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Synopsis:
Iseri Nina, 17, faces difficulties moving to Tokyo alone, but finds an opportunity when she meets her favorite guitarist, Momoka Kawaragi. Together, they form a band with three other girls, facing challenges in music and their personal lives. United by their passion for music, they persevere in pursuit of their dreams.

Review:

Plot / Narrative: 8.4/10
Girls Band Cry stands out from the beginning with an engaging approach to the musical universe. The story keeps the viewer's interest, skillfully using flashbacks to explore past events without being boring or uninteresting. The central idea of the plot is well-executed, showing care in its construction, demonstrating originality and cohesion from ... start to finish. The narrative goes beyond music and cute girls playing; it has enough depth to keep the audience interested in the personal dramas and challenges faced by the characters.

Characters Charisma / Development: 8.5/10
The anime features characters with varied personalities, with the two most iconic being Nina and Momoka. Nina has an explosive temperament and is extremely honest, making her a very authentic character with great depth in her personality construction. Momoka is also excellently developed, with dreams and frustrations. Being slightly older than Nina, she has a more mature and serious tone in her choices and actions and is also calmer. The anime masterfully executes their personalities in interaction, with moments of misunderstandings, fights, and differences in ideals and future perspectives, adding layers of depth to the work and weight to the dramatic scenes. The other band members also have space for development, with their thoughts, ideals, and motivations explored well despite having less screen time. The anime leaves a comforting feeling, knowing they weren't forgotten.

Art (Character Design, Settings, and Animation): 8.6/10
The animation is entirely done in CGI, which might seem strange to viewers not fond of this style, but it's something one can get used to easily. From a technical standpoint, the CGI is high quality. Though it doesn't reach the level of major Western productions, it offers top-notch animation within the standards of Eastern productions, which have lower costs. The anime features beautiful settings, fluidity, and great character design!

Soundtrack / Audio: 8.9/10
The anime has a very immersive and innovative soundtrack, using the piano but mainly guitar tracks. It hits the mark in climax moments, fitting the OSTs well and amplifying and absorbing the viewer's emotions. The strongest point of the soundtrack is the high quality of the fictional band's songs played in several episodes, likely winning over many viewers with its top-notch Opening and Ending, along with other inserts in presentation episodes. The anime excels in the sound department and offers an extremely gratifying auditory experience.

Themes: 8.4/10
The work addresses themes such as the importance of not giving up on dreams and the need to make sacrifices to achieve them. It highlights the search for identity, perseverance in the face of adversity and challenges, the value of friendship, and music as a form of expression, inspiration, and personality building.

Script/Storyboard and Direction: 8.7/10
The script and storyboard of the anime are excellent, without leaving major gaps in the plot or character construction. The anime incorporates comedy elements with excellent timing, balancing tense and comedic moments just right. In presentation moments, the direction does a great job, exuding fluidity and originality, using special effects, camera spins, and intelligent transitions. The direction also shines with expressive framing in dramatic scenes, capturing the essence and conveying the right emotion skillfully, making great use of the soundtrack to give scenes the proper weight. The only downside might be for viewers more familiar with music, who may notice small flaws in musical representation compared to reality. However, these details are only noticeable to a minority and do not diminish the brilliance of the work, as the high sound quality almost completely overshadows these minor details.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

Strengths

1: Character Development: Girls Band Cry features well-built personalities and deep interactions with ample development.

2: Soundtrack: High-quality songs and an immersive soundtrack, highlighting a wide range of guitar, piano, and other instruments.

Weaknesses

1: Use of CGI: The use of CGI animation may not appeal to everyone and requires some adjustment.

2: Unrealistic Representation of Musical Elements: Small flaws in the representation of musical elements may be noticed by viewers familiar with music.

Conclusion:
Girls Band Cry stands out for the depth of its characters and the quality of its soundtrack. With an engaging and well-structured narrative, it captivates the audience by exploring the challenges and personal dramas of the characters, alongside their musical journeys. Despite the use of CGI, which may not please everyone, and minor flaws in musical representation noticeable to more discerning viewers, the work maintains its brilliance and offers an emotional and gratifying experience. It is a solid recommendation for fans of musical anime with good character development, being one of the best surprises of the spring 2024 season!

