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"Heavenly Delusion: The Encyclopedia-Dependent Anime"

Heavenly Delusion might lure you in with its intriguing premise, but it quickly descends into a labyrinth of confusion. The show seems to be designed for viewers with an encyclopedia at hand, as understanding its complex and often convoluted plot feels like a scholarly exercise. It's one thing for a show to encourage curiosity, but quite another to make you feel like you're preparing for a trivia contest. The anime's narrative is so densely packed with obscure references and cryptic symbolism that it's nearly impossible to follow without a deep dive into various historical, mythological, and scientific concepts. This over-reliance on ... external knowledge strips away the joy of simply enjoying a story, turning what could be a leisurely watch into a frustrating and exhaustive research session. In a bid to seem intellectual and profound, Heavenly Delusion ends up alienating its audience, leaving many feeling lost and disengaged. It's a disappointing misstep in storytelling, where the creators forgot that the essence of good narrative is clarity and engagement, not complexity and obscurity.

"Exhibit A: The Case of Maru"

Your Honor, the clearest example of the show's over-reliance on external knowledge is embodied in the character of Maru. Maru is not just any character; he's a clone of a child who was never meant to be born. This foundational aspect of his identity is glossed over with little to no explanation within the show itself. The audience is left in the dark about the critical backstory elements, such as the origins of Tokio, Kono, or the identity of Maru's father. This absence of clarity isn't just a minor oversight; it creates a significant gap in understanding the character's motivations and the plot's progression.

The show fails to provide even basic exposition for these crucial plot points, compelling viewers to turn to wikis and other external sources to piece together the narrative. This is not a simple case of encouraging viewers to engage with supplementary material for a deeper understanding. Instead, it's a fundamental flaw in storytelling, where essential information is omitted, making the narrative inaccessible and confusing without extensive outside research. The show's reliance on external knowledge for such critical plot elements is a testament to its failure in clear and coherent storytelling. This approach not only disengages the audience but also undermines the show's potential to be a compelling and self-contained narrative.

"Exhibit B: The Mysterious Children and the Enigmatic Alien-like Entity"

Turning to Exhibit B, Your Honor, another glaring issue in "Heavenly Delusion" is its heavy reliance on enigmatic and seemingly otherworldly children, coupled with the introduction of an alien-like character who assumes a god-like role. This character, who appears to possess limitless powers and knowledge, is never adequately explained or contextualized within the show. The narrative presents this being as a pivotal element, yet fails to offer any substantial backstory or rationale for its existence and abilities.

This lack of explanation significantly detracts from the viewing experience. The audience is left to grapple with these fantastical elements without any narrative guidance, creating a disconnect between the show's world and its viewers. The inclusion of such a powerful yet unexplained character not only raises numerous questions but also disrupts the story's internal logic and coherence.

The necessity for an 'Encyclopedia' becomes evident here, as viewers are compelled to seek external sources to make sense of these mysterious elements. This approach to storytelling undermines the show's ability to stand on its own merits and forces the audience into a frustrating position of having to fill in too many narrative gaps on their own. Such a reliance on external knowledge for fundamental aspects of the story is a significant impediment to the enjoyment and understanding of the anime.

"Closing Argument: The Perpetual Shift and Unresolved Mysteries of 'Heavenly Delusion'"

In conclusion, Your Honor, 'Heavenly Delusion' stands as a prime example of a narrative that not only confounds its audience with its complexity but also perpetually shifts its ground just as the viewer believes they are gaining understanding. This is epitomized in the puzzling subplot surrounding the lady at Takehara Center and her obsession with Tokio's child. The show posits this child as a figure of immense importance, yet fails to provide a clear explanation or rationale for this significance. This lack of clarity is a recurring theme in the show, leading to more confusion rather than enlightenment.

Furthermore, the narrative oversight becomes glaringly obvious when considering the possibility of other characters conceiving their own children. Given the presence of both men and women in the show who are aware of adult relationships, it is bewildering that none of them contemplate the idea of procreation, especially in light of the emphasis on the significance of Tokio's child. This gap in logic is not just an oversight; it's a fundamental flaw that disrupts the believability of the story.

The show, therefore, becomes a 'heavy delusion' to watch. As soon as one thinks they are beginning to understand the plot, it shifts, leaving the viewer in a perpetual state of confusion. The lack of coherent explanations and the constant introduction of new, unexplained elements make the show an exhausting experience, rather than an enjoyable one. This reliance on external sources for understanding, coupled with the narrative's constant shifts and unresolved mysteries, detracts significantly from the show's overall appeal and coherence.

While 'Heavenly Delusion' may falter in its overall narrative coherence, it shines brightly in its portrayal of the characters Maru and Kiruko. Their chemistry is undeniable, and their interactions are a high point of the show. As the episodes progress, we witness the growth of their relationship, beautifully illustrating how they gradually become closer in a world that has lost its order and civility.

This aspect of the show hints at a missed opportunity: 'Heavenly Delusion' could have excelled as a story about two teenagers navigating and connecting in a lawless society. Their burgeoning relationship, set against the backdrop of a civilization in ruins, is both poignant and captivating. It harkens back to the essence of human connection and resilience in the face of adversity. This dynamic between Maru and Kiruko is a reminder of the old world, a world that once was, making their bond all the more meaningful and significant.

Expanding further on the narrative of 'Heavenly Delusion,' the show does indeed present a world rife with bandits, information hoarders, and various sinister occurrences. These elements paint a picture of a society in disarray, a setting that could have been a fertile ground for an engrossing story about survival and human nature. The portrayal of a lawless, post-apocalyptic world teetering on the brink of collapse is inherently intriguing and offers numerous possibilities for rich storytelling.

However, the introduction of convoluted concepts like aliens, mysterious children, and the inclusion of cloning technology severely undermines the show's potential. These elements, while initially adding a layer of intrigue, start to lose their coherence upon closer examination. The narrative around cloning is a prime example of this disintegration. The plot twist involving the inability of a supposed genius scientist to distinguish between a real child and its clone is not only implausible but also comes across as a cheap narrative device. It sacrifices logical consistency for shock value, undermining the story's credibility.

Furthermore, the sudden introduction of an overtly evil character towards the end feels forced and out of place. This character's motivations and actions lack depth and appear as an afterthought, designed merely to inject artificial tension into the story.

The revelation that every child at the Takehara Child Center is a Hiruko (man-eater) almost manages to tie some plot elements together, hinting at a deeper, more cohesive storyline. However, this revelation, too, falls short of providing a satisfying explanation. It seems like a last-minute attempt to create a semblance of sense in an otherwise disjointed plot.

The subplot involving Robin, Kiruko, and Haruki in 'Heavenly Delusion' stands out as a particularly jarring and problematic aspect of the show. The storyline, culminating in the revelation of Robin's true, malevolent nature, is handled in a manner that raises serious concerns about its narrative intent and impact.

The use of sexual violence in this subplot is especially contentious. Kiruko's prolonged and graphic ordeal seems to be utilized not for meaningful narrative development but rather as a shock factor. This approach is not only deeply troubling but also appears as a cheap and unnecessary trick to engage the audience. Such a graphic depiction of trauma, employed in this manner, detracts from any profound storytelling or character development the show might have aimed for.

Moreover, this subplot's connection to the overall plot of 'Heavenly Delusion' is weak, making its inclusion even more questionable. The discovery of Robin's true character could have provided a compelling exploration of themes like disillusionment or the destruction of childhood idols. However, the execution and the context in which it unfolds within the broader, already convoluted narrative of the show make it feel misplaced and gratuitous.

This particular subplot does not just fail to add to the story but actively detracts from it. It comes across as an ill-conceived attempt to add depth and intrigue to an already messy, encyclopedia-required storyline, resulting in a narrative that feels both exploitative and disjointed.

In the midst of 'Heavenly Delusion's' chaotic narrative, one element stands out for its exceptional quality and immersive experience: the soundtrack. The original score of the show is a remarkable feat, masterfully crafted to enhance every scene. The music aligns perfectly with the fluctuating moods and atmospheres throughout the series, acting as a unifying force in a plot that is otherwise scattered and disjointed.

The composers and sound designers deserve high praise for their work. The score effectively captures and amplifies the tension, drama, and emotional undertones of each scene. Whether it's the moments of suspense, the burgeoning relationship between Maru and Kiruko, or the eerie and unsettling sequences, the music adds depth and substance to the viewing experience.

