Back to Printy's Profile Printy's Profile

While I would be more than happy to write a long review that will take up to 30 minutes to read, I do not think that this show is worth spending that kind of time on, so I'll keep it short. The only thing scary about this series is the breakdance that the guy did in the last episode. (This somehow has 8 seasons but No game No Life S2 is still pending *sigh*)

P.S: If you wanna watch it regardless I'd suggest watching it with the "its so bad that its good mindset".

(MAL wants me to write a longer review so... I don't know what ... to do, guess ill just shit on this for a bit)

Story: Is there a story? Not really. From the 3-4 episodes that I was able to bear watching, what I could figure out was that the anime does a good job of scaring you through its sloppy nonsensical writing.

Art: While I wanna shit on this aspect as well... I guess it was okay-ish considering what they tried to go for. (But their desperate attempts to animated the jump scares give me nightmares where I'm killed by being stabbed with cringe)

Sound: Kinda decent sound, but I can see that they clearly cheaped out with the SFX. (not that good sound design could've saved the series)

Characters: It's an Anthology which means that it has a diverse set of unequally shitty stories. The characters are very deep...deeply flawed and unrelatable. (what did you expect?)

Enjoyment: It's sorry attempts at thriller and horror genres are quite funny so it's an interesting piece of fiction I guess.

Overall: I hope you love yourself enough to not see this shit.

If you look at this show as a whole now, it a pretty average show that might seem forgettable to many who watch it now. If I were to give it an objective score then it would be 6/7 across the board since the show is pretty average.

But for me and many other people from my generation, Beyblade will always hold a special place in our hearts. This is one of the best things that I got to see as a child.
It takes me down nostalgia lane and that is part of the reason why I have given it an unreasonable 10/10 when it comes ... to enjoyment.

Story:- (7/10)
The story is plain and simple. A guy likes playing with spinning tops called Beyblades so he goes around the world to become the best there is.

There is no epic backstory or prologue, it's just some spinning tops with superpowers cause why not? Considering that the target audience, this is a perfect power fantasy that kids can buy into since it is not too complicated for them.

Art:- (7/10)
The art is pretty average for the time in which this show was produced but the designs were very over the top and catchy. The characters in the show are not trying to be shown as realistic anyway so the creators went all out to make them all as unique and edgy as possible while maintaining the cool factor.

The Beyblades and the bit-beasts themselves are quite appealing which is apparent from the number of Beyblades that were bought by children around the world after this show aired.

Sound:- (7/10)
The Rock soundtracks are classic and reflect the same approach as most shows around that time had taken but I have to say that the English versions very memorable and I can instantly start vibing to them to this day.

Characters:- (6/10)
The characters don't really have a lot of depth or realism but considering the target audience, I suppose that is justified.

The creator obviously wanted them all to be very different from one another so that the viewers could at least relate to some characters and frankly speaking it totally works as planned. When I think of the word "cool" Tyson is still one of the very first characters that comes to my mind.

Enjoyment:- (10/10)
This show was one of my childhood favourites and I can still appreciate it and enjoy it a lot but realistically speaking, if a new viewer were to watch it then their enjoyment would be around 6 because there are so many options now.

Overall:- (10/10)
It should be 7.5-8/10 realistically but I'm gonna be subjective and give it 10/10 regardless.

P.S: "Never gonna take me down" is still one of my favourite tracks to this day.
LET ITTTT RIPPPPPP!

If you want me to summarize the entirety of SAO in a single line then I'd say:-

"It was a beautifully animated SHITSHOW"

The long review starts now:-

Let me begin by saying that SAO had a chance to redeem itself with the Alicization arc since season 1 did a good job at building up a lot of expectations but season 2 of Alicization was a complete letdown.

Story:- (4/10)
Wasted potential, the season started off strong due to foundation that was built by part 1 but after episode 2 the season felt rushed and illogical. Not only was the final fight over too soon but there were way ... too many plotholes and unexplained twists.

Art:- (10/10)
While the anime community has never come to a consensus regarding the series itself but i don't think there is a single person out there who wouldn't agree that the animation of SAO has always been top-notch, it is good to the point that you get goosebumps and start liking it even though you are cringing and dying inside due to the storyline.

Sound Design:- (7.5/10)
The SFX and sound design are always good when it comes to SAO, it can be very good at the time and the bass drops can send chills down your spine but at the same time, it is nothing extraordinary and in the end, it is all for naught.

