Back to HyroSan's Profile HyroSan's Profile

If you haven't noticed already, Solo Leveling has an anime adaptation that is ongoing as of right now. Fans should have already told you, the anime-only, about what the show should be about (this is important) and how it will break records and shit. And within the first episode, people are already calling it mid, mostly from Twitter.

I am a long-term fan, and my profile picture is proof, but this particular adaptation is making me nervous. Because Aniplex and Crunchyroll are involved--the two worst producers out there and fans won't shut their mouths about the spoilers. Some red flags should be noted as well, ... such as this was originally a Korean manhwa, not Japanese, there are apparently some changes towards the adaptation, and the fact that this is a power fantasy. So many people are doom posting about the show/source.

So how is it for the first 3 episodes? I say it's alright. The show has decent animation and quality (even though the art style sucks ass). The world-building is well-established and not rushed. Sawano did it again with his music, setting the tone for the show. Sucks that the first episode wasn't an hour-long special, it would've been better.

But the pacing is slow as fuck. Anime fans who are used to fast-paced action like Jujutsu Kaisen or any other battle shounen will not last long here. I find that laughable that SL and JJK have opposite pacing problems: one is too slow, but the other is fast as fuck.

Overall, this is a decent adaptation. I hope that it won't screw up in the later parts of the season because that's where it will shine.

Edgy Show #3

The Eminence in Shadow finished its second season, and I feel like my patience is drawing thin. Although this show proves that an over-serious story can be a parody, it has now reached a point where I am more serious about the plot than the jokes.

The show flipped its tone between comedy and drama too much for this season, and I'm starting to get fed up with its characters and story. The gore showing and the boobs jiggling within the same episode are making my eyes roll. Also, can we talk about Cid? Honestly, I am getting sick and tired of his oblivious ... nature. His overpowering everything with his "funny" thoughts was corny and dumb. Every time he fights, he has this thought of: "Hmm, I need to do X because of [insert any off-topic here] so I have more free time and shit." And it's not just the fights. He keeps saying the same shit over and over throughout the show, even in serious situations. The only attempts at humor in this show were the repetitive jokes, the constant focus on the protagonist's harem, and his friends trying to get a chic.

The manga was funny and showed that the story was a parody, thanks to its art style and gags that made it engaging. But this show (and possibly its Light Novel) has none. None of the quirky faces, none of the funny moments, and, most importantly, none of the feeling that it was a parody.

The movie has now been announced for next year (2024), and it's going to cover my least favorite arc, so I am expecting more dumb-down moments from it. I feel like this show's just over the top with its serious nature. I hope they can add some relief if it's going to adapt the remaining content of the ongoing light novel.

[A side note is that the show has a filler episode that promotes the gatcha game, which boosts degenerates to pull the harem on their gatcha polls. Honestly, it showed how far you can get away with shitty world-building with a water park that looks like it was made from our world.]

Edgy Show #2

There was a weak-ass MC in a world where skills are as essential as your life and has a weak-ass skill, only to be discovered through killing. Yep, this man didn't kill a single being since he got that. Afterward, he immediately got OP--I mean, he got to train with his sword to get OP.

Add a black sword and outfit with an Alice-look-a-like, and we get an official Kirito 2.0. And by Alice, I mean Roxy, who was just as oblivious as her when they were high-ranking knights.

The problems in the show were obvious:
- The MC was retarded and dumb
- Villians are ... obnoxiously awful
- World building was crap
- Animation/Action was crap
- I hate Eris/Envy

The only savior in this show was Myne, the only character to demonstrate how retarded the MC was.

"Edgy" Show #1

Lame Shota MC
Lame Onee-sans
Lame Ripoff Shadow Dog from JJK

This is one of some edgy shows this season and has to be the lamest. And by "edgy", I mean a lame attempt to make the MC look cool while getting fanservice through tits and closeups.

It's pathetic to see an incompetent Maou-sama, staying low only to start caring for his enemies, while simultaneously looking for ways to conquer the world, yet getting restrained by a naked woman.

