Back to Fotsuan's Profile Fotsuan's Profile

In the year 2023, it is widely acknowledged that Makoto Shinkai is the most successful anime film director of the past decade. With the golden age of Studio Ghibli having come to an end, titles such as Your Name, Weathering With You, and now Suzume have come close to breaking all of Japan's box office records. Therefore, each time Shinkai releases a new film in theaters, the audience sets the bar high. They are right to do so, as Suzume is a stunning film that is full of substance, allegories, and emotions.

Following his favorite motifs, Shinkai creates another work with a detailed art style and ... animation, a romance created from scratch, a theme song by RADWIMPS, natural disasters, and supernatural/psychic powers. At first glance, one might conclude that the director is repeating himself and has no new ideas. However, despite the clear inspiration, Suzume is a distinct film that stands out on many levels.

Let us start with the basics: this time, the romance is secondary, and the real substance lies in the psychological and emotional damage caused by a natural disaster on a person. The protagonist is a teenage girl who must battle the traumas of her past and the harsh reality she has endured following the loss of her mother in the well-known 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Japan. In the real world, Suzume now lives with her aunt and meets a mysterious young adult who catches her interest. Following him, she embarks on a magical journey to close "doors" that connect reality to a fantasy world, from which a giant entity that causes earthquakes on the earth is trying to escape. As Shinkai said in an interview, he tries to raise awareness through the girl's story, connect the new generation with the previous one, and poetically demonstrate how earthquakes traumatize millions of people.

During this journey, Suzume visits areas such as Ehime and Kobe, where significant earthquakes have occurred in the past. The director shows viewers the harsh reality of abandoned amusement parks and schools. The young woman's final destination is Tohoku, the home where she lived during her childhood years until her traumatic experience, and the place where she will come into contact with her deliberately forgotten past and try to accept it.

The pop culture references are more abundant than ever. Shinkai plays with his fans by showing scenes similar to his previous films, such as the railroad crossing at the beginning of the movie reminiscent of "5 Centimeters Per Second." Additionally, we see references to Miyazaki's movies, such as "Kiki's Delivery Service," through the Spotify playlist of a secondary character who played songs from older anime such as "KareKano" and "Galaxy Express 999". Many viewers may consider the cat-like creature Daijin a reference to Kyuubey from "Madoka Magica", or Souta and his relationship with Suzume a reference to "Howl's Moving Castle".

However, Shinkai does not just allow us to imagine his references or influences. He leaves many things "up in the air" for the viewer to interpret. Events that occur in the movie lack a clear explanation, and while this can often be a positive thing, other times it can leave too many question marks that shouldn't exist. It is up to the viewer to decide when there are limits to creating an allegorical film.

Special attention was given to the soundtrack, which always blended perfectly with the mood of each scene. The voice actors did an excellent job, and the colors, animation, and art style were all stunning, almost on par with the fan-favorite Your Name. The combination of all these factors contributed to the creation of an exceptional atmosphere.

To sum up, I would like to emphasize that Suzume is a work that manages to sensitize the viewer in every way. The balanced mixture of comedy, drama, fantasy, and adventure is enough to entertain the audience, keeping them glued to the cinema screen from beginning to end. However, to me, apart from the aforementioned balance, the film's greater success is the unique embodiment of a psychologically traumatized person who has experienced destruction in their childhood. Far from perfection, Suzume is a pleasant and meaningful film for all audiences.

If you think anime shows are about beautiful or flashy visuals, then do not try to watch Human Bug Daigaku. However, it is not always about visuals. I have always disagreed with people that put animation over anything else; actually, I think what makes an anime good is “that something”. Human Bug Daigaku has many “somethings”. It is a show with plain art and almost non-existent animation, that does not take itself seriously when that is not needed. But it knows how to entertain its audience very well and includes comedy – which I find hilarious - combined with a well-built, intriguing mystery. Also, it ... is an educational anime since there’s brief random trivia analysis in every episode, usually mixed with comedic scenes.

Some may not know that Human Bug Daigaku is an anime adaptation of a YouTube web manga series of the same name. The web manga is long, and includes many stories – one of them is the story of Satake Hirofumi. Surprisingly for non-Japanese audiences, it has millions of views and is very popular in Japan. That’s another point to be made when I explain why Human Bug Daigaku is such an unjustly unpopular anime show, and it deserves more attention despite its poor animation quality; it makes it clear that it's not just a random anime. Now, let’s go to the story.

Satake Hirofumi is accused of murdering his wife and sentenced to death. Surprisingly, despite being hung, he gets out alive. We learn that he is generally the luckiest man in the world, and that’s how the mysterious story starts. We do not know the truth, we get to meet many suspicious individuals, as we start to like and root for a, now amnesiac, Hirofumi. A man who sets on dangerous adventures and – somehow - always survives. Something very strong in this anime is how most of the characters Satake meets are interesting and easy to remember, as they all have their unique character, backstories, and relationship with him. In addition, the show takes place in many cities and even different countries, which makes the experience more amusing. But what’s most amusing and memorable about it is how it keeps its light-heartedness from beginning to end, and even when things get dangerous, there is always love and optimism.

The comedy might not be for all audiences, but it includes a unique, goofy sense of humour, it is well-combined with the story progression, there are many inside jokes created as the show progresses and is faithful to what it is. On the other hand, even if we know that the main character is invincible in a way, the mystery is always there, and week by week I was agonizing over what may happen next. There is ingenious plot progression, and you never know how things will turn out.

As much as I love the writing of Human Bug Daigaku, I also love its voice acting cast. Tomokazu Sugita performs splendidly once again as the main character, but there are many other great performers to be mentioned: Hidenari Ugaki as the crazy Professor, Takehito Koyasu as the torturer Shigeo, and more.
Opening and Ending songs are both pluses for the anime. The OP is a typical nano anisong, and nano is usually loved by anime fans. The ED is a totally different thing, though. Catchy as hell, retro-ish and playful, Bad City/Bug Human by Lowland Jazz is a great fit for the show’s vibes.

