This year, there haven't been many good works since January, but suddenly in April, it exploded, which made me very excited. Now that we are halfway through the airing, it's time to share my feelings.
Of course, the following cannot encompass all the good works of April, as there are simply too many. I will only mention a few that suit my taste, ranked by my personal preference.
The following will contain a lot of spoilers, so those who haven't watched should proceed with caution.
Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc#
The Swordsmith Village is where the blacksmiths who forge the Nichirin Blades for the Demon Slayer Corps live. Its location is extremely hidden and highly confidential. This story is about the Swordsmith Village being found and attacked by Upper Moon Four, Hantengu, and Upper Moon Five, Gyokko. Tanjiro, Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji, Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito, and Genya Shinazugawa are working hard to protect the blacksmiths and fight against the Upper Moons.
Upper Moon Four, Hantengu, is a very interesting character. His main body is small and ugly, very weak and helpless, and cowardly, always feeling like he is just there to be killed.
But in reality, he is very much like a pig pretending to be a tiger. The demons he controls (still unknown what their relationship is) express joy, anger, sorrow, joy, and hatred, all of which are very strong, creating a strong sense of oppression. His main body also has invincible defense; even when everyone lines up to attack him, they can't kill him.
Nezuko's performance is also very eye-catching; demonized Nezuko is super cool.
#刀鍛冶の里編 鬼灭彻底站起来了，第四集观感爆炸，弥豆子太帅了，谢谢飞碟社
And the adorable Mitsuri.
#刀鍛冶の里編 蜜璃蜜璃蜜璃
Although the overall pacing is still slightly slow, after the Entertainment District Arc, my expectations were already very low, and it has far exceeded my expectations. The dialogue scenes are noticeably fewer than before, and the fights are even more explosive, making it very engaging to watch.
Plus, I have a fan bonus, ranking first in my weekly favorites.
Thanks to UFOtable for the hospitality.
| Category | Rating/10 |
|---|---|
| Story | 7 |
| Animation | 10 |
| Personal Bonus | 10 |
Konosuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World!#
The story of the first genius of the Red Demon Clan, a chuunibyou mage named Wiz, who loves explosion magic, has explosion magic as her special skill, is interested in explosion magic, and her only true love is explosion magic.
#このすば 霸权！绝对的 4 月霸权！虽然富有程度比不上天国大魔境，但是谁能拒绝最强爆裂魔法使慧慧呢！艺术就是爆裂魔法！我已经一帧一帧反复背了20遍了 比黑色还要黑 暗之漆黑 融合著我之真红吧 觉醒的时刻已经到来 坠入无谬之境界 形成无形之扭曲 出现吧！ Explosion!
Wiz fell in love with explosion magic after being saved by a busty mage who used explosion magic when she was a child.
Although explosion magic is extremely impractical and difficult to control, and is notoriously a comedic magic, "only by learning advanced magic can one stand alone. Explosion magic is just a comedic magic," Wiz still works hard alone for her hobby despite the ridicule.
In the end, she used all her skill points to master explosion magic.
Blacker than black, the darkness of pitch black
Merge with my true crimson
The moment of awakening has arrived
Fall into the realm of no fallacy
Form an invisible distortion
Appear!
Explosion!
#このすば 此刻正是诞生的瞬间！为爆裂魔法师的诞生，献上礼炮！
The subsequent outdoor adventures are also very interesting.
When I watched "Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!" I was attracted by Wiz's chuunibyou, but later in the Red Demon Village, I found that Wiz's chuunibyou was just of ordinary level. What impressed me the most was that the most important lesson in magic school was what kind of chuunibyou pose to strike before a battle.
There are also drawbacks; the animation is a bit poor, with many places looking off, and some scenes are quite out of place, especially when compared to the other new shows in April that seem to have no budget (but it's still passable) (there's another one that is really unacceptable).
| Category | Rating/10 |
|---|---|
| Story | 8 |
| Animation | 6 |
| Personal Bonus | 10 |
Heavenly Delusion#
Just as I mentioned the exquisite animation, it arrived. I was shocked from the first episode; the animation is as if it costs nothing, with a post-apocalyptic utopia storyline, smooth fight scenes, perfect camera work, and a light yet tense atmosphere control, just like a perfect exam standard answer. At first, I was worried that the quality would drop after such a high start, but it didn't at all!
#天国大魔境 不要钱一样的精美作画，末日废土乌托邦剧情，流畅的打戏完美的运镜，轻松愉快加简单的涩涩又不失紧张刺激的氛围把控，好久没看到这么过分优秀的作品了，这就是一个普通4月番的恐怖实力么，我已经反复看了10遍了
The plot has not been fully revealed yet. What we know now is that in the ruined Japan, there are man-eating monsters called "Hiruko," and people are struggling to survive. There is also a utopia called "Heaven," surrounded by safe walls, where technology is advanced, and the children raised there live in abundance.
It's dangerous outside the walls.
Inside the walls seems like heaven, but the plot hints at greater dangers.
The protagonists, Maru and Toa, who live outside the walls, are entrusted to go to Heaven to find someone who looks like Maru, during which they encounter various people.
A mother who refuses to believe her son has turned into a soulless monster Hiruko, luring passersby to feed her son, only to be killed by the Hiruko her son has become.
A small hotel owner who dreams of making big money by having fun with guests he likes, will also collaborate with con artists and robbers to kidnap adventurers.
A cold-blooded doctor who conducts human experiments is just a lovesick man who wants his wife to die with dignity as a human. After successfully letting his wife die, he commits suicide while holding her corpse.
