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Jul 22, 2016
KonoSuba or *insert full name here* is one of the few light novel adaptations that doesn't immediately make me lose interest. The first impressions was good and made me go "Hey, I want more of this kind of comedy." That was pure gold.
Judging by its looks, KonoSuba is one of THOSE fantasy, trapped in a game/world/whatever action anime, which is one of the growing trends these days. However, KonoSuba isn't an show where people are to take it seriously. That itself was evident, after watching its first episode. Following the protagonist, Kazuma who is resurrected and sent to the fantasy world, he's given one task:
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to defeat the so-called "Devil King". But there's just barely any progression in its plot. All of the episodes just have him and his party completing quests; majority are trivial and a few "compulsary" ones.
So, where's all the fun?
KonoSuba's saving grace is its comedy. Unfortunately, its strength is also its own Achilles' heel. Why? it delivers only about HALF of the time. Let's start off by mentioning a few okay ones: Kazuma's stealing ability. Megumin's single use per day spell. Darkness's masochistic personality. All these are funny, yes, but it quickly gets dull when recycled over and over. Even the best jokes only made me crack a smile. Alas, when the humor fails, well, I just cringe. Living cabbages that attack people!!...HAHAHA...nope. Just stop.
The characters are merely just comedic versions of existing stereotypes, so they aren't special. First off, there's Kazuma. Despite being a shut-in and Otaku he's the most rational, in comparison to his other three members who conveniently, are all females. At least, he isn't a complete beta male. Nonetheless, he's still generic.
The other three members are: Megumin the mage, "Darkness" the crusader, and lastly Aqua, a Goddess whose attitude is identical to that of a spoiled child. Her role in the show is be a constant irritation. Obviously, her whining is supposedly meant for entertainment purposes, for me its nothing but infuriating. Megumin is like-able, but my interests for her just disappeared about halfway in the series. Supporting characters such as Wiz(a gorgeous big-breasted waifu) and Chris had some potential but having only meager amount of screen time, I didn't particularly care that much about them. Wiz is definitely hot, don't get me wrong. But like I said, she needed more screen time for me to actually start caring for her. All in all, most of the characters were simply boring.
KonoSuba's animation by current standards, barely holds up. The backgrounds are great, but animation of characters are so-so. Not the best, not the worst either.
Not much to criticise about the sound aspect; decent voiceacting, okay soundtracks/OP/ED. Although, Aqua's voice would make my ears bleed.
Ultimately, both of KonoSuba's major strengths and weaknesses lie within its own comedy and humor. There's also lack of story progression, so it just ends up as a slice of life/comedy anime. KonoSuba is passable, at best. Not sure if I should recommend this or not, but perhaps to fans of comedy anime with slice of life elements. Despite that, I cannot guarantee they will have an enjoyable experience. Some people can fully appreciate this anime, while others will loathe it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Oct 1, 2015
“Overlord? Overrated more like!” – A goblin Jester from Overlord (a 2007 video game).
Overlord, is an anime about an extremely, ridiculously, tremendously overpowered so called “Overlord” who is actually…just a MMO player who found himself unable to log out from the game. Along with his uninteresting subordinates, he then goes on a rather boring journey to find his friends that are perhaps like him, trapped in the game world. That’s the story in a nutshell. Not entirely fresh in terms of premise, the only thing that’s new is the protagonist is a generic guy who is stuck in lich form.
In terms of action, its does
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a fair job – however almost fails at it. Since not only Momonga(protagonist), but even his subordinates are outrageously powerful, any adversary are like flies to them, making the fights scenes less enjoyable to watch since the enemies can’t even put a dent on them – of course other than the last battle, where Momonga faced someone who is more or less powerful than him. Still, majority of the fights are very one sided.
Many of the characters frequently utter names of random “spells” or “buffs” – any average gamer definitely know what those terms means. Few “skills” sounded self-explanatory to avid gamers, but there were some called “See-through” and “Greater Hardening”, I don’t know what the hell they do, but it sure made me chuckle. The battles are most likely the only biggest redeeming factor in this show. Even so, the action is nothing jaw-dropping or cool and very far from awesome. It doesn't even reach “good”, in my standards.
