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Dec 23, 2016
Keijo is an ecchi sports anime revolving around a girls-only fighting sport wherein the participants can only use their boobs and butts to knock each other into a pool. Did that premise catch your attention? If so, good. You're in for more than you bargained for.
I actually didn't even watch this when it released. Around the time of the third episode, my girlfriend introduced me to the show. Since then, it became one of very few seasonal anime I watched as it released. As of writing this review, I have just viewed the final episode and can safely say this is one of my favorite
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anime. If you want an in-depth look at why I feel this way, stick around.
This show has been making considerable waves since its debut in late fall 2016, and has become one of the most polarizing shows in recent years. The fans rave about the show "saving anime", while others see it as nothing more than mindless fanservice trying too hard to take itself seriously. Let's take a look.
Going along with the premise, Keijo follows 18-year-old Nozomi Kaminashi, a recent high school graduate who begins competing in the sport to support her poor family. Much like another Xebec-produced show, Zoids, Keijo is one big competition, with battles happening each episode for the sake of a competitive sport. It is a very faithful adaptation of the 2013 manga, which is something any anime fan can appreciate. Although the first episode skips a large portion of the story and does infact cut out some of the world building and character development (I own some of the physical manga, and the first four volumes are condensed in to episode one) the show very closely follows the manga after this.
I could describe nearly every aspect of Keijo as "a breath of fresh air", but that would get redundant, so let's cover the individual categories instead.
Story:
The actual story is incredibly simple. Nozomi and her friend Miyata enroll in Setouchi Keijo Training School, compete in the sport, meet new friends and rivals along the way, and grow. Think of it like college football, if you will. This is arguably the weakest part of the show. The enjoyment comes from character development, the dynamics between said characters, and their interactions rather than storytelling.
Still, we do get to explore the history of the sport a bit, and each individual character's story to an extent. I can understand why some of the early story was skipped in the manga, however. The way storytelling is executed in manga is considerably different than it is in anime, as you may realize if you do pick the Keijo manga up. The action scene you see in the first episode doesn't happen for a few volumes in the manga, and that was what drew most viewers in, so overall it was a smart move.
Art:
Earlier this year, I rediscovered my love of Zoids and had to rewatch the anime. To see one of my favorite studios, Xebec, handling this show put a smile on my face. Although they don't use as much CG as they do in other works (it was mostly the land platforms you see the girls fighting on), the character designs themselves are the best I've seen since Gurren Lagann. Fans of To Love Ru will notice the distinct style here.
Let me start by saying the body designs are absolute perfection. One issue I've taken with all-girl shows in the past is their body types. More often than not, they all look like they could snap like twigs at the slightest breeze. Keijo offers something different. In line with the fact that a competitor's best asset is their rear end, no expense was spared here; these girls have it going on in the back. As someone who likes big butts (and he cannot lie), these designs definitely stood out. It doesn't stop there, either. Just about every girl has a different body type. You've got the classic slender ladies (Miyata, Rin), to the more well-rounded curvy gals (Nozomi, Aoba), to downright thick (Hanabi, Non) and beyond. Muscular girls, statuesque, amazionian, BBWs, there's someone for everyone in Keijo.
They're drawn in a sharp, thickly outlined style that unsurprisingly brought back memories of the Zoids cast. However, the art especially shines during the battle scenes. The show demonstrates an incredibly good understanding of anatomy and doesn't exaggerate itself too much. That is to say, the characters themselves. Cuz if we're talking about the moves they perform, Keijo doesn't know the meaning of "exaggerated"! If I had to complain about one thing, the last episode seems to have spent its budget mostly on the big fight between Nozomi and Maya, as some of the characters look rough and low-detail compared to previous episodes.
It's an absolute blast to watch the races. The backgrounds and environments are quite lovely as well, from the crystal clear waters of the pools and rivers, to the lovely view of nature seen from their bus. Overall it's everything I like about animation and character design; you can really feel the weight of every movement!
