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My biggest criticism of the Kizumonogatari Trilogy was the fact that it was one film unnecessarily split into three. Learning of the compilation film, I had hoped that the idealized version of this story would come to fruition. However, the editors cut too much content, almost a third by my count. The worst of it was that much of Hanekawa's scenes were cut or abridged, which I thought were essential to the story. While I don't disagree with some fanservice cuts for the sake of wider appeal, excising entire scenes diminished Araragi and Hanekawa's relationship to a detrimental degree. Without the clear juxtaposition between Araragi's ... relationship with Kiss-shot and Hanekawa, I feel that some subtext was missing from the final product. Hanekawa feels more out of place now than an integral part of Araragi's development.

Because Nekketsu-hen felt the most abridged, the driving mission of the story felt more like a checklist than a series of trials to overcome. As a result, it somewhat spoils the impact of the third act. Cutting a lot of slower moments for the sake of the runtime creates a very plot-driven version of the original trilogy, and, in my opinion, an inferior one. The Monogatari series, if anything, is nothing without its characters. To remove scenes that lessen them is to hinder what the series is best at. The quieter, awkward, and pondering moments gives the audience more information about the characters and more reasons to care. If we don't care about the characters, then why would we care about the plot.

I believe there is a happy middle in which the trilogy is seamlessly tied together, comes in at a runtime of just under 3 hours, and feels just as fulfilling as the original films. However, what we have is a more convenient but clearly inferior version of Kizumonogatari. I can't say what my opinion on this would be if I hadn't seen the original trilogy. Already knowing that a better version exists dramatically skews my opinion. It's what most of my review is about. I believe if you're diving into the sprawling tale of Monogatari, you as a viewer gain nothing by shaving off an hour of runtime. Might as well take the full plunge and watch the original trilogy.

(In the US, the "Koyomi Vamp" version is currently available on Crunchyroll, whose subtitles are sometimes impossible to read. The "Trilogy" versions are available to rent individually on Amazon Prime.)

The Progressive film series is a haven for people who want to like SAO but never cared for the story past the Aincrad arc. Taking place months after the first film, notably skipping to the fourth light novel, the story revolves around Asuna and Kirito aiming to stop a nefarious plot that could destroy the two strongest guilds spearheading the death game.

The plotting and writing of the film is no more outstanding than that of a typical anime, but thankfully the pacing is much snappier and on point. The action isn't a showstopper, but action that's fluid and keeps the characters on model is always ... appreciated. The "Fuscus" track towards the end of the film was a particular stand out for an otherwise unremarkable OST.

While the story does skip a number of light novels, it didn't feel too jarring. There are obvious paradigm shifts and character introductions that occurred offscreen during that time, but the film seemed to prioritize plotlines and characters established in the first film above side characters that may not have much bearing on the overall plot going forward. They made the film feel like a true sequel to the first film in that way.

The drama is by no means complex nor particularly deep, but the film continues to give sparks of life to Asuna and Kirito. They're small character moments that don't amount to much more than a single word, but had a bit more impact than I was expecting. That isn't to say they're fully fleshed out characters, but it's infinitely better than nothing at all. In theory, this is the fourth story of supposedly dozens more. So, it makes sense that the character progression is minimal at best however unfortunate that is.

And that is the problem. This isn't the second half of a two-parter or the middle film in a trilogy. It's only a sliver of an epic adventure that may still be years or decades from finishing. A third film is inevitable and likely a fourth, but as enamored as I am with the promise of the Progressive film series, I am disappointed that an ending to it all may never come. That being said, as long as they keep making these films, I will keep watching them. Because despite how critical I can be of them, I still enjoy what they offer.

