OVERVIEW

In My Dress-Up Darling, Wakana Gojo is a sheltered aspiring “kashirashi”, an apprentice of traditional Japanese hina dolls, who spends his time honing his skills by painting their faces and constructing their miniature kimonos. Due to a traumatizing childhood experience, maintaining secrecy around his unusual interests is tantamount, which keeps him isolated from his high school classmates’ more typical club activities. But when the popular and gyaru-styled Marin Kitagawa discovers him in the sewing room after school, she reveals her own problematic secret: her intense love of cosplay, and her ineptness at making the complex costumes of her favorite characters. In this serendipitous meeting, her desire to replicate her favorite characters with highly customized accuracy meets his desire to craft garments and make-up fit to purpose — albeit a purpose far removed from the elegant hina dolls he loves. Without warning, his modest and sincere approach to the world is turned upside down by her free-spirited lack of personal (and physical) boundaries. She charms and cajoles him through the intimacy of acquiring her measurements, viewing his first erotic materials, and opening his perspective from a formalized traditionalism to informing a garment’s design with a fictional character’s unique motivations and expression.

My Dress-Up Darling appears to easily fall into the “opposites attract” theme, as Kitagawa’s budding attraction develops into a strong crush on Gojo; however, Gojo appears more focused on their creative partnership (despite moments of lustful weakness), and vehemently denies any intention of moving towards a dating relationship. It is the personal transformative changes in these two that holds equal weight with any romantic potential, as Gojo learns to move past his restrictive modesty and traditionalist training to embrace more unconventional creative opportunities. Concurrently, Kitagawa learns to respect his personal boundaries, and develops an increased respect for appropriateness regarding the costumes she insists he engage with her on. The potential for romance between these two requires this maturation in both of them, as Gojo’s reserve implies the need for structured wooing, while Kitagawa inwardly acknowledges she needs a more sincere approach to communicate her own feelings if they are to move past being simply friends.

It is the deftness with which My Dress-Up Darling moves through a range of dichotomies (opposites attract, traditionalism vs modernism, historical cultural arts vs anime/manga cultural arts) that set this anime apart in the rom-com genre. By introducing these aspects early on and allowing them to interact naturally in the story, the characters are free to experience introspective and emotional developments, including: self-acceptance, the value and limitation of fantasy limerence, freedom of gender expression, and the liberation from hiding oneself that comes with true friendship.

ANIMATION STYLE

Taking place in an ordinary high school, My Dress-Up Darling uses realistic backgrounds with stylized, but believable characters to express the contrast between Gojo’s earnest sincerity and Kitagawa’s free-spirited exhibitionism. The dynamic between Kitagawa and Gojo is best described as “advance and parry,” with her delivering highly suggestive flirtation, and him countering with gentle chastisement and embarrassed dismay. A range of stylized special effects keep the emotional expression high and reactive, as the dynamic churn of their internal thoughts and feelings threatens to bubble up and break the surface.

In addition to the energy of their contrast and the play between their external and internal expressions, episodes are filled with deadlines and competing demands that keep the pacing brisk and engaging. They often include anime and video game snippets of the characters Kitagawa is cosplaying, so there are “stories within the story” that further contribute to the light-hearted and entertaining style of this anime.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The target audience for My Dress Up Darling likes anime & cosplay, “opposites attract” stories, and non-traditional rom-coms focused on high school dating life in Japan. Fans of My Dress-Up Darling would be described as imaginative, creative makers into fashion and costuming, romantic, and feel strong emotional ties to fictional characters. While the shojo category typically targets teenage or younger girls, the sincerity and depth of Gojo’s character combined with the level of the banter between Gojo and Kitagawa make this anime appealing across ages and genders.

Prospective viewers should note that this series contains mature content, including: sexualized language, imagery, and encounters both between characters themselves and within cosplay materials; gender non-conformity; and references to self-harm and sexual abuse in one of the video games referenced.

OPENING, CLOSING & MUSIC

My Dress-Up Darling includes lively openings showcasing the budding friendship between Gojo and Kitagawa with the song San San Days (燦々デイズ) by Spira Spica in season one, and Ao to Kirameki (アオとキラメキ) by Taigo Pereira in season two.

Closing sequences focus all on Kitagawa, suggesting how much she is encroaching on Gojo’s thoughts with the cute Koi No Ukue ( 恋の行方) by Akari Akase in season one, and the more sultry Kawaii Kawaii by PiKi (a special idol unit formed by Karen Matsumoto (of FRUITS ZIPPER) and Haruka Sakuraba (of CUTIE STREET).

Check out these out on your favorite music streaming!

Ready to watch this anime? You can find it on Crunchyroll & Netflix!

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SIMILAR ANIMES

For viewers that like the stylized realism and expressive visual effects, combined with romantic tension and pretending to be someone else, Pseudo Harem would fit the bill, while exploring a more straightforward high school romance story.

For viewers that are more interested in the role of fan service in relationships, Tamon’s B-Side takes the story out of the strictly high school setting and into idol fandom.

For viewers that love a “shy boy/gyaru girl” dynamic, you can’t go wrong with the budding love triangle of Gals Can’t be Kind to Otaku!?, or heading north for a clash of the straight-laced with the sultry in Hokkaido Girls are Super Adorable.

And for those ready to see how this all shapes up in adult life, Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, shows the lives of adult people in relationships who have never given up their otaku interests.

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REFLECTION QUESTIONS FOR MY DRESS-UP DARLING:

• What drives Gojo’s (and other characters) need to keep their interests secret? Are these perceptions rooted more in their past or present? and if in the past, are they still relevant for the characters current age?

• How does cosplaying change the characters lives? do you think it holds them back or moves them forward in their lives?

• Is it ok to love fictional characters as though they are real? why or why not?

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We’ll be posting our own thoughts on some of these questions, so make sure to subscribe in time for the upcoming post: “Make What You Love, And Make a World That Loves You: creativity and self-expression in My Dress-Up Darling”.

Source Material and Anime Production

From Wikipedia: My Dress- Up Darling

Manga

My Dress-Up Darling (Japanese: その着せ替え人形ビスク・ドールは恋をする, Hepburn: Sono Bisuku Dōru wa Koi o Suru; transl. “The Bisque Doll Falls in Love”) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shinichi Fukuda. It was serialized in Square Enix‘s seinen manga magazine Young Gangan from January 2018 to March 2025, and compiled in 15 volumes.

Anime

An animetelevision series adaptation produced by CloverWorks aired its first season from January to March 2022. A live-action television drama adaptation aired on MBS‘s Dramaism programming block from October to December 2024. A second season of the anime adaptation aired from July to September 2025.

The Window Seat Anime Journal publishes both spoiler-free “Snapshots”, and long essays for those who want to a deeper exploration of its themes. Make sure to subscribe and never miss a post!

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You can view our entire collection of writing on our Substack website at:

The Window Seat Anime Journal

The Window Seat Anime Journal was created to provide a "book club" experience for anime content by introducing people to new anime and providing a forum for the deeper thematic exploration that all great anime truly deserve.

THE AMNESIAC HERO’S QUEST

A treacherous journey into unfamiliar territory to defeat an enemy is the hallmark of a hero’s quest; but in Grimgar, the existential disorientation stemming from the protagonists’ transmigration and loss of all memories, uniquely imbues this quest with additional layers of interpersonal exploration. Instead of a known and trusted team confidently embarking on their journey, Grimgar begins with a group of completely amnesiac strangers struggling on the outskirts of an unfamiliar town to both establish their individual identities, and decipher their new relationships as the first steps of the quest. Colored by their communal amnesia, this isekai anime sends its protagonists on an alternate version of the hero’s quest, one without a map, seasoned guide, or aspirational destiny beyond the need for immediate survival. Before they can move into their realigned future, they must first mark a new place on the blank slate of this unfamiliar terrain, with nothing but their intuition to help select a role around which to build their new identity.

Rather than initiating their quest with known predispositions intact, it is through the choice of their occupational guilds that each character’s identity is created anew. Despite the strangeness of the occupations available in this society, which appears far more primitive than what they think they remember, their actions are not entirely arbitrary. There is a residual constancy in their personalities that gives clues of who they are, and the types of roles that intrinsically suit them. Beyond these surface clues, their choices indicate deeply rooted attributes of themselves that remain intact even without memories, or understanding what this new world holds for them.

Even as they struggle to master the skills of their selected guild, their role choice indicates that each member holds innate knowledge about themselves that is incorruptible. Beyond this initial determination of the guild that will enable them to contribute to their overall survival, each person bears responsibility to exert the ongoing concerted effort required in this space of existential uncertainty. By the consistency of their individual actions and willingness to invest in the team as a whole, these roles begin to solidify their new identities and set the course for future events.

No matter how loyal to one’s deeper self, an individual choice towards identity remains insufficient to build the genuine camaraderie that will determine a team’s success throughout a journey’s obstacles. For the group to cohesively persevere, there must be a sense of belonging not only to oneself, but also to their communal interests and shared goals. It is this lost sense of inherent belonging, along with memory and identity, that marks the third aspect of a typical hero’s quest that is absent here in Grimgar. The protagonists are joined together, not by mutual understanding or past experience, but for the sole reason of not being selected by any other team at the outset. In this fractured reality, the protagonists are left to perform their small heroic acts as misfits that no one else wanted to work with, in order to mend their sense of selves, establish new relationships, and uncover the meaning of their shared fate.

PARALLEL TRAJECTORIES AS A MIRROR OF ILLUSION

Grimgar further dismantles the singular forward progression of a hero’s quest by duplicating the protagonists’ shared experiences through the parallel storylines of Manato’s death and Mary’s survival. Rather than a character’s originating features serving as the catalysts for emotional evolution, (e.g., being orphaned, having hidden talents, or magical powers), Grimgar instead has the protagonists confront an alternate version of their own loss, a mirror reflecting back the same shock and paralyzing grief, as the driver for their deeper introspection. As the protagonists face how they all contributed to Manato’s death by allowing him to carry so much responsibility, so too Mary must face the death of her entire team due to her own exhaustion as their Priest and healer for the same reason. As a result, each individual struggles internally with survivor’s guilt, creating a grim, shared responsibility that threatens to undermine their cohesion as a team.

