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Jan 6, 2025
[Spoiler-less review] Having watched a fair share on different romance anime I yearned for something more, something else. Never in a milion years would I expect an anime almost my age to fullfill my needs.
Why should you watch it: It is very different. It shows a love story from start to a kindof finish. It doesn't end in a first kiss, it goes after the happily ever after most shows end on. In a span of 25 (or rather 24 + 1 bonus story) episodes we get sweetest romance blended with slice-of-life and comedy, which slaps even after a decade and some. It should be
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on every romance lover's list, because it's unique, well-made, and just fun to watch.
A quick quality rundown:
Characters 9/10: Ah, the good 'ol smart guy - airhead girl dynamic. But this time? It actually makes sense. The characters have their own flaws: Kotoko is dumb an clumsy, Naoki is cold-hearted at times etc. But they have a counterbalance of relationships and virtues to make up for them, making them much more believable and the storytelling that much better. The supporting cast serve as more than tools, with their own sub-plots and lives (like Kinnosuke, you'll love him after some time) that again, make the story better. One thing that keeps them from getting a perfect 10/10 is that Kotoko's friends were a bit bland compared to the rest.
Art 9/10: It's an old anime. So it has an old artstyle. I know, shocking. But it still looks great despite the years. One thing I have to say sbout the style is the fact the characters have more than wardrobe. It helps with consistency, but kills uniqueness. That's were ItaKiss excells. Overall, very good with some outstanding moments.
Story 10/10: Hooo boy, where do I begin! It's an example that shoujo should learn from. It get's points just for showing more than the first kiss, but their whole young lives. From work, through meetings with friends, cheering, crying, to just living their lives, we see it all. One thing it lacks is the silce-of-life tag on MAL. It really goes far and beyond the romance genre to give us a good experience.
Enjoyablity 9/10 (subjective): I watched the show in three days, so yeah, it was easy to binge. It reignited my love for romance and older anime. I really don't know what kept me from watching this.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Oct 6, 2024
[This review is about the two first seasons available at the time of writing and does NOT contain any spoilers]
There are few shows that have the first episode able to set the stage in a way that the My Star does. The first episode, or rather the 1 hour prelude to the story manages to tell more that many other anime can't manage to tell in an entire season. And that's just the beginning, the first step into the many stories this series has to offer, ones of guilt and ones of accomplishment, ones of hate and ones of love, ones of fullfilling the dreams
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of the dead and ones of finding yourself among the expectations of the others. That's what makes it amazing.
Art: 10/10. Few times in my life has a scene been imprinted in my mind, yet one came from this show (you will know which one). The way the characters are given emotions and personality with the way they are drawn or shown, most notably the eyes of Ai, Aqua and Ruby and the way that they both express emotions with the stars inside them, and the way they show the attachement siblings have for their mother. What is even more impressive is the way they've shown the play in the second season. It could've been just a part of the series, a simple end to an arc, but it's so much more than that, with amazing action sequences that many best action anime wouldn't be ashamed, and was used as a storytelling device on top of that. Also, the still shots that look like taken straight from the manga are a sight to behold.
Characters: 10/10. The main cast, that is the Hoshino family and their aquaintaces all have something you can say about them, their motives, desires, flaws, dreams. Everybody has their story and a chance to shine, and not just being a background. It really is rare to see something like that, but characters feel almost like real people. I won't go into further detail so as not to spoil.
Story: 10/10. The premise of the show shown in the first episode is simply amazing, and again, the first episode shows so much with so many twists, that it's hard to talk about the show without spoiling anything. It's a case of a story so good you don't feel well with spoiling it. But of course, you don't get a 10/10 for just the first episode. Each episode we see the mystery unravel, the characters grow not only emotionally, overcoming their fears and past trauma, but we also see their careers grow, getting them closer and closer to their goals, and it all feels natural and not pushed, with precise motives for each action. But besides that, the show manages to show the underbelly of the showbiz in a way that I honestly thought to be impossible. We see characters with suicidal thoughts, stalked, hated, used, forced to hide the truth about them, and yet paid little to no money.
Music: 8/10. I liked it, but there isn't much to talk about here, but don't take it as a sign that it's meh, but rather a sign of me not caring about the music in anime most of the time.
Enjoyability factor: 10/10. This show hits like a truck-kun does an isekai MC. From the beginning I was hooked, and I can't wait for the season 3 to come out. The first episode sets the bar high, but the show doesn't dissappoint. It was just a pleasure to watch, from the start to the end (for now). The emotions and problems shown really got to me. It definetely is one of my favourite anime of all time. Get through the first 10-15 minutes then the crap really hits the fan.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Sep 24, 2024
[This review is about both of the parts available at the time of writing but done without ANY spoilers]
"War is hell". 86 tells a story of a war "without human casualties". A war between the Legion - an army of robots built by an empire that got destroyed by them and Juggernauts: the "ethical drones" of the Republic of San Magnolia where our characters are from. There is just one slight issue: the drones are piloted by teens as young as 12 of a different descence than the others, also known as "86". This series is an absolute masterpiece, a very disturbing and graphic story
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about being human in an inhumane war.
Rating breakdown:
Plot 10/10: Not going too deep for the sake of not spoiling, this story doesn't shy away from killing off characters, showing brutal death tolls of war and maybe worst of all, the lack of compassion from the bystanders. Every episode does more and more to make you feel aware of how dire the situation of the 86 is. And that's what makes the plot so good - it feels real. If you've read any wartime documentaries, that's basically it: a story of the Spearhead unit written like many others by blood, tears and steel.
