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INTRODUCTION:

Boku dake ga Inai Machi, or ERASED, is a single cour anime set in 2006 Japan, featuring a world almost exactly as ours. The only exception to that is the existence of Fujinuma Satoru, a guy who sometimes goes back in time for a period of a few minutes, so it is possible for him to alter the recent past. This event is called by him as "Revival", and always happens when someone near him is in immediate danger. Thus, this is a driving force for him to save said person. However, after we are introduced to the cast, a major event happens in Satoru's ... life, which prompts the phenomenon to occur once again, though now in a major way.

The anime involves psychological drama, mystery, time-travel shenanigans and hints of romance throughout its story. While its premise is not original, we can analyze all aspects revolving it.


PLOT:

The aforementioned event sends Satoru back to 1988, when he was only eleven years old. In that year, he must solve the mistery of his classmates' murder, Hinazuki Kayo, an event that originally stuck in his mind. He believes her death is linked to the reason he went back in time, so he acts in order to save her and alter the future. The anime intertwines both years, 1988 and 2006, following Satoru's struggles to solve this mystery. Anyone familiar to the butterfly effect will recognize what is going on here: the concept is exactly the same, change something in the past and hope to alter the future for the better.

Nonetheless, the anime manages to invest us in the characters, making us root for them and their machinations, and this is the strongest point of this anime. We fear for them. We relate to them. We want the good guys to succeed and the bad guys to have their due punishments. I can safely say that almost all characters are likeable, disregarding corner cases. Satoru is an interesting character, either as an adult or as a child, and he tries to act for not only his own sake, but for the others' as well. His mother is strong, witty and cunning. Kayo is simply amazing, and she is the most developed character. Airi, Kenya, Hiromi and all the others are all enjoyable ones as well. My main gripe is with the main antagonist, whose identity is not as mysterious as the anime wants it to be, and whose motives are quite odd and rather uninteresting. Still, the cast as a whole is absolutely lovable.

While the art is pretty standard, it is good enough to fit the theme. Characters' design is pretty alright, and so is the animation itself. The same can be said about the sound design - nothing to be remembered, neither due to good or due to bad reasons. It must be noted that the opening and the endings are great songs, however.

At times, ERASED made me anxious about the events happening, in a great way. From times to times, it did extract a fine mix of sentiments from me - anger, fear, relief, joy or pity, for example. It is not frequent that an anime does that to me, and when it does, it is a great thing. It is unlike other regular, lower quality shows that do not evoke that.

To end, I have some things to note. Frequently, episodes ended in cliffhangers, which some may not enjoy. The first part of the show was more enjoyable to watch and to develop, whereas the second part featured the inevitable closure of the not-so-mysterious mystery. The latter wasn't as impactant as the former, perhaps due to the feeling of rush I felt while watching it, or perhaps due to how things did play out in the end. Also, the whole Revival phenomenon isn't exactly explained, it is just a plot device without any other relevance, which is just a little bit disappointing. Perhaps it could have used a few more episodes to flesh out some of its problems.


CONCLUSION:

Boku dake ga Inai Machi features amazing characters and their interactions. While the story itself is alright, I could not stop watching episode after episode, craving for more of Satoru, Kayo, and the rest. Assuredly, as a manga adaptation, there is nothing more to come, and that is a good thing, besides my feelings towards it. There is no room to continue the story from where it ends. I do recommend it to those who have slight interest in the theme and are unsure about it.

INTRODUCTION:

Kujira no Kora is set on a fictional world, where people live on top of a floating island, or the "Mud Whale", as they call it. However, the island sails not on a sea of water, but on a sea of sand - akin to Final Fantasy XII's Nam-Yensa and Ogir-Yensa Sandseas. The inhabitants know nothing about the fate of mainland humans, so they sail alone, in a neverending journey with no destination.

The anime also features magic: the vast majority of people living there are "marked", which can be used for a plethora of things - aim assist, defence, moving objects and so on. People ... are either born with or without it, the latter being known as "unmarked". For an unknown reason, marked ones have a shorter lifespan - they can't live much past 30. Due to that, administration is left to those who can acquire more life experience and knowledge.

