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Seldom is a series so lauded and loathed as Rifujin na Maganote’s “Mushoku Tensei” or “Jobless Reincarnation”. It has been one of 2021’s most beloved and also controversial series. With many calling it not only the best Isekai, but one of the greatest fantasy series within the medium. Simultaneously you will find those who view it as nothing but pedophilic tripe that thinly veils the fetishes of the author. Understandably this can be a bit jarring to see as someone looking to get into the series. Which is it? The answer to that question is… yes. The thing with Mushoku Tensei is the answer ... to that question is going to vary wildly depending on one’s personal philosophies. This is especially true when it comes to the mechanics of the main character’s reincarnation. The main character Rudeus Greyrat is a scum of the earth degenerate NEET who locked himself away in his room when he was fourteen and never left for twenty years. He dies and is reincarnated into a new world as a baby with his ego still intact, complete with his internal monologue being that of a grown man. There are a few nuances to this however, as the biology of his new body does affect him to a degree. With his younger mind giving him accelerated learning and his body unable to become physically attracted to his family members like his mother or sisters. However, it is left ambiguous if this is the reason for his attraction to girls in his biological age group. This attraction to these characters is often a point of contention for the series as many of the characters are currently underaged within the story. The protagonist himself approaches these scenarios about as well as you’d expect from a degenerate shut it. Terribly and without self-control or thought on his actions. It can be very difficult to watch at times, and it’s understandable that some would react to the show as they do. This is definitely a caveat you as a viewer will need to consider when deciding to pick up the show. All that being said the imagery on display is allot tamer and less ecchi than say the “Monogatari” series, and the author implications of the possible fetishisms displayed less eyebrow raising than say “Made in Abyss”. If you had little issue with both of those series in this regard then you likely won’t have it here. Another topic that comes up in all this is mental maturity. As despite his physical age being 34 before death it was clear the protagonist was an immature man-child with no actual life experiences. So, if both body and mind are not mature, even with decades of memories what does that actually make him? One could dig into allot of these questions about his true nature at nauseum. It’s part of why there’s so many strong and differing opinions on the main character and the show at large. With some considering him the same as a 40-year-old man while others consider him his biological age. For me personally I don’t think either quite fits with what is shown and that he falls in a very muddy middle ground. You though as a viewer are likely going to want to come to your own conclusions on the matter and decide if its worth your time. Regardless if you are a person reading this review who enjoys anime, in all likelihood you’re going to enjoy Mushoku Tensei. It has a high user score across multiple platforms and is one of the most popular series of the year. Thus, I do suggest at least giving it a shot, especially if those elements mentioned above are at least bearable to you. This was a bit of a long-winded introduction, but one I think is necessary to properly recommending the show. Without further ado the review…

Story:
The story of the second half of the season builds off the events of the first half. With the dead-end party consisting of Eris, Rudeus, and their escort Ruijerd continuing their journey. This second half mostly feels like a world tour arc with our cast episodically going from location to location in 2 to 3 episode mini arcs. Each of which introduces new characters and new challenges both physical and interpersonal. It’s a basic formula done in a competent manner. The pacing can be a bit rushed at times, and the character of Hitogami is a bit overused to keep things moving. Still the plot is overall serviceable and gives us new information while pushing character development. The real highlight of the story is the way Mushoku Tensei creates a feeling of immersion in its world. I wouldn’t necessarily call it worldbuilding though. As we actually don’t know particularly that many details about Mushoku Tensei’s world even at the end of the first 23-episode season. Yet, there is a true palpable sense of this world being lived in despite that. The production team achieves this by placing great focus on letting each location speak for itself with an array of meticulously crafted background detail that remains separated from, and interacts with the main cast. The hustle and bustle of the city, people going about daily tasks in organic ways, food vendors selling their meals to the characters, accidents happening in the streets. It all comes together to convey a rich feeling of these locations being actual grounded places rather than backdrops that threaten to fall over at the slightest breeze. The production understands that this feeling of immersion is KEY to an adventure story like this. Because of this they place great emphasis on showing off these aspects; often dedicating the opening few minutes or so of screentime to the locations themselves. It’s really well done and sometimes these sequences can be one of the highlights of an entire episode. All that being said the season is not devoid of surprise or intrigue. There are a few moments that move the main plot forward and add new elements of mystery for later seasons. The second turning point especially introduces a ton of interesting questions on top of being an amazingly well directed and executed sequence. At the end of the day though the focus of the season is mostly on the characters and the adventure home itself rather than any overarching plot. With things being mostly set up with not much pay-off. This is not technically a bad thing in the long term especially if those later pay offs are good, but at the moment it may leave some viewers dissatisfied.
(Score: 7.0)


