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May 23, 2023
To review this film, I find myself first looking back at Shinkai’s other works. This movie feels like the complete antithesis of 5 Centimeters Per Second. Both movies have strong themes of reflecting on the past, but execute this in vastly different ways. 5 Centimeters wallowed in the melancholy of this theme, sacrificing plot and character to become more art than movie. Suzume, on the other hand, spent perhaps too much time on plot. This is not Shinkai’s usually awe-filled romance or intense tearjerker--arguably, it’s not a romance at all. And yet somehow, it still follows Shinkai’s star-crossed lovers formula, a realization I came to
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with some surprise. In the same manner as Garden of Words, Your Name, and Weathering with You, the first act of the movie is spent with our leads coming together (and as with the latter two, Suzume also spends this time immersed in the supernatural element inherent in the premise). Then, of course, fate demands some separation (not necessarily fully physical), the ‘’star-crossed’ part, and this fate must be rejected, accepted, or something else entirely, with this choice having consequences. This is still the driving larger narrative, but there’s a lot of additional details and story movements throughout. Though most of these individually come out a positive, on the whole it creates a feeling that this movie was overstuffed, and despite the two hour runtime it needed to be longer.
Does this make the experience unenjoyable? Absolutely not. Suzume can still be breathtaking from it’s many elements, and it’s certainly easy to get hooked into. In particular, a mythical tone permeates the movie, due in part to Ghibli’s influence on the film. Certainly, Shinkai has claimed inspiration from a few of Miyazaki’s animations, and he’s often been compared to the legendary director, but Shinkai went full tilt this time. This will certainly be clear to even a casual Ghibli fan such as myself, but this is not a detriment nor mindless plagiarism. As I demonstrated above, Shinkai still left his mark on Suzume, and you can see his progression as a writer from movie to movie just as clearly. He just mixed in the primal, natural world in a Ghibli style. Shinkai has been dealing with nature his last few movies, and trying out Miyazaki’s method to strengthen his own ideas was an experiment that payed off. The magical world feels alien, both in the characters that fully spring from it and the forces that drive the conflict, the perfect soft magic system. The lore is not overly complex, but it’s still something I can sink my teeth into is as terrible and majestically impressive as you could hope for. The one element that seems incongruous are the humans (other than our main characters) that are aware of and interact with the mystical. They play a slightly more active role than the background characters or dead cultures of the last two films, yet feel completely removed from the events. The one in particular that Suzume (the character) interacts with just past the first act has completely inconsistent motivations and worldview, being arbitrarily antagonistic or helpful in the five minutes they occupy the screen, and overall there’s no actual characterization or culture of the group. This is a minor nitpick though, and overall tone is an incredible strong point of the film, which I found compelling.
Of course, part of what made this portrayal of the supernatural so powerful was of course the visuals Shinkai is famous for. Naturally, every background felt like it could be it’s own piece of art. If you’ve seen Garden of Words or any Shinkai film past that, you know just how detailed and colorful every frame of animation will be. Occasionally the characters felt a bit off, such as with a CGI crowd or a shot where a character looked less detailed than the background behind them, but this wasn’t a consistent problem in any way. While I’m on the technical aspects, I should also mention the soundtrack was just as excellent. You could hardly tell it was Radwimps reprising their role as lead musicians, from how subdued they were and how well they fit the vibes. In the movie and by itself, it is both striking and blends in well. If anything gets you to cry, it’ll probably be the OST.
I’ve mentioned a lot of ways tone is done well, and this continues with the comedy of this film. This is funny! There are some great jokes that naturally arise from the dialogues between characters, and visual gags that stick the landing. Comedy is ultimately pretty subjective, but it seemed to keep the movie from getting too bogged down with lore or darker moments.
