Magical Girl Site Episode #10 Anime Review

I won't let anyone die anymore.

What They Say:

Aya Asagiri lives a life of torture. Bullied by her peers and physically abused by her brother, she contemplates suicide as a means of escapism. One particularly harsh night, her laptop abruptly turns on and beckons her toward it. There, a website known simply as the 'Mahou Shoujo Site' offers her a chance to sculpt her own fate with the help of a stick that will grant her powers. But will something as simple as a magic wand truly be enough to save her from a life not worth living?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

The death of Nijimin has sent Aya on a downward spiral. Blaming herself for the death of her half-friend/half-enemy, she's taken to locking herself in her bedroom until she figures out a way to atone. And, as if that wasn't enough, now the police (Or at least a similar organization) are investigating the disappearance of her brother and want to question her. Fed up with everything, she retreats to the river to think things over, only to run into Sarina for the first time in a few episodes. Well, it's actually somewhere more along the lines of Sarina following her or something but, either way, these two are reunited.

Considering that Sarina has wanted Aya dead for all ten episodes thus far, their meeting is actually rather shocking. Instead of offing her right then and there, she actually returns Aya's stick. It isn't until later on in the episode that we find out why. Apparently, Sarina's a lot smarter than most of us give her credit for (Not me, though. She's my favorite). She basically figured out that the administrators were just using her to do their dirty work and, without letting them know, she's decided to start handling things her own way. In order to do that, however, she's decided to do a complete 180 and align herself with the same girls she considered her enemy just days ago.

The bulk of this episode takes place at a gigantic cathedral- host to Nijimin's memorial service. Being an ex-idol of Dog Play, the turnout for said memorial is huge. Fans from all over the country flock to the funeral, making this the perfect opportunity for Nana to show off what she's capable of when she truly applies herself. Just as the service is coming to a close, Nana blows the place to smithereens in an attempt to end the lives of all the remaining magical girls at once. Unfortunately for her (Or him? Or it? It's hard to tell), Sarina's change of heart saves everyone. Aya winds up showing up unannounced and teleporting everyone out before Nana has the chance to kill them. So now, she's blown up a perfectly good cathedral for nothing. Oh, also, apparently she has some affiliation with that blue-haired detective guy. I have no idea what their relationship is at the moment, but at least we've confirmed that they know each other.

The episode's final act shows a confused Aya, pointing her gun at her friends and asking that they give up fighting this battle as she wants to go it alone. Understandably grief-stricken, Aya knows no other way to guarantee the safety of everyone that she loves. However, this mindset heavily contradicts a few things she said earlier in the series- particularly the whole "never leaving Yatsumura alone" thing. Yatsumura points this out during a quick monologue and, what do you know, Aya collapses and comes to her senses. Now, the girls must figure out a way to fight back against the administrators- the same thing they've been trying to do for like four straight episodes now. But hey, at least now they've got a secret weapon on their side.

Also, who's bright idea was it to let Nana sing the opening this week? Can we not let that happen again, please? That was friggin' terrifying.

In Summary:

Well, it only took ten episodes, but our protagonist is finally beginning to show some signs of development. With the first true fatality of the series thus far and an extreme change of heart from Sarina, Mahou Shoujo Site begins to move away from its predictability for the first time since its pilot. I mean, it's still relatively obvious which direction the series is going in, but having the girls act as more than just simplistic archetypes is actually rather refreshing. Mix that with Nana's increased mysteriousness and the addition of a new antagonist (?) in the detective dude and we've got a formula for some increased entertainment as the final arc begins to kick off.

Episode Grade: B

Streamed By: Prime Video

Top 20 Cutest Anime Girls Of Spring 2018

Aaaaaaand we're back.

Why are you even reading this countdown? Haven't you put yourself through enough? Hasn't my so-called 'trash taste' persuaded you to find someone else willing to sit down for multiple hours and type out a balanced, seasonal list of the top waifu material?

No? Oh. Well, in that case, here are a few more things you should know that might do just that. Makoto Nijima is not in this countdown despite being my favorite girl in the Persona 5 video game. Zero Two is not in first place. There is a boy on the list. There is also no one from My Hero Academia because I don't watch it, so stop yelling at me about Froppy. What even is a Froppy? That's not even a name.