Character Writing:- (5/10)
The newer character additions done in season 1 of Alicization were nice-ish, Bercouli was a character that I came to appreciate but let's face it, SAO characters have never been known for having very deep and life-like writing anyway. But season 2 with its rushed pace not only ruined the nice-ish character that had been built so far but it made a lot of choices that didn't even make sense in anime logic terms. (Ex- Why does Mr Subtilizer have powers that are not relevant to Gun Gale Online in the slightest)

Enjoyment:- (6/10)
SAO is what one would call a guilty pleasure. Say what you may about how bad it is, you will end up watching the next episode while hoping that it miraculously improves just because of its animation.

Overall:- (5.5/10)
The perfect analogy to explain what it feels like to see SAO would be: "When your mother beats your ass and calls you for dinner afterwards, so are sitting there eating food while quietly sobbing".

SPOILER!!!!!! READ AFTER YOU'VE ALREADY FINISHED IT:-
.
.
.
.
.
Fuck off already EUGEO, we all get it already, now go away!!!
"I bet Bercouli regretted giving up his life for this bullshit"

Short Review:-
If you want a short review without much context of the series in order to go in blind then ill just say that, after having seen over 300 anime, Violet Evergarden is my favourite. The visuals are amazing even by Kyoto Animation standards, the sound design is impeccable, the characters are realistic and have a lot of depth and have been crafted with care(even background characters), the art style of the anime is not orthodox and it goes for a more realistic vibe than a fantastical one in order to keep its viewers grounded. The Storyline is a masterpiece and is the only novel ... to have won the grand prize at the Kyoto animation's annual novel competition. Overall, its a masterpiece and I cried a shit ton, sadly I couldn't give it a rating above 10 otherwise I would have, it was very enjoyable and was an anime that changed me from the inside.

Long Review:-
Violet Evergarden is a story of love, loss and empathy. What do you do when your whole world falls apart? When everything you have ever known or done has no meaning? This is the story of Violet Evergarden, a girl who knew nothing but war, having been raised as a weapon for the military since early childhood, the army was all that Violet ever knew, things like emotions, choice and desire were unnecessary for carrying out orders. That was until she was stationed under Major Gilbert Bougainvillea, the first person to every view her as a human and not a tool or machine for killing, Gilbert taught her that there was another world outside the realm of army and war but was not able to teach her what it means to live. After the ongoing war comes to an end, Violet for the first time Violet did not know what to do now, she didn’t receive any orders regarding how to proceed to live the life of a normal person in a peaceful world. The person who was her reason for existence, nowhere to be found, in that sense her life which had finally become peaceful was ironically in chaos. As she went through her existential crisis, Violet remembers the last order she had received “Live”. What does it mean to live? what are emotions? why do people lie? What does it mean to love?

The story of violet is one of restarting, rebuilding, and revaluating. Forgiving oneself, since even though the past cannot be changed but the present and future can still be, one step at a time. Life must go on.

Visuals/Art style:- 10/10
It would not be stretch to say that the visuals and art style of Violet Evergarden are the best that I have ever seen in all my years of watching anime, Kyoto Animation has always delivered very good visuals but the ones in Violet Evergarden are on another level even by the studio’s lofty standards and are enough to give goosebumps and leave one in awe. That is the result of the anime having been produced at a slow pace that is unprecedented in the industry, the weekly release of anime episodes is one of the reasons why the art in anime can only be good and not amazing but Violet Evergarden’s anime adaptation received a lot of well-deserved time and talent for its production which can be easily seen in the visuals which can frankly put a lot of anime movies to shame, even though it is mostly the other way around due to the time and budget that movies receive. The art is extremely detailed, and it is perfect for the kind of story that Violet Evergarden is, the art style and the characters were changed up a bit in order to make the series be more lifelike. A picture is worth a thousand words and the subtle actions and reactions of the characters speak volumes and it gives a sense of depth that to their characters. The series and episode directors of the anime gave the anime an insane amount of detail, it is very evident in the background characters which have all been given a lot of thought even though they may only be seen for a couple of seconds in the series, all in order to keep the viewers from being pulled out of the world that is being built, since if the background character were not given enough attention it would form a disconnect between the main characters and the world around them. The background and landscapes are all beautiful enough for a viewer to just be able to pause at any moment in time and enjoy the sheer beauty of the world.

