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Jun 4, 2017
(This review has been taken from my blog)
Akame ga Kill has become the representation of feelfaggotry. If you are one of those people who expects to get emotional from the very first episode, you will lose your shit with this one because (GASP) it constantly kills its characters and doesn’t resurrect them a few episodes afterwards. This made it super popular while it was airing and eventually got overhyped into the status of a masterpiece, because it deconstructs the clichés of fighting shonen.
And by clichés I mean plot armor and talk no jutsu, elements the shonentards got tired of seeing in Naruto. Everybody were
...
so butthurt by Pein being talked into changing his mind and bringing back to life all those he killed, that the instant they found a show not doing that, they hailed it as mature and serious. Something which is not, since it constantly ruins every dramatic scene with out of place fan service and slapstick comedy. The mood whiplash it creates is immersion breaking, since it can’t maintain a specific emotion for more than a few seconds. Which is why it appeals so much to edgelords.
Speaking of edge, the show is constantly trying to present everything as grey in morality, since most of the heroes are heartless assassins and many of the subordinates of the villains obey them out of duty or some twisted concept of justice. What it’s actually doing is making you think if you mix extreme violence with extreme comic relief, the result will somehow be more grey than if you have clear cut good guys and bad guys. Which is not the case since blurring the lines of good and evil is not the same as making everybody a psychotic mass murderer who loves to torture and rape innocent people. The bad guys are pitch black evil and never show the slightest sign of remorse or questioning their horrible acts. Hell, they don’t even have any motivation for torturing and killing hundreds of people other than “Because we can lol”. Yet none of the emotional fags seemed to care because it was keeping things on the edge.
The show is also praised for its very fast pacing, instead of spending entire episodes on unimportant stuff such as fleshing out or character development. It’s also adored by many for not having plot armor, since people are constantly dying on both sides of the conflict. Too bad any sense of dramatization is lost when they drop like flies without being given much screen time or any significant characterization. If nothing lasts for long, it comes off as superficial. And yet this is seen as a plus at an age where the average attention span of a viewer is less than 6 seconds. He needs to be constantly stimulated or he’s not going to give a shit.
Without much to care about a character, all you have to look forward to is seeing who gets to die next. Which is exactly what anime fans were doing in the forums. The first couple of deaths were shocking because they were unexpected, but after the 100th time somebody died, all they were doing was guessing who gets killed in the next episode. Nobody cared about the heroes or the villains, who by the way are complete archetypes with nothing special about them. The only thing that was defining them was their death. Which was usually brutal.
Over the top gore and death scenes do not make something mature. They make it extreme. They are just shock effect and have nothing to do with characters, because you only care about the act of bloodshed and mayhem, than about the butchered people in the middle of all that. There is hardly any time invested in most of them, and the show will make sure to make a joke out of their deaths, so you won’t care after they kick the bucket. And even if you do care, there are simply way too many killings close to each other that you are never given time to get over the death of one of them, before a dozen more are thrown at you. You are eventually going to be desensitized no matter how much you try to remain excited.
I could go on nagging about the low budget animation, the retarded script, the amateurish scene transitions, or the rushed ending, but I won’t because the anime would still be bad even if all those things were done right. And no, the manga is not any better despite being very different after a point on. You watch this show as a parody of Naruto, you laugh at it, and then you shake your head upon realizing that this is what modern anime fans like the most.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Jun 3, 2017
[Story part : 4/10]
-Pacing seems to be mastered. (1/2)
-An original and promising plot, especially for a Shojo. (1.5/2)
-No complexity. No depth. Right now. And I smell, that will remain like that until the end. Regrets, love, nostalgia... That's thin, but rather enough for a Shojo, it won't be a severe penalty (1/2)
-Plausible? nope. And it can't be helped with the current lack of logic of protagonist. (0/2)
...
