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Mar 15, 2025
This review will be spoiler-free. I will try to be as vague as possible while highlighting why Orb is a must watch.
There are so many anime coming out every season and it might seem like a daunting task to find a show that outshines the others as a masterclass in storytelling and character development. Orb succeeds in doing exactly that! Now, for those of you who are fans of Vinland Saga (particularly season 2), and who are looking for its metaphorical successor having similar narrative depth and emotional intensity, Orb provides the answer to that question by filling that void while we wait for Season
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3 of Vinland Saga. My intention is not to compare these 2 shows in any way, but to highlight the similarity between these 2 shows. If you enjoyed one, you probably will enjoy the other one too.
The shows starts off with amazing set of episodes which immediately set the tone for the journey yet to come. This is the perfect show for implementing the 3-episode rule. Although it slows down a little bit for a couple of episodes after that for the sake of laying a solid foundation for the rest of the story, the pacing is never an issue and plot progresses in a measured and meaningful way. However, once the show completes setting up the world, its characters, and the plot-line, the show moves ahead with a lot of intensity and intrigue that keeps you hooked to it throughout the rest of the journey.
The biggest achievement of Orb that needs to be highlighted is that the show successfully manages to maintain consistency in its storytelling throughout its 25 episode run. A lot of series suffer from a weak middle-arc where the plot weakens or drags before ultimately picking things up for the conclusion. Orb is different from such shows because it maintains an amazing pace, weaving together all of its arcs in a purposeful manner. In fact, in my personal opinion, some of the most impactful moments can be found in the middle and the latter portion of the show where Orb reaches some of the highest highs a show can reach from a storytelling point of view. Each arc is meticulously written, and contributes meaningfully to the narrative that culminates into a satisfying ending.
Another thing that Orb excels at is having amazing characters that feel diverse and well-developed. The characters are so good that it honestly feels a bit difficult to choose a favorite, as each character contributes something unique to the story. Both the antagonists and the protagonists are handled with utmost care and crafted with depth. Character interactions feel meaningful. Orb also handles its themes very well resulting in the themes resonating with the viewer on a deeper, philosophical level. The show is 'thematic' to say the least. It delves into complex issues - analyzing social structures, human mentality and ambitions, and about life and its purpose in general. The themes that the show attempts to deal with do not feel superficial in any way, as they are embedded into the very essence of the narrative, which further elevates the series to a higher level.
The music in the show is brilliant. The OP is a strong contender for the best anime opening of the season, and potentially, of the year as well. The OSTs are amazing and melancholic and fulfill their purpose of evoking an array of emotions. The music in this show helps in creating a lasting emotional impact, especially during key moments.
As far as the animation is concerned, I would say that the animation is good enough. I personally have nothing to complain about. It is most certainly better than a lot of your average seasonal shows. But this is not a show that is entirely dependent upon its animation to carry it. However, where Orb truly shines is its art work. The art is crisp, and special attention seems to have been given by Studio Madhouse to the absolutely amazing sky scenes, which is very thematic for the show. It gives off a feeling that the animators were imploring the viewers to witness the beauty of the cosmos along with the characters which makes the whole thing very immersive.
Lastly, the greatest strength of Orb is that it tells a complete and satisfying story within its run of 25 episodes. There is no need to wait for another season, it all comes together in a extremely well-written and brilliantly paced package.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 11, 2025
I have just completed reading the Episode 1 of Umineko and I must say that it really is an amazing work of fiction. The author - Ryukishi07 - has always been one of my favorites, which is quite obvious considering that Higurashi is one of my favorite anime ever. He has once again managed to brilliantly execute the entire story in a way that keeps the audience guessing constantly whether the story leans towards being a mystery or fantasy/supernatural. The tension that is created throughout the entirety of Episode 1 adds a nerve-wracking layer of uncertainty that kept me engaged right from the beginning to
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the end.
Another person that deserves a lot of praise is Kei Natsumi whose artwork brilliantly brings this story to life. The panels are very detailed and leave a long lasting impression when you look at them. Some of the panels are a masterpiece in evoking a sense of atmospheric intensity. I also loved how he drew a lot of the character expressions, the most remarkable being our Maria-chan. I really loved how they see-sawed her expressions from innocent little child to this unnerving creepy girl, which greatly contributed to the eerie tone of the entire story. Her expressions were truly one of the highlights for me while reading this Episode. On a sidenote, the funniest moment for me was when Battler literally started bonking her head whenever she shifted to her creepy expressions.
