Back to Huskkay's Profile Huskkay's Profile

The Fable uses a well-rounded way of building up the action and letting it flow from panel to panel without any hiccups. I never felt lost and always knew what was going on. The mangaka's approach to building suspense must be highlighted. Letting the reader experience memorable moments in thoughtfully spaced intervals, giving hints of what might happen next, and then it all comes together until you reach the peak of the current arc and it feels quite rewarding.

The story is full of sensitive topics like exploitative prostitution, abuse, stalking, even attempted rape is used to drive the plot. Quite a lot of heavy topics, ... but they were handled carefully. I did not get the feeling that the author threw all these topics in just to achieve a certain level of shock value. Their introduction and purpose for the plot were well-planned and felt controlled.
A big thumbs up to the author for not romanticizing organized crime and actually showing the ugly face of the yakuza underworld.

At first, I was a bit skeptical about the tone of this manga, since it had the comedy label stamped on it. There were elements of comedy scattered throughout the volumes, but it was only a timid amount and it added a lot to the atmosphere.
There was a moment where the writer focused heavily on comedy after a big action-packed arc, and it just felt right. It wasn't forced into the story, it didn't feel like a gimmick. The jokes were just part of a cohesive storytelling mix.
In retrospect, there is a lot of slow-burning comedy in the manga, mainly due to the somewhat warped perception of Akira, the main character. He tries to fit in with everyday society and the average adult, but he goes way off the rails from time to time.

I also love how The Fable stays within the confines of reality. No magic, no teenage superheroes, no glorifying of crime. Akira is a professional assassin of the highest caliber, but he still feels human and not like an unstoppable terminator without any sense of humanity.
For example, Akira never goes up against 50 yakuza at once. His fights are kept on a smaller scale. It is also shown that he puts a lot of effort into honing his skills. This helps a lot to make him more interesting and not alienate Akira from the reader.

I would like to mention one thing about the art. Especially in the early chapters, it has a similar feel to rotoscope animation.
The drawings were never bad, but with each volume they improve, getting cleaner and more detailed, but also keeping influences of the original style.

After giving this manga so much praise, I want to talk about its flaws. My biggest complaint about The Fable is how the author tied everything up and ended the story.
It didn't feel completely disappointing or leave any other kind of long lingering bad feeling, but you could tell that it was rushed and a bit indecisive. The team behind the manga was probably already planning on releasing a sequel, so I guess that's the reason.
Although it contradicts my earlier point about not romanticizing the yakuza, some characters definitely get special treatment and are not as bad as others. For example, Akira is an assassin with a long list of kills, but we never learn who he killed. He could have been sent after the worst scum of the earth, or it could have been scientists who almost found a cure for cancer. I mean, it makes it easier to root for him, so I understand why the mangaka did it.

All in all, one of my favorite mangas and an easy recommendation for anyone who likes organized crime stories or action stories in general.

Personally, I had fun watching Revenger, but it faces a few hindrances and focuses too much on style.
That being said, I would still recommend the anime because it knew how to entertain. If the studio had decided on a longer runtime to form a more coherent story flow, this could have easily been an 8/10. Now it is "only" a 6/10.

The biggest problem of this anime is the pacing. Not only does the story progress too quickly, but the writers did not manage to establish a great flow from episode to episode. It simply doesn't feel like a smooth progression when you go from one ... episode to the next.
I think it would have been beneficial if they implemented breaks to slow down story progression and instead used the time to focus on in-depth character development and building better connections between the episodes.
Although they do try to keep the focus with a recurring theme and an overarching plot point. Seriously, the title says it all when it comes to this anime's story and what theme you can expect.

Focusing on each episode itself, they are well-directed and contain a good mixture of everything. Brutal kills, tactics, a bit of comedy, interesting dialogue, good soundtrack choice, great visuals, a steady supply of new characters appearing and even a bit of soul-searching. Like living with your choices and trying to find forgiveness. The only thing missing was a feeling of anxiousness. I never felt worried.

As for the characters, the main cast is likable and gets by far the most attention to detail. Yet, it still felt a bit shallow. I wanted to know more about their mindset, how their daily lives play out, and what they aim to achieve. Still, their interactions are fun and each of them brings something of value to the table.

Finally, I enjoyed my time watching Revenger and hope we get a few more of these types of shows.

At first glance, Blue Lock seemed refreshing. A breakout from the typical sports anime formula of growing as a team to overcome all odds.
A bunch of high schoolers living inside a megabuilding to cultivate a world-class striker. They are told multiple times to only have their own interests in mind and to stop at nothing to become the best. If it helps their growth, they should sell their own grandma.
No buddy-buddy with your teammates, goody-two-shoes get left behind, and betrayal is part of the game.
The whole facility is designed to provide the best training technology can offer, only to produce one singular world-class striker. I ... have no idea who funds the project, but it seems a bit wasteful. That is pretty much the plot of Blue Lock.

Now, if you get past that first glance and watch a few more episodes, you can see the established sports anime formula crawling back in and making itself at home.
Soon you find yourself surrounded by characters that have the same personality traits as many others from this genre.

The main guy, Isagi Yoichi, doesn't alleviate that problem either.
First, he always seems shaken to the core when someone else has only their own interests in mind and pursues those ambitions ruthlessly.
Second, the studio decided it would be a good idea to make him sound desperate and on the verge of tears whenever he is in a tough spot. It is exhausting.
Third, Yoichi never looks bad in the eyes of the viewer. Whenever he is faced with a hard choice that might smear his good boy persona, he receives a helping hand from the author to avoid unpleasant situations.
It is always others who make decisions for him, Yoichi never steps on any toes. Even if someone's dream of becoming the best striker is crushed, it is perfectly set up in a way that you can hardly blame our protagonist for it because the other guy knew the risks and took the initiative.

My main gripe with Blue Lock was the pacing. Or rather, the lack of it. Especially the later episodes, but it is also apparent in the earlier ones, are filled with nonstop unneeded talking.
It wouldn't be half bad if the writers actually sat down and put some effort into writing compelling dialogue, but they decided to just ignore that important step.
Matches are filled with constant over-explanations of players' thought processes. Every single move and tactic is laid out, examined and explained until all the momentum of the action on-screen is lost and dead. Also, it is beyond tiresome if all of the characters have to go through an existential crisis, or multiple ones, in every single episode.
Even if they are in the middle of the game, with only one minute left on the clock, they find some time to have a monologue or a little chitchat with the other guys on the field. Thankfully, most of the players abide by battle shounen rules and don't interrupt our main guy while he is lost in thought. They let him hold the ball until he is finished thinking.
I think it wouldn't be too far-fetched if I said that more than half of an episode's runtime is spent repeating the same dialogue and thoughts Yoichi and his friends have. It is an inescapable loop.
It seems like the studio doesn't have a high opinion of its viewers and thinks they need this nonstop word vomit because football/soccer is an alien sport.

Besides giving everyone that weird, exaggerated grin and spirally eyes, the anime looks solid. Art and animation are definitely the strong points of this show, with some good colors and flashy effects.
Even though they sprinkle in some CGI and as you get closer to the final few episodes, you can tell the budget got tighter. Close-ups, less fluidity in the animation, static shots with minimal character movement and other ways to save some money.

To wrap it all up, the story of the first few episodes seemed promising compared to other sports anime. Sadly, the anime loses its steam rather quickly story-wise and blunders the narrative. Art and animation hold their own and make Blue Lock entertaining for a bit, but are unable to fill the holes that the lacking parts left.

After finishing the first episode, I thought this anime would go a completely different route.
While watching the second episode, the huge comedy part of this show moved slowly to the frontline and my expectations also shifted. At least for the first half, then the anime switched its tone again.

Eminence in Shadow fully utilizes its main character, Cid, and makes everything revolve around him. Mainly due to his very, very serious illness but at the same time, the anime loses steam once he disappears from the spotlight. Which does not happen often, but it is still noticeable.

Once Cid shows up on the screen, and ... they start pumping out some gags, we get to see the anime's strong points. Given, humor is very subjective and they tend to reuse jokes but it was well-balanced for the most part. The main kickers are the misunderstandings Cid is causing. It sort of reminded me of another Isekai protagonist. I was expecting a "Sasuga Shadow-sama" at any moment.

As previously mentioned, in the second half the comedy gets reduced to the bare minimum and they focus fully on Cid's ambition to be the strongest and coolest guy around. Sometimes that works, other times it is hard to watch.
To their credit, they hit the nail on the head on what a young teen would think is really badass. Honestly, it is quite entertaining if you just lay back, don't expect too much, and just enjoy the fireworks on the screen.
Storywise you can expect a run-of-the-mill fantasy story, but it is only there to give the narrative some sort of direction to go. It is not the main focus at all.

Once again, character interactions with Cid in the middle are the show's lifeblood. If you can't warm up to the humor or think the serious moments are too edgy, you are going to loathe Eminence in Shadows because they won't switch up their established formula.

It's been a few years since the last Overlord season and while the long pause did seem to slightly improve the overall quality, so many elements still fall flat.

Thankfully we don't see a lot of lizards or eye-scorching CGI this season, although some CGI prevails. Overall, the visuals are solid throughout the whole show. In terms of plot, it is alright, but nothing to write home about. For the most part, it just dawdles along and some storylines feel out of place.
The dialogue got a bit more attention this time and it can lead to fun exchanges. Just keep your expectations moderate.

Now, let's mention the ... most prevalent elements that dampened the total experience.
This season, none of the Nazarick denizens experience growth or reach any meaningful advances. Every popular character gets a bit of screen time and about one moment for themself. Yet, those moments are forgettable or executed poorly. Even Ainz just sort of exists. They might as well show him knitting Christmas sweaters for every floor guardian and that would have been more riveting than a big sum of his actual scenes.
So many characters are dumbed down. Albedo is mainly a comic relief and consumed by her lust. Ainz could sneeze and Demiurge would praise the supreme one's intellect. Given, that was fun at first but they rehash the same joke too much. Shalltear and the other floor guardians are also around and do stuff, probably. That being said, Cocytus gets a nice little moment in the spotlight near the end of the season, so at least we got a few bread crumbs to nibble on.

For me, one thing perfectly sums up this season's dominant weakness: Show, don't tell.
Our key figures really like to talk about doing evil stuff but we hardly see anything on screen. Whenever our main guys converse with each other, we get a few droplets of information about all the bad stuff they did, that's it. It gives off the feeling of one big exposition after another. Show us how they ruin a whole kingdom and turn it into rubble. Give us a glimpse of the torture used in Nazarick. Simply, be more engaging and don't shy away from including elaborate scenes because they would require more effort.

A neatly packaged story with charming elements, but also a bit weird occasionally.

For most people, the biggest hurdle to overcome will be the smelling fetish. As in, Koutarou, the main guy, really likes to sniff Asako. While it is pretty tame and it never got gross, it can still make or break this manga for some readers. Personally, I still find it a tiny bit strange from time to time but it is also the source of many wholesome moments.

The art is easy on the eyes and filled with enough detail to support the narrative. Each of the more established cast members is uniquely drawn ... and fits into the overall style. There is enough expression on everyone's face to immediately see their current emotions.

As for the story, it is a pleasant journey. That being said, I do want to mention a few bothersome things.
The way our two lovebirds met could have been handled with a bit more care, but I guess it was depicted like that to get into the meat of the matter sooner. The story does not tell how two people slowly fall in love, it focuses on the relationship aspect.
Another point of criticism, certain plot points get resolved too quickly and things are happening too fast. In general, a slower approach might have been more beneficial to the overall story.
And finally, the relationship between our couple almost feels too innocent. Well, definitely not in one way because there were enough steamy moments throughout the manga. No, what I mean is, their relationship never hits a difficult challenge. Given, many parts of the story are a touch romanticized but it never went overboard.
Frankly, I was happy their relationship was so innocent. If I wanted drama, I would pick up another manga, with "Ase to Sekken" I got something easily digestible and enjoyable.

That being said, Asako does suffer from ugly childhood memories, which followed her into adulthood and shaped her character. Now we see her slowly opening up and being less harsh with herself. While it is important to the narrative, it never stands in the spotlight for too long.

Finally, what I absolutely appreciate was the setting. No single high school in sight, only everyday working adults. It felt refreshing.

Ao Ashi dropped the ball on so many levels. From an outsider's perspective, it looked really promising but ended up being a letdown after diving into it.

It's not a horrible sports anime but it is ridden with so many annoyances it sucks out all the fun. Well, watching Ao Ashi never really was accompanied by a high level of fun. At least for me, there was no feeling of hype or energy in the show.

First of all, the characters. Aoi is almost a perfect cookie-cutter sports anime main character.
Pretty much an always upbeat, goody two-shoes that values friendship and camaraderie above all else. Don't ... insult his friends or family, unless you want him to get really mad. Well, good guy mad. Personally, I also can't get used to his voice and his constant screaming.
His gift, which, naturally, catapults him into a league of top-tier players, is highly stylized. Almost to a point, one could argue about it being supernatural. But I am just going to strike it off as an over-the-top visual representation for the viewer.
As for the side cast, I don't have much to say. They had no substance and depth. We get a few hints and pieces dropped throughout the show's runtime, but most of it felt lackluster and only got set up to be put in the storeroom for later use.
Both girls got a bit shafted as side characters. Once Hana's duty as an amateur therapist and nutritionist was done, she got put on the sidelines. It was time for Girl B, Anri, to move in. Thankfully she knew a few things about football, just in time to help Aoi out. Of course, just like Hana, Anri also developed some feelings for Aoi.
Why the romance aspect? And I use romance lightly because it just felt so tacked on. What was the point besides needlessly forcing drama on the screen? If executed well, it could add value to the story, but don't start another subplot if you are already struggling with others.

Speaking of drama, Ao Ashi really suffers from a constant flow of low-tier drama.
The anime likes to add those extra layers for dramatic effects, which are completely unneeded. It didn't feel natural and most of it was blown out of proportion.
Aoi could have thrown a canned coffee on the ground and they would show zoomed shots of everyone's faces with shocked looks on them, while melodramatic music was starting to play in the background.
To quickly talk about the "bad" guys, they are written so poorly. They bully and look down on people for the sake of doing it. While the good guys stand up for their friends and ooze love and respect. We got to include that black and white morality somehow.

I already mentioned the nonexisting hype, so let's focus on that one next. About 80 % of all the football scenes were boring screen time filler. They had no impact, no engaging hooks, and no remarkable scenes. The same goes for most of the strategy talks as well. Absolutely underwhelming. A handful of moments were pretty alright but they just get overshadowed by all the average filling around it. Every time they played football on screen, it was accompanied by a barrage of thoughts, never-ending dialogue and flashbacks. Establishing a good flow was never an option, it got dragged into a dark alley and shot.
The anime is plagued by scenes that drag on way too long for the points they try to get across. Aoi and friends could recite the whole bible before making a play.

To wrap it up on a positive note, I do want to mention some of the show's good aspects. The art is consistent and has some nice visuals from time to time. Both openings, as well as the endings, are good at setting the mood.
The biggest aspect is the potential. If we get a second season and they handle the narrative and characters with enough care, it could have solid potential. Most side characters just seem way more interesting than our bog-standard main character and with enough finesse, they might even improve the romance subplot.

Ok, first of all, let's get the elephant out of the room. As many have done before me, I must compare it to Gintama.
The show is about a trio doing odd jobs. The cast of SKET Dance is almost an identical copy of Gintama's, just painted a bit differently and lacking the effort. SKET Dance is like the 4kids version.
The humor feels tame and fails to land most of the time. For me, it was the weird constant change of tone in a single episode, the bad comedic timing and the voice acting that ruined most scenes. I mention the voice acting but I rather ... blame the directions the voice actors were given and the bland dialogue for its lacklusterness.

Yet, the two worst offenders, that really drag down the show, are its predictability and mediocrity. Nothing stands out, everything goes from A to B with nothing in between that spices things up or surprises you.
When SKET Dance tries to do parodies, it always falls flat on its nose. They don't take risks and play it safe with the jokes. It's like someone setting up a decent punchline but then it all crumbles because they are too afraid to upset someone.

Next, I would like to talk a bit about the visuals. School settings, which is fair, and it does have a bit of color here and there. Character design is on an acceptable level, but nothing you haven't seen before. The show also likes to use visual comedy but, as with most other comedic elements, it fails to add any sort of value or is peak averageness.

I could try and fish for some positive things to mention but nothing popped into my mind when I started to write this review. All in all, the show lacks a unique selling point and simply plays it too safe while also lacking finesse in its jokes.

PLOT
It is pretty barebones. Guy sees girl, instantly falls in love, girl reciprocates the feelings for whatever reason, they marry and from there onwards, it is a mind-numbing slice of life anime. The premise is void of any logic and the execution is just as senseless. The show goes through a checklist of situations for both characters without any love for detail or complexity. Given, a simple narrative can be enjoyable but not if it is a complete snoozefest. Furthermore, they use a lot of comedy to try and make things entertaining, which is a fair concept, but the show's humor did not work for ... me at all. This comedic style only makes me roll my eyes.

CHARACTERS
Let's focus on the two main characters since the side cast is absolutely forgettable.
Our main guy is Nasa Yuzaki and he has a complex about his name. For some reason, everyone chuckles and laughs about his name because it is the funniest thing ever if a guy is named after the American space agency. This humiliation motivates him to become the greatest mind ever, aiming for the very top. Well, all of it gets thrown out in the very first episode and his personality resets to a hormone-driven teen because he saw a cute girl. He is 18 years old but handholding is still way too risqué and he blushes uncontrollably if he talks with his wife for more than 5 seconds. Hopefully you enjoy this kind of "comedy", otherwise you will be miserable.
Since I already mentioned the cute girl, let's shove Tsukasa into the spotlight. She resembles an AI that just knows the very basics of acting like a human. Seriously, she has no real or notable character trait. Her only purpose is to be with Nasa and fulfill his wishes while not showing any ounce of individuality. Well, her second one would be to sell merchandise. I am not joking when I say she has as much personality as a Roomba.
There is no rhyme or reason to their relationships, it does not feel organic, and calling it forced is an understatement. I have not seen a single hint of actual chemistry between them.

VISUALS
I didn't expect much visual-wise since the anime clearly had not enough budget to pump out something stunning. The colors look washed out and the animation can get clunky but it gets the job done. Sometimes the screen is filled with a weird mish-mash of colors and shades but it is bearable. The worst offender is probably the character design, calling them grotesque might be a bit harsh, but no other word pops into my mind. To sum it up, the visuals are below average.

SOUND
Plain, unexciting and sometimes even a hindrance. In some scenes, the sound design just doesn't support what's happening on screen. It fails to be cohesive.

OVERALL OPINION
A cookie-cutter rom-com, but instead of clean cutters they used warped ones. Nothing works together, nothing about this anime is unique and nothing is memorable. Just another parasite wriggling its way into the romance genre.

PLOT
The two main characters live their daily lives and grow closer to each other, which sums up the whole plot.
Our main guy, Gojou, is branded by his rather unique interest in making Hina dolls and the from it resulting childhood trauma. That bad experience influenced his character while growing up and still lingers with him. While it is brought up in the narrative from time to time, it is never overly dramatized or forced into the spotlight.
Through the act of convenient storytelling, the lively Marin crashes into his life and the party begins. Honestly, a lot is achieved with simple happenstance but I never felt ... disappointed by it. It constantly drove the episodes forward, led to a steady flow and kept things fresh as well as interesting.

CHARACTERS
Gojou's meekness can be a bit too much but that is rarely the case. Marin brings soul and charm to the show. They form a wonderful duo and the chemistry between them feels believable. It's an organic development. A few supporting characters are introduced and they work well with the main cast. Each of them gets their own moment in the spotlight and not one of them is boring or unlikeable. I love how they integrated the grandpa since it could have been an easy opportunity for drama but they thankfully abstained from it. All in all, they handled all the characters with care and while they did play it safe, it was the correct choice.

VISUALS
CloverWorks did a good job producing appealing visuals. Colors are popping and it never gets dull. The animations are fluid for the most part and can get quite detailed. A lot of polish went into close-ups and landscape shots.
To quickly address one thing that rubs many people the wrong way: The fanservice. I had no problem with it. For some it might be a bit much, but it never was a thorn in my side. It's not the main focus throughout the show nor does it distract from the anime itself.

SOUND
Nothing to really write home about here. Opening and ending are a great listen. In some scenes the sound design can get a bit on the nose, a touch more subtlety would have helped, while in others the sound elevates the moment to a whole new level. On the whole, sound design is on a decent level.

OVERALL OPINION
Just sit back and relax with the help of this wholesome show. It is easily digestible, well-paced and a lot of components blend together elegantly. Everything about the show puts you in a good mood. Likeable cast, popping colors, good humor and great chemistry between the characters. One could argue about the realism, plot depth and fan service but for me, I went in with no expectations and just enjoyed my time.