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Sep 5, 2024
TL;DR. He mad.
Actual review:
Story 6/10
So far, the story lacks direction and has a few promises that are loosely strung over the protagonists head. As it is common in this type of murim tale, there is the demonic cult leader that is a looming threat. Even in his previous life, the protagonist never faced him so it is kind of a detached goal so far (there is no personal stakes or narrative tension about it). This is not too much of an issue as this is a kind of parody comedy manhua. And thankfully, Mad Demon is very aware of the tropes it commonly operates
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with and even sometimes cleverly subverts. Lee Zaha never assumes the moral high ground, but he does make it a point to avoid mindless slaughter, and that very admission often followed by a catchphrase "That is me," becomes the crux of his actions. There is a lot of potty humor, but it is done very uniquely, and it somehow worked for me. It is like it is admitting "I am a high effort sht post" and I found it stupidly funny. Overall, the story allows for the gags and the shenanigans of the protagonist to flourish.
Characters 8/10
This is a very MC centric story. Lee Zaha is truly mad and that is one of the most appealing parts of this manhua. If you buy into his character, the rest of it will follow in suit. However the reason I gave it an 8/10 and not higher despite personally seeing no flaw in Lee Zaha's immaculate characterisation, is the side characters and villains. The side characters are actually vaguely charming, but so far none has fully won over me. They still feel like pawns compared to the demon Lee Zaha, except the doctor character that comes later on. I would like to see some characters that can form a deeper bond with him. However, the characters really suffer from not having any compelling villains. If there was even one sect leader or assassin that had a compelling motivation (at least so far in these 120 chaps. I have read) the story would have been ten times better.
Art 9/10
I really like the art and character designs. It fits the story well.
Overall 7.5-8/10
He really mad.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 25, 2024
This is a martial arts reincarnation story with a heavy focus on medical drama. Most of the character relationships are forged due to the protagonist curing (thought-to-be) incurable disease or successfully conducting a surgery previously thought impossible thanks to his modern knowledge. It has the common landmarks of a medical reincarnation story such as introducing penicillin and modern surgery techniques to the archaic world, but I like how it can also do a fun blend of fictional, inner energy related diseases and real diseases. I am not a doctor, but to me the medical knowledge seems well integrated and sound.
If it sounds interesting so far,
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I would recommend it to most readers. It is not perfect though, just like any story, but here I will list some pros and cons (and neutral points) that stuck out to me:
Pros
-A well constructed murim story
-Endearing master-disciple relationship
-A balanced cast of characters with cool dynamics
-Well-earned power ups
-Strong art and character design (most of the time)
-I liked the blend of fictitious and non-fictional diseases
Neutral
-I still cannot decide if the protagonist is bland or not
-The fights are not very interesting but that is not what I came here for
-Art quality/ anatomy can be clunky on rare occasions
-The story gets better later on
Cons
-The fictional novel within the novel that the protagonist uses as a guidepost genuinely seems like a boring read
-There is very little narrative tension especially at the first half
-The pace starts slow (which is kind of normal for this kind of story) but speeds up a lot later on (this might not be a bad thing depending who you ask)
-Some prominent side characters are not very interesting
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 26, 2024
I have read 2 volumes (9 chapters) so far which I only bought because I was a fan of the original show and happened to bump into it in the bookshop.
So far, it is just a 6/10 (fine) read. However, it has the potential to become something really nice, both for old fans and new fans if the script writer learns how to better navigate the manga medium.
First of all, for old fans it is doing something fresh: it is delving into the characters more and re-working Yusuke Godai, as well as merging the story with Agito's so that there are two riders now.
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I saw that there is an interview at the back of my volume 2 that the 'story planner' of the manga had the choice of working with Arakawa (original Kuuga writer) or Toshiki Inoue and he picked Inoue to experiment with the Kuuga formula. Hence it is trying to be more character-oriented than the original which might lead to some interesting story beats. The interview also mentioned lessening the amount of fight scenes as they claim it is not as impressive to see drawings beat up each other, unlike the tv stunt-work, so the manga does show awareness of the medium differences-- to a limited extent.
