Upon reading an unusual book in the library, Naofumi Iwatani finds himself one of four people from (parallel versions of) Japan summoned as the Four Cardinal Heroes for the kingdom of Melromarc. Tasked with fending off impending Waves of monstrosities, each Hero is given one “weapon”: Sword, Spear, Bow, and unfortunately for Naofumi, he gets… Read More First Impression: The Rising of the Shield Hero
Hello, everyone! This is stardf29 here, and from here on out I will be the leader of the Beneath the Tangles Light Novel Club! I have been enjoying light novels a lot this past year, and I have especially enjoyed sharing in that love through the Light Novel Club, so I am very thankful for… Read More And Our Next Light Novel Club Selection is… The Devil is a Part-Timer! (Vol. 1)
If you are enjoying this season’s Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, you might also want to check out The Pet Girl of Sakurasou. The same author, Hajime Kamoshida wrote the original light novels for these adaptations, and he seems to have a knack for strong character writing. The strong source material is further amplified by… Read More 12 Days of Christmas Anime, Day 12: The Pet Girl of Sakurasou
Having joined in Reverse Thieves‘ Secret Santa this year, my Secret Santa graciously reminded me that I had yet to finish Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, the sequel to the classic Cardcaptor Sakura anime. I had gotten about nine episodes in before, like many other shows, it just kind of fell off my watchlist, but now I have… Read More Reverse Thieves Secret Santa: Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card
In the world of Meftelharne, “healers” can use special magic to heal the hearts of monsters so they don’t attack people. It’s a skill the young Yuu is capable of, except for one problem: he’s deathly afraid of monsters, even healed ones. One day, though, he gains an unusual companion in Merc, a tiny girl… Read More First Impression: Merc StoriA
Kohane had always lived her life helping others, which is nice of her, but her friend Uki wants her to do something for herself. Kohane finally finds something she can do, though, when she comes across a cheerleading exhibition–after all, a sport that’s all about cheering people on is perfect for a natural altruist like… Read More First Impression: Anima Yell
In the year 2078, Hitomi, a descendant of mages, finds herself watching fireworks… with no interest, as she had lost her ability to see color at some point. Her grandmother, Kohaku, then decides to use time magic to send her 60 years into the past, to a much more familiar 2018, albeit one where her… Read More First Impression: IRODUKU: The World in Colors
One day, while at the library, Sakuta sees Mai, his senpai at school and a famous young actress currently on hiatus, wearing a bunny suit. What’s weirder is that no one else seems to notice her even with that provocative outfit on. As it turns out, Mai has been gradually becoming invisible to people, a… Read More First Impression: Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
Satoru Mikami, an average 37-year-old salaryman who never had a girlfriend, was stabbed and killed by a passing robber, and was reincarnated into a fantasy world… as a slime. This would be a problem, given that slimes are traditionally the weakest monster in a video game-esque fantasy world, but Satoru also gained a bunch of… Read More First Impression: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
One of my favorite video game-centric YouTube channels, Extra Credits, recently put out a video about “The Three Pillars of Game Writing – Plot, Character, Lore“. I definitely recommend watching this video, especially if you love video games. It explains how “video game writing” is actually split into three “pillars”: plot, character, and lore or… Read More Plot Twists, Character Designs, and Worldbuilding: Writing in Anime (and Other Media)