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Dust has settled; the AoT hype, since season 4, has chilled to a murmur. I plan on catching up to reviewing all other seasons of this show, hopefully before the second part of the “final season” has released. Each season feels completely different from one another and this first season made the precedent of the potential an anime to become truly great. Before there was a 2nd season, a third season, a third season part two, and a “final season” that created so much controversy on its own, there was just this single season to leave us frothing at the mouth for more and became ... the most talked about thing that summer. But not everyone predicted it would be the most talked about anime of the decade.

Especially with hindsight on our side, it seemed obvious to me at the time that AoT would continue to be the next big thing. I also thought Re:Zero would be the next big thing but it’s relatively declined in conversation since the release of the first season. AoT however proved to have immense staying power, even in between the four year gap (something Re:Zero couldn’t do) AoT proved to be one of the most talked about show and biggest merchandise producers out there. Despite this reception, watching the show itself didn’t necessarily scream 10/10 for me. In fact it was one of the most lopsided and confusing shows out there and certainly was not the best show to come out in 2013 (that honor goes out to Silver Spoon 🥵😩🥰).

I’ll begin with the positives because despite my rating this is a really good looking show. The lighting effects for one are amazing to look at and it only gets better as the seasons go on. How the sun rays bleed between the trees and the way the water sparkles creates a nice contrast with the hellscape these unfortunate citizens have to live through. The manga has some of the worst drawings I’ve seen in a popular manga and almost resemble that of One Punch Man’s original artwork. The fact the same director who directed one of the greatest anime of all time, Death Note, was able to create make this anime look like this is a much needed resuscitation for the manga itself. The titans themselves do teeter on the edge of uncanny to the point you can be stricken with fear if you’re entranced with the show or you, or if you’re inviting a reluctant infrequent anime casual-fan you will lay witness to some unintentional comedic moments.

The music, although on the border of being considerably cheesy and is a super safe decision, works to its favor in being a classical, operatic orchestration. Not too much of the OST stands out nor is super memorable apart from the OP and ED, but that’s not to discredit it too much as each cut from the list offers something of substance; each number matches the tone of the show and not a single one feels out of the ordinary for the sake of something that would otherwise be heard in a isekai light novel adaptation. The music also happens to just sound better by default when comparing it to other shows at the time. The soundscape is pretty good, and with how the titans are portrayed in not just the eeriness their presence gives off, like a shark in shallow water, the idea of titans approaching the citizens inside the walls is legitimately scary from how the music heightens. Overall a very safe landing for the soundtrack.

The characters themselves are unremarkable overall. Erin comes off like a mixture of your everyday shounen protagonist with enough Sasuke edge to make him super cool at all times (not in an Emo way, because that’s out of style at this point, but like a badass mercenary-type since that’s a lot more timeless). There isn’t a single character that I’m enamored with and I don’t know if it’s because they all feel like a collective that each represent the tragic minds of those in the army or what but no one truly stands out aside from Erin, Mikasa (who is just a silent badass), and Armin (who is just a coward for most of this season). That’s not to take anything away from them as a whole, as they make up a large portion of the backbone for the series and at this point are the only characters that you are likely to root for and have any significant amount of investment towards at this point.

I ended up giving some connotations along the way of the positives but that’s a habit hard to break when talking about this show. The real annoying portions of the show are a large part to do with the pacing and over-the-top nature. In the first episode there is this cringy moment with a solider being stopped by an old woman asking about her son for his response to be him titling his head downward and another solider handing her the severed arm of what is pressured the only remanence of her son before she then begins screaming at the sudden truth. Comedy gold. In fact the entire first episode could be broken down to it just trying to make the audience feel bad for everyone and watch people suffer. The first several episodes feel this way, and although by the halfway mark you are finally seeing a bit of hope for everyone, it can be a bit of a challenge to appreciate if you want something that isn’t just seeing everyone die and get sad.

Like I mentioned briefly on the comedic value of the titans, some of which contort in certain motions that you can’t help but imagine the producers were told to “make these titans funny.” There is not enough time allocated to the military training like I would have liked. We only get a few episodes and not enough of that time in those few is given to strengthen the relationships with every character, including some of the side characters, yet there are close to 10 episodes to just a single titan outbreak. It all just gives off this uneven feeling.

Without getting into spoilers, there’s a really confusing and stupid moment in the show’s logic, and a first clear example of plot armor with Erin halfway into the show that involves a cannon. The decisions made by certain background characters and the ass-pull reveal of a secret in response to those characters is still one of the more confusing moments in the series and not at all something that’s properly addressed from my understanding even as the series slowly peels back more information on the titans and their power. You’ll notice the show does this a lot where it’ll introduce an element and not answer it until a season or two or three later. At the time it was frustrating not knowing why a big event or action took place for it not to be answered by the end of the season, but that’s how they decided to pace the show.

Anything I have to complement about this season is outdone by future seasons. This first season of AoT sets the foundation and lays it out way enough for the greater structure that this series would end up being. I think after this season you’ll know whether or not if you wish to continue watching and if this show seems to pack that punch you were looking for. I can assure you that there are better seasons, so even someone who was not impressed with this season ended up glued to the rest for the show by the second season. It’s a hysterical first season but if you can get over the hump then you’ll probably find something out of it as more secrets unfold and the story can actually begin.

We all have that anime that struck gold with us upon first viewing just as we were burrowing downward towards a rabbit hole. We also may have that same anime, once an absolute favorite, fall out of favor over time. It should be more than assumed that Suzuka was that for me. The show hasn’t entirely fallen out of favor for me over the past 7 years or so, but I wouldn’t quite again refer a friend to watch this either.

But there was a time where I was referring my friends to watch this. Asking that they sit down and watch a few episodes with ... me since there was nothing else I could provide us to rid of boredom. I sold this show as being a smarter romance, sports anime than its contemporaries. I not only gaslit those friends into thinking they were about to watch something like Haikyuu, before that show was even adapted, but I was also blinded myself.

