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I couldn't wait to start watching Ballroom e Youkoso, but it really missed the mark. While it has a lot of problem, I'll focus on two big ones: failure as a sports anime and a boring lead.

I love sports anime. The drama. The tears. The tension. I love Ping Pong the Animation, Haikyuu!!, and the Yuri on ICE!!!. But Ballroom fails at a fundamental level when it comes to being a "sports anime".

First, almost none of dancing is actually animated, which is pretty surprising considering Production I.G. also brought us Haikyuu!!. Sure it's difficult to animate characters in motion, but YOI dedicated a ... lot of screen-time to skating routines (maybe even too much). When I started a ballroom dancing anime, I expected more than a few seconds of footwork every episode. Instead I got a bunch of stills with long-necked characters bearing frankly creepy smiles and long-winded narrations about why a character is dancing well or not. Later we also see weird metaphors that meant the anime lowered its budget or author went on a existential bender. Some of these ended up looking so silly that I laughed so hard I cried.

Without clearly defined rules (like get the ball over the net) and with no visuals to help you out, the audience must rely wholly on narration to build tension, and it's pretty boring. There wasn't a single moment where I was holding my breath, waiting to see if our character would win. Even Kuroko No Basket (which I wasn't a huge fan of) built a lot of tension in games, as all sports anime should. The lack of rules and dancing animation sucked away the tension. Therefore Ballroom, as a sports anime, fails.

But wait! Some sport anime, like Ballroom, are character focused, so the tension comes from the characters, right? Sure. I love Ping Pong The Animation. During the show's final match you don't even care who wins because the tension is invested in character's growth. Yuri on ICE!!! and Free! are also character-focused sport anime, but both build more tension than Ballroom.

Why?

The characters are more developed and more interesting than Ballroom's cast. Fujita Tatara is about as interesting as a piece of wet toast. He whines about not being a good enough dancer for 24 episodes (basically the typical shounen plea of "I need to get stronger). Tatara is on trend with "nicer shounen leads", but he falls flat when compared to, say, Hinata from Haikyuu!! or Midoriya from Boku no Hero Academia. It would've been less irritating if he another conflict he could've overcome.

While the side characters have potential, they get stuck talking to Tatara, which makes for lack lust conversations. Instead of seeing two characters with tension or conflict duke it out, both characters talk to Tatara about their problems, which results in disappointing resolutions to character conflicts.

On top of all of this, there are some unnecessary fan service scenes and narrative issues that make this anime subpar. It can't hurt to watch if you like sports anime, but you're not missing anything special if you don't. Despite front-loading the first episodes with fan service, the first dvd didn't sell well, which doesn't surprise me.

The last episodes made it terribly difficult to root for what I liked to call the "limp noodle and wild mare pairing" over the other pairings, who all proved more interesting and complex.

The ending was so cheesy and predictable it could've made a Disney character puke. But with little to no dancing animation, it was hard to judge the caliber of the dancers. This just proves the anime, at a fundamental level, failed.

If you like dull leads, predictable plots, a cluster of shounen tropes, and long-winded dialogues about how good/bad someone is dancing, go for it. Otherwise, you aren't missing anything.

A pinnacle of Japanese animation, this SHAFT anime production manages to tell a compelling story with deep characters, gripping music, and experimental animation in 12 episodes.

Madoka is a Seinen and certainly not for kids or those looking for a light-hearted magic girl. People familiar with genre will “get more” out of the show, as it directly counters and subverts magic girl tropes. Like myself, however, you don’t need to be a magic girl fan to be a Madoka fan.

Plot: 8/10

For once I’m putting plot first instead of character, because I feel like you can’t judge the characters without considering the plot.

First a warning: the ... first episodes may bore viewers who aren’t fans of magic girl anime, and fans of magic girl anime may only enjoy those first episodes. They are, however, imperative to the show’s goal.

Madoka plays out like a maze, leading people down false turns with the intention to frustrate the audience and upset characters. This show wants to irritate and surprise you. Consider it like one of those chocolate eggs you get on Easter. It looks pretty and shiny, like something sweet and fun, but, as you peel off the wrapper, you realize the chocolate tastes bitter, and the inside is dark and hollow and not at all what you expected. Don’t let the show’s trailer, intro, or promotional pictures deceive you into thinking this a cute, happy show. Madoka is set up to mess with the viewers at the characters’ expense.

The plot is fairly typical and could be described in a single sentence; but, again, this show is not about the plot so much as the journey the viewers take as the characters discover truths. Interestingly, much forward progress occurs with such revelations rather than actual events. The uncovering of new information jerks characters and viewers alike into a more desperate direction.

Being only 12 episodes, the plot is blessedly uncomplicated. It is easy to follow with no name or character puking. The cast is small and well put together. The story is both sweet and sad, reaching a grand scale without a hitch.

Characters: 9/10

The first time I watched this show I was too distracted with the plot (and the frustration it brings) to really notice how well developed these characters are. This is partly due to the nature of the show, which often withholds information from the audience (one character in particular suffers from this). However, after those secrets are revealed, it forces the viewer to reevaluate everything about said character up until that point, giving Madoka high re-watch quality.

The second time I watched the show I realized how attached I had become to most of the cast, two girls in particular. The show does a good job of keeping emotional drama from turning into melodrama, which helps you attach to and grieve with the cast.

Despite the brevity of the show, each of the main girls feels like a real person, with a history and desires. Each girl has a different personality, all of which are well explained, likable, and believable. Especially interesting is seeing how each character reacts to the world and plot twists.

Most of the girls undergo fundamental changes (I can’t say growth, since it’s a regression in some cases). The cast also interacts with each other well, and their own relationships with each other grow and change throughout the show. Often, the girls foster positive changes in each other. I find one relationship in particular a touching and beautiful example of how love can make you stronger.

This show does a good job or showing portraying realistic personalities in an impossible situation. You see how normal girls face having to save others at a high cost to themselves. Watching girls struggle with the reality of becoming a magic girl and the price paid creates an interesting, if heart breaking, dynamic.

Aesthetics: 10/10

(animation)

Well, it’s a SHAFT production. You can expect fantastic and stylistic animation, which Madoka delivers. It’s often breathtaking and unique and couples a more typical and clean animation style with what looks like the doodles of a disturbed child. But, hey, it works really well and adds to the story.

No corners are cut here and most scenes will have a beautiful and detailed background. The characters are expressive and the fights clean, easy to follow, and fast. The show often uses highly stylized animation to curb some of the more violent moments, but that only increases the show’s overall tone.

(angles)

Cleverly placed, the show uses angles to influence the viewers’ emotions and understanding of the scene. Angles also help show what a character is feeling but not necessarily saying.

(intro/outro)

Don’t trust the intro. Just don’t. The song—“Watanabe Shou” by ClariS— is lovey and the animation is fine, but it doesn’t make sense until the show is almost over. Then go ahead and pay attention to it.

