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I'm sure that this is more-or-less a ME thing, especially considering the lack of full adaptation from the original manga series dismaying many fans. However, from the perspective of somebody who has not (but plans to) read the manga, this was not only fantastic, but this may be life-changing.

I stated a similar mindset onto the original series that this is adding onto, simply because the original affected my life on numerous levels. Not only did the series get me back into anime, but it also helped me become more in-depth with the anime community as a whole. This mini-series following the original series is fantastic ... for the same reasons, yet for so much more as well.

The characters in these additional episodes are not given a TON of development, except for that of Hishiro & Kaizaki. However, to me, the development between these 2 characters more than makes up for the lack of said development on the behalf of everybody else. I can't go into detail, simply because doing so would spoil it entirely, & I think that anybody that has seen the original series but hasn't seen this needs to go watch this. Like, seriously.

Without spoiling TOO much, the really fantastic thing about these characters in these episodes is the way they develop as characters based on each other, and we get to see this in full detail in contrast to the original episodes. Something that I didn't mention in my original review was how interesting they made the development of Kaizaki and Hishiro work, as they built their characterization off of the side characters within. However, these episodes focus on their development by the interaction between each other, and it's beautiful to watch. Everything about their growth as characters in contrast between the first episode of the original and the last episode here is astounding. Plus, though I can't really talk about it here, the way their relationship grows is just heart-wrenching and so GOSH DARN ADORABLE at the same time.

The soundtrack here is essentially the exact same as the original series. The only new additions were the new ending themes for each episode and the fantastic piano rendition of the OP done by Penguin Research (great name, by the way.) In other words, if you did/didn't like the original OST, not much has changed here.

The art in this is relatively the same as the original series, but with a few minor changes; for the better & for the confusing...

The thing that confused me was the addition of using simply colored characters to fill in the background characters in the series during the duration of the episodes. Though it wasn't necessarily annoying or bad, it just occasionally felt out of place. However, it's totally made up for by the beautiful animation to be found in specific segments, specifically the 3rd episode (or technically episode 16.) It was simply beautiful during those parts, and in all honesty, it took my breath away. Especially during the part in the Ferris Wheel...

And overall, the thing that made this so memorable in all honesty is just how this series will have you feel from the beginning to the end. It really tugs at your heartstrings for pretty much the duration of all 4 episodes, and I cannot stress enough how much I thought I was going to bawl at the end of the series. I didn't, mind you, but it was not only damn close, but was genuinely expected on my behalf.

However, the one thing that did genuinely bother me a bit was the introduction of Ooga's brother in the first episode here (technically episode 14), as it really set up something that we never unfortunately got to see here, and that was a little disappointing. Not at all a major flaw by any stretch, but it's something.

Nonetheless, if you've seen the original series, but you haven't seen these episodes yet, do yourself a favor, and go watch them. They may not affect you heavily like they did me, but I believe that they are the true way to finish the series of ReLife (except for the original manga series' ending, which are probably more accurate canonically, but hey, what can I say).

Honestly, I haven't enjoyed a manga this much since... well... Doubt. This series had so much dark and gritty enjoyment to be had out of it's premise that I actually fully read the entire thing in the space of just a few hours. Each dark moment that occurred in the series was legitimately intense for each of the characters involved. The primary conflict of the series was captivating and extremely captivating.

The art style of the series was beautiful, which is to be expected from such a veteran as Takeshi Obata. Each of the character designs represented in the series were unique in their own way, ... and were honest to the character they represented. The backgrounds used in the series were quite pretty, and they complimented the foreground artistry just as well. And finally, the action scenes throughout the series were dark, yet intensely surreal and vivid. I could honestly not take my eyes off the pages during these sequences.

Each of the characters in the series aside from a few were each interesting in their own light, and every single one of them were likable to some extent. I wished that would've enveloped into some of the side characters in the story just a tad more, but that's alright since they decided to focus more on the primary objective. Our main protagonists, Kiriya Keiji and Rita Vrataski were both very captivating based on their development and story arcs. Our male protagonist, Keiji, is a likable person with genuine emotions. The development of a scared, worried soldier who is unaware of the future to a badass hero was quite a beautiful thing to see. Not only this, but his main contemporary, Rita, was just as developed as he was. Her backstory was (while conventional) heartbreaking to see, and it gave you a bit of insight on the character and her motivations. Not only were these characters great on their own, but the brief bond that they shared in the series was genuine and real. I wish it had more time to be polished, but hey, I'll take what we got.

