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Perfect Blue remains one of the greatest anime movies I have seen and is undoubtedly late director Satoshi Kon's magnum opus. The film's best elements stem from the seamless manner in which the lines between performance, delusion, and reality are blurred, as well as the masterful manner in which the color-coded directing is utilized to indicate former pop idol and budding actress Mima Kirigoue's grasp of the world around her fading and her psyche shattering. Furthermore, Perfect Blue serves as a scathing critique of how people, especially women in the entertainment industry, are treated as sexual objects with little regard for their well-being or personhood. ... They are given little agency, dehumanized, and exploited for the gratification of a lecherous audience and seen as a mere product in order to provide capital for oligarchic record labels or producers. As their beauty or usefulness to such a predatory industry fades, they are tossed out and replaced by another beautiful face; a perpetual and monotonous cycle of objectification and degradation occurs. Perfect Blue explores these wrongdoings through Mima's depersonalization at the hands of the industry and through the constant surveillance of fanatics who watch her every move, perfectly displaying how the mounting pressures of being a public figure and celebrity have fatal consequences on the psyche of those in the spotlight in a revolutionary and evocative fashion. The usage of catchy pop tunes within the film casts an intriguing juxtaposition upon the narrative, demonstrating how such upbeat ballads regarding love and positivity are artificial and fallacious, covering up the ruthless underbelly of the machine behind the songs and the individuals performing them. If I were to give a singular criticism towards Perfect Blue, it would be the portrayal of Mima's fans is a bit myopic in nature and not explored to its entire possible capacity; however, this critique is incredibly minor in nature, as Perfect Blue executes virtually every element of its fastidious narrative perfectly; standing out as a cornerstone not only of the anime medium but of cinema as a whole. Overall, if I were to ascribe a numerical value to this film, I would give Satoshi Kon's outstanding tour' de force on the nature of the entertainment industry a hefty 8.5-9/10.

Once upon a time, there was a boy and a girl. Their meeting was not one that anybody could have predicted; it almost felt as if the threads of fate had brought them together. They shared all of the same interests and hobbies, and soon, they became incredibly close to one another. As time passed and their relationship naturally progressed, the pair fell in love with one another, cherishing every moment they spent together; an especially memorable moment between the two of them revolving around watching the cherry blossoms fall during an ebullient Spring. Unfortunately, the wheel of fate which had brought the two together ... was not on their side, and as said wheel turned, the two were torn apart due to external circumstances, and everything they had built together was torn asunder.

5 Centimeters per Second, directed and written by the renowned Makoto Shinkai is a melancholic, tragic, and poignant love story which follows Takaki and Akari and the beautiful connection they once shared with one another. As time passes, Takaki and Akari become more and more distant, both physically and socially. Still, their feelings for each other never truly fade, and both parties are filled with an underlying sense of sorrow and regret that their relationship was never truly allowed to blossom, a feeling which lingers throughout the remainder of their lives. In particular, Takaki is never able to move on, becoming cynical, and trapped in a passionless relationship where he is distant and withdrawn due to the irreplaceable connection between him and Akari. The movie perfectly portrays the stark realism and agony of meeting the right person at the wrong time and how life isn’t a fairy tale; sometimes, true love does not wait, and one is forced to throw out the love of their dreams because of a situation entirely outside of their control.

These themes are tackled with an immense level of maturity which is sparse within the medium as a whole, and there is little to no melodrama or irritating characters tropes that pervade within the romance genre. While many tend to criticize the pacing of the film, the deliberate and languid pacing is virtually perfect, in my opinion, and contributes magnificently to the theme of being unable to let go as the viewer is dragged through the dullness of Takaki’s life with the absence of the light which gives him meaning and a purpose to strive towards. Other women attempt to connect with him in a romantic manner, yet, he is only looking towards the horizon and what he lacks rather than what is directly in front of him, a very realistic mindset, especially given Takaki’s adolescence.

