The ladies of Anime Trending and the hosts of Girltaku! Will be manned by the extrovert. We are also on Apple Podcast and Google Podcast! Not spoiler free!!!
Perspectives and opinions change a LOT once you become an adult, so this week, we talk about the anime that we've revisited as adults and how that's changed from watching as a teenager:
@green_ninjaa
Now that this particular comment has blown up - I saw this comment and had nothing to say because there is literally 0 logic to even find an argument with lol
Pride Month Spotlight
#14
The YuruYuri series is just filled to the brim with adorable lesbian couples! There are entire character cast diagrams dedicated to showing the relationships between characters, so we've opted to show a hilarious screenshot of the girls instead
Pride Month Spotlight
#17
We've featured Sasaki and Miyano before, but we're featuring it again due to this important coming out scene. Not only does Miyano's mom wholly embrace Miyano but talks about how wonderful love feels. It was an unexpected yet heartwarming moment
It's final: Buddy Daddies is nothing like Spy x Family in story nor characters. Taking an intimate look at recovering from trauma and confronting abuse, the anime practically wrote itself just for my tastes, and I love it!
❗️Read full Review!
A Sign of Affection is everything I wanted and more. I'm not just talking about the romance. It's visually stunning, and the themes of language between a deaf girl and a guy who's learned all sorts of languages is exactly the type of story that makes me tear up. I love it already
Raven of the Inner Palace never made it to Top 10 but is one of my favorite anime from this season. Its plot, characters, and worldbuilding won me over. Not to mention, its historical accuracy! It's my hidden gem of the season
📖Full Review Here:
Pride Month Spotlight
#28
Skip and Loafer received big praises for Aunt Nao. She is Mitsumi's transgender aunt, and the story gives plenty of time to showcase her life as a normal human being and how she is beloved by her family
The completion of 86 EIGHTY-SIX Part 2 hit some roadblocks, but even with the last two episodes delayed, the wait was completely worth it. This is powerful storytelling at its core.
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My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 aired today! It was a super cute beginning with a male lead I naturally gravitate towards (I have a thing for monotone people - most of my friends are like that lol). My favorite moments are those that remind me of Cinderella
【OSHI NO KO】was one of the most anticipated anime of the last season, and in my personal opinion, certainly lived up to the hype!
💮Read the Full Review!
Zom 100 Bucket List of the Dead probably had my favorite premiere episode of the season so far. Incredible direction, unique premise, and I am just so excited to watch the full series
Jinshi's backstory is likely inspired by Emperor Renzong, who was swapped at birth and raised by his uncle. He is famous for searching for his birth mother - finding her as a blind old forgotten woman in a village after his father dismissed her as a consort.
As a whole, My Dress-Up Darling is a good anime. There’s a full package of art, voice acting, and a believable love story. However, I just can’t help but wonder — will My Dress-Up Darling ultimately stand the test of time?
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We kick off the new month by talking about anime we'd like a second season for! Does the anime you're begging a second season for make our list? Listen to find out!
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Single parenthood is hard, and anime doesn't shy away from that. Unfortunately, not everyone respects single parents like they deserve. In this week's episode, we highlight anime that showed single parents and celebrate them for their portrayal
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Today, we feature one of the most iconic gay couples in anime and iconic couple PERIOD. Toya and Yukito from the CLAMP universe and confirmed soulmates across universes!
Pride Month Spotlight
#28
From famous Hunter x Hunter, Alluka Zoldyck is a transgender girl. It was incredible seeing such a large and popular anime include this character in its story, and we thank the author for doing so!
For me, as a girl who remembers her best school days spent with her friends, Akebi’s Sailor Uniform is a gift. It captures the love in friendships, and it reminds us just how beautiful that love is.
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Handyman Saitou in Another World was a wonderful experience from start to finish. Filled with heart, humor, and hope, this anime expertly weaved seemingly disconnected stories into unified conflicts that genuinely felt dangerous while also hilarious at the same time. I loved it.
We did an episode on yaoi and its related tags, and now it's the girl's turn. It's time to talk about yuri! In this week's episode, we talk about the history behind yuri, explore some of the anime in recent years, and talk about the fandom.