Now, another plus point of this whole story is that it has a lot of really engaging and interesting characters. You would think that having a large cast of characters would mean that some of them would get sidelined and we would not care about them as much but that is definitely not the case. Each character succeeds in making a lasting impression very quickly. Some of the characters that I really liked were Natsuhi with her serious but ferocious nature, the cold and calculating Eva, and George and Jessica who might seem like simple characters but actually have a lot of depth and complexity to them. But of course, unsurprisingly, my favorite was Battler who made the story that much better just by being in it. He was a refreshing character in this otherwise eerie story and his interactions with others felt sincere and authentic. Although, we have already learnt a lot about his character, I feel like there is still a lot of layers to Battler that we are yet to see.
Another aspect that Umineko absolutely nails is the suspense. It creates a perfect atmosphere full of dread throughout, which I feel perfectly aligns with the themes and the kind of story that the author was intending to tell. The setting being an isolated island while being surrounded by a storm is perfect and add another layer of urgency and helplessness while everything unfolds.
Now, as far as analyzing and giving an in-depth review of the entire story is concerned, I think it would be premature to do that considering the fact that this is only the first of the total eight episodes. From what I have seen, Episode 1 may as well be the shortest episode considering it only has 2 volumes whereas the later ones have 3. So we have barely kept a foot or two into the story. But what I can infact say confidently is that the ending to this Episode was satisfying and it nailed the execution of its themes. It has successfully laid the groundwork and i can't wait to get into the later episodes.
10/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 4, 2025
A story that could have been my favorite but which ultimately ended up being not for me.
I had heard nothing but positive things about Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint (ORV) and I had high but reasonable expectations. When I first started reading it, it did manage to hook me quite well and I was enjoying the introduction of the whole world and the premise of the whole story. However, as I kept binging chapters, I don't know precisely what it was that made me feel this way but I started feeling that this novel wasn't exactly the groundbreaking experience I was hoping for.
The arc with the 'Ichthyosaurus'
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was the first time I was taken out of the story to be honest but it wasn't anything I could not push past. I have never been one to be bothered by stories trying to take a somewhat bizarre or absurd approach, but then the next arc about poisonous fog happened and it honestly felt like the story had already started to drag in a way. I would have been fine with a slight dip but it somehow became a full on chore for me later on. I think it was the pacing but I am not sure. I don't know if it is just me but I really felt that at least in the beginning, ORV falls into a kind of a repetitive plot structure. It started feeling that there was a hidden formula to most arcs where Dokja faces an obstacle which he narrowly escapes and we get a minor revelation. Each arc becomes another quest to be completed bringing along with it new challenges, victories and betrayals. It may just be me but I definitely felt an 'arc fatigue' so to speak while reading ORV. Once the initial novelty wears off, a lot of the following arcs start feeling like variations of a theme, with a repetitive cycle of challenges, minor twists, and leading to further new arcs. This for sure made me feel that the pacing was a bit bloated.
Now, to be frank, I liked Kim Dokja as a character so I will give the show credit there. This whole premise of Dokja knowing the story beforehand definitely adds a layer of intrigue to a story that already feels quite layered. Add to this the fact that we also have the actual protagonist of the original story who is apparently a regressor (someone who restarts after death) interacting with Dokja and the possibilities are endless. However, I feel like ORV fails to capitalize on this wonderful premise and what was a unique premise soon devolves into a story that cycles through different tropes before falling back on familiar grounds making the whole story feel a bit generic despite having a fresh twist of putting the reader inside the story.
While I was almost on the verge of dropping the series, I decided to check and confirm if the show gets better soon to make sure I don't end up dropping the series prematurely. The answers I got instead made me drop it immediately. I was met with wide range of answers telling me that the show gets good after 100 chapters, someone said 180, someone was in fact delusional enough to tell me that the final 200 chapters are what elevates the story to another level. Someone said it is actually the epilogue, which are like the final few chapters, that makes the story the best piece of fiction ever created. It was at that point I was done. I could not in any way consider reading so many chapters before it supposedly got good. I thought it was crazy to be expected to give that kind of a massive time investment for what is essentially a gamble because there would always be a possibility that I still might not like it after such investment. I have always felt that a reader should not be expected to navigate through X number of chapters just for the promise of the story getting better. To be honest, if it has not grabbed me by then, then its clearly not for me.
