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Mar 22, 2020
How? How? How the hell did an anime adapted from a manga written by the same person who did Bokurano, one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had watching an anime, turn out to be easily one of THE MOST BORING EXPERIENCES I HAVE EVER HAD WATCHING AN ANIME? Seriously how?
I have not written a review on MAL in a while but I just cannot contain myself from having to talk about this anime. It really should not have been this bad. I for one freaking love mystery, thriller anime. Heck, my favourite anime of all time has been Monster for at least
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5 years now. And to be honest, I didn't always feel that way about Narutaru. In the beginning, I was quite engrossed in the anime, since I have no idea what was going on other than the fact that I heard that the anime does get pretty messed up. So, I was anticipating some stuff.
Episode after episode, and the first thing that bothered me was the pacing. God, can this anime be any slower than it was? Things that could have been over and done with in an episode can dragged on for twice as long because there was just so much padding and still frames of nothingness. It's that very fact that ruined the overall experience. Because technically, I should feel something, anything about a whole bunch of people getting offed just like that. But the lead up to it was so uneventful that I just stopped caring. Things can happen left and right but I was just like, "Eh, well that happened."
But without question, the biggest blunder of this anime is its sheer in-completion. What the hell was this random side tangent that happened after Episode 8? I have questions that have yet to be answered, and here we are looking at some random side story that has nothing to do with what we've just been through. Questions like What are the dragonets actually? What's the deal with that big ass dragon with a humanoid form? What's the deal about Shiina's 'mom's' (I think) department investigating them? Who were those three psycho kids who were out killing people? Who are those two guys in that warehouse? Why can't Shiina link with Hoshimaru? All of these bloody goddamn questions. What was the point of it all?
And then that final arc dealing with Hiroko, again, I couldn't care less for freak sake. Introducing a bully situation this late into the game? I know nothing about Hiroko. I know nothing about the bullies. I know nothing about that random boy that likes Hiroko. Like I didn't even know there was a dude and a romance involved in the first place. And then, what? Dragons can just pop out of nowhere now just people get angry? I want to say that the redemption was a satisfying payoff, but again, I was too bummed out by the end to really care about such a predictable outcome. Watching the final episode was just like a pre-requisite to scoring this anime.
CONCEPTS, CONCEPTS, CONCEPTS. That's what this anime is really. A mix-mash of a platera of concepts, which mind you sound absolutely fascinating, but without any real conclusion to them. This was honestly one of the most unsatisfying anime I have ever had to watch. I don't know if its the mangaka's fault or the anime studio's fault, but considering Bokurano exists, I'm gonna give them the benifit of the doubt. With no sequel or spin-off whatsoever to continue this series, it's a shame that we will most likely never get any answers to those questions in anime form. I'm not sure about the manga so that's outside my jurisdiction.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Apr 23, 2019
When it comes to scoring anime, I rarely give an anime a solid 10/10 especially if it is incomplete. But with the completion of Season 2, I would feel absolutely guilty if I didn't give Mob Psycho 100 the well-deserved leeway that it truly deserves. This is without a doubt Studio Bones at their peak performance.
Ever since Season 1 which I completed a few weeks prior to Season 2's conclusion, Mob Psycho 100 was something fun that not only managed to stay interesting, but also kept me wanting more. The anime was fully competent in its efforts to balance out its many themes and genres.
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When it needs to be, it was funny, it was sad, it was jolly, it was creepy, it was sweet, it was dynamic, and all of that was meshed up harmoniously. There was never a dull moment in the anime. And if you thought that was it, you would be mistaken.
Being the creation of ONE, while I really do enjoy One Punch Man, I have always personally preferred Mob Psycho 100. And a big reason for that is because the author not only loves to create insanely explosive cataclysms, but the author is also a master at building up deep compelling characters. If you thought Mob Psycho 100 was nothing but a mindless action fleet, you might be surprised if you end up tearing up a bit. I was already absolutely impressed by how they handled Ritsu's internal conflict back in Season 1. But there is no doubt that Season 2 stepped up their game with the focus on Reigen. To not only make a supposedly unimportant character like Reigen more than just a comic relief, but to also craft a serious and thorough insight into this character with so much respect and without it seem out of place is a feat that makes this anime stand out from so many others. And let's forget our main character, Shigeo or Mob, who has been such a lovable esper boy that has shown to be someone really human. And you can really see how much he has developed as a character especially during the final fight of the season.
It is time to get to the part I really want to talk about: The Animation. Honestly, what more is there to say? Not only has Studio Bones maintained the quality of their works with this anime, but it is not even weird to say that Mob Psycho 100 may just be one of their most astonishing accomplishment yet in terms of animation. And I could not give a better example than Episode 5 of Season 2. When it got right down to it, it just took off. Everything was so fluid and there was no sign of any shortcuts being taken. I could not take my eyes off the screen and I got chills all over my body, from an action scene of all things.
On top of all that, I really don't need to elaborate on the fact that the fights in this anime are just absolutely insane and awesome to watch. And even the final boss of the season is no pushover, an aspect I can appreciate considering many of fights lately.
To cap it off, I think what I really want to say is that YOU REALLY SHOULD BE WATCHING THIS ANIME IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. It's no difficult task. There are only 25 episodes as of now. Of course, I can understand if you wish to wait until Season 3 comes out before starting this. I sure was glad I only started Season 1 recently because I was really wanted more. And if what people are saying is true, Season 3 would be the final season for this series. And if we could have the same team work on this to bring a complete trilogy, I cannot believe I am saying this, but Mob Psycho 100 may just end up being my new favourite anime of all time. I have absolute faith that Studio Bones under director Yuzuru Tachikawa and series composer Hiroshi Seko that they would be able to bring out this series by ONE in its full animated glory.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Apr 22, 2019
Well, it's been a while since I wrote a review on MAL, but since I've got nothing to do now, I thought I'd do one.
Now, this is gonna be a fun one to write. Photokano has been on my radar for quite some time now for several reasons: 1) It's by Madhouse, 2) but it's got a pretty mediocre score, and of course 3) just because it's got Ecchi as a genre. Well, what can I say? I am a guy after all and I ain't gonna miss out on some 'nice' shots that I may come across. And speaking of nice shots, it really
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fits the topic of this review because Photokano actually is about a guy who got a camera passed down from his father.
First, let's get it out there regarding the best thing about this anime. Being a product of Madhouse, I am happy to say that this anime has got some fantastic shots. The animation technique commonly used by slowly panning the camera around the girls make for some beautiful and undeniably sexy collections. Not to mention, it is a good thing Madhouse did not slack on the art quality. Added detail definitely puts this anime ahead on the ecchi ranks. There should be more than enough reason for me to consider this a decent guilty pleasure anime. Unfortunately, almost everything else about this anime just ruins that potential.
Have you heard of an anime called Amagami SS? Basically, it is an anime that follows a guy named Juunichi and he falls in love with 6 different girls. How does that work? The anime is separated into 6 different arcs spanning 24 episodes with each arc focusing on 1 of the 6 girls, showcasing alternate possibilities for Juunichi's romance. In essence, it was the perfect solution to adapting a visual novel with all the different routes being shown in anime form. Now, take that concept of Amagami SS, increase the number of girls from 6 to 8, and half the number of episodes, and you get Photokano. Do you see the problem here?
The first 4 episodes were basically an introduction to the setting of the anime. This phase was alright because it does give us a general understanding of each character. We are also introduced to the main character Kazuya. His introduction was as bland as it gets. We know very little about him, his ambitions and such, and his personality is just contradictory the more the anime goes on. He gets dragged into The Photography Club, which is interesting in its own way because of its members. And while the club does create some highlight moments, their significance in the anime seemed kinda lacking. And with the exception of Haruka, every other girl gets literally just 1 episode in the spotlight. And from this point on, just get ready for some random ramblings as I recollect my thoughts about each arc.
If we're talking about rushing, Photokano has got that covered. What's even more painful is that we have to go through that process 8 freaking times. An extra episode for Haruka's arc didn't help much because of another problem: This anime is awful at handling drama. This was particularly evident in Haruka's and Nonoka's arcs. With so little time to set up these personal conflicts, the drama just comes off as out of place and sometimes even laughable. That brings about another atrocity: Character Overreactions. While this is most evident during dramatic moments, the biggest crime involves Aki Muroto. If this is the best the anime can depict her as being STRICT, then this anime has failed tremendously. I've seen many strict student council presidents in anime, and Muroto would be considered tame amongst many. In fact, she had every freaking right to lecture the accused because of clear solid evidence. And the way she was treated by Kazuya makes me want to smack this jerk in the head. By the way, what I meant earlier about Kazuya's personality being contradictory can be summed up as 'The closer the girl is to Kazuya, the less aggressive he is'. It makes absolutely no sense that Kazuya would be a dense idiot towards his childhood friends but somehow being so persistent with someone as hard to get as Hikari Sanehara. Though I will say that the best backstory was in Sanehara's arc. If only that quality was prevalent in the other arcs. And while my personal favourite arc was Tomoe Misumi's arc, it was still bogged down because this anime is just too damn short for its own good. To be perfectly honest, there is very little variation between arcs. And because of that, it's not surprising that the anime felt unnecessarily repetitive and boring after a while. While it is nice to see a happy ending for every girl, there really isn't much point if every one of these arcs just feels so empty and hollow.
And then the icing on the cake, the fact that they pulled out that trope between the relationship of the two individuals in Episode 13. Seriously, is this a common occurrence in Japan or just a fantasy that every Japanese individual have? I have seen it pop out in so many anime and I am honestly getting sick of it at this point. By the way, I'm referring to how the characters are related, not what they decided to do.
I guess I was less surprised once I found out the director and series composer of this anime would later direct Cutie Honey Universe, which I have dropped after 3 episodes. Photokano is an anime that had all the elements to be a decent romance series but everything about it just screams BAD DECISIONS. If you seriously don't mind the story at all, then by all means go ahead and check this out because Madhouse did great work with the fanservice. But honestly, I would not recommend this anime even for that because you can't very well ignore its attempt of creating romances, which it takes seriously but by no means competently. If anything, I would rather you check out Amagami SS which I have mentioned because it still has some nice fanservice moments but its character arcs are heaps more developed than this.
Seriously, there are two ways this anime could have been improved:
1) INCREASE THE NUMBER OF EPISODES
2) DECREASE THE NUMBER OF LOVE INTERESTS
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Jun 22, 2018
Man, I haven't written one of these in a while but allow me to just get back into the swing of things in order to vent my frustration on this absolutely disgusting insult of an anime. Remember: This is only regarding the anime. The manga has nothing to do with this and I trust that it had a good follow-up to boot.
So, why am I frustrated? Well, simples. It's because this anime is literally UNWATCHABLE if you have not read the manga. There are just so many plot points that have been skipped over since the last available prequel, Tokyo Ghoul Season 1. (Yes, Root
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A doesn't count because it was it's own thing), that you would give up trying to care about what's going on after a certain point. Like seriously, new characters get introduced and hurt and killed so on so forth, and I'm just sitting there going: "Well, that happened. Who was that again?" Not to mention, if we' just talk about the many ghouls in this show, the anime is trying to tell me to care about their plight and symphatise with them. But just like some bad guys in Attack on Titan S2, I couldn't give a hoot about these "characters: let alone two. But to AOT S2's credit, it only lasted about 3 to 5 episodes. This was a whole 12 episode season.
And don't get me started on Shu!!! Just Shu Shu Go Away I Swear. You expect me to somehow feel for this character... who tried to kill Kaneki and the gang in S1... and somehow forgive him for some reason without any prior evidence as to why I should?! GTFOOH!!! It was laughable to be honest.
And even if you don't understand what's going on, is it worth watching just to see the visual spectacles? Haha. In your dreams. You seriously believe that visuals by Studio Pierrot are that transcendent? This show is average at best when it comes to animation, as usual by a crappy animation studio.
As an anime-only, this was just disgusting. And to all you mofos out there who counteract with: "Read the manga, man!", I have this argument to make:
IF I HAVE TO READ THE MANGA JUST SO I CAN WATCH YOUR GODDAMN ANIME, THEN THIS ANIME MIGHT AS WELL NOT EXIST IN THE FIRST PLACE, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S NOT SPECTACULARLY ANIMATED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
It is safe to say that I have pretty much had it with Studio Pierrot and all their mediocrities. If this is how they are gonna treat their audience, then I might as well just stop putting trust on them. This show was a huge waste of time. SCREW YOU, STUDIO PIERROT. I AM DONE!!!
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Feb 11, 2017
I’ve heard about this anime for a while now from various sources. So I was eventually going to get to this anime. And I did mainly due to 2 important reasons. Firstly, the 2nd season is out and I had to catch up. But more importantly, Arkada of Glass Reflection called this anime the Best Anime of 2016 and I was like “Whaaaaaat?!” At that point, I went “That’s it. I can’t ignore this anime any longer.” And so, here we are.
Let’s start by saying that Konosuba had a freakishly awesome first impression. The main character, Satou Kazuma died and is given the option to
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restart his life in a different world that resembles general MMORPGs. That whole scene from when he met Aqua to when they arrived at the new world was pure gold. I was losing my shit of how funny it was. That in my opinion was a great way to set the mood and showcase the parody nature of this anime. And indeed, this anime clearly shows that things don’t always turn out the way you expect from an MMORPG. Even moments that would normally be a serious threat to the characters would end up having some sort of comedic twist to it. Because of that, this anime is a true parody of MMORPGs done right.
However, even if it was done right, that does not mean it was presented right. While the characters do end up partaking in quests and having to go outside the city, a huge portion of the anime takes place within the city grounds itself. And while it does make it clear that the characters face financial struggles to make a living, I hate to say this but I found that whole concept to be rather boring. Even if the characters, do spend a lot of time within the city walls, it is still possible to make the anime more interesting through the activities that the characters do. Yes, there are moments like that scattered throughout here and there. But it was also revealed that certain events happen outside of screen time and these were just brought up as flashbacks. Taking up the time are the characters discussing on what they will be doing next. By doing that, it makes things confusing and it was disappointing to know that there may have been more exciting things going on than what was being focused on.
The anime would have been better if it had taken a more adventure-based route whereby the characters actually face serious looking threats. And even with the use of parody, it was proven to be effective as evident in EP6 & 10 which turned out to be my favourite episodes. Here, the anime was able to take these supposedly serious moments and turn them into something practically comedic, and in doing so, it made things so much more interesting than most other parts of the anime. Heck, even some of the scenes shown in the opening looked more interesting than what we got in the actual show.
Now, let’s talk a bit about the characters. And the first thing to get out of the way, is Megumin the best girl? And I’d say that is a solid Yes. But it’s not because I fell in love with the character the moment I saw her. Instead, and I know this is gonna trigger some people, it was through the process of elimination. Out of the 3 girls, Megumin was hands down the most tolerable, most adorable and most useful character out of the bunch. Even though her obsession towards explosion magic does creep me out a bit sometimes, seeing her perform her explosion magic was always a sight to behold. Compare that to Aqua who constantly acts all high and mighty and bosses Kazuma around all the time but gets all whiney and pathetic when things don't go her way. There is no competition. And as for Darkness, she was a gone case a long time ago. Her hardcore masochistic nature was just too much for me to handle. Even Kazuma himself isn't an entirely likable character. I liked how he was so excited when he first heard that he could start his life in this new world only to be let down after. However, I don't like how he is constantly not willing to try out more daring and interesting quests. And while I get the idea that he wants to save his butt, it seems that he is a big factor of why I found this anime slightly boring.
And we once again have Studio Deen handling an anime related to MMORPGs (the other being Log Horizon). It is safe to say that the studio has been getting better with their animation. And that's a good thing because I love many of their anime. The art style was really nicely done and much of the scenery can look like nice paintings. However, I still notice the issue of Studio Deen on the character facial expressions. It is not really that hard to pause the anime at any given moment and end up with a weird face. Come on Studio Deen. You're gonna have to pay attention to that or I won't be able to defend from people making fun of you about that otherwise.
Now, as for the theme songs. I am glad that I rather enjoyed them. They are probably some of the best songs I've heard from 2016 thus far. Although, I pretty sure there will be competition.
In conclusion, I still enjoyed watching Konosuba but I feel like it could have been so much better. Seriously, they have not even left the beginner's town yet and I'm like "What the heck? Didn't you say you were going to fight the Demon King?" So it becomes very clear why a 2nd season was necessary for this anime. And I hope that this time, they actually do more interesting things. I have no idea how this anime ended up as Best Anime of 2016 for Arkada. I mean I'll agree with Shirobako for 2015. That anime was amazing. But in this case, I need a bit more convincing. So Season 2, please surprise me.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Feb 9, 2017
Well since I haven't done a review for Season 1, I'll be going into quite detail here. So, does this anime have the amount of cuteness and sweet sugary goodness which might result in diabetes that it is claimed to have? Well, maybe not that extreme but you bet this anime is brimming with cuteness.
That's basically why I ended up watching this anime: To see for myself just how cute it can get. And the main reason for that can be attributed to the character designs. This is a very good example of a situation whereby the characters do not look their age. In fact,
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in most cases, they don't even act their age. But seriously, who the heck cares about that? The important thing is that this anime will most definitely put a smile on your face. And one thing to note about the character designs are the eyes. I absolutely love the unique style used for them as they have the ability to mesmerise me like crazy. Good job, White Fox.
Considering how Gochuumon Wa Usagi Desu Ka is a casual anime series (an anime that lacks an overarching story and much dramatic tension), it need not be taken too seriously. And because of that, I am very willing to watch these kinds of anime. But even among casual anime series, Gochuumon Wa Usagi Desu Ka is one of the better ones that I've seen. On top of having absolutely adorable characters, this anime is also rather funny and the comedy is handled very consistently throughout its course. And even more so, this anime does have fanservice. But the fanservice is utilised in a really sparring and innocent way just as a treat to the audience. And this is where the character designs come in handy. It shows that it is not impossible for characters to be portrayed as both cute and sexy at the same time.
And even more than all that, I personally think that the best part is the relationship between the characters. Through their many interactions, it is easy to believe that they are very close to each other. The chemistry between them just clicks very well. This is especially true between Cocoa and Chino. From the beginning when Cocoa first arrived at Rabbit House to the end, you can see their changing behaviour as they get closer until they learn to accept each other. That itself was so sweet and adorable to watch and it honestly gets me every time.
[THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS]
But I would have to say that my absolute favourite part of the anime was the arc when Mocha, Cocoa's sister came to visit. This arc was just filled with touching moments with some bonding between Cocoa and Mocha. And not to mention, my absolute favourite moment was when Mocha petted Rize on the head. I was just like... "OH MY GOD SOOOO CUTE!!!"
[SPOILER END]
Now, for the animation, while I agree White Fox with the help of Kinema Citrus for the 2nd season did a really good job, I can't say I found that one moment that really stood out. But as for the art style, it was just gorgeous. White Fox may have only filled so little of my watchlist, but they have been consistent with their visuals.
Finally, we get to the songs. Now we first have to talk about the Season 2 ED (Tokimeki Poporon), which has literally become an anime meme for cuteness and I would say a big factor in me ending up watching this anime. It was actually a pretty good song. And might I add, the animation during this ending theme is probably that moment when the animation actually gets really good. It's kind of upsetting when you realise that is where the animation just takes off but whatever. But even for this anime, I would have to give the winners to the opening themes especially my favourite of them all Season 1 OP (Daydream Cafe). I swear I am addicted to the chorus of this song because I literally know how to sing it word for word (almost at least). So overall, pretty good theme songs too.
While this is definitely one of the better anime of its kind, it does not have anything that truly blows my mind. There isn't really anything ground-breaking that Gochuumon Wa Usagi Desu Ka brings into the genre. And there is an opportunity for that which the anime did not fully utilise. The anime could have explored on the backstory of Tippy and Chino's grandfather. That in my opinion might have turned out to be something amazing. But in the end, that never happened. But regardless, all was fine and it was still an interesting piece to watch. And if there happens to be another season for this anime, I would be so excited to check it out. And if that happens, White Fox... do the Tippy and grandpa backstories. I'll be looking forward to it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 8, 2017
I don't know why out of all the many anime Kyoto Animation had to offer, I had to leave this one off till now. Here's the easy way to sum up my thoughts about Sound Euphonium: I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!
Let's start off with straight up the best thing about this anime: The Visuals. Are you serious? This anime is so incredibly beautiful from the art style, the character designs and of course, the brilliant animation by the one and only Kyoto Animation. I'm gonna have to say it. This is hands down the most beautifully animated anime I
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have ever seen. It easily just tops Nagi No Asukara it's so good. I will have to admit that it was kind of hard to guess this was by Kyoto Animation at first but after watching it a while, it becomes very obvious. What gives it away are the character designs. They still retain very distinct similarities to many of what I like to call K-on character designs but they are made to be more detailed and refined. On top of that, you know the animation can't go wrong with Kyoto Animation. Again, it retains many similarities to the moe blob characteristics pioneered by the studio. And the overall backgrounds and all that sort of stuff are just beautiful to look at. If you don't believe me, just watch EP8 and I dare you to tell me otherwise.
Now of course, Sound Euphonium is more than just a visual spectacle. Great attention is also given to the characters. With a band of about 50 or so characters, as much effort as possible is given to many of the side characters instead of just solely focusing on the main ones. And of course, not everyone gets a detailed focus and great amount of screen time. But it is such a relief that the anime at least addresses these characters.
If we were to look at the more focused characters, this is where it gets real interesting. Kumiko is the main character and it is so amazing to see her development throughout the course of the anime. From when she first started the band in highschool to the end, we see her drastic change in attitude towards music. It was definitely as inspiring as it can get. And on top of that, let's talk about the relationship between Kumiko and Reina. This was one of the most unique and adorable relationships I have ever seen in anime. Their chemistry is unbelievably great that (I know it sounds so weird) they could literally be a couple. It was definitely a highlight of the anime. Even some of the other characters like Sapphire I mean... Midori, Hazuki, Kaori, Haruka & even the Senpai-crazy Yuko turned out to be very interesting important characters just because the anime took the time to flesh out these characters.
The story of the anime is pretty straight forward though. It is basically a competition-driven anime with the band aiming to reach the nationals. It's a simple premise but this anime does not mess around. I can confidently say that this anime has no such thing as filler. It focuses so intently on the aspects of the band and how the members face trials and tribulations in order to improve themselves, to overcome conflict and to achieve their goal. That is what I wanted to see in so many others of such anime and this one delivered exceptionally well. And even during times when practice is over, it is backed up by interesting conversations between the characters and it can get funny every now and then in order to balance out the seriousness that goes on.
And if all that wasn't enough, we have the main theme of this anime: The Music. This anime has the advantage because music plays a big part in it. And it is during times like these that the soundtrack actually matters to me. If the music is done nicely, it can have an effective emotional impact on the audience. As for the theme songs, while I can easily say they are not the best things I've heard, they are both nice to listen to. This is especially true for the opening theme which after multiple times, it does start to hit me with emotions. That might probably be the result of the show itself though.
Well of course, this anime isn't perfect. There are some teeny weeny problems I find here and there. I did find that the anime does try to rush certain scenes especially during the beginning where it wouldn't be weird to say that some clips lasted for only 5 frames or so. In this first season, we hardly get to know a lot about Asuka. I know that there is some interesting backstory behind this character and I wish to know more about it. And also, it was a really unsatisfying way that the anime ended. There definitely was more that needed to be covered. And that is exactly where the second season comes into play.
I want to see the 2nd season so badly. I love this anime so much. I cannot stop thinking about it. But of course, I'm just gonna leave this series aside for now because there are others to be watched. And I have faith in Kyoto Animation with their reputable track record that they can actually use this 2nd season to the fullest. If they do it right, I know it is a bit too early to say this, but this anime could potentially end up in my Top 10. I will be anxiously praying that it actually happens. But until then, if you have not watched this, I DEFINITELY HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 7, 2017
First of all, I have to say that I have been greatly spoiled to this anime. From the pelvis thrusting dude to the basketball net scene to the dancing naked at the rooftop scene and of course, the all so popular ass and bag shaking scene.
I was so surprised of how popular this anime was because of the fact that almost every available scene in this anime has been utilised in videos in one way or another. And after watching this ONA, I can see why. Being a short 25 min long series, I was not expecting much as most of them don't really end
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up to my liking. However, Plastic Neesan was vastly different from all that.
In the short amount of time that was available, the pacing was handled absolutely brilliantly. They managed to cramp in so much interesting content and still make them seem complete. It was case of an anime that is so ridiculous that it turned out to be good. I was laughing uncontrollably almost all the way through. And that's both a relief and an upset at the same time because it is sad to think that this short ONA has better comedy that some longer anime that I've seen.
Now, the reason I can't really put this anime any higher is because of the ridiculousness itself. All of the things that happen here are so random and they do not seem to connect to one another in the slightest. Plus, we were introduced with "Plastic Models Are My Life". The plastic models take up literally only 1 of 12 episodes in this anime. What was the point of that? And of course, we hardly know much about the characters, which is technically a result from limited time.
I've never heard of TYO Animations but they actually did a rather good job with the animation. Although, I was not the biggest fan of the character designs but that hardly matters here. The characters still made this anime come to life.
As for the opening and ending themes... Ughh. Let's just forget about them. Moving on.
This ONA really surprised the heck out of me. And even though I only gave it a 7/10, the fact that I would even recommend a series of its length is already an incredible feat. I'm not entirely sure how a full length anime would have done for this series because the comedy seems to be super effective in short burst. But it definitely would have helped in character development and maybe develop a more comprehensive story. But for what it is here, it was a job well done. I can see why this ONA is everywhere.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Feb 6, 2017
I'm not sure how I found out about this anime but let me just say that Doga Kobo has been filling up my watchlist lately.
One thing I was grateful towards New Game was the fact that it does not take place in a highschool setting. Instead, we follow Suzukaze Aoba who has turned 18 and we see her starting her job at Eaglejump, a game development company that inspired her with the game Fairies Story. The fact that we are looking at an actual company makes a big difference because what the characters do here become so much more important compared to if it were
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a highschool club. Plus, it is a great change from the usual settings we may see in anime.
The anime does do a pretty good job at focusing on the process of game development, which is what you would expect from it. We see the dilemmas the characters face at each step. Even things such as the characters working overtime or even going as far as to sleep at the workplace all fit within the realms of the game development process. We see the characters especially Aoba learning from mistakes and constantly trying to better herself. All of that makes it so that this anime actually has the right atmosphere of it being a game development company.
However, this anime does not fully focus on the processes of game development. In fact, a lot of the times, the actual important processes are being introduced but then skipped till the end. Filling up the extra time are the characters doing other things when they are taking breaks or when they are done for the day. And while that isn't necessarily a bad thing, it is kind of upsetting that this anime kinda feels more like a casual anime series than an anime that truly delves into the process of game making. If I were to add, the whole anime feels overly light-hearted and it never feels like the characters are serious in getting the game finished before the actual deadline.
[THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS]
And I would have to say that the use of padding was most obvious especially after Nene decided to do part time work at the company. The biggest one was definitely the pudding dilemma. Now putting that aside, I will say that the last 2 episodes really saved this anime's ass. It was here that it felt like things were getting serious. And I was very glad that the anime ended after the game had been made. It was weird though to see the last episode resembling so much of Shirobako but I loved it that way. And the last moments in the anime, yeah, I'd say that was pretty darn touching.
[SPOILER END]
Now, time to comment a bit on other minor details. Firstly, the comedy. In this particular series, Doga Kobo didn't screw up. I did find this anime to be rather hilarious and many of the jokes were actually really creative and they definitely got me. Next, the fanservice. Although it was not really a problem, I must say that there was a little bit of an overuse of fanservice. A lot of the overuse was due to inappropriate angles at rather inappropriate times. But keep in mind that that only covers a small portion. Most fanservice is used during ok moments and even for comedic purposes.
And as I've mentioned, this anime was handled by Doga Kobo. I absolutely love the bright colour palette used as the art style which makes it very nice to look at. The animation in this case was actual really well done even if there wasn't a huge presence of action going on. The character designs seemed rather different at first but it soon becomes easy how this was done by Doga Kobo. Although, I will say that the white circles at the bottom of their eyes do make them seem like they are crying.
And then, the opening theme. Wow. I fell in love with it almost instantly. The chorus part especially was super catchy and it easily gets me pumped for an episode every time. The ending theme though wasn't really all that interesting to me and I really paid little attention to it.
So overall, I would say that this is definitely one of Doga Kobo's better works. While maybe it might lose out to Himouto Umaru-chan and Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, it was definitely really interesting to watch. Although, it would good to eventually see one that I can give a 9/10. The anime is basically already a complete package because it actually went from start to finish. I just wished it had spent more time focusing on the process of game development similar to what was done in Shirobako. But regardless, I really do not think there is a need to make a sequel to New Game. Unless it is going to bring a new look into game development, a sequel would more likely make things worse than better. These 12 episodes could have been better but the story is pretty much complete here and I see no point in tampering on it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 6, 2017
I'm going to be completely honest here. The biggest reason why I wanted to watch this rather obscure 2016 anime that no one seems to talk about is because of the main character, Usami Mizuki. When I saw her in a trailer on Anichart, for some reason I just fell in love with how adorable she looked. So of course, we come to this point.
As I expected from Kono Bijutsubu Ni Wa Mondai Ga Aru, it ended up being a casual anime series, meaning that there isn't an overarching story with a lot of dramatic tension. The setting for this is an art club with
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members that are a bit weird (as you might have guessed from the title). And I will give praise to this anime for actually taking some effort in focusing on attributes related to art and I can say that I did learn a thing or two from it. However, that is not to say that they did a very good job with it. The anime does not go into great detail about the aspects of art, as there is so much more than could be incorporated. But to compensate for that, the anime has the main theme of romance in play.
A huge part of this anime focuses on the main character, Mizuki's constant attempts at grabbing the attention of her crush, Uchimaki Subaru. And let me just say that the fact that Mizuki is the main character of this anime itself is a huge bonus for me. She is without question my favourite character in the anime. And seeing her never ending pursuit for love was just such an adorable and enjoyable thing to watch. Say what you will about her inconfidence to Just Do It, I personally prefer it if the girls are a bit shy. So all in all, I would say that that is the best thing in the entire anime.
Now to make a short comment about the side characters. While I appreciate that Mizuki is the main character, I kinda wished that the side characters were given a bit more focus. This is especially true for Mizuki's friends and Imari Maria. We hardly know anything about these characters and it would have been nice to know more about them. Although, I will say that I am really glad that the side characters are all so supportive of Mizuki in achieving her goal. It just made things so much more cheerful and I love that.
Now, because this is a casual anime series, I would have to address more than just the romance. When it comes to the comedy, I can clearly say that it is not the best I have seen. Many jokes and funny scenes feel very cliche and generic. And sometimes when they try to set up a supposedly cool joke, I find them to be highly predictable (which in most cases, I was right about the outcomes) and in the end, they just turn out to be rather disappointing in my opinion. There are a few creative jokes here and there but it just didn't feel enough.
The animation is done by Feel and I would have to say that it was alright but because nothing much goes on in the anime, there really isn't anything that truly stood out in my opinion. But at least it was nice that the anime has a rather cheerful colour scheme that made it nice to look at. This is art after all.
And as for the theme songs. Let me first comment. Is it just a coincidence that Mizuki Nana sang the opening when we have a character named Mizuki in the anime or was that intentional? Well in any case, because she sang the opening, it was nice to listen to. Although I can definitely say that is not my favourite song by her. For the ending theme, it was an ok song but I really didn't think too much about it.
In summary, while I'd definitely say that I still really enjoyed watching this anime. It felt like it went pass too quickly. It didn't really bring anything new in terms of comedy and there are so many things left that could be explored. Like I said, I really wished the side characters were given more attention. So in all honesty, I really hope that there will be a 2nd season for this anime. I have a feeling it seems very unlikely because of how little attention was given to this anime. But if Feel can focus on just the right things, a 2nd season would do this anime quite some good. Plus, I just want to see more of Mizuki anyway, so of course I would really love to see a sequel. Let's hope for the best.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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