In a way, the soundtrack serves as a crucial adhesive, binding together the fragmented pieces of the story. It provides a consistent auditory backdrop that helps to smooth over some of the narrative's rough edges. The music becomes a storytelling device in its own right, offering clarity and cohesion where the plot itself may falter. In this regard, 'Heavenly Delusion's' OST is a shining example of how a well-composed soundtrack can elevate a show, even when other elements struggle to find their footing.

Despite its narrative shortcomings, 'Heavenly Delusion' stands out as a visual masterpiece in the realm of anime. The art and animation quality of the show is nothing short of genius, setting a high benchmark for the medium. The visual effects employed in the series are unparalleled, showcasing a level of creativity and execution that is rarely seen in anime. Each frame is a testament to the meticulous attention to detail and the artistic prowess of the animation team.

One of the most commendable aspects of 'Heavenly Delusion' is its adherence to the principle of "show, don't tell," particularly in how it handles the planning sequences of Kiruko and Maru. Instead of the all-too-common approach of merely explaining a plan and then cutting to its execution, the show brilliantly animates these strategies as they are being discussed. This method not only keeps the viewers engaged but also provides a dynamic visual representation of the characters' thoughts and intentions.

As Kiruko and Maru outline their plans, the animation fluidly shifts to depict these plans in action, creating a seamless and immersive experience. This technique is not just visually captivating; it's also an excellent example of effective storytelling. It allows for a deeper connection between the audience and the characters, as viewers are able to see the ingenuity of their strategies come to life.

The way 'Heavenly Delusion' visualizes these planning sequences is a standout feature that other anime could look to as an example of innovative storytelling and animation. It represents an opportunity to explore complex narratives in a visually engaging and coherent manner. This approach enhances the overall storytelling, making even the most intricate plans accessible and exciting to watch.

In conclusion, 'Heavenly Delusion' presents a perplexing dichotomy in the world of anime. On the one hand, it boasts stunning visuals and a captivating soundtrack that are both laudable for their quality and execution. The animation is nothing short of a visual feast, setting a high bar in the medium. The soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly, creating an immersive experience that is a testament to the talents of the composers and sound designers.

However, the praise for 'Heavenly Delusion' ends when it comes to its story. The narrative is where the show significantly falters, requiring viewers to constantly refer to wikis or conduct Google searches to grasp the basics of what is happening, who the characters are, and their evolving dynamics. This dependency on external sources to understand a story is a significant drawback, indicating a failure in coherent storytelling.

A notable issue is the portrayal of the Takehara children and their adult counterparts. The show commits the grave sin of making these characters unrecognizable from their younger versions, leaving the audience bewildered and unable to draw connections without external help. While this may have been an intended point of intrigue, the necessity to resort to online searches for clarification is not a desirable trait in storytelling.

'Heavenly Delusion' might be appealing to viewers who enjoy piecing together complex and enigmatic narratives, reminiscent of shows like 'Rick and Morty' that cater to a more analytically inclined audience. However, for those seeking a straightforward story, this show might not be the right fit. It demands a high level of engagement and a willingness to delve into supplementary material to fully understand its depth and nuances.

All in all, 'Heavenly Delusion' is a decent watch for those who appreciate exceptional visuals and soundtracks and are ready to navigate its challenging and encyclopedia-needing narrative. To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand Heavenly Delusion. The storytelling is complex, with subtle references to advanced scientific theories and intricate mythologies that go over the head of a typical viewer. The characters, especially Maru and Kiruko, are a labyrinth of deep existential themes, each reflecting a nuanced understanding of human psychology and philosophy. This show isn't just another anime; it's a cryptic journey through a post-apocalyptic world that draws heavily from less known literary works.

The show's fans understand this complexity; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of the plot, to realize that it's not just about entertainment - it says something profound about life. As a result, those who don't enjoy 'Heavenly Delusion' are likely missing out on these subtleties. For instance, the peculiar dynamics of the Takehara Child Center or the role of man-eaters in the series are not just plot devices; they are sophisticated allusions to classical dystopian and existential motifs. I'm smirking right now just imagining one of those bemused viewers scratching their heads in confusion as 'Heavenly Delusion's' brilliance unfolds on their screens. What a pity they can’t see the genius.

And yes, by the way, I DO have a 'Heavenly Delusion' tattoo. And no, you cannot see it. It's reserved for those who truly grasp the show's depth - and even then, they have to demonstrate that they are within a narrow IQ range of my own (preferably lower) before they get a glimpse.

A Second Glance at Charlotte: A Lesson in Growing Disenchantment

Have you ever revisited a beloved TV show from your younger years only to find it's not quite as magical as you remember? For me, that TV show was 'Charlotte,' which aired back in 2015. I was 15 years old at the time, and everything about it resonated with me - the characters, the serious and tragic undertones, even the protagonist who I thought was “literally me”. Charlotte seemed like an outlier in the 2015 anime meta, which was predominantly filled with banal magic high school narratives. Charlotte appeared to be a delightful mix of ... seriousness, edge, happiness, and cuteness. It felt like a breath of fresh air and quickly secured a spot in my cherished memories.

Eight years later, in 2023, I decided to revisit 'Charlotte.' My anticipation soon turned into a mixture of repulsion and disappointment. The show, which I had held in high regard, seemed to morph into an insensitive and manipulative spectacle, using heavy-handed attempts at eliciting emotional responses from the audience.

A glaring example is in the sixth episode when the protagonist's sister dies, a pivotal event executed in a remarkably contrived and hurried manner. The sister, who barely had ten minutes of screen time, is suddenly snatched away, and the audience is expected to empathize with the abrupt loss. The subsequent episode, a clumsy dive into the process of grief, is equally if not more problematic.

The protagonist's shift from a law-abiding high-school student to an underground criminal is jarring and devoid of any meaningful character development. It feels forced and lacks the necessary build-up. Remember Walter White's transformation in 'Breaking Bad?' It took several seasons for him to morph into Heisenberg. In contrast, Charlotte attempts to accomplish a similar transformation within a single episode, making it seem forced and lacking in authenticity.

Charlotte loves to punctuate its storyline with abrupt shifts in tone. One moment, viewers are presented with a light-hearted, humorous exchange between two characters engaging in a playful fight or a comedic banter. Then, without a smooth transition, the anime abruptly dives into a profoundly emotional or tragic event. This creates one of the most bizarre and almost bi-polar viewing experiences as you don’t know how you’re supposed to feel. Is it supposed to be funny? Is it supposed to be serious?

Charlotte suffers from an excessive amount of naivety. For instance, the over simplistic, almost child-like plan to save Yusarin and Misa from the show-biz mafia feels laughably unrealistic. It underscores a lack of creativity and thoughtfulness in employing the characters' superpowers. The powers themselves, a significant part of the show, are underwhelming and unoriginal.

Adding to the list of Charlotte's ill-conceived plot points is the grand finale of the series. The overarching solution presented to prevent further exploitation of superpowers is to have the protagonist, Yu, travel the world and absorb everyone's abilities. This plan, framed as a monumental sacrifice by Yu, crumbles under scrutiny.

Firstly, the logistics of the task are astounding. The world is home to over seven billion people spread across nearly 200 countries, each with its own unique geography, socio-political climate, and language barriers. Even if only a small percentage of these people possess superpowers, the task remains a Herculean effort, the scale and complexity of which is glossed over by the show.

Secondly, the plan assumes that every superpowered individual can be easily located, and that Yu is stronger than all of them.

The grand plan's execution is conveniently off-screen and summarized in a montage, sparing the audience from witnessing the potential pitfalls and challenges of the plan. The sudden time jump to a now powerless Yu, who has accomplished his mission, is unsatisfying and feels like a cop-out. The naivety of the grand plan and its rushed conclusion is the proverbial cherry on top of this very messy cake.

The same problems plague another work from the same creator, Jun Maeda - 'Angel Beats.' Similar to Charlotte, Angel Beats suffers from a poor narrative structure and overly simplistic twists. The supposed "clever" twists feel like poorly executed gimmicks, failing to contribute anything meaningful to the story.

Looking at Jun Maeda's works, including 'Charlotte' and 'Angel Beats,' it's hard not to draw comparisons to M. Night Shyamalan. Shyamalan, as we know, creates movies that hinge heavily on surprise twists, often at the expense of character development and narrative consistency. Unfortunately, Maeda's works exhibit similar shortcomings.

