- The Future Diary
Mirai Nikki was the very first anime I ever watched as a teenager many years ago — and it’s one I can still return to again and again. In its own unique way, Mirai Nikki is truly a masterpiece. As one of the most famous early examples of the Yandere archetype, the anime introduces us to the sweet yet deeply disturbing Yuno Gasai. Yuno would do absolutely anything to stay by the side of the person she loves, Yukiteru Amano. Unfortunately, the two of them are trapped in a deadly survival game where only one can ultimately survive — and Yuno is truly willing to do whatever it takes. Yes, really anything. At first, many events in the story feel confusing, shocking, or even illogical. But as the anime progresses, the pieces slowly begin to fall into place. One twist follows the next, especially in the second half of the series, and the story becomes more and more intense with every episode. The strange mix of something oddly sweet yet deeply unsettling between Yuno and Yukki, combined with the concept of the future diaries and the constant plot twists, makes the anime incredibly gripping. Mirai Nikki is, in my opinion, an anime everyone should watch at least once. And please don’t make the mistake of quitting after one or two “disturbing” episodes. Stick with it until the end — it will absolutely be worth it. It’s also one of those rare anime that you only truly understand when you watch it a second — or maybe even a third — time.The Future Diary - Solo Leveling
Wow. I’m honestly speechless. I watched Season 1 of Solo Leveling early on but didn’t continue at the time. Now, after rewatching Season 1 and immediately jumping into Season 2, I can confidently say: I’m blown away. Solo Leveling is one of the best and most promising anime of our time. The character development is absolutely fantastic. Watching the main character grow — step by step, fight by fight — is incredibly satisfying. It’s the kind of progression that feels earned, and honestly, something many viewers can draw motivation from. The animation is breathtaking and easily among the best in modern anime. The fight scenes are on another level: intense, dynamic, and beautifully choreographed. There’s always a thrilling back-and-forth in power — until that final moment hits and the main character unleashes pure, overwhelming dominance. And it never gets old. I’m already excited for the upcoming movies and future seasons. There’s plenty of source material left, and if the quality stays this high, we’re in for something truly special. I would recommend Solo Leveling to absolutely anyone — whether you’re a hardcore anime fan or someone who has never watched anime before and is looking for a starting point. Trust me: you won’t regret it.Solo Leveling - Sams im Glück
As much as I love the books and the previous films… this one just didn’t work for me. I remembered it as “not that good,” but unfortunately that memory was actually generous. What made the earlier stories so charming was the clear dynamic: the Sams as the funny, cheeky, impulsive force of chaos, and Mr. Taschenbier as the shy, calm counterbalance. In this film, that contrast sadly fades away. The roles blur, and with that, a lot of the magic gets lost. Instead of clever humor built on their differences, many scenes drift into exaggerated and almost silly territory. Maybe younger kids will still enjoy it — and that’s completely fair. But for me personally, this installment feels like a step too far and loses much of what made the Sams so special in the first place. Out of love for the franchise, I’ll probably just stick to the earlier films in the future.Sams im Glück - Sams in Gefahr
A very enjoyable sequel, even though it takes a few more liberties compared to the original books than I would have personally liked. As an adaptation, it doesn’t feel quite as faithful — but if you judge it on its own, it’s still a really fun and charming movie. There are plenty of moments to laugh at, and the humor definitely works overall. That said, at times it feels a bit too silly and slightly forced in its attempts to be funny. The first film had a much better balance in that regard. Even so, it is a sequel that once again transported me straight back to my childhood — and that alone makes it absolutely worth watching.Sams in Gefahr - The Slurb