The characters are probably the weakest aspect - I wasn't particularly interested in any of them. Admittedly, Albedo was hot and she’s nice fap material, but other than that, I didn't find her particularly interesting, or unique whatsoever. Most of the time, she was just there to constantly praise Momonga – in fact, majority of Momonga’s servants didn't do much as well. In the first episode, we are already introduced to most of the supporting cast: a giant insect man and a weird guy in a suit, whom both resembles generic villains, two possibly trap siblings and lastly, a vampire loli with fake boobs; that’s what I've been told. I can’t even remember their names too well either, other than having to Google it or probably rewatching an episode, which I’m probably not going to do.
Other aspects such as animation & art was alright, but it’s nothing memorable and the overall Sound was good.
In conclusion, Overlord is just a passable anime due to its rather mundane fights, combined with a cast of bland characters, while it does have a couple good moments in between, but still not entirely worthwhile. Do I recommend it? Well, I'd say, give it a shot - but don't expect too much.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Feb 14, 2015
Love Live is basically about a school, Otonokizaka high that is going to be closed down due to the lack of student enrollment, but eventually the idea of one 2nd year high school girl saves the school from its demise. The idol group starts off with only the main trio(Honoka, Umi, Kotori) but soon grows with more members joining. Love Live attempts its own set of emotional moments, unfortunately, from time to time it can get pretty predictable.
In terms of characters: I was indifferent for almost all of the characters but two. Originally, I was slightly infatuated with Umi Sonoda, I found her to be
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adorable sometimes. Later, after Nico's appearance in the anime, I guess you can say that I found...Waifu at first sight? LOL. I have a fascination towards Nico, despite her being irritating sometimes. Not to mention she tends to show her ugly side, a lot. But she is cute, I'd say.
Love Live's overall animation quality is decent, but there is one flaw I would like to bring up. Love Live! has lots of random 3D animation moments thrown in during μ's performance(including the Opening theme). These constant, random 3D sequences can get aggravating and its quite unbearable to watch. Some people might dig the 3D animation, but I don't. This is only my personal opinion, so you'll have to see them and judge for yourself.
In an anime that focuses towards music, soundtrack is a crucial aspect. Undoubtedly, it is also where Love Live! truly shines. If you've already done your research about Love Live's songs, they released many mini albums of truly satisfying songs(some songs were even released before the TV anime initial airing, I believe), however only some of them are presented in the anime. A few of my favorite songs are "Bokura wa Ima no Naka de" and "No Brand Girls" in the anime and many other songs such as "Soldier Game" and "Arifureta Kanashimi no Hate" which aren't presented in the anime. Honestly, J-Pop songs aren't my cup of tea these days, however Love Live's songs are an exception. Opening theme was very pleasing to listen to, but the awkward 3D transitions made it cringing to watch. Lastly, Kotori's voice sounds rather high-pitched and childlike, her voice sounds weird to me.
To summarize everything, Love Live isn't bad, or close to being top-tier. Despite having its predictable moments, nevertheless it's still a solid slice of life anime which is fun and relaxing to watch. J-pop song fans would be very satisfied with the variety of songs it has. But the art is a mixed bag; Love Live's general animation was alright, but the awkward 3D animations are quite painful to watch, And the only character I was deeply interested in was Nico Yazawa.
Nico is the best. Let me say that again. NICO IS THE BEST. That is all.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jul 19, 2014
Whenever I see or hear the word Claymore, from my knowledge it reminds me of:
1- A large, two-handed sword from the medieval ages.
2- An anti-personnel mine.
But, now that I've completed it, the word Claymore should have forged one more meaning into my own personal dictionary.
3- A GOOD shounen anime with a dark atmosphere and solid storyline.
Claymore is animated by Madhouse, a well-known studio which animated many popular shows, their works which include highly praised anime such as Death Note but also released poop-tier anime such as Mahou Sensou. Let me first say that, Claymore's plot doesn't bear anything too innovative: An Organization with half
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human, half monster women are hired to get rid of monsters called Yoma who feasts on humans' entrails. These women are given the name Claymores - pretty much named after the greatswords they lug around. Each of them have their own respective emblems and ranks which signify how much experience they have exterminating Yoma. What's Clare's rank in the Organization? I'm not telling! However, if you know the video game Hitman, then you may had already guessed it. Each of the Claymores inherits one or more superhuman abilities giving them feats such as regeneration and/or lightning-fast movement capabilities. Lastly, talking about designs, Yoma don't have the most unique monster designs I've seen, as a matter of fact most of them closely resemble ghouls if not, gargoyles.
