Back to 234Mannan's Profile 234Mannan's Profile

Training arcs are some of the most looked down upon stuff in the anime medium. However, this season proves you can actually incorporate these things and add to the story while making a set up for what actually is the finale of an action series.
The season is primarily focused on showing the natural progression Tanjiro goes through along with learning about the pillars better.
Honestly there are some pacing issues here and there and some minimal flaws but let's be fair, every story has its fair share of shortcomings and honestly why focus primarily on them?
In the end I will be mostly talking about the last ... 2 episodes and why that makes this season my fav after the 1st.

Demon slayer is about grieving with loss and a large group of people having a single common enemy. We see from various backstories that it was also a matter of who meets whom first. Most demons are unlucky people who met Muzan who is also at most occasions portrayed as the "whisper of the devil" while slayers being people who are either betrayed or lost their loved ones. The ultimate battle between these 2 forces comes down the individual resolves both of these groups have. Often portrayed as super humans or just straight up psychos sometimes even, in this season we get to learn about these ultimate + normal slayers who are actually just normal human beings and how if times were different, they could have lived a normal life. This factor adds to the characterization of the cast in a way since in most cases we don't usually get to engage with such mannerisms of the side characters or the strongest individuals in a shounen series. I won't be mentioning the examples at least but these are some things which distinguishes it from other shounen series.


In short, all the things are ultimately setup from season 1 considering the nature of the narrative so far and this season brings it all together in the last 2 episodes setting up the ultimate finale. From the moment Gyomei's story begins to the meetup between the 2 leaders, the anime provides with several analogies using Buddhist beliefs, symbolism and ultimately the clash of ideals between 2 groups of people and that in turn creates the kind of stakes which are rarely a thing in shounen nowadays.
There will be action but that action won't be mindless considering the reasons most of them fight for and the battles themselves.

And of course, the spectacle itself considering the production. I know people often complain about how "the show is produced by a good studio" which honestly is a complaint I can't wrap my head around... I mean when did having good adaptations became a bad thing... Not to mention the nitpicks though ig I am going to ignore that for now.


In short, the character moments, the set-up, the overarching ideologies, symbolism, clash of resolves by 2 groups and ultimately the progression of the characters themselves makes this not only a great set up but honestly a perfect arc before the finale and shows that training arcs can actually serve a greater purpose for an action series.
Time for the trilogy and yeah see you guys in well several years.
Thankyou for reading and adios :)

What do people want when they watch anime?
Some might view it for entertainment, some for escapism, some for good battles, some for philosophy or projection and some for vibrant worlds… In short the reasons are numerous but rarely does a story balances most of these aspects and creates a tale that speaks to the hearts of the viewers. However Frieren beyond journey’s end is such a tale. If there is a media piece that is the materialization of the word balance, it’s Frieren.


Frieren is about a journey taking place when the greatest threat of the world is subjugated with Tolkien inspired elf who goes on ... a mere 10 year journey, a blink of an eye for their race and how those mere 10 years are the ones which inspired, changed and shaped her.
Her present adventure is filled with issues they encounter along the way, whether its demon subjugation or getting lost in a winter blizzard, it’s all presented very intricately.

We as viewers constantly learn about the world and the different mechanics or how our protagonist feels or thinks or how she is a different person from the past. In short there are 2 stories that are taking place simultaneously. The past and the present and the connection between the 2 is made. The anime illustrates all these events with consistent and aesthetically pleasing visuals which rival the best in the industry. However apart from the well-directed action, great visuals and overall pleasant ost, the biggest strength of this story lies in the subtle yet impactful portrayal of human relationships and the theme regarding the passage of time.

Apart from this many multitude of themes such as friendship, parental love, honour, pride, humbleness, the progression of civilizations, learning and overall the importance of peace itself or why being in the rush doesn’t exactly matter in the long run are presented and the story goes way beyond in illustrating how the relationships we form along the way can still stand the passage of time. Either in memories or the legacies. In addition the way this storyline executes different philosophies without being jarring is the first I have personally seen since in most cases, its pretentious or actually pretty basic. Not to mention the world just draws you in.

Some general quotes to ilustrate my point further.

“Nobody who tries desperately to live would want to end up as nothing. This, would it not be better to believe that they would live in extravagance up in Heaven?”


“The purpose of life is to be known and remembered. Only a little. You just need to change someone’s life. That’s all, I’m sure.”


