Howdy and welcome to my profile, home to all my hot takes and kept gates. If you're here it's probably because you clicked on my profile after reading one of my reviews—feel free to trash me in the comments below. I am well aware of the controversy my reviews generate, so as a point of pride my comments section is and always will be public.
I am not a troll and I do not hate anime. I love anime as a medium and the heights it can and has reached. I've been deeply interested in not just the shows produced but also the people and companies producing them, as well as the techniques in animation and storytelling which are used. I've been a literature and cinema nerd my entire life, and I hold anime to the same high standard as I do traditional media. I am also captivated by Japanese history, language, and culture outside of anime.
If you're interested in learning more about anime as a medium, I cannot recommend these books highly enough:
If you're interested in how anime is made, definitely check out the YouTube channel Tonari Animation (of which I am in no way affiliated).
If you're interested in learning more than you could ever want to know about Japanese history, may I recommend The History of Japan podcast by Isaac Meyer (also not affiliated).
I rate all the anime I watch using MAL’s 1-10 system with 5 being completely average, to avoid rating inflation. My ratings usually follow these rough guidelines:
10/10 – Masterpiece. A show that touched me on a deep personal level. Writing that is timeless and placeless. A show that allows me to see myself or others around me more clearly. A story that makes me think and feel. Something I classify as “great art”. Enjoyed 100% of the time I spent with this show, or the parts I did enjoy resonated so much with me that they made up for the time I didn't enjoy.
9/10 – Fantastic. Interesting show throughout. Subverts tropes, or executes them exceptionally well. No weak episodes or characters. Outstanding production value. Will rewatch regularly. My 9 and 10 are very similar; a 9 might contain all the qualities I described in my 10, but the difference will come down to taste. Enjoyed 90% of the time I spent with this show.
8/10 – Great. Many interesting ideas presented, or a very solid central plot. In the case of a comedy, consistent laughs. Outstanding production value. I may have one or two minor complaints that hold it back from a 9 or 10. Will definitely rewatch. Enjoyed 80% of the time I spent with this show.
7/10 – Above average. Some interesting ideas presented and explored. Has parts that are outstanding mixed with parts that are average, in about equal quantity. Several interesting characters or laughs. High production value. Will probably rewatch in the future. Enjoyed 70% of the time I spent with this show.
6/10 – Slightly above average. One or two interesting ideas presented but not fully explored, or one or two standout episodes. If it is a slice-of-life, one or two interesting characters. If it is a comedy, a few laughs. Enjoyed 60% of the time I spent with this show.
5/10 – Completely average. Doesn’t commit any of the typical sins of anime, but doesn’t break any new ground either. If the show were a spice, it would be flour. If it were a book, it would be two books. The Michael Buble of anime. Enjoyed 50% of the time I spent with this show.
4/10 – Slightly below average. Possibly too heavily reliant on tropes without bringing anything new to the genre or executing them particularly well. Contains some aspect that actively annoys me. If it’s a comedy, the jokes fall flat. Enjoyed 40% of the time I spent with this show.
3/10 – Below average. Some aspect of the show is fundamentally flawed. Technical or production issues may also exist, like poor animation / voice work. Enjoyed 30% of the time I spent with this show.
2/10 – Bad. Trashy plot or characters. Completely loses my attention. Rarely would I finish a show this bad. Enjoyed 20% of the time I spent with this show.
1/10 – Terrible. This rating is reserved for the worst of the worst—shows that are not only bad, but offend me on a personal level. Enjoyed 10% or less of the time I spent with this show.
100th anime: Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
200th anime: Aria the Animation
300th anime: Metropolis
400th anime: Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal
Commenting for when i periodically check your mal. Loved your Erin review even though I haven't watched it I respect your reverence towards art and media it really shows through your writing :)
Another banger review for Call of the Night. I love your writing style and our tastes coincide quite a bit so I love to hear what you have to say about anime.
To expand on your comment on the trashiness of the show I really like how this anime handles it. Not downplayed in an insecure way like Dress Up Darling where it so desperately wants you to think it’s wholesome or excessively overplayed like in Shikimori where like that’s the entire show. Call of the Night embraces the immaturity of its sexuality to frame the main character’s personal state and growth.
The anime is weirdly intimate like we’re reading the diary of a 13 yr old who only writes in it during the dead of night. Here, there is no judgement, no exaggeration, no filter, just pure unfiltered desire and emotions allowed to sprawl the night.
I gave the anime a 6 because of the similar waifu baiting and generic MC shtick that rubbed me the wrong way. That and, going back to the comparision reading a diary of a 13 yr old, sometime its a bit much. Like it’s so raw to to the point where i wished there was a bit more of a mature lens. The whole thing feels extremely juvenile. I wish it leaned a bit more into a nostalgic angle. But as an adult Im probably not the main target audience and really it doesn’t detract from how well the anime accomplishes what it set itself out to do.
Thank youuuu! I love your reviews too, I think I sent you a friend request after reading your Re:Zero and Somlai reviews, I hope to get to the level of detail and confident writing style that you have someday ^^
Bro the old adaptation of Higurashi was horrible. You probably havent even read the original VN, because if you did you would understand that old adaptation was rushing through content without showing actually important scenes (the vn is about friendshup and stuff) so the new adaptation showed it way better (judjing from first 4 episodes). I could not bear old higurashi for more than 4 eps. And the series is not about killings so it doesnt mater if its moe all the time or not
All Comments (13) Comments
To expand on your comment on the trashiness of the show I really like how this anime handles it. Not downplayed in an insecure way like Dress Up Darling where it so desperately wants you to think it’s wholesome or excessively overplayed like in Shikimori where like that’s the entire show. Call of the Night embraces the immaturity of its sexuality to frame the main character’s personal state and growth.
The anime is weirdly intimate like we’re reading the diary of a 13 yr old who only writes in it during the dead of night. Here, there is no judgement, no exaggeration, no filter, just pure unfiltered desire and emotions allowed to sprawl the night.
I gave the anime a 6 because of the similar waifu baiting and generic MC shtick that rubbed me the wrong way. That and, going back to the comparision reading a diary of a 13 yr old, sometime its a bit much. Like it’s so raw to to the point where i wished there was a bit more of a mature lens. The whole thing feels extremely juvenile. I wish it leaned a bit more into a nostalgic angle. But as an adult Im probably not the main target audience and really it doesn’t detract from how well the anime accomplishes what it set itself out to do.
Once again great review dude!
btw why u rate so high. take it from me, i rate every anime low for the sake of anime