Suzuka was shown to me at a time I was new to anime. I was ignorant to the medium and the what to expect other than what I knew from watching Toonami, Adult Swim, and the stigmas that trailed along from it all. I wasn’t against anime and manga, but I didn’t quite consider myself “all in” with it either. I had friends show me stuff before. Friends who were apart of the casual Ghibli guild and friends inside the cult fo cosplay; I had a myriad of sources showing off the best anime had to offer at the time. It wasn’t until around Suzuka, however, that it all started to click with me.

I must also deflate that last sentence and say Suzuka wasn’t what won me over, nor would I credit it being a major factor in why I felt that infectious otaku sensation, but shows like Welcome to the NHK, Beyond the Boundary, Neon Genesis, and funnily enough Sword Art Online. Suzuka did however provide a deeper connection with me as it felt so removed and separate from the anime I was watching. It was the first slice of life, sports, and romance anime I watched plenty of and inevitably became enchanted with its simplicity and interlaced drama. I was stricken with the mundanity of our character’s lives, that of Yamato and Suzuka, and the pitfalls they fell into for the hedgehog delima they share.

I feel like nobody, that once knew it, remembers this show. Perhaps that’s because there truly are much better shows out there that have a wider appeal and aesthetic to themselves, but I can say for myself this show was presented to me with a coat of paint that didn’t match the accents. What I mean is: Suzuka is not a sports anime and it’s certainly not a romance anime either. Like shows, outside of OG Gundam, that are labeled mecha, the mechs involved in the script are used to enhance said script. They are used as props to elevate the key themes and overall plot for the essential characters’ stories. The narrative is essentially the same but with big-ass robots fighting each other being a metaphor for the duality of mankind’s love of life, or whatever. Suzuka does this with sports. Yamato’s love language to Suzuka is his ability to run really fast, but, again, this isn’t a romance (at least not in the way I feel other shows are handled).

No matter how smooth Yamato can spin dash into Suzuka’s rear view as she pole vaults over the emerald hills, he will never exceed past her blind spots (the sports in which they play at their high school making up only a small fraction of the overall show). This isn’t a spoiler, and I’m only generalizing, but this is a dramatic take of teenage relationships between two friends that, at first, can’t seem to connect. This show is certainly no subversion either for it definitely has its tropes and well handled elements to those tropes, but the show get so different to everything I had watched previously, in a time when I wasn’t as hyper aware of anime and during a time when I felt most vulnerable too and was able to self insert so easily, even making the same dumb decisions Yamato found himself in.

And Yamato isn’t even dumb. That’s one of the best parts. Even today I genuinely believe both Suzuka and Yamato behave like realistic teenagers and not like complete idiots. Macross comes to mind in terms of a well handled relationship between two characters and in Suzuka our two main characters are tasked to make mature decisions and even tackle deep, tragic topics and handle them well without the writing completely taking dump over any of it for a punchline. I still enjoy both of their characters too and like how things end up so patiently and methodical by the end of the show. I think Suzuka deserves just a little more credit is telling a cute story that involves teenagers in a drama (and that’s not teenage drama that I’m referring to either).

Suzuka though does stumble about a lot. It’s art is boring to look at and has no real identity to its style and aesthetic. When Suzuka was brought to my attention, I was told the animation and art where really good, but none of it really is. It’s mediocre at best. I don’t quite see how this 26 episode show wasn’t allowed a larger budget but that’s not up to me I suppose. The music is rather boring and despite a single tune, I found nothing of note about this show having a good soundtrack with some tracks overstaying their welcome and other times being awkward, dead silence. But it’s not just that.

Suzuka has some of the more boring and annoying characters I’ve laid witness to. The first episode introduces us to an egregious scene where Yamato is caught off guard by a sexual deviant senpai who surprises him by unrealistically teasing him as she is naked with her giant tits hanging out. Pure comedy. Stuff similar to this happens a few other times but aside from those the show is inoffensive. Yamato’s chad friend evens him out and at least serves a simple purpose to show Yamato’s maturity and contrast is well enough but he quickly gets lost in the background to make room for the most unremarkable and unnecessary love interest just to create further tension and therefore extending the love triangle between Yamato, Suzuka, and Suzuka picture frame into an actual love triangle with Yamato, Suzuka, and this home wrecker. I don’t think anyone shipped those two and nobody who watched this whole show came out of the other end thinking it was a good idea in the first place either.

Without getting on that tangent, I do wish to express the relationships between Yamato and the others all conclude... with satisfaction, in my opinion. I don’t want to sell Suzuka as a romance anime because if you’ve watched good romance anime you’d probably say “this just ain’t it,” but I dig it. I like Suzuka as for the love that the characters ultimately have for each other. I fully admit that I’m still insufferably defensive to a degree with this show and would rather fail to properly commit to the idea that this show is anything less than a 6. But it’s also not a 7. But I do like this, and I think if provoked about this show again, I’ll recommend it once more.

Whenever I read one of Natsume Ono’s works I can help but feel compelled enough to write a review each time I finish one of them. La Quinta Camera appears to be the work that got her off the ground as a web comic before becoming a single volume manga itself. Before reading this I had already became enamored with her other manga Not Simple and Danza, both of which share similar themes this entry in terms of international travel, meeting strangers, food, coffee, and enjoying the simple pleasures of life, among other themes. I knew I was going to like this after the first ... chapter.

The premise of four middle aged men living in a place together who take in students coming abroad. It’s a very homey feeling and you gather a sense of coziness and warmth from their interactions and familial spirits. Each character has a distinct personality that becomes evident real quick within the first few pages each one is introduced. Watching them interact returns past memories of me and my friends, or even a collective of family members, interact in an evening. As the manga goes on you see how much their living situation changes and how friendships were even formed in the first place. There is simply a lot of change happening over the course of this one volume manga.

The art is pretty standard, or would be standard, as this was one of the first, if not the first, Ono worked on at the start of her career in 2003. The minimalist artwork achieves wonders for each panel and really emphasize that this setting and the characters feel much different than any other manga that is set in Japan and features an entire cast of Japanese people. You naturally believe this is set in Italy and the stylized drawing truly illustrate this.