“Nobody sacrifices their life for things that don’t matter”


“People won’t know how you feel unless you tell them”

The anime also lays emphasis on patience and appreciating the mundane nature of life itself. From Fern who in the beginning is constantly in a rush to Sein who delays his decisions for to long, this story teaches its audience a certain balance with which to approach life and doing what you love. It also garners towards how if given proper time every problem is solvable( which is explained by the development of magic itself.)
The action simply put is detailed, colourful, fast, technical and very easy to follow and appreciate, the characters are vibrant and entertaining with each having distinct traits.
In short Frieren beyond journey’s end is a story that has almost everything that a person would want. And hence why it’s an anime that deserves all the praise it has gotten.
Thanks for reading

Portrayal of good relationships in BL must be becoming a norm now(very glad about that) and this manga does it in a awesome way. The story is generally a very straightforward one which follows the main character and his sense of loss from a partner he had before and to deal with that loss he visits the place which started it all in a way. Only to find a new beginning. The romance is slow burn, develops in a very healthy manner and deals with certain problems of the protagonists without being to jarring. Its quiet cozy in that sense.
So yeah def recommended if ... you like healthy simple relationships and romance in general.

Link click might be the best of chinese animation and its not hard to see why. The Emotional storylines incorporated with thriller and mystery elements not to mention the sheer unpredictability of the plot itself.
Unlike the first season, the story enters a linear plot line, which involves our main characters entirely. With addition to giving hints on how far the abilities can go and quite possibily a teaser on where they began.



The main theme of this season happens to be domestic violence. And how it can be extreme in many cases. Considering how little it is represented in media despite being one of the most ... common issues in asian countries and how well a job someone rarely does in portraying so I applaud the creators for the work they did and making it standout from a psychological prespective. From the children having psychological issues though in a non traditional way with addition to the extreme cases of murder and paranoia, it does an extremely good job.


All the characters are good standouts especially the twins. However some can be stereotypically "mad" as well. In addition to this, Lu guang happens to be the best of the trio this season. Considering how it was primarily focused on the twins mostly, the protagonists can take a back dive however Lu guang with his development as a character and his actions makes up for it. Season 1 was primarily focused on Cheng Xiaoshi while the main storyline(which begins in this season) happens to center around Lu guang especially considering the concluding episode.
The plot explains everything up to a satisfactory degree... How it happens and why it happens though it can become a bit hard to follow in the middle. Considering we are talking about time loops etc. But it explains it later on in case you miss it in the previous episodes so its a win either way.
All of the 12 episodes are connected however with a astounding reveal making up for another cliffhanger ig. But overall while it has some short comings since it was experimenting with some stuff(episode 9) it did a job well done overall in more ways then I can count. Link click stands out among similar storylines involving timeloops with its emotional touch and real world elements. The plot contains a sense of Alturism which is rare in many thrillers.
The art and aesthatic is beautiful overall. In terms of quality it improves from first season and the story boarding is nothing short of unique in many cases. The Music just adds to the entire thing putting a cherry on top, every score is enticing and the opening sequence being complimentary to the plot itself without containing spoilers is also pretty good.
The last thing I will probably mention is the action. The creators definitly researched martial arts. There are several sequences and all of them are done beautifully.
All in all A great season that ultimately sets itself for the next.

The case study of vanitas is nothing short of a complex story done right. From small wholesome moments to complex character relationships and psychological depictions not to mention the mysteries themselves.
The strength of this Cour particularly lies with the progression of plot and unexpected revelations and character moments.


What the author basically excels at is balance. Mostly complex stories dont take there time and throw a bunch of stuff at your face(I am only talking about the majority here) However Mochizuki is basically devoid of that. Taking a slow but pre planned approach not only makes it intriguing but immersive at the same time. You still ... might get lost in the story but events following that might just explain most of the questions you might have.
However that's where the main complain lies as well
Vanitas is "slow"
The first Cour is needed to establish your link with the characters for delivering the main flavour in the 2nd one.
For the most part, the story has still Just begun

Strengths:
Character relationships: Its very common for people to actually misinterpret the relationships between the characters since the writer is fond of writing complex, eccentric yet extreme relationships. Her approach is basically related to psychological trauma and self worth of the characters. However due to these things even friends can be mistaken for love interests since the depiction of "love" in her stories is completely different from what one might expect. Which kinda explains why people often ship Vanitas and Noe and of course some people due to their misinterpretation or biasness use it to criticise the series. Sadly people who actually do that dont understand her works or what she tries to potray however
But back to the question, why would you consider it as a strength? It establishes an emotional connection of the viewer to the degree they might not expect, if you truly understand their bonds and psychology that is. If there is one thing the anime was able to depict properly, it was these relationships.


Simply put, the writer explains the extent of a bond, whether its between siblings, friends or something entirely different in its most pure yet extreme form and that is its main appeal. The characters have conflicts but what results after that is nothing short of a worth it pay off due to these "relationships"

Characters: OfCourse these relationships are great because the character themselves are written well. Every character in the story has a unique distinct personality that develops gradually and also they are always opposite of what a viewer might initially expect them to be(most of the time). For example


Jeanne was shown to be quiet submissive in the drama of the "supposed" relationship between her and vanitas only to be proven false when they actually develop feelings for each other.



