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Dungeon Meshi is somehow a shounen Iyashikei, and I am amazed by how they managed to do that. It has all the elements of discovery, adventure, and that satisfying feeling of a secret logic playing out that gives you those "aaah, nice that totally works" moments. And yet somehow, it also accomplishes this laid back feeling that is easy to digest, never really pushing you to watch out of suspense, but simply because it's fun and witty.

Dungeon meshi didn't stand out to me as a Masterpiece because of its incredible animation (which is very good, and contains some eye-catching sequences). It didn't stand out because ... of its tropes, or its heroes overcoming adversity. It stood out precisely because everything it did just made sense. Everything about this show flows in a way that is just so very satisfying because it was crafted by a mangaka who knew exactly what they were doing every step of the way, and masterfully revealed each layer of logic and puzzle. And then, it was adapted to an anime excellently.

The end of the season was the most impressive climax I've seen from an anime in a while. And it's not because of some rising crescendo, it's not because of some incredible action sequence or some great loss. It was simply the troupe making a logical realization that was both ridiculous, and yet, clearly reasonable. The climax of the season was built not by a rising tension, but by a natural progression.

Understand too: I say all that not really being a special fan of isekai or the generic fantasy genre. I'm just thoroughly impressed, and I can't wait for the next season.

Well-done animation has a weird satisfaction to it that is worth watching in and of itself, and Bakemono no ko is one of those movies that has had a lot of care put into it that makes it enjoyable overall. But the contrived situations, characters of convenience, and bizarre discontinuity of message really throw this movie off the tracks.

The premise of a simple story would've been fine; boy with no one and nowhere to go meets would-be mentor out of circumstance and both experience a coming-of-age as they grow and learn from each other. That's fine. That's what you get to start. Then the inner ... turmoil of being Tarzan hits, and sure, that's fine too. But it's at that point that things start to unravel as the plot armour thickens and weird allowances keep happening just to let the story progress.

There are small nit-picky things like arbitrarily deciding not to finish a 10-count until the protagonist gets up so they can win. Then there are big things like the main antagonist reaching full development as the villain with almost no attention paid unto them up to that point. And things get really weird after that, where somehow despite magic and explosions going on, everyone in the world starts acting in unbelievably illogical fashions. The main heroine for some reason is just like "Yeah ok, not only have I only just learned that magic exists without any prior context, but I also fully understand the nature of this magic, what's going on, get why this person has become that way, and am ready to stand up to them with bizarrely specific dialogue." The movie also really mixes its blatant metaphors, and as a result the poetic message gets twisted quite a bit. Avoiding the climactic ending and gone with a coming-of-age dramatic ending would have made a LOT more sense given what they had built so far story-wise. They rush so fast through certain plot developments it felt like there were missing scenes.

Finally, with magic and mystical universes the underlying logic and structure does not need to be explained absolutely. But there is a huge deus ex machina thrown in at the end just because... and the justification for the societal structure and world-building in general is extremely minimalist. Almost no thought seems to have been put in to the mystical beast world outside of "beast-people live there, they have a martial arts-based hierarchy, and only two people get to even entertain becoming the next grandmaster while the rest of the world accepts this." Also there's a big open square where shops set up.

While the animation studio did a fine job polishing off a finished product, the storytelling was sub-par. Overall, a fine saturday night flick, but at an 8.45 (at the time of writing) I expected a masterful story. A 7 rating is labelled "Good" for a reason folks. Just because you like something doesn't mean you have to give it a 10.

Summary: "You're not missing much if you don't watch Little Witch Academia, but you will be rewarded for seeing it through to the end."

Little Witch Academia is a series with a diverse cast of (mostly) enjoyable characters, great artwork, and a fun universe. But it fails in many ways to develop those characters and that world, leaving a generic "filler" feeling at the end of many episodes. The pacing of this anime is completely hot-and-cold. It starts off with a suitable introduction to the characters, and then proceeds to do nothing for about 10 episodes, and then decides it should probably work on the plot ... in order to scrape together an ending. Throughout, perhaps the least likeable character of the show, Akko, the protagonist, goes on a Girl Scouts badge collecting mission to learn the virtues of courage, compassion, knot-tying, etc...

Little Witch held such promise coming out of the OVAs, which were unique, exciting, and intriguing. But the anime makes it painfully clear that they didn't have enough content for a full series. This would have made a great 13-episode series, but as it stands, about half the series is spent wasting time, both yours and the character's.

