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If I were to describe Mo Dao Zu Shi (MDZS) in one word, it would be an anime "blockbuster". It has everything required of a grand movie: it is beautiful, funny, emotional and action-filled. But like most other blockbusters, it lacks that little something extra which makes you stop and think, reevaluate your circumstances or see things in a different light. In other words,it is in no way intellectual or educating, solely entertaining. That is why the series, in my optics, could never receive a higher score than 8. If you are, however, looking for some good entertainment, this is it. Everything MDZS does, it ... does brilliantly and it never pretends to be something it is not, therefore it is certainly worth a watch.


STORY 8/10
The story is set in, imo, a very interesting world; a fantasy world built on ancient Chinese culture. It is refreshing for once to see a fantasy without elves and princesses, where magic is called cultivation and involves talismans and flying swords. The story revolves around three cultivators, Wei WuXian (WWX), Lan WangJi and Jiang Cheng and takes place in their youth - the entire season is actually a flashback that explains the events that led to WWX becoming the evil cultivator known as the Yiling Patriach. The first episode is a bit confusing since it's the only ep that takes place in "present day", but apart from that the plot is very comprehensible, neatly paced and every episode seems relevant. (Compared to the novel they've changed some things, but that actually helps making the plot easier to understand). The season consist of different smaller arcs, where the first are used to establish the characters and their bonds. Around ep. 10 things start to get truly interesting, and I'm pretty sure everyone would feel something watching ep 12. In general the story is interesting, moves forward with loads of action and is at the same time able to introduce emotional moments.

SOUND 8/10
Sound is something I definitely had to get used to since they speak Chinese and the tone of the language is very different from Japanese. I'll confidently say it takes around 5 eps to get used to, but once I did, I really starting appreciating the fine work the VA's were doing. I especially like WWX (captures his teasing tone perfectly) and Jiang Cheng (splendid during the emotional breakdowns). The OSTs are also good, and they blend traditional Chinese music into them beautifully. I'll have to agree with others writing that they overuse music and ruin some moments a bit with it, but in general sound is good.

ART 9/10
If this is not one of the most gorgeous series you've seen in a long time, I'd like to know what you're watching. Honestly the art is breathtaking. So much that I would replay scene during the first ep just to stare at my screen as the animation unfolded. Characters are cleanly drawn, detailed and consistent. Hairstrands, clothing folds, jewellery, they pay attention to everything. The animation is fluid and the use of CGI is in general very succesful. Some of the best I've seen. There are a few scenes where the CGI looks unnatural and this drags the score down a bit. The most amazing thing is the backgrounds. They are out of this world. You could sit and look at each one for minutes, that's how pretty they are. This is a show you could watch for art alone and I don't think the quality drops throughout the show.

CHARACTER 8/10
The characters are hard to keep track of because of their identical clothing (if they're from the same sect) and their long and unfamiliar names. Probably you won't remember many side characters, so I'll stick to mains. The three are a very varied cast, their personalities completely different from each other's. Jiang Cheng is a hotheaded but good boy and definitely the more realistic of the three. He is not a hero. He gets angry for unreasonable things, he gets jealous and he has a hard time forgiving. This makes him a perfect contrast to the two others that can be described as heroes. Lan WangJi is a quiet boy that follows rules and is properly schooled. Everything he does, he does flawlessly. He seems cold, but is actually very emotional. This is why he has such a great dynamic with WWX, a mischievous trickster that likes to laze around but still manages to be good at everything (honestly I understand Jiang Cheng). WWX is also a good person that would always do the just, he just has his own way of doing things. To us modern people, he is probably the most reasonable and likeable of them. The show is also largely carried by having WWX as an MC, since he's so likeable. The side characters include a variety of personalities that compliment the mains nicely. Some of them you will grow attached too, others will leave no impression.

ENJOYMENT 8/10
I think I explained myself clearly in the introduction, but as a summary: MDZS is a series with beautiful animation and an interesting plot that is executed neatly. I would recommend it to everyone.

OVERALL 8/10
Watch it, either for the feast of the eyes or for the captivating story (or both).

Kiznaiver is supposed to be an anime that highlights the problem of the natural loneliness that all people feel and what that loneliness can turn people into. Does it manage that? In a way, yes, but that way is so unrealistic and exaggerated that nothing whatsoever can be learned from the series.

