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If shoshimin has no haters, I'm dead.

Shoshimin is genuinely one of the most boring anime I have ever watched. Gsarthotegga's review said it best; this show is an absolute nothing burger.

Kobato and Osanai are cardboard cutouts who talk as if they have some crazy, wild, dynamic backstory between the two of them making them change their life and become ordinary. So much of this show is them talking about nothing like it's the most high stakes adventure of their lives after they decided in middle school to change for the better when in reality they're solving mysteries like, "how was the hot cocoa made?" ... and "who ate the spicy candy?" It feels like I'm watching paint dry and every minute is excruciating. When we do see glimpses of their supposedly crazy lifestyles, it's the most normal interaction between middle schoolers ever. And don't even get me started on the lame twist of episode 9 and how nothing actually changes because of it.

At least the technical aspects are slightly better. I could tell there was signigicant effort put into how the series was portrayed visually. As much as possible is done to make up for the complete lack of anything happening. The second worst element of this series however, is the aspect ratio. For seemingly no reason other than to feign being cinematic and save money, the choice was made to letterbox every episode. Half of the screen is taken up by giant black bars which adds nothing. Only in the opening is anything creative done with it, and even then it's the bare minimum.

Shoshimin isn't bad per se, but it commits the crime of being so boring it hurts. I can't believe it was approved for a second season. The only reason I completed it is because it was 10 episodes, but I should have just dropped it. I don't recommend it to anybody. Don't waste your time.

3.6/10

You can't go wrong with animals doing funny stuff. It's a concept that transcends time and culture because it's fun to think about. The Animal Olympics is a short movie from 1928, and that's all I knew going in. I recommend it for the novelty alone, but the short is surprisingly funny and well made. The bits with the Elephant doing discus and Pig doing hurdles were hilarious. The chimp kept participating and messing with everything, not taking the games seriously. There is so much charm packed into 13 minutes, and I imagine if I watched this in 1928 I'd be thoroughly entertained as I ... was almost 100 years later. It's well worth a watch despite being completely silent and obviously not the pinnacle of animation.

Burning Blood is a solid three episode OVA leaving me wishing an entire series was adapted for the manga. I can smell the potential here, but there isn't enough time to develop all of the characters and their motives. Many times, you're left wondering why characters' severity in their actions will drastically change. The first episode's back half was a little iffy and didn't need to go quite as far as it did to send the same message. Burning Blood wants to be up front about how edgy and dark it's going to be by wearing its Ashita no Joe inspiration on its sleeve, but ... I want more time to explore motivations and backstories to give it true edge instead of SA. The old school music is charming, but forgettable. However, the ED is extremely catchy. I want to recommend this to people trying to dip their toes in the water of boxing anime or wanting to watch something a little older, but despite having not read the manga it seems to be the better version if you can find it online.

6.8/10

Under Ninja truly is something else. It's bizarre in a good way but the story is told terribly with characters being memorable only because of the absurd things they're doing.

What is Under Ninja about? I'm not really sure. There are two Ninja groups, government sponsored NIN and private individuals UN, fighting for superiority. Why are they fighting? What are their goals? I have only a vague idea likely because of how much is going on. It was very difficult to follow week to week and remember the plot relevant things that happened because of the sheer amount of unimportant characters and how the story is ... told. It jumps in time way too often during the first five episodes for absolutely no reason. For the remaining seven episodes new information is constantly thrown at the viewer as if we have any connection or knowledge to the characters infodumping. Following the stories of individual characters like Kuro is way easier than understanding the actual plot unfolding. Under Ninja would likely benefit from being binge watched instead of week to week, but I dont think it changes much. What I love is the unapologetically unhinged sense of humor, but it can go way too far like the hobo pumping breast milk in a public park and offering it to children. I only liked the Russian Foreigner arc and Kuro interacting with the people in his apartment complex, otherwise the plot was lackluster and impossible to follow. If you're confused, imagine how I felt watching it.

