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Mar 16, 2014
Anime is and always has been, a great story telling medium. Since its conception it has been defined by a list of exceptional names. Perhaps the most influential of these names, is that of Tankuu Danzato Skelter Heaven.
Some would argue that anime was still merely a lost sheep before that fateful day of December the 8th 2004. But on that day, what critics and anime fans alike were met with was a wondrous spectacle of both creativity and entertainment that has never before been witnessed. Writing a review with mere words imagined by mammals such as ourselves will never do this anime justice, but
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the name of Tankuu Danzato Skelter Heaven is a name that must be made known.
Story- 10
Never before I have I seen such a compelling and well-crafted story. In the measly 19 minutes that my eyes were blessed with, I experienced entire life stories, unbelievable plot twists, captivating storylines and a highly satisfying conclusion. Recommended for all persons.
Art/ soundtrack- 10
The amount of times I was moved to tears in this anime was most likely due to this subsector. The sheer beauty of the landscapes and soundtrack transported me into a surreal state of consciousness that I have never before felt. My soul felt liberated throughout the anime and simply remembering a scene brings joy to my heart.
Characters- 10
The love and care put into this anime was most prevalent in the characters. The actions and responses from the entire cast were full of emotion and purpose. Interactions between the characters are amongst the most memorable moments in anime history.
Enjoyment -10
It is rare to use such a word in what is essentially art. Art is meant to be admired. Yet, amongst all the splendour of the visuals and richness of story, there were some truly exhilarating scenes that will certainly ignite the fire in your heart. The sheer scale of the conflicts, the plot twists and all of aspects explained above made this an anime I did indeed enjoy.
Overall- 1
Yes. The name of Tankuu Danzato Skelter Heaven is one of those defining names of anime. It is a name that set out to provide entertainment and meaning to everyone’s lives, regardless of gender, age and race. And did it achieve that goal? Nah, i'm just messing. In all seriousness, this is the worst anime in existence, only to be watched for a good laugh at how awful it is.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Mar 11, 2014
I’m fairly confident this review is going to get near as damn 0% helpful marks simply because of my ratings. If anyone feels what I said wasn’t helpful in this review, drop me a message, if you disagree with something I said, drop me a message, thanks.
Story – 3
Oh dear…
Firstly, I think it is a bit of a cheat essentially splitting fate zero into two separate series, so that all the good bits can be condensed into ‘one’ of those series. Nonetheless, I will still assess this as a single series, in terms of setting the stage for the second season.
Fate Zero
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has a great set up. A survival game with some interesting aspects (such as the wish granting prize and the involvement of the church) as well as 7 moderately even teams (in terms of likeability and development). At its earliest points, it is unclear who is going to win this survival game, but, rather disappointingly, this quickly deteriorates into having a clear ultimate winner. This can still be equally as successful however, as long as this group has a stronger underlying connection with the story. Which is more or less covered in the second season.
Fate Zero suffers with a great depravation of detail. Although I’m sure the manga and novels cover this, it can’t be an excuse to not cover anything at all. I am at a loss as to why the church is involved (was Jesus a hero?), why absolutely none of the world gives a single flying shit about entire cities getting threatened with destruction. The same is true with the history of the Holy Grail wars; did they have a single impact on anything we are currently watching? Do the writers have a single bloody clue about the heroes in Fate Zero? (I think not, ie, don’t try and make yourself look clever by saying this is a historical figure, then change their name, characteristics, life story and even gender) Etc. This lack of detail also seems to be confusing the participants of the game, half of them don’t know what is going on. Nor why they are even involved. Lazy.
Lastly, and this is what really grinded my gears, Fate zero (season one) has absolutely no balls. It is never willing to dramatically change the course of the survival game. All we ever see is a series of straight forward fight scenes with no conclusions and loads of conversations on who is the most noble champion. I accept that this is the first season, but with literally no progress and a very basic set up in terms of detail, it raises the question whether the first season was even needed.
Characters – 7
Ideal for this genre. Entertaining and one dimensional.
There is an interesting relationship between the heroes and their respective masters. Each hero is their own individual with their own ambitions, which often conflict with their masters. Three command spells that demand absolute obedience are all the masters have to keep their servants in check. The relationship between the master and servant is crucial in this survival game and is well covered in this anime.
Every character offers a different attitude on the battlefield and character interactions can be quite intense. This is well embodied by the fact that, in the most cases, the servant is nearly a complete opposite of their master. These conflicts make for some interesting interactions seeing that they have to work together to achieve the same goal.
Having such a large cast of characters, and having each character’s attitudes exaggerated (for entertainment purposes) tends to strip the realism of the show. The cliché characters in Fate Zero are largely responsible for the overall childish atmosphere (as well as the fight scenes themselves). Which could well be what you are after, but this is something to keep in mind.