Storyline:- 10/10
The story is a masterpiece in its own right, which is to be expected since the Violet Evergarden novel is the only novel to have been awarded the grand prize in the annual competition’s history. At first glance, the storyline of Violet Evergarden does not seem extraordinary, and while it may not be extraordinary on its own but it is the way of storytelling which sets it apart, the masterful world-building, the amazing dialogue writing and realism of the characters and their interactions themselves. The episodic interactions with different characters help in indirectly developing Violet herself and while the stories of the people themselves may not by themselves be very relatable to the audience but it still manages to connect every time. The anime, unlike most others, does not try to drown out the seriousness though humour in order to comfort the audience, it is serious though out which makes it feel a lot more genuine because life is not always fun, the world is not perfect and not everyone gets a happy ending. The anime adaptation features some anime only elements like the co-workers of Violet at the company in order to reflect the development in her character through her interaction with them and the amount of work that has been put into it is just astonishing.

Characters:- 10/10
The characters are well crafted with a very clear vision of what the story is about and what the character interactions need to be like in order for the end goal to be achieved, even the background characters are crafted very well and they have been given a lot of depth through their background, wealth and even their fashion sense being well throughout in order to keep the realism. The characters are handled with care and have a lot of depth even though their backstories may not necessarily be expressed, but they are completely conveyed through their subtle actions and well-directed visuals. The character chemistry is handled very well, and their interactions are always fluid and play off each other very well which make it so that the world never seems fake or artificial.

Sound design:- 10/10
While the visuals are breath-taking by themselves, the sound design takes it up another notch, the opening, the ending, and every standalone soundtrack is made in such a way that they go along with the visuals perfectly and the timing of the tracks themselves is impeccable. The opening was made before the production of the anime itself had started and it was made after the composer had read the novel himself since Violet Evergarden was very different from the other anime he had worked on previously and the director suggest that reading the novel would give him insight into what the story was about and therefore allow him to express its story through the music, so the opening of the anime is his interpretation of the story and that is the reason why the music is so befitting, the ending especially sets the tone for the whole story.

Enjoyment:- 10/10
From the first time that I saw a clip from the trailer of the show, I knew for a fact that it would be a good anime but it would be an understatement to say that it blew my expectations out of the water. I was not ready in the least for what was about to happen, I would have arranged a truckload of tissues if I had known that I would cry that much to the anime(Literally cried until my tear ducts went dry). And the crying and sadness that I felt while watching this anime were not like that of your lie in April(which might not make you cry but leaves a gaping hole in your heart), there was a weird sense of happiness and satisfaction inside the sense of emptiness and sadness that I felt after having completed the anime.

Overall:- 11/10
I went in expecting a good anime and came out having seen a masterpiece which would become my new favourite anime of all time. The story of Violet Evergarden above all else is about what does it mean to be human, what does it mean to have feelings, what does it mean to live and importance of life. For me personally, Violet Evergarden became one of the anime which changes you forever from the inside.

P.S: Even though the episodes are very detailed and good individually, I would suggest going through the series in one go since then the impact of the storyline is much more defined(It's only 13 episodes which are around 4 hours and 30 minutes of commitment). Furthermore, the opening and ending of the anime do not have any spoilers so do not be afraid to see them from the beginning itself(they are just beautiful).

While Tower of God is by no means unpopular, it has been shunned by a lot of Manhwa readers and having read it myself from the VERY DAY it was first released. I can confidently say that the anime adaptation not only did justice to the source material but also made it better.

If you want a short review then I'd say that it is quite a good anime with a little unorthodox art style and a great storyline which packs some great action(not much but good), world-building and mystery elements(which is why it is compared to One Piece, but as much as I like Oda's ... work I still like this more because the premise is much simpler in one piece) the characters of the series are sound and feel like real people and the diversity is there, overall I would have given 7.5-8/10 but because of the amazing sound design by Penkin elevated it to 8.5 for me but since I cant chose 8.5 I just went ahead and gave it a 9(even though I don't like it as much as my other 9 rated shows like Mob, Haikyu, Nichijou, etc).