-No conclusion yet. (~/1)
-Good premise. (0.5/1)
[Animation part : 5/10]
-Good production value. It's in the broadcast standard. (1.25/2)
-Decent visual effects. (1/2)
-A generic character design. (0.5/2)
-Awkward staging so far. It could be well-handled considering the plot device (the letters) and main character's decision making(0.75/2)
-Detailed background (1.5/2)
[Sound part : 4/10]
-Banal quality sound effects. (1/3)
-A non-appropriate OST in regard to the situations, but proper with the atmosphere and the universe. (1.5/3)
-Common voice acting, a bit boring. (1/3)
-Valid BGM, but there is no immersion. (0.5/1)
[Characters part : 4.5/10]
-About characters presence, they're always together, so we can see everyone, and there is a justified focus on MC. (1.5/2)
-A catharsis is foreshadowed. (1/2)
-Character development is foreshadowed. (1/2)
-Characters personality : Cliche and irrational. But with all of its members reuniting, the band is watchable. (0.5/2)
-Unseen backdrop. (0.5/2)
[Miscellaneous part ( doesn't count in the notation ) : ~/10]
-Rewatchability. (~/3)
-Generic OP and ED. (0/1)
-Enjoyment. (~/6)
OVERALL : 4.5/10
Class : B low-tier.
Collapse
4/10
story
5/10
animation
4/10
sound
4.5/10
characters
4.5/10
overall
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Jun 3, 2017
Did this anime make me cry oh boy!
I had a rough idea of the story line was about, A girl who was Deaf was being teased by a boy in school.
The Music was just perfect, I honestly listen to the soundtrack just on it's own, it makes the atmosphere of the music and adds so much emotion to it!
The character designs are perfect, the art style was just stunning i honestly can't say anything more than that, the character designs for each character fit the personality so well! branching off into different hair styles, eye shapes. it was a bright and vibrant
...
animation style, wouldn't expect anything less from the great Kyoto Animation!
Honestly,
I was expecting some lighthearted anime with a little bit of angst, Oh I think a lot of people got a lot more than what they hoped for.
It provdes a great inside on what someone with depression see's the world, being someone myself who has depression the anime couldn't of gotten it anymore right, and if you are in the main characters position with his mindset it really hits you hard.
The story is just amazing, honestly, the way it progresses, the way the main character builds the relationships with everyone around you, it's cute, it's sad, it's humerous.
It's a Rollercoaster of emotions.
I went to the Cinemas to see this Movie.
and i was not dissapointed.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 3, 2017
Btw I have nothing against gay people but this show does now actually show the true conflict and struggle that gay people face
Starting of I thought this show would touch more on the social issues related to this topic but guess they just turned it into fangirl bait
Which to me is truly dissapointing
NOW FOR THE REVIEW
Hi mates. This morning I watched 2 released Yuri on Ice's epizodes. And what I can say? I really wasted my time. Story boring, nothing interesting, only one word can describe it - nahhh. Animation was nice, I like this type draws but too fancy, I don't like this
...
kind, it's only for dummies and kids. Ending pretty nice, it surprised me, for so shitty anime so nice opening. But I can't say same about ending. Characters were really dumb and boring, one guy forget his promises, other guy do dumb things, how 15-17 years old guy can travel from Russian to Japan? He need his parents permission. Generally it's kind of bullshit, boring, dumb, overrated bullshit. There's logic <- and there's Yuri on Ice ->, do you get it? <-Logic This anime->
4/10
story
8/10
animation
7/10
sound
1/10
characters
3/10
overall
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Jul 18, 2016
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS** Ah Sword Art Online. One of the most argued over anime of recent years. Some say SAO is the messiah of anime, and any who oppose it should be exucuted publicly. Others say watching Butt Attack Punisher Girl Gautaman ten times would be more enjoyable than SAO. Though personally, I believe both sides are completely wrong. Now, why am I only now reviewing it? I don't know, mind your own buisness!
*If you want a quick summary of how I feel overall, It's at the bottom.
