WEBVTT 00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:09.679 You're listening to the After Hours Arc, your 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:14.339 new anime podcast. My name is Antai, and I'll 00:00:14.339 --> 00:00:19.260 be your host. Join me as I review, recap, and 00:00:19.260 --> 00:00:23.760 relive anime, one arc at a time. And as always, 00:00:23.940 --> 00:00:26.879 these are all from a manga -free point of view. 00:00:27.420 --> 00:00:30.859 And for tonight's episode, as the title says... 00:00:31.149 --> 00:00:36.210 This is going to be my winter 2026 roundup. I'll 00:00:36.210 --> 00:00:39.590 get into what worked for me, what didn't, what 00:00:39.590 --> 00:00:43.590 I wanted to work, and what was so bad that I 00:00:43.590 --> 00:00:48.109 couldn't even finish it. I will say, going into 00:00:48.109 --> 00:00:52.310 this winter season, I really only had my eyes 00:00:52.310 --> 00:00:57.950 on two animes. That would be Jujutsu Kaisen Season 00:00:57.950 --> 00:01:01.909 3. and Freerun Beyond Journey's End Season 2. 00:01:02.250 --> 00:01:06.329 Those were the ones that I was genuinely excited 00:01:06.329 --> 00:01:10.870 about. Everything else, I was considering a bonus. 00:01:12.069 --> 00:01:16.469 And honestly, I always feel a little better knowing 00:01:16.469 --> 00:01:19.909 that I have a couple shows that I can count on. 00:01:20.030 --> 00:01:22.530 It's like having a little safety net for my watch 00:01:22.530 --> 00:01:26.120 list. Although this season was really good. I 00:01:26.120 --> 00:01:30.180 feel like there were a lot of bangers. I definitely 00:01:30.180 --> 00:01:32.819 wasn't trying to watch everything this winter 00:01:32.819 --> 00:01:38.959 season. I was more of, if it lands, great. If 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:42.760 not, I'm all set. That was the kind of mindset 00:01:42.760 --> 00:01:47.180 that I had going into it. And that actually shaped 00:01:47.180 --> 00:01:50.439 how this season ended up feeling for me as a 00:01:50.439 --> 00:01:55.579 whole. Looking back, this winter was all about 00:01:55.579 --> 00:02:02.180 chill vibes. Jujutsu Kaisen was easily the heaviest 00:02:02.180 --> 00:02:06.579 thing on my watch list. But everything else settled 00:02:06.579 --> 00:02:13.639 into this unexpected comfort. I love fantasy. 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:22.780 That is not new for me. that I was being gravitated 00:02:22.780 --> 00:02:26.340 towards. You know, it's really funny how your 00:02:26.340 --> 00:02:29.740 mood can shape your watchlist without you noticing. 00:02:30.300 --> 00:02:34.340 Almost every single show on my watchlist from 00:02:34.340 --> 00:02:38.539 this season was fantasy themed, but I was enjoying 00:02:38.539 --> 00:02:42.180 these quieter worlds with this slower pacing. 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:45.759 I didn't mind that the stories weren't about 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:51.000 escalation. It was all about atmosphere and reflection 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:55.000 and sitting with yourself. That was the vibe 00:02:55.000 --> 00:03:00.120 I went for this season, for sure. And this episode 00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:03.780 specifically isn't going to be necessarily ranking 00:03:03.780 --> 00:03:08.639 or deep diving these shows. I will put together 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:12.439 some reviews at some point. I just wanted to 00:03:12.439 --> 00:03:16.060 give my take on what this winter season did for 00:03:16.060 --> 00:03:19.759 me. Basically diving into why the stories mattered 00:03:19.759 --> 00:03:24.099 and what resonated. So the first one I'm going 00:03:24.099 --> 00:03:29.680 to bring up is A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation. 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:34.080 And this show kind of wandered into my watch 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:38.460 list. I didn't even realize that it had started 00:03:38.460 --> 00:03:42.180 airing in January. I had just hit play one night, 00:03:42.259 --> 00:03:46.419 not even thinking it was part of the winter lineup. 