Like Shyamalan, Maeda appears to rely heavily on plot twists that are intended to shock and surprise the audience. However, these twists often feel contrived and unearned, as if they were inserted solely for the purpose of eliciting a reaction rather than serving the story or the characters. This strategy might initially catch viewers off-guard, but it ultimately comes across as a cheap trick when used repeatedly without adequate narrative support.

In 'Charlotte,' the sudden and poorly-handled death of the protagonist's sister is one such instance. In 'Angel Beats,' it's the abrupt revelation about the nature of the afterlife. Both twists lack foreshadowing or build-up, making them feel more like desperate attempts to inject drama rather than thoughtful plot developments.

Furthermore, both Maeda and Shyamalan tend to favor high-concept premises. While there's nothing inherently wrong with this, problems arise when the execution fails to live up to the concept. In Maeda's case, his stories often introduce fascinating ideas about superpowers or afterlife but fail to explore them with depth and nuance. As a result, these ideas often come off as gimmicky and superficial rather than meaningful explorations of their respective themes.

The Soundtrack of 'Charlotte' leaves much to be desired. Repetition is an inherent problem; the same musical pieces are used repeatedly across various episodes, diminishing their impact and contributing to a sense of monotony. The lack of diversity in the musical palette feels like a missed opportunity to use music as a tool for storytelling and mood-setting.

Moreover, the timing and selection of musical cues often feel mismatched with the on-screen action, contributing to an overall sense of dissonance. For instance, high-intensity tracks are played during mundane moments, and conversely, moments that call for an emotional or dramatic score are met with ill-fitting cheerful tunes. This inappropriate alignment of music and narrative creates a jarring viewing experience that detracts from the emotional depth of the scenes, further emphasizing the anime's insensitive handling of its themes and narrative.

Despite the criticisms of its narrative structure and OST, 'Charlotte' shines in its art style and character design. The series exhibits a visually striking animation quality that contributes to its unique charm. The artwork, produced by P.A. Works, showcases a vibrant and eye-catching palette that beautifully paints the backdrop for the series, providing an immersive viewing experience.

The character design, in particular, deserves praise. Each character is distinctly crafted, with particular attention to the intricate details that highlight their individual personalities. From Yu's messy black hair that matches his rebellious spirit to Nao's sharp eyes reflecting her decisive nature, the visual design does an excellent job of encapsulating each character's essence.

Overall, the art style and character design in 'Charlotte' are among its strongest points. They serve as a testament to the artistic prowess of the animators, offering a visually stunning experience that somewhat compensates for the shortcomings in other aspects of the series.

In conclusion, my recent viewing of 'Charlotte' left me feeling disillusioned. The show, once a cherished memory, now stands as a glaring example of how not to handle character development, narrative complexity, and thematic depth. Perhaps some memories are better left untouched.

Contains minor spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.

Would you say that you love yourself? Would someone else tell you how much they love and respect you? Buckle up because today we are going to be exploring Higehiro and its theme of a constant, never ending, downwards spiraling and massive circlejerk. Did I mention circlejerk?

I have never been so disgusted by watching a piece of fiction. Normally I consume media, take in what I saw and try to form an opinion of it. By watching Higehiro, I felt insulted to even make a semblance of an opinion about the show. It’s unbearable. I won’t be wasting ... your time, kind reader, but if you’ve read this far – do not watch Higehiro, it is bad, really bad. If you for some reason choose to stay and continue reading, well, prepare yourself for a poorly written but nevertheless honest review of the show.

I, as a watcher, try not to be biased and give everything an equal chance. Sometimes, I avoid certain media only to discover it later and feel like I’ve been missing out on it for the longest time ever, which I think happens to the best of us. And this is how I started watching this show. I did not read any reviews prior to watching, I avoided all possible spoilers of the show, isolating myself from the outer world or in other words, just quickly scrolling past all Higehiro related content. I should have been alarmed by the name itself, but I did not even search it up until I began watching it. The title alone is alarming: “Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway.” I mean, what sane person would start watching a show after reading a title like that.

I honestly thought they would cleverly and tastefully explore certain themes: sex, runaway, misery, prostitution; a dog’s life in other terms. I also thought they would cleverly show that some people in this world are kind and can give a helping hand to those in need. As well as showcasing a somewhat codependent relationship. That is what I gathered from the title at least.

Those were my expectations, and it ended up on not exploring much of anything at all. What it instead “explored” was how much of a kind, sexy, handsome, hard-working, and pretty much God of a main character we have in the show. Every single character really just stroked the main character’s ego to the point of disbelief, and they wanted to stroke something else too if you catch my drift. I couldn’t take it anymore so I dropped it after bearing through 3 whole episodes of this god-awful, god-forsaken garbage. That is one hour of my life that I will never ever get back. Thank you Higehiro’s author. That is pretty much the whole show – you do not need to watch any more than 2 or 3 episodes because it is a complete waste of time.

There are absolutely no stakes, no one ever gets in any trouble and someone that could potentially be seen as an actual sex offender and convict is actually the good and thoughtful person here. There were moments in the show where I actually started to feel tension. For instance, when one of the main character’s colleagues found out that he lives with a high-school runaway. I honestly thought that there’s no way that he would be able to get out of that situation and that he’s in actual trouble. The very next episode I could not believe what I was seeing because his colleague was actually praising him for handling a “tough” situation like that. The colleague didn’t say or think that it was weird, she was actually very understanding and even complimented him on that.

I could definitely say that it would not be my first reaction if I found out that my colleague who’s 25+ something is living with a minor who’s not related with him in any way, shape or form. I would have contacted the relevant authorities to handle a case like this. Regardless to say, very poor and lackluster execution. All the problems get tossed aside and instead of getting any sort of resolution we get nothing.

Has the author ever talked with another person? I don’t think so. Because I gather that this is the author’s sick, perverted and twisted fantasy. Regardless of who the author is self-inserting as, whether it be the highschool runaway girl or a “young” salaryman living with said high school runaway, it is sick. And I’m not against anime or any sort of media to explore certain topics that can be considered “taboo”, as long as it’s done in good faith and to either raise awareness of the topic or to add some sort of tasteful commentary, key word is tasteful. But not this. Honestly, watching paint dry or doing virtually anything else would provide more entertainment to you than this show ever could in the first place. I’m not saying this just because I disliked the show, I am serious.

What good is an anime if it is limited in its capability of storytelling? What good is an anime that centers everything around the main character and doesn’t ever miss the opportunity to somehow compliment or show the main character in a good light? These are the questions you need to answer before watching this show, as well as the question whether you’d like to be put on a watch list or on the sex offender registry list immediately. I probably already am on all possible watch lists after watching this atrocity of a show.

As for the conclusion, well see it this way – if you actually for some reason decide to watch a show that is called “After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway.” and think that it is somehow worthy of any sort of appraisal or that it was “unironically good” or hell even “ironically good”, well good for you. You’d make a good runaway high school girl in prison for all the other inmates.

This is probably the first anime that I am writing a review for this early on. I have only watched 4 episodes and I can say that this anime is the equivalent of absolute generic harem “waifu”-bait trope bullshit I have ever seen.

For starters, the basic premise that is supposed to connect all the dots in the show, isn’t present. The main character is said to be a prodigy legendary child actor that everyone somehow still remembers 10 years after the fact. Then you have all the waifus creaming over said legendary child actor and you also find out that he can only act when ... it’s for someone for he is terrible otherwise. Yeah, let that sink in – a genius child actor who everyone circlejerks 10 years after the fact who can’t act for shit unless he does it for someone. I don’t even think there is a term that can describe such awful, horrendous and terrible writing, I don’t think I could put it to words unfortunately. That’s how bad it is.

There are a lot of inconsistencies and contradictions that can be picked up from the first two episodes. And then again, whole character friendships and their supposed ‘development’ where we see them grow and overcome difficult moments are just misunderstandings that get cleared and such. For instance when Kachi reveals that she was the boy who the main character was friends with when they were children.

The show also and absolutely feels the need to introduce new waifus every 2 to 3 episodes because you can’t have too many, thought someone mentally inept in the meeting room when discussing next week’s episode.