Story (First Arc)
Plot: On November 6, 2022, the players log into SAO for the first time, and later discover
...
that they are unable to log out. They are then informed by Akihiko Kayaba, SAO's creator, that if they wish to be free, they must reach the 100th floor of the game's tower and defeat the final boss. However, if their avatars die in-game, their bodies will also die in the real world. One of these players is Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya, who was chosen as one of the 1,000 beta testers in the closed beta. Since he had previous experience and knowledge of the game, he felt that he could beat the game easily. As a result, he set out to beat the game on his own.
My thoughts: When SAO was first released in 2012, I was absolutely hooked. I hadn't watched too many anime focused on MMORPG, so this was a fairly new and exciting experience to me. The plot, althought not completely original, is still very solid and entertaining. I never felt completely lost, or bored, and found myself on the edge of my seat many times. Though there are many plot holes here and there, most of them can be explained once thought out. There are very large time skips however, and I felt that with more focus on minor events and less time skipping, the anime would have scored much better.
Animation
With A-1 Pictures behind the scenes, I knew exactly what to expect in terms of visuals. The character motions were very fluid with little exceptions, and the color palette was similar to Oreimo, which I felt fitting. The fight scenes, possibly the most important aspect, were also nothing to mock. The swordsmanship was brutal and crude, which in my opinion is much more realistic. The visual effects seemed a bit off at times, but it rarely took away from the scene. All in all, the animation was fitting for the genre, and is what we've come to expect from A-1 Pictures.
Sound(First Arc)
Sword Art Online's first opening was my favorite of the series, and never disappointed me. LiSA has a reputation for great songs, and this one is no exception. The tone and build ups really matched the feel of the anime. The ending theme was also enjoyable, though not as memorable. It's nice to have a soft and slow anime theme every now and then, and I think SAO fit it in well. The voice actors fit perfectly for all the characters, except Silica. I almost never like high pitched lolis though, so don't let that affect your decision. With all this in mind, I'd say the sound was above average, though nothing stellar.
Characters(First Arc)
Now, I'm not going to get into GGO, so I'll be leaving Cinnamon Sinon out of the roster. None of the characters in SAO were really misplaced, though some should have gotten more screentime, as they feel like they were just filler characters.
Kirito: Our main protagonist, Kirito (or Kirishit as some prefer) is your average run of the mill protagonist. I will give credit where it's due though, he isn't a dense brick. He's mellow and a lady killer, but for about half the anime, he's a scene kid with depression issues. He always gets the job done with his OP power level, which I assume is over 9000, or by letting Asuna do his shit for him. Overall he's an aight nigga.
Asuna: Asuna-sama is the one true waifu for Kirito. Anyone who claims the annoying loli, the blacksmith with one episode, or that whore Sinon are better, they should be banished to the shadow realm. Now back to Asuna. She, like Kirito, is also pretty OP. Though we don't often see it, her sword skills are among the top players. She's sweet, a good cook, and was willing to fuck Kirito 5 seconds after they kissed. She is truly the best.
Silica: She's that loud loli that every anime has. She's pretty much useless, and probably should have been eaten by that rape plant thing.
Liz: Now I'll be real. If Asuna wasn't such a babe, Liz would probably be the next best, only because of how nice she is. She basically gave up on her new found love, Kirito, so that Asuna could have him all for herself and be happy. Meanwhile she cries under a bridge. Poor girl. We don't get much developement for her, but overall she's a lovable character.
Agil: He's basically the cool black Russian from Durarara!... He's my nigga.
Klein: Meh. He's aight. He doesn't change at all really, and is always just in the back watching usually.
Final Verdict
When it's all said and done, the first 14 episodes(Arc One) of SAO were very entertaining. Some characters were ignored, but the main characters were given good depth. Animation was A-1 A-OK(get it?), and the story gave enough to get by. Though, If I had my way I would have prefered that the second Arc was scrapped altogether. I feel that if they spent all 25 episodes on the SAO arc, it would have turned into something amazing. Minor characters would have been given depth, less time skips would be needed, and many plot holes would be filled. The ending of the first arc also bugged me. Although I will be flamed for this, I would have prefered a bittersweet ending. What I mean by this, is that Asuna and Kirito die together, in love, while the other 6000+ are saved thanks to them. This would have given no need for the fairy shit or COD shit. Overall though, I'd say this anime deserves more than it's getting from its haters, but definitely not the worship it gets from the lovers.
