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lukeoluko.bsky.social
Riskx
@lukeoluko.bsky.social
4 followers 6 following 11 posts
23 | 🐢 | (re)tired singer | pjsk | enst | pokémon | anime | indie 🕹️

Nerding out on all the small things that make life worthwhile, even if only for a fleeting moment~ ✨
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lukeoluko.bsky.social
(10) Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill - Winter 2023 | 12 eps

A show that found a good balance between the repetitive comfort of an iyashikei and the comical antics and strong worldbuilding potential of an isekai. Not to mention moments of incredible animation for the mundane.
The main trio of Fel, Mukouda, and Sui is the heart and soul of the show, which is key considering its comparably simple and generic premise. For a series that leans more on the relaxing side, its visual flair hard carries the show's comedic tone. The show also contains moments dedicated to action and worldbuilding, showing not only how the in-world RPG-esque system works, but also the cultural, behavioral, and political systems at play that the protagonists have to weave through. Just a tad unfortunate that the overtuned nature of Fel, Sui, and Mukouda's skills negate most of its relevance. One of the most interesting parts of the show is in its monster designs, how it exists in society, and how it all serves as a parallel to a meat in our world. It's an ingenious way to catch the interest of both fantasy lovers and iyashikei enthusiasts in one fell swoop, and is what kept this show from being a personal snoozefest of a cookbook. All in all, Campfire Cooking Isekai succeeded where most iyashikei shows fail: in keeping my attention and interest despite its meandering pace and formulaic nature. It was able to highlight the beauty in the mundane, the universality of food, and the power of found family in changing individuals for the better. ...damn, now I kinda want to learn how to cook.
February 23, 2025 at 8:05 PM
lukeoluko.bsky.social
(9) Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again - Spring 2024 | 11 eps

Supernatural premise that shows how a strong, straightforward romance should be done. Twists the knife just right to turn a formulaic, 4koma-esque experience into something more interconnected and poignant.
What I thought was going to be a simple excuse for some harem-filled and age-gap shenanigans ended up becoming an avenue for more mature themes to flourish. Props to the script and VAs for capturing the wisdom, speaking inflections, and occasional aged silliness of adults. Of couse, 4koma silliness inbound and sprinkled throughout the show. Even more prominent than the looming sadness of death is the moment-to-moment zest of life. And what better way to capture that than through the revived youthfulness of the elderly? The main supporting cast of Mino, Shouta, and Shiori was also a pleasant addition, giving us not only a more grounded perspective of the situation to contrast the gung-ho attitude of the grandparents, but also an overarching theme of legacy and hope for the future. All in all, the show is short, simple, and sweet. If anything, the most impressive thing about it is how it avoided the usual trappings of a harem or a romcom, allowing it to focus on dramatic themes that you wouldn't normally expect from a comedy show. A successful balancing act to the end.
February 9, 2025 at 6:05 AM
lukeoluko.bsky.social
(8) Oblivion Battery - Spring 2024 | 12 eps

Rough "memory loss" premise with a hit-and-miss comedic tone, but stick with it and you'll be rewarded with great drama and characterization. Consistently stellar animation and creative direction to hammer the emotions of any given moment.
Show took its time to find its footing in terms of its tone and comedy, but when it hits, it *hits*. The friendship that develops despite AND because of Kaname's situation was a delightful watch. Kaname's antics aside, everyone else's characterizations and developments feel grounded and realistic. Silent tears, unspoken stories, and small habits shown in their day-to-day lives as though everyone naturally lives with their baggage. ...and of course, I have to mention the tour-de-force that is Episode 11. Whatever slog I had to deal with in prior episodes was instantly worth it if it meant experiencing the total package that was Chihaya's focus episode. Amazing from a story and visual aspect. Plus points for purposeful humor. What are once thought to be random jokes and quips paid off in somber and tragic ways that leave more room for growth in any upcoming seasons. Ultimately, the show can be somewhat draining with its tonal whiplashes and on-the-nose scripting. However, underneath its rough exterior lies quite a hidden gem that soars in the scenes that matter the most.
January 20, 2025 at 12:09 PM
lukeoluko.bsky.social
(7) More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers. - Fall 2022 | 12 eps

"Mandatory Marriage Training" turns into a compelling and messy love triangle. A stressful watch while on public transport. Sparkled in a few scenes and episodes, but expect some high-density raunch before reaching the gems.
The two main leads were nice -- bounced off each other quite nicely while still maintaining their agency as individuals, which is important given its original, more "selfish" premise. Makes the growth of their relationship feel natural over time. When the show isn't obsessing over its fanservice and raunchy shots, it's pretty good at getting some tears out. Visuals are pretty understated in this show as there's a noticeable decline in quality in later episodes, but gotta give props for its smart use of lighting and colors at times to strengthen its visual storytelling. Also, mad props to the duo here in this scene for handling the situation here like champs. Clear communication, a healthy amount of assurance, and a resolve to become better people, it's quite a gem. ...I didn't even realize I was watching the source of this cursed scene until it was too late 💀 Great closing scene, even if it's a bit ridiculous at how many coincidences happened in it. Open-ended and leaves many opportunities to expand the story in the future (even if the winning party is pretty obvious). ...aiiight, show's over. Time to turn on the brain again.
January 18, 2025 at 1:16 PM
lukeoluko.bsky.social
(6) Kaiju No. 8 - Spring 2024 | 12 eps