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Buddy Daddies coming in with such a freaking beautiful line of dialogue. This episode was heavier, but it's so beautiful. Kazuki going back to his bad behavior due to triggers and stress is so accurate to people dealing with trauma. Healing is sometimes scarier than pain
This episode of Oshi no Ko is so necessary b/c the hypocrisy of people online is insane. If you don't apologize, you deserve even worse. If you do apologize, you're a fake bitch. If the "good" side asks to not harass, people do it anyway for "their" sake.
I'm not impressed with Tomo-chan is a girl! today. In the past, I thought the girl-hitting-guy-in-anger was funny but as an adult, I actually find it annoying. I can also sense from the vibe that there isn't going to be any actual progression to the story - just misunderstandings
Ash and Eiji broke hearts in Banana Fish, but they made an incredible win at Anime Trending's Couple Charts - becoming the first LGBTQIA+ couple to win a seasonal award
Hell's Paradise aired today and it's basically aimed for my tastes. Assassins, supernatural elements, silver-haired protagonist, historical setting. It literally checks all the boxes, so it's going to be pretty difficult for me to dislike it.
As I grow older, my feelings towards the inclusion of slavery in anime grows more negative. It becomes harder to ignore how the POV of this story element always comes from the "kind slave master", and that just no longer feels acceptable from my perspective
There's something so comforting and magical about slice of life anime! In this week's episode, we talk about our favorite series that are slice of life and explore the many different atmospheres this genre can utilize!
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Horimiya returns, and I'm so happy it has. The opening theme song & sequence was GORGEOUS, and I love how their intro made perfect sense as to how we're "going back" to other memories. I might even like this more than the first season.
I'm not going to shut up about Apothecary Diaries I'm afraid. It actually made me emotional to see this as these are the types of stories I grew up watching, reading, and hearing about. The music, character design, and historical accuracy is just too good.
Pride Month Spotlight
#18
Najimi is Najimi! This childhood friend character to quite literally everyone in the Komi Can't Communicate universe isn't defined by a gender and feels comfortable just as they are!
Anime has always had morally grey scenes and characters for us to get into deep discussions on. In this week's episode, we dive into 4 particular morally grey moments in anime and explain where we stand on each of them and why.
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I'm gonna just outright say it: YATAGARASU is the most underrated anime this year. If you like supernatural, historical, political intrigue, or mysteries, you're gonna like this anime. GO. WATCH. IT!
Full Review!
The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague is a josei adaptation AKA a type of adaptation we haven't had in a while! It's sweet and relaxing with a gorgeous looking cast. I'm definitely looking forward to this for the wholesome feels!
Blue Period was very anticipated, but the anime adaptation missed out on the magic. Though the story is still enjoyable and the art aspect still fun, it didn't have the oomph many people expected from an award-winning source material.
📖Full Review:
In this week's episode, we remember our hormonal teenage self and the romance anime we absolutely were addicted to that we aren't as in love with anymore. Listen to us laugh and cringe at ourselves and talk about how we've changed
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I hate science fiction, and I hate post-apocalyptic stories. Despite that, I actually really liked Tengoku Daimakyou, and if it wasn't for the last 2 episodes, would've even loved it.
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Anime has made us feel all the feels before, and we're no different. In this week's episode, we talk about the anime that made us cry very real tears, and one of us actually starts to cry in the episode just by talking about the anime!
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Discovering an anime you never expected to love is one of the best feelings in the world. In this week's episode, we talk about the anime that we started with lower expectations and instead found ourselves surprised and invested
💮Full Episode Here:
Skip and Loafer is just incredible. I completely understand why the source material has been multi-nominated. Aunt Nao is written in such a loving way. Theater boys wearing dresses and heels (and learning its pain). The good and the ugly of high school dynamics. I just love it.
To kick off Pride Month, we feature Uenoyama and Mafuyu! They're the main couple from the anime Given through a story of heartbreak and healing. They placed third on the Anime Trending Awards for Best Couple in 2020!
I started off highly disappointed with Tomo-chan Is Not a Girl's first two episodes, but the story and characters proved me wrong in the best ways. I am happy to be intially wrong!
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We've all had anime whose endings we would've changed. In this week's episode, we discuss some of the anime with endings that we were upset towards, disappointed with, or straight up hated. MAJOR spoilers as we are discussing endings.
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As a lover of all things related to assassins, I jumped onto Love of Kill faster than many. A love story between two assassins? I couldn’t have asked for more. As it turned out, there was much more I could have asked for.