7/10
story
8/10
animation
7/10
sound
6/10
characters
7/10
overall
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jul 17, 2016
Okay, so I've been really interested in webtoon because my manga app also gives us diverse selections to chose from, which means it doesn't only have Japanese, but other types of comics aswell.
Well, I remember seeing this on the section of "Latest updates" quite awhile ago and also recently. But, I never gave it a chance. I sure am glad that I clicked it.
One webtoon caught my eyes I've fallen deeply in love with it.
소녀 더 와일즈
Author: Hun x Zhena
...
Chapters: 230 -
Status: Ongoing
Genre: Action, romance, comedy, slice of life.
A korean manhwa which was published on Naver and translated and brought to Line | Webtoons. A story author by Hun and illustrated by Zhena.
The story gives us the main protagonist, Jae gu Song, a troubled teen with too many problems on his hand. But, when being accepted to Wild's high and being the only male student there, problems just add up one after another. And to make the situation even worse, the school's filled with killer-driven females who compete in a bloody all-out tournament. Despite all the struggles in just his first month in school, he coincidently befriends 3 top class fighrers who help him with not only his personal problems, but the greatest one of all, facing off Queen in Wild's League.
登場人物
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character
JAE GU SONG
Jae gu song is a bit of a shy person. It was shown how he was bullied most of his years and he has a weak side to him. Although he shows a bit of a weak personality, we got to look at Jae gu's responsible side. Jae gu takes care of two little twin siblings all by himself with just a short income every month. Not only does this exemplify his strong personality, but his will to protect his siblings and how he had drastically improved in boxing. Jae gu song is honestly the most sweetest guy I've ever seen in a fiction. And he portrays a diverse personality. I mean, yes he's similar in someways to other characters, but there were some parts that made him look different. His siblings are a major part in his development and creation of personality as well. Because of them, we get to see, what I call, "Jae gu's brother mode" It sounds stale. I know. Something I don't like about his development is no real drive in what he's doing. I mean, yes a few people threatened him, threatened his family and friends, but I really would like to see a major goal in why he puts so much effort. In his very first match, where he had to challenge Fire-head, the reason behind it was simply to overcome his bullied life and get back at him for food poisoning his siblings. I want to see a main goal in all of this. Other than that I have nothing against this character. Jae Gu obviously has the most drastic development in the show. He was afraid to actually hit someone, but now he learns how to box and finds excitement.
MOON YOUNG LEE
Here's another character that brings out the diversity in this series. Moonyoung Lee is Queen's bestfriend and the president of the boxing club. And one of Wild's top S-class students. Which says a lot. She's always seen wearing a red gym attire with her hair up in a bun. Moonyoung has a carefree personality and a lot of times, she won't take things seriously until things turn really bad. Although, Moonyoung's like this, she's a great boxer. I mean, you can't expect less from the only person close to the great Queen. Okay, now here's what makes her so great. I've really despised stereotypes and how every manga displayed girls with just small hips and big boobs. I don't really get offended, but it's just something I'd have to mark on. But, in this series, Moon young is definitely not the skinny type. She's fit. But, Moon young doesn't have the stereotypical body that I always see. Which is what I love about her. The series is not afraid to hide the fact that she's weighs a bit more than an average girl and she eats a lot.
IN GYI YOON [QUEEN]
Of course every series needs to have a tsundere in them. Queen, I have to be honest, portrays a really cliche character role. I mean, she's the champion of all champion, she acts like she doesn't like the boy protagonist, blah blah. Does the plot ring a bell? Despite the fact that her role is cliche, she still has amazing traits about her. Unlike other tsunderes, Queen shows a clear view of her trying to reach out to Jae Gu.
