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Nov 3, 2012
Let me say right off the bat that this review pertains to ONLY the first season of the Haruhi franchise. With that out of the way, let's begin. I will say that I've tried my very best to understand the hype and fame around this show. Unfortunately, I can't understand it. I've attempted to look at this show objectively, and here are the observations I made:
Story: 6
The story is honestly not as great as many people portray it as. It's about a girl (Haruhi) who is the god of the universe. Everybody in the SOS does everything in their power to prevent Haruhi from getting
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bored or angry, otherwise, the world is over. It's a unique premise that is done in a very cliche manner. High school. Club activities. Ring any bells? Of course they do. It's been done a billion times before.
Art: 8
The art is very solid. Kyoto Animation did a very good job in making the characters fluid in their movements. What I did appreciate, was the fact that the characters had their own unique appearances, save Kyon and Koizumi. The high school and club setting is portrayed well by the animators, as these venues serve as the primary locations for the majority of the show.
Sound: 8
Of first mention is the music. The music is okay, but it's not something to really right home about. I know I may get flamed for not liking the Haruhi theme music, but it has a very similar sound to the majority of openings and endings from other high school slice of life comedies. The Japanese voice actors do a great job in their roles here in the show, but of surprise here is the quality of the English dubbed voice actors. I guess animation companies finally realized that sticking Wendee Lee behind the mic of the leading female protagonist yields good results. Alongside Lee is Johnny Yong Bosch, Crispin Freeman, and Michelle Ruff. The English dubbed cast has years of experience, and it shows in the quality.
Character: 5
This is the biggest gripe I have with the show. Because Haruhi is established right from the get go as the center of the universe, this idea of ego stroking becomes prevalent as the series progresses. The fact that Haruhi is a tsundere character isn't what bothered me. What bothered me was the lack of character development for each character. Kyon was the biggest disappointment for me in this show. He had so much potential to grow in the series, but didn't. Luckily, this is fixed in The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi. Ashahina doesn't grow from the bimbo girl with big boobs. She stays the same. Koizumi doesn't develop whatsoever. His entire purpose is to spout chunks of information to the audience in hopes they understand what he's talking about. Nagato is practically an emotionless rock throughout the entire show and doesn't seem to develop whatsoever. The moment when Haruhi was yelled at, or slapped, or shown the error of her selfish ways never occurred even though by episode 9, I was dying to have Haruhi realize that she can't keep having people jump through hoops for her.
Enjoyment: 6
In all honesty, I didn't really enjoy the show all that much. I really attempted to find some aspect I liked, but I couldn't. I found it incredibly boring and I found myself falling asleep at some points. However, the comedy was pretty funny at some points, and for me, was the only real highlight of each episode.
Overall: 6
I cannot give this show anything higher than a 6. This show had the right premise for a story, but went about it the wrong way. The characters were a little too cliche for my liking. The art and sound were the high points of this anime. I found the anime to be boring because by the time I was half way through, I knew no character development was going to occur. Many people love this show, but unfortunately, I was not one of them.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Aug 21, 2012
Introduction:
Clannad and Clannad: After Story were my first taste in the romance/slice of life genre, and I must say that there are no anime of the same genre that even come close. Never have I both laughed and cried in the same series as I had in After Story. After Story follows the same formula as the first season throughout the first half of the series, and is very good. The second half of the series is when the drama really kicks into high gear, and I must admit, is quite the emotional rollercoster of a ride. Now, with that out of the way, I'm
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going to tell you why I think this anime is a masterpiece.
Story: 10
How can a story be a masterpiece when it doesn't have explosions, firefights, super powers, or overpowered main characters? Well to answer that question, it's because After Story doesn't have those elements that makes it such a great anime. After Story is, at its very core, about ordinary people finding happiness even in the most dire of circumstances. What I also found was that the parallelisms throughout After Story were done superbly well. This element doesn't appear initially, as After Story begins much as the same as Clannad did. What the second half of the series reveals is the struggles of man trying to support himself and his family, the hardships of coping with a personal tragedy, and finding happiness even in the smallest of things when given a second chance at life. The story is incredibly real and moving as the viewer can't help but cheer the main character on in his life's challenges.