Final Score: 8.6/10

"Metallic Rogue" is a SciFi anime that, because it was produced by a renowned studio with consistently good work, I decided to give it a chance, as I have a lot of respect for Bones for works like Fullmetal, Zetsuen no Tempest, Noragami, and Vanitas, among many others that I like!

The anime has a vibe reminiscent of old-school anime, like an ambiance that somewhat resembles Cowboy Bebop, for example! And despite the promising studio, the fact that it is an original anime may have been the source of several problems!

Technical Aspects

Plot/Narrative: 6.9/10
The story starts somewhat confusingly; it takes about 4 episodes for the viewer to ... really get a grasp of the story. For this reason, I don't judge many people for having dropped it before. Although I find it promising for having a narrative different from current anime, which forces the viewer to piece together the puzzle rather than just waiting for explanations, the story is good and has interesting plot twists!

Art (Character Design/Backgrounds/Animation): 7.3/10
In this aspect, I'll highlight the action scenes, which are good, not surreal, but good, and the character design, especially of the heroines, is quite beautiful. However, the backgrounds are not particularly wonderful, and the character design distorts at times, even bizarrely, giving the impression that the studio was pressed for time to redo some scenes and fix the distortions!

Character Appeal/Development: 5.1/10
Here, for me, the anime's biggest flaw lies in the characters. They are not captivating, not even the protagonists. I looked at them and basically saw two heroines with beautiful designs, only. It was difficult to connect with them, to feel pain, anger, worry, or any sense of attachment to them. And if they couldn't save themselves, imagine the rest of the cast! The character development and appeal in this anime were deplorable to me, often trying to show many characters, throwing information without giving any value to feelings, and to the viewer absorbing the content and sympathizing with the characters!

Script/Storyboard and Direction: 5.0/10
The way the script scared off many viewers in the first episodes is alarming. The direction miserably fails to convey emotion, both excitement in battle scenes, and any other emotion the characters try to convey. This adds to the fact that the characters are extremely bland, resulting in episodes you watch just to see what will happen in the story, which is actually good, but fails to make the viewer feel part of what they are watching, giving an immersion that makes them feel pleasure during the episodes!

Soundtrack and Audio: 7.9/10
In this topic, I'll give a better score, to honor the opening and ending songs, which are very good and pleasant to listen to. And the anime tries to put a cool soundtrack in the battles too, although it repeats the same song all the time. The audio work deserves at least a positive view!

Conclusion
Metallic Rogue proved to be a disappointment to me considering the level of the studio that produced it and the many acclaimed works it has. The anime has strong points, but the weaknesses completely overshadow the strengths of the anime and make it difficult to recommend! I only recommend it if you want to feel a sense of nostalgia with SciFi or Mecha anime from the old days, as this anime has a similar ambiance! and for the opening and ending songs, which are excellent!

Final Score: 6.38

"The Apothecary Diaries" or "Kusuriya no Hitorigoto", an anime that pleasantly surprised me and, in my opinion, ranks among the best anime of 2023/2024. The anime is set in imperial China and tells the story of Maomao, who was kidnapped and taken to the emperor's palace. From there, we begin to learn more about her personality and traits, along with the unfolding of the story, revealing an intricate web of interconnected events and mysteries.

Technical Aspects:

Plot = 9.8/10

In my view, the anime presented no flaws in the plot. The way events connect and some mysteries are gradually unraveled shows meticulous and insightful writing. It's been a ... long time since I've seen such a well-constructed plot. The anime is rich in elements such as investigation and mysteries. It's literally a butterfly effect, where a small event can lead to something big or be intrinsically linked to something that has already happened! As for the narrative, it has many comedic elements while also being serious when needed, although it may seem somewhat unpretentious in some episodes!

