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8.5/10
It’s easy to hate what we don’t understand. Yet if we find the courage to look closer, there is true beauty in one’s differences. In The Name of the Mermaid Princess, mermaid princess Mio is shunned for her race in a kingdom of humans. Her greatest wish is to restore harmony between magical creatures and humans. While it’s themes are simple and at times a little on the nose, fairy tale fans will eat up the gorgeous artwork, romantic setting, and cozy message about accepting one for who they are, regardless of their race or gender.

Mio truly carries the story and embodies what a modern ... female heroine should be: strong-willed, courageous, and kind, while still able to embrace her feminine traits. She’s not at all weak or a product of the plot. The books also do a great job of balancing romantic elements with the external story. There’s a reason why our differences should be celebrated: boy, girl, merman; no matter what you are, all that matters is what’s in your heart and what you do. Its lack of higher stakes and central antagonist, however, prevent it from fully embracing its deeper themes surrounding racism.

Despite this, there’s nothing more satisfying than reading about a “fool” who triumphs. Princess Mio shows us that one’s true strength comes from being yourself.

+Strong female heroine with agency; truly embodies well-rounded character
+Beautiful artwork and soft, heartwarming tone
+Great balance of external story elements and romance
-Lack of central antagonist and bolder stakes results in somewhat thin story structure

8.5/10
Nothing is more satisfying than watching a fool triumph, especially when all odds are stacked against him. Dealing with Mikadono Sisters Is a Breeze’s initial premise reduces an eye-roll. Loser guy ends up living with three prodigies who also happen to be the most beautiful girls in his class, a recipe for lazy wish fulfillment. Instead, viewers will be surprised when they see a heartwarming story about recognizing one’s worth past their accomplishments and social standing. Beautiful animation, great pacing, and fun characters make this series a standout in the sea of rom-coms. Yuu is not a cookie-cutter insert, but has goals and relatable struggles. ... While initially shunned by his peers for seemingly having no talents, perhaps he excels at the one skill everyone needs in life.

While lacking a proper conclusion and higher stakes for our MC, Dealing with Mikadono Sisters Is a Breeze teaches us that being yourself is your greatest weapon. It’s a fluffy, well-executed cliche story.

+Heartwarming relationship dynamics; avoids negative genre tropes (fan-service, immature behaviors)
+Well-rounded, relatable MC who proves his worth
+High production values: stylized animation, fun sound, and excellent pacing
-Lack of major conflict prevents higher, richer stakes

9/10
Sometimes a touch of magic is all it takes to find ourselves. In this sweet and extremely underrated magical girl tale, ordinary middle schooler Inari Fushimi gets more than she bargained for after a good deed bestows her with magic. Will her new powers ultimately grant her wish, or will she have to learn to embrace reality?

While we’ve seen this setup hundreds of times before, this empowerment story offers a strong female lead, a lovable supporting cast, and heartfelt lessons we all can relate to. Inari is kind, hard working, and determined to change herself for the people she loves, yet also struggles to be ... honest with herself and makes mistakes. The beautiful artwork and sweet character designs greatly adds to the whimsical atmosphere. With great pacing, rich characters, and well-defined character arcs, Inari Kon Kon proves itself as one of best the magical girl genre has to offer.

We don’t need to change ourselves to find true love and happiness—the true magic lies in us.

+Relatable female lead with great character transformation
+Lovable characters and a rich supporting cast
+Beautiful artwork
- Simple themes may not suit all tastes
- Poor pacing in final arc

8.5/10
Sometimes a touch of magic is all it takes to find ourselves. In this sweet and extremely underrated magical girl tale, ordinary middle schooler Inari Fushimi gets more than she bargained for after a good deed bestows her with magic. Will her new powers ultimately grant her wish, or will she have to learn to embrace reality?

While we’ve seen this setup hundreds of times before, this empowerment story adapted from the 2010 manga offers a relatable female lead, a lovable supporting cast, and heartfelt lessons we all can relate to. Inari is kind, hard working, and determined to change herself for the people she ... loves, yet also struggles to be honest with herself and makes mistakes. The beautiful animation, sweet character designs, and soft, melodious background tracks greatly adds to the romantic atmosphere. While ultimately the viewer may be hungry for more background, slower pacing, and a complete ending, Inari Kon Kon proves itself as one of best the magical girl genre has to offer.

We don’t need to change ourselves to find true love and happiness—the true magic lies in us. Check out the manga for a richer and compete version of the story.

6/10
Vampire Dormitory is more than just a buddy love story. It’s an example of what happens when the worst kind of cliches are all dumped together, resulting in a bowl of slop that’s total inedible.

A beautiful, perfect girl with no character growth that does nothing to earn her partner’s love. A trite love triangle with an abusive love rival. Horrible pacing that wastes time on cookie-cutter side characters. Story beats that flow together poorly. There is no character development, horrible world-building, and the overall structure does not make sense. The soft artwork and pretty character designs only make this read even more offensive, signaling ... what could have been. It even attempts to take a bold risk with greater themes of “loving someone despite their gender” but does not commit.

Toyama-sensei somehow manages to create the worst Shojo that’s ever existed. Instead, check out her earlier works, Pixie Pop and Koko ni Iru yo (I am Here) for sweet, feel-good romances.

