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Dec 9, 2022
A truly enchanting fantasy to lose yourself in if you can work around the pacing problems and other inconsistencies.
What catches the eyes of many bidders are not the fantastical creatures as mermaids or fairies, but a human, a frail girl for she has the eyes and body to witness and endure the magical, a sleigh beggy who contracted to sell herself just to have a place to return to, 'Chise Hatori', a bird yearning for a cage. Then appears a mysterious tall man in a black suit who bids five times higher than the original bid, a skull-faced creature who quickly alerts everyone, a lone
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mage, 'Elias Ainsworth', a mystery as bleak as the dark. While Chise ponders why someone of her demeanor was bought for such a hefty price, the man-monster casts a spell that quickly transports them from the gloomy auction house to a colorful flower garden in front of a country house. As he unbinds her from the chains around her neck, Elias welcomes his apprentice, his puppy to his home.
What wonders will await Chise, and what mysterious relationship does Elias seek from her?
Magical. A spellbinding audiovisual work of art.
Every episode will introduce you to something unfamiliar as you tag along with our protagonist gradually warming up to this fantasy world as she explores more and more. Every new 'neighbor' she interacts with and every place she visits, evokes a sense of wonder and mystery that begs for a separate episode. The show never holds back to showcase its colorful world and characters that you can just lose yourself in, thanks to the gorgeous animation, colorful backgrounds, and a perfectly fitting soundtrack. And while the world and its depiction can be fairytale-like, it's fundamentally a human story.
Chise's trauma derives from her mother's rejection of her birth and her mother's subsequent suicide. With this combined with her capacity 'to see' terrifying things, Chise is shunned by everyone around her and ultimately learns to despise herself. Her interactions with Elias, and everything and everyone else, will assist her in learning to love herself. As time passes, she gradually gains a better understanding of Elias. There are many mini-episodes and portions with their own distinct message, but they are missing something crucial to establish a more solid foundation. Time.
When the plot focuses on anyone other than the main characters, the emotional response intended becomes superficial. The human message it attempts to deliver only reaches the brain and not the heart, owing to pacing issues. There are also occasions when it appears that the characters have become contradictory with their original purpose. It's directed well enough, and there are several scenes that I am absolutely amazed at how well they were shot, but none of it compensates for the drop in narrative quality. While the show understands its sensitive issue well enough not to misappropriate it, it frequently attempts to make things too sentimental and fails to deliver them on an emotional level.
Who should watch this?
A must-watch for every fantasy fan. Granted the fantasy is not action-oriented but atmosphere-oriented.
If you're a fan of "The Beauty and the Beast" type of romance or Slice-of-Life, then also check it out.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 29, 2022
He wants a 'Yee' to his 'Haw', but he keeps on getting the 'Hell' to the 'Naw'.
In a time when the strong made the rules,
in the wild west,
there once lived a Sheriff who lived by the bullet,
that couldn't invite a single woman to the ballet.
The story is plain and simple.
- The Sheriff wants a woman,
- he makes a move,
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- but there's already a conflict around her,
- he reminisces on his father's wisdom,
- he solves the conflict,
- but he loses the woman.
"He wins the battle but loses the war", yes.
The plot is grounded in this formulaic technique, which allows it to explore various scenarios. Conflicts range from "infiltrating enemy bases and train chases" to "asking for dates and buying/hiding porn." And like with most episodic stories, the characters are what make this manga enjoyable. There are as many characters as there are pages, so let's focus on the key ones.
"Elmore Evans"
Our main character. He spent his entire infancy and adolescence learning the art of gunplay from his father in order to become a lady-killer. While he has no bitches, he does have bullets in his gun and expertise in his hands. He's rumored to be the finest gunslinger in the wild west, but that reputation is causing him all kinds of problems in his love life. Everyone thinks he's a 'sigma male', yet his sigma ends with his gun.
"Phoebe Oakley"
A bounty hunter and Evans' childhood rival. She and Evans are both birds of a feather. Both are well-known, the best in town, and have no expertise in romance but act the part. More than half of the manga centers around these two, who clearly have feelings for each other but are too hesitant to declare it due to their rivalry.