The outro, when the show finally gets one (it takes a few episodes), is amazing. Stylized and dramatic, it has striking animation, tells a story, and gave me chills more than once. Of course, the song is “Magia” by Kalafina, so that’s not too surprising.

(music)

The OST adds to the show’s drama and blends well with the characters, scenes, and overall tone. It fits both the show’s normal, happy magic-girl feel and the desperate, chaotic underbelly.

Female Representation: 10/10

This is a tough one, as most magic girls are. On one hand, the show follows a group of powerful girls who have to save the world. On the other, it’s moe and has one or two scenes that may make some viewers uncomfortable. But the moe is palatable and shouldn’t deter anyone from watching the show.
I’d have to say it represents females well and the little girls you follow aren’t overly sexualized. The girls are fully fleshed out characters allowed to grow and make mistakes. They can actually fight too, usually in battles the viewer will view as a life and death situation. On top of that, the girls have significant relationships with each other and a variety of personalities. Aside from the moe (which I know really bothers some people, me included), I don’t have any reason to complain.

The two main female leads also present absolutely fantastic examples of strong, female leads. One girl’s kindness ends up being her strength. I can’t express how exciting it is to see female leads who are strong because of their femininity. Another girl’s fighting power is completely self-earned. She makes herself stronger instead of relying utterly on her magic girl power because she wants to protect a loved one. On top of this, we see a mother working as the family’s bread winner. She also has a working relationship with her daughter, which is surprisingly touching and well developed for 12 episodes.

If anything, I’d say this show lacks decent male representation. Males are, in fact, largely absent from the show. Males aren’t torn down and called weak, but only one male exists and he serves as a plot device, not a character.
One character may (or may not) be male, so I can’t really consider it for either side.

I wouldn’t recommend it for kids, but that’s hardly due to the moe aspect of the show.

Overall: 9/10

If you decide to watch Madoka, prepare for irritation, shattered expectations, and, most of all, tears. I know people who hate this show and those who swear by it. I, personally, adore it and recommend everyone gives it a shot (though, you kind of have to reach the end to really appreciate it). Then you have to watch it again—with a tissue box beside you.

If you have any concerns I didn’t address, let me know! I’d be happy to help.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (NGE) dives into a dystopian universe that starts with a typical premise but quickly takes a bizarre turn. This review is spoiler free, and I am happy to answer questions!

Scroll down to see my recommended watching order.

Characters: 9/10

While some people dislike the protagonist, Shinji Ikari, I consider him one of anime’s most unique and complex characters. He whines a lot, true, but he offers a more realistic perspective of how a child might react to being told he (or she) must save the world. Unlike the popular Ichigo Kurosaki style of kicking ass while facing impossible odds with only brief ... flashes of doubt and long bouts of training (which I also enjoy), this shounen gives us a reluctant protagonist who fights out of fear of being unwanted, along with other societal pressures. This creates a very human and realistic character I appreciate and love.

Unfortunately, Shinji barely changes throughout the story, ping-ponging his choices and desires instead of making choices and moving forward (or backward). Real people tend to act more like this, but audiences tend to expect more from characters. I think this causes a lot of frustration in many viewers who consider Shinji a weak, boring, and inactive protagonist. I, personally, disagree. Shinji is clinically depressed, a character handicap most mecha or battle shounen ignore. His depression affects most of his actions and is an interesting, if disheartening, battle to watch. So, if you’re interested in realism, you might find Shinji interesting. If you want an action-heavy hero, you’ll probably roll your eyes at him.

For those who don’t know, NGE’s creator battled depression while writing this story, which is how the anime slips from a shounen into an exploration in psychology.

Shinji aside, the entire cast is solid and well developed. From protagonists to antagonist (and those who ride the rail between the two), character motivation is well explained and developed. Steeped in psychology, NGE takes more time to show you why characters behave as they do, exposing an underlying cause for behavioral issues, insecurities, and motivations.

Another plus: the cast offers a wide variety of characters, several of which have become iconic in the anime world, including Rei, Asuka, and Misato. However, these personalities tend to be extremely strong and vibrant, which may seem abrasive to some viewers. I, however, found both Asuka and Misato amazing and loved their sheer amount of sass and competence.

Most of the characters also share significant relationships with other characters. They don’t just float but seem to exist outside of the plot. It feels as if we know what the character would be doing if they didn’t have to save the world. Thankfully, they didn’t drop from the sky and into the story.

In truth, the characters are one of the most compelling aspects of NGE.

Plot: 7/10

Let’s face it: NGE is confusing. You will probably understand the gist of it, but don’t feel bad if NERV, Angels, Evas, Adam, Human Instrumentality Project, AT Fields, Terminal Dogma, SEELE, Second and Third Impact, GEHIRN, Dead Sea Scrolls, and all the names and mecha terminology to boot--not to mention the alternate universe theories and references to Kalabalah, Christianity, Judaism Buddhism, Shintoism, and Gnosticism all told through a surreal, Freudian perspective--gets you a little lost.

Aside from the fact it is difficult to follow at times and the feeling you’re missing very subtle and not so subtle hints, it is a solid plot that moves at quick pace and will take many unexpected turns. It does have a slow start, but those first episodes are by no means bad, just a little more typical.

NGE is an exploration in depression told through a Freudian lens, and the plot reflects this. Situations are often hopeless and, despite the success of some plans, the characters stumble away bruised, battered, and more upset than before. On the other hand, the plot is difficult to predict yet doesn’t seem random, offering logical solutions to complex problems.

Brutal yet surreal, the plot kept me sitting at the edge of my seat—until the last two episodes. Oh yes, these infamous episodes lived up to their reputations as an absolute breakdown of narrative story telling. If you love psychology, these episodes will seem like a dream. I don’t want to describe them too much and spoil the unique experience, but I’ll also recommend you pass on watching these if you’re not interested in 40+ minutes of characters asking cryptic, large-scale, existential questions. Personally, I feel as if these episodes do have a lot to say, but I’ve never bothered to figure out what that message is. They are a disappointing end to a great show (so much so the franchise got two movie series!).

That being said, too many people try to discover the meaning behind NGE. Sometimes there are no right answers, and NGE is a show where everyone needs to find how the show spoke to them at a personal level. It will speak to everyone in different ways as it covers problems many of us face: social pressure, the desire to belong, loneliness, helplessness, depression, and love (of all kinds).

NGE is heavily influenced by Freudian psychology as well, which means the desire to return to innocence and parental issues are prominent in the show.

Art: 10/10

A stunning work of animation, I have rarely seen a show that uses sound and angles as effectively as NGE. The art style itself is older, as is the show, but it actually benefits the tone. NGE’s off-colored atmosphere adds to the dystopian feel. The fight scenes are brutal and well-done, if a tad disturbing at times. In fact, I’ve heard (but never confirmed) some imagery was considered so disturbing the show was almost terminated but received a budget cut instead.

