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“Show, don’t tell” - This is one of the most fundamental principles of smart and effective visual storytelling. Does “Oshi No Ko” abide by this golden rule? Not well enough really and this is perhaps my biggest criticism of the show after just finishing the first three episodes.

Music/Sound (6/10): Perfectly fine and sets the tone well. Nothing particularly notable to write about. Gets the job done.

Art/Animation (7/10): Appealing to the eyes and mostly clean, fluid animation and movement. Not really sure the character designs fit the overall themes of the show, but overall, no complaints

Story (6/10): Certainly the most unique and interesting part of ... the show. However, many plot elements feel overly odd, contrived, or under-explained, taking away from the narrative’s emotional weight and my ability to suspend disbelief. Pacing here is not bad, but seemed to be rushing towards the dramatic end of the prologue - this section could’ve been given far more breathing room and time to develop, deepening the impact of those final scenes (as such, my emotional investment in these events was severely stunted). Also, the narrative quality really dipped after AI’s death.

Characters (4/10): This is where the author fails to show and not tell. Don’t TELL me through forced dialogue or awkward inner monologue about this idol’s sad life. SHOW me how and why and what this actually means to the character through action NOT words. Otherwise, our lead teen idol was quite charming and likable. I do really wish they had more fully explored and fleshed out that looming melancholy before her eventual demise. Director-san is a cool guy and the surrogate mom manager at least had an interesting motivation (for a minute). But everyone else? Ehhh…. I’m not sold on the two reincarnates, especially our MC, who doesn’t really seem to have much of a well-defined personality or goal outside of his connection to his new mother. Also, his newfound desire to track down and kill Ai’s murderer came out of nowhere and seemed kinda extreme. This guy is supposed to be a former doctor, yet he never really acts like one. Ruby has a tragic backstory, yes, but her character traits are kinda hard to pin down, feeling more inconsistently written or convenient for the plot situations she’s put in than any of the other cast. Comedy is relatively good and pretty well-balanced, managing to crack a few smiles out of me.

Overall (5.5/10): This is an anime with an incredibly distinctive premise propped up by pleasing aesthetics, but let down by average, somewhat cliché characters, falling off in entertainment value after the initial hook, and constantly breaking the golden rule of the visual medium as mentioned earlier.

I am not going to say this as eloquently as others reviewing this show have, but in general, Violet is a slightly above average show. Of course, the art and animation is the crowning jewel of this creation. Otherwise, the show's premise was certainly unique, but it failed to explore in much depth the plot's many interesting facets. Moreover, the consistent side characters had a very weak presence in the story, hardly being fleshed out. The classic, heart-wrenching KyoAni touch was clearly present in this work. But in all honesty, this only served as temporary cover for the show's impoverished story. Overall, Violet Evergarden was ... gorgeous and friendly to the eyes, but really lacking in content and substance.

Wow, this anime is one of the most polarizing within the anime community in recent memory... I can't entirely blame people for being put-off by Rudy's often questionable behavior. On the other hand, even if you don't like the anime for that reason, it's hard to deny the sheer quality which oozes from practically every aspect of its production, direction, and writing. And if you do deny that, then I don't think you're being entirely honest with your evaluation of the show. For clarification, I am not saying you have to love Mushoku Tensei simply because it's well-made. The appreciation/enjoyment of art is purely subjective. ... However, if you are hesitant because of Rudy, just give the anime a fair shot. If you're not enjoying it by the end of episode 8, then it's likely this anime simply isn't for you. Anyways, here's my general analysis of the show.

The pacing is amazing, but not perfect (9/10). The world building is deeply immersive (10/10). The art direction, backgrounds, and animation are gorgeous, consistent, and, at times, genuinely stunning (10/10). The narrative is intriguing and plot points expertly interwoven, balancing its endearing, serious, and comedic moments well (9/10). The characters and their development are realistic and yet still entertaining and greatly engaging (10/10). The sound design is wistful and perfectly suits the setting (9/10). I would challenge anyone to find me an aspect of this show that it is not masterfully and carefully crafted with immense detail, wit, and attention. I truthfully believe the main reason this anime is not more highly rated or appreciated by the wider anime community is simply because of Rudeus’ perversion. However, his flaws are a necessity for displaying the grand purposes of this story which are growth, family, and redemption. And yes, he does develop as a character, but very little of it happens in this first season. This seemingly controversial aspect is my only major critique of the show. Overall, this is my favorite isekai anime so far, and as a source reader, I promise you the story will only get better.