Of all the things I could count as positives, however, character wins out as the best. Everyone
we meet on this road trip is instantly memorably characterized, and we’re not overstuffed with too many characters either, with each getting their time to shine. Most are kind people, and we get to see heartwarming scenes of people helping just each other out in big and small ways, the humanity of which is appealing. You believe that these people are genuine friends, regardless of how long they’ve known each other. Suzume herself has an introspective arc, not particularly drastic a change, but one which focuses on her relationships. Suzume is far more impactful a character than Mitsuha or Hodaka because she has so much to personally go through and growth to achieve. The plot exists for her, not the other way around. The problem here is our unfortunate male lead. Who is kinda bad. The fact that Suzume’s arc has a focus on so flat and uninteresting a character significantly brings down the meaningfulness of her story, though he’s not so awful a character that his presence on screen single-handedly makes scenes unenjoyable. Looking at Souta by himself, he’s fine--he's the Howl of this movie, and like Howl he'll be simped over despite being the worst of the main cast. It’s just that his relations to other characters are pretty lame, and it doesn’t help that he’s a part of the problematic “mystical” group I mentioned earlier.
To continue with that point, the romance is clumsily bad. Not being center stage this time keeps it from ruining the movie, but watching Suzume not quite kiss Souta or blushingly deny accusations that she likes him feels forced because there’s no chemistry. We have no idea how Souta feels about Suzume other than vaguely positively, Souta never learns or grows from her, nor has a genuine respect that becomes love. And in turn, Suzume has very little to fall in love with because he’s so empty, though it’s more believable because of his maturity and his role as a “closer.” There’s just so frighteningly little substance to it that it rings hollow. So much of this would have been fixed if this was presented as a silly kid crush or a one-sided attraction, but instead the movie frames it like we should root for the two to get together and that just feels wrong.
Overall, Suzume sticks out from the Shinkai filmography as being something unique, which although I am continually disappointed there’s not another Your Name to sweep me away in wonder, experimenting more was definitely something Shinkai needed to do. Especially given that he's renowned for telling the same story over and over again in different ways.
Well, I'll probably stew on this a bit more, then settle in for another long, long three year wait.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 18, 2022
Oregairu had a lot of potential. It started good and had a lot of good elements throughout. Yet so much of its potential ended up going nowhere? It would seem like it was building up for something but ultimately falls flat. Still, it didn't completely fail at everything it tried; there were some genuinely good moments, when it didn't overthink itself.
Speaking of overthinking, let's talk about the dialouge. Many criticize this anime for trying to be "deep" and ending up pretentious, and I think this is the fault of the dialouge. It's incredibly circuitous, and gets very convoluted and difficult to understand. It makes even
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the simplest of plot developments seem way more complicated than they actually are, which kills forward momentum. This is very hard to describe, so suffice to say it is not good.
Next, the characters, the major focus of the show. A lot of characters seemed like they were more important than they were, especially Hayato's group. They just kind of exsisted, occasionaly introduced conflict or helped resolve something, but really just were there to support our little bubble and that was it. Komachi and Iroha, and the teacher were fun exceptions; they had a plethora of good moments with our main character, both in the comedic sense and in furthering his development. They felt like they actually did something, like they had real goals and feelings. But that's too positive, so let's talk about Yukinoshita (Yuki). I have an intense dislike for Yuki in that she is one of the three characters in the "bubble," one of the characters with whom the entire story is centered around, and it feels like she goes nowhere. We are presented at the beginning with some character problems: she's indecisive, she's not super into other people, and her family relationships aren't the best. And at the end, those problems are resolved somehow, yet we don't really get to see moments where she develops to get to that resolution. There's the far too rare moment for the other two, but indescisiveness in particular just kinda dissapears. She doesn't have a strong personality or a lot of good interactions on her own, and the romance just comes outta nowhere. Yuigahama (Yui) on the other hand, was much better, even if she was somewhat tropey at times. She has clear motivations throughout, which make her way more fun to watch. The main character worked very well too, as he both had active and reactive moments that strongly developed his character.