But let’s get to the gist of this review and why I even decided to write this – this show is supposed to be about acting. Well, at least about a genius legendary prodigy child actor that everyone somehow remembers 10 years after he left his genius career. What better way is it to show that your show has a genius actor than to make him dance like a fucking monkey on a scene in front of the whole entire school and then ‘confessing’ his feelings for a girl. This is absolute dogshit. This is absolutely not how you portray your character as a 'legendary child actor' let alone as a character. I got baited because I thought that there was going to be a school play where they can show off their acting skills and truly show who the better actor is – in terms of performance, delivery and other metrics that can be accounted for when acting. Instead, all you get is a cheesy JPOP track with the main character dancing and then confessing. Genius actor indeed! Actually scratch that, I got baited by the very alright intro episode, but episode 2 is where things just started to go downhill.

I am not going to drag this review on, I value your time as I do mine. DO NOT WATCH THIS SHOW. It is terrible and you will ultimately just end up wasting your time. Watching this show is basically what would happen if lobotomy took place on your body and you were still awake and aware of what was going on. In fact, I think that would be more pleasant than watching this show.

I’ll say it. I liked To Your Eternity. I really did. For a show I only heard about once and didn’t really know much about, it was refreshing to see a title like this. After watching endless titles about school, slice of life, and half-assed harem school shows I can say that. There aren’t many shows that even come close to To Your Eternity in terms of the themes that are explored and the overall impact the show leaves you with after finishing the first season.

Why does To Your Eternity stand out? What makes it so special? Well, for starters, it’s simply amazing because ... it doesn’t need to explain the inns-and-outs of the world that we’re in. We’re simply presented with Fushi and that’s the end of it. Where he comes from leaves one to ponder but that’s not really what the show is about. You see, other shows sometimes have a bad habit, almost like a bad alcohol addiction that your uncle has, to tell you things you don’t really need to hear or want to hear for that part. In any case, a lot of shows tend to over explain certain things, unnecessary things about a certain system in that world. In most cases, you’ve seen a shitload of similar shows so you don’t even need to hear that explanation. In most cases, those systems conveniently change over time to give advantage to main characters. To Your Eternity clearly defines its bounds and limits and never even once decides to defy them. Even if the situation gets unreasonably harsh for the characters, no matter how tough it gets, the characters only use what they are given. That isn’t to say that the show doesn’t have any asspulls or rushed decisions that characters make, or even entire arcs that feel as rushed as me driving drunk at 3 am to the nearest liquor store to get a refill.

Anyways, the story makes sense. We are presented with a character who was put on earth to gather information about things. We know that that character is immortal and can shapeshift into humans and/or objects as long as he follows certain rules that he learns. The characters goal, what we know of at least, is to save the world from mystical creatures that threaten that very world. For the main character to succeed, he has to take help of other people and learn from them, learn how to take help but also learn to give help to those in need.

While it does make ‘sense’ or at least things seem so on the surface, there are rather many “unexpected” twists and turns that the story takes. You get used to how the show is structured. There are several arcs, each arc has a prologue and an epilogue. A prologue establishes and shows the new and relevant characters for that particular arc and the epilogue usually ends with Fushi being able to transform into one of those characters. Formulaic? Yeah. I personally liked that Fushi grew as a character and learned how to deal with loss of someone near and dear. The problem I would say lies not within the structure but rather within the contents of each arc. It becomes emotionally manipulative and always tries to artificially inflate its stakes even when it’s not needed. One such example is when Tonari & the Crew decide to return back to the island. It made no sense whatsoever for them to return. The way they returned was very rushed. And what happened afterwards was to be expected. It was a last second decision in the show, but I think that the decision made in the show is reflective of how the production, at least for that arc. I’d go as far as to say that Tonari’s arc was a last second decision because it has the single-most stupid resolution in the whole show.
To give you an example of how stupid Tonari’s arc was, we should compare it to Gugu’s arc, and by doing so we will see what clearly sets them apart. While Gugu’s arc may be seen as a cliché, the resolution of that arc is a lesson learned by Fushi. Fushi learns something valuable – do not lose your guard, ever. To elaborate this further, Fushi grows accustom to the human world and how people live. He becomes human in other words. He learns how to talk, but talking isn’t the only thing that makes us human. So he learns a lot more and finds other people who can understand him and help him. While spending his time with people that he holds near and dear, he develops almost a brother-like relationship with Gugu. The more time he spends with the people and Gugu, the less he is on his guard – awaiting the mythical creature that could erase his very existence. And in result, he loses Gugu because he wasn’t prepared for the encounter with the mythical creature. He wasn’t on his guard. He lost his guard. He lost Gugu. Valuable lesson learned.

Tonari’s arc on the other hand is about Fushi spending more time with people, the only difference being is that the people are now boring and are trying to use Fushi for their own personal gain. The only thing Fushi ever learns from Tonari & the Crew is perhaps how to “fight” and “real friendship”, I’d argue that the only real friendship, at least in the context of this show, was perhaps with Gugu and not with anyone else. Anyways, Tonari’s arc is stupid because of the decisions they make and especially the last second return to the island. Perhaps, they wanted to help but it would be better if it wasn’t pulled out of the director’s ass on a whim like that. Maybe it would have helped had they shown the characters at least discuss this matter before leaving the ship and returning. Anyways, what I wanted to say is that everything that Fushi “learned” from Tonari & the Crew he had already learned from Gugu. And yeah, I get it, they wanted to show the main villainess and also reveal that Parona died but I feel that it could have been done so much better. Half the tension is lost because you can’t focus while Tonari and retard gang are on-screen. And even when they aren’t, you are baffled by how stupid this whole prisoner’s island thing is. And when the reveal of Parona happens you couldn’t care less because it’s just too much. And to make matters worse, they make it like a double reveal in the same episode. We get to see the villainess and we get to see Parona. I’d like to apologize for this rant-styled review but I am incredibly drunk and it’s already 3 AM and here I am writing about this.

Well, anyways. I would go as far as to say that you could pretty much remove the whole Tonari arc and cut it to episode 19-20 directly and the show would instantly become better. I’d say that it would be the definitive DenseMC Cut Edition. The reason I say this is because Tonari’s arc is very tedious, slow and boring to watch. It is also the longest out of the bunch, and combined with the incredibly stupid introduction to the arc and even dumber characters and its snail pace, you get an absolute disaster. It felt like they ran out of money and had to make do with whatever they had left and ended up with this.

But to be completely honest with you, Tonari’s arc isn’t really what caused the Titanic to sink, there were evident problems with the show from very early on. The show thinks it’s clever and the first time it happens, you are a little bit shocked and taken aback but it is something that happens throughout the show. If you ever decide to watch the opening to this show, know that you have spoiled the whole show for yourself. In case you still don’t get the hint, I am talking about the phenomenon of “Sudden Death” in this show. Yes, I just made that term up and yes characters die left and right. Whenever the show feels it’s convenient or if the show ever gets slightly so boring – someone just dies. While sure, it may seem logically coherent in each story that those characters die and it also happens to be the only way Fushi is able to progress and become a better information gatherer, it’s an incredibly boring concept that loses its novelty after seeing it once or twice. What doesn’t help this fact is that some of the characters we only get to know for 2 something episodes before they “tragically” die. And somehow, we are supposed to be emotionally invested and attached to them without even knowing their names?

In case anyone wonders why there are so many references to alcohol and if it seems like a cry for help, it is. I need help. It is a problem. I have a drinking problem and I am afraid To Your Eternity is the cause of that – I should have never installed the brewery system in my stomach, it didn’t work out as intended. It seemed like a great idea and maybe I could even start spitting fireballs and do cool magic tricks, but alas, I am just a drunk now.

And that’s it, that’s the review. If you for some strange reason decide to read this and cannot make sense of this review – this is exactly how the show feels towards the end, especially after Tonari’s arc. Have a good one and drink less fellas!

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

I have no words that can describe what it felt like… To watch something so beautifully crafted, with magnificent excellence only then to be let down once again. I am DenseMC and this is my story of how The Great Pretender ruined my life.

Great Pretender had many things going for it; a well-known animation studio, a cast that seemed more than competent and had achieved many things in the anime industry, and a wonderful compositor who made an OST that can finally reach the level of Devilman Crybaby’s soundtrack. Many wonderful things. Though, storytelling, is ultimately where this anime falls flat on ... its face and never gets up after the fall.