...

Still here? (Insert heavy sigh). Well, then I guess I'm doing this again, aren't I? Just a reminder, all girls are judged not only on their physical appearance but their personality, voice and anything else that I decide is cute today- and that could mean pretty much anything. 

So, without further ado, let's get this show on the road.

20) Kanami Etou

Anime: Katana Maidens

CV: Kaede Hondo

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Kanami, who was seated at a cozy fourth-place during the significantly less competitive Winter season, has found herself dropping a hefty sixteen places this time around. Even with that being said, though, she's still absolutely adorable from a sheer aesthetic point of view. Personality-wise, she's gotten to be a little too...one-dimensional, I guess would be a good way to put it. Either way, she's still the best part of Katana Maidens and the only reason I'm still putting up with it.

19) Ann Takamaki

Anime: Persona 5 The Animation

CV: Nana Mizuki

Ahh, yes...Ann Takamaki- everyone's favorite long-legged, spandex-clad firecracker. Despite not even cracking my top three in the video game, Ann finds herself here thanks to pretty darn adorable revamp. Not going to lie, guys, her character designs translates to the 2D world pretty darn well. Hell, Makoto's not even on here and, like I said earlier, she was my favorite one in the game. But thanks to a good amount of screen time, a great vocal performance, and those frickin' legs...Ann can finally rest knowing that she's beaten out at least one of her counterparts.

18) Iris Cannary

Anime: Violet Evergarden

CV: Haruka Tomatsu

Oh, right. By the way, Violet Evergarden is going to be included in this countdown considering this season marked its debut on Netflix in the US. And with said debut came the surprisingly gorgeous Iris who, if I'm remembering correctly, had the first semi tear-jerking episodes out of many to come. Her strong will, combined with her ever-apparent childish side, made falling in love with her the easiest part of that show. She's also got one of the coolest outfits of the season and I think that's worth mentioning as well.

17) Mifue Shinohara

Anime: Caligula

CV: Rie Takahashi

Flattering picture choice, right? Mifue is by far my favorite character in Caligula- and that's not just because I'm obsessed with Rie Takahashi. Even though on paper she's a pretty terrible person, she's at least jumping through a few hoops to try and come out as a better one. Her screen time has begun to dwindle with the introduction of like seventeen other characters, but Mifue's arc still holds true as my favorite in the series thus far. Here's to hoping that she has more time to shine [and maybe another mental break down or two] in the near future.

16) Kosame Amagai

Anime: Mahou Shoujo Site

CV: Yumi Hara

Nothing riles me up like a girl that feeds her blood to people in order to wake them from comas and stuff. And finally, after all these years, we have a character who can actually do that! Extremely specific and strange fetish aside, Kosame is the type girl that you can't help but find yourself wanting to protect. I'm not entirely sure where the eyepatch comes from but that doesn't really matter because I guess I'm into those. Plus, just look at her and tell me that she doesn't seem like the most huggable darn thing you've ever seen. Bonus points have also been awarded as I can relate to her sadness.

15) Alexandra Magritte

Anime: Tada Never Falls In Love

CV: Shino Shimoji

You know, there was a period of time where I though Alec might actually have a chance to top this list. Of course, that is clearly not the case anymore- but that doesn't change the fact that I still love every fiber of her being. Alec is the bodyguard-ish type of character who's always putting her best friend's well-being in front of her own. As is common practice, however, she also has a vulnerable side that bumps her likeability up five notches or so. Alec would not only be an ideal girlfriend but an ideal friend, and that versatility has to count for something. You guys should also know that red hair is my jam and...well, it doesn't really get much redder than that.

14) Tae Takemi

Anime: Persona 5 The Animation

CV: Yuka Saito

Oh hell yeah. The doctor is in. Tae was my original favorite Persona 5 girl and, if we're going off of just looks, is still the hottest as far as I'm concerned. I'm a huge fan of the goth-punk garb she's become so synonymous with and nothing turns me on more than free health care. Even though she's still sketchy as hell, I would gladly go out with her and/or become her new guinea pig for medical intents and purposes only...until she asks otherwise, that is.