Finally, the story of this series was incredibly serious, but oddly motivational. This tone of serious trauma that occurred in each of the characters represented was legitimately hard to see, but it was so incredibly real. It made me feel genuine emotions toward each of the characters that were explored upon in the story, and it made me wish to read it again to feel what I felt the first time around. This story was captivating enough to get me to read it in one night, so does that say anything?

However, what bogs this otherwise brilliant manga down a huge peg for me is... unfortunately... the incredibly rushed ending. It broke me in half to see the story wrapped up in such an unprofessional matter, that I almost considered stopping just to sulk in how poorly it was executed. Yes, it was one issue. However, this one problem knocks this series that was on it's own fantastic down a whole grade point. I'm sorry, but it just had to be said.

Overall, though this series' ending sucked ass, the rest of the manga was absolutely fantastic. If you like kickass series' in the shounen genre, then this is definitely up your alley. Give it a try, you won't regret it.

You... You know that feeling when you take a rusty butter knife, and you decide to stab it through your stomach? This is like that... but tenfold.

I did get some good chuckles though.

Why am I writing this? I just wanted something so bad that I could just laugh to myself for the next hour and a half about how bad it was. It was funny... but oh my lord. HOW DO YOU GET THIS F*CKING BAD?

The characters in the OVA... what were their names?

As for the story on the other hand... what story?

... However... the worst sin this ever committed...

WAS THE SOUND EDITING. IT WAS SIMPLY DREADFUL.

Overall... stay away from this OVA for your own sake. Please.

Something that genuinely bothers me about a lot of brand-new anime that focus on adult-situated subjects is the lack of allowing the audience to gather everything themselves. They spoon-feed the story to the audience, aside from allowing them to use their brains. However, there are the very few that don't do that. I believe that this is that 1/1,000 series that lets the audience use their brain, and figure things out on their own. That is by far the most unique thing about the entire series, however, there is so much more to talk about when it comes to the most underrated show of the ... last year.

My favorite thing about this anime is the magnificent opening theme, "Signal" by TK. The song itself was so catchingly lively, yet so melancholic and beautiful. I could listen to it for hours on end, and now it has become probably my second-favorite opening of all-time. I know it's a bit of a stretch for a lot of people to say that this was so good of an opening that I would even say that it's upon that list. However, it's my opinion at the end of the day, and the 91 days opening is on my list for my favorite opening themes in anime history.

The animation done by Studio Shuka was great. They genuinely put 110% into making this series feel like a classic mobster anime, which hasn't been done this well since Baccano! back in 2008. However, what this show does better than Baccano! in my opinion is establish the setting of the story, which it does surprisingly well. There is always an eerie atmospheric presence luring in the shadows of each scene, which made you question "what was going to go wrong." The character designs as well were very interesting. I don't know if I would say they were unique, but they definitely were quite interesting to look at, especially Fango's. Fango was a creepy character which was done surprisingly well in the midst of the series.

Another thing I'd like to mention is the fantastic voice-acting done by the dubbing cast. I watched this series in it's English Dub, which was fantastic. They all emulated accents and dialect in a manner that few shows I have ever seen have been able to replicate. Everyone working on the dubbing for this series, from the cast themselves to the ADR Directors, did a fantastic job. This was, in my opinion, one of my favorite dubs. Stellar work Funimation!

One thing that this series surprised me with was the amount of focus on plot instead of simply focusing on characters. This show had serious emphasis on the story rather than character development, which was both a good thing, and a bad thing. Disregarding that much, the story was quite entertaining, from it's dark themes, to it's more light-hearted scenes, to the background of our main character, Angelo Lagusa. Learning about the story on why Angelo is even trying to do what he will was interesting enough, but seeing how strongly he simply to do it just shows how much he cares about this. The falling to darkness for Angelo was prevalent throughout the plot, as you can tell just how much he cares about this. Not only that, but the story's development throughout was nice and slick. I must also say that the story was slow-paced, but it worked well... for the most part.

