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Mar 26, 2022
The slice of life genre has been one that has always appealed to me. The simplicity in their story and characters with the addition of often familiar settings make it easy to be invested in the daily lives of their likable casts. They are also a relaxing and entertaining experience to consume. My Dress Up Darling is no exception.
My Dress up Darling was an enjoyable and wholesome experience that reminded me why I love SOL so much. Although the fan service is a bit of a mixed bag, the great and loveable cast, the wholesome moments between them, and the mesmerizing animation are some
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the areas that My Dress Up-Darling excels at as a slice of life.
There is not much to say about the story of My Dress Up Darling. As I said, the stories of slice of life tend to be very simple so you can easily get invested in it. To make it a little less broad My Dress Up Darling is probably closest to a rom-com in terms of tropes and clichés. Gojou Wakana, a socially awkward highschooler who is a doll-maker in training, befriends the vibrant and cheerful Marin Kategawa, a popular girl in his class who indulges in the hobby of cosplay, thus bringing him out of his lonely shell. Sounds pretty typical, right? But that is fine. The strength of SoL series lies in its characters and overall enjoyment, not the story (not to say the story related stuff about cosplay is not good).
Now to a more prominent feature of My Dress-Up Darling: the characters. Marin Kitagawa is a one-of-a-kind character. Her unique designs, idiosyncrasies, and mannerism in her speech, set her apart from different female characters I’ve seen. Of course, all this is given life to by the phenomenal job of voice actor Hina Suguta. Her vibrant, pro-active, and cheerful personality makes her easy to like and is a good contrast to the more introverted Gojou Wakana. The relationship between these two characters is handled really well and feels very natural in the way it grows. Their many wholesome interactions make this show an enjoyable experience, and of course, the romantic side of their relationship is great as well. To my surprise My Dress-Up Darling does have not have that big of a supporting cast (yet). Not to say there are no other characters in this show, but for the most part Gojou and Marin’s relationship is the main focus. Although it could use a slightly bigger cast, The characters of Dress Up Darling are easy to like and add to the enjoyment.
A more controversial side of My Dress-Up Darling would be that of the ecchi elements. Much of the comedy comes from the awkward situations Gojou is put into with Marin as well as its suggestive dialogue. The awkward situations Gojou finds himself in are often funny; and then were other times the situations were hard to believe. Overall, I can’t say I dislike the fanservice in My Dress Up Darling but sometimes it can rub off the wrong way. My Dress-Up Darling has its fair share of low-brow fanservice, but it is not overdone, and it didn’t take away from my enjoyment in any big way.
Last but certainly not least, is the amazing production of My Dress Up Darling. The art and animation are some of the bests in anime. The high-level quality is consistent throughout, the scenery is beautiful, and the animation is fluid and realistic. The art in My Dress-Up Darling is certainly a sight to behold. Soundtracks are also the good as they fit the mood and are enjoyable to listen too. Cloverworks certainly put of lot of effort into making this show as a mesmerizing as it can be.
If you like slice of life rom-coms and do not mind some ecchi then Dress Up-Darling is a must watch. Its characters are fun, and it had me smiling a lot with how wholesome it was. The first installment lays a solid foundation for a bright future. I look forward to seeing how the relationship between are two protagonists grows in future installments, and it is not far fetched to say it will be something truly beautiful.
Thanks for reading.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 24, 2022
I really wanted to like Platinum End
I really did.
When I saw the teaser for Platinum End, it looked to be promising. I mean, it was written by the author of Death Note, a series I quite like. However, much to my chagrin, the idea that this show would be good slowly became a far-fetched reality.
Simply put, this show is bad.
The story of Platinum End is on the surface interesting (it is important to note that Platinum End is written in a way that completely contrasts Death Note). The first couple of episodes do a decent job of introducing us to the protagonist and a
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giving a vague idea of its story and theme. Unfortunately, then the show becomes…weird. The potential that Platinum End had is replaced with a mediocre edgy “battle royal” story, with over-exaggerated characters and stupid plotlines. The writing isn’t clever at all. The second half is certainly better although still very flawed. The second half of the show tries to sell itself as a mature, philosophical story. Granted, the show has truths in it, but I can’t take them seriously because of the utter ridiculousness of its other materiel. Platinum End plays around with a many different themes, philosophies, and ideas, but it fails in the execution of presenting them. There are the occasional good episodes that do a great job of exploring the deeper themes of Platinum through good symbolisms and dialogue and that show the potential of its story and characters. However, Platinum End never hits the nail on the head consequently causing its story and characters to fall flat.
