September - Issue 1

The Saga of Tanya the Evil (or Youjo Senki, as it’s more commonly known) is a rather unknown anime by NUT based on a manga by the same name. It follows the story of an unnamed cold-hearted atheist salaryman - or rather, his life after he is reincarnated as a young girl into a war-torn world.

The anime starts out with an introduction to the cold-hearted young Lieutenant Tanya Degurechaff, and shows her as a ruthless soldier. We’re shown her/his previous life as an employer - after he coldly fires a subordinate for shoddy work, the aggrieved employee shoves him in front of a train, resulting in his imminent death. However, right before the train hits him, time freezes, and a divine presence shows up in front of him before offering an ultimatum: believe in God and continue the cycle of rebirth, or go to hell for the sins committed in his life. The salaryman, however, coldly rejects the idea of a god and instead calls the presence ‘Being X’. Amused, Being X decides that his lack of faith is due to a lack of misery in his life, and decides to reincarnate him in a war-stricken world, under the condition that he would be immediately sent to hell if he failed to acknowledge God or died before his time.

Reincarnated as an orphan, she decides to pursue a career in the military, end up at a high position, and safely live out the rest of her life in the rear end of the army. In this world with magic, she displays an immense affinity towards magical weapons, and becomes one of the army’s strongest soldiers.

The rest of the anime follows her exploits as she faces various circumstances with chilling cruelty and tactics. Those who have watched Overlord are familiar with the overwhelming power and terror demonstrated by the main character, and Tanya does an excellent job at striking fear into the hearts of her enemies.

The animation is good, although some find the facial style of the human characters to be a bit unusual. The action scenes, however, do not fail to deliver, and each battle has an arresting appeal that will leave viewers wanting more.

Youjo Senki does an excellent job of keeping the viewer’s attention, and is paced to never have a dull moment. Despite this, the plot never appears forced or rushed, and keeps the viewer hooked until the end.

On the music front, the anime has one opening song (JINGO JUNGLE by MYTH & ROID) and two ending themes (Los! Los! Los! by Aoi Yuuki for most of the episodes, and Sensen no Realism by Mako Niina for episode 8). The opening is energetic and ear-catching, and the ending themes are worth a listen.

On a scale of 1-10, the ratings I’d give are:

All-in-all, I’d say Youjo Senki is definitely worth a watch if you’re into dark isekais or want a quick fun show to binge. Keep an eye out for the upcoming second season, too!

A well-known anime which many of you might have watched already, Slime is a story about a guy who lives a normal life, but one day dies an unexpected death, resulting in his reincarnation in another world as a slime. It was received quite well by the audience which resulted in the release of its second season, having two parts and starting this winter.

As it has quite a large name, it is generally referred to as the Slime anime or TenSuru. After reincarnation, our protagonist meets different types of creatures, the first one being a dragon, whom he easily becomes friends with. He gets the name Rimuru in this new world given by that dragon. As the story progresses, Rimuru meets new people and learns more about this new world.

Before the reincarnation, our protagonist’s original name was Satoru Mikami, and he was a corporate worker with poor social skills. He didn’t have many friends, but he was content with his life, except for the fact that he never had a girlfriend. All this resulted in him resolving that he would do things differently in this life, like making lots of friends, analyzing before making any decisions, and few other character traits which he developed in this second chance of life.

Apart from the story, which is not unique but still quite engaging, the other thing which kept me hooked on the story was the power system that Rimuru acquired during reincarnation. The system works around a voice who is extremely helpful in dire times and also provides us with some comical scenes. There are a lot more points which I could disclose about the system, but you will enjoy them more while watching the series itself. And as a good series is incomplete without one or two quirky characters, it does have a large contrast between the personalities of his friends, who are interesting and goofy from time to time.

The music is generally on the calm side, which is relatable as the story is serene, while sometimes it gets emotional and brutal. The animation also supports the story as it is fairly good and sometimes results in nice, captivating scenes. In some episodes it can get boring as it might seem that the story is being stretched, but I still felt the urge to watch the next episode.

So, overall, the anime is a fun watch if you like the isekai genre or if you are looking for a story about a hero growing from scratch to overpowered in a family-friendly way. And even if you do not have anything particular in your mind, you could still give it a try and enjoy it.

What is Kekkai Sensen about?

