Ahhh, Demon Slayer. If I were to describe you in very short terms, it would be "a show with decent to mediocre content overshadowed by its own technical achievement."
Firstly, the positives of this show.
Without a doubt, the main intrigue and appeal of this show upon first inspection is the art, and for good reason. Ufotable, the studio previously mentioned, is responsible for this shows adaptation into anime, and has overall done a fantastic job at keeping a consistent and unique artstyle incorporated throughout the show's airtime. Not only ranging from the shows beautifully rendered backgrounds, cool
...
ass powers, and character designs, but the translation of each element into animation is executed to great measure. Sure, there are admittedly a handful of scenes in which some CGI is incorporated into the foreground, such as character models and moving objects. However, as the show progresses, the use of it altogether is noticeably reduced, and even so, never looks particularly bad when incorporated either, especially considering how awful other shows can look in comparison when attempting this same fate. This is all encompassed and reflective of the fact that Ufotable has seemingly become masters in their craft of aesthetic presentation. The use of gradients, shadows, and contrasts in colors make many scenes, be it moving or standstill, a visual splendor to behold in this show. Previous examples from the same studio such as the Fate franchise and Kara no Kyoukai series impressed me on all levels with their visual presentation, and it doesn't fail to impress me here either. It all has a certain polish to it that I absolutely dig and can't help but worth mention.
Visual direction, especially amidst action scenes, flow impressively well together. There are a plentiful amount of cool action sequences, ranging from fights with other demons to simple conversation scenes in which we as an audience can get a real feel of our characters' surroundings. Of course, it would be impossible to get away from this review without mentioning the infamous ending of episode 19. Despite the amazingly fitting soundtrack and incredible animation during that final stretch, what pushes it forward is the all impressive visual direction, as we witness a full view and experience of fast-paced movements and a consistent following of our MC flying through the air, swinging at every direction. Speaking about the soundtrack in that scene, the musical score of the entire show couldn't be understated either. Much of the music by Yuki Jajiura and Go Shiina aids to the overall tone of the show. From traditional instruments and vocals to intense orchestras and piano playing, I couldn't be more satisfied with the outcome and overall impression the show's music presents to me. Whether it be in times of a calming relaxed scene, or an actioned packed showdown, the score always seemed to find a way to fit into the mix of it all, enhancing and accompanying the overall atmosphere.
Well, that essentially wraps up the immediate positives I have to praise about the show. Now onto the mediocre and downright awful aspects.
Regarding its mediocrity, its stories main idea of fighting against demons after the sudden entire slaughtermen of your family by one isn't particularly special to me and happens to come off as a bit generic, however, nothing much was to be expected there anyways. The protagonist himself, Tanjirou, isn't necessarily that bad, but just underwhelming in terms of depth and personality, as much of it is lost while dedicated and fixed towards another individual, his sister Nezuko, who is admittedly pretty great. The pacing is decent at best, considering events throughout the story flow in such a way that I at least don't feel like I'm being dragged along certain events for too long. However, it is worth mentioning though that the casual time skip implemented, that being of Tanjiros training period, was executed pretty badly, as powers and techniques weren't capitalized on properly, and felt more or less in the end just poorly explained and brushed over. Other than that, the flow of story events was done at a decent speed, with the exception of some scenes.
Regarding its downright awful aspects, there are a couple of major ones. First and foremost, the comedy. The comedy that makes up this show is genuinely horrible and unfitting and is the biggest offender this show has to offer by far. I'm not sure what the authors intent was of incorporating such childlike and overly annoying immature humor, as I am sure the studio had to translate it one way or another into animation, but it's annoying as hell and I hate it. As I would like to coin it, as incredible as episode 19 was with its action scene, an abomination likewise was met in episode 11 with its introduction of Zenitsu begging a random pedestrian girl to marry him, followed by a rejection. Because of this rejection, what now plagued this show was a continuum of loud, obnoxious, and irritating screaming that ensued throughout the rest of the second half of this series. Secondly, in general, the main supporting cast of characters, that being Zenitsu and Inosuke, are inherently offenders of this show altogether, especially being the main tie in of its comedy. I had actually enjoyed the first half of the show to a decent amount, as there weren't any inherently jarring annoyances and issues that had come up. However, never had I once felt that these characters added anything necessarily positive to the show since their introduction, and instead rubbed off more on me as an annoyance and hindrance to the series than additional entertainment value. They served as failed comedic relief, with some background insight later on Zenitsu in an attempt to develop this already one-dimensional character, but in failure, never gave me any reason to care in the process. The chemistry between the three is unendearing and empty of any real bond. Hell, even the demon lady and boy introduced earlier in the show, with their personal attempts to fit into society and help our main cast with their future endeavors were more interesting and genuine than Inosuke and Zenitsu, but alas they were tossed aside. Thirdly, the whole family aspect never resonated with me, which the show seemed to allude to a lot as well. Callbacks to the family members in times of desperation or despair often occurred, but it always tended to feel like a weak link and a failed attempt of connection with myself as an audience member, since I was never given any experience or personal attachment to this family in the first place.
