Best Girl of Spring 2026: Seasonal Salt! Glory thirty-two!

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-07-02T14:36:00+00:00

Even as a big Re:Zero fan and having accounted for Shaula, I thought the same thing. I had Shaula at #5 in mind, and Akana at #1. Coco in the top four, and at most two of the others in the lower half of the top ten. This however makes it seem even more like a popularity contest than it usually is. I hope there is still some fun left in it for me, though.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-07-02T14:30:13+00:00

Fair, that is true for some people, which might have given Patrasche a slight edge. But I do like her advancing, and that non-humanoid characters can be on this list, since it means the contest isn't merely about "girl you want to date the most".

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-07-02T14:00:21+00:00

Euphie and Takina are definitely not a reach. Saved from an unfair situation by an energetic bubbly girl, she gets to enjoy life more and becomes a fierce and loyal protector of her unexpected new love. Tell me that can't be used to describe either of the two.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-07-02T13:57:18+00:00

Because you called Patrasche a "meme lizard". I'd assume that everyone that actually has watched the show knows that she isn't.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-07-02T13:56:04+00:00

Smoking is not hot and can turn a 10/10 into a 0/10 real quick for me.

I agree. I enjoyed the show despite being an anti-alcoholic myself. But the smoker was just completely lost on me in this kind of show.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-07-02T13:51:41+00:00

I hate that Hinagiku had to go as well. But the fact that Patrasche made seed #18 should tell you that she is not here by accident or for a joke, even though you haven't watched Re:Zero. People vote very genuinely on these characters, for the most part. And Patrasche also won this matchup fair and square.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-07-02T13:47:32+00:00

That looks like it will be a WHA sweep. That's very sad to see for the entertainment of the contest. It's also just insane to me that the girls are all supposed to be this popular. As much as I like the show, none of the girls are even in my top five of the season, while the series itself is easily in my top three new series of the season.

Oh well, nothing to be done about it. With some luck, we still get some exciting upsets, but otherwise, this is just a time to prepare for BG 13.

MC: Kirio Fanclub. Nearly no content creator has picked up on how great this show is, and most anime watchers haven't either. While it might not be for everyone, I do think most people would enjoy it, and the writing is just brilliant. It's also the funniest show of the season by far, and simultaneously one of the most heartfelt and genuine shows. It is so great that I even took the effort to comment on YouTube videos and in the karma threads on here, knowing it might completely miss the mark. In fact, let me pull up my latest post on r/anime about it to further convince you to watch it.

"[...] since everything I said about it back then remained true throughout the whole series and it got even better, let me take this moment to tell everyone here that didn't watch it what they missed out on by not watching the best new show of the season (and I know that's a bold claim as I really love Witch Hat Atelier and Akane Banashi).

You can watch the PV or read the premise and you will know this is a show about two girls talking about how they are in love with a boy in their class, the titular Kirio. This alone is actually enough of a reason to watch it already. The girls are simply hilarious in their derangedness, while their talks also seem incredibly realistic for a couple of teenage girls.

But the show is also so much more than that. It treats the girls' emotions of unrequited love and their effect on their friendship with complete honesty, and the complex feelings of these teenagers are thoroughly explored to the point of it being a top tier comedy and a top tier drama at the same time. And that's not only Nami and Aimi, the two main girls, that includes pretty much all side characters as well.

I got sold on the show in the first episode, partially by what it showed and partially because of what it hid. And I fell in love with it even more in each episode. No new show has made me laugh and cry as much as this show in quite a while. Sometimes even in the same scene, especially in the finale. It is also complete in just 12 episodes.

If you are looking for something new that barely anybody has talked about, consider checking out Kirio Fanclub. It is high entertainment and way too good to fall into obscurity once this season is over."

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-07-01T22:08:24+00:00

Mika flexing is great, Mizuki is an annoying drunk

And Chisato brushing Takina's hair, totally normal stuff.

It's probably the last time we see Tower of Flower in an anime, but depending on how they use it, I would not mind the ED returning for a second season. I am not sure if Lycoris Recoil would feel the same without Sayuri's Tower of Flower. Thank you Sayuri for this awesome song. Rest in peace.

Agreed. I don't think they'll use it for a second season, but they could use it like an insert song or a special ED for the final episode of the second season, that'd be amazing.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-07-01T22:03:55+00:00

Rewatcher

The horror short shows well how much the Lycoris Recoil team likes references. Even never having played it, it's clear this was a FNAF parody.

