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This review will contain spoilers but I'll try to keep them brief and as minor as possible.

If I really wanted, I could summarize this anime in one sentence. Take all of the romance tropes from the last decade, add some polished art and there's Kami-sama. Now you'd think I'm joking when I say that I expected this to be a Charlotte or an Angel Beats coming from the same author right? No, of course not. This anime is as mediocre as they come. All of the character interactions I found myself cringing at because of how poorly they are done. You have a high schooler ... getting ready to go to university, and he still can't control his voice. If you were looking for a true relaxed SoL (which I doubt anyone here is because it is expected that the anime would turn out like the author's previous works) then perhaps I could see the first 5-6 episodes passing. However, even an SoL has some sort of plot to move it forward, some sort of comedy to keep the viewer entertained. Kami-sama had none of that for me. Every week I just waited for the "main event". When the "main event" finally came, it was soooo lackluster it again made me cringe. I predicted it a mile away, and although I think it could have been pulled off and I would have enjoyed it still, the worst moment of the anime came. I can't go into too much detail without spoiling the whole anime (not that there's much to be spoiled for) but the character interactions become a 0/10, the plot takes a dive (yet again), and at this point I'm wondering if it can even get any worse. When the insert song came in at the very end I honestly started laughing about how bad this show was. This anime combines everything I hate into one show. Shallow characters, a horrendous plot, very bad comedy, boring slice of life moments, and a poor soundtrack (I did like the opening though to be fair). Most anime that I find have one or two of these elements missing, with few having more. Regardless, no anime I've seen thus far has come this close to making me want to drop it. It's not just boring, it's offensive. Don't watch this anime if you want another Angel Beats or Charlotte, you won't get that.

Let me preface this review by saying that Gintama is my favorite anime of all time. It is a masterful creation of both comedy and action. It's the second anime as of now that has made me feel true despair after watching (not to mention the numerous times where I couldn't stop laughing). I will try not to include any spoilers in this review (at least for the season I am leaving this review for), but there will be spoilers for past seasons. This review is divided into sections.

Story (10/10):
Some might say that Gintama has no story and is purely episode-to-episode comedy. I strongly disagree. ... From the first 35 or so episodes Gintama started, which was spent mostly introducing the characters, there were already the beginnings of long-term conflict emerging behind the scenes. Gintama is a show where although 75% of it is short comedy arcs, those comedy arcs serve as a great way to build character development and create a world that is truly amazing. Gintama is the only anime I've seen that I have to think long and hard about a character or characters that I dislike or think were poorly written. There are none. I'll talk more about this in the character section, but story-wise, there is no "fourth wall" in Gintama. This means that there are frequent references to the anime and manga community outside of the anime itself. If you're reading this review, you've most likely seen the past seasons, but one of the most popular examples of this was the Character Poll arc where the whole cast battled it out from the ratings that the Jump readers voted on for each character. I find that genius.

Art (8/10):
Gintama is a long-running shounen. That means that the studio doesn't have that long to work on each episode so the art isn't ufotable-tier or anything like that. It's good enough for the comedy arcs and that's good for me. You will certainly notice a huge, and I mean huge, step-up in animation during the serious arcs of the season (the Shogun Assassination Arc & Farewell, Shinsengumi Arc). The fight scenes in those two arcs were really well done. I was really amazed by the main Shogun Assassination Arc fight scene. Not much else to say here, though. I think that the art was good enough in most episodes, and amazing in others.

Sound (9/10):
I have no real critiques here, but nothing that truly stands out from previous seasons of Gintama or just anime in general. I love each and every one of the openings, KNOW KNOW KNOW by DOES and Pride Kakumei by CHiCO with HoneyWorks were my two personal favorites. Never did I feel like the sound was poor or drew me away from the action happening on screen. If you had no issues with the sound direction from previous seasons, this should be the same if not better.

Character (10/10):
If I had to choose a single area of this review where Gintama consistently shines, it's here, in the characters. As I said in the story section, there isn't a single character that I dislike. Even the antagonists aren't just well written, but also hilarious and entertaining. They are almost always non-cliché and I enjoy every moment that they are on-screen. It's hard to go further on this topic without spoiling, so I won't, but just be ready for some huge character developments.