The Slurb is one of my absolute favorite childhood stories. I grew up devouring the books about this strange, cheeky little creature with its magical wish-dots, and the film adaptation captures that charm beautifully. The movie does a wonderful job adapting the first two books, even if a few changes were necessary to fit everything into a single film. Of course, there are a couple of small plot holes, and sometimes you catch yourself thinking, “Why don’t they just wish for that?” But in a children’s movie like this, logic isn’t the most important thing — heart and imagination are. The Slurb is a warm, funny, and nostalgic film from my childhood, and I’m certain I’ll show it to my own children one day — and I’m just as certain they’ll love it too. A clear recommendation for younger audiences or for a cozy family movie night.The Slurb - New Saga
New Saga is a short and easy-to-watch anime that takes on a familiar but still interesting premise: the final boss has already been defeated — so what happens to the hero afterward? However, the story quickly adds a twist. The hero is sent four years back in time, now given the chance to achieve the same victory again — but this time without the deaths and sacrifices that originally came with it. It’s a concept full of potential. Watching someone try to rewrite fate while carrying the weight of future knowledge is always compelling. Unfortunately, the execution feels a bit clumsy at times. One question kept bothering me: why doesn’t he tell anyone that he knows parts of the future? Other unlikely things are accepted without much hesitation, so this silence feels more like a forced plot device than a natural decision. The first season also feels more like a prologue than a fully developed arc. It sets things up rather than delivering a truly satisfying payoff. That said, the foundation is there, and if a second season happens, I’ll definitely watch it — mainly because the potential is still huge. For fans of fantasy series like Frieren, this might still be worth checking out. But if you haven’t seen Frieren yet, I’d recommend watching that first. Overall, New Saga isn’t bad — it just feels like it hasn’t fully realized what it could be.New Saga - Ranma ½ (2024)
I was genuinely surprised when I heard that Ranma ½ was getting a new adaptation. Since it’s an absolute childhood classic for me, I went into this remake with very mixed feelings. Remakes can easily ruin nostalgia. But what can I say? It turned out to be great. The new version does a fantastic job of bringing the manga to life — maybe even better than the original anime did. Of course, we’ll only really know that once more seasons are released. For now, though, it feels very faithful and fresh at the same time. Ranma ½ is the definition of a feel-good show. You don’t need to think too much — you can just sit back and laugh. At the same time, you naturally find yourself rooting for the slowly developing, heartwarming connection between the supposedly cold, man-hating Akane and the hot-headed Ranma. That dynamic still works incredibly well. One thing that bothered me slightly was the way censorship was handled. I completely understand that a show clearly aimed at a younger audience shouldn’t display anything explicit. But other anime usually handle this more creatively — with rising steam, clever camera angles, or even comedic visual gags like Japanese text overlays. Simply removing certain details entirely felt a bit awkward and distracting at times. Overall, though, this remake is a very enjoyable return to a beloved classic. A strong and a nostalgic comfort watch done right.Ranma ½ (2024) - Steins;Gate
Wow — Steins;Gate truly lives up to its reputation. A genuinely fantastic anime that was far ahead of its time when it comes to time-travel storytelling, especially considering it’s already about 15 years old. The beginning feels slow, painfully slow at times. I honestly considered dropping it more than once. A lot of things seem pointless, random, or completely irrelevant. At that stage, my personal rating would’ve been closer to a 4/10. But I remembered a friend telling me, “Trust me, this will be a 10/10 for you.” So I kept watching and wow, he was right. My opinion shifted: from 4/10 to 7/10, and eventually all the way to a full 10/10. If I were to rate only the final 10 episodes, even a 10/10 would feel too low. And here’s the genius part: everything that initially felt unnecessary suddenly clicks into place. Every detail matters. For obvious spoiler reasons, I won’t go into specifics. But trust me, it’s incredibly satisfying. Steins;Gate becomes intense, emotional, and impossible not to binge. You end up truly caring about the characters, rooting for them, and feeling every decision they make. Stick with it even if you don’t believe it in the first few episodes. I debated for a long time whether a series that starts this weak (for me personally) truly deserves a 10/10. But the answer is yes. Without that slow, seemingly pointless beginning, the second half would never hit as hard as it does. And because of that, Steins;Gate absolutely earns its perfect score for me.Steins;Gate - Wicked