13) Sarina Shizukume

Anime: Mahou Shoujo Site

CV: Haruka Yamazaki

As soon as Mahou Shoujo Site started, I realized I had a thing for Sarina. What I wasn't aware of at the time is that she was actually going to become a main character further down the line- let alone one with a cool-ass scar across her throat and the snaggliest snaggle-tooth of the season. It's badassery like this that only adds to cuteness and, even though she would be the worst friend possible, I would gladly make her mine. And hey, if worst comes to worst and things didn't work out, I bet she'd even be kind enough to put me out of my misery. What a sweetheart.

12) Ruki Irokawa

Anime: Comic Girls!
CV: Saori Oonishi

Speaking of sweethearts, Ruki here is closer to the textbook definition of cute rather than whatever deformed definition of it that I have come up with. Even though she's perhaps the most mature in the Comic Girls group, she still has a sentimental side that, when shown, is completely and utterly adorable. Hell, I think I almost even cried during her episode thanks to a mix of actual sentiment and unadulterated gorgeousness. Oh, and the fact that she's a "teen love" mangaka only adds to my further infatuation with her...unique way of thinking.

11) Touka Kirishima

Anime: Tokyo Ghoul:re

CV: Sora Amamiya

Well, would you look at that? Touka's all grown up and ready to bust back into the 'cutest girls' scene. Originally appearing on my FIRST EVER ranking back of Winter 2015, Touka has not lost an ounce of cuteness even after aging several years. She's still the same warm, welcoming barista she's always been. Okay, so maybe she wasn't technically warm and welcoming back then, but deep down she was and that's all that matters! Either way, Touka is straight up marriage-material and I will not let anyone tell me otherwise. I'm unfamiliar with the new series' ending but gosh-darn do I hope things work out for her. She deserves it.

10) Violet Evergarden

Anime: Violet Evergarden

CV: Yui Ishikawa

Oh, Violet, having you placed so low on the countdown truly breaks my heart. Without beating around the bush, Violet is indisputably my favorite character of the season. Hell, she's probably my favorite character of the last few years- but this doesn't mean she's the cutest. In fact, she's so much more than that and limiting her to just one label is part of the reason she's at number ten instead of number one. Violet's journey is an amazing one- a moving one...but in terms of her mannerism and her appearance, she lacks behind several of the other girls. Either way, she's still 100% lovable and potentially KyoAni's greatest spawn to date.

9) Narumi Momose

Anime: WotaKoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku

CV: Arisa Date

This is weird for me because I honestly don't know if I even like Narumi or not. Every once in a while she'll do something cute and I'll fall in love with her...but then so many other times I kind of just want her to fall into a ditch. She's not a good person or an ideal girlfriend by any means but she IS overwhelmingly adorable when she wants to be. Fortunately for her, I'm feeling rather generous today and I have allowed those cute moments to heavily outweigh her downsides. You're lucky, Naru. You're lucky.

8) Anzu

Anime: Hinamatsuri

CV: Rie Murakawa

Anzu is a damn treasure and if you have any knowledge of Hinamatsuri you will agree 100%. She is the single most precious creature to ever grace the world of anime and we must all band together in order to protect her. This is not optional. Anzu needs us just as much as we need Anzu. The girl was friggin' homeless for crying out loud. Her family is a literal collection of hobos. You don't think that's precious? You can screw off. Anzu is the best and you're an idiot. I love Anzu.

7) Zero Two

Anime: Darling In The FranXX

CV: Haruka Tomatsu

Oh man, if you think you hate me now, just wait. Zero Two is great- there's no way around that. She's a fantastic character, she's got a slammin' bod and she even has a pair of horns to go with it. You know how many other girls on this countdown have horns? None. Zero Two is extraordinarily lovable and, from a visual standpoint, probably top three on this list. What's hard to ignore, however, is her immaturity. Some dudes are into that, I know. But personally, I'd rather have someone who knows what they want. Someone who has been around much longer. Zero Two, even though she'll go down as the popular vote for best-girl, just doesn't do it for me as much anymore. And for anyone who is upset with her place in this ranking, just check out the one I did last season where she came in second place. 

