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Violet Evergarden was one of the most anticipated anime of the winter season, with its stunning promotional material showcasing beautifully animated scenes and character designs. It could be said that in that regard it was amazing and lived up to expectations. However, when it comes to the characters and overall narrative, sadly it isn't nearly as good as it could have been. The main problem can be associated with a lackluster cast of characters in combination with a seemingly aimless narrative.

The anime is based around Violet, a young girl that knows nothing else than war: when the Great War ended, she was left with no ... other option than to adapt a civilian life. By joining the Auto Memory Doll postal service, she will embark on a journey of self-discovery. Quite an interesting premise so far right? The different travel destinations the protagonist undertakes, offer each a diverse story of the client and their needs, while simultaneously developing Violet. These serve to shape the setting, as well gaining an understanding of the sociopolitical climate the story takes place in, helping viewers immerse themselves. Sadly, for a Victorian setting, Japanese customs are too prominent, making it a bit harder to engage with the narrative. In addition, the various stories on different episodes are quite predictable and cliché - some good, others not as much. Lastly, the narration lacks in continuity, and therefore coherence, as each episode jumps from one story to the other. As standalone episodes, they work, but as a package, it needs more context. One such example is where a character of apparent importance is introduced to the viewer, making them wonder what will happen next, just to fully ignore said character for the following episodes. This leaves a bad taste in the mouth, especially considering that the episodes, in general, feel slightly random. These aren't necessary issues, as characters play the most important part in Slice of Life/Drama anime, yet somehow they were lackluster as well. Allow me to elaborate.

First of all, the main character is bland and boring, robot-like; which is not counterproductive in such cases (when done correctly), since that is the whole point of the anime. However, character development of Violet was done poorly, where the actions she performed felt forced, often falling back on her main motivation to do this ordeal in the first place, which may appear as a cheap copout. Another slight problem is that she seemingly gains emotions, then to suddenly just lose them for the convenience of the plot. It could be argued that it is natural for an emotionless human being, although personally, I'd disagree, especially when taking into account how little it does to the plot. In addition, little effort is made to make her a likable character, whether it be through interactions with her surroundings or just some simple characteristics of her that could be expanded on.

Protagonists aren't necessarily the foundation of a character-driven story: secondary/supporting characters can fulfill that role too. Disappointingly, it even fails in this regard. The whole cast is generic as it can get, with not a single interesting personality to root for - they simply lack identity. Character interactions with the supporting cast are scarce, and when done, lack meaning. The anime tries to flesh these out with the limited screen time they get, but quite frankly, it leaves much to be desired. Admittedly, there are a few background stories that could be relatable to the audience, whether it be the reason why people work for the sake of working, or how people regret things only after they lose it. As a whole, the character dynamic problem lies in Violet hardly having any meaningful relationship with any of the cast, making hard to invest oneself. Such dynamics are not a necessity since, for example, Mushishi manages to do this perfectly.

Animation wise, Violet Evergarden is stunning as mentioned earlier: after all, it is done by KyoAni, a studio renown for its gorgeously animated scenery and character designs. The studio makes good use of close-ups (whether it be objects or actions of the characters) to emphasize the meaning of the scene together with the different emotions it wants to evoke. The used color palette works great for the format, although it must be mentioned that the occasional grey filter that is applied feels unnecessary. The opening and ending are beautifully drawn and shown, albeit offering little addition to the anime.

The voice actors did a good job on their respective roles, including the monotone voice for Violet that embodies her character - anger, despair, sadness, and exhaustion were conveyed in a graceful manner, although in some in instances it felt forced. As for the soundtrack used, it is befitting of the anime with the use classical instruments, such as the violin, piano, etc. These are reminiscent of Ghibli-like works, which I personally am a fan of. It does a fantastic job to immerse the viewer into the story of this Victorian like era.

Violet Evergarden as a whole was a beautifully animated work but lacked considerably in the most important parts, characters and story, causing a significant clash in immersion: the characters made it hard to feel engaged in it, while the animation and sound work invited to do so. For a slice of life anime, it fulfills its purpose, yet for a supposed story of self-discovery, it is arguably dull. This doesn't necessarily mean its bad/unwatchable; it simply could have been more than it ultimately was, since, despite all the issues mentioned in the review, I found myself enjoying the whole journey. All in all, Violet Evergarden had potential, but its shortcomings made it your average seasonal anime that comes and goes, just to be forgotten.

Thank you for reading.

Being a fan of the battle shōnen type of manga, Fights Break Sphere certainly seemed worth a try, especially when taking into account the amount of positive reviews for the series. Although it certainly has some good moments, the manhua is rather disappointing as a whole, mainly due to the main character himself, as well as the main story in addition to the later part of the series. Allow me to elaborate.