Animation:
Like the first half the animation in general is very high quality. With the aforementioned turning point two being the highlight of the series so far. It’s apparent though that it did come at some sacrifices elsewhere in the second half, with some minor dips in quality here and there. Nothing entirely detrimental, but there are some noticeable differences in quality compared to the first half of the season. With the animation as a whole, I’d like to highlight a few things. First and foremost, the facial animation. It honestly has been some of the best I’ve seen in anime. With subtle life like expressions that let the character’s turmoil speak for itself rather than the more over the top emotional expressions we get from most works in the medium. For a series that focuses more so on nuanced character moments above else it really adds allot to the scenes. Background art is also as amazing as the first half, with the locales having sweeping vistas and great detail that paint a wonderful picture of whichever location they are in. Last, but not least is the animation direction. It’s honestly quite atypical for an anime production, more akin to western film in style. With the series having a heavy focus on subjective framing techniques. The show often feels like a film at times more than an anime. Another interesting tidbit that adds to this feeling is they often have the “camera” wobble, it’s a subtle but interesting detail that helps subconsciously sell the cinematic feel of the show. It’s not quite overall as impressive as the first half, but it’s still by and large some of the best TV animation we’ve had to date in any anime.
(Score: 9.0)

Sound:
The ost is solid, but not to the point where you’d go listen to tracks on an individual basis. Nothing on the level of the works of Sawano or Kajiura, but it serves the purposes of the show. The real highlight of the ost are the openings that play at the beginning of each episode, with each one being affixed to a location. This plays into the immersion factor of the world that the production seeks to emphasize and it really works well. Outside of this the ost is not much to write home about. What really elevates the sound of the show are the sound design and voice acting. The former of which just adds to the action of every scene. Guttural screams of a dragon blasting through one’s speakers, attacks flying through the air and landing with impact, everything just sounds oh so right and adds to every moment. The voice acting is another win for the show. With Mushoku Tensei having an all-star cast with heavy hitters on almost every role. The production team seems to know this and often lets the voice acting carry scenes in conjunction with the more subdued direction and animation. Morikawa, Toshiyuki on Paul and Tsuda, Kenjirou on Orsted deserve quite a good bit of praise for their work. They pretty much nailed each of their important scenes and just really had all around outstanding performances despite having little screentime.
(Score: 8.5)

Character:
The characters are both the worst and the best part of Mushoku Tensei depending on who you ask. It is easily the most controversial aspect of the show. I firmly am in the later camp and find the character writing to be both refreshing and quite well done. Regardless let us start with the big elephant in the room and the main reason people who hate the show, well… hate the show. The main character himself Rudeus Greyrat. Rudeus is basically everything wrong with otaku culture wrapped up into one fat bastard package. He is an overweight shut-in who skipped his parents’ funeral to fap to what can be seen as loli hentai or CP. He is as far away from the general Isekai saintly blank slate as one can be. The author takes clear, sometimes extreme measures to make him as initially unlikeable as possible. He is a pedophilic unempathetic asshole who will make you disgusted to your very core with a good portion of his actions. It’s great. Very rarely in fiction have I found a character I loathe as much as Rudeus Greyrat in the early parts of Mushoku Tensei. He is written to be vile in almost every way. Yet, despite all of this he also is written with a touch of good in him. It’s this bit of good that gives a viewer at least some hope that maybe this dredge of humanity can change and become a better person worthy of this life he’s been given. This theme of “change” for the better is the main theme of Mushoku Tensei and crux of not only Rudeus’ journey, but for almost every character in the cast. Now will they ultimately succeed in that endeavor in a satisfying manner? Well, that’s yet to be seen in the adaptation as of writing. What is clear from the get-go is that the author seems to have a sort of two steps forward one step back approach to character growth. With the characters getting good development, but also back tracking on said development to fall back on old habits as they make the slow crawl to improvement. To me this duality and difficulty in improvement adds allot of depth and nuance to these characters that you rarely see in anime and manga much-less Isekai. A character doesn’t just have a handful of powerful moments and they are suddenly a changed person, that’s not just how life works. It requires years of experiences and self-reflection to make such changes. Something Rudeus is only reaching the starting line for even at the end of the season. Still, he’s not devoid of any and all character development. The Rudeus of episode 23 is definitely a better person than the Rudeus of episode 1. Does this mean he’s close to being a good person by the end of the season? Hell no! Nor should he be this early in the series. The guy is still scum on many levels despite the good he does. The characters in Mushoku Tensei are messy. They don’t always do the right thing; they don’t always do the smart thing. They invoke a variety of feelings. Some of them good, some of them downright vile. They are presented in an unflinching manner warts and all with clear heart behind the writing. To me this is what makes Mushoku Tensei a breath of fresh air in a genre I normally despise. All that being said I understand why those who dislike the show do so. Progress is there, but progress is also slow and not necessarily to the satisfaction of all viewers. From that perspective I understand the feelings of detractors. Rudeus is VERY uncomfortable to watch at times, and there’s no certainty that he will “get better” as source readers say. It’s very easy to write off the character writing as the wish fulfillment of a pedophile and move on based on the first season. Honestly, I don’t blame people with this perspective for dropping the show on that alone even if I think they are missing the point. Mushoku Tensei is written for the long haul, and after this season it has covered only about 20% the narrative with many character arcs not even closed to finished. However, the show has clearly laid the ground work for these arcs. With each character showing palpable progress while also having tons of room to grow in the possible 4 or so remaining seasons needed for a full adaptation.
(Score: 8.50)