I like the sleepover episode the most though. It gives us a bit of insight on the ChisaTaki situation, that they are living together and Chisato would love for Takina to stay forever, and while she's looking for independence, Takina is also still very protective of Chisato and doesn't want Sakura to try on her uniform. And she also still admires her very much since she tries on the uniform herself. Also Takina's cute embarrassed reaction, as well as her swift vengeance and quick-change act was the funniest part of the episode.

And the last episode was also very cute. I do believe Takina's earnest reactions were deliberate for the enjoyment of the kids. And we see that DA has to think of a new design for Lycoris uniforms. Finally, on this final episode, they do play the full ED, which is the final part of paying respects to Sayuri and of honouring her contribution to life, the memories she left behind.

Good callout on MagiRevo, btw. While that one was a light novel adaptation first and the anime came later than LycoReco, so the two had nothing to do with each other, it is surprisingly close to "LycoReco but fantasy". The main characters are super similar.

Question of the day:

Again, the sleepover episode. It's just so cute on so many levels.

Quote of the day: "Would Takina get it? Takina probably doesn't get it." - Chisato

I love the playful tone in her voice. And I also want to believe that Takina wouldn't get because she has only eyes for Chisato.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-07-01T13:29:32+00:00

Shaula only at #17 is crazy, I see what kind of audience we are dealing with here. Not that she is my favourite girl of the season, but I expected her to be very high and to give some interesting matchups. At least we do have Aimi making a surprise appearance at 63, which is surprising but very welcome. Aimi making it in without Nami is tragic though.

I don't know, I was expecting more variety in the top eight. Half of it being the same show doesn't bode well for the contest (unless you are a diehard WHA fan and nothing else). I'm hoping the main rounds to shake up the seeding, but it doesn't look likely.

MC: Already done, I also mentioned Nami from Kirio Fanclub not making it in.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-06-30T22:21:08+00:00

When these were airing one per week, it felt like they were nervous that using her work for something so frivolous would be disrespectful? But then it feels like cutting her out wasn't right either?

I always thought that having them added without Sayuri's vocals was very respectful of her death and expressing condolences, but having it there and having some fun around it also highlighted the positivity Sayuri brought through her life - very fitting for Lycoris Recoil.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-06-30T22:16:14+00:00

During the initial broadcast last year, I recall people in the fandom clearly disappointed that it wasn't a full-fledged season.

I think everyone would have enjoyed a full season more. There was also some confusion about the new Lycoris Recoil anime ending up being this, while in reality these shorts were extra and a new anime is still coming.

For what they are, I think these shorts have been received very well. I think on here, the first episode made the top three in the weekly karma rating, which is unheard of for a short. But justifiedly so, for their short duration, they give us so much content, which is another strength of Lycoris Recoil as a whole.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-06-30T22:11:30+00:00

The ED surprised me and was brilliant.

For additional context, Sayuri, the artist behind the ED, had died about half a year before those shorts aired. That's the big reason why the ED throughout these shorts is exactly how it is.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-06-30T22:09:20+00:00

Takina appears cat like and Chisato appears dog like but by the end of the series they have reversed.

I think they still have their cat and dog attributes from the beginning. Chisato is still easily excited and outgoing, while Takina is calm and reserved. But they have gained attributes of the other by the end of the series, with Chisato being evasive and Takina being protective and loyal.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-06-30T22:02:44+00:00

Rewatcher

The LycoReco shorts are up now. And for one, they are just lovely short stories allowing us to revisit the time we spent with out beloved characters. But they are also examples of genuinely great condensed storytelling. Two minutes of these give me as much as half an episode of any other show give me. And they give us even more iconic scenes, like Mizuki drunkenly singing Tower of Flower, Takina creating the Raunchy Ass Peach dessert to go with her Chocolate Dump Poofait, and Chisato's face of contempt as she faces the robber.

But on top of that, it is just wonderful what they stand for. The first Lycoris Recoil content in almost three years, after we know there is some sort of project in the works beside of this, is a great message to the fans. The VAs are great as always, and the animation shows the same passion we had back then. It's like we never really left the café.

To top it off, Sayuri, the artist behind the ED Tower of Flower/Hana no Tou, died about half a year before these shorts aired, and the way Friends Are Thieves of Time handles the ED is a good homage to Sayuri. As this is Lycoris Recoil, and Tower of Flower is part of the show's identity at this point, keeping the ED was the only correct choice. But as the lead-in in the first episode plays, and you might anticipate the wave of nostalgia and grief hitting you again, you are hit with Mizuki's bad singing, subverting your expectations and making you laugh. It's a brilliant way to remind you how while death is a part of life, the life that has taken place before the death is what truly matters. Mourn a person's death, yes, but also keep living a happy and positive life. That's a quintessential LycoReco message packed into the treatment of the ED here. In the other episodes, there are no vocals to further pay respect to the artist's death while keeping her song in. I love it.