Enjoyment/Overall (10/10):
Like the previous seasons, there are instances of hilarious comedy and somber moments. As almost everyone says, Gintama truly gets better and better the higher the episode count. I'm writing this before the last movie is released, but my god how it has been a journey. I don't know what I'm going to do when it's finished. I can't recommend this anime enough. Everything from the references to other popular anime to things going on in Japan at the time are amazing.

This review contains minor spoilers to Neon Genesis Evangelion episodes 1-24, as those are different from the rest. There is a section at the end of my review addressing the two different endings, Episodes 25 and 26 of NGE or Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion. There are minor spoilers respective to the film there.

After thousands of reviews and millions of different viewers of Evangelion, one thing remains clear. Evangelion is an artistic masterpiece-- one that is either loved or hated. Everything from the opening, "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" (which is regarded as the most well known anime opening ever in existence) to key ... moments and sequences in the anime which I will address in my review. Ever since the masterpiece that is Hideaki Anno's creation of Neon Genesis Evangelion first premiered on TV in 1995, the philosophies and lives of many of those who have watched have changed. That is not an overstatement, by any means.

Story (10/10):

Evangelion, which was produced in the 90's about the year 2015, follows Ikari Shinji and his life as a pilot of Evangelion Unit-01. The first half the anime focuses more on the construction of many of the major plot premises that are required for the second half of NGE as well as the movie. In that sense, the second half of the anime is more memorable and where most of the dark and psychological elements of Anno's creation come to light, no pun intended. NGE was being worked on amidst a time when Anno's own self was in a state of depression, after failure of his previous work. These dark elements that Anno envisioned as a result are very intriguing-- they aren't easily explained. Even 25 years later, people still don't have all the answers to what he intended each scene to mean, and it's here where Evangelion is truly a masterpiece. Nearly every scene has a deeper meaning that requires further thought or inspection.

When first beginning NGE, a lot of questions are raised, about both the Eva units as well as the abilities and religious ideas behind them (which you will find out more about in the film). Even after finishing the anime, there are still some questions that require further thought of. Evangelion is not simple, and that is why it is so great.

It is not simply a mecha show or a show about action and sci-fi, like the tags indicate. In fact, if that is what you are looking for, turn back. Evangelion is about relationships and the human identity. What does it mean to be human? What makes a human? When a society is cornered, and humanity faces extinction, what will happen? Answers to these questions and many more are answered. Evangelion's story may seem convoluted, and trust me, it is, but after taking a step back and looking at afar, you will begin to realize why it is such an icon of the 20th century anime.

Art (9/10)

Now more than 25 years old, NGE is certainly aging. However, the art still remains immaculate and suits the story perfectly. When there are dark themes, the colors grow darker. During an action scene between Eva units and Angels, the colors are vibrant and clear. The animation, despite being quite old, is still very good. The design of the characters, not only makes it very easy to tell them apart (a plus for sure) but also accompanies their personalities and general actions as well. Nothing bad to say here.

Sound (10/10):

The sound effects and soundtrack that Evangelion has is absolutely perfect. During scenes in the Nerv HQ (the main base of operations, if you will) the radio chatter in the background is projected into each ear making the room itself feel more alive. Each of the action scenes, not to mention the dialogue scenes are balanced perfectly with each other. There are adequate sound effects and matched the story in some way.

"A Cruel Angel's Thesis" is an 11/10 opening that deserves the worldwide recognition it receives to this day. Even before watching NGE, I heard the opening several times. "Fly Me to the Moon", I'm sure has been heard before as well. Each ending has a different vocalist who sings the song, and it's also very great. Again, nothing bad to say here.

Character (10/10):

All of the characters have certain troupes or cliches that they fall into, like almost every other anime I've seen, but that doesn't stop them from being special and unique from every other anime I've seen as well. Evangelion is one of the few anime I've really felt passionate about despite really disliking the personality main character, in this case, Shinji. This isn't a bad thing however, he is perfectly implemented in the story, very well written, and often represents one of the plot barriers that the story faces. Each one of the characters undergoes some type of development, whether they grow closer or further apart.

The cast of NGE is considered to be one of the greatest of all time, to the point where it's very difficult to describe the main characters in a concise manner. Shinji starts off very closed-off, before slowly opening up to a few of the characters, and then shutting himself off from the rest of society (several times this cycle occurs). Rei has trouble with human interaction with anyone else except for the commander, and Asuka is very self-centered, believing that she needs to be recognized due to the death of her mother. Misato occasionally feels worthless and let down, feeling that what she once loved now betrayed her.

