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This is a harsh critic. Did I enjoy this movie more than other anime I rated a 7/10? Yes. Am I more likely to rewatch this film than other anime I rate a 7/10? Yes. But does it deserve more than a 7/10? No.

Ultimately, this movie starts at a 13/10 in my head. First, the animation is stunning. Personally, I enjoy the Neo-Tokyo + old-school animation style over the equally gorgeous at times new-school styles and my god, Ghost in the Shell is stunning. The world is so full of color and character, each individual has specific unique designs, and the action is smooth as ... hell. Second, the background music amplifies the scenes. No need to go in much detail, but a good soundtrack does a lot to increase my personal viewing enjoyment. Third, the main character's design is one of my favorites; her balance between being robotic yet human makes the main character likable and someone who I want to learn more about.

Unfortunately, the plot is a horrific mess. It's one thing that the movie is too short; many movies, while short, still develop well-rounded characters and meaningful world. Ghost in a Shell is somehow capable of being meandering at times and abrupt at other moments. Philosophical dialogue, while interesting, feels forced at inane moments and breaks the structured narrative flow. The world is way too underdeveloped for how fascinating it is. Furthermore, the movie just doesn't spend any time on the overall background story, it's rushed through in the beginning, then sped through, before slowing down for a bit in the middle, before rushing to an unsatisfying conclusion.

Additionally, besides the main character, everyone else is uninteresting. One character is mentioned by name a few times without his face, which would make you think he is an essential part of the story, but he appears with any pomp or grandeur and just says the plot of the movie to your face. All the others have basic characteristics that just need time to develop, even if there is more underneath.

Finally, the philosophy, while ultimately interesting, is half-basked. I WOULD LOVE TO SPEND ALL THE TIME QUESTIONING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN. But the movie is way too choppy and short to adequately explore the great ideas it brings up, leaving the viewer wanting more. It's also, as I've said before, brought in sporadically and not interlaced enough with the overall plot. I truly wish the philosophical discussion weren't as much heavy-handed and were better meshed within the movie.

Ghost in the Shell is a great movie, especially for its time. Stunning art, a phenomenal BGM, and a fascinating main character should make this movie incredible; however, a mess of a plot, undercooked characters and unexplored philosophical discussions prevent the movie from truly being a classic.

Pluto is a show that's so close to perfection. Everything about it, from the story telling to the character development to the animation to the fight scenes reeks of qualities that make a top-10 shows. But sadly, it fails to pack the punch it needs to and leaves you on unsatisfactory note. Why recommend it then? Because the journey is extraordinary and the questions, both political and ethical that Pluto asks are truly one-of-a-kind.

SPOILERS

As I mentioned before, the storytelling and character writing (at times) is 12/10. Gesicht is one of the best lead characters I've watched and his internal trauma + development of human characteristics ... is truly compelling. Same with Abullah, Sahad, Epsilon, North No. 2, Dr. Tenma, and Darius. But everyone else just feels half cooked. Storyline get dumped to the waste side, when they easily could have replaced moments that didn't matter. For example, did we need 7 robots in an 8 episode series? Did I really care if Brando or Hercules died? Nope. Time could have been better spent exploring Sahad and Abullah's relationship, Atom's intricacies, Darius' goals (I would have loved to see the trials of a noble dictator; someone who's trying to create peace for his country, but is unable to cede control to democratic institutions.), the U.S. Computer (what the hell is Dr. Roosevelt), the growth of anti-robot cultists and much, much more.

Speaking of which, the ending was rushed. Less than 15 minutes packed 2 supposedly climatic fights and ended without really caring what the Michelin Man Bora really was (even though it's actually Abullah?!?).

Ultimately, part of the reason I'm frustrated is that there were so many fascinating elements that could have been explored, but the show didn't do them justice. The first episode might be the best opening of an anime I've ever seen; instantly hooking you into action, but it just wavered back and forth at times.

I will say the journey was worth it. Gesicht, as I said before, has a very, very strong character arc and truly takes the show from what would have been mediocre to something definitely worth recommending. His relationship with his son, Helena Atom, Dr. Abullah, Sahad, Adolf, Brau1859, and others were some of the strongest writing I've ever seen. The writers did a great job in making him feel human and robotic at the same time. It's a shame he didn't make it to the last episode, he probably would have made the final act more compelling.

