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ranca ga shinda


Storywise, it's a jumble of mess, but who really cares about that? You get your funny shorts, your favorite servants — and most importantly — you get a whole season's worth of memes to take out of context.

The art isn't ufotable, but it stylistically works with the content given.

SUPER AFFECTION WITH THE GRAND ORDER SEIYUUS, WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR????

The show doesn't need to give you character development. You've gotten that by playing FGO anyways.
...
I'm enjoying this OVA so far. I can definitely see there being more scenes that can be taken out of context for the general public to use and milk for another decade. I'm excited to see if it'll be all the lancers that need to avoid death, or if it is just our boy Cu.

My man Jun Maeda needs his 2 cour.

Kamisama is by no means a bad anime with its premise. In fact, I remember seeing the announcement when the show first previewed thinking that there was some promise that the show could deliver on... that is, until I saw the dreaded 12 episode count. So, what's to happen when Jun Maeda, a writer whose best works are that of shows with extreme detail, is given 12 episodes to work with? A whole bunch of directional changes that do not help the show at all. The first few episodes start off promisingly, getting us used to the ... characters with comedy — a strategy commonly used in Jun's earlier works. This comedy is then briefly cut short with episode 5, where the weight of life comes into question. As a standalone episode, it's excellent. Episode 5 introduces the situation, tells us the problem, then allows us to see how it's resolved. This isn't the formula that the majority of the episodes use, though. The majority of the show focuses on comedy and absurd situations that are designed to get you hooked to the characters. I believe that the formula of comedy -> drama that have been used in Jun's earlier works don't really translate that well in this show. Whereas in a show such as Angel Beats!, the drama is sprinkled throughout the show, not overpowering a singular episode, nor being entirely absent. Kamisama, on the other hand, suffers from having episodes that are only comedy, whereas the two highest rated episodes have a healthy balance between the two. Had this balance been evenly dispersed throughout each episode, the sudden shift to the non-comedic last 3 episodes would have been less abrupt. In all, had the show chosen a better combination between comedy and drama, and also had better planning with flow, I believe that the story could have been majorly fixed. Jun Maeda's best works come from fully developed stories that are given the ample amount of seasons and cours, and the 12 episode crunch does not help the case.

Story aside, I do love the art. The vibrant colors and unique character designs are bold and distinctive. The backgrounds have the PA Works detail that truly make each scene able to be turned into a wallpaper. There's even special attention to detail with zoomed out characters, from smug Hina screenshots to various facial expressions.

The soundtrack of this show is another aspect that I enjoyed as well. The opening and ending aren't the most memorable, but they certainly are still a delight to listen to. I've been a Yanagi Nagi fan ever since I watched Oregairu, but using her as the singer for both the opening and ending works. In regards to the background music, the soft piano music used during tense moments was a noticeable track that I enjoyed listening to whenever it came up.

While certain ideas can be said to defend characters in the show, there are still some inexcusable things that must be said about some of them. While the show has a similar premise to Clannad with the main female lead, Yota is no Tomoya. He's a blank slate that was given the title of main character — something that he even references himself. His actions usually make sense, but when you consider the last part of the show and how he breaks the rule laid out when visiting, not once but multiple times, you begin to doubt his common sense. Yota isn't an idiot, but whereas the last part of the show should have been used to show that he has changed as a person due to the last few months, we get the opposite. Yota hasn't changed at all, and is extremely excitable at the last part of the show. He's impatient, self-centered, and his actions in the last section of the show work to make me dislike him more than the trust the show built up with the earlier sections. With Hina, her actions begin to make sense when the rest of the plot is revealed. I have no qualms against her character, but I do believe that the choice to pursue romantic interest outside of an adoptive brother & sister relationship was an awkward choice when seeing the age gap. In regards to the side characters, none of them really stand out aside from Izanami's dad, who is the only one that actively changes in the show. Everyone else is static, and it makes me wonder whether the original story was going to move into showing a deep and emotional problem that each character had, and how Yota was going to solve it. However, instead, we have a unique but static cast of side characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this show from the first episode to the eight episode. While the comedic episodes felt more like filler that avoided the main story at hand, they did have a certain charm to them that was almost like it was reassuring us that nothing bad would happen. Episode 5 rolled around and suddenly we were treated to a classic Jun Maeda emotional episode, and then it was back to comedy. Episode 8 was when we finally got into the meat of the story, what was happening to Hina, why Hiroto was doing what he was doing, and the background that we all were asking for. My concerns only started from there, since there were only 4 more episodes to go and the story had just begun. It was clear at this point that there were not going to be enough episodes to fully flesh out the story. While the last episodes weren't bad per se, it was so rushed that I couldn't help but ask myself what and why was anything happening.

