bhermann-40608 Reviews

Magical Girl Friendship Squad: Origins (2020)

A nice, fun series which is underrated

[10/10 · 16 October 2020]

I know there has been a lot of hate toward this show by some people, but I enjoyed this parody of the magical girl genre and it is a pilot series of the longer-form series, Magical Girl Friendship Squad. This series mostly parodies Sailor Moon and to a lesser extent Cardcaptor Sakura. It is written by Diana McCorry, who created the series Human Kind Of, a show which streamed on Facebook Watch back in 2018. This show is mainly geared toward Millennials, but that is due to the people who created it. As such, the protagonists, medium brown-skinned Alex and pale white-skinned Daisy, are struggling to pay their rent, and are unsure if to become magical heroes. They eventually do so, agreeing to turn into heroes with the help of a familiar (a magical red panda) and end up fighting their landlord. In later episodes, they end up using their powers to benefit themselves, with Daisy revealing she is lesbian as she sleeps with an unidentified black woman, and they fight another villain even when drunk and hung-over. Then in the third episode, we meet the parents of Daisy and Alex, with the latter family biracial, while Daisy's parents are religious extremists who are part of a cult. The biggest complaint I have about this show is the issue in trying to watch it. Three episodes are available on the NBC website, but if you want to watch any more, you need to pay. As such, without a subscription to SYFY, it is hard to watch this series in its entirety. All in all, I would recommend this series and recommend people give it a try. I know not everyone will like it, but you have to remember it is an adult animation, not a family-friendly animation like Steven Universe, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, or Cleopatra in Space, to give three examples. Often critics of the show do not consider the latter.

Bravest Warriors (2009–2018)

A wonderful series

[8/10 · 3 June 2020]

I had heard of this series before, and I decided to give it a try. The episodes are short and it's fun like Adventure Time, partly because the creator of that show created this one. But, it's more than fun and games. Apart from the awesome bisexual character, Plum, there is time travel and adventure across various realms, where the characters have to discover themselves, their emotions, and about their lives. It's a very captivating series that pulls you in. I thoroughly enjoyed seasons 1-3, and while some people didn't like Season 4, citing different writers and lack of continuity from previous seasons, but it was still great in any case!

LoliRock (2014–2023)

An interesting series based on magical girl anime

[8/10 · 3 June 2020]

This series, clearly influenced by anime, is a fun and nice series which is generally carefree, playing off the trope of brainless villains (Mephisto and Praxina who are the minions of Gramorr) and a focus on magical girls, especially in Season 1. Still, it does have themes of acceptance, friendship, romance, and more, interweaved within the show itself. The show centers around three characters who are magical princesses and singers in a band named Lolirock: Talia, Auriana, and Iris, with Amaru, their magical being who can turn into their steed. Emaru can also summon the arena which seems to resemble the area where Utena fights her foes in the series, Revolutionary Girl Utena, especially due to the fact that it is completely manufactured. The end of the first season raises the stakes of the show, as three new characters, apart from Talia's sister Izira are introduced, one thief named Lev and two princesses named Lyna and Carissa. Unfortunately, although the stakes are raised in the next season, these characters are seriously underutilized, with the ground laid for a third season. The latter is unlikely at this point as the second season ended in 2017.

RWBY (2012– )

A great series for the ages

[10/10 · 3 June 2020]