The greatest strength of this show is when its leads all communicate with one another. This was true in season 2 when our main character confessed to wanting something genuine, and it's true when Hachiman and Yuki resolve how they will work on the prom. The drama is the part of the show that really makes it worth watching, as they interact meaninfully with one another and have takeaways from those moments. This is why season 1 was the worst of the lot--it was all slice-of-life and settup, without the drama that makes this show work.
Oregairu was not exactly fun to watch, but I wasn't tearing my hair out in frustration or boredom. It had value and meaning, it just couldn't hold onto that excellency for very long. It is a show I was fundementally incapable of understanding, and had to have explained to me to really appereciate anything that was done or said. As a result, I come out feeling somewhat disapointed and unsatisfied, but glad, at least, that I got the chance to make the journey.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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May 16, 2022
JoJo's Bizzare Adventure has always been trying a little too hard to be amazing. The bombastic stakes and presentation of the last three parts covers up sloppier writing with "eh, that's just JoJo!" So it's not a suprise to me that the more grounded Part 4 has JoJo fans complaining that it's too boring or slow. After all, we're here for posing! Memes! Fights! It doens't need to be well thought out, just FUN!
As for myself, I thoroughly enjoyed Part 4 as the best so far. Firstly, Araki clearly figured out how to use Stands most effectively. Fight scenes are more often made up of
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previously revealed powers rather than new ones on the fly, making an engaging back and forth without sacrificing any of the things that made Part 3's fights a spectacle. Further, less characters were killed off so easily. New Stands woud still have their "monster of the week" episodes introducing their powers, but after being defeated they'd return to fight in later episodes to really use their potential, as opposed to before where they just died and that was it.
Speaking of the characters, we have some really great ones, both in side cast and main. Strong, diverse personalities really spiced up the cast. Character development was a bit sparse at times, limited to a few really strong moments, but where I think Part 4 really excells is in character interactions. Relationships between our ever-expanding cast grow organically over the course of the 39-episode run, without being loudly in your face about it. This applies extra to the hero-villain dynamics, which were previously fine but now feel a lot more personal to our main cast. This goes miles in establishing stakes your audience can care about.
All of that contributes to a wonderfully constructed tone that consistently delivers. Morioh is a setting that feels lived in, and the villain somehow manages to feel just as intimidating as Dio, which is an impresive feat. It easily kept my attention by alternating between fun one-offs and intense mini-arcs, giving the best of both Parts 2 and 3 in its execution.
I am now confident in claiming JoJo's is a genuinely good show. It still suffers from being not as well thought out as it could be, but it's no longer something worth getting upset over. I wholeheartedly reccomend!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 27, 2022
Charlotte was a rollercoaster when it came to my opinion on the show. I've settled, I know how I feel, but it took me a while to get here. But let's get into it, shall we?
By the time I got to episode 3, I had pegged this show as a Haruhi knockoff. You could pair each of the characters in the student council with a member of the SOS brigade, MC to MC, president to president. The show tread no new ground, nor did it take the old ideas and execute them better. Thus, I had resigned myself to turning off my brain and scoring
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the thing 5/10.
What made matters worse was a particular problem that it ran into, one that another show that I started watching for the meme also ran into. Blend S is a show about what is essentially a maid cafe where each staff member plays a role, and that role is contrary to thier personality (The sweet main character plays the sadist, the tsundere ends up being the most pragmatic and down-to-earth.) The problem was that most of the show took place outside the cafe, making the gimmick obselete and turning Blend S into a generic slice-of-life. Charlotte was a show about supernatural abilities, yet the supernatural abilities are hardly explored at all in the first 6 episodes. The gimmick is obselete once more.
Then I watched episode 7. Episode 7 was a very good episode, which suprised me. From there, a noticible uptick in quality and overarching plot took place. The above complaint ebbed and eventually completely dissapeared. Now, the way the powers were executed may not have been the greatest ever, but it was passable. As a result, my feelings have become rather mixed. There are a few good character moments, an occasional reaction-provoking gag, even a tearjerker or two mixed in, but when looking at Charlotte as a whole these good moments are balanced out with mediocrity and a lack of thoughfullness or strong worldbuilding. The sound/art aspect holds up 7 years later, and there is genuine tension in dramatic moments. Its just that when everything is taken into account, there are too many flaws for me to wholeheartedly support this show.