The story revolves around a young boy named Leonardo Watch and his adventures with the organization Libra, whose sole motive is to eradicate any threat to the residents of Hellsalem's Lot and maintain the balance between the worlds of humans and monsters. Having acquired the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods in exchange for his sister's vision and the coincidental acquaintance of one of the strongest organizations working from the shadows, his life could be anything but ordinary.

The flashbacks are one of the most pivotal elements in this story as they set the groundwork for its progression. From the heartwarming struggles of two siblings to the misfortunes of their protectors and from defeating monsters to grabbing burgers, every scene has a twist portraying both the worlds in a wonderful manner. In the end, only a few know what kind of threats lie in the abyss below the two worlds.

To put it in a phrase-An upheaval of common notions!

How does Kekkai Sensen unfold-

From the beginning itself, Kekkai sensen has an unusual development line which hits differently. It's a combination of comedy and shounen with a subtle yet simple approach. Direct deployment of characters, their development and larking together in the most relaxing ways make this series unique in the action genre. And as far as the backstory is concerned, there are a couple instances which are questionable, yet entertaining in their own ways. The plot doesn't deviate from the original storyline and has constant underrated surprises in store for the viewers. It has its usual dark moments and variegated approaches for any situation, yet the build-up is worth the wait to savour in one whole bite.

A Final Glance

All in all, the series has its own domain with a variety of emotions, action and even some dull moments - but it leaves no ground for criticism on its layout and comebacks. As for the opening and ending, the former throws out the boomerang of hope and the latter embodies youthful grace, thus ending each episodethe series on a high note.

KonoSuba: God’s blessing on this wonderful world, also simply abbreviated to KonoSuba!, is an anime adaptation made to promote the light novel by the same name. It also has a manga adaptation originally illustrated by Mashaito Watari and Joseph Yokobori. The anime has 2 seasons adapted by Studio Deen and a movie adapted by J.C. Staff. Also, a new project was just recently announced creating ecstasy among fans.

Like any other Isekai genre, this anime also follows the main protagonist Satou Kazuma after being teleported to a fantasy world following his death, which for him happened in a hilarious way where he died of shock from an accident rather than the accident itself.

Before his journey in the fantasy world, Kazuma meets the goddess Aqua, who gives him the option to have any one thing before embarking on his journey . He chooses Aqua herself, only to regret later regret this since she's practically useless and doesn’t possess any significant magic to be of much help. Later in that world, Megumin, an arch witch, and Darkness, a crusader also joins the troop, though they don’t add much value since Megumin can only use Explosion magic and can’t move after casting it, while Darkness is the stand-alone tank but with zero damage accuracy.

The anime follows the daily life struggles of the troop to survive in the fantasy world by completing quests (though they mess each one up). The story doesn't hold much character development and plot, but what goes in the box is its parodic illustration and hilarious moments which surely tickle a funny bone or two. The comic portrayal of the anomalies of all the characters fits well in the illustration. The anime is not a full-fledged show because it only has 10 episodes in each season (apart from OVA), but it still is good for its short duration.

On an overall scale, Studio Deen has done well in the animation but it still falls short in some places (which is how they do things). Praises go to J.C.Staff for some good animation in explosion scenes in the movie, though. Although the music, OPs and EDs are quite decent, the anime doesn't lose its lustre. KonoSuba! is a recommended watch for fans who love hilarious comedy, and we must admit this show does make us laugh a lot.

Hiiro Wakaba opens her eyes in a massive cave full of spider eggs, even though she was in a school class mere seconds ago. All eight of her eyes.

Gradually, she pieces together the story - she’d died, and now she’s reincarnated as a spider in a dangerous world full of monsters and magic.

Wakaba (or as she’s now called, Kumoko) thus begins her perilous journey fraught with danger, death, and stomach-turning last-resort meals. And we, as the viewers, now get to enjoy what is truly a surprisingly engaging tale as Kumoko grows stronger and learns how to protect herself from the uncountable threats hidden in the darkness of the Great Elroe Labyrinth.

As the viewer, though, this tale isn’t only from one perspective - we also now get to see the perspective of fellow classmate Shunsuke Yamade, who has reincarnated as Schlain Analeit - the fourth prince of the Analeit Kingdom. He, together with the classmates his teacher managed to find, begins his journey to protect the new world he lives in as well as his former classmates as the Warrior of the era.

