Greetings, ladies, gentleman, and others! There’s a quick mental health update below followed by thoughts on the future of this blog and what I’m writing about for Summer 2026! I’ve got lots to ramble about so let’s jump right in.
Mental Health
Over the last month, my mental health has improved somewhat. The group therapy program I was in has ended, but I’m seeking structure in other ways such as volunteering while looking for a part-time job that will accommodate me. Due to therapy breakthroughs and a few good personal choices, I feel more alive and excited about being alive than I have in several years. I also feel like I’m presenting more authentically as I come out to more people about my nonbinary gender identity. My progress against agoraphobia and alcoholism also continues strong.
Despite this country being a hell-hole of fascism, the likes of which unseen since Nazi Germany, I remain safe (for now) and my mental health is better than it’s been in a handful of years. I hope that volunteering and online activism will help with the frustration and deep depression that still manifest as a result of the current unjust regime. Anyway, that’s enough about 7Mononoke. Let’s talk about Anime Rants.
Anime Rants and Summer 2026
It’s probable that Anime Rants will go on hiatus soon, but I haven’t fully decided. I love blogging, but the amount is currently too much – especially if I manage to get a new part-time job in the next few months. In the meantime, for Summer 2026, I will only be covering three anime series, two of which are continuing from Spring (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 4 and The Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 4). The one other anime I chose to cover is Saga of Tanya the Evil (AKA Yojou Senki) Season 2. I look forward to more entertaining and morally fucked up war tales with the insane little girl, Tanya Degurechaff. I also love watching her psychological battles with Being X. My first post about Tanya Season 2 should be ready in about a week.
Summer 2026 Picks
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 4
The Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 4
Saga of Tanya the Evil Season 2
Now, a few other shows from this season also caught my attention, but I have my reasons for not choosing to watch them or write about them right now. To start with, there’s the new yuri/shoujo ai anime, Kimi ga Shinu made Koi wo Shitai (I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day). I will use the nickname for the show, KimiShinu. Despite still being interested in the girls’ love genre, and traditionally enjoying dark anime, I am also much less comfortable than I used to be with things like the ages of the characters or the amount of sexualization. I have already heard things about KimiShinu that I don’t like, so I’m opting to skip this one unless or until I hear enough good things about it to make me reconsider.
Another Summer 2026 anime that piqued my interest was Yani Neko (Chainsmoker Cat), which releases every Friday on Netlfix. I used to smoke cigarettes heavily, and I am quite similar to a cat in many of my behaviors. I still smoke a lot of weed and hang around my small city apartment all the time, so naturally, I thought I would enjoy an anime about a cat-person homebody with addiction issues. However, upon watching the first episode, I found it wasn’t for me. For one thing, the main character is inconsiderate and annoying to others in a way that’s also sometimes annoying to the viewer. Secondly, Yani Neko seems to dwell and even lightly glorify our heroine’s toxic habits. Maybe she grows more mature and fights her urges better as the show goes on, but I don’t have the patience for it right now. Plus, it can be a bit triggering to watch so many scenes of smoking cigarettes.
Eventually, I would love to watch and write about Tenmaku no Jaadugar (Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia). I think it has potential both as a semi-historical anime and a more feministic anime with a witch as the main character. However, I’m just too busy to pick up another anime this season, so it will have to wait.
Closing Thoughts
While I work on my three chosen Summer 2026 anime, I will also continue writing series reviews for recent anime (as in anime I’ve covered here that’s been released in the last two years). Currently, I’m still writing about series that aired in 2024. In my own time, I am also slowly watching two obscure, queer-ish anime: Simoun (which features lesbian romance) and Wandering Son (which is about some queer kids in highschool, including at least two transgender characters). I look forward to starting Saga of Tanya the Evil Season 2 at my earliest convenience.
~Thanks for reading~
Written by 7Mononoke at Anime Rants
Anime Rants 