Category: Reviews

When I first saw the trailer for A Sign of Affection (Yubisaki to Renren), I knew I had to keep this anime in mind. It’s now one of my favorite romance series.

• Animation: The crisp and beautiful animation is a standout. There’s special care taken with the crafting of mouths and hands, since characters lip read and use sign language. The style used beautifully emphasizes those methods for communicating.
• Cast: The main characters, Yuki Itose and Itsuomi Nagi, are both adorable and engaging. Yuki’s confident as she navigates the world as a Deaf woman. She meets Itsuomi and he encourages her to open up more. As their relationship grows, Yuki makes it clear how comfortable she is with Itsuomi and he’s respectful towards her. Supporting characters include Kyoya and Rin, who also become interested in each other.
• Music: The soundtrack is sweet and endearing, especially as Yuki and Itsuomi become more serious about each other.
• Story: This is a gorgeous anime, with great disability representation. While the series only has twelve episodes, they’re a perfect invitation to get to know the characters more.

I enjoyed this series so much that I started reading the manga. I just needed to know how the relationship works out for Yuki and Itsuomi.

The Apothecary Diaries is an anime series based on a light novel saga. Maomao, the main character, is hilarious and intelligent. She started out life with some incredible challenges and has successfully navigated perilous environments. She’s armed with her knowledge of medicine and poisons, along with keen observational and deductive skills.

The supporting characters are fantastic too, with Jinshi being the most intriguing. Let’s dive into what makes this one of my favorite shows.

• Animation: Crisp, memorable, and vivid. There are truly so many gorgeous scenes.
• Cast: Incredible. The voice actors inhabited the characters with impressive effects and keep the audience immersed.
• Music: Evocative. The best parts of the soundtrack are when Maomao is contemplating or when she’s being intimidating.
• Story: Multilayered and interesting. The season pulls together fascinating elements that don’t at first seem connected.

The Apothecary Diaries is a clever and refreshing anime, with an incredibly strong first season. I’m excited to see what else happens. While we wait for the second season, I’ll check out the light novels and/or manga.

Here’s the trailer:

I started playing Baldur’s Gate 3 in November 2023. It’s a brilliant fantasy role-playing video game, by Larian Studios. I became thoroughly immersed in this world and the replay value is phenomenal. I’m now on my second playthrough. Here are my thoughts about this adventure:

• Cast: Incredibly talented. They portray the characters so well. Favorite companions are Halsin, Karlach, and Wyll.
• Combat System: Flexible and gives you significant room to innovate. “I wonder if I can…” leads to fun surprises (usually). ^_^
• Graphics: Crisp and vivid. They truly pull you into the story, especially during emotional moments.
• Music: Fantastic. I often listen to the soundtrack when I write because it’s so atmospheric and rich.
• Story: Engaging and memorable. There are so many routes to achieve a wide variety of objectives.

This is the first game I’ve played by Larian Studios. They’ve left a stunning impression. So, I’ve been checking out their other work. Based on what I’ve seen, their content is on par with the Dragon Age Series and the Mass Effect Series, from BioWare.

Below are images from my 1st and 2nd Baldur’s Gate 3 playthroughs. I know I’ll return to this world.

Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire is an incredible anthology. With a wide variety of animation styles, the stories have vivid characters and gorgeous settings. I wanted to spend even more time in each of the worlds. I hope this wonderful series continues.

The show released on July 5, 2023 with ten episodes. While I enjoyed all the parts, these are my favorites:

• Episode 03 – Moremi
• Episode 07 – Hatima
• Episode 08 – Stardust
• Episode 10 – Enkai

Horizon is a brilliant fantasy video game series, by Guerilla Games. While role-playing as Aloy, you lead massive changes for the good of the world.

Horizon Zero Dawn (2018)

In the first game, we meet Aloy. She’s an outcast of the Nora Tribe, trying to understand her place in the world. It turns out it’s much more complicated than anyone could imagine.

• Cast: Stellar. Ashly Burch, as Aloy, draws you into the adventure and a vast array of actors play characters who are also intriguing. One of my favorites is Sylens, who was voiced by the incredible Lance Reddick.
• Combat System: Fascinating. It took a bit to get used to it, but once I became comfortable, I loved it.
• Graphics: Bright and crisp. From blades of grass to clouds in the sky, the details were realistic and smoothly rendered.
• Music: Excellent and memorable. I have my favorites pieces, including music on the way to Meridian.
• Story: Gripping. It kept me interested in the unfolding mystery.

Horizon Forbidden West (2022)

The first Horizon game was already captivating and visually stunning. This sequel take the experiences in that world to another level, with the riveting quests and compelling characters.

