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First off, you can skip the first 8 episodes. It's filler and extremely uninteresting and won't really impact the rest of the story. Like, that part is a 2 or 3/10 and the reason that I couldn't get past episode 6 for so long. From episode 9 on, you get the main story, the after story I guess, with the relationship between Tomoya and Nagisa after high school.

The main story is I think nice. Personally I don't like the designs of Clannad nor the voice actors and pretty much the majority of the side characters. But the main story works because it tackles subjects you ... don't see too often done in anime especially in moe anime. I think there is real showing of growth throughout as Tomoya is tasked with more responsibility as someone who has to protect his family. It's done in a more realist way of providing for them by getting a job, and understanding your significant others and your own emotions to help each other grow. It means letting go of baggage, dealing with tragedy in a healthy way, and making tough decisions and living with them. One part of his growth is how he gets a better understanding of his own father. He understands that adults aren't perfect by becoming one himself and appreciates what his father did and sacrificed to help him become who he is now. This is shown in Tomoya far more than Nagisa however where she feels perfect. I don't think she lowers the story or she's bad but that she feels more like a foil for Tomoya's growth than an actual character at times.

Ultimately though, a story like this is reliant on how much you connect to the characters and in that sense it didn't completely succeed in making me buy into them. Some moments and situations are sad regardless of the characters. A kid getting hit by a car and a mother being devastated is a sad thing by itself but what a story needs to do is go beyond the simple sadness of the scenario. In SKET Dance, a scenario similar to this happens and what adds to it is the irony of the whole thing and the way it connects to characters that you've already gotten attached to (Admittedly the very final ending of this Clannad also has some of that irony). Personally I still didn't fully get attached to the characters as I would in other sentimental shows though I could see how if you did, what happens would be even more impactful. I think the main storyline is a 7/10 or 6/10 and the mileage on that will change depending of how much you buy into the characters.

As for the ending, basically the ending itself is I think correct in that it's "destined" but at the same time the way it's done sort of feels like it's forced with somewhat irrational decisions from the main character. It feels a little bit more manufactured and the alternate storylines are introduced right afterwards adding confusion as to the intent of showing it. I think some people would be impacted by the immediate contrast differently. Some maybe would be even deeper in their feels but to me it almost seemed to make frivolous what happened right before. Maybe it'd be redundant or not as poetic but I'd like them to go further with what happened at the end.

Also finally, the illusory world isn't too bad. I think the whole concept and what we discover about it including who the girl and robot are adds a dimension to the themes of family, loss, change and memory that are explored or hinted throughout the series.

Vivy Flourite is like a combination of Detroit Becomes Human and Violet Evergarden. It deals with some questions about Robots and free will and coexistence in the narrative form of Evergarden where it's small short stories that serve to develop the character. It ends up however being pretty shallow with a lot of those topics being pushed away for dramatic moments and fights that feel empty. The only short story I cared about somewhat was the third one with the island. I'll just say that one was about robot love and the difference between that one and the others is that they didn't feel ... the need to put a bad twist in there (there was a twist but it felt appropriate). The others felt overly dramatic and because of that lost the intrigue that their initial question posed. Just one example is the one about robot suicide. It ended up pretty much not being about that and instead something else that was nonsensical. Really felt in a lot of these stories they couldn't deliver on some of the lofty ideas they had in mind and went for the emotional impact route but failed.

The overall story too and the twist at the end was also somewhat uninspiring. I wasn't shocked and it followed about the way you expected it to. Vivy as a character didn't improve too much as well, with her whole thing being about the question of how to sing with "heart" which just feels kinda weak. The other characters and their motivations and overall personalities also felt very undercooked and one dimensional. I think this show just felt like a generic sci-fi with some good moments of animation and some singing. I really was excited after what they showed in the first two episodes but by the end It felt like it wouldn't have mattered if I finished the story or not.

Just a quick review.

It's a pure gag manga and doesn't do things like ecchi, one-punch man esque fighting, romance, moe or other things like that. Just focusing on jokes and parodies with pretty unique characters. Honestly as I browse manga, I find this type really is a rarity so I'd highly recommend it. The fact that it's so lowly rated is just disgraceful and misleading.

It also doesn't have some plotline that they are forced to go through with so I don't see them pigeonholing themselves in future chapters. So far every chapter has been enjoyable by itself and I really hope it can keep ... running for a lot more chapters.

School Days MAL review

* Shorter thoughts on it/tldr

I think School Days is very subversive especially in the anime genre - if anime presents high schoolers too far into the side of pure, this anime presents them too far into the side of impure. But the anime itself is just flat out unenjoyable. All it is is a story of bad people doing bad things. Literally not a single character is a good person. Not a side character, main character, anything. The most is that maybe you can sympathize with some of the stuff they go through but that's the extent and that only lasts for ... so long.