To its credit, the second half of the series (about the last 8 episodes) has a good pace, an interesting plot, well-animated and well-choreographed fight scenes, and demonstrates a surprising depth of storytelling. It's the last few episodes that inspires people to reflect so strongly on the series; it closed out very well, in an almost Gurren Lagann-ian fashion.

But one of the main issues I have with Little Witch is that there's practically no character development throughout, despite the sum of the plot being how Akko (the main character) matures to become worthy of the world's greatest magic. There's an entire episode dedicated to Akko learning the lesson of "patience," and at no point in the episode, nor after it, does she demonstrate any ability to think calmly or exercise patience as a virtue. Yet, for some reason, the show tries to ram it down your throat that she's earned the Patience Badge. It's deeply unfulfilling.

It's tough to give an overall rating to Little Witch Academia. This is one of the most bipolar series I have ever watched. There are good episodes, and bad episodes. There are even a couple great episodes, and overall the end provides an enjoyable climax. But the trip to get there is frustratingly mundane, and I wouldn't blame you if you dropped out early.

I think the best way I can put Little Witch Academia is:

"You're not missing much if you don't watch Little Witch Academia, but you will be rewarded for seeing it through to the end."

What do you get when you cross The Land Before Time with a gritty version of Tarzan? Don't be fooled by Omae Umasou da na's art style, this children's movie is not afraid to deal with the moral implications of life and death. What most impressed me was how surprisingly well-animated the movie was, especially in the impressively well-done shounen-style fight scenes; didn't see THAT coming did you!

The characters are loveable and the story is well-written. You really empathize with Tarz... a carnivorous dinosaur raised by gorill... by herbivorous dinosaurs. It's got that cute Japanese kids movie touch, but this is a genuinely well-done piece ... of cinema and you'll probably become an instant fan.

I'll disagree with what others have said... this movie has every right to be as awesome as it is. It's just that you wouldn't expect it.

I don't want to go too into detail here, because this is a well-animated, well-told story. It also has a special seat in Ghibli masterpieces as one of the first great Ghibli movies. But while I think I would call it a masterpiece, I don't think it's what I'd call "deeply moving cinema."

The story follows two orphans, one young man (Seita) and his little sister Setsuko. In the midst of WWII, Seita tries to take care of the both of them as best he can. The story follows them through their struggle to continue living life to the fullest when there isn't much of a ... full life to go around. Things progress as you might expect of a jobless, young, adoptive father, amidst constant air raids.

There is nary any joy to be found in this tale; while I'm a fan of the Shakespearean tragedy, there's just nothing much to enjoy in this movie. A depressing, well-told tale can be enjoyable even if it's sad. But Grave of the Fireflies fails to strike a chord with me that I should empathize with these characters. I find them interesting, but I can see the end long before it comes (in large part because the directors intend you to). And something about that is just off. It's unfulfilling to watch the slow and steady collapse of a pair of lives amidst war-torn Japan. It's interesting, yes, but there's nothing redeeming to savour.

Some might say that a movie doesn't have to have a silver lining, that a tragedy can be beautiful in its own way, and I get that. But I'll be clear here that I'm not espousing that sort of criticism. I cannot see myself watching Grave of the Fireflies again, with the intent of watching the character's struggles and vicariously living through their turmoil. The way the film is portrayed, it doesn't get that across. That is its greatest failing.

Overall, I think this is a very good film. It ticks all the technical boxes, and that is why I think I would comfortably call it a masterpiece. But I think the message of the story, the basal themes that are being conveyed, are not expressed properly to engage the audience in a meaningful way. I am glad to have watched Grave of the Fireflies, but I will be equally happy to never watch it again. It was an experience I only needed once, and not one I would readily recommend.

If you are looking for a masterful representation of the human condition, I can recommend Grave of the Fireflies. If that does not sound like what you're in the mood for, I do not think you are missing out by having not seen Grave of the Fireflies.

This isn't a show that everyone will enjoy, but don't let that stop you from trying it out. At the time of writing, this is possibly the most underrated show I've come across on MAL.

I see people describe Flying Witch as a healing anime. Sure; semantics aside, it's a slice of life anime with a light-hearted feeling, and I would say I haven't enjoyed a show of this style this much since K-On. You know when you want to just sit down and put something on for an episode or two before bed? That's Flying Witch. It's the genuine characters and their interactions that make ... you want to watch more.

