Every week, I visit almost 215 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!
AngryJellyFish’s Blog
2025 Anime – Top 12 OP Themes
I like a good list, especially ones that count down. There’s an innate sense of drama in them. You see the entries at numbers ten, nine, and eight, and you think, “Okay, those were good. What’s higher than those?” The hard part is sticking the landing. So when I came on this post by AngryJellyFish on the site AngryJellyFish’s Blog and saw the bottom five entries in the list of top 12 OP themes (starting from twelve, of course), I thought they were pretty good. I had to wonder what ranked higher. And wouldn’t you know it? I could not argue with the top five! I’m particularly fond of numbers five and four. See where your favorite OPs placed!
More Post from AngryJellyFish’s Blog
Confessions of an Overage Otaku
Stories without Stories: Lucky*Star
When is it okay for a story not to have a story? Is that even a thing? Turns out it’s more than just a thought experiment or an edge case. As The Overage Otaku explains on the site Confessions of an Overage Otaku, those kind of stories are the basis for an entire genre. The flagship for that genre? A little show called Lucky☆Star! What’s the narrative structure of a storyless story look like? How’s that even work? It should come as no surprise that The Overage Otaku breaks it down with both clarity and humor. Go see what I mean!
More Posts from Confessions of an Overage Otaku
Lita Kino Anime Corner
Without Bonds Their Is No Christmas
We live in a loud world that tends to wash out nuance. Adding to the challenge is that when talking about any holidays, especially Christmas, risks sparking a shooting war. So it was with just a touch of trepidation that I came across this post by Lita on Lita Kino Anime Corner. I had completely forgotten, apparently, that Lita’s adept at presenting emotional concepts with both nuance and grace. Far from being a divisive post, it’s healing! In this case, she presented the essence of this season and used anime to make the point. I have to say I found all her examples compelling! See if you have a similar response!
More Posts from Lita Kino Anime Corner
The Magic Planet
Let’s Watch UMAMUSUME: CINDERELLA GRAY – Episode 22 – “Gray Phantom”
Someday when I get more time (is that a recurring theme or what?), I hope to write a post or two about why I so enjoy the entire Umamusume franchise in general and Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray Part 2 in particular. Episode 22 was, for me, a high-water mark. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Since I haven’t taken the time to articulate why I say that, please let me direct your attention to this post by the yuletide sorcerer on the site The Magic Planet. I’ve enjoyed the yuletide sorcerer’s coverage of this season, and even in that context, this is my favorite of their reviews so far. This is the review I can point to and say, “That’s why the show’s so enjoyable.” Go see what I mean!
More Posts from The Magic Planet
MIB’s Instant Headache
Anime Review – Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
On any given day, if you asked me to summarize my high school experience, I’d say, “Thank God it’s over.” There wasn’t anything in particular. I was 6’2″ and grew up on a farm throwing bales of 80 pound hay around all summer, so it wasn’t like I could easily be bullied. But I was a 6’2″ dude who loved science fiction and was stupid enough to write novels. To say I was an odd duck was an understatement. But then, we could probably use that same phrase for pretty much any of use, couldn’t we?
Anyway, there was one anime series that actually made me remember part of my high school experience with fondness: Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! I had helped start the high school literary magazine, and we kept it going until… well, that’s a story for another day. But up to that “until,” we had built something new and interesting. The camaraderie is something I miss to this day. That’s the context I brought to MIB’s post on MIB’s Instant Headache. I won’t say I had high expectations. I will say I had high hopes. And guess what? MIB nailed it. Need proof? the you know what to do!
More Posts from MIB’s Instant Headache
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!
Merry Christmas to you and your family, TCrow.
Thanks! Merry Christmas to you and yours, too!
Oh I read Confessions of an Over Aged Otaku’s post too. It was really good, and it sounds like it’s just the beginning of a whole series about slice of life anime. I’m really looking forward to reading the future posts!
Once again I am humbled by another inclusion and your flattering write up. Much appreciated as ever.
Tiny side note, I am also 6’2 but not whilst at school so I was bullied, one of the few instances here in the UK were size really doesn’t matter. Thankfully that was a long time ago… :-/
Anyway, thank you again and a Merry Christmas to you and your readers! 🙂
Happy to include your post on Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
I’ve never fully understood bullying. What I understand even less is the establishment’s tolerance of it. Talking about rewarding the wrong behaviors!
I understand even less when people say they want to relive their high school experience. No thank you!
Merry Christmas to you, too!
I also believe there’s a 99.999% chance that Terenezza is still alive. When Scarlet dealt her final blow to Terenezza, the head of the divine instrument Terenezza was fused with shattered, which should result in Terenezza defusing with it when it otherwise would’ve killed her.
I bet you’re right! Now I’m wondering what Terenezza will be like when we see her next. How will she react to her goddess betraying her? I can’t see her ever aligning herself with Scarlet, so how will that play out? Lots of potential for a cool second season!
I guess it’s perfectly in character for Julius to have faked being under the influence of Palmia’s charm the whole time. He is a very manipulative guy who likes to toy with Scarlet’s feelings. Scarlet didn’t misunderstand the situation as Julius himself admitted that he was worried she wouldn’t reciprocate.
I’m sure sure if Julius is a genius, a masochist, or both. I agree — it was perfectly in characater for him to fake being under the influence of Palmia’s charm. But the guy had to know Scarlet would figure it out. She’s as smart as she is strong. So he had to know what would happen when she figured it out!
Watching those two characters was a lot of fun. It’s one of the more interesting pairings!
TCrow, I was thinking Julius was isekaied when he said in an earlier episode that the gods of this world clearly liked to test people and that even he was shocked by the extent that was happening, but now in light of learning was his blessing is, Julius may have resented that he was blessed with Heroic Tale when he was born and thought he’d never find someone he could actually love to activate his blessing or even be able to show off regularly unless his loved one was in mortal danger.
Certainly a possibility! I like how this show paces its reveals. Makes me hopeful for another season!