Jun Maeda previewed this anime saying that it would be the saddest work that he has ever written. While I can say that the ending, had it been written correctly, could be a contender, the execution given in the show does not hold up. The premise is there, but the story just isn't meant to be told in 12 episodes. This series had great potential, with an interesting premise and an idea for an ending that could have been the saddest Jun Maeda work to date. However, with the low episode count, strange directional decisions, and overall imbalance between comedy and drama, Kamisama is unable to deliver on its promise.

And so, our longest year of high school has come to an end.
Oregairu was a long and arduous journey that encapsulated exactly what it meant to seek the “real” thing. In the span of 3 seasons, various generations of high schoolers alike came to this show to relate to the characters — to insert themselves into the show’s situations. From the first season airing 7 years ago to the most current one, many changes have happened not just within the character relationships and foundations, but even within the show’s content itself. We’ve experienced studio shift, a 5 year wait, and most importantly, broken hearts. While ... the first season showcased Hikigaya Hachiman’s martyrdom, and the second his realization of his true feelings, this season aims to tell a story about transparency among friends… but who would’ve thought that it would hurt this much?

Continuing off of the second season, Oregairu Kan seeks to resolve itself in a bittersweet note. From the continuation of Yui’s wish to the misinterpretation between the two girls’ wishes, the third season truly deserves the name “climax”. While the story’s overall events are less climatic than the previous seasons, focusing more on a singular prom, the level of detail and character interactions are what give this season its name. As a whole, a good majority of the show’s most glaring problems are with the lack of communication between the Service Club members, although this unique chemistry is what brought them together in the first place.

The art from this season is much more polished, aiming to clear up character art when they’re not in the main focus, which was slightly noticeable in the second season. However, although animations feel smoother and the intricate details feel much more stylized, I can’t help but notice that the shading in this season feels different from season 2. While certain stills of Yui from this season show that she has been given more color than the last, a quick look at Haruno reveals that she has a darker color scheme in this current season. Overall, though, this is such a minor change when considering that the art’s quality has improved from the previous season. Characters look sharper in contrast to their season 2 counterparts. The main focus with artstyle definitely went towards the characters, as for this season, I’m less drawn in by the backgrounds and more towards the characters.

As per usual, I love the music in Oregairu. From the piano versions of the previous OPs/EDs being utilized as character themes to the actual openings themselves, the music is pretty easy to get stuck in your head. Episode 8 turned the upbeat opening into a slow piano ballade with extreme emotional contrast, and the previous songs such as Replica and Yui no Ketsui are prevalent throughout the show too. On the original OP/ED for this season, they definitely grow on you. At first, I didn’t know if I liked the S3 opening over the S1, but the chord structures seemed to stick with me even more than the first season’s. Even if you don’t analyze the music, the actual song used for the opening is another great song by Yanagi Nagi, and I’m glad that they’ve kept using her throughout all 3 seasons.

While there certainly were less characters in this season, we got a much greater look between the relationships between the group members and Haruno. This season left a lot of room for interpretation, especially for Haruno’s true character. While we see Hachiman struggle to decide between what he wants versus what is best for the group, we also see the miscommunication between Yukino and Yui. All of this is further strained due to Haruno’s push for change, and Hiratsuka’s wishes for Hachiman to take time to figure out what the best course of action should be. In other words, the situation can be described as a clusterfuck, but this season handles it skillfully. While it is still hard to fully agree with Hachiman’s version of problem solving, the character progression seen within him is very transparent in this season. He goes from social-suicide to a tactic of planned failure. Rather than destroy all links he has, Hachiman has shown considerable changes in his mindset to the point that he would choose to maintain the respect of the opponent while also getting his goal. However, although Hachiman does show character development, the dynamics between Yukino and Yui can get annoying while watching the show. Everything that is going on is due to a misunderstanding, but rather than the two attempting to reconcile, the situation always requires a third party to get any progress done. While this social dynamic is realistic in how it represents the awkwardness of adolescence, it also insinuates everything that makes it painful. While this is in fact an accurate representation between a strained friendship, the fact that it happens over 10+ episodes makes it repetitive to watch.