Sound:
No complaints here. The opening theme, DREAMxSCRAMBLE, became an instant favorite, which I even listened to in public a few times. It embodies the positive, passionate tone the show exudes. Then you have the end theme, Fantas/Hip Girlfriends, another light positive tune that sings about growing stronger together, set to a scene of the girls retrieving swimsuits. It's even performed by the Japanese cast of the show itself! The rest of the background music fits the mood to a T, especially the more action-oriented themes, which never fail to get me pumped for the next race. Each attack has tons of hard-hitting feedback, standard fare for the ecchi genre with smacking and rubbery stretch noises.
The biggest compliment goes to the voice cast of BOTH the original Japanese and dub cast. Another issue I often take is that many female characters sound simply too young. Adult women that sound like lolis make a show hard to watch, but like many other all-girl shows (Madoka Magica, Love Live) the cast brings it home with unique voices fitting of a grown-ass woman. Japanese singer Lynn lends her voice as main character Nozomi, and puts a ton of energy and vibrant passion into the voice, especially during battles. Rena Maeda manages to strike a balance between cute and serious in her performance as Hanabi Kawai.
Early into the show's airing, a dub was also produced. Amber Lee Connors, a former fan dubber working with TeamFourStar, was cast as Nozomi here and manages to capture her rough-around-the-edges attitude very well. Seasoned dub actress Alexis Tipton brings out Aoba's reserved personality, while newer voices keep things fresh, like Kristen McGuire adding some girlish charm to Hanabi. I strongly recommend both formats, although I think the sub wins here, if only for Hibiku Yamamura's performance as Mio Kukasai, although Michelle Rojas does a great job sounding almost orgasmic in the dub.
Character:
Like Zoids before it, this is (other than the over-the-top fight scenes) where Keijo shows its stuff. This is where I have to mention that the show utilizes its 12 episodes better than many other shows of a similar length, showcasing some amazing time management. There's a "main" cast of eight characters, and believe me when I say every last one of them gets their chance to shine, and even then some girls outside of that bunch get some great moments.
I'll use my favorite character, Hanabi Kawai as an example. She's introduced as one of the strongest competitors and comes off as extremely competitive and borderline sadistic. Imagine my surprise when she developed into the most lighthearted and optimistic character in the show! After the first episode, she isn't shown fighting (one fight happens offscreen, granted) and takes the role of providing commentary and exposition in each race. Many fans consider Keijo the girl version of the ever-popular Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, and I can definitely see the parallels peppered throughout the show, such as Hanabi essentially filling Speedwagon's role (there are infact direct references to Part 3 of the manga/anime, for the record). She becomes something of a friendly rival, believing in the others and later expressing her strong desire to use the fame she accrues from the sport to find a boyfriend. However, when she does return to the battlefield, she proves not only to be just as strong as ever, but instrumental in the victory of the final battle.
Jobbing (a term used in pro wrestling to refer to a previously-established powerful character being defeated by a new character for the purpose of showing just how powerful they are) does not exist in Keijo as it does in most action-centric anime, and that's one of the show's strongest points. Outside of battle, character interactions are fun to watch and can range from heartwarming to oftentimes downright hilarious. Just about every character comes off as three-dimensional and fleshed out, as much as they could be in twelve episodes. This is more than a lot of longer shows can say for their cast.
Enjoyment:
There was very little about Keijo I didn't have fun with. After picking the show up three episodes in, it was quite the fun occasion to get to watch each episode Thursday night. In addition to watching the show both subbed and dubbed, I have watched this with three of my good friends, all of who enjoyed it. Being one of the few shows I watched as it released, Keijo instilled a childlike wonder in me that I have not felt since the days of old-school Toonami. I now know what it feels like when people anticipate a new episode of their favorite show, weird as that sounds. As of writing this, the dub has yet to finish, and you can bet I'm going to follow it to the end just like the original. It's the very definition of a "fun" show.