Art and music- 9
outstanding
The art and animation was phenomenal. The fight scenes were choreographed very well and they were truly a sight to behold. If only the scenery was something more stunning than a dockyard. The soundtrack, as you may know was composed by Yuki Kajiura (composer of Sword art online and mahou shoujo madoka magica for example). She has her own distinct style and if you liked any of her other works, I’m sure you will also like this soundtrack.
Personal Enjoyment – 2
Eergh…
If my personal disdain hasn’t already been evident, here is my chance to make it clear. Firstly, I’ve never been a fan of an action based anime. It always gets out of hand and fate zero isn’t an exception. Unfortunately, Fate Zero doesn’t have much else to offer besides the action. This thus limits how intelligent the anime can be. The best it can do is detail certain moves or powers of the heroes, and it tries to do this with the idea of a noble phantasm. This said power is essentially a secret and extremely powerful move that each hero has, that supposedly stems from their history. These end up having such vague connections and meanings and are all RIDICULOUSLY convenient to the situation. Poor effort. Lastly, Fate zero needs to grow some balls. 13 episodes of literally no advancements in the survival game was so frustrating and it felt like a huge waste of time. The fights were nice though.
Overall
Fortunately, Fate Zero 2nd Season advances almost immediately and thus is instantly more enjoyable. Just to be clear, this review isn’t a response to an irrational hatred of the fate zero universe. Far from it, I liked the second season a great deal, and I can see that with the detail that the manga could possibly offer, it can be really great. But as it stands, Fate Zero the anime is a rather pointless and is not needed for the second season.
As this is such a highly rated anime, I would love to hear from those that do think this is amazing, because I need some convincing.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 9, 2014
Story- 7/
Decent set up and great development, suffers from poor writing.
This anime has a decent enough set up, as outlined in the synopsis. The mysterious atmosphere is both created and well maintained through a series of developments in the story. Even if some of these ‘developments’ are fairly weak, your interest as a viewer is well maintained. What was great about Shinsekai was that you always felt that the story was advancing, even if you weren’t sure what to. A great success for this genre. The conclusion thus felt very smooth and conclusive.
The story does however jump around a tad too
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much. Previous Unsolved mysteries would suddenly make surprise appearances, change something in the story, and then disappear. Equally, the story in Shinsekai Yori would often skip a few years and infill those years with a quick ‘’so and so did this and their actions resulted in that’’. Maybe this is just the writers being lazy, maybe this is a result of poor translation between the novel and the anime. Whatever it is, Shinsekai Yori’s story didn’t feel as intelligent as it could have.
My biggest disappointment with Shinsekai Yori was with the detail. The anime used the excuse of all historic records being destroyed and this ‘time jumping aspect’ (mentioned above) to avert any detailed explanations of events. More detail in the world at the time (especially for the queerat races), cantus in general and the history of the world would have greatly helped the impact of the ending.
Characters- 7/
Interesting characters, suffers from poor writing.
The main character was perfect. In this case, when I say perfect, I mean annoyingly perfect. In a sad scene she would cry, in a happy scene she would laugh, etc. She just did what the ideal character would do in every situation, and she thus felt a bit extreme for a human being. The main character needs some flaws and needs to cross some lines; and Shinsekai did not deliver this.
It was difficult to tell what characters were more important in the story at any given time. The writers used the logic that if a character is banging another character, they will automatically be more important. And with that seemingly being their only logic, each member in the main group of friends literally ends up banging each and every single other member of the group, depending on who needs developing. This happens regardless of gender. Yes, regardless of gender. Anyone who is not in a relationship is forgotten and what you end up is a very varied character development and a misplaced sense of importance within the group (relationships were so spur of the moment and shallow that the ‘banging’ technique often didn’t work). The same thing happens with the supporting cast; people would appear and disappear when needed. There needed to be more consistency. You could argue this leads to a greater sense of mystery with what is to happen, but there are better ways of achieving this.
Other than these points, the characters were all interesting enough and all did add to the overall atmosphere.
Art/sound-7/
Great work.
The media in Shinsekai Yori created a fantastic atmosphere, full of mystery and fantasy. There was a depth to the soundtrack that made every mood successful and the artwork helped to further accentuate this.
Enjoyment- 7/
Personal dissatisfaction with outlined issues
Shinsekai Yori was engaging enough to keep me watching. The initial set up is decent enough, but it seriously restricted how ambitious the anime could’ve been. You could see it struggling to make a good story out of a flawed idea. In the end however, it did deliver and I was satisfied with what I saw. I think there was just some problems with translating the novel into an anime.
Overall-7/
Just about worth a watch.
Decent but restrictive story which is well developed and explored with an array of interesting characters that add to the overall sense of mystery and fantasy. Worth a watch.
As always, love any feedback and any random chat
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 3, 2014
Story-9/10
Lelouch- ‘’To defeat evil, I shall become an even greater evil!’’
