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On my quest to find a new manga to read, I came across several extensively long named titles at the book store. One that stood out to me was "Let This Grieving Soul Retire! Woe is the Weakling Who Leads the Strongest Party"... So against my better judgment, I gave it a shot! Come to my surprise that an MC who on the outside, seems incredibly OP, but is actually very average is a great analogy for this manga.

Our story takes place in a world of fantasy and magic. Where there are well-known 'guilds' or parties of treasure hunters in search of adventure and ... artifacts (tools of magical power). Adventurers will join these parties and everyone is ranked by their level which gives a clear hierarchy. We follow our hopeless MC who is part of the strongest party in the world, but is actually weak himself (hence the title). Through shear luck and people continuously overestimating him, he has been sprung to the top as one of the strongest. When realistically he is fairly weak and tries to avoid fighting. Cue bad guys and somehow our MC accidentally wins without even understanding how or why.

Unfortunately, at the time of me writing this review, it sticks to that formula with no end in sight. The characters are charming, art is fine and story decent. I could see myself enjoying this manga in the long run, but there needs to be development to the MC. The formula simply does not change. Bad guy plots, MC drops his tea and says, "Oh no, I spilt my tea and stained this map." , everyone flips their shit thinking MC is galaxy-brained and reads way too into it. Cue bad guy being thwarted cause it turns the bad guy was at the tea-stained location and his weakness was the same tea MC spilt. Everyone continues to revere clueless MC as the strongest. Rinse and repeat.

There seems to be a lot of similar common troupes in a lot of these incredibly long-named titles where they throw in a bunch of generic ideas then run with it. It's gotten to a point where if a manga has an incredibly long title people don't take it seriously anymore. I don't think it's a terrible thing to take successful past ideas and implement them into your story, but it needs to have an identity. Something that makes it stand out from the rest.

"Let This Grieving Soul Retire! Woe is the Weakling Who Leads the Strongest Party" does not have anything that separates itself from its troupes yet. It is a decent read and had its moments, but hopefully in the coming chapters we'll get to have an MC who is more than just average.

If you're just looking for more manga with an MC who is deemed OP, but is actually not (As opposed to looking weak, but actually being OP), then give it a go. It's not a bad read and won't take long to catch up. If you're looking for that next manga that will wow you and make your jaw drop then keep on searching.

I'd give it a solid 6 out of 10. It has potential, but it's not being fully utilized yet. Hopefully I can be proven wrong one day! Until then, my grieving soul will not retire.

If I were to encapsulate season 2 of Rising of the Shield Hero in a few words it would be:

Your average generic Isekai

At the time of season 1, it hit on two marks everyone was foaming at the mouth for...

1. Isekai
2. Revenge

And it did extremely well! Maybe too well for what it was, but I enjoyed my time with it.
...
Season 2 takes a step away from the revenge plot and focuses more on the cast's next journey. This is actually a great move since you can only take the revenge plot so far before it becomes a repetitive mess. It misses the mark though as the new journey they embark on is just so absolutely generic it feels like a filler arc. At least for the first 6 episodes.

The second half of the season does get interesting and brings more to the table. It definitely caught my attention more-so and I even felt a little excitement at times. Unfortunately, we are already halfway through the season and for those that waited every week for an episode it became a slog. Luckily, I didn't pick up season 2 until after it was complete. By being able to watch it as a whole, It allowed me to avoid the painful experience of waiting over a month for something really interesting to happen. Parts that are dull just seem to drag on and the more interesting bits go by too quickly. It felt like at a certain point we had too many characters to focus on so no character interaction really felt meaningful. Maybe if they spent less time on the conflict in the first half to spend more time fleshing out the characters or giving more background it could have felt more impactful.

In a nutshell, I don't think season 2 is as terrible as I was initially led to believe. If you want more Rising of Shield Hero, that's exactly what you are getting. It's just an average ride, but given the hype carried over from season 1, a lot of people expected more. Hopefully season 2 was merely a stepping stone for what may come in season 3, but overall it just felt like something to watch. Nothing more or nothing less.

If someone ever asks me, "What do you think of Rising of Shield Hero season 2?"