Charlotte captured my imagination in its premise. The plot and ideas are not the most original, but they are memorable, and so for better or worse Charlotte has managed to make an impression on me. So yeah, if you're interested, or a newer anime fan, give the show a shot. I can't promise you'll like it, but I don't think it's anything worth hating.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jan 18, 2022
When writing a story, you don't nessicarily have to have this amazing plot filled with plot twists and rivetting developments. Yes, many a great anime has been driven by the characters.
So when your characters suck you know you're screwed.
Yeah this was a rough one for me, especially as it was a reccomendation by someone who's opinions on anime I respect, so to realize the show was just so mind-numbingly BORING was immensly dissapointing for me. Not that there weren't good elements or I could never understand why someone might enjoy this, but those moments were padded out by meaninglessness. Where I think this show could
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have shined is as a comedy. That would have at least made the moment to moment bearable and it has all the right ingredients as a slice-of-life, but there's no humor at all, giving the show a dry and bland feel.
The characters were terrible, as I mentioned earlier. There are others who would claim the main two are Mary Sues, and I came to that same conclusion myself while watching the show, but what really hurts the show is that there are very few major side characters and only one shows any modicum of personality beyond "nice" or "supportive of the romance" plus maybe a cliche if we're lucky.
And speaking of the romance, it's completely forgettable. There is very little chemistry between our leads, and many of their interactions boiled down to admiring that the other character was such a Mary Sue before resolving to become more like that person. There were moments that were sweet and charming but ultimately very hollow and providing nothing but a form of fanservice. There was more tension and interesting developments between our female lead and a side character(Not that that was good either, just better than the main romance.)
The few plot developments outside of the romance about the characters moving toward a goal were pleasent enough but without anything to get invested in. Problems are solved in the 20 minutes alloted with maybe a bit of epilouge in the next episode. It would be relaxing... if it was actually enjoyable that is. It doesn't help that the worldbuilding is nonexsistent
It looks and sounds fine. It's a mid-2010s anime after all
It really all boils down to that there's so little to like about this show even if there are no elements you explicitely hate. I strongly advise slice of life fans to choose something made with more charm and love rather than this flop.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Jun 21, 2021
It is all to often that series are reviewed with a 10 rating on this website. Scores are so wildly tilted positively that even shows that are (for the most part) agreed on to be abysmally bad recieve overall scores of 6 when every opinion is put into account. So when I claim this as a masterpiece, it would be easy to disregard my opinion as just another fanboy, thinking his favorites can do no wrong. Well, let me assure you I do not give out 10 lightly. This is in fact the first TV series to receive such high praise from me.
Of course, the
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production value of Vivy: Flourette's Eyes Song could not be higher. The animation is stellar to look at, even for a rookie like myself, with vivid blues and neon greens to represent the sci-fi technology. The close-up shots always remind you our main character is AI, with too-perfect features and cameras in the eyes. Character design is excellent, fight scenes are fluid, everything you could want technically. The songs are both catchy and powerful, with a grandiose OP that never fails to impress me.
I enjoyed the story structure of two-episode arcs as fresh and new. I felt I could understand Vivy-both of us were observers looking into a world, briefly interacting with it, then leaving it behind until the next opportunity. Many pieces of media have portrayed "immortality syndrome," but nothing quite captures the feeling of loneliness of being other, of being an outward observer, so relatable. Every arc quickly and effectively created characters, goals, relations, etc. and then resolved them in a way that would effect the longer-term characters and goals. One quick side tangent, I also thought the idea of them starting with technology 100 years advanced giving them an advantage, and then slowly peeling away that advantage as the rest of society caught up.
