very late edition

Manga

The recommendation algorithm has insisted I read Denpa Kyoushi, probably since I like GTO... because it's exactly like it, if it was made with the characteristic artstyle of the late 2000s and Onizuka was a weeb instead of delinquent.

Anime

Of the current seasonals, the only one that caught my attention so far is Red River, an adaptation of a 1995 shojo manga set in the Hittite Empire. It's old school storytelling, with both a higher quality than a lot of the generic slop, as well as a higher amount of encounter of nowadays obsolete tropes when it comes to for example treatment of women.

I watched last season's I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class after seeing Gigguk's video I posted recently. It is indeed a pretty solid show. Generic school romcom, yes. But it does show the main characters slowly fall in love with each other, rather than culminate in a confession after doing the right moves. Add to it side plots that are not even direct obstacles to the main plot but flesh out the characters, and a pretty likeable cast, and you have something refreshingly good, in spite of being unoriginal.

I've been slowly going through Monogatari, and I have reached Owarimonogatari S2. For better or worse, Monogatari is truly unique and I'd like to see a discussion of it that isn't filled with . Considering the protagonist, that is unlikely. I guess there's Animefeminist's podcast episodes on it, but they are fairly early into the story.

Speaking of vile MCs and fanbases, Mushoku Tensei has one, possibly even worse than Araragi. And yet, it is one of the most highly acclaimed anime by mainstream weebs. Good for a pain-groupwatch though.

I finally reached the end of the Cell Saga in Dragon Ball Z. Mr. Satan, what a man.

I've also started Aura Battler Dunbine, and the start is much stronger than L-Gaim's. Tomino at his first peak, I suppose (1st - the 80s 2nd - Turn A).

Audiobooks, since I discovered that's a thing

Leon Trotsky's "Fascism: What it is and how to fight it" - He makes a pretty good definition of fascism for the most part (A reactionary movement with a petty bourgeois base that gains popularity and members from the proletariat during crises by placing the blame for the misery on workers' movement, and ends up supporting the normal bourgeoisie once it gains power, alienating its base), with the caveat of basically ignoring nationalism. The second part of the book is worse however. He assumes an armed proletariat ready to defend itself, but getting the wrong directives from Moscow. A lot of "I'd have done it better than Stalin"

Karl Marx's 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte - I'm not done with the book yet, but the writing is fire. The consolidation of Bourgeois rule, while side-lining the other classes is interesting to hear about. I might have more thoughts when I'm finished with it though.