The characters definitely carry the entertainment value. Kuro, the main character, is a quirky and talented genin without any drive. When he's not assigned a mission he's hanging out at home... the elderly Oono's spare room he started squating in. Kuro's dynamic with Oono and their neighbor Ai are some of the funniest parts of Under Ninja; they're like a dysfunctional family. The other Ninja like Hibi and Shion are almost completely forgettable. Neither have any impact on the unfolding plot and seemed to be an introduction for characters relevant later. I admittedly didn't remember any names outside of Kuro while watching the show and only remembered the strange things they did. There's the Russian Foreigner cutting dudes dicks off to become a ninja, hobo breast milk guy, girl who likes being groped, talking cat, and more who I don't remember any characteristics of. Besides their quirks, not a single character is memorable.

The technical aspects of Under Ninja were incredibly mediocre. The animation is fine, doing nothing special besides trying to incorporate 3D animation occasionally. The Box Robot looks terrible in 3D and is incredibly jarring when it appears on screen. The animation the rest of the time is uninspired, not bringing anything new to the table. The music is also average; it sets the gritty tone without any memorability. The opening is killer and my favorite of the Fall 2023 season by far.

Under Ninja is different from other anime, but I don't necessarily think this works in its favor. Maybe if you want a palate cleanser from the other stuff coming out these days or you wanted actual ninja stuff to happen in Naruto this is for you. I personally found nothing special in the overcomplicated story besides the sense of humor. Humor and fun character interactions can only carry it so far, however, so I'm unsure if I'd watch a second season.

Plot: 4/10
Characters: 6/10
Animation: 5/10
Sound: 5.5/10
Enjoyment: 6/10
Overall: 5.3/10

Overture to a New War is the best film of the three, but not by much. Following in the footsteps of Golden Wings, this movie is yet another retelling of events seen in the show but takes the opportunity to flesh out familiar characters' relationships and roles in the Battle of Astarte. It's great for viewers watching chronologically or by release date because of this.

This movie has the soul of the original series, and not just because it retells the first two episodes. Lap, Jessica, and Yang have a complex friendship with each other. Lap is like Yang's Kircheis; they share a one mind ... with Lap being Yang's moral compass. Both are both in love with Jessica but Lap is dating her. There's a beautiful scene without any dialog in the first act where we see how deep their emotions are with each other explaining why the tension exists later between Yang and Jessica when they reunite after the battle. Yang's story moving forward is primarily his relationship with Lap leading up to the fateful Battle of Astarte. But you can't have Yang Wenli prominently featured in the movie and not have his political observations on the shortcomings of a democratically run military. Reinhard's story is the same as the first two episodes without any meaningful additions I noticed. He's facing opposition within the military hierarchy because of his age and lack of experience. He proves himself at the Battle of Astarte with a special focus on Fahrenheit and Merkatz's opinion of the young Commander. Overture to a New War also plants seeds for viewers watching the series next by introducing them to Reinhard's primary antagonist for the first season; admittedly, it's difficult to notice as it's a single scene since chronological viewers won't know who he is yet. Yang's story was far more interesting, but Reinhard's is high quality as well.

A strength and weakness of Legend of the Galactic Heroes is the sheer amount of characters being followed with Overture to a New War being no different. Lap and Jessica get a significant amount of development, something desperately needed for watching the first season. Lap is a relatively shallow character, mostly defined by his love for Jessica. Jessica herself had a little more depth because of her closeness with Yang. Yang, Reinhard, and Kircheis are their usual selves. All three are entertaining, intelligent, and keeping the story moving. Reinhard's job during the movie is to keep the plot progressing through the Battle of the Astarte facing his own opposition from the old fashioned Admirals. My favorite parts of the movie are the little character moments. Fahrenheit realizing Reinhard knows what he's talking about, Lap and Yang saying goodbye to Jessica, Yang thinking of Julian when he sees a heavily injured soldier, and more carry the spirit of the franchise. In such a massive story we need these tiny moments to humanize the characters, something I think is done incredibly well.