I will just respond with, "Meh"

Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou, otherwise known as, "Everyday Life with Monster Girls" is probably as generic as it gets when it comes to ecchi harems. It has the typical nice guy, the girls that fawn over him and everything that make comedic harems a genre. None of that discredits Monster Musume for what it is though and for it to take those simple generic ideas and hit all the 'right' buttons truly makes it its own.

Whether it be changing the girls to 'monster girls', twisting the personalities to an extreme, adding sexy but hilarious interactions with the MC and girls or trying to build ... a world where society is slowly accepting these new sub-species all come into play; The anime hits all the right notes to make it something more than a typical harem and does it in a phenomenal way.


Story (7/10):

The story isn't as engaging as it could be, but it sets itself up to be interesting enough with plenty of laughs to follow it. One thing that does get somewhat lost as the show goes is the idea that there's sub-species mixing in the show. We only follow one character whom is dealing with it, but it gives viewers a glimpse to all of the pros and cons that come with this 'mixing'. Just as cultures and other nationalities mix there can be prejudice, mockery, but at the same time fascination and acceptance. Monster Musume only touches lightly on the subject, but as the MC himself soon learns things aren't just as simple when you're living with a person of different species every day. As Monster Musume touches on their daily lives and sometimes trials, but still manages to flaunt some boob shots in there while still keeping focused on the story at hand. It's a complicated idea & story made simple; For what the author intended to make it works out very well. More importantly to some, it stays very true to the manga save for perhaps one part of the anime.


Art (9/10):

One of the more enjoyable aspects of Monster Musume was its attention to detail when it came to art. The art is very colorful and vibrant while keeping some top-notch quality animation going at all times. What makes it especially great is the 'range' of quality they utilize throughout the show. One scene can be completely breath-taking, but once we're kicking it in to comedy they lighten up the 'tone' of the characters' looks (Mainly the MC) to match with the scene. It works and fits very well while sometimes even purposely making things look strange for the sake of a great joke (Looking at you cabbage).

Sound (9/10):

Whether it came to the music, quality of the voices or simply just noise they saved no expense to deliver great sound. The voice actors were top-notch, every VA had spot-on fit their characters' personalities and whether it was imitating sounds from games, anime and so-forth (lots of references to other work) the sound was spot on.

Character (8/10):

This is where I think Monster Musume shines the most. Again, going back to what I had said at the beginning of my review, Monster Musume takes the cliche personalities that many harems have and makes them their own. The classic tsundere, the clutz, the 'pure girl', dominatrix, and company are all twisted and shaped by the author to justly fit our new monster girls. What they've essentially done is take a generic personality and 'did it right'. After all, the reason why these personalities are so prevalent in the anime and manga industry is because of how well they were received and created; Unfortunately, many anime and manga recycle these personalities without doing anything extra to them. They essentially copy/paste from one anime to another, but what's great with Monster Musume is that it takes that classic 'pure girl' and makes her into as pure and dutiful as some knights. That doesn't catch your interest? Well, let's take our kind and thoughtful rich girl, but make her a huge addict for tragedy and so-forth. While they're not original, each girl has their 'own' personality, which holds the show quite nicely. Even the main protagonist, whom is the biggest cliche of all is a breath of fresh air. The MC is nice and kind to all of the girls as one would expect, but is bold and doesn't back down when actions need to be taken. It's a trait, that oddly we don't see enough exhibited enough as many harems have taken to the 'thick-headed' nice guy whom can never take a hint. Each character compliments one-another and will have you rather enjoying every one of them.


Enjoyment (9/10):

While Monster Musume may not have the greatest of stories or strongest of characters it delivers itself well just as it wanted to be. A silly ecchi harem & it does so well. There was laughs, moments of intensity and tons of fan-service which oddly felt like just the right amount for what it was aiming for. They were able to recreate the manga very well and there was always something interesting happening whether it would be a hilarious game reference, fan-service (Which you get plenty of), intimacy, conflicts or even just day to day activities.

Overall (8/10):

Monster Musume does what it intended to do from the start, which is to entertain. It never took itself too seriously and that really carried it to be something more. Whether it was ecchi, comedy, forwarding the 'plot' or anything else it did it was always enough to just keep you amused, but it never tried anything to betray your expectations. It's because of how Monster Musume carries itself that I feel it deserves to be scored as such. We're not looking at the next evolution of ecchi harem or anything that can shake the foundry of the genre; We're just looking at some great entertainment, just remember to enjoy yourself. Who knows though? After all, we were just spectators taking a peak at what it's like to live everyday with Monster Girls.

