The first scene of the anime is crucial in establishing this common error, as we see Yoi assisting a young student to get off the train. As other students on the train watch this interaction, they are mesmerised by Yoi’s charm and handsomeness. 

One of the students even asks the other: “Wanna go ask him for his number?”

Before they can summon the courage, however, their gazes drop, and they see that Yoi is wearing a skirt. She is a girl. Not a handsome boy. 

The opening theme, “Uruwashi” by Unison Square Garden plays, and afterwards, the very next scene buttresses this misunderstanding. 

Yoi arrives at school, and she is met by another student—noticeably, a girl—who offers her a towel embroidered with a heart as a gift. Instead of disappointing the girl, Yoi chooses to accept the gift and tucks it away in her locker. As she walks through the halls, the nickname “Prince” rings out as her fellow students whisper praises in her wake. 

Trying to escape the unending attention, she takes a detour and ends up meeting the other “Prince,” Ichimura, who promptly mistakes her for a boy. The misunderstanding is cleared when they see each other again at school. 

The “Princes” meet again outside school at a convenience store where a customer is causing a ruckus. They step in to resolve the issue and then head to a nearby park. Ichimura confesses that he finds her intriguing and goes as far as referring to her as “Yoi-chan.” Yoi reveal that she has never been treated as a princess.

Ichimura decides, unprompted, to correct this “injustice” by carrying her in his arms. 

Talk about taking liberties. 

Embarrassed, she dashes away, musing to herself that she should not expect to be treated as a girl because of her physical features. The next day, they meet at school, stopping on the stairs to address each other. 

Ichimura then plainly tells her that he is interested in her, and Yoi actually looks around to find a hidden camera, believing his audacity to be a prank. Unabashed, he comes to her class during lunch, offering for them to eat together.

With her class in a tizzy over the closeness of the two “Princes,” she hurries him away under the guise of a committee meeting. Forced into lunch with Ichimura, Yoi accepts her fate and strikes up a conversation with him while they eat. As Ichimura continues to display his interest in Yoi, she realises that this is the first time in her life that she is getting hit on by a guy. 

The ending theme, "Azalea no Kaze" also by Unison Square Garden, plays, bringing the episode to a close.

Verdict

Uruwashi no Yoi no Tsuki (In the Clear Moonlit Dusk) is a slice-of-life anime, and as such, comes with the typical trappings of the genre. The plot is straightforward, the dialogue is simple, the setting is predictable, and the characters are a little generic. 

Slice-of-life anime are simple to create. As such, there are numerous average slice-of-life anime. A few of them will be above average, while even fewer will be excellent. 

That being said, I think that Uruwashi no Yoi no Tsuki (In the Clear Moonlit Dusk) falls into the “good/above average” class for now. 

The character design for Yoi is quite impressive, striking a delicate androgynous balance that allows the story to flourish. 

However, I found the first episode to be too expository, with the “handsome boy” and “Prince” misunderstanding a little plain and pushy. Like the writers really, really wanted us to know that this was the premise of the anime. 

I also found Ichimura to be quite pushy as well. I understand that an audacious, extroverted love interest is the norm in such matchups, but I don’t think his personality truly balanced the pendulum between audacious and annoying. 

The opening and ending themes were quite good, and I actually replayed the ending theme more than once. 

There was no obnoxious fan service or irritating pervy character in the first episode, and for that, I was very grateful. 

All in all, it was a solid first episode. 

I will continue to watch it (at least for three more episodes), but I probably will not continue with reviews. 

Seeing as the fake Holy Grail War was not successful, the six Servants initially summoned have now been used as primers for the true War. 

We are then treated to a very tense interaction between Faldeus and his Servant, who seems to be the “True” Assassin. It seems like Faldeus is beginning to understand the severity of the true Holy Grail War.

After the opening theme, we see Francesca and Orlando Reeve discussing the current state of the war. As they talk, the bolt of energy we saw in the previous episode races past Orlando’s office, shattering the glass as it does.

