Title: Tearmoon Teikoku Monogatari: Dantoudai kara Hajimaru, Hime no Tensei Gyakuten Story, General episodes 1-5
Date: 11.26.2023
Link: AniList

It had been accdedently putting this one off for so long... Taiga didn't recognize the filename so it showed as always having no episodes until it found all of them in it's seasonals folder. Since then, it wishes it had watched sooner!! Teramoon innitially struck me as another villaness anime adaptation, but it's actually a true fantasy! I don't like 'isekai' type protags, where they are aware that their actions are not in the 'real world'. Mia's situation is in The Only World She Has Ever Known, so of corse she takes it seriously and dosen't think of the other characters as 'NPCs'.
Though that's not to say that she is paticularly fond of others. Her actions are based off of self-preservation first and foremost, just as in her previous life. Undoubtably she is the same spoiled brat we see at the begining, but choosing kindness has undoubtably made her life this time arround more fufilling. Though she hasn't avoided the 'gulotine end' yet, her actions are making her a more noteable figure amd giving her more soft power.
It's also funny how the 'villans' from her previous life were actually just nice people who didn't like her being a dick. Like Sion & Tiona are nice people, she was just jellous and mean to them and so of course they would be against her. Also the way that she refuses to see this fact is pretty funny, thinking they are plotting against her and such when both of them are more or less in love with her.
And the character interactions really make the show. Each character has clear reasons for their actions and experience to back it up. For example, if in another anime Mia's retainers had torn up Tiona's dress and kidnapped her; for her to think it *was not* Mia's fault would be incredibly naieve. But since she had been protected by her before and (despite Mia's internal resistance) gotten to know eachother, she has genuine reason to deny Keithwood's deduction. It might seem like 'of course, thats to be expected', but man it's nice to have all character interactions be building to future conflicts. Every converstaion has a purpose in this show is what it's trying to get at.
Alright it's done rambling. Although it does repeat every "desu wa" Mia says lol.

Title: Uma Musume: Pretty Derby S3, Episode 4
Date: 11.21.2023
Link: AniList

I didn't know if S3 could ever get to be as good as S2. but here we are. With the sucsess of S2 the pressure is super high on the staff to get this season perfect. And much like Episode 4, the first few episodes were all leadup to a victory. This is my new favorite traning arc in anime, and I've watched Yu☆Yu☆Hakusho and One Piece so that means something. Genuinely makes me motivated to start training myself. Some really good voice acting and writing went into this one.

Title: Kimizero, episodes 1-2
Date: 11.20.2023
Link: AniList

I'm really liking this one so far, though I am genrally a sucker for romance anime so that dosen't say much. I love the gradual characterization of Shirakawa, starting as someone we can't help but like despite possible red flags and rumors. But as soon as Kashima talks to her, we can see that the rumors are just rumors. When she "changes boyfriends every month", it's because they tend to get bored of her easily. When she's "super easy", it's because she thinks that if she dosen't have sex first thing her partner will be disatisfied. She wants a pure and true love as much as Kashima, but has deluded herself into thinking that being the 'perfect girl' always going along with everything was the way to do it; causing a backlog of exes who never really got to know her because she would just over-extend herself on their behalf.
Her way of talking is very comforting as well. You can tell she has pure intentions, genuinley listens, and tries to relate to Shirakawa as best as possible. She accsepts his confession simply because she is open minded and figures the only way to learn is to try.
When Kashima talks about sports cars, she considers herself to be trying to "race" to adulthood; looking to learn as much as she can in youth so she can have a lovey-dovey relationship like her parents had. Kashima responds that sports cars are also about enjoying the ride, and that with a blossoming social life she needs to remember to enjoy her youth while it's here.
Kashima himself is a wet blanket, but at least he has the morals to not be like her exes and take sex because it was offered when she says she dosen't know if she wants it or not. If nothing else about him is redemable, it's that he is determined to not take this chance for granted and treat her right.