Stepping into the world of Black Bullet, I was only told of negative things and not to expect much from a "Lolis save the world" kind of show. Unfortunately enough, a lot of what I heard held true, but not everything and those little girls weren't apart of that problem.

Black Bullet essentially is an anime that tries hard to breach the conventional post-apocalyptic human-survival setting, but is unable to do so. The show gets stuck at a crosswalk confused if it wants to do something different or stick with the same formula. Perhaps Black Bullet's greatest vice is the pacing, which is abnormally quick. Even ... for those whom have not read the light novel(such as myself) can painfully see when the chain of events are simply moving too quick for us to follow and understand. Although, while it had several cons and rough edges, it did have a few positives as well.

Story (6/10):

We're pretty much given the standard 'humanity struggling for survival against a mysterious alien race'(The mysterious alien race here is the Gastrea), in Black Bullet, which isn't necessarily a bad thing if executed correctly, but BB does not deliver exceptionally well when it came down to execution. As any story, Black Bullet attempted taking a concept that is well-known, adding their own flair to it by making Humanity's last hope the little girls. Oddly enough, this is where a lot of the negative stigma has come from and I don't think those accusations are rightly justified. When uncovering the reasoning and digging deeper into the plot, it actually seems interesting on how and why the world's fate is in the hands of little girls. It tries to question morals and how society may see those whom are different than the rest, but it just doesn't dabble much into that when it should have. The real big problem though becomes the pacing of the show. The anime for the most part was terribly paced, it went through many events and climatic moments in a heartbeat, giving an unsettle feeling of, "What? It's over already?" and leaving several questions unanswered. Although the pacing slightly does get better towards the end, it becomes far too late for it to save the show and unfortunately, the characters are severely affected by this too. We'll pick at the characters more later though.

Art (8/10):
Looking beyond the mountain of problems with Black Bullet, it does have its positives and the art is one aspect of that. The scenery, characters and Gastrea are all well-done and can actually be impressive when it came down to the action. I also think that many people whom are more interested in the characters will be pleasantly surprised as each character does have their distinct look and they're all for the most part appealing. It seems more obvious than not that they paid far more attention to how Black Bullet looked than other important details.

Sound (8/10):
Once again, it felt as though the studio focused on making sure the anime sounded good as well and it did. Whether it was making sure the Gastrea sounded as disgusting and beastly as possible, giving some 'beef' to the sound of guns, music to set the mood and so-forth it was all rather pleasing and well-done, but it just feels unfortunate that while Black Bullet sounds good and looks good it lacks in other departments.

Characters (6/10):
As any anime, it's important to present a worthy cast to the viewer otherwise the plot would fall apart and the audience would lose interest. You could have the strangest and most terrible plot, but if you give a show great characters it would thrive. In the case of Black Bullet, which provides a wide array of characters in a meager 13 episodes, it's a lot of misses with a few done right fortunately enough. During the story segment of my review I talked about how the pacing affects the characters drastically and that's what their downfall is. Black Bullet is able to deliver to us plenty of characters that seem very interesting when we're introduced to, but because of how quickly events are moved none of these characters get a big chance to become something more. The main focus is always on our MCs, Rentaro and Enju, so for the majority of the time we'll be watching them. This wouldn't really be a problem if the anime was solely focused on them, but it's not. Black Bullet shows off plenty of unique characters which would seem to be worthy of our attention, but they just get thrown on the back burner once introduced. The anime tries hard to make the characters 'evolve' by hitting us with short back-stories and shocking/thrilling events, but they're over in a blink of an eye and get tossed to make room for the next characters' turn. A lot of these events and interactions between characters would have actually been quite good, but they required more time to expand, which evidently, they didn't have and ended in a mess for a lot of characters. Luckily, a few characters do manage to stay afloat in the mess and become more important in the show and interesting to us. Thanks to some of the characters' involvement and personalities it isn't all bad. Unfortunately, for a lot of the other characters, you just cannot get attached to them at all no matter how hard you try.

Enjoyment (7/10):

Looking beyond the irrelevant characters and absurd pacing, Black Bullet was somewhat enjoyable. Black Bullet piggybacked on its, 'Looks good, feels good' attitude and did so by presenting smooth high-tension action, great music and sometimes pulling sucker punches on the audience with some messed-up events that judge our sense of morals and compares it to those of the show. The story wasn't completely terrible as I was able to follow and have a general understanding of what was going on and while I didn't like many characters there were a few whom I did appreciate. Although there are plenty positives, there are far more negatives which I nor many can ignore.

Overall (6/10):

Black Bullet is an anime that had plenty of potential, but didn't use much of it. At the start it had an interesting set-up, intriguing characters and the looks, but in the end all it had was its looks and that just doesn't cut it. If the pacing was slowed down and they expanded more on the characters, we could have seen something great, but we just didn't. A very small number of characters in the cast and the 'looks good, feels good' attitude was really Black Bullet's saving grace. It was entertaining, but non-memorable and it aches me to see an anime that could have been so much more, just be nothing more than another more-or-less mediocre show. While it's not terrible as many people have claimed it to be, it's not that great either. It's unfortunate to see while Rentaro, Enju and Co. are out saving the world, they couldn't save Black Bullet from being mediocre.

Sidonia no Kishi is truly a marvel. When I began the first episode and laid my eyes on the CGI, I felt a bit underwhelmed and my opinion began to waver on the show; However, SnK soon made me realize that I could have never been so wrong and I'm glad for that. Sidonia no Kishi is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi anime where everyday mankind lives in fear of being decimated, but continues to survive on an enormous ship known as Sidonia. There struggle is against an alien-species known as the Gauna which have brought humanity to its knees before and the only thing between ... them and Sidonia are the pilots of the Gardes(mechs) whom protect Sidonia. This setting is not necessarily new, but the way it is handled and presented can only be said to be top-notch.

Story (9/10):
The story sets itself for excitement, thrills and edge of your seat action which is all done masterfully in SnK. Considering humanity could be on the brink of being destroyed on a daily basis there should really never be a dull moment and there never was. Even at times when the scene was supposed to ease the tension or be a bit more heart-warming not once did it lose my interest. The sci-fi played a huge role when showing off technological advancements and it's thanks to this and the anime's emphasis on it which made it only that much more interesting. Every single moment had its intensity, the plot would constantly mesmerize you with excitement, but evens it out superbly with some comedy and scenes to ease the tension before throwing you back in the action again. The story has been done many times over, but not a lot could match up with what Sidonia no Kishi brought to the table.

Art (9/10):
The world is brought to life using CGI which is what gave me the first impression that it would be underwhelming. In-fact, I felt rather unsettled seeing the CGI, but moving forward giving the anime a chance I realized there would be no Sidonia no Kishi without it. The CGI is used masterfully for every scene and whenever it was time to buckle up and fly into the heat of battle the action was on a completely different level from anything else thanks to it. While it did take some getting used to for when we were simply watching our characters walking around, it became no problem soon enough and well worth it to just see the Gardes in action.

Sound (10/10):
The sound completely exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend if you have a pair of fantastic headphones, use them. The quality of the sound during the encounters versus the Gauna were some of the best I have ever heard. Once I put on my headset and listened, I was completely immersed. The engines roaring, weapons firing and so-on, you could tell the studio payed especially close attention to the details and it was phenomenal.

Character(8/10):
The characters in SnK were very interesting. While I cannot say they were completely original they each had unique characteristics to separate themselves from most other characters. Each character evolved in his or her own way and it was fantastic to see some of the interactions between them after the course of some events had taken place. It's really thanks to the sci-fi setting that allows for such diversity among them and while you may not appreciate every character; Each character we're introduced to have their own role in the story and I cannot deny that it's thanks to what can be created within the sci-fi setting which makes each of them only that more intriguing.

Enjoyment (10/10):
Sidonia no Kishi had done everything completely right in my eyes when it came to entertainment. Every episode had a huge significance and would leave you with an aching appetite for more. Every time the Gardes had flown off into battle I was completely overjoyed with excitement and even in the more relaxing scenes I was still just taken aback by all the twists the plot had taken along with the progression. For an anime to be able to succeed in capturing the audiences attention every single episode is a grand feat.

