Summer is supposed to be the off season of anime. For us northern hemisphere residents, it’s the sun soaked reprieve we enjoy before the fall season drops the motherload of anime upon us all. But Summer was not content with just having a lazy beach day. We were treated to not one, but two particular bottle-of-lightning releases that took over an aspect of pop culture in their own ways.
When I wrote my premiere impressions, I just so happened to ignore an anime that ended up being among my favorites this season. It’s common for me to have some late pick ups but I don’t think I’ve ever been “that” close to missing out on something that ended up becoming such an obsession for me. Last time this happened was the innocuous Odd Taxi. My end of season thoughts are vastly different from when I wrote my premiere. Let’s check them out and see how things ended up! As always, we’re starting from the mediocre, and working our way up!
The Devil is a Part Timer! S2
Hataraku Maou-sama!!
Devil is a Part Timer may be 2nd in line of a potential new trend that is both a blessing and a curse. Let’s call it the “weakquel” trend. Last season, Rising of the Shield Hero returned for its second season after a very successful debut. So strong was the reception that they actually announced season 3 the same time as season 2 which is something I personally have never seen before in the anime industry in my time of keeping up with seasonal stuff. Unfortunately Shield Hero returned with such a surprisingly empty and unfulfilling season, that it made me question what I even liked about the series. It was that devoid of energy and engagement.
It is this same effect that Devil is a Part Timer suffered. This was an anime that wormed its way into the hearts of anime fans long ago due to its fish-out-of-water scenario and the quirky skits involving Satan dealing with mundane, everyday issues. The Katsu-DOOM is a legendary bit that I’ll forever hold in high regard. So it was easy to see why I, and many others, were stunned and excited at the announcement of a second season after all these years. The premiere was pretty solid so I had quite a bit of confidence in this show.
However, it didn’t take long for me to realize that the episodes were zipping by, and I simply wasn’t having a great time. This season sent the ragtag demon crew a baby to take care of which can be a fun dynamic, but kind of overstayed its welcome after a couple episodes. We then had to watch them be farmhands in what was probably the most tangential and inconsequential plotline yet. But even the A plot created almost no sense of urgency or pressure.
But more importantly, THE JOKES WEREN’T LANDING. Devil is a Part Timer shined best as a comedy, and while there was some genuine humor here and there, it was significantly dialed back. There was no “katsu-doom” of season 2. Instead the focus shifted to some lore that explained what’s up with the baby, primarily explained by a rather apathetic villain that didn’t really embolden the cast in any way. So with a lackluster fantasy world, scarce comedy, and meandering narrative, this whole season went by with little fanfare on my part. They announced season 3 at the end of the final episode, and I’m quite shocked at how much less excitement I have for that than when season 2 was announced. Let’s hope this doesn’t turn into a trend because we have Bleach starting soon which very well could be the next “weakquel.”
5/10
Uncle From Another World
Isekai Ojisan
Uncle From Another World was one of my late pickups so you won’t find it on my premiere report. Coincidentally, it’s also the only anime from the season on this list that isn’t finished. Due to some production (covid) issues, there was a very significant delay that basically shuffled the remaining episodes an entire season out. So consider this a review-in-progress and the final review will accompany the Fall 2022 review instead of the Summer one.
Uncle From Another World seemed to delight others a bit faster than it delighted me, especially if we’re just talking the opening episode. While the Sega jokes and absurdist humor was cool, I personally never grew up with a Sega despite being an avid gamer. But that honestly wasn’t what kept me from falling for the series. I think it was just a lack of appreciation for either the Uncle or the Nephew outside of being mouths for jokes to fall out of. And despite them being family, there was little to no focus on their actual relationship which was something I kind of wanted immediately with the way the plot was set up.
