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Oct 20, 2024
Here U Are is a really well made Manhua written and illustrated by D-Jun. This is my first time reading a work by him, though apparently the precursor to this series is called Guang Xiang. So, if you are very interested in reading in order, that's a place to start. It is absolutely not necessary though.
Here U Are clearly succeeds in one aspect, which is the art. It is rare that I find a webcomic or manga that has artwork that inspires me to the degree that this one did. I'm an artist myself, and found myself learning from the artist's techniques. It is very
...
beautiful, lively, and never looks strange. It is something I respect, especially from a long running comic.
There are some complaints, I think, about the way this manhua handles the main relationship in terms of misunderstandings and drama. I can definitely see where they are coming from. However, I don't think the scenarios here are far fetched in the slightest, and definitely were not frustrating to a degree of dislike. If you don't want to read the stuff below, two words for you: relationship trauma.
Slight Spoilers** you may skip ahead if you want
Our main character, Yu Yang, has what I would call trauma. Trauma from being shit on by his family members, kids at school, and past romantic partners, all because of him being gay. Do you think it would be far fetched for him to mistakenly get the idea that someone he has become friends with is in on an elaborate, active prank that his classmates are pulling on him because they're homophobic? I don't personally think so. I also don't feel that Yu Yang was in the wrong for not wanting to date a seemingly straight man, because of not one, but two examples from his past.
Yu Yang, as a main character, definitely should have had further development. Same with Li Huan. Yu Yang clearly has anger problems, drinking problems, and insecurity. I very much wish this had been a bigger topic of the story and would have helped to get the readers to know him better. It feels strange that it wasn't addressed.
But I think that is where the story struggles most, is that the author decided to include 2 different romantic subplots within side characters. I very much appreciated Chu Huanwen and his character. I think his moment with his grandfather might have been the most touching part of the story. However, I can't say I care for his relationship with Ji Yuan, nor do I care about Pan and the annoying character named Zhong Qiu Jie (red hair). These two side relationships felt forced, and the time we were given with them should have been allotted toward learning more about our MCs. The only side relationship I felt was nice was between Jian Yu and Xiao Yi (the one straight couple) because it was a slow burn, very off-to-the-side development.
- This section's TLDR; Yu Yang has trauma so he is justified in most of his feelings (not necessarily behaviors), side relationships were not as interesting, and story should have focused on the main couple.
*** End Spoilers
I acknowledge this manhua in particular for giving a dash of realism to the BL genre, because instead of everything being sex-focused, it is very much on the backburner and more emotion-based. Too often is BL fetishized and this one here is not.
The realism also lies in the aspects of -
- coming out
- family issues
- bullying
- fear of alienation
- fear of entering a relationship
- unrequited love
- experimentation (finding one's sexual identity)
then in side stories -
- burnout
- jealousy
- losing the 'spark'
It touches on a lot of different themes in a very pleasant manner, and it all feels quite satisfying in the end. If you don't find yourself liking any of these themes, you probably won't want to read Here U Are - and that is okay. Sometimes all we're looking for is a guilty pleasure read. But this one won't be that for you.
I'm pretty sure the author would have liked to have gone a lot further with the physical scenes, but since China has very strict views (and probably laws, honestly) about homosexual behavior, I think he was limited. I could be completely wrong, though. It's just the vibe I got from how certain scenes were put together. I mean, god, he had to sensor a barely detailed panel of the main couple kissing. So sad.
Overall, I feel like Here U Are is worth a read. If you're desperate for a nice, emotional romance ride then this is perfect for you. I personally enjoyed filling my time with it. Thanks for letting me fill your time with this review. Now, go read it :)
Much love to D-Jun for the beautiful artwork and storytelling <3
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 4, 2024
I firmly believe this show could be watched episodes 7-13 and be enjoyed more than watching the entire thing.
I nearly dropped this. I was so close. I tend to have too much faith in things, so I kept going. I sat down for episode 7 and said to myself "wow, can't wait to be uncomfortable again". But was surprised that there was actual story and character development. So I finished it. Here are my problems with it.