Despite some story elements that made me feel slightly peeved at the characters (I'm looking at you, Yukino and Yui), the tension created within this season was the series at its best. While the first season provided the comedy, and the second provided the drama, this season focused was finally able to provide the rom part of the title that we so desired. For those who've stuck around since the beginning, this season has been the longest year finally coming to an end. For others such as me, this season feels like a proper sendoff to the Oregairu series.

Ever wondered why Emilia-tan major tenshi?

Re:Zero Frozen Bonds is an important movie in the Re:Zero franchise that gives us backstory into Emilia, who previously had little to no backstory given to us in the 2 cours of the original show. Surprisingly, this OVA managed to tie together the almost slice of life style of episode that the previous OVA captured, while still giving some major backstory to the deuteragonist, Emilia.

Story-wise, this OVA shined, just on a content standpoint. The OVA presented vast amounts of new information that had previously been a mystery to viewers, such as part of Emilia's origin story, the meeting with Puck, ... and exactly what she was doing in the forest before Roswaal picked her up. The narrative of this story flowed together, and you could definitely feel the build-up throughout the OVA. If there's one thing that I have to say about the story, however, it's that there are a lot of unanswered questions that I still have. Overall, I'd say that this is a great way to convince someone to read the LN.

Given the great work that White Fox did on the anime, and the first OVA, you can expect this to reflect the same. The crystals pop out on screen, and the lighting effects done during the battles are done very well. Overall, very comparable to what you've seen in the regular show.

The ending theme sells the OVA. Literally, that ending theme for me is similar to how it feels when Stay Alive starts blasting at the end of an emotional episode. Also, credit does need to be given to Puck's VA. The performance given in this OVA is exemplary.

As stated above, this OVA serves to further Emilia's backstory, while also giving insight as to why Puck acts the way he does. However, in its rawest form, this is the entire point of the OVA. You watch this OVA to find out character backstory, and you expect that. While yes, this OVA doesn't disappoint and gives you exactly what you want, it is somewhat lacking in the fact that there are more questions that I have raised than were answered. These are questions that may or may not be answered even in the light novels, but still, they are now things I'll think harder about coming into season 2.

I'm not sure how you could watch this and not enjoy it, seeing as how it's an OVA meant for those who have already finished the main show, plus the first OVA. You'd have to either be masochistic or forced to watch if you've gotten this far and dislike the show. Overall, the new additions to the Re:Zero anime from the light novels are enjoyable to watch. Both the first OVA and this one truly show character chemistry at work.

Don't get the cutesy art style mixed up with the story or the characters. Being Meguca is suffering, and the story reflects this. What Madoka Magica does well is its usage of deception, and the perception that it'll all get better from here on out. What you get in actuality is a harsh touch of reality, and the realization that things go the way as planned. There are no true redoes, and no matter how much you want to change the future, you’ll arrive at a similar point to what would happen had you gone with your original choice. There are no heroes in this ... story, just large sacrifices that are necessary for the development of not only the plot but the story as well. In terms of the general plot and lore, Madoka Magica feels as if it wants to dive a little bit into the Steins;Gate territory, but also keeps its roots similar to Evangelion. For a 12-episode show, this is more than enough lore and story to keep someone interested. Everything that happens in this show actually feels as if it leads up to one singular event at the end, rather than how most setups similar to Madoka bring in disjointed episodes that all have their own central plot. Instead, events clearly happen linearly, rather than segmented. These events are also all unique in how their consequences become more and more dangerous as time goes on. This snowballing that occurs due to the events in the story all lead to an ending that quickly turns on our expectations in the end.

Even if you don’t particularly love the art style, there’s still a lot to appreciate in this show. The contrast from the regular art style to the witch territories is drastic, but unique. The nature of the witch art style clearly shows that it’s not a safe place to be, physically or mentally. Whether a great use of foreshadowing or just a unique style, I can’t help but appreciate the different art styles in Madoka. I also do like that the designs of the magical girl transformations aren’t over-the-top and flashy, unlike certain other counterparts. Most of the costumes are grounded in reality and look as if they wouldn’t be a hindrance, aside from maybe Kyoko.