What made The Great Pretender such a good anime? The introduction. I have yet to see another anime that manages to nail the introduction of a show as well as The Great Pretender does. From the very start, you’re introduced to an array of different, unique and interesting characters. You get to know the protagonist’s origin story very early on – what ultimately led him to becoming the person that he is and that he absolutely has no intention of changing himself. My interest was piqued, not only piqued but I was in for the crazy ride. I remember thinking that I would very much enjoy this show from episode 1.

While that was true and I did enjoy the show, my enjoyment did unfortunately not last forever. The first arc was the absolute peak of the show and everything after that is the show’s inevitable and slow death by bleeding. What made the first arc so insanely intriguing, at least to me, was the fact that you as the viewer did not know any of the conmen’s tricks and so you were led to be as uninformed as the protagonist himself. You were experiencing the things that happened as if you were the protagonist himself.

The first arc, however, had the issue of giving away too much from the start, it was way too generous and later on was not able to come up with anything creative. The show became creatively bankrupt and reused many of the same plot devices in the arcs to come.

What is the story of The Great Pretender? There is not so much a story but rather short stories that overarch and create a larger narrative, or a bigger picture if you will. That is actually not a problem because many shows that I like utilize the same type of storytelling. The issue lies perhaps within the writing and the stories themselves rather than on a structural level.

What I really liked about the first arc and perhaps that I liked this aspect more than anything else was how the show never attempted to shove down morality down your throat. Is it wrong to con someone? Is it wrong to con someone who’s considered evil? While the show does subtly mention this dilemma at first, it never delves any deeper into this topic until much later. That is what made this arc special. You were looking at a bunch of scummy people conning someone even scummier and no one tried to be morally righteous – everyone acknowledged that fact and just sort of rolled with it. That aspect, the only good aspect, is a subject to change in later episodes but more about that later.

In the first arc, a group of con artists try to con a Hollywood drug lord into buying candy marketed as a hardcore drug that contains illicit substances for ten million American dollars. Without going into much detail about it, they actually succeed with their plan. You as the viewer are always on the edge because the plan constantly changes and you see how tense some situations are. The protagonist constantly has to find unique and creative ways to survive and to keep his poker face so-to-speak. Near the end of the first arc, you have gone through an emotional rollercoaster and you’ve experienced everything from the protagonist’s point of view. People who were in with you on the plan have died, the person you were trying so hard to con, you didn’t and now you’re in deep shit. Even the feds have gotten to you. Or at least, so you think. The entirety of the first arc, all the important plot points and absolutely everything was staged. No one died. And instead of receiving ten million dollars, you have just made ten times more and earned your cut. This is by definition a Shyamalan plot-twist and it works. The reason why it works is purely because of novelty. The impact, emotions and everything makes it a thrilling ride to say the very least.

The slow demise shortly begins after the first arc or actually at the end of it. Imagine this, you just went through what could be considered one of the greatest cons of all time with full-time con artists, you have received your cut in cash and you can finally start your shitty life anew but you don’t. Instead of living life, you turn yourself to police and give up your cut, your hard earned cash that you risked your life for and you also serve time in jail as a consequence of your actions. The only right thing to do, especially after calling yourself “Japan’s Greatest Con Artist”. Ironic, isn’t it?

And this is where I started to question myself whether my enjoyment was going to last and if I would even continue watching this. I did not expect to see another twist in such a short amount of time. A moronic one too. Wasn’t the big twist that everything was staged in the first arc? Well, I think that the reason why the direction of this show went in this way was PURELY and ONLY for a comical effect. I’ll try my best to elaborate.

You see, after the first arc, there is a time skip of two or three years. The protagonist has served his time in jail and has changed his lifestyle, his moral compass seems to be more in sync now and he even has found a new hobby. He is now an aspiring mechanic who is very passionate about his newfound hobby and meaning of life. It is certainly an interesting take on the whole con shtick, but it doesn’t really make any sense. Especially not after the five or six previous episodes being about an elaborate con to hustle away someone’s hundred million dollars. I get it, people change and with this new take on his character I was still open-minded to the realms of future cons, it is a form of art after all. I’d also like to mention that after the protagonist served time in jail, he became sort of a walking moral compass. He refuses to help his old friends with a newly planned con because it is simply not right and doesn’t sit well with him. This brings me back on the topic of this whole jail-changed-my-life-moralism ordeal. The next episodes of this arc set up an interesting story to be told, and all the characters from the previous con partaking in this one too. The only difference now is that you have a protagonist who isn’t really interested in the con, or the plan, or anything realllt. What made the protagonist stand out was that he was self-aware, he knew deep inside that what he was doing was wrong but kept at it and even called himself “Japan’s Greatest Con Artist”. Other characters are sort of disappointed with him but it is quickly forgotten about.

Regardless to say, the protagonist isn’t really prominent in the beginning of the second arc. He only plays an important role in the middle of the arc. Though, what really baffles me is how quick he went from The Morally Righteous to someone who’s in on the con again. And quite frankly, this my issue with him. He constantly changes sides and without any actual reason. The first time he did that, was completely fine by me as it shed some light and made his character more nuanced. However, it becomes really stale after 4 or so times throughout the duration of the show. Novelty plays a huge role in this too, I was open-minded and was even ready to see the protagonist from a new light but alas that never happened. I mean surely there can’t be people who commit some of the most well planned fraud, regret it and then do it again without embracing that lifestyle? Not after serving time twice I think. I honestly thought that the protagonist was bipolar when seeing him change his opinions with great frequency.

I’ve been talking a lot about the protagonist, what about the other characters? Yeah, what about them? Honestly, they’re all interesting and unique. All of them have their own reasons and stories of how they became who they became. Are they fleshed out characters? Not really. Some of these characters stories are told better than the others and some worse. None of them suffer from bipolar illness unlike our protagonist, so they’re good. Jokes aside though, they all felt sort of bland and unmemorable. The only things memorable about them are not their sob stories about how they became con artists, but rather what traits they have. You have a super-human athlete who can do a triple backflip and take a good punch to the stomach. You have the pretty who boasts of her prettiness any time she can, trying to seduce men and the like as part of the con. You have the Great Mastermind Pretender who seemingly can look into the future. And you also have the actual Great Mastermind Forefather. The rest, I cannot remember, even if you held me at gunpoint.

What about the antagonists of the show? Well, these are some of the most one dimensional antagonists I’ve ever seen. All of them are “EVIL” because they seemingly do “BAD” things to other people. While we’re on that note, it’s funny how a group of con artists are the ones to decide whether someone is good or evil considering they steal from people and make a living off of that, but hey it’s an anime! Antagonists in this show are completely disposable. In fact, we’re barely even shown how “EVIL” these antagonists are, we’re mostly just told that. We get to see a glimpse of their supposedly “EVIL” side and that’s about it. They’re evil people, and to combat evil you must do so with more evil, so in other words they must be conned!

Now to address the elephant in the room, the last arc of this show which can actually be split into two parts because it deals with past and present. Up until this part of the show, we’ve been through many a things and three successful cons have been executed all according to the Great Mastermind Pretender’s plan. We’ve dealt with some bad people, drug lords, people who use others for the sole purpose of money and even some elaborate tricksters themselves. Here’s where the show takes a turn though. As usual, for the fifty ninth time, the protagonist yet again changes his perspective on life and decides to not be a con artist. He tries to live life normally but by some sound anime logic, he’s dragged amidst the con yet again! Don’t you just hate when that happens? As always and as expected, he has to deliver his part or else things can go south for him.

This is where the first part of the last arcs tries to tell a dark story. A story so dark that this show should never ever have even thought about. The last arc is about human trafficking. Human trafficking is a real issue, it is real and it is everywhere. In every country. It is one of those taboo subjects, at least in my opinion, that should not be written into your story unless you have an actual point to make about it. I think that this applies to almost all of the heavy/dark subjects. If you’re going to tell a story about something so taboo, at least have an underlying message that is truly is not okay or how it affects people negatively. In this case, the show just throws it in and decides halfway through to ditch it in favor of something else. Why was this written into the show? I am actually curious about this. Anything, literally anything else would have sufficed.

