Category: Specials/OVAs

Yumekuri Review

Yumekuri Review

Makoto and the Onsen Maidens

Yumekuri isn’t the anime I planned to review today. But, since Zom 100 has been delayed yet again, here we are. It was the only one-episode OVA I had on my list that wasn’t effectively hentai. Though, you wouldn’t know that from the cover art (not included in this review).

Now, before I get into the content of Yumekuri, there are some things you should know. First, Hiro is the original creator. You may be familiar with one of their other works, Akebi’s Sailor Uniform, which I really enjoyed.

Second, Yumekuri is older than I thought it was. This anime came out in 2012. And, unfortunately, I only saw it available in 480p quality. It would have been better if the picture quality was a bit higher. Anyway, finally, this is a short OVA that’s only six minutes long.

Makoto and Akino (holding a cat) from the Yumekuri anime OVA
Makoto and Akino (holding a cat)

Due to its length, this anime is more of a trailer for the manga than a real OVA. But, it does introduce us to all the main characters. The protagonist is Makoto Yukami, a guy who works at a hot spring. And the other five characters are girls who also work at the hot spring.

Akino Mikogai is the first and youngest girl we meet. She refers to Makoto as onii-chan, but there’s no indication they’re actually related. Next, we have Tokura Ushiki, who seems to be the oldest of the girls. From what we see, she’s a classic older sister type.

Tsutsuji Tounosawa is the energetic, sporty girl of the bunch. At least, that’s what I gathered. And Mitomo Rokuya is a bit of a mystery. We don’t get much of her. But, she has a smug face in the cover art. Finally, there’s Yuri Shirahane, the goddess of the hot spring.

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Goddess of the Hot Spring

Yes, you read that right. Yuri is the goddess of the hot spring. But, what exactly does that mean? It means she’s a goddess with supernatural powers, duh. However, that’s not as unique of a description as you might think.

It turns out that all of the girls who work at the hot spring have supernatural powers. And, we see three of the girls use these powers when they need to heat up a bath. They have the ability to heat up water with some kind of magic.

Tsutsuji also seems to exhibit superhuman physical prowess. After neither she nor Akino can adequately heat the bath, she runs off in search of Yuri. And when she returns carrying Yuri, she does so by dropping out of the sky. This is why I said she seems like the energetic, sporty type.

Mitomo and Makoto watching Tsutsuji heating up a bath from the Yumekuri anime OVA
Mitomo and Makoto watching Tsutsuji heating up a bath

So, again, what does it mean that Yuri is the goddess of the hot spring? Is she actually a goddess? Or, does that title simply mean that she’s the most skilled of the hot spring attendants? After all, she was able to heat the bath to the perfect temperature when the others couldn’t.

Tsutsuji wasn’t able to make the bath water hot enough. And Akino made it so hot that it began to boil. Yuri was the one who made it just right. To me, that makes it seem like Yuri isn’t actually a goddess but holds a specific title, instead.

However, there is one other bit of information I’ve kept from you. In the cover art for this series, Yuri looks different. Within the OVA, she has black hair like Mitomi. But, in the cover art, her hair is white. So, there could actually be something special about her.

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A Hot Spring for Cats

Based on the six minutes of this OVA, it’s a bit hard to say what the full series is about. But, since this is a review of the OVA, that’s all I’m going off. And, according to what I saw in it, it’s about a hot spring for cats.

Akino wants to bring a cat into the hot spring, and Makoto says no. Then, everyone works together to make a separate hot spring for the cat and a bunch of other cats show up.

In the end, however, the girls end up taking the cats into the main hot spring anyway. Why? Because they remembered that this is their off-season. That means cats in the hot spring won’t be bothering any other guests.

So, case closed, right? The series is about a hot spring for cats.

Mitomo and Tsutsuji in an onsen with a cat from the Yumekuri anime OVA
Mitomo and Tsutsuji in an onsen with a cat

I don’t think that’s actually what Yumekuri is about. Though, it’s very possible that I’m wrong since I haven’t read the manga. But, my impression from this OVA is that it’s about a “normal” (supernatural) hot spring. Not a hot spring for cats.