00:03:47.180 --> 00:03:49.560 But when I googled it and found out it came out 00:03:49.560 --> 00:03:53.520 in January, it absolutely belongs here. It definitely 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:58.740 counts. I really love when a show sneaks up on 00:03:58.740 --> 00:04:03.620 me. Sometimes some of my favorite shows came 00:04:03.620 --> 00:04:06.879 from ones I did not expect. They were a random 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:11.500 click or I had literally judged them by the cover. 00:04:12.139 --> 00:04:16.839 This one felt almost like a hidden gem. With 00:04:16.839 --> 00:04:19.959 all of the new releases. This wasn't anything 00:04:19.959 --> 00:04:24.759 I expected it to be. I really had no idea. I 00:04:24.759 --> 00:04:28.439 knew it obviously was going to be an isekai. 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:32.860 I knew that. But what it was was very binge friendly. 00:04:33.480 --> 00:04:38.560 In one of the most calmest ways possible. It 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:42.399 was very much a true walk and talk anime. Very 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:46.110 low key. And I remember first watching it and 00:04:46.110 --> 00:04:50.089 going in, I figured it would be the standard 00:04:50.089 --> 00:04:55.610 fantasy trope. Nothing special, nothing to write 00:04:55.610 --> 00:04:58.990 home about. But the first episode immediately 00:04:58.990 --> 00:05:02.670 told me otherwise. Watching the main character 00:05:02.670 --> 00:05:07.509 Liesel calmly walk down some cobblestone street 00:05:07.509 --> 00:05:12.480 in this city, it felt so natural. that I thought 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:15.860 I wasn't on the first episode or I had skipped 00:05:15.860 --> 00:05:20.139 ahead. But that was the whole vibe for the show. 00:05:20.579 --> 00:05:23.259 And they let me know right away. So once that 00:05:23.259 --> 00:05:27.579 clicked, it really worked for me. And I really 00:05:27.579 --> 00:05:32.199 love when a show isn't in a hurry. It was almost 00:05:32.199 --> 00:05:37.240 asking me to slow down and pay attention. And 00:05:37.240 --> 00:05:41.339 not just because it was subtitled. Sometimes, 00:05:41.379 --> 00:05:44.160 though, slowing down is exactly what I need, 00:05:44.379 --> 00:05:47.519 so this was a show that really did a lot for 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:52.420 me. It is very calm. I wouldn't consider it boring, 00:05:52.680 --> 00:05:57.220 but definitely calm. It's almost inviting you 00:05:57.220 --> 00:06:01.319 to exist in its world instead of pulling you 00:06:01.319 --> 00:06:06.060 towards some constant conflict. It is also very 00:06:06.060 --> 00:06:10.350 BL -coded. Even though it's not officially a 00:06:10.350 --> 00:06:13.910 BL, I read somewhere that it was confirmed. It's 00:06:13.910 --> 00:06:18.889 not. But the vibes are vibing, if you know what 00:06:18.889 --> 00:06:23.730 I mean. The relationships just feel so natural 00:06:23.730 --> 00:06:29.670 and fluid. I just love how all the boys fawn 00:06:29.670 --> 00:06:34.329 over Liesl. Studs specifically. This is one I'm 00:06:34.329 --> 00:06:37.069 going to work on doing a full -on review for. 00:06:37.790 --> 00:06:41.170 For sure. Because I really enjoyed it and I want 00:06:41.170 --> 00:06:44.209 to get into all of the characters and designs. 00:06:44.870 --> 00:06:50.589 It was a really fun surprise. And I consider 00:06:50.589 --> 00:06:52.910 this to be a happy little accident for myself. 00:06:53.949 --> 00:06:58.430 Definitely not what I was expecting. I definitely 00:06:58.430 --> 00:07:01.750 picked up on the BL vibes almost immediately. 00:07:02.350 --> 00:07:06.420 It made the show a little more comforting. Like 00:07:06.420 --> 00:07:10.160 the relationships were being built on distrust 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:16.060 instead of some drama. That said, it can be very 00:07:16.060 --> 00:07:22.240 slow paced. To me, Freerun is still the gold 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:25.959 standard for this type of walk and talk fantasy. 00:07:26.759 --> 00:07:30.519 I think that is a really hard bar to reach. And 00:07:30.519 --> 00:07:34.060 I also don't feel like this show is trying to 00:07:34.060 --> 00:07:38.180 be Freerun. To me, there are key differences. 00:07:38.779 --> 00:07:43.500 A gentle, noble vacation recommendation is all 00:07:43.500 --> 00:07:47.540 about rest, where to me, Free Rin is all about 00:07:47.540 --> 00:07:53.779 reflection. This show is perfect for people who 00:07:53.779 --> 00:07:57.680 enjoy the journey a lot more than the destination. 