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Sep 13, 2026
What a letdown. It started out well... ruined by the overly dramatic twists and turns in every episode. If you hate love triangles as much as I do, you'll definitely loathe the love polygons this anime has in store.
There are so many problems with this anime. Worst of all, the characters are nearly all unlikable. One in particular, introduced by the middle of the series, is downright despicable. But in typical anime fashion, she gets away with it, only getting scolded a little bit (because the power of friendship!), when she should've gone straight to prison, or at least juvenile hall. Before this miscreant
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entered the scene, we had another antagonist early in the series, also vying with our MC for the love of her life. Once these two are disposed of by the story, and you think you can now try to focus on the main protagonists and their relationship, we are given yet another antagonist towards the end! So we have 3 relationships to focus on, in addition to the main one. It seems every girl in this universe is a lesbian, and they are all competing with each other for their crush. Totally unbelievable.
As for the main characters, we have Yuzu, who is, for some unknown reason, madly in love with Mei, an over-the-top tsundere (the kind you want to slap their face), with no charisma, no personality, and not even that good-looking! Yuzu is the only tolerable character here, but she is given to so much self-doubt and self-loathing that she gets on your nerves as well. She gets into situations where a simple explanation can clear everything up. But no. We have to have the obligatory moments of mixed messages and misunderstandings for the sake of being dramatic and leaving episodes on a cliffhanger.
Some reviews complain about depicting "SA", but, in my opinion, the issue is the overuse of it. Things like this can happen in life, and just showing it doesn't always mean normalizing it. So when I first saw it here, I withheld judgment. The problem, though, is that it's shown again and again and again. And the characters on the receiving side are given no agency! One little whisper in a character's ear, and she's suddenly at the mercy of her assailant's whims. What nonsense.
I usually try to find positive aspects in a series to avoid giving a bad review, but this one irritated me enough to drop it (by the 11th episode no less!) and give it a 3/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Aug 8, 2026
I've recently come to love gyarus in anime. In fact, I started watching Hokkaido Gals are Super Adorable while looking specifically for animes that had gyarus in them. The main girl here has a very cute design, so I started watching. The beginning was really nice: I thought I'd stumbled on a hidden gem. Something about the setting of Hokkaido during winter reminded me of the cozy feeling of Ghibli, making the first couple of episodes feel pretty memorable. One tiny little detail had me a bit worried, though: in the intro, we see 3 girls, not just the main gyaru. If there's something I
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tend to dislike with a passion (if handled incorrectly) it's a love triangle. So seeing 3 girls in the intro meant, possibly, that we'd have a love square, which would be worse! When the second girl is introduced, things seemed to be heading in that love-triangle direction, but, thankfully, it didn't. Or, rather, not thankfully... because when the third girl is shoved into the plot, the whole story's pace becomes uneven. Towards the end, the main couple retakes center stage, and you wonder why the creators ever insinuated there would be any competition between the girls. These extra characters, in retrospect, feel like they were just filler. As for the main couple, things continued relatively smoothly and, for a moment, I thought this anime was going to buck the trend of romcoms that pull a bait and switch at the very last moment. The way episode 11 was progressing, everything was going to be wrapped up in a neat little bow. As I'm watching the last few minutes, I'm thinking "Do we even need an episode 12? This ends perfectly." Turns out they mess it all up in the last few minutes of that next-to-last episode. Yup. They pull the old bait and switch... TWICE! The second one undoing the first one, meaning they ruined a perfectly good romance just for the laughs. I really, really thought I was going to rate this anime higher, but that ending with the oh-so-tired "subverting your expectations", really bugged me. 7/10, and only because there are some nice visuals now and then, and because the main girl is cute. Otherwise, 6/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 8, 2026
What a pleasant series this turned out to be! At first, I was a little hesitant, given that Chinese animation is not (yet) at the level of Japanese anime (although, to be fair, there's quite a lot of bad anime out there too), but I gave it a shot nonetheless. I'm glad I did. It's fun, action-packed, sweet, and hilarious. I watched two mini episodes per day, and each day I was dying to know what would happen next. So many episodes end on quite the cliffhanger! Both main characters have their charm, and their constant back-and-forth is funny and, towards the end, cute even.
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And we do NOT have the tired old trope of a tsundere girl abusing a wimpy hero!! Both the female and male protagonists are strong characters with great chemistry! Seriously, if you just want to watch a silly story with a bit of everything, and you don't mind that the length of each episode is just like 10 minutes, then I'd strongly recommend this one. It does, though, need a second season to develop the characters more! I really hope it gets one.
(As an aside, I read a lot of comments on the first episode complaining that it's in Chinese and not Japanese. I get that people are accustomed to Japanese in their animes, but don't let prejudice get in the way. I guarantee that you'll have a better appreciation of the language by the end. To my ears, Chinese sounds soft and fluid, and it's quite pleasant.)