I will say at this point. Code Geass does what it says on the tin. It is over the top, plot twists are incomprehensible and cliché themes are used throughout. Watching Code Geass and complaining about the lack of beauty or realism makes as much sense as buying a solar powered flashlight. Code Geass is there for the entertainment, so bear that in mind… Now to the review.
Code Geass certainly knows how to carry out such a grand and theatrical story. The overall conflict takes place on planet earth as we know it, with
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slight changes in world history. World politics and moral stances, although extreme, are thus all too familiar, and the viewer is therefore easily able to grasp the sheer scale and severity of the actions and moral dilemmas in the anime. The story itself is straight forward. Code Geass knows where it wants to go, and how to get there. As a result, every episode (even with the supposed filler episodes) will conclude and offer relevant advancements in the story. The sheer pace and scale of the show makes watching Code Geass an exciting and dramatic experience.
Code Geass does well to set the stage for its succeeding TV series. The grey themes in Code Geass are taken very seriously, and for the viewer to fully appreciate the different views, care must be taken when presenting them. Code Geass does take it’s time to make sure you understand the different characters’ perspectives and political situation the world finds itself in. Once the stage is set, the show really does take off and the scale and general epicenes of everything gradually and successfully builds, leading the way to the second series.
The moral dilemmas are well argued in the anime. The universe of Code Geass creates the ideal setting for the controversial and applicable issues to be presented. Each viewpoint surfaces through sound reasoning, is enhanced through personal experience and is pushed to the limits through vigorous testing of one’s will. The level battlefield between the arguments results in the viewer being constantly thrown around by powerful/ logical viewpoints and flawed outcomes. While characters themselves may not be overly consistent or powerful in presenting their own personal ideas, they all contribute to make sure the two, main overarching ideas are at the forefront and are in constant conflict.
Art-8/10
Let’s be honest, a Code Geass wallpaper does look like the local circus is hosting a Yu-Gi-Oh themed wrestling match. Do not be put off by this. Code Geass has the potential to be a very dark anime but its clear aim of simply providing entertainment lends itself to this style of animation. The colours used are striking and add to the theatrical feel of the anime and the almost crude representation of the human body makes Code Geass feel like more of a play (rather than a realistic portrayal that we could relate to, which of course, Code Geass could never be). The battle scenes and environments are full of detail and action. Character design and the design of the universe in general maintains the theatrical and striking style of Code Geass.
Sound- 8/10
The soundtrack further emphasises this feeling of experiencing a show. When you are watching a play in a theatre, you are aware of the stage and the audience; the soundtrack thus aims to make you aware that you are watching an epic piece of drama. It never tries to help you affiliate with characters through using unique character OSTs or encourage you to become emotionally entwined with relationships by using overly beautiful soundtracks. It simply wants you to sit back and enjoy all of these individual aspects as part of the overall performance and it does this by using the same, theatrical language throughout most of the OSTs. Otherwise, voice acting in subbed is fantastic, certain characters in dubbed lack gravitas, but on the whole is successful. Here are some soundtracks that best represent the universe of Code Geass; ‘’Britannian National Anthem’’, ‘’Stories’’ and ‘’0’’.
Characters- 10/10
Lelouch- ‘’The trick of real combat is that everyone is human.’’
Code Geass has a legendary array of characters. The anime finds itself having to balance moral arguments, military bodies, different main characters and the weaker, entertainment driven supporting cast. Code Geass makes sure that each group/ individual can be respected and understood and does this by providing constant and gradual development. How the groups interact within themselves and how each organisation views other organisations are also well explored. The result of this even and constant development between all persons results in one of the largest cast of characters from anime that can all be understood and respected.
No matter their façade in battle, every character is undoubtedly a human. What was so great to see was that every character sets of with a steadfast commitment to their personal beliefs, but are constantly and vigorously tested to the point where they can no longer walk with such pride. Lelouch, the main, and supposedly most resolute character ends up having his will tested the most and seeing a self-proclaimed king succumb to these tests delivers the arguments presented in Code Geass with absolute force. Having such authentic characters in an otherwise completely over the top anime enables the viewer to take the very controversial themes present in Code Geass that much more seriously.
Enjoyment- 9/10
Code Geass is one hell of a thrill ride. Absolutely everything about Code Geass is done with the aim of the viewer’s entertainment. The battle scenes offer intense stand offs between military geniuses, epic single conflicts and stunning visuals. Characters offer comedy, romance and drama into the mix. The story itself has an epic sense of scale to it. The only factor holding this section back is that Code Geass purposefully uses this first season to build up to the second season, and thus has placed some deliberate shackles on the extent it is willing to go. But putting shackles on a dragon ain’t gonna stop it flying or breathing fire!
Overall-9/10
Code Geass is built for entertainment. It knows this, it uses everything in its power to emphasise this. Please look at Code Geass as a piece of entertainment, rather than some artistic masterpiece. I thoroughly recommend for you to watch Code Geass, and sincerely hope you will have as great a time as I did.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 23, 2013
Story-6/10
Gasai Yuno: Don't you know? I really, really, really love you to death, Yukkii.
