Though I Am an Inept Villainess

Reirin Kou is the most popular maiden in the Inner Court. She is so graceful that people have started calling her the Butterfly. On the flip side, Keigetsu Shu is the most hated maiden in the Inner Court. People have even compared her to a sewer rat. One night, as a comet passes by, Keigetsu’s jealousy reaches its peak, causing her to push Reirin over the edge of a tower. When Reirin wakes up, she finds herself inside a jail cell. Her head court lady, Tousetsu, comes to meet her and is unbelievably angry. She begins talking about how wrong it was to push Reirin. That’s when Reirin looks into a puddle and realizes that she is now in Keigetsu’s body.

Tousetsu then hands her a ball of poison and tells her that it is a gift from Reirin, giving her the option to commit suicide. If she refuses, she will have to participate in the Lion’s Judgment. If the lion eats her when she enters the cage, she is guilty. If the lion doesn’t eat her, then she is innocent. Will Reirin be able to convince everyone of what really happened before it’s too late?

Though I Am an Inept Villainess was really good. I had read part of the manga before the anime was released, but I was still surprised by how well they adapted it. There aren’t many anime that have a similar feel to The Apothecary Diaries, so it was exciting to see a story take place in a similar setting. All of the characters are fun to watch, the story flows really well, and the music supports it perfectly. The entire anime is wholesome. There are no lewd scenes and no swearing. I would definitely suggest giving it a try.

The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects

Dias is a soldier who fought for the kingdom for many years. After the war finally ends, he is awarded a piece of land by the king for his efforts in defending the people. However, when he arrives at his new territory, he finds that it is completely empty. As far as he can see, there is nothing but grass stretching for miles.

When he wakes up the next morning, a girl is standing over him, bombarding him with questions about who he is, how he arrived on the prairie, and what he plans on doing there. After she finishes questioning him, she takes him to a nearby village, which he somehow managed to miss when he explored the area the day before.

When the village leader asks whether he is a friend or an enemy, Dias says that, as the lord of this land, he wants to protect his subjects no matter what. The village chief then asks what he would do if they weren't his subjects. Dias answers that he would still protect them. That's when he realizes that the villagers aren't actually part of his territory.

The village chief acknowledges him as a worthy ally and gives him supplies to help him build a home. She then tells him that if he trades with their village, they will continue to supply him with food, livestock, and anything else he needs. To top it all off, she gives him Alna, the girl who originally found him, to teach him the skills he needs to survive out on the prairie.

After hunting together, Dias and Alna eventually get married and begin looking for new ways to bring subjects into Dias's domain. But will anyone want to move to a land so undeveloped that nobody except the lord and his wife live there?

The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects was really good. Before I started watching it, I was expecting something similar to Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord, but it turned out to be more like Farming Life in Another World. Even though it was different from what I was expecting, I still really enjoyed it.

The characters are all fun, and I especially liked seeing how they accept each other without judging one another based on their appearance or what happened in their past. While the anime stays mostly clean, there are a scene or two where you see Alna wearing skimpy clothing. If you enjoy fantasy anime where the characters work together to develop the land they live on, I would suggest giving this one a try.

The Troubled Life of Miss Kotoura

 

Haruka Kotoura was born with the ability to read minds. At first, she used it for simple things, like figuring out what kids would choose in rock-paper-scissors so she could win every time. As time went on, she began saying what people were thinking out loud. This caused her friends to call her a liar, and eventually, her parents divorced. Haruka was left alone with her wealthy grandfather. Despite all the hardships she faced, she still wanted to live a normal life and continued going to school.

Once she reached high school, Haruka believed that nobody would ever be on her side—until she met Yoshihisa Manabe. When he first tries to get close to her, she completely ignores him. However, Manabe consistently does everything he can to stay by her side, and she slowly begins to let her guard down. When people start calling her creepy because of her mind-reading ability, Manabe stands up for her and promises that he will never leave her side, no matter what happens.

The Troubled Life of Miss Kotoura was very funny, and I laughed a lot while watching this anime. I honestly hadn't looked up any information about it beforehand, so everything came as a complete surprise. It's a fun romantic comedy.

However, Manabe frequently fantasizes about Haruka in different ecchi scenarios, such as her making food while wearing an apron, a bath scene, and others. There is also a beach episode where the characters wear swimsuits. The anime handled the fan service fairly well through censorship, but it might be better to skip it altogether if you don't like lewd scenes. However, if fan service doesn't bother you and you enjoy romance anime, I would suggest giving The Troubled Life of Miss Kotoura a try.

