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Sep 9, 2026
A solid *Ghost in the Shell* entry, but a poor starting point for the franchise.
If you’re a manga fan, you’re going to love this remake. If you’re a fan of the '95 movie, you’ll like it, but perhaps not quite as much. This remake demands prior knowledge of the franchise before you even hit play on the first episode. It kicks off right in the middle of a case without pausing to explain anything about the characters, the world, or the society. In many ways, the anime feels like playing a "Soulslike" game: you progress, but you only piece together the main story through small
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details you have to research outside the show itself. It lacks a linear narrative thread, making it easy to get lost. The storytelling style harkens back to the pre-streaming era, featuring loosely connected weekly episodes designed so you could still follow the plot even if you missed one. It gives off strong vibes of a series from the 90s or mid-2000s. What really matters to the anime is getting you fully immersed in this world by Episode 7, where the *Ghost in the Shell* that fans of both the manga and the movie recognize finally emerges. It tackles complex themes—like "What does it mean to be alive?" or understanding reality through complexity theory. The final stretch of episodes is packed with dialogue that will make your head spin—in a good way. These are the kinds of episodes best enjoyed while debating with friends or under the influence of "happy substances." Episodes 7 and 10 are a treat if you’re into conspiracy theories, existentialism, and philosophy. The downside is that the series squanders half its episodes on standalone stories. That’s not necessarily a bad approach, provided you can get the audience invested in the characters first; here, however, they might suddenly drop an episode featuring a Batou and Togusa team-up that fails to offer anything truly engaging. The best part of the series is the second half. The first half can actually feel a bit of a slog, as it’s unclear where the story is heading based on what is being shown.
The anime’s complexity lies in its narrative; there is little to fault regarding the technical aspects. The action sequences are expertly crafted and polished, featuring camera work that makes every sequence perfectly clear. Perhaps the only downside to the action was its brevity; with scenes lasting only a minute or two, you were always left wanting a bit more. One point worth mentioning is the soundtrack. It doesn't really stand out—it gets lost amidst all the other elements. You could finish the entire series and likely not remember a single track from it. That is a shortcoming, as music can make certain moments far more memorable. Since the show features heavy, dialogue-driven conversations, the aim is likely to avoid distracting the viewer. I think the lack of a memorable soundtrack is the only real issue with the technical side of things.
If you are new to the franchise, it is better to start elsewhere. If you are a seasoned fan, simply enjoy this remake.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 15, 2026
Journey through Madhouse, Chapter 22: I did enjoy it, but the problem is that it’s not a movie suitable for watching at the office or with your family.
There is a lot of nudity and a couple of sex scenes. It’s not about being alarmist or treating sex as a taboo subject; it’s simply a matter of your own comfort. I think the production team wanted to go for an alternative, edgy, or experimental vibe here. It’s a *Romeo and Juliet*-style romance—two people from opposing sides who end up falling in love. The only difference is that both this Romeo and Juliet have to act as
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bodyguards for a character who is incredibly annoying. Don't get me wrong: despite that comparison, the film leans more toward political themes than romance.
The character design is more serious. It moves away from designs aimed at a younger audience, evolving to depict adult bodies differently—focusing more on sexual appeal. I believe this is what breaks the mold of what Madhouse had been doing up to that point. You have a film with adult and political themes. Visually, the color palette is a complete departure from their previous work; the tones are colder and darker. That said, I applaud them for understanding that using dark colors doesn't mean the scenes have to be invisible to the human eye. One negative aspect is the sound design. I’m not sure if that’s an inherent issue with the film itself or just the version I watched, though it is understandable given the movie's age. I think it serves better as a way to analyze Madhouse’s evolution as a studio than as a film in its own right. The plot is a run-of-the-mill political story that relies on sex and gore to make an impact on the viewer.
I couldn't find the movie with subtitles, so I had to watch the English dub. I can't really classify this as a positive or a negative; everyone has their own opinion on dubbing. Even so, I’m grateful it got this English dub, since that saved it from becoming lost media.
I do recommend it, but only for watching alone—it would be embarrassing to be seen watching it. Fortunately, that didn't happen to me—thank God.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 15, 2026
Journey through Madhouse, Chapter 21: A special episode for an anime that is considered "lost media."
It feels more like a special episode than a movie—almost like the 40th episode of the original anime. The problem is, I wanted to watch the anime series before this episode, but unfortunately, that work is now lost media. I only managed to find the episode with Japanese audio and no subtitles whatsoever. To this day, I still wonder what the story was actually about, as I couldn't fully grasp it. On the surface, it seems to be a story about an abandoned puppy, but not much else. I can't
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add much more since the movie is a direct continuation of the anime's story; I was completely lost while watching it. That said, the puppy designs were very cute and endearing, and the settings and backgrounds were lovely—very detailed for the time.