As per usual, performances are incredible. You know what the characters are feeling, and you see how they descend or are lifted up as a character just by their performances. Even Kyubey’s seemingly one-emotion dialogue has depth to it when you consider the implications. Aside from voice acting, the music is the highlight of this show. Composed by Yuki Kajiura, this clearly is not the soundtrack befitting of a magical girl show. However, when considering the darker story and the contrasting messages in this show when compared to that of the magical girls that preceded Madoka, this soundtrack is extremely fitting. Things in this show range a lot. You have the medieval-Europe sounding theme for Sayaka, the gentle piano of what I presume to be Homura’s first theme, and even the heavily orchestrated Surgam Identidem. These all mix together to create a soundtrack that is reminiscent of Kajiura’s other works, while breathing new life into a genre of show that would, in any other case, be represented with upbeat music. From the opening scene to the last episode, you can tell that the experience you’re getting is far from the norm.

While Madoka Magica has its share of unique and interesting characters, the problem that I have is that a few of them aren’t exactly brushed upon as much as the others. When your setup includes many characters that all equally interesting, but is unable to fully capture the full potential of each, it does detract a little from the experience. While Sayaka and Homura are arguably the most developed characters, their potential is overshadowed by that of Mami, with her setup. Although Homura gets her own episode to focus on her backstory, Mami’s general personality and the conflict that it has to her actual core personality seems to hold a vast amount of untapped potential. While the story makes up for it by showcasing that this is all part of the Homura experience, giving Mami more development would have made much more of an impact later on. Instead of just being a plot point, she could also be a point of attachment not just for Madoka, but the audience themselves. Aside from this one gripe, the rest of the characters deliver on their parts. Sayaka’s gradual change is quite possibly one of the biggest differences between a normal magical girl show and that of Madoka. With characters such as her, it’s easy to see how Madoka Magica impacted the medium.

Boasting unique art, amazing music, and being a step in a different direction for the magical girl genre, Madoka Magica was clearly a pioneer in a different style of magical girl show. Instead of problems needing to be solved with magic and flashiness, we see a glimpse into what it’s like to see a tradeoff for power. The audience dives into the lives of the characters and their change, for better or worse, throughout the show. This is not your average magical girl show, or even your average action show. The message in this show is clear, and the conclusion isn’t a clean one at all. Sacrifices are necessary, but the way that this show leads us into the sacrifices made is what makes the experience enjoyable.

This right here is the show that separates the connoisseurs from the pervs.

Interspecies Reviewers at first may seem like another fanservicey anime that serves the sole purpose of getting your member hard with some faux h-scenes, but in actuality, there's a lot more going on here than expected. At first, I expected the story to literally be nonexistent, and for some cheap animated jugs to be flaunted on screen for the whole duration of each 23 minute episode. However, what I found as I kept watching was that they knew that the show was going to be exactly that, and as a result, they ... actually felt the need to make things impact future events. You'd think that a show entirely about finding the hottest species to bang couldn't get any crazier with the species represented, combined with it actually having somewhat of an overarching plot. That's where I (and like most others) were wrong. The show starts with your generic and expected species like your fairies and your halflings, but it soon shows you that they're not afraid to go beyond this point. You'll see just about anything related to sex that you can imagine in this show, even going to the impossible, like genderbend. Hell, with the plot, you'll find that their previous experiences impact their decisions and attitudes later on. Because of this unexpected complexity and fresh look at shameless fanservice that makes the show actually have personality, the story isn't half bad.

There comes a point where you realize that it isn't just anime, and it's art. I'm happy to announce that this is neither and in fact, is just a well-animated R-18 show. From the jiggles to Crim's Rhongomyniad, you'll find that this show's art isn't just art. It's culture. This is the highest form of culture that you can find in a show. You already know WHY you're watching this show, and I can already tell it's not from the story. Whether you heard that there were tiddies or that Gabriel herself changed worlds to participate in this show, there's a high likelihood that you're here for the art.

What do you think goes on in the recording booth? I sure as hell don't want to know. For the music aspect of sound, I'll give this one high marks to the creators of Interspecies Reviewers. Not only were they able to capture the essence of Village People, but they managed to make a totally-not-gay version of In the Navy. This arduous task reaches the level of nigh impossible, and they managed to do it.