Although it takes a while to unravel, the romance in Mirai Nikki ends up being very poignant. Up until the last few episodes, the real story of Gasai Yuno remains somewhat of a mystery. Although this method of using hidden information will keep you curious as to what’s going on, the romance will unfortunately come across as very childish and forced. This very difficult to care about (and very much one sided) ‘love’ continues for the majority of the anime until finally, the secret of Yuno is revealed. When this happens, all
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of those issues with the romance are pretty much solved and the final few episodes end up featuring some incredibly powerful and emotional scenes. After seeing Mirai Nikki’s obvious skill in delivering this drama, it just seemed a shame to have such a standard and immature build up to the climax.
Sadly, the supposed main story of a survival game ends up just being a plot device for the romance. The dramatic story of Yuno and Yukiteru requires very specific conditions. Thus, the main plotline will decide to change radically and suddenly just to fit these conditions. Most of the time, these ‘plot twists’ have absolutely no reasoning behind them; they just happen. Although this obviously benefits the romance, the survival game itself ultimately becomes a total mess. By the end, even main characters start to defy the laws of physics simply so the ideal circumstances for Yuno and Yukiteru are created. If the main focus was always the romance, was there really any point in having something so complicated to confuse things?
Art-6/10
The artwork in Mirai Nikki was passable but rather confusing. The artwork never stood out as one of the strengths of the anime. The backgrounds and city views were pretty standard. The beauty behind any aspect of the show was also weak. Where the artwork really succeeded was with the intense/ dark scenes. There was always this juxtaposition with using an innocent design in a sinister way, and while Yuno herself best epitomises this, certain scenes in the anime were also equally as successful. In terms of character design, I was never sure how serious to take Mirai Nikki. On one hand you have a determined, and mischievous looking terrorist, on the other hand you have an oversized, female Oompa Loompa… Wat? I never felt decided on how serious to take Mirai Nikki in the first place, but things like that are completely out of place.
Sound-9/10
The soundtrack in Mirai Nikki was superb. The show has do deal with a great number of contrasting themes; Yuki may be sitting down with his family one moment and the next, Yuno will be going completely nuts killing everyone. The soundtrack was able to use some really successful OSTs to smoothen this transition. There was also a basic language between the tracks, for example using the same melody but using different instruments to set different moods. Where the sound and art really come into their own is with the OP’s and ending songs, all of which were marvellous. They do a great job of setting the mood in a creative way. Here are a few tracks which best set the mood of Mirai Nikki; ‘Kūsō Mythology’ (the first OP), ‘Blood teller’, and of course the stunning OST (whose name I cannot find),* just type in* ‘volume 2- Track 5 Mirai Nikki’.
Characters-7/10
Mirai Nikki showed some great potential in terms of characters. The main character, Yuno, was both able to grasp my attention (because of the underlying mystery) and consistently hold it because of her unexpected and completely barmy actions (very much like the show itself). It is always great to see a character that can instantly set you in the mood for that particular show. Other characters like Uryuu Minene also have a strong sense of individuality and were able to entertain through their own decision making that didn’t revolve around benefiting the story.
Whilst the shows designers clearly had some skill, they rarely used it. The supporting cast was weak. In a survival game with a main character (i.e. the obvious future winner), other characters just seem to exist to develop that main character, then die in an entertaining manner. What was really off-putting was that in Mirai Nikki, even the characters themselves seemed to know this and would do some of the most illogical things just so Yuno/ Yukiteru could benefit. Even Yuki was at it when the story of Yuno needed saving! The rest of the cast ended up being fleshed out by the standard array of stereotypical archetypes which was especially disappointing.
Enjoyment- 9/10
Mirai Nikki definitely did entertain. There was plenty of drama, action and mystery to satisfy. What I found particularly successful was that each show would both develop the story and provide some light hearted entertainment. As a result, there weren’t any over complicated story explanations, nor was there too much booby touching to frustrate me. Admittedly, the most entertaining aspect of the show was indeed Yuno. It was good fun to just simply watch her mind work and see her in action. The only thing holding back my enjoyment was the fact that I wore my thinking hat very securely on my head. Mirai Nikki, for better or for worse, does require you to put this to the side…
Overall-710
As much as you will enjoy it, Mirai Nikki has its fair share of flaws. For example the undeniable focus on Yuno, which resulted in the discarding or radical modification of different aspects of the story when needed. Whether I recommend watching Mirai Nikki, I would say yes. Just don’t expect a masterpiece. Go in instead with the expectation of a good ol’ bit of entertainment.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 20, 2013
Story- 9/10
Puppet Master: ‘’And can you offer me proof of your existence? How can you, when neither modern science nor philosophy can explain what life is?’’
