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Sep 18, 2023
The production and animation quality is stellar, if not for some underwhelming character designs (*cough* Hua Cheng *cough*). The pace and writing, on the other hand, is a glaring issue with this adaptation.
The original TGCF book is one of my favourite pieces of fiction ever, by far the best romance story I've ever read, and I was a bit underwhelmed with this. The pacing was very strange, making the story's opening even more scattered than it was in the book (which is by far the weakest arc already). I haven't read the first arc in a long time, and even watching the donghua, I
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had a very hard time understanding what was happening. I think it should have been rewritten to be clearer and more engaging for the viewers, because we don't have the book narration to guide us through some plot beats. Xie Lian was handled extremely well in this adaptation, but all the other character introductions were lacklustre. They had a golden opportunity to expand on this world and go all out with these unforgettable characters, but the opportunity was wasted and instead, they wasted too much time on the Peis in my opinion.
Secondly, the music was very nice but equally as distracting, cutting the tension of moments and just breaking the flow of the scenes. The fight scenes were quite good, but their weird placement caused a very bad flow as well. Every piece of action was slowed down suddenly for exposition, misplaced flashbacks, and scene transitions that weren't executed well.
Finally, I was extremely underwhelmed by this version of Hua Cheng. They were able to do wonderfully with characters like Xie Lian and Banyu, but not the main love interest. For a character with such a huge presence, charisma, and notoriety, they weren't able to emphasise any of it. He's a ghost whose name causes Gods to shit their pants, and instead every time he was mentioned in this version, it felt like passing gossip. His design was more on the basic side, which is a capital crime considering how he's depicted in original art and in the manhua. I don't understand why they made him shorter, or why he looks like a black-haired version of Mu Qing's "subordinate", and why the stupid braid was THAT stupid, but I'm just nit-picking now.
Overall, definitely a decent adaptation, but I hope they rework the script for season 2 to make it more digestible. Also, Hua Cheng doesn't look bad in the trailers, so I'm excited about that.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 3, 2023
A charming adaptation full of heart but constricted by the lack of budget and awful character designs.
Lookism is my favourite manhwa; it works on a very simple premise and takes the reader on a spectacular journey that they wouldn't see coming. Not to mention the writing and character work put into it, which is unlike anything I've ever experienced. The storylines and character development lead to some of the most wholesome and gut-wrenching moments that text on screen could give you. I admire Park Tae-jun for how far he came as an author just writing Lookism, as it went from a simple story to some
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of the most memorable moments I've experienced as a reader.
So of course, I was waiting for years for Lookism to get an animated adaptation because I was sure it would take the world by storm and put the likes of Solo Leveling and The God Of High School to shame, but this is unfortunately not what we got
While this adaptation stuck to the source material as well as it could, the budget constraints and lacklustre character designs didn't even come close to giving the beginning of this journey justice. The animation was sloppy, the character designs looked awful compared to their manhwa counterparts, and the final vocal performance was a CGI nightmare that I couldn't look at without hurting my eyes. Vasco, one of my favourite characters ever, basically got butchered. All I could think about when looking at him was "Look how they massacred my boy!"
Overall, I loved the song and voice acting, and I think they added some good heart-touching moments that weren't in the manhwa, but nothing could make that low-budget production work, let alone in 8 episodes. All this series did was set Lookism back from breaking into the mainstream.
Here's to getting an adaptation in the future that this awesome story deserves.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 5, 2020
I finished this and was compelled to write a review because I forgot the last time I laughed this hard. You want to know what's "something so bad it's good"? This is it.
I'm surprised not a lot of people know about this monstrosity. Reading it felt like going on a long-winded acid trip where nothing makes sense, you just want the suffering to stop, and you can't find the plot no matter how much mental gymnastics you try to pull.
This is a shit post in yaoi form; simultaneously the worse and best thing I've ever read.
It has unique art, a good sense of humor,
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and you can tell that the creator had a blast making it.
Highly recommend.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Mar 14, 2020
I still can't, to this day, pinpoint the exact reason the manga went downhill for me, as I remember finishing it and feeling absolute disdain and thinking that all these years of loyally following the manga were a complete waste of time. But I will still try to list a couple of possible causes:
(Spoilers ahead)
1. Lousy, poorly executed fights. Bleach is a shonen manga, a BATTLE manga, but the fights were never its strongest suit. I understand, as neither is One Piece (my favorite shounen manga) that phenomenal with its fights, but having to achieve a new transformation/unlock a secret power EVERY SINGLE TIME Ichigo
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is struggling with an opponent got pretty dull. Fights could be interesting when the protagonist ends up winning from sheer will, determination, or tactics, or when their opponents are generally on equal footing with them, making the fights more logical. With Bleach it was never like that. Every time Ichigo was defeated we had to brace ourselves for a new transformation that more often than not felt like an asspull or it was poorly executed. There are just so many new forms Ichigo could unlock before we all got sick of it and the hype had died down. Ichigo had a baffling identity crisis by the end of the series because no one knew what he was anymore and it no longer mattered. We were so desensitized to him constantly unlocking a new transformation that made less and less sense as the series went on.