The premise of the series is nothing revolutionary: a genius fighting prodigy who suddenly loses all his powers. Much to his dismay, a powerful spirit who possess him explains him the very reason ... for it: Yao, the spirit, needed it to materialise himself. Not only that, his fiancée shows up only to tell him that she'll only marry stronger fighters than her. Left with no options, the protagonist Xiao trains with the spirit to regain his lost powers.

The main story revolves around the young Xiao regaining his powers, while simultaneously displaying the setting itself, an ancient China, where society is divided into clans. The world has the need of powerful people, the Dou, who are actually quite similar to super saiyans and alchemists. This is because of the monsters that inhabit: dragons, medusa, you name it. The main story is nicely executed with its share of dark moments as well as more light-hearted ones, nicely balancing the two. It also has a somewhat consistent power level, meaning characters are not suddenly stronger should the case present itself. Sadly, after completing the main goal of the manhua, it degenerates into a generic piece with the usual school setting. Furthermore, any logic behind the power levels were just thrown out to stretch out the manhua. Now it must be said that it delves further into some of the loose threads, which is naturally a good thing.

One important characteristic of such type of works are the battles; these are certainly intriguing and have logical causes as well as consequences. However, these are quite tensionless because of one glaring flaw of the manhua: the protagonist obtains his powers way too easily and is thus constantly overpowering everyone without seemingly any effort whatsoever. Even when comparing it with numerous other works that have similar characteristics, it is way overdone. Naturally, power levels are showcased where Dou measures ones strength and gives an according title. It must be noted that gaining power is pretty much done as anyone would play a RPG.

Concerning the characters of Fights Break Sphere, these are generic and there is not really any interesting character to look out for. The protagonist Xiao is the usual stereotype of a nice and unbelievably handsome man who is the strongest of all. Not much character development can be seen from him, as he hardly changes throughout the story. The only one who could be considered intriguing would be Yao, but that is mainly because of his mysterious background as well as his seemingly unending knowledge. There are also a lot of other minor characters, but these are as a whole rather uninteresting, mainly serving to display the power of the protagonist, often left forgotten.

As for the art style, it is what is to be expected of a manhua, and it serves its purpose: detail is sacrificed in favour of colouring the chapters. Design of the characters in nothing outstanding, which could be said about the backgrounds as well. Regardless, the battles are well portrayed to the reader, giving a sense of the magnitude of the powers, as well as having a smooth progression between the different panels.

Fights Break Sphere was as a whole an enjoyable read, albeit nothing impressive. It clearly waned in quality towards the end with the introduction of a fighting school, in addition to the overpowered main character that left the battles rather tensionless. Regardless, readers who are in favour of the genre will get an enjoyable experience, but they won't find anything outstanding.

Thank you for reading.

When it comes to settings of fictional pieces, Armed Librarians: the Book of Bantorra has certainly an interesting one: deceased people who turn into books, and librarians that keep those stored in the huge library of Bantorra. Although it has an intriguing story to show, its narrative is lackluster, never really knowing on what it wants to focus on. Don't get the wrong impression, it has some good story arcs alongside some endearing characters.

The anime focusses on the books as well as the armed librarians, people with psychic powers, tasked with retrieving and maintaining the huge archives. As it will, it is not that simple: ... an organisation by the name of Sindeki Kyoudan thwarts the librarians because of opposing ideologies. The integrants of said organisation strive becoming the best and most valuable books by achieving maximum happiness, what basically boils down to doing whatever one pleases, including homicide. In essence, armed librarians exist to counter said party.

The whole anime is divided is several small arcs, ranging from background stories of the main cast, to people affected by the divide between the two powers. An example would be the "Meat", who are mindless humans turned into bombs. It shows audiences the various powers, the effects of books on the population, as well as exposing the reason of the library including some of the characters. However, when taking a closer look to the structure of the narrative, in addition to some of the arcs provided, it is quite messy.

First of all, some of the plots introduced are carefully executed, just to be resolved in a matter of episodes with arguably weak conclusions that do not live up to the quality of the build-up episode(s). Other problem is the sparse introduction of plot lines, just to be left aside to suddenly pop up again much later. A non linear narrative is not an issue on its own, yet when done with little to no coherence, it just leaves confusion in the viewer on the reason of such approach. Finally, the conclusion of the series is rather underwhelming, where it simply culminates into a cluster of battles with a rather poor explanation on the existence and reasons of some of the mysteries surrounding the lore of that world.

As for the characters of Armed Librarians, it is as a whole rather generic and uninteresting to the exception of a few, despite having a large cast of characters. The cast can be easily described by their personalities: the one blinded in self justice, a strict person, the incredibly person, a battle hungry killing machine, a lady-killer, you name it. The main problem is that most characters are either left unexplored or are too one-dimensional to feel any interest in them.