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:02.060 If you're looking for a lot of high stakes action 00:08:02.060 --> 00:08:06.740 and drama, This one is probably not for you. 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:12.680 I think I'm definitely a journey person, especially 00:08:12.680 --> 00:08:17.399 this season. I really enjoy stories that just 00:08:17.399 --> 00:08:21.079 let me walk alongside them. By the time I finished 00:08:21.079 --> 00:08:24.899 it, I didn't even realize I had been craving 00:08:24.899 --> 00:08:27.779 a show like that. And it turns out this wasn't 00:08:27.779 --> 00:08:30.779 the only one to hit that comfort zone for me. 00:08:31.529 --> 00:08:35.830 This one is all about escaping the grind. The 00:08:35.830 --> 00:08:38.870 next one I'm going to bring up is all about bringing 00:08:38.870 --> 00:08:42.629 it with them. It is time to talk about Isokei 00:08:42.629 --> 00:08:46.149 Office Worker. The other world's books depend 00:08:46.149 --> 00:08:51.210 on the bean counter. This one I actively sought 00:08:51.210 --> 00:08:54.809 out. I kept seeing people talk about it as a 00:08:54.809 --> 00:08:59.759 BL, and that immediately had my attention. The 00:08:59.759 --> 00:09:02.779 title made me think it would be a standard isekai 00:09:02.779 --> 00:09:07.360 though, like really nothing noteworthy. And honestly, 00:09:07.460 --> 00:09:10.759 I'm not really someone who jumps on shows just 00:09:10.759 --> 00:09:14.700 because they are trending. There are so many 00:09:14.700 --> 00:09:17.960 titles that I have not gotten into yet that are 00:09:17.960 --> 00:09:22.460 so popular, like Attack on Titan or Chainsaw 00:09:22.460 --> 00:09:27.100 Man. There's a huge list. I have a really big 00:09:27.100 --> 00:09:31.980 watch list, so I am working on it. But this one 00:09:31.980 --> 00:09:36.240 kept popping up and I just couldn't resist. And 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:38.220 when I got into it, there was already two episodes, 00:09:38.340 --> 00:09:42.360 so I didn't miss out on too much. And what this 00:09:42.360 --> 00:09:48.559 actually was, was a slow burn, feel good romance 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:54.049 that really understood The whole concept of pacing. 00:09:54.950 --> 00:09:59.210 Watching it had me grinning ear to ear for most 00:09:59.210 --> 00:10:03.210 episodes. I just remember thinking how happy 00:10:03.210 --> 00:10:06.210 I felt for the characters, especially when the 00:10:06.210 --> 00:10:10.289 romance is building so naturally. The relationship 00:10:10.289 --> 00:10:16.870 between Arish and Soichiro works. And it works 00:10:16.870 --> 00:10:20.860 because it's patient. It is building naturally 00:10:20.860 --> 00:10:25.299 without rushing anything emotional, which I think 00:10:25.299 --> 00:10:30.000 really worked well. There is something so satisfying 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:33.519 about watching two people get to know each other, 00:10:33.740 --> 00:10:38.539 seeing the little moments add up. I also loved 00:10:38.539 --> 00:10:44.240 how Soichiro's office worker mindset is the foundation 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:48.600 of his character. I like that they respected 00:10:48.600 --> 00:10:53.960 it rather than played on it for jokes. And I 00:10:53.960 --> 00:10:57.960 will say, I genuinely don't have anything bad 00:10:57.960 --> 00:11:03.120 to say about this anime. It exceeded all of my 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:07.399 expectations and then some. I was so surprised 00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:11.669 with how much I enjoyed it. It was so good. This 00:11:11.669 --> 00:11:14.690 is definitely for people who love a slow burn 00:11:14.690 --> 00:11:19.710 romance and very character driven stories. But 00:11:19.710 --> 00:11:24.330 going from surviving the grind to being consumed 00:11:24.330 --> 00:11:28.549 by it. Let's get into Darkmoon the Blood Altar. 00:11:29.009 --> 00:11:33.710 Which looked like something I should have loved. 00:11:34.590 --> 00:11:37.690 The character designs I thought were incredible. 