I Became a Legend After My 10 Year-Long Last Stand

Luck, Goran, and Eric travel through a dimensional rift to defeat the Demon King. While they are able to badly injure him, they are unable to finish him off. After taking a break, they realize that they are facing what appears to be an insurmountable number of demons. Luck tells the others to leave it to him and return to their families, who are waiting for them. Reluctantly, Eric and Goran turn back while Luck holds off the demon horde.

Luck couldn't tell whether he had been fighting for weeks or months, but the Demon King eventually returns at full power. Since Luck had been fighting demons nonstop, even in his sleep, the number of skills he had learned allowed him to defeat the Demon King single-handedly.

When Luck finally returns to the Capital, he notices several changes, including a giant statue that was erected in town while he was gone. He asks a citizen who the statue is supposed to represent, and the citizen tells him that it is the great sage and saint, Luck, who saved the world ten years ago.

After learning about the statue, Luck decides to go to the Adventurers Guild, where he plans to start over from scratch. There, he reunites with Goran, who has become the Grand Master of the Adventurers Guild. Eric arrives soon after, having been appointed king in honor of his deeds and his role in helping defeat the Demon King. Together, they help Luck hide his identity as the S-Rank Mage Luck and become the F-Rank Warrior Lock. But will Luck be able to hide his true identity forever?

I Became a Legend After My 10-Year-Long Last Stand was really good. It had a similar feel to I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level, as well as The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess. While the anime has a lot of familiar tropes, such as adventuring, forming friendships that eventually feel like family, and being a former member of the Hero's Party, it still feels very unique compared to other fantasy anime.

There is a little swearing here and there, but the language is mostly clean. The characters generally dress modestly, with a few exceptions. There is a scene where you see Cellis at the river with her legs exposed, a bath scene featuring Celliss and Sia, and a vampire who shows cleavage during a fight. If you enjoy fantasy anime, I would definitely suggest giving this one a try.

The Oblivious Saint Can't Contain Her Power

The ducal house of Sanchez has produced great leaders in various fields for generations. The current head of the house has two daughters: Flora, who is considered a candidate for sainthood because of her outstanding talent with healing magic, and Carolina, who has been perceived by the public as clumsy and talentless. A nickname has even spread among the nobility, calling her the “Disgrace of House Sanchez.”

One day, the king visits Carolina and asks if she has someone she loves. He then explains that, due to political tensions between the Kingdom of Celestia and the Malcosian Empire, the Empire has demanded that a noble lady of the highest standing be sent to them as the bride of the second prince, Edward Ruby Martinez. Since the princess of Celestia is already betrothed and Flora is a candidate for sainthood, the duty falls to Carolina.

Rumors have spread far and wide that the second prince is an unfeeling man who cuts down innocent women and children without hesitation. Despite these rumors, Carolina accepts the proposal. Upon her arrival in the Malcosian Empire, she meets the Pyreborn Knights, the order commanded by Prince Edward. However, when she finally meets the prince himself, she is completely caught off guard. He is the complete opposite of the man she was led to believe he was. Will Carolina's new life finally be filled with the happiness she deserved but never received?

The Oblivious Saint Can't Contain Her Power was really good. It has a similar feel to anime like The Too-Perfect Saint, Betrothed to My Sister's Ex, and Pass the Monster Meat, Milady. I always enjoy fantasy/romance anime like this. They give off a special feeling that I don't get from romance anime that take place in Japan. That's not to say there aren't any good non-fantasy romance anime, though. The Dangers in My Heart, which I enjoyed immensely the other week, is a perfect example. The Oblivious Saint Can't Contain Her Power doesn't have any swearing, and there are no lewd scenes in it. If you enjoy fantasy/romance anime, I would definitely suggest giving it a try.

The Villager of Level 999

In this world, everyone is given a class and a level, and the weakest of them all is the Villager class. Most villagers die at around Level 5 to 10, but Koji Kagami has reached Level 999. During one of his quests, he meets a young girl who is being targeted by the hero's party. After getting her out of the situation by claiming that she's his little sister, he finds out that her name is Alice and that she is the daughter of the Demon Lord.

What Alice wants more than anything is coexistence between demons and humans. Since Koji had previously met the Demon King, he agrees to help her. They get medicine for the Demon King, who has been sick, and begin preparing to return Alice to the Demon King's castle. However, before they can leave, the city is attacked. Will Alice and Koji be able to convince the world that demons and humans aren't that different?