For new fans or people who did not care much about the show, it is arguably a strange read. It feels a bit more western like a marvel comic, and it has a very tv-like pacing. Like in the first 5 chapters there is an ongoing 'Seigan posture' metaphor (a posture in Kendo, which one of the protagonists practices) that later motivates the first mini-power up the other protagonist attains, but it is not a very strong motif because it doesn't translate well into drawing as it is literally a small posture mainly related to someone's hands (and general posture too but thats too complex to discuss here). If there was a camera to zoom and emphasise this, would have worked, but there isn't. Choices like these make it clear that it is written by a tv script writer rather than a manga script writer.
The manga is also quite brutal, even though the original TV show also had quite a death toll as it was aimed at older teens, yet there is definitely a certain edge to the manga with drawings of gore and more detailed deaths. Kuuga (tv show) did not feel as edgy, but this does, for better or for worse.
Even though the manga is aware of its differences from a tv show, it still is obvious that it is adapted from live action and falls into the pit falls of an adaptation. I think the show is still the better option, but for what its worth it has good dialogue and interesting interactions for old fans. It just needs to shed its identity from the tv medium.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Aug 21, 2023
Return of the Blossoming Blade is seriously overlooked.
It a creative and hilarious story with masterful action/ sect progression, and while doesn't do anything extremely unique for the first part, it sure as hell does it properly. It has a wide fanbase in korea, but western circles do not discuss it as much, in my observation. For me, it is one of the best murim manhwa out there, but I haven't really read another clear contender for first place just yet either.
Characters 10/10
Not only does this manhwa embody the spirit of martial arts well, it also grounds the overpowered MC with such logical limiters and
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personality that despite his arrogance and severe lack of discipline I can see the legendary martial artist in him. Cheonmyeong is the character that carries this entire plot (quite literally). You will see what he does right, and what he might be doing wrong, and the writers give you substantial space for you to make these speculations and characters that are there to embody these speculations, (such as that one "villain," given reasonable motivation to criticize Chenmyeong that comes in the later half of the pre-hiatus arc). The answer is mostly that he is very much in the right though and even if he isn't, the people can't do anything about it, which results in some pretty hilarious scenes. The comedy resulting from the character reactions to the MC is really top notch.
Story 7/10
Now this is a rather straightforward story, but its depth comes from how clearly it executes the dynamics between sect members. Everyone's reaction to everyone is very reasonable, and in a genre plagued by contrivances (I read too much garbage manhwa to not point this out), this goes above and beyond in every aspect. In fact, its delightful simplicity makes it such a fun reread, as it still has details you can watch out for in the background, in the artwork, and in the small interactions between the characters. I have reread the first part of this manhwa (as of me writing this, it just began continuing publishing its second part) 3 times over and it got better through each read. In fact, the jump of quality between the 1st and the 2nd read through is amazing particularly because of how you know everything will play out.
(Edit: After reading the LN, the story is more complex than I was able to pick up on in the manhwa, and this complexity is present in the manhwa too but because you cannot read the MCs inner thoughts consistently, you can easily overlook this. In the LN this is a story about trauma as well as sect building, but it is hard to convey with the webtoon style.)
Art 9/10
The style is great-- everything is well-drawn and simple, but still detailed enough to be original. Every character is perfectly designed, and they have this incredible balance between under-designed and normally designed that you are shocked at how such a simple look to a character can seem so original and unique. Cheonmyeong just has a black ponytail and pink eyes as his defining features, yet he is so vividly imagined and distinct. Also the character expressions in this manhwa are just perfect, you must see them for yourself.
Overall 9/10
Blossoming blade isn't perfect, obviously, as it sometimes drags on strange moments, and it is easy to differentiate between important characters and background characters and this can sometimes remove immersion (as literally the most relevant third grade disciples are the most non-generic looking ones and the rest are look like filler with small exceptions.) Sometimes, characters can have sudden mood changes. Yet these feel like nitpicks on the grand scheme of things. The scale of the world is limited for the first part, but it kind of makes sense as it is very much focused on Mount Hua and how it must be saved from the brink of collapse.
