Hromino

What I ordered from Wish: Comedic yet heartwarming anime series about a speechless high school girl and her integration into society. What I got: An atrociously boring show about a bizarre high school full of strange characters that never made me smile or feel any warmth. The problem with the show is that it doesn't know what it wants to be, so it tries to be everything at once. One minute it's a dumb absurdist comedy that doesn't require many brain cells, and the next it suddenly becomes serious, with a warbling piano melody blaring out as the characters spout wise and heartfelt quotes. Neither approach works, especially when they're mixed together like this. The characters go from clever to stupid as it suits them, just like Komi speaks or doesn't speak depending on the whims of the anime's screenwriters. Random absurdity alternates with an attempt to make the characters believable, resulting in a jumbled mess that I couldn't bear to watch past the fifth episode. But at least in one thing this anime was unique. It was the first anime series where I regretted understanding Japanese and the awkward puns they were trying to pull off. The linguistic jokes were incredibly dumb and childish, including the characters' names and supposed humorous misunderstandings and slip-ups. After taking a peek at the English translation on Netflix, I was relieved that the translators mostly ignored them. I'll give this show one star, if only for its interesting visual style (although I wasn't entirely sold on this "screen-adaptation of a novel" style, similar to Bakemonogatari) and the quality of the animation. I never thought I'd say this, but compared to this show, Watamote was a masterpiece.

Caliphate is definitely worth watching. It offers a very intense experience that falls short of a five-star rating due to occasional over-dramatization, leaving little room for the viewer to believe that the characters' plans will work out. I admire the courage of Swedish Television for tackling a controversial and relevant topic without resorting to shallow condemnation of Islam or a blanket defense of those who claim to follow Allah in Sweden. Caliphate rightly suggests that radical forms of Islam, or political Islam, are less prevalent in traditionally Islamic countries than in non-native ones (such as Sweden, France, or Germany), where the efforts to assimilate socially excluded migrants into mainstream society proved particularly unsuccessful. For those with a specific attitude towards life, Islamism represents a means of finding oneself and sacrificing oneself in the struggle against a society that looks down on them, or in a worse case, despises and opposes them. Furthermore, the show's producers artfully demonstrate through the characters that Islamism is paradoxically not based on a thorough understanding of the Qur'an and Islam itself, with the religion serving as a mere crutch and its teachings being twisted, quotes and words being picked out of context and intentionally interpreted in a way to support violence in the name of God. The show effectively conveys this message, supported by great acting, with each episode's oppressive atmosphere leaving a deep impression on the viewer and providing a distinct catharsis. I rate this show strong four stars.

I have to admit right away that I don’t like the isekai genre. The reason is obvious. Although the idea of the main protagonist's journey from our world to a fantasy setting should, in theory, work with a wide variety of interesting ideas and offer a novel experience with every such story, the reality is often the opposite. Unfortunately, many isekai shows in the last two decades have been made in the same way. What sets them apart from each other is usually just the form in which the main protagonist is awakened or reincarnated (one time it could be a woman, the second time a necromancer, the third time a slime or a slime tamer). Another common occurrence is that the creators often only work with the main protagonist's backstory in the human world in the first episode. After that, the show becomes an aimless fantasy wandering where harem, titillating scenes, childish comedy, and gaming principles often take the lead. None of the above amuses me. Since the fantasy elements in such anime are often heavily drawn from Western mythology and literature (I can’t even count the number of isekai anime that feature elves, goblins, and succubi), I am more tempted to watch a full-blown fantasy adventure from Europe or America. And instead of watching a game, I'd rather simply play one (to this day, I still don't understand people who can enjoy watching several hours of let's play). +++++ However, this doesn't mean that I don't have any favorite shows from this genre. There are shows that somehow deviate from the traditional definition of isekai. For example, there is the excellent Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, which is a deconstruction of the genre, and Log Horizon, where the aspect of the main protagonist getting stuck in a game is completely unnecessary, and it might as well have been a regular fantasy from the start. However, since I try to give genres that I otherwise avoid a chance from time to time, I gave Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation a chance. I'm happy to say that it's finally the first full-fledged, well-crafted, great quality isekai I've come across. +++++ The reason why I feel so is simple: It has well-written characters, a colorful and thoroughly fleshed-out world, and, most importantly, it really works with the isekai theme from start to finish. There are several sub-topics that the viewer can find in this show, such as the motif of using a second chance to live a fulfilled life, the impact of childhood trauma on adulthood, the motif of "becoming a hero against one's will," or the treatment of the relationship between a highly conscious child and their adoptive parents. However, it can just as easily be seen as a great fantasy adventure anime series with well-crafted battle scenes. It's up to everyone to decide for themselves what they get from this show. When I add the gorgeous artwork, high-quality animation, and great soundtrack, I must give it five stars and a warm recommendation (not only) to those who have a similarly reserved relationship with isekai anime series as I do. I'm eagerly awaiting the second season!