However, the later episodes introduced some side characters that, at least distracted me from the Uncle and Nephew who I’m still not really a fan of. Having a childhood friend and romantic interest created more perspectives and eliminated the stiff air that I think was affecting the mood of the show for me. The easiest oversimplification I could give is that this show needed some gals, and Ojisan has started delivering.
While my enjoyment of the characters was steadily improving, the show’s production isn’t really much to right home about. I’d peg it as entirely serviceable. I do think the character designs are particularly nice, but as this is basically a gag comedy, you can probably go in expecting the same amount of quality as most modern comedies. This is no Kaguya-sama that goes the extra mile for its outlandish depictions of character comedy.
But there is something to be said about the gamer humor. Sometimes I feel like gamer humor in some shows is very surface level and only talks about very broad gaming subject matter. Uncle From Another World gets incredibly specific, and I do applaud that. There’s something to be said about referencing an actual glitch from an actual video game, and having the Uncle think that glitch would work against real life monsters. So with the two biggest strengths of side characters and surprisingly pointed humor, I’m pretty happy to continue this show to the end next season.
7/10
Overlord IV
Overlord continues the long process of Ainz Ooal Gown establishing its domination of the world and the quest to find Momonga’s long lost friends. Season 4 sees Overlord at its most political dealing with multiple kingdoms deciding how to handle their relationship with Ainz Ooal Gown. Political intrigue can make for some amazing drama and suspense, and I think Overlord made decent work of it. However, I think I prefer the more side-character focused vignettes of old. I think Overlord operates best when fleshing out Ainz-sama’s loyal followers.
I think the most striking aspect of this season was the moral interrogation of Ainz. There’s a scene that casts the spotlight directly onto his nefarious methods and asks questions like a realistic human would about why Ainz does the “evil” things he does. It creates almost a discomfort with him because, as a human myself, I simply can’t agree with his methods, but he’s staying true to his ideals so I can absolutely see why he couldn’t be swayed. Because of this, Ainz became a better character to me, but admittedly, that’s not saying much. He’s always been cool, but he’s never really been deep. We’re still in the shallow waters of exploring his mentality, but I’ll take it.
Unfortunately the show didn’t really deliver anything outside of some conversations that made me ponder a bit more than usual. Ainz expanding his resources and territory didn’t really feel like progress to me, so I think the only other part that really stood out was the finale for both good and bad reasons. The good thing is that the conclusion to a side-character arc ended brilliantly and added another follower to Ainz’s ranks that I’m very excited to see more of. The bad thing is that everything was building to Ainz’s invasion of a kingdom, yet the actual invasion was hardly even animated or portrayed.
While I have complaints about the animation style of the previous season, namely the overused and jarring CG, season 4 instead opted out of a final battlefield almost entirely. I don’t think Overlord bought quite enough to support itself as a drama/political story so I think they should have thrown together one more spectacle to end the season on. I do have to say that there was a wonderful musical segment that might be one of my favorite short scenes in the series that helped the finale have some sense of grandiosity to it. Overlord as it stands still feels a bit weaker than season 1 and 2 but it’s still an enjoyable fantasy adventure offering that simply switched gears to mixed results.
7/10
Rent-a-Girlfriend S2
Kanojo Okarishimasu S2
I don’t expect some people to be too thrilled that the most annoying male MC of the season made it this high on the list. But what can I say, I don’t feel the hate. I can agree with it and can understand it, but simply put, this show hasn’t tired me out yet. I’m still always eager to see what developments or scenarios Kazuya and Chizuru will find themselves in, and I do want them to date.
When it comes to the Rent-a-Girlfriend hate, I feel like much of it is exacerbated. I remember reading a review of an earlier episode where the reviewer incorrectly described the dialogue making him out to be sleazy, but upon my revisiting the scene a second time, nothing of the sort actually happened. I’m not necessarily defending this character, but I have witnessed literal exaggeration that makes it hard to sympathize. Regardless, it’s Chizuru’s development that I think is the highlight of the season anyways.
So at my best attempt to not exaggerate, Kazuya is still behaving in a spectacularly stupid fashion. However, I think it’s true to his character that he is incapable of being better. And I think that’s the difference for me. If a character simply was choosing to be dumb when they’ve clearly demonstrated the ability to be better, that would bother me more than Kazuya who is simply always overwhelmed and doubtful basically 100% of the time. But I can get behind him because despite all of his mistakes and foolish behavior, his heart is in the right place and its Chizuru noticing that about him that lets me buy into the possible romance between them.
With an exception; Ruka. I think my own score for this series would jump whole digits if she just left the premises. I think the suspense and obstacles are already high enough with Kazuya’s own self-esteem and a formidable ex girlfriend already trying to throw a wrench into things. Ruka, is, unfortunately just not as personally entwined with the cast. Mami-chan, the ex girlfriend, has a direct relationship to Kazuya so her role feels warranted. Sumi-chan is friends with Chizuru and provides a healthy friendship for Kazuya to rely on. Ruka-chan, however, is just an innocent bystander who gets inserted into the story as a force of nature to just mess things up.
Rent-a-Girlfriend has something special. Most displeased fans say they can’t stop watching. They describe it as a car wreck that you just can’t look away from, or that they only like the character designs, but I don’t feel like that’s the case. After all, you don’t willingly drive back to a car wreck to view it again. I think it’s because there’s a part of them that is silently rooting for the actual honest-to-goodness romance in this show to finally prevail, and the mileage only varies at how much patience you have to see it actually blossom. Anyways, I clearly enjoyed this more than most people and I’m happy to see S3. Though I have heard of a rather infamous manga chapter and I don’t know how close it is to being adapted but I’m a bit wary of what’s going to happen when it is.
7/10
Summer Time Rendering Cour 2
Summer Time Render
Summer Time Rendering is a leftover from Spring 2022. Since I didn’t blog about that season, I’ll just state really quickly that the first cour was one of the biggest surprises of the season. Mainly in just how violent, desperate, and high-stakes this show turned out to be. Cour 2 concludes the story, and unfortunately I think the shock factor has worn out completely, primarily due to so many plot twists being shoved down my throat that I think I developed an immunity to being surprised by it.
But let’s be clear, this show is ambitious and doesn’t rest for a single second. It’s a relentless tangle of time travel, mystery, gore, and horrific creatures that live in the “shade” of people. In some ways, it’s objectively the most exciting show of the season because something is always changing. The status quo never idles and so, as a viewer, you have about a million things to react to.
While it’s always an annoying restriction of writing about plot twists without spoiling them, I can just say that it got to the point where my reaction went from “oh wow, no way!” to laughing out loud and saying “sure, whatever.” I think the plot simply got too convoluted so it joins the ranks of other complicated fictions that sound ludicrous from the outside looking in. Part of me wants to really parse this show and see if there are any plot holes with all the revelations that I know now, but I simply don’t love it enough to go back and do that. And I generally favor and applaud shows that can handle this much plot chaos in a way that doesn’t confuse me.
But that’s not the only extremely wild thing about Summer Time Rendering, because how on earth does it look so good at the same time?! This is actually one of the best animated shows of the year and it was with a studio I didn’t even bat an eye at when looking into it at first. I’d never heard of OLM. Looking into them, they are divided into teams. Luckily the teams are credited specifically rather than the company at large, so the team responsible for Summer Time Rendering is Team Kojima of OLM. They also did both seasons of Komi Can’t Communicate. (Which I admittedly didn’t love, but thought it was cute.) I’m going to be keeping an eye out for that team from now on.
The animation quality only helps Summer Time Rendering’s other strong characteristic, and that’s the amazing fight sequences. Ushio fights by whipping her hair around, and the shade monsters constantly shift and mutate. It’s all incredibly well done, and one of the final fights is among my favorite confrontations of the season. It’s such a tried and true way to create a marvel of a show, and that’s simply setting up an amazing battle and making sure anyone watching has no reason to look away. This show understands that.
