I was happy to see a discussion about her dad, but it didn’t really lead anywhere. Are we supposed to think that Wind Slicer is her biological father as opposed to her adoptive father due to the fighting differences? Or, has her adoptive father been hiding his true fighting style from her this whole time?

I wonder if Belle’s predecessor and Clay’s biological father might not be related in some way. Clay said that her father was somehow related to the Thieve’s Guild. And, isn’t it the thieve’s guild that the predecessor disappeared one night in some kind of dispute?

Alright…supremely disappointing animation aside…we got some story developments this episode, which is nice to see.

The main thing that has left me confused is what Rachel is thinking. Did she know that Khun knew about her? That he planned on betraying her at some point? That is just about the only way that her actions make sense this episode. If that is the case, then I guess she decided to solve two problems at once by helping FUG lure Khun into a trap and get the threat to her killed in the process.

Something that doesn’t add up for this though, is what next for Rachel? Where does her plan go from here? She struck a deal with FUG to kill Khun, but are they also going to carry her up the tower like Khun was planning to do?

So many questions. There are betrayals upon betrayals to the point that it is hard to keep up and make sense of it all.

What’s the point of making a FUG Slayer who doesn’t want to be a FUG Slayer?

I am wondering the same thing. To the best of my knowledge, their plan is to get him strong enough to climb the tower to kill the King of Jahad and become supremely powerful. Are they not concerned that when Bam becomes the undisputed most powerful being alive that he might not turn against them? I mean, I guess they might just feel so strongly about usurping Jahad that they don’t mind dying at that point, but idk.

I haven’t read the source for this series and I have even stayed away from all the PVs. However, every time I see source readers discuss this it sounds like a bunch of crazy people making stuff up. So, I honestly have no idea. I am expecting things to get weird.

I have heard good things about both Magilumiere and Trillion Game from source readers. So, if the buzz is good, I might have to try to find time to check them out.

How was the first season of Ron Kamonohashi? The synopsis didn’t really catch me, but a good mystery series is always fun if it is done well.

I might have to check out Magilumiere. I don’t dislike the premise and have heard generally good things about the manga, but I am going to be pretty crunched for time this Fall, so I would probably need to drop something else to make room for it.

I haven’t been watching this show, but taking a look as the person maintaining the bot, I think the thing causing the off-by-one confusion is that this show started with an episode 0. The bot pulls its info from the AniList api, and episode 0 of this show was listed as the first episode. According to the AniList api, episode 18 is airing on Sep. 19th, which would correspond to what Crunchyroll is calling episode 17.

Taking a look through the list, there are definitely some that I am excited about. I have tried to categorize them by my initial impressions. I am likely going to have to cut down the number of anime I watch next season because work is getting busier, but I will do my best!

Definitely Watching

• Natsume’s Book of Friends - Season 7 is here and I am ready for more. If you aren’t familiar with this series, it is a (mostly) chill series about Natsume, a boy that can see yokai, and a book containing the names of yokai that was left to him by his grandmother.
• Dan Da Dan - I have tried to stay spoiler-free for this one based on the hype around it. What I do know sounds wild, so I am expecting the unexpected. Reminder to check out !dandadan@ani.social
• Orb: On the Movements of the Earth - This one caught my interest due to its historical nature. If you haven’t seen me mention it before, I am a physicist professionally. So, an anime all about the history of science and the heliocentric model? Yeah, that is an intersection of interests that I can’t pass up.
• Rurouni Kenshin Remake - I probably won’t be watching this one week to week, but will definitely watch it eventually together with my wife. We had mixed feelings about the first season of the remake, but the Kyoto/Shishio arc is Kenshin at its best, so I am looking forward to see how this season goes.

Will Try to Watch (Time Permitting)

• Blue Box - I have only heard great things about the manga. So, if I can find the time, I want to try to check this one out.
• As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World - I enjoyed season 1, but it didn’t blow me away. As a manga reader, it did a better job with the adaptation than I was expecting. Will try to tune in and see how the next season goes.
• Loner Life in Another World - I have read a bunch of this manga and it is silly fun. I am most interested in just checking out the adaptation more than really invested in the story/characters.