The story, as I’ve went on about, is a nice one at that, but I wish it was only longer. I would have enjoyed so much if these characters and their lives were spread out along a few more volumes. This way I could grow even further attached to each one of them and had more opportunities to explore their lives. I don’t know if the webcomic happens to be longer, shorter, or completely different from this published material, but it begs the question of this story could have been milked a little more. I joke “milk” because the pace of LQC is already lovely enough as is... I just could have used more of it all and more time alone with the different characters and their time together. I wish I could have felt lived in with them. Give me more episodic moments with them all!

I cannot praise Ono’s work enough. My biggest critique for a great piece is, as cliche as it always seems to occur, is that there wasn’t enough of it. With that as LQC’s single big connotation, I see no real reason why more people are not giving this one a try. If you can gather a good ol’ time with any one of Ono’s other projects, anime or manga, then you should attempt the joy of LQC and all of its comfy life stored inside.

LeShaun Thomas’s Yasuke truly has exposed the worst in the anime community. Judging by reviews, tweets, and comments relating to Yasuke, hundreds have decided to come out from the woodworks and reveal how uncomfortable they are with a mainstream anime depicting a real historical figure. If you are one of those who confuse a samurai who also happens to be a person of color as being left-wing or SJW propaganda then that should say more about your biases and rooted racism. You can certainly point out the politics of Yasuke but attempting to equate the politics and culture of 16th century Japan to that of ... 21st century America, you will find it a little uneven.

Being a black man throughout nearly all of human history, even of Japan, you will notice there will be relatively infinite amounts of bigotry they are exposed to. Japan today is no different; being a culture in a post-WWII, modern world, Japan transformed into an Americanized democratic society, maintaining most of our traits, media, and habits, they never went through a civil rights movement. They never had the historical context of hundreds of thousands of black slaves that eventually became free and made the most of what they could to start from scratch. The racial undertones the were carried over from the musk of American whiteness, were left seeded and sprouting in the 1950s. Black people are not handled in the same way white people and Asian people are delicately portrayed in media. It’s why 9.5/10 you will see a token black character with very dark skin, comically thick lips, or a single ebonic trait (rapping, portrayed as a “thug” etc.) as their personality or even straight up white washed, having little semblance to someone that is black aside from their skin tone. Sometimes even this is turned up a notch further with characters like Casca from Berserk having their skin lightened to appear more white, whether that was a deliberate decision or not. Either way, Japan, as a whole, doesn’t have the same keenness to appropriate black portrayals nor have the same concerns as those over in the West that very well deal with serious and real issues even to this day.

To talk further on the show itself, like Afro Samurai, another show about a Samurai and with less than 10 episodes to its name, this show leans heavily into fiction than staying on track to being a more “realistic” adaptation inspired by real events. Many people that took issue to that show for being supernatural and less “real” for what a show about a wandering samurai was supposed to be repeat this same critique for Yasuke. I personally don’t understand what people have against a show like these two for adding robots and super powers into their samurai anime (it is anime after all) and being “unrealistic”. It sounds more like an excuse to complain and conviently, we don’t see the same critiques for when other historical samurai anime like Rurouni Kenshin and Samurai Champloo decide to throw in over the top elements to their premises. Even a historical show like Golden Kamuyi has some unrealistic elements and that hasn’t haunted its universal praise from fans. The fact that Yasuke decides to steer off the beaten path with other genres is refreshing and keeps things interesting. You’ll notice Yasuke says more about Christianity and faith than it does race. It’s an adaptation and Yasuke intended from the beginning to be this different instead of adapting straight from any high school text books (not that he is talked about in any from my understanding). Not much is truly known about of Yasuke’s life so the show going more this route makes more sense this way too. The decision to set this show apart from other jidaigeki shows in Japan and getting more creative the way they did is a decision I think everyone should be able to respect. It’s a shame to see this show already have a 6.06, at the time of this review, on MAL where a show like Redo of Healer is rated higher, with far more 10s to its name, and a horde of fans ready at the shows defense (despite their claims of SJWs complaining about the show, which there are none lol). Sigh...

The art itself is top quality. The color palettes and character designs are both unique and separate from the criticism I had from most other shows that portrayed black people. The art is very reminiscent of more western designs too, with Thomas’s input directing a more universal visual appeal, similar to that of Avatar: The Last Airbender. There is a a healthy, modest portion of stylistic decisions like how the supernatural powers take flight or the way characters fight in general. The music too is amazing. Flying Lotus is perhaps one of the greatest producers/electronic music artists of our generation and has had a hand in anime, with serval shows like that of Shinichiro Watanabe’s influencing his own work. The soundtrack compliments the show and with a show to do with a black samurai, it’s only fitting to incorporate music with black significance within the context of Flying Lotus’s own production while also sharing an experimental sound that relays the futuristic, sci-fi genre too. Not every anime fan will appreciate Fly Lo’s muse but what else would better suit Yasuke? Do y’all want another show that features the tsuzumi drum like in every other Feudal Japan show?

Yasuke isn’t deliberately political, but it still faces the inherent commentary of black history due to the groundbreaking significance the historical figure was able to achieve. As far as what I recall, Yasuke doesn’t stop to deliver a monologue on why racism is bad and you should vote for Biden in 2024. What it does do is give a voice to people of color with a character that happens to be black, that happens to be important in samurai history, and that happens to be adapted in a time a sensitive to black lives as today. No need to be insensitive and play deaf by comparing this to being SJW propaganda that’s tainted the once-pure otaku subculture. As if films like Black Panther and Captain Marvel do more harm than good by pandering to the sensitive left and Yasuke is only adding to that. It’s a shame a show like this only has 6 episodes to its name, but with what we ended up with, it made for something as exciting as a well paced anime that stretches double that length. If you disagree with me and think the show isn’t great or for you then that’s fine. Everyone has a different opinion and wish for how a show is handled, but let’s not buy into the idea that this is a show for snowflakes.

The Househusband is a fine show. Fine being the keyword. Not good, not great, not bad either. Just fine.

When I was last in my local, surviving, Barnes & Noble peeking through the manga section, as I do, I found and picked up a copy of Gokushufudou and breezed through a chapter and some random pages. It was one of the few that stood out to me that day and the single standout that remained in my line of vision. Shortly thereafter I heard an anime was coming out, and then that there was already a live-action adaption that was praised. I told myself I’d return ... to the manga someday but that I’d also watch the anime as soon as it came out.