Anyway, I couldn't recommend reading this and then rereading it enough, it really enhances enjoyment, trust me bro.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 21, 2023
There isn't much to say honestly, just read it.
Great pacing to a timely ending-- a story that can be goofy and cute just like its titular heroine Nodame, and mature and rational just like its male lead Chiaki. Side characters never go to waste and just like the waves of life they come and go out of our heros' lives, and its always pleasant to see them back whenever they return, if they return. Comedy slaps hard, particularly the first dozen chapters have some absolute bangers that I can quote from memory-- however, few gags do overstay their welcome. That's fine though, I forgive u
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Nodame Cantabile. I know you need my forgiveness as a bestseller much beloved manga in the romcom scene.
Btw Chiaki is just Miles Edgworth from Ace Attorney but musician and gets more bishes. Do you need more convincing? Gyaboo, go read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 13, 2023
Master of Lightning Knives is a slog to read through, with abundant amounts of text, and a morally corrupt MC that borders being annoying but can sometimes do cool things. Despite all its faults I read to the latest chapter and I don't regret it. I would recommend this Manhwa to hardcore wuxia/ murim (martial arts fantasy) fans as the abundant explanations would be much easier to get through, and the main character much less annoying, if you are familiar with the usual personalities, sects, and techniques that appear in this kind of story.
Now I think the story does some unique and original things that
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make it worth the read but only some people might appreciate them. The first 25 chapters or so is the childhood of the mc Ryuyeon as he receives his harsh training and is set up for all the overpowered abilities he will be using later in the series. Considering his upbringing and the first words said to Ryu as he builds up a substantial ego and haughtiness that continues in the show (his father's dying words in the opening sequence is praising him about how smart and handsome he is) it does makes sense why he turned out that way. While it is pretty much the usual to have a Martial arts manhwa with a arrogant mc, it can get annoying with Ryu as he keeps doing very morally corrupt things and the people around him insist he is a good person (and later on an institution he is in keeps looking the other way), yet he has not done anything selfless up until now. He is a very morally grey character which the story embraces, so keep that in mind if you decide to read this. I actually really liked the "Master" character but it is a real slow burn on how they set up and how they are currently unraveling his story. You really have to have patience with it.
I will comment though, how refreshing it is that women are treated as equals of men in this manhwa, and how the master while training him also gives the excuse that he should try to understand women better in his childhood (which leads to first a gag/ then serious mini arc of him crossdressing to perform in an inn at the start.) This mini arc introduces and enhances the romantic interest later on but you will need to suspend your disbelief as a misconception will be plaguing this relationship. The reasons for why they can't communicate openly are kind of justified but still hard to accept and bizarre. It is still probably one of the best parts of this manhwa.
Some other major faults with this series are, some sections drag on for very long, and it can get quite confusing at the start with a lot of sect names and character names getting dropped. Tonally it can get jarring-- it switches between comedy and serious action very suddenly. Some slow pacing is justified and some isn't in my opinion. Also at the start when all the set pieces are getting introduced towards the end of the training arc, it gets very confusing as you switch between a lot of locations and a lot of new characters, which will only begin making sense fully like 50-60 chapters later.
If you are a fan of this genre, I would recommend giving it a read. However, if you are somewhat of an intermediate casual reader like me, you will need some luck and perspective changes to like this series. Its not for everyone. Overall, its a 6/10 as I think it has enough fresh elements to be considered a fine read to the right reader.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 20, 2023
My score: 8.7/10
read: 39 chapters
Recommended? If you are looking for a fantasy power progression manhwa that isn't your traditional OP mc, a definite yes!
