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Would you think that a show whose first minute shows a guy eating his little sister’s underwear a good show? Of course not right? You would never think of it as a worthwhile show to watch. But having to see the rest of this series, my answer would be as ambiguous as this show can get. You see, this show has a lot of potential. But most of it gets overshadowed by the unnecessary tropes and fan service present in the show. It would have been a perfect drama/romance/slice of life anime if it weren’t for a few problems that this show possesses. To fill ... you in with the details, let’s start with the story.

The story revolves around our protagonist, Itsuki, and his daily life as a light novel author whose books involve incestuous themes of obsession to little sisters. Even though this series was supposed to be more romance oriented, I say that it exceled as a slice of life show. The show did well highlighting the life of a light novel author. From the struggles of writing a material and making it to the deadline up to the conflicts that arise between authors and the anime industry, these were all portrayed very well making it an excellent slice of life anime. Meanwhile, it also did well creating a whole dramatic atmosphere as the characters interact to each other. From the start, the relationship between characters are already well-built and all throughout the series, it shows how such relationships we’re made. It did in a very dramatic way the can surely deal impact on the viewers. The flashbacks that show how each and every single one of the characters met always left me with feeling of both sadness and amusement. This aspect of the show is what I admire the most. It is what kept me from continuing the show despite having some aspects that I can’t deal with that well. I’m talking about of course the tropes and fan service present in the show. To begin with, this series already follows the “imouto” trend that’s been going on for quite a while now. But what really took the cake when it comes to ruining this show was the fan service. From the female anatomy up to the simplest of dialogues, this series is not holding back. Just by looking at the first episode you’ll be greeted by an extremely weird incest fan service that would leave you wanting to drop this show immediately. But what really irritated me the most were the obligatory sex jokes on almost every line of one of the heroine’s dialogue. To me, it felt like these bad aspects of the show were overshadowing the good ones. These bad aspects were a bit more prominent during the first few episodes of the series. This might cause a lot of views to get turned off and drop the show instantly. Although halfway along the series, all the fan service gradually toned down and it focused more on being light-hearted show. Even the “imouto” romance that I thought this show would have was not present anymore. The last few episodes featured the characters just playing games almost the entire episode like you see in most slice of life anime. The bits of progression were still there and I don’t really have problems with those episodes because they are still entertaining nonetheless. The ending gave me a vague impression that this show will receive another season. If so, then that would be great and I would gladly watch it. So overall, I can say for that the story did a fair job in as an element of this show. It did its best to be different even though the concept of the story isn’t really something new. Although I say it would have been a lot better if all the unnecessary fan service and stereotypes were not present in the first place. But nonetheless, it’s still quite entertaining.

I can’t really go in-depth with the characters because I might end up leaving a few spoilers but to say for sure, the charm of this show comes from the characters. Despite looking quite generic, the characters are actually well written. Their relationship felt so real and heartwarming. Every interaction between them leaves you with a distinct smile. If there’s something worth-while from this show, it would be the characters.

When it comes to the art of this series, I can’t really say that I’m a fan of it. The art style is pretty much your run-of-the-mill stuff with more vibrant colors but lesser detail. But there’s the occasional bright and colorful background that was used in the show. It caught my attention the first time I saw it but then I don’t ever remember seeing it again. The character design made the characters look like teens while in reality, they are adults. Overall, I’d say the art is okay but really nothing impressive.

For the sound, this show really has some good opening and ending theme on it. Personally, I really liked the ending theme. Hearing it play at the end of every episode felt soothing. The opening also did a great job setting the tone of the show. For the soundtracks that play on the background, those that play during the lighter, more slice of life oriented scenes are the ones the caught my attention. So I’d say that the sound was pretty good.
In conclusion, I say this show is not that bad. If you look at the story and the characters alone, this is a perfect drama/romance/slice of life anime. Those that are capable of tolerating fan service and stereotypes are probably in for a ride but those who can’t are better off skipping this one. Although it has it fair share of elements that I don’t find amusing, I can’t say that I did not enjoy this show. If ever it will receive another season and I will probably give it a chance.

Overall score would be 7/10.

Thanks for reading.

Omnibus Format, is a type of story-telling that divides the whole series into multiple arcs each dedicated to a certain girl which the main characters gets a romantic relationship with. When an arc concludes, everything resets back to the beginning with an all new storyline and characters to follow. The most well-known series that features this kind of story-telling is Amagami SS which is pretty much the spiritual predecessor to our newest addition Seiren. Seiren, an original series made in collaboration with Studio Gakumi and Studio AXsiZ, aired this Spring 2017 is the newest series to feature omnibus format of story-telling. I personally think ... that Amagami SS is a good show so I was pretty hyped when Seiren was announced but honestly, it didn’t live up to my expectations. There were a lot of flaws that I’ve noticed all throughout the show. To explain further let’s just start the review.

Story
The story follows Shoichi Kamita as he develops relationship with different girls during high school. Each girl is dedicated to their own arc which follows a unique storyline. A single arc is composed of four episodes each and tells how the main character gets involved into that certain girl, how they developed their relationship and how they ended up in the future. Yeah you heard that right, all of that content in only four episodes. But that isn’t really the problem and even if that wasn’t the case, I’d still be bothered anyways. None of the storylines that the arcs followed are compelling or even interesting. Each of them has their own fair share of weirdness and cringe. And the conflicts that serves to brighten up the storyline makes little to no sense at all. Fan service is seemingly dominant and the amount of romantic scenes that can establish a concrete relationship between the characters is lacking. With regards to characters development, you can’t really expect much from a show that features an omnibus format of story-telling. Though I can tell, the character development is somewhat there but you can’t really feel it knowing that after the reset, all the connections between the viewers and the characters will all be lost anyways. Viewers who are new with omnibus format will probably encounter this problem but those who have watched similar shows firsthand will probably be fine with it. But beyond all of this, there’s something I’d like to point out and is something that I really praise from the show. Even if the arc that a character is dedicated to is already over, the characters still appear in considerable amount of screen time and throughout the following arc. They appear merely as supporting characters but with quite relevance with the storyline. This feels as if the characters are given a lot of importance. But I guess this is possible because Seiren is an original and not a visual novel adoption unlike other anime of the same league.

Characters
The main character of the show is just your typical beta mc that always blushes to whatever a girl does in front of her. There’s really no revealing trait to mention for the main character. He’s just your generic harem main character though I can’t really say that this show is a harem. So having a generic main character, it’s clear enough that the female characters should lead the show. The female characters are likable and appealing. Their character itself is just the right stuff to compensate what the main character lacked. As I mentioned, characters relationship in this show will come and go but not the characters themselves. There’s a really good set of supporting characters that really stood out to me during the whole show. They add up to the overall vibe of the show. So other than the main character, I don’t have any problem when it comes to the characters.

Art
There are some parts where the art shines and some parts it lacks. In general, the art is very vibrant. There are some notable parts where the animation will just blew you away. And the amount of detail is just right though a little bit more could have been better. The character designs are also quite attractive. It pretty much reminds me of Amagami SS. Though unlike Amagami SS, I’ve noticed there’s not enough distinction between the characters. All the female characters have similar hair and the facial expressions are pretty much the same with all the characters. It’s really hard to recognize a character at first glance. But this isn’t much of a problem and I let it slide all the time. And still, I can say I liked the art of this show.

Sound
There’s really not much to talk about when it comes to sounds. There’s really no memorable soundtrack that comes in mind when I think of it. The opening theme of the show is quite nice. The closing theme changes every arc. There’s nothing more to it that I’ve noticed other than these.

Overall, I don’t think Seiren is a bad show. Maybe I expected a lot more but there are really a lot of obvious flaws in this show. But I can’t say I didn’t enjoy this show. With all the laughs and weirdness this show offered to me, I say I enjoyed it quite a bit. So far, there are only three arcs featured in this show but it seems that there’s supposed to be more. If ever there will be a second season for this show, I’d give it another change.

“I realized that the ocean reaches far and wide. Perhaps this vast ocean might have something may have something my significant self doesn’t. I might be able to find my true self” –Teko
Every season, there will always be that one show that gets overlooked by a lot of viewers due to various reason. Amanchu is one of them. First of all, it is a slice of life anime, that alone is enough reason for a lot of people to overlook this show. It seems that a lot of slice of life anime nowadays are just about high school girls and drinking tea. Another reason is ... that people Amanchu doesn’t seem to appeal with a lot of viewers. Viewers tend to watch shows that they think are much better or those that are much impressing in their opinion. Honestly, at first I also thought twice on starting this anime knowing I might end up dropping it later on coupled with the fact I didn’t like SoL that much. But turns out, as I go pass a couple of episodes, I fell in love with the beauty that this show has to offer. This show is something much different than most SoL that I have watched. Before I dig even deeper, let me formally start the review.

Story
The story mainly focused on two of our main characters Hikari Kohinata (nicknamed “Pikari”) and Futaba Ooki (nicknamed “Teko”). Pikari is a very cheerful and energetic person who loves scuba diving while Teko is a shy and timid person who has a lot of problems concerning herself. On the start of their high school, Pikari dragged Teko into joining the diving club which triggers the start of this wonderful story about scuba diving and soul-searching. As I mentioned, this anime is about scuba diving which is something you won’t hear every day. Upon seeing this your initial reaction would be something along the lines of “sounds boring” or “sounds interestingly original”. But I’ll tell you right away that the beauty of this show is not from its aspects involving scuba diving. In fact, we were introduced to the scuba diving parts on the first few episodes only to be set aside midways and to reappear at the very end of the anime. Although the scuba diving aspect paved way to a very magnificent ending, still it doesn’t feel like it’s enough for a lot of people such as myself. For something that makes the anime unique or original is also something that is not emphasized so well. So now we’re thinking “If it’s not the scuba diving, what makes this anime good then?” Well, a while ago, I mentioned one of the main character as that type to faces a lot of personal problems, and I also mentioned the word “soul-searching”. This show is mainly about the characters and their relationship as they go through each other’s difficulties. Such difficulties that are too simple and too small and yet bares a very meaningful life lesson on its conclusion. Difficulties that makes you define who you are or what you want. This features are executed in a very relaxing and lighthearted manner that anyone could find it very sweet and adorable. This along with the atmosphere of the show reveals a very beautiful show that a lot of people would love only if they paid attention to it.

Art
Regarding the art, the character designs looks different from the typical look of a character. I don’t see it as something bad or something good although I can say it fits the atmosphere of the show. They also made use of some wacky faces in order to portray most comedic parts in which for me adds more vibe into the show. For me, the way the setting looked made the art stood out. The way they showcased the overall setting such as the ocean, pool and the beachside is something that is done right. This adds up to the overall beauty and atmosphere of the anime.

Sound
As you’d expect from a SoL anime, it made of use of relaxing and lighthearted music which fits very well with the show. It made use of rhythmic acoustic music on most part of the show which is very fitting for this kind of anime. But if I could point out which really stood out when it comes to the sound and music of the anime, it is the opening and the ending theme of the show. I loved both of them specially the opening which did a very good job in setting up the mood of the show.

Characters
As I mentioned, this anime is all about character relationship and interactions. Although it mainly focused on out two main characters, the show also features three more characters to mention. The siblings Ai Ninomiya and Makoto Ninomiya which are co-divers and are schoolmates of out two main characters and Mato Kotori which is the adviser of the diving club. All three of them were given a huge amount of screen time and importance. In short, these characters doesn’t feel like they were left out through the whole anime even if the focus is on our two main characters. Halfway through the show you’ll see a lot of interactions between this small cast of characters giving way for character development. Now speaking of character development, let’s talk about our two main characters Pikari and Teko. They are very dynamic and is the perfect representation of how SoL main characters should be. Through the course of twelve episode, both of them are well developed specially Teko. Character development is always important in every show and yet it is something that a lot of shows nowadays lacked. But Amanchu surprised for having such dynamic characters which lead me to say that this is a pretty good anime.

Overall, this show is a great watch. Though it saddened me that a lot of people overlooked this anime. I remember the sudden drop of viewers after the first episode. But yeah, I totally liked this anime and I would recommend it to anyone who is in need of a need SoL to watch. Thank you for reading.

Instant Bullet can be pretty edgy for a lot of people's taste but is worth the reading in one go. Let me explain furthermore.

The story is about our anti-hero main character named Kuro who hated the world so much to the point that he already wanted to destroy it. One Christmas Eve, he meets a girl and a mysterious creature which triggers the start of his journey as he tries to attain what he desired from the start. Right off the bat you'll notice how unique the story is and you'll get hooked as you continue seeing as to how many twist and turns there ... is that will be revealed. Even just after the second chapter this manga already blew my mind making me want to dig in further.

The characters can be either a strong point or a weak point of the manga depending on the reader's perspective. The main character is basically an anti-hero which is the type of character that a lot of viewers/reader like. But sometimes the main character turns away from his original beliefs making him a hero. This fact also applies with some of the remaining characters. At one time they are with the same side as the main character but next time you seen them they're already the enemy.

There's not much to say about the art. Though it generally look simple or normal, there's a lot of point where the art excels the dramatic parts and thus boosts the overall feel of the manga.

Overall this manga is pretty short and you can read at one go. I've pretty much enjoyed this manga because of it's never ending twists and some tear jerking turn of events. Even though its not the kind of manga that can be recommended to everyone, i really love it and made me want to make a review of it because i feel like it deserves a lot more attention.

Thanks for reading!

Note: This will be my very first anime review and i'm striving to give helpful reviews in the future. So if u happen to have any advice/correction/criticism, i'm pretty much open for it and i will be very thankful. Lets start!

Have you experience going pass through anime lists and other possible sources in hopes of finding a good anime to watch? Well i did recently and that was the time that i came across "Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterunda" or "Anthem of the Heart" which is the english title. I was captivated by it and tried to watch it as soon as i can. It turned out ... to be one of the most beautiful anime i' have ever seen.

The story starts off with a girl named Naruse whom as a child has accidentally seen his father commit adultery. Brought by being a child and that she didn't exactly know the true meaning of what she has seen, she cheerfully told his mother about it causing his family to get torn apart. Aside from that, Naruse got blamed for what have happened and that her talkativeness cause such events. In a midst of all that have happened, an egg fairy appears and curses Naruse so that she could never talk again. Naruse grew sad and silent. But one day, Naruse was chosen to be a member of the community outreach council and has to play a major role in their musical. And thus unfolds the journey of expressing herself once and for all.

Apart from Naruse, there are three more major characters that makes up the plot. The three concist of Sakagami, Takumi and Nitou and are the other members of the community outreach council. The three of the them already share a seemingly deep connection in the beginning. This connection causes various conflicts as they interact with the main character and thus affect the well being of the main character. But in the end, all of this conflicts get solved as the characters convey themselves which is beyond their capabilities to begin with.

When it comes to the art, it is generally beautifull and notably there are some part that used vivid colors and artistic fairytale-ish animations that adds up to the vibe of the anime.

The music played a major role in this anime. Its is the music that pretty much brought up the beauty of the whole anime. Naruse used music as a way to express her thoughts and feelings. The character's singing if just full of emotions that makes you shed a tear specially when it comes to Naruse. The soundtracks that play in the background are also remarkable and fits the mood of the anime.

Overall i enjoyed every second of the anime. Though i've noticed there are some important part that could have been portrayed better and a lot more dramatic, it didnt bother me much and didnt affect the enjoyment of the whole movie.

Thanks for Reading!