The Villager of Level 999 was pretty good. Something that I really appreciated was seeing the hero change. A lot of times, the hero is there just to be a jerk to the protagonist. Thankfully, Rex, the hero, is willing to listen to Koji and help him rather than being arrogant and set in his ways. All the characters dress modestly until the last episode, when you see Parna, the mage, wearing a bunny girl outfit. Besides that, there are no lewd scenes. If you enjoy fantasy anime, I would suggest giving this one a try.

From Overshadowed to Overpowered: Second Reincarnation of a Talentless Sage

 

After defeating the Demon King, Eftal was granted the privilege of becoming one of the Four Emperors by the king, along with the title of Lightning Emperor. The title of Emperor is typically only given to nobles, so Eftal sees it as a magnificent reward. He then goes on to teach children magic after the world becomes peaceful. One of his students, Merlin, was raised by him, and she wants to do everything she can for him.

However, Eftal eventually dies and is reincarnated with the same abilities he had at the peak of his previous life. Unfortunately, after 400 years, the magic of the world has weakened considerably, and most humans can't cast spells above Level 3. Because of this, Eftal decides to hide the fact that he can cast Level 10 spells. That won't stop him from fulfilling his dream of becoming the most powerful mage he can, though.

From Overshadowed to Overpowered: Second Reincarnation of a Talentless Sage was good. It kind of reminded me of The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reincarnated as a Typical Nobody and The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest. While the majority of the anime is clean, there are characters who wear revealing clothing, a bath scene, a hot springs scene, as well as a scene where you see a girl undress to break a curse that has been placed on her. I think the anime would have been better without that scene, but overall, it was still entertaining. If you enjoy fantasy anime, I would suggest giving it a try.

The Garden of Words

Takao Akizuki is a 15-year-old high schooler who has decided to skip first period whenever it rains. He goes to a small, sheltered area where he meets a woman who has decided to skip work and spend her morning drinking beer instead. At first, they don't talk to each other, and Takao simply spends his time drawing in his notebook. But every time he goes to the sheltered area on a rainy morning, she's there as well.

They eventually start talking about life, and Takao opens up about his dream of becoming a shoemaker. He tells her that he is already working on a pair of shoes, though they aren't as good as he would like them to be. She then asks him to make her a pair. While he agrees to do it, the rainy days eventually stop, and with them, his visits to the sheltered area come to an end as well.

Naturally, they meet again, but in the least likely place Takao expected to see her. Will things stay the same once Takao discovers who this mysterious woman really is?

The Garden of Words is exactly what you would expect from a film made by Makoto Shinkai. The animation and artwork are absolutely breathtaking, but I found the story a bit dull. None of his films have really captivated me the way Your Name did, which was the first film of his that I saw. Suzume came close, but ultimately didn't quite reach the same level for me.

The main reason I watched this was because the runtime was less than an hour, so I didn't have any high expectations going in. Despite that, I ended up enjoying it. The music is soothing, and the overall vibe is mellow and peaceful. Everyone dresses modestly, and there isn't any swearing. If you enjoy Makoto Shinkai's films, I would definitely suggest giving this one a watch.

Cultural Exchange with a Game Centre Girl

Lily Baker grew up in England, and despite watching anime her whole life, she fails to pick up the language after moving to Japan. This makes it incredibly hard for her to make friends. One day, she shows up at an arcade where she tries to win a koala stuffed animal from a claw machine. After she repeatedly fails, Renji Kusakabe wins the koala for her and tells her it's a Valentine's Day present. However, because of his poor English and their cultural differences, Lily believes that Renji has confessed his undying love for her. To help them understand one another, they start an exchange journal, which helps Lily learn Japanese while Renji learns English. Watch as Lily, Renji, and others grow closer through their shared love of gaming.

Cultural Exchange with a Game Centre Girl was really cool. It was hard to get started because of the constant switching between English and Japanese, but after a couple of episodes, I started to really enjoy it. It's fun to see Lily adapt to Japanese life as she works to make friends and improve her relationship with Renji. The majority of the anime is clean. There is a swear word here and there, as well as a hot spring scene and a beach episode. I also loved the references to Dropkick on My Devil! and Jujutsu Kaisen. I would definitely suggest giving it a try.

