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Please do not skip out on this. Especially if your decision is based on the numerous reviews and comments left by manga readers. What many of the vocal ones of them seem to not understand is that its never going to be as magical to experience a story told as beautifully as medalist a second time. from the score, to the acting to, to the choreography to the gags, every piece of this story and its production ooze passion. Both for the sport of figure skating and the narrative of striving to persevere even when you don't believe you can achieve even the basics of ... what may be your dream.

Characters both adult and child alike are written masterfully, the problems they face are realistic and approached not with unbearable naivete from the younger than average cast nor are they bogged down by stupid unrealistic leaps in logic by the adults. every one reacts to things in a way that you'd imagine yourself reacting to at those ages, as real problems with solutions that while not always obvious can be achieved with careful planning and communication. Repeatedly the children will surprise their coaches in how they're developing and when they fail the show treats these challenges as stumbles that its the adults role to help them move past but it doesn't brush them aside as unimportant because when a child feels like they put their all into something and they fail it can be soul destroying for them. in medalist they will use these feelings to show that perhaps the coach empathizes with them too having watch them try so hard and not reach their goal and then explain that that's how they feel to the child because children DO understand that. They have the same problems as adults, but they just process them differently and the story shows how that affects them well.

What I can say is, if you have even the slightest interest in the story based on whats been seen or said about it, but are avoiding doing so because you've been lead under the false pretense that its a "bad adaptation" you should give it a real honest shot. If you ave no context I can assure you that it is a wonderful watch with rich characters and believable drama. AND if you still cant bring yourself to watch it after hearing that, then go read it! Medalist is a story that deserves to be experienced. It deserves to be talked about more and it deserves every flower it earns.

Going into this show there should only really be one thing you expect from it. Its fetish content. meant to appeal to people who like watching cute girls workout with increasingly dangerous to play in public noises as they grunt their way through harder and harder routines. There's comedy here but lets be real that's not why you're watching. You're watching because you like these cute girls with back muscles, toned thighs, Abs, tight glutes and tans. If you like these things then you'll like the show that's all there is to it.

Its fetish content for sure but goddamn if it ain't my fetish

Is Mayonaka punch the best show of the season? no. Is it a show that will fundamentally cause people to reevaluate how they live their lives particularly in regards to the para-social relationships they form with internet personalities? also no. What Mayonaka Punch is is a consistently well animated, funny, high speed show with genuine sincere heart and a cast of, though shallow, energetic easy to like characters.

Throughout the season it confused me as to why the score for the show was so low. It definitely didn't deserve to be up there with the all time classic shows but there were plenty of objectively worse ... shows airing at the same time and seasons prior that exceeded its score dramatically. That and the general seeming disinterest in the show entirely on social media were both conundrums I couldn't find the reason for. but now that its all said and done I can say with some confidence that yes. Its not the next big thing but anybody who takes the time to sit with the show can and will find some joy in the way it presents both its characters and the daily life of trying to cut it big on the internet.

Fundamentally though the story is about finding acceptance through those whose opinions matter. People who like you for you. Not pleasing strangers who don't know what happens behind the scenes in your own life. Every character deals with this. Weather its Fu's unwillingness to sing because she felt like she let her friend down. Ichiko not wanting to lose her second home because the family who chose to eat a meal with her even though they don't need food. OR the de-facto MC Masaki who's desire to be popular to her viewers drove her to lashing out against her friends and internalize negative comments made about her despite the people around her telling her shes enough. Its the through line that holds the story together and makes it more than just a rough attempt at "youtuber" slice-of-life.

It consistently balances funny bits. Quick blink and you'll miss it visual gags and genuine dramatic moments that will have you maybe not crying but illicit a sniff and knows when to pump the brakes on the humor to not undercut these moments. All to lead to a finished product that for an anime original will get you excited to see what they'll do next.

Mayonaka Punch isnt a 10/10, its probably not even a 9/10. but its sure as hell better than a 7/10 and I can only hope that the more people who watch it will feel the same way cause this is a rare original piece of work that doesn't overstay its welcome but also knows that it has more story to tell if they want to choosing to wrap up satisfyingly without committing to a hard stop to the characters and it world.

Ninja Kamui so far has been an interesting ride. I'll open this by saying the first episode was abysmal, I could not for the life of me understand why it was rated so high and its score seemed to confirm the idea that as long as the fight scenes are flashy and loud then a show does not need any more substance than that to do well. It was predictable to the point that it was insulting to view. It also didn't help that they condensed what ostensibly should have been the entire first episode into a 3 minute montage not allowing the viewer to ... attach themselves to the MCs struggle adequately just for some shock value and so they could squeeze another fight in at the end to keep the monkey brains interested.