Naturally, there are some exceptions; for instance there is long hair Enrique whose struggle with his destiny as a "Meat" has interesting consequences to his character, as well as providing development as a person. Volken is another example, although it offers interesting points to the main plot, as a character he is wasted. Then there is the strongest librarian of all, the killing machine Hamyuts Meseta, who receives some fleshing out explaining her nature, albeit being a bit uninspired; but hey, it can be very entertaining watching a woman kick ass as she does, and that with a simple sling.

The animation was overall well executed with fluent battle scenes in addition to some great backgrounds. Character designs are not too generic providing a nice change to the usual ones, although in some occasions some discrepancies could be found when viewed from different angles. As for the soundtrack used, it is as whole matching with the anime, yet not outstanding. The same could be said about the voice actors, although in some cases they managed to convey ones personality in a great manner.

Armed Librarians: the Book of Bantorra was overall an enjoyable watch, with intriguing small arcs, where sadly the structure of the narrative as well as the somewhat aimlessly story were the main reasons for a lesser experience. It offered some interesting characters, alongside a nice setting. Although personally it is not a great anime, it surely is entertaining enough, and thus recommended to anyone with some spare time, and not swayed by the messy narrative.

Thank you reading.

A mysterious Ronin that lives in a town, wandering and displaying a somewhat strange behaviour throughout the days: despite being so passionate about nature and life, why is it that some greatly fear him, while others love him? The premise of Takemitsu Zamurai is quite interesting on its own, yet what really makes it stand out is the peculiar art that magnificently blends with the narrative, portraying itc characters greatly.

The very first thing any reader would notice is the peculiar art style of the manga. For many, their first impressions would range from being an unappealing, lazy style, or even plain terrible, where only the ... story could keep this work appealing. However, it becomes sooner or later apparent that the art style is in fact of very high quality: while other mangas have highly detailed and realistic art style, Takemitsu Zamurai could be seen as the opposite, being quite abstract. It manages to portray the various character's very personality, difficult to the more "realistic" approach. Furthermore, there is hardly any need of dialogue as the author managed to even include the various emotions and atmospheres through the art, with great fluidity that matches narrative and art in a fantastic manner. It could have no dialogue at all, and readers would still know what the main story is about.

Regarding the story itself, it is mainly focused upon Senou Soichirou, a Ronin with a passion for life - to such a degree that he does bizarre things such as chasing a butterfly in the very same manner as a butterfly. This naturally raises caution in the villagers, which makes for some endearing interactions with those; be it the landlord, the little child living next to him, or even some high-ranking officials. The manga does have a main drive, which is exploring Soichirou as a character, while delving in the mystery surrounding him and the people who know him.

This may appear as something complex, yet in essence it is not quite: although the uncertainties surrounding the protagonist do get gradually revealed, it is not that impressive as it may seem at first sight - the intrigue about people wanting him dead is of simple nature as well. Rather, the execution of it is quite impressive. Now when it comes to the conclusion of the manga it is both satisfying and a bit disappointing at the same time. The final message of noble family being righteous and loved by all is was a bit jarring at a personal level, which of course is not the same to every reader.

As for the characters of the manga, once again, the main focus lies on the protagonist, where all the characters take a backseat. This does not mean that those are of lesser importance: these help Soichirou grow as a character, being influenced likewise. Be it exploring his true nature, or simply exploring the situation of some of the cast. However, this does not really apply to the antagonist, which leaves a bit of disappointment in the reader as he has is hardly explored as a character. The protagonist himself may seem bizarre, as the initial impression of anyone would be that of weirdness and what not. Surely enough, he receives appropriate characterisation alongside some great interactions with the people surrounding him.

Tekemitsu Zamurai was as a whole a very satisfying read, where seemingly simplistic story would not really be that much of importance. The art style was surprisingly good and befitting, although admittingly, I myself was quite swayed by the style and doubted its validity. This is definitely a manga I would recommend to anyone who is not adversed by the art style; it is after all still a great read.
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Thank you for reading.

A society in the middle of an industrial revolution. Gigantic steampunk-iron fortresses protecting its citizens. Zombies that terrorizes the lands, where large tank-like trains are the only means of transport and communication with the different fortifications. Such is the setting of Koutesujou no Kabaneri: mankind's struggle to survive the everluring doors of death and despair. Zombies threatening mankind is nothing new, yet is arguably oddly entertaining - when it is done right that is. What could have been a simple story about humankind's struggle for survival, sadly turned out into a petty revenge story: despite its flaws, an enjoyable first part, but with a very ... lackluster second part. That being said, it has some great visuals and spectacular action scenes.