The lack of a notable soundtrack and quietus of the film allows the viewer to reflect and absorb the movie's themes without any other form of external stimulus, drawing attention to and placing extra weight upon the film's visual elements. In regards to the aforementioned visuals, the cinematography is stunning, and every shot is reminiscent of a gorgeous piece of art that has aged like fine wine throughout the annals of time, from the falling snow to the waves lapping against the shore, to the sanguine sunsets. Furthermore, plenty of the visuals are excellently integrated within the narrative as a whole and hold clear symbolic relevance, further strengthening the themes of the film, such as the notable inclusion of birds to represent Takaki and Akari’s inability to visit one another due to the distance between them and the trains representing the different phases and transitions within the pair’s lives.

If I were to give any criticism towards 5 Centimeters Per Second, perhaps the length of the film could have been extended. More focus could have been given to Akari’s life apart from Takaki during the latter half of the film, as much of her thoughts and feelings surrounding his absence remain a mystery and speculative after the first portion of the movie where her letters consistently portray her sadness surrounding Takaki being gone. After this, her feelings are only briefly hinted at towards the story's culmination. Apart from this, I did not notice any major plot holes or conveniences that hindered my appreciation of the film. Overall, 5 Centimeters is a visually and thematically gorgeous reflection on the ruinous nature of never letting go, the unfortunate regret that many face in terms of leaving behind the one they love due to situations outside of their control, and as a whole, fosters a deep appreciation for the current relationships one has, as such relationships could fade away at any time, like the cherry blossoms during the Spring time, wilting as the inevitable heat of summer rears its head.

Absolute Duo is one of the most creatively bankrupt anime I have encountered within the medium thus far and is filled with more plot holes than a block of Swiss cheese. There is nothing innovative nor compelling regarding narrative or story structure, and nearly every element of the story, such as the magic academy setting and similarly magic-based power system, has been done before in other anime to a far more effective extent. Speaking in more depth about the cliche concepts which create the power system, the ones introduced within the anime, such as blazes and levels, are half-baked at best. There is little explanation ... for how such systems work other than brief and unsatisfactory descriptions, which give the audience little understanding of the mechanisms behind such abilities. This is especially pertinent to the concept of levels, as they are arbitrarily mentioned yet never expanded upon in any capacity. Characters receive random power-ups in the middle of fights with little to no explanation as to why or how these occur; clearly, they exist only to allow the protagonist and his friends a cheap and unfulfilling victory. The original creator undeniably put exceedingly minimal effort into the power system he created. If I were to ask him to explain in depth, I doubt he could elaborate beyond what is portrayed within the anime. The story has little substance, depth, or even an overarching message other than a tacky and cliche revenge plot based upon the protagonist’s poorly written trauma, which does not affect how he acts or behaves despite how much this apparently plagues him mentally. Furthermore, the story is riddled with moments of fan service and idiotic misunderstandings, which are insultingly braindead even compared to most other anime within the ecchi or harem genre.

In terms of characters, they are beyond bland and unmemorable. The main lead, Tor Kokonoe, has no notable traits in terms of personality or appearance and is the personification of cardboard as a human being. We get little perspective into his thoughts or feelings other than a few throwaway lines, and his aforementioned trauma surrounding his failure to protect loved ones is executed in a pitifully shallow manner. The same can be said about the personality and depth of every single female character in the series as well, as most only exist to provide fan service for the audience or to fawn over Tor to an illogical extent. Their reasons for being attracted to him are nonsensical and unrealistic and feel as if an AI was given a prompt about human interaction while being locked in a dark room, never meeting an actual person. Despite being apparently strong and in a league of their own compared to most students at Kouryou Academy, all the female characters, especially Lilith, are given instant nerfs the moment they fall in love with Tor, simply so the viewer can self-insert and see themselves as a valiant knight in shining armor who protects the women who love them. The villains of the anime, dubbed "rebels," are pathetically written, and their inclusion attempts to construct a narrative surrounding the beauty of the soul versus the corruption of technology; however, these ideas are executed in such a banal and meaningless manner that they hold nearly no relevance. Another central conflict of the series surrounds one of the girls seeking validation from the main protagonist, who rejects her. The following actions that this rejected individual takes in response are contradictory and illogical to the core, painting her as an unlikeable incel rather than a character who evokes sympathy.