As we’re told, the only reason they could bring the cats into the hot spring was because it’s the off-season. I’d imagine that the majority of the series doesn’t take place during the off-season. And that would mean that for the majority of the series, there are no cats in the hot spring.

If Yumekiri ever got a full-length anime, I’d watch it. From what little I saw, it seemed like it could be a good slice of life series. But, I doubt that’s ever going to happen. It’s been 11 years since this OVA came out and the manga ended back in 2016. What incentive is there for an anime series now?

Yumekuri: 6/10

In the end, I gave Yumekuri a 6/10, which is higher than the OVA’s average score. Yes, it’s short and the picture quality is bad. But, piqued my interest in the series. And, who knows? Maybe you’ll even see a review of the manga from me in the future.

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The World God Only Knows: Tenri Arc

The World God Only Knows: Tenri Arc

The World God Only Knows: Tenri Arc anime series cover art
The World God Only Knows: Tenri Arc

The Childhood Friend

The World God Only Knows: Tenri Arc (Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai: Tenri-hen / 神のみぞ知るセカイ 天理篇) is the 4th installment in Kaminomi. It’s a 2-episode OVA that comes after the Four Girls and an Idol OVA. It also appears to set up the Goddesses arc.

Since there are only 2 episodes in this OVA, it only features a single conquerable girl: Tenri Ayukawa. Tenri is, apparently, Keima’s childhood friend. Although, Keima claims he has no memory of her. But, over the course of the arc, he slowly remembers the time he spent with Tenri.

For her part, Tenri also initially claims she doesn’t remember who Keima is. However, it becomes clear that she was lying when she said that. How could any girl ever forget a guy with as much rizz as Keima?

Tenri Ayukawa from the anime series The World God Only Knows: Tenri Arc
Tenri Ayukawa

The fact that Keima doesn’t remember Tenri, though, is a problem I have with this arc. Plot devices like amnesia or suppressed memories aren’t very interesting to me. In order for them to work, the entire series or movie has to be built around them. A good example of this is the non-anime movie Memento.

In the first episode of the OVA, the majority of the runtime goes into introducing the new characters. Not all that much actually happens in it. And then in the second episode, most of the runtime has to do with Keima regaining his memories of Tenri. Conquering Tenri only happens in the final few minutes.

Also, unlike the other girls in the series, Tenri already likes Keima. There’s not much that goes into him conquering her. That’s why it’s done at the very end of the OVA. But, that also means we miss out on some of the best content — when the girls start to get feelings for him.

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New Characters

There are four new characters in the Tenri arc. These are Tenri Ayukawa (of course), Diana, Nora Floriann Leoria, and Ryou Asama. Besides those four, the only other characters in the arc are Keima, Elsie, and Keima’s mother.

Tenri Ayukawa is, as mentioned before, Keima’s childhood friend. However, that’s not exactly the most apt description of their relationship. They were in the same class in grade school. But, they didn’t really interact with each other. The one time they did was when they got stranded on a boat during a school trip.

What I wasn’t expecting from Tenri was her personality. Based on the cover art for this OVA, she looks a lot like Tsukihi Araragi. Of course, both Kaminomi and the Monogatari series have the same character designer. But it’s more than that. Even the face she’s making is similar. However, Tenri isn’t like Tsukihi — she’s extremely shy.

Nora Floriann Leoria from the anime series The World God Only Knows: Tenri Arc
Nora Floriann Leoria

Diana is kind of like Tenri’s alter ego. At first, Keima and Elsie thought Diana was a lost soul within Tenri. But, it turns out that’s not the case. Diana is something else and claims that she used to hunt down lost souls.

Nora Floriann Leoria is a demon like Elsie. And like Elsie, she’s tasked with hunting down lost souls. It turns out that when a demon locates a lost soul, they have to call it in to the HQ and claim it. That way, two demons won’t be hunting the same lost soul.

Ryou Asama is Nora’s “buddy.” He’s to Nora what Keima is to Elsie. But, he’s not like Keima at all. He tries very hard to be romantic. And when that doesn’t work, Nora results to other tactics. She believes that hatred is the best way to fill the void in someone’s heart.

