about 5% better, but the art style remains the same, which makes sense since it's based on Kamishibai, a traditional Japanese storytelling method using paper cutouts.

Some of the stories this season are actually better than in previous ones, but most are unsatisfying. They often leave you hanging, with no proper conclusion and open to interpretation.

I liked it overall, but ... I just wish the stories had proper endings.

I like Yamishibai horror stories, but I missed the earlier seasons when the stories were actually scarier and had surprising jump scares.
I really like the voice of the storyteller, he’s getting creepier and creepier, so kudos to him.
However, the voice acting and ending sequence feel like a downgrade in Season 7.

I do like the intro, especially where the storyteller goes to creepier locations to tell the horror stories. But it would be better if there were an audience shown listening to him in that underground room (or whatever place it is).

I hope the stories in future seasons will be better and more frightening.
That said, I ... still liked it the show, just pointing out that it could be improved, even with the short runtime.