The animation is poor, and the color palette of the anime is dull, just like every other aspect of Absolute Duo; often appearing as if it were made by an amateur and rushed intern rather than professionals in their field. The fight scenes are boring and could lull even an insomniac into a blissful sleep, with little to no engaging aspects such as an inkling of strategy or even the slightest bit of sakuga. The opening theme, ending themes, and OST are about as generic as every other aspect of the anime but not as offensively boring or dumb as every other element of Absolute Duo is.

In conclusion, Absolute Duo should be renamed Absolute Dogshit instead because I genuinely can’t think of a single redeeming quality or example of this anime containing elements that exceed mediocrity at best or egregiously poor execution at worst. As a result, I wouldn’t recommend this anime even to the most seasoned fans of light novel adaptations or the magical school genre as a whole.

We Without Wings - Under the Innocent Sky, often abbreviated to Oretsuba, is not an anime that appeals to the majority of viewers. Yet, the thematic construction and unraveling of the narrative leads to one of the most unique psychological presentations I have witnessed within the medium. It is an adaptation of a visual novel of the same name by Navel and is notoriously impossible to translate due to the author’s complex and culturally unbridgeable prose, restricting the source material from those who do not speak or understand the nuances of the Japanese language.

The plot follows three men and their connection to various women, ... Haneda Takeshi, a feeble and chuuni high school student who escapes from bullying through the belief he is a knight from another dimension; Chitose Shuusuke, a lively and affable yet unsuccessful playboy who works multiple minimum wage jobs in order to sustain himself, and Narita Hayato, a brooding and edgy delinquent who roams the streets of Yanagihara city at night. While these men may initially seem disconnected on the surface, they share a substantial commonality connecting them intrinsically. Unfortunately, the girls lack substantial characterization and development, mostly existing to flesh out the male leads and provide often overwhelming and unnecessary fan service. That being said, each girl’s relationship with the corresponding male protagonists serves to highlight how each character’s shattered psyche indirectly affects others around them. In contrast, the male leads are fairly well-written, all representing different forms of psychological turmoil and mental illness, which leads to the construction of the unique narrative structure.

Oretsuba’s narrative and story are analogous to a disharmonious band which plays entirely out of tune, yet within the deafening cacophony, a wholly new melody can be found, one which is beautiful in its unorganized discord. Equally parts perverse and chaotic, the anime is a mess of garbled comedic elements that seems too disconnected to amount to anything meaningful. Yet, given the psychological state of the main characters, the randomness makes sense through the lens of mentally ill individuals who cannot perceive reality in a cohesive or neurotypical manner, and the unique comedic elements create an absurdist outlook on the world where nothing makes sense and is enveloped within a veil of neurotic confusion. However, this extreme amalgamation of comedy, psychology, and ecchi is a double-edged sword, as Oretsuba can be perceived as disgusting, unfunny, and nonsensical depending on the viewer's perspective, which is understandably what makes the anime so unappealing to wider audiences as a whole.

There isn’t much to say about Oretsuba’s music as it is unmemorable and stereotypical for a production of Oretsuba’s caliber, consisting of the typical J-pop tunes which dominate so heavily within the industry. The animation is crisp and luminous but not particularly special or atmospheric; it is reasonably visually appealing but not a memorable aspect of the anime in the slightest.

Overall, We Without Wings - Under the Innocent Sky is an anime that is exceptionally unique yet difficult to recommend to others due to the confusing and perverted elements of the story, yet underneath the facade of a raunchy comedy, it creates and perpetuates an intriguingly complex perspective into the minds of disturbed and traumatized individuals who cannot view the world through the viewpoint of an average person.