Unfortunately, Shun’s journey is nowhere near as compelling as Kumoko’s. While Kumoko constantly grows, develops, and breathes a fresh breath of life into the show, the human side of the show is dull and cliched. And despite the parallel perspectives of the show, one cannot simply skip over the human parts because of the information gleaned.

As a character, Shun is the staple hero of any isekai - fuelled by a sense of doing what is right, willing to go to war because he cannot stand seeing another species in trouble, blessed by the powers of being the Chosen One - Shun utterly lacks any traits to truly call his own. This extends to his human compatriots - a vast majority of the human characters have no personality of their own, instead simply firing off naive, cringeworthy lines without a care for the composure of the viewer.

Which is not to say the anime has no interesting characters - some of the characters have intriguing backstories and circumstances that had significant potential for development. Sadly, this is never capitalized on, and we watch everything go down the drain as the truth is revealed. The one truly interesting character in the show would have to be Kumoko, and Aoi Yūki carries the entire show on her back with her performance.

The animation is highly CGI-based, and this is significantly noticeable as an unnatural perspective during the fight scenes. There are times, however, when the CGI shines through - albeit rarely.

The music, on the other hand, is done well. The anime has two opening themes (keep weaving your spider way and Bursty Greedy Spider), both of which are catchy and worth a listen. The ending themes (Ganbare! Kumoko-san! and Genjitsu Totsugeki Hierarchy) are what truly shine, however. Both performed by Kumoko’s voice actress, the endings are instant bangers and absolutely worth watching after every episode.

Kumo Desu Ga is definitely worth a watch if you have the time - and with another season coming soon, it’s a pretty good anime to binge. Even if the human narrative sucks, you can trust everyone’s favourite Kumoko to carry the whole show on her eight spindly legs.

Directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura, Serial Experiments Lain had its first episode aired on July 6, 1998. Running only for 13 episodes, the show presents a new but interesting plot along with unique art designs and soundtrack.

The story starts by introducing us to the main character Lain Iwakura, an adolescent girl who lives with her family in suburban Japan. Being introverted, she doesn’t have a lot of friends and she only talks to her acquaintances. Things were running smoothly until one day she receives a mail from Chisa Yomoda, a student of her own school who had committed suicide a few days ago. Not very comfortable with technology, Lain still opens that mail out of curiosity and comes to know that Chisa was still alive inside the Wired and had only given up her physical body. The fictitious concept of Wired is very similar to that of the modern day ‘Internet’. Naturally intrigued, she decides to learn more about the Wired and asks her father to buy her a new Navi, which is basically a hypermodern computer.

The storyline becomes complicated soon after explaining the basic background of the characters. We see Lain getting well versed with using Navi and the Wired. The Wired, just like the ‘Internet’, made people addicted to it. Kids using the Wired soon get involved in augmented reality games like PHANTOMa, which involve harming others, just for the sake of following the Wired. Some drove themselves to the point that they wanted to terminate their physical existence completely, existing only inside the Wired. This wasn’t possible but Lain, surprisingly, was able to do it. This made her special, as she was able to traverse across both realms. Interestingly, Lain inside the Wired had a completely opposite personality than her physical world counterpart.

Along with the plot, the show builds upon the philosophical aspect of the characters and their personalities. The concepts of self-existence and self-identities are regularly highlighted. The episodes gradually shift more towards focusing on the ideologies that Lain believes in, as well as the conflicting implications they have on her. The later part of the show presents us with a few subplots which can be very simple or deeply philosophical, depending on how the viewer interprets it.

The reason that the show shines out is its relevance to modern times. Internet addiction is an actual thing today, which was predicted by the show back in 1998. The ideas of physical harm inflicting augmented games sound eerily similar to the 2016 incident of the Blue Whale Challenge. The fact that people have a different personality over the Internet than their real self, isn’t unrealistic at all. Like every anime with a non-conventional storyline, the viewers of this show are divided into two distinct camps. Some completely dismiss the show, calling it pretentious while there are some who declare it a masterpiece. But one cannot deny the fact that the show has successfully managed to stay relevant even to this day, 23 years after its release. The themes portrayed are very realistic and the show still continues to attract ‘experimental’ and ‘alternative’ anime enthusiasts.