Hataraku Maou-sama!! 2nd Season

The Devil is a Part-Timer! Season 2 (Sequel)

 

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy

 

 

Mmmm, let’s talk about an anime that needed 10 years to have a sequel. I was first introduced to Hataraku Maou-sama! in 2016 by one of my friends. I enjoyed Season 1 very much, so I got hyped when they announced a second season last year.

 

The story continued after Chiho Sasaki was given a fragment, namely Yesod, and the memory of Sadao Maou’s (The Devil King's) past life. Maou and Emi Yusa (Emilia Justina/Emilia The Hero) continued to take care of Alas Ramus, a baby-lookalike Demon Princess, while facing troubles from people of Heaven and Ente Isla who kept threatening the earth, which was a different dimension from their own world. The anime also introduced Alas Ramus’ younger sister, Acieth Alla, who was already a teenager, and Emi’s father from Ente Isla, Nord Justina, who were using different names on earth. They both met Maou at a license test. The second part reached its climax with Emi and Alas Ramus being imprisoned on Ente Isla, while Maou’s right-hand man, Shirou Ashiya (Alciel), and Nord were captured by Heaven. Maou and Acieth joined forces with the Church Army’s Suzuno Kamazuki (Crestia Bell), Emeralda, and Albertio to end the chaos on Ente Isla.

 

 

I understand the sequel got a lot of disappointments from early fans. I wouldn’t deny either that its debut season had better animations. I couldn’t judge its pace, unfortunately, because I didn’t read its light novels, which aren’t for sale yet here. The thing that gave me different opinions from people’s disappointment is the fact that Hataraku Maou-sama was my second anime franchise ever I watched—the first one was obviously Naruto (Part 1, Shippuden, and Boruto: Naruto The Movie). I always have a soft spot for this anime. Seeing it get a sequel actually made me overjoyed. I wouldn’t actually mind if the next season continues to look like this, as long as it isn’t announced in another 10 years.

 

(October 23rd, 2023)

 

Chart Appearances

 

The Devil is a Part-Timer!

2023 10 Hikari no Nai Machi (nano.RIPE)

 

0 x #1 | 0 x Top 5 | 1 x Top 10 | 1 x Top 20 | 1 x Top 40 | 1 x Top 75

Mashle

Mashle: Magic and Muscles

 

Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy

 

 

If you are looking for a One-Punch Man x Harry Potter rip-off, just watch this anime. Two of my friends recommended Mashle to me in April, but I didn't find out about its availability on Vidio (the streaming service to which we subscribed) until September.

 

The anime took place in a Harry Potter-esque world where all people in the land could use magic (marked by the stripe they had on their faces) except one boy named Mash, a kid who was thrown away by his parents as a baby because he had no stripe marks. Regro Burndead, a middle-aged man who wasn’t good at magic either, found the baby and isolated themselves in a forest, where he named the baby Mash Burndead. As an insurance to Mash’s safety, Regro asked Mash to train his physical strength more, which led him to become the Saitama rip-off, calling it 'magic'. Mash’s story then continued with his entering Easton Academy. The academy will introduce you to some new main characters, such as Lemon Irvine, Lance Crown, Dot Barrett, and Finn Ames, who will become Mash’s friends.

 

 

This anime is...HUGE. I was dying of laughter when watching the first 7 or 8 episodes, while the last 4 episodes gave me more intense scenes. The way he used his physical strength and the way all the characters in the anime reacted—I'm literally dead. The maze scene, the quidditch game, the cream puff—damn! I’m looking forward to its second season this January. As a non-Manga reader, I’m curious if they’re doing more comedy than action again.

 

(October 28th 2023)

Overtake!

 

Genre: Drama

 

 

Fall 2023 brought me to two different racing-related anime. The second one was Overtake!, an original anime that wasn’t adapted from any sources. I got interested when its trailer appeared on my YouTube home page as I was planning to watch other racing anime. Overtake! introduced the scenery of the F4 Japanese Championship—where Yuki Tsunoda won it in 2018—in the manner of an anime.

 

The story is about two main characters with two different backgrounds: Haruka Asahina, an upcoming F4 driver who was racing for a poor, independent team Komaki Motors; and Kouya Madoka, a freelance photographer who stopped photographing people due to his past. Asahina, who was pretty talented, was often unlucky during the races with his handicapped team. Komaki Motors, which had zero sponsors, suddenly had a path to get more money for their upgrade resources as Madoka offered himself to become their personal photographer.

 

 

Overtake! delivered well for me, as I had never watched an original anime before. I loved the way they drew the main characters’ personalities. Their backstories were reasonable and were told clearly. It was indeed not a 100% racing anime, as it got the POV of photography too. However, wasn’t a photographer part of F1? One thing that slightly failed me was the predictable ending as we know Asahina didn't win any race in the first 11 episodes. I would definitely like to get a second season, but of course with better pacing.

 

(December 12th, 2023)

Can't say I've watched Anime but looking through your descriptions now sounds like there are some interesting plots!

MF Ghost

 

Genre: Drama, Sports

 

 

Meanwhile, the other racing anime was this spin-off/sequel of the legendary Initial D. MF Ghost was written and illustrated by the same mangaka as Initial D Shuichi Shigeno. While I haven’t watched the original series before as it contained a lot of Stages (seasons), I believe it was fine watching this first before tasting the true classic of a drifting anime.

 

Japanese-born Cambridge student Kanata Rivington moved to Japan after studying with legendary driver Takumi Fujiwara, the main character of the original show. While taking a part-time job as a waiter, Rivington participated in Japan’s most famous racing series MFG under his father’s surname, ‘Katagiri’. He lived with Ren Saionji's family, whose parents were old friends of Rivington's. Saionji’s father introduced Rivington to Ogata, a mechanic and former MFG racer who lent Rivington his red Toyota GT-86. MFG wasn’t really a drifting championship, as some rally-oriented drivers like Michael Beckenbauer, Fuujin Ishigami, and Shun Aiba also participated. Despite driving in Ogata's low-horse-powered car, Rivington was ready to show his drifting skills in the tournament.

 

 

Since I haven’t watched anything from Initial D except some clips I discovered on YouTube, MF Ghost is a decent homage to the original series, in my opinion. Its opening theme also featured a eurobeat song with a legendary eurobeat artist, MOTSU, who performed some of Initial D’s theme under the band M.O.V.E. It also introduced me to some great eurobeat classics—I’m putting the playlist below—by Go2, MEGA NRG MAN, and Annerley (known better for her UK #2 hit 2 Times as Ann Lee). With the series announcing a second season in 2024, I’m looking forward to seeing Rivington drive the upgraded GT-86 and hearing more underrated Eurobeat songs.

 

(December 21st, 2023)

 

 

Chart Appearances

 

MF Ghost

2023 61 JUNGLE FIRE (Yuu Serizawa ft. MOTSU)

 

0 x #1 | 0 x Top 5 | 0 x Top 10 | 0 x Top 20 | 0 x Top 40 | 1 x Top 75

Can't say I've watched Anime but looking through your descriptions now sounds like there are some interesting plots!

They sure had nice stories and animations! Some of them might be available in either Netflix UK or Amazon Prime, I guess.

 

Thanks Pete ^_^

Yuzuki-san Chi no Yonkyoudai.

The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons

 

Genre: Slice of Life

 

 

Fall 2023 really brought me to more and more anime besides racing. I personally would not expect at all to click on an anime with four brothers on its cover.

 

The Yuzuki Family’s Four Sons is an anime about four brothers named Hayato, Mikoto, Minato, and Gakuto Yuzuki who just lost their parents a couple months ago. Since their parents’ deaths, Hayato has had to work harder as a teacher to feed their younger brothers. He worked at the same school where Mikoto and Minato, the second and third brothers who had only a one-year-old gap, studied. At first, Mikoto wasn’t grateful to have Minato, who was pampered more by the mother, but later he had 'brother complex' (brocon) feelings for Minato’s spoiled brat personality (uhm, Boruto, uhm), causing Minato to get a little bit annoyed. Meanwhile, Gakuto wasn’t your ordinary 7-year-old elementary kid, as he got wise and smart at an early age thanks to an old man Torajirou from the Kirishima family living across the Yuzuki residence. Similar to Mikoto, Minato had a brocon relationship with Gakuto for being too cute.

 

 

I really love how realistic this anime was. You don’t even have to force something here to make your audience cry. I cried twice in two different episodes. On the other hand, this anime taught me about determination, love, fortitude, and friendship. It also gave me an insight that a good anime doesn’t have to contain fanservice nor couple ship like in those popular and highly-rated Shounen/Seinen series, though I actually wanted to see Minato having a bigger relationship with the tomboy Uta Kirishima instead of being just best friends.

 

(December 23rd, 2023)

Sousou no Frieren

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Part 1)

 

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

 

 

A lot of people got hyped for this new anime, so it’s natural for me to join the hype. As a non-Manga reader, I clearly had zero idea what Sousou no Frieren was about. The interesting fact is that the Indonesian editor for the manga reached Volume 5 before this even got aired. The anime now has the highest rating (9.14) on MyAnimeList, though it’s still #565 in the popularity chart.

 

The story began with how a common fantasy anime would likely end. The elf Frieren defeated the Demon King alongside her party: the hero Himmel, the priest Heiter, and the Viking Eisen. People around the world nicknamed them The Hero Party. 50 years later, Himmel passed away, and Heiter followed him several years later. Frieren, who is an elf, stayed young as she had a different timeline from humans. Similar to elves, Eisen lived longer as well, although Vikings lived shorter than elves. 26 years following Himmel’s death, Frieren wanted to go on a journey to remember her past adventures with The Hero Party. She was accompanied by the mage Fern, who was adopted by the late Heiter, and the warrior Stark, a student of Eisen.

 

I might have a similar opinion as most Indonesian anime fans: the early storyline is indeed boring. However, at the same time, it is flawless. Sousou no Frieren had a lot of wholesome moments despite using a mixed plot, something I wasn’t really into. I didn’t expect Himmel to be that special to Frieren, so no wonder she cried during his funeral. Stark’s relationship with Fern was cute AF. The moment they were dancing at the ball, my heart immediately screamed. I am glad I joined the bandwagon, and I can’t wait to see what Madhouse will deliver in the second part.

 

(December 23rd, 2023)

 

 

Chart Appearances

 

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

2023 70 Yuusha (YOASOBI)

2023 43 Anytime Anywhere (milet)

 

0 x #1 | 0 x Top 5 | 0 x Top 10 | 0 x Top 20 | 0 x Top 40 | 2 x Top 75

Made In Abyss

Made In Abyss (Season 1)

 

Made In Abyss: Fukaki Tamashii no Reimei

Made In Abyss Movie 3: Dawn of the Deep Soul

 

Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou

Made in Abyss Season 2: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun

 

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi

 

 

An interesting award-winning anime was discovered by the mainstreams in late November, ‘thanks’ to some toxic K-Pop fans, where they called out Soobin (of TXT), Woozi (of SEVENTEEN), Taeyong (of NCT 127), and Sakura (of LE SSERAFIM) for watching Made in Abyss. However, their attempt to cancel these idols failed successfully, all thanks to weebs who defended them on X. Two weeks later, Indonesian branch of Muse Communication, Muse Indonesia, uploaded both the first and second seasons of the anime. It made me interested in finding out how controversial this franchise was. Unfortunately, Movie 3 was nowhere to be found on the legal site, at least on my radar, so I shamefully took the piracy path to watch it.

 

Season 1 introduced the series to Riko, a young girl who is the daughter of the missing White Whistle, Lyza. Riko escaped the orphanage with an artifactual robot that she named Reg to discover the mystery of The Abyss, which contained seven layers. They encountered Ozen, another White Whistle who was Lyza’s teacher, on their way to The Deepest Part. In episode 10, we finally met, possibly the fan favorite character of the anime, Nanachi. Nanachi was introduced by saving Riko’s life after getting poisoned by one of the creatures in Layer 4.

 

Nanachi joined Riko and Reg’s adventure in Movie 3, which is the direct sequel to the series. They all headed to Ido Front on Layer 5, where Bondrewd, one of the White Whistles, lived. Their arrival was greeted by Prushka, Bondrewd’s adoptive daughter. Learning that the 6th Layer can only be opened by real white-whistle owners, the adventurers stayed for a night in Ido Front, but then revealed that Bondrewd and his Umbra Hands attempted to dismantle Reg’s robotic body. The story ended with Reg, both consciously and under someone’s possession, taking down Bondrewd’s ambitions for the trio. Prushka, who later died because of the experiment, transformed into a Life Stone to become Riko’s White Whistle, so that her dream of having an adventure with the trio still came true.

 

The latest release of the franchise was The Golden City of the Scorching Sun. Team Riko finally arrived at Layer 6. There, they discovered the Village of Iruburu, where a lot of narehate (survivors of the 6th layer curse) lived. Iruburu was made by an adventure team called Ganja. Wazukyan led Ganja alongside his other two sages, Belaf and Vueko. They were accompanied by a stranger named Irumyuui who brought their way to the 6th Layer. Knowing that there is no way home anymore upon arriving in that layer, these adventurers got cursed after drinking narehate water, which they thought was normal sea water. Irumyuui was their solution after holding the Wish-granting Egg. Irumyuui’s new form made the adventurers transform into narehate, finally building the village. Irumyuui’s final child, named Faputa, however, had a desire to destroy the Village of Iruburu and wanted to eat all of the adventurers who took advantage of her mother.

 

Made In Abyss, in my opinion, is fantastic. The mangaka Akihito Tsukushi-sensei really wanted me to think harder and imagine the mysteries happening in The Abyss. While most people praised Nanachi for ‘carrying’ the series, I seriously disagree with their opinion, as Reg and Riko did their part very well. Reg’s fight with Bondrewd is surely on the same level as some of the top-tier action anime battles. Though most of the supposed-to-be-sad moments didn’t make my tears come out, the scene where we learned Prushka died hurt my heart pretty much. The moment she appeared in the movie, I already adored her so much for her attitude. I understand that this series was made as a part of Tsukushi-sensei's hobby, so I will patiently wait until he illustrates new chapters wholeheartedly.

 

 

Finally, regarding the K-Pop fans (MOA, FEARNOT, CARAT, and NCTzen): Is Made In Abyss controversial? Sure, it is. With those treatments and blood spreading to underage children, it’s surely disturbing for some people. Not to mention the naked scenes, apart from the contexts. Did the K-Pop fans do the right thing? Is Tsukushi-sensei a pedophile, as the K-Pop fans said? I’ll let other people judge.

 

 

(December 24th 2023)

Kanojo mo Kanojo

Girlfriend, Girlfriend (Season 1 & 2)

 

Genre: Comedy, Romance

 

 

My anime exploration continues with watching two new RomCom series in Fall 2023. Second season of Kanojo mo Kanojo was out last season, but I started watching it from Season 1 as I have not watched it yet.

 

The first season was about a high school boy named Naoya Mukai and his girlfriend Saki “Sakisaki” Saki, whom Mukai had been confessing to every month since elementary school. During the extracurricular time, another girl named Nagisa Minase appeared and confessed to Mukai on the school roof. Rejected by Mukai, Minase promised that she would be waiting for him until he broke up with Sakisaki. Mukai couldn't face her cuteness and promise, so he asked Sakisaki to two-time him, and she eventually accepted it. The triangle relationship between Mukai, Sakisaki, and Minase didn’t get approval from Sakisaki’s best friend Shino Kiryuu and their fellow high school student Rika “Mirika” Hoshizaki.

 

Second season focused on Kiryuu, who wanted to keep her eyes on the three, and Mirika, who kept trying to flirt with Mukai. It also revealed Kiryuu had had a serious feeling toward Mukai since he refused to give up on Sakisaki. Her feelings deepened when Mukai bought her a purple ribbon as a gift for giving him advice. While Mukai was focusing on getting close with both Minase and Sakisaki and finding their best moment to kiss, Kiryuu, out of nowhere, often got into accidents with Mukai at the most unfortunate moments. Kiryuu couldn't hold out much longer with her feelings, so she agreed to work together with Mirika to create a gap between Mukai and his girlfriends.

 

 

As a new RomCom watcher, I’d say this series is absurdly hilarious. I’d definitely lie if I said I didn’t laugh. The problem with me is Minase, which is quite problematic and manipulative, I must say. I personally don’t like her at all, which kinda ruined the anime. Mirika wasn’t quite unlikable either in the first season, but she didn’t really damage it. Yes, it’s hilarious, but I think that’s that. However, the second season got a slight improvement, which is all thanks to Shino Kiryuu. Her chemistry with Mirika is better than I expected. I totally like her tsundere personality, holding her feelings from Mukai while ‘helping’ Sakisaki get closer to Mukai than Minase. Shino, you da real MVP.

 

(December 25th, 2023)

Kimi no Koto ga Dai Dai Dai Dai Daisuki na 100-nin no Kanojo

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You

 

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy

 

 

:cheeseblock:

 

This might be the most absurd anime title I have ever seen. A lot of aniYTs and aniXs recommended this series, so I had zero reason why I had to skip it. Hyakkano, the short name of the title, was also a romcom anime like Girlfriends, Girlfriends, except the potential girlfriends were 100 instead of just four. What made Hyakkano more interesting is that Aka Akasaka, author of Oshi no Ko and Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, is a fan of the manga.

 

The story began with a boy named Rentarou Aijou, who had just graduated from middle school. By that time, he had been rejected 100 times since he was only 8 months old. He went to a shrine to pray to God. As the anime title said, God destined Aijou to have 100 girlfriends from the day he entered high school, signalled by a heartbeat shock if a pair of couples stared at each other. Well, it was true. On the first day of school, Aijou met two girls named Hakari Hanazono and Karane Inda and received that ‘shock’ signal after they stared at each other. The same thing happened several days later in the library when Aijou acquired that signal again after staring into the eyes of Shizuka Yoshimoto, the school librarian. Some days later, he got two 'shocks' from the smartest girl in the class, Nano Eiai, and a drug maker, Kusuri Yakuzen, respectively. For Aijou, he had to treat those girlfriends wholeheartedly; otherwise, they would die. Luckily, no girls minded Aijou’s wish to partner them all. At the end of the season, Aijou faced the final boss: Hakari’s mom, Hahari Hanazono. Hanazono’s mother knew her daughter had a boyfriend with five girlfriends, so she did not agree and asked her daughter to break up with him. How did this season end? Correct! Hahari became the sixth girlfriend. Despite already seeing Rentarou’s face for several minutes, Rentarou was still ‘blind’ at that time due to Yakuzen’s infrared eye drop, so he couldn’t see Hahari’s face and was yet to fulfil the requirement of getting a shock. Bon appétit! Here is my delicious Oyakodon!

 

See?! He had 6 GFs so far!

 

As I mentioned before in the Anime discussion forum, this is a peak romcom anime. I don’t know what to say anymore. Hyakkano truly led me to the vicious circle of romance-comedy series. I don’t know about the others, but it is really enjoyable to watch, and its humour is really great. The anime also contained a lot of "breaking the fourth wall" moments, similar to Gintama (which I haven't watched before) and that legendary

(I remember watching it on HBO back then). However, it would be a total lie if there were no actual wholesome moments in the anime. Aijou’s focus episodes on Yoshimoto were totally adorable. Yoshimoto was a likeable person, and her backstory was kinda sad. His focus episodes on Eiai were no exception. My heart went sensitive for a moment when Aijou wanted to burn his polaroids containing his moments with Eiai, but I was glad Eiai prevented it. I can’t wait for the second season, for it might cover one of the most-awaited manga panel scenes.

 

(December 26th, 2023)

 

Chart Appearances

 

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You

2023 05 Daidaidaidaidaisuki na Kimi e (Hakari Hanazono (CV: Kaede Hondo), Karane Inda (CV: Miyu Tomita), Shizuka Yoshimoto (CV: Maria Naganawa), Nano Eiai (CV: Asami Seto), Kusuri Yakuzen (CV: Ayaka Asai))

 

0 x #1 | 1 x Top 5 | 1 x Top 10 | 1 x Top 20 | 1 x Top 40 | 1 x Top 75

Zom 100: Zombie ni Naru made ni Shitai 100 no Koto

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

 

Genre: Action, Comedy, Horror, Supernatural, Suspense

 

 

Here’s a series that got delayed until the end of 2023. Zom 100 is the first anime animated by the new studio BUG FILMS, established by former members of OLM (animation studio for Pokemon, Inazuma Eleven, and Beyblade).

 

Main character Akira Tendou worked for a black company after graduating from college for three years and got depressed. However, his mental health was saved…by a zombie apocalypse. When everybody panicked, he felt happiness because he had no longer dealt with his despicable boss. He later joined a team with his college pal Kenichirou Ryuuzaki and a mysterious girl named Shizuka Mikazuki, who had dreamed of being a doctor in her early days. The team was completed by a German foreigner, Beatrix Amerhauser, who was a Japan fanatic.

 

 

Overall, I didn’t dislike this at all. The animation is pretty unique, and I thought it was another MAPPA-animated thing. However, the delay announcement for the last three episodes really hit hard. The first nine episodes that aired in Summer 2023 (Asia) were standardly nice, but the last three ones released in Fall 2023 were kind of flawed and rushed, I guess. Of course, people on X would quickly reply, “And then you gave Boruto 9/10." I mean, for a seasonal blockbuster, it’s normal for me to expect more, isn’t it? Not to mention the black company scene in the first episode would’ve been a mock from BUG FILMS staff to OLM had they not announced the delay. Well, then. I hope the second season goes better for both the anime and BUG FILMS.

 

(January 1st, 2024)

Spy x Family Season 2

 

Genre: Action, Comedy

 

 

Weeb’s favorite series for cosplaying finally got its second season, just one year after the first one ended. I held on to watching Spy x Family after just the first 8 episodes, but Boruto’s hiatus made me continue the franchise.

 

After finally making contact with Donovan Desmond, President of the Nation Unity Party, the Forger Family: Loid "Twilight," the agent, Yor, the assassin, and Anya, the ESPer, continued living a life as a fake family. Their next journey is going on a cruise for a holiday. Anya won two tickets for her and her fake father from a lottery, while Yor had an escort mission on the same cruise Anya and Twilight were taking.

 

 

Personally, it’s another popular series that I didn’t dislike at all, but I still wanted to know why people rated it that high. Did Anya win adults’ hearts again for her cuteness? Anyway, it’s a good season, I guess, mostly thanks to the Cruise Arc. Finally, we got to see Yor carry this season with her assassin skills. Her determination to protect her clients was wholesome, too.

 

(January 1st, 2024)

Oshi no Ko

 

Genre: Drama, Supernatural

 

 

Seeing how big the promotion was for the series, I decided to watch what people would say: The Biggest Anime in 2023: Oshi no Ko. Its pictures were spread literally throughout Japan. Its opening theme was one of the most-streamed songs around the world this year. The time of Oshi no Ko being released couldn’t be more perfect, as the number of populations experiencing parasocial relationships has been increasing since the pandemic.

 

 

The anime began with a 90-minute first episode focusing on the supposed main protagonist, Ai Hoshino, former centre of the idol group B-Komachi, who suddenly announced hiatus, and it was then revealed that she was pregnant. She gave birth to twins and gave them the names Aqua and Ruby Hoshino. Both twins were reincarnations after their first deaths: Aqua was a reincarnation of Gorou, Ai’s doctor, who died after being pushed to the edge of a cliff; Ruby was a reincarnation of one of Gorou’s patients, Sarina, a 13-year-old teenager who didn’t have much time to live anymore. Several years later, Ai was stabbed to death by one of her early fans after learning that his oshi was pregnant. 15 years later, the twins grew up becoming talented people. Aqua was a great actor, while Ruby carried out her mother’s legacy as a promising idol. People in the industry later recognized Aqua after taking a minor role in a drama called Sweet Today, where he met his fellow child actor, Kana Arima. Aqua was then featured in a reality show called Imagachi (LoveForReal), where he met Akane Kurokawa and MEM-Cho.

 

 

In conclusion, I think it is a must-watch anime for Buzzjack members, which I see as people who admire music and musicians’ personalities. Most characters were quite well-written as well. I could enjoy the fun of it while absorbing the feelings of the characters. I bought its manga last weekend, from the 5th–8th volume, so I can’t wait for the 2nd season next year. Apart from its ending, I’m pretty glad I didn’t get spoiled too much about the series.

 

(October 23rd 2023)

 

P.S. Now I've used all of my 1-time reading tickets in MANGA Plus by Shueisha app to catch up the manga story and GOD, I'M TOTALLY HYPED FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES!!!

 

Chart Appearances

 

Oshi no Ko

2023 04 Idol (YOASOBI)

2023 01 PIEYON BOOT DANCE (Pieyon (CV: Taishi Murata))

2023 08 SIGN IS B (B-Komachi, Ruby (CV: Yurie Igoma), Kana Arima (CV: Megumi Han), MEM-Cho (CV: Rumi Ookubo))

2023 10 STAR☆T☆RAIN (B-Komachi, Ai (CV: Rie Takahashi))

2023 07 FULL MOON...! (Kana Arima (CV: Megumi Han))

2023 47 GREEN PEPPER CALISTHENICS (Kana Arima (CV: Megumi Han))

2023 50 HEART's♡KISS (B-Komachi, Ai (CV: Rie Takahashi))

 

1 x #1 | 2 x Top 5 | 5 x Top 10 | 5 x Top 20 | 5 x Top 40 | 7 x Top 75

Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (Season 1 Part 1 & 2 and Season 2 Part 1)

 

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Ecchi

 

 

Last, but not least, might be the best anime I’ve discovered in 2023. So, I discovered this anime through an Indonesian meme back in late 2022. I wasn’t convinced yet to watch it, but with Boruto announcing hiatus and Demon Slayer having its third season, I had to find something to at least keep my mood stable, which led me to Mushoku Tensei.

 

An unnamed middle-aged NEET man passed away in a truck accident. He then got isekai’d (reborn in a different world) on an 8000-BC sword and magic world by Paul and Zenith as Rudeus Greyrat. He grew up as a genius magician at an early age but was also perverted, as in his previous life. He already had his first crush in the first episode, which was his own teacher, Roxy Migurdia. His second and third lovers were also introduced in the first part: Sylphiette, an elf, and Eris Boreas Greyrat, his royal cousin. The first season also introduced you to two Turning Points. Similar to the dictionary, according to light novel readers, Turning Points would be the parts that have the biggest and most decisive changes in the storyline. These Turning Points would give you goosebumps as well, like the anime did to me.

 

Without spoiling the series too much, Season 2 focused on Rudeus’ depression problem, which is why the arc was called “Depressed Magician Arc." It introduced you to some new characters, but the most important one was Sara. When Sara was supposed to become Rudeus’ fourth lover, he then realised he had had an ED—yes, erectile dysfunction—since the end of season 1. The story then continued to the next arc, which was the Ronoa Academy Arc. Rudeus decided to join the academy in order to find a cure for his illness. He also finally met Sylphy again in the academy, where she was joining forces with Princess Ariel and Luke Greyrat, which were introduced in Episode 0. However, Rudeus didn’t know it was Sylphy, for she was disguising herself as a boy named Fitz.

 

 

This, without a doubt, would be an anime I’d like to revisit again in the future. Mushoku Tensei encouraged me to watch more anime series that are either seasonal, romance, or Isekai. As you might remember too, I even sent one of its soundtracks to BJSC because of how much I love the lyrics and the song itself, so I want you to listen to this once more before we reveal where LONGMAN - spiral will finish in 2023. Of course, this had a lot of controversial moments, which I’d rather you search for yourself. I’m personally excited for the second part of season 2 in early 2024, but I also wanted to finish the entire story earlier by buying its light novels, which aren’t available yet in Bahasa Indonesia.

 

(October 28th 2023)

 

 

Chart Appearances

 

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation

2023 01 spiral (LONGMAN)

 

1 x #1 | 1 x Top 5 | 1 x Top 10 | 1 x Top 20 | 1 x Top 40 | 1 x Top 75

There you have it, all anime I watched last year that I wanted to spotlight!

 

Unfortunately, we could not start the countdown yet as I haven't made the Top 75 for Week 52 and 53 (yes, this year I'll feature the 53rd week, which was supposed to be made for 2022).

 

I'll publish the written version of my Spotify Wrapped and Top 100 Dance/Electronic Songs which I have uploaded on YouTube ICYMI.

2023 in Songs

 

My Spotify Wrapped 2023

 

 

Top 3 Spotify Wrapped are filled by Calvin Harris' hit Miracle remixed by Hardwell who made his comeback in 2022. My BJSC Spin-off Instrumental entry by trance producers Dj-Elven, rising from Germany, and D-Myo, rising from France. With the song has already charting since 2022, my BJSC 152 entry, Anything You Want by Reality Club, has been streamed at least once everytime they made into the top 50 last year. Can they win the Buzzjack Song of The Year as well and become the first artist representing the non-dance scene?

 

Text version:

 

01 Reality Club - Anything You Want

02 Dj-Elven, D-Myo - World Of Pandora (Extended Mix)

03 Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding - Miracle (Hardwell Remix)

04 Weird Genius, Lyodra, Tiara Andini, Ziva Magnolya - Glorious

05 Aden Foyer - The Ballet Girl

06 Martin Garrix, Sentinel ft. Bonn - Hurricane

07 LONGMAN - spiral

08 GINJO - Young Hearts

09 Disturbed - Don't Tell Me (feat. Ann Wilson)

10 MAN WITH A MISSION, milet - Kizuna no Kiseki

 

11 LTN - Brave Game (Extended Mix)

12 Girls' Generation - FOREVER 1 (Matisse & Sadko Remix)

13 Roman Messer - Forever (FEEL Remix)

14 Pieyon (CV: Taishi Murata) - PIEYON BOOT DANCE

15 New West - Those Eyes

16 Sefa, D-Block & S-te-Fan - Infinity

17 Richard Durand, Christina Novelli - Fall Through the Earth

18 Kohta Imafuku - Orihime

19 Amidy, Danny Olson ft. Tyler Graves - Gravity

20 The Viper, G-Town Madness - Come As One (Sefa Remix)

 

21 Craig Connelly, HALIENE - Other Side of the World

22 Kobo Kanaeru - Oh! Asmara

23 Steve Aoki, KAAZE ft. John Martin - Whole Again

24 Phuture Noize ft. Nino Lucarelli - I Raise My Glass

25 Alessandra Roncone - Unkonsciousness (UNK23 Anthem)

26 Ezra Hazard, EMKR, Linnea Schossow - Changes (Extended Mix)

27 Ilse DeLange - Confetti Shotgun

28 Ayra Starr - Sability

29 Dimitri Vangelis & Wyman - Someone To Love

30 nano.RIPE - Hikari no Nai Machi

 

31 PIKOTARO ft. Masato Suzuki, Cateen (Hayato Sumino) - PEEK-A-BOO

32 YOASOBI - Idol

33 Nicky Romero, DubVision, Philip Strand - Stay A Little Longer

34 WUKONG - Yi Er San Si

35 Dr. Peacock, JKLL - Au-delà

36 RONDÉ - Bright Eyes

37 Kohta Imafuku - Best Wishes (Tsuki Shizumutoki Remix)

38 Blue Serigala - Endeavour

39 WBN - In My Arms

40 Crusadope - To the Unknown

 

41 Lyodra, Andi Rianto - Sang Dewi

42 Phuture Noize - From Star To Stardust

43 HALIENE - Reach Across the Sky (Ben Gold Extended Remix)

44 Matisse & Sadko, Michel Zitron - Afterglow

45 Darren Porter, Neev Kennedy - Live And Love Again

46 RAM, Natalie Gioia - Forgive Me

47 KANA-BOON - Kirarirari

48 Putri Ariani - Loneliness (Live Version)

49 ANNA ft. MadMan, Gemitaiz, Hybrid - Bando (FAST X Remix)

50 Sefa - 1527

 

51 Andrew Liogas - World Of Wonders

52 Linkin Park - Lost

53 Headhunterz ft. Malukah - Reignite (D-Block & S-te-Fan Remix)

54 Wasback, Maynamic ft. Drew Ryn - Antidote (Save Me)

55 My Chemical Romance - Disenchanted

56 Eynsai - MONOMYTH

57 Unphased - Marauder

58 RAM, Cari - What Matters

59 Chase & Status, Bou ft. IRAH, Flowdan, Trigga & Takura - Baddadan

60 B-Komachi, Ruby (CV: Yurie Igoma), Kana Arima (CV: Megumi Han), MEM-cho (CV: Rumi Ookubo) - SIGN IS B (NEW ARRANGE SOLO VER.)

 

61 Wali - Yank

62 RL Grime ft. 070 Shake - Pour Your Heart Out

63 Vadim Bonkrashkov, Natalie Gioia, Rinaly - Won't Quit The Fight (Mike Zaloxx Extended Remix)

64 XiJaro & Pitch, Cari - Time

65 BK, Rob Tissera, Steve Hill, Technikal - Moving On

66 Kana Arima (CV: Megumi Han) - FULL MOON…!

67 Miley Cyrus - Angels Like You

68 Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha

69 Oliverse ft. Dani King - Eat Your Heart Out

70 SuwranP - Twilight Zone

 

71 Richard Durand, Christina Novelli - The Air I Breathe (Adaro Remix)

72 XCEPTION - Constellation Sky

73 DI-RECT - How My Heart Was Won

74 Seafret, Seeb - Atlantis

75 Dash Berlin, DubVision, Emma Hewitt - Time After Time (Ashley Wallbridge Remix)

76 Masaru Hinaiji ft. kayumai - Outrage (Radio Edit Japanese Version)

77 FIFTY FIFTY - Cupid (Twin Ver.)

78 FUR - If You Know That I'm Lonely

79 StarBe ft. Kobo Kanaeru - Princess Samurai

80 Giuseppe Ottaviani, Richard Walters - Keep You Safe (Cold Blue Remix)

 

81 Anderex, Mutilator ft. Disarray - Twin Turbo (Official Gearbox Twin Turbo 2022 Anthem)

82 Fujii Kaze - Shinunoga E-Wa

83 Dewa Budjana, Rhoma Irama - SmaraRindu

84 Cold Blue, Audrey Gallagher - Broken Things

85 Michel Westerhoff - Shores of Heaven

86 Nicky Romero, Jonas Blue, Nico Santos - All You Need Is Love (Festival Edit)

87 Charly Lownoise, Re-Style - Like Old Days

88 Stephen Sanchez - Evangeline

89 Rank 1 ft. Shanokee - Such is Life (XiJaro & Pitch Remix)

90 YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Dermot Kennedy, Bailey Zimmerman - Won’t Back Down

 

91 Ari Lasso - Hampa

92 Stephen Sanchez, Em Beihold - Until I Found You

93 Skrillex, Nai Barghouti - XENA

94 B-Komachi, Ai (CV: Rie Takahashi) - STAR☆T☆RAIN (AI SOLO VER.)

95 Iwan Fals - Jendela Kelas 1

96 Vintage & Morelli, Arielle Maren - Other Side (Factor B's In Loving Memory Remix)

97 Yufo, Amel - Losing My Mind

98 Rebelion - Vendetta

99 Smith & Thell - I Feel It In The Wind

100 Stacey Ryan, Ziva Magnolya - Fall In Love Alone

Top Dance/Electronic Songs of 2023

 

 

Published last week, I have announced that Time by XiJaro & Pitch and Cari, which was also my BJSC 160 entry, is my Dance/Electronic Song of The Year. Craig Connelly and HALIENE got the silver medal with Other Side of the World. Weird Genius got another bronze medal with their anthem for FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023 Argentina, alongside Lyodra, Tiara Andini, and Ziva Magnolya.

 

However, as this countdown is 100% based on Buzzjack points (75->1), do they have enough points to win my Buzzjack Song of the Year?

 

Text version:

 

1 XiJaro & Pitch with Cari - Time

2 Craig Connelly & HALIENE - Other Side of the World

3 Weird Genius, Lyodra, Tiara Andini, Ziva Magnolya - Glorious

4 Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding - Miracle (Hardwell Remix)

5 Atmozfears, Audiotricz - Reawakening (Atmozfears Edit)

6 GINJO - Young Hearts

7 LinX & Jawny Sparklez - Eye Of The Storm

8 Demi Kanon & A-RIZE - So Alive

9 Headhunterz ft. Malukah - Reignite (D-Block & S-te-Fan remix)

10 RAM & Natalie Gioia - Forgive Me

 

11 Phuture Noize ft. Nino Lucarelli - I Raise My Glass

12 Ferry Corsten - Yes Man

13 LTN - Brave Game

14 Ezra Hazard x EMKR x Linnea Schössow - Changes

15 Sefa - 1527

16 Martin Garrix & Sentinel feat. Bonn - Hurricane

17 XCEPTION - Constellation Sky

18 Dj-Elven & D-Myo - World Of Pandora

19 AMIDY & Danny Olson ft. Tyler Graves - Gravity

20 Charly Lownoise & Re-Style - Like Old Days

 

21 Dr. Peacock & JKLL - Au-dela

22 Pendulum - Colourfast

23 ARTBAT ft. John Martin - Coming Home

24 Unphased - Marauder

25 Kohta Imafuku - Best Wishes (Tsuki Shizumutoki Remix)

26 Dimitri Vangelis & Wyman - Someone To Love

27 HALIENE - Reach Across The Sky (Ben Gold Remix)

28 Roman Messer - Forever (FEEL Remix)

29 Richard Durand, Christina Novelli - Fall Through The Earth

30 Nause & Steerner - Somebody

 

31 Blue Serigala - Endeavour

32 The Viper & G-Town Madness - Come As One (Sefa Remix)

33 Vintage & Morelli and Arielle Maren - Other Side (Factor B Remix)

34 Matisse & Sadko - Afterglow

35 WBN - In My Arms

36 Dash Berlin, DubVision, Emma Hewitt - Time After Time (Ashley Wallbridge Remix)

37 Almero - Everyday

38 Phuture Noize - From Star to Stardust

39 Masaru Hinaiji ft. Kayumai - Outrage (Japanese Version)

40 Alessandra ROncone - Unkonsciousness

 

41 Seven Lions, Above & Beyond ft. Opposite the Other - Over Now

42 Cold Blue - Broken Things

43 Darren Porter, Neev Kennedy - Live And Love Again

44 WUKONG - Yi Er San Si

45 Anderex, Mutilator ft. Disarray - Twin Turbo

46 Andrew Liogas - World of Wonders

47 Daniele Mondello - THE WORLD IS MINE

48 BEATSMASH, Slanks, Drama B - Visions

49 Rebelion - Vendetta

50 SuwranP - Twilight Zone

 

51 Yufo, Amél (Carlie Hansen) - Losing My Mind

52 Eynsai - MONOMYTH

53 Phuture Noize - Problem Child

54 Airwave - Tears in Rain

55 Metta & Glyde, Susana - Build A Bridge

56 RL Grime ft. 070 Shake - Pour Your Heart Out

57 BK, Rob Tissera, Steve Hill, Technikal - Moving On

58 Dimension ft. Poppy Baskcomb - Where Do We Go

59 Oliverse ft. Dani King - Eat Your Heart Out

60 RAM, Cari - What Matters

 

61 Whisnu Santika, Brett Allen - Down 2 Diss

62 Vadim Bonkrashkov, Natalie Gioia, Rinaly - Won't Quit The Fight (Mike Zaloxx Remix)

63 Skrillex, Nai Barghouti - Xena

64 Sound Rush, The Purge, Adjuzt - Adrenaline Overload

65 Elektronomia - Nostalgia

66 ILLENIUM - Starfall

67 SEGA Sound Team, Kanon Oguni - Cyber Space 4-1: Exceed Mach

68 Roman Messer, NoMosk, Christina Novelli - Lost Soul (Full Fire Mix)

69 TheFatRat, NEFFEX - Back One Day (Outro Song)

70 Nicky Romero, Jonas Blue, Nico Santos - All You Need Is Love (Festival Edit)

 

71 Phuture Noize - The Stars Are Tumbling Out Of The Sky

72 Laur - KIKIKAIKAI

73 Crusadope - To the Unknown

74 KSHMR, Maddix - Close To You

75 Giuseppe Ottaviani, Richard Walters - Keep You Safe (Cold Blue Remix)

76 Frontliner - Dreams and Wonders

77 Frontliner, MYST, Alter Ego - Before Your Eyes

78 Doppenberg - Someday

79 Michel Westerhoff - Shores of Heaven

80 Darude - Kaleidoscope

 

81 Rank 1 ft. Shanokee - Such This Life (XiJaro & Pitch Remix)

82 Aspyer, Fredrik Ferrier - Last Call

83 Madison Mars, NIGHT / MOVES - Kickback

84 Chase & Status, Hedex ft. ArrDee - Liquor & Cigarettes

85 BASDA, Dewa Maulana - DENTUM

86 ATSY x Taner, Burnhaze ft. Amin Salmee - River

87 Gareth Emery ft. Sarah De Warren - Electric Life

88 Tensteps, Achilles, Amin Salmee - New Day

89 The WLT, OANA - Rainbow

90 FrogMonster - Wonder

 

91 Sub Focus ft. AR/CO - Vibration (One More Time)

92 NIVIRO ft. Diandra Faye - Orphic Night

93 Stadiumx, Timmo Hendriks ft. Jordan Grace - Save Me

94 Digital Punk, Sickddellz, Alee ft. Carola - Extermination

95 Endymion, I WAS THE LION - Never Take Me Alive

96 Kaleena Zanders, Shift K3Y - V I B R A T I O N

97 Bass Modulators ft. Ava Silver - Conquerors

98 Chase & Status, Bou ft. IRAH, Flowdan, Trigga, Takura - Baddadan

99 Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha

100 Yuta Imai - NRG Drink

 