Through these parallel stories, they recognize that people are undergoing tragedies similar to their own, even in the isolated slice of the world they inhabit. It becomes an integral thread of their shared fate to vicariously relive the same experience through another’s eyes. Through this reflection, new perspectives arise from the force of empathy and contemplation of its alternate outcome; and they broaden their capacity to welcome another person into their group who feels a similar sense of having no place in which they belong. Their shared experience of grief and forced maturation as a team now binds them: a linkage far stronger than the randomness that drove their initial connections, because now they consciously choose each other as partners for their quest.

PURIFICATION BY ASH

As the team moves into the Cyrene mine to fight the fearsome Kobolds (the monsters who previously killed Mary’s entire team), their introspective journey further deepens into these parallel storylines with the dissolution of Mary’s undead teammates into ash. Because a corpse will rise as the undead unless it is cremated, the Dispel magic that renders them to ash provides the first step towards the closure that had occurred previously with Manato’s cremation. Throughout the arc of Grimgar, this process of dissolution to both physical and metaphorical ash (of corporeality, of naivete, of self-ignorance), facilitates the team’s ongoing growth of self-awareness, as their illusions about themselves increasingly fall away.

Kobolds are not the enemy. Our own weak selves are the enemy. ~Haruhiro, Ep. 11

As Mary embraces the ash of her friends in their release, the underlying psychic implications of Manato’s cremation rise to the surface with the upwelling tripartite symbolism tied to ash throughout their journey:

• To experience one’s memories and identity turned to ash by amnesia.

• To feel one’s emotional landscape turned to ash by grief and shame.

• To find closure by turning the body of a lost friend to ash.

Ash emerges as a merciless alchemical exchange involving the loss of beloved living people for increased visibility of one’s own inner landscapes: they cannot confront illusions about themselves until Manato’s death and cremation, and they cannot perceive the illusory fragility of their bonds to each other until the undead are turned to ash by Mary’s Dispel magic.

ILLUSION & ASH AS THE ENGINE OF THE QUEST

It is this alchemical exchange, of the certain, known, and corporeal for the illusory, amnesiac, and ashen, that drives the evolution of Grimgar and its characters. They are forced to consider what touchstones in their lives give them a sense of permanence about themselves, and what does it mean when those anchoring ideas, memories, and identities are reduced to ash in their new world’s journey. Absent any illusions about themselves from their past lives, they rely on instinct to choose a guild to guide them in a new direction. Even as they put forth their best efforts to rebuild themselves, the cycle restarts with the traumatic loss of their team’s spiritual heart and healing presence.

In turning the bodies of their Priest and Mary’s team to ash, they move beyond the boundaries their amnesia to confront and dispel their deeper self-illusions . Through loss and cremation, they enter a cyclical process where an illusion is turned to ash, and the dissolution to ashes helps them better see what other illusions may be blinding them.

This ash of their fallen teammates triggers an awareness of their inner potentiality that had been buried by the disorientation upon arriving in this new world. We witness the culmination of this potentiality at the end, particularly in Haruhiro, as his latent talents emerge under duress, and enable him to kill the formidable Death Spots, in the Cyrene Mine. Even though he is temporarily separated from the others, they as a team are able to regroup under Ranta’s spontaneous leadership, and all escape the mine intact. As this victory marks the resolution of their parallel stories, their questions of identity, and their struggle to belong, final closure is brought to Manato’s grave, adorned with its own Volunteer Soldier’s badge; and they give a final farewell to the past to unbolt the gate of their renewed future.

Leave a comment and let us know what you think! And feel free to share other anime that are similar or that you would like us to write about at The Window Seat Anime Journal. Thanks for reading (or listening)!

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Did you enjoy reading a long essay? You can find other long essays at our Substack website, including this piece from the dark fantasy, Dororo:

Or the high school mystery series you are sure never to forget, Shoshimin:

The Window Seat Anime Journal publishes both spoiler-free “Snapshots”, and long essays for those who want to a deeper exploration of its themes. Make sure to subscribe and never miss a post!

You can view our entire collection of writing on our Substack website at:

The Window Seat Anime Journal

The Window Seat Anime Journal was created to provide a "book club" experience for anime content by introducing people to new anime and providing a forum for the deeper thematic exploration that all great anime truly deserve.

OVERVIEW

In Barakamon, an impulsive and egotistical calligrapher from Tokyo is sent to Fukue Island by his father, after he attacks a Director who criticized his work for being too boring in its over attachment to the fundamentals. From the moment Handa lands on the island, the incongruity of village life begins to wear down the guarded defenses he brought from his urban upbringing, and exacerbate his uncertainties around his artistic identity. He is inundated with the high-volume, rough-housing ways of the village youth, (including Naru, a seven year old girl who adopts him almost instantly), and is forced to shed his tight-laced conservative approach to both life and calligraphy.

Barakamon is a story where a singular talent meets the influence of community, as Handa learns a new pace of life and the importance of relationships when you depend on others in your environment. Despite coming to the island to improve his calligraphy, he increasingly sets aside writing practice to spend time with the island’s children and teenagers, who provide him with an extensive list of “first” experiences and opportunities to be amazed by nature. As he goes from feeling exiled to being embraced by his new community, the transformative effects expand like ripples into his friendships and familial relationships, his standing in the calligraphy world, and his personal identity as an artist.

ANIMATION STYLE

Barakamon is a realistic, “slice of life” anime that showcases the unique pace and unsophisticated charm of a small community on Fukue Island, including plenty of rough and tumble interactions with children, injurious mishaps by Handa, and moments of sweet generosity from the elders. In true form to this genre, Barakamon relies more on the growth of relationships between the characters than any particular plot development. Each episode includes a range of short vignettes that enable the sun-drenched languor of the island to pull you into days of play and small adventures.

However, the pacing is by no means slow, as Naru sets the speed at continuous movement with her boundless energy. Add in a couple of teenagers and a range of plentiful insects, and you will be right there with Handa struggling to keep up. You will feel his tumultuous emotional ups and downs with him; but even more so, you feel joy and satisfaction when you see him laughing and shouting as the spontaneous new style of calligraphy emerges from his brush onto the canvas.

Barakamon is a consistently ranked favorite of “slice of life” anime lovers!

TARGET AUDIENCE

The target audience for Barakamon likes realistic stories that are relationship-driven, including “fish out of water” situations, friendships across wide age ranges, and questions about talent and success. Fans of Barakamon would be described as thoughtful, warm-hearted and humorous, who love calligraphy or other artistic endeavors that require persistence and effort. They also value the perspective of children, the importance of play, and appreciate regional deviations from traditional cultural norms.

OPENING, CLOSING & MUSIC

Barakamon has a great opening sequence with music by Super Beaver that is worth watching every episode to set the mood. Check out Rashisa on your favorite music streaming!

Especially make sure to keep watching past the closing credits, as there is always an additional cute vignette at the very end of each episode.

Ready to watch Barakamon? You can find it on Crunchyroll!

SIMILAR ANIMES

For “slice of life” viewers that like the theme of a Tokyo transplant finding life lessons by engaging with a small child, Poco’s Udon World checks those boxes, while also including a charming supernatural element as well.

For viewers that want to explore the intersection of talent and tireless effort in pursuit of mastery, then the shoji players of March Comes In Like A Lion provide a range of admirable characters in a story arc that draws deep from the well of triumph over loss. And with little Momo thrown in the mix, you get that adorable toddler energy too!

If you want the same kind of friendship story across an age gap, but feel like stepping out of the lighthearted “slice of life” genre, then Dororo is the perfect dark fantasy option to explore.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN WATCHING BARAKAMON

• Is it more important to strictly follow tradition, or is moving beyond the boundaries of tradition what makes a person a true artist?

• When you move to a new place, how much should you expect to be able to keep your existing “culture” and how much should you expect to adapt?

• Is being an artist about working in isolation or about engaging in the environment and community around you? Is there an ideal ratio of each you should follow?

• Is any art purely “abstract”? or is all art imbued with some sense of living entities?

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Source Material and Anime Production

From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barakamon

Manga

The manga started with three one-shots published in Square Enix‘s Gangan Powered magazine from February 2008 to February 2009, and began serialization on the Gangan Online website on the same month; it was also serialized in parallel in the Monthly Shōnen Gangan magazine from July 2014 and finished in December 2018; it resumed for a limited time in the magazine from April to September 2023. Its chapters were collected in 19 tankōbon volumes. In North America, both the original manga and the spin-off have been licensed by Yen Press.

Anime

A 12-episode anime television series adaptation, produced by Kinema Citrus, aired from July to September 2014. The anime adaptations have been licensed by Funimation (later Crunchyroll).

The Window Seat Anime Journal publishes both spoiler-free “Snapshots”, and long essays for those who want to a deeper exploration of its themes. Make sure to subscribe and never miss a post!

You can view our entire collection of writing on our Substack website at:

The Window Seat Anime Journal

The Window Seat Anime Journal was created to provide a "book club" experience for anime content by introducing people to new anime and providing a forum for the deeper thematic exploration that all great anime truly deserve.

WHAT WE WATCHED FROM THE NEW SEASON

Agents of the Four Seasons Dance of Spring

Synopsis from Crunchyroll: When the Agent of Spring, Hinagiku Kayo, is abducted, spring itself vanishes—plunging the world into unending winter. Refusing to give up, her devoted guard, Sakura Himedaka, searches for her for years. When Hinagiku suddenly returns, the two set out to restore the lost season, face the past that tore them apart, and reclaim the warmth they refuse to lose again.

Reflections From the Window Seat: This anime explores themes of deep interpersonal bonds, betrayal and resilience. It’s a great anime for people who enjoy observing seasonal changes and stories with a connection to nature. Like a knight to a queen, it showcases lifelong relationships of duty, loyalty and love. As the story is unfolding, romantic longing and conflicted emotions are also being woven in.

