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(Contains spoilers for Chapter 1 and 2 only)
Bocchi the Rock is one of the most refreshing and unconventional CGDCT manga of the past several years. Tackling the importance of self-identity, motivation and impure dreams, in an age where everyone may find it easier to fit in to what the world wants them to be, this series explores Hitori Gotou's journey towards being true to herself and others as she tackles her inner desire for stardom — a struggle that all lonely introverts will deeply resonate in, especially those who are deeply passionate about their main hobby. It has its own special way of giving you ... that brutal dose of reality without bringing it in too heavy. Since this series is published by Kirara, it still has that core essence of hope that's prevalent throughout other comics within the Kirara family that gives a majority of their works their well-deserved highly revered reputation amongst people who read 4-koma. You would think that with a protagonist like Hitori (who I will be referring to as Bocchi from now on) this sort of ethos would clash way too much with the pessimistic and sensitive personality she has, but personally, it's exactly what the formula was missing for so long.

That's because, more importantly than anything, this is a coming-of-age manga. A very funny, well-grounded and honest one, at that.

Bocchi is a complete shut-in introvert and an incredibly talented guitarist who goes under the alias guitarhero online, uploading guitar covers of popular songs to great success. She finds it to be her only real form of self-validation as she desperately tries to make friends in real life, with each attempt failing just as bad as the other throughout her entire life. However, now that she's in high school, she finally gets the chance to slowly break out of her shell under the most absurd circumstances. After a chance encounter with a sociable drummer girl she met at a park for literally two minutes, she was basically kidnapped to perform at a live house in the most scuffed effort possible. This is where we meet the other two main characters: Nijika, the drummer, and Ryou, the bassist, the founding members of Kessoku Band. Their chemistry as a band was bad, barely making a performance worth noting, and they acknowledge this bluntly. However, by the end, they all find it oddly redeeming.

A lot of Bocchi's core traits are brought out in just these first two chapters alone; she's both selfish and selfless, she's empathetic, she spaces out into the world of her imagination often which leads her into self-indulgent tangents, she has a hard time refusing things when she really wants to, loves receiving praise for her talent and good will, and apologizes way too much due to her record low self-esteem. This perfectly clashes with the optimistic and enthusiastic aura of Nijika and the overconfident, albeit stoic demeanor of Ryou, which allows for some of the most absurd, creative and hilarious comedy as well as the most deep, contemplative and interesting philosophies about life that I've read in any 4-koma manga. A few chapters after the first two you'll meet Ikuyo for the first time, who is like the extraverted foil to Bocchi. As the story goes on, Bocchi realizes that she has people in her life aside from her family who genuinely care about her and want to see her succeed, which becomes her driving force to improve and be honest about her desires and who she really is on the inside. Nijika, Ryou and Kita all have their own words of wisdom for Bocchi that allow her to see the world in a new way somehow; from individualism to sanguinity, alongside all the hilarity. They all exchange their values with each other and slowly mature.

It should be obvious enough but music manga are made by people who LOVE music. If you are in any way familiar with the J-rock and Yakousei scene in Japan, you will recognize many of the tributes at the beginning of every chapter and references to bands and songs scattered throughout. I'm not saying you won't enjoy it just because you don't have knowledge of the music this series references though, because once again, Bocchi the Rock is smart about this and keeps it at a minimum to focus on the plotline, all while also introducing you to the indie music scene that's rocked Japan these past few years, while both satirizing it and keeping it realistic — a tone that's consistent throughout basically the entire story. It's like the mangaka is recommending you the bands referenced while you learn more about the circumstances and expectations of being a musician in the modern age. It tackles this topic in a super easy-to-understand manner, giving you the ins-and-outs of everything, from how music clubs/live houses operate, band advertising and live performance funding, to music bloggers and getting signed to record labels as well as how broad and unique the people who play music in the Japanese indie scene are. This is very interwoven with Kessoku Band's bumpy road to success and Bocchi's interactions with the people she meets outside of her own band, with every new encounter bringing out different parts of herself that help her improve as a person.

4-koma pacing can be a bit overwhelming to some people, but as someone who has read a lot of this manga format, this is actually very consistent and comfortable. Bocchi the Rock's anime adaptation is already a massive hit and by proxy, I hope the manga will be just as successful. The writing is sublime, the comedic punchlines are golden, all four of the main characters are super believable and easy to relate to. You can tell that Hamaji Aki, the mangaka for this series, loves her characters and what she's making right from the start.

