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Aug 23, 2013
The story of the Pet Girl of Sakurasou is, probably to your discontent, definitely an ordinary slice of life anime. The main character, Sorata Kanda, is kicked out of the normal dormitory at Suimei High School of the Arts for keeping a cat, and is forced to move into Sakurasou Hall, which is a congregation of the school’s most eccentric, trouble causing students. As he gets accustomed to the dorm, a world renowned painter who cannot care for herself, Mashiro Shiina, also moves in. The story progresses by illustrating the residents’ daily lives, romantic relationships, and hard work and talent.
Pretty cliché and corny huh?
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Well let’s get straight to the point: it definitely is. There honestly is nothing too unique about much of the anime. But before you skip the rest of this review and vow to never watch this peculiar-sounding title that resembles tons of other shows in its genre, listen to what I have to say. What could such a genre of anime do that makes it totally stand out from the rest of the crowd? In my opinion, it can’t do too much that is different. The Pet Girl of Sakurasou may not stand out, but it excels at many aspects that are representative of a slice of life/romance show. Most significantly, it is extremely down to earth and relatable, and that is the true embodiment of the slice of life/romance genre.
This will be one of my longer reviews, since it does take some effort to put an “ordinary” show in a good light, so please bear with me.
Story:
The main problem with the show, is what I have stated before: it is very cheesy at times. If you’ve played Pokemon, it’s kind of like listening the talks about the power of love and connection between Pokemon and trainer. A lot of the show focuses on a couple of themes and traditional slice of life stereotypes, that come up over and over again. The first half of the series demonstrates the typical Toradora style like qualities, where the characters are introduced and develop, and in general, is a lighthearted and humorous portion of the show. There is nothing you probably haven’t seen in the first half, and honestly, some portions of show just made me cringe from how hackneyed it was.
The anime really started getting good when it reached, specifically, the Christmas episode, when the interactions in the first half began to turn into more serious drama. The hard work that they put in towards their goals that started in the first half was translated into authentic results, and romance begins to unfold. In the second half, the show becomes very realistic, especially focusing on hardships and how things don’t always turn out the way you expect them to. Although the same themes came up, they took a different approach to portraying it, by instead focusing on keeping it realistic by using a hint of unfortunate events, and it was done admirably.
Characters:
It is not unheard of that some characters do a complete 360 degrees on their original personality after experiencing an extremely traumatic event. While some people might call this good character “development,” when does this happen in real life? When you are getting close to adulthood, certain ideologies, emotions, and attitudes definitely shift, but much more likely, you stay true to yourself at the end of the day.
Characters in The Pet Girl of Sakurasou experience all those changes, encounter hardships, and sometimes can’t help but to release their emotions. While some episodes did very little to advance the character’ personality traits, many of the crucial episodes did a good job of making you feel like you are in their shoes. The only problem I have is that some character's traits don't seem to explained very well, and some characters just have obliviousness that may make you annoyed.
In my opinion, the cast is likeable, but some characters lacked very “outstanding” features. As it is a major character oriented show, understanding the character’s emotions and past experiences is a necessity for finding the show to be relatable. But with the wide variety of characters, I would say it is is difficult to find someone you cannot relate to.
Soundtrack and Art:
The soundtrack consists of mostly lighthearted, upbeat tracks, especially evident in the first half of the show. I did feel a lack of emotional tracks, evidently by how there was this one piano song that played constantly towards the last few episodes. The openings and endings were likeable, especially the second ending, which might be one of my favorite anime endings ever (it was actually the reason I found out about this anime, after hearing it on an anime station). Besides that personal favorite, I found that many tracks tend to be reused in similar situations, and not too much of the OST was memorable.
The art heavily fitted the lighthearted nature of the show, and was quite accurate. Many of the paintings and drawings in the anime, you could tell, had a lot of detail and effort put into them to live up to Mashiro’s prodigy status. In an attempt to unite the art and soundtrack, the show did a lot of overlaying of the dialogue and theme songs, putting some scenes before, during, or after the theme songs. The transitions they had with these were very well done, and added very much needed variety.
Beginning, Ending and Influence:
The start of the anime was really something that probably turned a lot of users away. It instantly started off with fanservice, seemingly superficial humor, and the fact that the main character is stuck with a girl who doesn’t even know how to dress just screams pervertedness. The anime then continues to gives off vibes of sexual tension for quite a few episodes that makes it seem like a harem, fanservice-based anime that immediately gives off a feeling of shallowness. Not to mention the title sounds kind of…suggestive. During some parts of the anime, even towards the ending, it feels like it is trying too hard to make you care, when all it needs to do is just simply tell the story.
However, the anime more than redeems itself with its very down to earth nature and superb character development. Although it was never very addicting to me, the superb pacing and execution made every episode satisfying to complete. The ending of the anime is a very appropriate closing, leaving you to your own imagination and preference to what happens next, and can be emotional when you are very attached to the characters.
The hard work ethic and courage that the characters embody are very applicable to reality, and thus, can definitely inspire others. No matter how corny that last sentence sounds, it doesn’t have to be if it is executed and portrayed properly, and that aspect is what The Pet Girl of Sakurasou excelled at.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 12, 2013
Sword Art Online is an either hit or miss anime. With the whole idea of depicting a future where the games you love can have real life consequences, SAO had alot of potential to illustrate real life conflicts we are currently facing with our boom in technology. However, it definitely only used a fraction of its potential, that I feel like could have been alleviated by making more episodes that could cover up many of the plotholes it fails to explain, with the story and characters being especially fragile.
Story: The storyline of SAO could be summed up as very jumpy and inconsistent. The first
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season was filled with a bunch of characters that the main character, Kirito, had to interact with on his journey to beat SAO. Despite them feeling like fillers, I really enjoyed them, and how they were representative of potential future interactions in MMORPGs. I found the relationship between Kirito and Asuna to be especially touching, and definitely the best part of the series, despite it being little cliche. The series did annoy me with its random time skips and inadequate explanation of the game's mechanics, but for 25 episodes, I realized that they definitely made a good effort at it.
Although the first arc of the series maintained a fast and pleasant pace, the second half of the series really tries to divert your attention to something entirely different from what the first half established. The entire ALO arc just felt very forced, and definitely slowed down the pace of the anime, taking a sharp turn away from the development of the two main characters in the first half of the series. I am probably not alone in my opinion that the ALO arc just felt no sense of urgency, that the SAO arc created. The last few episodes just felt significantly less motivated than they were for the SAO arc, and in the end, just felt like the characters were taking a game way too seriously. While the first half may have been one of my most lovable animes, I feel like I need to separate it from the second half, that just displays one of the biggest dips in quality I have ever seen in anime.
Art and Sound: There were obviously very high production values involved in the creation of the anime. The battle scenes and scenery were definitely one of the highlights of the show, with lots of details and vibrant colors. The soundtrack was also very good in my opinion, with several amazing battle/piano soundtracks, in addition to some of the best OP and EDs I have heard. The characters had extremely well made designs, which probably contributed to an overwhelming number of SAO cosplays.
Character: I can honestly say that if you do not like the main characters, this is not the anime for you to watch. The personalities of the characters are pretty much the only things they have going for them. Most of the characters are quickly forgotten after a single episode, after (I know this sounds harsh) serving their purposes as sort of a side quest. Despite that, I found two of the characters to be very lovable: Kirito and Asuna. The greatest reason I continued watching was because I wanted to see where their relationship led them, and after the heartwretching emotions I felt towards the end of the SAO arc, I anticipated an equally or maybe even better conclusion to the series. However, the inclusion of the sister's relationship just seemed very irrelevant and out of place, and towards the end of the series, felt like it added unnecessary drama that contributed very little to the emotional impact of the series, and only created extremely awkward situations. The ALO arc completely took away from the relationship that was very well progressed and built up in the SAO arc, and despite how much I loved Kirito and Asuna's relationship in the first half, I found myself forgetting the emotions I felt as I watched through the second half.