The thing that impressed upon me first, though, was the characters. I mentioned that each arc creates and defines characters efficiently for the smaller arcs, and Matsumoto and Vivy were no exception. I came to a revelation in episode 2 that caused me to marvel at how it was done. See, every AI in this story has one Mission, one statement to define their whole being-for Vivy it's to make everyone happy with her singing, and for Matsumoto, it's to carry out the
singularity project that incites the series. And both these characters perfectly represent their statement, beyond just acting toward that goal. Vivy needs to make others happy, so in turn she is emotional, abstract, while Matsumoto follows the most strictly logical ideas. The show never points and shouts "Hey! Look at how great this is!" Missions are mentioned as goals and used for character development, sure, but it never shoves the way Missions make a character. Not that this prevents characters from changing of course; There is growth, and the way that it is given is masterful.
I repeat the sentiments of others when I say that a 10 scored show is not a perfect show, but rather one that transcends others around it and becomes perfect for the reviewer. I won't pretend that every idea presented is vastly new, or that I don't have any complaints(The ending was somewhat dissapointing), or that everyone will love this show. But it was perfect for me.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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May 28, 2021
Demon Slayer is a solid shounen anime. Whether or not it goes beyond that is where it struggles.
The show is a wonderful visual treat, first and foremost. Demon Slayer's gorgeous art is beaten out only by masters like Shinkai or Ghibli. The worldbuilding, too, is done fairly well; the cities and machines contrast vividly to the mostly traditional countryside you see throughout most the series, creating a sense of almost timelessness. The power system is continually interesting, especially as it moves farther into the series. It does unfortunately feel like somewhat of a deus ex machina the first few times you see it, but as
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you move through the series it remains consistent while building off of itself. Fight scenes are well done exchanges where Tanjiro throws everything into outlasting his opponent's attacks. The OP and ED have become iconic at this point, and the background music does its visuals justice. Technically speaking, this is peak shounen.
Where I find problem is it's inability to find broader themes. The characters were no cliches, but neither were they all that deep. Tanjiro and his sister were sweet and pure, his companions were silly but gave good interplay, and the demons were as terrifying as the other demon slayers were impressive. They all worked for the story, but none of them went beyond. The humanizing of the enemy was fascinating-but Tanjiro never struggles with finding that humanity, so it's never really explored. Backstories are diverting tear-jerkers, but not wonderfully connective or relatable. Progression was simple and linear. Few questions or mysteries are given to us to look forward to resolving. There are no challenges to society or people or ideals, and that is ultimately a dissapointment.
Demon Slayer is a good anime. It avoids falling into the pitfalls of its predecessors and finds it's footing easily. It's a casual watch that will easily appeal to any action fan, but it fails to intensely hook anyone who doesn't love these kind of battle anime. If you are looking for a suggestion, Demon Slayer is obviously worth the watch, but don't expect it to be a favorite.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 27, 2021
Note: The things said here apply to both parts/cours one and two, as I believe they share the same strengths and weaknesses.
Either this is a grand, complex narrative akin to classics like the Steven King catalogue, or Re:Zero is a terrible show.
And either way, I don't get it.
To me, the second season highlights almost everything wrong with the first series while draining it of its strengths, which saddens me immensely. It all comes down to me not understanding the whole thing. As before, Re:Zero drops plot threads faster that you can follow them. There's little relation between villains in both seasons, characters move in
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and come out like set pieces, and locations remain unfamiliar.
At the end of the first season, it was often a criticism that the season ended on a strange and inconclusive note. We were left wondering, what was the point? Why did killing the whale help with assisting Amelia? These questions remain unanswered in the second season, and then only add more. A fundamental part of any series is establishing a goal, preferably in the first episode: Pirate King, Hokage, stopping a serial killer in the past, finding and settling with a romantic partner, etc. In this regard, even SAO tops this series; at least it has a clear goal. Re:Zero has helping Amelia become queen? But also surviving with all of Subaru's friends intact? Even worse, the obstacles to these "goals" are even less well defined. Save this character, go to this place, leave that place except you can't because reasons, and who even knows why this place is so bad, kill this monster, confront inner demons, it changes EVERY OTHER EPISODE. I'm running around in circles trying to figure out what are the motivations behind every action, how does this new part of the magic system work, what does this sentence mean. Nothing makes sense to me.
