Tag: Spring 2022

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2022 First Impressions – Aharen-san wa Hakarenai

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: TBA

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Raido starts his high school career with one goal in mind – to make friends in spite of his somewhat intimidating visage. He starts with Aharen-san, the petite girl who sits next to him in class, but no matter what Raido does he can’t seem to get her attention. After school, however, it’s a different story – Aharen-san suddenly seems stuck to him like glue. This hot-cold treatment continues until he learns that Aharen-san has issues with coming on too strong with people and making things awkward. Raido vows to be a good friend to her, no matter what it takes.

The first challenge to overcome is the fact that Aharen-san speaks so softly that her voice is barely audible. Raido tries all sorts of communication methods, including passing notes, learning lip-reading, and even attempting to use a carrier pigeon, before he realizes that, after a while, his hearing has just adjusted enough that he can understand what she’s saying. As their friendship grows stronger and the two get closer, it seems there may be someone on the outside who isn’t so happy about their developing relationship.

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2022 First Impressions – Kotaro Lives Alone

Streaming: Netflix

Episodes: 10

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Kotaro is a precocious four-year-old boy who moves into an apartment by himself. The landlords only seem concerned with whether or not he can pay his way, not with whether he can actually manage on his own, so he manages to clear that initial hurdle. Kotaro’s neighbor Karino is perplexed by this well-spoken kid, and wonders what may have happened to his family leaving him to survive on his own.

As Karino follows Kotaro around on his daily errands, he also starts meeting the other tenants in the building, who all seem to be people with somewhat complicated circumstances. The one constant between them seems to be Kotaro, who treats them all as neighbors, though also has very little tolerance for falseness in relationships. Karino, who also lives alone and has felt directionless in his manga career, starts to warm up to Kotaro, sensing some unresolved emotions and trauma in the kid.

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2022 First Impressions – Thermae Romae Novae

Streaming: Netflix

Episodes: 11

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Lucius Modestus is the son and grandson of architects specializing in the design and construction of bathhouses. Because his father died on the job, Lucius is treated with a soft hand by his grandfather, which runs counter to the standards of what it means to be a Roman man. When Titus, the local bully, hassles Lucius at the nearby bathhouse (which was built by Lucius’ late father) and insults the building’s construction, Lucius vows to follow in his family’s footsteps and become a thermae architect.

Years later after completing his education in Athens, Lucius returns to Rome to make good on his promise to himself. There he meets Titus, a more mature family man, who apologizes for his past behavior. Lucius’ life seems to be looking up. But what of the strange childhood experience he had submerging himself in the thermae’s heated bath and resurfacing in a totally foreign place?

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