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Lost Soul or Goddess?

So, I said that Keima and Elsie thought Diana was a lost soul at first. But, she’s not. She actually had a lost soul in her possession that she gave to Keima at the end of the OVA. And what she said to him is that she used to hunt down lost souls.

Does that mean she’s a demon like Elsie and Nora? Not quite. She seems to be something else entirely. And I was going to say she might be an angel. But, then I remembered what the title of the next arc is: “Goddesses.”

It seems very likely that Diana is actually a goddess. Even her name hints at this being the case. Diana is one of the Roman goddesses. And this is why I mentioned earlier that this OVA seems to be leading into the next arc. It introduces the first goddess.

Keima kissing Tenri from the anime series The World God Only Knows: Tenri Arc
Keima kissing Tenri

Something else to keep in mind is that Keima didn’t really have to conquer Tenri in this arc. Tenri already had a crush on him from the start. And she didn’t even have a lost soul within her. There was no hole in her heart.

But, then we need to ask the question, why did Elsie’s lost soul radar go off? I can think of two possibilities. The first is that it was reacting to the lost soul Diana had captured. And that seems to be what the end of this OVA wants you to believe.

However, I think the real reason is different. My guess is that her radar was reacting to Diana. Since the next arc is the Goddesses arc, that implies Keima is going to have to conquer goddesses. So, that must mean there’s a lost soul in Diana’s heart — or she’s become one herself.

Conclusion

In the end, I gave The World God Only Knows: Tenri Arc a 5/10. That’s the same score I gave to the previous OVA in the series. Hopefully, the Goddesses arc is better since it’s a full season and not an OVA.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice — links are in the footer.

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My Life as Inukai-san’s Dog OVA

My Life as Inukai-san’s Dog OVA

My Life as Inukai-san's Dog anime key visual (school swimsuit version)
My Life as Inukai-san’s Dog key visual

Swimming in the Dog Pool with Karen Inukai

My Life as Inukai-san’s Dog OVA (Inu ni Nattara Suki na Hito ni Hirowareta. Specials / 犬になったら好きな人に拾われた。OVA) features 2 new episodes. In the first episode Karen Inukai, Mike Nekotani, and Pochita head to a public pool.

But, this isn’t just any public pool. It’s a dog pool where dog owners can swim with their pets. Of course, it makes sense why Inukai would want to go to a pool like this. But, why did Nekotani tag along? Isn’t she afraid of dogs?

Well, Nekotani didn’t realize they were going to a dog pool. Inukai mentioned that she was going to a pool, and Nekotani decided to join her. It was only once they arrived at the pool that Nekotani realized her mistake. But, by that point, she wasn’t going to leave.

Karen Inukai in the pool from the My Life as Inukai-san's Dog anime OVA
Karen Inukai in the pool

Of the two OVA episodes, the first one was better. While both were uncensored — as long as you watched the uncensored versions — the first episode shows more. That’s because Inukai and Nekotani are wearing bikinis (or less) for the whole thing. That alone makes this a good episode.

So, in this episode, we got Inukai and Nekotani bikini content and we got uncensored content. That’s more than what we got from the main series. But, there is one more thing I wish we got from this episode: Tsukishiro bikini content. Unfortunately, the best girl of the series doesn’t appear in the pool episode.

We got a version of the key visual for the series featuring the three main girls in school swimsuits. And yet, as far as I can remember, we never got an episode like this in the main series. The OVA was the perfect opportunity to do that.

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Exercising with Mike Nekotani

Wanting to swim with Pochita wasn’t the only reason Inukai decided to go to the pool. She also wants to lose some weight; swimming can be a great form of exercise. But, the kind of swimming she’s doing with Pochita isn’t the kind that’s going to help.

So, Inukai decides to do some additional exercises next to the pool. First, she attempts to do some crunches, but can’t manage to do a single one. That is until Pochita holds her feet down with his paws. Suddenly, Inukai becomes a crunch machine and has no trouble.