Same goes for Vanitas. Who was actually the exact opposite of "the cool quirky character" he was shown in the start.

And some characters are written in such a beautiful manner that you cant help but love them(yes i am talking about you Noe)

From the mysterious "teacher" and creepy yet adorable Mikhail to the lovable "Vampire of the blue moon" every character has interesting characteristics and they are not just empty shells (Except Doc he is pretty annoying an i just want him to suffer)
However the anime did not do justice to some characters(Mainly dominique)

Plot and Worldbuilding: No work is great till the writing itself is something to behold. Vanitas as i mentioned above vanitas is still developing and even then the twists, conflicts are planned and executed with care. (the anime was a bit fast in depicting that however so it did not give the same experience in contrast with some parts of the manga)
Its unpredictable, different and intriguing, opposite to a Typical mystery. The careful approach with all the things done with drip feeding, not to mention unique world building which takes inspiration from real historical events(Beast of gevaden, de sades and several other things) makes you realize how much care is put into the plot. And well that's all there is to it

Final Judgement:
Surprisingly the adaptation was great since I truly believe that Mochizuki works are hard to adapt. Even though the anime rushed at some parts during the beast arc and was not able to depict the same tension in the manga(most of the time), it was much better then I initially expected it to be.
Manga is still better but the anime did a great job(comparable to the orginal) and I would obviously recommend it.

If you read this far then thankyou and have a great day

Ah demon slayer and its popularity
One of the most controversial topics in the anime community.
Manga being mid maybe is another thing(sorry but it is what it is) but the anime is good and enoyable( i dont think anyone can deny this) Like you can feel the passion from the staff just by watching it
Ufotable does play a role but i dont get why everyone is so pissed by that?(like seriously?)I mean they are earning so much with this project, why would they even stop animating it(its business afterall)...

What makes demon slayer stand out though is its colorful cast of characters and the emotions it ... makes u feel. Ofcourse they can be contrieved from time to time but they do pack the punch they need to.
The character designs have alot of care put into them (Evident by the designs of akaza and douma not to mention the other demons and hashiras themselves)
The characters might not be complex or incredibly written but they are definately not 1 dimensional either. All in all they have enjoyable personalities and a number of traits. Tanjiro however stands out from the rest of the cast even though he might get annoying sometimes. But all in all they have great moments especially when they are pushed into a corner.
I did made a review in which i pointed out that the main problem with the manga was execution. Well the anime fixes that to some extent.


But that aside, this season s main highlight is ofcourse the first major battle in the story with the demons being the parrallels of the original duo. The story is simple and easy to follow. Almost everything is explained but the timings are off(something that the studio did try to fix though). At some points the characters achieving some feats does seem a bit to much but its not as bad as most shounen in existence. Like you cannot call them complete asspulls.

Well that being said, the action sequences are intense and well written. Even in the manga they were choreographed well.
When animated, they become something to behold. Even though there is alot of pandering in this arc, the final moments are worth it.
THe thing is, most of the time in battle shounen, a moment is hyped up but fails at packing the punch. Demon slayer doesnt have this case.
Infact if anything the action is great with every buildup having a "worth it" result and this arc was no exception as well in that department.

The music is just incredible...I mean if anything the soundtrack is just one of a kind.
So demon slayer utilizes all the strengths of being an anime.(animation,sound and direction)
The only major criticism i would like to give is regarding the world building and power system. Its vaguely explained and makes alot of moments feel superficial when they are not.
Another thing i would like to mention is characters mentioning their limits. Like them saying i am about to die several times(baiting) or there is no strength in my legs or something just to make up in the last moment....thats pretty annoying and forced no offence
The pacing to sometimes can be pretty slow.
Other then that in terms of enjoyability its an S tier


Final rating for this arc in the anime 78/100

Acid town is nothing short of a twisted, dark tale with the themes of karma, love,revenge,sexual assault,trauma and much more.
It follows the motivations of different characters connected to one person(who is dead) and how those strings lead to their actions in their present situation. In short, Its an emotional yet an epic ride.Several conspiracies tying them together and how that is related to the main characters is certainly a treat to read.
The characters are the best suit of the series. Most of them are morally grey not to mention they are written extremly well.
The BL tag might be a turn of for some(it has a ... considerable number of male audience though) but that to serves as a plus point imo since the author uses the relationships themselves in a pretty intriguing manner.

But I am a boy...So you cant marry me..
Who decided that?

A beautiful tale inshort.
After Stumbling upon Houtou Musuko to koi no Ana, I realised that a perfect romance does not require alot of chapters or the need of flowery embellishment which alot of romances tend to do.
Dealing with a realistic scenario of Minori(The main character being gay), the story unfolds by giving us an in depth analysis of his mental, psychological and emotional state(Later on). and finally his main struggles. The 2 main characters are basically the influence for each other and contribute to each other s growth and development.
THe story tells us how no ... one is actually perfect through the development of the characters as well.