Netflix owned the rights to the show and I had high hopes for it. I mostly anticipated that with it being licensed through Netflix that the show would actually have a lot more attention towards it than if it had been with Funimation or Hulu or something. Sadly, there were only to be 5 episodes. 5 is fine, but each episode was not even a full, typical 22-30 minute length. This meant that we were going to get what we received and whatever we watch will be gone in a snap.

Other ONA shows like Saiki K. and Aggretsuko were original broken up in shorts that were somewhere either a minute to a few each episode but when Netflix got a hold of them they banded those minute long episodes into a traditional, expected episodic length. Househusband didn’t have the luxury of providing 100 episode where each were just a minute long that could all be spread out into evenly typical lengthened episodes. It’s a shame because the source material is genuinely pretty great and what the anime offers isn’t that bad. It was just dealt a short hand, bricked with too few content.

The animation gets the most flack for it feeling too half-assed, low budget, short cutting compared to mostly any other comedy (or just any other show) out there. Rather than an adaptation of its own suit, the anime is perhaps a bit too faithful. Scenes are not rife with movement. There lacks dynamism with each cut. There lacks an intriguing shot composition that animation is capable of enhancing. We are more or less receiving the manga, just with color, sound, minimal animation being done, and the privilege of not actually having to read it yourself (if you don’t count the dialog). Putting it that way seems like a win, right? Well, except it doesn’t, because again, the show lacks its own identity by way of failing to make use of the tools the medium gives.

It’s still a fun show, and despite the criticism, I actually do not mind the animation style. Because that’s what it is: a style. A decision that was made by the director to make the most of the manga’s already rich material. It still works. I was able to get a good laugh in from time to time. I was able to still relate to our characters too. Nothing much was lost in translation. I think the people just wanted more from this show. It looked very promising and knowing how fickle and elitist some members of the otaku sphere can be, the handling of Gokushufudou was bound to pinch a nerve from a few of them.

It’s a fine show. Not something truly groundbreaking or something would have me recommending this show over its manga. I do think however that if this just had double the episodes and double the length, I’d be more than satisfied. There is more to cover from the manga and apparently we have more of this show coming our way, but in the mean time, it looks like we only have this fraction of the manga and, of course, the manga itself. Read the manga. You’ll find yourself less disappointed in it if you found yourself underwhelmed by the anime.

The 90s OVA laid claim to some of the wackiest, experimental shows the anime industry had release thus far. This period wasn’t quite as sensational and over the top as the wild West of the 80s, and although much of the OVA market at this point was made up by industry veterans and they were the ones deciding to throw ideas to the wall and see what sticks, the OVA shorts affected by the economic decline still had some hidden gems not often discussed in most modern otaku internet threads. Normally, if it was an anime original, under appreciated manga, light novel, or even literary ... adaptation it would be made as an OVA. One such example is Dragon Half.

Dragon Half was once meant to be a four episode OVA but then, ironically taken the title literal, and halved the planning into two episodes instead. This was unfortunately another incident related to budget and interest from the higher ups. Despite the concern of adapting a couple arcs of this show into two episodes (even after the knowledge in assumed issues that come from only having four episodes originally), they made it work. These episodes are not anything extraordinary in terms of a suspended payoff you could only get from a story set in the span of 12 or 24 episodes, but they are simple fun and enough to care about the characters. Out of the OVAs I’ve watched from this decade, this one is a personal favorite of mine.

Comedy is the key component of this show. Part of the enjoyment of Dragon Half stems from recognizing the RPG parodies and overall nonchalant take on being a teenage girl who is half dragon and the pressures that come from it. Mink is that girl. She is the daughter of a dragon mother and human father. She’s a fangirl over her celebrity crush Duck Saucer, a pop star who also happens to slay dragons, something Mink happens to be. To combat this she wishes to turn into a human to remove this conflict form ever taking place before she meets and marries him, hopefully. Some hijinx occur from this and it becomes more of an ill fated romance (maybe quite literally), but this isn’t a shock or deal breaker for Mink as she kind of expects it. She’s also very aloof and stubborn which certainly seemed to add a mental block between that problem.

If you thought Dragon Maid was the start of cute dragon-humans trying to fit in with society, realize Dragon Half was the precursor to that. This show was no short of ecchi moments, and although comedy governs most of the writing, never did those lewder moments feel like I was being pandered to. The funnies came first here people. In fact, I’d even argue those moments were done more tastefully and at “earned” checkpoints of the show. It’s just a nice bonus to those who enjoyed what they were laughing at and hope to check out the manga after these episodes.

You can find these two episodes on YouTube and will be the first to pop up too. If I were you, do what I did and knock these two episodes out of the way and log in the progress made on here. The parodies, the chibis, the RPG elements turned inside out, they’re all there! I haven’t looked into the manga yet, but if it’s anything like this then I’m sure I’d enjoy it. Kind of frustrating when you remember there was a lack of an interest during the pre-planning of Dragon Half’s production. It’s a cute comfy sort of show and although its on the short side, has good art but nothing that standouts out too far from the crop, and has a lack of progressive story that isn’t rushed, you’ll still find plenty to love about the show and not even bother with much of the downsides because you’ll be far too enamored with Mink and her friends to even worry about it all. It’s a show that’s a mix between Dragon Maid and Mahoujin Guruguru but only two episodes, and if that doesn’t sell it for you, then maybe check out those awesome shows too and come back, then you’ll know what I mean.

As I sat back on my twin size bunk in my cold dormitory one late fall night, I decided to download the Crunchyroll app and pop in some headphones to look for a cozy show to watch. One I never heard of and hopefully had snow. I was looking at the shows that were out during that current season of anime and saw Yuri!!! on Ice. It looked crisp, like an overlay of ice, and cool, like the winter wind, and decided to give it a shot.