The longer review begins:-

Source material Debate:-
A lot of Manhwa readers are saying that the anime is not doing it justice since they are not including a lot of information that was given in the source material, to that I'd say that it has managed to gather all the important and relevant things that the source has to offer, while I do agree that the source material was more detailed but at the same time a lot of it was unnecessary and expecting all of it to be included is just dumb. Furthermore, saying that more material should have been added also means that the pacing of the show would have been slower since the was a lot of information which frankly was very boring for me to go through when the Manhwa had just started and a lot of people say that, that is not the case but the fact remains that they started reading after it was already gaining a lot of traction and so they had reason to believe that going through all that was gonna pay off unlike the experience of readers such as myself and a lot of others(i can speak for 32 individuals confidently, most of whom started reading the Manhwa very early) that had started reading it before it got popular. The starting 100+ chapters were agonizing to get through and it was only after that, that the story started getting interesting and thankfully I had not already given up on the Manhwa already by then because my friend continuously told me that the story is good and it would start delivering in time. The anime did a phenomenal job of cherry-picking and skillfully adapting a lot of the plot points which gave the story a lot more appeal(especially the first episode, that introduction in the first 2-3 minutes was very well done and had a lot of people were sure to be hooked by it). Since this is one of the first-ever adaptation of sources which do not belong to japan it is a dive into unchartered waters which is probably why the episode count is so low which is sad but understandable since no company can bare to make investments which won't pay back especially in a tight and under-compensated industry like anime and this is even more true now due to the global economic crunch due to the pandemic.

Visuals/Art style:- 7/10
A lot of people have called the art style shabby and bad but I find it to be refreshing and good, I'd even say its actually better than the source material to a large extent. The visuals are good enough to pack a good amount adrenaline rush moments and even the impact frames are able to deliver the punches through the screen, furthermore, the somewhat rough and colourful art style goes great with the vibe that the source itself had.

Storyline:- 8/10
The world-building and mystery elements are the strong points of the series and the anime is able to deliver on it by creating a very vast and complex world that has limitless possibilities for the show when going forward. While the plot of the first season only touches upon the tip of the iceberg, it does still create a sense of wonder and awe. The world itself does not seem to lack depth at any point and the story flows fluidly enough to make the bizarre world of the tower of god feel real. The character interactions are all sound and don't feel stiff. You might catch some cliche's along the line but most of them are for comedic relief and the show itself is very original and unpredictable for the most part.

Characters:- 7/10
The characters are diverse and realistic for the most part and the show even managed to create a believable moral Jesus like bam due to the circumstance that produced his character all being sound(i usually don't like these kinds of characters because they are too oblivious but in bam's case due to his memory loss and lack of human contact it is believable), other prominent characters such as Khun and Rak are lovable and are fairly well constructed. Even though the anime did not take a lot of time to develop character and their backgrounds, the subtle animated hints that are given through the always transiting direction, which is able to give a general sense of understanding towards all characters. And then there is Rachel, a well-constructed centre of hatred who might not be very relatable but is definitely understandable in her own twisted way and may give Malty from shield hero a run for her money.

Sound Design:- 10/10
Kevin Penkin is a very talented and soundtracks from his past like made in abyss had caused people to have high expectation and boy did he deliver. Everything from the opening, ending to the other soundtracks were very well made and give a movie like feeling(which is a compliment since movies usually have better budgets and are therefore mostly well crafted) to the anime and the princess of jahad soundtrack(katanagatari like feeling) is one of the best ones I've heard in quite so a while and is so grand that it literally gives me goosebumps every time it kicks in. Which is what elevated the already good tower of god to the next level.

Enjoyment:- 8/10
From the very beginning, the anime grips you ad never lets go, it makes you stoked to see how the events unfold and every consecutive episode delivers consistently for the most part and leaves you wanting more.

Overall:- 8.5/10
Overall the anime is very good and the way the source material has been adapted gives the season a very complete feel even though it is just the prologue. Especially the way that the adaptation has fluidly connected the plot points which even makes the plot come full circle and connect the ending to the beginning is very well done and reminds me of the first season of Psychopass which just leaves you dying with anticipation but at the same time leaves you with a feeling of awe and satisfaction, which makes you and make you happy that you gave this anime a shot.

Bonus:-
A small easter egg that I was shocked to see other people not notice was the way that the 12th and 13th episodes ended, the 12th giving you a feeling of a season finale(the way that the ending kicks in) and making you wonder how the 13th episode will be able to follow up and become the finale after the series of events that unfolded and then the 13th episode comes in and gives you what you desired and ends with the opening and in doing that signifying that "THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING".