The low score

Oct 20, 2023 2:40 AM

Offline

Jul 2023

889

For what I can discern from the discussion threads, the CG mechs and monsters is the main point of complains.

Are there any other reasons why this series is currently one of the lowest-rated series this season?

Oct 20, 2023 4:49 AM

jekfrumstotferm

Offline

Feb 2021

200

From what I’ve seen, a lot of people find it pretty boring. Personally, I’ve been enjoying the angle this show has taken, showing us the business side of mecha, with a plot that’s a bit more grounded.

Oct 20, 2023 5:40 AM

FreedomKME

Offline

Feb 2018

430

Angry stumpy bald guy takes way too much screen time.

Oct 20, 2023 5:59 AM

2LongDidntReview

Offline

Jul 2009

The premise holds it back too much. There just doesn't seem to be much potential for the story to open up.

Will we discover what the monsters really are? Well, the story kind of says it doesn't care, because the people who are dissecting the bodies... don't care (aren't interested). The ones getting rid of the creatures... don't really care either. Because the original inhabitants don't care about the creatures either, they just want to go back and live on it like nothing happened.

So all we get is just drama that feels highly forced

Oct 24, 2023 1:35 AM

Petrospit

Offline

Jun 2023

Details for many things are not explained not just for the monsters but also for the background of the main character, the company he is currently working, the villagers etc. and with 12 episodes its likely we wont get a lot of details at all. Also it seems its not going to be action-packed which would somehow compensate for the weak story and bad CGI. Im going to give it a couple more episodes to see if at least it has more action or maybe a little bit of drama and then i will drop it

Oct 24, 2023 3:14 PM

Brack

Offline

Mar 2009

A lot of users don't have enough life experience to relate to the workplace drama and tensions in the show. I think it's absolutely nailing what it's like to work in a small industrial environment, it just so happens this one involves giant robots and mutated fauna.

Oct 24, 2023 11:22 PM

sh2xunssi

Offline

Oct 2023

Reply to Brack

@Brack pretty much this, though. It's workplace drama with dash of fantasy, which for me, pretty relatable and fun to watch.

Oct 25, 2023 6:33 PM

Red_Ranger_Wien

Offline

Sep 2011

2577

inb4 closed for not encouraging discussion

Nov 11, 2023 4:19 PM

ScottyNuked

Offline

Dec 2012

Bullbuster has managed to get an even lower score than my beloved Active Raid at 5.85. Then there's Dai-Guard at 7.01, but it's only that high because the audience has selected themselves by seeking it out.

I'm not too miffed, it should be fairly unsurprising to everyone that the market for "satirical sci-fi bureaucracy action drama" is absolutely tiny.

Nov 14, 2023 6:36 AM

#10

Sammstar

Offline

Aug 2017

Its ugly and boring, the CGI is horrible, but I have seen worse

Nov 22, 2023 8:10 AM

#11

mariox7777

Offline

Aug 2012

134

I really dislike CGI, but I don't mind it when it is limited to the monster and mech. It is a story about a company and not about mech fighting, so people will find it boring. I don't jump for joy for each episode, but I also don't think "Mah, I rather watch Eminence in shadow first". (though I don't find Eminence in Shadow very good as it is hard to follow the story).

I would give this 7/10. Anything 6 or lower is anime that I have a hard time finishing.

Nov 29, 2023 9:16 AM

#12

Tenderizer79

Offline

Jun 2016

937

I for one don't really mind action CGI. Better than panning stills.

The real issue is just that it's not engaging at all, sakuga of Mutou playing drums aside. It's going for realism as the core appeal but the characters don't act in a way that makes sense. They don't tell the guy he's fighting a kaijuu until he enters combat, they argue over fuel and bullets while leasing a mech made of titanium, and most of the cast treat a kaijuu attack on an already ruined and uninhabited town as an emergency, etc.

And as an accounting student, I see no reason why buying such a large fixed asset upfront would cause tax issues. Basically the entire world has measures to deal with that very problem.

Nov 29, 2023 6:24 PM

#13

dxtremecaliber

Offline

May 2017

267

Sammstar said:
Its ugly and boring, the CGI is horrible, but I have seen worse

this is why this thread needs to be close because of stupid takes like this

this anime is like the working environment irl with tension lol 6/10 series its far from boring

Dec 3, 2023 7:28 AM

#14

Kimurah

Offline

Dec 2016

1352

Reply to dxtremecaliber

Sammstar said:
Its ugly and boring, the CGI is horrible, but I have seen worse

this is why this thread needs to be close because of stupid takes like this

this anime is like the working environment irl with tension lol 6/10 series its far from boring

@dxtremecaliber

I can easily name a few other successful shows with working enviroment thematic, like Shirobako, Sakura Quest, New Game, Aggressive Retsuko and such. The vast difference is that the authors of those shows managed to make it "enjoyable" while being a working enviromenment themed show.

Bullbuster is boring AF and has little to no relatability to the common guy.

Dec 11, 2023 5:12 AM

#15

Jimgus

Offline

Jul 2020

Bullbuster is very realistic in a way that people might not want. The main premise of the show seems to be that the frustrating realities of bureaucracy and corporate policy will get in the way of even when mecha is involved. A lot of people watch anime as escapism from these kind of things so seeing them expressed so accurately and without any irony or major subversion as they are in Bullbuster may be more likely to bore or frustrate those people than entertain them. Even more so than the typical anime fan who is already somewhat counterculture the mecha fandom and the culture surrounding it is full of idealists, dreamers, and rebels (or at least the media we consume is) so a show that celebrates working within the system as a cog while still sticking to ones own principles and sense of justice is not tailored to that audience to say the least. To top it off Okino, the main character, isn't a very heroic or admirable figure and he's not even the sort of guy you'd want as a coworker. He's a self important guy who gets in his own feelings and is quick to judge others. I don't think this is close to a recipe for a popular show.

That all said I think Bullbuster is excellently written. The characters do a great job of representing a large range of the sort of personalities and roles you'll find in a work force while still having a complete personality. The way the characters interact with each other and get frustrated with one another feels natural. All of the problems and conflicts in the show, from the mundane financial or personal drama to the more high stakes corporate drama, play out in a way that feels like how it would in the professional world. How personal motivations and company duties clash, how public opinion and optics are important forces in the show's world, how money is at the centre of everything, and the central conflict of your duty to your customers vs your role in the corporation are consistently being explored every episode. The narrative is very focused and well explored.

Bullbuster is a show that has earned my respect. It is uncompromising in its vision and is very successful at executing it. There's no flashiness or grandeur to get in the way of the realistic world or the grounded story. That isn't to say that I think it's an all time great show or a must watch. But what I will say is that it is a very original work that has clawed out a niche within a niche and will scratch an itch nothing else can even if its not something well loved or highly rated.

JimgusDec 11, 2023 5:30 AM

Dec 11, 2023 7:12 AM

#16

Marknnz

Offline

Aug 2017

The low score? It's simple, it's bad.

Dec 13, 2023 2:16 AM

#17

PotionDweller

Offline

Feb 2022

People don't understand how fucked up Japanese business culture is I guess. So that's lost on them.
Sure the monsters don't look great, but they're not the focus much like most mechas its about the people and what they go through.

Is the show a 10/10 or a 9/10? Nah but its at least a 7 or 8. I've been enjoying it. Funny watching them have to navigate the landmines of their economic and societal structures.

Dec 14, 2023 3:14 AM

#18

BenKenogy

Offline

Nov 2021

I guess it's easy to judge one-sidedly. You're stupid and you don't understand the story - low rating, the animation is not like your favorite show - low rating... And so on... So yeah. Such ratings in most cases do not reflect the level of the anime, but of its audience.

Dec 17, 2023 9:34 AM

#19

KayKimii

Community Mod

Entranced

Offline

Mar 2022

2811

Thread locked for not encouraging discussion.

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The low score

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