The pace is slow but not droll. It keeps you amused without really needing a "raise-the-stakes" mentality. From start to finish it feels very episodic (though due to characters introduced and few total episodes etc... you can't really watch it out of order). But not much is really accomplished, and that's fine. That's what you're watching for. Most episodes introduce a character that may pop up later, but for that episode you just get to enjoy the mystery of finding out who that person is and their story.

What I do like is how natural the characters and their interactions feel. There's just a tale on display that you get whisked along for, and you can really stop at any time. All I'm saying is... try it out. Get lifted up by the breeze and see if you feel like being carried for a bit. I don't think you can really be disappointed, but if you're not one for a carefree pace, it might not be for you.

I have never been more thoroughly impressed with an anime's pacing than I was watching Noragami, and by far that is its greatest strength. From start to finish, it has this wonderful flow of comedy, action and a healthy mix of drama contributing to the plot that makes for a very well-rounded story. The most impressive part is that every episode manages to be engrossing without ever feeling rushed. So much happens and yet you never get the sense that something important has been skimmed over or left out.

I don't want this review to be too involved, but what you need to know about this ... show is that its characters have interesting development and appreciable design barring maybe Bishamon, whose skimpy outfits are jarring with reference to the other characters. The story centres around a wandering god (noragami) who tries his best to fulfill the wishes of others in an effort to avoid being forgotten. He comes off as incredibly earnest, and you can't help but fall for his charm as the show develops. It draws you in and makes you a fan.

The art style and background work to bring forth the vibrant characters and themes. All of this works together synergistically to become one of the best anime I've watched in a long time; I'd even go so far as to say it's a new favourite.

You owe yourself the pleasure of watching Noragami. It's short, fast-paced, but never rushed. It's a brilliant experience, and one I'd highly recommend.

One Piece is one of the three kings of Shounen. This is an undisputed fact. The anime started back in 2000 (the manga in 1997), and has been going strong for over 10 years now. Given that, I think it's fair to say that if nothing more, something's gotta be going right for it to last that long.

Now I, like everyone else who has reviewed the show, am giving it a 10, a rave review, and overall I've lopped off one of my fingers and replaced it with a thumb, solely to gain the ability of giving this show 3 thumbs up. But understand, I've ... re-watched this series from the beginning 4 times now, and read through the manga twice. I know One Piece inside and out, and I'm not here to simply rave. I'm here to give it a fair review.

Shounen Syndrome is an anime infection with symptoms ranging from over-exposed attack explanations to lengthy conversations where they aren't necessary to horrendous filler arcs and even all the way to episode recaps that take up a good quarter of the time the episode is alloted.

One Piece is not immune to this. No attack can simply go unnamed, or unexplained. Though they'll only explain it once, and it's usually not as horrible as it sounds. Though One Piece is in an interesting position in that they know it's ridiculous. The joking nature of the characters often brings up the "It's not cool if it doesn't have a cool name" mentality. So you could let One Piece off the hook to some extent, as it almost satirizes the rest of shounen by participating.

One Piece also did something I'm not a big fan of. Starting around episode 300, they started using opening themes that lasted a full 2 and a half minutes. Followed by 30 seconds of intro, and then 30 seconds - 3 minutes of recap. Sometimes you'll have to start watching 6 minutes into the episode to actually get to new content. But this is both a blessing and a curse. For you see, One Piece filler tends to be pretty horrible. So, around episode 300, they upped the animation quality for widescreen TV. And to be able to put out this quality animation once a week, a shorter episode time makes the jobs of the animators easier, and production more cost effective. This meant a more quality product, in shorter spurts. The shorter spurts however, contribute to less filler. And for this reason alone, the reduced episode time and long recaps are in fact a blessing for One Piece fans. Though not many would know it.

So what about the actual show? I'll assume if you're on this page, you already know a bit about One Piece. It's a show following the adventures of Monkey D Luffy and his ragtag crew of pirates searching for the great treasure "One Piece," with the ambition of becoming the Pirate King (the one who rules over the greatest seas of the world). The story is solid, and has only been better developed over time. Oda has done something wonderful, in that he had his story planned out long before it got there, and it seems he's having even more fun with One Piece now than at the start of his career. This contributes greatly to the enjoyment factor One Piece provides.