Glued into my phone screen, the first few seconds I heard piano keys and witnessed the visual of ... a man ice skating inside a dark warehouse with only the moonlight pouring through the windows. That only felt cinematic but then the OP began and gave me intense goosebumps that shivered my shoulders for the next 30 or 60 seconds after it had finished. The art design was simple yet effective in evoking the beauty of its subjects. I think I’ll summarize the rest of my first impression as breathtaking. Easily, my favorite pilot episode to a show ever. Sayo Yamamoto is an industry veteran and is known for her story boarding work and animations direction. She is also known for her work on the Persona 5 opening animations, plainly seen when the characters are skating in the center of an interstate. She has a background in ballet/figure skating and it shows through this as the creator and director. And what was something many of us wanted since Free!, the show doesn’t hold back (okay maybe a little) in terms of the boy x boy love.

Yuru!!! on Ice manages to rock the senses with stellar animation, fragrant sound, and a rich art design with colors that pop and backgrounds that could make for great wallpapers for your PC. It had been awhile at that point that I heard an OP and ED that both were intensely infectious. The aesthetics of the show were spot on at all points. The card blocks, that space between two halves of an episode, show a meal, snack, or drink and then switches to a shot of the items after having been consumed and for whatever reason, that was always a mood. The pictures for those mid-episode blocks were always top caliber art that left me hungry after each episode. The usage of cellphones, fireworks, social media, food, music, dance, and fashion seemed to be key proponents to the show’s magnificence and I enjoyed every bit of it all. I wish more shows utilized most of those things, if not all of them.

The concept that this show is about the love between two individuals and their art, with figuring skating used as a vehicle to deliver their messages of love to one another and that’s honestly what I’m so here for. Figure skating is the sport of choice for this anime and like most other brilliant shows that use a genre a ride to pursue the true conflict (Evangelion comes to mind). However, with only 12 episodes, a large cast of side characters, and a tournament arc of Olympic figure skating, there’s a lot getting shoved into each episode and that includes the skating. If you’re wanting a sports anime that doesn’t prioritize too much screen time for its sport then this isn’t the show.

Despite the engaging slice of life, drama, comedy, and sexual tension this show offers in the first three or four episodes, the show quickly leans more into the sports side of things and gives us less time shared with these elements outside the rink. You do see plenty of this in the rink, as well as some portions outside of it, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge a lot of fans of the show enjoyed seeing our main characters Yuuri and Victor and of course Yuri(o) interact in close proximity to each other back in Yuri’s hometown before the big games kicked off. Even with all the skating taking up our screens, this does give us more time with its eye catching animation, something that should be impressive for a show of this size and given the amazing pilot episode you’d imagine Yuri!!! on Ice has loads more in the back waiting to be shed on our screens. Well, I’d like to say this is the case, it’s sadly not quite that. It’s why some people, including me, have some gripes with all the skating.

The animation. Once heralded as one of, if not, the best animation of the start of the fall season of anime that year, the show would later be touted as having noticeable cut backs with reused animation in episode after episode. Those “amazing skating scenes” (not to be confused with what we saw from the first episode), where around a minute of time is dedicated to a character skating with odd proportions over top weird dimensions and what look like rotoscoped movements, are reused over and over including when the slip and fall which just end up looking comedic in tone after the first couple of shots.

Other reused animations include when Yuuri’s ballet instructor greets his arrive back to Japan. You see this used at least two more times. It was a cool bit of animation, don’t get me wrong, but did something so specific as her twirling with a leg kicked back and rolling out a sign from her extended arm span did not need to be repeated to me. It was something as seemingly inconsequential as that which distracted my viewing experience. I was already surprised at first in the decline of animation and artwork of characters after the first few episodes and I chocked up the reason for reusing the same skating animations because the characters would have to skate those same dances multiple times throughout the tournament. I think it would have helped reawaken the show’s appeal to others if they didn’t show Yuuri do the same dance over and over again and maybe could have gotten away with reused animation, by first time viewers (who were watching it as it was airing at least), if the usage was spaced out between a few episodes or so. Yamamoto deciding to do it the way she did was somewhat important as it was important in displaying Yuuri’s love for Victor and showing his improvement as a pro. I think a change in shots and angles could have made it more interesting to look at and hid the moments of fleeting animation.

More on the characters and their animation, I should give credit that there were slight differences in expressions and slight nuances in Yuuri’s attitude depending on his relationship with Victor and how it was affecting him personally, but they were either not too noticeable or not enough to distract from the rest of the recycled animation we have already sat through. Yurio and Victor now sport a calloc in their fringe. This fact makes it that they always sport bangs infringe of their face at all times, covering one of their eyes, and will never be able to sweep it out of their faces. It’s unfortunate because I genuinely get more attached to them both when I could see both of their eyes, at least a little bit. Also a common thing most shows in dire need of animation cutbacks is to give characters constant goofy reactionary faces. Victor does this a lot and he feels less of real character and more of a chibi animal-like sidekick for comic relief (think Chestnut/Onion Puck from Berserk). I also wish to throw in that even the first episode had some confusing bits of animation. When Yuuri returns home he is see to be chubby. Even after he shed his layers of winter gear he looked overweight for a professional figure skater. Halfway into the episode we see him doing some exercises and then attempts a famous piece made popular by Victor, his idol at the time. During this sequence, the art and animation miss no beats but when his school crush’s husband sneaks up and unsheathed his tucked shirt, we see he is still chubby. Sure it’s mostly for comedic effect and to make for a more pleasant perception of him while he’s skating but it’s a confusing moment shared by me and everyone else I’ve shown this episode to.

Another problem I had, in regards to the direction the show went, was the decision to cease close interactions between Yuuri and Yurio. A few interactions peak through here and there, but Yurio takes an unfortunate backseat despite quickly becoming a fan favorite. It makes sense logically for why they wouldn’t have any further interactions as the tournament went on but it’s upsetting when we had those moments at the beginning of the show and nothing else further after the fact. That’s more so a nitpick for me but I’m well aware plenty others felt this same sentiment when the show was finishing up.