The story and themes present in Ghost in the Shell (GitS) are both striking and very relevant. GitS takes place in a more than possible future world where cybernetics and AI have become a social norm. The amazing detail given to the universe and the true to life reflection of today’s society makes the themes in question incredibly applicable. The different opinions in GitS are argued with a certain potency and precision. The maturity and skill of the characters in
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putting across their arguments will encourage the viewer to contemplate these ‘philosophical’ issues from a very serious stance.
The ‘main’ story (when I say main, it is really just an excuse to bring up these themes, which are the focus) isn’t so revolutionary in terms of originality but is definitely very intelligent. A mysterious master hacker, known as the puppet master has been causing some negative repercussions in the political world of GitS. Section 9 has thus been asked to investigate. This can be seen as nothing more than the story of an extended and very standard TV episode. And to an extent, you can’t argue with that. But rather than witnessing the usual, ‘’-enemy is introduced, -enemy makes their move, [*good guys then find a way to defeat this enemy*], -enemy apprehended’’ sort of arc, the story unfolds in a very intelligent manner. The movie uses this particular case to initially explore interesting notions in the GitS universe, such as social inequality, the soul or ‘ghost’ of a robot and corrupt politicians. The story’s themes will then take over and the resulting dialogue leads to some very interesting ideas. Overall, it is a very smart and engaging version of what would’ve otherwise had been a standard plot.
The only ‘flaw’ in the story of the movie is that it assumes you to have at least a basic knowledge of the GitS universe. Whilst there isn’t anything vital you need to know, the huge amount of detail and history can be too much to take in at times. If anything, (if you are a fan of cyberpunk/ sci-fi) this should just inspire you to learn more about the complex universe. Do not worry about being new to the universe; just have your thinking cap on.
Sound/ art- 10/10
The art and soundtrack in GitS are ground-breaking. A new method of animation at the time used for the film was basically designed to create a sense of depth in the different levels of animation. This resulted in some amazingly detailed backgrounds and city views. Beauty is in the detail, and with so much detail, you are really able to become fully immersed into the universe before you. The art style is basically a timeless example of how to animate a mature and intelligent film like GitS. For example, the opening credits was just converted computer code used in a creative way. It was lovely to see this clear, harmonious language between the universe and the media used to portray it. The art and soundtrack was so inspiring, that in the film are a series of scenes that are entirely composed of visuals of the city backed by a brilliant OST. I couldn’t help but smile in awe at the level of detail and beauty.
Characters- 8/10
This is an unfair section to mark a single film on, when in reality GitS just follows on from two whole series of character development. In reality, you can watch the film without watching the TV series’. This is sadly due to the fact that you never really see the characters personalities in the film. They just operate as speakers for the themes in the film. Despite this, the cast are able to deliver these arguments with great effect because of their own maturity and strength of character.
Enjoyment-10/10
Ghost in the Shell is an all-time classic. As mentioned, I absolutely love the detail in the universe. I want to become immersed, and I can very easily become immersed thanks to the soundtrack and artwork. You cannot help but admire what you are watching. In terms of action, GitS certainly knows how to deliver. Although not an action led film, the two action scenes actually featured are nothing short of masterpieces. There was a mixture of technology, well-choreographed combat and intense build ups. All backed up by a great atmosphere. Having all of this done in such a mature style enabled me to take everything that much more seriously which made the arguments far more engaging.
Overall-9/10
Although released in 1995, the ideas presented in GitS are becoming more and more pertinent. The ground breaking media and level of detail in GitS has and will continue to inspire many films for years to come. I thoroughly recommend you to watch this film and I encourage you to look into the other GitS films and TV series’ that are equally as stunning.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 19, 2013
Story- 9/10
Shima: "Love is like a firework from the past… it’s more beautiful for it to go to pieces and scatter far off.”
The story of Clannad After Story (CAS) manages to refine and mature it’s emotional impact from its prequel, ‘Clannad’. The show basically starts off by continuing the same principles of Clannad; it just gives those last few characters their deserved individual attention. These story arcs carry a whole lot more impact than before because they just simple had more effect on the characters themselves. After a few episodes however, we start to see the characters grow up, so it is understandable that
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the life issues become far more mature. The fact that we can see these characters growing up and that we have been alongside the main characters this whole time, makes any of their struggles or joys, our struggles, and our joys. Indeed… tears will be shed.
While I will never knock CAS ability to impact the viewer, its ability to construct a story isn’t as great. As mentioned, CAS has to follow the better part of one person’s entire life. This leads to some incredibly rushed parts of Okazaki’s lifetime, and it leads to some really drawn out and emotional events. Thus the quality of the episodes were very varied. Finally, the ending of CAS… was emotionally confusing, to say the least. The show ended up trying to be as sad as possible, whilst being as happy as possible. But in reality, it just ended up being as much of a mess as I was emotionally.
