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Mar 3, 2019
Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica was among the first anime I've watched, and together with Cowboy Bebop it was the one that permanently hooked me on anime. It has been and still is my absolute favorite. As such I might be a bit biased.
Although Madoka Magica is a deconstruction and reconstruction of the Mahou Shoujo (magical girl) genre, it is not necessary to have watched any such series beforehand. Being vaguely familiar with its tropes (transformation sequences, focus on personal drama / romance, the role of the magical familiar / mascot, etc.) is more than enough for you to get the full enjoyment from this
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anime. It stands on its own very well.
The story is a strong point of this anime, though it has been copied a lot since then and might seem not that special to new viewers at this point. It still pulls it off better than all its imitators. Without spoiling anything, I can say that the story focuses on personal inner conflicts through the concept of "wishes". The story of Madoka Magica can be described as tragic and very dramatic, but it never drifts into melodrama, and it always has the underlying messages of optimism that are the staple of the Mahou Shoujo genre. Calling the series 'dark' is justified, but at the same time, it simplifies the premise too much. Going in blind is strongly prefered, but I enjoyed it despite being mildly spoiled on its tone and a minor plot twist early on.
The art, animation and soundtrack are outstanding and masterfully crafted. Though the 'wide heads' might be off-putting to some, I personally love the art style. The labyrinths of the enemy witches look trippy and strange, truly alien in their nature, and thus sometimes unsettling or scary. But they are a pleasure to look at! The fights are well animated, very dynamic and multitudes better than your average Mahou Shoujo fight against monsters of the week! All of this is accompanied by a mysterious, somber, emotional and at times truly epic soundtrack that is worth checking out, even outside of the anime. Visuals and sound combine to form a cohesive and outstanding experience, seldomly achieved in other works of this medium.
The Japanese voice acting is superb, but the English dub is also above average, although not quite as good. If you prefer dubs, you can't go wrong with it though. But you should avoid the German dub! It is incredibly bad, amateurish and annoying. Quite frankly, it almost ruins the entire experience.
The characters are fresh and unique. They may seem stereotypical at first, but they have layers of depth that are not present in other anime. No one really is the way they seem at first, and over the course of only a few episodes, all characters undergo huge developments that never feel forced and always emerge naturally. The story might be a bit bent unnaturally to enable these developments, but honestly, this never bothered me at all. If you care about the characters, you will be in for a wild ride of emotions! If you are familiar with character archetypes from other Mahou Shoujo or anime in general, you will be pleasantly surprised at how Madoka Magica subverts your expectations.
Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica is a modern classic that should not be overlooked. You might feel a bit let down when watching it, because of how overhyped it is, and because it is virtually impossible to go into it completely blind... so don't judge it unfairly. I honestly believe it deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 3, 2019
This short Hentai doujinshi can be read over the course of a few minutes. It features a gyaru having consensual sex in exchange for money. The main fetishes included are Olfactophilia and Mysophilia, which means it focuses on the fact that the girl hasn't showered for days and is smelly and dirty. So if that is up your alley, you will enjoy this Hentai a lot!
As far as the story goes, it can be described as "wholesome". With less than a handful of pages that actually contain the "story", it manages to create a feel-good atmosphere and actually has a nice ending, which is
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rare to find.
The art is above average and good, but not outstanding. I personally gave it a 9/10, but if you aren't into the fetishes as described above, you will probably find very little enjoyment in this.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Sep 21, 2018
As with all comedy shows, one's enjoyment largely depends on the kind of humour the show uses. That's why I will try to explain the kind of jokes you can expect from Chio-chan, so you can decide for yourself whether it may suit your taste!
This anime often uses somewhat "inappropriate" humour. You can expect some rudeness, vulgarity and lewd situations, but it never reaches the levels of "Prison School" or "Detroit Metal City" in that regard. So if those shows were too extreme for you, you might still enjoy Chio-chan since it's tame by comparison. It has a lot of panty shots and some
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boob jiggles, but they are either used for the sake of comedy or are not too 'in your face'. I also like that this show doesn't rely too much on the "meme face" kind of comedy that's popular nowadays.
It also has its fair share of absurdity. Oftentimes the situations the characters find themselves in are strange enough to make you laugh. Unlike shows like Nichijou for example, it's not random for the sake of randomness though. The situations in Chio-chan are often built around the awkwardness and stupidity of the main characters, so there's a bit of "cringe humour" going on as well. Though it's not nearly as extreme as the stuff you would find in "Watamote" for example. The main characters can be somewhat assholish at times, but they still remain relatable and likeable. It's fun to see them getting their comeuppance at the end of a skit! The show also uses quite a few nerdy videogame jokes.
I am fond of the pacing of the show. It is not as fast-paced as shows like "The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.", but the skits never overstay their welcome either. Even if a longish skit doesn't land the joke, there's bound to be something else that cracks you up in the rest of the episode.
As for the other aspects, you shouldn't expect a well thought out story or deep characters from this series. It has some nice bits of continuity, but first and foremost it's a skit comedy anime. The art style is pleasant and fun to look at and the character designs are cute and unique. The music is fine and the main tune they sometimes use is even somewhat catchy. While the technical aspects of the show aren't mindblowing, I think it's fair to say that they are still above average!
If you like what you've read, then you should definitely check this show out! If you are not completely convinced after the first episode, you should check the next (few) ones as well, to get a complete picture of what kinds of jokes you can expect from this show. It's definitely a worthwile watch!
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Sep 7, 2018
Hajime no Ippo is not only an excellent sports anime, it is also a hilarious comedy series, a great portrayal of character growth and manages to be as exciting and intense as some of the best thrillers. While the story seems almost too simple at first, this really works in favor of the series. A lot of time is spent on the characterization of Ippo, his friends, but also his rivals and enemies in the ring. You know a sports anime is great when you can cheer for both contestants and feel their pain, their determination and their joy at winning as if they were
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your own!
An underrated aspect of this anime is the comedy aspect. The group around Ippo feels very authentic, it's typical "bro humour". They poke fun at each other, play pranks and there's a lot of dirty talk and inappropriate comments. The exaggerated facial reactions often caught me off-guard and had me laughing uncontrollably and the voice acting of the main cast is top notch, too!
The art style looks a bit dated but holds up very well. The animation is sometimes average, but very good when it counts! Especially in the fights the great attention to detail as well as the very satisfying, brutal sounds of punches connecting make it so that your eyes will be glued to the screen and your buttcheeks will be clenched from excitement! The great soundtrack helps a lot in that regard, too. It is generally very good and always fits the mood, whether it's in the lighthearted comedic moments, the peaceful or romantic one's, or during the high octane matches.
I was not a fan of boxing at all before watching this anime, but the attention to detail, the authenticity, the great production quality, the amazing characters and hilarious comedy made me absolutely fall in love with this series! Ultimately, this is a story about passion and determination and can be enjoyed by everyone. So please give this anime a chance!
The sequel seasons had a noticable drop in quality, mostly in regards to their writing. That said, they aren't "bad", and at their high points they can even reach the quality of this first season again! So it's definitely worth to power through the weaker parts if you enjoyed this first installment of Hajime no Ippo.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 19, 2018
This manga is a weird mix between short murder mysteries and intense hentai scenes, framed by a romance story about a newly wed couple. The "Drama" and "School" genres are completely wrong btw and don't apply at all, so ignore those. But does this mix work? Sadly, the answer is no.
The murder mysteries are easily the most enjoyable part of the manga. But most murder cases only last for one chapter, some of them are two chapters long... and these chapters are short. Simply put, they have no depth and don't even qualify as mysteries. We pretty much just get an information dump on the
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murder, then one odd little thing is revealed about the crime scene, and then we immediately get the solution. Half of the time my lazy guess at that point was correct, but I didn't feel accomplished at all since the mysteries were so simple. The other half of them just had bullshit solutions. But even if they were more clever, as a reader I couldn't care less about them. There simply is no time to get invested in anything.