As an adaptation from the homonymous manga, Kujira no Kora is a dramatic shoujo within an amazing and unique setting. The question remains: can it live up to its expectation?


PLOT:

One of these days, another island is found afloat - as a somewhat uncommon recurrence, it is a mean to gather resources for survival. Main character Chakuro finds there an enigmatic and dangerous girl, Lykos, and brings her home with him. At first, it feels like Kujira no Kora is a light-hearted exploration and adaptation anime. However, later events completely change the anime's tone: tragedy befalls upon the whole island. What follows from there is a dramatic, interesting sequence of events. Unfortunately, the plot suffers from both bad pacing, mostly from weirdly-timed climaxes, and bad narrative, which comes from overdramatic focus on specific events. The anime tries too hard to surprise us with misfortune and pain, and it fails miserably. Still, it is a show about survival - after the storm, life goes on, and the show portrays that in a fine manner.

Besides Chakuro and Lykos, Ouni is the third main character. Despite them being the main trio, they aren't well developed as the anime goes on - which is a problem with the entire cast. All characters, and I mean ALL, are simply... boring. I could not care at all about Ouni's desires, Chakuro's inner battles nor Lykos' struggle. Besides them, Suou is the most important ally and the one who gets frequent screen time, and Liontari is what is portrayed as a maniac enemy, a character I utterly despise. Shuan, Sami, Nibi, Neri, Ginshu, the Elders and all the others feel like filler characters, existing just for rushed plot points. I wish this were a 24 episode anime, so each of them could have been explored and developed.

I'm split in two regarding the art direction - effects and backgrounds are incredibly beautiful, being what looks like hand-drawn. Despite that, I hate most of characters' look, as I feel they don't fit the atmosphere. I wish they weren't so "anime-y" just so they could match the environment around them. The sound direction is mesmerizing, it being Kujira no Kora's strongest part. Beautiful piano melodies fit melancholic scenes perfectly, while cheerful songs made us feel on-par with the happy moments around the island.

There are also a few more things to note. Some deus-ex machina bullshit happens with certain characters, which should have been avoided. The inhabitants of the island are densely stupid regarding fighting strategy, though there is an implicit excuse to that. Most of the misteries are explained, though some are either badly shown or left out for a sequel, which is a cue to another point: the show features an open end, which may or may not satisfy viewers. I didn't mind it, though some might.


CONCLUSION:

Kujira no Kora is a wasted potential. I wanted it to be great, though it was just a fine anime. It did not live up to my expectations. It left the same sour taste in my mouth as Lost Song did, which is not a good thing.

The worldbuilding is simply amazing, featuring both solid art and sound directions. The story itself is fine, though it could have been way better if it had fewer of the aforementioned problems. The characters are definitely the weakest link - too much time was wasted on drama I simply couldn't care about. It would have been better spent if it focused on character development, which is also lacking in many ways. Too many characters may not completely ruin an anime, though it can deter from the main ones. All in all, despite its flaws, I enjoyed watching this, and I would definitely watch a second season, should one miraculously come.

INTRODUCTION:

Nande Koko ni Sensei ga!? is a borderline-hentai ecchi featuring perverted teachers which are into some of their students. Each episode of twelve minutes is separated into two parts, each of them containing its own closed series of event to showcase the teachers' naked body.

This is going to be a short review, as there isn't much to evaluate.


PLOT:

There is actually no plot followed here - there is only a concept that a teacher is attracted by a student and that she frequently gets semi or fully naked in front of him by pure chance. Whenever there is an interaction with their bodies by a student, ... it is also by chance. All this is done in a joking fashion: she never really intends to get naked, though she is always quite alright with the situation. Every three episodes, the two current main characters change, so we can't get attached to any of them. All guys are friends from the same school, and they all have affection towards a different one of their hot, young, gifted teachers.

As you can imagine, the series features little to no character background, motivation or development. It hints at some background sometimes, though I can't recall more than two of the eight characters' ones. There is no room for that in a series as short as this one, with a focus on jokes and on exposing the female body. After finishing episode 12, I can't even remember the names of any of the eight characters, which says something about this anime.

However, all is not lost. The art style is quite good, there is a good usage of bright colors and shadows, and, in general, characters are pretty. The one grip I have with this is that, for all teachers, their breasts are bigger than their own head, which is probably the norm for this type of anime. Regarding the sound direction, I really did not pay attention to it, which is to say I did not love it nor did I hate it. Characters voiceovers were fine, as well as... their... moans and groans.

At first, the jokes were surprisingly funny, though they grew old quickly. By the time the third set of characters entered the scene, I was mostly unsurprised, and neither did I laugh at the absurd events as I previously did. Each episode followed the same pattern: Student does something somewhere and his teacher is there as well, which surprises him; they talk a bit and he wonders about the whole situation; she showcases her amazing body to him due to an absurd event; they both leave that place, wondering what had just happened. Rinse and repeat this for the second part of the episode, and all of this for all episodes.


CONCLUSION:

What will I remember the most about this anime? The female body nakedly showcased due to absurd circumstances - and that is despite having watched the censored version. Some of the jokes were cool and did made me laugh out loud, though most of them were underwhelming. This s not an anime for everyone - it definitely wasn't for me. Still, I believe it is good to watch something different once in a while.

*This anime was watched due to the Wheel of Obligation Anime Watching Challenge*
*This will be a review for both DNA² and DNA² OVA (episodes 01-15)*

INTRODUCTION:

DNA², an adaptaton from the manga, is set in our world during the nineties - the current decade when the anime was released. There is nothing unusual in this anime regarding to the setting - that is, besides the fact that a person came from the future to change another one and, possibly, save Earth's future. In that timeline, earth was suffering with overpopulation, which was mainly a single man's fault.

The anime, despite being mainly a comedic, romantic ecchi, features some ... battle shounen elements. Dragon Ball had been finding tremendous success by then, and a number of animes tried to implement some of its characteristics, with varying degrees of success. Unfortunately, DNA² is no exception to this.


PLOT:

Aoi Karin, a teenager from about one hundred years from when the story happens, is tasked to return to the past to prevent Momonari Junta from turning into Mega-Playboy - the one who impregnated a hundred different women, generating a cascade effect. By shooting him with a DNA altering bullet, he would never become Mega-Playboy, and the world would be saved. However, Karin is your typical clumsy protagonist, and she shoots a wrong DNA altering bullet through Junta, which prompts him to have eventual spasms of "Mega-Playboyness". When in that form, Junta has three main changes: women simply can't resist his manliness and immediately fall in love with him; he becomes stronger and more agile; and, lastly, he starts acting like... well... a ladiesman. Still, the change is not permanent, so Karin still tries to make things right.

The interesting thing is that Junta has this weird disease in which he is allergic to girls - even though he wants to hang out with girls, when he sees a female body, he simply can't resist puking. Poor guy.

The concept itself is as absurd as it sounds and, despite the initial curiosity one might feel, the plot isn't something to marvel at. It is, in fact, the anime's main weakness - don't expect complex events nor major plot twists. Knowing this, you can enjoy the show for what it is - a comedic (major trait) romance (minor trait), which it does impeccably. There are some simply genius situations which made me literally laugh out loud, unexpectedly.

I found the entire cast pretty likeable (except for Ryuji, F this guy). Junta makes you feel unconfortable, whereas his MP counterpart makes you cheer for him. Karin is probably what others would call "moe material", as she is cute and quite pretty. Kurimoto Ami is probably the most relatable person in the entire anime. Saeki Tomoko and Takanashi Kotomi are both great characters as well, and their lives are pretty well explored. When the anime ended, the reason I felt the most sorrowful was that I wouldn't be seeing the characters again.

The art style is definitely on-par with the epoch in which it was released. Episode's 1 prologue made me feel I was watching Buma coming out of the aircraft. Shadows are well explored, as are the expressions. Character's design are 90's standard material - Junta looks like a Yami Yugi and Goku mashup, which I do appreciate. Despite that, some special effects are simply terrible - the transformation to Mega-Playboy Junta is what comes to my mind. all in all, the art is fine. The sound direction at first did not amaze me - however, as the anime went on, I felt that it did fit the atmosphere. There is one small arc towards the middle of the anime in which music is somewhat important - that part was simply the most memorable for me.

