Every week, I visit over 285 anime sites looking for posts that celebrate amazing moments in anime or otherwise blow me away with their wit and charm. These are my five favorite posts for the week. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
You can see a list of the sites I check here: Massive List of Sites!
Seasonal Previews
It’s almost time to transition to the Spring 2024 Anime Season — some shows have started already! These sites published their previews this week:
- Anizeen: Spring Anime Season 2024
- Lost in Anime: Spring 2024 Preview and Video Companion
- Random Curiosity: Spring 2024 Preview
5 Favorite Anime Blog Posts
Anime Evo
Sousou no Frieren Review
I’m late to the party: I just started watching Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. Maybe it’s because I can be contrary sometimes; maybe it’s because I just didn’t have a lot of time. Whatever the reason, I only recently watched the first episode. Then the second. I think I’m five episodes in, and already I’m impressed as all get out. I had to wonder, though, if it is going to be this good throughout. Of course, I’ll only know when I done watching it. But I’ve found that FlareKnight, on the site Anime Evo, often notices the same things that I do. Even when we don’t agree, I can see where he’s coming from — that’s the value of FlareKnight writing clearly reasoned reviews! Does he say that Frieren maintains its edge?
But Why Tho?
REVIEW: ‘Kaiju No. 8’ Episode 1 Is An Exhilarating Introduction
The Spring 2024 anime season seems delightfully overstocked with anime that I want to watch. That’s only counting the series I’ve looked into or have had previous experience with. It’s not counting the series that are completely unknown to me. I bring this up because Sarah Musnicky, on the site But Why Tho?, just introduced me to Kaiju No. 8. Sarah Musnicky introduced it to me using such vivid language that I very much want to watch it — despite my already crowded schedule. But, in all seriousness, isn’t that a great problem to have? Please do read the post to see what you’re missing — or read it to see if Sarah Musnicky talked about what you liked about the episode!
Confessions of an Overage Otaku
THE POWER OF THREE: DARLING IN THE FRANXX
I really enjoy reading The Overage Otaku’s perspective on Confessions of an Overage Otaku. I either learn something brand new about the craft of storytelling, or I see another angle to something I already knew. Even better, the posts are entertaining! This post is a perfect example. This post takes on three of the leading characters Darling in the FranXX. Some of what The Overage Otaku said had already occurred to me; other aspects had not; and the spin the post puts on these things was just a blast to read. See what you think of The Overage Otaku’s insights!
USA Anime
The Apothecary Diaries, episode 24 (season finale)
I mentioned that Spring 2024 appears to be crowded with series I want to watch. I could have said the same for Winter 2024! There are a lot of series I still want to watch. I’ve started watching Frieren. But there’s another series I really, really want to watch, and that’s The Apothecary Diaries. Why? I’m glad you asked, because I came across this post by Theron on the site USA Anime, and I defy you to read that post and not want to drop everything and go watch the series. Theron has an accessible style and brings a lot of experience to the table. It’s another case where, even if I disagree with a conclusion, I still respect it, because I can see where it came from. Go see what I mean!
The Yuri Empire
492nd G-View: Gushing Over Magical Girls
Shows that deal with mature or fringe content are hard to talk about, you know? I have no desire to upset anyone, so even when I talk about ecchi shows, I tend to stay with the more tame examples (like Monster Musume). Even then, there were moments where I wondered if I’d pushed too far. I mean, everyone has their limits, don’t they?
I had missed any previews for Gushing over Magical Girls. It’s just as well. I could not have reviewed that series on this site! Maybe after I retire, because my wife doesn’t read my anime work. But until then, I have to be careful. It’s a shame, because the show had a lot going for it. Surprisingly so, especially in light of the specifics of its content. But, I have good news! OG-Man, on the site The Yuri Empire, doesn’t operate under my restrictions! Good thing, too, because OG-Man’s review nailed some of the reasons the series was so enjoyable to watch — and, dare I say it, thought-provoking! Yes, a thought-provoking ecchi series! If you don’t believe me, go read the post! Please please only do so if you’re of the appropriate legal age.