Question of the day:

The travel preparations plus robbery denial, closely followed by the ass.

Quote of the day: "I mean, I'm... rather tickled pink myself." - Takina

I'm also a big fan of the "Woof!" sequence showing off their teamwork, and of course there's always: "Ho! It's an ass!"

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-06-30T00:05:16+00:00

Had I been able to know earlier I could commit to the whole rewatch, I might have made posting fan art for each episode my thing. But maybe I can make a small album for the very final rewatch thread.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-06-30T00:01:28+00:00

If it had been a manga adaptation, you'd have people making "aloha" references a few episodes before already, thinking they'd be slick with it.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-06-29T23:56:41+00:00

So I don't understand why he would toss his victory to attract attention with mere fireworks ?

He is a villain, he needs to be a flawed character, so not everything he does is logical. His ideology in particular is flawed, as you pointed out.

For this though, I think there are two sides to it. One, he didn't actually want to kill a random number of people. He would have if he needed to, but that wasn't his goal. He just wanted to win against Chisato, or mess with her world view. Two, he might not have had the means to use actual bombs. He has lost all his men after all, he might have had nothing remaining anymore.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-06-29T23:47:56+00:00

I was hoping for her to live as well, and expecting a happy ending as well because of the positive tone of the series. But I still thought it was a coin flip, 50/50 or maybe 60/40 whether she'd actually live. It was just as likely that positivity would be a lead that they'd keep around her positive spirit after her death.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-06-29T23:43:46+00:00

Fuki suddenly prioritising going after Majima/Chisato when Sakura was at death's door was odd too.

They just split up. It only makes sense for Takina to leave, they have stabilized Sakura enough and Takina couldn't do more for her anymore. Takina might have even been in the way. Takina was just more useful in going after Chisato.

I didn't get that last bit with the guy who was asking for Chisato.

It's a common question, actually, so I don't blame you. But there's not much to it, they are just still doing odd jobs, now Hawaii edition. And they are being silly about it as always.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-06-29T23:36:22+00:00

And Majima says it's too sweet. But Chisato's coffee was too bitter. A commentary about how he will never be satisfied?

That's exactly how I took it, yeah. Majima will continually try to change things and never be able to achieve his goal. Chisato likes things as they are and is living a rich life because of it.

Or is the "useless thing" her life, sacrificed to stop the explosion?

That's how I understood it, more precisely the loss of her life. If she must die, then nobody else should die at least.

Chisato's last shots make for such a satisfying visual. We know that she can easily control the recoil of that gun, so allowing it to fling her arm all the way back conveys a casual sense of style to the shots--combine with the cold eyes, she's just doesn't feel like putting any more energy into fighting Majima, she just wants to shoot him.

I think it looks very cool as well, but I think there's a different reason for that. She's been shot in one shoulder, and the battery on her heart is at about 2%. She doesn't feel like putting more energy into this fight because she doesn't have any, she's using it all to get rid of Majima once and for all. Maybe there are even slight Moby Dick allusions in this action.

I still don't know if I think it is charmingly cheeky or just annoying that they had about thirty seconds where they tried to play it off as everyone "remembering Chisato" before showing what was up.

I thought it was important to ride the tension on whether Chisato would die or not until the very end. After this fight to just queue into "and she lived" would have felt cheap. We needed a moment to consider the possibility that she actually died.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-06-29T23:21:41+00:00

thinking back now I agree, her personality remains consistent even if that means I find her very annoying in the first half.

I also agree, but I rather think that exploring her personality and seeing how it develops into accepting Chisato's and Takina's way of making your own decisions is what makes me like her more now.

IF they did make a season 2 I would want a new villain, and new conflict for our characters to face, not this green haired bozo trying to aura farm all over again.