... And yeah, harem. That's also pathetic. It's a poor excuse to see strong women who are already DIDs (Damsels In Distress) start loving the MC.

And then there's the MC's maid, who shouldn't even exist (I hate her)

Ugh, at least the action was ok...?

The problem with anime adaptations like these is that people have many expectations for them to be “original” and “unique,” with the culprits being the marketing and manga fans. I too am a reader, but many fans have declared that this show is deep, as shallow as the entertainment industry itself. Please note that there will be spoilers from the anime and manga.

The following message is clear for everyone who has been watching: The first episode does not necessarily mean it’s good, as per the unspoken rules of episodic watching. The movie-like first episode (which consisted of three episodes) defied all common sense of viewing ... as it immediately became #1 for about a month. But it doesn’t deserved it without watching the whole season, right, newbies?

The theme and marketing revolve around how “dark” the industry is. The first episode ended shockingly, portraying the unstable idol, Ai Hoshino, revealing something to the audience, resulting in consequences (It’s obvious she was killed). Oh, and she has twins who are reincarnated and were once her fans. Sigh…

One of those twins is Aqua Simulacra. Yes, I am serious. It is said that he was once a plain doctor with no form until he took shape as a reborn baby. He gained a health bonus from his new life and started to develop the wisdom that Ai is good while viewing everyone else as bad, all while maintaining his own purity by not nursing from his mother! After Ai’s death, he realized that the father caused it and started to increase his critical damage for revenge by using people who fell with him, thanks to his edgy bonus effect. When he reached maturity (high school), he became a broken weapon that should be banned, but the author realized he couldn’t fix it due to time constraints, so they added those aspects later (in Episode 8).

So, what about the other twin named Ruby? Well, she was barely introduced and is a decent character overall, with average looks compared to a regular idol. Along with the three other girls (Akane, Kana, Mem), they all look similar except for their hair and eye designs. Whenever they interact with Aqua, the narratives become extremely diverse to take seriously. One conversation is comedy, followed by a serious talk about the industry, which is then followed by another joke about romance. The conversations are pointless since none of the seriousness get applied, except for Episode 6 which focuses on egosurfing and cyberbullying. However, the following episode was terrible in terms of handling the proper consequences without any legal, physical, or mental issues for the characters. Aqua Simulacra is portrayed as a weapon for women to solve their problems.

But what about the father? Trust me, if you’ve read any revenge story, you’ll know that it will always be extended until a lackluster ending. The show’s plot will revolve only around the success of the twins, and the revenge will take place at the end. The manga proves this, along with reincarnation being a plot device until the end.

The art and songs were the selling points of the show, with my personal preference being the ending. ‘Cause the lyrics of the opening is a cliché.

Overall, this show is about showbiz and not a deconstruction of the industry. If you can get past that, then that’s good. But marketing it as “deep” while still featuring obnoxious clichés is not.

“And Then Everyone Clapped” the anime

I never thought that a show can be this bad, but this show proved me wrong. Even reading the manga, the anime somehow made it worse. The story was potential: an ugly guy who was able to travel to Earth and another world, similar to GATE, but worse in anyway. I bet the JSDF will support him for his cause.

You have a legitimate Kirito clone with looks and voice that has the nicest attitude in both worlds. He was ugly and fat at the start and he was changed into an handsome Gary Stu with OP powers within the first ... episode. Afterwards, he helped so many people that people around him (mainly girls) clapped and wooed him. Even villains!! He is so helpful that he would be nominated for the Noble Prize for Peace, where everyone would clapped for him.

Also disregard the power system that he uses in the other world. He jumped 200 levels with such ease that it looked pathetic compared to some other Korean manga (*cough* Solo Leveling *cough*). Then his master clapped for his remarkable achievement.

Bullshit. This awful message about ugliness is similar to the The Fruit of Evolution, which from the exact same author. By this point, he should see a psychiatrist to see if he has some mental problems. It will have a second season a because of the author’s connections. By then, it’s obvious that he will gain more girls and powers just for everyone to clap for him. Again!!

This review will be short. But I got nothing to say much since this is a ~4 minute music video.

