Yeah, I think as I watched a bit more, I realized it didn't stay on the main couple because those two couldn't carry the entire series. As much as I enjoy watching them, even they started to get a bit boring. But those side characters weren't doing it for me either. They weren't the worst by any means but my interest would tank when they'd appear. They just seem a bit too one dimensional. Cynical guy, snide girl, stupid guy, weird shy girl... Ho, ho, you think that's all they are but everyone's also secretly NICE all along. In the words of Syndrome, "if everyone's nice, then no one's nice!" (I think that's what he said )

Whereas Klutzy Skirt does characters that seem one dimensional but have points of interest to them that lift them away from being a trope. Like the overbearing former delinquent who is a health officer and is serious about his role. Or library dude who is an ikemen but only inside the library and then turns into a rude, weird woodchuck the moment he's outside of it. It's funnier and more engaging. No one's cruel or anything either. They are as capable of being nice as they are at being rude and selfish and they feel more interesting for it.

Okay, so far, I've stuck with...

Daemons of the Shadow Realm. Still a shitty name. Wish they had just kept it as Yomi no Tsugai. At first, I was a bit lukewarm on this but it's managing to suck me in. The manga is still a bit meh to me. And it occurs to me that I didn't really read much of FMA either. I think I really like Arakawa's world building and characters but don't so much care for her as a mangaka. Something about the story and structure feels clunky but the adaptations of her work sort of iron down all the wrinkles.

Last Most Heretical Boss Queen - It's still all right. I watch it during lunchtime at work. The latest character was kind of lame, kind of all "ohhh, i just luv my country soooo much i could weep!" Like, sure. I guess. Still, it manages to entertain me enough.

Always a Catch - My other lunchtime watch. This one's cute. I know the anime community or whatever was gushing over Scarlet from Can I Ask You For One Final Thing but Scarlet was shit. She was beautiful and punched things and had nothing else of interest to her. Maria Annovazzi is the superior punching heroine.

Barbarian's Bride - This one's hanging by a thread. I'm not gonna watch it at work. It had one decent episode but it mostly just meanders. A high chance of being dropped or DNF'd.

Klutzy Skirt - Somewhat surprising me on how I'm watching this. Sometimes it feels boring like I should drop it but then it does something nice. I will say, I was impressed that it had two side characters just appear and take over the latter half of an episode and it was legit interesting. I felt way more invested than any of the side characters from Polar Express** or whatever.

Akane-Banashi - I see why this story's a hit but this is also hanging by a thread for me. I think it being on YouTube makes it so low effort to watch that I'll probably stick with it. And now that I've seen a few episodes, it regularly appears in my feed whenever a new episode drops.

Observation Log of My Fiancee - My Friday lunchtime watch and probably my favorite one of the season. Nice bright colors, two good lead characters, a fresh take on the "isekai'd villainess in an otome" genre, nice music. Also one of the few light novels where I'm enjoying actually reading it. (I'm only on volume 1 so I'm unsure if I'll stick with it.)

I have a few more I've been meaning to try to nothing else is sticking. Like Liar Game. I wanted to like it but, no, I actually don't. Maybe if this came out ten years ago, I would've been more inclined to continue with it. But I couldn't get through half an episode. Doesn't help that I looked up the manga and the ending sort of shits the bed.


**Polar Opposites, but I've just started calling it Polar Express in my head.

Smoking? In MY 2026 anime? 

Tried some of A Livid Lady's Guide to Getting Even. I skimmed a bit and came across a description of violent sexual assault and immediately binned it. The manga is definitely more sanitized but I prefer it to this. Now I'm wondering which direction the anime will go in.