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Jun 17, 2021
Yasuke ended up being just 'OK' for me. The premise itself is very interesting in my eyes with its idea of this historical figure of African descent who actually existed in the time of the samurai.
Being thrust into the world of feudal japan and having to cope with being an outsider while at the same time incorporating values and traditions other than your own into your life style could have been a great way to not only introduce the viewer to the history behind Japan's famed Samurai (most notably Nobunaga Oda) but it also would have given Yasuke more character. I think this is
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this show's achilles heel, it tries to do too much and we are simply not given enough time to care.
The majority of the show deals with the present, in which a reluctant Yasuke (reluctant bordering on being irritating) embarks on an escort quest to get a little girl with supernatural powers to safety. I dont think there's anything wrong with this being the plot as even if its not the most original idea it can still lend itself to nice, tender moments. Its a tale as old as time, but i feel it was misplaced here.
I found the most interesting parts of the show were not with the escort mission, but rather the flashbacks the showed Yasuke's past life as a Samurai. Its here where we get the juicy bits that lend themselves to interesting character moments as Yasuke faces prejudice within Nobunaga's court and the outside world because he is not Japanese. Not to mention the moral dilemmas as well as Yasuke is presented with the question of whether or not serving under Nobunaga is even just. There was a lot that could have been explored here but it simply wasnt, and as a result Yasuke rings hollow as a character. We dont grow to love him or admire him, he ends up just....being there. Unfortunately a lot of the characters are just as underdeveloped as him, and so when they are in danger you kind of dont care as much as you could have.
That being said i feel like this is still a nice popcorn watch. The action is...messy, not terrible but has a lack of refinement to it. I feel like this is because the art style itself is odd. In many ways it is quite ugly, but there are moments of beauty and nice character designs, such as the lady samurai Natsumaru. The music falls to the background but i feel the opening is fantastic with its melancholic Lo-fi hip hop beat that is reminiscent of Nujabes. The voice acting is serviceable but there are some truly cringeworthy lines that made me roll my eyes such as when many of the characters comment on Yasuke being black to which he replies "Yes, I am a black samurai!" It feels self-indulgent. There are also random Mechas zooming around in the anime that are never explained why they are there or how they came to be in japan, honestly they add nothing to the show.
I think this show could have been a lot better if it focused its first season primarily in Yasuke's past and showed more of his interactions with Nobunaga, Mitsuhide, and Natsumara, and then saved the escort mission for the second season. That would have given us a better understanding of Yasuke as a character and more of an impact for the events that follow Nobunaga's fall. As it stands the show missed out on a lot of potential
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Apr 26, 2021
Jujutsu Kaisen was the biggest surprise for me, anime wise, in 2020. I initially didn't think i would like the show since the first 3 or so episodes did not grab me. It wasnt until Episode 4 and 5 that i was hooked and wanted to know what happens next.
The anime as a whole was just downright enjoyable, from the music, the action, the characters and the tone it all felt familiar but fresh at the same time. The show had a way of keeping you on your toes and raising the stakes of what was taking place so that even if you had
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an idea of how things would pan out, things would rarely go exactly as you imagined. Each week i looked forward to the next episode, and each week i wasn't disappointed. I think its in the show's favor that there wasnt really any filler episodes this season, so everything kept moving at an exciting pace.
If i had to point out a 'weak' aspect of the show i guess i could nitpick towards the story since, although i think its good its nothing we havnt seen before. However i think the characters shine and through your investment in their struggles and triumphs the story doesnt glare as much as it could. I will say though that a crucial aspect of the story, that being Sukuna, kind of gets relegated to the background fairly quickly in the show to the point where you kind of forget about him. I thought that was quite odd.
Overall though Jujutsu Kaisen i feel was Great and i can't wait to see the next season of it.
Also the first ED song Lost in Paradise has become one of my favorite anime endings of all time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 14, 2021
Uzaki-Chan is the perfect anime for anyone looking for something light-hearted, funny, and simplistic. The show is all about Uzaki, a girl in college trying to hang out with the senpai she was fond of back in high school. Meanwhile her senpai, Sakurai, just wants to spend more time alone (or at least thats what he tries to convince himself) and as a result the two get into a lot of misunderstood hijinks and trouble
This anime is a comedy first and foremost. There are romantic undertones here and there between Uzaki and Sakurai, but thats not really what i found myself watching the show for.
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The enjoyment came from Uzaki's energy and teasing of Sakurai, and the banter between the two main characters as well as their reactions towards one another. Also there is a fair amount of ecchi stuff in here, but for once it seems justified as both Sakurai and Uzaki are in college. The ecchi scenes that do occur still retain a sense of innocence as well, neither Sakurai or Uzaki are lecherous, so when they say things that could be interpreted as lewd or flirty their reactions are down-right adorable.
The show itself though comes down to Uzaki herself. She is the catalyst for everything that happens in the show (hence) the title. As such the viewer's enjoyment of the show is gonna depend on whether or not they like Uzaki's Personality, which is very teasing, slightly annoying, and tomboy-ish. Personally i enjoyed her as a character, and appearance wise she was quite cute as well (even without her big knockers i think she'd be cute.....but what can i say, she has some nice melons) For the very sensitive people out there they could however interpret Uzaki's actions of trying to get her introverted senpai to hang out with her as being insensitive and essentially 'mocking' Sakurai's loner lifestyle. However i dont think there is any maliciousness behind her teasing. I took it to be Uzaki simply trying to get her senpai to 'live' a little bit more as he'd usually spend all of his days doing the same thing day in and day out, and usually alone. Granted Sakurai spends his days like that willingly, however one could also say that without Uzaki making efforts to try and spend time with him he'd never get himself into uncomfortable situations and as such 'grow' as a person.
The music, the art, and the sound were all enjoyable, and the three other characters that show up regularly to support both Sakurai and Uzaki were enjoyable in their own right, if a little static. I think my main gripe that i didnt realize until the end of the show was that the characters themselves are a little bit basic, we never get to see what Uzaki and Sakurai's hopes and dreams are or why they are going to college in the first place. However we do get glimpses of their inner life through their likes, dislikes, loves, and fears, but they feel more like sidenotes than actual nuance character qualities.
But overall i enjoyed my time with this show and i often found myself chuckling and sometimes laughing throughout the show. Its just good-natured fun, and a part of me found myself wishing that i had had a friend like Uzaki back in college myself. Despite her manic pixie dream-girl nature, Uzaki shows that we all need a little bit of unpredictability and change to make life a bit more bright and colorful and ultimately make memories that we can smile about long after that time has passed.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 25, 2020
This is a show, i feel, that was made for Fans of the Street Fighter games who are already familiar with the characters and their affiliations. Though there are some interesting threads such as learning how Ryu and Ken harness their Hadou power, and learning who trained Chun-Li and Fei Long in Martial Arts
for the most part the story is quite light and flighty with very little character development or plot-twists or turns. This is where the show falls flat the most for me as i was looking forward to learning more about who trained Ryu and Ken how to fight and how they deal
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with obstacles differently in their own way.
I also feel that Chun-Li, who is a great fighter in her own right, never got her time to shine in the show like she did in the Street Fighter II Movie.
If you are looking for a more in-depth look into the backstory or lore for Ken and Ryu id recommend the movie, Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist instead.
That being said this show is a good time if you are looking to see more of the brotherly interactions between Ken and Ryu as they travel the world seeking new opponents and challenges. The action is entertaining for the most part (as well as surprisingly bloody) and the art and music ranges from ok to really well done. I think the highlight of the show by far is it's portrayal of the famous Hadou-Ken and Shoryu-ken and the sheer power both these moves possess, as well as how these moves feel for Ryu and Ken respectively when they learn to harness them.
Personally i feel the show is a bit long winded, instead of 29 episodes i would have preferred around 24 but i didnt mind too much since i was having a good time. If you are looking for a similar experience i would recommend the alternate iteration of the show which is Street Fighter II: The Animated movie, which is a lot shorter but just as enjoyable as the show.
Overall I would recommend the show to fans of the games or fans of 90's anime, i think there is enough here to keep both of those audiences entertained for the most part. If you are not a fan of the games though i do not think this show will get you more invested in the games or the characters.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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