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The new cooperation project by WIT Studios and Netflix is a music video that mixes technological advances to create a futuristic piece. Though the artistic quality of Inu to Shounen is not stellar, one has to say the artistic direction is interesting and even culturally and historically important. Anime suffers from an animation shortage, which leads to outsourcing and delays, as well as the inability for studios to grow in-house talent. Netflix has by the past claimed to help out with the animation shortage by financing the training program of WIT Studio for 10 animators, but the choice to use AI-art generation for backgrounds was ... perhaps to cut costs, something that has defined anime throughout the years. Inu to Shounen shines more light to the application of technologies in the process that goes behind backgrounds, as well as more light to the importance of backgrounds, something unique enough to be valued more than at its surface-level. Another interesting thing to note is how AI is also involved in the singing, with a vocal bank like vocaloids use. Overall an interesting MV to watch with awareness of its context.

Amanatsu was not the first shot that the studio Kamikaze Douga gave at short sci-fi music videos or movies. The studio dedicates itself to 3DCG animation, if we are to trust the studio's official channel on YouTube — where you can incidentally watch Amanatsu. It is great that studios like Kamikaze Douga use their time and resources to establish a brand presence on social media, thus permitting through participative culture the emergence of a contemporary archive.

The synopsis is concise but cryptic. A youthful girl, already yearning for death? Death, as in hers, or the destruction of "life" in general? The robot part leaves however no ... room for misinterpretation, assuming a caretaker nature. The near future in this short movie thus seems to be a technologically advanced utopia... At least when it comes to a society of consumption. The part about "moving to eternity" is a bit strange, and even after watching the movie, I don't feel like I understand its meaning.

Story (5) — When it comes to the story of Amanatsu, there isn't really a deep one. We are introduced to a post-war world, of course, and an advanced society reminds us of daily life, with a school system and commuting infrastructure. The story is that of an interpersonal drama, but the characters are briefly introduced and are almost unidimensional. Therefore, the part the anime gains in characterization is lost in the story department.

Art (8) — Using 3DCG at that time can be considered a bold move, but the studio built itself on the technology. The robot isn't as startling as the humans, so half of the character design is acceptable. The yellow or orange effect was used to convey something, perhaps an idea of the renewal of life (or its simulation? again, it's cryptic).

Sound (8) — The orchestration of the music was futurish-sounding, alright. At some point, lyrics were present but they weren't clear. The dubbing portion is small but can convey anecdotal detail to be more relatable. At some point, the sound is diegetic, that of wind, and is atmospherical.

Character (7) — The two characters really mattering are the self-loating girl (perhaps feeling neglected?, her father seems popular on TV), and her robot, seemingly taking care of her even though she thrashes the machine. Mutilation and suicidal thoughts are used to convey the extent of the girl's sentiments, and the robot remains loyal to her. Therefore, the show can be seen as the interpersonal drama of being left out and finding comfort in the artificiality of a technological utopia.

Enjoyment (8) — If this part is dedicated to rating satisfaction, though not everything in art is aiming at satisfaction, I shall at least indicate that this spectacle didn't seem to aim at being displeasing, regardless of the presence of mutilation. My favorite part was the use of rhythmicality, as the girl counts to 1, to 2 and to 3 in three separate instances... Other than that, the musical part was rather nice.

Overall (7) — The anime went for simplicity with somewhat gorgeous art. At least, its characterization ended up not feeling a loss of time. The theme of an interpersonal drama fighting neglect in a sci-fi world is new to me. It did help show the potential of the medium, making an impact with how short it is, and the show made two appearances at an important industrial event (Tokyo International Anime Fair, both in 2009 and 2010). Considering this last part, Amanatsu gains historical and cultural significance, though only having what it takes to remain an anecdote.

Kyokou Uranai aired at a similar time as Kyokou Suiri, an anime that I still haven't seen. Therefore I will here be judging Kyokou Uranai on its own as a standalone product.

Story: 6
Each episode saw Kotoko, the main character, attempt to foresee her own future, as well as interpreting what was revealed. Other than that, the start and end of each episode is almost strictly the same, except at the end when she promotes a future blu-ray related product. While the formula offers a sufficiently free canvas for maintening interest and for dealing with various subjects, it doesn't accomplish much more than conclude concrete facts ... from oftentimes cryptic prophecies. But it still manages to stay short and almost exciting. For fans of Kyokou Suiri, they may also get juicy feedbacks of Kotoko's feels about her relationship with Kurou, therefore giving Kyokou Uranai some quality of transmedia storytelling.

Art: 7
Though the budget was evidently abysmal, this show possesses an interesting direction. First off, the character animation was done through the same process as that which use VTubers. Wikipedia tells us about the process that it is done with "(usually anime-inspired) digital avatar generated by computer graphics". And this is yet unique in the context of actual animation, as far as I'm concerned. Or, perhaps that the simple use of such a process qualifies in making vtubers animation? As for the crystal ball's effect, it feels like a simple lens flare. Other than that, the background remained the same all that time. Dark red curtains, like in traditional theater. It gives off a faint feeling of intimacy, because of the dark shade, and also because the depth is not wide, making Kotoko appear close to us and in front of us. There is something about this background that is more magical than the rest of the show, at least to me.

Sound: 7
There is few sound in this show, except for the voice acting. The only character that speaks is Kotoko, voiced by Kitou Akari, whose earlier role was as a supporter character in Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? (2014). She then voiced known characters, like Kaho (Blend S, 2017) or Nezuko (Kimetsu no Yaiba, 2019). Her voice acting as Kotoko felt energetic and calming, therefore reminding a bit her role as Kaho in Blend S. In the span of 6 years, Kitou Akari surely grew as a voice actress. She may give off a similar feeling as Takahashi Rie.

Character: 6
The character is not introduced, therefore presuming any viewer to be familiar with the original show. I was not. However I did remark the show helped understanding better her character, her perhaps whimsical nature, her thinking, and her interests in life. There is only so much you can do in the span of mere minutes, therefore expectations shouldn't be too high.

Overall: 7
My main interest going into this show was seeing fortune telling as depicted in anime. And I was right on the money. Plus I got to feel special about the background, a mysteriously crimson curtain. And, at last, the vocabulary I learnt might prove useful. Concerning the show's job, it did make me realize Kyokou Suiri might have something in store for me, be it only to see more of Kotoko.

Story: 8.
For its medium, Onnanoko ni Naritai does splendidly as a music video. In only a few lines and images, we are immersed in a story that might resound with a few people out there. I certainly was one of them. Its subject, about the desired transgression of assigned identity, is one that will overreach beyond simple transexuality. The subject itself is a bit unique, and is handled in a lighthearted fashion that will contrast with the common dramatization surrounding transexuality. Maybe that the sum of suicides originating from transexuality is a sufficient reason for such dramatization. I find it worthy to be reminded Onnanoko ... ni Naritai expands on the traditional European tale of Cinderella, fact which may deepen the narrativity of the lyrics overall: it could be a reminiscence to someone's youth, at a time they weren't aware of social expectations and where they used to dream.

Art: 10.
Art is both objective and subjective. It is objective in the fact that it inscribes itself in a tradition, a context, with conventions. It is subjective as to how one might individually relate with a specific composition. In Onnanoko ni Naritai, the palette is mostly pinkish and pastel. This translates well a lightheartedness that is found in the lyrics: the boy's transexual fantasy lasts only for a bit. The drawings are well realized, and both characters (the male, and him as a girl) are cute. I want to pinpoint the attention given to characteristics of feminity in both the lyrics and animation, especially with the frilled dress part.

Sound: 9.
The rhythm is energetic, especially with as many percussions all throughout the song. Different instruments are in use. It feels like there are at times two singers, of different genders: a masculine voice and a feminine one. This goes hand in hand with the lyrics' theme, therefore adding an oral reality and intuition to the music video's message. However, I desire to criticize the fact that at some point, the female voice went so high it hurt my ears a bit. Other than that, the sound was perfect when put in perspective with the work's message.

Character: 9.
Characterization is the main point of the narration. And my favorite parts of characterization as a whole are all addressed in the brevity of four minutes. Naturally I would rate it high. Psychology and fantasms, with transexuality as lighthearted. Physiology and identity, with the male's voice as he grew up becoming a perceived problem of his identity. Female idealization, with the references to Cinderella and magical girls. Even the character designs had my heart, because I for sure love frilled dresses, for example on gothic lolitas.

Overall: 10.
I loved every second of it, for two reasons. First is that I found myself in the whole work, as far as lyrics and graphics are concerned. The treatment of a gender issue was neither offensive nor dramatizing nor normative. On an identitary plane, I resounded with this work.
The second is that artistically, I consider this realization an ideal, able to deal with psychology, physiology, transexuality, social expectations, idealization, to mention fairy tales, in a short format nearing instantaneity, with pretty colors and an energetic and cheerful tune. This is close to what I would want to have done as an artist.

Overall: 8

Simplicity in the making, sure. It lasted a breeze, that's true. But even with its childish lightness, this animated entry manages to be exemplary. It's like the peak of frolic advertisement, and the eye candy is so all over the place, and the sounds altogether all so tuneful, you can't even want to zap.

Story: 7

In such a short time, it's difficult to tell much. The right choice, as Umacha shows us, is to cover lively snippets of the likely and believable. As the situations pictured focus on adulthood, it is clear who this advertisement is meant to cater to, and how the product sold ... may change one's life for the better, even for a bit.

Art: 8

Studio Ghibli's distinctive palette really shines, with its ethereal lightness, and simplistic characters. What the visual delicacy accomplishes, too, is conveying the flavor and mood of ice tea consumption. The second part's animation, accompanying a man's pace frame at a frame, doesn't offend. In fact, it carries the charm of the artificial that respects itself, not needlessly searching to hide the untruthful and the lying.

Sound: 8

Tuneful, as previously mentioned. Whether it describes the chirping one-liner, voiced by a young female, with all the significance it will bring to it, or the dubbed characters, hardly bold, or the man of the second part as he leaves a company meeting, where his voice actor gave him walking noises. The latter part felt charming, because of the lusting aspect it gave to the character, and what is weak is cute.

Character: 7

Your everyday people, a surrogate to its audience. This advertisement decided to keep things sturdy and there's not much to tell. Or perhaps not totally. If one gives it a thought, Japan has been a patriarchal country since a long while. So for the first woman to be shown in equality with her male fellow, able to possess a GPS, means this animated piece is aware of modernism and societal trends, which may or may not deserve commendation, but certainly brings credit and relatability to its characters.

Enjoyment: 7

In a flash, it was over. Nothing bold, nothing challenging the norms. And that's fine. Melodious, fast, intriguing, simple. It had clear goals, and the forwardness of their resolutions is worth its acknowledgement.

To the average viewer, it may permit a glimpse as to what was two decades ago considered normal for the Japanese working class. But it's not all the entry may tell us. For someone specialized, it may very well become a textbook example of the economic activities of a Japanese animation studio. For example, they may be commissioned to advertise ice tea.

Story (9/10): While, compared to the nature of the anime, the direction and realisation of this movie might feel different in a way, dropping a few themes such as the gore and thrilling aspects, and even assuming such ambitions and dimensions as those belonging to the main plot are not found in this movie, the story, and its realisation, felt harmonic and appreciable.
Indeed, a slice-of-life spirit reigned from start to end, and the mood, while ebbing from times to times due to the comedic elements, was evenly disseminated. Though not especially standing out, the story did not feel incoherent in any major way, which is ... already much to achieve, and seemed to carry out its purpose: the focus of the movie certainly was characterisation, and the plot elements in their arrangement really could lead a viewer towards feeling a connection with the protagonists.

Art (9/10): A harmony existed between the art in this movie, and the visuals from the anime. While the art was not grandiloquent, except maybe two times where the art stood out, and these instants were the flower field and the snow pouring. The art was, however, effective, and its redeeming quality resides in letting a viewership be drawn into the anime. Exemplary for this.

Sound (9/10): This movie's surprising potency also resides, as a sprinkled kind of spice, in the musical way. During the snow festival, a song accompanies a few scenes in a much appreciated way. I would like to testify of my appreciation towards the lyrics! In a similar way, the ending song conveyed a feeling and mood in accordance with the rest of the direction this movie followed. Truly a masterpiece of harmony and effectivity.
Another distinction could be accorded towards Pack's and Beatrice's voice actors, for they did participate in a special way to create an intimacy between the viewership and the show. For this reason, I would want to thank specially Satomi Arai and Yumi Uchiyama. There was also a consistency in the way the other voice actors played their roles, and they should be revered to for this matter with a grateful appreciation.

Character (9/10): Characterisation certainly felt the strongest point of this movie. I would make two remarks about it: firstly, the direction and realisation targetted the endeavour that is conveying familiarity between a viewership and a cast, and carried out such a task in an effective way; secondly, while as I already pointed out, the cast felt the same as in the anime, and such consistency is appreciable for itself, two characters were especially noticeable, giving them a visibility that could, in retrospective, be deemed one of the few anime's shortcomings. However, it is encouraging for the least, to realise this movie actually corrects a flaw of the anime.
Indeed, two characters are more developed than others, would I judge. They would be, quite unexpectedly, Beatrice, our favourite bookworm blondish loli, and Pack! of all folks? While developing Beatrice felt more endearing towards her than anything else, Pack's characterisation involved a backstory permitting to develop a bit on the fictitious universe itself, involving how magic functions for some beings. Such a fact baffled me in a positive way, even so slightly.

Enjoyment (9/10): Certainly, as others referred to in other reviews, this movie is a better watch for one who already knew each character sufficiently beforehand. For a show to focus on developing characters that were known to an audience previously, the least justice to do it is watching it with enlightenment. It should not be a blind watch.
I personally very much liked this movie, because I could bond with the protagonists and their endearing interactions. However, it might not be as effective a mood to convey for an uninformed viewership. Also, one should be ready to give the action some respite in order to appreciate the stillness in events this show follows.

That's a soft breeze for a light-hearted manga right here, and I really enjoyed this manga a lot, because the art is kinda clean, the story and plot is soft and chilling. Characters that are girls in high-school, I get it sometimes it bores other persons, but I really enjoyed these girls a lot because they were all cute, and even the comedy surrounding their acts reflected this full-blown light-heart atmosphere. So you can get that I enjoyed it a lot, and that is was half-fluff half-hype every now and then with gaming events. Really a standard to be achieved for other manga of that ... kind, I think.

To me this manga fell flat, as in, I get it was kinda an old style, but just the art wasn't anything sharp or clean, if anything it was confusing and overly soft. For the development of characters, I would say it's one of the title's strenghts, and it still fell short, as it tried to be realist about something yet was too fluffy at it ?
The story was indeed gradual, like said someone in the forum, which is a good point, I can see the structuring effectively. Besides it had a plot thoughtout, just it was too subtle for me I guess.
So as it ... may suits your taste, perhaps we're not used to it in modern manga, hence my rating is kinda low, but for an aware reader, you may try.

Armed Blue Gunvolt, this name sounds wonderfully both classy and melodious to those ears of mine. At first I was expecting this episode to be the first of a series and I was all the more hyped, but it turned so it was only an one-episode long special show ; which doesn't bring it less quality than it indeed showed. Armed Blue Gunvolt seems promoting an eponym series and videogame, and dear I'm ready to get more invested in this series if it's that awesome !

Story (9) :

The pacing was fast, but comprehensive, the story dealt on the lore of this game and, as ... it was about the beginning of an established series I bet they had to follow another more settled timeline, but this was anime introduced the right way, and there was no other way it could be improved ; starting on action with such completing animation for the action plot, really preparing for a series filled with treason, ideals and betrayals ! But that is just me surmising on this gem of animation.

Art (9) :

Filled with the blue and black contrast I affiliate with science-fiction, filled too with a dark environment and an atmosphere brought out by the sound track, although animation plans were similar to other series it has long proven to be effective. Besides I do not believe so the art-style and animation has most to deal with story telling rather than immersion to the lore, and characters are the most prominent aspects of a show.

Sound (8) :

I believe so there was only one song affiliated to this short episode, and that was a vocaloid song, pretty cool indeed, this enhances the core of science-fiction and I loved the sound track, and even the dubbing was pretty well made !

Character (9) :

The one most introduced is clearly Gun Volt, and he is so cool and strong and beautiful and classy ; perhaps is he in the series the main character as well ? He has this charm not many shounen characters have, and his character design albeit normal made him resort from the whole of the cast.

Enjoyment (9) :

Rarely seen something such in a science-fiction environment, all series and games and medias counted. Awesome immersion, beautiful pacing, this was state-of-the-art jewelry.

Overall (9) :

I expected it to be average, and this was awesome, that is why you really should at least watch it, and I don't see what more to say. Now is time I investigate more on this license !

By the way, there are more chapters of Yurishiizu out there than just the first chapter, so you might need to check them out. I personally haven't read them but probably will. This review will be short, as I was convinced it would be an one-shot manga.

Story (6) :

Into this rating, I put the storyline, story development and the plot in the same scheme. Paraphrasing, the story begins with one sister entering the room of her elder sister to ask her for various stuff, and allows her to perform smaller or not sexual acts on her. Meanwhile it works out nice on an hentai manga, ... this plot and storyline is pretty weak, explaining this average rating.

Art (7) :

Although eight years-old, this art is really refreshing and cute. Due to the lack of more pages, I can't really talk for the sexual part, but as this author has experience, I suppose it's average. Nothing standing out, although I really liked.

Character (6) :

Although these characters aren't deep and rely only on what they appear to be, I kind of appreciate them. Here is not the place for expectations of unplatonic judgement.

Enjoyment (8) :

Really cute and appreciable, one of the qualities and strenght for the hentai yuri scene. Albeit it was short, but there is more to it (happy gesture).

Overall (8) :

Probably one of the best yuri hentai one-shot, pretty cute and enjoyable. It's pretty cool that it's not futanari, although it would have been alright the same.
"Here is not the place for expectations of unplatonic judgement." Or how to describe in a sentence the seriousness of MyAnimeList reviews, but this statement part is kind of apart from the manga's review.