Bocchi the Rock is a love letter to introversion, to music, to friendship, and to growing up. You never know when your passion will pay off, but if you keep persisting, maybe a beautiful set of opportunities or coincidences may also come your way over time and you'll find yourself challenging your own expectations. You may find people who you never thought you'd be making friends with, and you might end up feeling more true to who you are and who you want to be. The youth we all experience never truly fades away.

Shigofumi is the culmination of a blatantly critical, destructive miasma of the human condition and all of its' expressions.

When the original novel was written by Amamiya back in 2006, it came at a weird time, especially since there wasn't much material quite like this in the late 2000's, having been past that era of anime-inspired literature by a bit over half a decade. This is proof that it's never too late to make something both awe-inspiring and soul-crushing.

Shigofumi's plot is something that flourishes in its' repetition. Fumika is a postal worker for the final messages of the once-living, bringing them to their destination no matter ... what it may be. She is perhaps one of the most elusive characters I've ever had the pleasure of watching, and her interactions with humanity is essentially what this show is. People get in her way, people run away from her, people show their flaws to her. For however long she has assumed her role as a messenger, Fumika has a misanthropic mindset about humanity; there's no other species as flawed as humans are. She and her staff, Kanaka, both seem to believe this on a very deep level, and they both find people very interesting as result of it. As someone who thinks the same way, this makes their personality reflect on a deeper level.

During each episode, we get to see the conflicts and flaws that people have in the eyes of Fumika and Kanaka. A few of these said people end up being recurring characters, and it builds an unexpectedly smaller, yet far more complex world around what seems to be a very open concept. There's a lot of both metaphorical and obvious interpretations of depression, spirituality, love, abuse, the consequence of death, and self-hatred, among the more prominent ideas brought up with each character that's introduced. None of the cast overstays their welcome and each of them have their own interesting quirks that make them what they are. Each arc kind of builds up in to focusing more closely on Fumika and Chiaki, the only other postal worker in this anime. It then ultimately makes Fumika go center stage and what results of it is one of the most expressive and vibrant episodes of despair and revelation I've ever watched in this medium.

There's been a fair share of anime that are critical of humanity over the past decades, but none have the massive amount of backbone that Shigofumi has to show the world through the eyes of someone who is as disconnected from the living as Fumika is. This is one of the most essential works from this genre, and it may unfortunately go as underlooked as it is now for a very long time.

Shigofumi is an insightful blessing. Due to very personal reasons I've kept my enjoyment of this secret for a very long time, but from now I'll let it known that this is my favorite anime of all time, undefeated for many, many years.

[Story: Perfect 10] [Characters: Perfect 10] [Art: Perfect 10] [Sound: Perfect 10] [Enjoyment: Perfect 10]
[Overall Score: 10]

Growing up. Time passing. Nothing lasts forever, but you learn to cherish the memories you've made for the rest of your life.

Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka is a cute girls doing cute things series. Yes, it's been done so many times at this point, yet it's never become tiring to the dedicated fans of these types of works. However, not many of them delve deeper than the surface of just being adorable and about friendship, with minimal conflict and purely for comfort and easy reading. GochiUsa is essentially the same thing; some may compare it to most other popular cute girls series like Kiniro Mosaic, ... Comic Girls, K-On, et cetera. This isn't meant to berate the quality of those manga, as they are quite amazing for their genre as well, but GochiUsa has something that I feel is missing from the rest of the lot. What is it...? It's... a life lesson.

To sum up the beginning of GochiUsa very quickly, Hoto Cocoa is a transfer student who is lost in the streets of Colmar, France, looking for her foster family when she stumbles upon Rabbit House, with the impression that it's a place full of rabbits (typical Cocoa, haha) only to find out it's a coffee shop, and she encounters Kafuu Chino, a timid little girl with periwinkle hair and a matching uniform with a... thing, on her head. Cocoa's quick to interact with her and she finds out that her foster family is actually the Kafuus, and she decided that it was fate that her and Chino met; and so, the surprisingly meaningful and beautiful story of GochiUsa begins.

Not much is known about Koi-san. He is a completely obscure figure in the manga industry, yet he has made one of the most recognizable series in Japan to date. GochiUsa is one of the few crown jewels of the Slice of Life genre, yet it's only been around for so little time. Despite that no one knows who he is - not even a signature, alias, or real life presence - he has a clear influence. With that influence, what kind of unique talent he has makes his manga different from everyone else's? It's his ability to convey a lesson to his readers that's even more prevalent on his fairly simple writing. I find it very interesting just how real GochiUsa actually feels when you think about what Koi wants you to understand;

In life, you will encounter many moments of happiness. None of them will last forever. However, even when they're gone, you'll remember and cherish every second of those blissful memories.

GochiUsa is one of the very few cute girls manga I've read where everyone actually matures and grows older as time goes on. Canonically, three years have passed. Chino was 13, and now she's 16. Everyone is older. Everyone gets more responsibilities, while still doing their best to enjoy life with their friends. From elementary to high school, from high school to college. There is a very realistic element to Koi's style that goes overlooked. Under that guise of precious character designs and personalities are what feels like real people. All the characters mean something to the story, even if it is minimal, because while their core never really changes, you can see that they've really changed over time. Every single one of the girls is taken care of delicately by Koi and all of them have their important moments. It's genuinely outstanding to see such dedication to making sure every character is at least interesting within their time on their respective panels. I feel sentimental thinking about it. In fact, Koi's art even gets more refined and delicate the more you read. Not only has he matured as a story writer, but as an artist he continues to excel beyond his own ability while remaining faithful to what he's been doing for well over 8 years now, and he shows no signs of stopping yet, even with how far the manga has gone.

I have a sincere appreciation of the atmosphere this series has. It's set in a real place in France, a town called Colmar with very particular buildings unique to its area. It feels authentic, and it leaves you with a guessing game of where the characters come from. Every character has been living in Colmar for some time before Cocoa showed up at Rabbit House in the beginning of the manga to be a transfer student living with a foster family. I have my own particular headcanon about the ethnicity of each character myself, but it's just something I've been doing in my free time at this point since I've read this manga so many times that I've become too fond of all of them. Hopefully many more people feel that same bond and value that I do with the manga's setting and characters. As I've said multiple times before, GochiUsa feels real. Characters I can relate to, characters I love, hell, I even started to like coffee after constantly reading this manga. This does way too much to you after you feel some kind of connection to it. It's almost magical. GochiUsa is a one of a kind experience for the cute girls subgenre of slice of life and it's stuck with me for five years now. Koi has made something that means a lot to many people, including myself, and I thank him for every moment he's been working his butt off to make what I genuinely consider one of the closest attempts I've seen to perfection in manga in his medium of work.

[Story: Strong 9] [Characters: Perfect] [Art: Strong 10] [Enjoyment: Perfect]
[Score: Strong 10]

Talk about being SHOCKINGLY good.

For how little there is so far, Candy & Cigarettes is one hell of a read. A fantastic take on the "underground crime scene" type of trope. Miharu and Raizou's character chemistry grows very quickly, but it sticks with you with their bond; a criminal killing duo, but also like a family. The way Raizou even gets in to this business in the first place is almost like a miracle. He has to help his son get treatment for his disease, but he has to earn a million yen a month just to get it. Once he finds a job offer ... posted for someone who can "handle a gun and knows judo" he hops right in, not expecting the stuff he has to do. He then meets Miharu for the first time, and it's safe to say a lot happens immediately after. This manga does not spare the talk and goes straight to the action. Their interactions together are very wholesome and ingenious, which to me is unexpected by Tomonori Inoue, considering that Coppellion wasn't all that great to me, but it's a welcome change from him especially.

I am a huge fan of action, so this may dictate a bias in my opinion, but this is absolutely phenomenal at remaining on the same wavelength as the buddy-action trope typically revolves itself around. It even generates more ideas branching out of it, including some fairly dark themes throughout, and some cheesy but classic backstory. I am hoping that as the manga progresses, it keeps finding it's own platform, maybe it slowly gets even stronger action, or it slows down a little bit. Either way, I'm more than happy to read more. I keep seeing a lot of inspiration from several different classic Tarantino films and I feel like even some Leon the Professional inspiration is thrown in here. It's an instant favorite from me.

As we wait for more to come from this, since only two volumes are out in English, despite there being five volumes out now, I think it's safe to say Candy & Cigarettes is going in the right direction, especially with this invigorating start. I'm in love with this series.

[Story: Mid 9] [Art: Strong 10] [Character: Strong 10] [Enjoyment: Strong 10]
[Overall: Light 10]

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou is the melancholic tale of two girls lost in the barren, desolate world of the Layered City. Supposedly, being the last two human beings in the entire world, their only objective is to reach the top, hoping to find just any sign of life. However, the world revolves around them now, no one to command or guide them, so their journey is a very erratic one full of many experiences. They learn not just about their own lives, but of the ones long gone. An entire philosophical, almost harrowing and introspective look on the struggles of Chito and Yuuri as they prepare ... for anything with the ambition of meeting someone else or at least something to live for besides themselves.

Tsukumizu is a bizarre figure in the manga industry, not making much of an appearance aside from independent artwork and doujinshi. They seem to keep a keen interest on very surreal, and even completely ridiculous concepts that all somehow form in to a weird combination of dark comedy and the deep roots of many philosophers' ideals, which is especially in the case of Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou with it's seemingly hopeful but nihilistic outlook on life when there is truly no one left. Artistically, they're extremely unique and for once, that uniqueness of an artists' style really fits the atmosphere and tone of the entire series. It's genuinely fantastic and I've grown a really soft spot for Tsukumizu's artistic endeavors as a result.

Character development is minimal to say the least, but if anything, the story doesn't seem to drag at all despite this. In fact, this is by far the most satisfying thing I've sat through to read, and I've read it too many times to count at this point, so let's just say it was a lot. Chito and Yuuri are fairly stagnant characters; they have typical reactions to each other, with Chito being the brains and Yuuri being the... brawn, I guess. They're almost polar opposites of each other, except for one thing that drives this entire series' plot until the end, and that is curiosity. Beyond the existentialist and dreary themes throughout there is one hopeful and big thing that comes out of this; curiosity. A lot of minds think alike even if they aren't on the same wavelength. Both of our main characters in this series are very curious individuals. For what other reason than curiosity and hope would they even continue their journey here? Such a simple thing like curiosity is so charming and fulfilling to the plot of this manga that it keeps me hooked throughout the entire book multiple times over. I just can't get enough of it.

I haven't enjoyed a series like this in a while. When the anime was first announced, I went straight to the manga to get a sneak peek and I didn't regret it. There is not another story like Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou out there. There may be similar things out there, but none will put the nail in the coffin of my definition of "perfect" like this manga does. Every time Chito and Yuuri interact feels so real and beautiful and the way they react to the new things they find throughout the series is seriously one of the most charming developments I've ever read in all my time sifting through hundreds of books, Japanese or English or Spanish or any other parts of the world. It just does what I want, and I wish I could thank Tsukumizu personally for giving me and many other people this experience. It's pretentious to end reviews like this, but I only have one last thing to say about this.

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou is a masterpiece.

10/10

Hakumei to Mikochi - Anime Review #2

I made a preliminary review before this one, and I've left it virtually unchanged due to the fact that pacing, characters and everything about this anime has been consistent throughout the whole series. That's something I like to see.

There is not too much to be said about Hakumei to Mikochi, besides the fact that it really does a good job at breathing new life in to the Slice of Life genre. While it doesn’t stray too far away from the idea of a Slice of Life, it’s unique setting makes this all the more enjoyable. This review will be ... extended once this anime is completed. I use a 100-point scale when rating each category.

Story: 90
When I think of Slice of Life, I usually think of a story where people with normal lives in a modern time go through some of the many life experiences anyone would have. However, Hakumei to Mikochi is different in a way that makes this very likeable. The fantasy world of this anime is quite wondrous and it’s always fun watching both Hakumei and Mikochi have different experiences, whether they’re together or separate. I think it’s very interesting how humans are only around 9 centimeters tall; it makes me think of how life would be like if we all were equals to animals and we could communicate with them. Of course, the fact that fantasy is incorporated into this is the main point that breaks the normal Slice of Life tropes, since we do not really see many anime where both Slice of Life and Fantasy go together like bread and butter.

Characters: 97.5
I don’t know why, but I really, really like the characters of this anime a lot. While they aren’t that relatable, both Hakumei and Mikochi are great characters within themselves, and they both have their specific talents, with Hakumei being a hard worker and dedicated person while Mikochi is a good cook and singer, despite being quite insecure with many things. They have their likes and dislikes, and sometimes their differences make watching this anime really fun. A lot of supporting characters are also revisited in different episodes as I’ve seen so far, and I appreciate that they are able to be reused for many different parts of the plot, as with Slice of Life it makes the experience much less boring. Seeing the bond strengthen between Hakumei and Mikochi, as well as all the supporting characters is great. I think the best thing about the characters is that there's nothing keeping them from being themselves, allowing them to have their personalities as well as progress through the story. Iyashikeis are the best at doing this, so this is to be expected.

Animation: 92.5
There isn’t much to say about this, besides the fact that the animation is pretty damn good. It’s used in a great way whenever it’s needed to be used, especially for facial expressions in this anime. I like the way the animation is used in specific scenes, such as the more scenic moments, like when they fly or when detail is needed intricately. I haven’t watched enough Lerche anime to be able to judge how good this is compared to the rest of their anime, but I just know this is impressive.

Sound: 100
With an OST produced by the badass we know as Evan Call, who also made the OST for Violet Evergarden, I think it’s safe to say this guy’s one of the best composers I’ve seen in anime so far. His compositions fit just right with any scenario in Hakumei to Mikochi and nothing ever really feels off. The OP and ED are absolutely spectacular and it makes me want so much more from Evan Call in other anime. As of right now my favourite composition in the anime was used near the end of Episode 1, when Hakumei and Mikochi are at the port in front of the marketplace, and the sea shanty starts. This is a prime example of how an OST can be used, because this was used in such a “too good to be true” way that it felt almost impacting when I heard Mikochi start to sing. I felt connected and it’s something that’s very rare to come out of an OST from any anime, so I appreciate Evan Call’s music a lot.

Art: 100
This will be the very first thing you notice, and it’s kind of obvious that Hakumei to Mikochi wants to visually please the viewer with it’s beautiful scenery and landscape. Considering this takes place primarily in a forest full of tiny people, it gives you a really close up experience of what living in this forest looks like. The attention to detail in almost every frame of the forest is very pleasing to look at. Yet another rarity that appears in this anime, Hakumei to Mikochi doesn’t spare the viewer’s eyes with the beauty that appears before them in the many different places they present to you; the forest, their house, the marketplace, everything. If you want to see something Made in Abyss esque, maybe Hakumei to Mikochi is for you in terms of art style.

Enjoyment: 100
I don’t even need to say a couple words about how enthralled I am by Hakumei to Mikochi’s beauty and overall premise, and I know it’s not just me who feels this way. This anime is a lot like a few other anime I’ve watched, except it’s also completely different at the same time. If you want something as accurate as possible, this is like Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou, combined with Made in Abyss, making a really fabulous slice of life anime about not just the joys of life, but also the hardships and how even if you’re going through rough patches, there’s still more to look forward to. Not to say this anime teaches you a valuable lesson or anything, but I feel like there’s always something underlying in any anime that’s just stunning in every manner. While this is probably the most underrated and overlooked anime of the season, I think it should have a bit more attention. It’s a really great Slice of Life and I haven’t really seen much like it besides the only two other anime of the many I’ve seen.

For those who are just looking at this anime, please give it a chance. It might bring you on a journey you’ll never regret going through, because that’s basically how I felt when watching Hakumei to Mikochi. There really isn’t much that’s very unique in anime anymore, and this is just one of the few refreshers I’ve needed. This is one of the best anime of the Winter 2018 season by far. Even with the abundance of slice of life this season, I think it's best you skip out on most of them and watch Yuru Camp or Hakumei to Mikochi, since they best carry out the formula of a healing slice of life. I hope this review helps you out.

Overall: 96.6/100

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou - Series Review

What if there really was a world where you and your very best friend were supposedly the only two people left in the world after a post-war society? How would that feel, being with the one and only person you ever wanted to be with until you die, experiencing hardships, connections, good times, and everything in between? Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou gives me an idea of how that would feel and for some reason that idea has kept popping back up in to my head. You and your friend are just lost in what seems like an endless “sandbox world” to ... yourselves, maybe even seeing people along the way. There’s always that tense feeling of not knowing what you will see next or what’s waiting for you in the near or distant future. Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou may not be seen as the best anime series ever by most people, but to me, I felt a connection. A connection with the environment, the characters, and the dialogue… everything. I want to explain why this is my favourite series of all time without being biased. This is all my opinion, and I hope that you can understand why this is the best anime I have watched as of the time I have made this review.