Dakaichi advocates for sexual assault on a crazy level. The first few episodes are literally the MC getting blackmailed for sex, being assaulted and not giving consent to
...
any of it. He gets assaulted by 3 separate people in this show, and sexually harassed by two (yes, I'm counting the photographer). I'm extremely against this, and it goes without saying that my enjoyment of a BL/yaoi goes up 100 fold when it knows how to actually write romance, rather than just actual r*pe. I'm very surprised at myself for not dropping it for this reason, and I attribute it to my pure stubbornness and lack of anything better to do. It made me uncomfortable, despite the show not truly showing much other than foreplay.
This was made even worse by the fact I just came from finishing Cherry Magic, which is a show that is SO respectful of consent that it's hard to believe it's In the BL genre. Plus it was hilarious, I recommend it.
The reason I stayed was because of episode 7. For whatever reason, the story went from softcore porn to actual character development and story (I use the word lightly). The bits about acting were actually very interesting, and the voice actors did a great job with the parts.
Generally speaking, though, the romance was always shallow. Seeing the later episodes play out with the drama and stuff between them and the media/paparazzi was good. But there's that little voice in the back the whole time that's saying, 'hey, Takato was assaulted and coerced forcefully into this relationship, btw.' Which is quite the happiness-ruiner.
Episode 7 onward I rate an 8. Everything before it, really deserves about a 5. Because of the sheer inability to write a plot line without sex. Every episode, btw. Until ep7.
The music, fine. The artwork was actually decent. Made boys look pretty sometimes. Pretty boys are good. I wish the characters were more consistent, because Takato turning into a little sub at every turn is so bizarre, and Junta having scary mood swings because he's horny is crazy.
Overall, it's sad. Because the characters are neat, I like the concept, but it could have been executed in a way that's respectful toward gay men and not fetishization. It could have built strongly on their characters, had the two bond before having sexual relations, and therefore give their relationship more depth.
But that's wishful thinking I guess!
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 20, 2024
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou was disappointing.
Higurashi is a wonderful series, filled with mystery, horror, and thrills. This show was... not. Full of gore? sure. Gut wrenching gore at times. But it was next to impossible to take seriously.
You should know this series is NOT a remake, it is in fact a SEQUEL, and I believe comes after the events of Higurashi Kai. You should also know that this show does not even have a proper ending and in 24 episodes they weren't able to finish what they wanted - Higurashi Sotsu comes after (which is apparently very bad and disliked by
...
Higurashi fans, so... great!)
Technical:
I don't know if it was the art style, the voice acting, animation, or what. I am not someone who runs around calling things 'cringe', but Gou was actually cringe at moments. Horror is allowed to be a little over-the-top sometimes, that's why we have slasher films. However, Gou just takes itself too seriously for the material it's giving.
I don't know what they were thinking with this art style. WHY IS EVERYONE SO SHINY??? I am an artist myself and I am not judgmental on art styles at all - I am extremely tolerable of different types. However, this was not it. Now, I love the juxtaposition of a good 'cutesy but murderous' moment. That idea is lovely and effective. What the show should have done was switch styles to something more intense and creepy during dark scenes. It is very hard to take things seriously when a shiny dumb looking anime boy is beating someone with a bat. The original Higurashi art style did a great job of seeming innocent but switching to become menacing in the blink of an eye. Because that style was just a hop skip away from being scary. This one was not.
Some of the characters in this art style are just straight up creepy looking (as in like pedo creepy, not scary creepy), namely the adult men. The detective is HORRIFYING.
The voice acting was extremely mid (sub). Keiichi's VA sounded like he was choking half the time, dramatic moments with screaming and crying were extraordinarily cringey & over-the-top, and otherwise the voice acting was forgettable.
Animation was just awkward, stiff, and feels like they did as little as they could get away with. The music was fine, the opening was not horrible honestly, but the only time the background OST was good was when it was mimicking the original Higurashi's wonderful music.
Story & Characters:
This story execution is the definition of missed opportunity. We know that Rika has been looping in Hinamizawa for a century. She has experienced so many tragedies. This is Oyashiro-sama's curse. Rika is known as Oyashiro-sama incarnate, which technically is true. We see in Gou that Oyashiro-sama is actually not evil, but a little purple-haired girl with horns. We see her in the Sea of Fragments, which is a magical little realm where all of the past looped worlds go to in the form of shards. About halfway through the show, Satoko gets wronged by Rika. After a perfect world where everything is good, Rika wants to leave and go to school somewhere fancy and far away. Rika makes new friends and 'abandons' Satoko. Upon revisiting Hinamizawa, Satoko visits the old shrine house and touches a magical horn that gives her the ability to loop, too. (wtf?)