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One of the best parts of anime is learning about Japanese culture embedded in its stories! In this week's episode, we examine six anime that have either taught us or inspired us to research more about certain Japanese cultural aspects!
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TRIGUN STAMPEDE is different from the original, and that's GOOD. There's no reason for a reboot to exist if it brings nothing new to the table, and thankfully, this one does.
❗️Read Full Review:
Pride Month Spotlight
#10
They need no introduction. Chisato and Takina won our seasonal awards for best couple. They have adorable official art together. The people behind Lycoris Recoil retweeted their Best Couples win. We just can't wait to see them again onscreen
This week, we are SO excited to share an entire episode dedicated to our favorite anime couples!! Let us know who your favorite anime couples are, and don't worry if you want us to talk about some more couples - we've got a part 2 planned!
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Just watched Oshi no Ko. I've always taken issue with how the idol industry and fandoms worked as a whole, so to see it covered in this anime is directly appealing to me. Also, to wrap it in an actual murder mystery? Genius.
We've often made a defense of tropes when it's utilized well, but that doesn't mean we're against defying expectations. In this week's episode we talk about anime that defied the tropes we were expecting from the stories and applaud them for it!
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Demon Slayer's 3rd season had a STELLAR first episode. The introduction of the upper demons was absolutely incredible and completely stole the show, but even everything afterwards with Tanjiro hit just as well.
Ah isekai. A genre where people either praise it to the skies or say it's the worst. In this week's episode, we talk about our favorite isekai. Yes, this genre feels overdone, but yes, there's still amazing anime that's come out of it.
🌸Listen Here:
Last week, we talked about bromances, but this week, we dive into sisterhoods and the complexities between friendship between boys and friendship between girls. And of course how anime portrays it, which is actually quite accurate!
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The Aquatope on White Sand is a visually beautiful anime with a cast of colorful and likeable characters. There were a few things we wish were different but ultimately found it to be a great ride!
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There's just so many beautiful couples to love in anime, so we just had to make a Part 2! In this week's episode, we decide to fangirl just a little longer on some more anime couples that make our hearts go doki doki
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Has anyone ever abandoned anime ships? We definitely have, and this week, we talk about why we've bid adieu to the ships that we originally were sailing on.
🌸Links to Listen:
I LOVED Skip and Loafer today! I've been looking forward to it as the manga is a multi-nominated manga. An adorable meet cute, the cutest aesthetics, and a surprise transgender aunt! Also it's just hilarious while also already romantic.
Cinematography can be hard to explain, but it's an important element to storytelling in visual media. In this week's episode, we do our best to describe what cinematography is and highlight anime that have stood out to us in that regard.
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A fun game for everyone is finding yourself in certain anime characters. In this week's episode, we explore the different anime characters we think represent ourselves perfectly and have a bit of fun assigning characters to each other as well!
I started SPY x FAMILY thinking it's an action-adventure anime with plenty of teeth gritting missions. Instead, I got a charming slice-of-life comedy (in part 1). I'm not complaining, but it's something for new watchers to be aware of!
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Character development is the reason why audiences are invested in stories and connect with characters. We love to see well Chest of Toy Dubloonswritten character development, and in this week's episode, we cover our favorites.
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Anime is no stranger to controversies, and we've seen a few in the past years as the community has grown. In this week's episode, we take a look at four anime that has caused outrage and provide our personal takes as to how we feel about them.
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This week, we are supporting women's wrongs by discussing some of the best - and worst - women antagonists we've seen in anime. It's rare for them to be the main antagonist, so we need to give them the spotlight they deserve
💮Listen Here:
I don't usually like to throw this word around, but I truly find Frieren to be perfection. I wouldn't change a thing about this series.
📖Read Full Review Here!
Even zombies can be part of the pride community! Meet Lily, a trans zombie girl from Zombieland Saga! She's got the moves, looks, and the perfect voice for her idol group!
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is one of my most anticipated series this season, and the first episode just blew me out of the water. Beautiful, emotional, peaceful in an understated way that makes you appreciate life. I have a feeling this might become an all time favorite
Pride Month Spotlight
#20
Sasaki and Miyano aired just last season, but it's made a huge impact on our community! Winning people over with their cute scenes and heartfelt confession, Sasaki and Miyano are up for Best Couple of the Year on our Anime Trending Awards!