Ikoku Nikki
Short Synopsis: A plain-spoken woman accustomed to living alone takes in her niece after the death of her parents.
Wooper: What I liked most about Ikoku Nikki’s first episode was its nonlinear structure. It began with a scene from the not-too-distant future, where Asa (an orphaned teenager) and Makio (her aunt and guardian) had reached symbiosis in their new living situation, then rewound to their first encounter in many years, with Asa’s parents having just passed. After depicting their awkward first morning together (nicely contrasted with the much warmer opening scene), the story jumped backwards again, finally dialing in on the moment when Makio agreed to assume responsibility for her niece’s housing. There were no visual indicators and no on-screen text telling the audience when these shifts happened – Ikoku Nikki just expected that we’d keep up, which I appreciated. The nonlinear approach fit the theme of grieving, a state that can certainly play tricks on your sense of time, and was further supported by the metaphor of Asa in the desert (alone in her grief), which cropped up in more than one stage of the premiere. I’d call this more of a screenwriting success than a directorial one, but the storyboard did pull its weight, reserving its close-ups for contemplative moments, and the Kensuke Ushio soundtrack found him in the same piano-as-percussion mode that he’s been exploring in his recent collaborations with Naoko Yamada. Ikoku Nikki is such a low-key affair that I don’t imagine it’ll capture a wide audience, but early signs point to it being one of the year’s better character dramas.
Potential: 75%
Lenlo: I’m getting some real Great Passage/Shion Miura vibes with Ikoku Nikki, which is a pretty strong compliment if you know me. Just off of this first episode, it feels very quiet, and personal. Like the author was using it to process their own grief through the characters in a way. I’m not entirely sold on it yet, there’s nothing that stands out as bad or a red flag or anything, these sorts of stories can just get away from the author really quickly in my opinion. But I’m interested, and I want to stick with it. The fact that Ikoku Nikki is a complete manga, and that we’re probably getting a full adaptation, does fill me with a lot of hope that it will stick the landing though.
Potential: 60%
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes S2
Short Synopsis: Season 2 of Vigilantes, you will never be free of My Hero Academia.
Lenlo: And we’re back! You thought My Hero Academia was over just because the main show was done? Well too bad, Vigilantes still has like… 1-2 more seasons of content for you! And generally, I think it’s pretty good content, that covers some of the themes and plot points the main series never managed to get to, it’s more street level. Now yes, I don’t think this season is going to cover the strongest arcs, the Osaka stuff doesn’t hold up to how the first season ended and might be the weakest arc of the season. But if we get to where I think we will, there should be at least one arc with some fantastic content, Aizawa fans specifically who wish he got a bit more in the main series finale should be ecstatic. So yeah, it’ll probably be solid, but the start is going to be slow for a bit.
Potential: 50%
Wash It All Away
Short Synopsis: A beautiful amnesiac spends her days running a one-woman laundry service.
Wooper: I’m surprised this isn’t a P.A. Works show given what an obvious tourism ad it is. This premiere contains multiple looks at Atami Station (Atami being the story’s real world setting), as if inviting people to travel there by train, and there’s even an establishing shot that replicates the lead photo on the city’s Wikipedia article. Unfortunately, the art direction falls far short of what P.A.W. is capable of, rendering the seaside scenery rather lifeless – an issue which extends to the premiere as a whole. The strategy here seems to have been focused entirely on the character design for the protagonist, an alluring young woman who tirelessly cleans the garments of other Atami residents day in and day out. She cheerfully provides an essential service for her community and they, in turn, will presumably help her recover her memories, as the only thing she remembers is how to operate her business. The problem, at least for me, is that the scenes of her work don’t communicate anything apart from her diligence at laundering clothes, which is universally considered one of life’s most tedious tasks. None of the side characters introduced here are the least bit interesting, either – I’m at a loss as to the appeal of Wash It All Away (Kirei ni Shitemoraemasu ka), and that’s coming from a slice of life fan.
Potential: 10%
The post Winter 2026 Impressions: Ikoku Nikki, MHA Vigilantes S2, Wash It All Away appeared first on Star Crossed Anime.