A couple extra things put a little ding into my recommendation of this show. One is that it kind of has a perverted sense of humor, mainly in the first half that really derails the tone a lot of times. It’s one of the times where I just wished it was removed as a whole because I don’t think the main character has any exploration about these sorts of things, so it’s just rather obtrusive. It’s very lite so at most it only takes away one notch on the score. The second thing is that the romantic aspect of the show doesn’t feel as engrossing as the mystery. I wish it was developed a bit more, but it usually felt like a side plot. We’re still left with a very decent show overall. I just feel a bit critical because the show contained so much and felt in the cusp of greatness.
8/10
Made in Abyss S2
Made in Abyss is very difficult to score for me. The hardest part is comparing it to season 1 which was a near perfect anime in my eyes. The first season covered a lot of ground, including a larger portion of Reg and Riko’s otherworldly adventure than season 2 which focused entirely on one area within one layer of the Abyss. The result is probably the most thoroughly explored sector of this already fascinating setting, but also with a side effect of feeling like we made the least progress out of all of Made in Abyss’s offerings so far.
I’d also like to point out that many people jumped into season 2 without having seen the movie which is canon, and does in fact bridge the story between season 1 and 2. If you’re considering season 2 as a season 1 viewer, make sure to watch that film! With that out of the way, Season 2 throws us into a village of oddities complete with its own language and form of currency. The latter of which is something I rarely see explored in fiction and nothing quite like they did in Made in Abyss. This village is central to everything. The new side characters have a deep history with this village, and via intermittent flashbacks, we’re offered a parallel storyline that led to the founding of this village.
The world building that happens here is entirely alien. It created a creepy, suspenseful danger in the air because you’re not only scared that a villager would try to harm Reg and Riko, you’re also worried that everyone there wouldn’t even consider it harmful the same way you would. Riko’s village on the surface already had weird customs due to them living as a cave-raiding community, but this commune of oddly shaped creatures is on another level.
As we unravel the history of the village, Made in Abyss demonstrated many things that people are accustomed to. It looks gorgeous, it sounds gorgeous, and it’s fucked up. This anime has already gained a reputation for being a shocking anime, but the creator just keeps finding ways to take us deeper into depravity. Half of the messed up things I see, I crave. It’s the exact kind of danger and unknown that makes this journey so impossible to forget. But the other half are still the things that keep me from being able to recommend this anime. It’s sometimes just flat out gross and never shies away from making you feel uncomfortable about the way the children are depicted.
Unlike season 1, there was very little actual travelling, but we do meet the star of the season: Faputa. Faputa is the Nanachi of season 1, or the Prushka of the movie. That basically means it’s a super cute adorable pokemon-esque character that ends up being the bearer of an impossibly cruel fate and the purveyor of resounding catharsis. Faputa didn’t feel too memorable in the beginning, but by the time the credits rolled, Faputa may have become the greatest character of the anime. Everything from her tragic upbringing, to her screeching guttural voice that even took the voice actor out of commission for a while, and the amazing animation of her amorphous movement serves to emphasize that Faputa is yet another marvelous Abyssal denizen. Her desire to understand her mother’s final wish and the mental turbulence of deciding what she’s born to do over what she wants to do is a supercharged emotional dilemma that’s given several episodes of amazing conflict.
And no Made in Abyss write up is complete without mention to Kevin Penkin’s score because without it, Made in Abyss simply wouldn’t feel the same. I think Penkin’s composing technique and Made in Abyss’s world are a match made in heaven. I think Made in Abyss prides itself on being two things, fantastical, and emotional, and Penkin can accentuate that to the highest degree. However, while season 2 eventually fired on all cylinders, I think the slow start, and lack of actual progress through the Abyss, caused my score to suffer. This is also with the usual minus points for uncomfortable content. It still remains one of the most impactful stories I’ve encountered, and I am dying to dive ever-deeper into it.