Now, credit where credit is due, I can definitely see why some people love ORV and more power to you if you are one of them. I would be the first one to admit that the story definitely has its merits considering the large audience it resonates with. Unfortunately, I understood quite early on that I just don't belong to the group. I could easily write a more harshly worded review but I want to be respectful and not offend someone who really likes this. On a side note, this felt eerily similar to my experience with One Piece which is another long story beloved by its fan base but I just could not connect with it despite giving it multiple tries. I guess it is true that not every story is for everyone and that's fine.
The good thing is that an ORV anime adaptation has been announced and I suppose I will revisit this story when that releases. I hope a different medium of storytelling can make a difference. If the anime manages to hook me back into the story, I will definitely revisit the novel and give it another shot but till then, ORV is going on my 'not for me' shelf.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Jan 28, 2025
Okay honestly, I don't even know where to begin!
The animation is some of the best that the anime industry has produced. The final 4-5 episodes are so epic and genuinely feel like a once in a lifetime experience. The scale of things, the cinematography, the action sequences, the character designs etc. everything just are done so masterfully that I can't help but be amazed at this absolute masterpiece. This is as close an anime can get to flawless execution of an epic vision! Studio Gainax has really done this show justice.
Even keeping the animation aside because that is not the only special thing about
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this show, what truly makes this show so likeable are the amazing cast/characters. Of course, Simon and Kamina are the GOATs but it is not just them! The entire cast of side characters are so good. The internal struggles of Rossiu and epic moments of Kittan brought so much more depth to the show. When the stakes get really high at the end, this show freaking delivers!
The show also has amazing music! The OP is one of the best and the ED is great too, although I prefer the opening more. But that is not even my favorite piece of music to come out of this show. What truly hits the hardest is the OST 'Libera me from hell'. You just knew that whenever this OST came up, we were in for a potential favorite scene. The music added so much to the show: the emotions, stakes, hype, pure will power!
Honestly, by the end of the show, I was not even sure what I was even watching and I say this as a compliment! As absurd as it might sound, I really felt like by the end of the show, Gurren Lagann kinda transcended the medium of anime. It was making me feel so many emotions that a lot of other pieces of art failed to. Just like a drill, it broke past the limits of anime as a medium and became something much more impactful. After finishing this show, it left me with a sense of deep emptiness that not a lot of shows have been able to do. I personally can't help but rate such shows 10/10 and Gurren Lagann was one such show!
Honestly, it is an amazing show that might not work for everyone or might not work for frames of mind. But oh boy when you are in the right stage of life to enjoy it, it hits so hard. I don't think any other show has managed to replicate the vibe and style of Gurren Lagann. This truly is a one of a kind anime. I loved every single moment that I spent watching it and I wish I could experience this show for the first time again
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 14, 2025
Before I begin with my review, I just want to be transparent about something. I had initially dropped this show and had also left a 'Not recommended' review. I was kind of burnt out with anime back then and barring a few favorite shows, I was not enjoying anything. Now I am in a much better mind frame and I have this renewed interest for anime. So, I decided to rewatch this show and man was I so wrong back then.
This time, I noticed a lot of the small details and it kind of blew me away. To start off, the animation was amazing!
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Although, to be fair, I had mentioned it in my previous review as well. The animation by Science Saru is crisp and clean. The framing of scenes, the camera angles, the fluidity of the actions scenes are all impeccable. I have absolutely no complaints regarding the animation and the art of Dandadan. Very visually appealing, with bright attractive coloring giving it a pretty unique feel.
The music was amazing too! Both the OP and the ED have been added to my anime songs playlist and I have listened to them countless times. The emotional OSTs and other background music were great too and really did their job of evoking the right kind of emotions for the scene.
Special mention to Episode 7 because that really was a roller coaster of an episode. It has clicked perfectly and I honestly did not expect to feel such wide range of emotions watching that episode so I was definitely pleasantly surprised. It gave the show much needed depth. I won't such much in order to not spoil anyone but it felt like a cherry on top of an already delicious cake.
Lastly, I have seen a few people criticize it and I would not blame them but wow that finale was evil. Definitely did not see the ending to the season coming there! Can't wait for the next part and I definitely am hype for it.
9/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 9, 2024
Everyone seems to absolutely love this show and I fail to see why! I honestly fail to see what makes this anime so beloved among the anime community because I just cannot get past its flawed story that could not immerse me into it at all. One thing I will credit this show for is that this show has a really interesting premise and the art and visuals are really pretty. OLM did a wonderful job as they usually do. Now, the issue I have with the show is not something small and minute that could be overlooked in favor of the grand scale of
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everything. No! This show fundamentally failed to capture my attention, and I kept losing interest with each passing episode wondering when the show would get to the level that an anime this highly rated usually is. I quickly realized that if the first 12 episodes could not get me, then there is no point even if the last 12 are better.