~Story~

The story of Koutesujou no Kabaneri revolves mainly around Ikoma who works as an engineer in the train station, while making his very own gun to eradicate the zombies. Incidently, a train enters the station with an infected man, and thus, mankind's main fear became true: infections happening left and right within the fortress itself. This proves for the protagonist a big chance to test his very own weapon, and thus the survival story begins. A thing to note is that action is quite predominant in the series, where story and characterization basically take a back seat, although changes a bit in the second half. It is often well-coordinated, with here and there some causes of the fights itself rather lackluster. This also means that there are quite some gory sequences, full with blood, which may be a no-go for some.

At first sight it can be quite engaging, the protagonist not finding justice in indiscriminately killing the turned human: a confrontation of what defines a human being, yet naturally comes down to kill or be killed. This of course causes ruckus within society itself, in which the population displays the cowardly nature of mankind when pressured or under fear. Now there should be rules to avoid such occurrences (infected entering the city), yet the logic used by the script writers is bland and plain non-sensical at times to say the least. A lot of the rules applied have no real logic behind them, for example thorough body inspections, when the infection is nearly instantaneous, making this particular one mute. There are many more examples within the anime, where some can be overlooked up to a certain extend; this is to say, up to the first half of the story.

What is important to note, is that the anime is initially a simple story of survival with its obvious flaws, but overlookable, as it was not trying to be anything more than that. However, with the introduction of a character, Amatori Biba, the whole anime takes a significant dip in overall quality. In fact, the whole anime essentially turns into a petty revenge story, being the above mentioned character the main "villain", but to this later. There are also special powers in the anime, as well as beings: for instance, kabaneri are half-human, half kabane. This gives a plausible solution of why a small group of people being able to withstand the hordes of zombies. There are different types of zombies to spice the things up a bit, but were minimal, up to a certain point in the anime where it simply became superfluous with various increasingly overpowered ones. The main problem with this is that the anime was still trying to make it as "realistic" as possible, but with such elements thrown into it, it simply lost any credibility it had left.

~Characters~

Concerning the cast of characters in Koutesujou no Kabaneri, although varied, they share the archetypes common in the genre. There is also a problem when it comes to the characterization of its cast: it is introduced too late for it to take a big effect, which incidentally is introduced mid-way up to the end of the anime. Possibly by that time viewers won't have had any reason to consolidate with the characters as nothing of crucial importance or aspect was known about them. On the one hand there is Ikoma, a young simple-minded smith who wants to create a powerful weapon to counter the kabane with more ease. He has different views on how to treat the infected: yet also shares an aversion to the kabane. His very reason on why he desires to wipe out the kabane is very basic. Despite being the protagonist of the series, he undergoes little character development, even to the point of losing his very identity - which was rather lackluster to say the least, as its implementation was badly executed, feeling out of place.

On the other hand there is Mumei, an initially young girl who is quiet and arrogant, but essentially scared with no people to rely on other than what she considers her "big brother", Biba. As the series progresses, she slowly opens up a bit, just to be "brainwashed" - which in turn leaves the character development she experienced mute. Then there is one of the main reasons the anime took another huge dip in quality, the villain Biba. Although initially presented as an interesting character in charge of cleansing zombies, as well as being implied as an important character to develop the cast, it takes a turn to the worse as his main goal becomes apparent. The very motive behind it is severely lacking and uninspired - what is worse, his very character is terribly basic: just an emotionless and ruthless man, pursuing blindly his objective, while sacrificing everything in the process.

An additional problem with the introduction of the above mentioned character is the implementation of the revenge plan: a handful, or rather a stream of unlikely events just continuously happen in the rest of the series, which is where any remaining logic the series had flied out the window to accommodate it. This could be naturally due to its short airing time, yet it should have been done in a more graceful manner. As for the other characters, there is nobody else of importance to mention or care for, as hardly any fleshing out or characterization was done.

~Animation and sound~

On the bright side, the art style of Koutesujou no Kabaneri was surely refreshing and very well done, having some fantastic detail in both the design of its characters as well as the backgrounds. It is true that in some ocassions the background detail of characters where basic, even when only two were present. It is somewhat out of the norm, but is surely one I'd like to see more in the future. The animation itself was another great aspect, with fluid combat scenes and motions of the characters: fast and graceful slashes, blood, the lightning, you name it. CG is used in the anime, in particular that of the train, but as a whole was easily overlookable.

Concerning the soundtrack of the show, while mostly it is befitting of the atmosphere with the use of classical instruments, drums, guitar, there are numerous instances where there were inappropriate ones that felt out of place. The same could be said about the voice actors, while mostly it was performed in a satisfying manner, quite some characters constantly had an angry tone, to the point of being annoying - such as the protagonist. It emanates the feeling as if the character only possesed one single emotion. As for the opening and ending of the series, although visually very pleasing, it had no memorable music attached to it.