Review: Fate/stay night (2006)

Given the nature of the franchise and the internet in general, there has and will be much debate over whether when or if this show should be watched. To allow some context, between 10/25/20 and 11/18/20 I binged Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, Fate/Grand Order: First Order, Fate/Grand Order: Absolute Demonic Front – Babylonia, Fate/stay night the Movie: Heaven’s Feel I & II, and Fate/stay night (2006) in that order. I went in almost completely blind with only the knowledge that the series existed and was well renowned. I gave into the consensus that Fate/Zero was an appropriate place to start ... as opposed to Studio Deen’s Fate/stay night. So, that is where I will be coming from with this review.

Animation & Sound: Studio Deen has since created modern classics like, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu and KonoSuba, but not since Higurashi: When They Cry (also by Studio Deen) have I sat through an entire show with consistently stiff animation and some rather ugly character models. Admittedly, coming off the Heaven’s Feel films, I knew I was in for a rough viewing, but even so, there is no denying how ugly this show is. As much as I’d love to blame the times, the fact that Death Note, Ergo Proxy, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and Code Geass were all released in the same year highlights the show’s shortcomings on a visual scale. While the fight scenes lacked that audibly kinetic punch heard throughout Ufotable’s fights, I did take more notice to the soundtrack by Kenji Kawai. While that statement isn’t to downplay the excellence of Yuki Kajiura or Hideyuki Fukasawa, I can just better recall tracks like “Keiyaku” and “Majutsushi” than any one from the other series. The soundtrack overall feels very much of the time, but pleasantly nostalgic as well.

Story: Due to the fact that the 2006 version borrowed elements from both the Unlimited Blade Works and Heaven’s Feel routes, it took more than a few episodes before I was presented scenarios that had not also been adapted by Ufotable in one way or another. Outside of some minor or inconsequential variances, it wasn’t until Episode 19 that I saw the Fate route finally take shape. However, the thing that finally separates this show from the others was poorly executed. As the romance between Shirou and Saber takes center stage, it is hindered by a weak foundation. Shirou is taken to the extreme in terms of idiocy, and Saber is made to be consistently incapable of doing anything on her own. In general, they come off as much more juvenile than their Ufotable counterparts. Despite that, the show does almost nothing to convince me that these two could genuinely love each other at the moment of confession. Character progression across the board is limited and forced when convenient.

Recommendation: Undoubtedly, watching Fate/stay night last did it no favors whatsoever. But, if watching it last taught me anything, it was that I didn’t miss out on anything by watching Fate/Zero first. It shouldn’t be denied how amazing I’m sure this show was when it first aired in 2006, but I can’t say with all confidence that it is still relevant. As a recommendation, I would skip to Fate/Zero and keep my fingers crossed for Ufotable to take a definitive crack at this.

The is a review of Seasons One and Two (Episodes 1 – 102).

Black Clover is a traditional shounen anime that is more traditional than most modern shounen today. Instead of the more seasonal arcs produced like My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer, it stretches its storytelling to be yearlong. Unfortunately, the need to air every week really hampers the production quality, leading to inconsistent animation. There will be thoroughly outstanding battles such as Episodes 63, 84, 91, 92, and Episode 100. However, more often you’ll find stiff characters and disproportionate models. Sometimes there also will be inconsistent character placement. Two characters who were a foot ... from each other in a closeup are a few yards away in the wide.

Outside of various quality inconsistencies, the stretched storytelling can also be cumbersome. The first 3-5 minutes of every episode retells the Tale of the First Wizard King, followed by a recap, then ends with the opening intro. Despite that, the show will still replay the last minute or two of the previous episode before we see new material. If you remove all of that with the outro and post-credit snippets, each episode is about 15-17 minutes long. I understand that having a continuous production schedule forces the team to cut corners, but if I had been watching this week by week, I’d be utterly annoyed by how little actually happens in a single episode. If, in a perfect world, the production team was to pace the show normally, everything that happened in 102 episodes could’ve been done in 70 or less.

Continuing with the negatives, the show’s major plot points are astoundingly similar to Naruto. That isn’t to say that the story is less enjoyable, but when I’m constantly thinking “just like in Naruto,” I can’t help but feel disappointed that the creator couldn’t pen a more original story within the context of a really interesting world. I won’t go into more detail for the sake of spoilers.