One of the major issues I found with the show was the plot felt paper thin, aimless and random at times. The fact that they had the main character have this aloof, chill vibe despite the horrible situation they were put in just took me out of the story. But I was okay with that and that did not feel like a deal breaker at that point. However, where the show really started losing me was when most of the episodes ended up having an episodic nature to it, where extremely silly and illogical mysteries get solved by the protagonist with relative ease. It is not like there were clear hints that were spread throughout the episodes which would enable the protagonist to connect the dots. No! What usually happened was the answer just literally comes to the protagonist in a stereotypical, parody kind of a way. She just knows it all. As someone else said, this really feels like female version of a self-insert power fantasy anime.
Another issue with the show is that the story progresses so slowly that it makes One Piece look rushed. Nothing happens, and it keeps on not happening forever. This show wasted a promising premise, for sure! Also, people somehow seem to love the protagonist??? Umm why though? She has as much depth to her as a flat road. She is simply this big brained girl who is an expert in everything related to poisons, while also being resistant to them, and also has better detective skills than Sherlock Holmes in his prime. Oh and she is young so maybe she was just born that way I guess. Doesn't it sound similar to those Isekai shows where the MC is just OP, no explanation whatsoever?
And still, her personality is somehow the least believable part about her despite the absurd number of skills she seems to have. We are talking about a girl that does not give a damn about getting kidnapped, does not care what happens to her father, does not care about anything else but still somehow everything seems to work. However, in order to give her some shred of personality, they try to make her quirky in situations which involve either solving something or showing off one of her ass pull skills.
The supporting characters are nothing special either. I have mostly forgotten about all of them, that's how unremarkable they were! Jinshi was a boring character, who felt like a stereotype that was specifically inserted as a plot device to make Maomao stand out. Nothing special again but people seem to like Jinshi so eh who knows?
To conclude, like I always say, this review is just my opinion and is in no way an objective assessment of how good the show is. I may not have enjoyed the show but that does not mean that you would have the same experience as well. Do give this show a chance because a lot of people seem to rate it pretty highly. I just did not like it because the story did not feel like it had any depth and also I just could see any progress in the plot. I may have been extremely disappointed with it but who knows this might turn out to be your favorite show?
5/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Dec 5, 2024
Summertime Render, in my opinion, is truly one of the best anime that I have seen. Higurashi is one of my first and the most favorite anime, so it is no surprise that I would absolutely love everything about this show. I decided to go in blind, and the beginning gave me the vibes of a murder mystery and a darker plot that takes place behind the scenes. But then we were introduced to the supernatural aspect of the show and i just knew I had my next favorite anime at my hands. I was hooked right from the first episode and it kept me
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invested for every single rest of its episodes. Every single detail, no matter how insignificant just clicks at all the right times. There is so much tension, and so many emotions it evokes and it makes you feel for the characters. Also, the payoff is so so good that you just can't help but feel extremely satisfied.
Now, as far the animation aspect of this show is concerned, I got to say, OLM blew it out of the park. They did such an amazing job with this show. The scenes look beautiful with pretty backgrounds that are quite detailed as well. The animation is smooth and fluid and feels like a quality production. Also, the character designs and how they express their emotions has also been amazingly adapted by the studio. This was really such a pleasing anime to watch.
This is one of the rare shows that manages to get every single one of its songs right. OP1 and OP 2 are bangers, and ED1 and ED 2 just make me so emotional. They are still in my playlist and constantly listen to this even now. The soundtracks also fit amazingly well with the scenes. The action scenes have good sound effects, and the voice actors have really done a great job.
Now, as far as characters go, this show has some of the smartest characters and I don't mean like those unrealistic caricature like characters that have 500000 IQ. No, this feels more realistic and grounded. The actions of our MC Ajiro feels relatable and practical, and it feels like something that I would do in his situation. You just can't help but root for these characters as they are so endearing. Also, each characters have their own distinct unique personality that keeps the interactions fresh and interesting.