Now that I've brought up Angelo, I feel like now's a good time to bring up the characters in the series. Angelo, our protagonist, is a troubled young man with simply nothing to lose, and one goal on his mind: Kill the Vanettis for what they did to his family. Seeing him plan everything out to eventually get what he's wanted all this time was really interesting. He was purposed character done right, because you could simply tell how much he was willing to give up in his life just to get revenge. Not only Angelo, however, but his partner and secret rival Nero Vanetti was also really likable throughout the series. He was super entertaining, from his foil to Angelo, being more upbeat than Angelo ever was, but he was also a really likable, nice, and trustworthy dude who didn't want to be involved in all the gang stuff. In fact, it was made quite evident that he didn't want to continue being a part of the Vanetti mob. I should also mention Angelo's friend Corteo, who was really likable, as he was just a good friend to Angelo, but it felt like Corteo lacked in development. Similarly, Fango was a really entertaining crazy dude, who just lacked in development. Aside from that small issue, most of the characters in the show were at the very least decent.`

However, you have to take another look at this review before choosing my verdict. Assuming that I found this show flawless would be a poor assessment, as frankly, I did have some minor problems. For example, most of the characters in this show lacked on so much development that it hurt. For example, Fango was so bland of a character in terms of development, despite him being such a fantastic "creepy guy" character. His character, along with Corteo, could've been done so much better throughout the course of the series. It's not a game changer, but it was a bit annoying how they didn't get that much backstory given to them.

Despite that being annoying, my biggest problem with this show was undoubtedly the same thing that made this show so unique in the first place- the story. Though it was fantastic in it's execution, it was still quite boring at times, as it was quite confusing, to the point of pure boredom among the audience. That may just be me, because I have yet to see anyone else admit to being confused by a lot halfway through the series. Regardless of that much, it was still baffling to me how something would confuse me on such a level that actually wasn't speaking of how the team behind Skelter;Heaven and Mars of Destruction got their budget.

Besides those insignificant issues, this series was still fantastic from it's gorgeous animation, to it's interesting story and characters, and utterly magnificent opening theme.Good crime dramas are a dying breed, especially in anime, but this show may just bring back the medium in my book.

Later!

Remember when this series was released back in 2012, and the amount of love it got on it's initial premiere? It hasn't gone away, and that's both for the good and the bad. I watched it in mid-2014, when I first genuinely started to get into anime. This series popped up multiple times in my feed, but I had no real intention of watching it. Why? I'm a guy, and seeing the "romance" genre pop up multiple times throughout the series pushed me from watching it. I'm not gonna lie- I did not want to see it. But, in the summer of 2014, at about ... 8:00 at night, my sister (FallenRealm) told me she was going to watch the series, and I told myself- You're going to watch it too. We both made a bet who would finish it first, with no real stakes. I watched it-

And I loved it.

HOLD ON, hold on. Let me explain.

Fast forward 3 years, and I rewatched the series again, and I must say- it's not as good as I remember. It was heavily flawed, with issues left and right. BUT, I did not hate it. It was good at many things, and bad at others.

The animation and visual style used for the story were lively, and beautiful. This is one of the complaints about the series that I have never understood. The colors were so lively, the images were so grand, and everything about the animation in the fight scenes were a stroke of genius. The action scenes still remain some of the prettiest in anime. However, the action scenes, which I did notice over time were a bit stilted and plain. Not an issue under any means, but they were absolutely problematic

The story is good in it's essence, but poor in it's execution. A story about a guy who gets trapped in a video game where if you die in the game, you die in real life? Awesome, right? Well, the series gets really lighthearted at many points in the series, which really took away from the drama, but to be fair, this is a character-centric story. The series that genuinely got the atmosphere thing right was Btooom! Btooom! genuinely got the atmosphere of the story right, keeping this horrifying tone throughout for each of the characters of life and death. But, to be fair, Btooom!'s setting is a lot more dreary, and much more difficult to survive. To be fair, however, I shouldn't be surprised that a TV-PG show wasn't able to delve into the true potential for it's horror-action concept like Btooom!, a TV-MA series. In contrast to that, they should have made this series at least TV-14, as it's premise alone is based on the concept of death. That atmosphere would work a lot better in a horror action drama like Btooom! a lot better than a shounen romantic-comedy like SAO.