Character-wise, I admit that Asta completely won me over. I watched the dubbed version of the anime, and I must give props to Funimation for a fantastic dubbing. The voice actors nailed the delivery and it was mostly because of Asta’s voice actor, Dallas Reid, that I grew to like the character. As loud and obnoxious as his character may be, Reid found a perfect balance that never became too grating and did an excellent enough job with the humor to make me laugh more than a few times with his delivery. Christopher R. Sabat is a pleasure as always as Yami, Captain of the Black Bulls.

To return to the storytelling aspect, I do wish that the story challenged the main character’s ideals. So far, Asta’s determination only wavered in Episode 01. Every challenge he has faced since has been purely physical. Nothing has really challenged him to the core, forcing him to question his own ideals and aspirations. As a result, Asta hasn’t shown any development at all as a character, which I feel is necessary for compelling protagonists. He is a model of determination and heart for sure, but not compelling.

The side characters are a hit and miss. They’ll begin as one note characters, have a character development arc, then return to being one note characters. Finral, and Vanessa of the Black Bulls are the standouts so far. Each have a great character arc and are essential supporting players in two major action set-pieces. The rest of the Black Bulls, outside of Yami, have yet to stand out as much as I would hope by this point in the show.

My greatest fear with the anime, is that it won’t know when to quit (which I guess is entirely dependent on the author of the manga). With the overarching plot looking to reach a fever pitch in Season Three, I can’t help but think this will turn into a prelude for something bigger, which will turn into a prelude for something even bigger, and so on and so forth. With how little can happen per episode, dialing it back to one a week after I catch up may make the show unbearably slow. As much as I have enjoyed the show despite its flaws, it doesn't have enough to keep me compelled for years and years to come. (At least as of Episode 102)

I wouldn't begrudge anyone who gives this a high review, at the same time, I am somewhat perplexed by people who do. The show, quite frankly, went on too long. If the show was not beholden to the source material, there would have been a neat way to end the show around the half-way point. Instead we are treated to multiple faux-climaxes that bludgeon the viewers with rinse and repeat action and story beats. Towards the end, I audibly said aloud, "Really? Again?" The amount of times that these characters are kidnapped and abused/tortured are annoyingly high. It bloats the story and diminishes emotional impact ... of the ugly topics it's trying to shine a light on.

To set the story in modern day I felt was a mistake. The technology that the villains and police should possess make certain scenarios laughably implausible. The story would have played out better if it was kept in the late 80's or early 90's like the novel. At the same time, if the creators believed that the story should be adapted to modern times, it is a shame that they didn't adapt the romance between the two main characters. It comes off as incredibly light and uncommitted. As an additional nitpick, I was kind of irked at how all the Americans acted like Japanese anime characters. (Yes, I know I just watched a Japanese anime. But, as an American, it was something that I constantly noticed.) I would sometimes forget that the story is supposed to take place in America.

[Non-Specific Spoilers for the Ending]

Banana Fish commits a cardinal sin with the ending. While they provided the set up well enough, I feel that it sends a horrible message for the sake of shock. The ending did not feel earned or appropriate for the story it was trying to tell. It destroys the lesson that the show preaches in its final episodes. Ultimately, it was what affected my rating of this show the most. If different, I probably would have lauded this show despite it's glaring flaws, because the story would have made it worth it. Instead, the sheer nihilism of this show makes me feel gross inside and will probably follow me to work tomorrow.

[End of Non-Specific Spoilers]

Banana Fish is a well made show. That cannot be argued. The story is dense and sloppy, but ultimately forgivable. I commend its effort to hammer down dark topics that very few are willing to mention with such brutality, and how it builds the relationship between Ash and Eiji. However, the ending casts a shadow on all of it. Three minutes warped my opinion of the previous 8 hours, and I cannot express enough how much it saddens me to have a show I was ready to praise fall flat on its face just a hair's length from the finish line.