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If you're just reading this to decide if the show is worth your time or not, let me start by putting it into a single sentence for you. Fire Force is my personal favorite anime of the year, watch it.


This show has pros and cons, but I'll be breaking this down into a few categories to make it a bit cleaner.


First, the story:

A classic shounen storyline, with simple enough character arcs, easy to follow power scaling, and minimal depth. The positive here is that it's widely accessible, but the negatives are clear too in that you won't find any deep philosophical arguments being made here. ... Not everyone is looking for a deep dive into a psychologically complex argument every time they watch a show, I personally love those kinds of shows and they have a place for sure, but this show isn't one of them. Thankfully, this show is well aware of what it wants to be, especially in this category, which I think helps it stay focused and entertaining. Things move at a very good pace, and I wasn't bored with the plot a single time throughout. Expect an interesting mystery, an exciting journey, and a comfortable closeness with the characters. My main reason for giving this a high rating in this area is its excellent pacing. 7/10

Side Note:
This doesn't really fit anywhere else the way I structured this review, but I absolutely love the world building and the power system here. It's amazing just how much you can accomplish with heat energy when you think about it, I love it. Yeah, some things were a bit of a stretch, but Viktor is my spirit animal and if you watch the show you'll get what I mean.


Sound:

The first OP to this show is max hype! With that out of the way, the rest of the OP and ED are (in my personal opinion) slightly above average. The music used within the series is mostly bland and understated, though in some rare cases it's used extremely well. The voice acting in the sub was average, and the voice acting in the English dub was above average for a dub these days but still only on par with the sub. The choice of translation sometimes felt awkward though. What this show really does great here is the sound effects. The impacts really have a resonating effect on you while you watch, and a big part of that is the sound work. I absolutely loved the choices made for the fire and rubble sounds especially. 7/10


Characters:

This is the weakest part of the series for me. The show makes an effort to endear the main character Shinra to the audience, but it never sank in for me. Shinra's development specifically comes off as very shallow. In lots of cases we're given a backstory to justify the actions of the characters but never really given enough emotional interest in them to care much. The characters also heavily use common tropes and shortcuts which can come off as lazy writing. All that aside, the characters are surprisingly likable and the actual dialogue is good. Many of the characters run off of the "rule of cool" like much of the series, but again this show knows what it wants to be and it achieves that end. The characters are fun, memorable, and overall still pretty interesting despite their simplistic personalities. For a show like this, I think that's enough. 7/10


Finally, the art:

By now you may be noticing a trend, and a discrepancy. I've given the series as a whole a 9/10 and yet every category has a 7. That can't be right, can it? Remember when I said this show has pros and cons? Yeah, the art is so good it more than makes up for anything I could possibly say bad about it, humor me for a minute here.

I won't pretend that every frame of animation is gold here, there are a few scenes that admittedly look like garbage especially if you were to pause and take a closer look. But when it's good it's great! At its best, the show is nearly unmatched in shot composition. The easiest way to describe it is that in certain parts of the series every single shot is something I'd absolutely buy as a poster and put on my wall. It's clear that David Productions understands the framing used in the source material and fully understands what is and isn't visually appealing. The characters are framed stylistically in each shot, in a way that acts to not only convey the important story information but elevate it with emotional weight and importance. Everything from the color palette to the use of negative space is masterful in many of these shots, and in many cases these will come in rapid fire succession seamlessly for long runs. This is, without a doubt, the strongest part of the series. It is UNMATCHED in this regard. Kudos to the team for this masterpiece.

There are other things worth noting in reference to the art as well. Each character has a unique and powerful silhouette, making them memorable and fun to look at. The number of different techniques used for the fire in this series in insane, and all of them are used to incredible effect. The "choreography" as I'll refer to it, is at times a cut above. Every impact has weight to it, the animation team clearly had a fine grasp on the fundamentals. Everything tends to feel uniform and even at the low points nothing jumps out as particularly jarring. And none of that is even getting into the cool use of lighting and contrast here, which is honestly the best I've seen in a while.

The animation here is somewhat on the cartoonish side, but stylistic and undoubtedly masterful. If you're looking for the maximum realism you'll be disappointed, but otherwise I humbly suggest to pay some close attention to the way visuals are used in this series, you won't be disappointed. Art, a resounding 10!


Enjoyment, overall, and final thoughts:

Clearly I enjoyed it. It's hard to summarize exactly why though. The visuals don't carry the series exactly, but they take what would have been a 7 and make it a 9, they're just that good. Nothing about this show particularly put me off, except that Shinra isn't really all that interesting to me at some points just due to his personality. I found myself excited for each episode and craving more at the end every time.
Enjoyment: 9
Overall: 9 (I don't give a 9 very often)

If you're a fan of shounen this is a must watch. If you liked Soul Eater, you're gonna like this. If you like stuff that makes use of the "rule of cool" you'll like this. If you pay attention to visuals and it annoys you when that close shot cuts off Chris' forehead and why is everything so washed out and no I get that it's supposed to be realistic but I don't feel like I'm there I feel like I'm look through the lens of an amateur's 2003 canon personal camera... You'll like this show a lot, it really makes sure you're visually pleased at every turn. To every fan of cinema, WATCH THIS SHOW

That's all I have to say about it for now, thanks for reading.

The sequel to Kekkai Sensen, this show stays true to the original's flair, but seems to be just a bit more serious and a bit less chaotic overall.

Story:
The series breaks into multiple arcs, which don't overlap much from the surface level, and this allows for some nice intermittent conflict resolution like you get from the typical episodic series. The quick change in pacing makes the series feel all the more chaotic, which I believe was the intention, and it makes the whole series feel all the more alive. On top of this, the story manages to get very serious and intense, keeping the viewer on ... the edge of their seat, despite the inherent goofiness of the show. 8/10.

Art:
Keeping the same style present in the previous series, the show has an inky yet zany comic book feel. The style of this show can't be understated, though it might take some getting used to if you don't liked stylized animation. The overall quality of the art has neither improved nor deteriorated from the original. 9/10

Sound:
The opening and ending tracks both stand in the shadows of their predecessors, but are very good in their own right. The music that plays during the episodes is good, fits well with the style, and doesn't distract one bit. The English voice cast in both the original Japanese and English dub are good, but nothing exceptional. Overall, the sound work was done very well. 7/10

Characters:
This is where the series surprised me the most. The original had fun and interesting characters, but many of them lacked depth. This season however, many of those characters get some exciting development. The spotlight is taken off of our main character Leo for long enough to really give the side characters time to shine. Chain in particular gets a ton of screen time. Every bit we learn about the characters is done in a fun and engaging way as well. This is the only category where the series did better than the original by so much. 8/10

Enjoyment:
I can't say it enough, this show is FUN!!! If you watched the original, it's more of the same crazy stuff, but it still feels fresh and fun. Some of the plot points are a bit over-the-top and cliche, but this is done to great effect, and the overall flow of the series gains a lot from it. Kekkai Sensen has always shined brightest in this category, and still does. 9/10

Overall:
If you liked the original, don't expect the exact same tone from this series, but still expect to enjoy it. Beyond does a great job at following in the footsteps of the original, without just rehashing the same old tricks. A fun ride, and a memorable one at that! 8/10

Konosuba is a show about an average guy getting sent to a parallel world, but it's not just another carbon copy of the dozens of those that already exist, it's completely different.

The one thing that this show excels at is keeping things fun. From an objective standpoint it's hard to tell what makes it so fun, but the fact remains, it's a fun show.

The show flows very well, having a near perfect pace, and making every episode just as enjoyable as the last. The characters stay interesting, even if they aren't very complex. The humor is pretty witty and overall pretty good.

I'll stop here to ... keep this short. Bottom line, if you're looking for something somewhat mellow, funny, and overall a ton of fun, you might want to give this show a chance.

One Punch Man is a story with a strong and loyal fanbase, and was the perfect candidate to become an anime. Did Madhouse deliver?


Story:
It's different. As a parody of the usual superhero/shounen genre, it manages to go where you'd expect to some extent. Still, the personal struggles of the main characters are interesting and unique, without losing the almost cheesy superhero parody feel that they were intended to produce. The story isn't really the point as much as the overarching concept, which is done very well. 8/10

Art & Sound:
Madhouse gives what we've come to expect from them in terms of animation, and maybe even a ... bit more. With plenty of guest animators working on the project, it still managed to carry a unique style from one episode to the next, and it goes without saying that the fight scenes are outstanding. Easily the best thing about this series would be the fight scenes, choreography and all... Art 10/10
As for the sound, the opening song is an absolute perfect fit for the series, and I watched it every episode. The ending theme, however, wasn't the best fit for the series, and though it might be good in the right context, it just wasn't right for this show. The sounds of each punch, each hit, and all the destruction, are just a bit above average, and most of the voice acting is just a bit above average too... Sound 8/10

Characters:
It goes without saying that there are some very distinct characters in this show. That being said, there was a noticeable lack of character development through the show. It's hard to call this a bad thing, as it fits the premise of the series (being a parody of superhero shows) perfectly. There was also a very strong divide between the main cast and supporting cast, and again, this was deliberate and added to the style of the show. All things considered, the characters didn't have much to add to the show, but they certainly didn't detract from it either. 8/10

Enjoyment:
The reason to watch this show is purely for the enjoyment factor. The show grabs you in episode 1, and sends you into a different world where wacky and funny battles unfold on a grand scale. If you sit and watch it without over-analyzing it, the show is very entertaining without a dull moment. This is the sole reason I gave this show such a high rating. To be clear, if you aren't a fan of the source material already, the series might be a bit forgettable, but you'll enjoy it thoroughly while it lasts. 10/10

Overall, this series deserves an 8 at the lowest, and I'll give it a 9 for the constant enjoyment it delivers, and the surprising amount of emotion it manages to have nestled into 12 episodes.

Overall: 9/10

Overall I give it a 6/10

Road To Hero covers one important aspect of the main character Saitama's backstory that I'm sure many fans were interested in learning about. The story is pretty similar to the usual conflicts found in the main series, but on a much less grand scale.

The episode was relatively interesting and enjoyable, but lacked the impact and tension found throughout the rest of the series. It wasn't a bad episode by any stretch of the word, but it didn't quite live up to the expectations that the series built for it.

If I were to rate this episode without ever seeing the rest ... of the series I'd give it a 7/10, but obviously it's unlikely that most people would watch this without the full series to back it up.

If you're a fan of One Punch Man, and you just want to see more from your favorite characters, give this a watch. Don't go in expecting the same level of thrill as the actual show though.

Firstly, I'd like to address the type of storytelling used, as it can be a hook for some, and an instant turnoff for others. The series is being told in a very disjointed manner that has jumps in the pacing throughout. Many events that would take multiple episodes in most shows will play through in a few scenes, which gives the entire series a very manic pacing and overall feel. This is very possibly done on purpose, and if so, it's done with good style.

The actual narrative is somewhat unique, and takes a big turn at some point going in a direction most people probably ... wouldn't expect. Some loose ends are left untied, and the viewer is left with far more questions than answers, but the ride is plenty fun. World building seems at first to be taking place, but is very quickly shut down before you can get any real understanding from it. I would still give the story 7/10 for being unique, interesting, and somewhat emotional.


Okay, let's tackle the sound and art in the series. I watched this series in dub, so I'll be talking mostly about the dub here. All of the VAs for the main characters seemed to fit the roles very well, and the voice acting was nicely done. From an objective standpoint, I can say that there wasn't quite as much energy or emotion in a lot of the voice acting as there could have been, but it still works out alright. Lots of VAs that you'll likely be familiar with such as J Michael Tatum.

Both the opening and ending themes capture the feel of the show well, and I personally found them enjoyable. The animation in both was very well done, and the opening comes out especially visually pleasing. The animation for the series as a whole was pretty average, having some nice fight scenes here and there, but also using still frames in scenes where budget required. The artistic style however was very nice, and remained solid through the entire series. Art I'd give 8/10 mainly for the style, and sound 8/10 for its lack of any noticeable flaws, and an A-list VA cast.


The characters I'll only touch on very quickly. They were all very interesting, but they weren't as fleshed out as they could've been. Some character were very 2-dimensional with obvious motives, others were more complex but never given a chance to shine. Overall the characters were well done for how fast paced the show became, and for that I'd give the show 7/10 for characters.


The overall enjoyment in the series comes more from style of the show, and how all the elements really mesh together. There's no easy way to describe why this show is as enjoyable as it is, but in the simplest word, it's fun. This show reminded me of why I loved Soul Eater, and if you enjoyed Soul Eater too, Blood Blockade Battlefront is a must see. The manic pace and atmosphere in this show play off of each other until you can't help but give in to its wacky nature. The entire thing feels like a roller coaster.

If there's one qualm I have with it, it's the last episode. The final episode is extra length, slower pace, and goes in a much different direction than I had expected. Don't get your hopes up for the finale to be the best part of the show, it's not. Still, there wasn't a single scene in this show that I didn't like, so I'll give 10/10 for the enjoyment.

Overall this show gets 8/10 from an objective standpoint, and from a personal standpoint I'd give it a 9/10.
If you liked the pacing in Baccano or Durarara, you'll enjoy this show. If you like the style in Soul Eater, you'll love this show. If you're not sure, give the first episode a try, it encapsulates the feel of the series nicely.

If you read all of that, thanks for your time. I hope this review was helpful.