Art: 9
The animation is done exactly as it was in Clannad, which means that it is very solid and well done. What I especially like about After Story is that the town in which the story takes place is almost given a magical feeling, with the cherry blossoms of the many Sakura trees constantly being carried by the wind throughout the story. This was intentional, as After Story does have an underlying magical aspect to it. The colors and shades of the the town and environment are also of note, as they usually reflect the state of the town itself. During the second half of the series, this reflection becomes more evident.
Sound: 9
After watching both the English dubbed and English subbed versions of After Story, I would say that both have great voice acting. Of note here is the quality of the English voice actors, as they do a splendid job of conveying the emotions of the characters. Togoshi does an excellent job of creating a surreal feeling in his music throughout the series. That, combined with the background noises of the town and the environment make for a great audio experience.
Character: 10
The characters in After Story are handled superbly. They are characters who the viewer can empathize with, but more importantly, can cheer on. What I noticed myself doing throughout After Story was placing myself in a character's position and asking myself, "What would I do in this situation?" What I also love is the character development throughout After Story. For example, a delinquent who begins taking responsibility for himself and his loved ones, a shy girl who attempts to be social and outgoing to those around her, and a couple's struggle to build a life together as they realize their love toward one another. Even supporting characters get some character development not usually seen in a series.
Enjoyment: 10
I thoroughly enjoyed After Story as it was an experience that not many other anime could possibly give me. The biography of a couple in the throngs of life's challenges was laid out before me from episode to episode, and I couldn't help but feel mesmerized by the experience. At the end of each episode, I just had to know what was going to happen next. After Story's first half laid the foundation for its intense second half. After finishing the series, I was so completely blown away that I couldn't help imagining hypothetical situations in which I switched places with the main character. I constantly asked myself, "What would I do with a second chance?"
Overall: 10
I'm being completely honest when I say that After Story is one of the best anime ever made. When I say that, I mean that After Story is masterpiece in its own way, as Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion are in their own way. After Story takes the idea of the life struggles of humanity everywhere and personifies it into a series. The romance aspect is only a part of the series. After Story is a series that everyone must see.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 20, 2012
After having watched the first anime adaption of Fullmetal Alchemist, I couldn't help feeling a sense of disappointment at the ending. It didn't follow the manga's ending, and it showed with a poor performance. In this redone version of the manga, the anime faithfully follows its counterpart and makes for a great show.
Story: 9
The story is great, but for me personally, the whole "super power" aspect of the anime almost feels a little overdone, as if I'd seen it already in many other shows. Even with this little hiccup, I still feel as though the story deserves praise for its complexities and plot twists.
Art: 9
The
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artwork is very solid throughout the entire anime, but doesn't really do anything innovative or exciting to deserve a 10. The character models are solid, the uniforms of the soldiers are done well, and the locations and environments are good.
Sound: 10
I'm not one to usually ever praise English audio over its Japanese counterpart, but this anime has (in my opinion) superior English voice actors. The voice actors really put emotion into their characters, especially Vic. The only problem I have is that Alphonse's voice actor from the original hit puberty and couldn't do a repeat, so they had to bring in someone new who I think didn't do quite as good a job. But suffice to say that the voice acting is superb. The sound effects are also outstanding, especially when alchemy is being performed.
Character: 9
What I really like about this anime is that the multitude of characters introduced throughout the show are handled very appropriately. Supporting characters get their back stories explained thoroughly (for the most part), and the Elric brothers get the spotlight you'd expect the main characters to get.
Enjoyment: 9
When I feel like I have to watch the next episode right away, I know that the series is great. For me, I give a 10 in enjoyment when after I finish a series, I feel profoundly blown away. I didn't get that feeling after watching FMA, but that "edge on your seat" feeling was constantly there.
Overall: 9
How many anime can you REALLY give a 10? There aren't many, because anime masterpieces should totally blow your mind after you finish them. FMA is a great anime, but not a masterpiece.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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