8.5/10
Call of the Night
Yofukashi no Uta
Call of the Night was my favorite anime in my premiere write up, and my satisfaction with it hasn’t shifted one bit. It’s still got more of that city-light night vibe than any other anime I’ve seen, and it creates an atmosphere that I could just dissolve into. My biggest question was if this show would continue its more wandering inconsequential exploration, or develop into something different.
As soon as we’re introduced to Kou and Nazuna, the romantic chemistry is established. Nazuna is wholly accepting of Kou in that she finds his insomniatic lifestyle completely in sync with hers and doesn’t judge him in the slightest. Kou, upon discovering Nazuna’s vampiric characteristics, doesn’t run away but instead decides he wants to join her and become a vampire himself. It’s a happy, cozy bond that seems to be resolved almost as soon as it starts. The development, instead, is pushed onto Kou as a young boy who doesn’t understand love. We can see that they’d be great together, Kou just has to understand what that even means.
I expected this ratio to maintain. In that Nazuna would remain a constant goal for Kou, but that Kou would have to do all the growing and learning. But as the show progresses, we start to peer into the infallible Nazuna’s psyche and we start to see her human side too. This culminated into a finale that gave Nazuna her chance to become more than static character, and this thrilled me to no end. The romantic potential of this anime skyrocketed after that so I’m incredibly hyped for season 2.
Aside from the romance, Call of the Night also introduces a bevy of fellow insomniacs. This ranges from schoolmates dealing with their own issues, to other adults simply eking out a living. Everyone feels very vulnerable, as if the night’s illumination pierces through everyone’s veil of secrecy that stands under its glow. Kou’s innocence is constantly used to sink right into a character’s core. Watching him foster relationships with all these strangers is a rewarding experience, and it proves that communication is king.
You may notice that the vampirism aspect hasn’t really been talked about, and that’s because, for a large duration of this show, it’s really just there as novelty. That is why I was also impressed when Kou’s declaration of becoming a vampire is also thrust into scrutiny. The show took itself more seriously than I thought it would, and I think the Call of the Night has only grown stronger because of that.
This being only season 1, we haven’t gotten a lot of payoff or resolution on any larger plot threads. The show has spun in the side characters extremely well which led to a lot of satisfaction overall. But my score is still a bit affected by the fact that this show still feels like it’s preparing us for even meatier (or bloodier) things in the future. Nazuna, Kou, the lo-fi, and the ambiance, all wrap me up in a warm blanket, and a little bit of spicy vampiric allure is the bloody cherry on top.
8.5/10
Lycoris Recoil
The two anime that ended up passing Call of the Night are both, coincidentally, not in my premiere impressions. That is because I initially skipped out on Lycoris Recoil, mainly because I don’t often have faith in anime originals. To be honest, the back of the box descriptor of Lycoris Recoil didn’t exactly captivate me either. Little did I know, that Lycoris Recoil was going to take me, Japan, and specifically, Hideo Kojima, by storm.
In walks Takina, a level-headed, stoic soldier who can handle a gun with extreme deftness and accuracy. She’s a member of the Lycoris, a secret dispatch of assassins that keep Japan’s streets safe. Takina keeps her cool amidst the most dangerous of skirmishes, and in her cold, calculating methods, ends up making a decision that costs her her job. Irritated, but eager to get reinstated at all costs, she is sent to work alongside another Lycoris of notable repute.
In walks Chisato, a goofy, energetic cafe worker who can also handle a gun. It’s from this fateful encounter that Lycoris Recoil unveils what exactly makes it so special. Lycoris Recoil feels like the type of anime that has to be experienced to be believed. I could spout all the “what if John Wick was waifu?” comparisons I wanted, but it just doesn’t click until you see Takina and Chisato simply spend time together and taking out baddies. Their adorable dynamic became a huge hit in Japan, causing its first blu-ray sales to beat out every other anime this year, and created a trending twitter hashtag about episode 14, simply becaue it doesn’t exist but the fans want it. Hideo Kojima ended up accidentally watching it, confusing it with Lycorice Pizza. He then emerged as a vocal fan on Twitter and wearing shirts with chisato plastered on them in public. With all this fanfare, I’ll do my best to describe just what A1 Pictures did to accomplish such a feat.
Personality; It’s what anime’s good at. The medium’s penchant for expressive eyes and dramatic voice acting became anchors for the emotional storytelling that anime is known for today. Bringing Chisato and Takina to life was a rare moment in anime where it felt like this relationship with depicting emotion was fully realized. The voice acting was ad-libbed to let the voice actors naturally live and create authentic banter through their characters. The animation team made sure to pour an ungodly amount of love and detail into their body language and facial expression. And the design team went to town on crafting their outfits to highlight and complement their behavior and mentality. Basically, they gave Chisato and Takina the glow-up that you wish your waifu was given.
While that central pair is the single strongest advantage that Lycoris Recoil created for itself, I’d be remiss to say the show itself didn’t create a great single-season story to serve as a vessel. Lycoreco, as its often shortened, is an examination of what it means to simply help the world in your own way. Chisato doesn’t like to take the lives of others, and so she operates outside of the Lycoris squad, working at a cafe, and taking on more mundane missions that simply help people out. (This may have appealed to Kojima too, who painstakingly develops means of being non-lethal in his games.) Takina is the absorbed, work-a-holic who contrasts this, and it shows that Chisato may be able to help Takina out in a way she didn’t expect. Along the way, Takina meets a whole crew of people that embody Chisato’s mantra and creates a family of misfits. All of these lycoreco folks have their own episode highlights. I’ll never get over Kurumi’s “Moshi moshi, policeman,” after a successful hacking attempt.
But outside of cafe hours, villains are afoot, and this is where Lycoreco’s other strength shines. Gunplay, action, and the love letter it creates to old school action flicks, Lycoris Recoil is made up of ingredients that one won’t normally find together. Cute girls doing gun-fu, mixed with yuri subtext is quite the questionable sandwich, but the shootout scenes are a highlight every single time. Chisato’s close quarters fighting style and her ability to dodge bullets makes her captivating to watch. In fact, the villain is also so taken by her that their conflict becomes yet another highlight of the show.
The only complains I have is that this level of quality isn’t present in every aspect of this show. The actual lore and world-building feel like footnotes on a blackboard, and as such, it seems like the world outside of the cafe isn’t as fully constructed. This is a show that appeals entirely to the emotional side of your brain, and asks the critical side of your brain to be lenient. For me, I had no problem doing that, but it may not be the case for everyone. I put this firmly in the same category of anime I love as Zombie Land Saga and Revue Starlight, in which there’s criticisms and flaws, but it created something unique that I cherish that’s more important. If I may ramble, there’s also one other piece of news to discuss.
Takina, Chisato, meet the number 1 and number 2 spot on my best girls list of 2022. And Chisato, I’d like to formally induct you into the Best Girl hall of fame, and you are going straight to its top spot. I can’t embellish it any further, Chisato is my new OVERALL best girl, after years of watching anime and amassing an innumerable amount of contenders. She is a bad-ass gun toting assassin who simultaneously cures my depression and is dedicated to helping people while also just wanting to play board games?! Say no more. The deed is done. The dust has settled, and the bar has been raised.
9/10
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Call of the Night is a story about a city at night, but Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a story about Night City. Both top notch quality, but entirely different anime. The latter of which, crept in during the eleventh hour. It dropped all of its episodes on the same day, and against all odds and damaged reputation of the game it’s based on, became one of the most celebrated anime of recent times, and my personal pick of the season.