I do think the side characters are great. Not many of them receive enough screen time and ultimately feel like some sort of reverse harem by the time the tournament progresses in which case they’re just a hodgepodge of color and smiles, but it’s still great seeing them. I don’t think we really needed to see any more than what we did, especially given that this show was always going to be 12 episodes (still hoping for a season two 😬😅🥲🤞🤞🤞). They’re all cute in their own different ways and some of them even have minor conflicts within themselves. One dude is in love with his sister and it’s not very subtle at all. Make of that what you will, but it’s a comedic element found in a lot of anime that still hasn’t hit the dot for me. The music each character has to their dance is also great hearing. I loved the influences and different styles of each track fo choice.

I do wish we got to see more of Yuuri’s at home life. I have to harp on this a little more because I do think this could have been a great opportunity to see how his family and friends notice his change in confidence and ability face to face and leave this for an episode of its own. I wish we could have seen more interactions with Yuuri and his school crush who is now a mother of triplets thanks to his childhood bully/chad-man that always picked on him. All we got was a glimpse and then nothing more. Whenever we, the audience, are introduced to a new character via Yuuri’s POV, we are also introduced to another character or two or so. It gets a bit overwhelming and you lose sight in the possibilities of how Yuuri could have awkwardly ran some mental gymnastics around a conversation with his former(?) crush. This isn’t to say I don’t enjoy those characters and their existence to the large life Yuuri shares with everyone, but its lukewarm in effort most of the time.

Controversially, the first couple times I watched this show, I didn’t think the romance between Yuuri and Victor was a romantic one. Without jumping into spoilers, I was left feeling unsatisfied with how ambiguous this show played certain moments off, like the moment Victor jumps on to Yuuri after a match (you know the one), and at other times when the were not being very subtle, like Victor’s gift to Yuuri (you know the one) neither end of the spectrum did I assume they were anything more than partners to a team — a manager and apprentice. I believe this is just a measure of interpretation to take the shipping/(shipment?) of these two and assume it’s canon. I didn’t think a relationship with such a big power dynamic as well as the age gap allowed a relationship between the two. Plus, with the Internet memeing on how the show should be called Yaoi!!! on Ice and that a show about figure skating where nearly every character is a dude is obviously going to be gay, I may have done too much to interpret the show differently. However, I don’t exactly interpret their interactions as I did before, I still have a bit of hesitation in fully adding stock to the shipping of them too, due to lack of commitment in making these two an undisputed couple. If they ever made a second season, this would need to be a priority.

I think I’ve made my point that the show has some revealed flaws and although they are hard to ignore, I still love this show. It’s not a challenge to get caught up on the worst aspects of a show, but considering its themes, aesthetics, cute moments, and great characters I couldn’t help but give it the rating I did. It’s a show I think many of us will find cozy and great background material to casually watch with your pets or a good friend. It was able to scratch that cold itch I had back then and even today I still find that feeling lingering on me somewhere. Despite all of my criticism, believe me, if I want you to take away anything it’s that this show is awesome and I like it enough to rant about everything that kept it from being a 10/10.

The term “Pokemon clone” gets thrown around a lot with late 90s and early 00s anime. Digimon has perhaps the most defense against that claim, with plenty diehard fans campaigning for it not only being so different than Pokemon it has an identity entirely of its own but it’s even better than it. Monster Rancher however seemingly receives the most criticism for being a “clone” of Pokemon.

Virtual pets were a big phenomenon of the 90s like Tamagotchi, you can even tack on stuffed animals like Furrbies and Beanie Babies, and Pokemon was merely a subject of this growing trend. Other shows and video games ... arrived quickly thereafter like Digimon and Monster Rancher but unfortunately were both, among others, were met with children comparing them to Pokemon and its similarities, not so much their differences. I mentioned before Digimon was able to standout among the rest as at least being a “better” anime by having a different evolution premise, one where the digital monsters could transform to and from their more advanced and stronger selves as well as also having a less than episodic chain of episodes that told a more linear story with arguably more intense (not necessarily dark) themes than Pokemon typically attempted. I also mentioned that Monster Rancher took a brunt of criticism for being too same-y to Pokemon and from the outside looking in the concept had very little going for it whereas the essentially all of its positives (traveling monster companies, the art of collecting said monsters, the ultimate journey etc.) were done far better by its contemporaries.

I don’t support this somewhat popular claim. I think it’s safe to argue that Monster Rancher was likely the show sitting in third place in terms of overall quality and staying power. Pokemon and Digimon are still going stronger in the anime industry whereas Monster Rancher is more so remembered for being a mark of the 90s trend. I think nostalgia plays a part into me even seeking out this show, but I’d argue nostalgia didn’t play a big role at all in even determining my final score. I would argue this show out of the three has the better plot and has my favorite art style too. It may not have as unique of a concept as Pokemon, but the idea of someone finding monsters through taking CDs, whether they be movies, games, or music, and inserting them into your PlayStation console to unearth a new monster to add to your farm was lowkey innovative and something that surprisingly didn’t catch on as well as it could have. I personally haven’t played the video games but from play throughs I’ve watched seem fun enough and something I would have enjoyed plenty as a kid.

When people say “Pokemon clone” they never focus on the differences or lack thereof, typically pointing out a lack of such thing if anything, but even using the term writes off all of the merit it has going for it. If we are just looking at the show, there are virtually no commonalities. Try watching both shows and notice how less similarities there are the further you go through this show. It’s as if there can actually be a show about humans with monster buddies that go on a journey and not be Pokemon. Allow me to further harp on this by going over my synopsis and review.

In one of the earliest examples of an isekai that involves a gamer dropping into a video game world, Genki is a professional Monster Rancher player from Japan who gets warped into the video game itself, inside its own universe, while not subject to that games button mechanics — everything feels real and is a living and breathing world with its own, similar set of laws and physics. This isn’t the same fun-filled video game franchise as Genki knew, it’s a wicked land overrun with demonic creatures and critters who are either being governed or doing the governing themselves under the leadership of the evil Muu. You have your rag-tag group of misfit warriors who gradually assemble as Genki’s journey continues and the stops along the way are met with strife and lay witness to unfortunate stakes.