Plot: 5
In core principle, I really like the idea of Kiznaiver. Connecting people through physical pain to connect them mentally - for a world without loneliness. The idea is beautiful and one that you could play a lot with. Kiznaiver partly does that. The physical pain is first explored through a set of ... (in general) previously unacquainted teenagers. After a few episodes, as they grow closer and more familiar, this develops to an exploration of their mental pain. At some point this culminates, while a different story is presented to the viewer in pieces. An older and more mysterious story which is probably my favourite part of the series (Katsuhira's past). So okay, they have everything covered. But rather than choosing this mysterious route they laid out in the beginning, they explore through slice-of life moments of exaggerated feelings and borderline hysterical behaviour. What could have been a great sci-fi is turned into a mediocre drama. And even the mysterious past crumbles in feelings during the last episodes.

Aside from that, the episodes are rather mis-matched. The pacing is irregular and some of the episodes are so unrealistic that they don't even make sense (e.g. what Nori-chan did in the last episode). Some events seem irrelevant even if they are meant to be used for "bonding". Generally if the pace had been picked up, this series would have been a lot better.

Art: 9
This is definitely where the series excels. Gorgeous. I think that's the word for the art. Original character designs combined with a sense for detail, pleasant and detailed backgrounds, a very big focus on lighting and colours. That is what Kiznaiver's art is. Whether you like the design or not, the characters are beautifully drawn and all of them very unique. The eyes are the most detailed and spirited I've seen in a while, light reflecting from them with excellent detail. The hair - especially when moving - is also drawn very detailed, making it possible to tell individual strands apart (Nori's hair..).

Sound: 7
Sound is neither really good nor bad. The opening has a futuristic feel that fits the series well, while the ending is nothing special. Quite common for a slice of life, though a bit fast paced. The OSTs are pleasant and well-used to create certain moods. A few of them are memorable and I generally think they did a good job in making the OSTs sound a bit "spacey" to fit the show.

Characters:7
The characters are actually rather nice. They are all different from one another and make a good combination. Our main character, Katsuhira, is an odd-ball with no feelings. This may sound familiar, but they actually make him work very well and make him seem as realistic as possible. Other characters include an energetic loli, a softhearted muscle man, the usual likeable female friend, a cold and rather mean glasses girl, and a school prince. All of the characters are actually likeable, and though some are exaggerated, others are downright sensible people (Honoka and Yuta actually seem like real people). Another strong point is how much we get to know the characters, their bad points, weaknesses and their past. It makes it easier to understand their actions.

Now the reason I haven't scored characters higher is their relationships. Being together for a few weeks, these very different personalities are suddenly best friends. The things that they'd do for each other after such a short period of time are way too many. Oh and let's not foget how everyone falls in love with each other. Their deepfelt confessions made me cringe. That said, I actually like the main couple.

Overall: 6
All in all Kiznaiver ruined a very good idea. There were some enjoyable moments, but generally the series was boring and delivered weirdly. But if you like slice of life with a twist, this might be for you. Most people can enjoy the series if you put your focus on art and animation - if you're an art freak this series is not a bad choice, because the story is not downright horrible, just about decent.

Orenchi no Furo Jijou is another of those anime with annoyingly short episodes. However, this show really makes the most of it and is actually an enjoyable watch.

Story:
Near non-existent. Read the two first sentences of the summary on MAL, and you wont be surprised. At all. The story is really that simple, following the life of a teenage boy with a merman living in his bathtub. No plot twist, no anything, just the characters solving their small everyday problems. The pacing of the story is fine, introducing new characters once in a while and the show never grows boring. Still the story is poor, and ... I can't give it more than 3/10.

Art:
The art is one of this show's good points. While it is in no way great, the character design is really cute and quite unique, all the characters being quite handsome. The style fits the show well. There aren't really any changes of setting and the bathroom looks rather plain, but in episode one, 'outside' looks good, the water being sparkly in the sunset and all. The opening is quite pretty as well, even if the video doesn't really fit the show. Art gets a 7/10.

Sound:
The sound is all right. The voice-acting is quite good, the background music sounds funny and fits well. I see a lot of people complaining about the opening being dramatical and thus unfitting. And yes, it is dramatical. But that's the hilarious part! I really think they made it like that on purpose, to be ironical. Sound is ok and gets a 6.5/10.

Character:
The characters are definitely largely why anyone would watch this show. The show is very short, so we don't get really close to any of the characters, like their backgrounds, how they really feel and such, which is a shame. Still, all the characters are really funny and very original! Wakase and Tatsumi make the perfect pair of mains, Wakase's bright and cheerful personality bringing out the best in Tatsumi, who is rather dull. The side characters are funny and very different from each other, spicing the show a bit up. Characters are a 7.5/10.

