Back to Manthors's Profile Manthors's Profile

Mononoke Hime did not meet my expectations. I love many of Miyazaki's works, but Mononoke Hime is not one of them. It is a beautiful movie, with amazing artwork and art direction, as all Miyazaki movies are; however, unlike his other works, Mononoke Hime has terrible explanations and conclusions to all its open questions and conflicts. The narrative is below average, and the characters are not charismatic. I wish I could classify this movie as "mixed feelings" because it has a strong legacy, and I believe every anime-loving fan should watch it. Yet, it has more bad sides than good. Ultimately, I concluded that this ... movie is not enjoyable except for anime-loving fans who want to dive into the anime world. Additionally, the title is misleading. If you are deciding if you want to watch it, read what I say below.

Art and OST: I never start my reviews talking about art, but let's get this out of the way. The art is beautiful, and the art direction is awesome. Like other Miyazaki works, it is ahead of its time. The OST fits the narrative. It's not memorable, but it's good.

Story and Characters: Here is the massive problem of Mononoke Hime. Almost nothing has a good explanation, and all the characters are absurdly uninteresting. I am not kidding when I say 9 out of 10 motives are: "just because. The end." The movie leaves you with that sensation of "Wait, that's it?" The so many "twists" the story takes are forced by reasons ranging from "just because" and "hey, that's what I want" to "Why not?". Ultimately, I was assimilating that all I saw made no sense. Here are some more examples of what I mean:

1) The main protagonist, Ashitaka (not Mononoke Hime), is assigned a personal mission. Why? Because it is how it is. Will his journey be pleasant to see? Nope, he is clueless. Here, I must highlight that Mononoke Hime is a tertiary character. If you remove her from the story, nothing will change except that Ashitaka will not be horny. I am dead serious. Ashitaka is so lame and confused that THE ANTAGONIST HIMSELF says, "Where is this guy's allegiance?" at some point in the movie. Think about that.

2) He ends up in the middle of a massive conflict. Will this get developed and concluded? Barely. If you remove this conflict, nothing changes. The story could be done without it. It is there to raise questions that are answered with "Well because I want it" at the end.

3) Then, he ends up in a place where he meets one of the antagonists. The antagonist will go to war with humans and spirits. Why? Because she must and f*** them. Will this get developed and concluded? Yes, in a dumb way. There were 100 ways this antagonist could have concluded this conflict peacefully (based on the story) or, at least, in a better way, but the script goes with the explanation, "F*** them, why not." You might think this is necessary for plot reasons, but it is not satisfactory to understand the antagonist, the character's reasons, and the story's conclusion. This character is the classic "Asshole that is doing a massive evil in this world but treats some people well, so try to get emotionally attached, OK?" This is just terrible in terms of narrative. The story tries to make you empathize with this character because the character helps some people while trying to make you ignore that he/she kills hundreds and is willing to DESTROY NATURE ITSELF.

4) The other antagonist takes advantage of this conflict for his/her mission. What's the antagonist's mission? Emperor's orders. Why did the emperor want such an absurd thing? Because he wants it. That's it; nothing else gets developed. I can not say more without spoiling something, but imagine the Dai Kaiōshin in Dragon Ball Z asking Yamcha to get some dudes and slay Beerus. Just because. It's like Yamamoto from Bleach asking a random shinigami to get some dudes and invade Hueco Mundo. Just because.

5) Mononoke Hime is the only human fighting on the side of the spirits. Why? Because of reasons. WILL YOU KNOW MORE OF MONONOKE HIME? NO, YOU WILL NOT. This is the worst of all. The movie is called Mononoke Hime, and she is a tertiary character with barely any relevance to the plot. She is not the plot's protagonist or the source of change and action. She is there to make Ashitaka fall in love. Man... talk about deception. She is just there. Again, let me repeat it: SHE IS JUST THERE. NO POWERS, NO BIG SKILL, NO STRATEGY, NO MOTIVES. J-U-S-T T-H-E-R-E.

6) Some plot points disappear or are concluded out of nowhere. You think that some open questions will be answered, but they vanish.

7) Finally, I am not kidding when I say that one of the significant story conclusions hints that the protagonist learned nothing from all the events. All you saw was for nothing. It is like seeing Frieren, and after all her journeys and adventures, she concludes, "I should buy a boat. "

Overall: This movie could be watched because of its legacy, especially for anime fans. It is good in terms of mythology and Japanese culture. But, in terms of narrative and characters, it is just way (way) below average. Characters are not charismatic, make awful decisions, and provide even more awful explanations for their actions. The plot is conducted in a "because it is" way, with numerous aspects that are just forgotten and overlooked. Hence, be aware that you might feel exactly like me.

I gave it a 6 for the second season because the art style is gorgeous, the animation is top-tier, and the soundtrack is amazing; otherwise, it would be a 4 or a 3. I gave it a 9 for the first season, so what went wrong?
Simple: 0 levels of satisfaction regarding all storytelling decisions. I will not give any spoilers, but I will make some analogies for you to understand what I meant. And YES, I KNOW Fate/Zero is a prequel to many of the Fate series branches (Such as all the Stay Night what-if stories). But every anime has to provide you with ... some level of satisfaction without the need to start a new anime (The story of Fate Zero is actually finished in the Fate Stay Night series). This one left me with bad taste.

Story: They messed up. Everything detailed, built, and explained will explode into something you will think: "Really? I watched 2 seasons for this?". My level of satisfaction went as low as it could. Uninspiring, hopeless, no glory, loveless, lame. The conclusion will make many of you feel the entire anime was just a filler arc. Some of you will enjoy it, but if you like to pay attention to the storytelling aspects of this anime, you will feel the same as I do. Considering that this anime WANTS to have an intricate and complex story, I can't ignore it. They built one and decided to finish in the most. "Yeah, cool, we don't care about all we tailored so far; let us just shock people with the ending!"
Imagine you are watching Lord of the Rings, with all that character building for Frodo and how he goes through Hell by bearing the One Ring. However, in the end, when Frodo is in Mordor, an orc comes behind a rock and stabs him. He dies, and the orc laughs and leaves. That's how the climax storytelling aspect of Fate/Zero felt for me.
Now, how did I perceive the ending?
Imagine the same scenario I pictured above, but now imagine that Aragorn dies in his final charge, Sauron corrupts Gandalf, Sam gets depressed and develops agoraphobia, Legolas betrays the elves and turns into an Orc, Galadriel becomes an alcoholic, and Gimli just goes into some tavern and drinks beer. Yeah, I am not kidding; that's the feeling I got. The sense of "I watched all of this for this conclusion."

Characters: Rider is the best, with the best, and probably only, development among the Heroes. Saber is boring, stays boring, learns nothing. Archer starts as a prick and ends as one, and nothing changes (but he is well-written). The humans? It's the same thing, static development, except for the Rider's master. Word of advice: Do not expect anything interesting about humans.
Note about Saber: I have no idea why, among all the cool personalities they came up with for the heroes, they chose the one they gave Saber to be the protagonist's personality—the most cliche, dull, lifeless, and annoying of all (aside from Archer). Saber's personality prevents you from developing any emotions; you do not like her, hate her, and feel close to her in any way. It is the definition of a default-neutral-frozen personality. She will only glimpse a potential development for 1 minute at the end. By far, Archer is one of Fate's most disgusting characters, but at least he makes you feel something (as is expected from a nicely written-character).

That's it. You will see the second season because we need to know the ending. Some of you will think, "WOW, this is so awesome," and that is OK; it is your taste. But many of you will feel the same way I do; for those, keep your expectations really low.

Houseki no Kuni is one unique experience. I decided to make a review of it because it does not resemble any other manga I have read.