Overall:
Even if you truly dislike Keijo, it's a show which is harmless at best. It's cute, fun, girly, positive, and lighthearted. It's more than just a sexy fanservice show. It promotes friendship, teamwork, personal growth, and especially good sportsmanship. I bet you didn't expect a show like this to have a good message, did you? Nagisa (one of the teachers) reminds the girls of the Keijo motto, "Only Land". This refers to the idea that players should treat each other with utmost respect, as equals when in normal social situations, and to save competition and rivalry for the races taking place on the Land itself. This is not my favorite anime of all time, but it earned its spot in my top five and managed to surprise me in more ways than one. I hope more people give this a chance despite the occasional detractor, because that joke about Keijo saving anime might hold more merit than you think!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 17, 2016
So get this. Here I am, on a ride home from a local Smash Bros tournament with a fellow weeb friend, and I bring up Zoids, the semi-popular show of our childhood. I bring up the idea of rewatching it and he's like, "Nah, I know it's gonna be bad if I look at it now".
To have this mentality toward a show you watched and loved as a child is fully understandable, but it is my humble opinion that no show subverts this stigma better than Zoids New Century/Zero. This review will cover why I firmly believe that.
First, a bit of history. Like the rest
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of the few people who still remember Zoids, I watched this during Toonami's "golden era" in 2001/02, and it was one of those shows I'd rush home to catch, even more so than classics such as DBZ and Gundam. At the time, I wasn't nearly as invested in Chaotic Century (the 6am timeslot didn't do much to sell me either) as I was Zero, so Zoids more or less disappeared off the face of the earth.
Fast forward to early in my senior year of high school, I'm spaced out at my desk and randomly remember the show, so I decide to marathon it over the course of a week. For about two months over that, I had a resurgence of my Zoids obsession. I finished Chaotic Century, played a few of the games... but that more or less faded when there was, simply put, nothing left to do. Fuzors sucked, Genesis was meh (and never got a dub), so Zoids mostly served as a gateway for me to get back into anime.
Now, a few months ago, I decided to rewatch it yet again. So, how's it hold up?
Story:
One major criticism that Zero is constantly hit with (mostly by fans of Chaotic Century) is that it has no plot. While compared to CC, Zero is largely episodic, to say it has none at all would be selling it short. For the uninitiated, Zero revolves around Zoids, a race of biomechanical giant animals (think Gundams, but animals instead of humans) piloted by humans in a competitive sport. Teams of Zoid pilots battle it out under a competitive ruleset to rise up through the ranks and qualify for tournaments. So yeah, the whole show is essentially one big tournament arc.
But it goes so much further than that. While I do consider the story to objectively be Zero's weakest point, it's not nonexistent. So many wildcard factors are thrown in that the Zoids Battle Commission eventually has to step in and intervene. First and foremost we have the Backdraft Group, our main villain faction. These guys essentially go around challenging high-ranking teams to "unsanctioned battles" with either no rules, or rules that favor them. They're the typical criminal organization, stealing Zoids, taking over battles, etc. Honestly, these guys are pretty mediocre as far as villains go. They have their moments, like when Altiel drops his facade and has a very humbling experience as soon as the higher-ranking guys show up, and Stoller is a fantastic character, but I was far more invested in Dr. Layon, a half-serious, half-comic relief villain who specifically antagonizes the Blitz team, all over a misunderstanding regarding a romantic endeavor. This guy steals the show by his second appearance.
Other things show up here and there, but it's fairly formulaic in nature until the last few episodes. Nothing was Fuzors-level of dumb, and thank goodness.
While plot armor is occasionally in effect, battles feel strategic in nature, as a competitive battle should. Every battle the Blitz Team wins is earned through coordination and smart moves. The warriors are always thinking on their feet, and even lose a few times, proving they aren't invincible.
Art:
The first thing you'll notice about Zoids is that all the mecha themselves are rendered in cel-shaded CGI. For 2001, this looks very crisp and high-res. Some hate this feature, I personally love it. Models are very accurate to the toys that Zoids were based on. Animations are tight, and they really went all out with the battle scenes.