Unfortunately, as I pointed out in the introduction, DNA² features battle shounen elements. Notably, this change happens mainly towards the end - I felt that from episode 11 onwards I was watching another anime. Gone was what made the anime fun - Junta's interaction with all different females, Karin's clumsiness, Ami's insecurities, and all the small details that were featured here and there. "Well, at least the story moved forward", is what I can say about the ending. Episodes 11 and 12 were mostly awful due to a mini-arc. The OVA was also unsatisfying - its main problem is that it had three single episodes - by all that happened, it feels like it could have been at least half a season. The entire ending felt rushed and inadequate - I wasn't watching the anime for action, but that is what I got. The characters then introduced had no time to be developed at all, I simply couldn't care for them. I read somewhere that the manga does a better job regarding this, so the anime must have suffered from a budget problem.

There are some other things I want to point out as well. Some interactions are bittersweet, making you care for the characters in question. The initial battle-shounen reference at the beginning of the anime was actually pretty good, it did catch me by surprise (in a good manner). As this is an ecchi, the female body was frequently depicted semi-naked or in tight clothing, and the camera angles favoured this as well. Also, for some reason, the fact that Karin could contact her boss from the future while still in the present made me mildly amused. Oh, and Junta's mom is the best.


CONCLUSION:

Despite the ending, I can safely say that DNA² was a blast to watch. I can't stress enough that my time with the show was over the top - up until episode 10 it was a solid 8, perhaps even deserving a 9. The problem is that the ending did leave a bad taste in my mouth - it was not what the fans deserved, it was not what the anime needed; it was simply a product of its time's popular shows. I will still recommend it to people, though I'll make sure to warn them about its flaws. One of these days I may check out the manga to know what the anime missed, changed or added.

INTRODUCTION:

Akatsuki no Yona is set in a fictional, medieval world, reminiscent of ancient China. The peninsula in which the story happens is divided into kingdoms, each having its own political system. The Kingdom of Kouka, where the plot is set, contains five different tribes which have a say in the actions of the king.

The world of Akatsuki no Yona does not feature magic, thus all battle conflicts are resolved by old melee and ranged weapons - swords, pikes, bow and arrow and such weapons. However, old tales feature dragons which have inserted their blood in different people, and that blood was passed to each new ... generation. Those with dragon blood are called "dragons", and they own a draconic limb - arms, legs or eyes for example. They aren't exactly "magical", though they do feature improved, inhuman senses.


PLOT:

Yona is the princess of Kouka Kingdom, daughter of King Il, and the only heir to the throne. As a pretty, closed-mind and blissful girl, she is unaware of the current situation and the events outside her father's castle. Upon a coup d'etat by fellow cousin Soo-Won, she manages to escape alive with her squire and close friend Hak. Now homeless, she begins a journey to meet with the dragons to require their assistance to make justice. Away from home, she faces hunger, pain, conflict and despair, things that she had never faced prior.

The story revolves around this search and Yona's growth both as a person and as a leader. It is an idea that has been done in the past - however, due to its intricacies, characters and worldbuilding, it is distinct enough to other stories. Akatsuki no Yona's characters are, for the most part, well-developed and interesting, with a beautiful design and clear motivations. Yona herself is a prime example of a marvellous, wondrous character - we watch her physical and mental struggles, as she tries to improve herself, as well as her access to the harsh reality, a knowledge she previously lacked. Besides her, the rest of her troupe feature an interesting backstory, though they aren't developed as much as she is.

What strikes me the most about Akatsuki no Yona's visuals are Yona's eyes - the studio did an amazing job conveying her emotions as a whole, and her eyes do reflect perfectly what she is feeling at said moment. Besides that, all characters are pretty, featuring vibrant colors and beautiful faces as a whole. The use of lighting techniques makes the world a pleasant to be watched, despite being so present in today's animes. The sound direction is adequate to the show's setting and the voices' dubs feel in-character. Besides that, it is nothing out of the ordinary.