Overall (9/10):
Sidonia no Kishi is an amazing anime that should not simply be overlooked. The CGI, while may take some getting used to for some, is an integral part of the anime and those whom give it a chance will see why. Even for those with a dislike of mecha I'd recommend this to as the major focus on character interactions, fantastic sound and breath-taking action all put into one package makes this one of the greater Sci-fi mecha anime out there to look out for. Out of all 12 episodes there was not one that was uneventful and it continued strong from start to finish.

So what are you waiting for pilot? Suit up, it's time for the Knights of Sidonia to move out.

If I were to describe Mushishi in just a few words, it would have to be 'story-telling masterpiece'. Mushishi held this title and I'm proud to say that Mushishi Zoku Shou holds it as well. When such an eloquent blend of story writing, narration, atmosphere, art and sound come together it creates a fantastic, bone-chilling new world that those whom have the pleasure of viewing can't help but gawk at. Whether there is sadness, happiness, anguish or joy Mushishi Zoku Shou has delivered these feelings in a presentation so well-wrapped even its flaws cannot be seen. Mushishi Zoku Shou has been a remarkably soothing ... and yet exciting adventure that I can only say I am delighted of experiencing first-hand.

Story(10/10):

Mushish Zoku Shou is an episodic anime that I feel is one of the very few that succeed in its field. Being episodic only leaves the 21 minute time-frame to tell a story, which can be a difficult challenge; However, just like its prequel, Mushishi Zoku Shou is not only able to set up the plot and characters, but resolve it as well with ease in such a small frame of time. The Mushi, the very essence of life itself, and Ginko, the Mushi Master are at the heart and center of our stories. Ginko, always travelling and meeting new people, adventuring to exciting places and encountering strange beings all around are simply tagging along in our adventure as Ginko plays the part of mediator between Man and Mushi, helping both in times of need. This is how every story begins and ends and is delivered perfectly in a small 21 minute package.

Art(10/10):

Another reason why Mushishi Zoku Shou is able to present itself so well is not only for its story, but how the world is created. Beautiful scenic backgrounds, gorgeous vibrant colors of the Mushi and the fantastic distinction of characters using art are all perfectly-crafted. Whether a scene is meant to look beautiful or ominous Mushishi has no problem of displaying what it wants creating some of the most illustrious depictions of art to be seen.

Sound(10/10):

Once again, Mushishi Zoku Shou delivers superbly in this category as well. Whether we were panning out of a gorgeous mountainous scene or needed to feel the panic of those in the anime there was no failure in giving the audience what was needed to push what needed to be felt. The sound embodied any emotion it needed to and got it across well, giving me many moments where I just had to replay a scene to get that same 'chill down my spine' feeling over and over again. Without the sound, a lot of key moments would not have the same impact, but thankfully that problem never arised.

Character(10/10):

One thing that always surprises me is how well-established the characters were with this season granted the small time frame given. In just one episode the characters had to be introduced and fleshed out in order for us to have a sense of 'caring' for them otherwise the story would not have the same influence on us. Ginko of course is our main character, whom we learn of very early on what his profession is and what he does is very easy to get attached to. Where the real challenge occurred was creating the people Ginko meets and giving them a personality worthy of our interest in just a few minutes. This was done splendidly as the story progresses we learn of many of their conflicts with the Mushi and how it effects them on a personal level where we actually can feel the same sadness or joy they do whether it be through a back-story or a present event. In a funny way, the bane of a lot of their lives, the Mushi are also what really bring out a lot of the characters.

Enjoyment(10/10):

This was truly an enjoyable experience. Every episode told a new tale and even when there were times of distress there were times of calmness. Mushishi Zoku Shou tells a story with me just being able to sit back and enjoy without having to think about anything, but just purely become entranced with it. It doesn't end or begin with questions, nor pointing out faults, but just relaxing and experiencing everything it had to offer.

Overall(10/10):

Without a doubt Mushishi Zoku Shou lives up to its name. Those whom loved the first season should have no problem adoring this one any less if not more as they only fine-tuned what was already fantastic. This wasn't just simply an anime to watch, but to experience and it delivered well in every field to do just that. I cannot stress enough on that, which is why I'm going to leave it to you the viewer, to watch and experience it for yourself. I certainly hope you'll come to immerse yourself in this world and see for yourself what it has to offer.