As said in the plot section, Evangelion is about the characters and the interactions they have-- the conflict with the Angels almost represents a catalyst for the problems that the cast faces with themselves. NGE enters the minds of the characters and causes us to learn about their inner thoughts and motives. Everything ties in together here, the story, the art, the sound.

Enjoyment/Overall (10/10):

With that said, Evangelion is certainly not for everyone. It's an amazing show and changes drastically throughout the course of the 26 episodes and film. If you are worried about the animation quality like I was coming into this, don't be. Although dated, it still is very good.

Short review of End of Evangelion / Episodes 25/26 (8/10):

Although beginning with a large budget, the producers of NGE faced trouble towards the end of the season with episodes 25 and 26. As a result, it is said that the episodes contain insight to the mind of Shinji after the events of NGE and that the film, End of Evangelion portrays the actions outside Shinji's mind. I really enjoyed the film, although it is certainly an R+ film. The opening scene caught me off guard and I personally think it was unnecessary, but the rest of the film was good regardless. Episodes 25 and 26 in my opinion, were certainly less good of an ending to Evangelion and are more suited as the internal thoughts of Shinji, as previously mentioned.

This review may contain spoilers of the Monogatari series up to this point (Broadcast Order) which includes Bakemonogatari, Nisemonogatari, and Nekomonogatari: Kuro. There also are minor spoilers of Monogatari Series: Second Season. This review is written by someone who has only seen the entries up to this point. I have not read the novels.

When watching Bakemonogatari, the first anime adaptation of the Monogatari series, I immediately became aware of the many differences Bake (and the rest of the series up to this point) had from other anime. Although it was clear that Bakemonogatari might have had a low budget with its obvious number of stills ... and blank frames, I found it very enjoyable regardless. One of the times I especially remember was the famous "Starry Night" scene (Ep. 12) where Araragi and Senjyogahara go on their first date after an awkward car ride. The ending, which most anime don't use directly as a way of telling a story, faded in after the screen pans to the sky. Just then, you immediately realize why the ending came to be-- the lyrics mention all of these constellations. The ending here was, "Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari" and it perfectly represented everything about the present moment.

Throughout the many seasons and parts leading up to the Monogatari Series: Second Season (which I will just call the second season now) there have been many examples of amazing scenes like what I just mentioned in Bake, but there were also many instances of fan service and comedy (not to mention the toothbrush scene in Nisemonogatari). In the second season, I found that everything-- from the romance the characters show, to the comedy and even fan service seen in a few episodes blends perfectly to create an incredible story, one that is certainly fitting of the word, Masterpiece. Now on to the specifics.

Story (10/10):

Like in the previous entries of the Monogatari series, the second season is split up into different story arcs which feature different characters, but may even line up with each other, story-wise. For example, the first arc in the second season, titled "Tsubasa Tiger" overlaps with the latter arcs. With Araragi and Shinobu missing, it is up to the rest of the characters, namely the Fire Sisters, Karen and Tsukihi along with Senjyogahara to investigate the mysteries in the town. At the same time, Araragi and Shinobu have their own matters to deal with, before eventually overlapping. This idea of overlapping arcs and episodes happens throughout the Monogatari story and is one of the reasons I love it so much.

My favorite arc of the second season, "Shinobu Time" featured time travel as a means of mystery. The fact that time, although being prominent in Monogatari was never the major idea of an arc before, was used incredibly. Not once did I feel like it was out of place, it perfectly suited the story.

Despite all of the arcs being distinctly different from each other, they all managed to weave together and include everything I could have wanted, from numerous examples of character development, which I will talk more about in the character section, to outcomes that I could have never predicted. The story of the second season is one of the best I've ever experienced.

Art (8.5/10):

The Monogatari series does an excellent job at turning abstract scenes using the Mondrian color palette (at least from what I've seen) which features yellow, blue, red, black and white as the main colors into beautiful scenes that are very appealing to the eye. An example of this is the infamous abandoned cram school, where desks are abnormally piled high, the blackboard is a bright yellow color, and the broken windows reflect colored light. In any other case this might seem very odd, but the art perfectly suits the Monogatari story as well as the characters.