The entire song is catchy, but overall, the lyrics and themes are boring and generic. Like come on, can you get more creative than saying that being an idol is nothing more than lies or the fans are being fake with you? So many other previous songs have already been created about these themes and this song only gotten popular because it got played in the anime's first episode and being its OP.

There are plenty more better songs than this.

The Eminence in Shadow? Nah, this is probably the Eminence in ABCs (Atrocity, Boobs and Cringe). I'm not sure about you, but that's how I feel about this show.

This whole anime can be boiled down as "Overly-edgy MC tried to become the best Mob-kun in the most absurd way possible with a harem of non-human females that wants to fuck with him".

Big problem comes with the narrative. For a comedy, it is too serious to make it as funny. And I hate MCs who are obscured about the events happening around them. Animation is good, except for the so-called "shadows", which look like black, ... gel-like slime (aka BOOBS).

The manga clearly identified itself as a parody, but its anime counterpart does not. Read the manga instead. #NotAnAd

Well, this anime is a disappointment...

Seeing the previews made me think that this show was going about proper spy work, teamwork and nice gimmicks. Character designs and animation look decent and the cast seemed to be fun (though are architecture of clichés).

All of it to be thrown away by the pacing. It is so bad. All the previous mentioned points were not mentioned in the anime at all and the plot was racing at mach speed. The past 3 episodes were like this:

Episode 1 was introduction of the cast (normal) to solely focusing on 1 character (why?)
Episode 2 was basic training (ok) to ... sudden mission (tf)
Episode 3 seemed like it was a season finale. (bruh)

Either the producers or the author had a screw loose in their heads

"Chainsaw Man will change the shounen world" LMAO no; it doesn't...

In every season of anime, there's at least one show that was probably on every viewer's must-watch list, but the season was way more than expected. However, this overtop anime was SUPPOSEDLY the anime of the year, the decade, or maybe the CENTURY [according to fans]! This show is what anime fans are waiting for since MAPPA dropped its trailer in 2021 and sparking countless memes and devoted fans for their love for the show. This show is none other than Chainsaw Man!

Well then, manga fans, did it blow up more than expected, as it ... did for Demon Slayer or MARVEL's Infinity War, hmmm? Was everyone outside the anime bubble talking about it? Some of you say yes, others no. As for me, it's "eh"? ??

It's way too obviously that this anime is overhyped and it shows because of its execution. But for dogs---I mean fans to saying this is the greatest of shounen or any anime is overstretched. Common quotes include in conversations such as:

"Chainsaw is best anime that I watched! The story is deep, unique, it has great characters!" exclaimed one fan! The story is simple enough, but it wouldn't call it "deep" (yet). It's just a group of people going killing around devils. Characters are just archetypes of common shounen and anime cliches. Denji is "relatable" since he is a horny teenager. But Naruto was also horny, but he was 12, so is he relatable too? If that's so, Aki is similar to a ok-ish Sasuke and Power to an overexerted Sakura. But what about Makima? A big meh. I never understand how dog fans are willing to bark for her, every though she doesn't have much depth.

"How about deaths? This show is dark and every death is meaningful. Especially to meaningful side characters." the fan replied. Side characters are also meh since they don't have much screen time, so I don't feel anything if they die. Fans called deaths unexpected, but I call them shock value.

"Then the voice actors..." says another fan, joining in. Good voices, I say, really capture the characters' tone and voice. Makes me want to pay attention to them more.

"But the animation is great! MAPPA made another masterpiece yet again!" as more fans are joining in. The animation is very good; so good that the animators focus all their effort in their slice of life moments instead of allegedly action fights. I am not a fan of the color palette used for their animation; it's looks bland compared to other shounen animes.

"So the OP and EDs will surely win you over!" says a few more. Excessive, but I like some of the songs.

"This season is the worst part of the manga, but wait until this character shows up and then---" STOP! No spoilers here for an anime normie. The show is ok as it is without the EXCESSIVE amount of spoilers.

"So you're just a normie" the fans realized. I am...but at least I'm not barking.