And the leader of an ethical organization that firmly opposes human experimentation is just setting a trap for the doctor to seize resources.
Each character can be vividly portrayed in such a short span. In this wasteland world, struggling to live by any means, even the most heinous can make me deeply understand and feel sympathy and regret.
I give my utmost respect to the production team. Excluding personal factors, this work will be the clear leader in April.
| Category | Rating/10 |
|---|---|
| Story | 10 |
| Animation | 10 |
| Personal Bonus | 5 |
Hell's Paradise#
During the Tokugawa shogunate, there was a place called "Shinsen Island," filled with flowers and fluttering butterflies. The investigation teams that went to the island only returned with a few severed limbs and flowers.
The strongest death row inmate, the ninja Shinjuro, and the executioner Yamada Asaemon are sent to this island to find the elixir of immortality in exchange for their release, and they end up killing each other along with monsters and other death row inmates on the island.
#地獄楽 也非常好看，非常暴力美学和反差萌，鲜花火焰尸体砍杀，剧情和设定很有趣，作画也十分富有，仅次于天国大魔境，放在其它季度绝对是霸权级别的，在魔鬼云集的 4 月也能望其项背，期待后续表现
The monsters inside have this kind of art style.
Kitchen God
Celestial Being
If caught by a celestial being, one will be refined into elixirs.
Very bizarre and absurd.
Each death row inmate has their own story; it's not just black and white, and their experiences are quite interesting.
A strong little girl also appears.
The truth about the elixir and the island remains elusive, and there will definitely be more bizarre and powerful monsters later. I'm looking forward to it.
| Category | Rating/10 |
|---|---|
| Story | 8 |
| Animation | 8 |
| Personal Bonus | 0 |
[My Favorite Child]#
A gynecologist and his deceased female patient are reincarnated as the twin children of their favorite idol, Ai Hoshino, named Aqua and Ruby. Three years later, Ai Hoshino is murdered, and Aqua is determined to find the truth behind his mother's murder and the murderer, while Ruby dreams of becoming an idol like her mother. The siblings face various disputes and conspiracies in the entertainment industry.
The first episode, over an hour long, was a pleasant surprise, like watching a movie. I think it can be considered the best single episode of April.
#推しの子 我以为 4 月霸权是慧慧，是鬼灭，是天国大魔镜，最没想到是「我推的孩子」，一开始看到转生、偶像这些套路元素没报太大期待，开播也是最晚的，今天看完直接起立鼓掌，各种神展开，谎言、凶杀、悬疑、互相救赎、亲密关系，结尾让我感动落泪，最后再加上一个甚至比天国大魔镜还好听的 OP 绝杀
However, perhaps because the beginning raised expectations too high, the following episodes felt a bit bland. It seems to be a high-low-high rhythm, and now it's building up to a big reveal, with a super touching and tear-jerking ending expected. Get ready for tissues.
Even so, it would have been better if there were more scenes of Ai Hoshino in the middle.
Additionally, its OP is also super good; I've been looping it for several days.
| Category | Rating/10 |
|---|---|
| Story | 7 |
| Animation | 7 |
| Personal Bonus | 0 |
My Home Hero#
The insignificant office worker, Tetsuo Tori, who dotes on his only daughter, Reika, meets her one day due to work and discovers bruises on her face. On the way home, Tetsuo sees a man who looks like a criminal and follows him. The next day, he secretly returns to his daughter's apartment, only to encounter an event that changes the fate of the entire family. A father walks the path of a demon for his daughter and family. The suspenseful story begins.
The plot is very exciting, but the production is extremely poor, which is quite regrettable; this is the one I mentioned earlier that is unacceptable.
Fortunately, the story foundation is very strong, and even with poor production, one can still feel a strong sense of tension and continue to watch with interest.
I won't take screenshots; the visuals are really hard to look at.
| Category | Rating/10 |
|---|---|
| Story | 8 |
| Animation | 1 |
| Personal Bonus | 0 |
The Idolmaster: Cinderella Girls U149#
The story of a group of elementary school idols who, without a producer or work in the early stages, still step by step pursue their dreams.
Actually, there isn't much of a plot; it's just playing house... but it's very cute and charming.
| Category | Rating/10 |
|---|---|
| Story | 1 |
| Animation | 9 |
| Personal Bonus | 0 |
Youthful Jump#
Mitsuki Iwakura, a rural junior high school student, enters a high school in Tokyo with a high acceptance rate, ranking first in her entrance exam.
This rural prodigy arrives in Tokyo with a perfect life blueprint, but although she excels academically, she feels a unique distance from others and seems slightly out of place.
Although she occasionally fails, her innocent personality gradually touches her classmates, making their different personalities overlap.
Encounters, understanding, and ultimately mutual feelings.
Everyone has moments of annoyance and anxiety. And irreplaceable friends will surely bring opportunities for mutual understanding.
This is a school life comedy that can make people unknowingly happy, despite occasional noise!
Both the visuals and the story are very pleasant to watch; the work itself is excellent, and I like it, but this kind of plain story is not my preferred type, so I can only simply praise it.
| Category | Rating/10 |
|---|---|
| Story | 8 |
| Animation | 8 |
| Personal Bonus | -5 |
Others#
Additionally, "Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury," "Something Dangerous in My Heart," and "You Who Are Sleepless After School" are also shows I'm currently following, but I don't have much free time to watch anime, so I haven't caught up with these yet. Once I finish watching them all, I might write a summary of the April new shows, and we can discuss them together then.
Finally, I wish everyone happy anime watching! Don't forget to enjoy your shows while playing Tears of the Kingdom!