I’d like to add more depth to this review, but it’s difficult. And if you're wondering why I watched a movie based on a lost anime... who knows? I guess I'm just crazy.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Aug 15, 2026
Journey through Madhouse, Chapter 20: an adaptation of a Brothers Grimm tale.
An animated adaptation of the story "The Golden Bird." I found it in 720p—the best quality I’ve come across for this Madhouse title. However, there was a catch: it didn't have Spanish or English subtitles. The upside is that if you already know the story, you know the plot, so you can simply appreciate the animation work.
A couple of clarifications: this film was made by Toei, with Madhouse handling production. Even so, since Madhouse was involved, it’s worth watching as part of this journey. The film is a faithful recreation of the original tale,
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so there isn't much else to say about the story itself. It’s a family-friendly movie, perfect for watching with the little ones. If you manage to find a version with subtitles in your language, you’ve got a great weekend activity lined up with your kids or nieces and nephews. I really like the effort Toei put into the backgrounds; they are always rich in detail and color.
An enjoyable film.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 15, 2026
A Journey Through Madhouse, Chapter 19: A highly accurate portrayal of karma.
This is my first experience with an Osamu Tezuka story outside of *Astro Boy*, and I am struck by the story's depth. It touches on themes such as regret, destiny, karma, and redemption. The film has the perfect runtime; in an hour and a half, it conveys everything it intends to say, without any dead air or filler scenes. It tells the stories of its main characters—the carpenter and the bandit—individually, before weaving them together for the story's climax. If any single element claims the title of protagonist, it is karma itself. Throughout the
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film, we witness the positive and negative actions of each character, allowing us to naturally grasp who is at risk of accumulating negative karma. Consequently, by the time we reach the third act, we fully understand the consequences facing each character. It is not a moralizing tale that simply preaches that doing good leads to a good life while doing bad makes you a criminal. Instead, it speaks of balance—of yin and yang. It shows how envy and ambition can exist within an honest person, just as there is room for forgiveness, redemption, and love within a life of crime.
It is a film that invites you to spend time dissecting it to uncover all the messages embedded within.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 8, 2026
A teen drama with a thousand topics to discuss with your friends.
Ramparts of Ice has become one of the best anime to introduce you to the drama genre. Drama is often a difficult genre to get into at first, mainly because it's associated with sadness and constant crying. When you watch Ramparts, you realize that a drama can be lighthearted and you begin to understand what dramatic weight is. In that sense, this can be your gateway to a truly beautiful genre. As for the story, we have high school students living their lives, with all that this entails, both joys and sorrows. Each episode
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has such a clear thematic focus that you can extrapolate from it. You can take the theme itself and apply it to your memories of that school time. You can see if you experienced something similar and which side of the situation you were on. In fact, it can help you do some soul-searching to see if you would do the same thing today, or if something has changed in you.
Each character has their own problem. The main group consists of four main characters, each with their own emotional wounds: Koyun's social anxiety, Minato's savior complex, Miki's struggle to fit in, and Yota's feeling of being an outsider in his own family. The anime presents a wide range of situations and problems, making it easy to connect with one of them. The affinity you can develop with any of them is noticeable. Perhaps that's why the series was so popular. Everyone had a protégé and someone they could point the finger at. Beyond the moral debates the story presents, all the characters ultimately prove to be quite charismatic.
The animation is well done. Studio Kai, I think, managed to perfectly combine the story's atmosphere with their characteristic use of subdued colors. Even in the chibi scenes, there wasn't a dazzling color palette. Everything was more subdued, with dark tones to highlight the negative emotions the series often portrays. Everything went quite well technically. Honorable mention goes to the ending. The way it comes in seconds before the end to add tension is simply beautiful.
Ramparts is here to stay. I can easily see it as an anime we'll be recommending in the future when someone new asks what to watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 7, 2026
The art world is so interesting... and they choose to tell its corporate version.
Hidarikiki no Eren is misleading advertising right from the title. The anime's central theme is the contrasting extremes of the art world: ordinary people aspiring to reach the heights of geniuses, and geniuses aspiring to live ordinary lives. It was a rather interesting duality. The anime features two protagonists who could embody this balance: Eren, a genius, and Koichi, an ordinary person. The anime is named after Eren, so you expect to see his story. Instead, they choose to tell the life of the most inconsequential character in the story. While Koichi
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is a protagonist, he doesn't have enough charisma to hold the viewer's attention for more than a single episode. Koichi is a character who requires a significant time investment, which becomes unsustainable. Eren is left behind, and his story is overshadowed by the rest of the plot. Eren's discourse as a genius aspiring to be normal is approached from different perspectives, as more than one genius character is introduced. Then, since Eren leaves Japan at some point, they have to surround Koichi with more geniuses to continue conveying the main message. Koichi, on the other hand, is unique within his series because he's a pathetic figure. Nothing goes right for him; he's exploited at work, starving both as an artist and as an employee. He has no charisma, no memorable scenes. On the contrary, the more you get to know him, the more you dislike him. He's a despicable person.
