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Jun 1, 2024
Demon Slayer is an agonizing snore-fest, and I'm genuinely surprised it received such high praise.
The story itself is boilerplate. The main character witnesses his family murdered by a demon, and becomes a demon slayer to enact revenge; additionally, his sister is the only survivor and turns into a demon herself, and he vows to return her humanity. It's an interesting premise that shounen fans would feel comfortable pursuing.
But obnoxious, one-dimensional characters overwhelm any engaging plot — in particular, one named Zenitsu. You meet this character around the sixth episode and, without exaggeration, he becomes the most insufferable people in any show that I've
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watched. The central gimmick is that he's a coward, and he uses all of his screen-time to remind you of this.
When Zenitsu isn't sobbing uncontrollably about his fear of demons, he's harassing women to marry him. The dichotomy between that and his unrelenting cowardice creates one of the most paper-thin characters I've seen. It's so overpowering that a couple episodes with him becomes the ultimate litmus test in whether you want to continue the show.
But the cardboard characters don't end there. The protagonist, Tanjiro, is about as cookie-cutter as they come. He's the moral compass of the show; compassionate, understanding, et cetera; but you're reminded of this every single episode. Like the writers were afraid you would forget that Tanjiro is the good guy.
This reminder comes from exposition-dumping. It could be minutes-long dialogue about protecting his sister no matter the cost, or monologues where he just describes the events you just watched. Tanjiro becomes more an encyclopedia rather than a meaningful character with depth and development.
Now, credit where it's due. Demon Slayer is a visually-stunning anime with a great budget. The combat sequences are really engaging and brutal, which makes for some good episodes. But ultimately, I feel it's spoiled by everything else. Even by shounen standards, I don't feel Demon Slayer brings anything to table that another shounen couldn't.
If you're interested, watch about ten episodes. You'll get a decent understanding of the formula, as well as the mainstay characters. If you're still enjoying from that point, keep going! There's more of that ahead. If you aren't, I'm afraid it doesn't get much better and I'd recommend checking out other shows.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Jul 26, 2017
Death Parade revolves around an area in the afterlife where humans are judged, ultimately deciding whether they ascend to heaven or fall through the void for eternity. Typically, two recently deceased people arrive and are given a game to play. To their knowledge, they believe that they are still alive and this game is for their survival. The gimmick is that the outcome of the game doesn't matter, but the actions that these people exhibit do instead. The game is only used to judge whether a human deserves to ascend or not which is the most interesting part of Death Parade.
The reason that this is
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such an awesome narrative is that the idea of judging humans through arbitration raises an incredible sum of questions. As you start to learn more about the process, you'll notice these aforementioned questions come up. Why should these arbiters be the only judged? Are these games really coaxing out the true nature of the human or only creating it? What does it take to judge a human after death and how can one reasonably say whether or not one person is much more moral and ethical than any other? This is the crux of Death Parade and it facilitates some great discussions.
The greatest thing about it is that it never treats you like a child. The entire conception of Death Parade was ambiguity; it never allows a proper, linear answer to the questions that it's posing. Rather, it allows you to postulate on these questions and in that case, you almost become an arbiter yourself. Every episode speaks volumes on mature topics such as life, death, sacrifice, and survival. It makes you wonder what you might do in this situation and teases out confusion from your morale compass. Between life or death, what would you really do in a game that decides such a heavy outcome?
Every character seems like they springboard these things too. The characters all have their own views on this arbitration process that really make you think. Some characters even have breakdowns and you can see the ambivalence that even the judges have towards being the ultimate decider of fate. Although I believe that Death Parade could have expanded a bit on why this institution of adjudicators exist in the first place, I think that they did all they could within the amount of episodes they allotted themselves. I felt like I was slightly let down, but the ending was satisfying enough that I could let it slide this one time.
As for the art and animation, I thought it was pretty typical. There were some really interesting scenes with beautiful colors, but overall there wasn't much of a wow factor for me. That isn't to say that it's bad; just nothing to write home about. The musical score is about the same. The opening was pretty good (as most will say), but the soundtrack wasn't very impressive to me. It was enough that it filled in the silence really well, but not much else in any other aspect of Death Parade.
My final verdict is that Death Parade is worth the watch if you're looking for something adult, mature, and serious. Even if you're not looking for something that you can think on for days to come, I think fans of the more generic, action-oriented anime will like the show for the conception of the game itself. It was really cool watching some characters fall prey to deep, visceral human emotion while they played the game which makes Death Parade kind of a catch-all anime, in my opinion. Overall, it was an uncomfortable anime, but one that brought up important questions with a fun and entertaining narrative.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 11, 2017
Pan de Peace! is stale (bread).
People might say that you shouldn't be critical of something that is only two minutes per episode, but I beg to differ. Having such a small run-time doesn't exempt the show from criticism and even the most lenient of reviewers would be hard pressed to find even a fragment of enjoyment out of this show. You see, the problem that this show faces is that it has one job: to be adorable.
It doesn't market itself with an intriguing narrative, great sound design, or even good art. At face value, this show is attempting to provide you with moe -
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that's it. While I'm not an expert on moe, having your characters drawn half-baked and giving them pointless dialogue doesn't make for good allure. From the first episode, when one of the characters is screaming to their mother about how much she loves her, I could tell that I was in for an eye-rolling, teeth-grinding experience.
Sure enough, I was.
The show takes these characters nowhere. Regardless of how "turn-your-brain-off" this show was meant to be, nothing ever happens. The entire show is literally just four characters eating bread in different locations, sometimes spitting out obscure facts related to bread in the process. Honestly, there is no saving grace for this anime. Everything is mediocre and that only proves to exacerbate the problems that Pan de Peace suffers from.
If you want to do yourself a disservice, go ahead and give it a shot. As many others have said, it's only two minutes per episode, so you really don't have that much to lose. Regardless, I would still be wary of finding any modicum of fun out of this series. If you want good four-panel anime adaptations, I'm sure you can find a bunch more that fit your liking. Whatever it is you're searching for, you won't find it here, I promise you that.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Mar 2, 2017
From the synopsis of Under the Dog, I almost debated taking it off my list.
It was a triple threat for me. High school meets action with banal characters - just awful. Despite this, it was only around a half an hour long, so I doubled down and ran through it expecting it to be as terrible as I had predicted. Fortunately, I was pretty shocked. The action was well animated, the characters weren't entirely as cardboard as I thought, and the story (even though ambiguous) actually had me pining for more.
Most of the mistakes that Under the Dog made were positively shadowed by good
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performance, well-adjusted sound design, and an attractive plot. The level of detail put into some of the scenes made me smile, which is usually something I don't normally experience when I watch anime. I was impressed by how much authenticity the scenes had, as well. This wasn't flash-bang Naruto-sequence fighting; it was choreographed, meticulous, and damn entertaining.
Some people might not agree, but I thought for the story that this anime tried to portray, it did a good job. While I think it fell victim to many mistakes that other shows do, it surely makes up for it in any other aspect. If you are debating, I would honestly just give it a shot. It's only a half hour of your time and you might be pleasantly surprised - I know I was.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 12, 2017
To preface this review, Shigurui portrays violence with extreme detail.
Even if you are someone who can endure graphic depictions of violence, I would caution you that Shigurui takes it to places that are unnecessarily vicious. I am someone who has a strong stomach, but this show made me wretch nearly every episode. Despite the disturbing imagery, the series does nothing with it, instead relying on shock factor alone to keep people interested. If the violence somehow supplemented a meaningful story, I might have given it a better rating, but nothing in this show is coherent and often feels like gore is just a cop-out
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for lack of narrative.
Admittedly, the show started off from a relatively interesting place. A Lord is holding a tournament that involves his samurai , but where these were originally fought with wooden swords, he has altered the rules for them to fight with real swords instead. To augment this story, Shigurui attempts to show the politics of the period, as well as add to the development of the characters that will be fighting against each other, through flashbacks. Seems pretty cool, right? Unfortunately for you, there is nothing interesting in these flashbacks at all. To sum up most episodes, it's a camera pan between two rival warriors until the screen goes white, a sword slash occurs, and someone's head rolls onto the ground.
As for the soundtrack and art, they are both just as dull as everything else. The soundtrack is usually just a bunch of cicadas and a couple smacks on a drum; not much else to say there. The art is just as lackluster, being almost completely washed out, save for the few moments where blood is splattering all over the screen. They made sure to make that nice and bright for you, just in case you missed that eye explosion scene. It was clear they were trying to emphasize it through their color choices, but it doesn't save Shigurui from having distasteful art all together.
To sum it all up, I cannot recognize any redeeming qualities in this anime. Many tout this as a mature series, but it just seems like they used an uninspired narrative to justify making unreasonable amounts of graphic violence and sex. If you feel like you can stomach the show, then run through the first episode and see what you think. The first episode is about the same pace and tone of the rest of the episodes, so if you like that, then you'll like the rest. Other than that, I would stay away from this one at all costs.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Feb 24, 2016
While I'm a huge fan of Toradora, I made the mistake of thinking that anything Toradora-related would be great. Chibi versions of my favorite characters in a silly, four episode special? What could go wrong! Unfortunately, plenty of things. I actually found myself fast-forwarding out of irritation with how poor the first couple episodes were treated. The art is sporadic, the dialogue is not aligned with the character personalities I've experienced from the original series, and the premise of SOS is awful.
The episodes follow the same theme. Taiga and crew start off at school, usually prattling on about some sort of food tasting poor.
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Ryuji, being the food expert, exclaims that the food in question is actually really good because they've never had it cooked properly. They go to a restaurant called Jonny's so that Ryuji can change their mind about the rating of the food they were talking about earlier in the episode. Minori chimes in, challenging Ryuji to some eating competition. They eat two servings of food, Ryuji talks about the historical background of the food for a solid forty-five seconds, and Kitamura declares the winner at the end.
The dialogue is where I was mostly put-off, especially when it came to Ryuji. It was difficult to sit through his lectures on how, "Curry is cooked differently in various households and some families use pig innards for meat," or how, "In the 1970s, people followed a practice called the Triangular Order." While these may be interesting facts about the food present in the episode, it becomes irritating when it drones on for nearly a minute. I supposed I expected more between characters and dialogue that was relative to the parent series, rather than a history lesson on food.
I wasn't a big fan of the art, either. It seemed like they were going for something cutesy and minimal in attempts to make it relative to the chibi characters, but it honestly just seemed rushed. I especially didn't enjoy the design for the characters, where each of them had something on their head based on their nicknames in the parent series. Taiga wore cat ears, Ami had dog ears (for being a dumb-chi), and Minori had some sort of flower. I thought the show could have done without those, as it ended up being more a mess on top of an already really disheveled art-style.
Overall, I was expecting something far different from what I received. I was frustrated watching this and ended up forwarding through most of the episodes. I was annoyed with the characters for acting so out-of-place, particularly Ryuji that kept giving long lectures on the food in the episode. The only positive of this series is that it's only four episodes, all with a five minute duration. I would venture to say that this is not worth watching in the least, but if you're a fan of this type of anime, then maybe you can find enjoyment out of it. Otherwise, stay away from Toradora!: SOS!
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Feb 23, 2016
Psycho Pass takes place in a dystopian Japan, where technology has been enhanced to actively monitor the very nature of human beings in attempts to measure how apt they are to commit crime. This technology is enforced by a criminal investigation division called The Public Safety Bureau, where designated officers are advised of individuals that have been analyzed and defined as a latent criminal. There job is to implement their investigation and prosecute - or execute - these people in attempts to police a nation and uphold the laws of their technology - the Sibyl System.
As Psycho Pass continues to show the Sibyl System juxtaposed
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against the criminals who are being sought after, you find that the show isn't as black and white as you may initially have thought. In fact, the entire series becomes a large thought experiment as you question the morality of such technology and the detriments this could bring to an otherwise traditional society. These thoughts become even more apparent when they introduce the series' main antagonist, Shogo Makishima, who is dead-set on ending the Sibyl System and returning Japan to a society far before the enhancement of technology. You may find yourself questioning whether or not he is the antagonist anyway, as his dialogue showcases his devotion to the human race.
This is where I believe the story is genius. After watching the twenty-two episodes given, I have found myself repeatedly wondering who I was rooting for. It seems as though every character has their own morality that you're keeping track of, constantly questioning whether it resembles your own. As if this wasn't enough to keep my interest, the battles between all of these characters are highly engaging. Most scenes are gritty and involved; ones that are very methodical, going against the very energetic (and sometimes overwhelming) fights that usually take place in shonen anime like Naruto or Fairy Tale.
These fights would be nothing without the music, however. The spirit of the music pairs very well with this anime. I was actually really surprised with how much I enjoyed the soundtrack, as I usually remember most of them as uninspired background noise. Psycho Pass has a very unique soundtrack. The highs of the soundtrack are fast-paced and intensity can be felt almost immediately after the track plays. The lows of the soundtrack are distressing and haunting, which seem to flow well with scenes that are meant to be emotional. I think Psycho Pass would have suffered greatly if the current music was not implemented.
Unfortunately, this anime comes with a few gripes. In particular, the main character Inspector Tsunemori, who is increasingly frustrating as episodes go on. As she is brought on to be an inspector, she is given gruesome experiences with the Sibyl System and her job as an inspector, yet she continues to uphold the utmost respect for it all. The story would hint that her definition of justice was being changed as time went on, but I was waiting for her to express it. To compromise with her thoughts and show her true feelings towards what she had been through, what she had done, and what the Sibyl System was becoming would have made her character much more enjoyable.
Another gripe may come from the ending. This wasn't entirely awful, but I was expecting something much more impressive. Without giving anything away, I would describe the ending as anti-climactic. This isn't to say that the ending of the series didn't have meaning; it had plenty of it, including many of the characters transforming into what you might hope them to be as the series moves forward, but the last episode just didn't compare to the adrenaline rush of the episodes before it. Again, not to say that it was disappointing, but rather leaving something to be desired - which may or may not be answered in the next season.
All-in-all, Psycho Pass has cemented itself as a staple of science fiction anime. The themes are thought-provoking, engaging, and provocative; which makes for characters that can thrive in an environment that never ceases to amaze. The music pairs smoothly with the animation and seamlessly captivates its audience with an enticing story. This has quickly become one among my favorites list and I believe you'll feel the same way coming out of it. Definitely set some time aside to watch this anime through, I guarantee you'll thank me for it!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 30, 2016
As other people say, this isn't some random string used for the animation. The red string was picked specifically because, based on Eastern culture, a red string is tied around the two people that are destined to meet. It originated from Chinese culture where it is said that Yuè Xià Lǎorén, the lunar god of marriages, ties a string of destiny around two people that are considered soulmates. Akai Ito should be praised for bringing attention to a cultural belief that I think is incredibly fascinating and romantic.
Though, however strong Akai Ito is in that respect, this anime was bound to have its inevitable pitfalls.
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See, this anime paints you a picture with only a white backdrop and a single red string. Which can be quite impressive when you see the sheer detail put into this project, but with this amount of detail, you'll find that some images don't exactly sync in your mind. I had to re-watch a couple of times because my eyes were not telling me what was on screen. This was no fault to Akai Ito, given the inherent design of the project itself, but it was a bit confusing when I first watched.
It also shows a story that has no characters, but only silhouettes that give the animation an almost lacking personality. I'll always think back to this as, "The anime with the red string," but I couldn't give much more of a description for it, given that there really isn't anything else to grab onto character-wise. In other words, you'll come for the art and not the story that's given to you through the anime itself.
All-in-all, it was fair. Like I said, without any characters or tangible story, Akai Ito can be easily forgotten. However, this is something that comes naturally to the anime given that there's only so much you can do with a single string. In that respect, it's very impressive. In any other department, it's something to be watched once, enjoyed, then left for someone else.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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