While not the same plot structure, the relationship of Hinaigku and Sakura is reminiscent of the guardians and gods in the anime, Noragami.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm

Synopsis from Crunchyroll: Yuru, a young hunter who lives in a small village deep in the mountains, hunts wild game and leads a humble life with Asa, his younger twin sister. Their peaceful lives are torn apart when a dragon’s roar echoes across the sky. What secrets lurk within their village? What fate awaits them? Enter a breathtaking mystical fantasy as exciting Daemon battles intertwine the mysterious and supernatural.

Reflections From The Window Seat

In this tale of fated siblings reunited from the creators of Full Metal Alchemist, what begins with a primitive city in a fantasy world suddenly transitions to modern day Japan. But that doesn’t preclude the presence of supernatural Daemons and other oddities in this story of a surface betrayal that hides a secret plot underneath.

This is a great anime for people who like complexity and suspense, and don’t need the whole story’s purpose at once. Viewers who like a more straightforward introduction to the premise of the story might find this anime challenging to get a foothold in.

The visuals are stunning and the music by VAUNDY & Yama can’t be beat. Find Fly Away and Way Out for the opening and closing songs on your favorite music streaming.

Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku

Synopsis from Crunchyroll: Takuya Seo is a quiet otaku who keeps a low profile at school—until two gals from his class start talking to him. The cool but scatterbrained Kei Amane and the cheerful, energetic Kotoko Ijichi couldn’t be more different, but the three soon bond over anime, games, and shared fandom. But one question remains: do nice gals who hang out with otaku really exist?!

Reflections From The Window Seat:

This anime is a super sweet otaku/gyaru rom-com love triangle. Filled with unexpected twists and thoughtfully portrayed characters, it celebrates being different from your peers and having the vulnerability to express yourself. Viewers will find similarities to My Dress-Up Darling and Hokkaido Girls Are Super Adorable.

Kill Blue

Synopsis from Crunchyroll: Legendary hitman Juzo Ogami has never failed an assignment. But after a mission, he’s stung by a mysterious wasp and wakes up in the body of a 13-year-old boy! And to make things even weirder, he receives a bizarre new order: infiltrate a middle school. Now the once-feared assassin must balance the chaos of school life with his deadly work, all while searching for a way to regain his adult body!

Reflections From The Window Seat:

The Japanese version of John Wick is transformed into a middle schooler, and rekindles his love of learning while saving the girl. Incredibly funny and fantastic action!

Pardon the Intrusion, I’m Home!

Synopsis from Crunchyroll: Rinko, a quiet office worker and secret otaku, just wants to enjoy her anime in peace. But when a neighbor keeps banging on the wall, she asks her other neighbor, Satsuki, for help. Their attempt to resolve the issue goes wrong, leaving a hole in the wall that reveals…Usaharu-sensei, the creator of Rinko’s favorite manga?! Now with nowhere to hide, their lives begin to overlap in surprising ways!

Reflections From The Window Seat: For people missing Tamon’s B-Side, this anime will fill the idol-love-interest hole in your heart. When a young woman finds herself sandwiched between the apartments of her favorite manga artist and her dream IRL boyfriend (albeit a bit heavy on the mysterious past), comedic hijinks ensue. This love triangle isn’t quite sure of itself yet, as these strangers collide in fake relationships, manga fantasies, and secrets yet to be revealed.

Re:ZERO

Reflections From The Window Seat: A continuation of this complex isekai where the main character can “return by death” to regroup in the fight against evil forces.

No spoilers here! If you want to watch a dark reincarnation iseakai set in a fantasy world, then get started watching Re:ZERO season one.

Witch Hat Atelier

Synopsis from Crunchyroll: In a world where only witches can cast magic, they must avoid being seen by ordinary people while casting. While Coco does her chores, she daydreams of becoming a witch. When a young witch named Qifrey visits her village, Coco uncovers the “absolute secret,” becomes Qifrey’s apprentice, and begins her studies. This is the story of children who encounter despair, yet reach out toward hope.

Reflections From The Window Seat: Last here alphabetically, but topping everyone’s charts for its lush visuals, heartbreakingly expressive characters, and storybook pop-ups.

An exquisitely rendered fantasy story of an orphan who becomes a gifted magician that is so fresh and poignant, you’ll feel like you’ve never seen this genre before. Highly recommended!

WHAT WE WATCHED THAT WAS NEW TO US

Undead Murder Farce

Synopsis from Crunchyroll: In this world, creatures like vampires and werewolves still walk about, but Aya Rindo can’t say the same for herself. This beautiful disembodied head, carried by her maid Shizuku Hasei, is a detective in search of her stolen body. One evening, they meet half-human Oni Slayer Tsugaru Shunichi, who offers a lending hand. Now, the trio is traveling through Europe, solving mysteries along the way.

Reflections From The Window Seat: This anime is a Sherlockian fantasy where the world continues to by inhabited by supernatural creatures, despite a great Purge. A trio comprised of a demi-human, the disembodied head of an Immortal and her hand maid travel to Europe in search of her body while solving mysteries along the way. A solid anime for viewers who like Sherlock mysteries and character crossovers from other fantasy/horror/mystery genres. Fans of Mugen from Samurai Champloo will appreciate the fighting style of Tsugaru when he shrugs off his coat and slouch to combat a supernatural.

Let us know if you enjoyed the post and what anime you are watching from the new season!

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OVERVIEW

In Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions, a group of teenagers awaken to an unsettling realization: they are in a strange kingdom in a foreign world, with no memories, and they must labor together as “volunteer soldiers” whose only commonality is being rejected from all the other newly-formed teams. From the get-go, we see them struggle to wield weapons and fight, but especially to kill the other creatures whose tokens are their only means of income for survival. On top of this, they face the challenges of living in close quarters, with both clashing personalities and budding feelings of attraction between group members, as each person assumes a new role and identity that defines how they, as an individual, will contribute to the group as a whole.

Just when their hunting skills improve and their financial circumstances finally brighten, the group loses one of their own, and their ensuing struggles go from challenging to insurmountable. Without that key member, there seems little likelihood of the cohesion needed for survival. The team eventually finds a replacement to fill the gap, only to discover she carries a devastatingly similar grief-stricken story that mirrors their own.

To move past their losses and expand their territory, they fight their inner doubts, outer conflicts, and stronger adversaries to wholly reclaim themselves in this new world.

ANIMATION STYLE

Unlike so many isekai anime, that rely heavily on extravagant, Bavarian cities and royal intrigue for the “otherworldly” non-Japan setting, the world of Grimgar is a perennially soft-lit, watercolor depiction of an old Italian-style countryside town. Due to their marginal status as “volunteer soldiers”, they live on the town’s periphery, only interacting with the townspeople to acquire food, clothing and shelter. While the expressive characters add a touch of realism against the muted backgrounds, the setting evokes a potential dreamscape from which they might all wake up at any moment. Fight scenes, conversational scenes and daily life scenes appear in equal measure, resulting in a moderate pacing driven by their emotional journey, as well as the story’s life-building events.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The target audience for Grimgar likes low-key fantasy quests involving teens and young adults, and welcomes hints of romance. They appreciate the presence of magic, spirituality, and roles-based skill building, combined with the courage to face increasingly more powerful adversaries. Fans of Grimgar would be described as imaginative and introspective, who appreciate periods of slow activity, conversations about group leadership, and broad themes around friendship, responsibility, and loss.

If you like the consistent high-paced action, elaborate political drama, and accelerated “leveling up” tropes common to isekai anime, you may find Grimgar too slow and self-reflective. But if you are drawn to realistic “slice of life” anime, you will find Grimgar a refreshing otherworldly take on familiar, everyday life, with a steady pacing and depth you expect from the slice of life genre.

OPENING, CLOSING & MUSIC

Grimgar has a brief, delayed opening sequence and a closing sequence with a short preview with music by (K)NoW_NAME. Check out Knew Day and Harvest on your favorite music streaming!

Ready to watch this anime? You can find it on Crunchyroll!

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SIMILAR ANIMES

For anime where isekai is the main story catalyst and you want a higher dose of royal intrigue and action, try The Rising of the Shield Hero, which also relies on building skills and teams from the ground-up for survival. While romance is pretty low key in Shield Hero, Naofumi leans towards a touch of harem in his companions that keep it appealing across the genders. But don’t think these female characters are just there to be saved. They fight front and center with Naofumi every step of the journey!

For an isekai-romance hybrid with a touch of slice of life, Kakuriyo Bed and Breakfast for Spirits is an excellent choice, following Aoi as she is swept into the spirit world of the ayakashi, only to discover she has been betrothed to an high-ranking ogre and must use her delightful cooking skills to navigate the politics of her new home in the Hidden Realm.

And if you don’t require the isekai element, but want to see a bit more magic in a slice of life anime that deals with similar themes of grief and loss, you can watch either Poco’s Udon World or A Galaxy Next Door.

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REFLECTION QUESTIONS FOR GRIMGAR

• Are the protagonists on a “hero’s quest” in this isekai? And what makes this different from the typical presentation of this genre?

• How are parallel storylines used to drive the story forward? What is their purpose and are they successful at it?

• What are the main symbolisms in this story, and how do they contribute to the theme?

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We posted own thoughts on these questions, so be sure to read this long essay post after you watch the series:

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SOURCE MATERIAL AND ANIME PRODUCTION

From Wikipedia: Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash

Original Light Novel

Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash is a Japanese dark fantasy light novel series by Ao Jūmonji, illustrated by Eiri Shirai.

Manga

A manga adaptation by Mutsumi Okubashi was serialized in Square Enix‘s magazine Gangan Joker from 22 April 2015 to 22 June 2016 and collected in three volumes. North American publisher Yen Press announced their acquisition of the manga on 23 November 2016.

Anime

An anime television series was written and directed by Ryosuke Nakamura and produced by A-1 Pictures. The anime is licensed in North America by Funimation as Grimgar, Ashes and Illusions, while J-Novel Club has acquired the rights to publish the original novels in English and Yen Press published the manga adaptation.