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 28, 2026
Let's get the rating out of the way. I give this a 9/10. I had little to no expectations of this anime because I knew nothing about it, and had only added it to my list a couple of days prior. But, oh boy, the show grabs you from the very first episode with its over-the-top, Tarantino-action scenes. It is unapologetically a violent show, so be prepared. I had assumed that a story about moe maids fighting each other would be limited to them pulling goofy pranks and getting into embarrassingly awkward situations, but no. To be sure, it's both silly in that the plot
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is about café maids having gang wars (and taking their role as cute maids dead serious), but grim enough to put you at the edge of your seat, hoping none of our heroines gets it. The characters are, perhaps, not all that fully developed, but you do end up caring a lot for them by the end, especially Ranko. I would have liked more lore on her, but somehow, even with the little information the show gives us, for me personally she ranks up there with the few other female MC's that stick with you long after. The credits song, by the way, is sung by Ranko's VA, and it fits the show perfectly; it's very catchy but also (because of the story's ending) gut-wrenching. It puts you in a mood after each episode. Speaking of the ending, it didn't go at all like I'd hoped. Frankly, it was very upsetting… But it made sense, given everything that came before and also the tone of the show. So I don't begrudge the writers. In fact, the mismatch between my expectations and what actually happened is something I kept thinking about days later: a sign of excellent writing. Wish I could say more, but I'm afraid of spoiling it. I hope this brief review has enticed you into giving Akiba Meido Sensou a shot. Greatly recommended.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 23, 2025
Really underrated anime. The best thing you can say about it is that it doesn't jerk you around, that is, it doesn't try to be clever by subverting your expectations, like a lot of the modern stuff. It's a straightforward romance story, that pays off in the end. I'd say the first half feels a bit silly, being full of ecchi fan service typical of the harem genre. But then picks up in the latter half, and feels quite serious by the last episode. I'm baffled by the low score this gets here. Probably people started watching and were put off by the silliness of
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the first half and stopped watching. Trust me, keep going. It's worth it. One last thing: the main character, while wishy-washy on occasion, has a lot of charisma. So many male protagonists in anime today are such pushovers, and you find yourself wondering why any girl would want to be with them. But Tsuyoshi, our MC, is not like that. He's actually masculine! You get the why of the 'harem' that forms along the way. Anyway, a thoroughly recommended anime to pass the time while indulging your romantic side. 8/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 6, 2025
My Dress-Up Darling season 1 is one of my favorite animes of all time, mainly because it had me literally cracking up in every episode! The story was so well done, it still sets the standard for rom-coms in my book. I still recall rolling in my bed, dying of laughter. The romance was also a nice touch, even if it ultimately ended in a cliffhanger.
Well, I just finished season 2, and I'm sad to say I only chuckled out loud once. And the romance? We were given crumbs... and another let down by the end. The main characters feel so different from the first
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season; their chemistry is all over the place. At times, it feels like Gojo has simply been friendzoned. Worse, a lot of screen time was given to side characters for whom I felt nothing. Attempts to make these side characters have their own arc felt rushed and pointless. This is something I've seen happen to other series: the first season is focused on 1 or 2 MCs---you get to know them deeply and get invested in them; then in season 2, they get relegated to observer status.
Something like this happened to this season of My Dress-Up Darling. Sure, Gojo and Marin have a lot of dialogue in each episode, but there is no growth in their story. We do not get to know them better.
It is baffling how a show that has such high-quality production and had 3 years to prepare a sequel ultimately fumbled so bad.