Regarding characters, this is the show’s worst downside. Mirai started off as an interesting character. I was very invested in him at the beginning of the story. However, as the show went on, his character’s personality and struggles became tedious and frustrating to watch. Again, with the way Platinum End is written it makes sense he is the way he is. But this is just boring after a while. We are constantly teased with the idea that he has changed but then he quickly reverts to the character he was before. Very disappointed with him.
Saki is a bit better as a protagonist. It feels as if she actually grows as a character. Her and Mirai relationship is one of the more interesting parts of Platinum End, but it can come off as a bit cliché.
The antagonists in this show are mediocre at best. The antagonist from the first half is a cliché villain with tropes and unnecessary character elements that detach me from his character. He is evil because he is evil—very bland. The antagonist of the second half is certainly better. His character and motives are easier to believe even if I found him somewhat mediocre. There are other unnecessary antagonists in the first half with unsettling characters that take away from the show, most notably Hajime.
The rest of the cast are not worth mentioning as my complaints would just become repetitive.
The characters in this show are the biggest disappointment. Certainly, there are a few characters I would consider good, but they cannot do much to the save the mess that is the remaining cast.
The production of this show is decent. However, the art and animation were a bit lacking in some areas. There is a fair bit of CGI mainly during action scenes so take that as you will. Soundtracks and voice acting were both good as you would expect from most anime. I especially liked the opening for the show as well as the second ending. Although Platinum End does not really do anything special with its production, I was still happy with it.
Platinum End is one of those shows with a good, interesting premise that failed in its execution. I would not recommend this show to anyone. The only reason to watch this is if you are curious to see how Platinum contrasts and parallels Death Note. Other than that, do not watch this show. It is a disappointing and tedious experience.
Plenty of people went into this show expecting a good story. As I said, the author has plenty of good works behind his name. It is true that the expectations people had for this show (myself included) might have hurt this show in some regards. But, in closing, I’ll say this, expectations are not what ruined Platinum End: bad writing
did.
Thanks for reading.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Mar 19, 2022
The continuation of the 86 franchise can be described by one word:
Beautiful.
Although the story of 86 may be lacking in some areas, its amazing characterizations and visual presentation continue through to the second half of 86 becoming better throughout the show.
The story of discrimination and racism is not one I find to be that interesting. They often feel bland and shallow. Naturally, this hurt the story of 86 in the first installment as it really didn’t do anything to change my grievances with these types of stories. However, this recurring theme was better done in this installment as the Republic did not play as
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big of a role. Of course, this theme is still present in the Giad Federacy, but it isn’t being constantly shoved down my throat as much. I Still have my problems with it, but overall, it was done better.
As for the characters, I can say I have mostly praise for them. The change in characters is subtle but evident. Shin, although he has quite a blank-slate personality, is not just some overpowered self-insert protagonist. He has real emotions, burdens, and struggles he deals with. While certainly not all of them we can relate to, his struggle of finding a goal in life is something many young people can come to appreciate.
Lena although still being idealistic comes back with more resolve and a clear goal in mind. She is no longer spouting empty speeches: she is actively trying to accomplish something.
The rest of Spearhead Squadron—Theo, Anju, Raiden, and Kurena—do not get as much development as I would’ve liked, but they continue to be characters I enjoy.
There are plenty of new characters most notably Frederica who adds a lot of comic relief to the show. That is not to say she is only there for comedy though. She has plenty of character moments that define who she is. Besides Frederica, there are not too many new characters that stand out to me; granted, that may be subject to change in later installments.
Regarding villains, the Legion continues to play that role as the warmongering faction of mindless machines (although some may see the Republic as villains in some ways). The main antagonist does of a good of job of flushing Shin’s character—an essential component of an antagonist. I wish we got more backstory on him besides just the same montage of clips, but for the most part I was very pleased with his character.
The way the characters and their development are handled may seem simple at first, but 86 manages to grab that simplicity and take it to a level of greatness with great execution.
All these elements are elevated by the outstanding production quality A-Pictures put into the adaptation of 86. The art in 86 is amazing: The visuals of 86 can exemplify the current mood and emotion in many of its scenes—something I can say only a few shows have done so well. This is done by the many motifs, symbolisms, and allusions that complement the themes present. The soundtrack also perfectly captures the mood of both the epic battles as well as the cruelty and sadness found in war. It is clear from the first half of 86 that A-1 Pictures had a lot of passion for creating the show; that passion is clearly seen again in the second half.
Those who enjoy the first installment of 86 will most likely enjoy the second installment as well. I certainly did. The end of 86 Part 2 left me excited for what the show will do with its story and characters in future seasons, and with how impressive this season was, I can only be optimistic.
Thanks for reading.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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