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The Window Seat Anime Journal was created to provide a "book club" experience for anime content by introducing people to new anime and providing a forum for the deeper thematic exploration that all great anime truly deserve.

It’s hard to imagine an elaborate Japanese dessert filled with the flavor of foreboding, but from the first glimpse of Cecilia’s Tropical Summer Special Sundae, the discomfort is palpable. Whether it’s the massive size or the exorbitant cost, or the expression of mild shock and distress on Kobato’s face when confronting the insurmountable tower of dessert, a sense of unease leaks into the shadowy interior of the cafe on their date to mark the end of summer. For an instant, faith in Osanai’s bottomless appetite for sweets wavers slightly, even as we watch her serenely nibble her way through the mound of tropical fruit on top. Regardless, it becomes evident before both sundaes are finished that the only thing matching the magnitude of Osanai’s love of sweets is her capacity for revenge.

THE QUEST TO BE ORDINARY

In many ways, Shoshimin is a practice in having sympathy for those who are different and unusual; and especially for those you might not actually like that much. From the start, Kobato and Osanai present themselves as bright and quirky, then a little odd, and then perhaps a little obsessive, stubborn…and on it goes. As we see each mini-mystery solved, we are shown another piece of these characters’ driving inner dynamics - and it is not all fun and games. The capacity to be arrogant, controlling, deceitful, stubborn and selfish – negative qualities which at first seem to be hapless foibles, begin to evoke a sense of aversion. And despite the exquisite desserts that appear one after another throughout the episodes, a bitter undertaste increasingly permeates the story. Our first glimpse of this dark internal process happens when Osanai expresses her desire to get back at the thief that stole her bicycle:

Call it quits? No, we’re just getting started. We finally caught him. He ruined my spring exclusive tarts. He threw my bicycle away when he had no more use for it. I was hoping for a peaceful school life and I’ve already been treated like a thief. The guidance counselor has summoned me twice. What do you think of that? I need to make him pay. ~Osanai (Ep. 3)

While flawed, the two friends do make an effort to be, if not “good,” then at least “ordinary”: they work to put aside their past, troubled middle school experiences to cultivate a renewed sense of belonging and conformity with their high school peers. Whether they achieve real transformation, or if they simply use a facade of “ordinariness” to mask the perpetually warped gears inside of them, is debatable. Even if we aren’t sure how successful they are, their conscious and intentional effort invites a modicum of sympathy.

Admirable as their intentions sound, not everyone is persuaded by this self-improvement endeavor; some even find it disingenuous. This conflict of intention and perception emerges when Kobato consults Kengo on how to protect Osanai in case she behaves rashly towards the bicycle thief. When Kengo challenges Kobato to protect her himself, since Kobato frequently inserts himself into the problems of others to deductively solve them, Kobato bristles:

I’ve been seeing the truth of every situation before everyone else since elementary school. I’m done getting involved and being despised for it. I’m trying to be a modest, upright, ordinary person who’s satisfied with the status quo. What’s wrong with that? ~Kobato (Ep. 3)

To which Kengo responds:

I don’t know what happened to you, but I have no interest in continuing a friendship with this current sly, petty version of you. You used to be an asshole, but I didn’t hate that. ~Kengo (Ep. 3)

We too question our protagonists’ integrity, as we intuit more about their inner motives and compulsions. It’s especially telling when we witness them being less than honest or generous in the face of temptations, even with each other. We get an inkling that while Kobato and Osanai are quick to judge, they are equally susceptible to hurting others. Left in situations where they believe they can act with impunity, they succumb to their own selfish desires through sly and petty “crimes” that, while seemingly harmless in the moment, foreshadow the intrinsic flaws that become their undoing in the end.

SLY AND PETTY CRIMES

As the mid-season brings a lull in criminal encounters outside of school, we get the opportunity to recalibrate our perception of the two protagonists, and look deeper at how their interpersonal dynamics impact their individual degree of agency. These two episodes set up the consummate question over who is really driving the story arc: the brilliant deductionist who can pick apart any scheme, or the master strategist who leaves no part of her plan to chance?

In a darkly funny and ironic twist of events, Osanai receives “just desserts”, and a literal mouthful of hot mustard, when she herself commits an act of theft and steals a pastry from the newspaper room. Indeed, it makes you wonder if this singular incident of disappointment and thwarted outcomes reinforces in Osanai that acting on impulse is always substandard to a well-orchestrated plan. While we too share Kobato’s amusement at seeing his clever friend outsmarted by another’s random actions, we also are a bit taken aback by her indignant hypocrisy.

Knowing this about her, we shouldn’t be surprised when Osanai reveals her “Osanai Sweets Selection: Summer” plan to Kobato, and reveals her first step in orchestrating his leisure activities to revolve around her throughout the summer - all under the innocuous auspices of sharing her favorite confections. But Kobato leverages his sharp deductive skills to seize an advantage over Osanai during one encounter, by obfuscating the unequal numbers of Charlotte pastry he brought her while she leaves the room for a phone call. Watching Kobato go through elaborate logic machinations of how to hide from Osanai that he has eaten one of her extra Charlottes is both disarming, in witnessing his newfound delight of eating a novel dessert, and disturbing in his willingness to opportunistically take more than his fair share of something he knows she genuinely loves. And while he does almost succeed through his meticulous attention to detail, it is when Osanai still figures out his petty theft that we suspect Kobato might be outmatched.

THE DISSOLUTION OF THE ORDINARY

While Osanai controls their encounters through the Sweets Selection: Summer tour, Kobato at times appears put out by the possessive and bossy undercurrent, but willingly goes along with it. But as a couple, even a platonic couple, we see their strange chemistry tinged with avoidant or deceptive behaviors. Kobato goes to the one meeting place of their tour date early only to eat by himself, but then encounters Osanai already there and in disguise. Even more unexpected is the appearance of Kengo, and the unsettling return of increasingly unsavory people in their midst: thiefs, drug addicts and bullies. Suddenly, everyone seems to be connected, but the alliances are unclear. When we see our main characters on their own, no longer with that quirky maybe/maybe not couple chemistry, we begin to wonder if we trust either of them?

It should not be a surprise that by the time Cecilia’s Tropical Summer Special Sundae finally makes its appearance, the events of Osanai’s kidnapping and rescue are not what they appear to be. Unshockingly, the relationship between Osanai and Kobato begins to fray rapidly when the manipulation of the past few months is slowly revealed through Kobato’s deductive prowess. Indeed, it is not just the facts of the summer’s nefarious events, but the inexorable way that Kobato uncovers each layer, without regard for Osanai’s increasing visible distress. Terrifyingly, no matter how deep he digs, there is always another layer to Osanai’s plot.

By having me follow the map the way you did, you were putting it all in my head and priming me to recall it as soon as you needed me to. I totally let you train me…you got me good. I admit I am disappointed in myself for letting you best me. ~Kobato (Ep. 9)

Here, their efforts to be ordinary or mask their brilliant, yet terrible, extraordinary traits, breaks down. Stripped to the essence of who they actually are, their encounter morphs into a prosecutor questioning a suspect, and that suspect using every opportunity to deflect and deceive. Kobato presses forward with no regard for Osanai’s tears; Osanai laughs when the true breadth of her plot is revealed. Like a sick pendulum, we increasingly see the worst of both with each swing.

Kobato confronts Osanai bluntly with the repercussions of her actions.

You can’t treat crime like snacks, Osanai-san….this is a terrible lie. You’re a liar. ~Kobato (Ep. 10)

To which Osanai responds.

I broke our promise of becoming ordinary spectacularly. But you know, so did you. The way you interrogated me right now…you seemed to enjoy it. You lie about not wanting to solve mysteries. In other words, your trying to become ordinary is also a lie. ~Osanai (Ep. 10)

Osanai continuously pleads for a more sympathetic position, and attributes its justification to the coldness of his approach and her fear of what the gang might have done to her had she not set up the kidnapping. Yet, when she expresses disappointment in herself, it is not for the complex and multi-layered lie she told over the span of the summer – she is disappointed that Kobato was able to see through it. We are torn between sympathy and repulsion throughout her confession, and Kobato’s willingness to be manipulated. But we see no such equivocation when Osanai proposes the dissolution of their friendship, on the basis that their quest to become ordinary will never reach fruition, and their continued association only exacerbates their bad habits. This again arouses that tug of sympathy in response to Kobato’s pained expression, as his counter position to maintain their relationship is no match for her resolve.

And with that, we deduce the final truth: for all his brilliant conclusions, Kobato will forever be one step behind her.

Leave a comment and let us know what you think! And feel free to share other anime that are similar or that you would like us to write about at The Window Seat Anime Journal.

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The Window Seat Anime Journal was created to provide a “book club” experience for anime content by introducing people to new anime and providing a forum for the deeper thematic exploration that all great anime truly deserve.

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Did you enjoy this long essay? You can find other long essays at our Substack website, including this one: Human Without, Human Within: the embodied curse of Hyakkimaru in Dororo.

OVERVIEW

In Pseudo Harem, Rin Nanakura has a “crush at first sight” for Eiji Kitahama, and his clever antics in their high school’s drama club. But when he confides his curiosity about having a harem of girls in love with him, she can’t resist the challenge to showcase her acting abilities. On the spur of the moment, she invents a “harem” of girls for him to interact with, that eventually becomes half a dozen different – and quirky – personalities. Eiji is the perfect quick-witted senpai counterpart to her dramatic hijinks, alternating between being smitten by one of the “harem”, or pulling out a fresh joke that leaves Rin scrambling for another character to meet his challenge. Always patient and kind, Eiji lets Rin set the pace, even though we get clues along the way that he also might not be completely joking.

While the alter egos create opportunities for a variety of flirtatious encounters, the different egos become a quick escape for Rin when she thinks she has shared too much of her feelings. And the more she expresses her feelings through the harem, the harder showing her true feelings – and her true self – becomes. As the series progresses without Eiji letting on that he loves anything other than her harem characters, we wonder if Rin, and all of her harem, will be love unrequited; or if she will finally take the plunge to confess.

