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What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga)
What have you been watching and reading this week? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was cool, something that was bad, ask for recommendations, or anything else you can think of.
If you want to, feel free to find the thing you're talking about and link to its pages on Anilist, MAL, or any other database you use!
Frieren Season 2. NOTHING has made me feel so cozy and comfy since Tanaka kun wa itsumo Kedaruge. The art style is stunning and I adore the characters, the writing, the setting, the emotions all of it. It's better than season 1 for me.
Made me want to rewatch season one though, but I haven't had the energy to actually go through with it yet.
Last week I finished The Ghost in the Shell (2026) anime and enjoyed it, now I'm going back and watching SAC.
Rising of the Shield Hero
Started binging this last week. I just finished season 3.
Season 1: I thought this was a very good season. It was very good at keeping me frustrated with what happens to or around our MC. It made the eventual justice at the end satisfying. The english VA for the protagonist was really good too.
Season 2: This was okay. I read that this was badly adapted from the LN. I could tell that this was rushed. It felt like this season should have been twice as long. There was a couple new side characters who should have had bigger emotional impacts. But we barely saw them, so they didn't resonate. There was also a few moments of exposition where we should have seen what they were talking about. It's sad because this seems to setup some big story points.
Season 3: I liked this more than season 2, but not as much as season 1. This was a good arc for our heros. Diving into their fallout from last season and how Bitch keeps playing everyone. This is a solid "building" season for the group as a whole. The end also introduces some new lore and sets up a different conflict. It almost feels random, but I'll wait and see how this plays out. I read that the english VA died before this season of cancer, which is really sad. I could tell there was a difference, but didn't research it. Just happened upon a comment. It's a fine job, but the performance doesn't have the same tone of anger that the original had.
I'm looking forward to where season 4 takes me. Hoping it continues to be good storytelling and not rushed like season 2.
We got an assortment of manga about murders, salarymen and supernaturals this week,
--
// murder //
The solders and the hunter | Chapter 81
https://mangadex.org/chapter/5b8d4d28-9d29-4a2b-8495-709060559289/1
Guy being a one-man-army against the yakuza. Lots of over-the-top killing actions. Highlight for me is the one yakuza daydreaming about writing an autobiography the whole time.
--
// murder x salaryman //
The hitman's sales techniques | Chapter 4
https://mangadex.org/chapter/8a8840ee-6d8b-44cc-8a3e-f76f18e66335
A ruthless salesman got a run-in with an even more unsavoring company, now he must talk his way out of this mess. Guy is channeling Saul Goodman at his most depraved.
--
// salaryman x supernatural //
Survey reports of goblins and evil spirits | Chapter 4
https://mangadex.org/chapter/18e8ecde-9c95-414b-8bbf-77367d58b0b7
Pleasantly surprised by the lack of action, like a slice-of-life SCP Foundation more or less.
--
// supernatural //
Noro-noro Puku-puku | Chapter 1
https://mangaplus.shueisha.co.jp/viewer/1030833
A charlatan of a shrine maiden who scams people with fake curses, got herself cursed by god and now has to repent by exorcising real curses. Art gives homey vibe.
--
// something else //
Digimon eggs | Chapter 1
https://mangaplus.shueisha.co.jp/viewer/1030829
Nostalgia!
~ manga corner ~
I've been in a romcom mood, so I watched (most of) Lovely★Complex. It started out kind of rough, but hit a stride that I was enjoying for the most part, and came to pretty much a perfect and satisfying conclusion around episode 18 or 19. But then it kept going, and became unbearably tedious, so I ended up bailing. Maybe something redeeming happens in those last few episodes but I couldn't drag my way through the trenches for long enough to find out.