As for the art world, it's not explored much. It seems the author is unfamiliar with it and therefore prefers to focus on the advertising world. They may have some similarities, but they are two completely different worlds. The anime makes this very clear. The art created by geniuses cannot be replicated by an advertising executive, but the work of an advertising executive is not something a genius can do. Trying to give a voice to all those who couldn't make a name for themselves in the art world. Except that office life isn't fun to watch. Imagine if being part of it is already boring, now imagine watching it on screen. They could have told a thousand different stories, taking advantage of the entire cast, but they chose to tell 100 within the same office.
The series uses a fragmented chronology to tell the story. It doesn't really work that well. They don't know how to handle it, and it gets out of hand. Eventually, they have so many characters that they don't know how to conclude the story. The time jumps start to clash with the narrative. They try to tell so many mini-stories in a short period of time that they end up failing to tell the overall story. The ending is decent, but it's not worth having to sit through 13 episodes to see it. The final message deviates somewhat from the initial one, considering that everyone is now an adult. It's a good message, but it's not one that satisfies the viewer. The animation is only good when the geniuses are on screen. The rest is mediocre, as is Koichi. I'm not sure whether to consider that a negative or positive point. It's a section that's there; you might like it, you might not.
Hidarikiki no Eren had the potential to be a good drama about art. It just decided to tell the story of the most boring person it could find.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jul 6, 2026
It could have been the surprise of the season, but it chose to settle for the bare minimum.
For most of its run, I kept thinking, "This could be as good as Gimai Seikatsu." A low-budget story, very good direction, and a story good enough to carry the project. It had a story that created its own mythology about the doppelganger phenomenon. The story presented a girl who was able to create a replica of herself. The mystery was figuring out the reason for these replicas' existence. The anime begins an exploration of existentialism through characters who aren't human. They play by different rules, their bodies
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are different. They suffer the problems of being "replicas," which we as humans can understand through the screen, but can't fully empathize with. Things like not being masters of our own lives, nor of our own deaths. The identity crisis of not having anything of our own. The story, from its beginning and development, showcases a romance and vulnerable characters, gradually building the myth of the replicas. Each episode provides an answer while simultaneously raising two questions, which draws you into the story. Furthermore, they knew how to use their replicas very well. Each new replica that entered the scene did so with purpose, bringing an important theme to the table. Nao represented an identity crisis, Aki was the purpose of a replica, while Ryo was the end of a replica. These three replicas coexisted in perfect harmony, creating one of the most intense and memorable moments of the season: Ryo's end.
Despite being its best moment, it's also the scene that dooms the anime. It's the peak of drama; it hurts, it leaves a mark on your heart. It's a scene you can't easily forget because of its suddenness. The series tries to continue the story, but it can't quite steer it in the right direction. They enter a rather gentle, quite lighthearted setting. The atmosphere was different, one where we needed a strong emotional catharsis. And rightly so, after what happens. Even so, the series becomes self-contained, trying to deliver the lightest possible ending. Which ends up ruining everything completely. The characters' stories cease to make sense, and practically everyone has one. Furthermore, the explanations become simplistic. They are answers given with the awareness that the anime won't have a sequel. They are answers that try to wrap everything up as abruptly as possible so that you don't even feel like reading the novel. The ending is awful. Everything that was set up and developed loses its meaning. The characters perform an act that goes against all their development as individuals. The ending is rushed, it's bland, it's insipid. It doesn't satisfy; it simply seems like they didn't want to continue the story.
Without a doubt, we can say that this is the disappointment of the season. He had so much potential, but they let him fall from the top.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jul 1, 2026
It's always nice to have a harem anime that tries to evolve the formula.
Here we have one of the simplest anime in the world, but its formula always works. A harem of girls and fights with good animation. I think there's little more to say about the anime's premise, because it tries to be more fun than serious. We have a simple story where the characters are what stand out. Despite the fantastical premise, the characters feel very human.