But hands down, the best part of the show is its story. Wow, this is such a well thought out story that connects all the dots in a satisfying manner by the time it concludes. I was worried when I came to know that the show was going to adapt the entire manga within this season. I was worried they are going to rush it. I was so freaking wrong. The pacing is perfect and it neither drags nor feels rushed. The show keeps the tension throughout all the episodes very efficiently. Also, one often overlooked aspect of this show is the emotional highs this show offers. The inter-personal interactions and dynamics between the characters is also another thing which elevates this show to such a high level. The final episode gives such a satisfying closure to every character in a way that it all just feels worth it and meaningful.
In conclusion, I have to say, this is one of the best shows - not just an anime - that I have watched. I loved everything about it and I probably will keep re watching this show every year now as it has become a source of great comfort and enjoyment.
10/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Dec 5, 2024
Before I begin, let me just say that this all my opinion and completely subjective. If you enjoy the show then please ignore this as you will disagree with this for sure!
One piece started good and I will be the first one to admit that. It does a good job of giving us a sense of the vastness and richness of its world and the interesting bunch of characters it houses within itself, and not gonna lie, that had me hyped AF. I had a fun time with the first few episodes and I truly used to think that this could be one of the
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most enjoyable long running anime for me. But as time went on, I started to see the faults in One Piece, and now I just look at it with a sense of disappointment because it has become such a bloated mess that has absolutely not kept up with the modern anime times. At this point, every arc feels like a modified repetition of the previous arcs.
It starts off as an epic, long adventure anime which hooks you right from the beginning. The world feels fresh and invoke a sense of curiosity and adventure, and the character interactions felt wholesome and warm. The initial arcs feel enjoyable because of our curiosity to discover the lore of this world, and also because we get invested in the overarching plot of Luffy becoming the Pirate King and finding out what One Piece is. One of the things I really enjoyed and waited for at the end of every arc was to see what Luffy's new bounty would be.
Now, here's where things go down the drain. The anime, inexplicably, decides to stretch the main premise to such an astronomical length that you just can't help but feel exhausted and burnt out. Each successive arc feels like the previous arc with added disguise and makeup. Luffy and his crew visit a new island where they discover that the people have been subjugated by an extremely strong Devil Fruit user who just so happens to be relatively somewhere around Luffy's strength. Luffy is set to fight the final boss, Zoro fights the second strongest person, and so on and so forth. You get the idea. People suffer life ending injuries and lose gorillian liters of blood only to somehow clutch the fight in the end. Luffy successfully pulls out a BS new move which defeats the final boss, leaving Luffy barely standing with 1 HP. Then, everyone has a celebration and a feast and the crew carry on with their journey to the next island to pull off the same exact arc once again. The whole thing kind of starts feeling cheap.
If this sounds bad, wait till you hear how worse it gets after a certain time-skip. The story repeats upon itself so many times that you just cannot for the love of god feel any excitement at what you are watching. The novelty wore off quick at least in my case. Entire arcs were stretched so much that you cannot even sense any form of a meaningful progression in the plot. To give you an idea, consider this: Usually a decently paced anime adapts anywhere between 2-4 chapters per episode depending upon various factors. Usually, more chapters are adapted per episode if they have a lot of action scenes, and less chapters are adapted per episode if they are dialogue heavy. One Piece has taken 1015 episodes to adapt 1000 chapters. What that means is that the show has not even adapted 1 chapter per episode in its run up till the 1000th chapter which honestly is atrocious to say the least.
Also, needless to say, the stakes - both physical and emotional - feel superficial and fake. Same old tropes and methods of trying to evoke an artificial reaction or emotions from the viewers. Also, no character development, in my humble opinion. Usopp, who we once rooted for, became a comedian. Sanji is still a simp with no growing up in sight for him, Zoro is either fighting or setting up his overused gag of being unable to find the way.
The world felt huge and interesting in the beginning. Now it feels boring and less creative and just plain predictable. Also, the author kind of forgot to keep the 'One Piece' aspect of the show relevant by at least throwing in some small arcs or plot points and giving us a few substantial crumbs dedicated exclusively about it. But all we get is some insignificant, random teasing with no concrete development to shape what One Piece might be. Kind of frustrating, personally speaking. At this point, the journey has become so boring that I don't care anymore. I will just read up on what One Piece is when it finally gets revealed in the manga in the year 2099.
My conclusion is that, the journey was definitely not worth it. I tried getting into manga as well which I was not a big fan of either. I guess that was because the anime left such a sour taste in my mouth. But oh well! There are so many better, shorter, more enjoyable shows out there. I would rather watch the one piece remake by WIT studio which I just know is going to exponentially superior than this slug fest. It might take ages but that's fine, I would rather spend my time watching other better shows in the meantime.
4/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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