For a show about hitting up brothels, you'd expect the characters to have no character. However, this is not the case. From our main man Stunk to the unlucky Crim, characters have some sort of personality to them instead of just being the horny bastards they are. Stunk cares for his friends and prioritizes making sure that the reviewers are all doing well, even if his rash decisions might put himself in danger. With Crim, you can actually see that he's slowly being pulled towards the life of a reviewer instead of a regular angel. He develops the most out of everyone even if he's still ashamed by the end of the show. They all may not be the deepest characters, but for a show entirely about sex, they're all loveable. Also, can we talk about what's up with the halflings and their switch obsessions

This section exists only for one reason. This type of show. Why else is it called "enjoyment"? Oh, you'll enjoy yourself.

Overall, I would say that if you're watching this for the only reason why this show exists, you'll be treated with more than you asked. We're all degenerates, but this show is for degenerates with class. If you're watching this for any other reason, it's still a nice experience. It explores a lot of sex-related things, from Kanchal's film expertise to an open air space. I definitely got more than I expected out of this show.

How would you define life if you knew the deadline?

Kimi no Suizou wo Tabetai, known as KimiSui for short, was, to say the least, nothing new in particular to the industry. The setup was all too familiar, and tearjerker setups like this have been tried and true. Even still... I still felt that the movie was able to capture the essence of life. Not the life that we wish for, but the cruel reality of how short it really is. The movie hits you with pure raw force, showing you how quickly anything can change - without stalling.

Story: KimiSui is similar to the rest ... of the pack in how it doesn't deviate away from the slice of life formula, particularly used in high school settings. Things happen, and there's no real depth found in the story as it is all in the characters. But even still, what this movie represents is not an account of a dying girl and a high school boy, but a metaphor of the fleetingness that is life. The majority of the movie revolves around completing life's dreams, aka, a bucket list. If viewed from the perspective of the story supporting the characters, it's done in a way that isn't exemplary, yet still above the rest. However, when looking at KimiSui from story alone, it's obvious that it can't keep itself held up. It's almost immediately obvious that the story isn't meant to be deep, and full of twists. Instead, you can tell that the recognizable setup that you're presented with at the beginning of the movie is meant to aid in character development.

Art: For a 2018 movie in the age of Shinkai, the art is fairly standard for what we compare to other recent movies. It's well-crafted, and obviously has high standards to meet, but KimiSui meets that upper echelon in quality. There are countless scenes where I just wanted to screenshot what I was seeing and turn it into a wallpaper. I liked the character designs of Sakura and Issei, as they don't really feel like they blend into a style of character that I've seen in the past. With Haruki, however, I for some reason was reminded of Yukiatsu from Anohana when I saw him. One scene in particular I want to highlight, though, is the firework scene from later in the movie. This scene is excellent in its animation, showcasing pseudo-3D camera rotations that occur while keeping the animation crisp and clean.

Sound: The soundtrack definitely has some great songs, and the songs by Sumika really brought out the emotion in the scenes that included them. Other than that, though, I can't really say much else about the sound. You expect a certain quality from the voice actors, and you receive exactly what you're looking for, and more. That's reflected in this movie.

Character: While I don't want to lump the characters into tropes, they do feel like that. Sakura is similar to a hybrid between Nagisa from Clannad and Yui from Oregairu in some ways, while Haruki made me feel like I was going to relive Hachiman. This might just be because I rewatched Oregairu recently, though. Tropes or not, the characters still created an interesting story that delivered on its message. Without Sakura, there wouldn't be change in Haruki, and he wouldn't be anything more than a social outcast destined to a life of complacency. Without Haruki, Sakura's story wouldn't have been anything more than a sad case of an illness. However, with the two complimenting each other, not only does an unlikely relationship begin, but the tension that is created at the climax of the story has extreme impact. Haruki's development throughout the story feels natural, and by the end of the movie, you can see that in a way, the two do live on together. My only gripe with this story was that by the climax, there wasn't enough left to drive the impact of the events further. I felt that with just a little more, perhaps something in between the ending and epilogue, we could have gotten the message to firmly cement itself into the audience's minds.

Enjoyment: I'm glad that I watched this movie. It may be predictable at times, but by the end of the movie, what you're left with is a unique experience of one view of life. After waiting for as long as I did to finally watch this movie after 2 years, I definitely will rewatch it in the future.