Might Check Out Depending on Reception

• 365 Days To The Wedding - An adult, workplace romance? Is this the new Wotakoi? I hope so! If I hear good things, I might try to find time to check this one out.
• I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History - A fully genre-aware otome protagonist that wants to be the best villainess they can be? This is what I imagine Kadath would be if she were ever isekai’ed into an otome universe.
• If My Wife Became an Elementary School Student - Suspicious title aside, this seems like it is going to be a pretty heart-wrenching exploration of grief after the loss of a loved one. If it is handled well, then this could be great (even if it is incredibly sad).
• NegaPosi Angler - Speaking of grief, this is an anime original in which the MC has a terminal illness. So, you know it will be a fun time. Personally, I lost my grandfather not too long ago, and I used to fish with him all the time, so this one might be a bit personal for me.

Weekly ranking roundup:

1. Anime Corner - Full Results - Weekly Winner: Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian
2. Reddit Karma - Weekly Winner: Makeine
3. Anime Trending - Weekly Winner: Days With My Stepsister

Credit to /u/Abysswatcherbel for making the chart for reddit karma and /u/Nooble5 for the Anime Trending chart.

Same three winners as last week. I had expected Oshi no Ko to come back on top of the reddit karma after its break last week. However, it seems that Makeine is too strong and, with the start of a new arc, Oshi no Ko couldn’t hold onto the hype from before the break.

Is it too early to start thinking about next season?

You are like 12 hours early. The week 38 thread I am posting soon is going to be the Fall season look ahead. I need to sit down and look through the shows and pick what I want to try to watch yet. I anticipate my work schedule is going to pick up some more in Q4, so I might have to make some tough choices.

All the credit to you for formatting that big of a markdown table.

We all thought Yuki was just being her silly otaku self when she joked about being the villain. Turns out she is serious.

I do think that she took advantage of Masachika being sick so that she can shock Alya. However, I think Yuki’s endgame isn’t to make Alya feel bad, but instead to make Masachika become invested and give it his all.

Alya manages to hold onto the top spot while Oshi no Ko comes back from a hiatus at #5. It is nice to see Pseudo Harem crack into the top 10 again after dropping out last week.

Ruby was really twisting the knife in Mem this episode. All of that despite all of the work that Mem has done to get B Komachi to where it is.

No offense, this looks cool, but I am going to remove it as not being anime. I can’t find it on either AniList or MAL. Looking up info about the show, it is being animated by a studio in the US (Powerhouse Animation Studios) with English voice talent.

Yeah, they are going to be filming nearby to where Aqua died in his previous life (Ruby also actually since she died under his care), that is why he thought of the hospital when they told him where they are going to be staying.

The dissatisfaction that is shared with the reader/viewer and Aqua at having an unfulfilled revenge plot is something I hadn’t considered before. Aqua is currently questioning what his purpose in life should be much like we are now questioning what is the driving force of the show.

Agree that it was nice to see Ruby outside of the ED this season. The B Komachi girls are managing to stay busy.

This run of episodes was truly something else. The arc (fittingly) took advantage of every aspect of the animation medium and adapted the manga beautifully.

Here you go! Good luck!

A low budget episode this week

Totally agree. The animation was pretty noticeable. When you pause and just look at a frame, it typically looks fine, but when things are in motion, you can really tell how lackluster it is.

being surprised at things that aren’t all that surprising

It boggles the mind how reckless most of the characters are after climbing this far up the tower.

Our love pasta continues to grow more complicated by the episode. Let me see if I can get this all straight…

1. Mai -> Mizuma -> Rumi -> Jun
2. Shiena -> Naori -> Jun
3. Jun -> Naori (as kids)
4. Jun -> Rumi (up until episode 1)
5. Jun -> ??? (now)
6. Professor -> Just about any girl that moves (except maybe Shiena)

Rumi and Jun actually sat down and communicated about the situation with Mizuma as well as the situation with the club being started by Naori. I continue to be amazed in this series about how, despite all the drama going on, the characters are all handling things in relatively mature ways. Their communication has even allowed them all to reconcile a bit near the end of this episode and laugh like old times.

@rikka@ani.social