Story: The narrative is not linear, nor is it straightforward. The mangaka plays with that alternating style mixing the present time, thoughts, memories, and shifting images/memories. It is strange in the first chapters, but you gradually adapt to the narrative in an organic way. The story, without any spoilers, is great. You will follow Phosphophyllite in her/his (I still do not know, maybe it is supposed to be this way) quest to understand himself/herself including his/her limitations, powers, life choices, ... those around him/her, etc. More importantly, you will quickly understand that the is a massive mystery surrounding this World, its denizens, and its past. The mystery is absurdly good, you will not get that many clues and will be constantly unraveling tiny bits of history as each chapter is developed. It is one cohesive experience!

Art: I think it is marvelous because it is so unique. It is not your regular "beautiful artwork," such as Berserk, or anything drawn by Masasumi Kakizaki. It is that kind of artwork you did not see anywhere else: it is simple but alluring. It lets you fill the blanks with your imagination, which I love it.

Characters: all of them have mysteries of their own, specific personalities, and good development. Like everything in the series, it is slow and gradual, which I approve. Phosphophyllite, especially, has an amazing development.

Overall: it is one experience that you should totally see by yourself. I also add that this experience will come from reading the MANGA, not seeing the anime! Go for it!

[Edit] I'll say I've dropped the manga at chapter 106. If you are reading reviews to know if it is worth committing your money (or your time) to buy/read the mangas, I say: If you love artwork, buy it/read it. However, if you like good storytelling, do not. Here is why.

Although One Punch-Man is exceptionally well drawn with beautiful frames and multiple characters, the storytelling comes to a dreadful fault after the first arc (the anime's first season). Since Saitama is a God-like hero, the author knows that the story can't focus on him too much, so Saitama becomes a tertiary character that appears in ... 1-2 pages each 3-4 chapters. The focus abruptly shifts to the other heroes. But here is the thing: you might think "OK, cool, it is nice to see expanded lore and more heroes". However, the narrative was not crafted the way you expect. For me, the other heroes, with few exceptions, are absolutely not interesting, and the author fails to make them enjoyable. They are all highly similar in personalities. For example, all S-rank heroes are arrogant, know-it-all people with little development. I was expecting some level of character development for someone else aside from Genos, but guess what: nope. All the same, all static. The author explains their past, but that's it. Remember, "backstory" is different from "character development." You will just follow other heroes do stuff, but they will neither develop, nor they will provide you with a good time in terms of narrative.

I dropped the series because I was awfully bored with the narrative. The author created an interesting hero (Saitama) with cool sidekicks (Genos, King, etc.). The author made good villains (especially Garou), but he has an inconsistent focus on them. Your attention will be constantly dragged away to see subplots that are absurdly irrelevant and boring and accompanying heroes that are just not interesting. The anime, at least, is more focused than the manga and more fast-paced. If you know the anime, I can only say the manga is not as direct. You have a lot of filler - and 80% of that filler is not worth it.

In a nutshell, I do not recommend buying the mangas unless you love having beautiful artwork in your collection.

[Edit] Listen, I know, my review will not be as popular as others. This manga (and anime) are highly praised, and being sincere, it probably becomes really good after chapter 78, which was where I stopped. Maybe you are here to know if it is worth reading the manga and for that, I say: nope. Is it worth watching the anime? Way more. Let me explain why.

Story: It does start awesome. The atmosphere of this world is well-made, with a sense of dread, despair, hope, and mystery. The pacing is awesome in the first chapters but then... oh, boy... then you are hit by the ... Train of Boredom. Let me put this to you in a straightforward manner: you will enter a loop. Until chapter 78, the mystery will keep expanding, but nothing happens. You will enter the classic "we try and fail" and "we are winning, but not anymore" nonstop. It is absurdly boring. As I said, my review is probably one of the only ones that state "boring" as a keyword, but that is how I felt. Thus, the storytelling is not satisfactory. Maybe after chapter 78 it becomes good again, but I was not eager to discover.

