Hikari

13

PG-13

16bit Sensation: Another Layer

Konoha Akisato's love for bishoujo games—a type of entertainment focused on interactions with beautiful girls—has always nurtured her aspiration of becoming a popular artist. However, as Konoha secures her first job as a sub-illustrator at the game company Blue Bell, she confronts the harsh reality surrounding her favorite genre. In 2023, the bishoujo game industry is overrun with cheap, repetitive, and low-effort releases, with Blue Bell at the core of the problem. After stumbling upon a vintage game store and reminiscing about the impressive titles of the past, Konoha suddenly winds up in the year 1992—just as the bishoujo game industry was beginning to flourish. Konoha struggles to accept her new circumstances until she joins Alcohol Soft, a small game company willing to employ her as an illustrator. Although she believes her skills from the future will propel her to success, technology and illustration are considerably old-school, and she must promptly adapt if she wishes to fulfill her dreams.

TV Fall 2023 6.93

12

PG-13

Kimi no Koto ga Daidaidaidaidaisuki na 100-nin no Kanojo

Rentarou Aijou has it all: looks, intelligence, athletic skill, and popularity with peers and mentors alike. Unfortunately, none of these qualities help Rentarou with his love life. On the day of his middle school graduation, he is once again turned down by a girl he confesses to, earning his one-hundredth rejection in a row. Down on his luck, he goes to a matchmaking shrine and wishes to finally get a girlfriend in high school. When the god of the shrine suddenly appears before him, Rentarou is told he will meet an astronomical total of one hundred soulmates in high school. Though Rentarou initially does not take this foretelling seriously, his doubts disappear when, on the first day of school, he meets two of these soulmates—Hakari Hanazono and Karane Inda—who both confess to him. With fated encounters and love confessions galore, Rentarou's life is about to get a lot more exciting.

TV Fall 2023 7.84

10

PG-13

Aggressive Retsuko (ONA)

Some offices have stereotypical dynamics: the chauvinistic pig of a boss who never does any real work; the employees whose goal is to suck up to the boss; the ones whose lives seem perfect; and the individuals who have all the actual work pushed onto them. Retsuko the red panda is in the last group, as she stays late most nights to make up the work her coworkers are too lazy to do themselves. Her relief from the stress of her everyday life comes in the form of singing death metal at a local karaoke club. Night after night, Retsuko channels her grief into a microphone and considers the place to be her own personal sanctuary. But as she moves further away from her comfort zone and the ideas people have of her, she discovers that letting others into her world of death metal may not be such a bad thing.

Ona Winter 2018 7.64

10

PG-13

Aggressive Retsuko (ONA) 2nd Season

Red panda Retsuko continues to work at her cyclic office job, with the occasional stress-venting via death metal karaoke on the side. With the company of her newfound friends Gori and Washimi, life is more enjoyable than ever before. But some new shake-ups to her status quo threaten to add more stress to her life. At the office, new employee Anai seems like a fine addition to the company. Yet when Retsuko is placed in charge of his training, she finds that beneath his steadfast dedication, he may pose a threat to the stability of the workplace. Meanwhile, at home, Retsuko's mother pays an abrupt visit, fully intent on having her daughter finally settle down and find a man. With this in mind, she sets Retsuko up for various marriage appointments, much to her chagrin. Now, Retsuko finds all the more reasons to head to the karaoke bar and unleash her furious diatribes. However, knowing that this will not truly solve her problems, she decides to make a more spontaneous choice to avoid her issues. And so, Retsuko finds herself set upon another self-reflecting journey, coming to learn more about herself and love, with the ever cathartic support of death metal karaoke.

Ona Winter 2019 7.73

PG-13

10

7.8