The story is set in stone right from the first episode. Chito and Yuuri are supposedly the last two people left in society, maybe even the last living organisms in society. Everyday they rely on what they learned from what they found the day before. They are always finding new things to discover, and the show really pulls you in from what they find each episode. In this post-war apocalyptic environment, you’d expect quite a melancholy of a story if anything, with the whole story being about how the last two people left in the world only have the small things that are ahead of them to look forward to. That’s not the case for Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou. In fact, Chito and Yuuri’s journey is fairly merry and joyful. Most of the experiences that are bad overshadow the good because of how short the bad moments last. It makes this show much more enjoyable and shows that all the sad moments in life should only last such a small amount of time, and you should only focus on the best parts of it. That’s what I love about this show. Maybe you have depression, and you really connected with this show. That’s basically the same case for me; I think that this show tells you that even if life is hard at times, nice things still happen, and you should shift your focus on those nice things. Then, your life will be much happier. Chito and Yuuri had left their parents from a society that seems to have no backstory other than that, making it raise a lot of questions and makes this anime more mysterious as it goes on. Who knows what could have happened to that society besides the fact that it was most likely torn down by war? To be honest, anime that propose a question or have mystery elements to them are some of my favourite aspects of anime in general.

White Fox is known for being really experimental with what they make and they always love to reach out to new genres. They have made a lot of amazing anime and I appreciate how hard they work on making things perfect. Steins;Gate was an amazing anime for me and it’s honestly unforgettable. They also made some other really great series like Katanagatari, Akame ga Kill, Re:Zero, Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka, Hataraku Maou-sama, and probably more. Of course, Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou adds to the amount of great series they have made. Their way of adapting Tsukumizu’s art style was perfect and it feels like Tsukumizu could have even made the anime herself if she could. The landscape and scenery stand out a ton in many episodes and attention to detail in scenes that need to be pointed out as the most important parts are absolutely stellar, hell, maybe I can even call it flawless. I have this attachment to how cute the style of the characters are and it makes me happy everytime I see them. White Fox just did really good at making this anime adaptation and I’m so glad they did.

Chito and Yuuri are characters that feel real in a way that makes it very relatable to many people. They are almost like opposites to each other, and their interactions display many different emotions and they clearly are happy that they are together in this end of the world society. It makes me wonder how it would feel like if me and my best friend were in a society quite like the one in Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou. Chito is the character that worries a lot about what’s ahead and does repairs to the Kettenkrad. She seems to be a lot more of a survivalist than Yuuri is, but her personality is really adorable. Yuuri is the carefree and happy go lucky character, and honestly the one that you can have more of a connection with. She may be a bit greedy, but she can be really wise and she reminds Chito that the world isn’t always full of tension and despair. There’s always something to look forward to and you need to see more things positively. Both Chito and Yuuri make the plot of this story and I couldn’t ask for more. Their opposites attract, and it makes watching this anime just amazing, especially when it gets meaningful and emotional.

I really want to point out how beautiful the soundtrack is to this anime. Some tracks are quite sad and depressing, and some are really, really happy. However, the part that really stands out the most for me is how each of the tracks sound. It’s a beautiful and unique soundtrack, and I haven’t heard such an amazing soundtrack since Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica and Made in Abyss. The passion used to make this original soundtrack is just beyond my own comprehension, because it sounds perfect in my ears. Kenichiro Suehiro took many different elements of music and combined them to make the soundtrack for this anime, and he did it near flawlessly. The soundtrack is used so precisely on the perfect moments and it makes the vibe of each part of the anime feel so good. Whenever Chito and Yuuri are in a dark area, a more calm or eerie song plays. Whenever they discover something amazing or they look out into the distance and see the beauty of the layered city, a song that will make the scene so much more emotional plays. That’s what I love about this OST, it’s just perfect to me.

This anime is so powerful even after a first time watch. I want to rewatch this so many times, I bet won’t ever get tired of seeing how amazing this is. The meaning behind Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou probably goes far beyond what I feel like it already is. This anime is such a rare find today that there’s almost nothing like it, even now. This may just be one of the most unique anime ever made and I appreciate White Fox for it. The amount of time and dedication to make this anime amazing is beautiful. I felt happiness, sadness, emotional connections, and all the meaningfulness from this show just go right into my head, never to come back out because it’s so worth it to keep these memories in my head after watching this. The complexity of Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou is so deep that maybe even if I watched 10 times I couldn’t find out the true meaning. I just stick to what I think it’s about and I’m happy that I think of it that way because it makes the viewing experience so much more enjoyable. There hasn’t been a single anime like this one that I’ve watched before and it’s the most unregrettable and unforgettable experience I have ever had watching anime. My opinion may be biased compared to most, but I felt too many great emotions when watching this.

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou is my favourite anime.

Story: 10+/10
Characters: 10+/10
Art: 10+/10
Sound: 10+/10
Enjoyment: 10+/10
Overall: 10+/10