Art: It gradually decreases. The art is not bad, but it isn't good either. The author seems to have some level of difficulty to create unique characters in terms of design. Numerous characters are similar or lack unique features that make them interesting or unique. This is also one of the factors that make Shingeki no Kyojin boring for me. Except for SOME titans, everything looks the same. Likewise, the facial expressions of this work go from the "same face of despair" to the "same face of anguish". It also gradually decreased as the manga progresses. Until chapter 78, I felt zero connection to any character. Levi was entertaining, Mikasa was sort of interesting, and that's it.

Characters: You will see 3 or 4 unique personalities that are WORTH exploring. Everyone else is just generic. I am not talking about "shonen generic", which can be good and fun depending on the context; I am talking about: this character has nothing that makes him/her interesting in any way.

Overall, I did not want to continue my reading and dropped in chapter 78. For me, even if it becomes better, as everyone tells me, I do not care. I plan to watch the anime to see how it ends. If you want my opinion if it is worth buying the manga, no it isn't.

[Edit] I decided to edit my review after rewatching the series. In a nutshell, I regained a whole new level of respect for this part of JoJo. Diamond is Unbreakable (DU) is the 4th part of Jojo's series. It also has a fairly different tone in terms of story, characters, and artwork, than the previous entries: Phantom Blood (PB), Battle Tendency (BT), and Stardust Crusaders (SC). Onward with the review!

Story: The story of DU is actually pretty good and WAY MORE developed than PB, BT, and SC; however, it has a slow start. The plot is intricate and does some things that I loved, which ... put DU aside from the previous entries, such as 5 episodes all happening on the same day, but depicting different characters fighting their own battles. Characters get developed well, and the world around them is original and peculiar to this own series. The only thing to keep in mind is the slow start: it takes a while for the main plot to be clear to you. Nevertheless, the plot of DU is far more intricate than PB and SC. BT has a good development, but I think DU takes the cake, even if by a small margin. After rewatching I also notice that some characters that appear to be "exaggerated" or even annoying are actually extremely well made, psychologically speaking. Likewise, the general atmosphere of this Jojo is unique from the entire series. Morioh, the city, will provide you with a "Roswell" kind of vibe - like a city where anything can happen. It also will make you miss the whole setting; you will feel like you belong there in the end. I only notice this atmosphere after rewatching, so I ask you to try to feel this on your first try.

Art: Well, the art of DU is different from the previous entries. In this sense, DU does some things I don't like but might be irrelevant to you. For example, they portray some characters in a weird way where they are almost midgets with a large heads. I am not a fan of this artwork. Only a few NPCs are depicted this way though. One thing that I actually liked is that the characters are less buffed up. All previous Jojos have strong-man-like characters, but in DU they are more proportional to real people (except for the dwarfs with large heads). Finally, the artwork also uses a distinct color pallet that you will notice right away. In my case, not a fan of the new color pallet, but it didn't bother me either. Nevertheless, like all Jojos, the artwork is unique.

Sound: In my original review I said the soundtrack was downright forgettable. I was so wrong! After rewatching I fell in love with the third opening of the show, became one of my all-time favorites. The first opening also provides you with an amazing vibe of the 4th part of Jojo, making it perfect.

Characters: Josuke is the new Jojo, and damn, he is absurdly different from the previous ones; he isn't similar to any of them. The only similar trait is being badass when he wants, and smart. Josuke is a pacifist actually, he is prone to apologize instead of fighting and shows his feelings more easily. He might be more similar to Jonathan (more of a gentleman) and Jotaro (when angry). He only resembles Joseph when he is being creative. For me, Josuke is not bad, but I still prefer Joseph. Aside from him, most JoBros are unique and awesome. Okuyasu is super funny and Rohan is one of the best of the 4th part. The only thing I do not enjoy about character development in this part is Koichi. Let me explain: it feels like Araki is shoving Koichi down your throat. Nothing that other characters think of him (and keep praising) is actually true. Koichi spends 80% of his time screaming, being terrified, or explaining things. I can't say more without spoiling, just keep that in mind. My final note: the final villain is the most perfect villain in the Jojo franchise. Not in terms of power, but in terms of real-world accuracy. Once again, talking about him too much would spoil the series, but he is, BY FAR, one of the best sociopaths I saw in an anime. I do think Araki and his team did research to create him. In numerous aspects, I think he is creepier than Dio.

Overall: It is a very good series, with lots of memorable moments, and good characters. One of the villains in the series, overpowered stands, interesting plot, and fair character development. For sure you don't want to miss Diamond is Unbreakable. Just remember that it has a slow start.

[Edit] This is the first part of the Jojo anime series, encompassing the first part (Phantom Blood - PB) and the second part (Battle Tendency -BT). Because of that, I`ll review, both of them separately, when necessary. Another highlight, Phantom Blood is ultra-short (9 episodes), while Battle Tendency is 17. I'll make some comparisons to Stardust Crusaders since it is the most well-known Jojo, and most people saw it, even without seeing the first two of the series. If you saw Stardust, don't worry, all I say here about Stardust you will be introduced in the first episode. Just remember: this anime is a product ... of its time, and some aspects can feel severely outdated.

Story: Both have a solid story, but differ between themselves in terms of pacing and humor. While PB is more serious, BT brings tons of humor, similar to P.3 Stardust Crusaders. If you are familiar with Crusaders, you will actually have more consistent lore and plot in both PB and BT. Generally, Stardust has a weaker story and is more focused on battles and the group's adventures. However, PB and BT bring more to the table in terms of exploring their characters and the world, which I liked. PB introduces Jonathan, the first Jojo, and explores the birth of Dio as a villain, so it is actually super important to be seen before Stardust. Battle Tendency is a DIRECT sequel and introduces Joseph (the old man in Stardust), which is the second Jojo and Jotaro's grandfather, in his quest to stop the Pillar Men, which are super hyper-powerful. I'll say that, in my point of view, although both stories follow Jojo's formula (Bizarre stuff), BT is a more enjoyable story than PB (taking into consideration that PB is shorter). Super important here: BP and BT have less of the annoying global narrator than Stardust! Also, PB and BT feature no Stands.

Art: Solid art, similar to Stardust Crusaders. Nothing more to say here. It is good, and, well, just what you expect from Jojo.

Sound: Well, I might be a little biased here, since I love Jojo's soundtrack as a whole. Openings, battle music, specific character themes, I do love them. I`ll highlight the opening of PB, named Sono Chi no Sadame, which is really, really good.

Characters: OK, now we have massive differences. If you saw Stardust you will have some expectations about some of the characters, but each Jojo is its own character, which is one of the things I love about the series. While Jotaro is stoic, rude, basically mute, and a kind of delinquent, his grand-grand-grandfather, Jonathan (PB) is the opposite. Jonathan is a gentleman, absurdly polite, courageous to the core, and focused to the extreme. Jonathan has great growth in the few 9 episodes dedicated to him and sets the tone for all other Jojos.

Joseph (BT) is also extremely different from the Joseph you might have seen in Stardust. Young Joseph Joestar is, BY FAR, the BEST Jojo for me. Joseph is innovative, creative, ultra-funny, and has the best lines of the series for me (done by Jojos), not courageous as his grandfather, but one of the greatest Jojo warriors. Joseph alone makes BT one of the best Jojo series of them all. Most Jojo fans (that saw all Jojos), usually prefer young Joseph as well.