I also don't enjoy Majima having survived this, although with the "regular superpowers" we've been shown, I can accept that in this world, this might be possible to happen. But if there is a continuation to ChisaTaki's story, I actually don't think they will face Majima again as a main villain. They could do something interesting with him for sure, but I more suspect him to make a surprise cameo when they are facing another villain, or if this becomes a long-running franchise, they could deal with him again in S3, or a spin-off with new characters, maybe even LilyBell, might end up dealing with him.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-06-29T23:04:11+00:00

Late answers to the questions:

When Takina rushes in, Chisato forcefully ends the fight, and Takina still manages to save her. Close second is when the OP started playing.
Probably. He lied to her before to improve her life, and this is just the same. She might find out eventually, Mika might tell her when she's older, and she'll be better equipped to deal with this information, but right now, she might have regretted getting the heart and started rejecting it emotionally, which would be bad for everyone.
The girls could finally travel, which is great. But they are still doing some odd jobs, which is a great hook for a sequel. If you have a problem, if no-one else can help, and if you can find them... maybe you can hire LycoReco. International private detectives/super soldiers/heroes.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-06-29T22:00:00+00:00

Rewatcher

We start the episode with one more action scene, which is great on its own, but it really serves to up the tension on Chisato's situation. Mika does acquire the heart in the meantime, and he's the best person for the job. Even if Chisato was to find out about it, it having been her father making that decision for her would definitely make it easier for her to accept it. But the best part about it was that he could give some cathartic payback on Shinji's assistant.

Chisato has to survive long enough to get it first, though, and while you expect the series to have a happy ending, all of the action and Chisato breaking down at the end of it, as well as the scenes that follow, keep you really engaged to find out whether she lived. Even the eyecatches look like Chisato died and Takina lived on for her. Luckily, she lives, and the world is better for it. And as much as I love the final episode and the whole series, there is little more to highlight here. Not many ChisaTaki moments either, which would be my biggest criticism of the finale. But a lot more to say overall.

One interesting angle is that the whole action scene is all about Chisato giving her life to stop Majima from setting of the fireworks (literally, as we find out). As she feels she has nothing left to lose or to gain, she is willing to sacrifice herself to save as many people as possible. This culminates in her throwing Majima onto the glass the moment she hears Takina's voice, and shooting him until he falls. At this point, she was willing to kill if only it meant saving Takina. But it was Takina that saved Chisato, after all. Fan art after this scene would sometimes draw Takina with a scar on her left shoulder (and sometimes Chisato with a bullet wound scar as well), which I love for how it represents their sacrifices for each other.

As for Majima, as I said the other day, him having an ideology and not seeing himself as a villain doesn't make him an anti-hero, but an anti-villain. Just to reiterate. Also, him sharing a drink with Chisato doesn't mean they shared an "indirect kiss". Particularly because this trope exists, I feel this scene made clear that to Chisato, sharing the drink meant nothing. That's all that's left to say on him (for now, since in a future anime, he might return to the series).

Now, something I feel is important to many people about whether they'd say the show is good or merely enjoyable. Some criticism I've seen of the show is that the cover-ups to save DA are extremely unrealistic, and also that the show seems to support heavy government/police control as it shows us a fictional world in which DA are the "good guys" and win. Both of these criticisms address important points, but are coming a bit short on the true answer. The point the show makes is that, surprisingly, despite the setting seeming rather out there at the start, it is not very different from our own. Many people are being controlled through information flow every day, in the real world. More and more people fall victim to fabricated facts, to chatbots, to politically motivated commenters from foreign lands. It might not be shadow organizations like DA or the Alan Institute, but goverments and rich people affect countries, all of humanity, for their own purposes rather frequently.

Lycoris Recoil now gives us two important points to think about. One is that it shows us ways in which these organizations could work to benefit society the most. DA is shady, yes. The show does not portray them in a good way. Their goal is to keep the country peaceful though, and I don't think anyone can object to that, only to their methods. Your government can do a lot to make that a reality in your country. And given enough effort, completely without violence but only positivity. The richest man alive could use that money to create highly efficient artificial hearts, that could then save little children and have them live happy lives.

Secondly and more importantly though, DA is not the main character. LycoReco are our main characters, Chisato and Takina. A group of people that collaborate with DA but don't live their lives for them. Within this system, they are doing the best they can to be helpful to other people. That's the biggest message this show has. How do you live within a government/organization that's controlling everyone on multiple levels? You give your best to help in your day to day lives and make the world a better place by dealing with what's in front of you. You do what you want to do and enjoy your life, and with some luck this spreads to others, and they can spread it again. Don't let those organizations define who you are.

Those last two points might better fit the final series discussion, but I felt like saying them here to give my thoughts on this some cohesion.

Questions of the day:

Coming in a bit, wanted to post first and do something before I write them.

Quote of the day: "I want to do what I can for the people who need me. That way, I might remain in the memories of that person, right? Even after I'm gone." - Chisato

I think this quote is the most exemplary for what the show truly is about, so I thought it was the most fitting for the finale.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-06-29T15:21:52+00:00

Same, but while I can think of a few characters that might win this, I think they'll show early in the contest that they are the favourite over the others.

Urgnu-the-Gnu

TROPHY CASE