There are some other things I want to point out as well. Interaction between certain characters generate funny snippets that did make me laugh pleasantly, approaching a more "comic", 2D style which definitely adds to the experience. The romantic interests of Yona are also explored, which actually fits this anime pretty well. Fortunately, there is no fan-service whatsoever in this whole anime - it really does not belong here.


CONCLUSION:

Akatsuki no Yona is an amazing anime which was a pleasure to watch. Few are the scenes which I felt unneeded or unfitting for the show. Is also packs the entire "emotion package" - it made me laugh delightfully; it made me feel sadness and compassion; it made me worried and blissful; however, none of them were felt in extremes.

Since the original source is still being published, it is unfortunate that the anime version ends in the beginning of the story - 47 chapters out of currently 176. Nonetheless, I still recommend the show to whoever is interested in it. Should a second season come, I'll be definitely watching it.

*This anime was watched due to the Wheel of Obligation Anime Watching Challenge*

INTRODUCTION:

Cynical Hysterie Hour: Yoru wa Tanoshii, or Through the Night, is the third in a series of four shorts written by Kiriko Kubo, adapted from her mangas. The show happens in Japan and focuses on a single day of main character Tsuneko, featuring light-hearted, subtle comedy.

Since this is a short movie, it is quite hard to not spoil some of its content, even though it happens early on the show.


PLOT:
...
Being limited to less than eight minutes, the plot is straightforward: Tsuneko, a young girl, explains to the audience that she is tired of going to bed early every single day, and that she wishes a night without her parents around. She hears about people cooking marvellous ramen late at night, and so she wants to do so as well, for example. One of these days, upon arriving at home, her brother Suneo tells her that their parents actually wouldn't be comming home that night - which is exactly what Tsuneko desired. Thus, the anime's secondary title "Through the Night" explains what happens next.

The story, or rather the "concept" itself is not anything to be fondly remembered, as you may imagine. Nonetheless, the interaction between the siblings and Tsuneko's somewhat mischievous acts did put a smile on my face. There was a particular moment, one third still remaining, which made me literally laugh out loud. That short piece of humor is exotic, I'd say, and I don't expect everyone to laugh at it as I did. That's what I'll be remembering from this show years on from now.

Regarding the art style, it looks pretty "80ish", as it is when it de facto aired. What surprised me is that it all feels fluid, and that the characters' expressions are pretty well defined. You could see emotions such as joy, anger and fear stamped on Tsuneko's face and her brother's. The studio also makes good use of exaggeration techniques, growing the size of limbs whenever it is fit, for example. You won't find beautiful background, vibrant colors of particle effects, though, as expected from a late 80s real-life comedic short movie.

What shines the most is the sound design, however. The soundtrack is phenomenal and it manages to set the tone of the scenes in which it appears perfectly. Being a comedy, silly sound effects occurred from interactions are also well-placed, right on spot. While I'm not a fan of those, it definitely fits the movie. Besides that, it may as well be said that there are both stereo audio and depth perception, as the sound's volume and location changes as the characters move around - this is a fine detail which must be taken into consideration.


CONCLUSION:

All in all, Cynical Hysterie Hour: Yoru wa Tanoshii was a delight to watch. Unfortunately, I could not find neither english subtitles nor english voice acting for the short movie, so I had to resort to a certain person to explain it to me. Fortunately, the plot isn't complex, and with the general idea of what I described here you can already watch it, even if you don't speak japanese, and you'll be just fine. After watching this, I'm curious to know what the other three shorts are about, as the quality for this one was surprisingly high. I was definitely not expecting what I received for a less-than-eight-minutes movie.

*This will be a review for both High Score Girl and HSG: Extra Stage (episodes 01-15)*

INTRODUCTION:

High Score Girl is set in 1991's Japan. The video game medium is currently facing a development boon, and arcade machines are everywhere - gaming places, candy and general stores all feature these machines. As new games arrive, young people marvel at the novelties, and spend several hours per week playing, watching someone play or just hanging out around them. For many, such as the protagonist, to master all current games and to wait for new releases become their reason to live - people are obsessed about the gaming hobby, ... and the industry is quickly profiting.