Enjoyment:
I usually don't take enjoyment into account, but for such a short show, I think it's necessary, especially since it's comedy. Of course, most shows wont be able to send an important message with only about 3:30 minutes of plot (not including opening) and neither does Orenchi. However, I still really enjoyed watching it. This show is a sweet, feel-good comedy and it can definitely cheer you up! I thought it was quite hilarious and definitely a good 4-minute break. 7.5/10

Overall:
Orenchi is definitely a show aimed at girls. While it does have homosexual hints, this is not of importance. It's merely a bit of fanservice. I think anyone could watch orenchi and enjoy it, if they were looking for a short moment of hilariousness. The show scores an overall of 6/10.

Love is a lot of things. Especially for young people. Sometimes, love can make you a better person. Sometimes, being loved can make you evolve. Love changes people, for the better or the worse. Such is the simple premise of Ao Haru Ride (AHR).

Plot
The story of AHR is a classic one. Yoshioka Futaba, a normal high school girl, meets her long lost middle school crush, Kou. Neither of the two have feelings for each other any longer, but upon meeting him again, Futaba falls in love. The story is as simple as that, Futaba denying her love, yet chasing Kou all the same. ... This story is in no way original. But please, do not be fooled by the generic plot. Even without originality, AHR is classic shoujo at is best.

The pacing of AHR is, in my opinion, amazing. Of all the shoujo I have seen and read, AHR by far has the most natural development. The story, being an unoriginal slice-of-life, has a clear disadvantage in its innate dullness. The only way to really fight this is development of the plot. The faster the pacing, the less boring, right? And while this is true, too fast pacing makes a plot seem rushed and incoherent. AHR manages to move forward at exactly the right pace. The development of the characters' relationships are at all time present in such a way that you really feel that they get closer to each other with each moment, each conversation. The development seems so natural that it reminds me of myself making new friends. While the story mainly relies on the characters, small changes of setting (such as school trips, after school studying, etc.) are introduced regularly, moving the series farther from boring. The comedy as well is done at the right times, giving the series a comedic side, without spoiling the romance. All in all the dull core of the plot is handled very well and turned into a good story.

To round up about the pacing, I'd say that even the romance is well-paced. The development is smooth, more physical than you would usually see in shoujo - which is a good contrast to what is often seen in shoujo.

As in usual shoujo the side stories of the supporting characters are very important. While the stories of these are as cliched as the main one, they serve their purpose of spicing the series up well enough.

Apart from the unoriginality there are few inconsistencies in the plot, such as, for one, why it took Futaba almost a year to notice that she was in the same school as Kou.

Art
While many people praise the art, I'd say it's good, but nothing amazing. The characters are, of course, extremely handsome in a cute, natural way. However, I wont give the anime much credit for that since the drawings in the manga are a lot better. The animated design of the characters is nice, but pretty medicore, considering the animation quality of this year. I'm honestly a bit disappointed that they didn't make better use of Sakisaka Io's beautiful style.

That being said, the art is overall nice. The backgrounds are done with water colours, giving them an extra cute, innocent feelings that fits the story. The same can be said about the colours, them mainly being light and unsaturated.

Sound
The sound is really one of the good point of the series. The opening and ending are well-fitting, the opening being upbeat yet cute, the ending a slow, emotional tune. The OSTs are bordering amazing. The main theme is a cute tune, bordering melancholic with slow pacing and piano, really contributing to creating the right mood. Generally, the music is really well-used - funny tunes being played at the comedic moments, an embarrassing tune for the weirder moments. As a tip of the iceberg, they have incorporated an amazingly sad and heartwarming song (I will by Chelsy) for romantic moments, really reflecting their tragic love story. The song is widely praised, and not without reason, just as it is used perfectly in the series, sometimes playing instead of dialogue.

The voice acting of the series is quite good as well. How fitting the cast is can be discussed, but the actors do quite good jobs. Kou (Kaji Yuki) does a superb job. Personally, I didn't think he fitted the role, but by the end of the series he had me convinced.

Character
The one point where AHR really shines is the characters. I earlier said that the pacing was what saved the story from being boring and not worth a watch, while the pacing definitely contributes to making the series good, what really makes the story exciting, original even, are the characters.