The art style is the biggest complaint I've heard about One Piece. A lot of people have told me they just flat out disliked the art style, and that was one of the biggest reasons they didn't want to watch the show. Though I can't understand this, I guess One Piece's art style is more cartoony than most anime. But that art style reflects the values of the series. It IS cartoony, in spirit. That's kind of the point. That being said, if that's not your thing, I can respect that. The other thing to mention about the animation is that it's been going since the year 2000. As such, earlier episodes definitely aren't up to snuff in terms of animation quality, especially as it's a shounen with a budget. But as the series and time progressed, the animation quality progressed as well and is now very well done.

By far though, the characters in One Piece are what you enjoy the most. Luffy is your typical anime shounen, the kind of guy you can't help but love. He's simplistic and dim-witted, but his heart's in the right place and that's what sticks. Everyone is well written and typed, and the character development throughout the series is rather impressive. New synergies arise that both reflect Oda slipping into a more comfortable mindset whilst writing his character's parts, and the characters themselves becoming more accustomed to each other.

Overall, One Piece has been going 10 years. And in those 10 years, the crew has grown up and developed with it's audience. Even given it's Shounen faults, it still does an absolutely wonderful job of story telling and entertaining. The main point I would bring up is never watch the 4kids dub. It's not One Piece. If there was one example I could provide to convince you of this, they turned a french chef into a brooklyn accented disaster... smoking a lollipop.

That is One Piece. My most timeless anime. It's an experience I would recommend to any and all anime fans, though I know it may not be a good fit for many.

What can begin, can end.

Katanagatari is a truly unique piece of storytelling. From the outset the art style jumps out at you as being unorthodox, which fits the series justly. But Katanagatari is more than unorthodox, it's unorthodox done well. Just because I may not have liked elements of it's story, it's personality or it's conclusions, I couldn't possibly fault it. Just as sometimes you may despise the villain in a movie, if it weren't for that villain's existence, the protagonist couldn't shine so bright. Such is Katanagatari. It itself depicts and builds upon this principle of discomfort so masterfully that in the end, whether ... you liked it or not, you can't help but appreciate it.

That being said, the journey is the most important part of an adventure. You may reach the end at some point, but it's not about obtaining your goal, it's about what went into obtaining your goal that matters. Katanagatari is a tale of swords. Collecting swords, wielding swords and even being swords. And if/when you watch it, reflect on this notion that Katanagatari approaches storytelling like a sword. It is emotionless, but can play with emotions. It is comical, but doesn't need to laugh. Sorry if this all sounds like some sort of superfluous mumbo jumbo but it's very interesting to reflect on the story as if it were itself a sword. One swing, and you follow it's path. It ends it's swing with it's original intent in mind, nothing else. No matter what it may encounter during it's swing, it will finish it with it's goal in mind.

That out of the way, the story of Katanagatari was well-founded and intriguing. The characters really brought to life the progression through their journey. This is an interesting point to consider as Katanagatari is fairly episodic. There is of course reference to past episodes every now and then, but for the most part watching an episode out of order wouldn't be particularly disturbing. If there was anything I could fault the story on, it would be dialogue. Katanagatari is extremely dialogue-heavy, which seems rather strange considering it's the story of swords. This heavy dialogue, coupled with longer episodes (45 minutes/epi) can sometimes leave you feeling a bit fatigued mentally, but nonetheless engrossed. A word to the wise though, if you aren't one for lengthy, uninterrupted conversations, this may not be the anime for you.

Visually Katanagatari is stunning. The animation style is unique and intriguing, albeit initially somewhat off-putting to some. It doesn't take long to start to really appreciate the style, nor the incredibly well-done animation. That being said, much of Katanagatari is* dialogue, and as such much of the episode is done with still-frames and perhaps a mouth moving up and down. But when action breaks out, and it always does, it's visually stunning and extremely well done. Movements are fluid and purposeful and the fight-scene animation remedies any drowsiness you may have felt from the dialogue earlier. Admittedly it's most of what you'll remember after the episode anyways, and if it weren't for me pointing this out now, you may have been surprised upon re-watching this series to see just how little action each episode contains. Nonetheless, animation, amazing.

The score for Katanagatari is wonderful. The music is suspenseful when it needs to be, and drives the mood of each and every scene. And that is by definition, a well-produced soundtrack. The voice-casting is also very well done. Shichika in particular really stands out, as being a blank slate upon which experience is carved. And as the show progresses, his voice reflects his newfound confidence and purpose. And it's fortunate the voice-acting is so well done, because as I've mentioned numerous times now, with such a dialogue-heavy show, it needed to be.