Soundtrack 9/10: I don't really care about sound in anime tbh, but this was good. Maybe not a masterpiece, but the OP is nice to hear, the lone piano in the back does what it should. It's not too much, not too little.
Art 10/10: Most of the times, CGI is crap in anime, let's face it. But in 86 it's what was needed to bring the Juggernauts and the Legion alive. It well executed and fitting, and I honestly don't think it could've been done as well without it. The regular art is also nice, characters look good, all the details really make the scenery look awesome, and by awesome I mean very depressing (but again, that's what was needed).
Satisfaciton or How watchable is it? 10/10 or 0/10: 86 is a show that will hit you like a Truck-kun hits an isekai MC. This will either leave you with a two-thousand-mile stare or completly in love (I, as you might have already guessed belong to both of the groups). That being said, whether you'll like it or not depends on your resilience. This show is not sunshine and unicorns and love. But if you are okay with that, then you definetly give this a go.
Overall 10/10: It's really creme de la creme of anime no doubt about it. I really advise you to watch it, you (propably) won't regret it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 3, 2024
Short review: Cross Game is definetly three things: an anime, a good anime, and a great sport anime. It isn't though much of a romance. Take these sentences as a bit of a warning. But putting aside that flaw, Cross Game is a work of art. Following a deeper story than you would expect from a sport/romance shounen show, with a great cast of characters, and some nice, 90s style old-school art to go with.
Long review: Cross Game is an anime that seems not very goundbreaking from the outside: a story of two people who have a love-hate relationship with some baseball sprinkled
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on top. But it goes much deeper. From how the basis of the relationship between them and the person that connects them has been created, through their daily lives with the team, their laughs, cries, struggles and successes, to the absolute art that are the baseball games in the anime. It feels like a genuine life story, with all their ups and downs. What's even better is that the story isn't entirely focused on the two MC, giving everybody their moments, their stories, their character. Compared to some other anime of the sorts it stands out as very mature and not superficial, with characters having something more than "oh I'm so shy" as an excuse for not doing something. That being said it doesn't deliver on the romance part all too much. It's almost entirely a life story with some love story fragments, something that feels wrong in something advertized as romance, and that would be my only complain about it, but still it doesn't make it a bad anime, it just makes it not exactly a romance anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 2, 2024
Dungeon Meshi is a proof that fantasy anime genre has still a lot to offer, even in 2024. The show follows the story of an adventuring party of... quite peculiar individuals, looking for a party member they lost while fighing a dragon deep in the dungeon. Simple as that. With this very tipical basis Trigger cooks. And I also mean that literally, as the party meets a new member, a dwarf that lives in the dungeon, feeding himself with what he finds down there. This fills the anime with amazing visuals of absurd foods made from various monstrosities of the dungeon. It also hits close
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to home for every RPG player, because it has a better ttRPG-like feeling than the D&D movie with the colorful yet weird personalities of each of the main characters, the plot feeling very much like a campaign, the sometimes absurd decisions of MC... Overall an amazing job from Trigger, can't wait for the 2nd season. Now for the in-depth part:
Story: 8.5/10 - The story is nice, likable, progresses steadily, has very nice supporting characters, it's good.
Art: 9.5/10 - The food visuals 10/10, would absolutely devour anything Senshi would prepare, the rest is also great, with a nice feeling to it, each level of the dungeon feels like a new place, which is good. Action scenes are nice, character designs look great on screen, overall an amazing job.
Creativity - 9/10 - The main creative thing about Dungeon Meshi is cooking. It's a great idea executed even better. Makes you not only think "I wonder what will happen next to MCs" every episode, but also "I wonder what bizzare stuff will Senshi make into something delicious". And it delivers on that every time. Also the characters, they are both cliche and their own thing, for example Laios is an airheaded warrior but also a complete dungeon food freak who wants to eat everything in the place.
Enjoyability ranking - Personally? 10/10 Objectively? propably 8 or 9/10 - Objectively it's very nice to watch, but for an RPG player like myself it jumps to must-watch work of art. It's that good of a representation of ttRPG games.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 30, 2024
The premise of the anime is simple: two people with the same problem (insomnia) find each other by accident, and well, the story starts. As cliche as the idea may sound, Insomniacs deliver on it far better than many. It's a dive into insecurities, fears, feelings and dreams of two people, a story of personal growth and overcoming problems. Loved it.
Now for the more in detail review:
Animation: 9/10 - Starry skies and landscapes are absolutely astonishing, but some of the other scenes look rather choppy. It was rather nice to look at overall.
Creativity: 9/10 - It's a unique show in terms of theme, that is
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astrophotography, and Insomniacs doubles down on that making the two MC insomniac, which not only makes perfect sense, but gives them a sense of connection.
Characters: 8.5/10 - The two MCs are human, which is unfortunately rare in romance anime, and they aren't totally blind (again, a rare sight). The side characters are a bit cliche, but at least relatable (shoutout to Ukagawa with the third wheel rolling out line).
Romanceness/sticking to the genre: well, not exacly quantifiable - This show belongs into a category known as "diabeties inducer", that is a wholesome, sweet, lovey-dovey anime. And it blesses our eyes with sugar almost every moment along the way.
Overall, it's a great watch. Expect wholesomeness, sweet relationship growing, and amazing skies. A must-watch for every romance enjoyer, astronomer or astrophotographer.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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