Manchild rekindles passion and forms new bonds, which makes for a nice, "age-doesn't-matter"-esque story with a touch of Spiderman in it. While I'd question how it handled its identity gimmick, it was a compelling watch de in large part to its world.
The concept of a kaiju-infested world with its established norms, systems, and workforces made for a compelling first impression. I long for a universe where this story was handled with the seinen genre in mind, but alas here we are. Don't get me wrong; what we got was good, but I feel like it could've gone much farther with the world it had. Despite the superpower gimmick, I admire how Kafka "the human" and Kafka "the OP kaiju" felt like two separate characters. The show still emphasizes the importance of hardwork and individual strengths and interests, which pays off during the show's various arcs. Of course, a shounen wouldn't be complete without its over-the-top fight scenes. While the hype of a one-punch kaiju died down a bit as the show went on, I was still constantly surprised at how well the show managed to mix the CG elements with the 2D world, making for weightier action sequences. All hail Hoshina -- his charisma and gap moe is just 💋 And props to Kikoru and Reno for basically humoring the old man. Lowkey emotional MVPs for when the series got too "deus ex"-y at times with Kafka.
November 25, 2024 at 9:39 AM
lukeoluko.bsky.social
(5) Skip and Loafer - Spring 2023 | 12 eps

A romance that focuses more on self-improvement and friendships than the actual romance itself, and is made all the better for it as it avoids the trappings of conventional dramas. As charming as it is earnest with a cast of well-realized characters.
Feels nice to watch a female lead in a romance actually stand her own ground. She embraces her own quirks and has her own motivations distinctly separate from the love interest, which is something a lot of modern romances often overlook. While the cast shares a common problem of struggling to find the balance between "being right" and "being kind", Mitsumi is one of the very few who had strong enough introspection to capture the magic of the middle ground -- "being true". Cast is fleshed out in subtle but effective ways that make their character arcs feel so satisfying to watch. Everyone has their own complexes and reasons for doing what they do or believing what they believe, and how it challenges or contrasts Mitsumi's earnest outlook. Understated but props to P.A. Works for delivering on the visual front. Its style is simplistic --reminiscent of late 2000s romcoms-- but has nuance in its animation that allows the characters to act beyond their script, making them feel alive. The show brought the skip to the loafer in more ways than one.
November 11, 2024 at 4:27 AM
lukeoluko.bsky.social
(4) BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense 2 - Winter 2023 | 12 eps

Nothing new or groundbreaking that would warrant a second season, but the core tenet of the show -- of having fun and being creative -- is still there. Reminds me of, of all things, Fear and Hunger.
As much as I love badass Atrocity moments, UwU Atrocity is probably my favorite. Casual Maple doing casual things. She's the constant reminder for everyone both within and outside the show to never take itself too seriously. Truly a breath of fresh air. Also got to enjoy more uncommon pairings/ dynamics in the cast this season with Maple at the center of it all, being the cast's unwitting chaos gremlin. If you need more proof that Atrocity is best girl, then look no further. The show has generally rough transitions to 3D at times, but you can't deny those lovely curves.
November 6, 2024 at 4:24 AM
lukeoluko.bsky.social
(3) BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense - Winter 2020 | 12 eps

Beyond its hilarious takes on game design, balancing, and RPG tropes, what strikes me the most about the show is the generally positive online gaming community it has. Saccharine but creative as all heck.
Never really knew what to expect with this show as it went along. The way it was able to push its gimmick for so long and in a variety of ways is insane. Fights and characters are all simple to a fault, but their charm ultimately lies in the absurdity of Maple. Not every day you get an overpowered protagonist that doesn't feel like pure wish fulfillment. If you told me a few hours ago that all these photos came from the same show, I would never have believed you. It's nice being pleasantly surprised from time to time. ...and no bad blood, no jerky sabotages, no condescension from its cast. After the boom of edgy VR anime shows from the early 2010s, it's refreshing to see a positive, low-stakes gaming community for a change.
November 5, 2024 at 11:10 AM
lukeoluko.bsky.social
(2) Anthem of the Heart - Fall 2015 | 1 Movie

A snapshot of modern-day anxieties, of teenage disillusionment, and of being true to oneself, all while having a charming musical sequence complete with homages to Western classics and a polyphonic finale.

Breathed new life into "The Little Mermaid".
Light fantasy elements made for an interesting depiction of anxiety, capturing both the protagonist's childlike wonder and deep-seated trauma through visually-appealing metaphors. The movie was unafraid to experiment with its styles, which made for a pleasant watching experience as it enabled the film to characterize its mostly nonverbal protagonist in creative ways. An apparently controversial ending for some, but one that feels fitting when one considers the overarching themes and narratives of the four main characters. A powerful musical and emotional climax. The choices for western classics to sample were great all throughout. Their classmates were honestly the MVPs of this play though, knowing what they had to go through behind the scenes during the climax.
November 4, 2024 at 7:47 PM
lukeoluko.bsky.social
(1) Wind Breaker - Spring 2024 | 13 eps

Hard-carried by production value, but was ultimately a good one to turn my brain off to. Unabashedly upfront and loud, making the cast easy to root for and have fun with despite the relative simplicity of it all.

Fight choreo and facial expressions were 🔥
If there's one thing the show did consistently well, it was its animated fight scenes -- weighty, varied, and dynamic. Just... forget that concussions are a thing then you're all set. Man. This man. Togame hard-carried the antagonists tbh Also a testament to this show's ability to use detailed facial expressions to bring these (admittedly generic) characters to life. Of course I'd have a soft spot for a show about found family and self-acceptance. Ending the series in the middle of an arc is both a boner-killer and a hype-maker. Thank goodness they announced a S2 otherwise this ending would've left a bitter taste in my mouth.
November 4, 2024 at 3:51 PM