It's about time I set off and write a review for this anime.

GO BIRD!

Gatchaman Crowds is one of the rare anime this season that caught my attention not so much for what it's about, but the vibrant colors and interesting art-style, so when I began watching this, I honestly didn't know what to expect. I like to think of Gatchaman as the Mecha Power Rangers.
(Although I guess the Power Rangers did have there own giant mecha)

Story: 7/10

The story is rather simple and straight to the point, a group fights everyday for the sake of defending Earth and our faithful MC was chosen to ... be part of this group, otherwise known as Gatchaman. It doesn't really stray from the standard formula so many stories have set up, good guys come together versus a bad guy, conflicts arise, climax, solution and boom finish. I'd say what makes this different is the small twists in the setting, with the use and mix of special powers and technology, which we all use everyday, playing a large role in the overall plot. Unfortunately, there are times where you will ask yourself questions and the anime will not give you the answers to them, leaving you to research it yourself, this may be because it's only a 12 episode show, but who knows? The story does try and set itself apart, but in order to carry it over to become something great requires characters that can do so and whether they do that or not? We'll touch up on later.

Art: 8/10

So this is actually a big part of what had me begin watching it. The anime uses bright vibrant colors, the animation is smooth, you'll find the action scenes to be exciting and all mixed with a unique art-style and is really eye-catching and pretty well-done.


Sound: 8/10

The BGM used along with SFX were of great quality and matched perfectly with the scenarios whether the mood would call for something serious or even some lighthearted silliness, they managed to set the mood to just that. I especially enjoyed that they created a Gatchaman song, letting you know that our heroes were on the move whenever you heard the "Gatchamaaaannn~~" chanting in the back.


Character(s): 6/10


Here's the big one, which we've put off my judgement of the story for.

So right off the bat we're introduced to Hajime and the rest of the Gatchaman crew early on along with our main antagonist and other characters that will be with us for the majority of the show. If you're expecting depth and deep development with our characters, I'm sad to inform you that you won't see it. While there is character development it is rather small and to be honest, I don't know whether to say that the guys who developed the characters are geniuses or not because I've never been fooled like that in awhile. The characters and especially main antagonist felt strong and rather dynamic, but in the end, you'll realize that almost all the characters are actually shockingly static. In fact, most of the characters don't change and the way you see them to start off is pretty much how they'll stay. There are small attempts at getting us to learn about them through even some flashbacks, but they don't hold any real meaning aside for that moment in the episode, which was quite disappointing. Even the malicious antagonist whom I thought was a fantastic opponent, turned out to be nothing more but just what he was advertised as, with nothing deep to him. That's why I can't help but think that the creators are a genius in a way, while they're static, you may not even notice it until you reach the end.

Now before you put a stake through me, hear me out, like I said there is small character development. They do attempt to add a bit more to our characters through the MC, Hajime, but it really isn't enough to flesh out the characters and with only 12 episodes, they didn't have much time to do so. It's unfortunate, but in this case I believe that they were trying to keep the plot their primary focus with characters as a secondary.


Enjoyment: 8/10

While I did have a lot to say on the story and characters, I thoroughly enjoyed the show. The action and interactions with the characters kept me excited and it really was just a good show to kickback and watch.

Overall: 7/10

Overall, Gatchaman Crowds is far from perfect, but is actually a decent watch. The action, music and animation just blend well together and even though there are negatives to it, they can be partially overlooked just so you can have a fun time watching it although I can say that there are people who will enjoy it, but some who definitely won't so I can't say I'd recommend to anyone. If you're not too picky about characters, looking for action and a quick anime to watch then come join the party, the Earth needs your help!

Gatchaman Out!

Such misfortune! Here comes another review!

One thing I always find great about movies based off of series isn't just more of what I like, but to see how the company handles it, so with J.C. Staff holding the reigns I had expectations and those expectations were surprisingly met. The production value truly shows with Toaru Majutsu no Index: Endymion no Kiseki when it came to top-notch visuals, soundtrack and even though it wasn't as good as it could be, the plot wasn't too bad itself. It seems this movie has had a better share of miracles instead of misfortune.