I recall reading one chapter of Claymore in a Shounen Jump Magazine, back in 2006? I don't remember the exact details. As I began watching, I only started with the first couple of episodes. My initial thoughts? It's not too bad. Granting, I believe that I wasn't going to enjoy the show very much. Then slowly, I began watching even more, up to 7 or 8 episodes a day. It was definitely getting more better. Before I knew it, I already reached the finale. Claymore clearly went above my expectations - it's pretty solid. About halfway in the series, the pacing accelerates thus the overall storyline becomes even more engaging. Claymore's premise doesn't bring anything far too unique to the table, yet it's the execution, pacing and storytelling which is very nicely done. 26 episodes for a shounen seems more than enough, but there are times where I don't mind having more. I felt a little bit disappointed with the ending though. It doesn't feel entirely "accomplished".
Dismemberment is very common in Claymore. Obviously, the main attraction of typical shounen anime is its action. From my personal view, Claymore doesn't provide the best action entertainment out there, and to be frank, I found even more spectacular and intense action scenes coming from passable anime such as Eiyuu Densetsu - Sora no Kiseki: an anime OVA with poor introduction and storytelling but makes up for its excellent action scenes. In summary, Claymore's action: it does the job, but not close to perfection.
Clare is a solid female protagonist; her past holds several nice twists and is pretty interesting stuff. She also shows good development throughout the anime. While many Claymores are introduced later in the series, but Clare and Teresa are the two most interesting ones. Speaking of Teresa, her actions practically reminded me of Accelerator from Toaru Majutsu no Index; Protecting your helpless loli. Why the fuck not? She's my second best character in Claymore. Lastly, there's Raki, the male protagonist; a character whom I didn't particularly hate or liked.
In terms of visual/animation, Claymore's visuals may take a little time to adapt to, especially for people who have grown accustomed to watching colorful, bright anime. However, I didn't find it repulsive whatsoever. The animation quality is still satisfying, even during this year, 2014. Clearly, it isn't on par with today's anime visuals but fits the dark and moody ambience of the anime. Characters' faces(especially Claymores) have a doll-like semblance and can look semi-creepy at first, but doesn't look too bad.
"Raison d'etre", the opening theme which is performed by Nightmare is pleasing enough - since I'm a dedicated fan of rock and metal themed songs. Also, some nice rocking background music fades in whenever the battles get intense.
In conclusion, Claymore is a solid shounen anime set in a dark universe. The storyline is filled with many interesting twists and is pretty absorbing as well. Action scenes in Claymore are good, however its not outstanding. Visuals are nice but for some people it may take some time to get used to and the first few episodes might be a little tedious to watch. But by continuing, you might actually end up enjoying the way I did. If you're a die-hard shounen fan, then you're missing out.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 17, 2014
What is the most popular anime of 2013? Attack on Titan. Before I started watching, I read so many reviews, heard from my friends and also received so much praise that its one of those "absolute" must watch anime of last year. Yes, I did enjoyed it, but to an extent.
This review will contain spoilers. You've been warned.
Humanity have been overrun by the so called "Titans"(to be frank, they are nothing more than just giant, naked zombies) and humans have built huge walls, confining themselves within. Obviously, peace within the city didn't last forever and soon, titans managed to find their way inside. That's the
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gist of the story. I'll admit that I find AoT's story a bit more unique than the usual, which is a good thing. Ecchi(which is something I hate) which is a very common part of anime these days is nowhere to be found in AoT, and yes, that's another good thing. The initial story seems rather interesting and believable, until one point in the series, it becomes garbage. AoT does have it good and funny moments, even despite it being so serious most of the time.