Sound/ art- 9/10
As with the emotional impact, the artwork was also greatly refined. There were some especially beautiful scenes that really captured the spirit of the moment. Otherwise, the animation still offers the same comedic value to those humorous scenes and still maintains the general charm of the original series. The soundtrack remains largely the same, with the exception of the amazing OP and the ending song. Having this constant through both series gives those repeated tracks even more depth and meaning and listening to them after finishing both series will bring back a flood of memories. The one problem I had with the soundtrack was the ending song. In general, the standard episode would end with a really touching scene. The atmosphere would then almost be completely destroyed by a really upbeat song with people skipping everywhere. It just ruins the moment. Anyway, here is the name of the beautiful OP sung by Lia ‘Toki Wo Kizamu Uta’.
Characters- 10/10
Akio: ‘So I’m going as your friend #1; YO YO I’m the MC Akio!’
The characters of Clannad are as wonderful as ever. Every character has a chance to shine in the end with their own, emotionally powerful story arc. What I loved more with CAS was that there were more group interactions, where as in Clannad, the focus was on individual development. So in a sense, Clannad did well to set the stage for those hilarious gatherings. It was particularly great to see Akio and Sanae, possibly the best anime couple ever, to become more involved in the story as well.
The only issue I had with the characters is pretty much the same that I had with Clannad; that some characters just disappeared after being developed. As the story continually focuses in on Okazaki, the other characters just start to vanish, as such, not much changes in their lives. Again, wasted potential here.
Enjoyment (impact)- 9/10
I ended up absolutely loving everything with CAS. From the legendary Akio to the tomboy Kyou. From the hilarious Sunohara to the troll that is Tomoya. Besides from the defining qualities of the characters, I felt like I knew each animated design as a person. A person that I had shared many laughs and tears with.
The beautiful animation and soundtrack gave Clannad an irresistible charm and an unavoidable impact. Some scenes, through a combination of the characters and media, are and always will be some of the most powerful scenes in film today. CAS is certainly a moving masterpiece.
Overall- 9/10
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi.
Clannad After Story will change the way you think about valuing love and friendship. At the end of the day, anything as beautiful and as touching as CAS should recommend itself to you as a human being. If not, hopefully this review has convinced you to do so anyway.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 19, 2013
Story- 8/10
Okazaki: "We start to climb up... the long... long uphill climb"
The story of Clannad had a real charm to it. With Clannad being an adaptation of a visual novel, (where the sole objective was to romance the different female characters), it is natural that Okazaki Tomoya (the main character) was going to be assaulted by a bunch of easily romanced young women. As forced as this sounds on paper, every story arc flowed with a natural and genuine quality. In each story arc, we were able to see each and every angle of the character in question. They would normally be introduced with a
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hilarious ice breaker episode. Their actual character would then start to flesh out in the next few episodes, where finally, Okazaki would pick up on their life struggles. An emotionally driven and incredibly powerful final episode would thus bring an end to their worries, which would be concluded with a heartfelt closing scene. If anything, it was certainly lovely to watch these stories flow so naturally. The genuine nature of which I spoke about can be clearly summarised by the huge grin you will undoubtedly have on your face after each story arc.
The only real problem I had with the story of clannad was that it felt very dismissive. Okazaki would get to know each new character individually, help and become emotionally entwined with them; then leave. It was as if Okazaki said to himself, ‘Dang, dat bitch don’t want the D, better scram’. There were so many potential story arcs that could’ve made the dismissed characters so much more fulfilled. Wasted potential.
Sound/ art- 8/10
The character designs embody the charm of clannad. You can’t help but smile when you see all the characters together. The animation itself was really successful. It was the artwork that made those extremely standard life issues so beautiful. At the same time, it was the animation that will crack you up in those comedic scenes. What ended up giving Clannad its powerful impact however was its stunning soundtrack. Piano and violin is always a great combination, mix that with a pinch of composed electronic sounds and a lot of emotion, and there you have the soundtrack of Clannad. Here are some example; (have some tissues at the ready, you have been warned) ‘Town, Flow of Time, People’, ‘Nagisa (theme)’, and of course a song by Lia ‘Ana’.
Characters- 10/10
Sanae- ‘So my… my bread is… meant to be bought at the listed price?!
Akio- ‘I LOVE YOUR BREAD!!’
It goes without saying, Clannad is only as likeable as it is because of the great cast of characters. In the story, you have a set of constant characters that are always there. You also have the steadily increasing group of friends that Okazaki meets, where each new member will get individual attention in their story arc. What makes the characters really successful, is that there isn’t a single person that can be defined by one trait. Sure they may be predominately cute, or mainly crazy, but there is always another angle to that character. You can understand each character on an emotional level, have fun with them with their everyday actions and define them as an individual. If anything, it was such a shame to see such amazing characters in such everyday circumstances.
The only complaint I have is what I mentioned earlier under the ‘Story’ section of my review; that there is definitely more that I wanted to see from each character, especially the cast of ‘constant’ characters who never got that individual attention. Fortunately, this issue was solved in Clannad After Story, so be sure to watch that immediately after Clannad.
Enjoyment (lovability)- 8/10
Clannad isn’t something you enjoy; it is something you grow to love. Sure there are a bunch of hilarious moments, but they only serve to add to the individual appeal of the characters. Each of the story arcs are done in a way that is guaranteed to leave a smile on your face. Every character ends up being funny, sweet and just generally lovable. In the end, Clannad felt like an old friend with whom you shared many memories with but had to say goodbye to.
Overall- 8/10
“Emotions are what make us human. Make us real. The word 'emotion' stands for energy in motion. Be truthful about your emotions, and use your mind and emotions in your favour, not against yourself.”
Clannad is just a really lovely series to watch. No matter what genre you are in to, if you are human, I recommend you to watch Clannad, if anything, just so you can watch the masterpiece that is Clannad After Story.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 18, 2013
“This world is rotten. The rotten should die.”
Story- 9/10
Death note has a very well written story. The two masterminds, Light Yagami and ‘L’ have realistic and intelligent conflicts, through testing each other’s resolve and pulling poker faces so straight I could hear Lady Gaga in the background. In crime genres, it is common for a ‘genius’ police officer to pick up some evidence and go, ‘hmmm, this gun has been scratched here. Therefore the suspect is male, 28 and lives in America!’ On the whole, this line of realism was never crossed and any plot holes in a particular method were quickly resolved. This
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all made Death Note feel more realistic and it enables the viewer to take the themes in the story that much more seriously, which is a huge bonus for something as serious as Death Note.
The story is really engaging. Throughout the anime, controversial viewpoints are presented to the viewer, which aren’t directly answered in the show itself. Although the different viewpoints are tested to a certain degree in the show, it is the viewer that is encouraged to answer the questions themselves. This changes the experience from watching the anime to actually thinking about it. In a show where there is little action, being drawn in by the dialogue and themes is of the up most importance, and Death Note does this very successfully.
The problem with the story of Death Note is that it feels like it’s not going anywhere. All of these moral themes are suggested, and the end ambitions of Light are clear, but the show ends up being bogged down by seemingly endless police/ investigation scenes. Whilst this isn’t an issue if you like that sort of genre, when the show did end, it felt kind of anti-climactic because it never did finish those interesting themes it touched on.
Finally, as you are probably more than aware of, the show has a huge drop in quality after episode 25. This is partly because of the reason above; that the police themes are needlessly extended just to stretch out the show, but mainly because the show had put itself in the position of having to kill a pretty much invincible character. The result of which will most likely end up in you hating the entire new cast of characters that are suddenly introduced, and make you painstakingly aware of all the plot holes that start to form. Saying this, a huge drop in quality in Death Note still means that it’s pretty blady good.
Sound- art 10/10
Masterpiece. There is a deep symbolism within the artwork which I greatly admired. The whole idea of playing God and death were well explored. The atmosphere created through the use of lighting and colours made those intense scenes that much more epic. The animation itself and character design is slick and realistic. Again, it all helps you to take Death Note that much more seriously. The soundtrack is nothing short of a masterpiece. The composers, Yoshihisa Hirano and Hideki Taniuchi were able to make the simplest actions seem so impressive and were able to create some very intense scenes. There are more than a few iconic tracks, here are a few to whet your taste buds; ‘Low of solipsism’, ‘Light’s theme’ and of course ‘L’s theme’.
Characters- 8/10
“Misa: I can't imagine a world without Light!
L: Yes, that would be dark.”
The battle between Light and L is and will always be one of the greatest conflicts of all time…….. (notice the amount of full stops). Both characters were so epically awesome, but were never unrealistically awesome. They both developed at equal rates and voiced their arguments with equal power. As a result the fight could have gone either way and you would still be happy. The only proof I need to back up this statement is to look up the numbers here on MAL on character favourites. We’re talking huge numbers, and both L and Light are very close. The conflict between these two giants was certainly very entertaining and is definitely the main reason to watch Death Note.
The supporting cast was successful in bringing balance to Death Note. The two main characters are pretty much Gods of their own worlds. Whilst not entirely true, they do therefore lack basic human emotions as they have to become emotionally detached from the situation. The sub characters make up for this by adding very human reactions and emotions into the mix. Although generally overpowered by the awesome Light and L in terms of depth, they do have their time to shine and develop as individuals. So, as I said, they almost put the godly battle between L and Light back to earth which makes the whole situation that much more believable; which is key when presenting very real moral issues.
As mentioned, the only flaw in the characters is after the 25th episode. A twist in the story leads to the inevitable influx of new characters that are having to compete with already developed and incredibly likeable characters. This does not work. The final episodes are pretty much carried on the shoulders of already developed characters which makes the end result even more aggravating.
Enjoyment (awesomeness)- 9/10
Death Note isn’t something you enjoy, per se. You don’t exactly jump up and down when someone is killed in such a serious way. The overall awesomeness of Death Note is what I will mark this section on.