SAO is a great and fun anime if you simply just try not to think too hard about its flaws, and try to relate to the characters. While I feel many of the haters of this anime have their points, they are missing the real point of any anime: the enjoyment and emotional aftereffect they feel after it is over. Despite having a weak and inconsistent storyline and fickle and unnecessary character development, SAO was honestly a very enjoyable watch if you focus more on the adventure, and put yourself in the shoes of a character in the series. SAO will definitely strike a chord in the hearts of people who have known how great the adventure and thrill of playing a MMO can be. SAO translates those desires to anime form, and brings out some of the very best experiences you could possibly have in a future that may include virtual reality.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 12, 2013
To put it simply, Angel Beats! can be summed up in two words: short and sweet. Whether you believe this anime gets all the praise and overwhelming views is entirely up to you. It does contain many elements of a potential masterpiece that some will appreciate, and some won't. I will concisely describe the general facets of Angel Beats! that make it good, and not so good.
Story: With 13 episodes long, Angel Beats! really needed to cram everything in. This resulted in quite a choppy storyline that was quite difficult to follow. The first episode just threw so much information at you, that I
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had to rewind it several times. There were also many plot holes that were not explained or were explained way too quickly, and this definitely made the storyline quite uneven at points. The clear remedy to this problem would have been to MAKE THE ANIME LONGER, but for 13 episodes it did do quite a good job of condensing everything. If you cannot keep up with a very fast paced storyline, you may not like Angel Beats! or will just take a bit of time to adjust to it.
Art: As expected of a Key anime, the artwork is gorgeous, that I can sum up as surreal. If you are a fan of beautiful sunsets, great detailed rock band scenes or just pretty art in general, you will be entranced by the animation. Transitions are very smooth, and there are some 3D animations that obviously show a lot of effort was put into the animation.
Sound: The soundtrack was heavily instrumentally oriented, with many guitar songs with lyrics, and A LOT of piano songs. I generally got an immensely melancholy vibe from the soundtrack (that one piano song always gets me...), but there were peaceful soundtracks. Opening theme could not have depicted any better and perfectly fit the anime. Although the ending theme lacked animation, both fit in very well with the themes of the anime.
Character: Like the storyline, the characters were inconsistent, and at times character significance just shifted suddenly. Some characters seemed quite shallow and interactions just sprung out of nowhere at times. Many of the characters did not get back stories, but I thought that was fine, as most of the main characters got them. Although everything else about the characters were quite shoddy, the back stories were absolutely spectacular, and definitely helped increase the emotional attachment to some of the characters. Liking the main characters is not as essential as some longer animes, but definitely get you through the show.
Enjoyment: The fast pacing could have potentially led to an addicting series, but there are seemingly a few random fillers that definitely slow down the momentum. I found the show to be very hilarious at times though, but a few moments, the humor just came in at the wrong moment. The plot could definitely have been more guided, but overall it was not difficult at all to finish, and quite enjoyable. If you are looking for a short series that you want to marathon, look no further.
Beginning, Ending, and Influence: This is my own little category, that basically discusses the aspects of the anime that will make it memorable in the future. Like I said, the beginning wasn't too distinguished and threw a lot of information at you, but definitely hooked you in and made you want to watch more. The best part of the entire series for me was, by far , the ending, which was very appropriate and will not make you want a second season. It was gracefully executed, but be prepared for an extremely emotional moment. In the future when I am thinking of Angel Beats!, I will definitely remember the very emotional ending and soundtrack, as both were absolutely spot on in my opinion.
Do I think Angel Beats deserved all the praise and views it had? For the story and characters, it was nothing special. However, the most vital feature of an anime for me, is how I feel when I think about it many years in the future, and Angel Beats! surely had an overwhelming sentimental impact on me.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 8, 2013
For those of you who have seen Clannad/Afterstory, I highly recommend you watch Kanon (2006). There are striking, nostalgic similarities between the characters, arcs, and music, but like Clannad, Kanon offers a unique story that can be described as truly magical and touching.
