Both are so likeable that the harem route is the only way where half of the viewers wouldn’t be pissed off, but it also means that it’s just a compromise for everyone.

They put the R (short for “Returns”) at the end of the title to indicate that is is the second season.

Personally, I prefer my anime without drugs. So I hope the current state doesn’t change.

Absolutely. The anime adaptation adds so many details. You can really see the passion the studio has for the series.

Just for reference, here’s the part from the manga:

Some positive news about last season’s Journal With Witch

‘Journal with Witch -Ikoku Nikki-’ has Officially won the Galaxy Award March 2026 in the television category! The last Anime to win the Monthly Galaxy Award before ‘Ikoku Nikki’ was ‘Ranking of Kings’ 4 years ago, March 2022

The Japanese Broadcast Critics Association honor is similar to the Emmy Awards, and given to outstanding television, radio programs, individuals, and organizations.

source

Well deserved. If it weren’t for Frieren it would have been my anime of the season.

Hoping for Kinako anime

That character reminds me of the vtuber MinikoMew.

I wish I had come up with that.

PEAK!

It continues to baffle me how bad this adaptation can be. How can they miss the target so completely. It’s like adapting The Lord of the Rings and then cutting all the travel parts between the big events. It just has no worth whatsoever when it isn’t shown how those “big events” are earned. Fuck whoever was in charge of this adaptation at WIT.

WTF is that abomination?! I would expect that in an episode of King of the Hill, but not something a Japanese high-schooler casually eats on a date.

Poor Otakun. I wouldn’t be able to choose either.

Honestly, everything that isn’t a (battle) shounen should be great. The most important thing is to firmly establish that anime is a “medium” and not a “genre”. And since almost every outsider thinks every anime is a battle shounen, it’s important to correct that misconception early on.

AnoHana would be my recommendation. It’s short for a series, it doesn’t take any Japanese cultural knowledge to enjoy it, and the themes are universal regardless of personal background, age or gender.

There was some fan service in the first episode, but not excessively so. But I have a high tolerance for fan service, so maybe stay away if this is something that bothers you.

Yes, I think the entire fight scene with the beast in the last episode of Frieren was also just a single frame in the manga.

Again, I love how much they added “between the pages”. All those little details elevate this adaptation so much from the source which was already a visual masterpiece. For example this entire scene with remembering herself growing up learning and the memory of her mother guiding her is added inbetween just these few frames:

And this one here made me laugh:

We also see why I am of the opinion that Agott is deeply and inherently evil and should not be allowed to exist as a witch.

I don’t think so. At least not for me. Honestly I find most school-based anime off putting since I cannot really empathize with the teenage angst and anxieties anymore. I know that it’s normal but it is so far removed from myself that it’s just annoying to see. That’s why I enjoyed this series and disliked Heibara’s Teenage NG+ as an example.

It’s hard to describe. Both are some form of wish fulfillment plot, but one is going back to have a chance to overcome their anxieties and the other is going back having overcome them already. I think it’s a different target audience - tweens vs middle aged.

As someone in the age group as MC I find the idea of going back to middle schooler with all the insight and confidence of an adult quite compelling.

The ED is a banger. I heard it before ,though so it’s not something made for the anime.

Link to the outages per chance?

Kiryu-chan as the devil is pure genius.