This ongoing series was much better than I expected. The episodes begin at a short and manageable length, making it easy to move through the seasons. The characters have a great dynamic, and it is more than a story about "a group of four girls in their first year at a legendary academy where they will learn to fight monsters" as RoosterTeeth describes it. Those girls are Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang, otherwise known as RWBY, with two other teams: Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha and Ren (JNPR) and Cardin, Russel, Dove, and Sky Lark (CRDL), while they try to prove their worth in the academy, while evil lurks in the background, manifested by the gangster Roman and his minions who want to create chaos. The dynamic between Ruby and Weiss is interesting, as is one between Ruby and her older sister, Blake. The same could be said for the dynamic between Blake and Yang, or the one between Juane and Pyrrha. The first volume (season 1) consists of them finding their bearings and training at the academy, gaining new friends, and enemies. Season 2, otherwise known as Volume 2, brings new challenges, with enemies like Roman Torchwick, Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, and Emerald Sustrai, having even more of a role. The end of Season 2, like the end of season 1, provides an interesting twist. The episodes which just focus on RWBY and a few others are easier to follow than the others, as at times there is a dizzying amount of characters, the names of which can be hard to remember. Through Season 3, the mystery deepens, as the dark forces, represented by Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald work with the White Fang to push their agenda. The songs/intros at the beginning of each season (with a different one for each season) somewhat forecast what is to come later in that season. The fourth season, known as Volume 4, begins with a meeting of all the villains, setting a dark tone for the episodes to come. That season is unique for having Ruby, Jon, Nora, and Ren as the main protagonists, at least in the beginning, with Weiss, Blake, and Yang separated from each other, not as a cohesive team. Unlike the first three seasons, the fourth season is almost a bridge season which connects season 3 and season 5, but does not lack action. It also shares some similar themes to Steven Universe Future in that it is set after a victory, although in this case it is a victory for the villains, with the heroes having to pick up the pieces. As the seasons move forward, they get longer, as they move forward. Volume 5 begins with more of a bang than anything in volume 4, as the members of RWBY come back together bit by bit, even as evil lurks in the background, trying to enact their plan by any means necessary (even if that means killing others). By the first part of that volume, RWY are soon reunited, while Blake is still in her hometown. By the end, Blake comes in with an army of Faunus, and foils the plans to destroy Haven Academy. As such, RWBY comes together. More people die and the villains are scattered at the end of the season. The sixth volume (also known as volume 6) begins with a bang, with more revelations about Ozpin and his relation to Salem. Without giving away anything, it is pretty earth shattering to say the least, leading RWBY (and Crow) to be more skeptical of him than in the past. The season also includes more villains conspiring with each other, and sets the stage for volume/season 7. Volume 7 continues the story in Mantle, then Atlas, where the heroes align themselves with General Ironwood. Ultimately, he ends up becoming a villain, of sorts, as they cannot agree with him about how to fight Salem, and he doesn't trust them after they lied to him. The volume ends with the huge army of Salem on the horizon, ready to fight.

Although there are Bumbleby/Bumblebee moments between Blake and Yang in volumes 1, 2 and 3, there are glances between them both at the end of the fifth volume. Throughout the sixth volume, apart from the intro where Blake and Yang are sitting together with Blake staring at Yang who is looking out the train window, there are scenes between the two. In the fifth episode, Blake tries to comfort Yang to help her recover from her trauma as a result of Adam cutting off her hand, while in the 11th episode, Yang saves Blake from Adam, and they hold hands together by the waterfall, standing in opposition to him, fighting side by side. In the 12th episode, they both stab Adam, killing him, with Yang consoling Blake, dedicating themselves to stand by each other's side going forward. In the final episode of the season, Blake is again comforted by Yang, who both smile at each other, with Ruby saying she is "safe." There are a number of great Bumbleby moments in Volume 7 as well.

Additionally, there is a good deal of LGBTQ representation in this show. Ilia is lesbian, while Saphron and Terra are a lesbian couple, and you could headcannon Blake, Saphron, Yang, Imo, and Coco as bisexuals, as some have done.

Mysticons (2017–2018)

Fun for the whole family

[10/10 · 18 May 2020]

This series centers around four girls known as Mysticons: a daughter of royalty named Princess Arkayna Goodfrey (with bright/dark reddish hair), a street fighter named Zaarya Moonwolf or Z-Star (with blue hair), another street fighter named Piper Willowbrook (with reddish brown hair), and Emerald Goldenbraid (with blonde hair). There are various other characters, but Arkayna, Z-Star, Piper, and Emerald are the protagonists of this series. As the series moves forward, the romance between Zaarya and Kitty Boon (a space pirate), known as MoonBoon becomes more than subtlety and context like some of the episodes of Adventure Time. Additionally, the stakes of the series continue to be raised as the Astromancers go from becoming the allies of the Mysticons to their enemies, apart from a whole new set of villains after something happens to Dreadbane. Additionally, new secrets are revealed which leads to continuing conflict even after the Mysticons think they won. The final villain of the series is perhaps the one with the most cunning one yet. The way Zarya and Kitty's story is ended is a sweet one, although it would have been great if they could have kissed.

Rejendo obu duo (2004– )

A meh anime which is, perhaps, worth watching

[7/10 · 31 March 2020]

In this hour-long anime, if you add up the length of all the episodes together, a vampire and his best friend are brought together, with the vampire punished for disclosing the essence of living force supporting all life forms. Some growl at this anime, but on the whole, I'd say it's worth watching, perhaps. That's why I'm giving it a rating of 7.

El Hazard: The Magnificent World (1995–1996)

A series I highly recommend

[10/10 · 31 March 2020]

I originally started watching this to update the page for animated series with LGBTQ+ characters. Generally I enjoyed this series, especially the fact that there are two strong lesbian characters, Alielle Relryle and Fatora Venus, with their relationship between each other expanded in The Magnificent World 2. The story did get a bit in the weeds at times, but I generally enjoyed this series and would, as such, recommend it. I especially liked the absurdity of the evil characters and the connections between the characters. That's why this series is getting a ranking of 10, as it has strong characters and a generally strong story.