Art (Character Design, Backgrounds, and Animation) = 8.6

The art of the anime is beautiful, with characters that are very well drawn and animation that is extremely consistent and fluid from beginning to end, which is rare for a 24-episode anime. The backgrounds were also very good, although they did not reach the level of detail found in films like "Kimi no Na wa". The only downside was the CGI, which stood out a bit from the rest of the animation and caused some unease.

Character Charisma and Development = 8.7

Maomao is, in my view, the best waifu of 2023/2024. The character is very fun, charismatic, and easily wins you over. It's almost impossible not to like her! Her romantic partner is also a captivating and enjoyable character, and the interactions between the two are very pleasant! As for the personal development of each character, in this aspect, the anime does not deliver as much. You can sympathize with the characters and feel some of what they feel, but the work does not usually delve deeply into their feelings, leaving it up to the viewer to interpret what they feel or think and the reasons for it! This is cool for an anime that focuses on mystery! Just don't expect major dramatic developments of the characters with the anime delving into their thoughts, emotions, and motivations very clearly!

Script/Storyboard and Direction = 9.1

The anime has beautiful framings and a very commendable immersion of the story. The weighty scenes really convey the feeling they need to convey. The rhythm and execution were done with great care, making the anime truly deserve many points for it. Even in episodes where there were no major revelations, the anime maintained good quality using other elements like comedy, having excellent comedic timing in these scenes, and a great power to generate memes with Maomao's facial expressions and reactions. The series manages to grip you, captivate you, and leave you interested in the story, making you feel part of it!

Soundtrack and Audio = 8.5

In this aspect, I believe the anime delivered something within expectations. Nothing absurd like Sawano or Masaru Yokoyama level, but the soundtrack is good, although I don't believe it to be an extremely outstanding point in the work. There are some scenes with cool tracks that deserve to be seen with affection, but they are not emblematic and striking. In this aspect, I've seen works that had a greater capacity to be striking. Another point in this topic would be to highlight the Openings and Endings, which are excellent songs, especially the first Opening and the first Ending. They are truly songs to listen to on repeat for a long time!

Conclusion: If you're looking for an anime with cool characters, mystery, investigation with a hint of romance, and a very well-constructed and written plot, you'll definitely love this work! Just don't expect a series where absolutely all mysteries are interconnected and all subplots are relevant to the main plot, that said.. I highly recommend it and I'm looking forward to a future continuation.

For the final season, I'll give it a 9 because it closed the story quite nicely and even threw in an extra bit there in the final minutes!

Now, onto the technical aspects of the work as a whole:

Soundtrack and Audio = 10/10: To me, it was responsible for conveying most of the anime's drama. Sometimes, even if the scene wasn't that heavy, the soundtrack was so good at evoking intense emotions. For me, it was by far the most positive aspect of the anime (Congratulations, Masaru Yokoyama).

Art (Character Design and Animation) = 8.6: The character designs and backgrounds were quite beautiful, and the animation remained ... very consistent from start to finish. However, I felt the lack of some more artistic moments, with beautiful shots that would leave the scene etched in memory, despite having a few. I know other anime that handled this aspect better!

Charisma / Character Development = 8.5: Tohru isn't my favorite type of character; she's too benevolent, a kindness that transcends even what I think is possible for a human being. But she works for the story, and the character development of the zodiac members is very good. However, in terms of charisma, only Yuki Sohma really caught my attention from the main trio. While I sympathized more with characters like Isuzu (Rin), I found her to be the most real depiction of a human being within the anime, even though she went through a lot of hardships.

Plot/Narrative = 7.8: Regarding the plot, I found the story somewhat dragged in the beginning, very engaging in the middle, and delivered something within my expectations in the end. It didn't exceed expectations, as I was expecting something more elaborate for the story's conclusion. Overall, it delivered what a good anime can deliver in terms of story: being interesting and not ruining the anime with its ending. Although the ending wasn't the most impactful or unforgettable for me, it left a warm feeling in my heart. The story had flaws, especially regarding the final plot of the male protagonist Kyou and his motivations for something important that happens and somewhat governs the whole plot. This could have been explained in a way that didn't feel forced, considering there were other more plausible explanations!