Story:

The plot is something I've always been ... skeptical on when it comes to movies from more popular series like Index, Bleach, FMA, etc. I always feels it's more like a way to show off some snazy visuals with a mediocre story(Not for all movies of course) and cash-in, but Toaru Majutsu no Index: Endymion no Kiseki did manage to deliver a slightly better than average story, only slightly though. It follows the main set-up of our favorite Certain Magical Girl Puncher(I kid) Touma, Index, and a new girl Arisa whom sure enough is a mysterious girl with some sort of power that creates friction between the Science and Magic faction with Touma being the guy right in the middle of it. While seemingly standard there are twists to keep you interested enough to keep watching. The main problem after watching the movie I had though was I was left with plenty of questions and not many answers, so while the plot had its advantages in some areas, it lacked in others. That being said though, I was satisfied with what I was given, could they have gone further with it? Sure. Did it lessen my viewing pleasures? Not at all.


Art:

This is what I was looking out for in this movie. One thing I know these companies love to do is make spectacular visuals for movies compared to what has been made before for the series and it was spectacular. The fight scenes, scenery, animation, everything was top-notch and very appealing to the eyes. They had put a lot of time and money into the visuals and it paid off very well and it will leave you amazed.

Sound:

The soundtrack was another fantastic aspect of the film. I had expected some nice Background music here and there, but it looks like they went all out and even gave our main girl Arisa, a stage with plenty of songs to sing for us. The songs are done professionally, leaving me baffled as when you're watching the songs being sung by her on stage, along with the visuals, it truly felt like a concert.


Character:

The characters are probably the most important aspect of this movie. We see plenty of familiar faces aside from our main cast, Saten, Misaka, Accelerator, Last Order and so-on, but are introduced to plenty of new ones as well. While I enjoyed seeing so many of these characters, the problem was trying to fit so many in the time-frame the movie had. While we are familiar with our cast, the new characters are left to be desired and even a few seem to just be there to be more fan-service than anything. There was no real development with characters, just plenty of interactions and the most that did take place was between Arisa and Shutaura, while Touma of course helped them along the way. Now was this bad? No, we know our cast already of course, so it wasn't as much of a problem, but when it came down to the new characters and even antagonist, they were really shallow characters with not much of a story to go with them.

Enjoyment:

The movie was weak in some areas, but it succeeded in others. While I still feel a bit confused and have questions, I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. The jaw-dropping visuals, amazing soundtrack and all let me momentarily forget about my questions and just savor the movie. It was a real treat and probably will be for anyone else that's a fan of the series.

Overall:

Even though Toaru Majutsu no Index: Endymion no Kiseki had its flaws, I sure as hell was entertained. The cameo appearances from several characters, music, stunning visuals when it came to the battles, background and such, were all just superb. The only thing holding it back from being great is the un-answered questions it left and the shallow characters, but Touma, Misaka and the gang made that up as I enjoyed every second of seeing them on screen. It's not the best movie, but it is pretty good and I recommend if you're a fan of the Index or Railgun series to check it out or have misfortune befall you!

What does a harem tend to be filled with? Girls, girls, girls, and the guy surrounded by them, but what can we do to mix it up in a market filled with plenty of generic harems and bland characters? I present to you, a harem filled with not just any girls, but monster girls.

Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou is an ecchi harem manga that has everything you'd expect. Comedy, Boobs, accidental sexual encounters and of course, plenty of girls in love with our MC. The fantastic part about Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou however, is the twist on not only the girls being Monster ... girls, but the characters themselves(personalities), the events that take place and the way we see the rest of the world looks at them. To say the least, I began reading this not expecting much, but came out loving it more then I should and I really don't know why.


Story:

Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou actually has an interesting set up for its story then most harem manga I've read or heard of. Japan has just started to slowly integrate their society with other species(Monster girls) and it's the job of the government and hosts whom house and take care of these sub-species to help them mix in. Our lucky MC, has become a host against his will and so the trials of him and the girls he takes care of begin, with of course some good comedic and sexy twists here and there as well. What caught my eye, as perhaps others as well, is the twist on the girls. Lamia, centaurs, harpies, we see it all and while it focuses on them and the interactions with the MC, it also has a strong focus on them and society, for while some may be accepting of these girls, other humans may see them as freaks, or even the other way around. The manga does a fantastic job showing itself as a comedic ecchi harem, but displaying some serious undertones of how society responds to something different from what it is used to.