00:11:38.539 --> 00:11:43.039 And I do not mind a werewolf vampire story as 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:46.799 long as it's done well. I really thought that 00:11:46.799 --> 00:11:50.480 this would be my kind of show. The visuals were 00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:54.200 just so good. The vampires were so cool looking. 00:11:54.600 --> 00:11:58.600 And I was really ready to add some supernatural 00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:03.919 drama to my watch list. Give myself some variety. 00:12:04.970 --> 00:12:08.429 But sometimes, even if a show checks all the 00:12:08.429 --> 00:12:12.649 boxes, sometimes it just doesn't work. And I 00:12:12.649 --> 00:12:16.970 made it all the way to episode 7. But by then, 00:12:16.990 --> 00:12:21.409 I knew it wasn't for me. The pacing felt so slow. 00:12:21.710 --> 00:12:26.169 And without depth, the conflicts felt so predictable. 00:12:26.690 --> 00:12:29.990 And really, it felt like these same conversations 00:12:29.990 --> 00:12:33.759 just kept repeating themselves. I really kept 00:12:33.759 --> 00:12:36.919 hoping it would pick up, but it never really 00:12:36.919 --> 00:12:40.159 did. It's tough when you want to like something 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:44.100 and it just doesn't work. I tried really hard. 00:12:44.500 --> 00:12:47.820 I gave it way more episodes than I should have. 00:12:48.139 --> 00:12:51.379 And I thought maybe at first it was the accents. 00:12:51.460 --> 00:12:54.740 So I ended up switching to the Japanese because 00:12:54.740 --> 00:12:57.159 I did find the British accents to be a little 00:12:57.159 --> 00:13:00.870 bit distracting. But even switching to the Japanese, 00:13:01.070 --> 00:13:05.730 that could not fix the lack of substance that 00:13:05.730 --> 00:13:10.190 was missing from the show. It was so frustrating 00:13:10.190 --> 00:13:15.210 because I really was excited about the vampires. 00:13:15.690 --> 00:13:19.720 They had so much potential. There was one specifically 00:13:19.720 --> 00:13:22.700 I couldn't wait to find out more about. I'm pretty 00:13:22.700 --> 00:13:26.000 sure he was a hybrid. He had blue hair and two 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:29.399 different colored eyes, which I am a sucker for 00:13:29.399 --> 00:13:33.299 that. But the visuals weren't enough to keep 00:13:33.299 --> 00:13:36.700 me interested. I just literally couldn't have 00:13:36.700 --> 00:13:40.860 cared less. And like, I'm not gonna lie, it felt 00:13:40.860 --> 00:13:44.059 like a huge waste of time. Like, I am not getting 00:13:44.059 --> 00:13:47.220 those episodes back. And I don't always need 00:13:47.220 --> 00:13:52.000 depth and real connection, but this just didn't 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:56.799 fit any category that would work for me. So going 00:13:56.799 --> 00:14:01.399 on from that and into Freerun, I wanted to put 00:14:01.399 --> 00:14:03.679 the Darkmoon in the middle because it's just 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:08.759 such a negative vibe from me. So I think picking 00:14:08.759 --> 00:14:11.460 up the vibe with Freerun is going to be a good 00:14:11.460 --> 00:14:16.519 call. Free Rin Season 1 hooked me immediately. 00:14:17.039 --> 00:14:21.200 And I had already talked about it in the Free 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:24.120 Rin Season 1 review that I did. I'll put a link 00:14:24.120 --> 00:14:26.580 in the description if you want to check that 00:14:26.580 --> 00:14:30.480 out. But I talked about how I cried like a baby 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:34.320 during the first episode. Like, literally sobbed. 00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:37.759 It was so intense. But the fact that it stayed 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:42.210 with me that long after it ended... made me so 00:14:42.210 --> 00:14:46.250 excited for season two, more than anything else 00:14:46.250 --> 00:14:50.490 that was going to be airing this winter, more 00:14:50.490 --> 00:14:53.649 than Jujutsu Kaisen. There's just something about 00:14:53.649 --> 00:14:58.850 the way that it handles loss and memory that 00:14:58.850 --> 00:15:03.549 just really hits different. Season two felt way 00:15:03.549 --> 00:15:09.029 more reflective and growth -driven than season 00:15:09.029 --> 00:15:13.409 one. I mean, the animation was absolutely stunning. 