SPOILERS: One part of the story which I disliked; after the titan-transforming power has been introduced into the anime, it caused the downfall of my own personal viewing experience. While some people called it cool and epic, but its ridiculous in my opinion. Not to mention, even with a crappy explanation to back it up. How did Eren get it? It's nothing more than a dream of Eren being injected by his father. Truthfully, I would have preferred if Attack on Titan story's should have went without all the transforming crap. Though, Annie has it too, and it makes me wonder why is she the only female titan in the anime. But seriously, titan-transforming Power:RUBBISH. Also, I might add that, the outcome behind the Colossal titan and the Armored titan remains unsolved. What happened to them the end of the anime? Amusingly enough, the face of the Colossal titan suddenly appeared at the ending which could mean potential for another season. SPOILER END.
Another weak aspect of the show, are the characters; namely Eren, Mikasa, Armin. Naruto Uzu- I mean, Eren Yeager is one of those characters out of typical shounen anime: always preaching and talking about exterminating the titans(believe me, you'll hear him repeat it a LOT of times its aggravating). Mikasa could've been a cool character; beautiful, strong, regrettably her main role is like being Eren's babysitter. Lastly, Armin is....well, you know, another Amano Yukiteru clone. The three main protagonists are terrible. They're not the worst protagonists I've seen, but man, I honestly didn't like them. Instead, I was more interested in the supporting characters a little bit more than the main trio(Sasha, Jean, Levi just to name some) but none of them still far enough for a personal favorite. Still, I'll admit that, seeing some of the "good" characters die a meaningless death got me quite teary eyed. The characters tend to show realistic reactions during certain situations, though few of them are truly unnecessary and overdone in some cases.
AoT also tries to increase the tension or the "shock-factor". Unfortunately, seeing random characters who are nothing but Titan fodder is one of the cheapest ways to do it. By even adding some edgy and shaky camera views and angles, I have to say, they were trying too hard and sometimes the scenes that were SUPPOSED to increase the tension, end up looking bad.
What AoT does better at are the music/sound,visuals and the action. They are all...decent at most. First, the action scenes, you can't really go wrong with AoT's action parts. It's does a decent job at getting the viewers' attention to some fast-paced and edge-of-the-seat battles. It still continues to baffle me that the soldiers are able to move fast even carrying all that equipment; the gas cylinders, the three dimensional manuever device, the blades, etc. It just seem difficult.
Sound wise, The OP is great (Guren no Yumiya, I've listened to it countless times) and some nice soundtrack kicks in whenever the battle heats up. Voice acting was good, nothing much to say about sound.
The overall animation quality is good, although from time to time, I find the thick black outlines on the characters quite unappealing. There are several occasions where the characters looked poorly animated and terribly drawn.
In the end, I have so many mixed feelings about Attack on Titan. I enjoyed some aspects of it and also hated some parts. It has its fun moments and it does better in other key areas such as sound and animation. But, the characters and several areas of the story ruined it for me. Dedicated action fans would definitely love AoT. Still, I truly can't recommend AoT for the serious viewer. If there ever be a second season, I don't mind watching it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Nov 9, 2013
I like how Minami-ke Tadaima begins each episode with a brief commentary:
"This story is a simple illustration of the three Minami sisters and the ordinary life they lead. Please don't expect too much from it." - Minami Chiaki.
Just like all the previous seasons, fans of Minami-ke should be familiar with how it begins an episode with one of the characters commenting along those lines and that's essentially what Minami-ke is entirely about;heartwarming slice-of-life revolving around three plain girls with very lighthearted jokes delivered throughout the entire show. Alas, this season is one you shouldn't "expect too much from it", just as Chiaki said.
With no story
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or focus on whatsoever, Minami-ke Tadaima is the latest follow-up, fourth season in the Minami-ke series, however, it does not require the viewer to have watch the prequels in order to understand the storyline(because there really isn't any) or know the characters(because they already provided introductions for most characters). Comedy presented in Tadaima is very light, so don't expect yourself to burst out in laughter. Apart from a few chuckles, Tadaima's sense of humor is random sadly, its bland and unimaginative. Even so, Tadaima is relaxing to watch.
Like all seasons of Minami-ke, Tadaima also had undergone a refresh regarding its artstyle. Okaeri, Okawari and the first all had different artstyle. This season's new art is good, however, its none too special or memorable. Just one's personal opinion though, I still find Minami-Ke's first season was far superior compared to any of the other seasons, in terms of humor, OP and ED and rewatchability, just the artstyle looked pretty dated.
