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Apr 13, 2021
I started this show with absolutely no context and loved every minute of it.
Story
Put two completely different genres together and BAM! Comedy gold, which is not easy to do! An original story told from a unique perspective. Household duties are serious business. And the main character Tatsu, is a serious guy. Of course he'd take it seriously, with his own (hilarious) spin on things based on his past. Although he encounters yakuza members on occasion, everyone else in his life treats him like a normal guy despite some of his harmless habits/misunderstandings, which I find absolutely hilarious.
Art/Animation
This is a short anime, with even shorter episodes.
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That does not mean quality was sacrificed, though. The important scenes are very detailed, and show up for longer. Transition scenes are less detailed, and disappear faster. How I see it is this: with the little amount of animation done, it seems the main goal of the show was to preserve its comedic timing. Which it does, very successfully. After finishing the show, I read a few chapters of the manga. The anime is very true to the manga, if not a literal paper-to-screen translation, with some animation. I understand that not everyone is happy with this, but the producers had a goal and this is what they decided to do. While it would have been nice for this to be fully animated, it gets the point across with what it has already. At least they weren't completely still images!
Sound
Every time Tatsu talks, I laugh. His voice is super deep and serious. Makes it even funnier. Sound effects help with the comedy.
Character
Watching Tatsu creatively go through everyday struggles is a form of entertainment in itself. His way of doing things can be confusing to others, but in the end he's doing his best to live an honest life. You get hints of his past when he encounters certain people. I would have liked to see more on his relationship with his wife, though. Because how could this story even happen? But she's a busy lady.
Enjoyment
If you need a casual, light-hearted watch, this is it. No commitment needed. You could finish it in one go.
Overall
A funny, wholesome show. Enjoyed it all the way. Happy to hear there's a second season. Would re-watch!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 8, 2018
I had high expectations for this film, having seen so much hype around it. However I didn't know what to expect. I went into this with expectations too high, but was satisfied in another way. This is definitely a cult classic.
Story: It took some time for me to figure out what was going on. The plot is very simple, if you could call it plot at all. It felt more like the movie was centered around a main event. It's thanks to the many details of the film that helped make it seem "whole". Many stories start out in the middle of action, however
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it felt like this whole movie was action all the way through. The few scenes that were calm are when you can catch your breath before the action starts again. Dystopian themes, action scenes, 80s aesthetic, you get the idea. The cultural details are a big help in adding to the main story, which is just barely there.
Art: The art was a visual treat, and the best part of the entire movie. From the way the characters are drawn, to the colour palettes chosen and even the objects and backgrounds throughout the film, all of it convinced me that this was 80s dystopian Neo-Tokyo and drew me in. Was this smooth, flowing animation even possible in the 80s? Considering the amount of action and variation of characters and scenes, you can see how well they thought about every single detail. No animation smears here (at least with the naked eye).
Sound: Sound follows closely behind the art, as it helps to bring the story to life. Not only is the movie fast, loud and full of suspense, you hear it! The sound effects do not disappoint, because they support the animation loud and clear. Also, since it's an older film, the audio has the a nice, old movie feel to it because of their equipment at the time. The voice actors were great and really brought the characters to life. I didn't pay too much attention to the music (it didn't seem like they had a lot) but the ones I remember matched the movie well - loud, suspenseful, mysterious and really set the tone for the scenes.
Character: This is what disappointed me. In every film I review, I expect character development as well as a takeaway message. Akira does not do this, but it probably wasn't the goal unless I missed something. Stories centered around events usually end up this way, but at the very least I hoped that they could have learned something. Instead, I felt empty at the end. I couldn't relate to the characters or their experiences, so I felt very disconnected from them. I had to ask myself, "why am I watching this again?" The character relationships didn't seem to go very far, either.
Enjoyment: Before I reached the halfway point, my eyes were already overwhelmed. Colourful and fast paced - it really is a visual treat - I just wish I was more prepared. I didn't check how long the film was. So while watching, some scenes seemed to drag on. You know how some films are faster/slower than they seem? Well this movie wasn't just 2 hr 4 min, that's exactly what it felt like.