The technical aspects of the movie meet my expectations set by the original series. Even though it came out in 1993, it looks like it came out in 1988. No improvements were made whatsoever in terms of animation. It's slightly blurry, space battles were sinply done, and characters look like they were pulled directly from the first season. Golden Wings may have changed the character designs too much, but at least the animation was improved overall. I can't say that about Overture to a New War. It makes me question if this was made around the time if season one but never released for some reason. In terms of sound, the voice actors all reprised their usual roles and the music was reminiscent of Star Wars. Legend of the Galactic Heroes is obviously inspired by Star Wars, but that aside, the music sounded like it was ripped directly from its western counterpart. Brassy fanfare was used throughout the film instead of the usual classical themes. While I like the idea behind music being changing, I definitely prefer the original score. Classical music is leagues better for the beautiful tragedy playing out before us.

I enjoyed my time watching this movie. It's good for viewers new and old and is a natural addition to the franchise. Small character moments steal the show, but it's always fun to see some of the flashier battleground strategy from Reinhard and Kircheis. I'm glad Lap finally got some characterization to flesh out Yang's actions throughout season one. Animation is worse than I expected and the music is derivative of Star Wars. If you're watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes then you should definitely watch this movie. If this is your first time ever hearing about this franchise, start somewhere else.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 8.5/10
Art: 6/10
Sound: 9/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Overall: 7.9/10

For such a phenomenal series, this movie is a rather disappointing story albeit not terrible. Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Golden Wings is shallow and missing what I love most about the series: political commentary with substance.

Chronologically the first event in the timeline, Golden Wings remastered the backstory of Reinhard and Kircheis along side adding context to how they proved their genius on the galactic battlefield. The first act is essentially a reanimated version of an episode with the other two acts continuing where the show did not without the same level of detail. We see Reinhard and Kircheis earning the respect of the troops ... they command, but this is the most depth to the story. The main antagonist is a guy hired by a completely irrelevant single episode antagonist from the first season, in the process missing an opportunity to flesh out anybody relevant to Reinhard's story. The storytelling is lazy and cheap. It feels like something made to tide over fans until season three of the show was released. The end is trying to use impactful dramatic irony since we know what happens at the end of season one, and I didn't appreciate it being so on the nose. I wanted the movie to tread new ground in terms of character development for both Reinhard and Kircheis, but we get nothing. The movie also forgets the most important part of the original series (to me): political commentary. Golden Wings chooses the familiar in a backstory you've seen if you're watching in release order instead of exploring different avenues of the two men's relationship.

If you couldn't tell, Reinhard and Kircheis are the only two people who matter. Reinhard is significantly more affectionate to Kircheis than usual, taking many chances to play with his hair unprompted. The romantic undertones are present between the two in the original series, but Golden Wings makes a point to signal the homosexual tension between the two in the most obvious way. Yang is almost completely absent, appearing only three insignificant scenes with a jarring new voice actor. No other familiar characters made an appearance. Reuenthal, Mittermeyer, and Oberstein are all absent without even a mention despite their importance to the overall story. It makes sense to cut out characters for new viewers, but I think Golden Wings makes too many cuts and doesn't have the original characters to make up for it.

The animation is clearly an improvement over the original series, but has a sort of uncanny valley feel to it. These are clearly familiar characters and places to anybody who's watching in release order, but there's something off about it. Reinhard and Kircheis don't look like younger versions of themselves, but are clearly children and being portrayed as such visually. Yang looks almost completely different to the point where I didn't recognize him at first. It's easy to tell the movie is leaning into the developing 90s animation style, but it wasn't quite adapted right for Legend of the Galactic Heroes.

The music is exactly what I expected out of the franchise. Classical symphonies perfectly executed for the space epic. I would have liked some more memorable tunes, however. The only song to stand out was the one during the credits. It was a melancholic representation of how Reinhard likely thinks back on these memories.

This movie was essentially three mediocre episodes of the anime. Starting this franchise with Golden Wings is like easing yourself in through the kiddie pool. It's nothing more than an introduction to the two (admittedly most interesting) characters without any real substance in terms of new content. Does this make it a bad movie or even a bad place to start the franchise? No, but the pool gets a lot deeper from here.