I really liked this one scene where she tried placing soap bubbles on Jae gu's face and told him to chase her, but since she has an intimidating and aggressive look, she didn't look really cute. Often, you'll see her become really jealous when Daldal and Moonyoung are fooling around with Jae Gu, but she never really admits to it. Behind the aggressive Wild's League champion, was a shy girl who was insecure. I liked the background displayed about her and how it wasn't all that "rich" crap.
DALDAL CHOI
As I watch her in the manhwa, I often wonder, "Do people ever make remarks on that cat ears of hers?" Daldal Choi was spot on wonderful from the start. She was perky, clumsy and funny. I love how she was designed. Daldal caught my attention from the start and honestly I love her adorableness! I love those moments when people underestimate a certain person and that situation is directly towards Daldal. She's small and often made fun of for her height, which makes people doubt her skills a lot. But, fear not, she rubs the underestimation right off with her clean cut kicks. Daldal seemed to have came in the story through a comedic point of view, but I love the development in her. She started out with just wanting Maid points to get with Jae Gu, but ended up really falling for him. Other minor traits like Daldal's protection for Jae gu and especially her cooking skills are what makes her perfect!
Special mention:
You can't forget about the Wild's guard. Oh my. I am fangirling. They are perfect. They just give off such a good action vibe to the whole series and their design is so amazing.
復習
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Review
Man oooh man. How everything started with a chocolate milk incident. There are a numerous amount of reasons to why I love this Manhwa so much!
The series has endless amount of excitement and not only does this comic contain action, but a huge amount of drama aswell. The series seriously knows how to add drama when needed. Honestly, it can literally be any type of drama. For example, Jae Gu gets himself into a love conflict, or his siblings are in danger, etc.
Girl's of the wild's is an awesome show, not only because of the plot but the motivation each student seems to have for themselves. Girl's of the wild's view really brings out the girl power in me. This series not only gives off an awesome vibe, but it destroys all sorts of stereotypes about girl's being "weak."
But, there are a lot of flaws too it aswell. For example, most guys on that manhwa are really sexist. They'd make remarks like "Girl's should just be girls" or "Go back to being a girl." (They sound totally similar, but you get the picture) There were other comments aswell, but I just needed to note this. I usually don't really laugh when reading a comic, but this one really made me laugh. I don't know why, but the face expressions just gets to me.
The series has really caught my eyes, but the plot was just straight on cliche. I pretty much knew what was going to happen and tried out a little guessing game to whether my theories were right or wrong.
アニメーション
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Art
I cannot stress how amazing the art looks like. One of the reasons to why I got so drawn into this. When reading this series, the art just seems so real. Not only does it give you a full beautiful colouring, but it adds in blurs to specific areas. With that type of edit, it really looks like a high quality animation. The art just brings the whole entire series into life. Another good trait about the art is how it defines the female's muscles. I mean, when a girl's a pro-boxer, she'll obviously need muscles.
This series has no problem showing that. Unlike other series, which gives us a peach rod as an arm, the show really brings out muscle and features. I also want to say something which everyone might say aswell. I love, I absolutely love how the girls are all different sizes and shapes. Not only does this make the series diverse, but I can imagine how hard the illustrator worked to actually draw different girls instead of easily adding the same identical figure. And also with the scenery. I can't get enough of those detailed sceneries and backgrounds. It just amazes me to how much effort was brought into this.
Over all rating: 9/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 16, 2016
Story
I have, with quite good reason, always been skeptical of anime sequels. Too often I find myself watching and enjoying a series, only to be disappointed by a sequel whose only redeeming quality lies in its use of the franchise name. This most certainly was the case with Clannad, as the series ended both poignantly and with a certain level of closure. Try as I might, I could not envision a follow-up being anything more than filler-driven fluff, especially at a twenty-four episode length, and thus stalled it for as long as I could.