After that, she does some squats. And again, she can’t manage to do any correctly. At least, not until Pochita gets involved again. Then, Inukai turns into a squat pro.

This was probably the best part of the OVA even though it wasn’t uncensored. We got some great shots of Inukai.

Mike Nekotani sitting by the pool from the My Life as Inukai-san's Dog anime OVA
Mike Nekotani sitting by the pool

Inukai isn’t the only one exercising by the pool, though. Nekotani decides to join in when she sees Inukai preparing to do crunches. And, much to my surprise, Nekotani can actually exercise. I assumed she was going to be too clumsy to actually do anything.

It turns out that Nekotani is an athlete. I assume that was mentioned in the main series at some point. I didn’t remember it, though, and I’m not sure if we ever learned what sport she plays. But, at the very least, that explains why she’s able to do proper exercises.

The only problem with this exercise scene is that we don’t get too many good shots of Nekotani. We get the head-on shot of her doing crunches, which is good. But, we missed out on seeing Nekotani doing squats from below. I’ll never forgive the creators of this anime for that.

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Seeing the School Festival with Usagi Tsukishiro

The second My Life as Inukai-san’s Dog OVA episode was far worse than the first. Instead of a pool episode, it was a school festival episode. And school festival episodes are among my least favorite episodes in any anime.

With that said, it’s not like this was a bad episode. Sure, it didn’t feature the main girls in bikinis. That’s one reason why the previous episode is better. But, this episode did focus on Usagi Tsukishiro, who’s my favorite girl of the series.

And not only was Tsukishiro in this episode, but she was wearing a bunny outfit in it. Specifically, a bunny outfit with a top that wasn’t very secure. The only way her bunny outfit could have been better is if it was one of those clear ones. You know the ones I mean.

Usagi Tsukishiro wearing a bunny outfit at the school festival from the My Life as Inukai-san's Dog anime OVA
Usagi Tsukishiro wearing a bunny outfit at the school festival

Anyway, as I’m sure you remember, Inukai’s class was putting on a dog cafe for the school festival. And Tsukishiro’s class was doing a bunny cafe, hence the outfit.

Well, both Inukai and Tsukishiro ended up having their breaks at the same time. And since both girls wanted to spend time with Pochita, it turned into a competition. So, Inukai decided that Tsukishiro could tag along with them as she and Pochita went to the haunted house.

Of course, Inukai knew that Tsukishiro didn’t want to go in the haunted house. That’s why she chose it. And, this is where the good content of the episode comes in. Tsukishiro gets scared, the top of her outfit comes down, and Pochita finishes her off with his tail.

Then, we get a questionable scene with Inukai where “Inukai juices” were all over the floor. It’s up to you to determine what those juices were.

Conclusion

In the end, I gave the My Life as Inukai-san’s Dog OVA a 4/10. It’s not good, obviously. But, because these OVA episodes were uncensored and more ecchi than the main series, I rated it higher. Really, the whole series should have been more like this OVA.

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Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World Specials

Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World Specials

Bed Time with Roxanne

Fans of Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World will be happy to know some new content dropped at the end of 2022. That’s right, we got two special episodes. And I’ll just answer the big question upfront, yes, it’s hentai.

In my review of the main series, I probably said something like, “It would be better if it was a hentai.” Well, it’s possible that I didn’t because somehow I actually enjoyed the other parts of the series, too. But, if you thought the series would be better if it cut out everything but the sex scenes, these specials are for you.

Each episode is only 4 minutes long, which I’m sure is long enough for anyone reading this. And the first episode is all about spending some quality time in bed with Roxanne. We get to see Roxanne learn to be honest about her desires.

Roxanne blushing from the Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World anime specials
Roxanne blushing

Alright, so I said these specials were hentai. But, that’s not entirely true. Unlike in hentai, you’re not going to see anything below the waist here. These episodes are pretty similar to the uncensored sex scenes in the main series. However, they do focus on Roxanne’s chest a lot more.

It was hard to get screenshots to use in this review that didn’t expose Roxanne’s chest. Sure, there was a lot of that in the main series, as well. But, it felt like these specials somehow focused on her body even more. And, there’s some other explicit stuff, like when Michio shows off his fingers.

