Tweekums

This is one of those series where the titles tells you all you need to know. After things didn't go well for young teacher Haruaki Abe in a regular high school he has found new job teaching in the private Hyakki Academy... it isn't like other schools; all the students and the other staff are youkai, supernatural beings. At first they enjoy taking advantage of his nervous nature but gradually, as they get to know each other things improve.

I thought this was a fun series, which has plenty of good characters and provides a good number of laughs. There is some drama but it is clear from early on that this is primarily a comedy series. The variety of youkai is enjoyable and their personalities make them feel quite human, and thus relatable, despite their appearances. Overall I'd say that while this may not be a must see it is worth watching if you want a break from the endless isekai series that seem to dominate these days but still like the supernatural.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

High school girl Mona Kawai is uniformly adored by her fellow pupils; that is until Medaka Kuroiwa transfers to her school. He appears to be constantly angry and refuses to even look at her; she determines that she will get him to fall for her. She doesn't realise that he is a monk in training who has forsworn love. He is troubled by the fact that he knows he is far from impervious to her charms. Somewhat inevitably a rival for his affections emerges.

I thought this series was rather fun. It may be fairly predictable but it provided a good number of laughs and the characters are likeable.... More so as the series progresses. The characters are likable, with impressive leads and fun support. There is some fan service; not much but it may be enough to offend some viewers. The animation and character designs are pretty good. Overall I enjoyed this and would recommend it to fans of the genre. I was pleased to read that there will be a second season.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

This Italian series is set in the snow covered Dolomite mountain region. When an engineer is found murdered police Commissioner Teresa Battaglia is called in. She is accompanied by colleague Inspector Parisi and they are soon joined by Inspector Massimo Marini, newly transferred from Sicily. Disturbing aspects of the scene lead her believe this may be the first killing by somebody who will go on to become a serial killer. Four local children, including the son of the dead man, believe there is a ghost in the woods... is this character somehow connected to the killing? Catching the killer isn't Commissioner Battaglia's only problem; she has diabetes and is starting to worry that she may also have early onset Alzheimer's.

I thought this was a solid series, potentially the first of a number involving Commissioner Teresa Battaglia. The main characters, both the police and the four children, are solid and the case is intriguing. Having a new officer joining the team means we are introduced to characters as he is, this is effective and our opinion of characters changes as he gets to know them better. The more we learn about the killer's motive the more interesting he becomes. As is often the case in such series the setting is important and the rugged mountain backdrop is certainly impressive. The cast does a fine job bringing their characters to life. Overall I'd certainly say this is worth a watch if you enjoy Euro-crime; I hope we get to see more of Teresa and her team.

These comments are based on watching the series in Italian with English subtitles.