Characters are pretty much unchanged; Kana remains to be the naive, energetic middle sister. Chiaki being the youngest but has more brains than Kana does, and Haruka being the motherly-type. There's almost no character development throughout the seasons so far. On that final note, most of them are still adorable as ever and to be more specific, there wasn't a character I disliked. Hosaka remains to be the most eccentric and funniest character in the whole series.
Ultimately, Minami-ke Tadaima was an decent show for me. On the plus side, the charming characters remained intact, has solid visuals and also can be relaxing to watch but regrettably its sense of humor has gone stale. Some people may even consider this to be the weakest season. Nonetheless, Minami-ke Tadaima should appeal to slice of life junkies, but for anyone looking for good laughs, stay away.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Sep 12, 2013
Anime based on a game. Anime adaptation from a video game. Anyway, whatever it's called, my expectations are USUALLY low whenever a video game gets an adaptation, whether its a live-action movie(or simply just movie) or an anime. And to no one's surprise, Eiyuu Densetsu is no different. So for this, Eiyuu Densetsu Sora no Kiseki or Legend of Heroes : Trails in the Sky The Animation gets an anime. One note though, Nihon Falcom is one company which makes one of my favourite RPG game series - Ys.
Getting straight to the point - Overall, Eiyuu Densetsu is just so-so. Story is so
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very rushed (and very difficult to understand) and with the amount of episodes(only 2 with approx.40 mins each, since its an OVA) is just not enough for all to fit everything into that time span. It starts of with a very brief introduction of "orbments", goes straight into the OP then followed by a sudden "kissing" scene. Most characters don't get much (ANY, to be more exact) introduction themselves, so you might end up having a hard time knowing the characters.
So the only two redeeming qualities for Eiyuu Densetsu lies in the action-scenes and the animation of the whole OVA. One word for the action - Incredibly satisfying. I'm not kidding, the battles are fast, fluid and its pretty much the most you'll get of out Eiyuu Densetsu. How about the animation/visuals? Character visuals are very detailed and "amazing" is the easiest way to describe Eiyuu Densetsu's animation quality.
Anyway, moving into more detail on the characters, you'll either love or hate them. Main character Estelle Bright is the typical tomboy who isn't so bright and is more to brawn over brains. Her past is later revealed in the OVA but only lasting for a couple of minutes. Joshua, is the typical cool and strong guy cliche. Like Estelle, his past is revealed, but again, very briefly. He is called the "Enforcer No.13," but nothing is mentioned whatsoever about these so called "Enforcers" and his objective is to destroy "Society"; again, nothing much is explained. Estelle and Joshua are the only two characters who gets most of the spotlight in the OVA, later on in the second episode of the OVA, majority of the "other" main characters get tossed out. Frankly, I don't even remember the names of characters (nor do I particularly cared for any of them) in the anime except the two main MCs.
Ending was also very disappointing, it was clearly unfinished and much is left to be explained. But what much can I say? That was rather expected for a 2-episode OVA; introductions and explanations are simply non-existent. Perhaps if you're a fan of the video game, then just maybe you'll enjoy this OVA a lot more. Anyway, one thing's for sure, after watching that OVA, I'm now very interested in trying out the video game. In conclusion, Eiyuu Densetsu : Sora no Kiseki feels like a very plain action(but with very solid action scenes) anime throwing out most of the story.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Jun 18, 2013
Time for a short series. I randomly picked a short series to watch for some joy. So, it's Boku no Imouto wa Osaka Okan, animated by some very obscure studios. After completing the anime, I have to say I'm surprised(with a very small "s"). It's a rather cute story about an imouto who returned after 10 years and reuniting with her older brother. From her brother's(protagonist) point of view, she changed a lot; She came back as a hyperactive Osaka-n girl.
Story-wise, it's nothing too extraordinary. Just the usual slice of life I've seen, quite similar to "Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga
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Nai" in a way because of it's "imouto" concept. Unfortunately, in terms of comedy, it terrible. Jokes and gags are not hilarious at all. The show teaches the viewers the "rules" on how Osaka-n people talk and their habits. On the plus side, the anime doesn't have any incest.