Leading up to the story are the characters. At the story's core, they were easily the best things that this series had to offer. Though most of them HEAVILY lacked in any sort of any development, including my favorite character, they were likable enough. Our protagonist, Kirito, is likable enough, despite being overpowered to an extent in which few in the series can match. I think that he was lacking in a bit of backstory, which kinda sucks, but the character was likable enough for me to bypass that. He wasn't perfect under any means, but I did empathize with him on pretty much every level. The same goes for his main love interest in the series, Asuna. She was a great character, which is honestly a Tsundere being showcased in a realistic manner, to which she doesn't have the total "B-B-BAKA" persona going on. However, similar to Kirito, she lacks in backstory, and knowledge on her in the past, which completely leaves a major black eye on the character. However, my favorite character in the series was easily Klein. Despite the fact that he was lacking in any sort of development in the series concerning him, he was a genuinely likable friend of Kirito's who was funny in some parts, and sympathetic in others. He was overall a great character, who was wasted because of development (or lack thereof).

Another great thing about this series, which nobody can deny is the music. It was so lovely in the more dramatic and romantic situations, but really heavy and intense during the action scenes throughout the series. There was a bit of abundance of reused songs throughout the series, despite it being only 25 episodes, but that's not an issue under any means. It was quite serviceable, and that's what really matters at the end of the day.

Another thing I really want to mention, which is a bit of a tangent more than a criticism of the series, is talking about the decision to focus on Kirito and Asuna's relationship more than the action in the series. To all of the fans that dropped it because of that, hear me out; the romance improved it immensely. Romance elements can generally ruin an action anime, but here, they make the series better than what we were getting prior. They were quite adorable, and honestly, they were better than anything the action scenes had going for them. The emphasis on the romance elements was the hardest decision for the creators to make, but it was one that paid off in my eyes. The romance between Kirito and Asuna was a lot better than the battle with that Demon-goat thing in episode 9. It just worked...

However...

Many things in the series didn't for me.

The characters in the series lacked SO MUCH DEVELOPMENT. The #1 rule on making an interesting character, supporting or main, is to focus on the characters backstory, their development as a human being, and how they came to be. It gives us insight on how they became the way that they were. Almost all characters in the series lacked in any sort of development, which really killed them as characters. It may be a nitpick to some, but it's a game-changer in my eyes. This left a huge dent on this series.

Another thing that really bothered me in the series was the Harem elements. I used to enjoy Harems quite a bit, but now, they just seem like cheap ploys to get people to watch the series for an easy way for their to be tension in a relationship. However, they are used so poorly in most anime today, and SAO is no exception. The harem that was built throughout the series was so disappointingly bad in it's execution, as nothing really occurred to any of the "rejected" girls in the harem. In fact, we don't even see them until the last few episodes since their first appearance.

Another thing, that's a bit more of a nitpick than anything, is the continuity and plot holes. Some things are laughably bad when it comes to this series, not as much to do with the anime as they are to do with the light novels. For example, it has always bothered me that the NerveGear has "infinite battery."

*facepalms*

Other than that, I don't have a lot of issues with the series that I haven't already mentioned prior, so I think it's safe to say that though I had some major issues with it, I did not hate it either. I thought it was decent enough.

Anyways, it's 2:38 in the morning, so I'm finishing this, then relaxing for the next 12 hours.

Later!

...why am I even doing this right now...

Sooooo, about 2-3 years ago I was HUGE into Sword Art Online. (I've changed my mind since then, but that's against the point) Despite being so deep into this "masterpiece" of a series I once enjoyed, one thing never changed throughout the course of time- I hate this film. All of it.

The animation is decent enough, but it simply meets SAO standards. Besides, this film was released in the modern age of anime, so good animation is to be expected. But I will say this much- the representation of a lot of the characters (mainly girl characters) were ... absolutely disgusting, and I'm a male. If you had not seen the series before this, you would assume that all of these characters were rapists or prostitutes. I mean that.