The characters are drawn in traditional anime style, and I really like what Xebec did here. The first few episodes look somewhat awkward in regards to faces, though. Proportions are really off, especially when the characters turn their heads. Thankfully, this doesn't take long to improve. I have to say, I honestly like how faces are drawn in later episodes. Something I've realized in recent months is my incredible disdain for animation styles that reduce noses to a single black dot that you have to squint to see (read: KyoAni, most overrated studio in existence), and this show definitely forgoes that for more realistically sized eyes, noses, etc.
Sound:
Even if you hate this show, you have to admit they really put their heart into the OST. Few action anime have songs that get me pumped as much as tracks like "Brad Hunter" and "Strike Laser Claw", and "Twilight of Planet Zi" fits the melancholy moments to a T. The ending, "No Future" is also fantastic. I don't need to say much else here.
I'm definitely a fan of the voice acting, too. Being the one person on MAL who isn't a whiny sub elitist, I think the dubbing here is pretty great. Fans of InuYasha and Ranma 1/2 will recognize Richard Ian Cox as our main protag, Bit Cloud. Other than him, I haven't heard of a lot of the voice cast, other than Samuel Vincent (Double D) as Brad Hunter, and Scot McNeil (a whole lot of characters) as Stigma Stoller. The screaming does sound a bit silly, but it's also greatly toned down from CC.
Character:
This is the point where I think New Century wins over Chaotic Century... and a lot of other action anime, if I'm being blunt.
To explain why, let me get something out of the way: I don't like kid heroes. As an adult, I just don't enjoy them and I certainly don't identify them. Let's be honest here, it's a played out concept. I recently started watching Hunter x Hunter, and it's barely taken me 5 episodes to realize how much I identify with Leorio rather than the rest of the main cast.
What's my point, you ask? Simple: the majority of Zero's main cast are... what? Fully self-sufficent adults who act like adults?! An unheard-of concept, I know, but it makes the show so much more believable. Our MC, Bit, starts off as a simple junk dealer who wants to build Zoids. We know his career and mindset, which helps set the stage when he sneaks into Blitz Team's hangar and has to explain himself.
A lot of people don't like Leena Toros. "She's annoying". Personally as someone who usually despises tsunderes, she's one of the few I actually enjoy. She's a very believable character for the most part, and has a unique design to boot.
Brad Hunter rounds out the trio as a laid-back mercenary who repeatedly claims not to be an "official" Blitz Team member. Outside of battle, he rarely raises his voice and frankly, gives no fucks unless money is involved. He's one of those types who cares a lot about his team's safety, despite not projecting this outwardly often.
The dynamic between these characters as well as Steve, Jamie, and the other recurring cast is where this show shines through. Those who pay close attention to the conversations and interactions they have outside of battle will notice how "real" it all feels. The lines almost feel improvised at some points. I'm very impressed at this show's ability to realistically present a group of 4 people who have to work as a team despite not exactly the best of friends. Early on, you'll pick up on how often they insult each other or pull childish pranks, and how that happens less and less as the series goes on. When giant mecha cats, wolves, and dinos aren't blowing each other up, character development is happening left and right.
Enjoyment:
I could easily sum up my enjoyment in one sentence: I wish this show was longer.
CC got 67 episodes, Genesis got over 50, Zero was relegated to the standard 26. Can't say I'm a fan of this decision, but at least the show didn't leave a lot of loose ends open, not that I can think of anyway.
This is a show I wholeheartedly enjoyed both as a 9 year old child, and a 23 year old adult. Yeah, it has the typical shonen tropes of characters screaming the names of their attacks and such, but that's the only childish element at work here.
Overall:
Zoids: New Century/Zero is perhaps one of the most criminally underrated and forgotten anime to air. I never hear it mentioned in the slightest outside of actual Zoids communities or comments on videos. What happened? Everyone remembers Dragon Ball, Gundam, Sailor Moon, and the rest of Toonami's old lineup, but not this hidden gem? To be fair, Zoids hasn't been remotely relevant in the US since like, 2004, but this is one franchise in need of a revival.