101 Hardwell, Timmy Trumpet, Maddix - Revolution

102 D'ort - The Universe

103 Aftershock, Sogma ft. Alexa Ray - Stars of Destiny

104 Metrik - Abyss

105 Avizura - What Lies Ahead

106 Glancia - Got Lost

107 Tungevaag, Steerner - Imma Love You

108 KSHMR ft. BAIMZ - Get With Nobody

109 Frederico ft. Tiffany Aris - Like A River

110 James Dymond, James R K Freeman - Opus 2

 

111 Warface, D-Sturb, E-Force ft. Artifact, Bloodlust, Killshot - Making History

112 D'ort - Zondagsmis

113 Omnia - Aura

114 Apashe, YMIR - Contraband

115 Murdock, Sena Dagadu - Reign

116 Swedish House Mafia - Ray of Solar

117 Andrew Rayel - One More Memory

118 Mathieu Koss, Madcon - Queen for a Day (Yeke Yeke)

119 Lufthaus, Robbie Williams ft. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Immortal

120 Eelke Kleijn - Transmission (Joris Voorn Remix)

 

121 Tungevaag, STVW, Joe Jury - Lovers On The Run

122 LOWES - Game of Love (Friction Remix)

123 Showtek, Timmy Trumpet - Dream (Festival Mix)

124 Vluarr - Higher

125 Ummet Ozcan - Kayra

126 Eximinds, Lyd14 - On Our Side

127 Ecstatic, Sogma ft. Lloren - Dark Before The Dawn

128 Eelke Kleijn - Transmission (Joris Voorn Remix)

129 Cape Town - Tears of Jupiter

130 Alessandra Roncone, Cari - The Journey

 

131 Phuture Noize, Aversion - Revolution

132 Phuture Noize ft. Daimy Lotus - Thru The Smoke

133 Justin Mylo ft. Jordan Shaw - Written In The Sky

134 Brennan Heart, SHWAY - Solo

135 DJ Sakin, Talla 2XLC - Nomansland (David's Song)

136 Darude, House Body, Oskr - Outlaws

137 NIGHT / MOVES - Blacked Out Rover (Don Diablo Edit)

138 Vigel, Voster & Gallardo, Hit Or Miss - Meant To Be

139 Armin van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, Rank 1, Ruben de Ronde - Destination

140 Sefa - Be Free (This Is Sefa Edit)

 

141 Brennan Heart, Phuture Noize - When Daylight Strikes

142 Pegboard Nerds - ZENITH

143 Alan Walker, Daya - Heart over Mind

144 W&W, KEVU - Incoming!

145 Will Sparks - Indestructible

146 Steve Aoki, KAAZE ft. John Martin - Won't Forget This Time

147 D-Block & S-te-Fan - Someone To Believe In

148 Jim Yosef, Laura Brehm - Into The Sky

149 Jax Jones, Fireboy DML - Me and My Guitar (Midnight Snacks Remix)

150 Naeleck, Oddity - Kabuki

 

151 Ferry Tayle & Tonks pres. Mirage - Chimera

152 Dirty Palm, Bad Reputation - Spellbound

153 Andrew Rayel, SMR LVE, Eric Lumiere - Feel Alive

154 Tungevaag, RetroVision - Alone With You

155 S3RL ft. RIddle Anne - Space-Time (KayLife! Remix)

156 NIIKO x SWAE, Łaszewo - Not Around

157 Aly & Fila, Chapter 47, Richard Bedford - Edge Of Tomorrow

158 Phuture Noize - One Last Midnight

159 D-Stroyer, The Infamous ft. Robin Vane - Letting Go Of You

160 Scooter, Giuseppe Ottaviani - Hyper Hyper

 

161 D-Block & S-te-Fan, Headhunterz - Keepers Of Our Legacy

162 The Rolling Stones - Mess It Up (Purple Disco Machine Remix)

163 GridKiller, Neophyte - Like Shakespeare

164 Marnik, Widemode, The Golden Army - Take Me Away

165 Sara Fajira - Mantra Surugana

166 NURKO, Kyle Hume - Save Me (From Myself)

167 Dabin, Kai Wachi ft. Lø Spirit - Hollow (Vanic Remix)

168 Teminite, Skybreak - Accelerate

169 Andrew Rayel, AVIAN GRAYS - Shine Like You

170 Jonth - Even The Stars

 

171 Dyro, Amba Shepherd - Right Here

172 HamzeH, Cari - Walking Away

173 Headhunterz, Vertile ft. Sian Evans - Lost Without You

174 Cryex - Madness 6.0

175 Spencer Brown, Wilt Claybourne, Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Awu Wemadoda (Club Mix)

176 Criss Antof, Rayz ft. Aiden Somerville - Haven

177 Ellie Goulding - By The End Of The Night (southstar Remix)

178 Ashley Wallbridge ft. That Girl - Nothing's Impossible

179 Zatox - In My Mind

180 Seven Lions ft. Dotter - Brightest Light

 

181 JOYFIRE - I Want To Know

182 Ghost Stories - Devil's Night

183 Shouse, David Guetta - Live Without Love

184 Trivecta, Caster - Leviathan

185 Cold Blue - Dance of The Giraffes

186 Gareth Emery ft. Maria Lynn - Missing You

187 Tensteps ft. SGNLS - Don't Want It To End

188 Calvin Harris, Sam Smith - Desire

189 Peggy Gou - (It Goes Like) Nanana

190 Alesso, John Newman - Call Your Name (Henri PFR Remix)

 

191 JDX - Master Of Your Soul

192 MYST - Talk About Love

193 Nicky Romero - Chapters

194 Eboman - Hit The Streets

195 Clinton N, kyippy, Alex Kade ft. Luma - Dreaming

196 Zero Days ft. Ramo - Run Away

197 Friction, Poppy Baskcomb - The Answer

198 Tiesto - Lay Low (Argy Remix)

199 Serzo - Ancient Voices (Rayvolt Remix)

200 Thomas Petersen - Freedom

Edited January 1, 20241 yr by Cow P

Time was a pretty decent BJSC entry from you - it certainly grew on me as the contest went on. I think the only song in your Top 40 I charted was Hurricane - fairly standard fare from Garrix but nothing wrong with that!