(angles)

The show uses angles and quick screens to create tension. It also uses the scene’s layout and angles to create feelings of sadness or aloneness. The show clearly focused on colors, sounds, and angles and considered how they could help tell the story.

(intro and outro)

The intro is famous for being amazing, so I won’t add much here. Yes, the intro is fantastic, especially if you’ve already seen the show. The song –Cruel Angel Thesis—is one of the best. The outro song keeps changing as well, which I’m sure has some sort of meaning I missed.

(OST)

Again: fantastic. This show does not ignore a single aspect of TV and carefully considers not just characters and plot but presentation as well. The music adds to the show and helps create emotions and tension throughout the story, as do the sound effects.

Female Representation: 10/10

There are a handful of naked people and fan service shots in NGE. These shots often sexualize a character, as so do their outfits. But this show includes a lot of Freudian psychology, and anyone who has studied Sigmund Freud knows he was a very sexually disturbed individual. While the fandom sexualizes of some characters to a level I find disgusting, the show does a little of this on its own. But it’s not just the kids and it’s not just the young girls: NGE sexualizes everyone. So this isn’t so much of a “female” thing as it is a warning to anyone who shies away from naked people.

Regardless, this show has amazing female representation. Females populate the world as much as males, meaning not all of the background workers are male. In fact some of the most capable characters are female. We see females and males in positions of power and both sexes are allowed to be powerful.

The girls and boys receive equal development and share in having sad pasts and lots of issues. The females exist as characters, not plot devices, and they have a wide range of personalities. Both sexes are allowed to be strong but flawed. Males and females are treated equally as characters and by characters in the show. That, in truth, is all I ever really want.

Sub or Dub:

I watched the first episode in dub and hated it. I thought it was awful, especially Shinji. The sub, on the other hand, gripped me tight and didn’t let go. I feel the Japanese VAs did a wonderful job displaying the varying emotions of the cast.

Warnings:

This show is violent and disturbing, covering difficult topics that may make some squeamish. It is not for the faint of heart or those adverse to lots of blood, naked people, or daddy issues.

Watching order explained:

Basically there is a manga series, an anime (which came before the manga), and five movies (which came after those last two episodes managed to piss off an entire nation).

The manga and the Rebuild of Evangelion movies follow the anime’s story premise. They have the same characters, adversaries, and problems in general. However, both the manga and the Rebuild of Evangelion series offer separate, alternative versions of the NGE anime, from which many theories have sprung.

Movies in relation to NGE canon:

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth – a clip show consisting of material from the anime and The End of Evangelion

The End of Evangelion –an alternate conclusion to the anime’s ending (mainly a reaction to those last two episodes)

Rebuild of Evangelion- a series of four movies (only three are out)

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone – first movie in the rebuild series

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance ¬– the second movie in the rebuild series

Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo – the third movie in the rebuild series

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 – the fourth and final movie in the rebuild series, which has not been released yet but is rumored (not confirmed) to be out sometime at the end of 2015 or start of 2016.

My recommended to watch order is:

Anime
(read the) Manga
(skip Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth)
The End of Evangelion
Rebuild of Evangelion movies (in order)
Rewatch anime

Overall: 8.5/10

I plan to re-watch the show in the hopes I understand some of things I missed the first time, which gives this anime a high re-watch quality. Again, let me know if you have any questions!

After I watched Soul Eater, everyone said, “The manga ending is better.” So I decided to take them up on that and read it.

Why oh why did I finish this manga? Because I’m an idiot?

Maybe.

More likely than not it's because I wanted to reach this “better ending”. While I’ll admit that “bravery” isn’t the best ending to a series, the Soul Eater anime surpasses the manga.

Let’s break down why, shall we?

... Characters: 4/10

The characters ranged from bland to erratic with no one I formed any particular attachment too. I liked Crona in the anime, but the character went from interesting to relatively boring in the manga. I enjoyed watching/reading about Death the Kid and Excalibur, but, in the manga, the rest of the cast fell short.

Most main characters—like Black Star, Tsubaki, Soul, Patty, Oxford, Maka, etc.—seemed dull and underdeveloped. While some had vibrant personalities, they still lacked emotional depth. Sure, some matured as the manga went along (Black Star in particular), but I never found them compelling or a driving force of the series.

Soul and Tsubaki were capital offenders. Between the two of them, I can’t think of any adjectives to describe them apart from their shounen trope counterparts. Soul barely had any personality besides his “cool” vibe and wish to live up to his brother. He played the piano, but that didn’t really add to his personality. And Tsubaki was “nice” and a powerful weapon but that’s about it.

After 20 something volumes, I had hoped for a bit more from the cast. Instead, most of the characters battled a single problem throughout the series and received a single chapter of backstory (or a few scattered panels) for development. The caricatures were fine, I guess, but difficult to distinguish from other characters like them. Needless to say, I didn’t attach.

None of the character annoy me, but I didn’t care for them either. At the very least, I found Death the Kid’s eccentricities amusing, as well as Excalibur’s. Both, sadly, lacked “screen time”, if you will. Excalibur remained a joke character, but Death the Kid whiplashed between a humorous and a serious one. It usually worked fine, but once in a while it jarred me.

Plot: 4/10

While, I applaud Soul Eater for its distinctive art style and tone, the story trapped itself between humor and (attempts at) philosophy and ended up falling short of both. It couldn’t decide if the reader should take it seriously and transitioned from ridiculous panels to long spouts about insanity and madness—which I found about as compelling as watching paint dry. This is a real shame, because I usually enjoy a good philosophical meander.

The plot did move smoothly from A to Z without any hard to swallow plot jumps, but some fights dragged on for volumes. I quickly lost interest in an enemy who revealed a 7th or 8th form. It made Aizen (from Bleach, for those who don’t know) look as if he didn’t have too many final-final-final forms. Several antagonists in Soul Eater pulled this “my true form!” nonsense out. Oh, and the bad guys never die. I swear our heroes have to fight them 3+ times each throughout the manga.

Not only were the battles with the same opponents seemingly endless, but I never felt any tension during them. Relatively sure the characters wouldn’t die (good and bad), nothing seemed to be at stake, which made the battles feel a little pointless.

Uninvested in the characters or plot, the story often seemed to drag and frequently bored me. In the end, though, a lot of unexplained story elements came together nicely.

Nothing about the plot is particularly fantastic, mind-blowing, unique, or interesting. But, aside from the never-ending fights, it’s pretty average and moved at a solid pace.

Art: 7/10

The story had a sort of quirky-cool style that fit surprisingly well with the story’s main antagonist: madness. The art added to the feel of Soul Eater, and, I think, helped it stand out from other shounen. Soul Eater’s bold, Halloweenish style benefited the story’s humor as well. While I found the anime humorous, not even “the test” chapter made me laugh while reading the manga (and I loved that in the anime).