Children are being trafficked throughout Asia. Parents are selling their kids to the Yakuza for money and these children end up getting sold on the black market to rich people. The show tries its best to inform the audience that the children are in fact children and actual minors. This is only done to toy with audience’s emotions and make the antagonists who sell children be seen as bad people. No shit they’re bad, anyone with more than two brain cells can comprehend that buying and selling humans is under no circumstance okay. The show later tries to juxtapose human traffickers to the previous antagonists by including them and making them part of the con. So, naturally, our conmen gang end up conning these human traffickers successfully and that’s it. The ending, the coral message of this show being: “yeah, being a drug lord is fine, using people only for money is also fine, and surely making someone else disabled for life is also fine because they are at least not human traffickers”. Utterly baffling. I’ve never been more disappointed with a show and with such a shoehorned message it is hard to take this show seriously or even recommend it to anyone.

I won’t go into great depth about the second part of the last arc because there is not much to be told about it. It’s just an origin story for how this con shtick started, how everything and all the characters are connected to one another. My biggest gripe with the Dorothy Arc is how unnatural it felt. It just sort of made the story more convoluted than it needed to be and getting to know that everything was done for Dorothy truly just makes this show an even bigger dumpster fire.

I know that The Great Pretender is a heist show, and shows of that nature aren’t exactly the most intelligent or have abstract symbolism to give actual depth to the narrative or any of its characters. Heist shows are just that, heist shows. They’re meant to be enjoyed with pop-corn, Coca Cola and some ice-cold “your brain turned off” can. In my defense though, The Great Pretender pretends to be something it is not (pun intended). It tries not only to be a heist show but also an action-filled thriller mystery with characters that have severe trauma and others that have deep familial issues and human trafficking. It is either one or the other, not everything. With that being said, The Great Pretender will con you out of your time that you will NEVER EVER get back. My guide to watching this show is to only watch the first arc and then just drop the show after. It doesn’t get better but only becomes worse with every new episode. Something that I personally could have labelled as a classic doesn’t even come near the quality of yet another generic isekai that was released this season, or last season or actually any season from the last 3 or so years.

This was DenseMC and thank you for coming to my Tedtalk.

Have you ever wanted to watch an anime with a main character so outlandish that the only way to describe said character is to call him a caricature? Look no more, Rent a Girlfriend offers you a pathological liar, a sociopath, stalker and a potential rapist!

I won't be focusing much on the story because let's be frank, there is barely any story or substance to it. It's a generic boy meets girl and falls in love with her type of story. The Shyamalan twist here is that the girl is actually a rental girlfriend, meaning you pay her money to date you. Dating as in ... going to cinemas or to a cafe, not to be confused with prostitution. The concept may seem refreshing and it may actually be a thing in real life but I just find this concept so irrational that it was hard for me to get into the show.

The story is about Kazuya, a confused male that is 20 years of age. In his 20 years of age, he has achieved absolutely nothing. His only accomplishment in life is that he perhaps found a girlfriend for a month or two. Furthermore, his only goal in life is to get a girlfriend, not a stable career, not a stable income but a girlfriend. He has also inherited some money from his family (keep this in mind, it is a detail of utmost "importance").

In the first episode we get to see Kazuya being at his lowest, his girlfriend broke up with him and he doesn't really know how to cope. He starts thinking about her more and more and ventures online. He stumbles upon a website where you can hire girls to pretend to be your girlfriend for money – a rental girlfriend. He doubts himself but jealousy takes the better part of him and he decides to go through with it – renting a girlfriend. After that, his incredible rental girlfriend shenanigans ensue.

Remember how I mentioned that inheritance was a detail of utmost importance. Well, Kazuya is an absolute loser. He has no job, not even part time. The only way the author would make this concept work was if Kazuya either was rich or got inheritance. Because let’s face it, what 20 year old would have as much money to spend on renting girlfriends left and right. Regardless, the author picked his poison and here we are now.

I'd like to focus on the main character because he really sticks out from everyone else in this show. The way I could start describing him is creepy, a stalker, and a pathological liar and so on. Let's not throw so much dirt at him though, not yet.

Kazuya constantly feels the need to remind everyone, including the girls he actively goes on dates with about how much of a loser he is and how pathetic he is. He is searching for sympathy in them, i.e. he tries to manipulate girls into sort of pity loving him. It feels like he has no respect for himself or anyone else in the show. He consecutively makes the wrong decisions, even after acknowledging that it is wrong and he should probably stop but he decides to go forward with things anyways. He constantly lies to his friends, his family and everyone else. Every time he tries to clear himself of that burden and guilt, he's always interrupted. His only saving grace is us, the audience, because the show actively tries to downplay his creepiness as something cutesy and comedic. The show is pretty funny at moments but at some it feels stale.

Kazuya honestly comes off as a potential rapist, getting boners and such in the most inappropriate situations. Apparently, dryhumping a girl in a hospital you've only met once before is comedy. This sort of behavior from him is persistent throughout the show and honestly, it's just annoying. In the real world, Kazuya would already be doing time for first degree sexual assault and other felonies.

For the longest time ever I thought Kazuya was really desperate and just wanted a girlfriend, but when an opportunity presents itself to him on a silver plate, he refuses it because he likes another girl more. This inconsistent behavior, unmotivated and such leaves one to ponder whether he truly is desperate or is just trying to hit it off with multiple girls at the same time.

I think that the author of this show didn't want to make the main character of his show look like someone from the sex offender registry but what do I know. Had you looked past the comedy and cutesy aesthetic, you'd see Kazuya as someone similar to Elliot Rodgers, the Supreme gentleman. I mean if the author wanted to make his character a creep, and a stalker and everything in between, then I'd say he actually succeeded in his makings. If he wanted to capitalize off of said negative traits and make stalking and constantly lying at every other opportunity something "cutesy", the author has outdone himself.

I get it, some people actively seek validation from others. And you could honestly say that Kazuya is seeking for attention and validation because he's never had a long lasting relationship. But I doubt that many seek validation from practicality strangers that you barely know of.

Other characters are your generic cardboard cutouts that you can find in almost any and every show. You got the tsundere, you got the yandere, and you got the kudere and other fill in character tropes such as the over supportive childhood friend and so on. These are characters aren't really characters, their entire existence in the show is only for them to move the plot forward. So many things in this show happen by chance, it's insane. Let me ask you a question, what is the likelihood of the girl you just rented going to the same university and living next door to you? What is the likelihood of both you going to the beach with your friends and finding that very same rental girlfriend go to the beach as well with her friends?

There is also some drama that gets resolved almost immediately. Most of the characters have plot armor and are practically immune to any repercussions from the drama. Kazuya can do and say whatever he wants to Chizuru and the show would downplay that as Chizuru just doing her job. Mami can call Kazuya a creep and someone who wanted to take advantage of her in front of all of their friends (basically shaming Kazuya) and it'd never be mentioned ever again in the show. However, hypothetically speaking, if you were a rental boy/girlfriend, would you really take money and such from customers that are assholes? Most likely not. These events are really contrived and are only presented to move the story forward. There are a lot of things that could have been executed a lot better. Had they replaced at least 2 or 3 major plot points that happened by chance to something that was actually planned, the story would pace more naturally.

The only good thing about this show is perhaps the music and the astonishing visuals/animation. The music, both the OP and ED were great. The OP is was made by The Peggies which is one of my favorite bands. They have some fantastic songs, and the opening was really good here. The OST and background music almost always matched. At tense moments, you’d hear sort of dubstep drums playing and at other times, you’d hear keys being played melodically. The animation was solid, the art style was just perfect. They really managed to make cute characters and make them stand out from your generic protagonist with pointy hair and twin tail tsundere.

As for everything else; there was lack of execution in a lot of the moments. The comedy in this show is, only at times, funny. At other times, it can come off as quite creepy and just horrible, I’d say. And one thing that is truly unique in this show is that no one learnt even a single lesson. No one had any moments for themselves to reflect upon anything. You’d at least expect the main character to somewhat grow and develop, but alas, that is not the case. He continues to make the same mistakes, and sometimes goes out of his way to make the situation worse. This sort of character writing I’d say, is, mostly unique to the main character. However, I’d also like to mention that almost all characters in this show are devoid of any emotion, empathy, common sense and personality. They all lack the most basic of traits that makes a human – a human. Hence why, I’d like to refer to them as caricatures instead of characters.

I believe this show was sort of generic if I'm going to be honest. I really hated the main character with a passion. Every time Kazuya opened his mouth, I truly longed for him to shut the fuck up. This one's a strong 4 or 5 out of 10 on a good day. I wish more of the elements in the narrative were presented more naturally rather than it just being by chance. I truly wished that Kazuya would learn something, grow as an individual, get a girlfriend and stop being such a little bitch. That’s honestly what I expected from this show. I did, unfortunately, not find anything like that in the show.

Mysteries. How does one solve a mystery? How does one know when a mystery has been solved? Mysteries aren’t new to storytelling – in fact, they’re quite old. Conan Arthur Doyle wrote short stories about our beloved Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as they encountered odd mysteries that they had to solve. Detective isn’t a new genre to be exact and said genre has diverted into becoming lackluster and boring.

In some mediums, the said genre is one of the lowest denominators. For instance, someone who frequents book reading wouldn’t prefer detective over a fantasy story. Someone who has seen a lot of movies would ... find one about a detective rudimentary and boring. Detective is a genre that is being looked down upon. You can read classics, you can read short stories and then below them all is detective.

The reason why the detective genre is so frustrating to read, watch or consume mainly stems from one reason. It’s something that we’ve read, seen or heard about countless of times. Something that is even more frustrating is when a production company makes an adaptation of your favorite detective – only to see it get ruined because none of it is even remotely close to the source material.

This has been the case for multiple Sherlock Holmes adaptations and as someone who’s read almost all of Conan Arthur Doyle – I can safely say that these adaptations, not only butcher the stories but also the characters, interactions and what made them special and interesting.

How is all of this related to Sakurako-san, you may ask?

Detectives usually lack in originality. They tend to borrow mysteries from other works that have “inspired” them but manage to give their own touch. It is noticeable how the detective genre has its own musts to pertain to the genre.

Sakurako was sort of special for me, special in the way that it was something new. Not to confuse this with a novelty of any sort, Sakurako reminded me heavily of several Sherlock Holmes stories. The show focuses heavily on different cases in which our two main protagonists see unfold before their eyes. We have Shotarou who’s a young high school student, and the eccentric Sakurako who works as an osteologist. On a fateful day, Shotarou becomes Sakurako’s apprentice and does his best to help her solve rather unique cases. Sakurako is practically a walking encyclopedia and knows everything related with the human body; she knows exactly what and how went wrong by merely looking at bones.

I definitely found this dynamic between Shotarou and Sakurako very interesting as it’s reminiscent of the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Sakurako being a female version of Sherlock and Shotarou being Watson. This becomes more apparent in the show as we get to learn more about Sakurako and Shotarou. Sakurako is the one who always manages to solve the cases by carefully observing and putting all the gathered information to the test. Shotarou is just there for the heck of it, but sometimes manages to say something smart or helpful for Sakurako.

What I liked about these similarities to the classics of Doyle, is that they’re not 1 to 1 replicas of Sherlock and Watson. The similarities they share remain just that, similarities. They’ve managed to make both Sakurako and Shotarou unique in their own aspects.

For the story of Sakurako-san then, well put simply, there is no story. The best way I can describe the so-called “story” of Sakurako-san is something along the lines of random events occurring but happen also to be interconnected with something bigger. In other words, you as the viewer, won’t have any ideas of what’s to come for our protagonists. Each case is rather unique and raises important questions and societal problems. I do have to say that the tonal shifts in the anime are pretty weird and the pacing makes it hard to watch at times. There’s also a hefty amount of mystery fodder – cases that do not lead anywhere and sort of do not move the story forward. These mystery fodders serve as “character development” mysteries in which Shotarou and Sakurako can grow as characters.

Characters are not one-dimensional, as they carry more depth than what’s shown or told through exposition. There are, however, some questionable characters and the side-characters that never feel properly established or developed in any sense, even after the mystery has been solved. Sakurako and Shotarou are definitely the best part of this show and the whole show basically relies on them. It is also shown that there is some degree of character growth and development for these two. The characters change throughout the series and this is definitely something positive.

For the most part, the show manages to handle itself really well. I really loved the fact that they raised important questions that you have to read between the lines to get. Not many titles manage to do that and it truly shows some clever writing. Not only do you have to follow and understand everything that happens in the case, you also have to read character actions, possible motives and so forth. It gave depth to the series and managed to do the show quite well.

Art was definitely the strongest aspect of this show. This was released in 2013 and holds up magnificently to this day. It’s astoundingly beautiful and some of the scenes are so colorful and vivid while others are dark and shadowy. I’d say that most of this show’s budget definitely went on art and animation.

The music was alright, there wasn’t anything particularly memorable. The opening was okay and so was the ending. No complaints here.

In general, I’d say that the show is quite enjoyable to watch. It’s not on the same level as reading Doyle and it obviously will never be, not that it even tries to be that. Certain parts of the show were good and others not so.

I guess you can say that Sakurako likes bones and Shotarou would like to bone her (?).

Ratings:
Story 3/10
Character 6/10
Art 10/10
Sound 8/10
Enjoyment 6/10
Overall 7/10

Spoilers ahead for the next part.

At first, Sakurako is introduced as this very introverted yet eccentric character who doesn’t like people, she only likes their bones. She goes to various lengths to collect these bones and even manages to find bones of deceased people with the help of Shotarou. It is mentioned very early on that when this duo is together, they always seem to stumble on the subject of death and bones. It’s shown as an introduction in the first episode. Shotarou, on the other hand, is unique in his own way. He disapproves of some of Sakurako’s methods and thinks that it’s not right to steal bones if you’re the one who finds them. He always seems to call the police when they do stumble upon the topic of mortality. Shotarou is great, albeit a bit lacking. He sort of serves more as a comic relief and instead of cracking mindless jokes about dead people, he always manages to make Sakurako’s life a bit harder.

Continuing with the comparison of Sakurako and Sherlock, while they do share some similarities in their personality, they’re actually very different. They both are antisocial people and hate when someone interrupts them when they work. Both of them are also similar in the aspect of solving cases. Both of them seem to investigate properly, gather all the information before them and make their final conclusion. What would have made Sakurako greater would be to hear her thought process because at many times, we just follow what’s happening on the screen and through the character interactions, we have to understand what’s happening. When reading Sherlock Holmes, we’re narrated about what sort of information Sherlock Holmes gathers to build his conclusion with the clever way of Watson always asking him certain questions about things. This is unfortunately not very prominent in the series and I do find that a little bit lackluster. Given, that the anime is being told mainly from Shotarou’s perspective, he makes up a very lackluster apprentice for Sakurako.

What I liked the most in the show is how clever some parts of it were written and that we get an insight in serious topics and issues such as the question of mortality and death, suicide and even domestic abuse. When these questions are raised, they are not explicitly asked and not shoved down your throat. As I’ve said before, it’s rather subtle, so you have to read between the lines to understand. These questions are raised as you get to see and learn more about different characters and dilemmas they’re facing. This is definitely one of the stronger aspects of this show.

There is also some foreshadowing of mental illness and more particular, Sakurako’s mental illness and honestly I’m glad that the show never explored that topic more because it would set quite a different tone for the anime. Sakurako is projecting her dead little brother onto Shotarou, because they share the same names and are quite similar. She tries to hide the fact that she cares about Shotarou but that is definitely not the case. She’s genuinely worried about him a lot of the times. This was definitely a very strong point and it was just briefly mentioned, I do not believe this to be a far stretch though.

The part I disliked most about the show were the mysteries themselves. They were lackluster, boring and some of them were over-the-top unrealistic. This show isn’t exactly the most hyper realistic detective out there but that doesn’t excuse for the amount of plot conveniences a story can have. At first, you do not think much of the presented mysteries in this show but it’s when you start digging a bit deeper you realize that the logical foundation for many mysteries and how to solve them is gone.

The best part about the detective genre, no matter the medium, is the fact that you can let the audience solve the mystery themselves. This engages the audience in a different way and sort of stimulates them to uncover more of the mystery to see if their presumptions are correct. This concept seems to be foreign for almost all mysteries that are slightly more complicated and dark, which should really not be the case in my opinion.

My main gripe with this series is the god awful villain they shoehorn in. It feels like they’ve completely forgot about him for the entirety of the show even though he makes appearances every now and then. He’s a really bad villain, like really bad. He’s bad because he’s never given any screen time aside from his doings and so forth. His motivations are never explained and he remains a complete mystery up until the last case. In the end, it turns out that he was the mastermind behind almost all the mysteries that Shotarou and Sakurako had to solve. This was never setup properly and feels like it was sort of retcon’d into the show the last second.