At one point, a tragic death occurs to that episode’s introduced side character. When a monster “dies” they are turned into a stoned disc clasped in an uprooted entanglement where they are forever sealed away. When I saw this, I nearly geared up, and knew this show was going to make me feel a different way than what I was expecting from critics like YouTuber Billiam who said they couldn’t even finish the show. Now, that monster can be reborn new but the circumstances of nearly impossible and hard to sneak due to the tyrannical ruling the citizens of the land are under. This is as close to Pokémon’s “gotta catch’em all” moniker as it gets, and that’s not even what Genki is trying to do. He’s simply trying to safe the monster world and free himself and return home.

Each of the characters are lovable in their own ways and although each of their designs are more simple than the next, they are distinctly Monster Rancher enough to not be confused with a Pokemon. Looking at the monsters of the main cast and going off of their Japanese names now, Suezo is the icon of the show. Not as memorable or likable of a design as a pikachu, Seuzo represents the design philosophy of the franchise: simple enough to find likable and ideal enough to portray a monster. Suezo, being more or less a walking eyeball with a mouth and rounded yellow eyelid with a protruding tail-like limb, is a wisecracking, impatient, and loud-mouthed member of the crew who provides plenty of comic relief and is enough of a character as a whole for me to like the show and care for the rest of the cast in their journey. Other characters like Ham and Golem are lovable in their own rights but not the most compelling design wise. The former being a literal tall, bipedal rabbit and the latter being, well, a Golem. Rygar and Mochi are both enough to fit that design philosophy I brought up.

Pokemon and Digimon both had monsters that you would look at their designs first and then decide from their appearances and move sets how cool they were. This isn’t really the case for Monster Rancher who admittly have the least appealing designs with no real evolutions, using fusions as the mechanic, and most species of monster being unique through their colors. Example being Suezo being yellow normally but other types being those with a red eye and black skin. Collectively: It’s mostly their personalities and their interactions together that’ll win you over and something that the video games unfortunately lack, at least from my understanding. So if the anime isn’t attributing to your knowledge of the monster personalities, since the designs mostly don’t have much personality to them already, then you’re missing a portion of their canon nature. But that’s neither here nor there and more so a comment on the cross between media and what translates other easily or not.

The animation itself is also pretty good. A show like this, for its time could have been given less to work with but it’s arguably better than most shows out at this point, particularly those shows that extended past multiple seasons in the year. I would not go as far as saying the show looks as good as Pokemon or Digimon did back in the day, but the action and drama always translated well between the cells and met Pokemon and Digimon in its consistency.

The music was fine. Just fine. I watched this show dubbed so I wouldn’t know if this show’s “monster rap” exists subbed if at all, but the “unlock your disc” rap track is certainly where the line is no longer blurred in Monster Rancher attempting to capture the same success as the Pokemon anime and their respective “Pokemon Rap” that so many people can still recite to this day. The beat is basic, the production makes it sound like it’s more of a rock track than it is a hip hop one, and the rapper sounds off flow at some moments just so they can fit in different monster names and info about them. Nothing about it is worth reciting except to mock the repeated phrase “unlock your disc,” as if it were being said by someone with a shit-eating grin as they push up their glasses. Sound overall though is pretty good. It’s average but pretty competent. The background music was varied and proportionate to the settings and situations.

If you were one of those who wrote this show off and just thought of it as a “Pokemon clone” or just a boring kids show, you’ll be pleasantly surprised in all the REAL situations the characters have to endure and the cycle of life, death, morality, and other such difficulties we may go through. There are some genuinely cliffhangers and plot twists that you’ll come across both this and its just as good sequel season. Muu is scary as all hell and looks like he could be from Devilman or an 80s-90s OVA like Urotsukidouji. Despite its lower score on MAL, consider giving this one a shot if you’re bored, have Hulu or even YouTube (there’s a couple playlists with every episode last time I checked, as of this writing) and want to watch something that’s somewhat longer than your average seasonal show while still under 100 total episodes, has that oh-so gorgeous 90s aesthetic, and, sure, is close to feeling like Pokemon without actually being Pokemon.

Elfen Lied will likely go down as one of the most infamous anime since the computer shift in animation at the turn of the century as well as one of the most talked about anime to come from the 2000s. I can genuinely see why this show can be enjoyable to others and possibly even a favorite. Elfen Lied has going for it a specific presence that not many anime share. Logging on to 4chan and entering /a/ will reference a gif or screenshot of some infamous moment from the show. There are no shortages of fans new or old to point towards specific moments ... that left them drop-jawed and their eyes cobwebbed to their screens as they were paralyzed with horror and awe. Easily, this show is one of the most polarizing shows everyone needs to watch... At least the first episode.

As much praise I gave Elfen Lied when setting up the foundation of my thoughts for it, there isn’t a whole lot of density to it. It’s “gore-nography” to put it best. Every otaku edgelord in their teen years eventually comes across the desire within themselves to witness some truly vile things in their anime. Like, the kind of stuff that Hero Aca. can’t provide, but something Wicked City probably could. They want to find unfiltered violence, something that’s unapologetic, and gives into the untapped pleasure sensors of power fantasy never explored in most mainstream shows. Elfen Lied is that and it really feels like it’s going for the gut.

The OP should be a indicator of what you’ll be getting yourself into, but with purpose to throw the viewer off. Lilium, the OP famous for its holy aesthetics, angel music, and evoking a requiem disguised as an elegy. You’re meant to know this is a serious show and something of a great importance as if it were calling to God. Not even Death Note or Full Metal Alchemist had an OP similar to this tone.

What really throws this show into a blunder is the kind of show it is. Like I mentioned earlier, this is gory; it’s a murder circus all the way through. The first episode is dedicated mostly to the horrify image of a naked tiny alien girl, Lucy, with psychic powers and using those powers to stiffly float slowly through the corridors of an underground, government testing facility/isolated prison and slaying each and every prison guard one by one. Giving special attention to the younger female operative with slicing their head clean off. It’s quite a way to begin a show. Already you’re puzzled as to what you’re watching, you suddenly get these goosebumps as the OP replays in your head as the action continues, and you cringe with popcorn in hand as you let out an uncomfortable excitement that you can’t explain.