Starting with the main character, Futaba, who is really just our annoying, boyish, usual shoujo heroine - or? Indeed in the beginning of the series, Futaba has so many annoying traits that she almost isn't likable. She is pretending to be boyish to gain friends who are even more annoying and superficial than herself. It is not only a horrible story, it has also been seen before. However, the development she experiences when she meets Kou is immense. She goes from selfish and stupid to being a sweet girl, thinking more about others than herself. Futaba becomes everything a shoujo heroine needs to be - and more.

The supporting characters are unoriginal, but they serve their purpose. Yuuri is the cutest thing ever, which creates the drama a shoujo needs. Murao is mature and refined, Kominato cheerful and friendly. The one character I really like - and see as more original - is Tanaka-sensei. I really like his role in the story and bringing in a teacher definitely spices up things. The supporting characters created drama and plot and they ensure that everyone can find a character of their liking in the series.

And now, last of all, I want to talk about Kou. Personally, I love Kou's indifferent, cold, cheeky character, and even though he might be unlikable to some, his rude character is explained throughout the story. Beneath all the layers of attitude, he is an emotional boy, haunted by his past. While we see the story from Futaba's point of view, the one the story really revolves around is Kou. Kou is the deep, clever character that question the actions of others. Kou is the one with the interesting background story. While Futaba's personality change early in the story, the development of Kou happens gradually, his story unfolding a little at a time, his heart opening ever so slowly. It is Kou that will make you laugh, it is Kou that will make you cry.

Ao Haru Ride is, in truth, an anime about Kou's development. An anime about how love can hurt you, change you, and how being loved a new may enable you to change again.

Ao Haru Ride is an emotional journey. It is not the plot but the characters and their strong feelings that will keep you glued to the screen. It is the characters' growth as persons that makes AHR worth a watch. Overall, AHR is an enjoyable series if you like a romantic story with good characters and a nice amount of comedy. I'm personally a big fan (of the manga also), so I enjoyed the series loads. I do not, however, count take enjoyment into account when making reviews.

Overall AHR scored:
Story: 7
Art:7
Sound:8
Character:9
Overall: 7.75
AHR deserves something in between 7 and 8, depending on your relationship with the genre.

After watching this series twice within a short amount of time (a month or so) and still enjoying it to the fullest, I felt compelled to finally write my first MAL review.

I will not bother writing a plot summary, you can read the essentials a little further above. I will, however, try to rate the plot. Psycho Pass will sometimes be referred to as PP.

Plot: 9.5/10:
The series is most of all a police-sci-fi set in near future. This sounds rather cliché put Psycho Pass manages to mix in a variety of genres in a non-confusing way. The near-future/sci-fi is at all time present, whereas ... the police-element is sometimes very prominent, making the series almost a crimi/detectives series, and at other times more in the background, the series then focusing on either characters or the way the PP world functions. Likewise is it with the action, coming more in small bumps rather than being all-time present. The series offer only a limited amount of humour as well as a discreet hint of romance, but you can find these things in the series. However, if you're searching for romantic comedy PP is not it. Drama is often quite intense, sometimes even heartbreaking, this making it easier to both relate to the characters and understand the more complicated parts of the story.

The plot of PP consists of smaller arcs focused around the same villain. All of these arcs are quite flawlessly done and come together in the end in an almost perfect way. PP is a series with a masterful plot (imo nearly as good and well-written as Death Note). In PP things seem to happen for a reason, not just randomly. A few times it might get boring, but generally PP has a good mixture of genres in the right amount. PP is also a series where you, when watching, will have to focus. The story is definitely complicated and does, as every other really good series, leave you thinking. I sat all the time thinking 'would I want society to be like this?'. Your definition of justice is also something you might reconsider after watching PP.

All in all amazing plot, one boring ep. draws down, making it 9.5/10 for me.

Art: 9/10
Art is something I have a really hard time rating. For the character design itself is a matter of opinion, not fact. Therefore an anime's art must mainly be rated on scenery and the flow of the animation.

The scenery in PP is very beautiful. Buildings, parks, light, everything is done really great. The visuals will often leave you stunned. But even if it's very good, I have seen better (but not often in a series with such a good plot as well), therefore the scenery can only get somewhere between 8 and 9 from me.

The animation flow, on the other hand, is quite simply outstanding. Maybe I've not seen the right animes but never before have I seen as good 3D-look-a-like animation as in PP. Square objects are animated in a way that almost make them look 3D, coming out of the screen. Also the way it's sometimes insignificant everyday objects that are animated flawlessly, is both peculiar and perfect. Honestly, I found the animation breathtaking.