I can safely say that if you don’t try to overanalyze this show and just see it for what it is – a detective slice of life with certain dark elements, you will most likely enjoy watching it. I certainly enjoyed watching it but was thrown away by some moments in the show. I believe that most of the issues revolving around pacing and story could have actually been fixed if this show was 24 episodes as opposed to 12. They never managed to write a comprehensible story line that just “clicked” with the audience, mainly due to the fact that it was too short and there was no room for developing anyone other than Sakurako and Shotarou.

If you want to learn more about anime, or more specifically learn how anime is made then Shirobako is surely an anime that will suit you. I will say this – it’s quite interesting and the set premise is something I’ve not encountered before. An interesting premise and a rather educational anime about the makings of anime.

I liked Shirobako for most part but unfortunately could not finish it. It is interesting to watch a group of friends struggle in the anime industry, trying their best to pursue their dreams and whatnot. During certain sequences I really felt the pressure put on our main heroine ... – Miyamori Aoi. She struggled with directing and helping everyone in the team whilst also being relatively new to her job. It’s a rather realistic take on employment and truly shows that not everything aligns with your dreams; there are hardships to face in any industry. Shirobako is a slice of life anime about a mundane 9-5 job with cute anime girls – that is Shirobako its purest form.

Even though I liked it I could unfortunately not bring myself to finish it. While the concept is quite refreshing, directing and pacing feel off. To give an example of this, in the first three episodes there are quite some issues that our animation studio is experiencing: things are not done, people are working overtime, someone has to put more effort than others and so forth. This was a realistic take and they even showed that our heroine was getting really tired from her job due to stress and not eating properly throughout the day.

Everything that follows after those three episodes gets quite boring as you’re not really in for the cute anime girls anymore, you’re more interested about the job and how it’s done – at least that was the case for me. There’s something really peculiar with the anime industry and how everything works there and this is why I think it’s more important to establish each character and their job first, and their attempts in the anime industry. Change perspectives, give each character a distinguishing trait aside from their job position in the industry. In all fairness, I believe Shirobako does attempt that. Despite that fact, having cute anime girls drinking beer is obviously more crucial than actually showing each character individually and giving them some screen time.

I don’t think I’m the target demographic for this show and I don’t believe I’d be able to finish it off, SoL’s consume a lot of time whilst giving bare minimum back. There may be witty comedy and something fun every now and then but generally speaking, SoL’s do take up a lot of time without providing sufficient amounts of entertainment back to the viewer. That’s my experience with it at least. If you like a group of friends, or more specifically, a group of cute anime girls working in the anime industry whilst also being cute and teaching you the ins and outs of the very industry we love, then this anime is definitely for you.

Gleipnir, what are you doing? This is the question I’ve had in mind since episode 6. An interesting premise with nothing really complicated going on and characters that are at the very least serviceable. Gleipnir is a show that had something going for it, but from a certain point onward you grow disconnected from the show – mainly because of the clunky pacing.

Pacing is all over the place in Gleipnir and it’s kind of hard to watch some episodes because of that. My main issue is that it takes way too long for them to present anything interesting and when they do, it’s killed off ... in 2-3 minutes and you don’t get any enjoyment from it; it’s lackluster.

Slow pacing isn’t inherently bad and can feel rewarding if done well, but unfortunately Gleipnir has some issues with that. To illustrate this point further, the character introduction feels completely skipped as we’re given some surface-level knowledge about the characters of this show. What follows these characters and their relationships feels very rushed and we’re not given any time to digest these characters. In one episode, our main character and the heroine are introduced, and in the next episode it feels like they’ve known each other for years. It gets even more ridiculous towards the end as we – the audience – have to use our imagination to fill in the gaps of their relationship, and more particularly, figure out as to why these characters are together in the first place.

While Gleipnir certainly had several interesting ideas, unfortunately none of them were even remotely explored. At the start of the show, we get some dialogue about how it was Shuuichi and Clair’s destiny or fate to meet each other. This is an interesting concept and could have foreshadowed something much bigger going on as both of them explore this new setting they’re in, however that never happened. Instead, we got a story in chunks or bits in what almost feels like a random order and after we had to connect everything to make sense of it. To be fair, it’s not difficult to follow and the story is for most part linear. However, at times it feels rather disconnected and random. In addition, we almost never get any explanations, things just happen and that’s it. Even the reason for both of our main characters to fight is never properly explained. I questioned myself multiple times throughout the show with the following question: “why can’t Shuuichi just walk away and revoke his powers?”

That is one of my main concerns of this show, namely the characters. I did mention earlier that they’re serviceable and that’s true. Thankfully, the author never needed to introduce inherently dumb or stupid characters to this show to make things work from a narrative perspective. That, however, does not make the characters of this show any better. Shuuichi is a blank-slate main character who wants to live a peaceful life. Clair is someone who drags Shuuichi in and actually fills him as a character. I was actually intrigued with how well this dynamic worked out and while it is quite typical, it’s done well in this show. You can say that Shuuichi is a passive main while Clair is reactive. This means that Clair moves the plot along while Shuuichi is moved by the plot. This is exactly what makes this dynamic stand out as opposed to other similar dynamics.

While their dynamic is certainly executed well, the same can unfortunately not be said about them as characters. They’re quite typical with Shuuichi being a whiny little prick and Clair being a brat. Though, Shuuichi’s character supposedly “develops” but more on that later. I wish Shuuichi had something clearly defining about him as well as Clair but they weren’t really defined by anything. In addition to that, they never had any motivation regarding anything until much later in the series. This made it a drag to watch because not many plot points were established from early on.

About Shuuichi’s supposed “character development”, there isn’t much to say about it apart from it being really, really forced and out of place. Shuuichi’s character experiences so many tonal shifts and shifts in behavior that you might find him bipolar – and honestly, I thought that was kind of what was going on. I really didn’t like his “edginess” without a proper setup. At times, he had no reason to be pissed but he was acting up with his friends and saying weird things.

Clair, on the other hand, never got as much attention or any sort of development where we see her grow – in fact, we do not get to see how her character changes at all. It is rather shameful because she had a lot of room for development but instead we get to see her asspull survival strategies and having plot armor when it’s needed.

It is also a shame that these characters never got any sort of inner monologues or something that could have made us – the audience – more immersed and understand how these characters think and what they do, instead of second guessing everything.

A major disservice in this show were the fights. How do I begin describing the fights? Well, they’re rather short. They’re rather short, and by extension anticlimactic. A fight begins and a blink later it’s over. Everything else is padded out by fan-service, unnecessary dialogue and redundant exposition.

Fan-service wasn’t terrible in this show, it was alright. They did have a more subtle approach to fan-service with Clair being half-naked for 90% of the show’s runtime. This more subtle approach works well with the tone that this series has set and there is no over-the-head ridiculous ecchi stuff going on and that’s what I actually liked in Gleipnir.

As for the music, I really liked the music for the fights. Some rap-esq beats, dubstep and a lot of other crazy music mixed in which fit very well with the show in my opinion. The opening wasn’t terrible, not so catchy. I didn’t give any attention to the ending.

Animation for the show is really good, things are fluid, and characters aren’t off-model too many times. The animation for the fights felt were very good, especially the last fight. It is a shame that this show is only available in 480p or 720p as that 1080p resolution would have been a lot better and sharper looking. I really liked the art style, especially Shuuichi’s ability and the shadowy abilities. I also liked Subaru’s ability as it was unique and something you don’t see too often.

In all honesty, I liked Gleipnir. It was enjoyable and very entertaining. You have to consider that there isn’t an awful lot of humor in this show – or, any jokes for that matter which is a shame. However it does create a more immersive narrative and goes well with the general dark tone that they’re setting for this show. When going into this, I’d recommend just watching the first 2 or 3 episodes to see if this is your cup of tea but not much happens throughout the entirety of the show. It does have its dark turns and twists and I’m glad that the show didn’t succumb to sheer edginess and actually tried telling its story. With all of that being said…
CLAIR GET IN THE FUCKING TEDDY-ROBOT.


Ratings:
Story 6/10
Art 8/10
Sound 8/10
Character 5/10
Enjoyment 8/10
Overall 7/10