But then I actually sat down and watched After Story, and you
...
can only imagine my surprise when it turned out to be not only on par with its predecessor, but better. Though still maintaining its triplex of comedy, drama, and romance, After Story places substantially more emphasis on the latter two categories, allowing for an emotional journey through the characters' ever-changing lives. As can be expected, it picks up where the first left off, and wastes no time in reacquainting the viewer with the original cast. Many of the classic antics resurface - such as those between Akio and Sanae - to usher in a fair bit of nostalgia, but are handled in such a way that feel different from their original context.
Indeed, they end up carrying an almost bittersweet sensation, as the events which they parallel possess a more solemn tone than before. As the nature of their problems change, Tomoya and Nagisa's romance begins to evolve in a more realistic fashion, and paves the way for a beautiful story between the two. Despite maintaining a large cast of side characters, their importance is minimized or discarded whenever needed, and not once do they intrude on the series' elegant pacing. In many ways the number of relevant characters shrinks so substantially that the harem tag could be lost altogether, and from the get-go it becomes quite apparent that After Story's sole focus is to tell their heartwarming tale. There exists no extraneous fluff, and the end result is an anime whose many charms are all handled with equal mastery.
Animation
Again, as I mentioned in my Clannad review, the quality of Kyoto Animation's work is simply stunning. The detail simply blew me away, as After Story captures all the necessary visual subtleties to convey a strong emotional impact. From gorgeous midnight snows to soft, melancholy smiles, I can't really think of one place where it goes astray. Lavish color palettes and vivid contrast round out the score, highlighting an absolutely superb level of direction. I am left near speechless; Kyoto Animation continues to impress by not only maintaining a high level of quality, but by building upon their previous works to make each better than the last.
Sound
Though After Story only flaunts a few new insert songs of its own, the size of the original soundtrack makes this an almost trivial point. Utilizing some sixty tracks along with a handful from a remix album, the choice of music never feels overused or stagnant. All its uses sound perfectly appropriate and match their scenes with as much finesse as the visuals, leaving me with little argument against the reuse as a negative. Combined with absolutely stellar voice acting, the audible score breathes emotion from every angle, and is nothing short of wonderful.
Characters
In terms of the individual characters, it's hard to spell out much without leading too much into the details of the story; simply put, the main focus is on Tomoya and Nagisa. As for the rest, all the designs from Clannad are kept true, allowing After Story to play on their already-developed personalities without the need for further background. Perhaps my only complaint lies in the small tinge of lip-service paid to some of the side characters at the very beginning, but in retrospect I think their inclusion made perfect sense. While After Story certainly is not flawless, it hits all the important nails squarely on the head, and segues into a very satisfying character sequence for which I have only praise.
Overall
What else can I say? Of all the romance anime I've crossed throughout the years, Clannad After Story easily ranks among the best. It manages to convey touching drama, beautiful romance, and hilarious-yet-fitting comedy all in one measure, building magnificently on its predecessor to end with a wonderful overture.
8/10
story
9/10
animation
9/10
sound
9/10
characters
9/10
overall
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 16, 2016
Story
Many times have I visited Cowboy Bebop, and every time we've parted company I leave with a sense of how great a conversationalist Cowboy Bebop truly is. How it tells beautiful stories with nothing but ink, paint, computers, and sound. How it seems to transcend it's own media and become something unto itself. Nothing to be worshiped or canonized, but to be viewed with a measure of respect, and perhaps awe, that such a thing ever took place at all.
Cowboy Bebop, that's the story. There are cowboys and there is bebop, set against the backdrop of the future and space. The series concerns itself with
...
the lives of Jet Black, Spike Spiegal, Faye Valentine, and Ed. The series itself tends to revolve around sorting out each characters past and reconciling it with their present selves. What sets Cowboy Bebop apart from similar series such as Outlaw Star is that these stories are actually interesting.