Wicked once again proves that sometimes it’s better to tell a new story rather than simply remake the original. Instead of retelling The Wizard of Oz, the film explores its backstory from a completely different angle — showing that the “generic villain,” the Wicked Witch, might not be evil at all, and that there may have been deeper reasons behind her so-called evil actions. This approach strongly reminded me of Maleficent, and while Wicked may not reach the same emotional depth, it still tells a compelling and fresh story. The musical numbers elevate the film even further — they’re colorful, energetic, and genuinely fantastic. My only real issue is the runtime. At 2 hours and 40 minutes, the movie can feel a bit long at times. Trimming one or two musical numbers and shaving off some runtime could have made the pacing even tighter and highlighted the film’s strongest moments even more. That said, Wicked is still a fantastic experience overall, and I’m already really looking forward to Part 2.Wicked - Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
A film I watched with very mixed feelings at first. It definitely takes some time to get going, and especially in the beginning my rating was closer to a 6–7/10. That said, this changes rather quickly toward the end. While it doesn’t quite reach the perfection of the first Maleficent, it still manages to deliver the same kind of emotional impact and goosebumps that made the original so special. Queen Ingrith’s betrayal feels fairly predictable, which can be a bit frustrating — especially when it comes to Aurora’s reactions — but this issue smooths itself out as the story progresses. Angelina Jolie once again delivers an outstanding performance and completely owns the role, just like in the first film. If you were to judge only the second half of the movie, it would honestly be a 10/10 for me, just like the original. Even with its slower and slightly uneven start, it’s still a sequel worth watching and a solid continuation of Maleficent’s story.Maleficent: Mistress of Evil - KonoSuba – God’s blessing on this wonderful world!!
KonoSuba is a genuinely hilarious anime that mixes comedy with ecchi elements in just the right amount. There’s almost always something to laugh about, and the cast’s chaotic chemistry carries the show effortlessly. At times, the anime leans a bit too hard into making fun of itself, but that’s pretty typical for this kind of series and never really bothered me. It’s the perfect anime to turn your brain off, relax, and just enjoy the jokes without overthinking anything. A great comfort watch, and I’m already looking forward to season 4.KonoSuba – God’s blessing on this wonderful world!! - Summer Time Rendering
Summertime Rendering is a truly beautiful anime. It perfectly blends time loops, romance, and action into one gripping experience. The way it handles time travel is incredibly well done and easily stands alongside other great titles in the genre, like Re:Zero. On top of that, the series is packed with unpredictable Plot Twists — it felt like I was coming up with a new theory after almost every episode. Beyond the thrilling story, the anime also gives you a lot to think about. We often tell ourselves that we still have plenty of time — “I’ll do this someday,” “I’ll talk to that person later,” “Life is long, there’s no rush.” But is life really that long? We don’t know. Summertime Rendering quietly reminds you to live in the present, to make choices your future self would be proud of, and to appreciate what and who you have right now. An emotional, intense, and thought-provoking masterpiece — easily a 10/10.Summer Time Rendering - Maleficent
Absolutely stunning. Probably the best Disney live-action adaptation, and arguably one of the best Disney films overall. This is exactly how live-action adaptations of classic fairy tales should be done. Maleficent takes an intriguing approach: what if the story of Sleeping Beauty is only how humans passed it down? What really happened? Was Maleficent truly evil? The film immerses the audience in an emotional rollercoaster — you feel her grief, her sense of betrayal, her regret, and so much more. It shines with so many new elements and great CGI while still staying true to the original story. Angelina Jolie seems born for this role. I especially love that, in the German version, she has the same voice as Regina Mills from Once Upon a Time — incredibly fitting in my opinion. The film also makes you think about what really matters in life. Is power and status everything? What do we already have that is good for us and brings us happiness? And what happens when we succumb to greed and ambition? A true masterpiece that everyone should see.Maleficent
