Weeb List, Starring Friday's 10 Favorite

[Friday]

additional honorable mention

I forgot about meduka become meguca



do not throws souls

For minimal spoilers while giving a non-meme summation: Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a straight up deconstruction of magical girl shows.

also this song is massive esper mix cd bait

[Esperath]

additional honorable mention

I forgot about meduka become meguca



do not throws souls

For minimal spoilers while giving a non-meme summation: Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a straight up deconstruction of magical girl shows.

also this song is massive esper mix cd bait

COOBIE YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS

／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼

[Friday]

2. Re: Zero



What's this Isekai trash doing in your top ten list Friday, let alone in the number 2 slot?

Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World is the exception that proves the rule: sometimes, the popular thing from the popular trash genre is popular for a reason.

So our protagonist, Subaru Natsuki, has the typical Isekai opening where he's just randomly sucked into a fantasy world. But from there pretty much nothing is typical about this show. Sure, it's got hot anime girls (and boys, and boys that dress as girls) and demihumans and knights and princesses and a bunch of other normal fantasy tropes... but...

So the main character has this power. "Return by death". Basically, every time he dies he gets sucked back to his previous "save point" which are made outside of his control (and without his initial knowledge, i.e. he only knows he has a new one if he returns to it) with all his memories intact, but nobody else remembers anything.

Sounds awesome, right?

No. Being Meguca Subaru is suffering.

Subaru isn't your typical harem hero. He's flawed. He's egotistical and prideful, like a realistic teenage idiot boy. He makes stupid mistakes and sometimes, isn't able to undo them. He's rash and headstrong and while those qualities sometimes serve him, sometimes they don't.

The main draw for me about this series (aside from Rem, who you may remember as my number 1 Waifu) is the world. Unlike most Isekais where the focus is on the main character and his bullshit harem, in this world Subaru is only a player, and while a significant one, there is a lot of shit going on that he hasn't the slightest idea about and/or how to deal with. After all, he has no power of his own. The world he finds himself in is one of politics, betrayal, cults, powerful magic and horrific evil. Subaru navigates it as best he can, but in the end he's just a vain, prideful teen kid who has to learn the hard way. And the hard way means getting brutally fucking murdered over and over. And going back isn't free, each time he does it, more and more of a dark miasma builds up in him that others can sense. I still don't know if there's a limit, and neither does Subaru.

The author of the light novels, when asked to write an anime adaptation, had to be told to focus more on the characters because he was doing too much worldbuilding too fast. That should give you an idea of why I like this show. I'm a big fan of the Silmarillion. I'm very very homo for detailed histories and worlds. Re: Zero has awesome combat maids and catgirls, but it also has depth.

Fair warning: This show can be very depressing and make you feel like shit. Subaru -constantly- fucks up and though he does learn from and fix his mistakes, sometimes he doesn't or can't. I don't mean to say he's entirely unlikable. He has his good moments. In fact, I like that he's flawed. I get tired of these perfect generic Isekai Harem fuckboys, all clones of Kirito from Sword Art Online. Subaru is the anti-Kirito. Where Kirito is awesome and the best swordsman ever, Subaru is flawed and human and has no skill at fighting at all. Where Kirito is selfless and saintly, Subaru is self-serving and fearful. Subaru earns his character growth, Kirito (and every other boring generic Isekai Hero) begins as this perfect idealized hero with no character flaws.

The plot keeps you guessing. I was legitimately looking forward to each new episode as they came out, and I'm extremely excited for season 2. It's not often that I'll watch a show and not be able to predict what's going to happen next. That's a really big thing. I mean a really big thing. I can count on one hand the number of animes I've ever watched that were unpredictable like that for me.

Anyway, if you were turned off by Re: Zero because it was "just another Isekai in the Isekai fad" give it a shot. Both this show and KonoSuba are, in their own ways, deconstructions of the Isekai genre, and while KonoSuba is just a straight up satire, Re: Zero is a more serious take.

[Friday]

1. Non Non Biyori



Girls doing nothing... in the countryside.

That's right, they took the most boring genre possible and moved the setting to the most boring setting possible. It's DOUBLE DOWN BORING.

Here's the plot: An advanced alien crash lands on earth. Fearing discovery by the authorities, the alien quickly assumes the shape of an anime girl to blend in with the locals. However, a threat is growing from the under-peoples, tired of living in the un-verse. The alien must combat the invasion of the under-peoples. Teaching her friends her advanced combat techniques, "Sosuns", there are some who call them... the Sosunsers.

However that all takes place off-camera and is only referenced once. Most of the anime is taken up by long shots of insanely detailed but static backgrounds while soothing music plays. Sometimes the girls will come in and say and do cute things. The show opens with a new transfer student coming in. That's pretty much the most plotlike thing shown on screen.

This show is the highest level of totes adorbs. I watch this show and feel my mental health improve. Why do I love it so much? It's hard to describe.

Uhhhh... imagine a cafe where you can go that's full of kittens and puppies. You can order a nice hot chocolate or tea, whatever you want. And you can play with the animals. They do funny things and you laugh sometimes but mostly it's just, you know, nice. You feel good, you don't want to leave. Just stay here where it's nice and calm and peaceful. It's not absurd or whacky, like Azumanga or especially Nichijou.

Everyone's favorite purple twintail first grader Renge is best.

Dagashiya x Renge OTP.

There's two seasons and an OVA where they win a trip. A third season has been announced.

Despite nothing happening, this show occasionally explores ideas, like Death and the nature of Change. Are you the same person after you return from a trip, or have you become something else? Did you lose what you were, before? Through Renge's eyes we see the world again at its most basic, fundamental state.

You might wonder why such a boring show is my all time favorite, when the other two in the top 3 are exciting and plot-heavy. It's because Non Non is perfect at what it does. I love it to death. Both seasons are free on crunchyroll so don't wait, go meet the gang.

[Esperath]

I didn't appreciate how hyperkinetic Azumanga Daioh was until I compared the Okinawa trips in Azumanga and Nom Nom.

Also, by far my least favorite episode of Nom Nom (the rabbit episode) is when they stray a little bit away from their formula and end up slightly in Nichijou territory.

[Newbie]

Y'all tried that Eizouken show yet? My other forum has been hyping it up a lot, but I don't actually watch anything anymore.

[Esperath]

Sounds sorta like the prequel to Shiro Bako, before the girls all end up broken and disillusioned by the actual anime industry.

[Upthorn]

Welp. Now I'm addicted to Re:Zero and stuck waiting for the second season's indefinite future release.

[beatbandito]

Y'all tried that Eizouken show yet? My other forum has been hyping it up a lot, but I don't actually watch anything anymore.

I watched an episode of Eizouken and had previously read the first two chapters and it's... Fine? It's a very visual story in both forms, if you're not enjoying the animation and scenery it feels like you're missing half of it. After that's it's a slice of life character story but really Kanamori is the best one.

[Friday]

Welp. Now I'm addicted to Re:Zero and stuck waiting for the second season's indefinite future release.

I watched it as it aired and each week waiting was absolute agony.

So, uh. I feel your pain.