Classroom of the Elite (2017– )

A wonderful anime

[8/10 · 31 March 2020]

This show focuses on struggles between characters, in different school classes, aspiring to enter the highest class in Japanese society, some classes scheming against each other. I don't want to spoil anything more about that show, but I will say it does focus on struggle between socioeconomic classes, in an allegory of sorts. As such, this gets a rating of 10.

Ranwei de Waratte (2020– )

A nice anime worth watching

[10/10 · 31 March 2020]

This series reminded me of Paradise Kiss. This series involves characters trying to make their way in the fashion world, although they keep being rejected, facing stumbling blocks along the way. Although this series doesn't have any LGBTQ characters I can remember, I thoroughly enjoy it anyway. The characters are well-developed and the story is compelling. While the ending is, predictably, a positive one for all the characters (I won't say why), the characters do have to struggle through the rungs of the fashion industry, getting past impediments either against their height (in the case of Chiyuki) or their lack of college education (in the case of Ikuto). This series is also great for the fact there is literally NO fan service whatsoever. I would gladly watch this series again, even as a person who doesn't, generally, focus on fashion. This is one of the best animes I've watched in a while.

Paradise Kiss (2005)

An underrated anime worth watching

[10/10 · 31 March 2020]

One of my favorites because of the interactions between the characters. Yukari begins to doubt her life route until she meets members of a lively group of fashion designers and she accepts being a model for them. This is especially after she meets Joji, a designer, who she is attracted to. One of the best characters in this series is Isabella Yamamoto, a transgender woman. As such, this series definitely deserves a rating of 10.

Carole & Tuesday (2019)

Music, social commentary, and more!

[10/10 · 31 March 2020]

As I said in my podcast, the whole focuses around two characters, one who comes from a very rich family: Tuesday, and another one who is a former refugee, and is often fired from her part-time jobs and is relatively poor, Carole. They're both drawn together in the first episode of the show and the main theme of the show is them trying to climb up the ladder of the music industry. Apart from the social commentary, there's also a number of LGBTQ characters like the parent of Angela, who is androgynous due to the Martian environment, Desmond, androgynous for the same reasons, noting that they were, "originally a man but am turning into a woman," a bisexual DJ named Ertegun, a lesbian couple (Marie and Anne), a stereotypical angry lesbian named Cybelle, and a drag queen quartet. I would, as such, give this a ranking of rating of 10.

Hourou Musuko (2011)

A wonderful anime which focuses on transgender peoples

[10/10 · 31 March 2020]

Another one of my favorites. I know some people have gripes with that, due to how the show portrays transgender people, but I just have to disagree. The story centers around Nitori Shuichi, a boy who sees himself as a girl, who meets Takatsuki Yoshino, a tall and attractive young girl, who also dreams of being the opposite sex. There are so many LGBTQ characters in this show, apart from Nitori and Takatsuki. For instance, Anna Suehiro, a girl, has feelings for Nitori, and two people are straight trans women: Makoto Ariga and Hiroyuki Yoshida. I enjoyed this series greatly, enough to give it a rating of 10.

Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997)

One of the most LGBTQ anime ever

[10/10 · 31 March 2020]

This series, which is one of the most queer anime of all time (with at least six bisexual characters and one lesbian character), involves Utena Tenjou defending the "Rose Bride" named Anthy Himemiya in duels, as he conjures the power to "revolutionize the world." In the background, dark forces lurk, manipulating the players like pieces on a chessboard, with no one aware of it, except a select few. As such, this series gladly deserves a rating of 10.

Kandagawa Jet Girls (2019– )

An underrated anime

[6/10 · 31 March 2020]

I know that the reviewers on the Anime News Network hate this recent show, but I have to strongly disagree with them. In this story, Rin Namiki pilots a watercraft while her friend, Misa Aoi, fires a water gun, as they race against rival teams. With each of their racies, their bond gets stronger. One site said that this anime screams mediocre and that they are left "believing that this is some mindless entertainment that I'll probably forget about in a few months." I could see why they say that, but I'd say this is at least somewhat true. As such, this gets a rating of 6.

Yamibo: Darkness, the Hat & the Travelers of the Books (2003)

A wonderful series

[10/10 · 31 March 2020]

This anime is one of my favorites because a tall high-school girl named Hazuki Azuma searches for her love interest (and adopted older sister) Hatsumi in various worlds. These worlds are contained within books inside the Great Library, with each book containing a different world, with Hazuki working with a talking parakeet and Lilith, the library's caretaker, who has a crush on Hazuki. Due to the library themes in this story and its interesting plot, it seems right to give this its current rating.

Emara (2018)

An animated gem

[10/10 · 31 March 2020]

This Emirati web series is one of my newfound favorites. It has a lot of similar themes to Carmen Sandiego, with crime fighting, and all, but revolves around a girl who helps her mother at a tea shop in the day time and a superhero at night. I feel that this series lasted far too short but was so compelling, more than others I have seen, which is why I am giving this a rating of 10.