The Dangers in My Heart: The Movie

Kyotaro Ichikawa's sister, Kana, has started a band, and for their concert, she has Kyotaro write a song for them to sing. As the concert begins, Kyotaro reflects on how he met Anna, as well as the time they spent together that eventually led to them becoming a couple. Watch as some of the most memorable moments from The Dangers in My Heart are shown, along with additional scenes that weren't in the anime.

The Dangers in My Heart: The Movie was really good. It had been a long time since I had watched the series, and I feel like I love it even more now after watching the movie than I did when I first watched the series. Everyone dresses modestly for the most part. There is a scene where you see Anna in her pajamas with her stomach exposed. If you enjoy romance anime, I would definitely suggest giving The Dangers in My Heart: The Movie a try.

Ojisan and Marshmallow

Habahiro Hige works at a company with Iori Wakabayashi. There’s nothing Hige loves more than eating marshmallows. Wakabayashi is aware of this and approaches Hige, offering to share some of the bag she has. Because Hige won’t directly admit that he wants one, she eats them in front of him, waiting for him to be honest. Once she reaches the last one, she offers it to him again, and Hige finally says yes. However, there’s a catch: he has to take it from her mouth. Since they would have to kiss for him to eat it, he reluctantly lets it go.

In order to get into a relationship with Hige, Wakabayashi is willing to use marshmallows in a number of ways. However, will it be enough to get Hige to notice her, or will all of his attention remain focused on the marshmallows?

I really enjoyed Ojisan and Marshmallow. After watching the first episode, I felt like my love for romantic comedy anime had been reignited. I don’t typically enjoy office romances, so this one completely surprised me. It was absolutely hilarious, and Wakabayashi’s attempts to get Hige’s attention, along with Hige’s reactions to them, made me want to see them become a couple.

It is a wholesome romance for the most part, but there is a hot spring scene, a girl named Mioko Nijimori who shows cleavage, and a dream scene where Wakabayashi dreams that she is taking care of a baby. While I enjoyed it, I definitely wouldn’t suggest it to anyone unless I knew it was exactly what they were looking for. The fact that the characters are all adults, along with the humor, makes me feel like this is geared more toward adults than teens. 

Half-Broken Music Box

One day, while Keiichiro is in a dump, he finds an abandoned helper robot. He believes she's broken and takes her to a repair shop, but they tell him that her model is too old and that the parts are no longer available. Keiichiro takes her home and leaves her in the bathroom before going to bed. When he wakes up, he finds the robot downstairs making him breakfast. However, she has no memory of who she is or what her life was like before she woke up that morning.

When she asks what her name is, Keiichiro names her Flower. He takes Flower around town and teaches her about money so she can do the shopping. After finding out that she has a terrible memory, he buys her a notebook where she can write down what happens during her day so she won't forget. They then go on to experience things that make every day fun for Flower. However, she notices that Keiichiro doesn't smile at all. Is there a way to bring back the happiness that she has seen in the old photos around the house?

Half-Broken Music Box was interesting. It reminded me a little bit of Planetarian, though I think the Planetarian anime left more of an impact on me. Half-Broken Music Box is a good slice-of-life anime. Judging from the art and descriptions I found online, I went into it thinking it was supposed to be an emotional anime like Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day. While it didn't make me sad, I found it relaxing to watch.

The characters all dress modestly, though you do get a glimpse of a pornographic magazine when Flower is cleaning Keiichiro's bedroom. Besides that, it's a pretty wholesome anime. I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for something short and relaxing.

Victoria of Many Faces

After finding out that the agency she worked for had betrayed her, Chloe decides to fake her death and run away. As a former spy, she is well-versed in hiding herself and flees to another country under the fake name Victoria Sellers. There, she meets a little girl named Nonna who has been abandoned by her family. Victoria decides to take her in and raise her.

After using her skills to help capture a thief, Victoria becomes acquainted with Jeffrey Asher, the captain of the Second Order of Knights. To thank her for helping capture the criminal, he agrees to become her guarantor. Victoria quickly finds a job that will allow her to take care of Nonna while also providing them with a place to live. Although she wishes to find a normal, peaceful life, the extreme cautiousness she developed as a spy may continue to keep that happiness just out of reach.

Victoria of Many Faces was a good anime. The romance did feel a little rushed, but I can't complain too much since it was only nine episodes long. I really enjoyed the mix of action and romance. The anime had a similar feel to Spy x Family, but the medieval setting gave it a more relaxed feeling to me. If you're looking for an enjoyable romance anime, I would suggest giving Victoria of Many Faces a try.