The lines were clean. The fights were (usually) easy to follow. Most panels were simplistic with an occasional “text panel” (what I call panels that have only text and no image). Some, though, were detailed.

The angles were pretty normal. I don’t remember it doing anything above and beyond to increase the story’s meaning. Same thing goes for the paneling. Of course it had some clever layouts, but, generally speaking, the angle of the panel and paneling itself did not add to the story. One chapter focusing on Crona was a big expectation to this. Stylistically, I thought it was the best chapter in the series.

The story did make great use of black and white, using black to help indicate madness and create some intense panels.

Female representation: 1/10

I’ve actually had people complain about this category before, but, if you aren’t interested, don’t read it. If I find the males of a series overtly sexualized and poorly written plot tools who serve solely as “dream boys” for girls, I’ll be sure to mention it.

In the anime, the first episodes were grating, but after those only certain scenes irritated me (like a cat fight between two basically naked women). I could swallow the ecchi fan service for the most part. It was nudity, but it didn’t make rape jokes funny or needlessly sexualize young girls. It had big boobs, short skirts, and accidental (and sometimes intentional) pervert scenes, but that’s typical for shounen. It was more of an eye roll than an issue.

But let’s get to the manga, which is a whole new story.

First, sexual assault was comedic. From boob grabbing to skirt lifting, Soul Eater frequently promoted rape culture through humor. I shouldn’t have to explain why that’s problematic.

Copious scenes unnecessarily took place in the shower to “cleverly” showcase naked girls. Females, especially villains, often wore outfits that sexualized the body and sometimes emphasized certain parts of it, which I found disturbing, unnecessary, and distracting. One villain continuously taunted her opponent, saying lovely lines like, “don’t imagine my naked body” and “I bet you want to touch my naked body”. If you can’t see through this thinly veiled plot device to entice young boys, than you probably enjoyed this manga more than I did.

Fan service aside, gender representation was far from equal. Aside from one female villain, the girls usually had less power than the boys. For example, Maka, the protagonist, was far behind the power level of her male counterparts. Some girls had power, and lots of girls were weapons, but that didn’t really resolve the issue.

What about Tsubaki!? Well, frankly, her abilities as a weapon did not factor into a fight nearly as much as Black Star’s skills and capabilities.

It is worth noting that, without the fan service issues, I probably wouldn’t complained too much about this. Shounen typically feature boys who are more powerful than girls.

And yet . . . when the characters were in “weapon form”, the manga showed their faces instead of a talking weapon. But the girls were always naked in this state, though the boys wore clothes. That was so obviously sexist it’s laughable.

We have another great addition to female representation problems: Blair. She served as nothing more than someone to strip down and treat the males to a little fan service (not that all men even want that. I know a guy who watched Soul Eater and found Blair annoying and unnecessary). She sexually assaulted a character constantly, pushing her impossibly large boobs into his face. Unamusingly, this also promoted rape culture (this time girls assaulting boys). She’s not the first cat-girl in a manga, though, and I’m sure she’s not the last.

I could go on, but I’ve hit the major points. If you’re into that stuff, go for it. That’s why it’s there, after all. If you like having female character with substance and something more to them than their bodies, which are constantly being displayed or touched to create jokes and “bleeding noses”, I suggest you find another series to read.

At the very least, the main protagonist, Maka, was not overly sexualized. While she fought in a skirt (always humorous and unbelievably stupid), she didn’t suffer many up-skirt shots or clothing damage. The females also had as much character development as the boys, which is to say very little.

The manga did offer a variety of female personalities and even one major female villain. But the endless ecchi fan service and rape culture promotion sort of nullify that.

Overall: 3/10

I obviously did not enjoy this series. Why did I read it all? I heard the ending was better than the anime’s and wanted to find out. I'd take a crappy ending over the horrible female representation, snooze-worthy battles, long rambles about madness, and lost humor any day. Reading it probably wasn’t worth all the frustration and boredom I felt.

I don’t recommend it.

The definition of average, Owari no Serpah tosses together shounen tropes in a rather predictable but still worth watching anime.

Note: I have not read the manga but have heard various complaints about the anime from those who have. I’d love to hear any thoughts from manga fans!

This review is (relatively) spoiler free! :D

Characters: 5/10

With the exception of Mikaela and (somewhat) Shinoa, the characters scream standard. The cast is not fantastic or horrible, just typical. Many shounen start with stock characters that slowly grow into something more, but Owari no Seraph’s first season ended before that happened. Twelve episodes did not give the ... rather large cast time to develop unique personalities.

So, if you love shounen characters, you’ll love these guys. I, personally, found them difficult to connect with, slightly irritating, and predictable.

That being said, I loved one character enough to give the show 6/10 instead of 5/10 and enjoyed two other characters.

(here comes the slight spoiler territory, though nothing specific)

I watched the anime because of Mikaela Hyakuya or “Mika”. To me, Mika is a “square peg in a round hole”. Mika might have become a Orihime Inoue, Allen Walker, or Oz Vessallius, a character who loathes to kill, determinedly cares for everyone, will defend their loved ones (and sometimes strangers or even enemies) till death, and desires to see the best in everyone. Sadly for Mika but interestingly for viewers, he is never afforded the luxury of such high ideals, though I'm he wishes he did (on a side note, I adore Oz, Orihime, and Allen). Instead, Mika finds himself in a role typically given to females—essentially, he “whores” his blood out to help feed his family—and later to anti-heroes—he fights on the wrong side but with a good reason and a damaged past. Thus, Mika is put in situations I haven’t seen too often for his base personality type, which makes him the most unique aspect of the show.

Shinoa and Guren also interest me. Shinoa falls into some of the stereotypical tropes of a shounen’s female lead, but I found her to be the anime’s second most interesting character. Guren has potential as well. At first, he comes across as nothing more than a lazy bully, but, as the story keeps going, his character does some interesting things that make me curious to see more.

Story: 5/10

Again—very shounen. The story is so incredibly typical I predicted everything that happened between episodes 2-9 without a hitch, and nothing in the others surprised me. While I am fairly savvy at “seeing things coming”, it was easy to see where this formulaic anime would go.

The anime spends at least half its episodes on “training”, which are always highly predictable. The rest are spent on backstory (one episode), wrap up (yes, this twelve episode anime dedicated an entire episode to wrap up), and about four-ish episodes follow a battle, which happens without much build up. Both sides just decide, “Yes, we shall battle here because!”. The “reason” felt more like a plot-forced excuse to me.

I feel the story starts to gain momentum at the tail end of this battle. The plot finally seems to find a direction besides “training to get revenge”. Personally, I would’ve started the story at episode eleven. Because of this (also because of Mika), I will watch season two. I may end up recommending that people watch episode one and eleven (maybe two and ten too) and then jump to season two. The rest is so typical you don’t really need it.