Katanagatari is somewhat episodic. This aspect of the show leaves character development in between a rock and a hard place. However, to say it's entirely episodic is incorrect. I would say it's more like the show can be viewed as episodic groupings. Through the course of the show though, the mounds of experience Shichika ascertains genuinely builds his character, and it's an interesting progression. Togame, being much more experienced from the start, has nowhere near as much to learn. Though she too develops alongside Shichika to an extent, for obvious reasons. More importantly, the characters in this show are just appealing. Each of them, from Shichika to Togame, from the Maniwani to Princess Hitei, has something about them that just works. This definition of character and personality, rather than it's development, really stands out in my mind.

Overall, I really enjoyed Katanagatari. In particular I rather enjoyed the ending. I wish more anime could end like Katanagatari. That's not to say all anime should, but it is extremely refreshing to watch something where your core is shaken up and tossed aside, and you're left just appreciating things for what they are rather than what you want them to be. These sorts of anime, and indeed plots as a whole, leave the greatest impact upon the viewer. And because of that, I think Katanagatari may go down as one of the best animes I've ever seen.

I can't really say much more without spoiling anything, but Katanagatari is an experience I would recommend.

Cheers
~Marquis

I don't know why I like K-On!!, but I do. It's one of those shows that features nothing you're normally interested in, but you just can't help but enjoy the atmosphere of the group. People watch slice of life shows because they love involving themselves mentally in the story. So, the basic definition of a good slice of life show is one where you'd want to be a part of it. This is what K-On's done so well.

Story: 5 high school girls have formed a band with the resolution to play at "Budokan!" A large music fest. The story in K-On!! moreso just follows the ... girls around their high school activities though. Going on field trips, hanging out after school, eating tea and cake =3. It's all very slice of life. I don't really feel the need to bring up the moe aspect of the show. A show is good or bad on it's own merit, not on how it archetypes it's characters. Granted, that obviously has a role to play, but with the "cute girls doing cute things" factor aside, you just enjoy everyone's personalities as they are.

Art: K-On!! is very well animated. The art style is very soft, in that everyone is designed to look younger than your avg. anime character of the same age. But I guess that's moe, I dunno, I don't normally watch moe shows. What I particularly like though, is the detailing in the outlines of characters. The way they've animated things has this eye-catching effect about it. Very good animation.

Sound: K-On's background soundtrack has that sort of fun loose feeling that gets you in the mood to watch a show full of fluff. This is really key, because actual background music and sound effects are often ignored in reviews and sometimes even in actual production, and it's these shows that usually aren't as entertaining. K-On!! has a soothing quality just like the tea they famously drink. No matter what mood you start an episode in, by the end you'll feel relaxed because of how the soundtrack has influenced you. The only funny thing to note is the opening's hyperactive singing really throws you off to the overall mood of the show. The end does a nice job of livening things up. Overall, the animation quality in both makes them very interesting AMV's in their own right, as have all K-On OP's and ED's, and you'll end up loving them with repeated exposure. Just like Justin Bieber... Oh god, I can't even jokingly finish that sentence. JB is the worst thing to happen to the eardrums since Spice Girls.

Moving on...

Character: Ah the K-On Cast. It's very interesting to see how Yui has developed since the beginning of the first season. Everyone is still very much the same, but Yui is definitely more energetic than in the past. Ritsu has grown a little more responsible, Mio, a little less shy, and Mugi... well Mugi gets experience in the outside world. Azusa develops as well, though you wouldn't notice any of this without really reflecting on it. I suppose that's the moe bogging it down. But genuinely, there's actually a lot of character development that goes on in this show, and it happens so seamlessly you wouldn't even notice. That's good writing in my opinion.

Enjoyment: Though this season has far less emphasis on the music, what little you hear of the songs is still just as addicting as anything else. You'll find yourself watching this show, caught up in the slice o' life aspect, and you won't mind one bit. It's the sort of thing you can watch either 1 episode, or several, and the overall impact will still be the same. K-On's highly enjoyable. I would parrot the notion that never was K-On!! in any way made to market to a more adult fan base. It's rather refreshing (especially after just watching HOTD).

Overall, K-On!!'s a great series, and I would say you're probably fine to watch season 2 without having seen season 1, but I wouldn't recommend it, simply because you'll want more K-On fun at the end, and the only bits you'll get to see are events that have already transpired.

That's K-On. It wasn't revolutionary or incredible, but it was surprisingly very good. And this is coming from someone completely outside the moe fan base.