+Soft character designs and pretty artwork
+Explores bolder theme of accepting love of all types (LGBTQ)
-Horribly executed story beats and cliches; poor world-building
-No meaningful character transformation

6/10
+Soft character designs and pretty animation
+Explores bolder theme of accepting love of all types (LGBTQ)
-Horribly executed story beats and cliches; poor world-building
-No meaningful character transformation

Vampire Dormitory is more than just a buddy love story. It’s an example of what happens when the worst kind of cliches are all dumped together, resulting in a bowl of slop that’s total inedible.

A beautiful, perfect girl with no character growth that does nothing to earn her partner’s love. A trite love triangle with an abusive love rival. Horrible pacing that wastes time on cookie-cutter side characters. Story beats that flow together poorly. There is no character ... development, horrible world-building, and the overall structure does not make sense. The soft animation and pretty character designs only make this watch even more offensive, signaling what could have been. It even attempts to take a bold risk with greater themes of “loving someone despite their gender” but does not commit.

Toyama-sensei somehow manages to create the worst Shojo that’s ever existed. Instead, check out her earlier works, Pixie Pop and Koko ni Iru yo (I am Here) for sweet, feel-good romances.

7.5/10 (This review is for the entire series: S1, S2)
+Sweet, simple story about relationships of all types
+Most realistic portrayal of teenagers ever seen in anime
+High production values: gorgeous animation, OST, and tight writing
-Extremely poor pacing; side characters distract too much from central characters
-Lacks central conflict to propel strong character transformation

It’s said not to judge a book by its cover. Horimiya is no exception. The series high production values, rich cast of characters, and lack of dramatic cliches make it strong contender in the SOL genre. It’s refreshing to watch lovable characters discover themselves, something we all can relate to. Horimiya also has some of ... the most realistic portrayal of teenage behavior ever seen in an anime.

Yet the lack of conflict presented, deeper character work, and extremely poor pacing make it hard to recommend to the mature viewer. It isn’t shown how our key players change, but told through tedious monologues. We see our leads grow, but how? Why? These gaps are left to the imagination, resulting in an extremely disappointing watch. Its poor pacing also doesn’t do it any favors, spending more than half its run time on the supporting cast.

The viewer may enjoy seeing a simple story about relationships and how high schoolers interact, but for those looking for a rich romance or coming of age tale, Horimiya fails.

7.5/10
+Great chemistry between leads; fun protagonists
+Likeable setting and strong supporting cast
+Adorable, feel-good artwork
-Favors dues-ex-machina over organic character arcs
-Narrative poorly fleshed out

Chance meetings can change our lives in unexpected ways, especially when there’s a touch of magic involved. Sora Omote conceives a sweet buddy love story featuring a trodden Cinderella type who just can’t catch a break with his family’s body swapping curse. The characters alone are what make this read enjoyable, with the sweet, boy-next door Hanamaru being the perfect match for the fiery and opinionated Nanao. Omote’s cute, fluffy artwork also plays a big part in creating this cozy atmosphere for the ... reader, in addition to a strong supporting cast.

What prevents this read from truly sticking its landing is its lack of commitment to its themes. The plot creates the conflict instead of the characters, with our main lead never truly leaving his comfort zone. Combined with poorly established magical rules, Metamo Kiss offers a feel-good setting but never fully fleshes out the narrative. Stories like these require a strong character transformation, yet the final conflict is shoehorned in without any agency from our key players.

Despite being the product of incredibly wasted potential, Metamo Kiss succeeds in laying solid groundwork for an enjoyable romantasy.

7.5/10
+Wacky premise that avoids cliches of genre
+Enjoyable, feel-good romance with organic progression; likeable deuteragonist
-Romanticizes MC’s poor behavior through cheap jokes
-Underdeveloped world, character, and themes
-Average production values: unremarkable animation, sound, and direction

Girumasu suffers from a massive identity crisis. It’s as if a chef looking to create a new recipe threw as many ingredients into a pot with the hope of creating that perfect dish. There’s isekai superpower-fantasy elements, rites of passage undertones, and an awkward mix of drama and comedy that severely impacts the show’s structure.

The major problem with Girumasu is that it doesn’t know what it wants to be. Its poor setup ... doesn’t do it any favors and the overall pacing feels rushed. Many plot points and character beats are massively underdeveloped. Yet it’s quiet moments are what elevate an otherwise shallow story. One can’t help but root for MC Alina as she attempts to evade the pain of loss by avoiding relationships. Her budding romance with Jade and friendship with the other members of the Silver Sword party are easily the show’s highlights. The base ingredients are all there, and fairly enjoyable, but unfortunately missing the right recipe.

Girumasu may not be winning any awards, but it certainly doesn’t belong in the trash bin. Its likeable characters and fun setting may be enough to satisfy the hungry romantasy fan.

7.5/10
+Strong setup and likeable cast of characters
+Pretty artwork adds to romantic and whimsical tone
-Lacks compelling character transformation
-Story is poorly paced after midpoint; slow pace and lack of conflict drags it down

The journey of adolescence into adulthood mirrors that of a butterfly. Fragile and beautiful, they symbolize transformation, growth, and new beginnings, for better or worse. Author Suu Morishita (A Sign of Affection, Short Cake Cake) creates a dreamy tale of a popular girl coming out of her shell by learning to express herself. Morishita’s saccharine artwork adds to that sense of whimsy and its strong setup features a unique spin on tropes readers have ... come to expect.

Unfortunately the story’s structure fizzles out at the midpoint and doesn’t follow through on its promise of premise. MC Suiren does not grow and change in any meaningful way and there is no major conflict that drives her relationships forward. For some, its cute romance and fun supporting cast serves as a huge distraction from its lack of commitment to its themes, but those expecting a strong coming of age story may be disappointed.