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Jul 7, 2024
Regarding what I said about my review of the first half of the second season: I gave it a 9/10 and said that might change depending on what happens with the next part of the series. Well… it sadly didn’t. Because as somebody who read the manga, I can tell you they left out SO much. Entire chapters worth of content. Though minor in some ways, they’re major in others which included total removal of at least one character while completely ignoring much content of the newer ones that actually arrived: Isaac’s relationship with Rian, Philomela’s relation with Veronica, Lizbeth’s relation with Adam, Adam’s relation
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with Iris and so many more. The lore of magic and alchemy also gets skimmed over in some ways.
I know that anime isn’t meant to be a 100% page by page recreation of the original manga but I just don’t get some of the decisions they went with by excluding or shortening the source material. It’s not a terrible detraction or anything and you can still enjoy it well enough but I really feel these tinier moments have huge value that when piled together would only strengthen the series.
Regardless, a 9/10 for this half of the season as much as the first is still a good score. I found the change of pace for a school setting to be nice. It's just different from the way things went in the first season. That's really it. It didn't detract or come out of nowhere, for me, and I don't understand any real reason why it seems to be a detriment in other people's viewpoints. It was great to see how much Chise has grown since the first season and gotten more friends like she really deserves given how she never fit in before. Though I still wish their relationships and stories were explained better as I said above. This season still incorporated many lesser known magical creatures like the first and still showed how deadly and dark the fantasy of various folklore can be. It's still a dark fantasy even if the setting is different and I am glad to have seen it all.
The magic of The Ancient Magus’ Bride hasn’t faded for me and I’m eager to see what happens next in the story for both the manga and the anime. Once again, forever grateful to somebody who introduced me to it. Because it’s been a wonderful journey since the very start. :D
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 14, 2023
At the start, I was really confused and concerned about how it deviated from the manga in one regard then completing skimming over things or entirely removing them. For the first third of the season, I was worried we’d get something that made so many bad changes like with Promised Neverland, Tokyo Ghoul or Rosario + Vampire. Thankfully it’s nowhere near as bad as those changes. It’s also not like Fullmetal Alchemist’s first version of its anime adaptation or Soul Eater that went a different direction to be more of its own thing but I really feel the series would have benefited by including all
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the small details of things with characters and their interactions with each other or themes and the type of world they’re in. The tiny pieces would honestly add up in the long run. Even though it definitely went a different direction compared to season 1, I really don’t believe it’s anywhere near as drastic as some people have said nor is it really less compared to the first season. I still love it as much as I did before. Could it have been better by having the stuff from the manga included? Absolutely. Does it deserve all the nitpicking? I don’t believe so. And despite this being called the second season, there's a part 2 of that's been conformed but it’s also coming out this October. So fortunately I won’t need to wait nearly as long as we did for when the first season ended back in 2018. I give this season a 9/10 but that could change to be a full 10/10 like the first season, depending on what happens with the next part since I’m going to count that as much a part of this season as I count this season itself as part of the overall series.
EDIT: My opinion didn't make this go from a 9/10 to a 10/10 when I saw the second half of this season to the anime but not for any bad reason, in particular. Go and see that review to understand more, if you would.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 14, 2023
What a splendid time, this was. My favorite anime/manga of all time now. And I owe it all to a friend of mine who introduced me to it. I love it so much I've bought every manga volume up to date as of now, every volume of not one but two of the spin-off manga, the two light novels and I've got the entire first season as well as the OVA's on Blu-Ray. I'm totally gonna see this entire series through to the end because of how beautiful it is, both visually and narratively.
Realistically, Chise is at the breaking point and lowest form of depression
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that she's just one step away from suicide. It's no wonder she does something like sell herself off as property given she feels her life is worthless. All because she has the power to see magical creatures (fae beings) when almost nobody else can. One of them purchases her yet he never once treats her like property and actually welcomes her into his home to teach her how to use magic but also hoping that one day they can be a couple. Elias does this at first for his own benefit but he himself grows as well, over time. Chise and Elias are teacher and student to each other with Elias teaching Chise magic and Chise teaching Elias more about humanity and having emotions when the time is right.
It's not just through Elias that Chise grows, too. By meeting brand new people not at all from her own life? She can get a fresh start and connect with people MUCH easier which doesn't just help her grow, it helps us learn more about the stories of others who have mostly interacted with fae beings too, whether they realize it or not.
And it's not just the positive emotions though. The negative ones play a good role in this as well, showing how growth can come from it as well but also show how sometimes we need to be careful with them and whatever actions they fuel. Not only does it show good quality of the emotions, both positive and negative, there's some real mystery with the plot as much as the fae. We're guided through a great journey with these characters and the world they're in from start to finish.
This series is so well crafted not just with a well paced story with good drama, believable characters with many having depth, some being complex and all around having various forms of enjoyability, this series has a fun sound track and good animation as well. It's easy for anyone with a heart to get drawn in, which I believe is one of the reasons it's so beloved. This anime has such great value, not just because this feels like something I myself would write, but because I feel it's an exemplary way to appeal to a general audience.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 14, 2021
Shirayuki (A clever way of saying "Snow White" given the meaning of such a name) is beautiful not just on the outside but even more so on the inside, which is the truest form of beauty. And it shows not simply from her good natured soul but also with her resolve to see things through and demonstrate courage when facing many trials, virtually all of them she overcomes on her own. Nothing is easy for her but it's not unbelievable how she succeeds because it's a properly leveled challenge. Such a thing gives me full reason to believe why she's beloved. A simple yet honest
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and kind soul is rare in the real world, let alone in a fictional story, and is something I always smile at because it's enjoyable to me. Of course even with such positive traits, others frown upon her either because of that since they're too cynical or because of her social status because their own higher social status makes them pompous. It's why she's not entirely beloved by everyone. Some people are just that cruel and the opposite of her. It takes two kinds, as they say. Seeing her put those people in their place is cathartic and also inspiring though, which only adds to the enjoyment of Shirayuki and her story. I also like how they establish her red hair being so unique because it's likely a reference to how red hair is a rare color in Japan, even more than blonde hair. Not only that but how red symbolizes fate, a recurring theme throughout this anime that works well with my thoughts as listed below.
They don't rush anything for the plot and that's a good thing. These moments loosely tying together for Shirayuki's story go at a steady pace like a pleasant river through a serene forest, giving me content from start to finish but have moments of suspense or times to tug at my heartstrings when it's most fitting. It's all about star crossed lovers (one of my favorite things in writing) but takes the proper amount of time to establish their relationship. Just as Shirayuki grows from meeting Zen, the second Prince of the kingdom neighboring the one she lived most of her life, Zen changes for the better by becoming more assertive and driven because of Shirayuki inspiring him. Because even though he's had a life of luxury, it's never provided him the joy he's truly wanted without known deep inside. One of the many reasons he and Shirayuki work so well: one is a commoner who is content with her simple but honest life and never feels she needs more and while Zen has everything luxury has to offer, it's never something that's truly brought him joy. The time Shirayuki gets to join the Wistalia court as an herbalist made me happy too since not only does Shirayuki have pre-established skill as one, she has moments to be with Zen even more. Life continues getting more difficult because of other people's opinions on a relation between them but that won't sway them because they only need one another. Besides, conformity is dead anyway.
Besides the two main leads though, the side characters such as Mitsuhide, Kiki, Ryuu, Garack and even Kiharu are all good for their moments and all have distinct personalities that never have too much or too little screen time. Then there's the character of Izana. At first it seems as though he'll become an antagonist. Perhaps later down the line but I can't say for certain. He was more of an obstacle and observer who is only intervening when feeling like it so we'll see him again. Raji was more of an antagonist but even then he wasn't a one-off character. He even has a moment that could possibly lead to redemption.
So yes. Both of these characters have emotional problems and social ones that are affecting them but together they overcome it. To some people this may seem boring but the kind of story that Akagami no Shirayuki-hime has a specific target audience in mind. I'm part of that because I am a hopeless romantic that enjoys tender interactions between characters. It won't be for everyone but a story like this is wholesome warmth that is a fun time to experience. Magical is a good way to describe it, in my opinion. And when I get to the second season, I'm confident I'll love it just as much as this, perhaps even more.
It subverts or alters many things of the shojo genre for the better. While that's not always necessary since what honestly matters is the delivery and execution, this story has bypassed the normally seen writing formulas in an effective way. Akizuki Sorata is the reason this anime exists and it has been a wonderful time for me to view in anime form. I want to read the manga itself now because if this is faithful to her work, then she knows how to make a good story. It's not something everyone will get into but it's a story that's got as much substance as it does style for those that enjoy these types of stories. Because it doesn't just adapt a classic fairy tale. It expands upon it to create a work of art.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Oct 26, 2019
This anime has its fair share of fan service. And even though I'm a heterosexual romantic male, the moments showing well built muscles of young adult men or them wearing only swimsuits while their bodies glisten with the droplets of water on their exposed skin doesn't make me uncomfortable in the slightest. Not just because the fan service is extremely mild and super contained compared to other anime but because even with my orientation, I'm not bothered.
As for the anime itself, I fully enjoyed the characters and the story. Sports in real life isn't my thing so stories that are about them don't normally catch
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my interest. This is one of those moments where I can invest myself with the entertainment because of how everything is executed from the first episode all the way to the last. One of the most well done parts of Free! isn't just because of the emotional impact it makes me feel from the various positive and negative emotions that are well delivered and properly paced but also because it does something that can be nearly impossible to pull off in a story: It manages to make a significant and detailed plot that doesn't feature an antagonist. At least not in the traditional sense of the word where there is a character who goes up against the protagonist.
I relate to Haruka because he doesn't have any major goal. He wants to do the thing he loves only because he enjoys it and feels no obligations, rules or authority while doing it. I truly wish to be like that. To do it because I enjoy and not having to worry about being limited in some way.
Makoto seems like a person I could really get along with and be friends with IRL. His loyalty and care makes him like a brother I wish I had and learning of his backstory made me like him even more because of how much he will put aside his own personal issues to help the ones he cares about.
Nagisa is also somebody I would love to be friends with. His upbeat, optimistic and playful personality makes me smile and he never goes too far into being immature with his passionate elation. Plus he might be the funniest out of the main cast. He's as essential as the rest of the group and having him not be part of it would seem like something is incomplete.
Rei was definitely a character I enjoyed the most with his growth as a person (even though character development isn't actually necessary, contrary to popular belief) and I feel we need more characters like him: starting off intellectual without being too snobbish or cruel and at first feel "just because I read something or studied it, that means I fully understand it" but later realizes studying alone does NOT always make you good enough or able to fully understand something. Hands on experience is almost always as necessary and more than half the time is actually the best way to learn.
As for Rin, I had a strong feeling his behavior throughout most of the series being different from how we see him in the first episode was going to be explained at the right time. And it was. It was as well done as the presentation and helped show how "the neutral character arc" plays a good part in storytelling as much as the "positive and negative" versions do. He also had an understandable reason for his words and actions that really brought the drama up with how it affected him and everybody else.
Currently as of when I'm writing this, Free! is the only sports anime I've ever seen but I'm not entirely positive if I will ever find one as high quality enjoyable as I have this one. In time I will see how the rest of the series progresses. All in all, this was more than worth my time and I hope others can enjoy the moments of tugging at heartstrings as much as I did.
9 out 10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 8, 2019
Horror can be difficult to handle in any genre, not just manga/anime. While I initially thought this was going to be horror based after the twist of the end to the first episode, it went far more into psychological territory even if the horror is still there. Despite the main characters being children, that doesn't mean they can't be intelligent (after all, physical age does NOT equal intelligence or emotional control or else every child/adult would be the exact same with those)
Along with giving ominous mental tension, the pacing is careful, reflecting how Emma, Ray and Norman are about trying to handle the situation they're
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in and it only ups the ante every other episode or so to show the fear but also determination. Mostly with Emma but Norman is supportive and Ray, while skeptical, does help. Emma is my personal favorite due to her high morale compass but also because of how she isn't too naive along with showing maturity at letting her personal bias go later on for realizing she can't have things go her way entirely or else it jeopardizes her life along with others.
The main villain, Isabella, is a rare type of villain: A necessary evil. One who does what they do only because they serve important purposes and need to be kept alive despite their evil deeds. They MUST live and do what they do or something terrible will happen. If she doesn't, the children in this story will have nothing good happen to them at all and their lives will be quickly lost. She also has no other way out given the state of the world. It doesn't justify what she does at all and I don't like her as a person. However in terms of villainy, she was well written. Her actions were not justifiable but they were understandable.
If I had to pick some problems, it would be Emma and Norman being able to hide from danger in an illogical way in the first episode without ever showing any on screen reason as to how or why they did. Sister Krone introduced later on seemed to be more of a plot device to inform the main three characters of the truth behind the world beyond what they believed they know but she still behaved and did things that made her seem three dimensional. It was also interesting to see that despite her knowing as much as Isabella, they were still against each other personally with their own agendas. An "Evil vs Evil" situation blending well.
Little by little there are more twists and moments my heartstrings are tugged at either from drama or high amounts of emotion whether negative or positive. Things build up more over time and the conclusion was satisfactory but showing the story being far from over has prepared me for what comes next. I'll wait for however long it takes so that the writer has time to use as much clever writing in it as they have with this. The pacing, psyche, drama and much more are all top notch with only a few very minor issues vastly outweighed by all the good stuff. It may not be perfect but it's still finely crafted and shows not all stories need to be action packed to be well written. Highly recommend you see for yourself if you want to see (What I consider, at least) a good suspense story. It kept me on my seat all the time and it never lost my attention with the numerous surprises it threw at me.
If you don't find it as high quality as I do? That's fine and I respect your different opinion. We don't have agree on everything in order to get along.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Nov 3, 2018
Story:
This is something that should be a recurring theme for all horror stories. Not just gore and jump scares for the sake of trying to frighten people. Horror should be unsettling and make you feel disturbed. That is exactly what this Manga does. It starts of at a slow and casual pace though I admit by the sixth or seventh chapter, I started wondering about the characters and why they weren't doing something about a certain moment that would have definitely gotten the public's attention. It wasn't until the next set of chapters that I realized they wouldn't have been able to do to certain
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other part of the ongoing plot. Most of each chapter is a short story of creepy yet creative themes and scary imagery that genuinely makes my skin crawl. Everything involves spirals in some way which can be found in animals, plants, inanimate objects and even with mundane things that involve spirals or things relating to causing spirals. I.E. Spinning, swirling, circling etc. and all of it do with a curse set upon the town of Kurozuo-Cho.
Art:
The style of this manga's art is fitting for the undertones of what terror you witness as the story progresses. It captures the moments where you see any of the shocking illustrations. The spirals were seen many times but remained fresh with the themes of whatever parts of the plot they were about and the creativity behind what they looked like as well as the symbolism was equally well written. The characters facial reactions or expressions were matching with the moments of whenever they're worried, afraid, saddened or losing their minds. All of it was pleasing to see even if I shuddered at some points.
Character:
All the cast might not be the strongest part but still necessary. If nothing else, they did respond to moments I feel would be correct for whatever dangers or challenges to their psyche they were faced with.
Kirie Goshima is the main character and is seen the most but what amazes me is how good she manages to stay throughout the series even when she's faced with difficult choices or dangerous situations. That's not an easy thing to accomplish and I commend her for staying sane through the whole story.
Her friend and main love interest Shuichi Saito is the first to be scarred by the events caused from the curse only because of who was placed under it and throughout the series might struggle the most while attempting to survive like Kirie. I feel if it weren't for her, he would have fallen victim much sooner.
Enjoyment:
Without spoiling too much, the way it ends may not be everyone's cup of tea but it didn't ruin the personal experience for myself. It just depends on the person, I feel. Whether or not you thought it was good, the entire journey is likely to make you anxious and perturbed if you're not somebody with nerves of steel.
Overall: 8/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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