The characters are flat, but that doesn't really matter. There is no overarching story as the manga is very episodic, and you're clearly supposed to only read one chapter at a time. The romance framework story never actually goes anywhere and you are bound to have a deja-vu in every chapter, as it is the same thing happening again and again: Random murder, Miss Marple gets involved and immediately solves the case, hardcore fucking.
The art is really great though and among the best I've seen! All the characters look unique, all the lines are clean and some backgrounds - especially on the splash pages - are absolutely beautiful! There are only very few "low effort" panels, and our main character is simply stunning! That said, there is a huge problem that I have... and it's the censorship. But more about that in the next paragraph.
This manga utterly fails when it comes to the Hentai scenes. They are very vanilla, heterosexual sex scenes with various sex positions etc. That's fine, but what really bothers me is the terrible censorship! The genitals are completely blocked out by white blotches and pretty much everything is left up to imagination! I am pretty sure they did it this way to get a better rating and could publish it under better conditions, without it actually counting as porn (it's for 16+ year olds here in Germany), but at that point you have to ask: What's the point? I would have been fine with some standard "pixelation" censorship, or small bars blocking the most important parts. But if I wanted to see barbie dolls fuck I wouldn't want to read this shit and look at a non-existent penis penetrating a white void.
With all of these three aspects (murder mysteries, romance plot, sex scenes) failing, I can't bring myself to rate this manga any higher than a 4/10. Which is really a shame, since I really loved the artstyle and the idea they were going for. Whether you want an engaging mystery, a good romance or some hot Hentai action: There are better alternatives out there.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Mar 21, 2018
Mahou Shoujo Tart Magica is among the more enjoyable spin-offs of the Madoka Magica franchise. It is quite unique in that it not only tells a typical magical girl story, but also fully integrates it into the real story of Jeanne d'Arc. It does both without becoming nonsensical or weird and manages to combine accurate history lessons with fantastical battles against witches.
It is always clear what's fictitious and what was real, and the manga actually goes out of its way to explain the political situation or the background of important historical figures to the reader at some points. Some may find these lengthy explanations boring,
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but if you are fascinated by history (and like the magical girl world that Madoka Magica has created) you will find these to be quite the interesting read!
The art is very good and the character designs unique. While the characters themselves never become that deep, their relationships are enjoyable to unfold and it's fun to root for them. The villains are a bit two-dimensional though. But the manga also expands on the actual Madoka Magica world with unique wishes, magical girl powers and witches! I can recommend this manga to any fan of the franchise, as long as you can also enjoy reading about some "dry" history facts every now and then.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Feb 18, 2018
Overall, Homura Tamura is an enjoyable comedy 4-koma spin-off of the Madoka Magica series. It obviously spoils some big plot points of the original story, so I recommend you read or watch that one first! Homura Tamura is far from being a masterpiece, but I think it is worth reading if you are a big fan of the franchise.
The story is pretty simple, and I think the manga benefits from that fact: Homura not only travels back in time, but also ends up in weird parallel dimensions with strange quirks. There are one or two times where the story seems to become a bit more
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serious, but don't expect anything important or touching happening in regards to the story. It simply serves to facilitate the comedy.
The art looks pretty good in some panels, but for the majority of the time we only get to see the characters in their "chibi" form. These drawings range from still kind of adorable, to sometimes just a bit too lazy. I guess it is to be expected from a 4-koma spin-off. Overall I still like Afro's style though.
The only character focus is on Homura, but since it's a comedy, she doesn't really get much development. The other magical girls get strange quirks and running gags and thus feel a bit one-dimensional. But overall this doesn't matter, because what matters...