~Enjoyment~

Despite having somewhat enjoyed the first half of series, Koutesujou no Kabaneri was as a whole disappointing: it should have just stuck to a simple survival story about humanity instead of what the second half introduced. This transition made the numerous issues the series had just more apparent, in addition to adding new ones. Now it must be said that the action scenes were an enjoyable watch, but were hindered by the laughable logic behind the events tied to them, as well as the characters. So do I recommend this anime? Is it the second Attack on Titan? Not really, unless viewers are able to easily dismiss the issues as inconsequential, and enjoy the mindless action there is, as the story won't be the main interest.

Thank you for reading.

Nightmares are one of the most unpleasant experiences one can have while asleep. But what these dreams, visions of a thousand years ago, abruptly becomes a reality? Suddenly being transported back in time is a common topic in fantastical settings, and Threads of Time is no exception. It is a manhwa that conveys a great, albeit stereotypical message about human life, or rather, exploration of oneself. While it certainly was a very enjoyable read, it does have some issues, in the execution as well as narrative of the story.

The story revolves around a rich and delinquent student by the name of Moon Bin Lee who ... consistently dreams about the past, chasing a dark-haired girl into the abyss. Soon enough, he is overwhelmed and abruptly finds himself as Sa Kyoung Kim, son of a prominent warrior family in Mongolia. Furthermore, the very people he now lives with, are physically almost identical of his present day life. Not to mention that it is in a period of territorial conflicts, involving the protagonist in the battles that happened admist the crisis. Luckily for him, he is very skilled in kendo, a useful ability in such times - naturally. The various battles that actually take place are interesting, but it must be mentioned that it can get a bit too excessive in violence; regardless, war is not the main focus of the manga.

The manhwa starts out strong, conveying the setting as well as the main cast of characters appropriately; it maintains a steady and logical progress through the difficulties he experiences in his current position as a modernized teenager. However, there is a problem that emerges as the story progresses: the smooth and logical narrative gets lost, and in turn readers see an increased pacing which results in various conflicts either lacking in execution, or in coherency: in other words, it creates a rushed feeling. It also has some interesting display of what the teenager is experiencing, lightly touching upon what is to come through the art and dialogue presented. Still, some of said scenes were arguably wrongly placed, interrupting the story, rather than enhancing it. In addition, when not read carefully, it created the illusion of him being transported back and forth in time, when that was actually not the case.

Threads of Time is primarily a character driven story, and mainly focuses on three characters, one being the teenager, and the other two being of the Mongolian camp, the General Sali Tayi and the granddaughter of the Khan, Atan Hadas. Kim Moon Bin is quite a generic character at first: rich, spoiled with a broken family relationship, and on top of that a delinquent. Nevertheless, readers observe the gradual changes the protagonist experiences through the environment and supporting cast: the fact that he finds himself in constant struggle in such a foreign environment is good to see, as opposed to other works where the characters adapt abruptly to the new environment.

The other two characters play an important role in developing both themselves, as well as the protagonist, Atan Hadas being the most noteworthy one. She is a smart and a strong, independent woman who strived to be a warrior, yet was accepted as a commander through carious circumstances - learning the ways of war, as well as realizing whom she loves, moves this character forward. This could not really be said about Sali Tayi, who is primarily a villain, yet his motives are rather weak for the atrocities he commits. Fleshing out of said character is observed.

Concerning the art style of the manhwa, it is as a whole well done, with some clear discrepancies in the begging: it is clear that some of the character models, as well as their expression vary a bit too much. This improved over time, together with some backgrounds, which were detailed in most cases. There were here and there some panels with either a lot background detail, while others were simply done.

Threads of Time was overall a very enjoyable read, yet suffered from a number of issues that sadly hindered the immersion in the story quite a bit, as well as feeling rushed. It must be noted that although it has some minor warfare, it is not the likes of similar manga such as Kingdom or the Ravges of Time. However, through the narrative and its characters, the message contained within is certainly worth the read on that basis alone.

Thank you for reading.

Bungou Stray Dogs had a somewhat interesting premise, yet was ultimately disappointing. This anime could be easily summarized as an average battle shōnen with arguably sub par comedy: not exclusively because the comedy is bad, which is hit and miss, but because of its implementation in the most inappropriate moments. This does not mean the anime as a whole is terrible, it is simply lacking as hardly any progression was made throughout its airing time making it as a whole just average.

The story of Bungou Stray Dogs is centered around the orphan protagonist Atsushi who was kicked out of the orphanage because of mysterious incidents ... that happen around him. Having no idea or clue on how to survive, he aimlessly wanders around, just to coincidently fish out a suicidal detective out of the river, by the name of Dazai. Of course it just so happens he is no ordinary person: he works for a firm of supernatural investigators. Being pulled into this world, the daily life of the protagonist begins with a wacky cast of characters. Not to mention the mystery surrounding the main character.

At first glance it may seem as an endearing premise, which it is, only up to a certain extent: while it treats some of the difficulties the protagonist is suffering, it mostly focuses on the introduction of new characters and their respective powers. Hence, is mostly of episodic nature. The various powers introduced are interesting and varied on its own, which in turn makes it possible to have entertaining battle sequences, although the conflicts are very simple: detective firm versus the mafia. This is combined with an abundance of comedy, which is personally the biggest gripe with the show. The humor is rather basic: suicide jokes, ill-timed situational ones are such examples. What is worse, whenever it is trying to be serious, it is often followed by a gag that hampers the immersion in the narrative significantly.

The characters presented in the anime are of simple nature, with some endearing ones, while others are rather dull. The main character Atsuchi is a timid boy who does not know of friendship; combined with the fact that he is very insecure of himself and his peers, the protagonist finds himself in a constant conflict. Being labeled as a seinen anime, it does not present an interesting development akin to the genre, rather it follows that of the battle shōnen one. He experiences some character development throughout the series by interactions with the cast, and the events that happen to him. He could be described generally as a wimp in some occasions, while in others he is courageous.

Regarding the other characters, these are rather stereotypical with their own charm in some cases: the excentric airhead, the suicidal enthuthiast, the strict guy, the maniac - just to name a few. Some of these have some mysterious background attached to them, which enhances the narrative, and in exploring their respective personalities. Due to the short span of the anime, most characters remain very basic, as well as the opposing entities of the main cast. Consequently, there is little investment in the villains themselves, which is a bit dissapointing.

The animation of Bungou Stray Dogs was well executed which implemented some great action scenes: fast and fluid, with consistent design. As for the art style, it was remarkable with amusing character designs: although using a similar template as other anime, it is distinguishable on its own, more akin to the likes of Durara. In addition, it makes use of exaggerated facets of the characters for comedic purposes, which were lacking: this was mainly due because of the humor that simply was not fitting for the different atmospheres the anime was trying to portray.

Concerning the sound used, it was a whole well implemented and executed with befitting voice actors, although in some cases it could feel off.This mainly concerns in some cases some transitions of suspense to comedy, and also the protagonist. The soundtrack uses various tunes, jazz included, which is a nice touch to the generic notes viewers are used to. The ending of the anime was well done with a great transition, which was personally a joy to listen to. Unlike the ending, the opening is rather forgettable as a whole.

Bungou Stray Dogs was a show I had some interest in, yet was rather disappointing as a whole, which was mainly because of the ill-timed and arguably bad comedy. The anime falls short of even beginning to expand on the whole mystery surrounding the protagonist, consequently being quite hard to get into. Regardless of said issues, it had some great action sequences as well some interesting background stories to share, which was satisfying. Otherwise this anime is quite average and does not stand out from its competitors. If the jokes are no issue for the viewer, I'd say try it out, otherwise not.

Thank you for reading.

Social upheaval, constant military conflict and political intrigue are the main characteristics of the Sengoku period; as a matter of fact, it could be described as a chaotic world, a clashing of individuals with vast ambitions. Admist the turmoil, the importance of Aesthetics, a philosophy of art, is not be forgotten, which influences that particular era significantly. Rather than focussing upon the various battles itself, Hyouge Mono showcases the importance of aesthetics, including fantastic characterization of its varied cast of characters. It comes together with a great narrative, along with fantastic and well placed comedy that serve to lighten the atmosphere at appropriate times.

~Story~

The story ... of Hyouge Mono is based upon true historical recordings, that takes place in the final stage of the Sengoku period, the Azuchi-Momoyama period from 1573 to 1603: it is at the peak of Oda Nobunaga's power. The anime is a very character driven story, focussing on multiple characters where Furuta Sasuke could be seen as the main protagonist. It is a very accurate historical representation of that time, using the obscured historical records to interpretate the gaps and whole scope of those decades, and very convincingly so. For viewers familiar and not with the setting, may find themselves pleasantly surprised in discovering all the finer details.

What stands out in Hyouge Mono is the fact that it focusses on the importance of ideologies, aesthetics, rather than the all the battles and common themes (the samurai, bushido, glory) audiences are so accustomed to see. It certainly glances over such battles, as it is necessary to understand all the different conflicts that takes place. Special attention is placed upon the tea ceremonies and art, in particular that of simplicity and imperfection, all fundamental to understanding the story and the authors interpretation. It replaces action with meaningful dialogues and silence: both are used to enhance and highlight certain scenes, be it to enforce an emotion or ideal. Consequently, this naturally affects the pacing of the anime: while it has a magnificent start, the "slow" pacing drags out occasionally, especially in the middle - but it is very befitting (and necessary). Luckily, it heightens its pace afterwards. Its focus is a fresh and delightful approach on the genre.

As mentioned earlier, Hyouge Mono is an interpretation of the events of the Azuchi-Momoyama period: some key points are unknown, thus it becomes arguably necessary to create a well structured narrative with convincing elements to support this, which was the case. Regarding the structure as a whole, the show may seem of simple nature at first glance, yet it quickly becomes apparent that both differing and mutual interests spiral into conflicts that either leave at the beginning some open ends, or converge into bigger ones, nicely weaving most of it until the end of the story. As mentioned earlier, comedy is another great aspect of the anime: it is unique on its own, having its main focus upon both the social standing of that period, together with our own. In addition it is used to emphasize on certain occurences, and is never overdone.

~Characters~

Hyouge Mono is compromised by a large cast of characters, who are complex and very well fleshed out, with its own flaws. Their interactions are meaningful and displayed in a very satisfying manner, while being very self aware.. The main character Furuta Sasuke is a warrior and self-proclaimed aesthete, who has a deep passion in the tea ceremonies and material possession - a naive and greedy man in search of himself. He undergoes significant character development throughout the stages of the story while failing multiple times as well as succeeding, making his development so much more satisfying to see. Another character of great importance is the current master of tea, Sen no Rikyu - a key element in the story. He is a mysterious, yet respectful and strong-willed man with no clear motives at the beginning. However, as the show progresses, his character gets fleshed out significantly, furthermore enhancing his personality. It is truly fascinating to see to which extent people are willing to go to achieve their ambitions/goals.

The secondary characters are not be left out either: the different warriors, the disciples of Rikyu, the aesthetes, or simply the family of the cast. These are imperfect, meaning they have their weaknesses and flaws that serve to create an immersive atmosphere. These play a crucial role in understanding the ideals, the perspectives, motives, and of course the characters, to convey a meaningful and satisfying interpretation of all the events. While it is true that characters come and go, it must be noted all have a role to play, and are not simply there to fill space: it arguably leaves a significant impression in audiences. It is simply fascinating to see how the different perspectives and ideologies, ambition and greed of the cast affect their world, as well as the respective consequences of said actions.

~Animation and sound~

The animation of Hyouge Mono is overall well done, although it is apparent that there where monetary constraints: occasionally basic character models are used, as well as plainly showing some sliding/still images. It also makes occasional use of CG, but this affects the different objects of importance mainly. What however stands out in the anime are the design in characters: it is varied and ridiculous (to some), but very befitting to enhance the different ideologies, as well the themes the anime has to offer. The facial expressions are another thing to take note of, as these emphasize the character's personality as well as their emotional state - exaggerated, but masterfully implemented, which is a rare occurrence.

Concerning the music score of the anime, it quite different from what viewers might be expecting from such a setting, making use of traditional instruments, as well as techno-like tracks. It also makes use of some jazzy themes, much to my surprise. Although it may seem a weird choice of music, I personally feel it is a great addition to the atmosphere it tries to create. However, there were times were the same track was used a tad to often. As for the voice actors, these performed their roles masterfully, truly conveying both personalities and emotions of the characters. The anime offered several openings, Bowl Man being a personal favourite, befitting of the anime.

~Enjoyment~

Needless to say, I throughly enjoyed Hyouge Mono in every single aspect, be it the setting and its narrative, the fantastic cast and characterization, or the art style of the series, making me several times blurt out in laughter. The interpretation of the end of the Sengoku period was very satisfying, using the obscured historical records to create a possible flow of events: this is because most of the character's motives behind their actions are unclear. Hyouge Mono, literally Jocular Fellow, is truly a fascinating and hilarious story, that describes the essence of beauty and its perceptions, and with that, interpretations. So do I recommend this anime? I certainly do, but only for those that have patience so as to fully appreciate this work. Personally certainly a worthy rewatch.

Thank you for reading.

A bright and sunny sky. The stinging heat. The sound of pouring water on a blade. The convicted last words. Then the slash of the sword as it cuts through the victim's neck as the executioner sends him off. Another person in his large list of beheadings: such is the life of Yamada Asaemon, a man who follows the path of the bushido, a man who deals in death. Kubikiri Asa narrates the daily life of an executioner in the Edo period of Japan, an era of violence, vengeance, greed and justice.

While Samurai Executioner does not have an overarching story, it does present a great ... variety of themes, the prevalent one being justice. It could be said that said theme is the central piece of the manga, the author delving deep into the procedures of judging. Often dialogues are displayed going into detail of the crimes of the convicted as well as their respective punishments - it is in fact a logical and lengthy process.

An interesting aspect of the manga revolves around the fact that a person executes people for a living: the horror's of only taking a person's life must be a hell, yet for Asaemon it is his daily live. It is truly fascinating to see how this person deals with all the various situations, ranging from demented prisoners to the vengeance of the executed relatives. He could be described as a resourceful and very noble man, firm in the path of the bushido; a man who does not sway from his beliefs. He seeks to understand the people he takes their life from, and in doing so, he does much more than his profession obliges him to. He does not harm people willingly: he sincerely hopes one day people won't need to be judged by the sword, were no longer executions are necessary.

The story also focuses on the victims backgrounds and their respective crimes, painting to the reader their psychological state, as well as their ultimate stance on their respective execution. Other times the episodic chapters are dedicated to simply illustrate some facts and thoughts associated with beheading a person. A beheading is a ritual - not a simple murder. It cuts the crime(s) of the victim, not the person. That is at least the purpose of such action, the condemned must die realizing the gravity of their sins. Another interesting aspect to consider are the detailed descriptions on how people should live, how their respective action can influence society and their peers.

The art style is outstanding and very befitting to depict the cruelty and harsh conditions and lives of society in that period. Very detailed drawings of the various backgrounds and the characters within, portraying magnificently the actions of the people: facial expressions and such serve to enhance the seriousness of the situation. It must be mentioned that some of the character designs can be at times distornioned a bit, as well as lacking - yet this was mainly due to the clothing style of that period, which was very similar, and thus difficult to create a very distinguishable cast. The depiction of executed people is very real: it can get quite gory in some occasions, yet is never overdone.

Kubikiri Asa was a great read, from the detailed and lengthy explanations on some of the crimes as well as the various reasonings behind the punishments, to the characters and great art style. Naturally, for those in search of a story with a specific goal in mind won't find it here, yet the description of the daily life of Yamada Asaemon and his hardships are more than enough to compensate for it. I can wholeheartedly recommend Samurai Executioner to anyone with a slight interest in the historical genre.

Thank you for reading.

Clover is in essence a simple battle shōnen in which through numerous fights the readers are showcased the power of friendship - a characteristic often used in the genre. While this manga may be nothing revolutionary or outstanding in any aspect, it was arguably quite an enjoyable read for a number of reasons: the initial presentations of the various characters, and the intriguing fights that break out in a logical and satisfying manner. However, it becomes apparent that the manga follows a very formulaic approach after the initial introduction of the most important characters, which is to say, after about 100 chapters.

The story of Clover ... is mainly focussed on Misaki Hayato, who after several years of being separated from his childhood friends, enrolls in the same highschool as them. To his surprise, a lot of things have changed since then: they're very distant with each other. Misaki feels the need to reunite them to the old days, which directly involves him in numerous fights for the sake of restoring their friendship. In turn, this makes him famous around the delinquent population. This can arguably make quite an interesting narrative, meaning developing the respective cast with it - which happens to a certain degree.

The manga centers around the fights and the characters involved, whilst developing and presenting friendships and to what extent the importance of it is. The various conflicts are well executed, following a simple approach: a person is in need of help, which usually involves fighting some delinquents, and with that, encountering new people. This often turns out in the main character winning. It could be said that the manga also presents the ascension of a young boy in the ranks of the delinquent population.

The problem associated with this is the fact that the manga becomes increasingly linear and formulaic: this accentuates the probability that the author had no idea anymore how to continue the manga. Comedy is also present, which is generally well handled and not abused of, making the story much easier to digest, while at the same time making it possible to take the characters seriously. In some instances it may rely on the characters, others in some bizarre situations, and in some instances, an amusing play of words.

The characters presented in Clover are diverse, yet stereotypical for the genre. Character development is limited to the various main characters, yet for the side characters it is minimal and scarce. However, most of the cast is fleshed out accordingly, albeit not huge. The interactions between the characters is well handled, actions natural and according to the different personalities, despite being a bit off in some occasions. The main character Misaki Hayato is blunt and fight-lusty, yet deep down caring of his friends. Then there is the weak, yet kind-hearted Tomoki with a bright passion for motorbikes, or the big and timid Kenji. Naturally, as story progresses, a lot of different characters are introduced, but it boils down in essence to delinquents becoming friends to the protagonist, or just opponents of other schools/factions.

The art style of the manga is befitting, complementing with the great fighting scenes and the detailed states, both physical and mental, of the characters. Character designs are varied and distinguishable from each other, especially when the male designs are concerned; females ones are on the other hand lacking in both detail and appearance. The bacgrounds employed are often well drawn with a good use of shading techniques and angles of view.

For a simple fighting shōnen, Clover serves its purpose in a satisfying manner with entertaining fights as well a likeable cast of characters. I enjoyed the manga, yet was a bit disappointed by its formulaic approach. It may not have a grand overarching story attached to it, which can be a bit disappointing considering the premise of the story. As a whole, this manga is recommendable who enjoys reading deliquent-type of manga, yet for those who are in search of deep story or great characterization not.

Thank you for reading.