"Kurt Evans"
A former sheriff. When it comes to the world of gunslinging and the art of charming ladies, he represents wisdom for Evans. Kind of a womanizer. But, unlike Elmore, he actually gets from bitcheS. He's basically a walking encyclopedia of "How to be cool and get bitches," the one father/uncle that many guys wished they had when they were younger. Kurt even left his family and became a nameless gunslinger to live by the 'Rule of Cool' code after making Elmore a great sheriff.
"The Narrator"
Yes, the narrator is omniscient throughout the manga. If it weren't for the narrator's repeated quips and comments during character monologues, the manga would be half as funny. As the manga unfolds, the narrator becomes increasingly important.
The artwork is rather good. It isn't as good or as realistic as Gon. However, it performs its job well, communicating character emotions with a pretty typical background effort. There's a fair amount of gun action here and there, and that's it.
The story follows this old-school approach to dealing with romance, as in there's an admirable cheesiness in the way it treats its subject matter. While it is pretty corny and dumb, there are some surprisingly valuable moments every now and then.
The protagonist represents the hopelessness of many males regarding their love life. He follows the wisdom his father paved for him, he fails, but he takes another shot as you dive into the next chapter. He fails again but he's never hopeless about what he did but is focused on what's in front of him, a lady wide and open, and whatever it takes he takes the shot.
The story, however, suffers from what every episodic (most slice-of-life) story suffers. Progress.
One thing that the episodic format achieves is to show that even living a 'normal' life, progress can still be achieved, that's how life works and how many of us live.
This manga is pretty light-hearted but that shouldn't be an excuse for a lack of progress. Nearly 150 chapters have passed by, and we've yet to see a change in behavior or development in characters and are just fooling around with misunderstandings. What's frustrating is that we the reader, are the only ones who will be suffering from their foolishness, when they just live their lives like normal. The characters don't grow either, it's like they took the "Past in the Past" quote way too literally.
Another technical problem is the over-interference of the narrator. Sometimes the narrator just explains what we've seen, the situations are hardly complicated to do that so it's just an unnecessary comment that takes excess time to read.
And unfortunately, the translation is not done yet. There are currently more than 90 chapters that need to be translated and I can't find any English-translated volumes to buy online (there seems to be a Korean translation of vol 1 though if that helps anybody).
Who should read this?
It's the wild west, and while not completely accurate, it does have those vibes. So read it if that interests you.
Or, if you're a fan of dumb romCOM, or 'clearly in love but are not realizing it' love stories, then try this.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 24, 2022
My 3 AM thoughts on this 3-star movie that I watched 3 months ago.
This review is written out of boredom.
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I randomly got the urge to watch "Hellsing Abridged" (not to be confused with (Hellsing Ultimate), and during that scene in Seras' backstory, I got reminded of this movie's beginning.
So, in the most generic cyberpunk-ish dystopian advanced civilization, we follow this particular big shot with an underaged girl wrapped in his arms on a perfectly dark night in a perfectly isolated automobile in a perfectly isolated woodland, doing what the night asks except it's far from romantic. After a few minutes of doing his _thing_, the
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guy gets out of the car, locks the girl in, and then... BAM! The car explodes after a very graphic depiction of a young helpless girl frantically fighting to rescue her broken life.
This is insignificant. What counts is that an unaffiliated third party comes to her aid, despite the fact that he had been closely studying everything prior to the explosion with his heat vision goggles. They only save her psychologically by implanting her with an artificial fiber body, which completely messes up her mental state and nearly kills her, due to some law that allows the police to resuscitate the criminal witness. Now, this befuddled cyborg must defend her 'innocence,' as the mistake known as "Her Past" haunts her on both a societal and psychological level. Fortunately, she is being supervised by a professor com' scientist com' gambler and an AI resembling a rat, but how much can they handle this psychologically unstable cyborg while evading a hunter appointed by the villain?
TL;DR,
What if Batou was actually a villain and Kusanagi was actually a confused teenage girl in an edgy Ghost in the Shell rip-off?
