Spy x Family Code: White

Spy x Family Code: White (2023)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Operation Strix may be in danger unless Anya can earn another Stella star by winning the cooking class competition coming up. As a result, Loid takes the family on a trip to try the dessert Anya will make, leading to a series of rather hilarious misinterpretations and landing in trouble with a few extra missions on the side. Really, it's a miracle Loid and Yor haven't figured out what the other really is or at least what they are actually capable of at this point. No clue where this fits into the manga, or even if it does at all, or if it's just a fun side story with the goal of earning a stella given it ends up being delayed overall. Some of the animation style changes for Anya's imagination scenes which are pretty out there, and it's rather hilarious with the details in certain scenes how Loid and Yor can be so focused and perfect in the face of anything while Anya looks like she's about ready to lose it all. Overall, this could be watched as part of the series or a stand alone movie, and does well on its own.

The Millionaire Detective Balance: Unlimited

The Millionaire Detective Balance: Unlimited (2020)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Daisuke Kanbe is rather slick in how he handles things, but he's also rather naive as he believes everything can be solved with money. When he runs into roadblocks where information or balances are denied to him, he's rather lost at what to do. Haru Katou on the other hand, is well seasoned and would be on the more elite teams except for issues with gunfire, which are a rather sore spot for him. It results in a lot of head butting on top of friction with the newest detective - who could have had any department assignment he wanted. This series is still pretty new, but it shows a lot of promise.

Dakaichi: I'm Being Harassed By the Sexiest Man of the Year

Dakaichi: I'm Being Harassed By the Sexiest Man of the Year (2018)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Also known as Dakaretai Otoko 1-i ni Odosarete Imasu or The Most Huggable Man Has Threatened Me. Takato has held the top rank in his industry for 5 years running. Now, Azumaya is beating all of his records. However, Azumaya is only so determined to succeed in the business so he can be with Takato. Takato takes awhile to come around to Azumaya's persuasion, but he's nothing if not persistent. At the start, I was worried it would come across non-consensual and be rather problematic. While Takato is still far more reserved and hesitant, he does warm up to Azumaya significantly and comes to rely on him, to the point that he's willing to sacrifice his own career (the only thing that's meant anything to him for some time) for his sake and even takes the initiative when Christmas rolls around, even if he is rather humorously clueless when it comes to the holidays.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (2016)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It's amusing how like the game this series is. The art is obviously smoother and you get more character interactions and motions. However, the flashing "objection" and "hold it" messages in kanji are the same, as are the stripes crossing the screen when the lawyers go head to head. What isn't often shown in the game, but is made abundantly clear in the anime, is the force of which these motions hit their opponents. You literally see light shows and winds blowing people around. All in all, it's entertaining. The cases themselves so far appear to follow the game pretty closely. We'll have to see if this continues to be true the longer that the series goes on (though it's not like there isn't a lot of pre-existing material with the number of games already out on the market).

Fairy Tail

Fairy Tail (2009)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Started watching this because it was free on Hulu and it seems to be popular lately. At least a lot of my friends who enjoy animanga have watched it or talked about it recently. While it's still entertaining, my husband and I had to agree that we still far prefer Fullmetal Alchemist or Yu Yu Hakusho when it comes to Funimation's work. Undecided how much of it we'll end up watching at this point - I suppose it depends if there's anything else on in the evening while we're waiting for Mercy to let us know her plans.