2. Horrible plot points and mustache-twirling villains. The motivations of the main villains were shallow at best, and laughable at worst. (I say main villains because Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, and Kenpachi as side villains, were done well). Aizen's 'I planned this all along' still irks me to this day when I think about it. I still can't fathom the existence of that plotline. It did nothing but totally disregarded every single development that Ichigo went through and made it all seem meaningless, like the suspense we felt throughout the journey was for nothing. Yhwach's true identity came completely out of left field, as every single interaction that Ichigo had with Zangetsu made little sense and again, disregarded everything that the two went through together. Building a better relationship with his Zanpakto. The rain. Zangetsu's fusion with Ichigo's hollow form. It all meant nothing because OH, IT WASN'T HIS TRUE ZANPAKUTO ALL ALONG. As for Byakuya, I still don't understand how smoothly he became a 'good guy' just because it was revealed his true intentions weren't to kill Rukia all along. He's still the one who hunted her down, brought her to Soul Society, and was overseeing her execution himself. Getting his full backstory served to only make his motivations more and more senseless. I like Byakuya, but the reveal was so poorly done I still wonder how the hell his relationship with Rukia improved so much. And Kugo? I don't remember a single thing about him. The whole arc felt like a blur of nonsensical events.
3. As a main character from a shonen manga, Ichigo lacks individuality. Thing is, "protecting the people I love" isn't a concrete goal. Let's compare him to the MCs from the other big three, now granted, Luffy and Naruto have their own selfish goals, but that is 100% ALONGSIDE their motivation to keep their friends safe. Protecting their friends, saving innocent people, and overall making the world a better place is a given to them. Luffy literally goes around different islands cleansing them of evil, tyranny, and injustice just because it's the right thing to do. Naruto is a ninja, whose sole purpose is to help the world become a better place and keep it in order. Their goal of becoming the Pirate King/Hokage is a desire they selfishly have because it gives them more depth as characters. Having a character who simply wants to 'protect their loved ones' or 'do the right thing' is shallow, as there must be a driving force that gives them individuality when there isn't any danger to said loved ones. The truth of the matter is, if presented with the choice to protect their loved ones or achieve their goals, both Luffy and Naruto will choose to protect their friends, which is literally the reason it takes them so long to reach said goals. Doing the right thing comes first to them. THAT'S what makes these characters relatable. Having their quirky personalities and unique goals is what gives them individuality. Ichigo lacks the latter.
4. Various characters, various factions/organizations, multiple dimensions, but all with no proper world-building. Kubo absolutely excels at designing characters. Out of the big three, Bleach had the most intricately drawn and awe-inspiring character designs with unique abilities, however, it doesn't help that he constantly liked to create a faction of characters, make them all beautiful and badass looking, hype them up, then completely neglect them when their story is over. Think of One Piece, with the Shichibukai, the Yonkou, the Supernovas, and how each of their introductions were grand events in the series and their role continued to be important even decades after their first appearances. Bleach doesn't have that, unfortunately, as the backstories of these side characters are often vague and the source of their powers is left unexplored, which is a shame. The reason I got into Bleach was the unique (and definitely not stupid looking) characters.
5. The anticlimactic ending. I don't even need to expand on this point. Yhwach got increasingly overpowered as the story reached its climax, to a point where everyone was sure there was absolutely no way to defeat him. Yhwach being defeated the way he did made everyone feel cheated, and we must admit that this was the main source of the community's dissatisfaction and hatred toward the series, which I can't, logically, claim it's undeserved.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 12, 2020
A story that touches on the themes of death, morality, and human psyche, all while handling it elegantly and in no way being pretentious about it. In fact, this show encourages us to examine these complex themes through a much simpler lens and, while death is inevitable, we should rejoice in the fact that we're alive.
Pros:
- I absolutely loved the way that each episode centered around the judgment of different souls, yet there's also a solid story from beginning to end which within itself WAS the judgment of a soul.
- Nothing felt messy, nothing felt out of place, nothing seemed to have been
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added in vain, and everything had a purpose to either the plot of the episode or the entire story.
