Why Aren't You Watching HOZUKI NO REITETSU?

As a hobby, Hozuki raises giant koi plants which scream and may also imprison the souls of the damned.

So I asked Shogun-in-Chief Tom Pinchuk
if I could do a followup review of one of my current favorite anime,
HOZUKI NO REITETSU. Being the gracious fellow that he is, he told me
to knock myself out. So imagine my surprise when my request came to
bite me in the butt, and I sat down to write the followup and
realized I don't actually have much more to say about it.

And yet, so many words follow...

It's not because it's gotten bad—far
from it. The humor and weirdness are still the same quality set out
in the first few episodes. The theme song is still just as infectious
even after nine episodes. And Hozuki is just as cool-headed yet
simultaneously vicious.

Viciously bored.

Watching Hozuki apply his ruthless
acumen to all aspects of his life is probably my favorite part of the
show. Oh, you want to take a tour of the philanderers' hell because
you want to transfer there one day? Hozuki knows that you really just
want to hit on the hot demonesses who torture men! Did you throw out
your back? Hozuki will treat you with experimental medical techniques
that only resemble torture in the slightest ways. Does your hat look
like a butt? Hozuki will set you straight.

The show also continues to expand the
world of Japanese Hell in organic yet bizarre ways. As a political
entity, naturally Hell would have a cadre of muckraking journalists.
And you know what? If they weren't two-tailed cats who constantly
quote novels I would actually have been disappointed.

Sexy kangaroo. Because reasons.

Tom had tried to warn me about this
before, you see. It's hard to review these slice of life shows
because reactions are usually so binary; you either find the show
amusing or you don't. Generally the lack of a through line of plot
makes it hard to comment on story, too, and it was a big deal to me
that the two halves of episode 9 directly tied in with each other.

So if you're looking for something
weird, wild, and above all binge-worthy, HOZUKI NO REITETSU is highly
recommended. Just... don't ask me to explain why coherently. Sorry
Tom.

Matt Murphy is a freelance nerd who has contributed to many nerd websites. You can reach him by going to where the light meets the shadow, by sending out zeta-brainwaves or by following him on Twitter @Murphix.