Animation
Animation directors strive for different goals. Some, like Hayou Miyazaki seek a balance between we humans and nature. The director of Ghost in the Shell, Mamoru Oshii forewarned us that advancement without restraint presented dillemas with no solutions. Shincihiro Wantanbe gave us, with Cowboy Bebop, twenty-six pictures of a world coming to terms with its past. The methods vary, with death, resignation, and an eyes wide shut attitude dominating. But never are these heady themes forced upon us with a heavy hand. They are at many times hidden behind sharp humor, attention to detail, and jaw dropping animation. Only two times are these themes truly brought to a head: at the twelfth and thirteenth episodes (parts one and two of Jupiter Jazz), and episodes twenty-five and twenty-six (parts one and two of The Real Folk Blues). And at these moments the music gets better, the animation sharper, and like true climactic moments, they stay with us long after we finish watching them.
For it's time, Cowboy Bebop was about as good as television animation got. The style was classically anime, big eyes no nose, small mouth. The fighting animation is very fluid and detailed. But what most impressed me about Cowboy Bebop's animation was the variety of locals, and the lived in natures of every environment that is visited. From the Bebop itself, with its endless rooms and corridors to variety of ethnic architecture, it is truly a treat to behold. The computer graphics are dated by today's standard, but for its time was cutting edge.
Sound
Never before or since has such a catalog of music been assembled for an anime, any anime. The principle creator of Cowboy Bebop's music, Yoko Kanno, took the high-road. She hopped from genre to genre in leaps and bounds while never taking from the animation itself, but infusing it with a pulse that at all times seemed perfect. Sometimes characters are defined through music, like Gren, whose sax playing pronounces him melancholy, disillusioned, and cavalier. Three original soundtracks were put together for this anime, each one is distinct and non-repetitious. Listening to them on their own gives you new appreciation on the quality of Yoko Kannos gift.
Characters
Characters from Cowboy Bebop each have stories to tell. Each deals with its past and present as best they can, although often times not very well at all. The plot is linear as far as the time line is concerned, but there isn't a penultimate goal sought after. In terms of the classic definitions of conflict, Cowboy Bebop tends towards the man versus himself, or man versus man types of conflict. The principles of Cowboy Bebop do not seek paradigm shifts, do not seek to change the world for the better or worse, but simply to live to see another day. This struggle to live on is what makes Cowboy Bebop so enjoyable, and what gives a humanity to the principle characters that they would otherwise lack.
Overall
The concept of Cowboy Bebop is not original, but its execution is outstanding. The characters are not original, but how they interact with the world around them is. The music can be defined by genre, but the impact on the individual cannot. The animation has been topped over the years, the cgi definitely shows its age, but there are still moments of raw beauty that are still unparalleled. Cowboy Bebop is not a rite of passage in anime fandom, but it should be a signpost, showing you the difference between the sublime and the ordinary.
9/10
story
8/10
animation
10/10
sound
8/10
characters
9/10
overall
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 16, 2016
Story
I'm lucky to be male because Hajime no Ippo exists to thrill a viewer's nuts off. Bringing blow after blow of jaw-dropping twists in a narrative that feels as furious as a dog fight, it is the sports anime that challenges all others of its kind to do better.
Essentially the coming-of-age tale of a weakling maturing into the strongest rookie boxer in Japan, Hajime no Ippo doesn't deviate from the sports anime formula in any notable manner. Ippo discovers boxing on a school day like any other then spends numerous staged fights and training montages thereafter rising through the ranks. However, the show outshines all
...
lesser versions thanks to its exceptional script. Simply put, it boasts a bottomless supply of twists to make every fight feel as though it were the first. That Ippo has to win his battles despite his great weaknesses is no spoiler; nonetheless the developments during the fights - their sheer visceral power - obliterate all expectations. Whenever I thought the show had exhausted its store of excitement in one episode, it delivered new unscaled heights of the stuff in the next.
Aside from that, Hajime no Ippo shows that even neanderthals know how to laugh and cry through healthy doses of comedy and character development. Between the hilariously inane penis jokes and the heart-rending personal struggles, the show brings an endearing warmth to what is usually seen as the sport of humourless brutes.