In fact, the plot has a whole is not well explained. I have no real idea about the parameters of the world, why the vampire decided to take over it, why Mika and Yuu are special, and so on. I hope season two will answer some of these questions.

The show falls into the potholes of many shounen. For instance, our vengeful protagonist consistently makes poor choices that the plot ends up bending over backwards and defying logic to reward him for. Charging into the battle and throwing plans into the wind somehow ends up being the right choice. He also has random powers, and all the girls fall in love with him.

Last problem: I do not find the vampires scary. Characters keep mentioning how powerful their bloodsucking opponents are, and yet newbies fresh on the field have no problem killing them with each swing of their various weapons. I understand it has something to do with the class of weaponry, but it’s poorly explained. I don’t really care that the vampires are easy to kill, but every time a character mentions how dangerous they are, I just laughed.

Art (and cinematography in general): 7/10

Fairly well done, the weaponry animation is especially interesting and visually appealing.The fighting is fast and exciting too.

(angles)

Could have been better. Really, the choice of when to cut from a scene and jump to another character’s point of view often jarred me. The transitions seemed abrupt and threw me out of the story for a moment.

(intro/outro)

The intro doesn’t really tell much of a story, but it fits the tone well and does capture the anime’s tone. The outro is a series of well-drawn pictures, a wise choice considering how many characters there are.

Female Representation: 5/10

The females are everything you expect in a standard shounen. The girls have a slightly moe appeal and run around battling in short skirts and falling for the male lead. I will never understand why fighting in a skirt is a good decision, but I do understand that some males enjoy watching that and that this show is, in fact, targeted towards males. I, however, just find it amusing and illogical.

Anyways, both of the females are touted as amazing warriors and are in charge of three males, but, per usual, the males prove to be “naturals” and surpass the girls' combat level during the first battle and often rescue their supposed superiors.

I wasn’t really offended or impressed. Like many things about this anime, it was average (hence the five).

Overall: 6/10

Without Mika, I would give this anime a 5/10. It’s a highly normal anime that will bore people sick of shounen but entertain those who love shounen or just want to kickback and watch a typical anime. Only 12 episodes long, it’s not much of an investment. I plan to watch the next season and believe it can easily surpass the first.

Now, to address the Attack on Titan accusations . . .

I have read/heard several times that Owari no Seraph is “ripping off” AoT. I disagree. AoT likes to use shounen tropes to set up the audiences’ expectations so it can smash them. And calling Owari no Seraph similar to AoT simply because both feature vengeful protagonists who live in a dystopian world where humanity is at the bottom of the food chain sounds as silly to me as calling every story that has a magic school a rip off of Harry Potter. Of course, I haven’t read the manga. So it is possible Owari no Seraph pulls more from AoT than I currently know from just watching season one of the anime.

I personally feel like Owari no Seraph’s mangaka was a big fan of Ao No Exorcist. The art styles are highly similar (especially the clothing styles, just look at Mephisto’s outfit). Both feature a close brother relationship (Rin and Yukio and Mika and Yuu). Shiemi and Yuuichirou share similar personalities. Shihou acts like Bon but looks like Shima. And then Mito looks like Shura. Both worlds feature many types of supernatural forces as well. But I won’t hold that against Owari no Seraph, as I enjoy Ao no Exorcist and don’t mind things borrowing ideas from it.

Anyways, if I failed to cover something you're curious or worried about, let me know! I'd be happy to answer them for you!

Nahoko Uehashi’s Kemono no Souja Erin is a “hidden gem” anime. While more people have seen/heard of Uehashi’s Seirei no Moribito, not nearly enough people have seen this beautiful series. I could babble about how much I love this series for hours, but, instead, I’ll try to tell you why (and why it’s 9/10 instead of 10/10!).

This review is spoiler free! :D

Characters: 9/10

While it’s story made for children, Kemono no Souja Erin addresses adult topics at a mature level. The target audiences’ age is somewhat irrelevant, because the characters bloom, especially Erin. She’s a child character the viewer can admire and adore. Following her journey ... through childhood and into her teenage years, she comes to life as one of the most well developed characters I’ve come across.

But her light does not darken the supporting cast. Each character presents a unique personality ranging from quirky to noble. The show masterfully explores the inner conflicts of good, bad, and neutral characters.

Better yet, most characters have significant relationships with more than just Erin. Erin serves as the story’s heart, but each relationship adds another dimension to the story.

Erin, though, does form many relationships, most of which I find touching, healthy, and beautiful. Each person Erin knows shapes her life and identity, guiding her and creating a strong, passionate woman and one of the best female protagonists of anime.

The cast is flawed but well explained. It’s easy to fall in love with at least half of them, and you’ll understand their motivations. The series also presents different point of views. While it usually favors Erin’s, other people are not condemned for their individual beliefs.

There is a catch.

This anime was made with children in mind. In light of the dark concepts this story touches on, the anime added two characters not included in the original novel. Unfortunately, these characters simply distract you from the story. They, unlike the others, receive little to no development and serve mainly as comic relief. To me, they degraded the show a bit, which is why the characters are 9/10 instead of 10/10.

Story: 9/10

The journey starts slow and gradually grows into an epic battle between countries. The first episodes seem very slice of life, but, in truth, Kemono no Souja Erin is a story about Erin’s life. Erin is like a fly with a spider web being woven around her. She becomes central to the conflict that builds during the show’s many episodes. However, she remains unaware of this and follows her own path without realizing where it’s leading her. Masterfully interwoven into her story are characters that move the central plot forward.

The show advocates protecting nature and bonding with animals without condemning humans or those who use animals. It presents each point of view fairly and shows that life isn’t always black and white, that what’s “right” is not always feasible.

Again, however, the anime has a knick that the original story didn’t include: two clip-show episodes and dozens of flashbacks. There is even one critical scene that is often shown two or three times in an episode. The series political labyrinth coupled with young age of its intended audience, it recaps plot points constantly. Without all of these flashbacks, the show could have been 5 or so episodes shorter.

Nevertheless, the show focuses more on characters than plot, showing how their personal experiences, beliefs, and choices move the plot forward. With characters as fascinating and complex as Ial, as conflicted and passionate as Shunan, and as wise and sweet as Shinou, letting the characters lead the story was a wise decision. Instead of having plot throw and toss them around like a ship at sea, these characters’ well-developed and explained actions guide the plot.

Art (and cinematography in general): 10/10

Drawn in a unique style I find reminiscent of Native American art, the anime feels like a work of art. That alone makes it worth watching at least once. The style is flat and geometric with bold, bright colors that help bring the story to life.

However, the symbolism in the art is blatant—remember, kids are supposed to understand it.

(music)

A weak point of the show, the music leaves much to be desired. While most of the songs are fine, the action songs distract the viewer more than anything else. It threw me out of the story once in a while, but Kemono no Souja Erin had the power to quickly pull me back in.

