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Oct 19, 2022
Although I did enjoy Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, it's not as great as what the Internet claimed it to be.
The plot is simple and straightforward, and there aren't any twists to the story. However, the storytelling is executed beautifully by utilizing a fantastic combination of music and art. Dialogues are interesting and they always give an insight into life inside Night City.
*Spoilers below*
I have to admit that the show failed to hit me in the feels with its ending. This is because I didn't really have an emotional connection with David and Lucy. There just aren't enough meaningful interactions between them that build up those feelings
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that would make me want to ship them strongly and pray that nothing bad happens to either of them. Add to the fact that David had been warned multiple times by his comrades about Cyber-psychosis and even had Maine as an example but he stubbornly refused to downgrade his cybernetics implant or just go into retirement when he had the opportunity because he wanted to live the dream of Maine. Lucy's choice to act on her own in neutralizing other 'netrunners' that are gathering info on David instead of communicating with him also perplexes me and just adds more distance between the couples who have yet to earn my emotional investment. With little emotional investment in the main duo, the ending just felt like another predictable and inevitable outcome for me.
Overall, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners with its simple plot has delivered a somewhat heartfelt story that will keep its audience entertained and engaged in its settings. However, there is really nothing special about its story or execution that would make it something worth remembering.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 18, 2022
Watching Lycoris Recoil to the end invoked strong mixed feelings in me. Imagine taking a script written by a 9-year-old and handing it over to an extremely skilled anime director, and he is forced to produce the show without making any changes to key elements of the plot. That's the overall feeling I get on the quality of Lycoris Recoil.
The main selling point of Lycoris Recoil has to be Chisato and her relationship dynamics with Takina. The dynamics of the duo is simply a joy to watch. The animation, voice acting, OP and ED are also amazing which improves the watchability of this show, and
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that's it.
The premise of Lycoris Recoil looks interesting. A futuristic Japan where the government controls the mass population by keeping them ignorant of crime and using 'Lycoris' who are secret agents disguised as high school girls to take out potential criminals before they can commit any crime. A few questions come to mind, why are all Lycoris girls only teenagers? Is it even possible to cover up the girls when they are out on the streets shooting criminals and leaving evidence behind like bullet holes and shells in an era where everyone has a smartphone? Then comes the questionable physics, such as how Chisato's bullets are able to penetrate a car door but are non-lethal at point-blank range. Anyway, if you just overlook the questions and treat them as anime logic, the premise can still be good, until nothing ever comes out of it after 13 episodes.
The plot is abysmal and I will dive into the reasoning in the spoiler section. The villains are one-dimensional dumbasses and there is a strong pro-censorship message. Objectively speaking, this is a show with little substance other than watching cute girls doing cute things and gun fights, which is delivered brilliantly for those who are into watching those things.
*Spoiler section below*
The normal citizens are treated as if they have a mentality worse than a toddler. For example, when a normal citizen finds a gun in the park, he suddenly caves under pressure, picks up the gun, and shoots the nearest Lycoris girl out of fear.
Throughout the 13 episodes, nothing changes within the DA. They still control the mass population by censorship, and they even sent 'Lilybells' who are male counterparts of 'Lycoris' to execute the Lycoris girls because they think that the agency has been compromised just because the dumb citizens saw them shooting on live TV. Does the show treat its audiences as 6-year-olds that we are supposed to accept that as logical? It's not like the Lycoris girls have turned rogue - they are still 100% obedient and a simple order to disband the agency would have sufficed instead of turning the situation into a bloodbath. Have the writers not thought of that?
The ending has Majima fight with Chisato only for the whole bomb thing to be a prank that just launches fireworks into the sky. Wasn't Majima's goal established to cause chaos so that he can shatter the mythological peace that the DA strives to create? Did he chicken out on his ambition? It simply makes no sense and completely killed the characterization of Majima.
Chisato also refuses to obtain the mechanical heart which resides inside Shinji and even protects him from Takina, but Mika just kills Shinji in secret and gave the heart to her. Is the show striving for the best anti-climatic ending award after baiting its audience with all that foreshadowing in the leading episodes?
There are more things I can write about that makes the plot ridiculous but I believe that I have justified enough in the four paragraphs above to show the level of bad writing present within the story.
The threshold for tolerating anime bullshit and inconsistent writing in favor of the things that you like to see, ie. Chisato and Takina, CGDCT, nice gun fights, differ for each individual. My disappointment with Lycoris Recoil stems from the way the show set itself up with its foreshadowing. It gave me the impression that I am supposed to treat its plot seriously only for them to throw one ass-pull after another. If the premise has been set up as a mainly plotless show from the start, I would not have felt cheated.
Overall, Lycoris Recoil can still be very entertaining if you just shut your mind and do not care if the plot makes sense, which is what most of the fans I have seen does. Without any substance though, I am objectively not able to give the show a score higher than 7.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 12, 2022
I was recommended to watch Classroom of the Elite because I like Death Note. After sitting through 2 seasons, I want to say this to whoever made the recommendation: "Comparing COTE to DN is like comparing a chicken to a Phoenix.". Yes, I am an anime-only and it doesn't matter because this review is for the anime and not the light novel, and after completing 2 seasons of the anime, I really don't feel like picking up the light novel.
I can see why COTE is so popular. It features an edgy high schooler who is secretly overpowered but tries to play it cool and acts
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inconspicuously. He also earns the love of all the waifus in school. (Perfectly suitable for teenagers to self-insert.)
Classroom of the Elite is about Kiyotaka Ayankoji, who is secretly a genius on a completely different level from everyone in his school. The school uses a point system which is basically the money system within the school and can be used to buy anything and even do bribery. The classes battle each other for points.
On the plot level, the psychological games and conflicts try to look smart with all the messy rules thrown in but are not interesting and just sloppy overall. The main character has a flat personality, Kushida's secret motivation is just an ass-pull and completely unrelatable, and perhaps the only interesting character is Ryuen. The series would have been more interesting if Ryuen was the MC and Kiyotaka does not exist.
There are some good moments, like the fight scene that happens in the penultimate episode, but that is not enough to make up for the earlier episodes that are just a pain to sit through.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Oct 8, 2022
Set inside a fantasy world, Engage Kiss tells a tale of the dysfunctional relationship between a demon who harbors unrequited love, and a human who is so obsessed with revenge that he goes to extreme lengths to achieve his goals.
Engage Kiss is an anime that requires the audience to be cultured enough to approach the show with an open mind and not be offended by fictional anime characters even if you disagree with the way they act. The characters have been purposefully made to have a few unlikable traits and flaws; especially the male MC whose relationship with the heroine starts off as a toxic
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and manipulative one. If you cannot agree that not every MC needs to be perfect for self-insert or morally flawless, then you are not the target audience of this show. I also need to caution potential viewers that despite the show being advertised as a slapstick romantic comedy, it is not the case for a good chunk of the show where it contains a significant amount of melancholic drama that is brilliantly executed to tug at one’s heartstrings. Now if you are still mentally able to accept this show, then you will come to appreciate Engage Kiss as a hidden gem of Maruto’s work.
Shu is a demon exterminator who is in hot pursuit of the demon responsible for his parent’s death and finding clues to search for his little sister whom he believes to still be alive. To accomplish his goals, he needed power that significantly exceeds the capabilities of himself and his then-girlfriend, Ayano. Hence he left Ayano to form a contract with a powerful demon, Kisara. In their time spent together, Kisara has grown to love him more than anything, but her overpowering feelings are not being reciprocated by Shu who only treats her like a tool. Using Kisara’s demonic powers also comes at a terrible cost that is destroying him bit by bit, which creates a dilemma for Kisara and a strong rivalry with Ayano, who is against Shu’s method of doing things but has to accept her helplessness at the situation.
The premise of Engage Kiss has been well set up to deliver a love triangle where both heroines have their own compelling reasons for the audience to empathize and root for, and to delve into the mysteries surrounding the male protagonist's tragic past. The execution of the show is excellent, and as an anime original, it has been directed in a way that takes full advantage of its weekly episodic format and lack of source material to maximize the audience’s engagement and anticipation.
One of the story’s charms is that it utilizes a lot of backstories to constantly reshape the narratives of the characters. The characters were intentionally made to feel shallow initially, then given more depth as their past and motivations are revealed. My first impression of the heroine is that she is a possessive yandere succubus but later discovered that she is the most selfless person who genuinely loves Shu unconditionally and put his wellbeing above everything else. I initially thought that Shu is a useless deadbeat, but later learned that he is the succubus all along with his ability to seduce any girl and even incapacitated a nun by poisoning her during sex. We also learned how tragic Shu’s past is and that his goals are noble although the manner that he carries them out is contentious, which results in a unique character that is detestable but also someone that the audience can sympathize.
The animation and voice acting are top-notch, and I have to especially give credit to Saya Aizawa for perfectly nailing her role as Kisara. From her shiver-inducing yandere voice to her soft-as-cotton gentle tone; her ability to perfectly vocalize every type of expression and bring to life a multi-faceted character never ceased to amaze me. Her devotion to playing her role as Kisara can be seen in her social network account where she constantly talks about how much she loves the character and has even made three cover songs of Kisara.
Nonetheless, the main selling point of Engage Kiss has to be the development between Kisara and Shu. Their relationship started out being one of the most dysfunctional and manipulative couples in anime and reforms towards one with genuine love and trust by the end. This beautiful relationship development has made Engage Kiss a must-watch for any romance drama fans.
From the flashy rom-com first episode to the heart-tugging drama and shocking revelations in the middle, to a smooth ending, Engage Kiss has faithfully served the audience what they wanted to see – romance, comedy, action, and drama, all exceptionally well-packaged with excellent animation and voice acting into a single series.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Sep 11, 2022
Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru is the textbook definition of waifu bait, self-insert, perfect ideal girl anime. There is nothing much going on for the plot other than to deliver more dates with Marin for self-inserting pleasure.
Gojo meets Marin, who is a beautiful girl with a passion for cosplay. They befriended and Gojo becomes Marin's personal tailor, making different cosplay dresses for her. Marin's character is made to be flawless and the most perfectly imaginable waifu that will appeal to a wide audience, and she falls head over heels for the MC (of course). Let me set this straight, I am not trying
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to say that having a likable and flawless character is a bad thing, but when it comes to the story, a perfect character can still be put through tribulations or dilemmas that will test the resilience of their values. This show has none of it.
The story centers around the relationship between Marin and Gojo and not much goes on other than delivering wholesome sweet moments with Marin. There is no character development and the relationship with Marin stays the same for 13 episodes. Every episode mimics going on a date with Marin, and the plot exists to solely enable that. It is perfect for viewing pleasure and to self-insert into Gojo, but there is barely any drama or depth to the plot to form a compelling story. After finishing the series, Marin is a character that I completely do not feel any emotional connection towards because the plot has never allowed it to happen.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Aug 9, 2022
What Overlord did well in the light novels was the world-building and showing the thought process of characters in the New World as they eventually discover how powerless they are in the face of Ainz and his forces of Nazarick.
The anime is not able to replicate the storytelling to the same level seen in the light novels, and with an invincible MC who will barely encounter any threat in the New World and just overpower most foes, the same theme gets repetitive really quickly.
The biggest drawback to the plot is that there is zero character development in Ainz or any of the floor guardians,
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and the NPCs will behave the same way they did from the first episode of season 1 till the end of season 4 - Worshipping Ainz and seeing humans and other life forms outside of Nazarick as filth, except for a small number of NPCs who are neutral. Ainz constantly roleplays as the supreme leader who actually hides an inferiority complex about being the ruler but continues to put on the act. While initially funny, the sheer amount of repetition makes it lose its appeal over time. The show constantly introduces new side characters from the New World that will eventually either bow down to the supreme might of Nazarick and join them or get slaughtered. This has made all the battle outcomes extremely predictable and is really just a generic power fantasy isekai with better world-building aspects. Even the author himself is tired of writing the same repetitive story and wants to end the story in Volume 18 of the light novel.
Overall, Overlord anime can be quite entertaining to watch initially, but will soon feel repetitive in its storytelling and the lack of character growth in the main characters will make it one of those shows that will not leave any impression.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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