To conclude, I only want to say that I wrote this review to make more people watch Human Bug Daigaku, and to express my approval of animated series with plain animation. I did not put much effort, but I hope it is enough to persuade some of you to give anime like this a chance. Because Human Bug Daigaku is a fun show to watch when you’re happy, when you’re sad, when you’re bored, when you’re eating, when you’re trying to sleep, or when you want to give a hard laugh with your friends. Basically a successful show, as far as I’m concerned.

Thanks for reading :)

Sports anime might be fundamentally similar to each other, but the writing and deliverance can differ a lot. Ao Ashi creates a world full of lessons and hardships, in both football and life. And like most sports anime, it doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of football to appreciate it. The characters are there, the build-up is there, and the emotions are there too, like in any other good anime. The main purpose of this review is to express how well Ao Ashi excels in certain things compared to other sports anime, what it lacks compared to them, and how good it really is overall.


The ... protagonist lives in Ehime, a prefecture of Japan that is located on an island and is not famous for its football players. Ashito, who is at a young age, is the best player in his school and is very passionate about football. He decides to try his luck and moves alone to Tokyo, to enter the football powerhouse called Esperion. What I love about Ao Ashi here is how well it portrays the hardships the athlete, their family and friends must struggle with, and how the athlete has to sacrifice everything and leave it all behind, focusing on a single thing – which is football, in our case. There is bittersweet drama and decent character writing. Other than that, there is the test Ashito must face as an outsider, the bullying, the rivalries, and the unsportsmanlike conduct of other players. While on the same time, he works hard, he progresses, and he makes friends and acquaintances.


Another point to be made about why Ao Ashi is such a good sports anime is the on-point portrayal of different behaviours inside the football world (coaches, players, managers, nutritionists, etc.) and how everyone plays their own role in the greater image. How Ashito, who wants to improve, will have to face other people who care solely for their own benefit. This is sometimes shown in a harsh way, but at the same time, there are beautiful moments of team spirit and emotions. After all, we are not alone, and we need the strength and faith of people who care about us; this is something else Ao Ashi does well.


But the most praiseworthy thing Ao Ashi succeeds in delivering is the difficulty of the sport. Most sports anime take their sports lightly and do not emphasize techniques and serious ways to improve, aside from team spirit and hard work. In Ao Ashi, we know how it is physically exhausting, mentally tiring, and may ruin both your body and psychology. How many techniques have to be taught, how much the athlete must do inside and outside the court, how he has to take care of himself and what huge an emotional capacity is needed. And at the same time, how the trainers can use you for their own benefit without caring about your opinions, and how your teammates can sabotage you or not care about you.


As far as character writing is concerned, the most common problem Ao Ashi watchers face is Ashito’s personality. I agree that his behaviour might be annoying at times, but let’s not forget that he’s an immature, ambitious 15-year-old. He is realistic and I hope to see development in his personality in the next seasons; I think it is hinted that there will be. The protagonist matures little by little and views differently his friends, his love interests and even football as a sport.
What about the side characters, though? Like I said before, we get to know all different perspectives and behaviours. The main and side casts are detailed, and everyone has a story to support and a dream to pursue. So, whether it is about the matches or the characters, it is not easy to get bored watching Ao Ashi. There is always something interesting going on, and the development is always there.


Now, it is worth mentioning that Ao Ashi’s animation is plain and simple, and people who care about flashy animation and non-stop motion often complain about it. To me, the colourful art and the good character designs are enough to make Ao Ashi good visually and aesthetically, so I think there is absolutely no problem with the animation not being fabulous.
In addition, the soundtrack is great and creates the perfect atmosphere. OST aside, the opening and ending songs are usually great. The opening sung by Alexandros in the first half is one of the best sports anime openings I have ever heard, since it fits the show’s vibes and radiates a feeling of “hype”. Sadly, the second opening song is not as good, but some people like it due to its good animation… while both ending songs are perfect for closing the episodes.


Finally, I would like to mention the original voice-acting cast. It does not feature the most famous names in the industry, but it gives chances to younger voice actors. I do not think the choices were not well-thought though, because the result is positive and I consider the cast great as a whole. Katou Wataru, Yashiro Taku, Oosozu Kouki are all names that could be frequently included in the most-awaited anime in the future.

So, what is it that Ao Ashi lacks?
As you can understand, since it focuses on a technical and psychological viewpoint this much, some other things are expected to be missing. The first comparison that comes to my mind is with Haikyuu: in the latter, the character dynamics and development during the matches feel stronger, in both main and opponent teams. This is because of the focus on teamwork and the classic “nakama power” that shounen anime tend to show.
On the other hand, there are also some scenes where a certain event has occurred before, or a certain technique has been explained to Ashito, and suddenly everyone starts talking about it in the matches – a kind of plot convenience to help the watcher learn more about the sport and see progress.


To sum up, to me, Ao Ashi’s pros outnumber its cons and are very interesting, so I consider Ao Ashi a “top tier” sports anime in its own way. It is very different from other sports anime in aspects I have mentioned above, but that’s what makes it worth watching. In the end, it is all a matter of taste and aesthetics, so it is up to the watcher to decide if Ao Ashi is interesting or not – but what it does in terms of writing, it does more than well.

This is the kind of Pokémon anime we need!


Since its innovative start in 1996 with Red and Green, Pokémon has made huge success as a franchise, all over the world, with its captivating adventure games. It was 1997 when the anime adaptation became a thing, and Japanese studios have always made adaptations of every Pokémon game created ever since. The idea was good, but to most fans - including me - the anime adaptation was not what they wanted, it was childish and it felt like it was dragging too long for nothing. I am not writing this review to express my dislike towards the ... older series, because I love Pokémon and I am a big fan since the 00s. I am writing it in order to express my satisfaction with the newest, different kind of Pokémon anime that have aired since 2020.


Starting with Hakumei no Tsubasa / Twilight Wings in early 2020, a Pokémon spin-off that felt like an advertisement for the Pokémon universe, the franchise took a turn into an episodic structure of wholesome, cute, and colorful stories. Pokétoon came after this, and now we have a Pokémon Legends Arceus spin-off, "Hisuian Snow". There's no Ash Ketchum there, nor a mundane adventure of collecting Pokémon badges to reach the Elite Four and become the Pokémon Champion. That's the character of the games, but it's not necessary to apply it to the anime version, too. The Pokémon world is there, and it's expanding little by little with the creation of new regions and new Pokédex entries as new games come out. It's beautiful, and it holds a special place in all of us fans' hearts. Why not create some stories in the Pokémon world, including everything about it and making it feel like a fantasy world where great things happen? Why not motivate children to pursue their dreams in a fantastic way, including flashy Pokémon and wholesome relationships? Yes, that's what these anime I mentioned have done since 2020, and it is a big yes from most fans - older and newer as well.



Considering that this kind of storytelling has now been established in the world of anime, I am going to comment on a few things about Hisuian Snow. It is a short story that lasts almost half an hour. This time it is not as short as Pokétoon or Twilight Wings episodes, but it is still short and a pleasant watch for everyone that likes Pokémon. It's the story of a young boy who meets a wild Zorua and forms a friendly bond with it. The young Zorua cures the boy's wounds and the boy never sees it again. What's important here is that human society is separated from the Pokémon one, and humans are afraid of Pokémon because of their incredible strength and ways of communication. Our protagonist doesn't see the young Zorua again; time passes by, they both grow up, and well, I'm not going to write here what happens next in case any of you reading haven't watched it yet. But what must be mentioned is that the story contains metaphors on courage, faith, improving, and moving forward. Aside from that, it is a spectacle to see for Pokémon fans and shows Pokémon living in the wild, fighting, or interacting with humans. In a few words, it is both fan service for Pokémaniacs, and a cute story about a young boy and his encounter with a Zorua. And there's more; there are great voice actors such as Rikiya Koyama and Uchiyama Kouki participating in this.


To sum up, Hisuian Snow is by rule a pleasant watch for Pokémon fans. This kind of storytelling in a Pokémon anime is great. Simple, beautiful, touching, and spectacular. I am looking forward to more spin-offs or TV series like this. The 2020s could be the best decade for Pokémon anime!

Tanoshii Muumin Ikka is a 1990 TV show that is mostly aimed at kids - but not only. It is one of the best animated works in existence, and that is because it is created by a combination of admirable people. Tove Jansson, the original creator of the Moomin books; Akira Miyazaki, the famous World Masterpiece Theater scriptwriter; an exceptional voice acting cast; great animators. Many episodes are just playful and childish, but you will be astonished by how meaningful some of them might be, or relatable for adults.


The first thing that must be mentioned about this series is Tove Jansson’s philosophical approach and the ... main messages she wanted to convey while writing her Moomin books. Aside from a cute-looking and colorful group of friends, the main characters have a unique, carefree lifestyle, close to nature, and are far from daily obligations. The spirit of the Moomin Valley can be characterized as “cottagecore”: emphasizing simplicity, tranquility, and peacefulness; far away from the modern world, basically rural life. Also, the way that short, calming stories happen in the same place in every episode is enough reason to call Muumin an “iyashikei” anime, though there are some dramatical and stressful episodes out there too.


Here, I consider it important to mention that Tove Jansson lived as a queer woman in an age when being LGBTQ+ was illegal in Finland. Sometimes, she tried to portray "gay" people metaphorically in her books. For example, Thingumy and Bob were a couple inspired by her relationship with the girlfriend she had, back then. But what's more important for the series, is that Moomintroll's relationship with Snufkin was implied to be something more than pure friendship. They spend romantic time with each other, and their bond is much stronger than any other friendly bond in the series.


Tanoshii Muumin Ikka was not the first Moomin anime out there. Moomin became famous in Japan in 1969, with “Muumin”; another adaptation of the classic novels. Japanese people seemed to like it, but sadly, it was heavily inspired by western animation and used guns and violence as comedy. This was something disappointing for Tove Jansson because it did not fit well the novel themes and failed to convey the main messages. Thankfully, the 1990 series was a huge success. Among all Moomin adaptations, Japanese or not, it is known that Tanoshii Muumin Ikka was Tove Jansson’s most beloved one! Other older adaptations include Mumintrollet (1969, Swedish production), Shin Muumin (1972), and The Moomins (1977, Polish production).


So, what is the reason this was the most successful adaptation? Studio Telescreen and Akira Miyazaki tried to carry the spirit of the Moomins, but also to give it some new, original color. What was special about it, was that despite the fact there were a few changes, it followed precisely the “spirit” of the Moomin Valley Tove Jansson had created in her novels and picture books. There were some differences in the characters; for example, studio Telescreen decided to name Snork Maiden “Floren”, which made her name sound cuter. There were a few character additions too, which I will mention later. But overall, the general concept and meaning remained the same.


In most episodes, the main characters meet each other at the Moomins’ house, or somewhere within the Moomin Valley and set on a new adventure. This makes the episode building easier, and the feeling more nostalgic. You know that everything starts from the Moomin Valley; it’s something like Central Perk or MacLaren’s Pub. But the valley holds many mysteries, and as the show progresses there is great world building. There’s the cave, the Lonely Mountains, the boathouse… and the Hattifatteners island, which is a mysterious neighboring land. There’s always something to explore while watching Tanoshii Muumin Ikka.


Art and animation are breathtaking. Even if, at first glance, the character designs look weird to you, they are lovely and you’ll get used to them soon. Studio Telescreen made a great effort to adapt the designs in an animated work, and the few changes from Tove Jansson’s picture books were only for the better. For example, Mr. Brisk appears as a hemulen (I will explain later what kind of species a hemulen is) and teaches Moomintroll how to ski.


The music is one of the strongest parts of Tanoshii Muumin Ikka. Sumio Shiratori and his wife, Emiko Shiratori, did an amazing job making the soundtrack. Sumio composed the OST and Emiko performed the first opening and both ending songs. Here I will have to mention that Emiko Shiratori’s presence gave bonus points to the anime itself, as her opening song performance is heartwarming, and her first ending song performance is soothing and beautiful. This pair of OP-ED songs was used for episodes 1-52, and in my opinion, it was a great combination. In episodes 53-78, the theme songs changed. The opening song was sung by the voice acting cast, and it had a more playful and kid-friendly vibe into it. The second ending song, too, had a happier tone. Emiko Shiratori also did an exceptional job as the narrator of the show, with her tender voice. That’s one of the main reasons I definitely recommend the Japanese version to the English dub. The English dub is not bad, but the original one is something else!


The voice actors play an important role, too, in why the Japanese version is so good. There, we have Takehito Koyasu (Dio, Zeke, Roswaal) in his youngest voice acting era. In my opinion, he was incomparable back then – his performance as Snufkin is one of my top 10 voice acting performances of all time. But it doesn’t end here; all the cast is exceptional. There’s even Akio Ootsuka (Iskandar, Ekubo, Blackbeard) as Moominpappa, and if you ask me, Minami Takayaka’s performance as Moomintroll, Ikuko Tani’s performance as Moominmamma and Hiroko Maruyama’s performance as Stinky were all equally fantastic.


Now, I will be talking about the (main) characters.


Moomintroll is the protagonist of the series. A playful and innocent child Moomin, whose main interests include exploring new things and spending time with his friends. He likes gazing at the sea, dreaming, and going on new adventures. Unlike his best friend, Snufkin, his biggest discomfort is solitude. Moomintroll becomes sad when Snufkin leaves on vacation, and his best moments are when Snufkin returns.


Moominpappa is the father of Moomintroll; a lovely father figure, who loves his family and appreciates little things in life. He still dreams of becoming a writer and he writes books or theatre scripts. He is a goofy character and sometimes he might handle situations in a bad way, but his intentions are always kind, even if he lacks manners. One of my favorite scenes includes Moominpappa sliding down a slide, falling, and eventually hurting his back. That’s the kind of man he is, and he’s proof that everyone has a childish side to them, even when they grow older.


Well, especially men. Because Moominmamma is different on that part. She is skillful when it comes to housework and cooking, and always takes care of her family and their friends. She looks more mature, and everyone can rely on her in hard times. Moominmamma always holds a handbag with her, carrying all the important things, so that she can help her family and friends under any unexpected circumstances. Another trait of hers is that she trusts her son and even lets him participate in dangerous activities, without worrying or panicking.


Aside from Moomins, there are also Snorks in the Moomin Valley. Snorks resemble Moomins but their main difference is that they have hair. The only Snorks we know are Floren – who is also a main character - and her brother, whose name is Snork. Floren is a friend of Moomintroll and seems to have a crush on him. There are some romantic scenes between them, like gazing at sceneries or sleeping together on a hammock. Snork is quite different from the Snork we know in the books, and his main purpose in life is to create an aircraft. He studies all day to achieve this.


Snufkin is a mysterious Mumrik (different from Moomins and Snorks, Mumriks resemble tiny humans) who is quite a philosopher and thinker. He might have a strong bond with Moomintroll, but in fact, he has another best friend: solitude. His main hobbies include playing the harmonica and fishing. He loves wandering around, and in winter, he always leaves the Moomin Valley and goes south. His departure is always saddening, then he enjoys visiting new places, and when he returns to the Moomin Valley he is overjoyed.


Little My (pronounced “mee”) is a Mymble; another human-like species from the Moomin Valley, which resembles Mumriks. She is a tiny girl with orange hair, full of energy and living her life to the fullest. Sometimes she causes trouble for the Moomins because her actions might put her in a dangerous position, but she is loved by them and always welcomed into their house.


Sniff’s appearance is unique; looking like a kangaroo-dog, he is quite the mascot character. He loves going on adventures but he is always scared and lazy, so eventually, he starts whining and falls back. He is a character that either gets loved or hated, depending on the watcher. To me, he’s a fun addition to the group.


Last but not least, I want to add Hemulen-san to this list. Not many consider him an important character, but I personally love his character. He is an old man who tries to find a romantic meaning in life and collects stamps. When he completes his collection, he sets for a new adventure: to collect flowers, that is. His character design and reactions fit his goofy character perfectly, and he’s fun to watch. Originally, in Tove Jansson’s books, the Hemulens are more and they share the traits Hemulen-san has, but in Tanoshii Muumin Ikka, he represents the species by himself.


There are no villains in the Moomin Valley. Even the valley’s police officer is living a 100% peaceful and calm life, and there was a hilarious episode where he almost lost his job because he wouldn’t bring any criminals to the prison, outside of the valley. But there are two creatures whose roles are somehow close to that of a villain.


Stinky is the first one. He is a bug-looking creature whose main hobby is playing pranks on the main characters. He is supposedly not bad, but that is the way he tries to get Moomin and his friends’ attention. Some of the pranks are terrifying, and there were a few times some of the main characters almost faced death. Still, he is supposed to be a humoristic character. Stinky lives under a rock, all alone. He is usually not invited to parties or events due to his irritating behavior, but he likes showing up out of the blue.


The other one is Moran / “The Groke”. Moran’s character includes heavy symbolism, and she is something like an incarnation of loneliness and terror. She looks like a big ghost with a… duckface. Every resident of the Moomin Valley is frightened at the sight of Moran, and no one likes her. Moomintroll pities her because she is always lonely and sad. Moran appears uninvited and she does not talk, but her negative energy freezes the ground around her. Sometimes, she may cause destruction. The Groke is probably too scary for kids, due to her intimidating appearance and the vibes she radiates.


The most important character additions in Tanoshii Muumin Ikka are Alisha and her grandmother. They both firstly appear 30+ episodes in, and then they become part of the Moomin Valley. Alisha is a young girl who wants to hang out with the Moomins, but her grandmother, who is a witch, does not let her do so. That is because the witchcraft studies are more important in her mind, and she wants her granddaughter to succeed. Hanging out with friends would leave her behind. But Alisha learns to appreciate friendship and meets a new lifestyle; that of having both friends and studying.

Details I loved:

~Moomintroll’s dreams. They were all colorful, adventurous, and surrealistic. As dreams are in our world, well, at least to me.
~Snufkin’s departures and arrivals to the Moomin Valley. The atmosphere was always melancholic at the departure, and when he returned it was heart-melting.
~Hemulen’s house, or other places that were not important but were animated perfectly.
~Moominpappa’s backstory. It added color to the Moomin world and it was wonderful seeing him recite his old stories.


Conclusion


Tanoshii Muumin Ikka creates a beautiful world, full of color and fun adventures, away from daily responsibilities. It is a great watch for kids, but I am sure their parents would appreciate it even more. If I were a father, I would definitely watch this with my kids, and both sides would be satisfied. Watching Tanoshii Muumin Ikka feels like home; and that is thanks to its peaceful, tranquil and comforting vibe.

With this review, I express my satisfaction and congratulate both Tove Jansson for her great books, and Telescreen’s staff that produced such an amazing adaptation. It is clearly one of the best TV shows out there. Thank you for sharing this show with us!

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Usually, I tend to watch anime for their plot and characters. Cossette no Shouzou is the perfect example of a show that does not need them to succeed. It may follow a main story, but what's most important is its artistic ingeniousness. And I do not mean its art or animation; I mean everything about this fictional work. The music, the animation techniques, the simple story with its thrilling portrayal, and last but not least; the fact that it revolves around art itself. Truly, Cossette no Shouzou is not an easy watch for everyone. It's a niche piece of art, full ... of risks and pretentiousness. But it knows very well what it is, and that's what makes it beautiful and fascinating.


To begin my short analysis, I'll mention what I found best - and this was the atmosphere. On one hand, we have Yuki Kajiura (Noir, Kara no Kyoukai, Fate/Zero) giving it her best to create the most fitting horror vibes with her music, on the other hand we have Shinbou Akiyuki (Madoka Magica, Monogatari series) who is a unique director, and loved by his audience. If you ask me, the result is magical and this is one of the best collaborations I have ever seen in anime. Even if you don't really care about the story, you cannot overlook the exceptional atmosphere. You get spooked, you get hooked; it is the definition of successful horror.



Furthermore, I'll have to say a few things about the story. It is clear from the beginning that the story is far from normal, the events happening are surreal and the writing is full of exaggerations and metaphorical approach. Now, it all starts with a young artist called Eiri, and his obsession with a supernatural phenomenon only he can see; a girl, trapped inside an antique glass. What follows up includes a gory and full of suffering yet romantic horror story, and a big contrast between two different kinds of artists. It also jumps from the 21st to the 18th century, there's a slightly historical viewpoint, ethical demarcation and a little bit of philosophy. Just in case you haven't watched it yet, I'll only leave a touch of what happens in Cossette no Shouzou here and leave some spoilers for the next paragraph.



In this paragraph, concerning details about what messages the show wants to convey, spoilers are unavoidable. Like I said on the title, it's one of the most misunderstood fictional works and that's because the storytelling and flow of events are messy and chaotic. The main message is that of the main story; the difference between an artist who likes stable and everlasting art, and another one who admires and respects change and evolution, whether it is good or bad for the art itself. How different a work of art can be, if the artist's mindset and viewpoints are different as well. And it's not just about painters; it's about any human's approach on life. The way the plot point is expressed is tricky and full of metaphors, but it leads to something pretty simple. Nevertheless, Cossette no Shouzou has many other things to share with the viewer. One of those is woman's endless suffering, in all periods and eras of humanity. If you think about it, it's another tragic story with a bad ending for a female human, and the fact that Cossette's soul is enslaved for so long in the world she had already died is just a result of all the malevolent energy created by suffering and unfairness. Eiri, on the other hand, is also the victim here; he's the "good" kind of guy, who feels for the girl and tries to protect her. Traumatized and ignorant, Cossette will not accept him and will torture him until she is satisfied. But since there are heavy tones of romanticism in this work, it is implied that a positive attitude is praiseworthy and will prevail. This is something I really liked, and it was clearly shown by Mataki's last line as well.


To end this review, the main reason I'm writing it is because I watched this anime OVA yesterday and it can't leave my mind yet. Its music, its visuals, its atmosphere. That's because of the great work studio Daume made back in 2004 and the beautiful, haunting, short artsy trip it took me to. It's very rare for an anime to stay stuck on my mind, and it is one more reason to consider this anime a big success. It's far from perfect - even its french name is wrongly written - but at least it does not try to achieve perfection and it shows it is fine having some flaws. Big respect to the staff!

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS AND I SUGGEST YOU READ IT AFTER COMPLETING MONSTER. The tl;dr section at the end of my review is spoiler-free.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Naoki Urasawa's Monster is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most famous Japanese works of fiction ever created. Its captivating premise, along with the amazing directing done by Madhouse, make it one of the most interesting and addictive series to watch; loved and respected by most anime and non-anime enthusiasts. 74 episodes are usually hard to finish without getting bored at times, but when it comes to Monster, it is the kind of story that will make you sit on your ... desk for hours, hypnotized, always excited to figure out what follows up. Today I decided to write this review to analyze both the pros and cons of the show, and trust me, there's a lot to be mentioned about what's exceptional, passable, or badly written.


The story begins at a hospital in Düsseldorf, with our protagonist Dr. Kenzo Tenma as Head of Neurosurgery. It all starts with a dilemma, which plays an important role throughout the series; the hospital director asks him to operate on a famous opera singer instead of a Turkish man who came earlier. He saves the singer, but the Turkish man dies. Then Tenma asks himself; are all lives equal? Should there be priority in choosing who is saved first – who lives and who dies? Monster introduces a world of corruption, egoism, and racial discrimination. Tenma decides to refrain from this mindset and chooses to save a child’s life instead of the mayor’s, who came later at the hospital. At that time, he was judged unfairly and his life changed dramatically. Nine years later, he sees the kid from that day, shooting his patient, Adolf Junkers, in front of his eyes. After this thrilling start, knowing that the kid is now a serial killer and responsible for many murder cases, Tenma decides to leave on a journey to save people’s lives. Not by surgery, but by killing him; Johan, the “monster”.


The journey lasts long, and it is like a new life to Dr. Tenma. Moving from town to town, he meets various people under different circumstances, interacting and developing short relationships with them, and that’s one of the most beautiful things this show has to offer. Tenma meets an army veteran, a thief, kids, detectives, lawyers, doctors... Everyone has their story and, in my opinion, Urasawa’s strongest skill is making the audience feel for them, like them and understand how their personalities were built. At the same time, Tenma makes friends, builds his own personality and moves on with his life. Some of his friends follow him on his journey and he has good company and people who support him - but the first thing he always thinks about, is his plan to assassinate Johan.


Besides Tenma, there is also Anna/Nina, Johan’s twin sister who – long story short – has been brainwashed and had lost her childhood memories after “that” certain incident. Anna also pursues Johan, and she is the third main character. Tenma and Anna not only meet people in their journeys, but they also face criminals of the underworld, political leaders, mafias, and corrupt people in general. That’s another big positive characteristic Monster has; it is full of terrifying yet realistic stories about the 20th century, like the German Neo-Nazis, the Czechoslovakian secret police, illegal experiments done in certain facilities, and people who’d do anything to gain fame and power.


Before proceeding into some things that bothered me, I want to give credits to some of the supporting cast which, like I said before, I found amazing. To me, Eva Heinemann is one of the best-written female characters I’ve seen in an anime series. Regretting her actions and unable to face the harsh reality – Kenzo’s rejection – she loses hope and becomes an alcoholic, almost psychotic woman. She tries to find a husband like Kenzo but fails, leading her to get divorced thrice and never trust a man again. Even if she says she wants him to suffer because he ruined her life, deep inside she wishes him the best and she desperately wants to get close to him again. Her actions might make her hateable, but her character is not to be hated.


Wolfgang Grimmer is an adorable character as well; that’s a quite popular opinion so I will not say much about him. The supporting character that personally moved me more than it was expected was Dr. Schumann, who, even if his arc lasted for a few episodes, had a touching story and great character development. Of course, other characters like Reichwein, Lunge, Rosso, Dieter, Martin Reest and Maurer were written with care and I enjoyed watching them in action.


As far as all these things I’ve mentioned above are concerned, Monster can already be considered a successful anime, since most of its short stories/arcs are more than good, the supporting cast is rich and it depicts reality from many different aspects. However, Monster’s format is not episodic and it is clear – at least to me – that the center of attention is Tenma’s and the twins’ story and character development. Which means that a main story exists, and it is more important than the side ones. Unfortunately, there are some people like me who can’t be fully satisfied by works of fiction that leave question marks or use plot conveniences for the story to proceed. This is the main reason Monster cannot become one of my favourite anime no matter how much I enjoyed watching it.


If you haven’t yet understood what I am talking about, you’re going to find out in the next paragraphs. Firstly, let’s start from Johan’s character/personality and the events that led to its creation. Johan was a twin whose sister was forced to endure a dreadful human experiment, the “Eugenics Experiment”, set up by members of the Czechoslovakian secret police. When his sister returned home after the experiment was complete, she was in a shock and told Johan multiple times what she went through. Feeling guilt and compassion towards his sister, kid Johan felt as if he was the one who went through all this, and he had a false memory that he was the victim until he grew up. After they become orphans, Johan is separated from his sister and is placed in 511 Kinderheim, an experimental orphanage in East Germany whose purpose was to create soldiers without emotions. By that time, Johan had already started creating his nihilistic personality and was supposedly “too good” for the experiments. Eventually, he got bored and using their power of hatred he decided to make all the members of the orphanage kill each other, children and instructors included. He was just sitting on a chair, watching them all kill each other, and it was never explained how he managed to do something like this. Am I the only one that needs further explanations? There are much more unexplained things to be mentioned.


When Johan killed the people from the hospital, it is implied that he poisoned the candies with deadly chemicals. Okay, let’s say 10-year-old ingenious Johan did this and that it was just a hyperbole. But what about what comes after that? He lured Junkers, the lockpicker, to an abandoned building along with Tenma, the first time he was seen as an adult. He killed many people throughout the series with candies / whisky bonbons and planned everything perfectly. How he did it remains unknown. At the age of 15, he became well-known in the German underworld and by the age of 19 he was able to use almost any criminal under his command. German Neo-Nazis even wanted him to become the second Hitler. Still, we never saw how he acted in front of high-ranked people of the underworld, or how he made all these people see he is so ridiculously charismatic. It’s a super rare and special occasion, yet we know nothing about how he achieved such high status and power. It is shown in an episode how Johan inspired criminals to kill certain people just by writing their names in a park, and it almost seemed funny. On the other hand, we have random events occurring like him wanting to get his sister when she turned 20. Many events like this one are happening just because the kids have grown up, their minds are more mature and skillful and it is “time” for some action. That’s not so important, though.


What really is important is Anna’s character writing and how she is used as a plot device. The fact that after “that” incident, she got amnesia as a defensive mechanism is logical and possible to happen after such a large shock. On the other hand, Urasawa decided to keep using her character to move the plot forward, just by making her remember things. Normally, there wouldn’t be a problem with this, if only the things she remembered were… let’s say, less convenient. I love the concept of writing a story and letting the story itself tell you where it “wants” to go, like Urasawa has said before, but in this case he is not doing it well. Since the early arcs and since Urasawa hadn’t mentioned the Red Rose Mansion, Franz Bonaparta or some incidents revealed later in the story, Anna would be able only to remember things that help that current arc’s story proceed and she remembered nothing about other incidents. The reason is simple, and it’s because he was not sure what would happen next. Later, in the Czech arc for example, she remembers everything we need to learn about her past and the Czech arc, and so on.


Talking about plot devices, the fact that everyone gathers in the same place so often is worth mentioning. There are so many towns and cities in the world, yet just for the story to go on, it is not rare in Monster for characters to meet each other randomly at a certain place. Tenma, Johan and Anna happened to be in Prague at the same time, with Lunge being there for “vacations” too. Or in Ruhenheim, everyone decided to go there via different clues, at the same day… Unbelievable, isn’t it? It’s something that won’t turn off most watchers, including me, but it is not the best thing in terms of writing. Well, at least we get to see many different cities and cultural references, which is respectable, but maybe there could be another way to move from city to city.


Another point to be made is that there are multiple times in the series when massacre happens as if it’s nothing. The incidents in 511 Kinderheim, the Red Rose Mansion, Ruhenheim. The Red Rose incident made more sense, since people were poisoned at the same time, but the others were too unrealistic to be true. Thinking about Ruhenheim arc, I found it very underwhelming for a finale. There were a lot of things to be explained and we were finally about to discover more about Johan’s personality and past, but the only thing that happened in the end was a massacre and Johan plotting his death. There were many metaphors, Tenma’s arc ended perfectly, Grimmer’s end was beautiful too. But what about Roberto and Lunge’s fight and how Roberto killed Bonaparta afterwards in a zombie form? Some parts in this arc are questionable.


When it comes to Roberto, a huge plot convenience was his survival after getting shot twice by Tenma. But there’s a good reason this happened and it was really important for Tenma’s amazing character development. He believed he had killed Roberto, so he accepted he was now a criminal and lost faith in himself as a doctor and as an ethical person. In prison, when he saw him as his lawyer he was terrified, but at the same time relieved that he had not killed anyone. That’s when Tenma was filled with hope again and that was a good way to show that his soul is and will always be kind, innocent and good-willed. Of course, this was totally confirmed when he decided to operate on Johan for a second time, after all this time he was pursuing him, after all these sacrifices he had made just to kill him. A person’s soul will most likely remain the same no matter what.


Lastly, I want to write about Johan. In the end, Johan’s character was apparently fully nihilistic, he lacked emotion to a great extent and did not find meaning in life. He liked playing with luck and let it decide whether he would live or die, he toyed with people’s lives and he felt nothing when others died. To me, Johan’s mental disorder, his way of living and the lack of explanation concerning how he managed to achieve so many in his life, make him far from a great villain, but an interesting character nonetheless.


Before closing the review, I must praise Madhouse for the artistic approach of Monster, once again; directing, art, animation, soundtrack, voice acting – all of them were good. I disagree with most people who complain about the pacing because I found it great. I loved the aesthetics, the inserted soundtrack, the opening and ending songs. They all created a breathtaking atmosphere. Hidenobu Kiuchi, Isobe Tsutomu and Koyama Mami and more performed amazingly too, as voice actors.


To sum up, Monster deserves to be highly rated like it is, though it is far from a perfect work of fiction in my point of view. The themes it tackles, the atmosphere it creates, the realistic approaches, the character development, the side characters, the mini arcs, the mystery; all of them make Monster a must-watch for every anime fan. It is an enjoyable experience, it makes you think and even teaches you things, but the flaws are there as well and unfortunately, they affect the main story.


To the heroes who made it here, thank you for reading. I appreciate it!


TL;DR

Story – 5.5+/10: Even if it was intriguing for the most part and there was suspense and realism, the main story had plot devices, exaggerations and minor plot holes. This is the reason Monster’s plot and the series overall is not 8/10 to me, as it could have been.

Story – 22/40: Even if it was intriguing for the most part and there was suspense and realism, the main story had plot devices, exaggerations and minor plot holes. This is the reason Monster’s plot and the series overall is not 80/100 to me, as it could have been.

Art – 9/10 : As simplistic as it might have been, it was beautiful and fit the themes perfectly.

Sound – 7.5/10: Most soundtracks were a great fit to the atmosphere.

Character – Main characters: 11/20 (Tenma 6/7, Johan 4/7, Anna 1/6) | Side characters: 9/10

Enjoyment – 7.5/10: Although it was 9/10 for the most part, the last episodes had a negative effect.

Overall – 66/100: The plot always plays the most important role to me, and if some things were different and given more detail towards the end, like I said, I could give Monster a 80/100

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Before I start with my review, I want to congratulate ufotable for their wise choice. By making an anime adaptation of Kimetsu no Yaiba, the studio gained:
-a big audience of anime newbies who get surprised by great animation and overlook bad writing
-an even bigger audience of teenagers who enjoy well-animated fights and drama, even if it is nonsensical and forced
-reputation
-money

Not that it is important - because we are the minority - but ufotable lost us fans who look for more than that in a TV series. We want a plot that takes itself seriously and a good character writing. Animation comes second ... and always will, if we are not satisfied by these two. I'm writing this review for this kind of people, and I'm about to point out most of what went wrong in Yuukaku-Hen. Enjoy your read!

Ufotable did it again. After an amazing Mugen Train arc of shallow writing, the studio most of us love from Kara no Kyoukai and Fate/Zero continued their work on Kimetsu no Yaiba; a.k.a. the worst shounen anime I've ever watched, in terms of writing. The animation was great, but everything else was far from good. Yuki Kajiura didn't care to make a great soundtrack like she always does - this time she knew how bad this season is. Even the voice acting was annoying at times, with demons screaming and acting like psychopaths for the sake of making us hate them more. But there's much more than that to comment.

At first, Yuukaku-Hen starts with the introduction of Tengen Uzui; a Hashira with a flashy appearance who, let's say, slaps an underage girl's butt in the first scene. He also has three wives, and that's because Kimetsu takes place in the Taisho period, but it is clear that this anime uses polygamy as a way to promote a character's "badassery" and give more fan service to the audience. The wives are just there with their "hot" character designs, forgettable and with just a small, low effort backstory. Excuse me, but this kind of fan service is one of the things that encourage me to give this show a 1/10 even if I like ufotable's animation.

Tanjiro has some development and we get to know more about the Sun Breathing technique - though some things don't make sense. Inousuke is being Inousuke, and Zenitsu, thank god, stops screaming because he is sleeping for the most part of the arc. The villains in this season are two problematic demons; the one has inferiority complex and seeks power to feel better, while the other one is an insane sadist who enjoys making people suffer. Don't be surprised if you see characters fighting while sleeping, turning their opponent's attacks into music sheets, stopping their hearts temporarily by moving their blood elsewhere or getting out of others' bodies. I'm not kidding, it's possible that some of these might happen in a Kimetsu no Yaiba arc.

Anyway, these 12 episodes are just a task our protagonists have to do; to defeat two demons who dominate the "Entertainment district'. You might see some comedic elements, most of them being repetitive and cliché, and when things get serious you will see a long, well-animated, hardcore fight to death with lots of contrived plot twists and nonsensical badassery. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? It's like a Dragon Ball Z movie.

Well, there's Aimer doing a fine job with the opening and ending songs. The OP song is experimental for Aimer and not a typical song of hers, but it's surprisingly catchy. The ED song has vibes like LiSA's ED from season 1. The inserted soundtrack is composed by Shiina Go and Yuki Kajiura, like in the previous seasons. It looks like Yuki Kajiura is not putting much effort this time and, to me, it sounds worse than before.

So even the soundtrack isn't that special this time, which makes the animation the only noteworthy thing Yuukaku-Hen has to offer. The prevailing colours are red, purple and brown. They mix well in fights and they can be spectacular at times. Sadly, the character designs don't help and worsen the optical experience, and well, there's the terrible storytelling and the crazy villain's screaming that may turn some of the audience off even in those eye-catching bad written fights.

In the end, I don't want to make people unlike Kimetsu and I respect different opinions, but guys, if you're here for something more than supposedly badass good-looking fights, you're not going to have fun. It's just friendly advice with no hate towards anyone, and I'm only noting some of the things that annoyed me and made me dislike this anime so much. For the fans, I'm wishing with all my heart that you're having fun watching this show, and to those who understand me, this review is just a brofist to you guys. You're not alone here.

Let's hope for great things from ufotable on Mahoutsukai no Yoru and their next works. Thank you for reading!

(MY REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Following its 2019 TV debut, Lord El-Melloi II Case Files is back to surprise us with a Christmas special episode / short movie. It's not about the festive day itself; it's more of a Christmas gift to Type-Moon fans. So if you're reading this and are not fond of the Type Moon universe / Nasuverse or do not really care about Waver and the Clock Tower, don't bother watching this amazing episode. On the other hand, fellow FZ and KnK fans... have fun!

The story unfolds in the Clock Tower and has a strong nostalgic vibe. Not in the same fashion as ... the TV series - this time, Waver literally wakes up finding himself in the body he had at the Holy Grail War. There are one or two more reasons (that I don't want to spoil) this episode has this vibe but besides that, the mini arc's structure is familiar to us; it has a villain who uses Magecraft to achieve a goal, backstories, character interactions at the Clock Tower (Waver, his students, Reines, Gray etc) and of course, Waver solving the case and explaining the "whydunit". There is also something that took me aback and made me enjoy the experience even more; but if I mention it, it won't be a surprise for you!

The aura and atmosphere are sometimes melancholic and sometimes hopeful; the main idea and Waver's philosophical aspects radiate a feeling of hope and support that striving for the best is an honourable way of living, even when life gets hard. Like in most Type Moon works, in this episode there are many magicians who have taken the wrong road. Some of those are Kayneth's ex-students and Waver's former classmates we knew nothing about, so there is lore and information about new characters from the Clock Tower.

I don't know what to say about the soundtrack - Yuki Kajiura is my favourite composer, and once again she is exceptional here. The ending song sung by ASCA once again is, this time, a different version of the original opening with added lyrics and trust me, it is the icing on the cake. But besides that, there was the perfect music inserted throughout the movie too. The music, combined with the direction, pacing, dialogues and aura I've mentioned before, are enough to make the experience a blast.

To conclude, I've witten this review just to express my satisfaction over a short project like that, and ensure you that watching it will be a great experience. That's the reason I'm writing this simple and informal review, because I'm sure some of you will understand me or want to read a review like this one as well. I want to express my congratulations to Studio TROYCA's work, and I hope this was not the last Lord El-Melloi II Case Files anime to air. We want more!

Thanks for reading.

Perfection is and will always be subjective; but to me, the beginning of Ousama Ranking is pure perfection. That’s the reason I’ve written my first preliminary review, just to tell you guys and to remember how amazing my first experience with Ousama Ranking was. Please note that my score may change in the future, but I am reviewing episodes 1 to 6 – and it’s a solid 10.

For starters, let me make it clear; Ousama Ranking takes place in a medieval looking world and looks like a fairytale. It is full of colour; green, blue, yellow, light brown. I think it’s adorable-looking and what we’d ... call the epitome of wholesomeness. That’s the reason some people compare it to Disney or Studio Ghibli – not me, anyway. To me, it’s a unique story with a unique execution, so far. It also has its dark side and there are always uncomfortable events happening, hindering the protagonists’ journey. I cannot describe the way evil is portrayed in this anime - the use of evil figures is mysterious, and there are always good-willed people that end up making evil deeds as well. But what makes this fairytale special is the feeling of hope it radiates, as well as assurance that there will be joy, love and positive or meaningful outcomes as the story proceeds.
Episodes 4-6 were darker and focused mostly on the world build up, which was something totally different from your average anime series. Until now, the story is full of morals and beautiful metaphors. The fantasy, as well as the emotional impact this anime succeeds in making always amaze the watcher. There's no doubt this show is special, its early near-9 mean score says it all.

The following paragraph contains some minor spoilers about the story and it is not really important in my opinion – unless you want to know some basic things that happen in the first episodes, I suggest you’d skip it.
With a powerful and emotional start that even made me cry at times, Bojji’s journey to becoming the king begins. Bojji is a kind-hearted child, but there’s something that makes his life harder; he’s deaf and incapable of speaking clearly. He is one of the two sons of the kingdom’s king, who is seriously ill. His little brother, Daida, does not believe in him and acts egoistically, looking for ways to sabotage Bojji and become the next king. Almost nobody believes in Bojji, but fortunately, he is not alone. He has made a new friend; Kage, who is a small black, mysterious creature with an interesting backstory I am not going to spoil. As the story proceeds, it is clearly seen that many characters such as Daida, his mother, Bebin, Domas are deeper than they seem and hide a side that's not easy to be seen from the first episode. This kind of character writing is written with care and uses an effective technique to make the audience excited with plot twists unexpected turns of events. But like I said, this paragraph was not important because you can’t feel Wit studio’s great execution just by reading about it.

The soundtrack deserves to be mentioned too, especially the OP and ED songs. The famous Japanese band King Gnu, who are one of the most popular j-bands out there due to their huge success with Hakujitsu, return to anime after their debut on Banana Fish (2018). Their OP is great here, but yama’s heartwarming ED is even more amazing to me; the song fits the anime so well that it makes the end of the episode even more emotional.

To summarize Ousama Ranking’s introduction, I’m already convinced this is going to be an unforgettable anime. Even if it is set in a fantastic world, its morals are touching and important for our 21st century society which, at times, may not be as developed as it should be. So, have a seat and enjoy Bojji’s journey until the end. You will definitely love that little boy and his story.