Now with that being said, episodes 2 and 3 seemingly turn this on its head and grant the series a much needed mystery hook as well as genuinely compelling motivations for its cast allowing the view to ask questions that the first episode did not such as “how did this world come to be”, “Why do these people choose to abandon their way of life to hide in constant danger” and “Who is pulling the strings and to what end?” The turn around is not only impressive but makes me wonder if episode one's poor pacing issues and lack of interesting drive was due to corporate meddling by adult swim and not lack of writing talent by the staff at Sola entertainment.

So long as the quality of that mystery and script continue to be held at that displayed during these past two episodes then Ninja Kamui could be an easy recommend for a brand new up and coming studio but if I am proven wrong by my assumption and that first episode becomes the standard for the majority of the season then it will be a shame that a seemingly compelling narrative would be undercut but unfortunate mistakes.

As a final point, if someone tries to describe this show either to recommend or disparage it as “Anime John Wick with Ninjas” you really should just disregard their opinion because they clearly don't understand what John Wick is about outside of “Angry cool guy gets revenge” which Is not only reductive but completely ignores core aspects of each ones characterization for no more than a cheap comparison

Another is a show I recently rewatched as a joke bet between friends, I remembered parts of its strong start, its overly forgettable cast, and how bat shit insane and messy it got in its final few episodes and while deeply flawed and some might even say bad, I genuinely believe now that its a fun romp that starts out imessensly engaging and its failings add more to the series than they could have if it had been done poorer.

First of all, id like to say, the impression I remembered of the show was that it was overly edgy, and far to serious with its ... own tone to be considered anything but a creepypasta with a budget. But now, upon looking upon it with a fresh outlook, knowing what was coming I was able to realize the intricacies of its tonal craft through color, framing and music. At least in the first 3 episodes the show doesnt shy away from holding long uninterrupted shots with subtle movements in order to establish an air of uncomfortable pressure amongst the cast, its desaturated look along side its strong bold uses of reds, blues and greens, helping to differentiate the types of enviroments the character inhabit and why we take the time to focus on these things. The music is also used masterfully, adding to the feeling of mystery without overpowering the scene and dialouge at least until the crescendo that is the death of episode 3 that wonderful umbrella scene we all tuned in to see.

It keeps you on the edge of your seat making you believe Koichi may truly be insane and Mei may not exist and the way that leads into the first death really hammers home the idea that shes only just appearing for them and unlike some other (lesser) horror shows blowing their load too early the fact they keep the death hidden until the very end of the episode is excellent pacing and it makes sure not to linger too long so that even though the situation is ridiculous, your brain doesnt get too long to over think it before it cuts allowing the whole scene to be shocking and have impact without feeling cruel and try hard.

Unfortunately however, thats when the show seems to come off the rails, without going to much further into everything about every episode, they start to explain everything that had been set up and deliever the answers to the mystery incredibly quickly and with very little need for engagement from the audience because each character will explain to the viewer exactly how everything is happening and why. And with the compounding realization that aside from a few of them, all the characters look so similar you forget which exposition dump is which because they all blend together that any further deaths feel unearned and flat. This might not have been such an issue if the twist didnt also rely on you identifying a particular character being the same person as someone else so a more diverse look for them wouldve been immensely helpful at making that twist pay off in a more satisfying way.

This finally culminates in the funniest final three episodes where the entertainment comes from the ridiculousness ofbthe situation and how quickly everyone turns on each other so you end up furiously trying to figure out whos died and whos left and it becomes almost loony toons-esque in the speed and ferocity of the action. Its for sure entertaining but its a far cry from the promise the first few episodes share.

If you dont mind going into a show knowing that the ending is more funny than horrific, and that the characters development is undone by a series of more and more confusing choices then this show is a fun time for everyone involved, itll never be a masterpiece, but its also not so bad that it deserves to rot in the same holes as shows like elfen Leid and school days whos attempts to be edgy hurt their overall attempts at seriousness because it is a compelling horror, who's short comings were less because of a lack of ideas or passion and more for a lack of coherency and direction.

well worth the watch with a few freinds on a friday night

I could go on and on about the well crafted world and rich characters found within this marketing advertisement for the hasbro owned beyblade franchise of childrens toys but hey its got Beyblade moses what more do you need

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