Art was okay overall. There were some visually gorgeous panels. Though it also suffered from what I call yaoi syndrome. Overly large shoulders, extremely long necks, and small heads.
The plot was decent enough. The problem were the characters. Most of the characters in the series were bad. The main character regressed and wasn't very likable in the middle or the end. In a way, she kind of mirrors that one friend in real life. You know? The friend that's actually cool and super fun, but then they change for the worst when they get
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Mar 17, 2025
This manga is like a snapshot into the life of Kiyoha. She was a high ranking courtesan in the brothel. You get snippets of the people around her, but similar to real life, once she stops speaking to them, we rarely hear of them. The most we'll get is gossip about when something bad happens to them. That's the strength and weakness of Sakuran. It leaves things feeling incomplete. There's not a lot of closure about what happens to certain characters. Though it does wrap up the main character's story.
I do think it's a good story. ... 
Mar 16, 2025
Ace wo Nerae! Final Stage
(Anime)
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As the series went on, it got lower audience ratings. And I agree with the audience. For me, if was the opposite of Attack No 1. The audience rated Attack No 1 an average score, but it was actually a very good series. This series got a good score, but was ultimately a rather lackluster series.
The issue was the priorities. More time focused on a romantic subplot and a temper tantrum, as opposed to the actual sport. The main character didn't even feel like a main character at times. The rivalries weren't built up. Maybe ... 
Mar 7, 2025
A short, but great read. It's a tragic war series with the main character and his love being caught in the middle.
Damippos is a Spartan that's more of a brains over brawns type of guy. He learns under Archimedes, who is a brilliant inventor. The problem is, they're in Syracuse. Syracuse was in a time of turmoil. They're at war with The Great Roman Empire. This means that brilliant minds must prioritize making weapons of mass destruction, as opposed to making inventions that better human life. Our main character disagrees with the act of war and ... 
Mar 3, 2025
Life 2: Giver Taker
(Manga)
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Suenobu does it again! A great story from start to finish.
The characters are great and so are the themes. As bad as it is, some people don't change and can't be fix. They don't want to be fixed. People want to rehabilitate people, but some people will always choose evil. Attractiveness also clouds our perception. When people are attractive, we want to see the good in them. That's why it's important that our main villain was attractive. He wouldn't have gotten away with as many crimes, and been allowed to rebrand himself, if he weren't conventionally ... 
Feb 25, 2025
This movie was a fun watch. Even though it was obvious self projection, this character of all the ones deserve it. He's a badass, but he also gets hit and struggles through some of the more crucial fights. He does sleep with several women, but he's also charismatic, masculine, powerful, and infamous in certain circles. Basically, it's easy to see how he's appealing, unlike the usual feminine twinks who get girls for just existing, or the rare fat slobs who get girls despite not even having an appealing personality.
The villains were an interesting part. One was an interesting twist ... 
Feb 25, 2025
Ace wo Nerae! (1979)
(Anime)
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I do think the movie is great as a standalone. If you don't want to watch the first season,.due to having too many episodes and being a touch too old, I do recommend this series. A nice summary with a bit more information than the actual series. Namely, the coach's backstory.
However, as someone who has watched the original series, it's inferior to it. They cut a lot of stuff out, and it feels rushed in certain areas. Still, it's an overall summary of the first season, so it's good if you're on a time crunch. It's good ... 
Feb 24, 2025
This is the same person who directed Perfect Blue. Let that sink in. This film does have some brilliance. There's a story about a guy constantly chasing something in his dreams. That was a nice sequence with a plot twist. Unfortunately, it's not really connected to the overall plot, so meh. And before anyone says that I'm not intelligent enough to understand the plot, this plot isn't really hard to understand. It isn't like Utena where you have to watch multiple times and really think, in order to get it. Each rewatch, you catch something new and
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Feb 22, 2025
Isekai Shokudou 2
(Anime)
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The score is the same as last season. This show isn't exactly a masterpiece, but it is an enjoyable show. That's the strength of the overall show. It's a nice and peaceful slice of life with added fantasy elements. Even more dishes and fantastical creatures. As far as story, this was better than the last season in several ways. Though it was also a bit worse in several ways, which is why they're scored the same.
This one changes up the dishes that the people order, which is refreshing. They're naturally trying out the dishes that other people ... 
Feb 21, 2025
Ace wo Nerae!
(Anime)
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Aim for the Ace follows Hiromi as she's picked as regular member of the tennis team.
Hiromi starts off as a casual tennis player with not much confidence in herself. She never believed that she'd go far, but she joined the tennis team anyway due to her girl crush on Madame Butterfly. The coach sees potential in Hiromi, which starts the main drama in the first half. She's having to navigate jealousy, hazing, and bullying, while not having confidence in her own skill. "Why did the coach pick me?", and "what does he see in me?" are the questions that she ... |