The pacing in simple words is just right. With a good build up from start to finish, great characters and a great ending, i think its safe to say that its a great hidden gem among alot of mangas.
NOt to mention my prespective on erotica has changed by alot...

THe only reason to why alot of people rate it low would be the fact that the 2 characters are cousins. So just a side info
As an asian myself, its not a stigma(Unlike westren countires) in fact to have relations with your cousins rather then someone outside is much more common. Especially in the rural areas, not to mention the age gap(WHich isnt even large)
SO yeah in the end its realistic, wholesome and at the same time beautiful.

All good things must come to an end but in Vanitas case it’s just begun

On A side note If you are looking for long shounen fights, an idealistic protagonist, one objective and goal for which everyone works for and if you dislike slow burners, dialogue Then drop down. This series is not for you!

Synopsis is already there so I am not gonna bother with it.
Each story has different strengths.
In Vanitas case, it’s the writing style itself. The author Jun uses drip feeding technique and she is extremely talented in doing so and anyone familiar knows what I am referring to. and due to this Everything ... in the world of Vanitas from characters to plot and the world itself is a mystery.
Don’t let some common tropes mislead you!(The writer is pretty famous for that)
Vanitas is not your typical vampire story
In other words, Vampires are not blood sucking parasites which is pretty common in vampire stories. Turning into a blood sucking parasite though is a huge crime. But they are still vampires so yup there are occasional blood sucking scenes.
The world building is unique and is done extremely well but at the same time not entirely revealed (Drip feeding). And You always learn something new while you are moving ahead in the story and that makes it intriguing to say the least.
The power system of the series has to be interpreted through several hints and it is explained occasionally when it needs to be (World formula theory, vampire eyes and the book of Vanitas are based on altering the formula to do something) and it too is quite unique.
As far as comedy goes (For now only) its either a hit or a miss but that being said, the comedy is actually good (Unlike Jujutsu kaisen, demon slayer or any other common shounen comedy you can think of). The author basically uses the comedic factors in order to balance the overall tone of the 1st cour/half of the story since after that its quite dark. With that being said it doesn’t become overdramatic or overly emotional and is pretty much balanced.

The characters of Vanitas are very well crafted. They are not your Typical shounen protagonists or characters and majority of them including the mains are 18 or 18+ in other words it has primarily adult cast. There is no good or evil because every character has deep rooted motivations and ideologies which make them correct and their actions logical (With an exception of some). The best characters being Vanitas and Noe the 2 main characters of the series. The contradicting ideologies of the 2 main characters but how they are able to work together and make each other “whole” makes their dynamic a treat to watch/read. Other than that, the expressions and dialogues regarding the characters are extremely important. That being said the characters are a mystery and its extremely important to pay attention to their expressions and dialogues to learn about them. That gives hints to why they are like that in the first place.

On a side note, the chibi is mostly Bones original with an exception of a few scenes.
With that being said and done
This is basically the beginning of the case or should I say the tragedy of Vanitas.

What can first time viewers expect?
The plot twists haven’t began yet so without counting that they can expect an original story with a few tropes here and there, good dynamics, Great Music(Yuki kaijura) and a developing mystery and several raised questions waiting to be answered later on while watching or completing the first cour
So considering the writing style and everything about the series and how it executes everything, I personally believe it deserves a 10.

(Including the extra chapters too)
One of the best romance stories out there
Here U are is a realistic depiction of what gay males go through. And the writer Djun actually wrote it while taking his own personal experiences into account.(Yes the writer is a male)
Its not your typical BL where everything is just good and lucky or where you would have a issue of over the top or forced relationships.
One of the main charms of the series is the challenges the main character yu yang faces in order to be who he is. The manhua beautifully potrays his strong willed nature and ... his weak sides(which he hides for most of the time as well) simultaneously
In addition to this it establishes Romance in a very great and believable manner. In other words the bond between the main characters basically develops for a very long time before they become a couple. They learn each others circumstances, understand each other,get misunderstandings, support each other and then become lovers.. The characters also take time to get comfortable around each other and the writer focuses on the side characters aloot as well. There are many ships in the manga including a straight one too.
Here U are depicts the importance of family, acceptance, emotional break downs, psychology, Love, relationships bonds etc. and its a highly character driven story. In other words if someone is looking for good characters, character development, dynamics and a story which deals with social issues then this is the perfect recommendation
The artstyle too is quite detailed. However if college settings and BL are not your cup of tea then u should stay away from it i suppose. Because the only way i can imagine someone hating this is if he or she dislikes Bl in general or finds it boring due to the sol elements(even though its paced in a very well manner)