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- BirthdayDec 25, 1991
- LocationSalt Lake City, Utah
- JoinedJul 1, 2009
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Jul 1, 2014
Isshukan Tomodachi, or One Week Friends, is actually quite a simple anime in a lot of ways. It doesn't have a large overarching plot, it doesn't have many twists, and it only has a few main characters. What it does have, however, is a very relaxed slice-of-life feel. You probably won't be amazed by what you see, but you'll certainly have a pleasant, if perhaps uneventful ride.
The basic premise is the growing friendships that Kaori Fujimiya gains through Hase Yuki, a persistent, somewhat dumb, but very likable guy, who steadfastly tries to be her friend, despite the eponymous issue Fujimiya has with
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losing her memory of her friends every single week. The setup is quite heartwarming, with mostly characters that help to push along the friendship, and possible romance, mostly by small interactions.
The pacing of this anime is fairly strong, as something new is brought up pretty much every episode. There's only really one twist, and you can see it from a mile away, so it never surprises, as I mentioned, but in a way, that is in its favor. Isshukan Tomodachi is very easy to watch, either as a marathon, or just watching an episode or two here or there when you have time (The way I watched it.)
The cast, while small, each get their job done. In particular, I'd like to pinpoint how well viewers can put themselves into the role of either Hase, or Shogo, Hase's friend. Hase and Kaori of course have all 12 episodes to develop their relationship with the majority of the screentime, but Shogo's rather matter-of-fact personality and keen observational skills, as well as his good advice, give a relatable character for the more logic-minded, while Hase is there on the emotional side. This setup works rather well in pushing events, Hase usually dithering or worrying about some new thing, while Shogo gives him a push with some advice.
Art and sound-wise, this anime is consistently quite good. While there's nothing that will provide a 'wow' factor, apart from the opening and ending, everything fits the characters well and looks and sounds good. In this case, it actually says the most good that I can't find anything good or bad to say. It just all fits.
All in all, this is a relaxing ride. If you want an anime with a ton of plot-twists, this probably won't be your thing. It gets emotional near the end, but there are other anime that do that better. What it is though, is a good, relaxing ride that accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. A heartwarming story about friends and memories.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 28, 2014
No Game No Life, which ended a short time ago as of this writing, is at its heart a polarizing anime. It's not that it has really controversial content, or that it breaks a lot of new ground that is hard for people to stomach, but rather that this show is quite simple when it comes down to it. On the upside, it has a refreshing spin to a rather trite formula, but on the other side, there are flaws you cannot ignore in this anime. It is an enjoyable ride, however, if you can look past this.
The basic premise of NGNL
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as it's commonly referred to by fans, is that the main characters, Sora and Shiro, are an unstoppable force in the gaming community in real life. At the beginning of the anime they are teleported to a world where games are literally cosmic rules, where winning or losing a game can determine the fate of your soul, or whatever thing you bet. It is quite thorough so far in exploring the rules that this world operates in, as well as every conceivable way in and around those rules, especially by the many races that inhabit it, who all have some form of 'cheat' or magic or special ability that gives them an edge over Imanity, humanity's stand-in.
The aforementioned setup is without a doubt the biggest strength of NGNL. It explores this setting with a 'monster of the week' formula, that, with interesting spins on the situation reminiscent of the stronger entries in the shounen genre, doesn't really disappoint at any part. It sets up these situations well, and paces them throughout the anime with an appropriate degree of aplomb, proving for a really smooth ride for viewing. This anime is easy to watch and doesn't go an episode without giving the viewer something new and interesting.
Another strong point is that it is quite well-animated. I cannot comment for its adaptation of the light novels art, as I have not read the light novel, but in either case, it fills in all the gaps nicely. The animation has a colorful tint, as well as a lot of rather unique and eye-catching character designs. Most aspects of this anime are pleasing on the eye, and far from being a lip-flapping exercise, as some anime with a knack for mind-games might turn out to be when animated at their worst, there's a lot going on, and it's all animated pretty fluidly to my eye.
That is not to say that it does not misstep however, it just doesn't so in the manner that many anime fall prey to. As a counter to the interesting and varied setups I mentioned earlier, a lot of the characters feel rather...dull. This can't really be attributed to bad character design in any way, in fact, there's a rather diverse cast of characters, but rather, it is that most of them fit into a mold seen before, and done better before. That isn't to say there is no room for development, you do get a glimpse into what might be for some of these characters, whose motivations are viewed briefly, but they aren't really tested for the most part, and there's a lot of one-bit villains, apart from one human the main characters face early on.
In addition, the main characters are, I'm going to say this frankly, Mary Sues. For those unfamiliar with the term, a Mary Sue is a character who is overly perfect. There are a lot of different types, but the essential nature of all of them comes down to their unbelievability as a character. Sora and Shiro are pretty much unbeatable, showing a level of planning that verges on omniscient. This isn't entirely bad in of itself. The antagonists' reactions to 'Blank' (Their pseudonym) completely predicting every one of their moves, can be entertaining, but it does rob the show of a good deal of conflict. There are a couple token attempts to create some tension, but on the whole, they fail to really hit the mark, and you never think that the pair will ever really fail, and that's the biggest mark this show has against it.
On that note, however, I will say this. There may be room for this to get better, and I am tentatively anticipating that. As this is based on an ongoing Light Novel series, there is room for more development, especially since this seems to be the authors first work, according to this site. On its own though, NGNL is riddled with a few problems, but an entertaining ride throughout, and I still highly recommended it, just on the aspect that it is unique, and it has plenty of places to go.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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