(angles)

Clever, very clever. This show uses its unique art style to help express emotion, dramatize scenes, and avoid more graphic content.

(intro/outro)

This show has two intros, though both use the same song sung by different artists. I enjoy both the intros and believe they do a good job of capturing the heart of the show. The first outro is clever and cute, but the second is more a string of pictures than anything too creative.

Female Representation: 10/10

This comes as no surprise. Erin is amazing, and she is not the only female. All the women have their own strength. We see them in positions of power while others are powerless. They are allowed to stand on opposite sides and are just as interesting as the boys. No one is sexualized either. And, thankfully, the men are not thrown to the wolves to make the females interesting. The entire cast is very well done.

Sub vs Dub:

The show has not been dubbed, but the sub is filled with emotion and well done.

Warnings:

The flashbacks will likely irritate you after a while, and you can skip the clip-show episodes. There is one bizarre scene with singing . . . It’s supposed to be cute, but it felt out of place to me. Despite being for kids, this show has moments of gore and violence. It also deals heavily with death, so just keep that in mind. Also, the two added characters are extremely bothersome. Just ignore them and don’t let it take away from this beautiful tale.


Overall: 9/10

Without the excessive flashbacks and additional cast members, this show is an easy 10/10. I fully believe if this show wasn't labeled a "kids anime" more people would've have seen it. There is a very good reason why this show is ranked #110. It is heartwarming yet heart-wrenching tale, a story for all ages.

Attack on Titan and I have a history, one filled with love and hate, a re-watch, and the manga. Of course, it seems the entire anime/manga community (and some outside of it) have an opinion on this show. It’s widely popular and has been so for quite a while now. So, just how does this show about giant monsters that eat people take us all by storm? Let’s find out. Rather, I’ll do my best to tell you why I love it (now).

Sometime to note is that I really didn’t like the AOT franchise when I first watched the anime. I wanted to like ... it, but found the whole thing over hyped and too dramatic. However, after I read the manga and re-watched the show, I know have Survey Corps Cosplay and have become a die-hard fan.

I am up to date on the manga. Detangling my feelings of the anime and manga won’t be easy, but I’ll do my best.

This review is spoiler free!

[spoiler=Characters]Characters in the AOT franchise are 10/10, but, when strictly concerning the anime, they stagger to an 8/10. On the surface, the characters come across fairly stereotypical. Eren, the shounen lead, is obsessed with getting stronger and revenge and possess a (seemingly) random power. Dig a little deeper and Eren reverses some shounen lead tropes. I can’t go into details without spoiling major things for those who aren’t caught up with the manga, but trust me: Eren isn’t a typically shounen lead.

Back to the anime.

A usual some of the most important lines and little moments that deepen characters aren’t in the anime. AOT characters’ growth is subtle, and the high-paced anime may even include those finer moments but they’re hard to catch amidst all the titan killing action. But, if you compare a character from his/her first episode to his/her last, you’ll see how the story has really shaped and changed the character.

Here are some pluses. The characters are also relatively mature (as the show goes along. Warning: some start as VERY immature had have a lot of room to grow). Also, the characters beside the shounen lead get to have relationships (that actually change and grow) with each other. Again, it’s subtle. Bat an eyelash and you might miss it.

The characters make realistic choices. They react and behave like people who live in a desperate and relatively hopeless society. Some of their choices may surprise the viewer and unveil and new layer to a character. They’re not always the decision the viewers may want or like, but it makes the characters interesting and the story less predictable. Many of the secondary characters have unique and distinct personalities as well (this is largely due to the fact that later in the manga their importance increases significantly). Something to appreciate is the fact characters offer different opinions on the situation without the show spoon-feeding the viewer into thinking one view is better than another. Rather, the viewer must decide for his/herself what he/she believes. The show does not give a “right” or “wrong” answer.

However, a lot of characters get tossed at the viewer simultaneously—and about half of them die. Without knowing who lives to become an important character later in the series and who becomes titan chow, it can be a little overwhelming. This is partly why the first time I watched the anime I didn’t enjoy it. People just kept dying so I stopped caring about any of them. This problem also makes it hard to notice the quiet growth between characters and their relationships. Now, after reading the manga and watching it again, I love them all (I even like the bad guys, or, at least, I find them complex and interesting).

Another minus: the characters are overdramatic at times (for me). While I feel the desperation and understand their hopelessness, I still roll my eyes once in a while. Before the story has pulled you and before you believe and feel how sad they are, it can be distracting. I’ve met a couple of people who’ve even found it humorous at times (I never went that far, but it did (and in three scenes still does) annoy me). The show really plays it up too. It will show random scenes of grieving families that didn’t appear before and don’t show up after just to prove how dramatic and dark it can be. The world is dark enough that these moments subtract from the show instead of add to it. [/spoiler]
Score: 8/10

+subtle development
+believable relationships
+varying personalities
+flawed
+more than a stereotype
+believable reactions/personality
-judgmental protagonist
-over dramatic
-too many characters introduced at once

[spoiler=Story] When I first watched the anime, I wasn’t invested in the plot (this is largely due to the fact I wasn’t invested in the characters). After I read the manga, I flung myself headlong into the story and now read the chapters as soon as I can get my grubby fingers on them. After re-watching the anime, I can say the author has had a plan for series from the start. I missed hundreds of little clues while watching it the first time. Answers to huge questions are right in front of your face (I honestly feel stupid for missing them). Some twists are impossible to see coming and only after you’ve caught up to the manga can you fully appreciate how well crafted the plot is.

Some things were still extremely predictable in the anime. I’m hardly ever surprised by big “shocking” moments in anything (anime/manga/books/whatever) and saw a lot of things coming. Others have told me that the anime surprised them, and the show does deliberately play on your expectations of a shounen. There are a few moments where it sets the viewer up to believe he/she knows where the story is going only to whack him/her in the face with a quick turn. That was highly enjoyable.

One thing to keep is mind is the sheer ridiculous appearance of the enemy. Frankly, the titans are some of the stupidest looking villains in a story to date. While terrifying, it’s humiliating to watch humanity get wrecked by funny looking naked giants (a fact even the characters address). Humanity is often compared to cattle as well, which leads me to think the viewer is supposed to find it frustrating and embarrassing to be defeated by such monsters.

As for the plot itself, there is nothing particularly unique about it. The world feels well explained and detailed. And, better yet, it’s surprising easy to relate too. If you feel powerless, like nothing you do matters and all you want to do is matter, somehow; if you feel like there are problems you just can’t face but you wish you were brave enough to stand up against—then this story will touch you, heart and soul.

Stripe the story down to its bones and it’s about people struggling to defeat enemies larger than themselves, to face despair and learn how to keep moving. I’m serious here. The characters’ goal is not survival but for their deaths to have significance. In this sense, AOT goes beyond an anime. It reveals the heart of a desperate people and how to never give up.

