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The absolute tragedy that more haven't people watched this show kills me. This is the best anime (technically) donghua that I've watched this past season. This doesn't feel like a show that is just using the time travel as a gimmick. Its unique form of time travel and the way it impacts the characters is just so raw and emotional at times I was near tears.

The show also has abundant mystery and twists and turns. It's brilliant, and I loved every second.

As for the characters, I appreciated the bonds the main characters have, but as you would expect, the start of the show is ... mostly focused on Cheng Xiaoshi. Love him or hate him, I think if anyone else was in his shoes, they'd be hard pressed to do any better.

I do wish that the characters outside the episodic stories got some more fleshing out, but it seems like they'll be making a season 2, so this could be remedied later. The lack of explanation on the supernatural elements as well, like how the two male leads even have these abilities also would have been nice...but again...season 2.

As for the art, I like the style, but animation wise it suffered a bit, whether just due to a lack of animation sometimes or just certain characters looking off. But really, it's hardly awful. I've seen much worse.

All in all, Link Click is simply fantastic, and sitting at 11 episodes currently, probably the shortest anime of last season. Just watch it. You won't regret it.

Eight episodes in and I just can't bring myself to watch this show anymore. I started off really enjoying the first episode and having high hopes for this series, but it's a painfully generic sports anime despite the unique sport it chose to spotlight.

The characters I wouldn't say I dislike, but they also don't feel as heartfelt. It's as if the author for this went through the motions when creating these backstories and motivations or something. When I think of the best sports anime out there, the authenticity of the main cast as characters and their desire to succeed is unquestionable. There are glimpses ... of that here, but not enough to save it from mediocrity.

On a separate note, I really enjoy the ending song, and the opening is also not bad. Probably the best part of the show.

Overall, as someone who has watched enough sports anime to say this with some authority, there are better shows worth your time. If the Bakuten or Free! of sports isn't for you, then try Hajime no Ippo if you really want to get your blood burning.

Kemono Jihen is a show that left me confused until the very last episode. I couldn't tell where the plot was going and the story mostly consisted of short arcs where the main characters deal with different kemono (aka supernatural beings) issues and solve them. Fine for a plot, but the main goal of the mc was to find his parents and that seemed to be put on the backburner so other characters could get introduced and developed. It wasn't until the last episode where I realized that this was a prologue to a much bigger story.

Story:6

If the last episode hadn't clarified anything I would ... have given this an even lower score. A six seems fair for leaving me feeling like the events occurring in the story were somewhat aimless. Granted, the stories themselves are pretty dark, which I think was more for the benefit of the overall narrative than not. I definitely wouldn't recommend this show if you can't stomach dark issues. Overall, definite room for improvement.

Characters: 8

I liked them. I honestly did. They're cute and distinct and that's more than I can say for most shows. My only real issues are the skimpy outfit that a certain (incredibly young) character starts wearing later on and the feeling that the treatment of women overall in the show was weird. I don't know, it's not something I noticed until it was pointed out to me, but I think once you notice it's hard to ignore. I think characters like Kon have definite room for growth but we didn't get that in this season.

Art:9

Pleasantly dynamic and honestly much better than I expected. The animation for the facial expressions I thought was quite good in some parts and the fight scenes were all well done. Not Jujutsu Kaisen levels of well done, but certainly better than many other series I've seen.

Sound: 10

Honestly what hooked me on the show was the ost. The use of strings in particular was spectacular, even for the slice of life music! I honestly hope the composer does more anime music in the future. I think I'd watch anything with his name attached. Seriously, I don't think there was anything else I enjoyed more than the soundtrack.

Overall: 8

Screw it, I'm gonna give this the same score as Jujutsu Kaisen, mostly thanks to its soundtrack and what I thought was pretty good art and character moments. They're both prologues to long running shounen series, and honestly now that I sort of understand the overarching plot of Kemono Jihen, I think they are even more similar than I initially thought. I see the potential for both of them, I really do. But they're not masterpieces. Yet.

After watching all of Jujutsu Kaisen, I can say that I was pleasantly surprised by some of its elements, but I would not call it a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination--at least not yet.

I feel like the problem with people's expectations with this series is that it would achieve the explosion of popularity and love a series like Demon Slayer did with just 24 episodes. Demon Slayer, however, is very much not the norm when it comes to how the first 20-ish episodes of a shounen series usually pan out, and I think part of that is that the series is shorter ... than most long-running Shounen Jump titles. Usually, the first 20 or so episodes are by far the worst part of any long-running shounen series, including One Piece. I dropped One Piece after 20 episodes because I was bored to tears, with Gintama also only getting 20 episodes out of me before I dropped it. It was only after going back and giving them another shot, did these two series became some of my favorite anime of all time.

My point is, long-running shounen are slow burners a lot of the time. Jujutsu Kaisen is still clearly trying to find its footing, giving us long scenes filled with info dumps, and philosophical exposition that feels rather heavy-handed. It's clumsy in some of its execution, but to make up for that there is a lot of heart. I've gotten attached to characters that were on screen for barely 5 minutes total, because the character writing is strong and the banter is witty. For the first time in a long while, I honestly could not tell you if the female lead is a romantic interest at all, and I appreciate that not once has any reference been made to how pretty she is or anything else physical. The animation is also stellar and I will be thanking Mappa for gifting us with Gojo Satoru's everything for a long time to come.

So, should you give the series a chance? I would, and I will. Some of the more modern Shounen Jump titles have left me disappointed. Series like Demon Slayer, Black Clover, and Dr. Stone feel disingenuine, and I can't shake the feeling that something is missing. It's hurt my love for the shounen genre, and I wondered if I'd just grown out of it. Jujutsu Kaisen doesn't feel like its missing anything for me, and it has single-handedly renewed my faith in the genre. I want to give it a chance to become the series I know it has the potential to be, and as long as you can handle body horror, I think you should too. At the very least, I'm willing to bet it's first 24 episodes will be better than One Piece.

I feel like many people see Black Butler as generally a light-hearted show that caters to a more female audience. Having only watched the first season minus the filler episodes toward the end, Book of Circus served as a shocking realization of just how brutal and dark a franchise Black Butler can be.

Story: 9

One of the most compelling story arcs in the series, Book of Circus will leave you feeling chilled down to your bone marrow. After the light-hearted fanfare of season 1, I never expected Book of Circus to be quite so dark and despairing. The end of the arc left a particularly strong ... impression on me, and I've never forgotten how cold and unfeeling the narrative was in dealing with the tragedies in this arc. I don't have the words to properly express how I felt in those moments beyond a grimace and strong feeling of "Oof." I want to say more, but for fear of spoiling I'll just leave it at that, and hope my words so far are endorsement enough.

Art: 7

*Inserts infamous scene where Ciel has an asthma attack* This is probably one of the best moments of animation in the show. I'd say it was serviceable all around, but not stellar, even if it was better than season 1. Then again, I haven't watched it in quite some time so maybe my opinion is moot. I would like to give props to the staff for creating great atmosphere depending on the scene, whether it be colorful or bleak.

Sound: 6

I can't remember anything but the opening, but it's been too long since I've watched it so there might be some gems in there. Black Butler isn't a series I'd praise for its soundtrack regardless. I watched the dub and I quite enjoyed it, so I wouldn't give it the same score for sound though I'll list it in this category regardless.

Character: 9

It's easy to forget just how damaged Ciel truly is by his past. It's also easy to forget that Sebastian, beneath the polished facade he dons as a butler, is truly demonic. The villain I found to be frightening and deranged, with the members of the circus not necessarily being outstanding in my mind but at the same time definitely compelling within this arc. The returning supporting characters also gain some more depth and are part of the reason I credit this arc with single-handedly throwing away all the preconceived notions I had about the characters and world of Black Butler. Absolutely stellar.

Enjoyment: 10

It's been a few years since I've watched Book of Circus, but I don't think I'll ever forget the impact it had on me when I watched it. It's a dark experience, but an incredible one nonetheless. Maybe if I went back I wouldn't enjoy it as much, but I sincerely doubt that.

Overall: 8

Book of Circus is an arc that will change your perceptions on Black Butler up until this point, and honestly made me enough of a fan to go out and buy the next volumes of the manga. I don't think it's the best series in the world, but I would be remiss if I didn't give credit where it's due.

It's interesting to see how your own opinions of a show can change as time goes on. I probably hadn't watched the first season of SNAFU since high school, and just recently decided to re-watch it anticipating the release of season 3. I originally rated this series a 9, but after re-watching it I could only think that it was just okay. Keep in mind this is just my opinion on season 1.

Story: 5

I have similar feelings about the first season of SNAFU that I have about the first season of Free!. There is a lot more slice of life and it honestly ... is fairly boring to watch. I feel like in the first season it's trying to set up the characters, and to let us revel in Hachiman's way of thinking and how he deals with problems, but there are plenty of moments that I just feel don't add anything to the story.

Characters: 6

In my opinion, the show lives or dies based on Hachiman in season 1. He has such a cynical and unique way of viewing and dealing with the world around him that even if you can't relate to him, there is a small part of you that revels in his cynicism. I find it hard to talk about Yui and Yukino, because while there is obviously some depth there, they also don't feel unique. Maybe that's the point though, but who knows?

The supporting cast is a mixed bag, ranging from archetype to archetype, though some of it I'm sure is intentional. The way some of them act though feels so disingenuous that I have a hard time seeing them as anything but caricatures and not real people.

Art: 4

This is the only comparison I'll make to season 2 in this review, but I'm so glad they changed how the characters look in newer seasons. In the first season Hachiman looks very different and all of the characters have this flat quality to them. The animation doesn't stand out in any respect, though I do think it's serviceable.

Sound: 4

Not much to say in this respect. I can't remember a single track besides the opening, so make of that what you will.

Enjoyment: 6

I feel like where you are in life will vastly impact the enjoyment you get out of this show. I found myself wondering why I liked this so much the first time I watched it as a teenager, and honestly I feel like I've lost those feelings a bit.

Overall: 6

I recommend you watch this season, despite my overall low score for it. Season 2 I feel is where this show really turns into something special, so while you might have to trudge through season 1, I'd still recommend the series nonetheless.