Everything above sounds like I should rate this show a 6. But there's truly more to that. The music, the lead, the the animation are so beyond exceptional that it'd be a pity if you didn't watch this show. Sometimes it's not about the destination, but the journey that takes us there!

What an incredible show. While this show is considered foundational for shounens in general, I'd rather focus on what makes it great regardless of the fact.

1.<u> A Compelling Story</u>: Yu Yu Hakusho is an anime where the overlapping story and mission of the main characters makes the experience significantly more worthwhile. Every episode matters (there's quite literally no filler) and the story is taken in a very linear direction that keeps the viewer invested and answers the main questions the audience may have along the way. Furthermore, each character, from Hiei to Yusuke to Kurama, have complete character arcs. My only gripe is that Kuwabara ... didn't get a complete ending, but the role he played in the Dark Tournament was exemplary.

2. <u>Phenomenal Characters</u>: Speaking of which, the character themselves are phenomenal. Minor points are deducted for some characters fitting into preconceived stereotypes + being a little too weird for my taste, but each character has an individual character trait that slightly changes throughout the story. I can't say enough about our MC, Yusuke, though. He constantly grows throughout the show, has incredibly witty dialogue that keeps you engaged and makes you laugh, and makes decisions that feel lovable and not completely out of the ordinary. Additionally, his relationship with Keiko is very likable, if not a little cheesy, but it includes some great scenes near the end of the Anime that I personally love. Furthermore, he seems genuinely impacted by the decisions characters make and he's not too stubborn that he won't understand why villains are the way they are.

3. <u>Villains? You bet!<u>: My only critic of the villains is that some of the people in the Sensui arc got off Scott free for no reason. In fact, they should have died to make Yusuke gripe with their deaths longer. Otherwise, the main villains (Toguro and Sensui) were both terrifying in the sense they seemed unbeatable. It felt as if Yusuke couldn't do anything towards them, but enough luck and ex-machina shenanigans helped bridge the divide, which I'm completely fine with in a shounen.

4. <u>The Little Things</u>: The background music? Enthralling. The voice acting, especially the English Dub? Fun. The color schematics? Visually appealing. Everything was done with a purpose and as a viewer, I felt engaged with the material beyond a surface level. Music is especially important to me; great standoffs and plot points need a good score to amplify the tension. Yu Yu Hakusho did that amazingly.

I don't normally watch 90's anime, but Yu Yu Hakusho feels a cut above the class. If you watched it today, with a bit of upgrading to the overall animation, the story is easily ahead of its time. In fact, even though it was a foundational piece for Hunter X Hunter, I view it as even better. Yu Yu Hakusho has to be on any anime lover's watch list, especially if the person has watched Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, etc. before. It's everything done simply, yet right.

First review!

Romance manga always has a certain set of flaws. Often times, there's misunderstandings, miscommunications, and needless side-tracking, all of which derails from the main story. No matter how strong a story starts, drama traded for character development is always a fear.

It's safe to say that Tonari no Seki no Satou-san is at that breaking point, as I write this review. Before I talk about that, let's review what makes the manga exceptional, even in the field chock-full of shoujo.

For one, the male MC thought process is fully detailed. Often times, we as the readers have to create character's thoughts. While we can see what ... they say, what is left unsaid is usually left to our imagination or in very short thought bubbles. For our male MC (Yamaguchi), the story is mainly told through his mind. Multiple panels of the manga will go through his thought-process on life, love and growing up. The internal debates we all have when day dreaming is exactly what we see Yamaguchi go through as he contemplates over the many actions of the clumsy female MC (Satou). The story and internal thought processes are relatable and easy to follow.

Onto the romance aspect, it is very well done.The more someone dominates your thoughts, the more you fall in love with that person. For Yamaguchi, his current journey toward realizing that is amazing and heartwarming. We're at a bit of a breaking point with drama, so I can't say much, but what I can say is that I have a lot of confidence that given how well the characters communicate, the problem will be resolved with minimal drama.

I'll also briefly speak on Satou. We never see her thought process, and perhaps it's in her character. What you see from Satou is what you get, there's no hidden meaning to her words or some complex thought process. Sure, it may be then that she's simple, but considering how kind and likable she is, as a reader, you know she genuinely cares about each interaction she has with each person. What she says is what she feels.

Overall, I think this manga is highly underrated in its genre. The art isn't stunning, there isn't a ton of laugh-out-loud comedy or fanservice "mistakes"; it's just a boy learning what it means to love someone and the thoughts that guide you on that journey.