Overall, I personally find it hard to call Demon Slayer a genuinely good show. Sure, it can be full of beautiful art and animation, with a great soundtrack and some nice action which I did appreciate and enjoy along the way. However, this is all mainly to praise upon, once again, its technical achievements. Beyond that lies a lack of depth and originality. A disconnect with an audience member such as myself was truly apparent because clearly inhabiting mature fight scenes and story elements amidst a constant regurgitation of 5-year-old humor can paint an unbearable and inconsistent experience for me. Its highs in the show can be pretty high, but in contrast, It's lows can be glaringly low too. It would be a lie for me to say that I hadn't been entertained with the show at certain points in time, however, amongst all of it, it would also be inexcusable for me to disregard the personal annoyances and abundance of issues I had along the way.
All (66)FriendsAshhkRyuseishunnatsuminSinankooesacaptjoe213KANLen09TharizdunilovedondonsIcarusxIcarusliteraturenerd
RSS Feeds |
Sep 28, 2019
Kimetsu no Yaiba
(Anime)
add
Ahhh, Demon Slayer. If I were to describe you in very short terms, it would be "a show with decent to mediocre content overshadowed by its own technical achievement."
Firstly, the positives of this show. Without a doubt, the main intrigue and appeal of this show upon first inspection is the art, and for good reason. Ufotable, the studio previously mentioned, is responsible for this shows adaptation into anime, and has overall done a fantastic job at keeping a consistent and unique artstyle incorporated throughout the show's airtime. Not only ranging from the shows beautifully rendered backgrounds, cool ... 
Jun 30, 2019
Firstly, before reading this, note again that my rating is not a 10 out of 10. No, I'm not a huge fan of the show, but I also don't completely hate on it just for the sake of doing so due to popularity. No, I do not think this arc of AOT is a masterpiece, nor do I think the series as a whole is, and far from it. However, I do think this part of the series holds some merit regardless.
After the mess that I had witnessed, being the third season (mostly being comprised of political bullshit and ... 
Mar 24, 2019
Ueno-san wa Bukiyou
(Anime)
add
I feel as if the title of this anime should be changed from "How clumsy you are, Miss Ueno" to "How horny you are, Miss Ueno."
As the synopsis suggests, Ueno-san is "in love with the concept of falling in love." Our main trio of students consists of Tanaka, Yamashita, and Ueno herself, as they spend their time in the science club together testing out various inventions that Ueno has prepared in advance for the oblivious Tanaka. The premise sounds simple enough, right? Well, unless you enjoy watching junior high students participate in blatantly crude sexual gags with the follow up of loud nervous breakdowns, feel ... 
Feb 10, 2019
Manaria Friends
(Anime)
add
In short, this anime brings nothing of substance and is just plain boring. Not sure why I see everyone else handing it out a perfect 10.
We primarily follow along two characters named Grea and Anne, as they live in this somewhat generic fantasy world. Anne is a lonely princess, and Grea is a blushing dragon. They attend a school, and... I guess they go places together. Their relationship is either two friends just hanging out, or some sort of yuri bait. There has been no character progression anywhere as far as I can see, except for this paladin dude who is entrusted to protect the ... 
Dec 21, 2018
Zombieland Saga
(Anime)
add
This is my first review, so please bear with me.
Although having not watched much if not any idol anime, it was intriguing to see a spin on this conventional genre. With a synopsis such as "The peace these seven girls experience will suddenly be destroyed. By the living dead... zombies," I couldn't help but check the show out. Unfortunately, by the end of it all, it just felt like it fell flat. To get straight to the point and not waste any time, let's look at the positives of this show. Firstly, I'll admit that it was quite enjoyable for what it was at times. For ... |