Overall: KimiSui offers a unique story of life brought together by the familiar. You've seen this setup before, the characters too, and it delivers on its promise to tell a story that's on one perspective of life.

UPDATED FOR REWATCH

Have you ever found yourself searching for something, even if it seemed impossible to attain, or even impossible to exist? Oregairu Zoku not only discusses and shares a unique perspective on this exact type of problem, but presents it in a way that is one of the most realistic representations of the feeling of yearning ever in this medium.

Story: While the first season felt more comedic in nature, and plot points mostly didn't matter, the opposite holds true for this second season. While, yes, the comedy still shows up in certain scenes, the majority of the show is spent listening to inner monologues, ... the implications that arise due to a certain plot element, and the aftermath of messy cleanups. In this season, the events still jump around, but you feel as if continuity has continued not just from the events in this season, but also the previous. The stakes are much higher in this season, and one character doing one action or going to an event with another person all has an impact on the dynamics of the club. While yes, the story still jumps around the year, you can still see the scars left over from earlier parts of the story. Even with this time jumping in the story, a severe change can be seen from the first season to the next. This change manifests in the form of events impacting character growth and aspirations. With a certain festival in the distance for the majority of the middle of this season, we see not only a shift in Hachiman, but a complete 180 in terms of his character. While this shift is ultimately a change due to his character, it's the event in the story that fostered this change in him. With this change, we see the reactions to characters actually impact each other in a realistic way, rather than them playing off on character dialogue like a comedy troupe. This change brought a significant improvement to the storytelling aspect of Oregairu.

Art: While Brain's Base did a great job highlighting the playful tone of the first season, allowing us to get attached to the characters with an artstyle that exposed the superficiality of characters, this second season allowed for the maturity of the characters and situations to truly prosper. In a way, the first season modeled Hachiman's shallow perception of others, while this second season gives you a full, comprehensive look at the actual state of these characters. However, with this studio change from Brain's Base to feel. came character design changes. Case one would be the redesign of Yukino. In season one, Yukino comes off as a stereotypical ice queen, sporting long black hair and a snarky personality. With the shift to season 2, her art changes to focus less on an icy exterior, but to one that harbors conflict. Yukino in this season seems to be putting on a fake smile in many scenes that she is in, which shows this odd sense of something being out of place. This change was extremely beneficial to her in the long run. Hachiman and Yui felt similar, but a slight touch up and lighting (which the first season seemed to lack on), their characters fit the new change. Overall, this new artstyle accommodated the new depth in character development with the new lighting that was capitalized on.

Sound: As if I already didn't like the first season's OST enough, the second season blew it out of the water. The new opening is upbeat, and perfectly captures the essence of the show, especially in the lyrics. While the first season's opening featured what seemed to be Yukino's perspective, this new opening may be that of Hachiman's. There even seems to be a bit of foreshadowing in the lyrics, and the title of the song itself reflects the overall theme of this season. Opening aside, the OST gets an upgrade from the previous season's. Alongside the amazing openings and endings comes the piano versions of them, which each provide the characters with a sort of theme while also setting the mood in the most dramatic scenes. Associating the characters with these themes give the characters that extra bit of flair that most shows don't have, since you don't hear character themes in the openings/endings alongside the actual show.

Character: Season 1 focused on introductions and first impressions. However, while these impressions carried over into this season, the first season did not capitalize on the colorful secondary characters, which ended up making them feel a bit like wasted potential. With this new season, not only do we see more development in main characters, but we also get character arcs that focus around these side characters. A notable example of this is seen towards the end of the show, where we see a new character be introduced to us while receiving her own arc. The events that occur throughout this arc lead into the next one, where Hayama is seen to have more to him than meets the eye. This fluidity of arcs allows for character development to feel as natural as real life. With these arcs focusing on side characters, we also are able to see the development of Hachiman as a result. The relationship between 8man, Yukino, Yui, and the other cast is malleable, and the character desires all change too. This change from the last season to this one is what allows for main characters to feel even more realistic while giving the side characters enough backstory and development to make them stand out in their own regard. Perhaps, leading into the next season, we will see further discoveries in side characters that show us their true personalities. Overall, the shifts in character personalities in this season works for the better.