The most enjoyable part of this series for me was about some witches that appear as major characters. In terms of the 7 Deadly Sins, I've yet to find it better in anime than it's done here. Each was an interesting expression of their sin, while still being good characters in their own right. In general, the soft magic system piqued my curiosity rather than just feeling like an excuse for the author to do what they wanted. This makes me feel that this show is far too fast paced-taking time to think things through would vastly strengthen this narrative. Instead they dump lore without giving it time to breath. Characters going on and on without actually saying anything helpful or insightful. Right now, it feels more complicated and circular that Kingdom Hearts, and a large part of that is the dialogue. This show gives Oregairu a run for it's money in terms of the awful dialogue, with bold, dramatic statements that only come off as pretentious. It should have been far more grounded and understandable, instead of wasting time.
I do have to commend the series for what it does with it's characters. Subaru was and is always growing and reflecting, making him somewhat of an island in the sea of confusion. We FINALLY got some good Amelia stuff to make her actually likable, probably the one area this season has over the first. Beatrice, Echidna, and Otto, were all used extremely well and made sections that were even fun to watch. Production values, too, held up over the four-year gap between seasons. Re:Zero is not noticeably worse unless you really pay attention, so those who are not animation geeks will be satisfied.
I want so badly to like this the way I did the first season. There I could admire and respect it despite the flaws that it possessed. But Re:Zero seemed to me to just stop caring and do whatever seemed cool, which wasn't what it should have been. Maybe it is a setup for a larger narrative, but on it's own it stagers, too ambitious for it's own good. I can't recommend this show anymore, which breaks my heart.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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May 27, 2021
Note: The things said here apply to both parts/cours one and two, as I believe they share the same strengths and weaknesses.
Either this is a grand, complex narrative akin to classics like the Steven King catalogue, or Re:Zero is a terrible show.
And either way, I don't get it.
To me, the second season highlights almost everything wrong with the first series while draining it of its strengths, which saddens me immensely. It all comes down to me not understanding the whole thing. As before, Re:Zero drops plot threads faster that you can follow them. There's little relation between villains in both seasons, characters move in
...
and come out like set pieces, and locations remain unfamiliar.
At the end of the first season, it was often a criticism that the season ended on a strange and inconclusive note. We were left wondering, what was the point? Why did killing the whale help with assisting Amelia? These questions remain unanswered in the second season, and then only add more. A fundamental part of any series is establishing a goal, preferably in the first episode: Pirate King, Hokage, stopping a serial killer in the past, finding and settling with a romantic partner, etc. In this regard, even SAO tops this series; at least it has a clear goal. Re:Zero has helping Amelia become queen? But also surviving with all of Subaru's friends intact? Even worse, the obstacles to these "goals" are even less well defined. Save this character, go to this place, leave that place except you can't because reasons, and who even knows why this place is so bad, kill this monster, confront inner demons, it changes EVERY OTHER EPISODE. I'm running around in circles trying to figure out what are the motivations behind every action, how does this new part of the magic system work, what does this sentence mean. Nothing makes sense to me.
The most enjoyable part of this series for me was about some witches that appear as major characters. In terms of the 7 Deadly Sins, I've yet to find it better in anime than it's done here. Each was an interesting expression of their sin, while still being good characters in their own right. In general, the soft magic system piqued my curiosity rather than just feeling like an excuse for the author to do what they wanted. This makes me feel that this show is far too fast paced-taking time to think things through would vastly strengthen this narrative. Instead they dump lore without giving it time to breath. Characters going on and on without actually saying anything helpful or insightful. Right now, it feels more complicated and circular that Kingdom Hearts, and a large part of that is the dialogue. This show gives Oregairu a run for it's money in terms of the awful dialogue, with bold, dramatic statements that only come off as pretentious. It should have been far more grounded and understandable, instead of wasting time.