Script/Storyboard and Direction = 7.7: This is where I think the work had its weakest point. They spent too many episodes developing some irrelevant characters that I literally couldn't create any bond with. And when it came to the last season, it felt like there wasn't enough time to put everything that was important on screen in 20-minute episodes. Some things from the main plot could have been fixed in the script, considering that in the last season, there are some inconsistencies with what the story itself presented in the beginning that aren't exactly plot holes but lean more towards "oh, come on, that's forced." The direction was good, although I was not very captivated by the romance in the work, which is my personal opinion. What captivated me the most were the dramas of some secondary characters, making me less interested in who the central characters would end up with in the end!

Do I recommend this anime?

Without a doubt, it's definitely worth taking a look at it for those who haven't seen it yet!

Shigatsu is a very special anime to me, so much so that it will be difficult for me to review this anime without being extremely biased. I've watched this masterpiece 10 times already, and I'll watch it many more times!

At first glance, Shigatsu seems like a simple romantic comedy, with a palette of cheerful and vibrant colors, starting in a beautiful spring, exuding youth and conveying to us in a genuine and artistic way that it will be a story full of beautiful moments, and indeed it is. Even with characters who are 14 years old, we notice an incredible maturity in how the themes ... and messages of the work are addressed. At times, the characters seem more like poets from the 18th century than just teenagers, and soon you realize that this will not be a common romantic comedy anime. You will dive into themes such as abuse, post-traumatic stress, farewells and encounters, how people can inspire each other, and how a person or moment can mark your life forever!

Shigatsu is the representation of that moment, a moment that marks your life forever, and as our dear Kaori says in the anime,

"Can you forget?"

Technical Aspects

Plot / Narrative = 9.2/10

The story follows a good pace, not dragging on too much, but also not too fast. At the beginning, it is a bit slower, but enjoyable to watch for those who enjoy works of the genre. The plot is interesting, but nothing surreal. It seems like a simple story, but even though it's predictable, it surprises you in the end, giving you a completely different view of the work after the last episode!

Art (Character Design, Settings, and Animation) = 9.4/10

The anime is full of memorable moments, especially in terms of the beauty of the settings and the context of what the characters are saying or experiencing, which makes the scenes very poetic and memorable. The animation is very consistent from start to finish, with only a few moments in the second half where the designs are simplified, but nothing that ruins the visual, and in the scenes of greater emotion, it manages to display fluid animation and very beautiful frames!

Charisma / Character Development = 8.8/10

The characters are very good, explored, but not all developed. We have excellent development for the protagonist, and the heroine has development, but the series tries to keep most of her development hidden so that the ending has an impact. Even so, she has reasonable development throughout the episodes, but it is in the last episode that the anime really delivers what everyone expects from her! The only character that, in my view, could be better explored was the protagonist's friend, Watari, who even has some very cool and important moments in the series, but little is delved into!

Screenplay / Storyboard and Direction = 9.5/10

The screenplay was very well executed, and most episodes manage to be interesting. However, the only flaw I would point out in this regard is that they could have saved frames by avoiding some repeated flashbacks, which sometimes only delay one climax or another! However, in the climax moments, the direction is very well executed, and you feel anxious, suffer with the characters, and cry with them! In this aspect, it is certainly a commendable work!

Soundtrack and Audio = 10/10

For me, the strongest point of the anime, all openings and endings are worthy favorites, the anime's OSTs are striking and have a huge weight for the build-up of the scenes and to move us emotionally, and the music played in the pieces matches the past dramas, certainly a masterpiece in sound!

I recommend it to those who appreciate art and to those who like drama and romance!

It is certainly the most unforgettable anime I have seen, and I will carry it in my heart forever!

After all, who said there is no beauty in sadness?

Shigatsu is a sad melody, but a melody that exhales the most beautiful perfume and the purest beauty!