This Season

2026 is off to a great start in the form of peak anime Kaguya-sama and Watanare.

Some of the funniest chapters from Kaguya-sama anime were adapted; I laughed quite a bit. Watanare felt a tad more tame than before, but I still enjoyed it. Overall, I’d say both studios delivered.

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I have also checked out Tamon’s B-side. The first episode felt ok, but the hook isn’t strong enough at the moment. I will give it a few more episodes but I won’t be surprised if I end up dropping it.

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What I did drop is Sentenced to be a Hero.

It’s a nearly-hour long episode of unnecessary edginess. Much of the runtime is spent on the protagonist spouting “badass”, asshole-ry lines. His two sidekicks are idiots who are there just to be gag characters.

Throughout the episode I was wondering when they are going to start giving the context so that I can start understanding the plot, but in the end it’s the same old “evil authority frames MC, now MC is out to take on the whole world” premise seen in so many of such shows.

I hear people praising its animation, but a gold-plated piece of shit is still piece of shit. Without at least a decent story, no amount of production quality can make up for it.

Perhaps the story gets better in later episodes, but I don’t have the confidence that it will. Dropped with prejudice; at most 2 / 10.

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Outside of this season

I have been putting it off for the longest time because I am no good with sad / depressing stories, but I finally got around to watching Takopi’s Original Sin. It felt heavy for sure, but it wasn’t as sad as I expected it to be.

Now that I have seen it for myself, I can understand the praise it has gotten. The characters and story are very well-written, and definitely not run-of-the-mill.

I love the main theme and messages this anime is sending. (e.g. ignorance is not bliss; the world is not so black and white) If not for how heavy this kind of anime is, I would love to watch more of these.

Instant 10 / 10.

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I also watched 100 meters. This is yet another mature story with well-written characters.

In the end, the core message is a common one i.e. do something for the love of it, instead of the accolades surrounding it, but the execution / story-telling is so well-done.

I’d give it at least an 8 / 10, maybe a 9 / 10.

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Lastly, I am finally all caught up on Pokemon: Horizons, making it the longest-running anime I have ever watched (until I finish UC Gundam for good).

It is certainly cute, but even discounting the cute moments, it has a story that is good enough to keep me hooked. I also find the main cast very likable.

Heck, even the antagonists

pokemon horizons spoiler

are atypical. In this anime, they actually have two factions within the evil organisation!

That’s not something I often see outside of political series like Gundam and Gundam-likes.

I am not without complaint towards Pokemon: Horizons though. For example, the main trios’ second pokemons were severely neglected, Roy’s Wattrel criminally so. Certain parts of the story also required a heavy suspension of disbelief on my end. But since this is just a kids show, I’d just close an eye and let it slide.

All in all, I enjoyed it a lot, enough to watch 120+ episodes of it and to give it a 9 / 10.

Edit: When I think about it, this is anti-drugs propaganda for children.