Art:

The art is well done and clean, it's easy on the eyes and so are the ecchi scenes you will be encountering.(If you know what I mean)


Character:

So this one is a big one when it comes to harems, considering we'll be focused on the characters the whole way through. While I won't go as far as saying they're completely unoriginal, the characters do have very similar personalities to other characters you will or have encountered in other harem manga. Now before you blow up on me, that being said, the characters have a nice twist to each of them that make them their own, giving you a satisfying feeling of originality in each character. The characters themselves can be anywhere from being the airhead, to aggressive to one another just for the MC's attention, but the best part of these girls are the little things here and there that make them hilarious, but original. One whom loves BDSM, another whom could be said to love dramatic loves(Even imagining NTR). Each character has their own unique taste that you can't but help enjoy. Oh, and did I forget to mention they are all part animals? Now, we just talked about the girls, but as for the MC, it's the same deal. While I think most will be proud our MC isn't a complete airhead or wimp, he also(forgive my language) gets shit done.

Enjoyment:

There's no complicated plot, or anything, it's all simple to its core. Comedy that can make you laugh, tasteful ecchi and can be real light-hearted as well. It's a manga that you can just sit back, relax and enjoy.(Which I have on multiple occasions)

Overall:
Maybe I'm crazy for giving it a 9, but like I said, I enjoyed this manga far more then I should have and I just don't know why.
Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou is what I like to think, a gem in its genre. It takes a lot of the things that have been overused in a lot of harems and makes it its own, while not perfect, making it very enjoyable. Even if ecchi isn't your thing I'll recommend this, as it's done in good taste and moderation.
So if you're looking for a nice fresh comedic harem manga, stop searching because Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou is what you've been looking for.

(Review subject to change once the manga has been completed)

A good gag anime is one that can make us laugh. A great gag anime is one that can not only make us laugh, but can creep on us with the unexpected.

Yondemasu Yo, Azazel-san. Z is a sequel which you can expect the same things from its predecessor. More characters, laughs, slapstick, silly gory scenes, lewd jokes, the works, but one of the grand things about the sequel is not only the comedy, but the sudden twists in events. The sequel is a great addition with more antics and problems needed to be solved than before, by our cast.

Story:
If you've watched the ... first season then you'll know what to expect. Our summoners and demons take on jobs, solving them in the most strangest of ways and doing even more hilariously bizarre things on their time off. However, unlike its predecessor, this sequel gives more to the viewer then before, thought all our demons were good for was some comedy? Think again, for unforeseen events take place that can make you actually wonder if you're still watching the same comedy-filled show you started.

Art:
The art and animation are nothing to glorify, but it all fits well for this anime when it comes to the slapstick and characters. Nothing has changed that you haven't seen before in the first season.(Which I hope you have done before coming here)

Sound:
What's a good gag anime without great sound to make the experience more enjoyable? To the over the top acting done by the demons, to the background music fitting in with a scene whether it be some sort of fierce battle, comedy and even depressing scenes. They most certainly took great attention to the sound and it came out great.

Character:
Character progression is not something to focus on when it comes to the humor. All we need to know is the personalities of each character and you're good to go. Whether it be a lustful demon, a shit-eater, or a masochist, the characters will play that part for the rest of the show. The characters are shallow with no real development, but that's not what is really important to this anime. What makes the characters interesting is their interactions with one another. The things they do and say to each other is what makes it great, making their pain, your enjoyment and with more demons then before, there's plenty of that!

Enjoyment:
While Yondemasu Yo, Azazel-san. Z is not the funniest anime I've seen it did not fail to make me laugh or even feel other surprising emotions later on. The episodes are short and sweet leaving room for more hilarity in every episode at the expense of just a little of your time. While the humor is crude, it's funny, but it isn't for everyone. However, those whom are okay with some good crude humor, prepare for a blast.

Overall:
Yondemasu Yo, Azazel-san. Z is what I'd like to say, a success to its prequel. It's not perfect, but it does its job in the comedy department and even tries to overstep its boundary and go the extra mile. If you're looking for something to kill-time and get a laugh, take a seat, 10 minutes is all you need.