Mole

This week's #AniMangaPictureChallenge ( @apc@starside.social ) is "Video Games"!

My pick for this week is the game "Starlight Fantasy" from the #anime See You Tomorrow at the Food Court.

In all honesty, it doesn't look like a good game. It's clearly a live-service gacha game designed to hook people in and keep them paying for pulls. Its fanbase appears to be vicious. The gameplay is entirely unclear.

But for Wada, it is life. Primarily because it's the vehicle for her to swoon over her "2D Boy" Oshi, the Duke of Abel.

#AniMangaFoundIt

Lightning, you say? Surely there's an obvious choice here!

(Also chalking up my laziest #AniMangaFoundIt idea to date... @apc@starside.social )

Wait, wait, hang on. After submitting for 44 different #AniMangaPictureChallenge s, I still haven't used Bocchi the Rock??

This week's challenge ( @apc@starside.social ) is "Unrequited Love"!

And whilst I could go into some truly heartbreaking tales this week, let's go for something lighter and focus on Kita's unrequited love for her senpai Ryo.

It was a crush so overwhelming that Kita lied about being able to play guitar in order to join her crush's band. Whilst the love is not one that will be returned, Kita seems to enjoy being close to her crush anyway.

#AniMangaFoundIt

This week's #AniMangaPictureChallenge is "Remote Controls"! This is a really hard one.

And this idea, in my opinion, is not quite close enough for an #AniMangaFoundIt . But I captured the screenshots anyway, so let's post it as an "Also-Ran" or a "Swing-and-a-miss".

In "Magilumiere, Magical Girls Inc.", Magic is not conjured from wands, or drawn into hexes - it's programmed and transmitted to Magical Girls in the field.

During a visit to a conference, an emergency appears and the team at scrappy magical girl start-up Magilumiere need to act fast to neutralize the threat. Enter engineer Nikoyama's laptop - a way to create and send customized magic spells into the field!

The magic can be controlled, uh, remotely.

Close enough?

I wish I had something more interesting or poignant to share, but

I've started watching Journal with Witch these last few days

It's really good.

That's it. That's the toot.

I'm still thoroughly enjoying Journal with Witch. It's quite a thinker - it doesn't shy away from needing you as the viewer to think about where each character is at and why they're making the reactions they are, even when they're a convoluted mix of grief, teenage angst, fear, and doubt.

But I also enjoy its light-hearted moments. And "shocked Asa" has some hilarious facial expressions.

#anime

Also, after missing both Cats and an absolute easy option with the most recent challenge, it's time to get back to the #AniMangaPictureChallenge ( @apc@starside.social )! This week, it's "Rivals".

My pick is from "Dive!!". And, well, is there such thing as an Unrequited Rivalry?

Mizuki Diving Club's Fujitani is the best diver in the club, an elegant executor of dives, a fierce competitor, and a role model for everyone in the club.

However, he is challenged by Miyagi Spirits' Yamada (aka "Pinky") - a dramatic man who wants nothing else than to take down Fujitani in competition, and prove once and for all that he's a better diver.

And in practices, he is - flawless, and full of vigour.

In competitions, though...

#AniMangaFoundIt

Despite being almost-too-much cringe humour, "Go for It, Nakamura-kun!!" is just putting a smile on my face.

Nakamura is an absolute disaster but I'm rooting for him so hard.

#anime

I watched the first episode of Akane-Banashi this morning. Since I had previously read the manga of this (at least a chunk of it), I was excited for the adaption.

I have to say it really lived up to my expectations! They captured really well the pressure on Shinta, and the performances in the first episode (including Akane's "performance" in the Counsellor's office) show off just how much fun they can have bringing these Rakugo stories to life.

The anime has so much potential to show off and expand on the performances from the manga, since (IMO) it can do so so much more vividly.

Great start!

#anime

#anime

I'm wondering how many parallels the Spring season will have to Winter.

I have a few similar anime lined up already.

For the Big Budget Fantasy, I'll move from Frieren to Witch Hat Atelier

For BL, I'll go from Isekai Office Worker to Go for It, Nakamura-kun!

I still haven't watched You and I Are Polar Opposites so maybe that picks up where I leave Invisible Man and His Soon-to-be Wife in the RomCom category

Any ideas for a follow up to Journal with Witch? 😅