6) Ruka Urushibara

Anime: Steins;Gate 0

CV: Yu Kobayashi

But he's a guy.

5) Teresa Wagner

Anime: Tada Never Falls In Love

CV: Manaka Iwami

I think this might be the first time a 'foreign' girl has cracked the top five on my countdown. But, with Teresa, having her any lower would probably be a crime. Everything about her screams 'cute,' whether it be her obsession with Rainbow Shogun or her ponytail or how she's always looking out for her friends or her ponytail. She's just a well-rounded example of what it means to be cute. It's no wonder watching TadaKoi is always so refreshing. Teresa carries the show on her frail shoulders and forces a smile out of all of us at least twice every week. She screams 'princess' but not in that annoying ojou-sama type of way.

4) Tsubasa Katsuki

Anime: Comic Girls!

CV: Rie Takahashi

Yet again, another Rie Takahashi character finds her way into my top five. This time around, however, we've got a type that I'm not normally into. The boyish thing slips past me occasionally- I mean, I'm a huge fan of Makoto from the original Idolmaster, but blue hair rarely ever finds its way into my heart. Luckily for Tsubasa, she's the biggest exception to that rule yet. She's super motivated, yet super childish; she's super tomboyish, yet super into cute stuff. Also, she's probably a lesbian and, if you know anything about me, I'm all about that life. I ship Tsubasa x Koyume harder than any other pairing this season and things wouldn't be that way if Tsubasa wasn't so damn desirable.

3) Maho Hiyajou

Anime: Steins;Gate 0

CV: Sayuri Yahagi

Maho is so much cuter than I ever expected her to be. I already knew about her thanks to all of the Steins;Gate 0 stuff I was incapable of avoiding due to anticipation- but she's friggin' fantastic. Yeah, she's got that sort of loli physique to her and I'm not really into that, but her reactions and mannerisms are like straight out of the moe textbook. Maho is so adorable that sometimes I even find myself wanting her to be with Okabe. Do you know how bad that makes me feel? Do you know what it's like to betray half of what is most likely your all-time one-true pairing? Well, it sucks- and it's all thanks to how perfect this mini-scientist is. Thanks, Maho.

2) Ichigo

Anime: Darling In The FranXX

CV: Kana Ichinose

Bring on the hate mail. I have a confession to make. In my last countdown, I let my nerves get to me and I actually placed Ichigo underneath Zero Two. I want it to be known that this is not truly indicative of how I feel- and the episodes that followed that countdown only made me feel worse about my mistake. Ichigo is a damn masterpiece. Not only is she pretty much flawless in terms of looks, she would literally die if it meant the object of her affection could find happiness. She has put herself through hell all in the name of unrequited love and there isn't anything out there that beats that. She also almost made out with a girl. Do you know how awesome that would have been? I would have cried. That's how much I love Ichigo. 

Spring 2018 Champion: 1) Kurisu Makise

Anime: Steins;Gate 0

CV: Asami Imai

How could it be anyone else? The queen is back. After going several long years without showing her face, Makise has returned to the world of anime and captured my heart once again. I guess it's no surprise, given that she's number-three on my all-time ranking, but even I wasn't sure going into the sequel if she would have enough screen time to make it onto the list this season. Hell, she barely even met the minimum- but that doesn't matter. Makise is one of the cutest girls ever created and things aren't any different this time around. Sure, there's a bit less tsun in the mixture and a lot more sadness, but I think I've made it pretty clear that I'm into that. I can also safely say that this may be the least divisive choice I've had for first place so far, and I think that's saying something. I mean, pretty much everyone loves Kurisu- how can't you?

This message has been sponsored by Dr. Pepper.

And there you have it, everyone. The 10 cutest girls from the past few months. Now, go ahead and change your desktops, wallpapers, etc. You know the drill.

See you again at the end of next season for another "Cutest Girls"

Feel free to browse the rest of The Fandom Post until then!