ANIMATION STYLE

Taking place in an ordinary high school, Pseudo Harem uses realistic school settings with lightly stylized characters, combined with lots of special effects for thoughts and feelings. Backgrounds filled with bubbles, hearts, sparkles or other effects appear, depending on the character Rin is playing or the context of the situation. And special effects indicating surprise, embarrassment, and general romantic angst are in heavy rotation around the characters heads, heightening the romantic power of the harem beyond a typical “slice of life” depiction.

In addition to the energy of the visual effects, each episode contains a few different vignettes that keep the pacing brisk and satisfying. Like a “cat and mouse” story that focuses exclusively on romance, Pseudo Harem is a seriously funny, endearing, and very clever anime.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The target audience for Pseudo Harem likes quirky rom-coms, especially those focused on high school dating life in Japan. Fans of Pseudo Harem would be described as romantic, humorous, drama geeks, and fond of atypical love stories. While the shojo category typically targets teenage or younger girls, the strength of Eiji’s character and the level of the banter between Eiji and Rin make this anime appealing across ages and genders.

OPENING, CLOSING & MUSIC

Pseudo Harem has a cute and energetic opening sequence filled with the whole pseudo harem to the upbeat tune of Blouse (ブラウス) by Gohobi. Be sure to make it a favorite on your music streaming of choice!

You’ll also want to be sure to watch past the closing credits on each episode to see the charming extra vignettes of Rin and Eiji talking about their relationship.

Ready to watch this anime? You can find it on Crunchyroll!

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SIMILAR ANIMES

For viewers that like the stylized realism and expressive visual effects, Yano Kun’s Ordinary Days would fit the bill, while exploring a more straightforward high school romance story.

For viewers that are more interested in the role of fake personas in relationships, Tamon’s B-Side takes the story out of the high school setting and into idol fandom.

And if you want to flip the script for a “reverse harem” and like a little supernatural twist, Witch Watch can’t be beat for humor, pacing and the ultimate wacky heroine.

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REFLECTION QUESTIONS FOR PSEUDO HAREM

• Does Rin’s “pseudo harem” help her or hinder her in getting closer to Eiji? In what way does it do one or the other of these?

• Have you ever tried to be someone else with a person you have a crush on? was that successful or not?

• How far is it ok to hide your feelings and personality?

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SOURCE MATERIAL AND ANIME PRODUCTION

From Wikipedia: Pseudo Harem

MANGA

Pseudo Harem, also known as Giji Harem (Japanese: 疑似ハーレム, Hepburn: Giji Hāremu), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yū Saitō. It was posted as a webcomic on Saitō's Twitter account from June 2018 to March 2021, and was later parallelly serialized in Shogakukan's Monthly Shōnen Sunday from January 2019 to March 2021, with its chapters collected into six tankōbon volumes.

ANIME

An anime television series adaptation was announced on April 10, 2023. It is produced by Nomad and directed by Toshihiro Kikuchi, with Yūko Kakihara handling series scripts, Yoshihisa Sato designing the characters, and Takeshi Watanabe composing the music, with Pony Canyon credited for music production. The series aired from July 5 to September 20, 2024, on Tokyo MX and other networks. Crunchyroll streamed the series. Medialink licensed the series in East and Southeast Asia for streaming on Ani-One Asia's YouTube channel.

The Window Seat Anime Journal publishes both spoiler-free “Snapshots”, and long essays for those who want to a deeper exploration of its themes. Make sure to subscribe and never miss a post!

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Leave a comment

You can view our entire collection of writing on our Substack website at:

The Window Seat Anime Journal

The Window Seat Anime Journal was created to provide a "book club" experience for anime content by introducing people to new anime and providing a forum for the deeper thematic exploration that all great anime truly deserve.

WHAT WE WATCHED FROM THE RECENT SEASON

Hana-kimi

Synopsis: Mizuki Ashiya is on a mission: disguise herself as a boy and enroll in a male boarding school to meet her idol, high jump star Izumi Sano. But after successfully infiltrating the school, she discovers he’s suddenly quit the sport! Now Mizuki must dodge suspicion, protect her cover, and somehow reach the boy she came all this way for—all while surviving the chaos of an all-boys dorm!

If you love classic hidden-identity Romance, you will love Hana-kimi. The genre-defining Manga is FINALLY getting an anime adaptation, and a catchy opening by Yaosobi of Oshi no ko fame. Season 2 is already confirmed, so you are in full a delightfully detailed journey of Mizuki’s escapades at an all-boys sports dorm.

Journal With Witch

Synopsis: A thoughtful and introspective slice of life about a high school girl who loses both of her parents in an accident, and goes to live with her aunt. It balances the challenges of her age with those of her adult guardian, and utilizes both realistic depictions of everyday life and surreal depictions of emotional landscapes. For a single season arc, the story moves through time slowly at first to capture the day to day of their new lives, and then covers more ground by focusing on key developments across time.

A great choice for people who enjoy cross-generational stories, emotional resilience, and seeing characters grow in their relationships with each other.

Oshi No Ko (season 3)

Synopsis: A continuation of this dark psychological exploration of the entertainment industry, and the plot for revenge against Aoi’s killer.

No spoilers here! If you want to watch a noir reincarnation murder thriller set in the entertainment industry, then get started watching Oshi No Ko season one.

Tamon’s B-Side

Synopsis: A sweet and wacky rom-com where an idol’s #1 fan becomes his housekeeper, and gets exposed to the “real” person behind the idol…plus his other alter-ego. Soon she is juggling the relationship politics with all of the idols in the group, while trying to maintain her proper distance as a loyal fan of Tamon.

A perfect choice if you want to see a high energy rom-com in a new setting outside of high school, love idol culture, and enjoy stories where characters have idealized personas with ordinary flaws underneath.

Wash It All Away

Synopsis: A charming and highly detailed slice of life about a young woman with amnesia who runs a cleaning service, and solves numerous local dilemmas with effective stain removal and fabric care. Slow paced and filled with simple interactions focused around an earnest protagonist and her customers.

If you are a person that loves anime with highly detailed representations of simple actions, then watching a stain get steamed out of a garment might be just the ticket you were looking for to relax and watch simple problems be solved with loving attention.

WHAT WE WATCHED THAT WAS NEW TO US

Chihayafuru (2011)

Synopsis: A heartwarming & realistic slice of life about three high school friends who play competitive karuta, beginning with the onset of their relationship in grade school. Separated in middle school, two of the three reunite in high school, start a karuta club and try to rekindle their other lost friendship.

A great twist on the usual “sports” anime, teamwork, perseverance and poetry are powered by some low-key romance and relationships that won’t give in to time or distance.

(Karuta is a traditional Japanese card game where players race to collect cards corresponding to recited poems, typically from the 100-poem Hyakunin Isshu collection.)

My love story with Yamada kun at LV999 (2023)

Synopsis: After her boyfriend breaks up with her for another girl, college student Akane Kinoshita wrestles with a broken heart and the memories he left behind. Loading up the game they used to play together, she forms a plan to get back at her ex-boyfriend through an in-person event for the game. In the process, she runs into someone unexpected: Akito Yamada, a gaming legend who just happens to be her guildmate. Desperate for support, Akane ropes the asocial Yamada into helping with her scheme and lending her a shoulder to cry on. The differences between Akane and Yamada soon become apparent as they spend time together, yet they cannot help but notice each other’s inner qualities. As the two gain more experience with one another in and out of the game, their tentative acquaintance may level up in a way neither expects.

If you like gentle and sweet romances between seemingly opposite individuals, you will love this story. A true slice-of-life romance, it deftly handles relationships among characters at all walks and ages of life, while gently reminding us that virtual connections can be meaningful, but it is stepping outside of our comforts that opens the possibilities.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT

Agents of the Four Seasons Dance of Spring

Shojo (fantasy / romance)

Synopsis from Crunchyroll: When the Agent of Spring, Hinagiku Kayo, is abducted, spring itself vanishes—plunging the world into unending winter. Refusing to give up, her devoted guard, Sakura Himedaka, searches for her for years. When Hinagiku suddenly returns, the two set out to restore the lost season, face the past that tore them apart, and reclaim the warmth they refuse to lose again.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm

Shonen (supernatural / adventure)

Synopsis from Crunchyroll: Yuru, a young hunter who lives in a small village deep in the mountains, hunts wild game and leads a humble life with Asa, his younger twin sister. Their peaceful lives are torn apart when a dragon’s roar echoes across the sky. What secrets lurk within their village? What fate awaits them? Enter a breathtaking mystical fantasy as exciting Daemon battles intertwine the mysterious and supernatural.

Liar Game

Seinen

Synopsis from Crunchyroll: When Nao Kanzaki receives a strange letter and a suitcase containing 100 million yen, she learns that she has been selected to participate in the LIAR GAME. In this high-stakes psychological battle, lies, deception, and betrayal reign supreme. Naïve and honest, Nao turns to Shinichi Akiyama, a brilliant former con artist, to survive the twisted game. In a game built on lies, can honesty prevail?

Witch Hat Atelier

Seinen / Fantasy

Synopsis from Crunchyroll: In a world where only witches can cast magic, they must avoid being seen by ordinary people while casting. While Coco does her chores, she daydreams of becoming a witch. When a young witch named Qifrey visits her village, Coco uncovers the “absolute secret,” becomes Qifrey’s apprentice, and begins her studies. This is the story of children who encounter despair, yet reach out toward hope.

The new season is just starting out! Check back for the April Unfold to see what we’ve added to the list.

Happy anime watching!

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OVERVIEW

Shoshimin observes two first year high school students, Yuki Osanai and Jogoro Kobato, attempting to escape their troubled and meddlesome middle-school experiences by becoming “ordinary” to their classmates in appearance and behavior. Yet, without provocation, they are constantly pulled into investigating the problems of their classmates, solving minor mysteries of lost items and suspicious happenings, and getting tangled up with delinquents. While only brief glimpses are shared of their problematic past, it is clear that these two are far from ordinary in their analytical prowess and world-view. A master strategist and faultless deductionist, they appear at times to be working towards a shared goal, and at others times in opposition with each other. Despite this, their quirky similarities result in a lasting connection; and the degree to which they orbit one another with their sometimes questionable behaviors is evident. The underlying question that permeates the series is who has the greater pull upon the other? And to what end?