The anime utilizes this setting to create an interesting, rather emotional and somewhat comedic relationship between protagonists Yaguchi Haruo, Ono Akira and Hidaka Koharu, as they grow up in this ever developing world. It also portrays the evolution of video-game throughout the years, as the series progresses and as the characters mature.

PLOT:

Yaguchi Haruo, a 12 years old boy is the best player at his local gaming store. He usually easily beats anyone who dares to face him in Street Fighter - that is, until he faces Ono Akira, his misterious, pretty and quiet classmate. Due to her godly skills, he is quickly subjugated, and instantly faces the threat to lose his (self-proclaimed) title of "King of the Arcade". From there, both of them meet regularly and start to form this weird love-hate relationship. Besides Yaguchi and Ono, the series also focus on Hidaka Koharu; another girl of their age, she develops a hidden crush on Yaguchi, and decides to focus her efforts on learning how to play video-games in order to please her loved one.

In general, the story doesn't get much more complex than that. It does have some great defining moments and unexpected difficulties throughout the entire series which must be overcome by the main characters. There aren't any meaningful subplots, so the entire series is focused on the three of them, which is a great thing for a single-cour + OVA anime.

All three main characters are well-explored and have distinct personalities. Regarding the side characters, it is quite a divisive topic: there are some amazing ones that either steal or perfectly complement the scenes (Yaguchi Namie, Oono Makoto and Jiiya), some pretty average ones (Miyao Koutaro, Goda Moemi), and then there are some terrible ones that exist simply for repeating appalling jokes or tropes that I feel needed not to exist (fashion-wannabe popular guy, perverted girl, raging couple).

Besides the "real" characters, there are the "virtual" ones - frequently, Yaguchi hears games' characters talking to him, giving him advice and supporting him on his choices. They are all pretty well-done and they do add up well to the roster, sometimes breaking the fourth wall. For example, there is one scene where the character physically hits the boy and he falls down clumsily.

The art direction for the anime is good-looking. Besides frame drops here and there, the animation is consistent and it makes use of slight exagerations at certain interactions. For some of these, the feedback is great - the studio uses the medium in a superb method to achieve funny, thoughtful or emotional sequences. Despite the world looking quite normal and non-inspiring, the characters are well illustrated and the gaming scenes are perfectly loyal to what we are used to see in old arcade machines.

The sound direction wasn't something I was thrilled about. I recall only one scene where the OST did complement the art, though I recall none where it did feel like it was wrongly placed. The video-game sounds, as the visuals, match what they used to be back in the day, and are a perfect fit to the scene.

Since this is an adaptation of a still releasing manga, the anime does not feature a proper ending. Episode 12 ends in a cliffhanger, though episode 15 ends in a great tone - I feel there is no better choice for it while we wait for the following season.


CONCLUSION:

After all is said and done, I did enjoy High Score Girl more than what I initially expected. It started quite slow, though by the end of episode three I was already hooked by it. This is a light-hearted romance with bits of comedy and drama and, despite not being such an original story on an original world with mind-blowing plot-twists and impressive character progression, what it does it does well enough. I will surely watch the following season, as I crave to know what happens next.

INTRODUCTION:

The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of the Commandments (a.k.a. Season 2) continues the story of Meliodas and his crew, set in an alternate, fantastic version of Britain. Full of magic users and different races, the show follows the typical medieval-inspired setting after a major clash at the end of the previous season.


PLOT:

After dealing with a major threat, another one emerges in the island of Britannia. As the subtitle suggests, The Ten Commandments, absurdly powerful demons with special curses, emerge after three thousand years of confinement and are set to conquer the entirety of the island. The plot follows the struggles of mankind against these terrifying, ... beastly and unholy beings, and all hope rests on The Seven Deadly Sins and their equally abusive powers. The plot itself is promising, creates expectations upon the viewer and makes us want to know more about the demons, how our protagonists will handle them and what is the scope of their destructive powers. The major plot is not something new, though it does feel interesting - some parts are really good and well-done, and deserve praise.

