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“The feelings were still fresh as if it all just happened yesterday.”

5 Centimeters Per Second by Makoto Shinkai one of the most daring depictions of romance I have seen in anime. The romantic genre of anime is often formulaic for the purpose of leading to the ideal, expected ending. Of course, that just being the main two characters ending up together. Harems are usually the forefront of this, and while not all romance are generic, they often lack an amount of substance beyond just a quick, satisfactory romp. 5 Centimeters Per Second breaks this mold to depict a sort of romance that is overlooked, ... that being long distance relationships.

The film is divided into 3 parts, each showing the different stages of a love that disintegrates. The first part starts off like how most would perceive an anime romance. They are the anime couple who seemed to be tied by the red string of fate. One of them, however, has to move. Now most would expect the pair to end up together anyway as high school sweethearts. That is where 5 Centimeters Per Second takes its time to shine. Romance often ends right at the confession, yet one never wonders what happens next. Will the couple really stick with one another? The 2nd part shows the male lead who moved in a quite a surprising state. One scene, he appears to have words to text to his lover, but he seems to have not sent it. The sense of reluctance can be seen as the pair slowly move apart. The amount of contact can only last so long. This is seen through the eyes of a certain side character who can clearly see his doubt and frustration. She serves as a looking glass, a sole witness of a dissolving relationship. Personally, I do not find the characters themselves very interesting. They are rather dry, but I feel it at least plays in part of the film’s feeling of disconnection.

The 3rd part is something I see as a true, genuine ending. At this point, the puppy love romance has dissipated with everyone going their separate ways. The boy hasn’t seemed to have gotten over the loss. He is trapped in a state of what could have been. The girl has moved on to her next stage in life. They are adults and the romantic fantasy is nothing more than a novelty to the busy streets of the adult world. The subject matter can be depressing, but nonetheless it is what makes it feel true to life. It is certainly not satisfying to watch yet it is necessary.

In terms of aesthetics, Makoto Shinkai has a knack for making his films very clean looking. There is a solid amount of detail everywhere. The animation always remained fluid. While I don’t care for the character designs, they do rather depict the average person. The music hits off the pathos when it needs to. The track to close off the tragic tale really closes the film as is and encomasses the feeling of what is done is done. While the visuals are stunning, I find the most value within the themes told. Shinkai attempts to defy basic fluff and I think that is commendable. While his other works such as Your Name satisfy in the traditional sense, 5 Centimeters Per Second can be seen as the negative, alternative route. ★★★★

I’ll say it right off the bat, not everyone will like this show. It blasts you with rapid amounts of dialogue, the art direction is definitely bizarre, and it follows a formula for a majority of the series. But the dialogue is so eloquent, the art is so beautiful, and the formula always brings something new to the table. Simply put, this show is genius.

Story (8/10):

In a nutshell, Tatami Galaxy uses a Groundhog Day-like scenario where our nameless protagonist (we’ll just call him Watashi) joins a new club in each scenario to achieve the “rose-colored campus life” and “raven-haired maiden” (Admit it, we all wanted ... this since High School). Sounds average, but trust me there’s more to it. Admittedly, it may seem repetitive at times with a particular three parter explaining the situation at the beginning of every episode. However, this show knows how to give each episode its own purpose and identity and it never ceases to bore me. Also this anime is the hallmark for good, satisfying endings. The show did what is came for and never overstayed its welcome. There’s a wonderful balance of heartfelt moments and comedy. And the comedy is actually funny as it's relatable and doesn’t pander to typical anime chiches.

Let’s talk about the most infamous part of the show, the crazy fast dialogue. This is not an easy show to watch since unless you have been watching tons of subs or are a fast reader, you will likely not keep up with the dialogue. I watched this on Hulu, so the 10 second rewind was a godsend. I can almost forgive this as the writing is really good, but having to rewind over 2 times because you couldn’t understand said writing does take you out of the moment and is at worst, frustrating. Thankfully, the show slows down… sometimes. Keep in mind that this show is based on an actual novel, not a light novel or manga.

Be on the lookout and pay attention, because Tatami Galaxy has some themes and lots of subtle metaphors throughout to emphasize said themes. Tatami Galaxy is like a short poem. With its small amount of episodes and massive amounts of text, one could over analyse what Tatami Galaxy is trying to say. And to be honest, its message is actually quite simple, relatable, and beautiful. For those who have seen the show, hopefully this show has reached out to you in some way, it sure did for me.

Characters (8/10):

Watashi is nameless so that further cements him as our projection character. And he makes a truly great character at that. His cynical and narrow minded views on college are undeniably relatable and the choices he makes are justifiable and real. His development is very rewarding to see as well and the relationships with the various characters of the show feel believable, fun, and even heartwarming.

As for the side characters, don’t expect them to be realistic. They are unique, witty, and have traits that are thankfully less of anime stereotypes, but more of a overexaggerated symbol of the people we would typically see in our everyday lives. But just when you think you know them, there is simply more to them than you think. The best example being Ozu. He starts off as the bad influence character, but thanks to great writing, rather than an unlikable character meant to torture Watashi, he’s fun to watch and later on someone you can grow attached to. Oh yeah, and show that can personify a guy’s “Johnny” and make it over the top and funny without resorting to tired jokes always deserves the highest of praise. Well done Tatami Galaxy!

Animation (10/10):

Madhouse combined with Yuasa’s directorial efforts work wonders here. The art is just so imaginative and creative when it wants to be. The character designs are distinct, match with their unique personalities, and are appealing to look at (Can’t say the same with Ping Pong, sadly). The animation is fluid and vibrant. The color palette is unique, detailed, and can emphasize the uplifting metaphors of coming of age to the more bleak nature of loneliness.

One style to take note of was the mix of real world footage with the animation. What should have been jarring is actually well blended and adds to the atmosphere of the room. I wish more shows these days could take more experimental styles like this than resort to poor use of CGI. Alright, sure you can find a couple of micro nitpicks here and there, but it's barely noticeable and doesn’t detract too much from the experience.

Sound (8/10):

The opening is great. It has some well put live action foreshadowing and the song is quite catchy. Its a great fit for the show and the character cutouts were cool to look at (Was anyone thinking Paper Mario in this intro?). The ending is even better as I believe it's more in theme with the show. Each episode with the clock had a perfect transition to this ending. The moving squares in this ending surprisingly had some meaning to it and the singer’s vocals are quiet, but at the same time powerful.