As the relationship dynamics shift in season two to include different students and events outside of school in their investigations, there is the opportunity to more thoughtfully consider their motivations and the ethics of their actions. It also takes us viewers back to their middle school years to explore the origins of their less-than-ordinary approach to people and their problems, raising the questions of whether they do more harm than good through the expression of their exceptional strategic and deductionist capabilities. This retrospective journey further cements cohesion across the storylines and their relationship that might have been difficult to perceive in the initial episodes of season 1.

ANIMATION STYLE

Shoshimin is a visually realistic anime, combining soft-lit environments with rich, detailed visuals of beautiful desserts and signature jewel-tones in the main characters’ eyes.

The pacing of Shoshimin is slow overall, without a consistent clear connection between the episodes. While each episode is a building block to the overall story arc, the plot appears to meander at times. When a mystery is solved, it is not always explicit if it was meaningful to the bigger picture. For viewers that want a strictly linear plot, it will be challenging to wait until the very end of the series to learn what it all means. And if flashbacks kill your viewing mood, you may find the “breakaway scenes” of conversations between Osanai and Kobato to be disorienting and disruptive to an already somewhat obtuse plot structure.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Shoshimin is for a cerebral audience, open to dark themes and psychological plot lines, who also love mysteries, puzzles and riddles. A textbook fan of Shoshimin would be described as introverted, patient, willing to let things unfold, receptive to low action stories that rely more on the characters themselves, and who likes to make their own interpretation and judgment of characters’ motivations and actions.

OPENING, CLOSING & MUSIC

Shoshimin has great opening sequences that illustrate the progression from the innocence of season one to the darker and more psychologically complex season two. Check out Sweet Memory by Eve for season one and Martian by Yorushika for season two on your favorite music streaming!

Ready to watch this anime? You can find it on Crunchyroll!

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SIMILAR ANIMES

If you liked the “detective” theme but would prefer something less interpersonally dark and with more potential romance, then Hyouka and The Apothecary Diaries would be good options. Hyouka keeps the viewer firmly grounded in the modern day high school setting with students navigating their relationships along with small mysteries, while The Apothecary Diaries offers a historical detective drama that also explores the hierarchies in social class and imperial politics.

If it’s the “cat and mouse” aspect that hooked you, and you are interested in a darker series that more broadly questions behavioral impunity, DeathNote would be a top tier choice. DeathNote also has a high schooler main character, as well as a range of adult characters, uniquely skilled detectives, and a supernatural element.

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REFLECTION QUESTIONS FOR SHOSHIMIN

• How do your perceptions of the two protagonists change over the seasons? Do you see them sympathetically or not?

• Who holds the control in the relationship? Do they both have equal amounts of influence and agency?

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We posted own thoughts on these questions, so be sure to read this long essay post after you watch the series:

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SOURCE MATERIAL AND ANIME PRODUCTION

From Wikipedia: Shoshimin

LIGHT NOVEL

Shōshimin Series (Japanese: 〈小市民〉シリーズ, Hepburn: (Shōshimin) Shirīzu; lit. ‘⟨Small Citizen⟩ Series’) is a Japanese mystery novel series written by Honobu Yonezawa. The series began publication by Tokyo Sogensha in December 2004, with six volumes being released as of April 2024.

MANGA

A manga adaptation of the first novel Shunki Gentei Ichigo Tart Jiken, illustrated by Anko Manjūya, was serialized in Square Enix‘s shōnen manga magazine Monthly GFantasy from April 18, 2007, to December 18, 2008, and was collected in two tankōbon volumes.

A manga adaptation of the second novel Kaki Gentei Tropical Parfait Jiken, illustrated by OmiOmi [ja] with composition by Fua Yamasaki, was serialized in the same magazine from February 18, 2010, to January 18, 2011, and was also collected in two tankōbon volumes.

A second manga adaptation of the first novel, titled (Shōshimin) Shunki Gentei Ichigo Tart Jiken (〈小市民〉 春期限定いちごタルト事件), illustrated by Anri Sagawa, was serialized in Kodansha‘s manga website Magazine Pocket from May 2, 2025, to January 2, 2026, and was collected in three tankōbon volumes.

ANIME

An anime television series adaptation of Shunki Gentei Ichigo Tart Jiken and Kaki Gentei Tropical Parfait Jiken, titled Shoshimin: How to Become Ordinary (小市民シリーズ, Shōshimin Shirīzu) was announced in January 2024. It also adapted one short story from the Pari Makaron no Nazo collection. It is produced by Lapin Track and directed by Mamoru Kanbe, with Toshiya Ono writing series scripts, Atsushi Saitō designing the characters, and Takahiro Obata composing the music. The series aired from July 7 to September 15, 2024, on the NUMAnimation programming block on all ANN affiliates, including TV Asahi.

Crunchyroll streamed the series worldwide, except East Asia. Medialink licensed the series in Central Asia, South Asia (except India), Southeast Asia and Oceania (except Australia and New Zealand) for streaming on Ani-One Asia’s YouTube channel.

Following the final episode of the first season, a second season was announced, which adapts Shūki Gentei Kuri Kinton Jiken and Tōki Gentei Bonbon Chocolat Jiken. The season aired from April 6 to June 22, 2025, on the same programming block.

The Window Seat Anime Journal publishes both spoiler-free “Snapshots”, and long essays for those who want to a deeper exploration of its themes. Make sure to subscribe and never miss a post!

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

You can view our entire collection of writing on our Substack website at:

The Window Seat Anime Journal

The Window Seat Anime Journal was created to provide a "book club" experience for anime content by introducing people to new anime and providing a forum for the deeper thematic exploration that all great anime truly deserve.

Human? What is human? I am a curse on this land. ~Hyakkimaru (Ep. 23)

With this declaration, Hyakkimaru echoes the early words of the blind, itinerant priest, Biwamaru, who foreshadows this critical underpinning in Hyakkimaru’s quest toward a fulfilled humanity. Found in a rowboat stripped by demons of his limbs, all sensory abilities, and his skin at the moment of his birth, Hyakkimaru exists in the penumbral margins between human and creature, adrift on a river towards a fated but unformed destiny:

Not a human, not a ghoul either. I sense a curse. ~Biwamaru (Ep. 1)

This initial perception by Biwamaru sets the stage for our own interpretation of Hyakkimaru, as we witness him interacting with a close circle of other characters who seek to define him, including the young Dororo and Hyakkimaru’s own estranged family. Throughout this series, Hyakkimaru is rarely referred to as a human or as a person by many of those closest to him, even as he regains his sensory abilities, establishes a loyal and caring relationship with Dororo, and strives to articulate his innate desires to be fully manifested into the corporeal entirety that was robbed from him at birth.

THE QUESTION OF HUMANITY

As we seek to establish our own interpretation of Hyakkimaru’s humanity, we are forced to contemplate the constructs of what it means to be human. Many works of science fiction have asked these questions of what defines a human versus a non-human, often in regards to clones, androids, and cyborgs. While Hyakkimaru differs from these machine-based examples based on his birth origin, his dramatic physical alteration and the curse’s influence are so intractable, that we are compelled to wonder if his humanity is retained within the fragile shell of his dark and silent existence.

In particular, we believe that the experience of reality itself is vastly different for Hyakkimaru compared to our own, and subsequently assume that his capacity for human relations is compromised. In the early story arc, absent any sense of his childhood development, we can’t break away from the limiting perceptions of the other characters. With his prosthetic limbs and fully masked face, bandits refer to Hyakkimaru as “like a doll”, while Dororo openly questions if Hyakkimaru is human. We are primed to question his humanity from the start, even as we grapple with the moral question of whether it rests solely on Hyakkimaru’s shoulders to prove his humanity to everyone – including us. As we are challenged by our formative belief that Hyakkimaru’s humanity was lost alongside his extreme disfigurement, this poses a more frightening existential question: is our humanity that easy to denigrate with the loss of limb, sensory perception, and cognitive ambiguity?

Across the series arc, we must accept the responsibility to bear our own witness to Hyakkimaru’s experiences, and are prodded to make our own interpretations; however, we also rely on the observations of Biwamaru to provide us with the most candid descriptions of Hyakkimaru’s struggle to retain and express his humanity. His language often pigeon holes Hyakkimaru into his limitations, but also strips from us a delusional optimism that would reject his demonized attributes in favor of only focusing on purely external triggers for his actions. The priest’s ability to see a human being’s energy keeps us aware of the curse’s remnants in Hyakkimaru:

Demon flames…embers left from when they took his body. ~Biwamaru (Ep. 6)

When Hyakkimaru struggles to integrate his new sensory inputs, Biwamaru again paints an animalistic metaphor of Hyakkimaru’s early experience:

Like a wounded beast in a cave. ~Biwarmaru (Ep. 6)

He describes Hyakkimaru’s quest for his body as comparable to a baby trying to recover a toy that was taken from him. At its most extreme, he predicts the outcome of Hyakkimaru’s eventual emergence from his life’s history of sensory withdrawal with an ominous prediction:

You better hope the beast that comes out of the cave isn’t a monster. ~Biwamaru (Ep. 6)

SENSORY AWAKENING & THE BOND WITH DORORO

The constant, pressing, thematic inquiry throughout the series is what Hyakkimaru is conscious of – in himself and others – to give us an idea of how he is interpreting his environment, and to what extent he feels, both tactically or emotionally. With these perceptual concerns, we subconsciously set a limit on how much they can be altered before we see Hyakkimaru as a non-human, demi-human or a cursed human; or simply as a young man on a quest against insurmountable odds, deserving of our sympathy.