With that said, it can be added that this season had major problems.

First of all, the new villains are introduced rather early, which is a good thing - unfortunately, it takes a long time for them to actually *do* anything. Rather, the first half of the season is focused on uninteresting subplots which unnecessarely take way too much screen time. I was actually considering dropping the show a third into it, though I decided to continue watching due to the major plot being attracting and for respect of the first season. That leads us to pacing problems - it starts way too slow, nothing major happens for a long time and then the climax suddenly happens, two thirds into it, only to cool down at the final episodes.

Another flaw is the ammount of characters that I simply couldn't care about. That is a recurrent problem from season 1 - I have never found Gilthunder, Griamore and their kind amusing; King, Diane and Gowther continued being annoying despite some minor development here and there; most of the Commandments felt pretty bland, without much screen time. Despite that, Meliodas had some fine, although small development, as well as Elizabeth and Ban. Hawk remained exactly what he was - which is a good thing, as I enjoy his nonsense humor from time to time.

An annoying "feature" I simply despised was the addition of "numeric power", similar to what the Sayans have in the Dragon Ball universe. "Look, Meliodas has a power of 32xx, Merlin has a power of 34xx, Ban has 31xx" (or whatever their powers actually are) is just a terrible way to measure and compare different character's strength and powers. It also shows the insane power creep that happens in just 24 episodes, which makes most of the characters irrelevant in a fight. There are some terrible Deus Ex Machina moments throughout the season as well.

Regarding the art and the sound department, they are simply "ok" for me - nothing special about them, though nothing blatantly flawed as well. Fan service keeps being thrown at us at each second episode, similar to the first season. Some of the soundtrack does invoke the feeling of medieval fantasy, which is a plus for a show like this.


CONCLUSION:

Overall, The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of the Commandments is a bad sequel to the original season. It feels like the whole 24 episodes could be summarized to 15, perhaps even to 12 episodes. When I finished the last episode I was left with a feeling that almost nothing had happened throughout the entire season. There's a huge number of subplots that need to be finished - some important, some not as much. If a third season is approved, I'll be watching it, though I won't be expecting much of it.

*This will be a review for the entire series, both Season 1 and Season 2*

INTRODUCTION:

Code Geass is set in an alternate Earth, in which there are three major political entities - the Holy Britannian Empire, the Chinese Federation and Europia United. The former one, led by Charles Zi Britannia, is the world's current superpower. They invaded and took control of Japan, renaming it as "Area 11" and its inhabitants as "The Elevens". Britannians living in Area 11 act in superiority towards the elevens, which face prejudice and mistreatment by their conquerors.

About ten years after the conquest, resistance can still be found in the area from ... groups that still call themselves "japanese" and want to free their country from Britannia's tyranny. Using mechas to fight one another, the conflict is far from being over, and that is when the story starts. The show features mind games and strategic planning throughout the entire series, while stakes keep getting higher and higher. Politics and its implications are a major part of it.


PLOT:

Lelouch Lamperouge is a brilliant, just and genius britannian student that finds himself in the middle of an act of resistance, where he meets C.C., a misterious girl that was imprisoned. For some reason, C.C. proceeds to give Lelouch a "geass", a power which lets the main character literally command people to do whatever he wants. With it, he manages to contact the resistance under the name of Zero. Suffering imminent defeat, the resistance listens to Zero's orders and manages to turn the tides of the battle due to his privilleged strategic planning and information. With that, the common student naturally becomes the misterious leader of the resistance under this exotic, unknown persona.

The plot follows the struggle of the resistance, now under new leadership, as well as Lelouch's student life. It is a fine balance between his own personal objectives and the world's political struggles. Characters are introduced throughout the story and, in general, they are all well-written, interesting and unique in their own ways. With a huge roster, some of them are bound to not be as interesting as others - in that regard, there is only a single character whose existence I completely despise. There's fine character progression for most of them, which helps to define the tone of the story. Some characters face moral dilemnas throughout the story as well, which makes us wonder who the "good guy" is, if there's even one. Do the means justify the end or not? Is it right to sacrifice one for thousands of others?