I give it a 7/10 (down from 9/10 in the first season): the art style is pretty, there are some funny moments (not laugh-out-loud moments, maybe a chuckle here and there) and we get to see our favorite couple after a long hiatus. It's mildly entertaining. But boy, the disappointment hits hard when you compare it with what came before. Don't be fooled by the aggregate rating that puts it in league with the first season.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 23, 2025
This started rather well in that it's a romance that doesn't follow the tired clichés of love triangles, weak male MC, tsundere love interest, etc. Instead, we have a deaf girl and a confident pretty boy that takes the lead very early on. This was a such a pleasant surprise, and it was the reason I kept watching. That and the art style is very pleasant to look at; it seems the animation budget was not a concern at all. However, as the story went on, one thing started to bug me: Yuki, the girl MC, blushes a lot. I mean, you've probably seen those
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"comedies" where everyone is shouting all the time because "shouting = funny", right? Well, here the equation they came up with is "blushing = cute", so why not make the girl blush every other minute? It gets tired real quick. Also, the characters (all of them) are kind of bland. This doesn't mean that every romance has to be driven by huge dramatic turns and twists; some do quite well by blending in the slice-of-life genre. Yet, there has to be something memorable about the story or the characters for a show to be worthwhile watching. This one barely has it. The only real hook is Yuki's disability, which is not often seen in anime. But as for personality, we do not get a lot of that. It's as if all the characters came straight out of a commercial, where everyone is pretty and their life is smooth sailing, and then the author just sprinkled on them a tiny bit of love drama here and there. When the series ended, I felt nothing. It's not a bad anime; if nothing else, it serves as eye candy and a mindless distraction. But if you're looking for substance, something with a message... Keep looking.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 31, 2025
What an anime series! I was a bit hesitant going into this show, given its low score here on MAL. But I was looking for something (anything!) lighthearted to watch in between "serious" anime marathons. However, what I got far exceeded my expectations! Unlike with most anime today, the episodes of Dirty Pair (or Doh-tee Peh-uh) are self-contained but, nevertheless, quite entertaining and engaging. The individual story lines are not overly complex, but intricate enough to grab your attention throughout. The creators put in the work to pack as much action into every episode as possible. There is no character development to speak of here,
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but it doesn't matter: the silly, charming, and easygoing nature of the series is all you need to keep going. I've seen other series from the 80s that are considered "superior" suffer from lack of character development, lagginess, episodes that were pure filler in the worst way, etc. "Dirty Pair", I think, suffers from none of those things. It's not a masterpiece by any means, but for what it aimed to be, it hits the nail on the head. I really feel it captures the spirit of the decade. It's a mystery and a shame that the series was canceled after only 26 episodes (24 + 2 that aired at a later date). If you are looking for 80s nostalgia, quick-paced action, drama, comedy, give this series a go!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 22, 2025
This show was advertised as a romance anime "without the drama", but after the first few episodes, you realize that there's nothing BUT drama! The high rating here (around 8 at the time of writing) is definitely not deserved. The animation is very smooth and bouncy, and I believe this is the main reason it has such a high rating. However, the writing is terrible. Everything feels forced: the jokes, the drama, the cuteness, the romance... None of this flows naturally; it's not paced well. It's shoved into your face, especially the dramatic parts. While the show did get a couple of laughs from me
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here and there, most jokes just fell flat. The main female character is annoying, has little chemistry with the male MC, is the butt of a recurring joke that is not the least bit amusing (the food), and so to make up for all of this, they have to 'up' the cuteness factor with the animation. Of course, this doesn't work. As for the male MC, I still don't know what makes him unique or memorable. You've seen his type in countless other animes, and this one is just a blend of the usual loner-turned-social that just wants to 'help'. At the beginning, we are led to believe that the story will be a romance involving him and the female MC. But then a third of the way into the story, we have a bait and switch, and we focus heavily on other characters, leaving the romance behind, not to be touched on again until the very end. Speaking of which, the struggle to finish the last episode was real. I was checking the remaining minutes every so often. The tone of the last episode is so drastically different from the next-to-last one: from overly dramatic to chirpy and relaxed. It's jarring and off-putting, even more so when you realize that the writers tried to force the romance back again in the very last minutes. Do not waste your time on this one.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Sep 24, 2024
(This review contains mild spoilers.) I went into this series having little in the way of expectations. The MAL rating at the time of writing is 7.75, which is kinda mid, so I had my doubts about the quality of the show. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the first 2-3 episodes, which were really charming, and hinted at an unusual love story between the protagonists, Haruo and Akira. I was very much looking forward to the next episode, thinking that I had found a severely underrated series. Sadly, the love story eventually turned into a love triangle, which is one of the most annoying
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tropes in anime (at least, if you've gone through several of them in your anime journey). As the story develops, Akira loses her charm and becomes cold, distant, and a Mary Sue: she's great at everything, although we do not see how she got those skills. She's also a violent tsundere, punching the wimpy Haruo to the point of making him bleed... and he just takes it. And yet we are supposed to believe that these two are destined to form a deep, mature relationship. Frustratingly, the other girl in the love triangle, despite being sweeter, prettier (imo), and putting more effort into her friendship with Haruo, gets left out, and we the viewers are left scratching our heads as to why. She appears in the opening credits briefly, which indicates that it's not her who' going to win out in the end. So why introduce her at all? The story also relies on the tired cliche where people don't express their true feelings (one is literally a mute), giving rise to misunderstandings and complications, in order to prolong the storyline. I have the impression that the main focus of this anime was to nostalgia bait people into re-living the old arcade games from the 90s, while the love story was just tacked on, choosing old tropes to fill in the gaps. Since I was never a very avid gamer, the depictions of 90s-era games never really grabbed my attention, and the love story falls flat mid-way through, so it failed to hook me on that end as well. Overall rating, 6/10. It had a lot of promise.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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