Overall: Though my expectations for a typical movie were not met, it is still worth a watch. In fact, I now understand that I can enjoy it in a different way. While I didn't enjoy Akira as your typical movie-to-watch-for-entertainment, I now see it shine in terms of cultural and historical relevance. They definitely showed off their best technology in terms of making the film (animation, sound, etc). They also give us a taste of the 80s in terms of style, sound and events. In short, I appreciate Akira as art made for the art.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 24, 2017
Just a normal middle school girl trying to be normal in an abnormal setting. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right? A short, lighthearted but hyper-active series to keep you entertained 100% of the time!
Story
The plot is executed smoothly, with a lot of crazy, random shenanigans. It's calm in the beginning but after that I was mostly thinking "what is going on?" ...but in a good way, laughing along the way. It's all relevant and doesn't go too off-track.
Art
The animation is where the shenanigans come from. When you have simple, stylized artwork for the entire show it's easier to animate and have creative freedom. Studio
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Trigger's animation is no joke and working with such short episodes gave them a lot of freedom to play around with the hyper, action-packed animation even with such a simple style. It's a lot to look at during some scenes but you will not be disappointed, because the animation stays consistent. Oh yeah, the overall colour scheme is great too, keeps up with the cute space setting.
Sound
Overall, appropriate music to maintain the spacey atmosphere. The energy in the soundtrack keeps up well with the animation and follows the mood of each scene. The ending song was catchy too.
Character
Even with a handful of characters in tow, the only one that really develops is the main character Luluco. The story is centred around her so obviously she'd shine the brightest. Throughout her adventures, exploring and meeting new people helps her develop her self-realization. Nova is the second most developed character, but not without the help of Luluco. The side characters are all the funny, quirky abnormal beings that contrast with Luluco and support her growth.
Enjoyment
I appreciate these kinds of short series as in-betweeners for darker, more serious shows. I watched this all in one go, and I think I enjoyed it better that way. Just don't take it too seriously because it doesn't take itself seriously! Also really liked the surprise cameos and crossovers!
In summary, don't underestimate the power of a middle-school girl!
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 16, 2017
Confession: Just completed episode 7. This is my main show for the season.
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I came for the art, I stayed for the character development.
*This is not a yaoi/shounen-ai.
Story: Starts with a base plot of introducing the mysterious new tutor to the four princes. After that is just wonderful, progressive character development in a slice-of-life setting with a royal twist. Seeing the characters improve is what keeps the show going. Also, light-hearted and silly humour. The story acts as more of a background so the episodes don't directly connect one after the other, giving it a more relaxed pace. A fun and energetic show that leaves
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me wanting more each time.
Art: The animation is actually beyond my expectations. I find that normally, shorter anime are susceptible to falling short in terms of quality but it's pretty good so far. The art itself is great! The style is pretty detailed, but the colouring stands out even more so. I think it's the shiny hair and eyes that get me. The backgrounds are also well-done, and give you a sense of the privileged lifestyle the princes live. Overall there is good consistency.
Sound: So far the background music is good, but not as outstanding as the OP and ED, which are fun to listen to. The voice actors are doing a great job of matching their respective characters' energy and emotion.
Character: The tutor's background is shrouded in mystery so far, but he remains humble and compliments the princes' personalities. Supporting characters also help with driving the plot. Each prince is unique in their own way. They start off with somewhat cliche traits, but the reason I've become attached to this show is because I got to see them develop and grow. This will become evident through observing their background and interactions. This is the show's greatest strength in moving forward and keeping my attention.
Enjoyment: If you're into silly, light-hearted shows with satisfying character development and not-so-heavy plot then give this show a try. This would also make a comfortable re-watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 16, 2017
Short and sweet. If you want something light, you can read this quickly.
Story: Each chapter features a different "prince" and main girl in their own situation. The girls narrate and explore their developing feelings with their background. This manga is literally sweet, no major conflicts happen. This is because the stories focus on their daily interactions as their feelings ~bloom~.
Art: Shiny boys and cute girls. The style is not especially fancy, but it's enjoyable nonetheless. The art lines up with the average shoujo style of the late 2000s. It has the "classic shoujo style" art of the time, where the art style shows its
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age but doesn't look too old-school or out of proportion.
Character: If you don't mind a few character tropes, then you'll be fine. I don't think they pushed it that far. The "princes" seem to be aware of their popularity based on their respective traits, but don't go out of their way to show off (except for one...). The girls have a variety of personalities that made them pretty relatable, and likable in their own way. The author appeared to be having fun matching different personalities together.