These characters have simple dreams and desires batted against insurmountable enemies and stark fear. Such raw simplicity rests in most human hearts, and I believe a lot of people connect with that and turn this story into something bigger. I certainly didn’t the first time I watched it, but I do now. Now, when I see the Wings of Freedom, I see a symbol of hope and determination. I see people who are willing to sacrifice themselves despite their fear and doubt because it’s the right thing to do. I see someone I can aspire to be because theses characters are afraid and angry and flawed just like me. I see heroes I can believe in.

A lot of the sentiments I’m referring to occur after the Survey Corps appear. I believe the story improves immensely after its entrance. I find the Survey Corps the real heart and protagonist—if you will—of the series. Don’t misunderstand: the individual characters are fantastic, as is the first half of the show. But the Corps is who and what I connect with.

A step away from the sentimental and existential-ness of this review, the plot is put together extremely well. It moves fast without sacrificing character development. And you can tell the author has an endgame. He knows where he wants this story to go and is slowly taking the viewer there, revealing one little fact at a time, usually one that only opens more questions (the manga has answered some and created more, but things are starting to congeal and it’s fantastic!) [/spoiler]
Score: 9/10

+fast paced
+easy to follow
+interesting plot twists
+few plot holes
+believable desperation/situation
+plays with expectation
-fairly typical
-lack of investment (if not invested in characters)
-a little overwrought


[spoiler=Art]Amazing. It’s crisp, bold, and brilliant. The fights are brutal and fast and don’t cut too many corners. You get to see the full battle, not two characters screaming “AAHH!!!!!” and then clashing once in a kendo-like strike. [/spoiler]
Score: 10/10

+unique style
+detailed
+fast battles

[spoiler=Music]This soundtrack makes bells sound badass. It has a variety of sounds and languages as well (German, English, Japanese). It’s creative, intense, and will make your heart pound. I consider it one of the best anime soundtracks I’ve heard.[/spoiler]
Score: 10/10

+epic sound
+blend of battle and emotional
+sets clear tone
+adds intensity to scenes

[spoiler=Angles] They put a lot of thought into their angles. I’ll go into detail about a scene here to show you just how much. I’ll avoid names for spoiler’s sake. Character A must pull off a risky stunt into order to protect the walls and discusses the plan with Character B. Character B asks Character A if Character A can do this. Then Character B asks Character A what [he/she] wants to protect. Behind Character B, you see all that’s left of humanity and just what is at stake. Brilliant and subtle, the angles add an entirely new dimension to the show. [/spoiler]
Score: 7/10

[spoiler=IntroOutro] The first intro is fantastic. I love it. The second intro first few notes feel like a Fire Emblem theme, but I still enjoy it. The outros for me are interesting because both incorporate the narrative. The first has a rather obvious connection to a character’s growth, motivation, and story (not to mention stunning animation). The second is less obvious, but centers around several theories. And, if you know what I know, does some interesting things with the characters. [/spoiler]
Score: 8/10

[spoiler=FemaleRepresentation] This show doesn't have time for romance or gender roles. Humanity has to survive. Gender is hardly even mentioned. No one cares if you’re a girl or boy—it doesn’t matter. Girls and boys are treated the same way. I’m serious when I say gender is hardly even mentioned. There is actually one character whose gender has been unconfirmed because the author doesn’t think it matters. The girls are not sexualized and are just as strong as the boys. And, you usually don’t see this: girls and boys have the same uniform. Girls are not illogically fighting in skirts but also wear pants, which makes more sense to me. [/spoiler]
Score: 10/10

+given equal treatment to males
+can actually fight
+practical armor
+varying personalities
+more than plot device/love interest
+aspirations beyond love interest
+no fan service

Sub vs Dub:

I watched the first five episodes in dub and nearly stopped watching the anime. I apologies to all dub fans, but I found the dub absolute trash. Even now I refuse to watch the show in dub. The sub, however, does a fantastic job.

Warnings:

AOT is tremendously gory and violent. While toned down from the manga (surprise, surprise), it’s still brutal and graphic.

Overall: 8/10

I REALLY almost desperately wanted to like this anime, but it failed me and went off the rails like a possessed train.

I’m sorry, to all Tokyo Ghoul fans, I really am. I had such high hopes for this show, but, it had so, so many issues. So, lets get down to it.

This post is spoiler free! :D


Characters: 3/10

The show started with a bang. In the first two episodes, I was ready to adopt Kaneki as one of “my precious babies”. Then show unraveled like cheap sweater. While Kaneki remained interesting, his emotional development got lost in the rather vast world of ghouls. ... Kaneki became background noise battered like a pin-pong ball between the too-fast plot and integration into the ghoul society. It's a shame too. Kaneki could’ve become one of my favorite characters (I still plan on reading the manga despite the anime so it could happen!).

Kaneki aside, I (in all honesty) can’t recall the name of a single character (I looked them up for this review) aside from Hide, who barely appears. I had a difficult time caring about anyone, especially the ghouls. Let me explain why the ghouls mostly sucked (for me).

First, I’m supposed to believe the characters live in a dystopian society, yet none of them (excluding Renji and Yoshimura) behave as if they do. Most characters have angst oozing out their pores, but, if ghouls live in such a crappy culture, how come none of the characters seem to realize it before the anime? For example, one character (who will remain nameless for spoilers sake), literally sits in [his/her] room for THREE days (or longer, not sure) because someone called [his/her] “ghoul power” beautiful. Seriously? If I’m supposed to believe [he/she]’s is someone who grew up in a world this grating, why does something so small make [him/her] mope for three days? [He/she] is allowed to be upset, but honestly. If this character lived in such a war-torn and desperate society, a compliment shouldn't shatter [he/she].

If you’re thinking I missed the point and that [he/she]’s reaction to a compliment should help me understand how hard the world is, I disagree. Watch Berserk, Attack on Titan, or Akira. Those characters live in a terrible world and act like it (note: I’m not saying every character in a dystopian society or situation needs to be angry and miserable, take Allen Walker, for example).

I have another beef with this compliment drama—a human complimented the ghoul. This character’s relation to humans befuddled me. First, [he/she] acts as if humans are beneath [him/her]. Then, suddenly, the character has a valued human friend and a compliment from a human that [he/she] had such contempt for before make [him/her] pout for three days. I did not understand that whiplash.

This character isn’t the only one filled with hypocrisy. Another character (for the sake of spoilers I’ll have to be vague here) acts badly towards a human and shows [him/herself] to consider humans nothing but a food source and then—suddenly—is in love with one! It made no sense whatsoever to me.

Several characters did some bewilderingly stupid things. Instead of feeling sorry for them, I could only blink at the sheer stupidity of their actions.