00:15:14.110 --> 00:15:18.049 And once I adjusted to the Japanese voice cast, 00:15:18.350 --> 00:15:22.710 I was locked in. And I had said in my season 00:15:22.710 --> 00:15:27.169 one review that I'd only watched season one in 00:15:27.169 --> 00:15:30.789 the English dub. I was familiar with the Japanese 00:15:30.789 --> 00:15:34.509 voices from playing the Solo Leveling Arise mobile 00:15:34.509 --> 00:15:38.779 game. Downloaded it for my PC. And they did a 00:15:38.779 --> 00:15:41.320 collaboration with Free Rin. When I played with 00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:43.980 Stark and his Japanese voice came on the screen, 00:15:44.299 --> 00:15:47.740 it was a little surprising. But it also introduced 00:15:47.740 --> 00:15:50.899 me to what they sound like. So I was not surprised. 00:15:51.879 --> 00:15:55.899 But I definitely had this expectation of how 00:15:55.899 --> 00:15:59.100 the journey looked with the English dub. It's 00:15:59.100 --> 00:16:01.879 not that the Japanese isn't good. It's actually 00:16:01.879 --> 00:16:05.220 really good. It just took me a little bit to 00:16:05.220 --> 00:16:09.179 get over. The Himmel Memoirs episode sold me. 00:16:09.320 --> 00:16:14.019 His Japanese voice is perfect. And I'm probably 00:16:14.019 --> 00:16:18.080 going to end up watching season one in the Japanese 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:21.500 with the subtitles just because I feel like I 00:16:21.500 --> 00:16:25.120 did miss out. I know I'm one big contradiction, 00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:31.159 but it has me feeling all sorts of ways. Getting 00:16:31.159 --> 00:16:34.080 away from voice actors for a second. I do love 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:38.299 how the show uses silence. and scenery to also 00:16:38.299 --> 00:16:42.960 tell the story. Those quiet moments sometimes 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:48.620 say way more than actual dialogue for me. I think 00:16:48.620 --> 00:16:52.440 it's done so beautifully. And this season specifically, 00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:57.539 their production has just gone up without changing 00:16:57.539 --> 00:17:02.200 the integrity of the characters, I feel like. 00:17:02.809 --> 00:17:06.210 I've been very happy with how season two looks 00:17:06.210 --> 00:17:10.049 as far as quality and pretty much what they've 00:17:10.049 --> 00:17:14.049 been producing as far as material. Where I don't 00:17:14.049 --> 00:17:16.589 read manga or light novels, I don't actually 00:17:16.589 --> 00:17:19.769 know what's going to happen. I'm really going 00:17:19.769 --> 00:17:22.849 on the journey with them. But I feel like they're 00:17:22.849 --> 00:17:26.170 doing such a good job laying down the groundwork 00:17:26.170 --> 00:17:29.829 for what is going to be coming. It keeps getting 00:17:29.829 --> 00:17:33.049 me excited for every episode. Because each episode 00:17:33.049 --> 00:17:36.470 deepened the story more. And we keep getting 00:17:36.470 --> 00:17:41.170 these small moments with Stark. He was using 00:17:41.170 --> 00:17:45.109 the same stance that he ended up seeing in season 00:17:45.109 --> 00:17:48.250 one when he was fighting that demon. What was 00:17:48.250 --> 00:17:52.509 her name? Lena. That whole deal where she was 00:17:52.509 --> 00:17:57.009 mimicking Aizen's movements. That was everything 00:17:57.009 --> 00:18:01.720 for me. I immediately recognized it. And that 00:18:01.720 --> 00:18:04.920 is what I appreciate. Because it felt like the 00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:08.420 show was rewarding me for paying attention. It 00:18:08.420 --> 00:18:12.759 was those little details. Breedrun tells its 00:18:12.759 --> 00:18:16.960 story in a way that really puts a lot of trust 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:20.859 in the viewer, I think. It's very quiet without 00:18:20.859 --> 00:18:24.480 being boring. And it's also reflective without 00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:28.509 being too heavy. And while it wasn't my number 00:18:28.509 --> 00:18:34.369 one anime this winter, it absolutely reminded 00:18:34.369 --> 00:18:38.789 me just how powerful intentional storytelling 00:18:38.789 --> 00:18:42.730 can be. A couple of these animes I had turned 00:18:42.730 --> 00:18:45.369 on to my co -worker that I've brought up a couple 