Another thing I noted, watching PP a second time, was the light reflection. Oh, it was beautiful. Often in the ending we see light hitting water, looking almost like a blazing sea. But it was not this that had me spellbound. It was the way the light reflected in the Characters' eyes. The light sometimes even changed he eye colour, giving the animation a very realistic touch.

Really, PP has some dazzling art if you look at the details.

Now on to the sound (what a huge review I'm making xD): 9.5/10

With openings and endings can be said the same as with character design, value is based on personal opinion, and therefore OP/END cannot be rated. I can, however, rate the lyrics and fitingness of the music, which I'll try to do.

Whether you like the songs or not, the openings and endings can objectively be said as to fitting perfectly with the series. Especially the first OP and END which I think is the most well-fitting pair of songs I've ever seen/heard in an anime. The lyrics were probably made for this series. I mean, seriously, they're just too well-fitting. In the first op the question of society, which is also asked throughout the whole series, is brought up. In the ending we get a song most well fitting for one of the characters.The fast pace these two songs also fits the action of the series, building up even more tension.

The next set of songs are good as well, but take on a more quiet, romantic turn, which I do not find fitting for the series.

Next up is the background-music. Generally the tracks are both good and well-fitting. There's one which is a bit out of place, and this definitely draws down on my sound-score.

Last is the voice-actor cast. Actually I don't really feel skilled enough to rate this, so I'll just say, that I was generally satisfied. I think most voice-actors delivered a great performance and the voices fit the characters. I will say, with my limited skill, that Makshimas' actor did a greeeat job. His voice was a perfect fit.

A last remark on sound is another bonus: something rarely seen, the ending-video not being the same each time, but not only that - different parts of the song were chosen to make the most perfect fit - and also - talking in-between two parts of the ending song. What I'm trying to say; the video and song was each time composed to fit the plot flawlessly. That also means: Watch the ending EVERY time, there might be important plot in the middle of it.

Last up is characters: 9/10:

The protagonist of this series is the young female inspector, Akane Tsunemori. Akane seems to be the standard cry-baby, full-of-justice, irrational, emotional, very annoying character. But I can tell you, she's not. Akane is a human, who acts very human. Who, for instance, is affected by stressed situations, and, who sometimes lets emotion cloud her judgement. Akane is bright, and has a strong believe of what is justice. She's a genuinely good person, who believes in this world, and for that, I don't think she should be punished. She is a newbie, who has to learn, and she does. The development of her character is different from what I usually see - and different from what I'd expected. She is not flawless, and yes, she's (as a character) a little cliché, but she's not stupid and her development is rather original.

The male hero of the story is probably Shinya Kougami, a subordinate of Akane and a latent criminal. Even if the story focuses on Akane, the real plot unfolds around Kougami; thus making him almost more of a main character than Akane. Kougami is on first sight, our typical strong, badass, grumpy male-hero. But like Akane, Kougami surprises. I will not say there's much development to his character, it's just us getting to know him. Kougami quickly turns out to be quite the genius, who is certainly skilled at his work but his life is solely focused on his own agenda. Kougami is hard to understand, and even harder to declare as good or bad. His decisions will leave you wondering about the very nature of his character. Even after watching PP twice, I'm still not sure whether I should call him villain or hero. But certainly, for most people, he is a very likeable character.

And then to the villain, Makishima:
I cannot say much about him without spoiling all of the plot. What I can and will say is that he fights for his own sense of justice, and therefore - as with Kougami - it becomes hard to declare him good or bad. He and Kougami are in some ways very a like. Makishima is a bright, interesting and also annoyingly likeable villain - he can maybe be compared a bit to Light ( of Death Note).

The rest of the characters are supports, and I will not write about them individually. As a whole the supports are, as usually, very different of personality. Therefore there is a character for almost anyone to like - and also the characters supplement each other nicely. Kagari, for instance, creates the bit of humour PP has got. I also think there is an appropriate amount of supports, enough to make the story coherent and few enough to not make the story confusing.

The characters have a few seen-before elements, but are all in all both likeable, sensible and make the story move forward = 9/10.

I will not put enjoyment as part of my rating, but I will say that I enjoyed the series a lot. Psycho Pass has become one of my fave series and is definitely worth a watch.

Thank you if you took the time to read this abnormally large review :), I apologize for any clerical/grammatical errors, I am not english XDD.