If you know, you know.

Still, this first special episode was what you’d expect from Isekai Meikyuu de Harem wo. It’s Michio and Roxanne doing what they do with their free time outside of the labyrinth. I don’t know how you could expect anything else.

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Bath Time with Roxanne

The second special episode is the one I think is better. In this episode, Roxanne and Michio take a bath together. That’s something we saw multiple times in the main series. But, I’m not going to complain about more of this kind of content.

This episode is also split into two halves. In the first half of the episode, Michio “washes” Roxanne. And in the second half of the episode, Roxanne “washes” Michio. That might not sound like much of a difference. But, it does keep the episode from getting stale by being a bit more dynamic.

Something I thought was funny in this episode was the focus on soap. I remember in the main series it was a big deal when Michio “invented” soap. But, they treat soap like a precious resource in this episode. And it’s funny to think of people actually making these comments “in the moment.”

Roxanne being washed by Michio from the Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World anime specials
Roxanne being washed by Michio

So, what do I mean when I say there was a focus on soap? Well, in the middle of being washed by Michio, Roxanne stops the action to say that some soap fell off her and into the tub. I guess that was important information she needed to relay to Michio.

And even after they’re done washing each other, the soap talk doesn’t stop. Forget all the activities they just engaged in. Based on how they talk about soap, that’s what makes bath time enjoyable. I really need to get my hands on whatever soap they’re using.

But, there’s something that not even Michio’s magic soap can fix. These two special episodes were all about Roxanne. I know she’s the main girl of the series and most of the main anime had her as the only girl. But, where are the rest of the girls?

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Needed More Sherry, Miria, Vesta, and Rutina

I like Roxanne. She’s a good main girl. But, that doesn’t mean all I want to see is Roxanne. There are four other girls in Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World. And yet, none of them appeared in these special episodes.

They say variety is the spice of life. So, why not mix things up and not focus solely on Roxanne? What I would have rather seen is an episode dedicated to each of the main girls. The episodes are only 4 minutes long, so why not have five of them?

Now, I have to admit that variety isn’t the only reason I wanted to see the other girls in these specials. It’s also because Roxanne doesn’t have my ideal body type. I mean, she’s better than Vesta. But, I was really hoping to see some Sherry, Miria, and Rutina content.

Roxanne washing Michio from the Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World anime specials
Roxanne washing Michio

And, there’s one more reason. As I mentioned, Roxanne was the only girl in the majority of the main series. Sherry only showed up at the end. And the other three girls were only in the final few minutes of the last episode. That’s the biggest reason why I wanted to see them in the specials.

I’m not really expecting there to be a second season of Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World. The way the first season ended felt like an advertisement for the light novels. It was like, “Look at all these other girls you’re missing out on.”

So, the specials could have been another way to give those girls screen time. I would even have accepted if the second episode was split between the other four girls. At least they’d each get a minute of extra screen time.

Conclusion

As with the main series, I gave the Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World Specials a 7/10. That’s also higher than the average rating of the specials on MyAnimeList. And, coincidentally, the specials have the same average rating as the main series, 6.57/10.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice — links are in the footer.

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Dr. Stone: Ryusui

Dr. Stone: Ryusui

Dr. Stone: Ryusui anime special cover art
Dr. Stone: Ryusui

Manifest Destiny

Dr. Stone: Ryusui (Dr. Stone: Ryuusui / Dr.STONE 龍水) is a special episode that takes place between Seasons 2 and 3. Dr. Stone: Stone Wars is Season 2 and Dr. Stone: New World is Season 3. Ryusui is also canon, which means you should watch it before Season 3.

And, that’s exactly why I watched it this week. I originally planned to skip this special because I figured it wouldn’t matter. But, since it’s canon, I figured I should watch it since I’m going to be watching Season 3 as it airs.

Well, I plan to watch Season 3 as it airs. But, because I put off watching Ryusui, I’m a week behind now. Still, it’s not hard to catch up on a single episode. And since I’m not reviewing the newest season of Dr. Stone on a weekly basis, there’s no pressure.

You Uei plotting to become king from the Dr. Stone: Ryusui anime special
You Uei plotting to become king

As for the plot of Ryusui, it sets up the next hurdle for the Kingdom of Science to get over. Previously, we saw the Kingdom of Science forge an alliance with the Tsukasa Empire. Now, the two groups are working together to get to the bottom of the mystery of the petrification event.

All they know right now is that the event started somewhere on the other side of the world. That, and the fact that the next season is called “New World” implies it came from the Americas. But, how is the Kingdom of Science supposed to get there from Japan?

The answer is simple: they’re going to sail. Sailing is the easiest way to cross the ocean with the Kingdom’s current level of technology. But, crossing an entire ocean is no small feat. To do this, they’ll not only need a sturdy ship, but an experienced captain.

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Ryusui Nanami

Unfortunately for the Kingdom of Science, they don’t have an experienced captain. But, fortunately for them, they do have a former reporter with a superpower. She can find anyone with any skill the Kingdom requires. And she knows just the person to revive as the new captain.

The man chosen for the job is Ryusui Nanami. He’s the son of a wealthy businessman who owned a variety of companies in Japan. And, as a hobby, he sailed ships. No, not boats. Ships. And, this is what made him the perfect candidate.

Sure, they could have revived an experienced captain. But, they’d likely only be experienced with modern ships. What the Kingdom of Science needs is someone experienced with sailing ships. And throughout this special episode, Ryusui proves himself to be just that. He’s a master of reading the wind, which will be a vital skill.

Ryusui wearing his captain's hat from the Dr. Stone: Ryusui anime special
Ryusui wearing his captain’s hat

There’s a major problem with Ryusui, though. Due to his upbringing, his personality isn’t great. He’s materialistic, obsessed with money, and thinks of himself as being above others. Ryusui is also a ruthless businessman. However, that doesn’t mean he has the brains to back that up, as Senku can still control him.

For example, one of the first things Ryusui does is negotiate his price for being the captain. The ship is going to be a hybrid that uses sails as well as an engine. And to power the engine, the Kingdom needs oil. As compensation for his services, Ryusui wants ownership of the oil.

He then plans to sell the oil to the Kingdom of Science. And to facilitate this sale, he prints his own money. That’s right, Ryusui created the first economy of the new age. But, Senku is able to turn this economy to his advantage.

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First Flight

While some members of the Kingdom work on building the ship, others need to find oil. That doesn’t sound very easy, to me. And due to the landscape changes over the past 3,000 years, it’s more difficult than Senku thought it would be.

Without an accurate map of the terrain, it’s going to be hard to find oil. But, walking around on foot and making a map the old-fashioned way would take too long. So, the solution Senku comes up with, thanks to Suika’s comment, is to fly. It’ll be much easier to draw a map when you can look down on the terrain.

At this stage, powered flight is out of the question. From what I remember, they do have access to batteries. So, you may think they could build an electric aircraft. But, the batteries they have are large, heavy, and not very good at storing energy.

Senku flying with man-made wings from the Dr. Stone: Ryusui anime special
Senku flying with man-made wings

So, Senku decides to create a hot air balloon out of hemp. Hot air balloons are among the simplest ways to fly. Though, they’re not very good when it comes to controlling where you’re flying. But, luckily, as I mentioned earlier, Ryusui is an expert at reading the wind.

He, Senku, and Chrome hop in the balloon’s basket for its maiden voyage. And their destination is Ishigami Village, which would be a 2-day trek. By air, the travel time is only about 2 hours. However, not everything goes as planned during this trip (of course).

The trio runs into a thunderstorm and the balloon gets damaged by an earlier run-in with a bird. But, Ryusui is still able to navigate them out of the storm and to safety. Something I noticed, though, is that after the storm, the damage is miraculously gone. My immersion, ruined.

Conclusion

As much as I don’t want to admit it, I thought Dr. Stone: Ryusui was pretty good. I gave both previous seasons of the series 5/10 ratings. But, at the end of this special, I rated it a 7/10. Don’t expect my rating of New World to remain that high, though.

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