But in all honesty, as interesting as the beginning is, it’s almost comical. In fact I couldn’t help but laugh at some moments. Like, how the creators of this clearly wanted you to feel sorry for the pathetic security and wince as the run-of-the-mill waifu-bait dies helplessly as if this was something out of Mars of Destruction — which is what this shows feels like half the time. It also takes me out of the moment when all these no name characters are dying one by one in animated ways and it’s all to evoke some type of recoil from me and all I’m getting is a simple, “alright.” Maybe I would have enjoyed the first episode a bit more if I was 14 and never watched Ninja Scroll or Akira or something, but it’s hollow nonetheless.

If you enjoyed all of that and hope there’s plenty more, well sorry because that’s not quite the case, Jack. Most of the show is dedicated to quite moments of the rest of our main cast, Kouta, Yuka, and a litter of loli bait. You’ll find most of the show involves pointless and boring scenes of Lucy and the rest of the cast, with some that contain some of the awkwardest of panty shots, cousin lovin’, and pissing.

Not to be interpreted as kink shamming but this show appeals mostly towards those who fetishize gore and death, diaper play (daddy-dom and daughter-sub), pee, cat girls, and lolis. It’s a show that looks like a trashy visual novel and with all the characters having large rounded eyes and the most empty of faces supposedly expressing joy, the underlying tone of show preys on that and appeals to emotions of that and plays against it. You’re meant to lose hope and enter despair when watching this. Cute anime girls are often there to represent purity and for Lucy or a government agent or somebody to take that away from this universe shows Elfen Lied governs intense sensational destruction than actual depth in its writing for good, strong storytelling.

I honestly can see how someone can enjoy a show like this, but I don’t like it and I don’t think the show offers a lot in the long run but a few memories of lolis dying and pissing themselves as well as a cute puppy being thrown off a bridge because, y’know, that needed to happen to make us more emotionally churned. I think from a musical perspective you can get something out of it. The title of the show translates as “Elves’ Song” and along with the angelic music paints this show in a more credible light, if we are going to give it some unjustly credit. The art had me feeling drained of all my happiness from just staring at the art, even from its time it was overall under par , and the animation, like I said, resembles a poorly made visual novel due to its uneven animations. It’s a show with a hollow body and a forgettable plot. Only reason I see most people wanting to check it out is to watch a bunch of randies die and connect context to the dog that drowned in that one clip someone shared on Facebook.

Yep. It’s pretty bad.

Danza is a collection of short stories that is bound to follow a familiar road, for the reader, in at least one of these. I was able to connect with multiple moments between chapters in Danza and take away portions of my own life from them. I think most of those who take the time to read this will think so too about themselves and their loved ones.

I’ll give a brief thought or two or so for each story written to allow proper context for each take:

Rubber Boots: A solid first impression for Danza’s assortment of stories. It’s a very quite chapter with fragrant ... visuals. The shot compositions were nice and I love the atmosphere of much of the settings. It’s a cute story between family members, boots, and wine. For sure my 2nd most favorite.

Memories of the Lake: I think this one is the longest of the chapters. Time travel is a component of this one but it’s not super significant in the fact that it distracts the overall message, unlike most time travel shows/films which give it such an overly inflated amount of screen time and just complicate the concept in general. This one is as tragic as it is wholesome and makes me want to go fishing again with my grandpa. Human relationships, particularly focusing on father and son (and grandson), is again a key ingredient in the plot as was the last one but this one comes off more so as an urgency in the delicate of ways. I think the fact the story chooses to focus on the portion of the moments shared with the characters and then jumps straight forward to the present and conclusion of everyone involved was well handled and makes me feel evermore present in the moments that were shared in the past, like as our characters were experiencing together then, which is the whole point. Easily my favorite of the bunch.

Diorama: Another cute-ish take on father and son relationships. Ono doesn’t let up on her international interests in culture and representation, making sure to give German-Americans some love too. It’s a more cynical take at first, with a stubborn, traditional dad making the center figure of this chapter but is still as wholesome as the rest. It’s resolution is thankfully a lot happier than the last too. It gets a solid 3rd place.

The Gelateria and the Carabineri: This one is the shortest, and was a chapter that left very little of an impression on me, personally. It’s more visually interesting with the crowds and sugary treats in people’s hands, but not still that interesting, if that makes sense. It’s not the worst chapter either, It’s just too short and ended so suddenly. With that said, It’s the 2nd to least favorite chapter.

Smoke: This was the least interesting. It felt like I should have been more invested in the characters here. Despite having two characters trapped in a small space together, after an earthquake collapses a building they’re in, and exchange dialogue back and forth, I couldn’t find the time to actually care about what was going on between them as I was with the other characters in Danza, up to that point. It is probably to do with the lack of good setting and the comical angst emitting off of both characters. The fact we see one of the characters with their back turned and walking away from the shot with their cigarette’s smoke fogging the scene as it fumes is an admittedly corny shot to end on. Least favorite of the bunch. Nothing offensive and laughable but just OK.

Partners: Unfortunately the two chapters before this final one were underwhelming, and ultimately this bottom half of the collection is the weaker of the two, Partners is the best of the three. I appreciate the nervousness and sudden fixations of our main character, especially seeing that they are working with people who work in criminal cases for a living. I feel like I can pick this one a part of I took more time to study each of the individual panels. It’s a fine chapter to end on and thankfully one of the more dense ones at that. It’s my 4th favorite.

To be honest, much of the praise and criticism I have for this manga can be stretched from some of my thoughts for Not Simple, another manga created by the genius Natsume Ono. The art is overall a lot fuller with thicker lines, bolder illustrations in general, and more scenic spreads that add to the natural and international flair to her work. Where Not Simple had a story within a story and anti-chronological structuring, Danza keeps things simple and wholesome in their panels’ organic progressions. A character’s point of view leads naturally into each following frame, similarly to the rule of thumb great directors like George Lucas incorporates in his story telling in Star Wars. You will notice the thought-stricken expressions of each member in their respective tale and react alongside them. There’s not too many moments of taking the audience by surprise, given the reader plenty of sound and body to conclude the actions at place. It’s simply a nice, (not) simple read.