Magical Girl Site Episode #09 Anime Review

God won't abandon me.

What They Say:

Aya Asagiri lives a life of torture. Bullied by her peers and physically abused by her brother, she contemplates suicide as a means of escapism. One particularly harsh night, her laptop abruptly turns on and beckons her toward it. There, a website known simply as the 'Mahou Shoujo Site' offers her a chance to sculpt her own fate with the help of a stick that will grant her powers. But will something as simple as a magic wand truly be enough to save her from a life not worth living?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Well, things certainly...happened this week. I mean, how that Nijimin's magical underwear has fallen into the hands of the actual worst person possible, none of our girls are safe anymore. What's even worse is that Nijimin is pretty much under his control without even being manipulated by magic- and she has made it remarkably clear thus far that she is not someone you want on the opposing side. But hey, at least Aya and company will be safe for a little while now that they're leaving the beach, right?

Wrong. Mostly everyone winds up retreating to Sayuki's house (At least I'm pretty sure her name is Sayuki...At this point, MyAnimeList has been down for almost a week so I'm not really certain of anything anymore) with the exception of Kiyo and that one girl with the drills who no one cares about. Those two have actually assembled a mini task force. You see, Kiyo had used her mind control at the end of last week's episode to read Aya's thoughts and uncovered that her brother was the one with Nijimin's "stick." As a direct result of this, she winds up mind-controlling Asahi (I only remember her name because of the beer) in an attempt to take him down. Of course, this fails miserably due to the nature of Nijimin's underwear and Kiyo herself winds up being eliminated.

Fortunately for our second favorite crossdresser this season, Kosame and Aya are able to heal her when they both pour a hefty amount of their blood into her mouth. (I want to just throw it out there that I really hope there is at least one person with no knowledge of this series that is reading my reviews on it. I can only imagine how ridiculous that must be). This salvation is short-lived, however, as Kaname and Nijimin show up shortly after. Being his predictable, chaotic-evil self, he commands the blue-haired pipsqueak to collect all of the other sticks while the girls are ordered to sit still. It isn't until Nijim collects Kiyo's stick that things get flipped on her head.

For some reason I still don't fully understand, Kiyo is able to override Kaname's stick and speak to Nijimin through mind control. But instead of Nijimin listening carefully and plotting out how to free everyone, her high blood pressure kicks in yet again and she straight-up lunges at Kaname, being cut down in immediate response. Thankfully, she isn't annihilated right away and, after some cute and semi-intimate flashbacks, she even manages to cut his throat open with a random bottle that came out of virtually nowhere. In a fit of panic (And as Nijimin slowly fades into the dying light), Kaname crawls toward the healing stick, desperately holding his throat closed. But just as he reaches it, an unknown invisible figure steps on his wrist and the room fills with smoke. When it finally clears, he's gone.

I'm honestly not sure if it's clear whether or not Kaname is dead. The mood of the scene would be a little off if he wasn't- but I have no idea why the invisible figure would take the body of some dead kid. Regardless, the girls gather around Nijimin after the smoke clears and they grieve over the loss of their...friend? Did anyone even like her besides Aya? And why did Aya even like her? Nijimin only met Kaname in the first place because she wanted to kill his sister. 

One thing is for sure, though. Now that Nijimin is gone, things are bound to get a bit less entertaining. That also eliminates the possibility of seeing that Dogplay ending theme again and that was...fun.

In Summary:

My review and summary of the episode may seem a bit all over the place because the truth is...well, this episode went pretty off the rails. But even with that in mind, it's been one of the better installments thus far. The story this week, especially Nijimin's backstory, is interesting enough to propel the episode forward but the bulk of my enjoyment stems from the reminder that, once again, Mahou Shoujo Site is a complete and utter chaotic mess in the best way possible. This show is so damn violent and so dependent on shock value that, even for those of you who despise it, it's almost impossible to look away. At the end of the day, though, we still haven't even reached the pinnacle. With Kaname presumably out of the picture for a bit, the girls may finally have their chance to take down a site administrator. And I'm sure that's going to go over just fine...

Episode Grade: B+

Streamed By: Prime Video