Story: Although at first Kanon may seem like having a straightfoward story, the anime does an extremely good job of culminating the events together towards the end. However, by no means is the story linear, as there is much interpretation involved with understanding the plot. Like Clannad, Kanon heavily uses supernatural elements in the story, but in my opinion, has better integration
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of those elements into the story, creating an immense feeling of surrealism. The twists in this story, especially prevalent in the end, will likely be mindboggling. Together, this is what made the ending of Kanon so memorable and beautiful in my viewpoint, but at times, also confusing.
Art: Stunning. That's all I have to say about the snowy scenery in Kanon. The setting really adds to the "feel" of the anime. The first thing that pops into my mind when I think of Kanon is the snow, and the animators did an amazing job incorporating it into the story and themes.
Sound: Kanon has a great range of musical pieces that I can only describe as peaceful but also saddening, reminiscent of Clannad. Combining the music together with the art, Kanon does an amazing job of portraying a dreamy theme that is the basis of the entire story and its name.
Characters: Without a nearly as captivating story in the beginning and middle, the thing that kept me watching was definitely the characters. The character personalities and appearances seem similar to Clannad, but personally I liked them more. In my opinion, there was more development and connection for the general cast of characters (although I would have liked a bit more for some more significant ones).
The only reason I gave this anime a 9 is because I believe it had so much potential to really tug on audience emotions, but did exploit it as much as Clannad did. Overall, if you can't get enough of Clannad and want to watch a less sad, but a bit more magically heavy version of it, I highly recommend Kanon.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Oct 13, 2012
I will start off by saying, that I went straight into writing this review after finishing the first season. Having not watched the second season, this is a unbiased point of view of solely the first thirteen episodes of Fate/Zero. I would have liked to review the whole two seasons together, but the sudden division has left me with no choice. Not having the substitution of a visual novel, in a sense, I feel that the first season was overrated. There was no comparison to the seemingly "superior" VN of Fate/Stay Night. Thus much of the ratings must have been based on a a first
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person view not tarnished by any previous media other than the light novel that closely followed the anime.
Now with the formalities out of the way, Fate/Zero has done many things right and wrong compared to Fate/Stay Night, and probably like many others, I seek to compare them in this review. While I believe that the superficiality, notably sound and art, have contributed mostly to the high ratings, I seek to go beyond that.
Story - One of the best additions to Fate/Zero compared to its predecessor is its much deeper story. The anime has done a great job of setting up an atmosphere that emphasizes the large scale epicness that is the Holy Grail War. While in Fate/Stay Night that feeling stayed rather confined into a seemingly small city, Fate/Zero masterfully expands it and demonstrates an overwhelming significance of the war. In addition, Zero establishes ambiguity in a good sense: in that you can't anticipate what happens next. While Stay Night had many twists and turns in it, Zero does it to a better degree, leaving you in the dark and creating a stronger sense of excitement and apprehension. In addition, Zero has more lucidly explained the phenomenon of the Holy War, something that SN lacked in. However, story progression is agonizingly slow, and each episode feels rather standalone and in turn, I feel little addiction to it. Conversations are intellectual, but take up a bit too much time. Hopefully, the second season resolves this issue, and proves the suspense and conversations were actually worthwhile.
Art - Compared to Fate in 2006, Zero has done an incrementally better job of perfecting the artwork. However, comparing a 2012 anime to a 2006 in terms of art is hardly fair, but Zero has fixed a few flaws in SN. Fight scenes demonstrate a greater diversity in fighting styles, camera angles, and no longer displays repetition, as each slash, each movement, each bullet has a different animation to it. The use of cinematic scenes adds to what I have mentioned, leading to more captivating scenes, reminiscent of the spectacular fight scenes in Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood.
Sound - In terms of music, SN takes the cake for a soundtrack that has variety, clarity, and just plainly gets stuck in your head. Zero focused on a more cinematic, movie-like soundtrack that may be more pleasurable to others, but to me, is simply not memorable. I enjoyed the opening and ending thoroughly better, but I feel like they do not capture the essence of the anime like the ones in SN did.
