Back to -Zester-'s Profile -Zester-'s Profile

Introduction:
In the Fall of 2022, I came across "Bocchi the Rock!", a production I had never heard of before. First of all, I didn't approach this anime with any expectations because I didn't know anything about it. However, I saw that it was called "hidden gem" in a few sources and my curiosity increased. As a result, I decided to watch the anime and after finishing it, I must say that I really liked "Bocchi the Rock!" I am writing this review to share my opinion on why I liked this anime and some of its shortcomings.

The anime "Bocchi the Rock!" tells the story of ... Hitori "Bocchi" Gotou, who struggles with loneliness and social anxieties. Bocchi is a young girl who longs to make friends and dreams of performing in a band. The main focus of the story is Bocchi's passion, playing the guitar. For her, the guitar is both a means of expression and a way of expressing her inner world. One day, something happens that will change Bocchi's life. Meeting the extroverted drummer Nijika Ijichi is a turning point for her.

Characters:
One thing I like about the anime is the variety of characters. For example, Hitori's asocial personality is very well reflected and passed on to the audience. Ryo, on the other hand, appears more as a character with the idea of being asocial and cool, and the anime successfully handles this feature. Kita, on the other hand, is a social media-savvy character who posts about everywhere she goes. It can almost be thought of as the social media manager of music bands. Nijika Ijichi's personality confused me when I first watched it. But unlike Hitori, she has a social personality. Although the characters other than Hitori don't impress me much, I can't warm up to Kita in particular, but I still think she is a nice character.

Now, I want to talk about Hiroi, one of my favorite supporting characters in the anime. Actually, this character seems to be overshadowed by the main characters. But his dynamic and relationship with Hitori contributes to Hitori's development. This is the part that I liked the most. I like the diversity of the characters and I think their personalities are successfully portrayed. The only missing point is that Hiroi's character is overshadowed by the other main characters.

One of the reasons I like these characters is that most of them fit my own personality. In my daily life, I'm asocial like Hitori. At school, I'm intentionally antisocial like Ryo, mostly because I think it's incompatible with my own tastes. Another thing I found lacking in the anime is that the character relationships outside of the Hiroi and Hitori dynamic didn't impress me enough. However, I still like the fact that the characters complement each other and their relationships are beautifully rendered.

Genre Handling:
Now we focus on our main topic, the treatment of the genre. "Bocchi the Rock!" is an anime full of fun and funny scenes. In addition to modern comedy, it also has some of the originality that comes with being a Japanese production. However, even though it focuses on the comedy genre, it may not have the same effect for every viewer. This may be due to the fact that some scenes don't always achieve the expected comedic effect. And that's exactly what I'm experiencing because the comedy in some parts fails to make me laugh. But especially the references to classic works such as "Ashita no Joe", "Evangelion" and other references add a different dimension to the anime and make me love this production.

Technical Aspects:
Another important factor that has increased interest in this anime is its animation. The meticulous work and creativity of CloverWorks in particular allowed each scene to be handled with care. One of the most prominent features that stands out throughout the anime is that each scene is carefully designed. However, the scenes are also visually beautiful, as is the 3D Blender environment. The scenes where Bocchi suddenly falls into a different dimension from his normal world show the creative direction and animation of the anime. Such scenes grab the viewer's attention and add a different dimension to the story. CloverWorks' attention to such details gives viewers a visually satisfying experience.

As for the music, I actually don't like all the music of the anime like many people. Most of the songs are forgettable. But still, the creation of a real band called Kessoku Band for the anime and the music of this band is very good. I think my 2 favorite songs are the following. "Guitar, Loneliness and Blue Planet" and "That Band". If I need to talk about the opening, the first one was good, but unfortunately there is not much I can say because there are some anime, you always listen to the opening, unfortunately the opening of Bocchi the Rock did not give me this situation.

Last Words:
"Bocchi the Rock!" is an anime that captivated me with its engaging story, animation or visual aesthetics, characters, and original music, which I initially saw as a hidden gem. Even if some of its jokes didn't make me laugh, it managed to become an anime that has a place in my heart as one of the productions that I watched with a smile and had the most fun. I would also like to say that the ending was worthy of the finale and I am curious to see how things continue in the manga. Although there were some shortcomings at some points, at least for me, it was still a very successful production.

Hope of the Stars: The Story of a Lost Planetarium
WARNING: This review contains mostly things related to the visual novel.

In a dilapidated city, there is an old planetarium building that people have forgotten about. This old building is used to present the dream of the stars and we meet Yumemi, a cute robot guide who tries to give people hope. The main character of the story is Kuzuya, who comes from two different worlds and embarks on a journey to discover the power of hope and an emotional connection. Actually, in the visual novel there is only Yumemi and we are Kuzuya, or Junker. In ... the anime, though, they gave Kuzuya a personality and I really liked that. I'm not going to make the review too long or divide it into topics such as characters, dynamics because I have no idea how much I can write for short anime.