Regarding the art style, it is nothing to marvel at, it just fits the environment and the tone. In general, I'm not a fan of the mecha genre, so I couldn't care about the action scenes nor about the mechas' powers. In some episodes, fan service is present, both in the form of tight clothes and partial, explicit nudity, which is also something that does not interest me at all. When it comes to the original soundtrack, the anime features amazing sound design in some critical plot points, though it lacks in other parts.

The first season does a good job in setting the world, its rules and the events that happen. Its pacing is great, slowly building hype towards each new major plot point. It makes us care for different characters. It makes us crave for the next episode. It makes us want to know more about Zero's plans. The end of the season is incredible, ending on a high tone. There was one specifically scene that made me literally shiver in anxiety and worry, which is something that rarely happens.

The second season starts slowly. It takes some time for the plot to advance and, when it does, it is not as significant as it could have been. Some subplots just take way more time than it should and, up until the second half of the season, I was not thrilled by the show. I can safely say it was the least interesting part of it - it wasn't bad, but it simply wasn't as enjoyable as it used to be. Some of it feel like "more of the same", though without being as important. However, the second half of this season is on par with the first - that is when questions are answered and things move in a great pace. The last few episodes are simply brilliant, featuring one of the best endings I've ever experienced.


CONCLUSION:

All in all, it is a brilliant anime. It suffers from power creep and has, eventually, pacing flaws, though nothing is critical to the enjoyment of the show. The story is amazing, featuring charismatic characters and moral dilemnas that makes it worth it to watch the anime, even if you are not a fan of the mecha genre.

INTRODUCTION:

Lost Song's setting is your typical medieval fantasy world - a huge kingdom, small villages and conflicts between the different countries. The plot revolves around Rin, a young girl who dreams to sing with the orchestra at the capital, and Finis, a naive and charming woman that simply enjoys singing, in times when the menace of war comes closer by the day. What is special about these women is the fact that their singing is magical, as it shows on the first episode, and it quickly becomes a tool to move the plot forwards.


PLOT:

The anime starts well enough: side characters are introduced and some difficulties ... are overcome. At this stage, it feels just like a generic anime - there are some overused tropes and stereotypes thrown into the mix, which does not improve the experience. All in all, the art and the sound are pretty good, though the side characters feel a bit bland. Besides Rin and Finis, the main characters, I could only really care about Henry Leobold, a just, strong and courteous knight from a rich and honorable background. Regarding the antagonists, their motives are also cliché and predictable. I couldn't feel anything towards them (they were indeed quite generic), though they can make us react accordingly once in a while.

Then, approaching 2/3 of the series, the plot twist happens. Mind you - it is not a plot twist, it is THE plot twist. It definitely is one of the best I have ever seen. It made me realize how well-executed the anime has been up until that point, which I was blind to due to the lack of knowledge. It instantly made me hooked to the show and, for that reason alone, I am inclined to eventually rewatch the series. After that point, the whole main plot does become more interesting. There is room for character growth during the end of the anime and it does happen to some of them.

My main disapproval is that Lost Song remains with those same cringy tropes and some lackluster scenes that made me roll my eyes throughout the entire show. There was one specific scene that had some good tension built up only to end up in an infuriating "I can't believe that is what happened" shortly thereafter. I had to pause and take a deep breath at that moment. My feelings towards the ending are mixed, as there are some truly great moments, though it lacks in other parts.


CONCLUSION:

All in all, Lost Song has a fine story with a HUGE plot twist - and I mean it. Its art and sound direction are amazing, as it revolves around music and the special effects by them created. The main characters are interesting, though almost all the others suffer from the same things: they are lackluster and quite annoying, having some non-important subplots that just take screen time. I feel that Lost Song could have been a much, much better anime if only the side characters were more interesting and less focused on unnecessary drama. Still, it was an enjoyable show - if you are in doubt about it, it is worth watching due to the plot twist alone, although try not to expect much about the anime.