I Want to End This Love Game
Short Synopsis: A pair of high school friends repeatedly confess their love for each other ironically, both hoping the other will admit their real feelings first.
Wooper: Debates about the meaning of the word “anime” pop up from time to time, but many people understand it to mean “animation from Japan,” and in that sense I Want to End This Love Game (Aishiteru Game wo Owarasetai) is just as much an anime as Nippon Sangoku or Witch Hat Atelier. If you take a less technical view of things, though, it’s hard to believe it can be labeled with the same term as those shows, as its appearance and aims are completely different. Love Game opens with a 40 second flyover of its suburban setting for a bit of upfront padding, cuts to a flashback in the main character’s undecorated home to establish its premise (“Kaguya-sama: Love is War without the jokes”), and proceeds to the present without giving the audience a reason to come along. Its teenage leads are clearly in love with each other despite their “joking” confessions, which they’ve apparently been making for four years, and not only have they not tired of their obvious charade, but it’s still entertaining to the employees at their favorite restaurant, too. Our protagonists are the only customers, of course. There’s no need to pay the animators to populate a public space when the show’s one and only goal is to present cute 2D characters struggling with their feelings! I ducked out of this premiere not long after its embarrassing string of opening scenes, so I can’t comment on what low-effort horrors lurked in its second half, but I hope they’re not an omen of the new normal for anime romcoms.
Potential: 0%
Dandelion
Short Synopsis: The Japan Angel Federation is tasked with helping souls pass on to the afterlife.
Mario: I didn’t look into Dandelion’s details prior to watching it, but it isn’t hard to figure out that the show shares the same DNA as Gintama. They have the same character designs for one, but more noticeably, Dandelion has the exact same humor as Gintama. Unfortunately, I never really cared for Gintama’s brand of “scream until it’s funny” humor, and it goes basically the same with this show. The episode does offer some “heart,” though, with the old man finally passing on after he gives his last goodbye to his wife. At 30 minutes it goes a little bit longer than usual, and the extra bit is more about workplace drama that introduces the main conflict of this ONA (raise your quota or get sacked). At just 7 episodes, it could prove to be a quick watch if you are into Gintama. Personally though, this episode is still not enough to convert me.
Potential: 10%
Candy Caries
Short Synopsis: A personified cavity living inside a young girl’s mouth saves her from a cruel dentist.
Wooper: Being a Tomoki Misato production (Pui Pui Molcar, My Melody & Kuromi), I was always going to watch Candy Caries from start to finish, but now that I’ve seen the start, I can honestly look forward to each subsequent episode. This three minute kickoff wasn’t just fun, it was really funny, with exaggerated animation that gave me Cartoon Network vibes. Examples include main character Ame’s cheeks swallowing the rest of her face to avoid a dentist’s drill, or a later shot of the same dentist busting through a wall in fear of Caries, the cavity who lives in Ame’s mouth. Classic gags like the doors within doors that led to Caries’ room or the lazy-tonged boxing glove that sprang from Ame’s throat reinforced that sense of humor, giving me something to smile about every few seconds. The gelatinous plastic used for its stop motion style looked great too – just an all-around big win for short anime this season.
Potential: Sweet!
The post Spring 2026 Impressions: I Want to End This Love Game, Dandelion, Candy Caries appeared first on Star Crossed Anime.