Now, the story... uh... it's recap. Moving on.

The characters were all so weird in this film. If it had not been for the original series, these characters would have come off as genuinely creepy pervs. They took whatever development any of them had prior and threw it out the f***ing window. Out. Kirito is a generic lead, who was empathetical in the previous series. However, this film makes him out to be this unlikable teen who's "too edgy for you." All of the girls in this series come off as sex objects, and they were completely one-note in this film. Again, had it not been for the series prior, they probably would've come off as part-time prostitutes. There was nothing likable about them whatsoever. Klein is a creeper in this film, which is odd considering how great he was in the series. I think that they decided to take whatever was likable about the original series, sh*t on it, and flush it down the toilet. Nothing about the characters in any sense were likable to anyone.

The music used in this series was decent enough, but I don't care. The core of this series is dead. It's broken, and it can't come back. How about we do the world a favor, and burn every goddamn copy of this film. The only reason why I won't give it a 1/10 is because the animation was decent enough, and the music wasn't half bad either. But the reason we came here in the first place is dead. We're done here.

I hate this f***ing film. I want to die.

Later.

Say, roughly two weeks ago, I was watching some Gigguk videos on YouTube, as I had just recently gotten back into anime, and I had heard about him. He was apparently a really funny dude, and I do agree with the consensus. However, in his video "5 Anime Concepts I'd Like To See," he mentioned a concept so absurd that I simply had to watch it- Jesus and Buddha living together in an apartment in Tokyo. As soon as I heard this, I was instantly interested in seeing whether or not such a concept would be funny or not. I watched the mini-series beforehand, and ... then watched the film. I must say... I thoroughly enjoyed it. This film was quite enjoyable to watch.

Quite possibly my favorite thing about this movie, the animation, was spectacular. Though it is quite different from traditional anime style animation, it is unique in a really good way. Though some of it may appear a bit rough in some parts, it flows well with the story, and it's very lively. Not only that, but the color scheme used throughout many of the scenes in this film were extremely vivid. I liked just about everything concerning the animation. I can't imagine this film being animated differently than it was- it worked perfectly.

Now, the story of the film is a bit rough. Though it is very likable and simple, the main focus in the film is not really on the story from scene to scene, but the characters within it. This can really draw a lot of people out of seeing this film, but let me reassure you- the story knows it's place. It doesn't have to be the main focus of the entire movie for the film itself to be good. It is perfectly fine by itself by focusing on the development of the characters in the film, not the story. However, the arcs that were in the film were a bit bland and basic to my personal taste, making them a bit more boring than expected.

However, where the film lacks in plot, it more than makes up for in it's characters. The characters represented in this film are all likable, and some are slowly becoming some of my all-time favorites. The obvious standout characters throughout the film include Jesus and Buddha. I can't separate these two as individuals, as they are a dynamic comedic duo. They are hilarious characters, and if I were ever to represent them in a conversation, I would mention them as equals. I love both of them on an equal basis, to no extent. Not only that, but they slowly develop throughout the movie from just funny, one-note guys, to understanding, complex, and still funny characters. They were easily the best characters in the film. However, the surrounding cast, including their landlady, whose name I forgot. She was hilarious throughout the film, but her role was a bit lacking throughout parts. She was really funny when she was in the film, as well as in the mini-series, where her role as a comedic playoff of Jesus and Buddha was really well done. Finally, another really funny character throughout the film was the Yakuza guy, Ryuuji. For as little as he showed up in the film, he was awesome. He was quite funny, and did have me laughing at quite a few scenes, especially during the firework festival arc.

Though I did really like this film, the biggest issues with this film did deal with some of the characters. The kid that constantly chased after Buddha to annoy him, Daisuke, was kinda annoying. I didn't hate him, but it was a bit vexing throughout the scenes in which he tried to attack Buddha's "button." I also didn't like how some of the characters, such as Ryuuji and the landlady, were sidelined in many parts of the film. I get why they were, but it was a bit annoying that they were shoved away to such an extent. And as I mentioned earlier, some of the elements dealing with the story were quite boring, and did leave me yawning at parts.