Enjoyment:
As someone who has read and enjoyed the source material, I must say this overall is an amazing adaptation. There are some moments where I wish they added some details or another monologue from the books to make things clearer for anime only viewers, but overall, the adaptation has been downright amazing. The production team are clearly fans, and it shows at all levels. The adaptation practically oozes love for the source material at every turn. With cameo nods and throw away lines that foreshadow events many seasons down the line. So much so that the anime is perhaps even more enjoyable to watch as an established fan even knowing the story. It puts allot more things into context that you would miss on a first viewing or reading. It has been quite the enjoyable adaptation and I look forward to see the later parts of the story in the coming years.
(Score: 9.00)

Conclusion:
Mushoku Tensei is a show you will either love and highly resonate with or see as nothing but garbage. It is at times greatly uncomfortable to watch, yet equally parts magical and filled to the brim with clear heart. It’s understandable why some people do not like it, but I do not think that to be a product of poor writing. The anime like the books is able to convey a duality that is not found in most works in the medium. A duality we often find in our lives whether we like it or not. Which to many such as myself is a refreshing take on an otherwise stale genre. If you feel after reading all this that the show is right up your alley, then by all means give it a try. You are also equally entitled to pass. Afterall, we are just trying to enjoy our free time here. Still, if the quality of this adaptation holds, I can see the series quickly becoming a pillar of the anime community in the coming decade as the production team at studio Bind makes their way through the source material. If done correctly it will definitely be something special for many… all that considered I give Mushoku Tensei a 8.4/10.

What do you fight for? That is a question with no simple answer. People say that they wish to accomplish some sort of dream or aspiration. To achieve fame, fortune, love, or maybe even revenge. Some are simple and others ambitious beyond belief. The real question is, do you have the will to fulfill that dream? Is it truly what you wish for? Are willing to struggle to the end for it? Many people try to fulfill their aspirations. Many people simply die in regret and are forgotten. Others fulfill a dream so large they are remembered for all time. ... To explore this question is the main purpose of the work “Katanagatari”. Now ask yourself “what will your dying words be?” Words to be remembered? Or words of regret?

Premise Synopsis** (review is after)

Katanagatari is about Yasuri Shichika, a young man in his twenties who has lived with his father and sister on a small island in exile. After the death of his father one year before the show began Shichika inherits the title of the family head. This comes with the secrets of the sword less sword style which is dubbed “Kyotouryuu”. This is an anti-sword martial art that uses the body to disarm and break the opponent’s weapons. To the Yasuri family their life and body is nothing but a sword. This is why they are dubbed the swordsmen without swords. Insert Togame, the self proclaim strategian of the Shogun. She comes to the island of the Yasuri hoping to enlist the help of Shichika’s father. She instead enlists him as he is the new family head. Then she states has a quest to find the 12 deviant blades of the legendary sword smith Shikizaki Kiki. These blades are so powerful and valuable that they can change the course of history itself. The Shogunate has tried for years to claim even one of these blades to no avail. Togame then asks for Shichika’s help. She personally has failed numerous times to get the blades. She has used those who fought for money and those who fought for honor. First she used those who fight for money. They simply stole the first blade and ran. Then she tried those who fought for honor. Yet, those who fought for honor could not resist the honor of owning such a prestigious sword. She then states she needs a warrior who will fight for love. She needs a person that is devoted to her and only her. Shichika thinking her a curious woman and wishing to be someone’s “sword” (as the family considers themselves swords) accepts the offer saying “Ive fallen for you”. What follows is a grand journey of introspection, love and human nature that will shake you to your core.