First of all, there's Ishihara Namika(the imouto); cute, eccentric and has an "Osaka-n" accent. While, Ishihara Kyousuke(brother/protagonist) is the really laid-back type of guy, but compared to some of the other protagonists I've seen, he isn't too bad as the main male character for one reason, he's not obnoxious. But all in all, he's just the bland protagonist we often see in anime.
In terms of artstyle/visuals, it's decent, but in terms of animation? It's bad. Characters' actions and movement are very poorly animated - there's barely any movement. It reminds me of those flash games: Happy Wheels, QWOP, etc. Personally, these "animations" are nifty for flash games and other flash-related media, but for an anime? No, it ain't. Well, fortunately, you can get used to it, eventually.
To sum up, Boku no imouto Osaka Okan is a short, adorable Slice of life anime but with flaws. I might had enjoyed it more if it was lengthened to a full, TV-sized, 20 minutes episodes series and with "proper" character animations. In the end, it falls just below the passing mark.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Jun 5, 2013
Rozen Maiden Traumend is the follow up to the original. Due to the lack of a proper interpretation of it's plot in the parent series of Rozen Maiden, for that reason I started watching this second season(also for more Suigintou) and since the first wasn't too bad, there's still hopes for development in this sequel.
Traumend starts off from where the first series stopped; after the victorious battle with Suigintou, Shinku starts to feel the guilt of eliminating one of her sisters, all because of the Alice Game. In fact, Shinku simply made her into a "piece of junk". Is it wrong to feel sad for
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an enemy you've just defeated?
Anyway, after completing Traumend, it's an improvement(but not massively) on the series, if you compare it to the original. Focusing more into the story, providing adequate explanation and reducing the number of trivial episodes. The story can be quite unpredictable sometimes; just when I thought THAT "Father" was the REAL "Father", turns that he isn't. There's also a considerable amount of drama with some fighting sequences and comedy going on. Final episode was more intense and better than in the original. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed with the results of the Alice Game.
Why climb when you can fly? - the characters' actions can be amusing. So, these dolls have the ability to fly(depends on the location or perhaps their mood). When I noticed that few of the them were "climbing their way out of danger", only for the enemy to catch up with them because she simply flew. You can sit there, relax and be amused by some their actions.
Episodes 3, 5 and 7 are mostly just filler episodes, haphazardly placing keypoints of it's story that only lasts few minutes(sometimes mere seconds) and most of time, near the end. But hey, they're fairly watchable. It does focus on the story from time to time but at least 1/3 of the anime consist of very, slice-of-life-ish episodes. Like the original, pacing is slow as a snail.
Traumend also introduces new characters and most of them play a major role in the story. First thing's first, Traumend has a new antagonist, the seventh and youngest Rozen Maiden doll, Barasuishou. Nevertheless, even with the new bunch of people, Suigintou remains as my number one character in the entire series and will always be.
Comparing the original and Traumend and there's no enhancement on visuals. After all, Traumend retains the whole same old visuals; colors are dull; not bright but Rozen Maiden dolls still look beautiful as ever, just like in the first. The visuals are sometimes inconsistent - characters faces differ from scene to scene. Just the same old, same old.
ALI PROJECT performs the OP for this one too. Sadly, the majority of her songs including this is just not for me. Listened to the ED, and it was actually quite good. But it gets old pretty quickly. BGM ranges from rock music(sadly the epic rock music is very rarely played) to same orchestral music pieces back in the original.
To sum up, there's improvement in the overall storytelling, but even with that, I still wouldn't recommend it to everyone. After watching both seasons in the franchise, I must say that this is more recommended to the casual viewers. In any case, this is one series you have to see for yourself. You might enjoy it...or not.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 28, 2013
Rozen Maiden was an anime I wanted to watch several years ago, but then since I wasn't able to get my hands on it for a very long time, and just like that, all my interest vanished. Until few days ago, upon seeing the list of upcoming anime this year, inexplicably Rozen Maiden is going to have it's third season aired around this year, simply named Rozen Maiden(2013) - Interest regained. Anyway, putting that aside.