Ascendance of a Bookworm (2019–2022)

Learning your way in the...medieval world

[10/10 · 31 March 2020]

As a person who studied to be a librarian, this story warms my heart a bit. Apart from that, this story is about a young girl, Mei, who ends up in a medieval world after she is killed by falling books. She tries to remain intellectual in a world where books are reserved for nobility, doing her best to be industrious. It seems right to give this a rating of 10.

Land of the Lustrous (2017)

A series that is noting like Steven Univese and all its own

[10/10 · 31 March 2020]

I first stumbled upon this series because of some similar character names with this in Steven Universe, but this show is nothing like that one, not in the slightest. It's about a group of beings who are composed of jewels/gems, fighting off invaders from the moon who try to eliminate them and take over. In the process, the characters, especially the protagonist, Phosphophyllite ("Phos"), one of the weaker jewel people, works to gain strength and respect, as she works to find herself. Sadly, there are no LGBTQ characters in this series. Even so, it's still worth watching. That is why I give it the current rating.

Amphibia (2019–2022)

A wonderful show

[8/10 · 31 March 2020]

While I wasn't sure about this animated series at first, it grew on me. It has a very Adventure Time feel to it as not much, generally, happens in this season, although it sets the stage for the next season. This isn't my favorite animation of all those I've watched, but the voice acting, action, occasional comedy, and other elements bring it all together. The season one finale had more suspense than the rest of the show, changing it from a happy-good-lucky feel to it, like much of the first season of Steven Universe, to give an example. Having said that, I'd still recommend this series.

Gatchaman Crowds (2013–2014)

This series is awesome

[8/10 · 31 March 2020]

This series takes place in the present day (2015, when the series aired), with the second part of Tokyo protected by warriors who fight in special suits powered by manifestation of their spiritual powers. The first season deals with the energetic Hajime Ichinose joining them, and they have to deal with the androgynous alien, Berg Katze, aiming to destroy Earth. As I noted in my podcast, in this show there is a horrible LGBTQ stereotype character named O.D., who acts flamboyant but to an absurd extent. Balancing out that horribleness is the crossdressing Rui, a computer genius and hacker, Haijime becoming genderqueer in season 2 due to certain circumstances, and a drag queen named DD. Due to the problems with this series, as I've previously outlined, I would give this a rating of 8.

Nomad of Nowhere (2018)

The little series that could

[10/10 · 31 March 2020]

This series I really love. Part of that is because the characters are compelling, like Skout and Captain Toth, who are basically in a relationship, trying to find a mute wanderer who can give life to inanimate objects. The themes of acceptance, love, friendship, and more are present in this series. As a result, I am glad to give this show its current rating.

Danger & Eggs (2015–2017)

A wonderful series cut short before its time

[10/10 · 31 March 2020]

In this short-lived series, D. D. Danger goes on adventures with her friend named Phillip, a talking egg, encountering problems and issues along the way, whether inside the city park or outside. The themes of acceptance, growing up, family connection, and much more are present in this series which has a wide-range of LGBTQ representation unlike any other show. As such, I happily give this show a rating of 10.

Steven Universe (2013–2019)

Steven Universe Future is such a wonderful series

[10/10 · 31 March 2020]

In this limited series, it concludes the story in the original Steven Universe series and Steven Universe: The Movie, following the adventures of Steven as he tries to bring peace to the galaxy in the aftermath of the victory over White Diamond in "Change Your Mind." Themes of combating depression, friendship, love and loss, and so much more are part of this series, which has a LOT of LGBTQ representation. As such, I proudly bestow the current rating upon this series.

Carmen Sandiego (2019–2021)

A wonderful reboot

[10/10 · 31 March 2020]

This series is a reboot of the Carmen Sandiego story, with Carmen now as a protagonist who steals from other thieves, deals with issues in her past (especially with agents from her former crime school, V.I.L.E.) and is chased by the police, represented by A.C.M.E. This is educational and aimed at a young audience, but it is still enjoyable no matter what your age. No LGBTQ characters unfortunately. However, the strength of this series is why I am giving this is current rating.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018–2020)

An awesome show!

[10/10 · 31 March 2020]

This series follows the story of Adora, a teenager who meets a group of new friends (a princess and a tech master) and fights off an evil force, able to transform into a "princess of power" named She-Ra. This is a remake of the original She-Ra: Princess of Power series from the 1980s, but this one has much better LGBTQ representation, with tension between Adora and Catra, the latter of whom is her "friend" (probably more at this point), with queer tension between them. Apart from the voice actors in this show and the strong story, the characters are awesome. That's why this has the current rating