His capacity for feeling becomes the heart of the question, and it is Dororo who offers us the purest channel for Hyakkimaru’s emergence of feeling into the world. Because she never questions his ability to feel, she enables his embodied transition into an increasingly sensory being, and she becomes the medium to reflect Hyakkimaru’s capacity to feel to those around him. From breaking her enchainment with a cursed sword, finding care for her when she is sick, and rescuing her when she is kidnapped, Hyakkimaru’s quest to be whole becomes inextricably tied to Dororo’s descriptions of the world and its vibrancy, strengthening his desire to have sensory parity with her in life experiences.

But it is Hyakkimaru himself who poignantly reminds us through his words to his foster father, that he has always felt, even before he could perceive touch and pain. With that simple statement, delivered even before his arms and eyes are restored, we question every previous moment when we doubted his human capacity, and his undeniable human suffering.

THE HUMAN / DEMON TRADE FOR POWER

Hyakkimaru’s evolution encompasses more than just his increased emotional bond with Dororo, as witnessed by his use of strategic reasoning to overcome his sight disability within a giant celestial centipede’s demonic cloud. It would be uncharitable (and incorrect) to describe Hyakkimaru as “developing” cognitively, as opposed to finding himself with greater tools at his disposal, such as his voice and hearing.

This seemingly linear evolution is disrupted by the revelation of the disastrous impacts Hyakkimaru’s physical restoration is having on Lord Daigo’s kingdom, reminding us of the criticality of the human / demon trade for power underlying the fabric of this story. Hyakkimaru’s story is not the only barter between humans and demons for power in this series: their journey involves other instances where humans are fed to demons to retain the prosperity of a town or region, with most of the sacrificed humans considered as “outsiders”, and therefore expendable. When Hyakkimaru is successful at intervening in a story that more closely mirrors his own – the feeding of a bride sacrifice to a demon to reduce its threatening presence – he ironically frees the region of its repetitive catastrophe by eliminating rather than appeasing the demonic forces at the roots of their instability.

In contrast, the drought and war on Lord Daigo’s territory sets the stage for the devastating reunion between Hyakkimaru and his family in the mid-point of the series. As each family member reveals their own fatal interpretation of his dehumanized fate, he is cruelly exposed to their enmity directly toward his living presence for the first time:

Lord Daigo’s contempt: half-born demon child

Tahomaru’s betrayal: you are a demon to us

Lady Nui’s capitulation: I cannot save you

Through these declarations, Hyakkimaru is confronted by the cruelest truth: he is neither viewed as human by his own family, nor as a person worthy of his own life and destiny; to his family, he is but a pawn for the land’s prosperity itself. Dororo mirrors our own despair and incredulity at this abject rejection of Hyakkimaru as even human, much less as part of their family. And at this juncture, we witness a critical reassessment of Hyakkimaru’s humanity, autonomy, and entitlement in this world.

Spurned by his family, Hyakkimaru redoubles the intensity of his efforts for restoration and the demons that feed upon humans for their own ends. However, the ethical lines around his choice of actions become blurry when a village burns down as a result of their intervention in its own demonic transaction. Despite the victory of Hyakkimaru recovering his vertebral spine through this encounter, Dororo expresses her dismay at their role in this village’s destruction. While she vehemently protested the family’s utilitarian view of Hyakkimaru as a currency of exchange with the demons for their own prosperity, she becomes more uncertain as she witnesses first hand the broader devastation that follows Hyakkimaru’s pursuit of his fully restored bodily form. Hyakkimaru dismisses it unequivocally as “not his concern,” and surfaces the heretofore unspoken questions regarding the legitimacy of his humanity and its sacrifice.

HYAKKIMARU AND NIHILISM

I won’t lose to a demon’s leftovers. ~Lord Daigo (Ep. 23)

It is the shift from self-actualization to vengeance by which Hyakkimaru becomes increasingly human in physical form, but risks becoming increasingly demonic in his actions to fulfill his desire for complete corporeality. We see the brutality of his revenge when he cuts down numerous samurai after the murder of Mio for being a suspected spy, and thus crosses the line into the killing of humans. And we see this same murderous intent take over Hyakkimaru’s psyche when anyone threatens to separate him from Dororo.

Dororo validates our fears that Hyakkimaru becomes someone other than himself as he pursues both his remaining body and bitter revenge against Lord Daigo. As his destiny unfolds in the beginning, his killing of demons is swift and uncomplicated, and helps both himself and the people in villages plagued by these demons; a positive, cumulative effect that comes along with the return of his body parts. But when Hyakkimaru becomes singularly intent on recovering his body, even knowing it could negatively affect the land and its inhabitants, his actions border on the nihilistic and incorporate a new level of brutality. Hyakkimaru disregards other humans, the fate of the land, and even Dororo’s heartfelt entreaties in his quest to rectify the demonic bargain Lord Daigo made upon Hyakkimaru’s birth to fulfill his narcissistic ambitions. In parallel, both Lord Daigo and Hyakkimaru reveal the difficulty in claiming virtuous intent, when a fully selfish desire is at its origin. As his quest for his body supersedes all his other accomplishments, the potential for empathy to drive his evolution diminishes, leaving a darker space for the demonic embers to increase in power.

It is during his separation from Dororo and his reunion with his foster father, Jukai, that this reckoning of his humanity is confronted directly from an adult more versed in the consequences of life choices involving extensive killing. Upon hearing of the trials of his life, Jukai inquires,

You look more human than you ever have before. But are you not less human on the inside? ~Jukai (Ep. 17)

He also confronts the sacrifice of other humans in Hyakkimaru’s destiny:

Will you still be human then? All that’s left beside you will be lifeless corpses. You will be alone in this world…If there is someone in your life that is not your enemy, that person might be able to keep you human. ~Jukai (Ep. 17)

Yet, even as Hyakkimaru acts from his deepest love when rescuing Dororo on the cape where she has gone to seek her father’s treasure, his humanity is still not apparent to those around him who have long bargained with demons for power, as the one-armed fisherman, Shiranui, goads his demon shark to feast on him:

That broken excuse for a human is no match for you. ~Shiranui (Ep. 18)

After Dororo almost drowns when her arm is trapped in a rock fall and he fails to find a way to free her, his despair and frustration at his body’s limitations once again incite his savagery, which he unleashes when killing a multi-animal demon that fails to return any part of his body to him. While Dororo is shocked by his viciousness as he stabs the demon beyond the point of inevitable fatality, the creature marvels at his strength and prowess:

That’s why…you aren’t really human, are you? ~Nue (Ep. 20)

HYAKKIMARU AND MERCY

Woven throughout the story of Hyakkimaru’s destiny is the presence of the Buddha and the underlying ethos of compassion and mercy. At the moment of his nascent disfigurement, the Buddha statue belonging to Hyakkimaru’s mother loses its head, its own sacrifice to take the place of his in the moment when his entire life would otherwise be extinguished. In a strange twist, as though even this heavenly sacrifice had only a fragile permanence, Hyakkimaru nearly loses his face to a stone carver who seeks to placate a Buddha possessed by a demon. But upon her own imminent death, the carver acknowledges that it is Dororo who possesses the face of the Buddha, the outward manifestation of the energetic visage that Hyakkimaru has felt all along. And despite all his own actions of moral question, through vengeance, violence and despair, his gravitation towards her as his north star of existence enables a recurring recovery of his human spirit throughout his darkest moments and deeds.

As such, Dororo holds the true key to Hyakkimaru’s transformation: Dororo recognizes that the purity of one’s heart is the opposing strength that defends the good. Amidst all those who deny Hyakkimaru’s humanity, she emanates a wholly compassionate and unselfish presence towards him, supporting his desires and struggles to regenerate his stolen existence. Her loyalty, while unwavering, is never blind: she confronts his darkness with her own unique radiance of heart. The constancy with which she always acknowledges his human worth is what enables him to pursue his destiny beyond closing the bitter circle with Lord Daigo and his family. As his foster father and birth mother surrender to their role in the reckoning of Hyakkimaru’s destiny, he is once again gifted with the Buddha; and is finally equipped, beyond the limbs and sensory perception he’s acquired, with the unequivocal reflection of his humanity in their eyes.

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OVERVIEW

“Do you understand?”

Imagine waking up to this cryptic question from someone you don’t recognize, with no memory of who or where you are. And then imagine waking up to this question, in the medical bay aboard a spaceship, where you are emerging from a deep sleep with a rapid learning system that has not successfully executed its task of educating you about your current circumstances.

In Gnosia, Yuri, our protagonist, opens their eyes to this exact experience — and nothing can prepare them for what is to come. Within minutes of awakening, they are pulled into a room of strangers to vote on who to send into long-term cryogenic storage for the safety of the ship and its passengers. Facilitated by the ship’s AI system, this vote serves a singular mission: isolate and contain the Gnosia, humans infected by the Gnosia virus, to prevent them from taking over the ship and killing all the humans aboard. But these are no drooling zombies; the Gnosia look and act just like humans, with an immense capacity for deception. They kill one human every time the ship goes into warp speed, leaving the remaining people either that much closer to uncovering who the Gnosia are, or to losing control of the ship entirely.

When Yuri is voted to go into this cryogenic sleep, they are given a special token by Setsu, the first person they saw upon waking up. No sooner have they closed their eyes in a cryogenic chamber filled with freezing gas, then they are once again waking up in the medical bay to that cryptic question. Time has looped, and the vote again is imminent; only this time, things look completely different.

ANIMATION STYLE

With day-glo clothing, luminescent eyes and sensuous bodies, Gnosia is a vivid feast for the eyes. The characters’ appearances range from being highly sexualized to highly androgynous, with some also having surreal attributes. But before thinking you will just sink into an iridescent lustful daydream when watching this anime, Gnosia stays loyal to its origin as a logic game based on deduction and probability. The stakes in Gnosia are high, with each member fighting to either stay out of cryogenic storage and not get killed by Gnosia, or fulfill their destiny as a mutinous Gnosia to take over the ship. The plot is non-linear with some episodes containing multiple time loops. The outcome of each loop results from a series of calculated guesses by the crew of who the Gnosia might be. New characters are introduced while familiar ones are removed in an ever-changing mix of who is on board for that loop. As new roles are added with special capabilities (Engineer, Doctor, Guard, Guardian Angel), each episode asks you as the viewer to consider the odds, and predict the outcomes along with the characters during their deliberations before the final vote is taken.