The target of the arrow is Tiné Chelc, and of course, Gilgamesh intercepts the attack with his Noble Phantasm. The duo head to the desert where the True Archer awaits. To Gilgamesh’s anger, the Archer tries to attack Tiné once more, forcing him into another interception. 

Before the battle between the two can truly resume, they are interrupted by another Servant, seemingly the True Rider. A three-way battle ensues in which the names of the other two Servants are revealed. 

The True Rider is Hippolyta, and the True Archer is Alcides (Heracles). 

As the trio continue to test each other, Francesca reveals to Orlando that she has sent her Servant, True Caster, to de-escalate the situation. Caster arrives and uses an illusion to turn the rocky desert into an icy wilderness. 

The illusion does little to deceive the other Servants but manages to bring a stop to the fighting. The three Servants part ways, and we return to Ayaka and Saber as they lounge in a studio. Much like Francesca and Orlando, they discuss the state of the war with Ayaka asking Saber what he desires from the Grail. 

He tells her that he does not have a wish for the Grail and thanks her for her presence, whilst also revealing the name of the man who killed him: Pierre Basile. This is also the invisible person that he converses with from time to time.  She is taken aback by his show of trust, because revealing who killed you is almost the same as revealing who you are—your True Name. 

She asks him to wait until he finds a worthy Master. Saber smiles and then says that, indeed, he will reveal his name to a great Master. Moments later, to her surprise, he stands atop the stage in the room and reveals himself to be King Richard I of England.

Verdict

We are beginning to see more of the True Servants. I wonder if the nature of the war they were summoned to will affect the strengths of the False and True Servants. 

In this episode, we were also treated to another flashy battle between Servants, and I know there is much more to come in this series. Despite being in a fight against Enkidu and now, against two other Servants, we have yet to see Gilgamesh’s true power, and I am so excited for the battles that await us. 

This episode also raises some questions about the Masters of the True Servants. How were they chosen? How did they come to know of the Wars? Are they all aware of the Fake War?

I will definitely be continuing this series to find out more. 

After the opening theme, which I decidedly do not like, we are returned to the burgeoning battle between Hansa and the Dead Apostle Jester. When Orlando asks if he will assist them, that is the Masters, Hansa replies: “Before I am an Overseer, I am a Priest.”

The battle between Hansa and Jester begins in earnest, and we are treated to an excellently animated and choreographed battle between the priest and the vampire, where both parties are determined not to back down.

Jester taunts Hansa, asking him about his role as a neutral observer, but Hansa informs him that the Church’s number one priority is to conceal Mystics and to protect the tranquillity of humanity.

He then adds, “If a vampire were to get a hold of the Holy Grail, I’d be a failure of an Overseer.”

The battle continues, and Jester tries to gain the upper hand by conjuring a whirlwind of fire and air. His attack ultimately fails as it is revealed that seventy per cent of Hansa’s body is made up of consecrated mechanical parts.

Angered by Jester comparing him to the Burial Agency, an exalted group of executors within the Church, Hansa vows to destroy Jester. However, the sun comes up, and Jester makes his escape by transforming into a child. 

Hansa orders the other members of his team to surround the building and apprehend any suspicious individuals. Ayaka and Saber are stopped by one of Hansa’s subordinates, and Ayaka is told to report to the Central Church, as there is something the Overseer wishes to discuss with the Masters.

As Orlando picks up the pieces following the assault by Assassin and Jester, he says something quite interesting.
“If…they’re still going to start the other war as planned.” 

All the subliminal clues are pointing to another Holy Grail War. 

For the first time in a while, we are shown Flat Escardos, where he sits in a diner the morning after the battle. He comments on the state of Snowfield, acknowledging that the city is strange and there seems to be a lot of Magecraft in use.