00:18:45.369 --> 00:18:48.690 times, and one of them was the Isekai Office 00:18:48.690 --> 00:18:51.829 Worker, which she loves. She can't believe how 00:18:51.829 --> 00:18:55.599 good it is. The other one was Free Wren. And 00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:59.319 she's not the biggest walk and talk fantasy kind 00:18:59.319 --> 00:19:02.200 of girl. She's definitely a shonen girl. She's 00:19:02.200 --> 00:19:07.200 a battle shonen girl. But she is totally hooked 00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:10.420 on Free Wren. So I think it's just one of those 00:19:10.420 --> 00:19:15.440 shows that really can bring you if that's the 00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:18.480 type of person you are. If you value the journey, 00:19:18.559 --> 00:19:20.779 then you're going to appreciate all the steps 00:19:20.779 --> 00:19:24.839 that they take in telling the story. And where 00:19:24.839 --> 00:19:29.579 Free Rin eases you into the idea that life is 00:19:29.579 --> 00:19:34.359 fleeting, Jujutsu Kaisen doesn't ease you into 00:19:34.359 --> 00:19:38.140 anything. It throws you straight into the chaos. 00:19:39.000 --> 00:19:44.619 And Season 3 really did that. I was so excited 00:19:44.619 --> 00:19:50.099 for this season. Season two, especially the hidden 00:19:50.099 --> 00:19:53.819 inventory arc, is what really hooked me. There 00:19:53.819 --> 00:19:58.259 really is something so amazing about having a 00:19:58.259 --> 00:20:01.539 show that you can look forward to every week. 00:20:01.779 --> 00:20:05.099 I had so many this winter season, like I feel 00:20:05.099 --> 00:20:12.140 spoiled. And emotionally, this was probably the 00:20:12.140 --> 00:20:16.410 heaviest show that I watched all winter. The 00:20:16.410 --> 00:20:21.109 Culling Game demanded my full attention. And 00:20:21.109 --> 00:20:24.170 even then, all the rules could still be really 00:20:24.170 --> 00:20:29.650 confusing. I was constantly forgetting or confusing 00:20:29.650 --> 00:20:33.109 all the rules every single time they brought 00:20:33.109 --> 00:20:35.349 one up. It was like it was the first time I was 00:20:35.349 --> 00:20:39.779 hearing it. Sometimes I would have to pause and 00:20:39.779 --> 00:20:43.900 rewind just to keep up. It's just so intense. 00:20:44.279 --> 00:20:47.839 But that also was part of the fun. There was 00:20:47.839 --> 00:20:51.640 so much going on and for most of the episodes, 00:20:51.720 --> 00:20:56.119 it had my full attention. Technically, while 00:20:56.119 --> 00:20:59.700 I am recording this, it is not done. But I'm 00:20:59.700 --> 00:21:02.220 not going super deep into this because I have 00:21:02.220 --> 00:21:06.059 a dedicated recap for the series. And I'm going 00:21:06.059 --> 00:21:08.960 to be doing one for episode 12. And I'm also 00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:12.339 going to do how I felt about the season and where 00:21:12.339 --> 00:21:15.599 I think the next part is going to take us. So 00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:19.220 I won't get into it too much here. I have just 00:21:19.220 --> 00:21:22.599 been really enjoying the ride. The visuals have 00:21:22.599 --> 00:21:26.319 been stunning. The fights have gone so hard. 00:21:26.420 --> 00:21:29.740 They've been incredible to watch. The Higuruma 00:21:29.740 --> 00:21:34.789 and Yuji fight was by far... One of the peak 00:21:34.789 --> 00:21:39.990 moments for me. The Maki -Zenin massacre was 00:21:39.990 --> 00:21:44.390 by far the second. Probably tied with Choso and 00:21:44.390 --> 00:21:50.670 Naoa's insanely hot fight. I know people hate 00:21:50.670 --> 00:21:53.750 him. I just couldn't believe how cocky he was. 00:21:53.970 --> 00:21:56.750 Brushing his hair back while fighting. It was 00:21:56.750 --> 00:22:00.630 so good. I loved every second of every fight 00:22:00.630 --> 00:22:04.259 that they gave me this season. It really delivered 00:22:04.259 --> 00:22:08.460 for me. Even if I didn't fully get all the game 00:22:08.460 --> 00:22:12.059 mechanics, it really made me feel like I have 00:22:12.059 --> 00:22:14.940 to rewatch from season one. I feel like I missed 00:22:14.940 --> 00:22:18.299 out on so much. I'm so confused a lot of the 00:22:18.299 --> 00:22:21.740 times until it kind of starts to click. Maybe 00:22:21.740 --> 00:22:24.420 that's why they continue to bring up the rules 00:22:24.420 --> 00:22:28.960 so many times. But moving on from that, there's 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:32.900 another one I'll get into that I just did a like 00:22:32.900 --> 00:22:37.740 20 minute review of how I felt. I didn't really 00:22:37.740 --> 00:22:41.559 break down specific arcs per se. I did kind of 00:22:41.559 --> 00:22:44.720 walk through it, but it wasn't super deeper detailed. 