Hiiro No Kakera Review

Story:
Tamaki comes to a small village to live with her grandma for awhile, only to find she’s really a reincarnation/descendant of some ancient princess/shrine maiden whose fate is to guard/seal away a demonic sword which was actually from the gods but they don’t like it either and if it activates they get bent out of shape because anime. There are also magical items to collect and a homunculus with big boobs because this totally wasn’t a game first or anything.

Violence:
I admit to being a bit surprised this show had the backbone to show blood at all, but it does remain minimal. Cuts and drops coming from the mouth, but no loss of limbs or the more extreme stuff found in other YA action shows.

Language:
Another tame sector. Sh-t and d-mns are the worst it ever gets and it’s not too common.

Nudity:
Aside from some ol’ fashioned shoujo candy (bare chested guys) here and there, nothing to report.

Theology/mythology:
Demons, reincarnated animal god things (usually these would be yokai, but I felt that wasn’t always the case this time. Think this one is a mixed bag) and super powers galore in this title. There’s even a hint of lore about the world’s creation, though that doesn’t seem to play a big role in the plot. But the demons and powers being passed down the generations bit? That’s unavoidable. Oh and there’s the homunculus thing, a reincarnated body, pushed into the story near the end, just in case physics and science in this world weren’t convoluted enough for you.

Personal impression:
If you’ve been craving a shine maiden must seal evil power away and is guarded by a group of mostly arrogant and stereotypical pretty boys anime, here ya go. That’s all this show is, really. I mean, points for them trying a bit harder than some, what with some pretty heavy lore being dragged around here and there, but overall? Nothing to be noted here outside the usual RPG game stuff. Even the music sounds a bit too game-like at times. The boss battle music is particularly cringe worthy.
The art is a bit hit and miss as some frames will have very sloppy hands and arms that were clearly done by a small, cheap, side studio last minute and the script is pretty much the same deal. A few moments showcase solid dialog, but it gets ruined quickly by massive plot holes, characters with either no motivation or ambitions so shallow that the tiniest amount of light will dry it up in seconds, and outright murders being pushed under a rug because “there was no other way.” Like, seriously? There were multiple murders and we’re just supposed to shrug and move on? The criminals are still around and free too. Aren’t we going to, like, arrest them or something?
Overall this show is mediocre at best, but the romance is sorta concluded so it has that over a lot of other anime. Oh wait, did I mention that the main conflict in the entire show disappears at the end because of a “wish?” Like, really, the entire point of the show is blown out of the water at the end. So why did I watch this again? What was the point? Stand up to your grandma? Pretty sure that’s all the lead ends up learning.

Personal rating: Young adult

Episodes: 26 (seasons 1 & 2)
Languages: sub
Official rating: TV14
Genre: Action, drama, fantasy, supernatural
Production: Studio Deen
Company: YTV
Official streaming: Crunchyroll

Nyanko Days Reviews

Story:
Konagai Tomoko is a shy girl who owns three cats. She meets a popular girl who owns a cat. They become friends. The “cats” are chibi cat girls. That’s it. That’s all there is. How in the world was this funded again?

Violence:
None.

Language:
None.

Nudity:
None. The “cats” are tiny cat girls, but we’re spared anything gross or sexualizing. Although what with the whole loli thing, it’s hard to tell sometimes…

Theology/mythology:
Aside from cat girls (a thing which is never explained), nothing here.

Personal impression:
This whole series is around a half hour long grand total. It has no plot. There is no point. The characters aren’t horrid, but they aren’t good either. I can see this mini series as existing for two reasons. 1) Filler between other shows airing on TV or 2) promos to get a full series deal. Regardless, it seems like a real waste of money. No matter how short a show is, it still takes money to make it and I just don’t understand how this little thing could make up its own production costs. Especially when, due to having no actual story, it’s so forgettable.
Of course, if you need something cute and kid friendly and non-offensive (generally), this show is just fine. It’s rare for me to be able to mark a show as All Ages, so woowho for that. But besides those reasons…. this show has nothing unique to offer. Unless you love watching cute cat girls. Like a lot.

Personal rating: All Ages

Episodes: 12 (episodes are 2 mins long)
Languages: sub
Official rating: n/a
Genre: Cute things, slice of life
Production: EMT Squared
Company: YTV
Official streaming: crunchyroll