- As someone who absolutely opposes nihilism, I appreciated the core message of the story which, subjectively, I believe it to be the beauty of human life and its worth.
- The visuals were excellent and the music was fantastic. I was blown away by Chiyuki's skating, as I watched Yuri On Ice multiple times (and loved it) yet I found it better than every single skating sequence in that show. The opening theme deserves all the praise it got and the music overall fit so well that it didn't even feel 'inserted', rather it felt like an organic part of every scene.
- I didn't expect the show to go so far on the subject of suicide, but I'm glad it did. While it was depicted in a simple and outright manner, it was tasteful.
Cons:
- This is only a personal preference, but I wish the guest we were introduced to in episode 4 didn't commit suicide, as it would have made Chiyuki's case more unique compared to everyone we had seen so far. I feel like the reveal of her past would have made a much, much bigger impact and added to her as a character.
- While the premise of this show is why I loved it so much, it's also the reason I didn't give it a score of 10. It's so broad and it pains me that so much of it was left unexplored. The cases that we encountered in every episode were handled brilliantly, but I still wished for more variety.
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Quotes:
"People aren't as complex as you think they are. They're simple, and they get sad or angry over simple things. That's how they are. They're quickly affected by the littlest things and live without knowing where they're going to fall down. That's what makes them human." - Chiyuki
"Is it possible that these extreme situations are not showing us the darkness that already exists in people's souls, but rather serving as a means to create it?" - Decim
"People smile when they're happy, no matter what land they're from. When they're sad, they frown. It really is wonderous, don't you think? Even though they all speak different languages. " - Uemura Sachiko
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 10, 2020
A good adaptation that truly shows that Given is not your typical shounen-ai/yaoi story, one that I'd definitely recommend to anyone who is hesitant of delving into this genre. To summarize this anime, it's a tragic story that's told gently, through a damaged, yet equally strong protagonist, a story that leaves us with something very important: hope.
As my review for the manga has already addressed everything I loved so much about the story, themes, and characters, I'll only address three points that are specific to the anime adaptation:
- The music. As a musical anime, Given does not disappoint and it definitely took itself
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seriously in regards to that. The band sounded great whenever they played and it hyped me up every single time they picked up their instruments. Uenoyama's talent with his guitar shined through in his performances and the sounds were on point whenever he was teaching Mafuyu. The opening theme is so good it immediately cemented itself as one of my favorites of all time. Also, I've got to say, as a novice in anything musical, I found this anime very informative.
- Mafuyu's voice and his song lyrics. I heard there were lots of complaints about him not sounding good enough, but I think this is absolute blasphemy. Mafuyu sounded exactly like how I imagined him to be: unrefined, raw, and expressive in every way he can't with words. I got CHILLS when he screamed during his performance and he sounded stunning in the ending theme. The lyrics of Winter Story were everything I ever hoped for that song and the performance was overwhelming as I expected it to be.
- The pacing. I rated this lower than the manga for this very reason, which is a shame because I was sure the music will take it to 10/10. Some episodes were so awkwardly paced that they felt like fillers. I appreciate slow-burn romance as much as the next girl, but I can't help but feel like this anime could've been trimmed down to 7 or 8 episodes. I understand the limitations, but I wish they could've covered more chapters in the manga, as it felt like it ended abruptly.
Quotes:
“How everyone laughs and cries... I just can’t do it well. I think I’m really bad at expressing myself compared to everyone else. But… But in reality, even if I really wanted to… I can’t cry properly, and it hurts so bad... It hurts so much that I just want to scream. I always wanted someone to understand that. Even just a little bit... ” - Mafuyu
"It’s not like Ugetsu Murata was detached from reality, not in the least. He had emotions, like everyone else. But the size of both his heart and his emotions was far more overwhelming than most. It was like just the act of being alive pained him." - Akihiko
"Just like snow that hasn't completely melted, I continue on with these feelings inside me." - Mafuyu / Winter Story (song)
(The last quote touched me especially and made me tear up, as my inner weeb immediately caught the wordplay for snow 'Yuki')
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 10, 2020
As someone who excessively reads shonen-ai/yaoi manga, I didn't expect much, as I often don't. It only took this manga five chapters to completely blow me away with its brilliance. 'Given' is a totally believable story of how a successful band came to be, of how a strong bond was formed between four men at an integral part of their lives, and how hope can be found as long as you try hard enough to look for it.
Pros.
- The characterization. It's absolutely top-notch, not just for a shounen-ai manga, but for a story in general. Each one of the main characters has something to
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offer, they each have individual voices and unique personalities, and they bounce off each other well. The manga makes an effort to show them spend quality time together, but also shows them living their own lives, and this gives them a depth that lots of stories fail to pull off. Basically, the characters aren't emotionally deprived, friendless virgins waiting for rescue, they feel like real human beings.