Enjoyment: I enjoyed it! I appreciate short, lighter reads with little commitment every once in awhile. It's a good break from the heavier, longer stuff. I especially like seeing "opposites attract", watching different personalities compliment each other.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 4, 2013
Are you sure that was half an hour because that felt like a feature film
The general idea of the story goes by quickly: a childhood memory sparks the protagonist's dreams of becoming a witch, but she's rather clumsy and is falling behind. The characters are all very distinct and likeable. The story, while progressing quickly, draws you in; every scene is significant, and that's what they did right. At the climax of the story I almost teared up because the buildup was done so well, it's exciting, action-packed and funny.
Knowing that it was a 'young animators' project I paid a lot of attention to
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the animation, and I was extremely satisfied. I would say the animation was very active; the characters are very expressive and the movement is very clean. The colours are great too, especially when they cast spells. I didn't catch any of those 'animation smears', if you know what I mean. The animation was probably perfect.
Overall, if you watch it without knowing anything about it you wouldn't know that they were done by 'young animators', I'd say they pretty much reach quality anime levels (or even higher, compared to certain ones)
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 26, 2013
I'm not good at describing my feelings. Maybe I'm considered not open-minded or accepting because of my slight dissatisfaction with the ending, but it is what it is. It was worth the watch though, because I was speechless at the end. If I can't describe my feelings then it's probably a good one.
Upon seeing the title (Wolf Children) I was afraid there was going to be violence. But since the word 'children' is in it, I guess it makes it okay? It's like a fairy tale, nothing scary. But it gets serious, so I wouldn't call it a kid's story.
(Bits of spoilers ahead wee-woo-wee-woo)
I
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didn't like the protagonist in the beginning. She just seemed like your average, naive girl. I didn't think she could get around in the world because she seemed too innocent; when she approached the wolf man I thought she was also a busybody (come to think of it,I totally forgot his name. I just finished this thing a few minutes ago). He was also an older man; are women just naturally curious about/attracted to mysterious older men? It worries me.
BUT NO.
Her naive, smiley and accepting personality is what makes her one awesome mama. The way she behaved when caring for her children was suspicious in the city and was risky, but she definitely proved that no one takes better care than a mom. For the sake of her kids they moved to the beautiful countryside; from there she did all the usual housewife stuff and the handiwork as well! This woman was always a positive thinker, which was great, it kept her going! You'll cheer for her til the end!
The kids were interesting; Yuki the firstborn, was hyperactive, always exploring and using her wolf genetics to her advantage. Her brother Ame was more timid and cautious. He spent time contemplating society's attitude towards wolves, and wanted to move back to the city. School changed them drastically, and this is what keeps me thinking all the time: when Yuki grew up, she understood that to be accepted among her friends, she would have to be more feminine and lose (or at least hide) that wild side of hers. Eventually she didn't have to hide it anymore, because she controlled it so well. Females have higher expectations in society so her attitude is understandable. Ame on the other hand, became the complete opposite. He was still quiet, but he became energetic in his own way. He dropped out of school shortly after entering because he couldn't adjust as well as his sister, so he spent his days adventuring the wilderness. His fear of being a wolf withered away and he soon found it more interesting than his human life. His mom was accepting of his time in the wild but was concerned for many reasons.
What I did not see coming was Ame's fate. I was already irritated by the fact that he looked like his dad from head to toe, but when he argued with his sister that they were also wolves, I had to wonder: did Ame prefer being a wolf because he felt rejected from society and found refuge in the wild? Of course. But he asked about his dad, so I thought he would feel more connected to his dad this way, or even felt obligated. Supposedly his decision would make sense since males tend to value independence, but I felt that Ame shed his emotions too quickly for someone his age.
The ending gave me mixed feelings; like 'this was bound to happen, it can't be changed, bravo' and 'stop damaging my kokoro' and 'no, nooo, NOOOOOOOOOOO'. The ARTWORK was fabulous; I always have to remind myself that these films are done by the human hand, and that we are so capable that we can nearly imitate reality.
Questions:
First I was very creeped and confused in the first 1/3rd of the movie; girl, did you just perform intercourse with an animal's body (despite it being your lover/husband [did you even get married?]) Yeah that pretty much stayed in my mind for the entire movie
Second, didn't the father only turn into a wolf under a full moon? The kids turned into a wolf whenever they felt like it so I am confused
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 31, 2013
How can I say this..I was actually expecting more of a comedy, from what I picked up from this body-swapping business. I must be a bit biased then, since I don't often watch dramas.