There is definitely a lot of media to find awesome in Death Note. As stated above, the soundtrack and art is nothing short of a masterpiece. Any given situation, no matter how menial is thus able to reach its full potential.
The different genres that Death Note is listed as, (crime and supernatural predominately) are represented with skill. In terms of crime, Light’s plans and L’s methods are very intelligent. Individual scenes are very intense, and the general feel of a police genre is evident. In terms of the supernatural aspects, ideas and themes are definitely explored, but weren’t given as much definitive screen time, (i.e. nothing much was answered). Which was a great shame because Death Note definitely had more to offer in this department.
And again, the conflict between Light and L was perhaps the most awesome aspect of this anime. There were so many memorable scenes that are the very definition of awesome.
Overall- 9/10
If the sheer popularity of Death Note isn’t enough for you, sufficed to say, I do recommend for you to watch Death Note. If it weren’t for a few short fallings, especially towards the end, Death Note would undoubtedly be at least in the top 5 animes of all time. But just falling short of perfection is still pretty damn good!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 16, 2013
Attack on titan
Story- The story follows humanity’s struggle of survival as it hides behind the safety of 50 metre high walls that has protected them from anthropoid beings known as titans for over 100 years. These titans are mysterious in origin and are massive in size. Their only goal is to kill humanity for seemingly no reason. After 100 years of peace, a breach in the outer of the 3 walls caused by a mysterious, previously unseen 60 metre tall titan pushes humanity to a desperate situation.
We thus follow the story of 3 teenagers, Eren, Armin and Mikasa and how they fit into this
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chaos. The first few episodes provide the viewer with an entirely new experience that will shock and change all you will naturally expect from an anime.
The first 7 episodes were pretty much the longest Holy shit!!! moments from what I have currently seen from an intro. But after this initial promise, the actual story unravels.
Once everything settles down, the pace slows right down, the standard array of stereotypical characters are all introduced in 5 minutes and the story no longer develops. Humanity must kill the titans! Yup. That’s pretty much it. The very nature of the enemy limits the story to just that, the titans can’t talk, they have no morals. So all this anime can ever be is how Eren kills the titans. This is so unbelievably one dimensional it’s a joke. With only one end goal, there can only be a series of extremely predictable single battles against the titans. And all of these suffer some serious pace issues. In the middle of a fight, the anime would stop to hear everyone’s opinions. Or it would decide to watch countless flashbacks of traumatic family events. With the clear attraction of attack on titan being on the action, why bother showing this after we are all so pumped up?
I have also read the supposed ending of the attack on titan anime series. My armpit has more creativity than that. Message me if you want the details. 4
Art- this section is the most controversial in my books. Whilst the artwork is undoubtedly superb, i.e. the fight scenes and the environments, the underlying language of the artwork is flawed. Attack on titan is, as far as anime can be, very gory. People’s heads and limbs are flying everywhere. But fighting these grotesque beings are a group of 3 teenagers (of which Armin is apparently a boy) who all look like they’ve just worked out how to use a toilet. It’s like watching ash ketchum go ‘fuck you charizard!’ and watch him proceed to break his neck. It’s confusing. The design of the titans are, maybe intentionally, grotesque. But I am sure that there are better design potentials here. I’m pretty sure I saw Nicholas cage as one of the titans. 6
Sound- the soundtrack is amazing. Suitably epic and upbeat. But there is no other dimensional quality to the soundtrack. Even when the main character’s mum dies, an epic fight song is playing. The anime needs to learn, even in an action led story, more than action can exist. The beauty of friendships are poorly conveyed through the music for example. The voice acting is the most over the top voice acting I have ever witnessed. It’s not, ‘can you pass me the water’, its ‘ (with lines and explosions encircling the character) I have failed you mother!!! I need the water to save my friends and to kill the titans!!!!!! Calm your tits already. Blimey. 7
Characters- defiantly not the strong point of attack on titan. The main character literally just wants to kill all titans to avenge his mother. A far more powerful character, Mikasa, starts of wanting to protect Eren, yet by the end, she wants to protect Eren even more! Wait, what? The only development we see is of Armin, who starts from a complete wussy to what you expect from a main character. All other characters just fulfil the stereotypical archetype that the writers have fallen for. It was so disappointing to see this after seeing such a unique beginning. 4
Enjoyment- suffice to say, I did not enjoy attack on titan. I spent most of the time being frustrated by how slow it was all moving and how childish everything was. I was pulled in by the overwhelming popularity and amazing action scenes. What I was met with was a very childish attempt at making gore cool. Providing a lame excuse for teenagers to create a lot of carnage is not a good story. As awesome as the fight scenes were, they cannot make up for how immature it all is. 4
Overall- I’m really sorry for all the attack on titan fans reading this. But I am 18 and I have outgrown this senseless, immature and shallow genre. Whether I recommend watching it, I would actually say yes. The first 7 episodes are actually amazing. But the initial rebelling against the norm was quickly ignored and it drifted back to an average anime. 5
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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