So when it comes to power progression there is two main approaches as you probably already know if you have read fantasy action manga or manhwa more than a few times: the underdog story where the protagonist starts from the bottom or the "over-dog" OP mc story in which the protagonist has all the tools for success whether its (most commonly) reincarnation or a video game interface, absolutely steamrolling through power progression. Infinite Mage fits into the underdog story type in
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the sense that it has a protagonist that comes from an underprivileged background and constantly has to go up against society to achieve his dreams, but he also fits the OP mc category as he is tremendously talented and once he gets to the "proper" learning section of the story he sets himself apart from peers almost immediately, however, he does not possess any of the classic manhwa tropes of overpowerednesss except unusually innate prowess combined with years of nothing but basic training. It takes its time with both of these elements and creates a refreshing blend, letting the protagonist struggle at low points but also blast through with his talents in a charming manner at others. It has a relatively slow progression compared to other manhwa of its genre but it is by no means a slow burn. When reading this unlike the synopsis, the art, and the title could suggest at first glance do not expect a power fantasy and instead take delight in how it sets itself apart from others of its kind (like another review said though it barely has any action in it so far so bear that in mind.) Without getting into any specifics this is the general gist I can provide and if you want to go in completely blind I would say to stop here and read it for yourself. A reminder that it gets better as it goes on.
To talk more about the specifics and observations on what sets its apart and makes it good I would say Infinite Mage's protagonist Arian Shirone is a major strong point of the manhwa: he has a strong moral compass and a unrelenting sense of friendship aka a shounen protagonist, but he is more mature as often seen in manhwa protagonists. He isn't afraid of being seen as vulnerable; and he cries, laughs, remains cold and calculative at moments, but also can be whimsical and goofy then back to badass if he wishes and he really is a four dimensional dude over all. He isn't a deep character with profound motivations or anything, however, he is allowed many moods that do not contradict each other and that makes him 100 times more fleshed out than your average protagonist. His allowed vulnerability also sets this story apart from a power fantasy, which if is what you were looking for, I would choose a different story.
I also enjoyed the set ups and pay offs of some character introductions such as the slow friendship (that I will admit was wonky at times) between Rian and Shirone and also the point in the story when Amy becomes relevant again. I think the strong male friendships played out in Infinite Mage are something the medium has been lacking and it makes me happy to unexpectedly find it here: best I can describe is it very much reminds of the Lord of The Rings hobbit friendships. The story allows many different perspectives to intervene throughout: so even though I hated Amy at her introduction, I was interested in how she "left her delinquent days" back and was trying to start on a clean page as a mage.
I have to also comment that while the magic system isn't the most ingenious and original system thematically and aesthetically, it still has considerable effort put into expanding it especially later on in the school arc of the story. It has a good pace on how much it unravels information, and it doesn't rush into the deeper lore straight away. However, I did find that the magic system at the beginning was really flat on its own until the school arc. So when it claims that it is a deep system at the start, I had a hard time believing it. Nonetheless, the weird philosophical commentary (that matches the story's strong purist moral compass) that is alongside the magic system definitely prevents it from being completely unoriginal, especially like I said at the start.
Finally, I have to mention how the art and characters designs are quite great. It is expected from this studio to provide high quality material but even then, strong sets of character designs should be appreciated as it is quite hard no matter the experience level. I especially enjoyed how Shirone's appearance changed in the first 20 chapters as he grew up. The backgrounds are detailed and the key poses are well illustrated.
Anyway overall, so far Infinite Mage is a fantasy manhwa with a fleshed out story that holds strong promises for its future. Through small alterations to the formula of a OP mc story, it creates a refreshing narrative.
tl;dr of this story is that it's a super-talent getting into what is basically manhwa hogwarts that only nobles are allowed to enter and absolutely destroying some petty nobles's egos along the way, on his way to become the first commoner mage.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 26, 2022
Gachiakuta is a manga with a very strong concept: a boy falls from the heavens into a land of trash which has this organization called the "Janitors" working to protect and clean the "trash" which are the monsters of this area.
Its art is extremely pretty (in a ragtag way) and very atmospheric, the author really sets the aesthetic from the first chapter and it continues from then on. The fact that they have an actual graffiti artist to draw the background art (which is full of graffiti) adds such vibrance to the panels and really adds to that "backalley" and rougish feel of the world.
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Also Rudo's frequent usage of colloquial words emphasises it too-- like its a very bombastic type of world building but it works since its a shonen.
The story is great but is made greater by the characters, a lot of individual goals are set from the start like Rudo's desire to prove his innocence to his crush, which is a weaker reason, to prove himself not a murderers son, to return back to the heavens, and to even destroy the heavens because of how they wronged him. The protagonist has flawed goals, he is a very angry child after all, but that makes him a very human . The other characters are extremely badass and their interactions are magnificent. Engine just exudes coolness from each time he is on panel or speaks, and is a good mentor to Rudo. Zanka is a very quirky character that is a formidable fighter and a good foil to Rudo, as he is very tied to his one Jinki. And Riyou is just cool.
The fighting is everything an action shonen fan would hope for and more. The art is great but the power system, I found particularly nice in a world of battle shonen with jadedly quirky powers all around. In here there is a very ingrained story reason for the powers-- the fact that they are in a trash heap shows that they are surrounded by a world of unwanted items, which they are a part of themselves, but loading meaning to their own items gives them power, the Jinki, by loving and nurturing them. And their love and need for that item that would be otherwise considered another man's trash, is a string thematic concept. I thought at first it was super materialistic, like, wow you would be that attached to an item that MUCH? How about getting some spiritual refinement bro but then I realised okayy its just like a sentimental meaning loaded to an item that has no monetary value. I especially like how everyone can be a Jinki owner so its not like some exclusive club but also there is still hard enough to acquire one that Jinki users aren't super common.
Its not perfect as it can be one dimensional at moments like Rudo's anger sometimes seems forced. But it has some depth from reminding me of the Icarus story (like a reverse version of it) and up until this point all the villains have been relatively multi-faceted.
Its a very solid 8 out of 10 and I mean it deserves every point of it. Its everything one could look for in a battle shonen and more!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 7, 2022
Sakamoto Days is an action comedy manga centering around the ex-assasin Sakamoto Taro who is now running a convenience store. He has an esper pupil, Shin, who tends the convenience store with him and later on they will have more characters hanging around with them in the convenience store.
This manga is great because the comedy, while nothing too creative and out there, is very funny and well written with some endearing side gags. Honestly, the manga has found some genius comedic areas that I feel like it should commit to it harder (such as whenever they are starting a "mission" which is usually a
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mundane daily life task) but usually the comedy turns into a serious action seen especially after the first 10 chapters. I think it has a kind of similar thing going on with the family but also assassin dynamic with spy x family, however this one definitely found a way to differentiate itself from it by being MUCH more action focused. Other manga that it reminds me of is Way of The House Husband and Gintama, and if you enjoyed these mangas I would say this is a must-read for you.
Other than the comedy there is of course the action portion which seems to dominate progressively more as the manga goes on, and the action is quite badass and well-drawn. The set pieces are delightfully wacky and if you are an action fan you will have a fun time with them! It surprised me that this was a weekly manga because sometimes the action looks straight out of Yusuke Murata's (One Punch Man's artist) MONTHLY art style. The action scenarios are creative and sometimes better written than the comedy. Nonetheless I will definitely say the comedy is missed in these parts as I feel like the main appeal of Sakamoto Days (the thing that first hooks you on it) is the great balance between action and comedy.
The characters are great, but sometimes fickle (they change motivations so easily), some characters are really intimidating, and some characters are really funny (bird sniper guy) and overall there is a good balance among characters. I also like how women were represented in this manga as I can count the amount of fan service scenes on my one hand and in combat women are as good and cool as men. I think there is a character for everyone here. The main guy Sakamoto is definitely the anchor that holds them together and you will really come to like him if you stick with this manga.
9/10 Would recommend. This manga is both unique and familiar as it will remind you of the previous great action comedies you read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 7, 2022
There are minor spoilers in this review!
You can practically find an anime about any line of work- sometimes these shows abridge the line of work to have that anime oomph to it, to make it a spectacle, but sometimes they come from a deep appreciation for the subject. This is one of those ones where the show just oozes love for the art of piano and classical music.
I have been a casual appreciator of classical music for some time, but never specifically the piano. Before I watched this show, I would probably get bored when I attempted to watch a piano solo on youtube,
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but with its love for the art form, it really made me appreciate it. The respect this season shows for the piano is inspiringly amazing. There are just moments where you listen to the piece plainly with minimal reactions and you feel what the characters are feeling. Sound-wise the piano pieces are great and this show is deserving of a 10/10 in sound.
The plot of the show is pretty true to reality in the competition aspect, but is gets fantastical when the forest of the piano is concerned. I like this contrast it created, as it makes the references to the piano later in the series hold more meaning. In the show, nothing plot twisty happens, its straightforward in a way. The protagonist Kai Ichinose, the friends he makes along the way, and his platonic rival enter tournaments and discover things about themselves and each other's piano. The realism of the competitions just highlights how much love the show has for the piano world, yet it doesn't shy away from criticizing it either. In fact the criticisms towards the piano competition environment are a huge aspect of the show. Whether a judge's decision was right, or whether biased opinions were at play (they were) music is something you try to improve yourself upon and while disheartening and potentially career breaking- it doesn't matter what a judge declares you as, "winner or loser" it matters that you play a piece that you are proud of and you have the power in you to continue playing no matter what. It doesn't go extremely deep into this aspect, but it definitely is ever present, especially with the character of Karol Adamski. I think I can understand the comments that this show can be boring and nothing much happens- because it really does mostly concern itself with telling things as they are (and hopes that the audience will accept as they are) rather than proving one sure point, just like real life. However, I think there is tremendous value in how the world is presented as very non black and white and I personally found that it has much enjoyable depth.
The characters of the show have the same depth and realism of the world they exist in. Kai Ichinose, while a stereotypical protagonist for a show of this kind by being a child prodigy, can initially seem not very compelling especially by how easily he earns approval around him. Nonetheless, I think if the depth of this world also resonates with you as it did with me, I think you will find that the point of his character is not his struggle with the gaining acceptance but an entirely different journey of self discovery. He practically eases through the piano world (though there is evidence that he works a tremendous amount to get where he is) I think he is not meant to be viewed as an underdog protagonist who is meant to overcome a playing hurdle. I think this also reflects the fact that this can happen in the piano world: a child prodigy can just take the piano world by storm. I personally didn't find his story any less engaging because of this. The other character who has the attention the most except Kai is Amamiya Shuhei. While not a traditional underdog character, I believe he is the one who struggles the most throughout the show with his playing and thus the main person who the audience is meant to root for ro improve. Although he can be incredibly selfish and arrogant at times, I think by the end of this season he reached a very interesting place that is incredibly engaging and sympathetic. To briefly talk about the other characters, most of them also seem interesting and unique. I say seem, because we didn't get to know most of them and they seem like they will be developed much more in the second season. Nonetheless, here, all of their problems and unique attributes have been established, and they have been introduced in an intriguing way. I like that the show didn't rush with them and look forward to what will happen to them in the next season.
Finally, if I had to briefly talk about the art, it took me some time to adjust to the 2D and 3D artwork in the piano sequences, but I think they were really used to their fullest extent. I think the locations were drawn vibrantly and by the end of the season I especially felt well acquainted with the Warsaw Chopin Competition hall. The 2D animation is nothing spectacular but it does the job, and the character designs are pretty memorable for what they are.
Finally I want to give this show an solid 8/10 because it is no masterpiece, however, I also want to encourage other people to watch it and on paper I do think its worthy of a 10. I think a 10 is more striking on MAL reviews too so here you go. Hopefully you give it a try and are pleasantly surprised by it as I was.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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