Simply put, a group of friends hang out in a club room at school. They go through puberty together by swapping bodies and engaging in entangling relationships. A spirit that possessed their teacher gave them a little push to help them with that puberty, and it helped them learn to trust each other and discover themselves in the process. Overall, this anime went through a more serious tone.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 27, 2012
I'll admit, the colour in the artwork got my attention first. I'd also seen tidbits of the anime and was really curlous about all that water, it looked so cool! I was also excited since it was only 12 episodes, I'd finish in no time right? I was expecting water, fish, and fishing.
The story? At first it seemed slice-of-life which I'm used to watching, but it also had lots of random parts when Haru entered the story, which was refreshing. The way the characters came together and interacted was pretty quick, and I liked that in a small-town setting.The best part is watching the
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characters warm up to each other and develop by solving their problems together, such as Natsuki with his family. Everything is relatively calm until around the 7th episode, and then I realized 'ok now it's getting serious'. As for Haru's gun-pointing, I understand that it might look 'cool' to some people; it doesn't promote violence because it was just a water gun but I just feel a little off about it. However, whenever Haru used it I imagined him as a spoiled child, but it is his weapon. Scenes where Natsuki taught them how to fish were interesting to learn too. Overall it was short, but I felt that every scene was important, either for plot or for enjoyment. I'm glad there wasn't anything too serious in here, like violence, death or any of that stuff, but you can still take it seriously. Happy endings are yay :)
I instantly fell in like with Yuki. I could relate to his awkwardness so easily that I just wanted to cheer him on even though I laughed at his reactions to his moments. Haru was made a very likeable character because of his alien attitude and I really liked that. Seeing him learn from Keito was interesting too. I especially like how he brought Yuki out, from being a bit of a loner to a guy with a small group of good friends sharing a passion for fishing. The best part is that, although he isn't an alien, they don't make him a complete idiot either. THANK YOU. Natsuki was a little hard to understand; I thought he was a complete nerd but he was actually a serious guy. I understood how he felt with his family's situation and I don't blame him. He's especially..funny when he's with his sister. I sometimes forgot Akira's age when he was hanging out with the others, but he was an ok guy too. His stiffness made him a little more interesting, and his relationship with Tapioca is just...cute. They're all fun characters.
Sound? That means the theme and ending song right? Both are equally awesome and I completely understand when people encourage you not to skip them..so don't! They both fit the mood - the beginning gets you all hyped as you anticipate the episode, and the end song completes it with a soothing finish. The music in the anime was good too~relaxing
The art - bright colours! I love bright colours! I normally find other animes bland because of their pale, pasty colours, but the colour done in here made everything more lifelike. Like Haru, I'm also fond of Yuki's hair, haha. The animation is great, things are always moving around...I can almost feel the effort as I'm watching it. I also have a strange satisfaction when I get to see the sky and the water in the anime..because it's blue! The characters' expressions were great as well (esp Yuki's face of course). And..fish!!! The last episode is the best episode to see fish ;D
The whole thing was amusing to watch. As for reactions, I was was biting my lip, squealing in despair, laughing out loud or just smirking. I didn't need to rely on to the humor or anything in particular to be interested, I was literally...hooked!! But mind you, I didn't pick an anime about fishing to inspire me to go fishing. Now I'm going to re-watch it again consecutively so that I can take it all in ^^
How is a fish supposed to feel when it goes fishing?
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Sep 15, 2012
The plot is the same in each episode so you won't miss a thing, but each has a different mood to match up with the punchline.
The art reminds me of a kid's show, which lets viewers know that it's just a short film and isn't too intense.
The sound is effective and helps elaborate the mood. The mameshibas are voiced by kids in a serious and matter-of-fact tone which amuses me every time.
Peoples' reactions to the talking mameshibas are pretty realistic. However, in the beginning everyone had the same reaction in the end, but later on it was different. If they wanted to
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do that, I wish they'd mix it around in the beginning so that each ending was unpredictable. But I guess they broke this pattern to surprise us.
Since the first few eps had similar endings, I'd crack up every time. The reactions later on were still amusing to watch, but I still liked the repetitive reactions from earlier, it fits in with the childishness of the story.
Overall, it was funny and creepy. I watched it all in one sitting not only because of the length of the episodes, but the hilarity kept me going.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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