However, I did really like this movie, and it was honestly the funniest anime movie I think I have ever seen. (That's not saying much, considering my lack of seeing anime movies.) Personally, I would consider watching it again, despite it's faults throughout.

I'm getting somewhat tired right now, so I'm gonna finish up right about now.

Later!

9 months. That is how long it took me to actually get back into anime. I couldn't tell you why, but it took me forever to actually find an anime that would peak my interest to an extent in which I would appreciate the genre like I did before. Come mid-January, I saw one of my favorite YouTube anime reviewers (BlackCriticGuy) do a review on this very series here. I wondered to myself whether it could be that show that pushed to get back into the wonderful world of anime.

I'll tell you what. It was.

I had an absolute blast watching this show, and seeing all ... of the characters in the series interact with each other on such an emotional and captivating level. I had so much fun with this series, that watching scenes from the series again and again is practically a hobby of mine. I'm heavily planning on reading the manga and whatnot, as well as delving even more into the story. It's March, and I still can't get over this series. I love it.

Huge props to TMS Entertainment, who did the phenomenal animation to this series. The character designs, while a bit basic and simple, were very interesting in their own way. I personally enjoyed seeing a mix between the chibi style of animation (which was occasionally used for comedic effect) and the regular animation, which would add more light-hearted moments to the story.

The story of the series was absolutely lovely. Though the plot is heavily character-centric, the story itself does have a very unique tone to it that I cannot deny was incredible. The arcs, which generally delved into each of the characters in the main friends group, were each fascinating and captivating. I personally enjoyed learning about Kaizaki's past the most out of each of the characters, for his past was quite dark and heart-wrenching. Those scenes really touched me, as well as hurt me too. They were quite emotional for the characters and the viewers alike. I also enjoyed the arc concerning Rena Kariu and her role on the volleyball team. However, that arc was a bit long, which did annoy me a bit.

Considering I'm talking so much about the characters, I guess I'll just start talking about them entirely. They were by far the best part of the series. I genuinely loved almost every character in the series (emphasis on almost), but I did have a few favorites. My personal favorite character in the entire series was easily Kaizaki Arata. I understand he's a generic main character who cares about each and every one of his friends and foes alike- I get that. But learning about him and what this poor man had to deal with before the ReLife experiment took over his life was absolutely awful to see. I really empathized with his character the most throughout anyone in the entire series. I also was a big fan of his love interest in the series, Hishiro Chizuru. I learned that a lot of people don't like her character, and though I do respect other people's opinions, I personally had so much fun learning about her as a person and how she ended up how she did. It was also really funny and cute to see her open up to people more. (Plus, the scenes in which she attempted to smile at people were really funny.) Finally, I would like to speak about Ryo Yoake, the man that gave Kaizaki the opportunity to work at ReLife in the first place. He was quite interesting, learning about why he chose Kaizaki to be his second experimental subject, and his relationship with another character (I would say, but that could possibly give away spoilers, just know that I find them to be cute together.)

Though I had a blast with this series as a whole, a few problems did bother me throughout the series, which included a few characters, as well as a specific arc that I mentioned earlier.

Do you remember earlier when I stated that I liked ALMOST every character in the series? Well, I personally didn't like the friends of Honoka, Rena's teammate. I don't even remember their names, which should simplify just how forgettable they were in the series. I don't hate them, it's just that we know absolutely nothing about them.

I also did not appreciate how long Rena's volleyball arc was. I didn't hate it, but it was an issue that did need addressing.

Regardless, I had a blast with this series, and if you have not seen this series yet, do yourself a favor. Check it out. I got back into something that I had avoided for 9 months because of this series, so if you are a hardcore fan that has not checked this series out yet, watch it. You will not regret it.

I'm so glad that this was the first series that I had watched in forever. The little amount of nitpicks that I found with the series were so minuscule and superfluous that they barely do anything to ruin it. In fact, they weren't even that bad looking back on it now. They were quite okay, it's just that they could've been done much better. So yeah. I loved it. I really wish to see another anime like this in the coming months, so if you have, please reply to me and let me know what it is. I need to know.

Considering that's all I have to say, I'm just going to end it here.

Later!