(Story)
Katangatri is written by Nisio Isin whose most notable work is Bakemonogatari. Katangatari is much like the former in the style of its dialog and use of symbolism/ stylized art. Katanagatari though is a much more focused story than Bakemonogatari. Katanagatari is told in 12; 50 minute episodes. Each episode of Katanagatari has Shickika and Togame going after one of the 12 deviant blades. These episodes aired once a month during 2010 from January to December. In the show the seasons changed in correlation with this. It also takes them 1 month to get each blade making it move in time with the real world. This creates a feeling of connection with the journey. Every episode Togame and Shichika meet a new person with one of the blades. Shichika having no knowledge of the world learns something new every episode and develops accordingly. You watch through the journey as the “sword” that is Shichika becomes human. He starts as something without his own will, who simply listens to Togame as her “sword”. He then develops into a human with a will and moral compass. By the end he has his reason to fight. It is a journey of twits and turns in a world that has change on the horizon. It’s a show that will keep you guessing to the eventual outcome of each episode. Showing you that things don’t always turn out the way we plan, no matter how much we wish it. Just as you think you have it down, it catches you once more. Better yet its twists are heavily foreshadowed and don’t feel like ass pulls. This journey then culminates into a final conclusion so epic and heart wrenching that it cannot be spoiled nor missed; it will “tear you to pieces”. One thing to say is this show is very dialog heavy. Its great dialog don’t get me wrong, it just can be a turn off for some. But its not to say is doesn’t have epic fights. The fights are great with fluid chorography and animation. It’s simply not the main focus. As far a story telling goes Katangatari is an episodic journey of the highest caliber. It is simply breathtaking in execution and conclusion. (10/10)


(Character)
The main characters of Katanagatari are the aforementioned Togame and Sichika. The main thing keeping this show interesting during its 50 min episodes is the dialog. The banter between Togame and Shichika is clever and charming. It also makes the developing romance feel much more real to the viewer. Each character including the 12 owners of the swords have a developed back story and a motivation to fight, some good some evil. The development for Shichika mostly comes when he kills the good and the evil owners without any remorse or caring, simply because it’s Togame’s will. Yet as he hears the dying words of each and the different motivations he realizes he has nothing he fights for himself. He gains his own moral code and also gains reasons for why he follows Togame. Now I shall talk about Togame. She has many names, “The stratigen”, “that unpleasant woman”, and others names that would be spoiler territory. She is an energetic, manipulative, and clever woman that seeks the blades for unknown reasons that latter become clearer. Togame , like Sichika learns to love, and her moral code changes as she learns from the owners and Sichika. The Dialog, development, and generally script writing in Katangatari is top noch. The only gripe I have is some of the more important villains (who shunt be named) had too little back-story to them. It was hard to understand the final motivation for the final owners (can’t get into detail… spoilers). Yet the dialog and characters are an overall crowing achievement.
(9/10)

(Art)
Katanagatari is a stylized symbolic adventure with art that looks like it comes from an old legend. The animations during the fights are one of the many high points in the series. They are well choreographed and fluid. The character designs and weapon designs are well handled and animated. Each owner has an interesting design. Animation was handled by Studio “White Fox” who are a subsidiary of OLM Inc. They are a very new studio whose first work was in 2009 and Katangatari (2010) being their second work ever. The most notable thing they have animated was the widely popular Steins;Gate anime. It’s symbolic, light art style that can instantly turn dark complements the show perfectly. It is not without flaws. The art does have a few glitches here and there. I did stop and notice some errors in animation during many of the dialog sequences. Yet the fluid motion and dynamic animation at most points make up for its occasional errors.
(9/10)

(Sound)