...is the comedy aspect! In that regard, Homura Tamura both succeeds and fails. Comedy and enjoyment is of course subjective, but I thought the running gags were pretty funny at least in the first volume, and some of the situations were so bonkers, it caught me off-guard. The visual comedy aspect also sometimes worked its charm on me. However, it seems that the author burned out on creative scenarios some time after the first volume and relied a bit too much on "lolrandom" for my taste. The running gags are also run into the ground and get old pretty fast. The third volume steps up the game a bit again, but it still lost its surprise factor of many jokes - which is the most important part.
I can still recommend the manga to any Madoka Magica fans who want to see the characters go through some hilarious scenarios, but don't expect a masterpiece. If you aren't a diehard fan of the franchise, you should probably steer clear of the manga though.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Feb 4, 2018
WARNING! The German version published by Egmont is heavily censored! I will tell you what they censored at the very end of the review, as to not spoil anything.
"Draw" is a subpar manga. The story might seem interesting at first and some moments are genuinely touching, but it is not deep or complex enough to justify four entire volumes. It seems to drag on at times. The resolution at the end left me disappointed, too. But I would lie if I said that I didn't enjoy it at times.
The characters are not that amazing or original, but they fulfill their purpose in the story.
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I like their character designs, but I should also warn you that they sexualize a character who is very clearly underage. I was not a fan of that. Some character interactions are legitimately entertaining to watch unfold. But overall there's nothing outstanding to be found.
The art is quite a bit above average! It can look gruesome in some places and beautiful in others. For the most part it looks decent, but I personally like the art style a lot. It is definitely good where it counts!
Overall I can recommend the manga only under one condition: Know that it isn't "good". I found it a good waste of time, but only because I enjoyed the art style, the gruesome and violent depictions, and the sexual scenes. If you can find the uncensored version, that's all the better!
SPOILERS! They completely removed a rape scene (several pages long) from the German version by Egmont. The story still implies the rape, but it skips over about half the chapter, where it actually takes place. They also weirdly censored a few words in a dialogue box once, but I am not sure what that was about. That one was not important though, it didn't take away anything from the story.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Jan 30, 2018
Jinrou Game is by no means a masterpiece. Nonetheless, it is still an entertaining and enjoyable read if you are looking for something that's easy to digest!
To call the story simple would be an understatement. It is a simple killing game (known to me as "Mafia", also known as "Werewolf Game") without an intricate setup or huge, surprising twists. But it doesn't work in spite of that, it works because it is so simple! You know what you get, is all I'm saying. It's simple-minded fun to see teenagers kill and suspect each other.
The characters lack depth, but the main character is likeable and somewhat
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relatable. The support cast is two-dimensional and some are walking stereotypes.
The art is great in some places and below average in others. Overall I like the style though and I am a fan of what they did in some parts, when they used symbolic pictures to describe a situation or explain some rules etc. Overall it is average, but it is good where it counts.
Simply put: Know what to expect when you start reading Jinrou Game. It is nothing special, but in my opinion it doesn't need to be. It's an exciting killing game with decent art and decent characters that won't blow you away but makes for an enjoyable waste of time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 21, 2017
This manga serves as a direct sequel to Madoka Magica and sets up the events leading to the movie Rebellion. And it does so very well!
The wraiths are depicted as interesting and unique enemies and are clearly different from the witches. While a few questions about them and the story in general are left unanswered, we also get a lot of satisfying answers. Homura Akemi is the main character of this story and we get a lot of insight into her psyche as well. I also have good news for people who want to see more of the other girls, as we get to
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see them working as a team and interacting with each other more.
The stunning art of Hanokage helps to set the mood and some panels are gorgeous enough that I could stare at them for minutes and I wouldn't get bored.
The pacing is a bit off in some places, and the explanations of what's happening are a bit more wonky than in the original story, but it all still makes sense and is a very enjoyable read. I can recommend it to anyone who wants more of the Madoka Magica franchise!
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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