Unless you intentionally pay attention to the music in the background, you likely won’t notice the ost. And that's probably because of how well the music fits each scene. From the more comedic vibes to the soft yet natural piano, the ost for Tatami Galaxy works wonders here and can even be worth listening on its own. The voice acting is outstanding and you can tell that effort was put into it, especially for Watashi’s character. I have utmost respect for anyone who can convey emotion while talking a 100 miles per minute. Just make sure you have your handy 10 second rewind button.

Conclusion:

Overall, this is a thinking man’s slice of life show, much in the vein of Welcome to the NHK (Another excellent show). If you’re up to the challenge of blisteringly fast paced talking, surreal imagery, and putting on your thinking cap, you will be rewarded with a satisfying show that will touch you in one way or another. I give Tatami Galaxy a well deserved 9/10 (Awesome).

PS: Feel free to comment on my review. I'm always up for advice so I can improve my reviewing skills. Thanks for reading!

Tanaka-kun is the “sleeper” hit of the season… eh that’s all I got. I’m not a big fan of slice of life, but Tanaka-kun was able to pull me in by finally giving me a protagonist that’s more listless than myself. Makes me feel better as a person. It’s a easygoing show that will have you glued to your screen watching a high school boy just staring and breathing and sleeping (Sleeping with Hinako, anybody?). Or on the other side of the spectrum, gladly put you to sleep. Just how listless is the show? Let’s find out.

What It Does Right:

+Lovable Characters That Give the Show ... the Energy It Needs
Tanaka-Kun’s strongest suit is undoubtedly it’s characters. Each of them has a well defined personality that makes them a joy to watch. Some of them break tropes of typical high school comedies making for a fresh wave of wacky shenanigans. I was surprised at how many archetypes I would normally scoff at, I ended up loving (except for a certain character with a sibling complex, ugh why?!). I can’t really pick a favorite character as many had their own special set of charm that I had fun watching. The interactions between these characters have a nice and natural chemistry. The show is never too forceful or melodramatic with it’s romance or character dynamics making for a well balanced show.

+Simple, Tranquil Feeling That Emits Coziness
Keep your expectations at a minimum, because Tanaka-kun is really just here to chill. Something about the show will just have your mind at peace, that is if you are in the right mindset. The nice backgrounds allow for a cozy experience and that paired with the colorful energy from the cast had me invested. While the show is basically a collection of events in the usual school setting, the show’s presentation allows for a unique take on the typical cliches. The events can range from a simple half-episode’s worth of slow-paced gags to a quick 4 panel-ish skit of… listlessness. Either way, if your body is ready to experience the laid-back world of Tanaka-kun, then by all means jump right in and relax.

+Soothing Soundtrack to Carry the Mood
The soundtrack of Tanaka-kun is the star to lead the pacing of the show. Tanaka-kun does seem quite reliant on it’s fine blend of various piano tracks to guide the mood and without it, Tanaka-kun would probably one of the most awkward shows in existence. The opening theme is always placed with precision to break the ice whenever the show decides to just pause. Both that and the ending are fitting of the show’s personality and is a good way to get in the mood the show wants you to be in. The voice acting are nothing to complain about as each VA does there job whether it’s the raw hyperactive personality of Miyano, the intimidating vibe of delinquent Ecchan, or the conflicted awkward sides of Shiraishi.

What It Does Wrong:

-Tanaka-kun Should Have Been a Secondary Character
I know the show is called Tanaka-Kun is Always Listless, but a gag of a dude sleeping and feeling lazy as heck can only entertain so many times. It eventually got to a point where it was becoming repetitive and onenote which eventually led to Tanaka dragging the show down. The show may try to spice things up every once in awhile, but I would much prefer if the rest of the cast got their time to shine (except for the one with the brother complex) to complement the constant “lol i’m tired” jokes which would lead to an arguably better paced show. There are so many other characters with much more interesting quirks and stronger comedy potential.

-Animation Can Get as Lazy as Tanaka-kun Himself
Along with Tanaka is equally lazy animation that drags the show back from reaching better heights. The designs are one-of-a-kind, but the animation to support this is rather still and sort of just does nothing. It’s competent when it wants to be, but then decides to cut corners and take it’s sweet time. While this may be part of the pacing, there were points where characters would just awkwardly stare and stare even more, which was too excessive to my liking. The screen transitions and 4 panel skits were also just characters doing nothing leading up to nothing. The show just lost me at these moments due to the sheer anticlimactic nature akin to an overly long loading screen on a game.

-Not Much of a Purpose Rather Than a Collection of Events
Tanaka-kun isn’t really trying to give any messages, themes, or any narrative at all. There’s no coming of age or notable developments to speak of. The show just does what it wants and it chooses to give us an honest anthology of mundane high school activities lit up by the expressive characters. In the process, the show may come off as pointless and eventually forgettable. If you saw a few episodes of Tanaka-kun, you pretty got a good basis of what the show is. Don’t expect to get much out of the show because for better or for worse, this is a harmless comedy and nothing more and nothing less.

My Pointless Enjoyment:
Tanaka-kun pretty serves as my weekly fix to relax, chill, and embrace my inner nothingness. Like every comedy, Tanaka-kun isn’t consistent with its laughs. Some jokes had me cracking up by the sheer absurdity of the misunderstandings (which by the way, this show is fanservice free, yay) while others had me staring and silently nodding my head. But for the most part, I had enough enjoyable moments to salvage and that’s all I really ask for in a comedy. While Tanaka, the animation, and obligatory “oni-chan” spouting little sister bored me, the rest of the cast provided enough energy to hold that off.

Overall:
Should you watch Tanaka-kun? If you have no idea what the word listless means and aren’t burnt out by high school comedies, go for it, this show has quite a bit to offer. It stands out among the other slice of life this season with it’s above average characterization and honest intent to provide a relaxing time. Before I rewatch Sleeping with Hinako and fall asleep from utter listlessness, I award Tanaka-Kun is Always Listless with a 5.5/10.

PS: Feel free to comment on my review. I'm always up for advice so I can improve my reviewing skills. Thanks for reading!

Big Order is quite a big order to watch. A show that, by the end, made me toss my phone, wash my face, and put me in a state of nothingness to comprehend it’s utter awfulness is a special one indeed. 1/10 is the score reserved for the shows that fail in every fundamental category of Story, Character, Sound, and Animation. Big Order not only achieves this, but qualifies with flying colors and is damn proud of it. With everything that could possibly go wrong, Big Order turns failures to big failures.

What It Does Right:

+...

What It Does Wrong (Besides it Existence):

-Takes a Sample of ... Every Genre in Anime and Mutates It Horribly
Code Geass’ rebellion to save his sister, Mirai Nikki’s BS powers, to freaking JoJo’s stands. Hmm let’s add some “incest” to spice thing up, have a contest to see who has the most broken power, and make those “stands” as gorgeous as possible with the latest technology, CGI! Big Order takes one look at each show and butchers each one to the point of near parody. Big Order also tries it’s hand at ecchi by info-dumping in the shower. Let’s not forget some food reactions, let’s shove that in that one important conversation I’m sure no one's paying attention to. Oh yeah, harems are pretty popular these days, so let’s take three female characters at random and make them fall for Edgy-kun. Who needs chemistry when we got MIND CONTROL.

-Fight OP Powers With More Silly OP Powers
He can control any physical material he walks on? Turn anything punched into atoms? Alter reality by turning it into a lie? Combine abilities through the ultimate power of love and harness the ability shoot fish at your opponent? Yes you’re hearing that right. These are just a few of the many nonsensical powers or orders as they are called. I can barely wrap my head around half of these powers and I’m pretty sure the writers didn't understand what they even came up with. Screw logic, no need for that. Seriously, there is absolutely no thought put into these powers and it’s shown as the show covers up it’s multitude of holes and conflicts with hax powers.

-Exposition That Works as a Great Sleeping Pill
When Big Order isn’t pissing around being as bombastically dumb as possible, it’s slaps itself in the face and remembers that it has a plot to tell. How to tell that plot, the show seems to have no idea. Let’s just take whatever is in the script, clump it together, and spout it out in the most mundane way possible. Info-dumping things the characters should already know, declaring mumbo-jumbo nonsense in the attempt to sound smart, discussing “strategies” more complicated than it is when everything is just resolved through hax powers. The only thing worse than a bad show is a bad show that’s boring. That’s the kind that seriously test my patience.

-Obnoxious Characters That Break Into the Negative Dimension
We’ll just call our fellow protagonist Eiji, Edgy-kun. How convenient. Edgelord extraordinaire, world-class harem lead, PHD in being a bloody buffoon, Edgy-kun meets all the requirements to called generic as all heck. We also got Yuno 2.0 in case you missed the yandere master race (god knows why). She wants to kill Edgy-kun, but can’t cause hax powers gotta make her be part of the harem. We got a innocent shrine maiden who can predict the future and can get pregnant by touching her ribbon. Idk anymore, did I mention that Big Order wants to be a comedy too? There are too many other characters that I forgot about, but to my defense the show forgets about them too. Awkward reintroductions and lame gimmicks to remind us of random character #27328, nah I’m good.

-Rip Off Character Designs and LOL AT THAT CGI
I didn’t watch Mirai Nikki, but even I could see the obvious comparisons. And wasn’t that the guy from Jormungand? And obligatory sister character from that last show I saw? Selling your title by ripping off your own work is not okay. The animation is barely competent and feels just as lazy. It’s hard to critique something that doesn’t even try to break average. When the show tries to have style, it gets hella distracting as seen with the last episode being almost entirely black and white with hideous filters. And goodness gracious, the CGI is absolutely revolting. Each time I witness Edgy-Kun’s “stand” and it’s tentacle things has me bursting out in laughter by the utter stiffness and lifeless roar. The other “stands” (or orders actually) have equal CGI cringe and it was a blast seeing them all in plasticky PS1-esque action.

-Terrible Soundtrack That’s Beyond Unfitting
Works like Baccano and Cowboy Bebop have used jazz to a snappy effect to reflect their equally wild shenanigans. Big Order, a show that I can only describe as bland, uses the same discount jazz in almost every scene and it’s horrendous. I normally either like a soundtrack or forget it, but Big Order went the extra mile to make it as mind-bogglingly jarring as possible. One such example being the ending theme which starts off with a bizarre horror like vibe and for some reason is inserted in a scene where everything is supposed to be happy. As usual, I bursted out in laughter. The opening manages to fail spectacularly as well with ugly guitar riffs, messy techno bs that made me wonder if my phone was broken, and comes off as a discount Mirai Nikki opening.

My Pointless Enjoyment:
Like I said before, I can tolerate bad, but boring bad is something that begs me to put it in the drop bin. When the show tries to explain, it simply lost me. By the time the show got to the end, it woke me up again with the greatest deus ex machina of all time, A LITERAL DEUS EX MACHINA. Never mind how everything else is cheaply resolved. This and so many other golden moments has me giving Big Order a big round of applause. Bravo Big Order, a show that’s at it best when it’s nonsensical bs. As you can see, this is a show best enjoyed with some buddies for comedy night.

Overall:
I tried hard to find any positives, but I really couldn’t. Even then, I was actually going to give this show a 1.5/10 for the laughs until a certain bad pun came up at the end as predicted by a fellow friend of mine. Having witnessed a near title drop along with reminding me that this show really is bottom of the barrel dump has me awarding Big Order with a 1/10.

PS: Feel free to comment on my review. I'm always up for advice so I can improve my reviewing skills. Thanks for reading!

Mayoiga is something that I can only describe as the closest anime will ever get to achieving M.Night Shamalamadingdong status. It’s got it all, awkward as heck dialogue, absurd characters, and of course surreal plot twists that just make us go “WHOA, that’s kinda dumb”. What can I say, I loved it for all the wrong reasons.

What It Does Right:

+A Weird, Trolling Take on the Horror/Psychological Genre
Mayoiga like a good old Shyamalan film has that weird feeling that kicks in as soon as you start watching. Who are these characters, Why are they here, What the heck are they doing? These questions just ... pop up and as soon as you want to leave you just can't help, but be entranced by the surrealism that keep you in through the end as seen by the many people who watched this through to the end knowing it was trash. This show is the embodiment of a troll if I ever saw one. By just reading the synopsis and looking at pictures and PVs, you would come to your own conclusions that people are gonna die left and right or Lord of the Flies-esque conflicts or just Another 2.0. Mayoiga knows this and gives us the revelations that would have your hand glued to your face while the creators are laughing in their studio.

+Soundtrack Fits I Guess?
To fit in with the weird tone with the show is a soundtrack that offers equal absurdity, mystery, and tension. It doesn’t sound exactly serious, but it’s one that seems to embrace the show’s constant love for wacky moments and cliffhangers. I can’t help, but get invested into the show no matter how much I tried to pull back cause the soundtrack keeps trolling me into thinking that the show might pull something serious (only to be replaced by absurdity once again). The opening does a similar job by giving us a catchy opening to remind us that this show might actually be trying and that these characters have names. The ending theme is actually a nice soothing track that reminds me of camping trips. Congrats for the voice actors for keeping up with their crazy characters.

What It Does Wrong (aka Everything Else):

-30 Characters, All Bizarrely Dreadful
30 characters in a 12 episode show is astounding. Mayoiga doesn’t bother to make any of them break beyond 1 dimensional. Instead of adding any semblance of depth, the show gives each character a cookie cutter-personality and multiplies that to unbearable levels and have each talk to one another with the effort of a low-level fanfiction. The result making every character hilariously horrendous. The main lead is the most irritatingly generic lead you can think of. Another character is so obsessed with executions to a point that she can’t go a sentence without mentioning “EXECUTE” and yet somehow she is one of the most trusted characters in the show… yeah you get the point.

-“Development” is Bizarrely Dreadful
Not even a third of the cast get a backstory, which goes to show how useful they are to the story. When a character does get their backstory revealed, it feels as if it has nothing to do with the why the characters act the way they do. They only serve to add more absurdity in a show that is already overflowing with it. In the case that character development might happen, it happens way too fast and is brushed off as an afterthought. The theme of the show is accepting your past, but Mayoiga didn’t seem too interested in fleshing that out at all.

-Dialogue is Bizarrely Dreadful
What the heck are these people blabbering about? Why are they saying that now? Do you know what situation you’re in? These are questions you’ll constantly be wondering every time someone in Mayoiga opens their mouth. The interactions between the characters are quite fascinating. The delivery feels so awkward when it tries to be serious and the rest of the lines seem devoted to calling its own crap out. One of the more used gags being self-aware enough to know that 30 characters is way too much and forgetting each other’s names is just one of the many jabs to break the ice.

-Generic Designs Except a Bizarrely Dreadful CGI
Every character design is painfully generic and the animation to support that is equally bleh. There is nothing else to say. The backgrounds are okay and kind of give off a feeling of a lost village, but even then it still feels derivative and lacks the atmosphere to be taken even slightly seriously. Mayoiga doesn’t try anything special to catch your eye with the exception of a certain use of CGI. When this CGI contraption was put to use, it was beyond jarring, beyond ugly, and just laugh out loud bad. Oh yeah CGI jumpscares, ew.

-When it’s not Bizarrely Dreadful, it’s Boring
Mayoiga can’t even seem to maintain its stupidity and when it doesn’t, it devolves to just bad and boring which is the worst combination. The characters just spout off random gibberish with no connection because it’s “part” of their personality and it leads to a good while of disengaging banter going nowhere. This happens quite a few times throughout the show and it reveals the Mayoiga’s true colors as a trainwreck that just keeps on moving. You know a show is bottom of the barrel when you want it to just stop trying and embrace it’s idiocy.

-Being So Bad it’s Good Still Makes You Bad
Masterpieces like Sharknado, Birdemic, or The Room are loved for just how much of a disaster they are even if the intent was serious. Even then, people label those as 1-3/10, and Mayoiga in my opinion should be no exception. Even if the show supplied me with laughs every episode that does not equate to the show being any better in quality. Maybe this show will be a cult classic, but the unmemorable characters will stay unmemorable and the attempts at being mysterious will stay ridiculous. But what if the show was intentionally bad? Mayoiga’s over-the-top characters, seemingly self-aware dialogue, and love for ruining expectations make it seem bad on purpose. If this was the case, that makes Mayoiga even worse since that implies that the makers are intentionally okay with showing us terrible shows and that is not okay.

My Pointless Enjoyment:
Out of all the shows in the Spring 2016 season, I enjoyed Mayoiga the most. It was just too funny. I was sucked into the awfulness and I looked forward to every week to see if the show could top itself in it’s foolishness and it never failed to amaze me. I popped out my seat in pure awe with each infuriating cliffhanger and every idiotic revelation. This is the perfect show to group watch with your buddies in your dorm, anime club, or just anywhere. Something about Mayoiga has a special charm and if that charm gets to you, you’ll be in for a wild ride.

Overall:
In the end, I gotta give the show props for pulling all the crap it did while painting it with a nice coat of absurdity. For other anime recommendations I got nothing, you’ll likely never get an experience like Mayoiga ever again. So you know what, give it a try. Maybe you’ll have a blast like I did, or maybe you’ll drop it in half an episode and I won’t blame you. I give Mayoiga a 2/10.

PS: Feel free to comment on my review. I'm always up for advice so I can improve my reviewing skills. Thanks for reading!

What does it mean to be a superhero? What is justice? Can good and bad be defined? Many shows and films have tried to tackle these topics only to get caught up in their predictable formula, get muddled into their beliefs, or just not try and shove “themes” in there. Concrete Revolutio is an exception that defines itself through the saturated genre through giving various answers to these questions with enough depth, ambition, and style.

What It Does Right:

+Interesting Concept and Ideas
ConRevo is a show that has so much to tell, so much to ask, and so many answers. Almost every character in the show ... has a belief they stand by and wish to follow. Then a conflict comes along that makes them question that belief and come up with a new conclusion or solution. That is the basic gist of the show from its main plot to its side stories. Morality and ethics are put to the test, justice is constantly questioned, the meaning of being a superhero is never clear cut. Despite being simplistic at times to sometimes overdoing it, ConRevo makes use of its timelines to provide its own alternate take on historical events to give social commentary to complement its themes and the result is always thought provoking.

+Starts Strong and Ends Strong
ConRevo’s strongest moments are within its main story which happens to be in the start and ends of both seasons. Each season premiere and finale brought up the highest stakes and revelations that would give us much needed answers that encompassed a lot of what the show was going for and fights that never ceased to amaze me. Expect many twists and turns, but they do make sense after some thought. The ending in particular is a satisfying grand spectacle that may seem absurd, but in the end wraps up the main leads arc quite nice and I probably wouldn’t have it any other way.

+Interesting Main Lead
From the pictures and PVs you may have seen, one might assume that our protagonist would be a typical raging, angsty dude. Our main lead, Jiro Hitoyoshi, is thankfully more than meets the eye and is in fact handled really well. He is a complex character with his own set of motives and actions driven by his constantly questioned beliefs. Paying attention to his dialogue rewards with poignant quotes that show his growth which feel natural to not just his character, but to the questions and themes that ConRevo brings up. While a fascinating subject, other side characters like Detective Shiba, Fuurouta, and Earth-Chan are worthy of mention. These guys bring up more insightful topics to ponder such as AI, grey morality, and seeing beyond childish beliefs.

+Style is Straight Up Cool
The presentation on ConRevo is a job well done as expected from Studio Bones. The art style is one of a kind and distinct. It has vibes that combine the usual anime style with a cool western comic-like blend. Character designs benefit from this as well and are a breath of fresh air from the typical mundane designs that plague many generic shows today. The colors palette for the backgrounds is worthy of note and shows as bold, bright, and wild. While its themes and ideas may be the forefront, the fights serve as a nice reward for paying attention. Each fight is an exhilarating and fast-paced blend of both mecha and superhero shenanigans.

+Soundtrack is Straight Up Cool
ConRevo’s soundtrack ranges from electronic to usual emotional tracks that fit in when needed. Nothing was out of place and I have no complaints, however I cannot get the main theme out of my head. It's epic, mysterious, and is tailor made for this show. Other than this specific track, the first two openings are great. Both have a strong build-up through electronic means, guitar riffs, and even dubstep! I don’t care for the endings, but hey at least they got cool trippy visuals. As far as I’m aware there is no dub for this show and I feel this show in particular will surely benefit from one. While I’m no expert at voice acting, the performances here were fine and each hit their typical and emotional moments equally well.

What It Does Wrong:

-Unconventional Narrative
Probably the biggest complaint of Concrete Revolutio since the first episode is the erratic time jumps. While this opens up layers in storytelling for film, in a 24 episode show the task of paying attention and mental notes can get exhausting and thus dismissed as a mess. Because of this, I would advise taking some notes of each sequence. While this may seem to be a hassle, putting the pieces together will give you a better understanding the story and the characters who appear different in personality and appearance which are quite interesting to observe. I'm glad ConRevo was up for some risks, but a straightforward approach could have been fine and arguably better.

-Semi-Episodic Format Gets in the Way
ConRevo for me always shined when it was focusing primarily on Jiro and his journey. Too bad the majority of the show was one-off side stories. Nothing too wrong with that as they added a bit to Jiro’s character, but the small stories themselves weren’t anything memorable. The basic setup is the same as the main leads with each character having their own set of beliefs only to have it challenged and requestioned. It eventually became formulaic to a point where certain episodes became repetitive, muddled, or just forgettable. Don’t get me wrong, there were some highlights and events to not be dismissed, but ConRevo is always at its best when focused on the primary objectives.

-Side Characters Don’t Get Their Time to Shine
Besides Detective Shiba and maybe Fuurouta and Earth-Chan, the side cast was mostly neglected. I understand, the cast is HUGE with more and more characters introduced. Some were written to be one-offs and got their share of development, but others who play a bigger part like Kikko and Emi are no excuse. They needed more screentime and certainly more answers for us to care for their involvement. We don’t get the phantasmic beliefs that made the other characters interesting nor do we get enough backstory to explain their purpose. Without that, they come off as plain plot devices for deus ex machinas or moving the story forward.

My Pointless Enjoyment:
I really enjoyed the themes, social commentary, and questions ConRevo had to offer and it has a lot more depth than the basic stuff we get these days. Jiro’s and Detective Shiba’s arc were both engaging, pleasing, and satisfying to watch. It is a shame that the other important side characters couldn’t reach the level of quality, and while it wasn’t boring, it certainly wasn’t a highlight. My enjoyment did suffer a bit from the wonky narrative, but taking notes and putting together the pieces alleviated that somewhat. It definitely takes more brainpower to watch and while I can be too lazy to use my brain, the reward this show had made the effort worthwhile.

Overall:
ConRevo stands out from the crowd as a title that doesn’t glorify its “Heroes”, but rather delves into them and their beliefs. This is a title that is sadly underrated for obvious reasons and may never see the light of day, but if you are willing to put in the effort, please give it a chance. With its unique style, spectacular depth, and powerful lead one can see the ambition put into ConRevo. That ambition may be a bit much and maybe convoluted, but for what the show does right, I’m willing to say its positives outweigh the negatives. I give Concrete Revolutio: The Last Song a 7/10.

If Akame ga Kill had no plot armor, Aldnoah.Zero would have plot armor as solid as platinum. If Attack on Titan was the king of trolling, Aldnoah.Zero would be the undisputed Overlord. If Madoka Magica bullied Sayaka enough, Aldnoah.Zero relishes in the Slaine pain. Yeah, Aldnoah.Zero is quite the show.

Story (4/10):
Aldnoah.Zero has a premise easily comparable to Gundam or Code Geass. But for new military mecha fans who haven’t seen either of the two, A/Z was something that interested me and was easily accessible. While the first three episodes was rather straightforward and filled with face-palm inducing info-dumping, it at least set up the show ... rather well and I was quite hooked.

Then the show went on downward spiral with “Giant Enemy Robot of the Week Approaches!” episodes with little to no progression. The fights lacked any sort of tension since it was almost always Inaho who had any sort of logic to beating these robots and you were pretty much conditioned to know he will always win. Speaking of Inaho doing all the work, my suspense of disbelief was constantly broken by foolish, useless soldiers just standing there to fulfill the weekly quota of edgy death count.

A/Z slowly gets back on track once Inaho makes one of the most laughable decisions i’ve ever seen to Bad Luck Slaine, but you know… plot armor. The story progresses at a brisk pace towards a climax that I was very much anticipating. And just when I thought A/Z could get back on track, it pulled the greatest troll ending of all time. Personally, I thought this was a lazy decision to get you to watch season 2, because even with all those ambiguity, with a plot armor this stiff you can easily smell BS.

Characters (3/10):
Inaho is deus ex machina personified. He’s pretty much there to carry the show and not much else. He’s emotionless and stoic and and that’s not necessarily bad. What’s bad is that we don’t know what's going on in that head of his, like how is he so smart or why is everyone else so dumb? One could argue that he is the sense of logic in the show and that emotions will get the better of him, but even then I would have appreciated a bit of internal monologue to even justify this.

Slaine has a personality at least. However, the show hates Slaine so much it’s almost hilarious. It was almost like watching an episode of Spongebob to see how much the writers can pour as much unjustified torture to Squidward just because he wanted some peace and quiet. In A/Z case, it was Slaine trying to get back to the beloved Princess Asseylum. Slaine is basically a overly sympathetic character with decisions so inconsistent and hard to follow topped with a coating of teen angst. Man, poor kid.

As for the rest of the cast, there are some decent characters. The main villain Count Saazbaum is the only antagonist with actual motives and a backstory that establishes his reason to fight and Marito is the only one in the team with a compelling back-story and decent development. Unfortunately both are glossed over by the rest of the bland cast. Princess Asseylum is that one person who wants to promote peace… said every naive Princess character imaginable. She also has a bunch of revive potions stacked with so don’t ever worry about her. Rayet wants revenge for the death of her parent and vows revenge… said every angsty anime teen ever *cough* Eren Jaegar *cough*. Everyone else is forgettable and that’s a shame.

Animation (3/5):
Yes, the CGI is awkwardly integrated and jarring. The show tried to cover it up a tad bit with fog covering it. You could overlook it if you’re not picky, but most of the time it sticks out like a sore thumb. The action scenes with the mechs were still enjoyable nonetheless. But even if the CGI was decent or if it was 2d animated, the mecha designs just seemed so bland and generic especially for the Terrans.
As for the 2d animation, it was pretty well done. I like the character designs as they were pleasing to look at and as for the scenery, very impressive. It has great detail even if it was filled with CGI mechs flying around it.

Sound (4/5):
The opening “Heavenly Blue” is a great hype opening. From the intense beginning to a more mellow vibe, I feel this opening embodies A/Z pretty well along with some great vocals from Kalafina. It sounded a bit similar to Fate Zero OP 2, but given that both are great openings, I can’t really complain. I don’t care about the first ending, its was pretty forgettable for me. That’s why when “Aliez” came as the second ending I was happy. Everyone remembers that one scene from the first episode when “Aliez” came on and it perfectly fits the intensity. And by itself, it's a great listen and probably my favorite ending of 2014 for the strong vocals paired with top tier Hiroyuki Sawano hype tunes.

Hiroyuki Sawano continues his quest to make epic OST’s for mediocre shows and Aldnoah.Zero is no exception. The various tracks just hype you up with the winning formula of a great orchestra and well complimented vocals. However, like most Sawano titles, A/Z is guilty to overusing its tracks which can get a bit tiresome even in a great OST like this. As for voice acting, everyone does a great job from the monotone voice Inaho to the well represented conflicted emotions of Slaine.

Overall:
Aldnoah.Zero is heavily flawed, there’s no denying that. But i’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a good time so this show pretty much works as a time waster. The shock factors are pretty cheap, but they’ll keep you awake at least. I don’t regret watching A/Z even with that troll ending and oh wait… season 2. Oh well, on its own season 1 of Aldnoah.Zero earns a 5/10 (Average).

PS: Feel free to comment on my review. I'm always up for advice so I can improve my reviewing skills. Thanks for reading!

Durarara clearly wants to establish itself as the rule of cool successor to Baccano. Sadly, its just doesn’t have a strong enough cast nor a focused tone to live up to the lively setting of Ikebukuro.

Story (6/10):

Durarara starts off fairly well. It follows in the vein of Baccano in which we follow each and every character’s whereabouts and how they all eventually intervene. It establishes the characters, their relationships with one another, and their issues. And some of the characters individual stories were downright fun to watch (Anything with Shizuo Heiwajima is a blast). But due to this style, the plot is stretched ... out much longer than it needs to be making the viewer forget some details as well as being frustrated as to what's going on. But it all leads up to the climax that surprises, but never really answers the main conflict.

The plot worsens in the second half as it went from a flawed, but still entertaining ride, to a melodramatic mess. Sure the story becomes more focused, but it also loses a lot of what originally made the show somewhat charming. The inconsistent tone shift from a chill, rather light setting to a more dark and dramatic one was plain jarring. It baffles me that out of all the quirky characters in the roster from the maniplative Izaya to the ironically destructive Shizuo that the show would focus of the three bland high schoolers. They simply don’t have the wit or drive that made me invested in the previous arcs.

As for the narration, it’s a hit or miss. On some episodes, it’s was used for good effect to emphasize the personalities of certain characters with some clever writing with a great example being in episode 3 (Men with overwhelming power instinctively strike fear into the hearts of others. He’s violence personified. Its what he lives and breathes. Simply put, he’s the very definition of violence). If that's not awesome then I don't know what is. But at it’s worst, the narration can lead to info dumping, over explaining, and redundant recapping of stuff we already picked up.

Characters (6/10):

If there was one thing Baccano did right, it was giving almost every character an equal amount of screentime to flesh out their personalities and make them one to remember. Durarara, on the other hand, gives the spotlight to the uninteresting characters which sidelines the quirky characters we actually want to get to know which makes the forgettable characters forgettable and the potential characters forgotten. You can’t deny that you wanted more Shizuo vs. Izaya, more Russia Sushi, and more missions with Celty.

The main character Mikado is as bland as any protagonist can get. He’s average, wimpy, and just doesn’t stand out no matter how high the stakes can get. Anri is slightly better as we sort of get an insight on why she is the way she is, but she is still uninteresting and you just know a character is shallow when the only thing standing out is her big... (Well, you know). Masaomi is the only one of the three who gets actual development even if it was melodramatic. He still pales to the rest of the cast and can get tiresome at times, but he at least tries to have sort of a chemistry with the other two mains.

The side characters are thankfully much more interesting than the mains. Shizuo Heiwajima’s mindset of hating violence, but solving with violence is an absolute joy to watch. He steals the screen every time he’s featured and his individual episode was probably the pinnacle of the shows awesome absurdity. His chemistry with Izaya is miles above the rest of the cast as you can just feel the tense rivalry between the two. Izaya seems to be there as a plot device to explain everything that's happening which can be a bit overbearing, but with such a despicably fun personality I can almost forgive this. Celty, for someone who lacks a head, is probably the most human and likable of the characters which will keep you invested in her arc. As for the rest, they’re quirky and fun, but they have a severe lack of screentime to make them memorable.

Animation (7/10):

Brains Base does a great job with the detailed backgrounds giving life to Ikebukuro and the animation being smooth for the most part. The show has a unique look to it which gives it identity, As for the background characters being greyed out, i'm not really a huge fan of this. While it gives focus to the featured character, shouldn’t the character have enough features to make him/herself distinct. If not, then this is a clear flaw in character design.

Sound (8/10):

Opening 1 is fantastic and fits the show very well. It just makes you feel cool when you listen to it. Opening 2, is fitting with the second half of the show in which the show takes a more dramatic turn. Its still a great listen, but it just didn’t hype me up for what was otherwise a disappointing second half while the first opening could hype me up no matter what. I never bothered to listen much to the endings, so I can’t comment much on them other than they simply didn’t stand out.

The ost for Durarara is what gave the show it's cool status, it’s wild personality, and it’s life in general. As intense jazz plays in the background, you know something is going to go down. As the calm whistles play in the background, you can immerse yourself in the odd city of Ikebukuro. Each piece just sees so fitting and it's something I can listen too on its own. Having seen the dub, it definitely works. Everyone fits their role well from the uncertain Mikado, to the intimidating Shizuo, to the charismatic Izaya, to the curious Celty, this is very well done. The narration is also much easier to listen to for the dub so that's also a plus.

Conclusion:

Watch Baccano first not just for a comparison, but there is also a really great easter egg in one of Durarara’s episodes so be on the lookout. But on its own, Durarara is much less interesting than it pretends to be, but that's not to say that I didn’t enjoy it. After all, it's still reaches rule of cool at points thanks to a fun setting and characters. Overall, I give Durarara a 6/10.

For me at least, it’s rather hard to find a anime comedy that isn't a romantic comedy or full of referential humor I likely won’t get. So seeing stuff like Space Dandy is truly a breath of fresh air, even if it's more in the vein of a western cartoon (though this show is much better than some of the stuff you’ll see in Adult Swim).

Story and Characters (6/10):

Space Dandy is a rather odd one to review. Being a bit similar to western cartoons in that there is no continuity whatsoever, this can lead to some comedy gold though at the same time lead to ... some forgettable episodes. Each of the episodes seem to have their own story with no relation to one another, so rather than review the show as a whole, I’ll review each episode briefly and individually to show the good, the bad, and the Dandy. Besides the first episode, you can watch any of the episodes in any order.

Live With the Flow, Baby (2/5)- The start of the episode was trying a bit too hard at being self-aware. More of an introductory episode so at least see this for some exposition and how the characters meet. Not really that funny and the ending is rather abrupt, and not in a good way.

The Search For the Phantom Space Ramen, Baby (3/5)- That ending to the first episode… just forget about it, this shows the obvious lack on continuity. However, this episode is definitely more creative than the first. Not much comedy in this one, although the story of the alien is a decent, touching tale. Scarlett is introduced, although she’s basically the serious tsundere character of the series and not much more.

Occasionally Even the Deceiver is Deceived, Baby (3/5)- Not much to say on this one. A lot of the laughs come from an impending plot twist, which was pretty funny. So people, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Empty Planet? Yes.

Sometimes You Can’t Live With Dying, Baby (4.5/5)- This was when I knew Space Dandy could be something truly special. It starts off as the usual tired Zombie episode. But, the second half, my goodness. So much irony, so much creative gags, and so much you can do with life insurance. This the best comedy episode of the season.

A Merry Companion Is a Wagon in Space, Baby (3.5/5)- This is the episode that Space Dandy proved it can be taken seriously. There isn’t much gags, but this episode is more of a feel good episode so that can be excused. Adelie is an interesting character, but due to the status quo nature of the series, we won’t be seeing her after this which is a shame since if you've seen Cowboy Bebop, she could have been the Edward of the Series.

The War of the Undies and Vests, Baby (2.5/5)- Meh, not really a memorable episode. I mean Underwear people versus Vest people? I usually don’t enjoy argument episodes (remember "The Great Divide" from Last Airbender, well that was a travesty), and the same holds true here. While the history of the war is amusing, the only gag I laughed at was with our unlucky baddie, Dr. Gel.

A Race in Space Is Dangerous, Baby (3.5/5)- Being a parody of classic racing cartoons, this is a pretty funny homage. Having not seen said cartoons, I couldn't really appreciate some of the gags, but even so the episode was still entertaining. That ending was really something though. Space Dandy has this thing where it tends to give the most over-exaggerated, bizarre ending possible and in this case I think it was a bit too random for its own good.

The Lonely Pooch Planet, Baby (2/5)- Not really a fan of this one. Jumps from a “Marley and Me” type story to an avenge story to another destruction of a planet story. None of these plots really blended well for me and it was jarring for the most part. At least Dr. Gel was able to give me another good laugh, that poor, poor guy.

Plants Are Living Things, Too, Baby (3.5/5)- Another serious episode, this one is definitely the most atmospheric. The Meow storyline wasn't really needed though to be honest. The artistic design for this was beautiful, the environment was breathtaking, and the character designs were very original. However, the ending was surprisingly sad and Dandy’s reaction just didn't feel right.

There's Always Tomorrow, Baby (4.5/5)- If the Zombie episode was the best comedic episode, then this episode was the best at a serious tone. Great character story and development from Meow. The story takes a groundhog day approach which led to some great gags and a very well done story. Bonus points for a certain couple haha.

I'm Never Remembering You, Baby (3/5)- This episode was a bit confusing as it relies a lot on memory gags. It was fairly enjoyable and the ending is classic Dandy randomness. Other than that, there’s not much to this one, it’s quite forgettable.

Nobody Knows the Chameleon Alien, Baby (4/5)- A very funny impersonation episode. Unlike the last one, this is confusing done right. There isn’t really a resolution, but it actually adds to the main gag “Who’s the real Dandy?”. This episode reminded me a lot of “Imitation Krabs” from “Spongebob” which is a great thing and in fact this episode still has more funny tricks up its sleeve.

Even Vacuum Cleaners Fall in Love, Baby (3.5/5)- A decent, romance episode for QT. It’s a cute episode to watch and it definitely adds character to QT. The relationship between QT and Maker was believable, which is an amazing feat in just a 22 minute episode. The episode pokes some fun at the mecha genre in a certain scene which I thought was pretty amusing. It's not really last episode material, but still a fine episode.

Animation (9/10):

Studio Bones once again proves their talents with great animation and art that blends so well with Space Dandy’s wild universe. Some episodes such as the Plant episode may have different animation, but this really isn't an animation drop, but rather different directors handling a episode with their own style. And these different, creative styles show the flexibility and range Space Dandy has. There may be some slight animation inconsistencies, but the presentation still greatly overshadows this.

Sound (7/10):

The first opening is a bit similar to Cowboy Bebop which kind of gets in the way of the show’s identity. Nevertheless, its still awesome jazz although its short runtime is a bit odd. The second opening is more like it. Its pop beat catchy and blends well with the fun nature of the show, and the animation is filled with some great, corny, Dandy style.

For a Watanabe show, Space Dandy’s OST doesn’t stand out as much as his previous works. But even so, the funky and original beats combined with some jazz are still a joy to listen to and it blends so well with the show. It may not have the charismatic pizazz of Cowboy Bebop or the chill, “I could play this forever” beat of Samurai Champloo, but Space Dandy still has its own auditory identity and that's something many shows these days lack.

Conclusion:

Don’t watch Space Dandy expecting a story with continuity or depth. This show is definitely experimental with a few really funny episodes as well as a fair share of okay ones and then some weak ones. Its inconsistent, but I still had a blast. Watch this as you would watch a Western Cartoon and I guarantee you’ll have a laugh at least once. I give Space Dandy a 6/10.

Noragami, or as I like to call it “Everyone Loves Yato”, has a lot going for it. It looks nice, it's got appealing characters, and has a unique soundtrack. But the way the story presents itself in its short 12 episode run time has some dire consequences.

Story (6/10):

Noragami is all over the place. First we are introduced to the supposed main conflict of fixing Hiyori’s condition, but that gets put off as we get some filler of Yato desperately trying to make some money. These episodes were amusing and can pull off some good action and laughs, but being time wasters, there pretty ... much insignificant. The majority of the show focuses on the relationship between Yato and Yukine which was actually well done and the only part of Noragami that had a decent payoff. It contains enough teen angst to be relatable, but not too much to be irritating. But this leaves us with just three episodes left to explore Yato’s past. It not really compelling as its not really explored in depth and in the end, it turns out to be another damsel in distress story. It just ends up feeling insignificant like the filler before it, not the best way to end the series.

I guess I could compare its pacing style to be Bebop. After all, both have a main conflict which is delayed in favor of some filler episodes. Cowboy Bebop succeeded as the fillers were good (for the most part) and its main conflict was resolved within its 26 episode run. Noragami, on the other hand, doesn't just leave its main conflict hanging, but various sub-plots are unsolved and the filler we got ranged from decent to plain extraneous. This was inevitable because of the 12 episode run. With 12 episodes, you simply don’t have the time to mess around too much when you have so many open subplots left hanging.

Some may say that this is excused because season 2 was announced. To that I say, not really. You cannot rely on the hopes for a 2nd season to resolve conflicts. When i'm watching a season, I at least expect some kind of a satisfying resolution (i'm looking at you Tokyo Ghoul), because to be honest, most anime don’t even get a second season.

Characters (6/10):

Yato, our main protagonist, is a well rounded character. He’s funny (with some of the funniest faces you’ll ever see) and can even be bad-ass when he wants to be. But thanks to the shaky plot, what we know about Yato is incredibly vague. Oh yeah, remember how I called this show “Everyone Loves Yato”. Well lemme explain, Yato seems to have a relationship with everyone in the show. Its constantly implied he has history with them, but the show never really touches upon these histories. The side characters aren't really fleshed out and it leads to them just being there cause the plot said so with the worst offender being Bishamon. She’s out to kill Yato for a simple reason, but the show never actually shows the story behind it other than they hate each other.

Yukine is the most developed character in the show. That’s not to say he’s the most likable, but seeing Yukine struggling with the problems of being dead coupled with the frustration of teen angst is believable and at times heartfelt. Seeing him grow and develop is truly satisfying. As for Hiyori, she’s a mixed bag. She starts off rather decent and strong with her inspiration of wrestling moves. But as the series progresses, she suffers something I’d like to call the Asuna effect in which she devolves to become less of a character and less capable of defending herself to the point of becoming a damsel in distress. As likable as she was, she’s really nothing more than the typical schoolgirl archetype with some minor quirks.

Animation (7/10):

Studio Bones once again does a great job with the animation. The character designs were appealing and the phantom had a very creative look to them even if they were just colorful, floating sea creatures. When the phantom’s die, they let some sort of a, how do I say it, wordy explosion and it looks gorgeous every time. Unfortunately, the phantom fights got to be underwhelming at times as it was just Yato doing the same chant over and over again with the same animation and line (sometimes twice per episode) followed by a single slash. The stand out action scenes were the ones involving two gods which was definitely the highlight of the series.

Sound (7/10):

The opening for Noragami just screams cool. While I don’t think the show reaches the Rule of Cool, this opening got me hyped for every episode even when the story got underwhelming. The black and white characters blended well with the blue colored environment. The song on its own is catchy and is fitting with the show. The ending, on the other hand, is meh. Its not bad and it slightly grew on me after a few listens, but it just felt a bit generic and didn't blend well with the upbeat nature of the show or the opening.

The soundtrack for Noragami is a hit or miss. At first glance it may sound a little odd with one of the battle themes sounding like a guy saying “rectangle” over and over again. But for me, it fits with the show quite well. The soundtrack has quite a bit of hip hop along with some tunes that fit really well with the shinto themes. You’ll definitely get used to it and eventually the soundtrack will hype you up during the battle scenes. The voice acting is fine as everyone fit their role. Standouts include Yato’s voice actor for balancing between goofy and serious and Yukine’s voice actor for capturing the teen angst and struggles you would expect of an adolescent boy.

Conclusion:
Despite its many flaws, Noragami is still a fun show to watch. It’s a likable show and it’s easy to see why this was the stand out show of the bland Winter 2014 season. Its got some major holes in the story which may be fixed in the upcoming season, but I wouldn't count on it. I give Noragami a 6/10.