Enjoyment: Oregairu Zoku isn't an action heavy show. By that, I mean that the plot doesn't really do much, and that character interactions and changes are due to the drama that occurs between them rather than major events that change them. While it may feel slow in certain aspects, such as Hachiman's relationships with Yui and Yukino, the rest of the season comes at you at full speed, especially with character desires and revelations. With this in mind, this season is one of the most enjoyable second seasons for a drama-heavy show by far.

Overall: With a complete change in art, improvement in sound, and a couple steps towards a direction allowing for side characters to have as much relevance as the main cast, this season led Oregairu in a direction that is positive. This season works with the successes of the first season, and corrects the shortcomings of it as well. Overall, this season provides a story that's not just relative, but one of the most realistic ever in a work of fiction.

THIS REVIEW IS OF A REWATCH

With a return to zero, there will always be a part left behind. Whether this is in the form of a person, or even something intangible such as a reputation, there can never truly be a reversal. Oregairu is an example of a show where instead of a misguided student leading his life towards that of assimilation, he attempts to guide his relationships and progress towards the start, rather than the end.

Story: Oregairu's story is pretty simple. It follows school events throughout the year, and the hardships faced by the characters. While major plot points do not deviate from the ... average high school anime, it's the way that these story arcs and events wrap up that give Oregairu its charm. The show follows a pretty simple formula: introduce event, main character Hachiman is thrust into the spotlight, and the event ends with him self-sacrificing. While it may seem that this repeated cycle of self-sacrificing would eventually lead to a stale formula in the end, these actually serve to further develop the characters. At the beginning of the show, Hachiman is self-centered, and unwilling to involve himself in others' affairs. However, by the end of this season, you can see that he has transitioned into that of a martyr. This could not be done without the combination of character and occasion. While Oregairu's story isn't that special in this season, it's a catalyst that helps enrich the characters while keeping the show as realistic as possible.

Art: Assuming that you have not seen the second season's art, this season's art isn't too much to call home for. It gets the job done, but you can see that this art is much simpler than that of the LN, and is less impressive than the second season's art. Overall, the art just feels painfully average compared to other shows that came out around the time. I feel that with more realistic lighting/shading, this season could have come out better than it looks.

Sound: I love this show's music. I'm not going to lie. Background music is pretty memorable, at least in my opinion. I would prefer the second season's opening over this season's opening, but I do feel that both are very good song choices that capture the essence of this show very well. The ending song is a good way to wrap up the events of an episode, with its upbeat tempo, yet deep lyrics.

Character: Oregairu's characters are definitely up there when it comes to characters with the most potential. At the conclusion of this season, you already see a major shift within the main characters, and minor characters even get to shine - and not just with Ebina's fujoshi personality. While yes, Hachiman attempts to return all of his relationships back to what they originally were, it is his oversight that leads Yui to reversing the damage that he has done in most cases. However, what is most interesting about Hachiman is his self-sacrificing personality. At the beginning of the show, particularly seen in the summer camp arc, Hachiman's plans are more towards having others do the grunt work while he is the scheming mastermind. Towards the end, however, a shift occurs within him, and his distrust for others takes over. This distrust is what causes him to change from someone who uses others to one that uses himself to protect what he already has. With the other 2 members, their personalities are actually explained from the beginning, rather than Hachiman's aversion to others stemming from his natural awkwardness. With Yukino, we find out about her past, and how that has affected her current personality. Her past is what has created this icy façade that prevents her from getting close to others, and is further elaborated on with the relationship that she has with her sister. With Yui, we find that her cheerful demeanor is yet again another façade put on in order to fit in with her clique. Instead of a cast of shallow, onesided characters, Oregairu presents us dynamic characters that are able to change with hidden motivations that make up their overall character. Yui in particular seems to be the character with the most potential coming into season 2, especially with her true nature still being fairly untouched by the writing. My only complaint with the characters would be the side characters. With this season focusing on our 3 main characters, and getting us attached to them, it's no real surprise that the side characters are given less fair treatment.

Enjoyment: While the first season definitely focuses less on realism of characters and more of the development of these characters, Oregairu definitely is enjoyable. I loved the interactions between the characters, and the glimpses into these characters' true personalities. However, when compared to that of the second season, the relationships and dynamics definitely feel a bit less "real" in this season. With a reputation as the most realistic representation of high school relationships in anime, Oregairu's first season definitely serves as a premonition towards this overall ideal.