Starting with Gero Hikaru, who is easily the best husbando of the season. Not only is he sculpted by angels themselves, but he's also a gentleman with
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the girls. He's a person who, despite working in the underworld, is in touch with his emotions. We can see this from how he decides to assume leadership of his family, only because his sister would be forced to if he continued to refuse the position. With each girl he met, we saw a very sweet and tender version of our protagonist. A person who seeks love and marriage, but that doesn't mean they'll settle for the first girl who says yes. There's a very strong message in the work that stays with you: "First, grow as an individual before trying to love another person." This is where the second element comes in: the girls. This is a harem anime, but it's not the typical kind where the girls fall down, flash their underwear, or the protagonist ends up with his face buried in their breasts. It's a harem where they're given a rather admirable place. They're girls with personalities, not trophy wives. They're people with their own ambitions. Sure, they can develop feelings for the protagonist, but it's not that simple. Nobody's at their best, so before thinking about love, you have to consider everything you have to do. Himekawa, Ureshino, Arashiyama—it doesn't matter who your favorite is, it doesn't sound far-fetched. They're all good; I don't think any is better than the others. Well, Kinosaki, but Kinosaki is in a league of her own.
The action, on the other hand, to put it simply, Marriagetoxin is everything Sakamato Days should have been: chaotic and senseless action, where logic is ignored in favor of the frenzy of the moment. It's a world with "experts" who can control everything from poison and weapons to sound and animals. With so much variety, it's difficult for the fights to feel the same. The animation quality is incredibly good. The fights feel fast when they need to be, and the blows feel powerful when they need to be. The best part of the action is that halfway through the season, they decide to embrace the absurdity of the world even further. From the protagonist fighting a baseball player who uses birds as bats, to battling a giant chimera using fossils as weapons and armor. Simply watching each fight is fun because they don't make sense, and they don't need to to be engaging.
Marraigetoxin isn't an anime that will leave its mark on the history of the industry, not by a long shot. It's simply an anime that aims to be entertaining, and it succeeds admirably.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 1, 2026
We could be looking at one of the best romances this decade has given us.
Aishiteru has a fairly simple premise: "Characters who like each other but want the other to admit it first." To do this, they have the "I Love You Game," where the first to get emotional upon hearing "I love you" and admit it will be the loser. It's a simple, straightforward, overused, and, more than anything, limited premise. Just hearing it makes you think it will be just another run-of-the-mill anime. Repetitive, lacking originality, something to fill the season.
The first few episodes are well-constructed. They introduce the protagonists, show how close
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and trusting they are, and how the game works. The first few episodes are a fairly standard story, with the same strategies and games we've seen in similar anime. So what makes it so special? How they use this limited premise to explore the emotional depth of their protagonists, while simultaneously fostering introspection within them. The game goes from being an excuse to avoid confessing their feelings to an emotional shield for both of them. The game ceases to be a competition and becomes an excuse.
This is where the best element of the series comes in: its protagonists. They have it all: communication, chemistry, they're funny, they're romantic. They have everything a romance couple should have. Miku is "the typical popular girl" and Asagi is "the introvert of the class." Up to this point, you might think it's a typical romance with self-insert characters. Well, no, because the story develops them beyond that stereotype. You have Miku, a girl whose main feeling is loneliness, which the anime reflects very well in the scenes inside her house. In addition to loneliness, she has some insecurity about her appearance. For this reason, she decides to embrace her own beauty. She uses makeup and pretty clothes because she wants to feel beautiful for herself. Meanwhile, as part of the game, she wants to force Yukiya to acknowledge her cuteness. He's a very well-developed character, and you can better understand his strengths and weaknesses in the final stretch of the season. Yukiya, on the other hand, is an introverted boy who can connect with others. It's not that he's alone because he can't make friends, but because he chooses to be. This is an important point; the series demonstrates how he can have completely normal conversations with other people, breaking free from the self-insert stereotype. Added to this is the fact that he's extremely committed; he changed his physique and his fashion sense to be the best version of himself. He understood that to aspire to have the girl of his dreams, he also has to be his own ideal self. Both protagonists have such strong personalities that you recognize them as people, not just characters.
Another key aspect is that the series never forgets that they are both teenagers. They have the typical insecurities of adolescence, with an emotional burden that matches those problems. This isn't just reflected in their insecurities, but also in their romantic relationships. The kissing episode is simply the best. I think it's the best kiss I've seen in a very, very long time. It's a kiss that happens during a game. At some point, they forget the game and let themselves be carried away by the euphoria of the moment. It's a silent kiss, there are no words, just the act. Rather than portraying it like a scene from a Hollywood movie, they do it like a kiss between teenagers. You can feel their heavy breathing, the emotion, and you could even see a certain level of lust taking over. Like I said, typical of a teenage romance.
You don't have to believe what I say, see it for yourself and then come back and confirm that what you just read is true.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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