Lord El-Melloi II, on the other side of the Atlantic, is putting together pieces of information on this fake Holy Grail War. Like Flat, he acknowledges that there seems to be something off about Snowfield, especially the Magical Leyline of the city. The appearance of Saber seems to be the final hint that he needs to string all of the information together. It was previously announced that, because this is a fake Holy Grail War, there was to be no Saber. Only the other six Servants were summoned. 

However, as the appearance of Saber coincided with a spike in magical energy in Snowfield, it seems like the Holy Grail is starting to summon seven Heroic Spirits. Lord El-Melloi II postulates that the six Servants previously summoned might be catalysts for the true Holy Grail War to begin. 

The next scene proves this as we see Faldeus attempt to summon a Heroic Spirit. While it seems like he initially fails, a note appears on the floor next to the summoning circle saying: “I ask you, art thou my master?”

Elsewhere, an Archer fires a bolt of energy towards the building where Tiné Chelc and Gilgamesh are.

Verdict

One thing the Fate series has been consistently good at is well-choreographed, exquisitely animated and evenly matched fight scenes. And the battle between Hansa and Jester does not disappoint. The two exchange flashy blows, while their conversation helps to further our understanding of the setting. 

Another consistent element of the Fate series is the “neutrality” of the Overseer. In almost all of the previous instalments, the Overseer never remains neutral, and Hansa is just the latest example; although, for now, his motivations for wanting to get rid of Jester are not selfish. 

I particularly like the way information has been revealed so far. We, the audience, are not being bombarded with new information every single episode. Instead, secrets and the underlying plotline are being slowly, steadily and sequentially revealed, in a way that makes for excellent viewing. 

Of course, while the name of the Fate series and several other clues already pointed to the fact that there would be two Holy Grail Wars—a fake one and a true one, the reveal was done in a way that allowed the audience to form their own logical conclusions. 

I am definitely looking forward to episode 4.

Saber is not Arthur Pendragon, and Ayaka is not a true Master. The markings on the back of her hands are similar to Command Spells, but ultimately, are not Command Spells.

We are then taken to a casino where Tiné Chelc and Gilgamesh are gambling. They are met by Hansa Cervantes, who introduces himself to Gilgamesh as a supervisor of the Holy Grail War.

The interrogation of Saber continues, with the Heroic Spirit choosing to display his power by “disappearing.” The police chief is unamused and orders a memory wipe for all the officers involved.

Ayaka and Saber reunite in her cell, where Saber explains that there is a spell imbued in her tattoo that links them together in a faux Master-Servant relationship. 

Hansa then drops by the police station to meet with Orlando Reeve, explaining to the police chief that he intends to meet with Saber and Ayaka. Hansa Cervantes is then promptly surrounded by the chief’s underlings, and there is an attempt to restrain him to find out what the Church knows about this fake Holy Grail War, when a phone call from Caster puts a pause to the proceedings. 

The Heroic Spirit tells Orlando that something “bad” is heading his way, and he needs to prepare for impact. It’s Assassin. As the cloaked figure breaks through the numerous magical barriers placed around the police station, Orlando summons his “Clan Calatin”—police officers under his control, all wielding Caster-manufactured Noble Phantasms. 

The fighting commences while Saber leads Ayaka to safety, seemingly talking to himself as he does. 

Assassin is initially shocked by the Clan Calatin and their Noble Phantasms, but she recovers from her surprise and turns the battle in her favour. The police chief unleashes a herd of magical beings in an attempt to subdue her. Assassin, however, turns the spell against him, and he has to defend against the creatures. 

She then reveals that she has no intention of serving a Mage and that she plans to destroy the Holy Grail War.

Before any fighting can continue, however, they are confronted by Assassin’s master, a lunatic who promptly introduces himself as Jester Karture. Turns out that he is also a Dead Apostle (or a vampire, as Caster says), and that is how he was able to survive her initial attempt to kill him. 

Utterly disgusted that her master is a Dead Apostle, she springs to attack him, but he uses a Command Spell to teleport her out of the city. Jester then lifts a bench, intent on using it to finish off the police chief, when Hansa intervenes, splashing a cup of coffee across his back. 

Verdict

Once again, we are treated to a superb, compact unit of storytelling, with the plot and stakes developing quite nicely. This episode answers some questions raised in episode 1, while also raising questions of its own. 

For example, Ayaka’s role in the Holy Grail War, as a sort of quasi-Master, is revealed. Saber’s identity, however, remains undisclosed, and the scene where he is seen talking to another person (who is not visible beside him) also adds an element of intrigue.

I cannot wait to see what the next episode has in store.

Upon further research, the anime (and the manhwa it is based on) is part of an initiative by HYBE (a South Korean entertainment company, popularly known for managing BTS) to create a multimedia universe around one of the boy groups under their management, ENHYPEN.

As such, there are seven male leads, each lead corresponding to a member of the group. The opening and ending themes of the anime were also performed by ENHYPEN.

The first episode of the anime was, in my opinion, a little misleading. The first scene was a narration, describing the revelation of vampires to humans twenty years ago. The ambience was dark, the music was somber and the narration was severe. The seven male leads appeared on the screen in a tinge of red, their faces silhouetted by the light from the blood moon. 

The opening theme then played, which I enjoyed. 

After the theme, we are then taken to Decelis Academy, where we meet Sooha, our main character. She has been newly admitted and is being escorted to her quarters. The preceptor accompanying her explains the rules of the school, stating that she is not to leave the campus after dark, especially as a murder investigation (with a vampire suspect) is underway. The preceptor also apologises for the room she has been offered, as they typically do not accept transfer requests at this time in the semester. 

For all the warnings and severity of the anime up until now, once she is left alone in her room, the mood of the anime changes, becoming light and more playful. I did not expect the change; however, I welcomed it, thinking it would add another dimension to the anime. 

As she tries to arrange the leftover furniture and books littering the room, she is interrupted by Heli, a student she’d passed on her way to the room. He catches her as she lifts an entire bed over her head, and she pauses, haunted by previous accusations of vampirism. 

She lowers the bed and tries to explain the unusual sight to Heli. Apparently, he just wants to pick up a book?

My question is: Why didn’t he knock?

After he assures her that he does not think she is a vampire, she helps him to search for the book. She finds it on the floor and hands it over to him. 

Mind you, he never told her the name of the book or even described what it looked like. The entire interaction seems forced, like the writers are trying to impose their chemistry on us. 

Heli then meets with the other members in Solon’s room to tell them about this new student. They are mostly accepting of Sooha, with the exception of Solon, who is staunchly against a friendship with her. Heli, though, mentions to the others that he feels a special kinship with Sooha. 

As Sooha takes in the school environment, she sees Heli and the others gathered in the hallway. She rushes to say hi to Heli, but overhears Solon saying that they should maintain a distance from her. 

I thought this conversation ended in the room?

She is distraught, but that lasts for all of one second, as the boys, with the exception of Solon, all crowd her, welcoming her to the school and offering her a tour. As they walk around the school, they introduce themselves and their classes, including Jakah and Noa, who are currently on the athletic field. 

Heli reveals that the boys are close, despite being in different classes, because they all grew up in the same orphanage. When they arrive at the athletic field, a stray ball thrown by Noa and Jakah flies towards the group. In typical romantic fashion, the boys snap to attention and protect her, with Heli wrapping a protective arm around her. 

After meeting with her, the boys debrief in what seems to be Solon’s room. They all remark that they feel a certain way towards Sooha, like they want to give her everything she wants. Of course, Heli shows up to escort her to her first class. 

As he does, he reveals his telepathic power, speaking to her in her mind. The boys then offer to help her clean up her room, as they were using the space as a storage before her admission and enrollment. 

Trying to help, she casually lifts a box full of weights to the shock of everyone, except Heli. To reassure her that her secret is safe with them, they all display their powers. 

The episode ends with Solon confronting Heli about his choice to reveal his powers to Sooha. 

“We should stay away from Sooha—no, from all humans,” he says. “We’re vampires.”

Verdict

Dark Moon: The Blood Altar seems like a basic reverse harem romance with fantastical elements sprinkled in for dramatic effect. 

The story so far reads like a fanfiction written by ENHYPEN fans for ENHYPEN fans. And it follows the typical fan fantasy of seven extremely handsome boys all vying for the attention of one girl, who feels like she is out of place. 

The dialogue is simple, the animation works well enough for the story, and the opening and closing themes are quite catchy. 

However, the storyline seems quite shallow and invites the audience (ENHYPEN fans) to imagine themselves as the main character, a girl who is instantly attractive to seven boys. While this is not the typical form of fan service, it is immediately clear who the intended audience is. 

As such, I will be dropping this anime. 

The first episode is fairly straightforward and, like most pilot episodes, focuses on exposition and world-building. 

Right off the bat, we are introduced to Luna, a black witch, and her isolation. She lives in a house made of poisonous mushrooms. While she looks young, the show explains that she is much older than her appearance and has lived longer than the typical human lifespan. 

She is skilled in making medication, and once every three months, she delivers the medicine to the town in exchange for money, which she uses to buy other items, mostly books. Noticeably, as she makes her way into the town with the medicine loaded on her bull-shaped familiar, poisonous mushrooms of different colours, shapes and sizes bloom in her wake. Consequently, she is given the name “Champignon Witch” by the townspeople.

“Champignon” is a term used to describe edible mushrooms. 

This is, however, just one of the things that horrifies the townfolk about Luna. The most repulsive thing in their eyes is the fact that everything she touches becomes poisoned, including humans and animals. 

This is then promptly demonstrated by a butterfly drifting in too close to Luna’s breath. The butterfly stops flying, floats to the ground, and after a few twitches, it dies. Dramatic much?

The witch, quite sadly, is used to this type of treatment, and she ignores the townfolk and heads straight to the apothecary, where she delivers the medicine she compounded. The owner is slightly more friendly to her but still does not approach her without precaution. The instant she enters the shop, he dons a herb-infused mask and instructs her to pluck the sprouted mushrooms on her way out. 

The next stop on this trip is the bookstore. The owner of the bookstore is a descendant of both the human and spirit worlds and thus is more understanding of the witch. As the witch shops, the owner makes a revealing statement. 

“It’s been quite some time since your last visit, so the air in town’s grown stagnant. Even just stepping outside felt depressing.” 

It turns out that the witch can absorb the “poisons,” that is, negative human emotions, filter out these toxins and transform them into mushrooms. This explains why mushrooms grow in her wake, and why these mushrooms are toxic. 

She agrees with his statement, adding that a bunch of scary mushrooms sprouted in the town square as she walked past, shocking her. He informs her that it is because of a public execution that took place in the square last week. The criminal’s regret and the crowd’s outrage must have been intense, causing the mushrooms to sprout in such severe shapes and colours. 

We are then treated to a bit of exposition about the kingdom and their relationship with magic. Apparently, the term “black witch” is used to describe witches who are not aligned with the royal family. White witches work with the crown and help to grow and expand the kingdom. 

It remains unsaid by the bookstore owner, but the person executed was likely a black witch as part of the “Black Witch Hunt.”

She concludes her business in the bookstore after buying several books and helping the owner dispel a curse stuck in a book.

Despite his apparent easygoingness, the bookstore owner is also quite careful around the witch, wiping all surfaces with a strong lye the instant she leaves the store. 

As the sun sets, Luna is treated to the sight of people queuing at the apothecary to purchase her medicine. The medication’s effectiveness delights Luna, and she basks in the praise. Of course, the townfolk are blissfully unaware that she is the one behind this medication. If they were, they would surely reject the drug. 