While Gnosia is driven neither by a linear plot nor by significant character development, there are throughlines across episodes that, while fragile, hold the entire arc together and give a sense of continuity. Notably, the gamified aspect of Gnosia does not include any “leveling up”; the only advantages you gain are the details and connections you can hold in your mind between the time loops.

Gnosia is adapted from the 2019 visual novel role-playing game that uses an RNG (random number generation) social deduction format.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The target audience for Gnosia is open to non-linear stories, unreliable witnesses, gamified deduction and probability, and time travel. Fans of Gnosia would be described as logical and imaginative, likely with a personal history of playing gamified adventures that involve an intersection of calculated risk and chance. They like science fiction, especially as it pertains to space, time travel, otherworldly creatures, and the nature of consciousness.

If you prefer progressive plots, high action or strong character development, Gnosia may be challenging and unappealing, despite its visual decadence. Fans of the original video game are enthusiastic about the high-quality animation, and the depiction of the characters and scenarios.

CONTENT ADVISORY: Viewers should note that this series contains mature content, including: highly sexualized imagery and suggestive dialogue, gender non-conformity, body dysmorphia and lethal manipulation tactics.

OPENING, CLOSING & MUSIC

Gnosia has a great opening sequence, filled with human and Gnosia versions of the characters, and loops of Yuri passing versions of themselves in the corridors. The music is by the Japanese music project, MAISONdes. Check out Bake No Kawa (Disguise) 化けの皮 on your favorite music streaming!

(NOTE: MAISONdes is a project that changes the singer and creator for each song. The composition and arrangement of this song were by Giga & TeddyLoid, with lyrics by Misumi (DUSTCELL). Hololive’s VTuber Kobo Kanaeru and virtual singer Kasene Teto participated as singers.)

Ready to watch this anime? You can find it on Crunchyroll!

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SIMILAR ANIMES

For anime where time-looping drives a non-linear story, viewers can try Steins:Gate for a modern take on time travel and parallel timelines by humans. The arc and pacing of Steins:Gate takes dedication, but the emotional payoff in the characters’ relationships and the extraordinary impact of every decision is worth the effort.

Another option is Re:ZERO - Starting Life in Another World, which offers an isekai variation where the main character can “return by death,” similar to Yuki and Setsu in Gnosia. Re:ZERO has a much more complex plot and better character development than Gnosia, and also offers more thought-provoking perspectives on consciousness than a typical isekai anime.

To Your Eternity is another possibility, where the main character cannot die, but has the ability to take on the form and identity of the other people who die around him as part of his evolution throughout the story. This option will appeal to viewers who want to see a character grow and change, and enjoy a story arc where the pacing and supporting characters change along the way.

And if viewers wish time looping could be a little less serious about itself and maybe have some romance, then 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy might be the intersection of time looping with the rom-com genre they are looking for.

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REFLECTION QUESTIONS FOR GNOSIA

• Are the Gnosia inherently bad? or do we simply accept that they are bad because they kill humans?

• Did your view of the Gnosia change after you experience their point of view through Yuri?

• Did you perceive that there were other “bad actors” among the passengers who were not Gnosia? what about their behavior did you not like?

• How are the Gnosia similar to demons and other supernaturals in anime?

The Window Seat Anime Journal would love to hear what you thought about this post, what your favorite anime are and what you would like to read about in the future.

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SOURCE MATERIAL AND ANIME PRODUCTION

From Wikipedia: Gnosia

VISUAL NOVEL / VIDEO GAME

Gnosia is a 2019 visual novel social deduction role-playing game developed by Petit Depotto. It was originally released in June 2019 for the PlayStation Vita, and was ported to the Nintendo Switch in December 2020, with a Windows version released in January 2022. It also released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S in December 2023.

ANIME

An anime television series adaptation was announced on December 1, 2024. It is produced by Domerica and directed by Kazuya Ichikawa, with Jukki Hanada handling series composition, Arisa Matsuura designing the characters based on Kotori's original character designs, and Hideyuki Fukasawa composing the music. The series aired for 21 episodes from October 12, 2025, to March 15, 2026 on Tokyo MX and other networks.

The Window Seat Anime Journal publishes both spoiler-free “Snapshots”, and long essays for those who want to a deeper exploration of its themes. Make sure to subscribe and never miss a post!

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The Window Seat Anime Journal was created to provide a "book club" experience for anime content by introducing people to new anime and providing a forum for the deeper thematic exploration that all great anime truly deserve.

OVERVIEW

Dororo is a historical dark fantasy that follows the young pair of Hyakkimaru and Dororo, as they travel together to overcome the trials of their seemingly fated destinies. At their initial encounter, Hyakkimaru appears to Dororo to be a supernatural creature constructed entirely of prosthesis; but the truth is revealed that he lost his body in a demonic sacrifice at birth and seeks to reclaim the full spectrum of his humanity back from the demons, one corporeal piece at a time. Beginning with a simple alliance, their relationship deepens through their shared experiences on this journey and their own self-learning, fueled by Dororo’s unwavering loyalty and the gradual restoration of Hyakkimaru’s body and senses. Both characters strive to remain connected, as each overcomes the challenges from their familial legacies, while defeating other humans and demons alike in situations that threaten their survival and seek to undermine their right to live and prosper.

Special note: Viewers may hesitate to feel connected with the age gap between the main characters, but Dororo is the pinnacle of how to treat these kinds of relationships with respectful and endearing care. The precious bond of “chosen family” that arises between two young people who find each other serendipitously is what sets this anime apart from traditional buddy quests.

ANIMATION STYLE

Dororo is visually dynamic and expressive, masterfully combining highly choreographed and acrobatic action scenes with thoughtful portrayals of Hyakkimaru and Dororo’s interpersonal interactions. Depicting Hyakkimaru’s transformation into the increasingly living and feeling aspects of himself is a true highlight, especially when complemented with Dororo’s childish charm and charisma. The animation is detailed and richly illustrated in a neutral palette of predominantly black, browns and grays. This muted palette makes the green of the Dororo’s clothing and occasional foliage appear vibrant, and enhances the burning red hue of the demons’ souls and dramatic splashes of blood.

Dororo moves at a steady and progressive pace, with a strong balance between setting the thematic context of the story and moving the plot towards the conclusion of its dramatic arc. This balanced aspect is what makes Dororo appealing to such a wide range of viewers, as episodes contain both high levels of action and a focus on the relationship between Dororo and Hyakkimaru throughout his evolution. It also contains interconnected plot lines that encompass a range of implications for all of the characters involved, from the interpersonal journey of Dororo and Hyakkimaru, to the broader social and environmental conditions of the region.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The target audience for Dororo is teens to adults who want a thoughtful, serious story that has no fan service, and are willing to consider complex questions about personal sovereignty and social responsibility woven into an adventure quest. Fans of Dororo would be described as sensitive and emotionally aware, introspective, and interested in the intersection of societal, familial and interpersonal influences. They appreciate deep friendship stories, including those across age gaps, and stories where disability and/or disfigurement are overcome or transformed.

Fans of Ursula Le Guin’s, The Wizard of Earthsea, trilogy would find thematic similarities with Dororo, even though the plots are significantly different.

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You can find it on the HiDive channel through Amazon Prime!

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SIMILAR ANIMES

For people who are interested in characters overcoming disability from their origin story, an unbreakable sibling bond and deep societal themes, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the trifecta.

For people who like a more interpersonal journey of overcoming disability and regaining humanity, especially with a backdrop of war and violence, Violet Evergarden would be a match.

And for people who enjoyed the charm of Dororo and want to see a friendship story with a similar age gap but in a more realistic setting, Barakamon is a great choice.

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REFLECTION QUESTIONS FOR DORORO

• Do we accept Hyakkimaru as a “person” from the start? And if not, when do we decide that he is a person?

• “Protectors” tend to be characterized by size and strength, but is this always true? How do Dororo and Hyakkimaru serve to protect each other on their journey together?

• As Hyakkimaru recovers his body, does his motivation to stay with Dororo grow from fear of isolation or his desire for a family? and how would you describe their relationship?

We posted own thoughts on these questions, so be sure to read this long essay post after you watch the series:

SOURCE MATERIAL AND ANIME PRODUCTION

From Wikipedia: Dororo

MANGA

Dororo (どろろ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the manga artist Osamu Tezuka. Tezuka’s childhood memory of his friends pronouncing dorobō (どろぼう; “thief”) as dororo inspired the title of the series. Dororo was first serialized in Shogakukan‘s Weekly Shōnen Sunday between August 1967 and July 1968, before being cancelled. The manga was then concluded in Akita Shoten‘s Bōken’ō magazine in 1969.

ANIME

The first anime series, animated by Mushi Production, was broadcast on Fuji TV between April 6 and September 28, 1969, for 26 episodes. It was directed by Gisaburou Sugii, with music by Isao Tomita. Unlike the manga, the anime version has a conclusive ending. In 2008, Anime Sols began a crowd-funding project for official streaming of the show. Funding for the first half of the show reached its goal, and the funding continued for the second half. However, Anime Sols folded, and Discotek Media picked up the project and released it on DVD in 2016, including the show’s color pilot in the set.

A 24-episode second anime television series adaptation by MAPPA and Tezuka Productions was announced in March 2018. It was directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi, with music by Yoshihiro Ike. The series aired for 24 episodes from January 7 to June 24, 2019, on Tokyo MX, BS11, and Jidaigeki Senmon Channel.

The Window Seat Anime Journal publishes both spoiler-free “Snapshots”, and long essays for those who want to a deeper exploration of its themes. Make sure to subscribe and never miss a post!

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You can view our entire collection of writing on our Substack website at:

The Window Seat Anime Journal

The Window Seat Anime Journal was created to provide a "book club" experience for anime content by introducing people to new anime and providing a forum for the deeper thematic exploration that all great anime truly deserve.