Overall: While not perfect, Oregairu shines in its deep main characters, the symbiotic relationship they have with the story, and overall being an enjoyable experience. That being said, this show is definitely something that should not be slept on. Especially at the time of writing, this show is more relevant than it will ever be, particularly with its painfully accurate representation of changing relationships, and also the fact that season 3 is on the horizon.

"Be careful. Be cautious. Be overly cautious. You may find yourself alienated or hated, but you have to endure it all. This time, for sure, you'll prove that you can save your friends, your loved ones, and the entire world."

Cautious Hero may come across as another generic isekai show from the good old decade of the 2010s. It would be, except for the fact that similar to Konosuba, this show is a gag. Not only is it a gag in how it treats itself as an isekai, but also with how the characters interact with each other. In the case for this show, it turns ... the overall style of a JRPG playthrough of a difficult game, and does a complete 180 with it. This review may be a bit shorter than I usually make them.

Story: Being a gag show, there isn't much of a story. Characters come and go, and in the divine realm, past actions usually can be reversed (except for Cerceus [bless his soul]). The only source of an overarching story is the backstories that are presented, and also the main quest that Ristarte is tasked with. However, although there really isn't much of a main story, the backstories are of some substance. In the later episodes, you find out that there's been a good amount of foreshadowing that leads you into the history behind the characters in the anime. Although unnecessary, it's this backstory that gives the audience more information on characters so that the overall understanding of these characters grows, which is a nice flair to the anime.

Art: As a gag anime, I really didn't expect the animation to be anything above Konosuba level. However, what I was treated to was a myriad of colourful expressions by Ristarte, and a lot of variation in these as well. While the overall animation was about expected, there was a level of detail given to contrasting landscapes and backgrounds. This can be seen when comparing areas in the show like Adenela's house to the burning village in a later episode. Overall, the main selling point in this anime's art was definitely in character expression, as I would not be able to count how many reaction images I could find with Ristarte alone.

Sound: Nothing special. The opening gets you ready for a high-octane action adventure show... and then you find out the episode is about training. The juxtaposition in this show is high tier. Most of the props for sound has to go to the voice acting. A lot of talent went into voicing these characters, whether it be Ristarte's six pack line to Adenela's unexplainable transformations. Although sound wasn't a big focus in the show, I was more than happy with the voice acting.

Characters: While the characters in Cautious Hero have little to no complexity, it's how they play their roles that makes them special in their own way. Seiya takes the trope of the hero in a JRPG and tosses it out the window, seen with his poorly (well) timed training sessions and his treatment of his own party. While it is revealed why he treats everyone coldly, his way of dealing with safety is one that makes his actions interesting. To protect his party, he tries to deliberately make them not want to go onto the front lines, rather than stepping in and protecting them while they're already there. With Ristarte, she takes the trope of the goddess/holy woman and is able to be the exact opposite of it; as she is able to reference how she's doing the opposite of what she's supposed to. Instead of being a powerful healer who nullifies the need of recovery items, Ristarte is instead reduced to moral support for the party's other allies rather than being the main healer of the party. Another little detail that shows this trope being completely twisted in this anime is how Ristarte, at the end of the show, is dead set on going to the casino/bar. This little detail shows how much fun the original writer had for creative liberty when making the antithesis of the trope. Honorable mentions include Seiya's reduction of Mash and Eruru to designated luggage carriers.

Enjoyment: If you're watching for plot and deep characters, you're not going to enjoy this show at all. If you put your brain on Tesla autopilot before you watch each episode (except maybe the last one), you'll definitely find this show enjoyable. While I can't go into detail as to what's enjoyable without spoilers, the overall charm of this show is in the characters and animation. JRPG fans will definitely have a fun time watching this show, and even those who don't play too many RPGs can find something to enjoy.

Overall: Cautious Hero is a fun show that casually takes all the tropes seen in JRPGs and does away with all of them. Although the story isn't deep and the characters are all gags, their gag statuses is what gives the show its charm. If you're a fan of Konosuba or just a fan of comedy, Cautious Hero is a great watch that deviates away from the isekai formula, and brings a breath of fresh air to the genre since the initial airings of Konosuba.