Plot: 6.5/10
Characters: 6/10
Art: 7/10
Sound: 8/10
Enjoyment: 5.5/10
Overall: 6.6/10

Don't make the same mistake I did and begin Legend of the Galactic Heroes without watching this movie. This is the intended start of the franchise. It's essentially my own introduction to the series, so keep this perspective in mind as you read my review.

My Conquest is the Sea of Stars is the perfect start to Legends of the Galactic Heroes. When starting the TV show there are an overwhelming amount of characters thrown at you in a single episode. The movie helps by clarifying who some of the most important people are and the adversity they face within their respective militaries. Yang and Reinhard ... are set up as foils by being mentally on the same page and facing similar internal challenges. Both are up and coming commanders/admirals who face opposition to their promotion from the high brass; they prove themselves in the battles of this movie and learn each other's name by the end. The battles are entertaining enough but don't have the weight of other space operas like Star Wars. Both men's closest allies are given roles in this movie and demonstrate their own authority of command but the battles are what I cared about the least. The movie also prepares the social commentary obviously present in series. The corruption of the Galactic Empire and Democratic Planet's Alliance brings a level of political intrigue I can't wait to be explored. The film is mostly a prologue to the anime, so it doesn't add much depth besides introducing the characters and military powers of the universe; however, it's invaluable for a franchise of this magnitude.

The art and sound seem obviously inspired by other space operas which only adds to the joy of watching this movie. From the opening crawl to the design of certain rebel fighter pilots, Star Wars is all over it. I like the homage to the popular series, but Legend of the Galactic Heroes blazes its own path. Outside of the orange jumpsuits, the costume design is unremarkable. Both sides have similar black uniforms often making it difficult to remember who is on what side. The art style falls in line with other popular 80s anime which I personally am not a fan of. The characters look like a muddled mess without any distinct physical features besides their hair color. The designs of the ships were spectacular and the scope gave them Star Trek vibes. The soundtrack is where this movie and series really shines. Grand and classical, the music perfectly fits the epic nature. The composer chose the route of orchestral sounds primarily made up of strings. While I do prefer the large brassy sounds of Star Wars, Legend of the Galactic Heroes stands on its own as having a perfect score. The sound is subdued, not trying to be overdramatic and knock you out of your seat. The classiness of the score fits well with the European inspirations for the countries and feels like watching a high society political thriller. The art may be lacking, but the sound more than makes up for it.

I had fun with this movie. Luckily I wasn't too far into the show before learning about this, so I don't feel out of the loop and overwhelmed by the characters. The movie helps sort through the weeds and understand who and what is important for the beginning of the story. I look forward to seeing how Yang and Reinhard's stories collide. I recommend this movie for anyone attempting to start Legend of the Galactic Heroes or those who want to get into anime sci-fi epics.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 7/10
Art: 7/10
Sound: 10/10
Enjoyment: 7.5/10
Overall: 7.9/10

Minor Spoilers

Charlotte was first recommended to me by a friend around seven years ago and only now did I get around to watching it. This is exactly what I want in a 13 episode anime in terms of story telling. Are there flaws? Yes. The pacing is all over the place and only a couple characters get any real development. However, there are perfect episodes, fun character dynamics, and a conclusive ending.

Our main character Yuu has developed the power to possess people for five seconds at a time which he selfishly uses to be the top of his class. Nao is from a special school ... protecting power wielders from researchers who dissect children with similar powers; she gives Yuu his comeuppance for abusing his power then convinces him to join her student council to protect himself and others. The first five episodes follow Yuu, Nao, and the rest of the student council as they're persuading others to come to their school or stop using their powers. Episode six is when things take a turn. Charlotte goes from a generic anime to intense drama. I personally liked this turn as it breathed new life into the show. The monotony of the first few episodes is to lay the groundwork for what's to come. The seemingly smaller details like what happened to Nao's brother becoming increasingly important and builds upon itself. Episode seven was a fantastic exploration of grief and love and lays a bedrock foundation for Yuu and Nao's relationship. I think the writer is very good about handing out consequences for actions and making the children act like children. Yuu uses his powers in a childlike way in episode one, Ayumi is unable to control her powers initially, Yuu's entire final mission; many decisions come out of a place of youthful ignorance. Everything from episodes 1-12 is great even with the tone being all over the place. Charlotte could have ended at episode 12 with Yuu leaving for his journey and I think it still would have been a poor ending to an otherwise great show. The final episode gives a conclusive finish, but why rush it? I believe that an extra episode or even second season would have done a lot of good for justifying the chosen end, exploring the morality of Yuu's actions.

Character growth and dynamics are where Charlotte shines the most. Every character gets a surprisingly definitive arc. Yuu begins as a selfish, manipulative dirt bag who orchestrated a car wreck to get closer to the girl he likes then develops into a selfless hero who takes on the responsibility of helping every person with powers. I couldn't stand Yuu in the first episode but he grew on me over time. Nao doesn't experience much growth and is supposed to be seen as the most reasonable person at any given time. I mostly like her dynamic with Yuu where she's a bit of a tsundere. Yuu's sister Ayumi is a favorite of mine. She's a sweet and considerate young girl trying to take care of her brother in absence of their parents. Misa and Yusa are other fun additions to the cast adding their own melodrama and layer of comedy regarding Yusa being an idol. Shinsuke, despite being introduced halfway through, is the most important person in the story. His choices have crafted the plot but he himself is bland. He's necessary for the plot to move forward but doesn't have many defining character traits.

I'm going to lump together the technical aspects of the show for this review. The animation was mostly good and experimental at worst. There are some weird moments of excessive camera movement. For example, we didn't need the 360 camera shot if the student council room when Yuu first joins. These moments are relegated to the first few episodes but are jarring nonetheless. The soundtrack was fine. The opening was pretty good but that's about the only notable part of it. The voice actors did a pretty good job but I didn't hear any life changing or particularly notable performances. Both the animation and sound were fine without much to note.

I really enjoyed my time with Charlotte. It was short with a lot of heavy themes and a surprising amount of character development. The pacing was a bit all over the place and the ending wasn't very good. In the end the journey was better than the destination. I will forever love episode seven and see it as a perfect anime episode even if it didn't mean much in the scope of the show. I'd recommend Charlotte to anybody who wants to watch a short anime and doesn't want to waste their time with something soulless.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 8.5/10
Art: 7.5/10
Sound: 7/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Overall: 8.2/10

This Charlotte special takes place between episodes 3-5 of the original series. The student council responds to another ability user, this time a young girl named Iori who can passively project other people's thoughts.

The plot is wholesome albeit simple. Nao wants to cheer this girl up so her and Yuu hang out with the little girl. Nao earns Iori's trust and gets her friend Honoka to spend time with her again. We get the typical bickering between Yuu and Nao plus Nao's relationship with Iori is wholesome.

The animation follows the expectations set by the original series. There are none of the crazy camera movements, ... it's pretty smooth, and it's inoffensive. The soundtrack returns along with the opening and ending.

If you liked the first half of Charlotte then you'll enjoy this special. For me it's pretty forgettable but falls in line with the rest of the series. It's a nice bonus episode if you want just a little more content.

I'm so glad to be done with Fist of the North Star. A continuation of the original series it is still such a slog to get through having plot holes left and right, boring characters, and being ugly to look at. It may be a classic, but Fist of the North Star should be left in the past.

The original anime was a simple martial arts succession story. Part two makes it overly complicated by adding primogeniture elements through an entirely new country. Arc one is follows the traditions laid out for the first 100 episodes but now everyone is ten years older. Ken returned after ... Yuria's death to find Bat and Lin leading a revolution against the Celestial Emporer. I know what your thinking, "that doesnt sound too bad; the kids grew up and have agency in the story." You'd be wrong. Bat and Lin don't matter in the slightest until the plot twist at the end of the arc. Lin then becomes the prize for the next arc because of her genetics and because woman. Bat is completely written out after the arc ends making me question the point of his existence in the first place. The reveal for who the Celestial Emporer is predictable, lame, and doesn't add any extra elements to the story. The second arc is where the plot really falls apart. Ken goes to the land of Asura to save Lin also learning about his past and the origins to the Fist of the North Star. Ken liberating Asura of its rulers is fine, but they retconned established canon in easily avoidable ways. I won't get into it to avoid spoilers, but even a little critical thought or a glimpse at the Crunchyroll comment section will make you realize how poorly the story is being told. The final episode especially pissed me off with Kaioh and Ken's final words being either creepy or contradicting everything they just did. The worst part of this show is how women are treated like objects. Women exist to love men and give them something to fight for. They aren't allowed to fight for themselves or be independent; women must love man and have child. For example, Mamiya briefly came back and was told not to fight by Ken when her village was literally being destroyed without anyone there to protect it. The moment she pulls out a weapon to fight back and not be killed is when Ken comes out of nowhere telling her to keep her promise to Rei. There aren't many redeeming qualities with the themes and a plot hole filled story isn't enough to fix it.

My hope with poorly told stories is that at least the characters would be entertaining enough to rescue it. Not in Fist of the North Star. I've already talked about how women are treated as objects, but the men aren't much better. They're always stoic and unfeeling, never wanting to express their true emotions or fueled by hatred and violence. Ken especially contributes to the themes of toxic masculinity. He's both physically and mentally strong with big muscles and not letting his emotions dictate his battles. He will either kill his enemy or give them a few minutes for final words because they earned his respect from their strength. He sheds a few tears only if somebody dies, but otherwise doesn't make his emotions public. Falco, Ein, Shachi, and Hyoh were typical side characters for this show. They fell in love with Ken (subtextually but not actually because everyone wants a woman) then do what most side characters in until now have done. The villains are lame too; Jakoh is an obviously weak waste of space and Kaioh hates love like Souther before him. There is not a single new character that really stuck out to me and the only one I somewhat cared about was Hyoh.

The animation wasn't quite as bad as part one. Maybe it was because I knew what to expect, but I didn't want to rip my eyes out this time. It was still messy for the most part with important fights receiving the bulk of the budget. The fights are animated well enough for the 80s but obviously dated. Fist of the North Star, like other anime of this era, fell into the Dragon Ball style of fights where character collect their energy/fighting spirit/spiritual pressure/ etc and trade blows before talking for awhile. This anime is from the 80s, so I cut it some slack for being ugly. It's still ugly though.

The sound remains the best part about Fist of the North Star. It's an absolutely iconic soundtrack that'll get you humming along even if you aren't enjoying yourself. The opening "Tough Boy" manages to be cheesier than "We Are Shock" by singing about fighting in the 90s despite neither the anime coming out in the 90s or taking place during that period due to the time skip. The voice acting continues to be mediocre and a lot of the background voices from part one remain the same. Overall, the soundtrack carries.

I'm so ready to be done with this anime. I would often sigh when thinking about watching the next few episodes and want to watch other anime instead. However, I tend to watch one long running show at a time, so it felt like something I couldn't escape. Fist of the North Star should really be left in the past. From what I've seen it mostly revolutionized the industry in terms of how violence was depicted. It really is senseless killing and heads exploding for the majority of the 152 episodes. This anime appeals to a certain type of audience. Like I said in my review of part one, I would have really enjoyed this in high school. I've grown up since then and am no longer the target audience. If you're a young, conservative, white man I think you'll really like this and it will reinforce the beliefs you already have about the functions of men and women in society. These themes about societal roles is the primary thing not making me want to recommend this to anybody, even the target audience. Don't watch it because you recognize the meme beyond episode 1. I wouldn't quite call it a waste of time, but if you really want to experience this story then read the manga where at least the art is good and you can get through it quicker.

Plot: 4/10
Characters: 4/10
Art: 5/10
Sound: 8/10
Enjoyment: 4/10
Overall: 5.1/10