00:22:45.160 --> 00:22:48.039 That is something that I am working on with this 00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:52.039 podcast is learning how to better organize my 00:22:52.039 --> 00:22:55.579 thoughts and not have as short of an episode. 00:22:56.359 --> 00:23:01.339 I feel like they come and go so fast. And I want 00:23:01.339 --> 00:23:02.960 to produce something more. I want to actually 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:06.079 feel like I'm having a conversation. So I will 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:09.539 briefly touch on this. Because looking back, 00:23:09.619 --> 00:23:14.420 the show definitely wasn't as bad as Dark Moon. 00:23:15.059 --> 00:23:18.140 But the story shift came way too late for me 00:23:18.140 --> 00:23:22.640 to fully invest. Sometimes it is just a timing 00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:26.700 thing. There's really good material and a fantastic 00:23:26.700 --> 00:23:31.599 concept. But compared to the other shows that 00:23:31.599 --> 00:23:36.140 I watched this season, I feel like the end definitely 00:23:36.140 --> 00:23:42.220 lacked consistency. For me, the winter season 00:23:42.220 --> 00:23:47.660 really did surprise me. I didn't set out to watch 00:23:47.660 --> 00:23:52.200 comfort heavy fantasy. But that's where I landed, 00:23:52.460 --> 00:23:56.019 and I am definitely okay with that. I already 00:23:56.019 --> 00:23:59.819 know that's the lane that I like to stay in. 00:24:00.359 --> 00:24:03.279 Although I have a pretty eclectic taste, there 00:24:03.279 --> 00:24:06.759 really isn't anything I don't get into. As long 00:24:06.759 --> 00:24:10.160 as it's not mecha, like, Gundam shit, I'm all 00:24:10.160 --> 00:24:15.039 set. But I realize that, like, I needed stories 00:24:15.039 --> 00:24:19.779 that let me breathe. Sometimes you don't. And 00:24:19.779 --> 00:24:21.980 a lot of the times for me, when I'm watching 00:24:21.980 --> 00:24:26.420 TV, this is my escapism. This is my decompression. 00:24:26.500 --> 00:24:31.779 So as much as I love intense action scenes, because 00:24:31.779 --> 00:24:35.839 visually it's stunning, not every show needs 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:39.319 to be about escalation. Sometimes it's okay to 00:24:39.319 --> 00:24:42.440 just sit with the story, I feel. If you've made 00:24:42.440 --> 00:24:45.740 it this long, I appreciate you. Thank you for 00:24:45.740 --> 00:24:49.220 spending your time with me. The next review I 00:24:49.220 --> 00:24:53.519 plan to do is going to be a full walkthrough 00:24:53.519 --> 00:24:57.400 through the ICK office worker. The Otherworlds 00:24:57.400 --> 00:25:01.099 books depend on the bean counter. It's so fresh 00:25:01.099 --> 00:25:03.779 in my mind. I can't wait to get into that one. 00:25:03.819 --> 00:25:06.160 As you could tell from this one and probably 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:09.099 if you've listened to other episodes of mine, 00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:14.680 I know I've brought this up a lot, but it's so 00:25:14.680 --> 00:25:18.900 good. I know I said I was going to bring up what 00:25:18.900 --> 00:25:22.539 my spring titles were going to be, but really 00:25:22.539 --> 00:25:26.619 the only one that I can watch because I'm not 00:25:26.619 --> 00:25:29.640 caught up with a lot of the other seasons is 00:25:29.640 --> 00:25:33.039 that Witch Hat Atelier, which I've brought up 00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:35.299 a couple times that I'm super excited to get 00:25:35.299 --> 00:25:39.759 started. And that is going to be my new recap 00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:44.559 as soon as the Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 one ends. 00:25:45.339 --> 00:25:49.440 So tune in Friday for the last one of that. Until 00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:51.480 next time, I'll see you then.