Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai Part 1 Episodes 1-3

Sakuta Azusagawa spots a girl wandering through a library in a bunny girl outfit.  To his amazement, he is the only one who can see this girl.  She is Mai Sakurajima, his Senpai and a former popular child actor.  Her ability, or curse, to not be seen by the public ties into a mysterious phenomenon known as “Puberty Syndrome”.  As the two pair up to investigate Mai’s affliction, Sakuta and Mai discover there are other bizarre cases of Puberty Syndrome, each more strange than the next. As they search for answers, Sakuta and Mai may find more than either bargained for when they start developing feelings for one another.

When you see the promo images for a show like Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, I’m sure you’d expect some sexy adventures involving one of the most beautiful Anime girls ever created.  In a way, I kind of equate this shows beginning to that of Madoka Magica or Angel Beats: you expect one thing but an episode or two in throws the whole premise on its head and youre sticking with it for new reasons that’ll hopefully be good reasons.  I’m rambling, I know but I wasn’t sure what to expect from Bunny Girl Senpai beyond the gorgeous Mai Sakurajima…and now I’m looking forward to whatever is next for her and the titular Rascal.  As far as titles go for a Valentine theme for February, this could be a good one folks.  (So much so I’m even giving this a special Valentine’s Day Premiere).
 

Say, I Love You Part 3 Episodes 9-13

Yamato’s brief stint as a Male Model has nearly lost him his relationship with Mei, who cant bring herself to trust him around the beautiful Megumi Kitagawa.  But Megumi isn’t about to let Yamato off so easily when he tries to make things right.  Meanwhile, Kai Takemura, an old friend of Yamato’s returns to town with some old scores to settle.  But he has an unexpected goal in mind as well: winning the heart of Mei Tachibana.  If Mei and Yamato are to find their future together, they’ll have to come together to face the ghosts of their past.  Only then can they find their Happily Ever After.

 
Man…that was something.  This final set of episodes was a roller coaster of challenging emotions and ideologies.  But above all, the finale of Say, I Love You was about making one final point on the key theme of the series: more than romance, more than being a couple, one strong friendship can make the biggest difference in anyones life…and it’s the most beautiful thing ever.  Yeah, yeah we got to see Mei and Yamato’s romance fully blossom and see them happy together.  Wont lie though, it was seeing the full completion of Mei’s arc and the reveal of Megumi’s true character and backstory that really brought me to tears.  It might’ve gone on a bit too long though, but overall, this was a really, really good finale.  Let’s get to it, shall we?
 

Katsucon Week Announcement

Hey there Dear Readers,

If you follow me on Instagram (@arschelgundam87), then you know that back at the beginning of January I made the tough decision to sit out this years Katsucon.  At the time, the Omicron Variant of the Covid-19 Virus was on the rise and I’m not certain large conventions are a good idea for me right now.  I know plenty of people who are still going (and also went to Magfest as well) and I wish that they have the best time.  I’m glad they get to have a Katsucon again and I hope in 2023 I can enjoy being back in the Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center too.  For this year however, that wont be happening.  I’ve made peace with that decision…but it still sucks…like a lot.

Toonami Flashback Friday Episode 6-The Great Saturday Expansion

July 10, 1999.  It was Midnight.  I had no idea why I was still awake, probably waiting for Dragon Ball Z to pop up on Cartoon Network.  As 12am arrived, my TV screen was greeted to a gorgeously vast nebula with the word “Toonami” slowly arriving on screen.  Then the hull of a long ship casually glided across the screen.  Inside, dark hallways, wide though, not the claustrophobic kind like in Ridley Scott’s Alien.  Those hallways soon lit up as we inched closer to the bridge of the ship.  As soon as the door opened, the drums kicked in and a nice, smooth beat filled the air.  As the music played, a small Robot made his way up the elevator to the bridge and took his seat in what I’d assume was the Captain’s Chair.  Our tiny Captain laid it all out: His name was Tom and he was the new Moltar.  This was the birth of the “New Toonami”.  From this point on, Ghost Planet Industries would no longer be the main hub of the action block.  It would now be transmitted from this deep space vessel, “The Absolution”. Same shows, same vibe but a new host and a new look…

 

Say, I Love You Part 2 Episodes 5-8

Mei Tachibana has done the impossible: she has become the girlfriend of the most popular boy in school, Yamato Kurosawa.  For a girl who hasn’t had many positive friendships in her life, this is a brand new experience and Yamato seems keen to show Mei at every chance that he is in love with her and her alone.  That’s not to say there aren’t challenges ahead for these two.  Yamato’s popularity paints a target on Mei’s back, with almost every girl wanting Yamato for themselves.  And when a beautiful model transfers in, with her sights set on Yamato, will a steamy photoshoot between the two of them
cause Mei to abandon her new romance just as its beginning?

Any kind of story about Romance is bound to be a roller coaster of emotions.  Mismatched couple meets, falls in love, have some fun, run into trouble, nearly break up because of trouble, ends up staying together stronger than before, it’s a tale as old as time.  It only makes sense that Say, I Love You is headed into the middle portion of that story outline in it’s middle third of the series.  But while this all feels very familiar and thus a little predictable, the progress Mei is showing because of it is what’s keeping me invested, that and the actual revelation that not every single person in her school is an absolute asshat who’s always against her.