One clear thing while watching the movie is the over-saturated colors. The entire movie is bright and shiny everywhere and every time, which is both a plus and a drawback. Plus, in the sense, it's ✨bright✨, and drawback in the sense, that it's so bright that it makes me avert my eyes. There are, however, some slick gun animations with some good camera usage and choreography. This is something that appears throughout the trilogy, so if anything, it gets entertaining eventually. Why eventually though?
Because the story is just edgy and pretentious (This goes down the lane as you progress into the trilogy). Not even in the entertainingly edgy but in the most boring sense. Like the court where our mentally complicated victim can only answer in a Yes/No/No Comment throughout the trial, or the whole irrelevant gambling plot that happens in movie 2, or whatever the fuck happens in movie 3. The story progressively degrades from being a mildly mind-bending character study, into edgy bullshit drama. As a trilogy it really fails, because you don't feel like you watched a coherent story unraveling character pasts or decisions, but 3 separate films with 3 different plot lines got superficially intertwined. You are better off spending those 3 hours on Ghost in the Shell 1 and 2, even as a rewatch it would be a better experience than this.
While 2 & 3 movies are definitely not worth the time, the first compression, however, is definitely worth experiencing because of this mildly mind-bending (I'm using this word for the 'Intelligence' effect. Don't take it too literally) character study between Balot and Oeufcoque. _Balotto_ is a confused cyborg who already has a damaged mind and past as a human being. Oeufcoque, while being an AI, shows genuine human emotion upon hearing this emotionless girl asking for its love, a cute & tiny rat-looking AI's love, and the movie does a surprisingly good job by not making this weird but making their interactions, endearing.
But that's all the credit I give for the movie in the writing department. Anything and everything else is just a poorly written edge fest with very little damn giving to portraying themes or invoking drama.
____
Who should watch this?
If you want Ghost in the Shell but edgy, then watch the entire trilogy.
If you only want good parts and don't want to waste your time, then just watch movie 1 and leave it there. Or
If you want to see a pretense adult film with an overly sexual animation of a r*** victim, then go ahead and satisfy your kinks for all I care.
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Not a good trilogy but not a bad introduction.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Nov 17, 2022
A homicidal maniac racing across the light city's shadowy lanes.
But these slaughters are very similar to the ones that happened 4 years ago when Shiki had a 'personification of murder' of herself, in herself. Mikiya wants to think that this alleged "Homicidal Maniac" is not his love, but she has no other explanation to support that notion. After a few days, Shiki becomes unreachable.
Did Shiki begin to accept her murderous intentions at this point? Her desire to commit murder? What connection do these most recent killings have to her lost memories?
Another "movie" in the series, however, this one is a little bit of a stretch
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compared to part 5. There are a lot of empty pauses between dialogues that have no purpose other than to fill the silence. The film's final hour, or around 50 percent of the film, just drags on a lot which is a bit boring.
Now leaving that aside, this film is completely focused on three characters.
"I can kill anything that exists, even if it's a God". - Shiki
A lonesome, quite fearless, and badass knife/sword-wielding heroine who shows quite psychotic behavior throughout the entire series. While most of the series portrays her as nothing more than an unstoppable force (aka a 14-year-old definition of a 'Good female character'), this film flips on its head, and I'm talking about part 3 levels of flips, and probably even more graphic than that film. After regaining her memories, she becomes imprisoned in a bubble of misery where she is forced to confront her past and guilt, that she has a desire for murder. And the one that makes her face this is,
"Yeah, a homicidal maniac". - Lio
He makes a very forgettable appearance in part 2 and in the post-credits of part 6. Lio is a personification of what Shiki thinks of herself about her past self, though a tad bit exaggerated. He's no different from a clichéd predator-type villain, making him the least compelling antagonist in this series. His awakening is also somewhat basic; he merely receives Shiki's rejection and physically goes bonkers for her. And unlike, all other films, the antagonist actually prevails in this entry. Lio is meant to question Shiki, that he and she are just a bunch of murderers. He wants her to approve of that, and she basically does that by killing Lio in the end, becoming the very murderer she constantly rejects to be. Quite the irony really. What sets this otherwise tragic story into a not-so-tragic or you could even say beautiful is our hero.
"I'll bear your sin in your place". - Mikiya
He's one of the most intriguingly written 'normal' guys for such a dark story. On the surface, he's the kind of guy who hates crimes but not criminals, the stereotypical kind, dense, and basic guy, but oftentimes throughout the story, he's shown not to be the case. There are moments depending on the way he reacts to certain situations that just make you question his sanity. His normalcy and weird love are what save Shiki throughout her life and give her hope that she can achieve that normal life. Though this consistency in his writing gets a bit sloppy in the end.
He warns Shiki that if she kills, he won't forgive her, and in the end, she does. However, despite the fact that the harm had already been done, it was never given much attention. "What are the consequences? Did Mikiya force her to atone for her sin? Did Mikiya consider that hearing about his death was what forced her to kill him?" The film was more interested in providing this Cherry-blossom scene between two lovers and ending on a very joyful note than it was in providing answers to questions. It's good, but I'm not completely satisfied (Maybe these get answered in the epilogue).
The dialogue in the entire series is one aspect that has generated a bit of controversy. There will be several instances where the strange dialogue that frequently becomes philosophized will force you to repeatedly rewind the sequences. The conversation will truly be the deciding factor in whether or not this series succeeds, as I stated in my part 5 review. The series explores various topics and concepts, like mortality, death, and human nature, and provides enough ethically ambiguous characters for you to wrap your head around, yet more than often, it just complicates a straightforward concept with odd word choice. Like when Shiki says "She killed her arm" instead of "She lost", "She broke" or "She tore," in part 3, and its odd word choices like these that turn off a lot of people. It's stunning and consistently well-animated from a production standpoint, with some excellent directing and foreshadowing.
Though there are other entries as well, this film is pretty much the closure for everything in this series, with some minor loose ends.
The series is certainly not for everyone because of its foundation upon disturbing themes and imagery (this doesn't matter to you, does it?), a pretty confusing narrative, and oddly philosophical and confusing dialogue that can make it very hard to sit through. It, however, has solid production and animation with a very cool aesthetic that can easily provoke interest. If that's all you want, the series has more than enough in store.
The watch order I followed is the chronological order, 2-4-3-1-5-6-7. I'm not really sure how the release order works but I heard the release order makes it more confusing which in turn makes it a tad bit more interesting as well. You are free to decide.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 14, 2022
Azaka Koukutou, a brave and vivacious young lady in the Rein academy investigates the strange fairies which are rumored to steal people's memories upon Touko, her mentor's order. But Azaka isn't glad about her assessment if it isn't for Shiki, her love rival, who was sent for her assistance. Now Azaka has to bear all the teasing by her brother's lover, all the while unlocking many mysteries of the academy and her past.
If you have followed the series up until now, in whatever order it might be, one can tell how narratively inconsistent the film feels. The movie is a letdown after what its predecessors
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accomplished, which is unfortunate. The majority of the series up to this point hasn't been afraid to depict the brutality and madness of the predicament our characters are in. However, there isn't any suspense in this movie anymore. The main mystery's key events, including suicide and significant deaths, were all conveniently slipped into the dialogue, which wouldn't have been a bad thing if the brutal tone of the visuals had been maintained. This is not to argue that the movie looks horrible; it is still just as well animated, if not even more so than its earlier installments.
It's just a bit of a letdown given how much tension and anticipation the series has created so far and now it just feels like a magical girl plot. Perhaps this was intended to be a filler-like episode, providing the audience a break from all the last several slaughter, but the source material doesn't appear to support that. The light novel chapter from which the movie was adapted, is just as equally violent as those of its forebears (Source: Google it). So, I suppose the filmmakers merely desired a light-hearted rendition for other reasons.
It is a fact, however, that the tone shift can impact the suspense. Azaka, our fearless and infatuated young girl, is the only character the movie is entirely focused on, which goes a bit in contrast to what the series previously does. Because in previous installments, even if for a short time, the series gives an insight on our culprit, aka the sinner. This film not only excludes that element but also introduces two sinners, like damn! I don't really understand how much the film creators wanted to achieve but they messed up the fundamental framework the series had up to this point.
The only saving element for this pointless fun of a film is the reveal, that something that happened in Shiki's past was forgotten, even by Shiki herself. And the post-credit scene that includes Araya and, probably the main culprit in the next film (aka the finale of the franchise, Murder Speculation 2).
Who should watch this?
I guess a better question would be,
Is this film necessary to view?
Short answer, yes. On your first watch.
The film necessitates a watch but that doesn't mean this toned-down film can be a worthy experience. If you're rewatching the series, however, you could probably skip this entry.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Nov 12, 2022
A fun little romp in a magical London with dragons and 2 charming female leads.
In an alternate universe, there exists a "Reverse London", a place where people can see the dragons but that doesn't guarantee their safety because, in addition to their enormous size compared to humans, dragons can still infect normal humans into becoming something inhumane. Keep along with "Noel & Ninni," the well-known kouhai/senpai team in WB (Wing Bind), as they cope with a misfortunate pervert who can't seem to quit attracting these lethal beasts.
You won't find the most brilliantly written characters or the most compelling world-building in this fantasy tale. The anime
...
has an introduction and all the necessary elements to begin a plot, but by the time it's over, it feels like you've simply watched a bunch of episodes from the middle of a previously aired show. With the exception of that hint at the end, I'm not sure whether this has any significant connections to Bleach, but this ONA stands on its own. Even if it lacks a complete plot, the anime has the potential to be an even more enjoyable journey.
The anime's aesthetic department is unquestionably its most outstanding feature. The visuals alone are worth a watch, thanks to the appealing character designs, vibrant animation, and frequently spectacular camera movement during its action scenes. Additionally, the campy credits song is a nice way to conclude each episode, except it's not really essential.
The fact that this collection of ONAs is a collection rather than a film makes it one of the biggest issues with it. It turns out that it was a movie originally only released in Japan as a one-hour film. Crunchyroll, however, had the strange idea to split the movie into three parts, which not only destroys the flow of the story but also creates a needless sense of anticipation for something great that, of course, never occurs. A significant event happens, but since there are only 3 episodes (or a 1-hour length), not much can be set up for an exciting climax. They had to cut out a chapter from the source material (that chapter 0 gives a backstory as to why Balgo needs special attention, aka why he's necessary to the plot).
Even though the emotional plot it builds for its characters doesn't reach its utmost height, considering the timeframe, the creators did a respectable job of getting their message out loud and clear with two female protagonists carrying the show with their charm. However, there are a few pointless kinks that can cause some people to avert their gaze.
Who should watch this?
Unless you're finding for something complete, I see no reason to not watch this ONA.
If you are in a busy schedule but got an hour to spare or are just bored and want something entertaining but don't want to commit to a huge plot, this will be a fun little jaunt you would like to take.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 5, 2022
Since this will be my first time writing a preliminary review, it will be quite brief and will make changes once completed.
I watched episode 1 out of whim and gave me massive Doraemon vibes (though it's vastly different from that), so I kept on watching it and so far, it's pretty good.
Story:
The charm is in how stupid it is. This is about a lot of idiots and hilarious concepts mixed together, and I think it works just great. I don't really expect or even hope for this to be anything more than what it sets out to be, so if the story ever gets better,
...
I think it'll be a fantastic anime.
Characters:
Again, goofballs. Stereotypical goofballs. Ataru is just Nobita (same analogy with their parents), except he's not 10 or 11, Lum is just Doraemon if Doraemon happens to be an alien Pikachu waifu (I know, that's weird analogy), Shinobu is just Shizuka with less brain and more dramatic, Mendou is just "Dekisugi X Suniyo", and I know I'm just making assumptions but that's the best I can describe them.
Comedy:
Humor is always and will always be subjective. As with dad jokes, not everyone will find "Joe mama" jokes amusing. Whether you laugh or not, all depends on you.
The humor follows the traditional formula of anime comedy: EXAGGERATION and Perversion. The art style frequently deviates from its regular motifs for comedic effect, creating unexpected or absurd circumstances for the characters to find themselves in (often sexual ones), and having voice actors scream their hearts out at every line.
If that's your style of humor, try it out. Otherwise, omit it. From what I've seen of the first four episodes, it doesn't seem like the anime will be anything more than that.
Art Style and Animation:
The character designs are gleaming, the animators have taken care to make sure everyone looks good, and even our scoundrel protagonist doesn't seem too awful. Although occasionally it just seems like cardboard-like pictures are walking and hopping about with a slow framerate, making it a bit unnatural, the animation is rarely a turnoff. Although the first episode made great use of vibrant color schemes and lighting effects, I haven't noticed much of that in subsequent episodes. The majority of the backgrounds remain static, which is what most strongly reminds me of Doraemon from the 2000s.
Voice acting and Music:
Voice acting is obviously exaggerated. Since I occasionally genuinely wish to punch Ataru, I believe the VAs are working just fine. There shouldn't be any unhappiness in that area because popular voice actors from the industry are used in the development... I believe. The opening scene is visually spectacular, the background music is fine, and the accompanied song is sufficiently appealing. I didn't like the ending song so much though.
Who should watch this?
It's Ecchi High-school Comedy with loads of goofballs, exaggerated comedy, and good production values. And it's doing pretty well at what it's trying to do. Though I say it reminds me of Doraemon, the comedy is similar to that of 'Grand Blue', if that helps.
There will be the same argument between older people who don't like the reboot alterations and younger people who are dissatisfied that the adaption doesn't live up to the original's standing as a classic. It would be impolite to declare "it doesn't matter," but try not to let those things interfere with your enjoyment. Many old anime series are getting reboots, which is wonderful since it allows younger generations to view a classic in a new light.
Let's just take the ride for the time being.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 5, 2022
One issue about the show needs to be clarified before I continue with the review.
I'm 90% sure many Anime-only viewers gave episode 1 a try, because of the nearly 30-second segment at the start of the show, in which an anime girl Kung-fus a group of NPCs, demonstrating one of the series' most fluidly animated combat sequences. However, there is a catch. This is the sole hand-to-hand combat in the entire show which takes place in episode 1, and the Comedy/Slice-of-Life format, the main genre of the Anime is a marked departure from the others. The girl described in the aforementioned scene only makes an
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appearance three times over the entire 12-episode run and has a very minor role in the main narrative. This would be one of the few significant problems with the show, but I'll address them later.
Although the show has better animation than some others that this genre has to offer, it isn't as spectacular as you might anticipate.
Now to the review.
A wealthy Yakuza who enjoys the hobby of collecting priceless vases. One day, a metal egg with a girl's face on it crashes down on his head out of nowhere. After ignoring it for a night and realizing it's not a dream, Nitta helps the girl to come out of that egg and claims herself as "Hina", a psychokinetic girl who proves it by destroying his collection and threatens him to pay for her expenses. But after getting to know one another a little, they come to an agreement and live together. With Nitta and her newfound friends who join the voyage later, Hina begins to mature as she learns more about grownups and normal life.
Humor can be a little arbitrary. While some can grasp the appeal, not everyone will find "Joe Mama" jokes amusing. Comedy in "Hinamatsuri" is based on exaggerated reaction faces with a cast of eccentric characters and creative situations (except the one above). Additionally, the voice cast's assistance in conveying the characters' peculiar circumstance aids to do so remarkably well. But this anime's most moving moments are where it really shines.
She was by far the only person in the entire show to experience true growth. She's presented as an adversary sent to terminate Hina, but due to unfortunate events and a comically intense struggle, she ends herself homeless. She subsequently begins to appreciate money, people, and home in her daily existence.
The touching scenes don't end with just Anzu. Almost all of the main characters have some minor growth as they grapple with the responsibilities of adulthood and learn how to move on from it. The bond between Nitta and Hina gradually develops into a heartwarming father-daughter relationship. Although the anime's absurdity sometimes affects how its moments are conveyed emotionally.
Finally, for a slice-of-life show, the animation is also much superior. The character animation was created with great attention and purpose in order to give it that extra charm. It gives the world and the characters a more vibrant, living feeling.
Now with the praise and pros aside, let's talk about the drawbacks.
As I mentioned earlier, the first fight strongly tempts the audience to watch the wrong side of the show's merits. At first, I believed they were simply adapting the manga as is but it was not the case. The manga immediately delves into the Nitta-Hina plot; Mao wasn't even mentioned until volume 9 of the manga (It appears that the anime omitted a significant number of manga chapters, but that is irrelevant for now).
The animation is undoubtedly a plus, but the comedy, narrative, and characters are the show's key selling points. It merely demonstrates that anime utilized a "sakuga" bait because it lacks faith in its own capabilities to gain viewership.
Just to be clear, I'm not arguing that Mao's character is unimportant or that the anime is poor. Just the wrong sequence of events can provide the wrong impression and leave the audience feeling a little disappointed.
At its finest, "Hinamatsuri" is one of the funniest and most moving Anime; at its worst, it's just a giant drag. With a cast that is already well-established and very little progression beyond episode 6, the anime devolves from a comedy/slice-of-life to merely a safe comedy. Playing it safe has nothing wrong with it but given the potential the anime displayed in the first half, it's a shame that it stuck to its roots.
Who should watch this?
The espers and psychic powers plot are comparable to "Mob Psycho 100," and the parent-daughter connection and comedy, between 'Nitta and Hina' and 'Handa and Naru' from "Barakamon", are somewhat similar.
Bottom line: This is a hilarious anime that isn't bold enough to believe in its brilliance.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 31, 2022
Wang Ling is an overpowered existence, so overpowered that he saved a married couple just by urinating himself. Oh! And he also punched a giant frog into oblivion, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. As his abilities continue to develop, he acquires the potential to unintentionally wipe out everything above and below, and everything in between. His father after finding that his son is a literal God builds a talisman to seal his powers, but Wang Ling also has to seal off his emotions to not lose control over his world-shattering powers. Now our OP protagonist should be able to lead a life
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devoid of interruptions and involvements, but his school, its inmates, and the school's beautiful idol might change that. Either for the better or for the far worst.
Let's start with the elephant in the room.
The focal point of our narrative, yet he makes a concerted effort to avoid it. Every episode or story arc introduces our OP MC to subvert the clichés in that environment, which adds humor while also dropping a bunch of forgettable supporting characters into a dramatic context. But alas, it's a tragedy because that comedy quickly becomes dreary.
Due to their lack of complexity when dealing with abnormality, an OP character in a humorous environment might be amusing. I can't even complete 10 pushups for the love of my life, but if I saw a bald man in a cape performing 100 pushups effortlessly, I will giggle at how amazed I was. A miracle, however, is a miracle because it is uncommon. You might exclaim "Wah Taz!" if you ever see the Taj Mahal. Even after a second viewing, you would be in awe. However, after viewing it 100 times, you would say, "Yeah, that's Taz Mahal." The show loses the audience's initial interest when it performs the same 'miracle,' in this case Wang Ling proving once more that he is OP.
But hold on, repeating the same thing? Yes, One Punch Man does that as well. Why, then, did this fail?
Because "Immortal King" is lacking in two areas. "Quality and Effective Direction".
OPM features consistently excellent animation, and each episode just gets better and better. But with this show... Later in the episode, it almost made me think of the difference in quality between OPM S1 and S2. Moments become increasingly awkward and bizarre as CGI crowds take over the background, although it's amusing to note that there is an episode in season 2 where they discuss digital animation. It's a bit ironic that a piece of animation that aspires to be of high quality may serve as both a good and a bad representation of the field. But S2 does improve a bit; there still are some jarring moments but atleast the CGI crowds are decreasing.
Narratively speaking, the first few episodes of each season are merely dull slice-of-life episodes, but each time, a minor narrative point is left over that is employed in the conflict that emerges at the end of the season. The slice-of-life episodes will continue to become more and more sporadic. It's not well written, but it's also not bad.
It appears that the show is very unlucky to have too many annoying elements since this would have been the end. And the subtitles are the final annoying element. Like I don't even grasp what a few statements mean, and even after viewing the full episode, I still don't comprehend what it means in context. In inappropriate situations, the subtitles are unusually attentive, like this one.
Like wow! I was quite curious about the meaning of those Chinese characters, which I could hardly even see. Including additional subtitles is fine, but what good is it if the required subtitles are so poorly translated?
Who should watch this?
The concept is similar to "One Punch Man" and "Mob Psycho 100" except,
it's neither as consistently well-animated nor it's well written as either of them but,
Unlike Mob or OPM, "Daily Life of Immortal King" has romance if that interests people.
Season 3 is airing, by the way.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Oct 29, 2022
Guns and Girls, Tomboys and Terrorism, Sci-Fi and Supernatural, all for one big... bland experience? Disappointing.
Lately, Mino has found his time as a reporter to be somewhat unfulfilling. He only ever produced gossip stories, which one would read at sunrise and then promptly forget by sunset. So, in order to get that huge scoop, he made the decision to dig into a certain terrorist group while pretending to be writing an article about the "International Conference on Anti-terrorism" that's going to be held at the capital of the factory of the world, Shanghai. He is accompanied by Maria, his blond and jovial new photographer. But
...
when Maria unintentionally captures images of the blood-coughing masked guys at the core of a carnival that everyone appears to be rather passionately involved in, things take a sharp turn. And to her amazement, Cannan, her one and only white-haired, gun-toting batman of a friend, arrives for her rescue. Mino notices that something strange is happening in the city.
What might it be, and what other unexpected and frightening facts are awaiting our team?
The essential characteristic of "Cannan" is how well it manages its cast of characters. There are close to 15 of them, and while some rapidly recede into the background such as the gun-hu old man with his young companion or the masculine Moe cab driver and his favorite idol, others have a significant impact on the plot. With the exception of YunYun, everyone in the story is paired: Mino & Maria, Cannan & Alphard, Sandy & Hakko, and Liang & Cummings. By the end of the story, everyone has undergone a complete transformation, but each character's development depends entirely on the pair counterpart they are interacting with because without them, you can't really like these characters and you might even detest a few (I hated Liang as much as I felt sorry for her).
I had the distinct impression that the titular two tomboys were descended from Shiki of the "Garden of Sinners". All three of them have a guy or girl they like or look up to and are both cool and strong. However, Cannan and Shiki are similar in terms of abilities, while Alphard and Shiki are more similar in terms of personalities (they even share the same VA). Although this was more prominent later in the narrative, the anime concentrates on their rivalry and how these two overcame their origins. Beginning with some comedy and fan service, there is also sporadically lighthearted action.
The fundamental issue with "Cannan" is that it falls short of conveying all of the different themes it set out to do. Themes of terrorization and human experimentation set the stage for a story of acceptance, but it was handled rather sloppily because the plot never really engaged the audience emotionally. Additionally, despite having so many characters and only 13 episodes, none of them really hit the emotional high points they were established for, which can leave the viewer with an unsatisfying experience. Although it makes every effort, it never succeeds in bringing about the progress it promises to bring about in its own characters, even if it breaks them in the process.
It contains some impressive gun-fu action scenes, one character moment when they elevate a woman who is amusingly strolling by a sparkling fountain, and of course, those buns' bounce is beautiful, but regrettably, there aren't many action scenes. Considering that both titles have the same creator, I suppose it makes sense that the character designs are extremely similar to those in Garden of Sinners. I paid no attention to the soundtrack other than the final song that plays as an insert, and I have no interest in looking it up either. However, the opening is quite strong.
Who should watch this?
Personally, I don't think this anime is worth the watch as its shortcomings outweigh its merits. But,
Watch this if you want to see some gun-slinging action or just want to waste some time. However,
I believe there are far better Anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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