Well, I won't really talk too much about how much this sucks, but it does. Satoko really sucks. Because after trying and failing to convince Rika not to leave Hinamizawa, the little goddess lady in Satoko's Sea of Fragments shows her every one of Rika's failed loops. It is said that it literally takes Satoko the equivalent of 100 years to watch through the loops. Afterward, what do you think she does? Weep for her friend, who has suffered so much? Understand the sorrow Rika has undoubtedly felt for so long, and realize she needs to leave for her sanity? Nope. No, Satoko says let's ruin all the hard work Rika did! Because I need to be with Rika because I loooove herrr. Oh, Brother.
Satoko as a character does such a 180 from the original Higurashi. Satoko was a girl who was physically abused by her uncle, and used her games with her friends as a distraction from the pain she felt. She was a tragic character who masked her suffering very well, but in the end she didn't let it consume her. Now, suddenly this betrayal from Rika is too much so she snaps? How does this make sense? If the show told us something like, "I've been abused and abandoned my whole life, and I can't be alone" to give her some kind of depth to her feelings, that would be awesome. But she just "loves" Rika and that's the reason. She has no depth to her character besides being an asshole and being extraordinarily selfish beyond comprehension.
Rika's character stayed pretty consistent, though. She is the definition of smiling through the pain, trying her best to fix the wrongs in Hinamizawa. What really pissed me off is how they wrote Rika while going to St. Lucia's (school). I have a hard time Rika would switch up the way she did. Admittedly, Rika does abandon Satoko. She chooses new friends over her. At the same time though, Satoko doesn't even fucking try??? Satoko does not make a single attempt to do anything with Rika, she's even invited to their teaparty shindig and she refuses. Satoko is essentially punishing Rika for her own unwillingness to change or try. I can respect not wanting to change yourself for others, but don't punish other people for that decision!
One thing doesn't make sense to me though, between the two of them. How are they still sane?
Rika isn't able to remember the couple hours leading up to her death (because the horn she gets her loop powers from is broken), which does well to explain why she isn't mentally struggling. However, how is Rika not extremely paranoid of everything and everyone? She is trying desperately to save everyone, but yet she trusts everyone blindly. She has no way to know who will suffer from Hinamizawa syndrome at any time. Satoko also witnessed all of her friends killing one another and being killed, but it doesn't phase her. She watched 100 years of death and murder and she came out of it SO UNPHASED?
Essentially, Gou has such a great opportunity to talk about the psychological effects of looping, but it just chooses not to. It's confusing, because the show begins to address the fact that non-loopers can remember loops sometimes, through their dreams. This becomes stronger the more loops they go through. This psychologically effects people to the point of freaking tf out, but Rika and Satoko are just mentally totally fine. Right.
Also, I hate the 'sea of fragments'. It's a pretty, purple world with crystals and it's extremely fantasy-esque in a psychological horror thriller series. Vibes: off.
-
I wish I could tell you the mechanics of Higurashi's loops made any sort of sense. How is it possible for both Rika and Satoko to be looping? If Rika died, and Satoko didn't know, would Rika create a new loop without her? Same with vice-versa. Or would Rika be stuck waiting to 'respawn' until Satoko died?
Also, wtf is up with the snapping. This was introduced first as Rika was counting down the amount of worlds she would try. She said she would try 5 more worlds before deleting herself with a magic blade. Each time, she would put a finger down, and snap. Then we would be in the next world. But each time she did this, she was about to die. So I figured that's just what we saw, and once she died we got to the next loop. NOW, Satoko is just snapping her damn fingers and restarting loops. Is she snapping her fingers and then killing herself? I don't think Rika is able to perceive these loops, because she said 'it seems like someone else is rolling the dice' meaning Satoko. This mechanic just doesn't work. The loops are happening, but also not?
Having two loopers is convoluted and confusing. It's also just unnecessary. I don't think this needed to happen for the story to progress, and revealing that the person pulling the strings is just a bitchy little girl is lame.