As she hides out of sight of the apothecary, she sees a one-legged man on crutches, hobbling away. She returns the next day with medicine that can regrow a limb, but the apothecary owner refuses to stock the drug, stating that such medicine would put him—and subsequently, her—under scrutiny. 

The lack of romance in Luna’s life is the next theme to be highlighted as she sees a couple embracing in town. She reflects on her poisonous skin and the resultant lack of physical contact. To deal with this, Luna draws people and things that she sees in the town. She also brings the characters from her books to life, briefly animating them for her entertainment. 

In her poisonous mushroom home, she draws and animates the boy she sighted in earlier in the town. Well-drawn and infused with magic, the boy comes to “life,” animated and offers Luna a dance. She takes off into the night sky with him, feeling the touch of another, albeit only paper, without poisoning her dance partner. 

On her next trip to town, she sees the couple in the midst of an argument. It seems like ever since Luna’s last visit to town, the boy has lost his “soul,” becoming a shell of himself. Luna quickly realises that her realistic drawing is to blame and she swiftly rights this, restoring the boy’s vitality. 

Now more like himself, the boy vows to talk to Luna the next time he sees her. 

Verdict

From the first episode, it seems like, while there are fantastical elements to the story, Champignon no Majo (Champignon Witch) will be a romantic anime. The worldbuilding around the magic is light and easy to follow. 

There was a lot of narration in this episode. I personally think it was due to a lack of dialogue between the characters, because of the witch’s isolation. I mean, there is no one for her to talk to. 

The animation was okay, and the drawing was average. However, for a romance fantasy anime, it will do the job. 

Plot-wise, I do not believe that the story will pop out with any unexpected twists and turns. I expect the male lead to be the boy whose drawing she animated and danced with. I also expect that the “Black Witch Hunt” will in some way threaten her and, of course, that the townsfolk will find out that she compounds the medicine they are so fond of and perhaps, come to her aid then. 

I might not finish this anime, but I will watch the next three episodes.

Rating: 5/10

Verdict: Will continue for three more episodes

In the first episode, we are introduced to Wakana Kinme and her bubbly personality as she runs her cleaning service. She takes orders, tagging items and uses a variety of methods to clean the clothes left in her care. 

A friend, Yagara-san, comes to visit, bringing sweets, and as they discuss, Kinme’s rigorous and meticulous cleaning method is revealed.

 
The conversation is mundane, but she makes a strange statement as she talks to her friend:

“It’s the one thing I didn’t forget.”

A hint at amnesia?

As the episode progresses, we are introduced to other town residents, including her landlady—Aji-san, to whom she hands over the month’s rent— and the son of the innkeeper Ishimochi (owner of Homestyle Inn Ishimochi); the latter, who then visits the laundry shop to drop off items to be cleaned.

The young boy seems quiet and reserved, almost aloof. As he hands the items over to Kinme, however, she pauses, a blush creeping up her face. Before he can ask what is wrong, she dashes over to the side, collects some items and comes to a stop in front of the boy.

She drops to her knees and, retrieving a sliver of sandpaper, begins to work on a scratch on the boy’s shoe.

Fanservice is, of course, imposed on us, the audience, as Kinme buffs and polishes the shoe of the boy—who is supposed to be in high school, by the way—from an indecent angle.

He is impressed by the correction and tells her as much. Beaming with praise, she tells him that their cleaning service does not solely focus on clothes, but also cleans shoes, leather bags, and other materials.

Suddenly contrite, she bows in apology, telling him that she did not mean to impose on him. Then, as she straightens, her cleavage is so conveniently revealed from the top of her blouse, as she apologises for overstepping her bounds.

Verdict

From the first episode, it seems to be a very basic slice-of-life anime. The animation is simple, and the main character also does not seem to be unique, except for the hint that she might have memory problems.

The fanservice, as all fanservice tends to be, is unnecessary and only detracts from the anime.

As such, I will not be continuing the anime.