A video game can’t be a good show. This is a statement that almost feels like a law of physics that we simply can’t break. But times are changing, and shows like Arcane, and now Cyberpunk, have proven that anyone can make a good show out of anything. You just have to have what it takes, and understand how to adapt in a new environment.
Not unlike our hero of the hour, David. In a devastating introduction that leaves him numb and out of options, he encounters his new family, starting with Lucy. Lucy has been catching David’s eye out in the city for a long time, but it was nothing more than that: A flash of shimmering, bright hair that makes him glimpse in her direction, but never taking a step towards making anything out of it. After finally meeting her, David is in his lowest point, and Lucy finally gives him something he needs to reignite the tinder beneath his heart.
David’s growth amongst his new family is a wonderful feeling. Maine, the large and in charge leader with a big brother warmth to him takes David under his wing just as Lucy did. And in turn, so do a few others. This new family becomes a source of strength for David and he, in turn, for them. But this family lives in Night City, and it’s this city that creates the reality that happiness can’t survive within its corrupted society.
Cyberpunk is about more than being futuristic and full of wicked cool tech stuff. The “punk” aspect is about the opposition with society, and the things it accepts, brews, and forces upon its members. So with that being noted, the story follows David and Lucy, but another entirely real character is the city and the people in power. It’s a lifestyle; a consuming one that has dug the graves of so many before that the traditions of the common people have shifted entirely to live alongside it.
David starts to lose himself. In gaining the power and momentum he needed to prove himself, he now wants to use that power for something; Something that Night City isn’t giving him. All his life the city told him he’s nothing so now he’s decided how he thinks he can be something. It’s a selfish point of view, but an understandable one, and it puts him on a dangerous course.
Watching this all unfold is the crux of the anime. But we have to remember that this is a Trigger production, and Trigger doesn’t like to just let stories present themselves in any normal fashion. Trigger is a fan-favorite animation studio that was founded by former Gainax employees, and inherited the Gainax soul in the process. Their works are among the most stylistic anime out there and Cyberpunk adds yet another dazzling display to their portfolio. I think Trigger’s strengths excel in exaggerating and creating adrenaline for the viewer, but Cyberpunk is uniquely the bloodiest they’ve ever gotten. It’s a show that unshackles most of the restrictions of tv broadcast anime to create something that doesn’t have to hide the violence or nudity that Night City is rampant with.
There’s also major props to the music choices, opting into english language songs for the OP, ED, and even some insert songs. One song in particular accompanies the conclusion of the story, and the heart and soul of my time with Cyberpunk. It left me silent as the credits rolled, with only that song echoing around an empty pit in my stomach. I’m a sucker for the type of story it told: found family, tragic romance, and all.
If I had to levy any criticisms, it’s that Trigger’s style isn’t exactly my favorite, and I think the final fight was missing something due to a rather random character being used as the final obstacle. As it’s adapting a game, the choice would make sense to players of the game, but as an anime only viewer, it proved distracting. As for Trigger’s style, I think they absolutely crafted something truly spectacular, and I applaud them not holding back. Trigger basically embodies the notion of having no restraint, yet sometimes I want just a slightly different pace. When comparing 9s and 10s, everyone’s a winner, and Cyberpunk is absolutely in outstanding company.
9/10
Stick around because hot off the heels of this review is the most busy anime season of the year. I plan on having a rundown of my impressions after catching the first episode of everything. Arknights is kind of throwing a wrench into the schedule because it comes out like 3 weeks into the season and that’s one I’m very interested in covering. Maybe I’ll give Arknights its own write up and cover the game as well. Who knows! Either way, I’ll see you next time. Keep watching anime, folks.
Lotus Viridis 
Nice post, there is the odd one or two that i’ll give a shot at. Call of the night, I’ll have to resume, summer rend, I had my eye on, will be giving it a shot. Here’s the surprising bit, thanks to cyberpunk anime, the game saw a massive spike in sales.