I do have to commend the series for what it does with it's characters. Subaru was and is always growing and reflecting, making him somewhat of an island in the sea of confusion. We FINALLY got some good Amelia stuff to make her actually likable, probably the one area this season has over the first. Beatrice, Echidna, and Otto, were all used extremely well and made sections that were even fun to watch. Production values, too, held up over the four-year gap between seasons. Re:Zero is not noticeably worse unless you really pay attention, so those who are not animation geeks will be satisfied.
I want so badly to like this the way I did the first season. There I could admire and respect it despite the flaws that it possessed. But Re:Zero seemed to me to just stop caring and do whatever seemed cool, which wasn't what it should have been. Maybe it is a setup for a larger narrative, but on it's own it stagers, too ambitious for it's own good. I can't recommend this show anymore, which breaks my heart.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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May 27, 2021
I don't know if I want to review this movie. First of, my opinion is going to be unpopular, obviously; but also there are so many pages upon pages of reviews for this movie that no one will ever read this unless they browse my profile for whatever reason. I think the reason I'm going to review this is the same reason I review in general-to sort out my thoughts and put them somewhere.
Spirited Away is an art piece of animation that everyone should see at some point. It is not a story. The action of telling a story should be a reflection of
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either the author or the consumer, but Spirited Away just... doesn't. It looks and sounds gorgeous, though the art style is personally not my favorite, but it is too passive. First, the worldbuilding is literally already done for it, it's classical Japanese myth, and yet they never explore the world. Not like Nausicaa, where each society is defined including the one of the insects, or Mononoke where it uses the conflict between human and nature spirit to create a moral grey where other movies might have just made humans out as evil. Spirited Away is a bubble of four-ish characters and another 5 on the periphery, and then the meaningless masses. And not in a good, metaphorical, "Our main character is young and so their world revolves around themselves," kind of way, in a lazy way that deprioritizes one of Ghibli's great strengths.
Character motivation, too, is lazy. Often things happen just... because. The plot threads are weak, little is explained, and it just jumps around. A good example would be the witch's sister who lives in the swamp, Zeniba. Zeniba hates the character of Haku, tries to kill him multiple times for stealing from her, and is described as terrible...and when our main character goes to return what was stolen, everything is fine and dandy, Zeniba knows ahead of time why Chihiro is coming to her house and also is a super nice granny and look now the other mean characters being nice too and don't worry why they never explain why the stolen object was important that's not a problem. That's really not that much of an oversimplification!
Some of the characters are done well; our main character is a good vehicle for the many themes of the movie as she goes on her emotional journey. No-Face is an excellent metaphor but still remains multi-faceted. Many, however, are just "nice." This loops back around to the lack of motivation I spoke on earlier-few of the actions made make sense for a character to do, other than progress the plot. They are nice (or sometimes mean) to Chihiro in order to further her in moving to where she needs to be, which I feel undermines the whole maturing theme the movie attempts to present. Miyazaki used this wandering plot to far greater effect in his next movie, Howl's Moving Castle. I think it might be because of being based off of a book. There are solid plot points that make sense from beat to beat, so the somewhat randomness of it all holds together. There's a next, there's a conclusive stop and end, there's a wow moment, all of it stays together even as it meanders-not unlike the titular castle. Spirited Away has no sense of purpose and self, only a vaguely defined identity of a smattering of wider themes.
I'd also like to note this movie does little to engage you. Again, Spirited away is too passive. Take what meaning you want out of this, you figure it out. It's not a casual movie, or a passionate one, and that makes it hard to enjoy, unlike the wholehearted wonder of Ponyo, Totoro, or Kiki's.
If this movie resonated with you, fantastic! If you think fondly on your first watchthrough, I'm happy for you. This movie was made for that, and that's what makes it good, but it's also what holds it back from being great. It's too much of a singular experience, when it wants to tell a living story.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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