Lastly, many characters have rapidly changing opinions. They’ll yell and berate or even attack in each other in one episode and--bam! They are desperate to save and protect each other for no real reason in the next. Again emotional development is sacrificed for plot.

Story: 4/10

The story moved too fast, plain and simple. I understood it, but I just didn’t give a two figs. Every other episode spent the first five minutes (after intro and recap) telling the viewer what happened since the last episode ended and the first began (in other words, most episode have huge plot developments and time jumps between each one). This made it extremely difficult to invest myself in the story.

As I said before, new aspects of the world kept cropping up like jack-in-the-boxes. Unfortunately, most of those elements vanished. The world didn’t feel well-rounded, more like someone puked out a bunch of interesting ideas without considering how it all meshed together (I kid you not, someone ends up having a brother the viewer knew almost nothing (if anything, I can’t remember) about that shows up around episode 10 or so. And I was supposed to care about this new sibling relationship (hint: I didn’t)). Most of the world’s elements fit the story’s tone, but there was one bizarre arc that felt like it belonged in Pandora Hearts, Black Butler, or D.Gray-man. I enjoy all three of those, but such a tone certainly didn’t fit Tokyo Ghoul.

The show is also chuck full of clichés. I know some people will give me heat for saying this, but it’s just true. I’ve seen all of those plot elements numerous times.

Another big problem of this story: I was supposed to care about the ghouls. Um, how? None of the ghouls seemed to like humans; most of them seemed to hate humans, have contempt for them, or blame them for how tough I’m supposed to believe their life is. But I didn’t pity the ghouls. They eat people without much remorse, for the most part anyways. I can sympathize with a bad guy; I can sympathize with non-human characters; but I found myself struggling to even view the ghouls as the good guys.

Another problem: I’m supposed to believe (minor spoiler) that one of the reasons this world is so tough and rough is because ghouls and humans can’t co-exist. But the only thing standing in their way was anger. No one seemed willing to give an inch and even try to understand each other (say Kaneki, for obvious reasons). In the end, I found them all stupid.

The plot moved faster than the Shinkansen, which through pacing, investing me in the story, and developing characters out the window. It seemed the anime aimed for big and shocking moments to show people how awesome and fast-paced it was. While it obviously worked--the show is popular, after all--it didn’t work for me. I didn’t care about the “shocking” moments because I couldn’t care less about what was happening.

Art (and cinematography in general): 10/10

Here the show shined. Beautiful animation that made fights look like brutal yet elegant. Total eye candy.

(music): It added to the show but wasn’t particularly amazing.

(angles): They did a fairly standard job here.

(intro/outro): I loved both, and the intro’s animation was creative and stunning.

Fan service: 1/10

The show did not have up-skirt shots or laughably big-chested girls. Someone did fight mini skirt, but the female lead usually wore pants (shock). Here, the show did a pretty fantastic job.

Sub vs Dub:

Watched it in sub and thought it was pretty good. It hasn't been dubbed.
Warnings:

The show has a few plot holes. No matter how I racked my brain, I simply could not figure out the problem’s resolution.

That being said, Tokyo Ghoul is beloved. My opinion isn’t a popular one. In fact, I think its reputation set my expectations too high (so did those first two episodes). Anyways, I plan on reading the manga, which could change my opinion on the anime.

Overall: 5/10

Durarara!! is an amazing creative anime. Let’s break down why!

This review is spoiler free. :D

Characters: 8/10

This is a tough category to rate because I enjoy most of the cast, love some of them, and find three in particular horribly boring (so boring I have my overall rating a 8/10 instead of 9/10). There are some stock characters that I find hilarious if one-dimensional. There are characters I love and relationships I find mature, highly entertaining, and unique.

But there is also Mikado Ryugamine. Of all the characters he is, unfortunately, the main one. He has the personality of a white bread and ... watching him is about as fun as watching paint dry. His friends (also, sadly, main characters) aren’t much better. One, at first, seems like nothing but fan service but later becomes interesting. His other friend starts funny but gets too “angsty” towards the end for me.

But, if you can get past these three, the cast is nothing short of amazing.

Story: 9/10

As far as plot goes, Durarara!! doesn’t not have the grandest plot. To be frank, the plot seems somewhat irrelevant in comparison to how the story is told. It unfolds in a way similar to a Russian novel or Frank Herbert’s Dune. You will see several repeated scenes in Durarara!!. In the one episode, Character A may have brushed the shoulder of Character B. First, you see the scene from Character A’s perspective, but, later, in a later episode, you will see what Character B was doing during that scene. The characters seem connected by stings that interweave in each others’ lives. It’s brilliant, different, and interesting, but it does make for a bit of slow moving plot. However, once all those stings connect the whole patterns comes together in a fun adventure.


Art (and cinematic in general): 10/10

With bright and bold colors that fit the “danger: stay out” scheme of the whole show, I have noting to complain about here. Fights are easy to follow. The characters’ faces stay consistent. The outfits are cool. You get the picture.

(music): I don’t have much to say here. I can’t remember it being particularly amazing or horrible. I’m going to guess that it worked well with the show.

(angles): Most anime don’t pay too much attention to this, but Durarara!! offers different shots that allow that you to see the bigger pictures (aka. Character A and B) if you’re paying attention. They didn’t just slap down random angles but it seems they actually thought about it.

(intro/outro): Love the first intro and outro. They fit the tone of the show and have great songs. Second ones are a little weaker but not bad.

Fan service: 3/10

You WANT a low score here (if you care about female representation). While one girl has large boobs and is often called “booby-licious”, the show largely avoids titillating the audience with up-skirt shots and girls who just happening to be changing as they talk. No pointless clothing damage while fighting either. There is one scene where a girl undergoes torture while naked, but the scene is not meant to be a turn-on, is brief, and doesn't show much.

However, there is more than one version of fan service. This show does throw some fun bones for the audience to chew on. But I don’t spoil those.

Female Representation: 10/10

One of the main characters, Celty, is a female. A headless Dullahan, she talks through text messages and is one of my favorite characters. Females fair rather well in the anime, serving as more than just tag-alongs for the male leads (also, this show as one of my favorite heterosexual ships! It's healthy, functional, and based on more realistic emotions and mature reactions).

Sub vs Dub:

I watched it in dub and enjoyed it immensely. It has some of my favorite voice actors, and I recommend it. That being said, I haven’t watched the sub. As far as I know, that’s great too.

Warnings:

One character speaks mainly through text messages, so make sure that, when you watch it, those have been translated into English.

Also, one character speaks in Russian, which is often subtitled in Japanese at the bottom, which doesn’t help English speakers.

Overall rating: 8/10

Without Mikado Ryugamine and his blond-haired sidekick, this show is a hands down a 9/10. Sadly, those two drove me up a wall and forced me to lower my score an entire point.

This show is original and a blast. It has got something for everyone and I highly recommend it.