Want to Read More of My Favorite Anime Post Lists?
Want to explore more amazing anime blog posts? Check out the previous editions of My Favorite Anime Community Posts!
Want to Read Favorite Posts from Other Sites?
- Anime Feminist: Weekly Round-Up, 20-26 March 2024: Dystopia in Absolute Boyfriend, Kotaku EIC Resigns, and Animator Kickstarter
- LESLEY’S ANIME AND MANGA CORNER: Anime Blog Posts That Caught My Eye This Week (March 29, 2024)
I think Frieren and Apothecary Diaries are the two stunning series so far this year.
I’m on book #6 of the AD light novels, which I think are longer than a normal light novel, and they’re great reads too.
I’m bummed — no audio book for the light novel! I have so little time that the only place I can “read” is in the car! Well, someday! Thanks for the tip about the AD light novels!
TCrow, now I make the case that rather than Subaru being in love with Emilia that he is emotionally dependent on her.
As it was made explicit with Parent and Child, everyone who watched that episode and wasn’t mentally impaired at the time knows that Subaru had both a huge inferiority complex and a fear of abandonment and being alone, the latter of which was hinted all the way back from Episode 7 of the first season when he was being tortured by Rem.
“Why do you all keep leaving me behind!?”
“What did I do!?”
“What am I supposed to do!?”
“Where did I go wrong!?”
Even in Episode 8 with the lap pillow scene, the reason Emilia’s lap pillow was so effective was ’cause of Subaru’s fear of abandonment and being alone was weighing heavily on him.
“Because I loved this place.”
“Because it was so important to me.”
“I was so desperate to get it back.”
“I never wanted to be looked at like that ever again!”
This shows that Subaru thought of the mansion and its residents as his home and family and was horrified by his treatment in subsequent loops. The reason he was breaking down was that he was extremely stressed and was pushing himself to his limits to get his family back.
That Emilia knew to give Subaru a lap pillow at this moment is part of the reason (the other reason is that I believe he was Satella’s lover 400 years ago) Subaru has such a huge obsession and dependence on Emilia. After being abandoned by his group of friends, if one could even call them that, in early childhood, Subaru has developed a dependence on Emilia since she was the first person to show him kindness in Re:zero’s fantasy world, and this dependence grew even stronger after the lap pillow Emilia gave to him.
I believe Subaru didn’t fall for Emilia in this moment but rather became extremely emotionally dependent on her because he believes Emilia is the one person in this world who will never abandon him and never leave him alone.
When Emilia wasn’t responsive to Subaru saying he was doing everything for her in Episode 13, the one he thought would always be there for him, Subaru’s fear of abandonment and being alone was triggered again, leading to him saying that Emilia owes a greater debt to him than she could ever repay because of his huge emotional dependence on her.
Fast forward to A Reason To Believe, and there was something quite ugly in Subaru’s interaction with Emilia since his fear of abandonment was triggered once again, which was a callback to Episode 13.
Emilia: “You have no idea how I feel every time I see you getting hurt because of me!”
Subaru: “How would I know?! I don’t even think about it! All I think about is how to look good in front of you! I’m suffering for you here! At least try to look as cute as I hoped you would!”
Subaru says something quite toxic here, and it’s rooted in his belief that Emilia will be his light at the end of the tunnel after a long and painful journey/adventure, and when Emilia’s refusal to accept his confession clashed with this belief, Subaru again panicked due to his fear of abandonment and being alone since he is emotionally dependent on her.
As much as Subaru likes to tell Emilia he loves her, I’m more inclined to believe it is emotional dependence rather than love. Even though Subaru took the first step to approaching his relationship with Emilia the right way in Arc 4 by getting to know her, it was mostly because Echidna forced him to do that when she took away his qualification for entering the tomb since he was using his right to enter it as a crutch instead of doing what was needed since Echidna was on his side the whole time.
That makes sense to me. It also tracks with how I understood his relationship to be developing. And with Echidna’s actions during the tomb sequence. I really respect the show for taking this direction. It’s remarkable for the protagonist to be so flawed. From where I sit, it makes him very relatable!