- The uniqueness of the storytelling. The story itself isn't that groundbreaking, but there's a great balance between it being plot-driven and character-driven. The four main characters have their own lives, relationships, and affairs, which develop separately from the plot. However, it's still a story about how this band came together and began to perform as a unit.
- The brilliant portrayal of mental illness, particularly in regards to the character of Mafuyu. His depression and sadness are integral to the story, but they don't define him as a person. Through him, you're able to see that a character can be strong in different ways, and his strength was genuinely inspiring. His mental illness is depicted so well, in fact, that hearing him say "I'm no longer scared of the dawn" actually brought me to tears.
- The realistic depiction of romantic relationships. Readers don't usually like seeing a character they root for facing serious competition for their love interest, but Given is pretty gutsy when it comes to that. Mafuyu's previous boyfriend was the love of Mafuyu's life who will always be important to him, but he's a character I do not hesitate to like, even if I'm rooting for Uenoyama. On the other end of the spectrum, you have Akihiko, who's stuck in a toxic relationship that he knows he should escape. Even when he (and we as readers) know that Haruki is the best thing that could ever happen to him, he doesn't overcome the attachment he has for his first love easily, and those parts of the manga hit differently.
- Everything about the character of Akihiko. He's just so self-destructive, so self-loathing and sometimes harmful toward the people around him, yet he's still a good person. He made me feel so many things towards him, from disappointment, to hate, to admiration, that I can't help but say that he's absolutely my favorite part of this manga.
Cons.
- Since Yuki was such a likable and dynamic character, I would've loved to see more depth and backstory from Ugetsu because as a romantic rival, he was just insufferable. I didn't find any redeeming qualities about him and I never understood the reason Akihiko fell in love with him. He was by far the most bland in a story filled with multi-dimensional characters.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 9, 2020
A concise and touching story that makes you feel fulfilled upon finishing it. With memorable characters, meaningful relationships, and powerful moments.
Pros:
- Every line, every visual, and every character has a purpose to the overarching plot and that's what I enjoyed the most about it. It truly feels as if we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg as we watch, but the trust we put in the author is never betrayed as she constantly delivers and rewards us for our attention.
- The theme of family and friendship is not just 'portrayed', it feels genuine. The dynamics between the characters and their interactions have
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a unique touch of realness to them and the banter between them is always a pleasure.
- The comedy, even when it's out of place, is gold.
- Mustang and Hawkeye, both as individual characters and together, are absolutely amazing. Everything about them was well-written and they were my favorite part about this anime.
- The politics in this anime actually surprised me with its depth. Human atrocities is a subject lots of stories touch upon, but to start the story on the side of the people who committed these atrocities was a fresh perspective and it was told well.
- The antagonists were a force to be reckoned with, and though some of them had an overwhelming and scary presence, lots of them felt like genuine human beings. The motivations of the villains were as powerful as the heroes'. Also, their plan for world domination ACTUALLY MADE SENSE.
- Amazingly written female characters. The author of FMA proves that female characters don't need to be insanely powerful (though there certainly are insanely powerful women in FMA) to be taken seriously.
Cons:
- The fight sequences just weren't good. I look back and think I've only enjoyed the fights where King Bradley was involved, which weren't many. The number of times Ed broke his automail and rendered useless during fights is ridiculous.
- The pacing was very slow in the beginning half of the story. I almost dropped it because, even though things were HAPPENING, they weren't happening at a pace which I enjoyed.
- Tons of build-up that often didn't pay off. The constant hyping up of characters and moments just to later be interrupted or ruined actually pissed me off. If I had a drinking game every time Edward made an empty threat, I would've been hospitalized. The number of times Alphonse or Greed were hyped up to be strong just to be easily defeated, was infuriating.
- The character of Alphonse, while provided good emotional support and was the gentle counterpart to Ed, was useless in almost every fight he was in. As a 'fighter' he just... wouldn't DO MUCH.
- A disappointing conclusion to the romantic relationships that the author put so much emphasis on. I felt cheated with the Winry 'hug', and more so when we didn't even get a conclusion to the Mustang and Hawkeye romantic subplot.
Quotes:
"Life that has been lost cannot be brought back again. That very truth is what shows us the meaning and value of living." - Roy Mustang
"War does not determine who is right, only who is left." -Riza Hawkeye
"Look straight at the people you kill; don't take your eyes off them for a second. And don't ever forget them because they won't forget you." - Solf J. Kimblee
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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