-
The characters besides Rika and Satoko are just plain forgettable in this series and should have been looked at more. Now, I did watch the first half of this series years ago, and finished it recently. SO maybe I'm forgetting some moments. But I couldn't tell you what they did or if they had any development. EVEN SO. If they did have development, it doesn't matter. Because time reset, and the only characters that matter in the end are Rika and Satoko.
Also don't get me even STARTED on trying to redeem a physical abuser. Satoko flinching away from her uncle trying to make up with her was the most Satoko thing that happened in this series and the only thing they did right.
Overall:
The story is just lost. It could have been so much more intriguing. Instead it was a gore-fest for fanservice, nasty looking art, and a stupid reveal of Satoko being a petty loser. Rika deserved better, Satoko deserved better. Higurashi needs funding for an actual good animation team to pick it up and give it love. The writer needs to figure out what actually makes horror good. Lean into psychological, stop with the damn gore.
You should probably watch it if you're invested in Higurashi and it's timeline. But you'd honestly be better off watching a youtube summary to avoid sitting through 24 episodes of shenanigans.
6/10. Let down of a show.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jul 22, 2023
While Nana is a show about relationships, love, and growing up, it is also tied up with jealousy, mental illness, deep bonds, and trauma.
This will have spoilers.
Nana Komatsu and Nana Osaki are two polar opposite characters. Nana Komatsu (Hachi) seeks romance wherever she goes while Nana Osaki has been loyal to one man for years. Hachi's men end up far from her grasp, while Nana can't bring herself to part with hers. Nana feels she cannot rely on others to gain success, while Hachi wishes to become happy by any means possible. These two characters form a quick bond after becoming roommates. This bond becomes
...
integral to the story.
While many find gripes with Hachi's behavior and emotions, I find it extremely realistic and heartbreaking. Hachi is a young woman, only 20. Since high school she has sought true romance, but has only had her heart broken numerous times. When she finally gets Shoji, it seems she is set. But because of her emotional immaturity and lack of communication, Shoji finds himself distanced from her. Keep in mind, this is the exact issue that arises between Hachi and Nana during the Takumi pregnancy debacle. Hachi struggles with communication throughout the entire show, and it hurts her in turn.
Nana and Hachi have an extremely deep bond. I think many underestimate the deep feelings that are created between girl best friends. Some can argue they are in love, and I won't deny that because it is very plausible. But keep in mind that close friendships have factors of love involved and can often feel that way. This is why Nana and Hachi have their honeymoon period the way they do, and why Hachi feels jealousy toward Misato, etc. This jealousy also arises in Nana where Takumi is involved. Said jealousy creates ways for Nana's mental illness to peek through as well. Hachi unintentionally (at first) distances herself from Nana near the end of the show, a result of lack of communication, which vaguely mirrors her relationship with Shoji.
Nana's trauma of abandonment ties directly to her jealousy and feelings of wanting to control Hachi. Some speculate that Nana has BPD. Again, won't confirm or deny. But the multidimensionality of her mental status makes her a compelling character, to say the least. It would also make sense that her trauma is why she is so attached to Ren, where if he died, she would die with him. Hachi's relationship trauma of being used as a cheating piece, and then being cheated on herself, creates a great feeling of inferiority. She eventually recognizes her naivety, but by then she is in Takumi's hands. She lets herself be pulled around by prospects of final true happiness because she is scared of losing love. It is also why she has such a hard time deciding between Takumi and Nobu. She loves them both.
All of this is to say, while Nana is about romance it is also a complex narrative about two young women struggling with trauma. They are finding ways to grow and evolve as people while also healing. This healing process is why the two women are so unstable with jealousy, implied mental illness, and managing their deep feelings of love for those around them.
also the music is really good.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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May 26, 2023
Based on the reviews here, I truly thought I was walking into a one of a kind experience. I don't think we are reading the same manga.
Because in Dengeki Daisy, sure the main characters are slightly compelling. Maybe they have some nuances to them. But realistically, I feel no natural chemistry between the two protags. The story feels like it could have been solved 10 chapters ago. The side characters are forgettable. There is genuinely no reason for this story to drag for 80 CHAPTERS.
There are a few key things in Dengeki Daisy that bother me. I won't pretend that they will bother everyone.
1) The
...