Behind the guise of "just another kids show" is a wonderful cast of three-dimensional characters, great comedy, and of course, action packed CGI mecha battles.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 14, 2016
Before I start, let me get a few things out of the way. First, yes, I liked the anime better than the manga. I will go into detail as to why later in the review. Secondly, when I first saw this show, I thought it was gonna be pretty stupid. I gave it a chance because Toonami did a marathon on it.
Since 2014 or so, I've been pretty heavily invested in the current iteration of Adult Swim's Toonami. It has helped introduce me to solid shows I've been missing out on such as Gurren Lagann, Space Dandy, Samurai Champloo, Dimension W, and more. In mid-late
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2015, one such show was Akame ga Kill. I had never heard of it before then since I rarely follow seasonal anime and tend to wait for dubs instead. Upon initially viewing the first six or so episodes, I decided it looked like dumb generic shonen anime with a gimmick of unique weapons that grant special powers, etc etc.
Like I mentioned earlier, Toonami happened to marathon the show not long after that, and I sorta left it on in the background. As it went on, I started to pay more and more attention, and my opinion of the show completely changed. Was it the best thing I ever watched? Nah. But let's delve further in to see why I genuinely think AgK is a good show.
Story:
The story follows Tatsumi, a warrior from a poor village who journeys to the capital in hopes of joining the ranks of the empire to make enough money to support his hometown. He crosses paths with a ragtag group of mercenaries called Night Raid. This group seeks to bring down the empire and upon the deaths of his two friends (who I thought were his brother and sister at first) his view is completely changed and he's roped into joining up with Night Raid. I'm convinced they totally got this setup from Star Wars Episode IV, but it works. Anyway, what follows is the collective struggle of Tatsumi and the gang to bring down key members of the government in a manner very similar to Assassin's Creed.
I'll be the first to admit, despite the high score I'm giving this show, if you're looking for a mind blowing and thought provoking show, you won't find that here. However, the show does avoid enough cliches and blend enough different elements to make it unique, so the show stands out as a result. It has just the right amount of 'edge' to it to avoid slipping into edgelord territory. There were a few small parts near the end that I could say blew me away, but it was the characters that helped that happen.
Art:
This is part of why I thought the show was going to be kinda stupid initially. The way the characters are drawn, especially in earlier episodes, is just kinda off-putting. Proportions look kinda weird and the faces look a bit too cartoony for my taste. That being said, I do think that improves as the show goes on and the faces start to look better.
The fight scenes are fine. Not the best I've ever seen, but at least they make sense and aren't just there to look flashy and badass. Characters' weapons and abilities interplay with each other and they often have to form strategies to win instead of just swinging their weapon extra hard. It looks weird sometimes, but never once reaches Asterisk War-levels of stupidity.
Sound:
Another point where the show stands out. The music is some of the best I've heard, which is unsurprising considering it comes from the same person who composed Gurren Lagann's OST. Every piece fits the situation well, and the opening in particular is great. It's also unique in that a lot of it is purely instrumental.
If you've read my other reviews, you probably already know what I'm going to say about the voice work; I thought the dubbing was fantastic. I've never heard of any of the English VAs in this show so I assume many of them are new, and I think they did a great job. I wouldn't mind hearing Corey Hartzog get more work at some point. That being said, the Japanese cast is fine too, with even the mighty Kamina's VA making an appearance.
Character:
Akame ga Kill manages to do something with a large character cast that many shows can't. With a few exceptions, most of the cast manages to be incredibly three-dimensional. I know I'm bringing it up a lot, but I can't help but make even more TTGL comparisons here. Bulat is literally Kamina. He's a hot-headed badass who always fights on the offensive, insists that Tatsumi calls him "bro"/"aniki", and his Japanese VA is the same dude. My personal favorite character, General Esdeath, is essentially a less-crazy Adiane with a larger role. Her duel with Akame at the end is easily the best fight scene in the series.
And herein lies the reason why I think the anime is a step up from the manga. While I can see the complaints with some fans that the anime went in a different direction and I could've lived without them skimming over certain villains near the end, it didn't affect my enjoyment of the story. I'm going to spoil something here because I really feel the need to talk about it in this review and you can stop reading now if you want to avoid it.
Lubbock's death in the manga was about the dumbest character death I've ever seen. He's another favorite character of mine with the best English VA out of the bunch. Anyways, here's what happens in the manga. He gets captured, gets his weapon taken away, gets forced into fighting one of the more powerful villains unarmed, bets that the villain won't kill him because he's holding another guy's Imperial Arms, of course he kills him anyway. I can't begin to express my frustration with that. They set him up to die for shock value and threw a good character in the trash on a similar level that DBZ did to its supporting cast.
In the anime, he instead goes out fighting with everything he has against one of the more prominent villains, in one of the most unique and satisfying fights in the show. This and a few other things are why I completely disagree that the manga was better. Sorry about that rant, but I had to say something.
Enjoyment:
Akame ga Kill was the first show in a long time that I actively followed on TV. The feeling of rushing home on Saturday nights to catch the latest episode was a nostalgic one I have not felt since the days of Zoids. Even though I spoiled myself on a few things, I was still able to get full enjoyment out of this series and in the end, that's what counts for me. I'll admit that sitting through the flashbacks was a bit grueling, but everything else had me hooked from beginning to end. Watching it on Saturday nights with a beer and a bag of corn nuts is something I'll admittedly miss.
Overall:
Akame ga Kill accomplishes exactly what it's supposed to do. There's no extremely deep complexity to it, it doesn't contain any forced emotional pandering (and thank goodness), and it's action-packed, but not obnoxiously flashy. This is something I could definitely recommend if you want a shonen series with a little more spice to it. It's far from perfect and I have plenty of criticisms and things I would've done different, but it's nothing that would ruin it for me either way.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Oct 10, 2015
People who watched Sword Art Online can effectively be divided into two more or less uniform groups. The first being those who hype up this show to a ludicrous degree and claim it's one of the best things they've ever watched, won't stop talking about it, etc.
Secondly, you have the unique snowflake non-purpose hipsters who will spew out five generic paragraphs about how horrible SAO is and how you should feel bad for watching it because it's the worst anime to disgrace their screens at its mere mention.
I'm here to represent the "middle ground" between these two extremes. Simply put, SAO is not the best
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thing I've ever watched; far from it. How ever, it's also a far cry from the worst. Let's take an in-depth look at each categroy to see why I feel this way. As they say in the show, "Link...start!"
Oh, keep in mind, I will refrain from including Sword Art Online II in this review aside from a few minor comparisons I may need to make.
Story:
I'm sure you all know the basic premise of SAO. A major MMORPG with full VR controls is released in the not-so-distant future of 2022. Everyone is having fun with it on launch day until they realize they can't log out. The game's creator appears to tell everyone that this is intentional and the only way to return to the real world is for someone to beat the game's main bosses. Attempting to exit the game any other way will fry the player's brain in the real world, and dying in the game will result in the same effect. Cue our main protagonist, Kirigaya Kazuto (known by his online gamertag, "Kirito") setting out to be the first to save everyone.
Now, like most other Toonami faithful, I've watched .Hack, so the whole "dudes playing an MMO" thing isn't new or mindblowing to me, but even so, it seems like it'd set up for an interesting story. What we got instead was... a bit different than you'd expect. The story shoves most of the other cast aside to focus solely on Kirito and his various exploits. Though the show has its fair share of episodes/scenes full of action and making actual progress, there are an equal amount of segments that amount to introducing a new female character and having them instantly drop their panties at the sight of Kirito. Okay, not literally, but they do all fall for him at first sight, and it gets old fast.
There are also a lot of scenes that are just talking and it comes off as needless fluff. There are also a good number of seemingly needless timeskips early on that got me really confused. Therefore, a lot of people tend to complain that SAO has awful pacing. While I agree that it isn't the best, you also have to look at the fact that it's only 25 episodes. The slower-paced scenes will come and go before you know it, and one way or another, progress will be made in due time. The second arc focuses on a different game entirely and again, feels a bit unnecessary, but it wasn't unwatchable.
If I can praise anything here, it's the idea of the game itself. All the mechanics such as sword skills and switching seem very interesting and could be applied to a real game. I'd love it if someone actually made an online game out of SAO with its base mechanics. Watching this is what got me back into MMOs.
Art:
Most people will agree that the art and visuals are one of SAO's stronger points. Structures and landscapes are beautifully drawn and almost breathtaking to look at at times. Many of the game bosses are unique in design and cool to look at. Many of the fight scenes are masterfully animated and I felt like they were almost on-par with the likes of DBZ. It's particularly cool when Kirito, Asuna, Klein and the gang team up for a major battle and fight in sync.
I don't have many complaints here honestly. The characters themselves are drawn just fine, but most of them weren't incredibly eye-catching either. Ingame equipment such as Kirito's signature coat have unique designs compared to real MMOs.
Sound: Another strong point. There was hardly a single piece of music in the entire show that I didn't enjoy. The main opening, "Crossing Field" was one of the better ones in the soundtrack, and if you watch all the way to SAO 2, you'll hear the ending theme "Shirushi" is downright beautiful and tugs at my heartstrings.
The voicing on the other hand... is a mixed bag. Normally I'm a staunch defender of English dubs, but this one definitely has its flaws. Kirito is voiced by Bryce Papenbrook (Eren Jaeger, Henry) who seems to voice every male anime protag the same. Many lines meant to be taken seriously during critical moments come out as cheesy and borderline humorous. No offense to the guy, but he could've at least tried to sound different here. On the other hand, I enjoyed Kirk Thornton's performance as Klein.
Character:
Now we've reached what is sadly this show's weakest point. A good chunk of this show's cast has, to quote a friend of mine, "the depth of a CapriSun container". Our main hero, Kirito, is unfortunately the worst example. Kirito is a completely flawless hero who can overcome every obstacle the story throws at him without breaking a bead of sweat. He will win every battle because he's Kirito. I don't like to use the term "Mary-Sue" because it feels like dumb terminology made up by elitist fanfiction writers, but if you must, that's the best way to describe him. He gets every girl, all the best gear in the game, and at best, might pretend to struggle before he miraculously succeeds time and time again. And unfortunately this is the guy that will be hogging the spotlight for most of the adventure.
Kirito definitely has his moments, but they're few and far between his flawless victories and this guy alone is the reason many people dislike SAO. The main female character, Asuna Yuuki, isn't much better, but she's also a more "fun" character, for lack of a better term. Without a doubt, my personal favorite character in the show is Klein. He's a "noob" player Kirito meets and befriends on the first day and shows up several times as the show progresses, getting stronger and forming his own guild. He's got significantly more to him than Kirito, and though he does get to participate in several major battles and do his part, he's mostly shoved to the side in favor of our main hero. He gets slightly more of a role in SAO 2 and I can definitely appreciate that.
I didn't have much of an issue with the villains but I also don't have a lot to say about them. Kirito's sister Suguha wasn't very interesting to me and that's all I've got to say. Yui is the standard "Moe" character and probably my least favorite. Most of the other cast honestly isn't onscreen long enough for me to say much for either.
Enjoyment:
At the very least, I can say I had fun watching SAO. I watched it in just a few sittings while I was ill and there weren't too many parts that made me outright want to turn it off and drop the series altogether. The visuals I mentioned earlier definitely pulled things together a bit better. Other than my earlier complaints, it's a fine anime for those looking for something short.
Overall:
In conclusion, Sword Art Online is at the very least, decent. I feel like too many people view it in extremes, as either the best or the worst. Obviously I don't expect everyone to have the same opinion as me on it, but this isn't a show that people should be negatively criticized for enjoying. It's fine as something to watch "on the side" if you have other shows you prioritize more. If this show had a better protagonist, I think it'd get a lot less hate.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Sep 7, 2015
First off, I know this show can often come off as overrated, especially among fans of mech-style shows. As someone who's watched his fair share, I'd say it deserves a lot of the praise it gets if I'm being completely honest.
Gurren Lagann wouldn't have nearly as much of a special place in my heart were it not for a good friend of mine who recommended it to me back in early 2009, but I couldn't access the show at the time (I refuse to subscribe to Netflix and I had no idea it aired on SyFy). This guy was one of my best friends and
...
would go on and on about how I'd love the series, and I've been unable to contact him for the past few years, so going back to finally watch it in early 2015 held even more meaning to me.
Aaanyways, let's look at the individual categories seeing as how they're listed above.
Story: Don't worry, I won't spoil anything too pertinent. Gurren Lagann follows the story of soul-brothers Simon "the Digger" and Kamina. The story does start off somewhat slow and even when it first starts to pick up, it relies more on character development and interaction than the actual things going on, but if you know anything about Gainax, you know you're in for some mind-blowing twists and unique story elements if you stick around long enough. I've said too much already!
Art: At first, the show seems pretty standard fare for an anime, but the artwork is well done nonetheless. Aside from a certain infamous episode that almost brings the likes of ATHF to mind, the animation is overall solid. One thing I like about it is how lively the animation is! The characters are very expressive and something is always moving onscreen. I feel this is refreshing because a lot of modern anime and western animation feels very "static", if you get me. The pre-commercial eyecatches are somewhat famous for their unique artwork. Visuals get pretty crazy during fight scenes and I absolutely love it.
Sound: Let me get this out of the way; I am in no way a sub-elitist. I prefer dubs, sorry. That being said, this show's English dub is one of the best I've ever heard. This show features an all-star voice cast with the likes of Kyle Hebert (Son Gohan, Ryu) and Yuri Lowenthal (Sasuke Uchiha) as the main duo of Kamina and Simon, as well as Michelle Ruff (Rukia) as Yoko, among many others such as Johnny Yong Bosch (Ichigo Kurosaki). The music is another strong point. While I find the opening theme "Sorario Days" to be more or less a generic anime opening song, themes such as "Happily Ever After" (which only plays twice in the whole show and I think should've been the opening instead), "Ten Wo Tsuke", and "With Your Drill..." have stuck with me consistently. Of course, I couldn't talk about music in this show without mentioning the famous track "Rap Is A Man's Soul!" This is something you've probably heard of even if you've never heard of this show thanks to its widely quoted hook of "Do the impossible, see the invisible, ROW, ROW, FIGHT THE POWER!" The song itself is performed by Japanese rapper Tarantula and features a catchy beat and lyrics that reflect the theme of the show well.
Character: This show's characters are one of its main strong points. Everyone is incredibly well-defined and three-dimensional. I won't describe them any further because it's better to get to know them yourself. Everyone's interactions are entertaining and realistic, and seeing the characters team up for an attack or something is a great time. My personal favorite character was that of Adiane, with her lively animation, unique design (an anime girl that doesn't look like a twig? Whoa!), reckless personality, and phenomenal voice work provided by Megan Hollingshead.
Enjoyment: What can I say here? There was nary a moment in this show that I didn't enjoy watching. Gurren Lagann doesn't care too much about real-world physics and essentially runs on a belief-based engine which could bother some people, but this only enhanced the ride for me.
Overall, while I don't find this show perfect, it's by far one of my top 5. One thing you must realize about me is that fictional works rarely illicit an emotional reaction from me, and this show was one of the first to do such a thing, and that is where Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann succeeds where many, many other anime and shows in general fail. The emotions you experience while watching this are by-products of the character interaction and flow of events within the story, unlike many shows (particularly the ones worshiped by Tumblr) which intentionally pander to the "feels" crowd and comes off as forced. I personally feel that any anime fan should at least give this show a try despite its somewhat "overrated" status.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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