Animated by studio Nomad, a studio which is quite well-known and I've seen some of their works back then, namely Kampfer and Ouran Highschool Host Club - though those
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two titles were not very outstanding, in my opinion. Rozen Maiden starts with a boy named Jun Sakurada who got his hands on a doll - Boy meets doll. Doll meets boy. Boy awakens doll. Doll abuses boy. Hilarity. First episode in and Rozen Maiden's core storyline is fairly hard to decipher. As the series progresses, the show gives vague explanation about the reason of the dolls' or the so called "Rozen Maidens" existence, then finally unfolding it's actual plot, about halfway in the anime. Some of the characters had a habit of mentioning the name "Alice Game" without going into detail about what it actually is. The show also had a tendency of placing important pieces of the story in between some very filler-like episodes.
While the filler episodes itself isn't that bad and it's watchable, since it's filled with solid comedy in them, but action scenes weren't epic. I've seen action anime with more engaging and edge-of-the seat battles. Note that these are indeed living dolls; evident with the "visible joints" on their bodies and are brought to life with the help of magic, but they still have emotions, eat and drink like normal humans do. So, where does the all the food go to? No idea.
The first and last few episodes, namely 1,2 ,3, 10,11 & 12 - are probably the most enjoyment you can get out of this anime. Ending was decent, however, even after completing the series, the maker of the dolls still haven't been revealed, other than his name. Possibly in the next season....
Characters =
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All scores are out of 5. Lowest 1 being hated. Highest being loved.
Jun Sakurada:(1/5) Generic male protagonist no.2123. There's nothing special or interesting about him to play the role as the protagonist. Plain boring. He can be obnoxious too.
Shinku:(3/5) Jun's Rozen Maiden and the fifth in the Rozen Maiden. Often abuses Jun physically and verbally. Somewhat of a Tsundere.
Suigintou:(5/5) Perhaps the most renowned character in the series - stumbled upon many of her wallpapers/pictures/whatnot in websites and realized that it's was her. Suigintou is one of the few villains in anime that I like. The first and possibly the strongest among the Rozen Maidens. Sadistic, powerful, arrogant, beautiful, etc. Personal favourite in the whole series. Do want. As much as I love her as a character, but as the main antagonist, no. Her role as one is fair: she wants to be the winner of the Alice Game. She's also the type of antagonist who "simply wanted to be loved."
Suiseiseki:(3/5) A heterochromiac-desu. Just like Shinku, she often abuses Jun but mostly verbally-desu. But, she can be very adorable...only sometimes-desu. Can be a little bit irritating.
Souseiseki:(4/5) Sister of Suiseiseki. More likable than her sister. Like Shinku, she's the more mature out of the group.
Hana-Ichigo:(2/5) Noisy, spoilt, childish, etc. Do not want.
Kashiwaba Tomoe:(3/5) Jun's classmate in school. Out of the other human characters, she's the only decent one.
Nori Sakurada:(2/5) Jun's sister. Always forgot her name. Until writing this review...
Character development is very weak. It's true that Jun Sakurada does become less of a hikikomori later on with the dolls' help, but he's only shown some improvement and that's in the final episode.
While the colors are not as bright and vivid as the newer anime and visuals for the human characters are very dated(obviously), on the other hand, the details for the "Rozen Maidens", even now, still looks excellent, though clearly not on par when compared to the more recent anime. To sum up, the artstyle/visuals have both good and bad qualities.
The vocalist for the opening theme is a very recognizable one. From her distinctive voice and the type of song she often sings, only few seconds listening to the OP, it was clear to me that ALI PROJECT was performing RM's Opening theme. Frankly, most of her songs don't appeal to me and same goes for this one too. Didn't bother listening to the Ending theme more than once. Just like the OP, the ED also does not appeal to me. Overall voice acting was great, though.
Ultimately, RM has several faults however, the outcome was still fairly enjoyable. Slow pacing, bland protagonist, good-and-bad visuals are all redeemed by the first and last few episodes and lovable characters(apart from the protagonist). If you're planning to watch this anime, just don't expect too much out of it. Even with my mixed feelings(and slight disappointment) with this series, I'll continue to the second and third season, see how it fare.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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