Age Gap
2) The Plot
3) The Lack of Tension
The age gap is one of the larger issues I have with this manga. Let's ignore the idea that Japan does not take as much issue with minors and adults (especially in this medium). Because even if you argue this, that doesn't let you disregard common sense. The main female protag (Teru) is 16 years old. The main male protag (Kurosaki) is 24 years old. Kurosaki is in love with Teru. Teru has feelings for Kurosaki. But Teru is a young girl in high school, and Kurosaki is an adult man who smokes, drinks, and works a fulltime job. So naturally, I don't really see myself rooting for them. It is really hard to root for a couple when one cannot suspend their disbelief. Every day, Teru's problems revolve around HIGH SCHOOL. I also just get very bad vibes because of the humor between the two; Teru is Kurosaki's "slave", Kurosaki and one of the side characters have banter about them "doing it" and the side chara calls him a perv. He also calls her flat chested. The characters nearly kissed in a recent scene, and I just couldn't. It is just WEIRD.
Ok ok, so you get past that part. I probably would have been able to get past it if the story was great. I tried to like the plot of this manga. The general concept isn't bad. But it definitely feels like it was written to be resolved in 15 chapters. The characters serve no other purpose than to move the plot along, and then we don't see them again. There is no meaningful interaction between characters other than Kurosaki and Teru. The rest feels like filler and holds no weight. This ties into the tension issue. Every chapter an issue is presented, and almost immediately that tension is resolved. The issue just gets solved by happenstance, and never feels satisfying. There is a huge emphasis on hacking and cracking, and the characters talk about doing it and all the things they are working on, but I don't think we ever see fruitful results and benefits from their "hacking". It just seems very vague and unimpactful. There is also no romantic tension. Maybe it's because I don't enjoy the main pairing, but it's executed so... wrong. I think it has to do with the fact that the two characters are in totally different worlds. The drama that Teru is in at school feels so far disconnected from anything that Kurosaki does or is doing. The author also has a huge issue with adding 'humor' which rarely actually hits, right after important moments. It's fine if done once or twice to keep the read lighthearted, but it is done way too much in Dengeki Daisy.
I genuinely feel as though of all the positive reviews for this manga on here, VERY few people have actually finished it. I know that this manga is much older and might need to be held to different standards. But media is media, and a person is supposed to enjoy it.
You might enjoy it. If you like old high school rom com manga... with random unimpactful drama sprinkled in. It might be for you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jan 7, 2023
Kamisama Hajimemashita (or Kamisama Kiss) is an anime that I believe was truly a product of it's time. Released in 2012, the show advertises as a romantic comedy with a supernatural twist. There is just something missing. This review will contain biggy spoilers.
The entire length of the show, something feels empty. It's hard to put a finger on it. We can go through some of the most important aspects though.
It should be noted the opening and ending songs and artwork are a hard skip for most. They are very unrelated to the show's vibe - but I think that is where the first flag is
...
raised. What is the 'vibe' of this show? Kamisama Hajimemashita cannot decide whether it wants to be a simple comedy, drama, or romance. And yes you can have all three of these themes in a successful show.. But this show takes these three aspects, plus sci fi/fantasy and throws the crumbs at us and expects it to be satisfying. None of it seems to be satisfying at all.
Romance.
Our main characters are Nanami and Tomoe. Nanami becomes a land god for no other reason than some guy thinks it's a good idea, and Tomoe is subjected to her appearing at his shrine. Through a very bizarre series of events (in the first episode or so), the two kiss and Tomoe is now Nanami's familiar. THIS is something that I have a huge issue with. This mechanic completely obliterates any romantic tension the two characters may have had. The only aftermath of this kiss is that now Tomoe has to obey Nanami. But is this mechanic used more than 3 times in the whole show? no. It is not. Something this anime does not provide is romantic tension or playfulness. Tomoe is a very stale romantic interest because he shows almost no emotion except irritation and surprise toward the main girl. He has a huge opportunity to be a tsundere type where the viewer might get hints that the two will end up together, but instead Tomoe just gets severely annoyed at her over and over. Then, Nanami decides she likes him. But why did she decide this? He has only ever been rude and foul to her for the whole show? I guess the world will never know. But instead of hiding her feelings and giving us tension, she just kind of tells him.
Scifi.