• Cast: Fantastic. Ashly Burch returns as Aloy. Lance Reddick continued as Sylens. Standouts from new character voice actors are Angela Bassette as Regalla, Carrie Anne Moss as Tilda van der Meer, and Noshir Dalal as Kotallo.
• Combat System: More refined than the first game, which was already well-engineered.
• Graphics: Breathtaking. The most beautiful parts were while flying or being underwater.
• Music: Even better than game one, with Built to Kill being among my favorites.
• Story: Much more engaging than the earlier game, which I’d found captivating. It sets up a sequel that I think will be incredibly memorable.

At least one more game is expected and I’m excited for what could happen next.

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is an anime romcom series, based on a manga. The show can be streamed on several services, including Crunchyroll and Hulu. Let’s dive into what makes this one of my favorite shows.

• Animation: Incredibly creative animation that plays with perspectives.
• Cast: The voice actors sound like they’re having the absolute best time of their lives.
• Music: Fantastic music, with Masayuki Suzuki’s “Love Dramatic” being one of the catchiest openings for any show. Ever.
• Story: This show has so many layers. On the surface it’s a battle of wills between two stubborn characters. Part of the fun is exploring the clues of what’s really happening. Also, a fair amount of pop references are peppered throughout the series.

I plan to read the manga, to get an even fuller experience. In the meantime, I’m excited about the movie. Hopefully, there will also be more seasons!

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War Trailer

Kaguya-Sama: Season 1, Opening 1

KinnPorsche The Series is an action-packed drama that also balances angst with comedy. The show started airing in April 2022 and wrapped in early July 2022. It became incredibly popular. All the attention is well-deserved. I don’t see that popularity waning.

The main characters of the show are Kinn Theerapanyakun, played by Mile Phakphum Romsaithong and Porsche Kittisawat, played by Apo Nattawin Wattanagitiphat. This was my first time seeing these actors’ work and they were incredible in their roles.

Now that the dust has settled, I’m going to delve into the series. There’s so much to explore and enjoy:

Characters – Kinn and Porsche head up the crew, but there are many other notable characters. These include Kinn’s older and younger brothers, Tankhun and Kim respectively. There’s also Vegas, one of the main antagonists, who’s often a few steps ahead of many other characters.

Story – KPTS features some of my favorite tropes, including Forced Proximity, Found Family, and Hurt/Comfort. (These are the main tropes I wrote in my male/male romance series, The Agitator’s Code.) Kinn is a mafia boss and Porsche becomes his bodyguard, giving the show a morally gray center. Just the foundation of the relationship prompts viewers to explore the complexity of Kinn and Porsche being together.

Soundtrack – PhiangWaichai, by Slot Machine, as well as Free Fall, by Slot Machine are featured. These songs have the same tune with similar messages. I immediately added them to a playlist and often find myself listening to them. Other music includes Why Don’t You Stay, by Jeff Satur, who also portrays Kim. Even the incidental music is evocative. It perfectly helps to solidify the mood of each scene, especially during the private time between Kinn and Porsche.

The series is basically “the gift that keeps giving” because of the bountiful behind the scenes content. There are also fan-made videos as odes to this incredible couple.

This show is definitely worth more than one watch. The best part is that it’s short, at only 14 episodes. So, it’s easy to dive in and enjoy the chaotic duo of Kinn and Porsche.

American Dreamer by Adriana Herrera is a contemporary romance set in New York. Nesto Vasquez takes a big chance and moves his Afro-Caribbean food truck to Upstate New York. He gives himself six months to succeed. While the pace of life is slower than in New York City, there are still challenges. This is clear to Jude Fuller, who’s doing his best to deal with his loneliness. A stop-over at the food truck sets him on a path he didn’t expect. Nesto and Jude have to navigate choosing between opportunities, building trust and balancing a career with having a relationship.

Nesto and Jude have become one of my favorite couples. As much as Nesto tries to focus on his business, he realizes he needs a more balanced life. Jude also can’t help admitting that he wants to be in a deep and fulfilling relationship. Their story is a mix of sweetness and painful realities. Their love scenes are vivid. More importantly, their non-carnal scenes are equally as vivid.

General thoughts:

• The supporting characters are as lively as our main guys. My favorite is Nurys, Nesto’s mother. Nothing gets past her.
• If Nesto and Jude jumped off the page and landed right in front of me…well, it would scare the hell out of me, but then I’d hug both of them.
• You know a book is great, when you start talking to the characters.

Favorite Moments:

• Nesto thinking about Jude: “He looked like a fashion magazine’s version of a sexy librarian.”
• Jude noticing Nesto’s mannerisms and loving them: “He used his whole body when he talked, his hands, his shoulders, even his eyebrows.”
• Nesto and Jude going away for a romantic weekend.

Questions:

• Can I get OuNYe to deliver?
• Where do Nesto and Jude go from here?

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars