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Jun 26, 2024
This show was definitely missed potential. It had a great setting, good music, endearing characters and themes, and incredible animation. However, the overall narrative was weak and failed to take advantage of its characters and settings.
Edens Zero had a great cast with excellent potential, but they were not explored enough at all. The series jumped from location to location to host a bunch of good versus evil fights, and it often felt like this was the primary function of the narrative. These fights are entertaining with their awesome animation, but the characters were often poorly utilized and the show lacked thematic depth. Homura and Hermit
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were standout characters who the story utilized very well, but otherwise these endearing characters were left without proper exploration. The settings were compelling at a surface level, but thematically were very basic. Sun Jewel as a setting could have been analyzed with much more drive to explore themes of oppression, but instead it was basic good versus evil fluff. Additionally, Edens Zero's fan service often felt overbearing and inappropriate, though it was also pretty easy to ignore.
Edens Zero was very basic. Even so, it was still an enjoyable watch, as disappointed as this review may seem. The characters and settings were great, even as the story seldom explored them. The cast was awesome to journey with, and the anime had an excellent presentation. It is just unfortunate that the narrative was so weak and simple outside of some standout moments. Honestly, I still enjoyed the show quite a bit, but more objectively speaking, it was just okay.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 26, 2024
This was decent. It told a good, compelling story with likable characters. However, it was also a rushed adaptation apparently, which makes sense considering the great amount of plot contrivances present. The story wants you to suspend your disbelief when it suddenly jumps to a different plot point when it feels like there was supposed to be something before it to connect the dots. The pacing did not necessarily feel fast; instead it seems like some important content was cut, so the story sometimes struggles to stay coherent. On the positive side, the setting and voice acting were very nice, and the visuals were beautiful.
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The character interactions were very enjoyable and there were some great dynamics. Even so, the animation was lackluster.
In all, this complete adaptation should have definitely been two cours instead of just one. The main flaw of the show is how incoherent its story could be because of the rushed nature of the adaptation. Still, it was a nice seasonal watch, though nothing super memorable either. It is enjoyable and recommended if you like the idea of a Victorian fantasy setting with some good character drama, though there are also better shows out there. Now that the show has finished airing for a while now, it is harder to recommend, though if you have spare time it could be a nice watch regardless.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 26, 2024
(Rewatching right now so disregard ep count) Shaman King 2021 is an anime which fans of battle shounen can really enjoy if they watch it with an open mind. While this polarizing reboot is definitely flawed in its pacing and animation, there is also a ton to like here. It tells an incredibly compelling story juggling various themes seamlessly, including cycles of hatred, past burdens, love, and of course the power of friendship. Both the anime and the manga wear their themes on their sleeves, making for some endearingly earnest storytelling. The characters all have excellent personalities and depth; Shaman King has one of my
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favorite casts in all of shounen media.
Shaman King 2021 has beautiful, very polished visuals. This and the excellent Japanese voice acting, great sound design, and Yuki Hayashi's masterful OST make it a consistently compelling experience. The anime unfortunately has limited animation for many of the fights, but the visual presentation and sound do a good job of making up for the lackluster movement. It is a shame that the manga's crisp, dynamic fight artwork did not translate into smooth movement in the anime, but the anime's presentation makes for an experience that is still worth watching even if one has read the manga.
The source material's story and characters still shine brightly in this reboot. However, the pacing is all over the place. All viewers, especially those not familiar with the manga, should come in with the expectation that the show will be FAST. Otherwise, viewers could easily get whiplash that could ruin their experience. The first four episodes in particular are rather messy, making the show daunting for newcomers. It is undoubtedly a rushed adaptation that needed at least 10-20 more episodes. While the staff definitely did the best they could, some of the adaptational decisions made were baffling. The anime rushed through episodes 1-9, then slowed the pacing down for episodes 10-34, and finally subsequently rushed to the end. Those middle episodes had the best pacing, but ended up cutting into time that could have been used to improve the beginning and ending stretches. Furthermore, there were definitely dialogue and gags that could have been cut, but remained anyway. Many complain about rushed adaptations streamlining and cutting content, but this anime should have actively done that more instead of rushing its way through every panel of the manga. Even so, the pacing is not a death blow to this anime. Even if someone has not read the manga, as long as a viewer is prepared for the fast pacing and does their best to keep up and accept it, it could be a thoroughly enjoyable experience that captures the magic of the original story and characters. The voice acting, OST, and visual presentation all do wonders in telling a worthy interpretation of the manga's content. The pacing, though hindering, does not ruin the overall experience so long as the viewer accepts it as it is.
Shaman King 2021 is understandably polarizing. However, while far from the optimal adaptation, it is still a good one given the constraints. The source material is superbly written, and this carries over to the anime and is even amplified by the show's excellent presentation. However, the animation leaves much to be desired and the pacing is a great hindrance to a potential viewer's enjoyment. It is a show that should be recommended with a giant asterisk-- It is fast and the viewer needs to be ready for it. So long as the viewer can accustom themself to the pacing, it should be a great time.
Manga readers should also check out this adaptation with an open mind. It has plenty of great qualities. It is a shame it got the short end of the stick in some ways, but for what it is, it is worth watching even when the manga remains the definitive experience.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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