Planetarian is a really impressive Japanese visual novel and anime series for me. I laughed at times, I was surprised at times, and I was moved at times. The bond between Yumemi and Kuzuya was woven with a really nice harmony and depth. The moments they lived together in this post-apocalyptic world drew me in with its atmosphere.

Yumemi's past memories caused her to be alone in an inhuman world, and these memories make up one of the most touching scenes for the audience. The secrets the characters discover about their past increase the depth of the story and draw the audience in even more. As the series progresses, the relationship between Yumemi and Kuzuya grows stronger. Their devotion to each other and their mutual understanding reinforces feelings of hope and friendship. Viewers witness the development of these characters and how they deal with the challenges they face together, and witnessing this bond is an emotional experience.

As expected from a Key production, Planetarian's finale will make many readers cry, as the final scenes bring the emotional intensity of the story to a peak and give us more information about Yumemi's past.

Since it is a drama visual novel/anime, I can't not mention the soundtrack. The soundtraccks fits well with the atmosphere of the story and supports the emotional tone of the scenes and accompanies the audience fully. In fact, there is not much OST in the visual novel/anime, but even if there is a little, it is well chosen and I like the OSTs.

To sum up, Planetarian is a beautiful Key visual novel/anime that captivates the audience with its emotional moments and atmosphere. I definitely recommend you to read it so that it doesn't take much time to finish it. If you don't want to read and/or play the visual novel, you can watch the anime directly and you won't miss much. To see what happens next, you can watch the movie Hoshi no Hito by skipping the flashbacks. But again, I recommend you to take a look at the visual novel because I would like to say that it is deeper than the anime.

Why Do I Love Ao Ashi?

Introduction
In 2022, I didn't have much interest in football, but when I was looking at the anime that would come in the new season, this anime didn't attract my attention much, but as I continued, I realized that it turned into an anime that I loved very much and I started to love football. After that, football already had a big place in my life. Of course, I'm not very close to football again lately.

Realism
Although Aoashi is often known as an anime that people pass over as "Another Tsubasa knockoff, dude.", I definitely want to say that this anime deserves ... a chance. While Aoashi has basic similarities to many other football anime, it stands out for its treatment and presentation. This series successfully captures the excitement of real football and the hardships of football players and offers viewers a series of life lessons. Although it's something that everyone says, I want to say that Aoashi has an incredible realism. Another thing I like about this anime is that it focuses not only on strikers, but on many other important roles in the world of football. Aoashi also conveys team spirit in a beautiful way, giving the viewers a pleasant experience.

Ashito Aoi
Like every football anime, Aoashi starts with Ashito, our main character, dreaming of becoming the best. However, what makes the series successful is its focus on character development and the rich content it provides. Ashito's different development in each episode, both as a character and as a football player, makes the story dynamic and exciting. His development may be slow, but the depth and dynamics of the character are skillfully used to keep the audience from feeling this process. In addition, one of the other things I love about the anime is how Ashito feels the burden of his mother and brother and how much his family sacrifices for his dreams. The dynamics between the family and the sacrifices made play an important role in Ashito's journey towards a football career. At the beginning of the anime series, we see how talented and comfortable Ashito is as a striker. His only desire is to always score goals. However, in the following episodes, he starts to be played as a defender, which lowers his mood. Then Ashito slowly discovers that all positions are important, not just strikers. So each episode he takes on a new development as a football player and learns more about football. This is part of his character development. Also, the relationship between Hana and Ashito adds a nice romantic touch to the anime and increases the viewing pleasure.

Support Characters
As I mentioned in the previous title, Aoashi focuses on different positions, showing how the game on the football field is experienced through the eyes of each of them. We see each character enter the world of football for a dream or a goal, and each character supports each other as they go through many trials and tribulations to achieve their goals. Aoashi's structure, which is not centered on a single main character, gives viewers different perspectives and the opportunity to connect to each character's unique story. This prevents viewers from getting bored with the anime and keeps their excitement fresh at all times.

Technical Aspects
Yes, Aoashi's animation has been called bad, but the animation quality is not as bad as you might think. The animation team has done a good job with the match scenes. The atmosphere is created in a way that draws viewers into the football field. The character designs are also noteworthy. Although it has some shortcomings compared to the manga, it is still a good job. Also, to mention the music, Aoashi has some nice OSTs. Especially the 2nd opening has a pleasant melody.

Conclusion/Final Words
There's not much I find lacking in Aoashi. However, the theme of friendship may seem a bit clichéd. You can probably see some of the things I wrote as a minus, but for me they are a plus. In short, Aoashi stands out with its teaching of the values inherent in football, its realism, its focus on different positions, the dynamics between the characters and a little bit of romance. I would like to avoid prejudging Aoashi and say that this anime offers a story that appeals to football fans and even non-football fans. If you are a football fan, I am sure Aoashi will provide you with an immersive experience.