We here at oprainfall don’t just love video games: we’re big fans of anime, too. So in celebration of the medium, we’re here to give you our thoughts on what we’ve been watching each week as we watch it. Old, new – anything goes.
Currently Airing:
Bocchi The Rock!
The series follows Hitori (who gets the nickname Bocchi) who is a very shy person. Thinking it would help her get more friends in middle school, Bocchi takes up learning how to play guitar; however, she is still very introverted and doesn’t tell anyone. She has a small following online for the covers she plays, as she does have talent. Reaching high school she still hasn’t opened up, but by chance she is asked to join a band by another girl named Nijika. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the series, but I ended up enjoying what I saw so far. Much of the comedy comes from Bocchi’s anxiety and how others react to her responses. The other members of the band try to help Bocchi out. Seeing Bocchi starting to open up more is nice to see. I’ve liked it so far, so I’m glad I gave this one a try. – Walter
– You can watch Bocchi The Rock! on Crunchyroll.
Mob Psycho 100 III
Dimple’s control over the Divine Tree has increased to the point where he’s able to mind control vast swaths of Salt City, including espers like Teru. When he realizes what’s happening, Teru heads into the broccoli to stop him, but Dimple is more powerful than expected and Teru finds himself in a bind. Meanwhile, Mob and Reigen are discussing removing the Divine Tree entirely and enlist the help of Ritsu, who has also noticed that things aren’t right with the city. Unfortunately, he eats some of the mind-control candy Dimple has been spreading through the city. Mob and Reigen are stopped at every turn as they attempt to approach the Divine Tree. Things are ramping up big time right now, but even more than the story, I just want to gush about the animation this episode. It was so fluid and detailed, even in simple shot-reverse shot scenes of characters talking. There was weight and subtle movements and it was just gorgeous. The way the direction focused on eyes gave the entire episode a really eerie feeling. Absolutely stunning work all around. I can’t wait for next week’s episode. – Leah
– You can watch Mob Psycho 100 on Crunchyroll.
Reincarnated as a Sword
This isekai starts off pretty normally with the main character being killed and sent to another world. The unique aspect of this one though is in the new world, he is now a sentient sword. He spends quite a bit of this new life able to move on his own and slaying monsters. As this is going on, we also see some of the life a slave girl named Fran. The two eventually meet and Fran ends up being able to wield the sword, which she names Teacher, to slay a monster. During this, Teacher is also saved by Fran as he was stuck, and he decides that he’ll support Fran from now on as she eventually decides to choose to be an adventurer. Quite a bit of this is standard stuff for the genre. The thing that I would say sets it apart is the relationship between Fran and Teacher. He takes care of her and we can see him being a father figure for her. While he is quite strong from the monsters he’s killed, we can see that Fran has her own talent and a desire to be stronger herself. I would say the dynamic of the two can make this worth the watch. – Walter
– You can watch Reincarnated as a Sword on HiDive.
Akiba Maid War
Starting off we see a meeting of the different maid cafes. We get another hint at Ranko’s past as the other maids look at the manager. Things at the meeting take a turn and later on the group’s leader dispatches instructors to get the maids up to standard. Sano points out the many flaws of the maids at the cafe, even firing the manager and the panda Okachimachi. She is quite strict and the maids don’t take well to her methods. Sano ends up convincing most of the maids to go along with it. The exception is Shiipon, as she gets some of the worst punishments, along with getting told to get rid of her gyaru makeup, though she ends up seemingly going along with the training. It was nice to see her get some focus, as she has had probably some of the least. On the other side of it I’m happy to see stuff with the manager. She definitely is not competent, which is even mentioned, but I do like her moments. Seeing her and the “panda” living on the streets eating out of the trash was bad as it is was amusing. Things end up going somewhat back to normal as the manager ends up deciding to take the cafe back with the help of Shiipon and a rocket launcher. – Walter
– You can watch Akiba Maid War on HIDIVE.
Chainsaw Man
Turns out Denji isn’t the only member of the Public Safety office who had a furry friend. In a mutually-beneficial arrangement, Power enlists Denji’s help to rescue her cat Meowy from a demon; in exchange, he’ll get to touch her boobs. I really like Denji. He’s a simple guy with simple needs, but he’s also really empathetic and wants to connect with others on more than just a physical basis. He’ll absolutely fondle Power if he gets the chance, but their talk on the bus about Pochita demonstrated his desire to show he understood Power’s feelings towards Meowy, and I just really loved that depth of character. As for her part, Power originally just wanted to eat the cat, but grew attached as she plumped him up. Her feelings toward Meowy are genuine, the same as Denji’s are to Pochita. Best girl is also a cat girl, gotta love it. Like with Mob Psycho, the animation here was stunning, especially once Denji goes Chainsaw Man against the Bat Demon. It’s weighty and impactful and the way the camera moves gives this visceral kineticism. It’s fantastic. I also can’t not shout out how good the end song is this episode. Maximum the Hormone are in a league of their own. I’m excited to see the outcome of this fight, especially for Power, and if it helps bring the two closer through their shared love of their pets. – Leah
– You can watch Chainsaw Man on Crunchyroll.
What anime are you watching? Let us know in the comments!
You can read previous Week in Anime entries here!