On that note, I'd like to talk about the character designs-- and this is the one regard that somewhat confuses me. Unlike Bakemonogatari, where frames of just the eyes was what many of the frames where, the second season uses many more full body and face frames. The characters are drawn very clearly and are distinctly different from each other, with one problem. The hair styles. Although it usually only took me a few moments to realize who the character is on screen after a hair style change, I still think this idea could be tweaked. I get that the characters undergo a lot of internal personal development and that the art is trying to reflect that externally, but it could have been done in a more minor way-- most anime use hair style as a way of distinguishing characters, so by changing that, you are effectively changing the character as a whole.

Aside from the characters though, everything is immaculate. The scenes on screen not just display what is happening in conversation but also show things like foreshadowing and symbolism. An example of this happened in the last arc, "Hitagi End", when Kaiki and Senjyogahara had a discussion at a donut shop and the screen panned to the condensation of a glass which abnormally curved, like the shape of a snake. Nearly every frame on screen has some significance to the story, and this is another reason why the second season and Monogatari as a whole is so great.

Sound (9/10):

There isn't that much to say here, the openings and endings, despite the fact that they happened 50/50 within each episode, were very enjoyable (especially the last opening with the duet of Senjyogahara and Kaiki) and adequately added to the story in some way. The sound never distracted or took away from the story or presence on screen. Whenever Shinobu appeared, there was a sound effect prior which hinted at her return, or whenever Kaiki was on screen, there was a melodramatic "evil-sounding" song. It even made me laugh a few times.

Character (10/10, I'd even go above that if possible):

At a brief glance you may think that Monogatari, especially in terms of characters is nothing new-- you have your typical tsundere, loli, and so forth. Although these terms accurately describe the respective characters, they are also so much more than that. Senjyogahara, the tsundere of the story obviously portrays tsundere-type traits, but certainly also changes. Shinobu, the vampire-loli that acts almost as a servant to Araragi is again, so much more than a loli to the point where she exhibits more development and feeling than many anime main characters. This pattern continues with nearly every character, and the Araragi, the main character is no different. At first he acted shy (in previous adaptations), but now opens up to many and is eager to help. Those that he helps in fact, change themselves in very dramatic yet different ways.

An example of this is the previous antagonist Kaiki who later becomes one of the main protagonists. Yes, you read that right... a side antagonist becomes the main protagonist of the final arc of the second season. In cases like this, Monogatari shows that it is like no other anime, it is not afraid of trying something.

Enjoyment/Overall (10/10):

With that said, Monogatari is for sure not for everyone, and it's not something I can safely recommend. For me and many others, it's a 10/10, no exception. A good tell of whether or not you'd like Monogatari are the first two to three episodes of Bakemonogatari. If you really enjoyed the story and are only semi-worried about the animation quality, it improves drastically over the course of the story. However if the story is the main complaint, it may not be for you. Monogatari, especially the second season is one of my favorite anime, and is for sure re-watchable.

Coming into this anime, I certainly wasn't expecting much, it looked like an isekai with 7 overpowered MC's. Was I right? Certainly, however I still enjoyed it far more than I was expecting. The story begins with the seven MC's arriving in a new world via plane crash. Their goal is to take their knowledge and abilities they learned from their previous experiences and apply them. The MC with the most screen time, the one who works as a government official, is probably the most interesting, but there isn't much development in terms of the rest of the characters so that is why I probably ... find him the most enjoyable. This anime reminded me a lot about Dr. Stone, in the sense of rapid technological development, although I would have liked to see more of the details and how exactly certain things were fabricated. The several antagonists that appear throughout the few arcs of the 12 eps felt very average and non-original, but I think that is okay for this anime, the goal wasn't to be original, it was just to create a semi-entertaining experience. Overall, if you end up watching this, go in not expecting much, and the anime will certainly exceed your expectations.

After watching Index, Railgun, Index II, Railgun S, Index III, I decided to catch myself up on the world of Railgun, Railgun T. So far, as only 15 eps have aired so far, I want to just say that this is the best season of the Toaru series as a whole. The first arc, without spoilers, is pure genius. Not only do you witness several of Academy City's Level 5 espers that have never had much screen time before, but many ideas and characters from previous seasons and series come back and are expanded upon greatly. As usual, the art is incredible, and the sound ... is immaculate. There were many instances of me shivering at how crazy both the art and sound come together. Even if you had no clue what was happening, the fight scenes and just overall scenes are beautiful. If you didn't know already, this takes place during Index II, however, the way that the events are portrayed here, are far superior than the way that they were created in Index. I highly recommend watching Railgun T, however, watching at least Railgun and Railgun S if not the Index series is a requirement.