Characters - My main problem with Zero is that there is no real main character, as Saber and Kiritsugu just don't feel like them. In a sense, it draws comparisons to the unique character setup of Baccano, but in all sincerity, is inferior. While this type of narration does increase suspense, in that it is difficult to detect their intentions, it vitally destroys connection towards them. Anything negative that happens to any character, even the Saber that was developed in SN, all seems to part of the grand scheme of things. The characters are inflexible and all show only one side of themselves, and that leads to little possible development. Like I said before, I hope that the second season changes my perception of that, illuminating the personalities and decisions of the characters instead of keeping them rigid.
If it was a standalone series, Fate/Zero would not have impressed me enough. Luckily, at the conclusion of it, it is obvious that there is a second season. Compared to the first thirteen episodes of SN, Zero wins without a doubt, heavily in terms of narration, story line and art. However, SN rose to a new level in the next half of the show, and I await the second season to follow that legacy.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 10, 2012
Many animes based on visual novels seem to the general audience who have played them, to be inferior. Fate/stay night is no exception to this bias, and although I have not played the VN, many comments suggest that it is considerably better than the anime. I assume that the a good part of the lower ratings Fate/Stay night has received is due to those who have played the VN and given reviews based on both experiences. Others may call Stay Night "overrated," and in all honestly, I believe it is to a degree, but it does not detract from the fact that it is a
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great, must-watch anime.
Animation - For an anime made in 2006, the animation is top of the line. The fighting and even the ordinary life scenes are visually stunning and vibrant. The only problem I have with it is some animation seems to be reused, and the fighting is not as varied as I would like it to be.
Sound - This is where, imo, where the anime shines the most. The soundtrack is varied and video game like. At times, ithere is a medieval or religious feel to it. Many of the soundtracks sent shivers down my spine due to the epicness.
Characters - The anime did a great job developing the two main characters. However, the main problem is the lack of background info on the characters, and that slows down that development. In addition, there seems to be little basis for the actions of some characters, making much of the cast seem superficial.
Story - After watching a good amount of shounen, the plot is in a sense, a bit cliche. However, the anime excels at getting rid of the overused feel to it, and I did not, in the least sense, feel that it degraded the storyline. There was tons of surprises and twists in the storyline, keeping the watcher interested. The biggest problem I had with this whole anime was that, at times, it was predictable and there was an enormous lack of information that would have made it more enjoyable. Without defining terms such as "mogist" or "noble phantasm" made me feel like I was missing out on the big picture and did not feel as connected to the fullest extent.
Overall, the anime was slow on the uptake, but gradually got better and more addicting. Its one of those shows where the main character must establish his true motives before the story becomes interesting. I loved the ending, and without spoiling it, the ending was, in one word, bittersweet, but perhaps this is the nature of fairy tales.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Sep 4, 2012
Let me start off by saying that this anime, contrary to popular belief, will be heavily influenced by the first few episodes. This is an either "I love it" or "This is boring" anime. The first few episodes sets the mood and pace of the anime that accurately depicts it as a slice of life: it is slow, and almost every episode is a different event in the life of Misaki, the main character. Most significantly, if you like the two main characters, you will like the anime and will thoroughly enjoy each episode, despite its repetitiveness. If you don't, I suggest you try another
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anime.
Despite how much I HATE most tsundere pairings, I just loved this couple for no apparent reason, and it is difficult for me to explain why unless you watch the anime for yourself. The soundtrack is quite diverse, and some songs can instill a peacefulness of mind while others will make you feel deeply reflective, as if you are looking up at a sky filled with stars. The art is very cartoonish, and the humor is good. The main development is focused on the two main characters, and like I said before, if you don't like them, you probably won't like the anime. As for me, I personally enjoyed the various romantic and humorous aspects of the anime very much, and although the romance is obvious, its the development and obstacles that makes this anime very pleasant and addictive for me.
PS. manga continues the anime and is great too :D
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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