The only real reason I can see for why people think this is a masterpiece is because it's subversive and because it goes so far into the depravities of people and their lust. But it basically does it for a large part for the shock value and drama. And I highly disagree that just because an anime makes you uncomfortable that it succeded in something. Discomfort alone doesn't make for art. There are a lot of scenes I can think of that make me uncomfortable in anime, and a lot of them I think are great scenes because they feel like they have a point in showing them. In School Days, the point isn't there, which is where it's infuriating.

* Longer reddit review


I watched it because it's infamous and also because it's weirdly considered a masterpiece by some people. One of my friends told me some time ago that it was "realistic." And I was pretty skeptical because I knew how it ended, more or less. However, going through it I think I sort of agree, with it being realistic. I don't think it's realistic in the sense that every relationship will take the trajectory taken in the show, but that some relationships can be like the ones in this anime - filled with lust, passion, mistakes, douchebags and victims. Where I think this anime is off putting for a lot of people is the idea that you have to sympathize with the main character and that that's what the show wants you to do. A lot of times an anime or piece work doesn't want you to necessarily feel straightforward emotions, anti-hero's exist, sometimes the villain is more like-able, etc. The closest comparison I can think of right now as weird as it sounds is the main character of the book/play Streetcar Named Desire. If you had to read that book in high school, know that our MC is sort of like the main characters in that book in the way he deals with women. Also how his actions create destructive consequences.

So some questions and themes the anime addresses:

What are you supposed to do when you have a girlfriend for the first time?

Do you kiss? When? What are the boundaries?


What do you "want" from the other person in the relationship? (Like fulfillment, sexual needs. Do you want to go fast/slow? Do you want options or do you want the person to be you're one and only? [The MC very clearly wants sex and to not be tied down to a relationship though at the beginning he seems to present himself as more pure.] As an example the female love interest talks about how her preferred scenario for love making is after riding on horses in europe and it rains, to do it in some cabin. Very book-like romantic whereas while she is saying this, it shows our MC in his room with a trashcan full of tissues.


How does your relationship with others change when you get a girlfriend? (Bullying, Jealousy, crushes, distance from others, etc. Maybe a feeling that you need to attack as your love interest is getting away.The bullying part plays a role later on and I think is malicious but also somewhat a necessary evil.)


Where does lust and libido play into all of this and just the same where does "love" play into that? (As in how much of the lust is really based on "love" and how much of it is just urges and mostly anyone would do. Episode 3 really kind of sets the stage for these questions when the MC and his childhood friend have a conversation about how to approach his girlfriend. She ends up giving advice that is correct but is otherwise ignored in just a few episodes. "Listen here, girls have modesty... it doesn't mean that anytime, anywhere, anything is okay!" This is completely ignored after just a miniscule attempt by the MC who pretty much has zero patience. Another quote from the same conversation : "When you don't understand the other person's feelings, it's overcoming these frustrating times that makes you feel better when you do understand them. That's what you call 'Lovers"" I think this is how you know our MC isn't really about "love" because after just a small attempt he begins to say that it's "tiring" and basically gives up but still holds on because he has a girlfriend and he's not sure what to do. I think he unconciously finds out his personality is more rotten than he imagined in the beggining. But sadly his girlfriend is the exact opposite (as I said before she's very romantic and someone that thinks long term) and tries to work things out even when she should know to split because again for her this is her first relationship as well and even kinda gets gaslit- it's really sad. Because of her fantastical nature too, she clings on even when it’s obvious what’s happening because she so desperately doesn’t want to get disillusioned and hurt. Later on a character even calls our MC out on his fickle nature, saying "Do you mean because it's easier to deal with Sekai?" basically our character just doesn't want to try in a relationship and just wants the rewards without any trouble or the responsibility that comes with commitment. Really almost all of this would be fine if the character had the decency to just break up clearly with the person instead of stringing them along in his quest for sex. If he did, he would be a playboy but at least the girls would know basically to give up.Eventually he fucks up with Sekai as well, the one he says he “loves” but when she is depressed and shit from his cheating and is asked to at least talk to her it’s “It’s such a bother.”

Finally, cheating and how cheating effects all parties - the one getting cheated on, the side chick (mistress), and the person cheating. This is probably the most important one and really it's not very comfortable for the people involved nor the viewer. And this anime really makes the cheating as excruciating as possible with a main character and side characters that basically give zero fucks about the one being cheated on, not even giving her any real sense of sympathy (except maybe occasionally though it’s usually short lived and has to do more with wanting our MC to be hers only). The cheating in this show is as selfish as possible, there is very little in excuses you can give to anyone.


ECCHI

In Japan, NTR is one of the most popular genres. NTR if you don't know is cuckolding or hentai with cheating. I think maybe as a hentai this anime could possibly be enjoyable but as it is, it's just sort of awkward. The anime progresses extremely quickly as well, you basically start with a kiss, go on to a full on boob grab, unclothing, crotch rub, and then just straight up sex. All by episode 5. it's really not standard ecchi which is fan service and basically more comical, this is very much suggesting sex and moving up to it. None of it some accidental "oops I fell into your boob" type stuff either.

THE MAIN CHARACTER.

I get that we aren't supposed to like him and I even said in the beginning that there are characters like that in stories, even main characters, but this dude has pretty much zero likable qualities. He's a scumbag, narcissist, sociopath, cheater, and probably future rapist based on some of the clues the anime gives on his character. Even more just adding on to this, I personally hate his voice. It just sounds annoying for some reason.

Getting back to his qualities. In the first episode itself he takes a picture of a girl on a train secretly, and then pushes a girl against the rooftop fence pretty forcefully. Also I’m guessing to show his “pushy” nature one episode ends with him having sex and girl saying “no.”They also showcase it later in an interesting way as well (in episode 11). Now in some cases, the girl does initiate but he always readily accepts regardless of the web of relationships he’s in basically just to have sex even when they pour their heart out for him (and he never properly severs any of the relationships because again, he just sees them as options) .Even more as the story progresses he basically has zero respect for any of the girls, no boundaries and no sense of seeing them as people. He cheats basically with no remorse. And he sees the mistress purely as a side chick and always wants an option to go back. I'm not gonna give the anime the benefit of the doubt here and say that he's some deconstruction of a harem protagonist cause that's just giving excuses. There's not even any sympathy with him feeling bad about cheating because he clearly doesn't. You think I’m exaggerating, FUCK NO. This dude literally just gets worse every single episode even when you don’t think it’s possible.

Now also, none of the characters are like-able. Just I think our MC is the worst of them all.

ENJOYMENT

I just couldn't enjoy the show. I'd cringe or be like these characters suck and this character is just in the middle of these shit characters and this shit situation. It's also as I mentioned basically NTR and that's not very enjoyable to watch personally and even more, there wasn't a particularly big bond between the characters before the cheating even began so it's kind of awkward to watch. I think there are people that like these anime where characters are just scumbags and do horrible shit to others but I'm not really a sadist like that to enjoy this.

The pacing is also not very good. It basically progresses too fast and by the time you get past episode 5, there’s not much else that’s interesting unless you skip around - basically just more of the MC fucking around and the show just reinforcing his scumbaggery. School Days also does the bare minimum in terms of animation and imagery [Though admittedly the last episode it does do a bit more].

I mentioned a lot of the themes but really all of that kind of only matters in elucidating what I think they were trying to go for, or where I think there is some realism to the story. So yeah if someone argued that School Days was realistic or went for X themes, okay yeah I agree to some extent, but it's still not enjoyable.

One highlight, however was the ending. It is cathartic and well deserved, also not so unbelievable, unrealistic or jump-the-shark as people may think. The anger and frustration from being cheated on and from all the psychological stress the girls have been through I imagine isn’t something to take lightly. Some people in real life have killed as well for unfaithfulness, it’s not something that everyone just feels bad about for a little and moves on from. BTW I'm not gonna say who exactly did what because this dude cheated on everyone so take your guess. But honestly no one really won at the end.

Overall I appreciate what the show is going for but ultimately it wasn’t enjoyable in any way except in occasionally bringing up strong disgust towards the MC and I think regardless of intentions you can’t really give an anime a pass if it doesn’t do that much other than that. And even though it seems I revealed a lot, I really haven't. If you're morbidly curious check it out just to find out the events that transpire. But otherwise not something I can recommend.

One of anime I was looking forward to considering the person who made it and the art style. I'm also generally okay with this slice-of-life parental anime. I very much enjoyed Gakuen Babysitters, a show about a high schooler taking care of his little baby brother. The appeal is that these shows tend to have very cute and sentimental scenes. The problem with a lot of them can run into however is not striking a balance between cuteness, story, comedy, etc.

Kakushigoto for the most part finds a good balance between heart-wrenching moments and cute fun moments. Kakushigoto, the title, is used a lot as a ... pun and as way to explore themes of secrets and drawing and work. And the secrets are more than what is in the inital premise. You end up finding about them as the anime progresses and don't neccesarily get bombarded by them all at once.

The main draw is enjoying the moments between father and daughter and the humor in him trying to hide his secret. I think sometimes the anime can slow a bit but as it is a slice of life, I think it can be mostly forgiven for some of those instances. It makes up for it by being very emotionally impactful. It's been a long time since I've even gotten close to crying because of an anime but this one managed to do it a few times throughout the show. I was going to give a 7 because of the pacing but just the fact it managed to rile up some emotions and unique feelings I think should mean something and might mean something to someone watching the show.

So I'd recommend watching and just be wary that although it can slow it's ultimately worth it as a unique experience. Also the OST is A+.

Best art I've ever seen in a movie. Every frame is beautiful and the animation is extremely fluid. The only drawback to this movie is that the story lost me a bit especially at the end and the way it tried to wrap it up. Something about the birth of the Universe and being connected to the sea with some festival.

The characters also felt very dull. There's clearly some drama introduced that got placed at the backend or resolved very quickly/abruptly so more time could be put to showcase the more surrealistic parts. Because of that there isn't really a satisfying ending and left ... me somewhat confused. But I would keep that in mind and still recommend watching just for the art, just don't expect too much from the story.

Much much better than I expected. Usually these shows with these quirky premises burn out within the first 4 or so episodes but this show constantly threw something new in there and even more the premise of the character being overly cautious was really explored and explained. And even though our MC is OP, it isn't completely arbitrary especially when the premise is that he prepares every time for an opponent and the way he wins because of his prep is rarely just pure power but some sort of trick or strategy. His character and the Goddesses' really develops by the end as there's a ... little twist that definitely adds some extra weight to their journey. Highly recommend!

I went in completely blind for watching the sequel. I read none of the comments and I watched this way past when it aired so I have little bias. Also as background, Steins;Gate is one of my favorite shows, to me it's a 10/10. The concept of text messages to change the past was interesting and unique and so were the personalities of the lab members. It made the shock of when Kyouma had to constantly go back to the different worlds have some weight to it. This sequel is a humungous let down. Some people say that the second seasons of Code Geass and ... Death weren't good or as good as the first seasons but this second season of Steins:Gate makes those second seasons look like masterpieces.

This second season is convoluted, repetitive and melodramtic, with many of the emotional scenes lacking any weight at all. Also it took until about episode 18 till the show kind of revealed it's big suprise but it really didn't add anything to the previous season or this season. All it did was setup another more convulted storyline that they can't resolve. They also treated Rintaro horribly in this season as a character. He goes through trauma from his previous experiences time travelling and the empathy they show him isn't very long lasting or too supportive. I guess it's supposed to be a tough love type thing but they just can't leave him alone and just always want him to time travel or try to mess around with that stuff. And when he calls them out on it, he gets punched. But when the tables are turned, they start acting the same way.
Also after episode 18, they just straight up don't explain details and just hope that some music montages or whatever will distract you from the fact they don't explain how any of the stuff that's happening is happening. The whole show is too convulted, has no emotional depth, is full of plotholes, is repetetive, and they completely butcher the characters. It's so bad it makes me re-consider my opinion on the first season. For me this is the worst sequel I've ever see of anything in my life because of how much worse it is than the first. By the end, it literally resolves nothing. 3/10 absolutely terrible.

Acca-13 is fairly slow anime and for most of it there's a sense of confusion as you're not sure exactly where the story is going. When you do eventually find out, it feels a bit out of nowhere but hits hard regardless. Afterwards, when you discover what's going on, it has a bit of a problem ending in a real satisfying way or keeping momentum, often using the exceptional art and music as a crutch. But Acca-13 still succeeds in creating a unique experience that I haven't seen replicated in any other anime which at the very least takes it away from mediocrity. If ... the pacing was a bit better, I feel this could've been a solid 8 or 9 but as it is now, there are too many pauses and side stories that feel unimportant and just drag out the story.

Kengan Ashura is clearly inspired from Baki and like Baki, Kengan Ashura is about high action tournaments, sleazy buisness men, and very unrealistic fighting. It's mindless fun for the most part. Just something notable was that even knowing the show is supposed to be ridiculous, there were times I cringed a bit when they tried to explain some ridiculous move or technique. The animation for the most part is pretty good but nothing extraordinary or ground breaking. I'd say it's a step below something like Ajin in terms of 3D animation. The blood effects feel pretty cheap and there's definitely a sense that at some ... points a 2D animation style would be better.
The characters and their abilities aren't exactly very compelling a lot of times sadly. They are just simple things like the person being agile while being fat, being very sturdy, or like a kaio-ken thing where they "unlock" their potential and two characters have essentially the same ability in the show but they're just called different things. The main character also has an ability to control "the flow" of energy or whatever and that allows him to basically do advanced parries on the opponent but it's not really explained that well.
The relationships between characters also feels a bit tepid, with me not really feeling like there is a clear cut villain that I can hate or a rivalry that I feel is iconic. In the show there is also a relationship between our MC fighter and a salaryman who is forced into being his manager. That relationship works pretty okay at it's role as comic relief and seems like there are hints that there will be something more than just that in the second season, though in this season comic relief for the most part is the extent of it.
Kengan Ashura has enough problems to make it feel more generic than not, but it's not a bad watch if you don't expect anything too special from it.