This show has 'fight' scenes and scifi elements like time travel. They are extremely lack luster, and while I could say maybe that's a product of time, they could have at least been written better. The dragon king guy, a very odd character, caused a huge threat to Tomoe and Nanami had to fix it by literally time traveling. After she is posed with a moral dilemma and takes an eye out of herself (??? it's never explained I have no idea) they go to rescue Tomoe and basically do nothing. She time traveled and almost got 30 years of her life stolen from her and they showed up and talked for 2 seconds and it was solved. This is what I mean by crumbs. There were high-ish stakes and the solution was the dumbest technicality I have ever seen.
Drama.
Guess what we learned by having Nanami time travel? ooo Tomoe had a human girlfriend at one point! This is good drama, this causes romantic tension. But then.... nothing comes of it. Nanami is riddled with all sorts of feelings when this comes about and it's supposed to explain the distance Tomoe has created between them, but then there is no visual solution to Tomoe's feelings toward Nanami. Suddenly he just changes his mind after being rude to her for episodes on end. Tomoe is not explored enough as a character who has a promising backstory set up.
I really could not understand why I heard such good things about this show as I was watching it, but I think that takes me back to the top. It's a product of its time. If I had watched this in 2012 when it came out I would have eaten this up and loved it. Tomoe is so traditionally 'hot', Nanami is easy to self insert to, it's a simple series to watch. I can't say everyone will love this, but I dont think everyone will hate it either.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Nov 9, 2022
In the midst of shows like Chainsaw Man, Spy x Family, and more crazy good animated shows, Romantic Killer proves that you don't need an insane animation budget to make a good anime. If you go into watching Romantic Killer expecting a simple wholesome romance, you are sure to get much more. Anzu is a freshman in highschool who has no interest in romance. She goes home from school as fast as possible to play videogames. Until one day, the wizard Riri appears!
I think if you are a long-time watcher of romance, specifically reverse harem, you will enjoy this show slightly more than the rest.
...
The show plays on tropes such as the childhood friend, distant and popular classmate, and rich prince with a fanclub.
Romantic Killer also simply subverts expectations. The characters gain depth when the viewer least expects it - even Riri gets to be likeable. While recognizing to some the comedy was hit or miss, I feel the comedy was spot on and never felt out of place. It is also very wholesome unlike much romantic comedy these days. The main character is probably the most relateable high school girl I have come across. Anzu is a cat-crazed, chocolate eating gamer, but the way the show handles it isn't over the top and is believeable. This is to say, the jokes that follow Anzu are also relateable and believeable.
The comedy allows the voice acting to shine (I can only speak to the sub). Riri and Anzu's voice actors were phenomenal. I don't think I can remember the last time japanese voice acting stood out to me in the past couple years. Hearing Anzu, with such a wide vocal range, put on her deep voice to fend off romance was a breath of fresh air!
I highly recommend this anime. Here's to hoping for another season!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Sep 21, 2020
First, I've just gotta say this is a really solid season 2. I'm gonna try hard to not spoil anything and keep this simple, but I'll point out the biggest things that stood out to me.
Going in order analyzing the sections of story, art, sound, character, and enjoyment, I'll start with story. Season two of Fruits Basket really has a great way of managing the story in a way that doesn't get confusing, but also without treating the viewer like a child. There are a bunch of different characters with separate goals and ideals, but none of that really gets buried or lost. Tohru has
...
less focus on her at the end of the season, which annoyed me at the time, but in retrospect she was pushed to the side a little to allow for a lot of development to happen with other plot elements, which was necessary. I rated this category a 10 just because the story was strong through the beginning, middle, and definitely straight through to the end.
Artwork, 9. Now I jumped into season 2 a little while after finishing season 1, because I like to binge watch. That said, I could be wrong but the artwork seemed to dwindle a bit at the beginning of s2. It's possible they were saving budget for later episodes, where there are some really gorgeously animated scenes, but for that reason I rate it a bit lower. It's not something that detracts from enjoying the show, it's just a few of the first episodes that seem to have a quality drop.
Sound, 10. I really cannot emphasize how much I love the music for this show. The openings and the endings alike set a really unique tone that's hard to describe. Both longing, sad, yet happy and content? The second opening of season two just really hit the nail on the head. The background music is also just really iconic.
Character, 9. So I really like the characters in this show, and as season 2 moves along there are so many developments that create a mood change for each person. I can't rate this category perfectly... Yuki's development is really good for him if I'm thinking logistically for a human being's happiness, rather than a show character. But they move to focus on him at certain points where it's straight up boring or not contributing because he's become kind of stale. He's no longer brooding or has communication issues, which is good for him, but makes for some boring-ish interactions.
Enjoyment, 9. I really enjoyed watching this season. I guess my enjoyment drops down a notch because I'm a huge KyoxTohru shipper, and Kyo wasn't even in the last episode. Also can they stop doing that thing where they trail off a question or important dialogue line and leave it hanging for so long!
Overall I rate Fruits Basket s2 a 9. It's a really solid season, it has really iconic points in it, amazing music, and solid characters. The story is only just beginning it feels like, and I'm getting so much out of this compared to the original (and I loved the original). I definitely recommend it, despite some of its shortcomings.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 2, 2020
Made in Abyss
I am sure you are aware it is a pretty dark show hidden behind a lighthearted facade. It is decently done and the characters are likeable? enough?
But I'm writing this review to point out how uncomfortably blatant the writer is with his pedophilia fetishes. Yes. That is what I wrote. I just finished this show moments ago and it just baffles me how this show was rated so high with the amount of disgusting fetishes animated here with no backlash.
let's see:
- pee fetish, check. I get it they are children but please stop making them urinate at any given moment.
- obsession
...
with Reg's genitalia. I do not care and it was funny the first time because he's a robot and its unexpected, but enough is enough.
- a literal child with boobs in a skimpy crop top. Mitty.
- multiple mentions of sticking things up the children's butt.
Listen, having little kids with a crush on one another is really cute but it.. should be wholesome. They are children.
If you are uncomfortable with seeing this, please don't watch. It's a real real shame because there are some really great things about this anime. The characters are developed well and the world building is just great and leaves you wondering.
TLDR; please stop rating this 10/10 and giving it such a high rating. It has a good story but not good enough for me or anyone to overlook pedophilia. Thanks.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Feb 4, 2018
I don't write reviews often. In fact, when it comes to choosing which shows to watch, I never really listen to them, because different people have different opinions. But just hear me out when I say that this anime is something special.
I'm assuming that whoever is reading this hasn't seen the show yet, so I'll do my best to leave out spoilers.
The story is strange in that it starts out as a very independent, feel good show. Two kids meet and find friendship through music, yadayadayada... However, as it progresses, things start to morph into romance and drama, which may leave you with tears.
...
That being said, it does end well. There are a lot of love connections being made throughout, but none of them are stupidly handled. The pacing was excellently done seeing as it didn't feel rushed, and when there were time skips, they made sure the viewer was aware of them. Personally, I like the way the story unfolded and the twists and turns made me want to keep watching. (It's not some slice of life that will make you bored!!!)
Art is tough to talk about when it comes to this show. At a glance, and without knowing anything about the mood, it may come off as mediocre because of the airbrush shading and uncomplicated animation. However, I love the way they did this. Someone in a forum commented this: "It's like looking at real life through an anime lense." I completely agree. Even the locations are based on a real town in japan. This can be applied to story and characters as well. Everything just feels so real. On another note, the art is always solid. Never any wonky faces or angles. I believe the art matches the mood and story of the anime.
Sound. yes. Let me just tell you one thing. I was moved to actual tears by one of the jam sessions between Sen and Bon ( You'll know what I mean once you watch ! ) The instrumentals, when they play, actually match the animation?? amazing? It's something really rare to see, surprisingly. When it comes to the opening and ending songs, I really like them. The opening is very lighthearted and makes me happy. I didn't like it at first but it grows on you. And the incorporation of the drums and trumpet into it! It's great. The ending is very solemn which I think fits because often times episodes end on low notes. The music is something really to be experienced rather than read about.
The characters in this show are relatively all built upon, which is pretty crazy since there are so many of them introduced. Though, because there are many the development of them can only be so deep. The characters are so human...
Though because they are human there are times when they make bad decisions. It's frustrating but real. The personalities of the characters are really built and it's easy to tell when that happens when you can predict how they will react in a situation ( it's a good thing! ) Though I find some characters a nuisance, they do all serve a role.
Finally, my enjoyment. Ya'll already know I love this anime. It's actually taken a spot in my favorites.
If you love music, even if you don't and just want some good drama, please watch this anime. It's such a beautiful piece of art. Every episode is worth the time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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