Few anime could rival this series in the shounen ring - the Kyoto arc of Rurouni Kenshin, probably; the first half of Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann, maybe; but certainly none of the other sports anime on the market to date. By the end, food and sleep had become peripheral concerns - to sustain myself all I needed was to tap into the show's incredible energy.
Animation
Anyone visiting a boxing gym in the hopes of meeting attractive, charming young gentlemen is laughably deluded. In the same way, those hoping to find svelte character designs in Hajime no Ippo should book an eye test as soon as possible - the bishounen checked out long ago. In fact, with a pug-nosed, grotesquely muscular protagonist who looks like a bulldog at best, anyone can be forgiven for thinking the show is a lost cause in the style department.
Luckily, the boxing subject matter means what counts are not the looks, but the moves. And on that front Hajime no Ippo delivers! All fights come complete with spectacular effects - rings of smoke, torrents of wind, claustrophobic closeups - to grab the senses by the scruff and haul them through a powerfully kinetic experience. The action is so absorbing that when a rib cracks, viewers are likely to feel it.
Sound
An instant way to deflate the tension during a fight or cheapen the character developments is to watch the American dub. Stick to the Japanese dub, however, and the rewards are plenty.
Aside from the decent original voice acting, the show delivers blood-pumping electro beats, cool rock riffs, and a ditty that's a cheeky herald to the Rocky theme (it had to be done!). At its best, the soundtrack offers excellent opening themes, in particular the outstanding third instrumental theme 'Tumbling Dice'.
Characters
With seventy-five episodes to fill, Hajime no Ippo comfortably handles a large cast of macho men. (What about the women, you say? You mean those ugly things they occasionally bring out to cook and clean and generate fanservice? Yes, there are some.) At the forefront, Ippo's personality from meek door mat to sporting icon develops in a compelling, accumulative manner - once at the end, his beginnings as the worm his bullies once called him are difficult to believe but easy to retrace. Then, at a count, there are half a dozen memorable fighters apart from Ippo who deliver such outstanding performances that they sometimes outshine the titular hero. Whilst their punches hurt, it's their aching backgrounds that inspire tears; moreover, when two of them fight, be prepared not to know who to root for.
Overall
"You don't get to see a match of this calibre every day. As a journalist, I wish I could have seen these two fight on a larger stage." - Fuji, on Ippo's final battle
You don't get to see an anime of this calibre every day. As a life-long anime fan, I wish I had watched Hajime no Ippo much sooner. From its butt-ugly head to its brawny toes, the series packs such intensity that my poor monitor emitted not sparks but vapours of sweat. It is the kind of rare event that inspires anyone to power through two-hundred squats and step out into the street asking random strangers to punch them in the stomach... or was that just me?! In any case, watch with a heart bypass surgeon at the ready because this show promises the full workout from your seat!
9/10
story
7.5/10
animation
8/10
sound
8.5/10
characters
9/10
overall
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 16, 2016
In a yet another generic fantasy settings in yet another light-novel anime, which starts exactly in same way as those other anime series (Asterisks, Rakudai) you might watched recently, follow destiny of a tragic hero, exactly like in those other anime series you probably watched not so recently (Mahouka, SAO). His mother died, his puppy died too ... I guess ... and what is the worst he must constantly defend himself from all the girls who want him, while protecting them from one-dimensional villains. Ride the Drag-Ride which is basically fancy version of the cargo loader from the aliens. Be amazed as our Drag-Knight hero
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overpowers his adversaries with the two most powerful weapons known to mankind ... plot armor and asspulls. Then meet his harem as he is accepted into all-girl school, like the guy in other anime (Shomin sample) I watched recently. Starring: the prince on his white mecha, the tsundere, the big beewbs, the "little sister", the tragic orphan girl.
1/10
story
5/10
animation
3/10
sound
2/10
characters
2/10
overall
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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