The JoBros, on the other hand, lag behind those in Stardust. In PB you have Zepepelli, which is cool, but kinda lame for me. However, PB introduces Speedwagon, a character I like. In BT you have Caesar, which is nice but has no striking feature that will make you get even a little attached. I`ll say that Lisa Lisa is one of the best companions of this series (both PB and BT). As for villains. Well, PB introduces Dio, who is at the peak of how much of an assh*** he ever was. I am not kidding. Dio from PB is by far more of an assh*** than he is on Stardust. In BT you will follow the Pillar Man, who are actually very good villains. I can't say more without spoiling, but they work fine and have distinct personalities to balance the show.

Overall, I really liked PB and BT for different reasons. The plots are more intricate and complete than Stardust, and since PB and BT don't feature Stands it is refreshing, completely different from the mainstream Jojo. The first two Jojos are unique and extremely cool, especially young Joseph Joestar. Therefore, I strongly recommend PB and BT!

[Edit] If you are looking for a review to decide if you want to undertake the quest of watching 48 episodes of Jojo Stardust Crusaders (JSDC), I`ll say that it is worthy of your time and, yes, you can see it without seeing the previous Jojos, but you must know some things first. Here we go!

Story: You can watch JSDC if you didn't watch Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency first. You will lose part of the story, yes, but the show kind of narrates part of the old story enough so you can be properly situated. However, I`ll advise you not to do it because ... Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency give a lot of contexts that will make this show much, much better. OK? Remember that!
Moving on, the story of JSDC is cool and full of comedy, but it is hollow. You will start to feel more connected to the characters in the 2nd season (Ep 25 onwards), and everything is kind of straightforward. They start at point A and end at Point B, that is it. The strong point of JSDC is the action. The fights are pretty cool, the Stands are awesome, the references to Glam Rock and Hard Rock from the '70s-'90s are well done, and the humor is good enough. If you don't know, the creator is addicted to these music genres, and their features and names are extremely based on band names, music names, and band members. Anyway, I`ll say that the story, in general, is the weakest part of the show, but it is good enough so you can reach a satisfactory finale of the show.

Art and Sound: The art is amazing, I really love the Jojo art style, which is peculiar and very characteristic of the show. The music is always good, the openings are awesome, and the character's themes are well-placed and epic. A note for you, always see the opening and don't skip it on the last 2 episodes of each season, they always change a little bit. I just want to leave here my opinion on one soundtrack in particular: Kakyoin's Theme. Just...wow. I strongly advise you to look for this theme on YouTube after.

Characters: Ok... Mixed feeling. Joseph is back, and he is more silly. But it works. I`ll not give spoilers so I can only provide some general feeling about them. They are not that deep, some have a more solid motivation for undertaking the journey, and some, are just superficial. They are well done nonetheless, in their own right, you WILL enjoy them. Together, Araki really generated a satisfactory team that you will start to like with time. In the end, you like the gang and will miss them, which is what we want. Jotaro is extremely different from Jonathan and Joseph, just remember that. I still prefer Joseph as the Jojo protagonist, but Jotaro is also a memorable character.

Overall, I`ll say that you will enjoy this show. But remember that the true strength is the action, the humor, and seeing the conclusion of the Dio saga (satisfactory). The story is slow, really focused on the action more than any sort of philosophy, or being mindblowing, and full of revelation (not the case). Go for it! ZA WARUDO!

[4th Edit] Turn A Gundam is probably the Gundam series with the most diverging opinions out there. I watched every Gundam released, and, unfortunately, Turn A didn`t click for me. Overall, it is the most confusing Gundam, with the least interesting plot (although extremely original), the most confusing background scenario, and the least interesting characters. More bellow.

Story: You will see many references here if you are familiar with the UC. I strongly advise you not to see Turn A if you are unfamiliar with the UC. The story is already too messy, even if you know it. Here is the thing: the story of Turn ... A is exceptionally original, and everything you will see in Turn A is entirely different from the other Gundam out there. So, why did I consider it bad?

Well, let me explain - poor execution. First, it is too damn boring. Even after trying to rewatch this series (3 times, people, 3 times!) I still fall asleep multiple times. For a die-hard Gundam fan like me, that's a bad sign because I saw every other Gundam created. Nothing happens until episode 20 or something. The plot is a complete mess, you don`t get what is happening until much later, in a bad way. I love slow-building stories, but Turn A does not create an exciting or mysterious environment you want to know more about.

Everything is so mundane, people are absurdly dull, and the society depicted is so lame that Time might as well be standing still. You spend way too much time seeing uninteresting dialogs that are utterly useless to the plot or anything else, seeing events with no purpose, and following main characters with whom you feel no connection. I felt like I was watching a theater play from the XV century trying to appeal to the royals.

Now, let me explain the second worst thing: the world. Society is like late XIX century America; the technology is a mix of that time, World War I, and sci-fi. Sounds good? Well, it isn`t.
The fights are absolutely lame, far from any Gundam out there. They are neither military-accurate nor exciting. They are also confusing: people fight in old airplanes, use carabines, drive zeppelins, then, out of nowhere, they use an old anti-air cannon, and you see a mobile suit! This might sound cool, but it is not. It creates a confusing scenario where you don`t understand how all those elements are mixed in harmony with the world they try to present to you. The show also fails to provide a reasonable explanation. Finally, this show was made to appeal to North Americans because everything is based on an old USA story: clothes, technology, houses, and society. It is everything Gundam tried to stay away from, being concentrated in one single society. Gundam was always about a reformed world where countries united in different ways. Not here, here you will follow the most USA Gundam ever made. If you are from the USA, you might love it. But for me, it is everything Gundam tried to stay away from.

Art & Sound: The animation is marvelous, and the art direction is impressive. However, the soundtrack sucks. Not appealing in any way.

Character: No character appeals to you, and that left me stunned because no other Gundam lacks a character that appeals to you. One thing that SHOULD happen in any movie, series, book, comic, game, or anime is that at least one character should be appealing; you must like someone. Or at least hate some character enough to see what will happen. None of those options apply in Turn A. Everyone is boring. They have no depth. They don`t talk about interesting subjects. I never felt so uninspired as I felt in Turn A.

Every Gundam has some interesting characters, even amidst annoying ones. This one has nothing. I have no words to describe the absolute boredom of seeing an anime with the most uninteresting characters in the franchise. Even the protagonist is a complete bore. I prefer Shinn Asuka (the most annoying character in the franchise) to him. At least with Shinn, I could feel something. All characters appear to live in stasis, with no exciting personalities you want to explore. This is one of the reasons I always fell asleep trying to rewatch this show.

Mechas: The Gundam in this series is, by far, the ugliest main Gundam ever made. The rest of the Mechas (except for the classic ones) are also terrible. I don`t know what happened in Turn A because Bandai continuously checks Gundam shows to profit from gunplas. And this is the first time I saw a Gundam where I don`t want any gunpla from the show. Many Gundam shows appeal to different audiences because they mix story and mecha action. For example, Gundam 00 is packed with action, and some people love it just for that. You will have neither action nor interesting mechas in Turn A.

Overall, some people love Turn A for its originality. I wanted to feel the same, but even after watching the show three times, I can`t describe the boredom, lack of uninteresting characters, lame mechas, boring fights, and everything else that was Turn A - and since Turn A is a standalone Gundam series, I advise you to stay away from this show and use your time for a better Gundam. Want a slow-building story with unforgettable characters, exciting fights, and deep political backgrounds? See Iron-Blooded Orphans.

[2nd Edit] MS Gundam AGE is a mixed bag that you should see if you like the Gundam franchise. It does some things that no other Gundam did so far (I know, I`ve watched them all), so it has some extremely original content. It is interesting in its own way, with a particular charm of its own. More bellow.

Story: You probably guessed by looking at its promotional poster that Gundam AGE is a shonen Gundam. Thus, beware for classical Japanese teen drama, classical "moral questions" that are always the same and, of course, some of the "killing is wrong, we all should live in harmony" ... stuff. Hence, the overall political plot is lame. HOWEVER, the storytelling aspects are where Gundam AGE shines the best. It shines on the aspect that no other Gundam did in one series so far: you will follow the characters throughout generations. Yes, it does not stop on the kids in the cover, it goes on and on as they grow into adults. This baffled me so much because I was not expecting anything like that. This is important for you to know because otherwise, you might think that it is just some classical shonen anime. I only persisted because I am a die-hard Gundam fan. However, the moment that I saw that Gundam AGE was about generations, this show gained a different meaning. Gundam AGE is divided into 3 arcs, in which the second one is the darkest of them all. Gundam AGE attempts to kinda rewrite the UC in some other way. So think that from 1-15 ep you are watching Shonen MS Gundam, from 16 to 28 you are watching Shonen Zeta Gundam (dark as Zeta, in its way), and from 29-50 you are watching a mix of Shonen Unicorn + Char`s Counterattack + Zeta. You know something I think its funny? Iron-Blooded Orphans is considered the Gundam with the highest body count, in terms of named characters. Well, shonen Gundam AGE comes very close! I fully support the writer's choice to create a whole generation odyssey, instead of a single story with the same characters.

Art & Sound: The art is OK, better than Gundam SEED, worse than Gundam 00. It's somewhere in between. Sometimes the characters design are extremely lame, being far from what the franchise usually do. They are frequently out of proportion, with tiny lets, large arms. But these are the exception, not the rule. The sound is cool. The openings are fine. If I am not mistaken, the composer is the same as Gundam SEED, which is awesome.

Characters: Ah! here is where Gundam AGE shines. First, remember that this is a shonen anime, it is not dark and mature as Iron-Blooded Orphans, or Zeta Gundam. But in its own rules and world, the characters in Gundam AGE have great development. For you to have an idea, you will follow Flit Asuno (the main protagonist) from 13 years old until 64 years old. You will also follow the other two protagonists, Asumo Asuno (his son) and Kio Asuno (his grandson), as Gundam pilots as well, and this is awesome. They have great character development in the entire series, and here is where I was caught off-guard. I wasn't expecting everything they become. I can`t say without spoiling, so I just know that it is pretty good. Other secondary characters like Woolf Enacle and Ainoa Grodek are extremely likable as well. As always, you will have some irritating characters but they are not invasive like in other shows of the series. My only complaint here is the Char clone of Gundam AGE, he is probably one of the worse Chars clones in the entire Gundamverse, maybe being a little better than Full Frontal. The only problem is the lame romance subplot. All Gundam has a romantic subplot and the one in Gundam AGE is one of the lamest.

Mechas: They have a strong influence from several Gundam series, especially 00. Gundam AGE 1 looks like a deluxe edition of RX-78-2. AGE 2 strongly resembles Exia and 00 Raser, and AGE 3 looks like a mix between Full Armor ZZ Gundam and Virtue from 00. It also has the "modular" nature of RX-78-2 and Impulse (from Destiny), with similar launching apparatus in mid-battle. The Gundam Legilis is beautiful and was heavily inspired by Wing Gundam Zero. I also enjoy the AGE System, the star of the show, that is basically a giant weapon-building 3D printer. The AGE system is such a good idea that it changes the whole flow of Gundam AGE. Awesome. The only thing I don`t like in terms of mecha in this show is the Vegan MS (the NPCs that are always blown-up), they have a reptilian aspect that looks ridiculous. Aside from that, all Gundams look awesome.

Overall, this is a great series. Keep in mind its shonen origins but I can assure you that this series becomes something very enjoyable that you will have a good time seen it. All I can say is that Flit and Asumo characters will surprise you.