The sound of Katanagatari is very… interesting. It utilizes rap in a mix of Japanese and English under a back score of traditional Japanese music. It can sound epic as it wants to and does a very good job of doing so. What surprised me was that it could also sound beautiful. To be compared it shares a similar musical style to the Samurai Champloo sound track. The rap in Champloo was handled by Najubes, while Katangatari’s rap and vocals is handled by an artist called Lotus juice. The overall composition was handled by Taku Iwasaki who also handled Tegen Toppa Guerren Lagan and JoJo’s Bizzare adventure (part 2) sound tracks. The original Op’s and Ed’s are good, just not amazing. YET, Katanagatari received a new op for its 2013 rerun which is possibly on of the greatest anime openings I’ve ever heard. I say this because of how well it fits in with the show. The song itself and the visuals are amazing. The Ost choice is easily this opening. It is done by the band “Supercell” titled “Hakushi Kassai Utaawase”. This is for the aforementioned reasons. The sound track overall is good, some tracks stand out and others aren’t noticed much. Better than most and serves its overall purpose.
(8/10)


(Enjoyment)
To state I simply “enjoyed” this work would be a slight understatement. It has firmly entrenched itself into my favorites list and my soul. Katanagatari is a grand episodic journey of introspection and human nature. Throw in a good sound track, great dialog, and tons of great moments. You got yourself some great enjoyment. Truly this was an excellent use of 12 hours.
(10/10)

(Verdict)
Katanagatari is one of those diamonds in the rough. It starts as a simple journey, but turns out to be so much more. A quest for 12 swords over 12 months, the turning of a “sword” into a human being with thoughts and wants. It’s a show who’s art, sound, and setting work together to lead up to one of the grandest conclusions in anime history. It leaves you with a feeling of loss and the questions of, “what do you fight for?” Money? Power? Your own dream? Or the one you love? Do you have the will to do it? What will your dying words be? Will they be that of regret? Or words to be remembered? No matter which they all end in death. With that on this evening and month I polity close the curtain on this review.

Final Score Katanagatari:
(9.45)

-Raptor

Well to start things off let me just get one thing off my chest….. DAMN UTOPIAS YOU SCARY( cant we have one that works for once?). Now that that is out of the way; the review. The dystopian sub-genera of science fiction is not anything new. We’ve had literature, Hollywood, and even other anime do it. It generally presents on the surface a “perfect” society, with no bloodshed and all inhabitants with apparent happiness. Then what we discover about the society is much more sinister. Shinsekai Yori is no different in that regard. Yet, it does have things that make it stand out amongst ... other shows of similar type. One, the society itself is very interesting and unique in its organization. Its “methods” are different that most other dystopian shows. Let me explain, the society of Shinsekai Yori is a society of psychics a millennia in our future. Which has come into being from reasons that will be revealed (No spoilers). Why it came together though is a different matter. It was in order to preserver absolute peace. This because psychic’s, even kids can kill tons of other people with a mere thought. This is the reason for this society, its in order to protect them, form themselves. Certain “methods” are used in the show. Which you and the characters will slowly figure out. These “things” are done in order to preserve this peace. What is interesting is that the people doing the “methods” really do not wish to do them. This is different than most others in this genre. There is simply irrefutable logic on what they do based on the past experiences of the Psychic race. They simply are afraid, and must do “things” to preserve the now 60,000 people living in Japan. Shinsekai Yori is known for its amazing world building. You will learn all the reasons for the society and the uniquely organized world they live in. In appearance it looks and feels like one giant Buddhist temple town. The plot is organized to build the world and set the tone (which is creepy and mysterious mostly); the plot truly is to build the world. It’s the discovery of each truth through our characters that you also discover with them. This is what makes the show. You will be shown, what is in my opinion one of the most disturbing dystopias ever. What makes it so disturbing, is its brutality, and its general irrefutable reasoning behind the “methods”. You wish to argue against it, but simply cannot from what you learn about the past. With a plot to build one of the most complete, interestingly toned, and well presented worlds in modern media, Shinsekai Yori receives a very high (10/10) for story.


Animation was handled by A-1 pictures. Shinsekai Yori is by no means is a perfect show. It had a low budget for a modern anime, and this low budget shows at multiple times. The details on animation where not complete, backgrounds were plain, especially when nothing with regards to action was happening. I am not going to lie it made me cringe at times. It has a redeeming factor, they saved portions of its budget for the most important fights and surreal moments. Shinsekai Yori uses very stylized visuals which I personally loved. Its stylized art does sometimes show the flaws of animation much more clearly. The show also has large amounts surreal moments which are where a good portions of the budget was used( I mean a Psychic Dystopia… not going to be a mind F*** at all). Overall the good and bad kind of cancel out in animation with a final score of … (7/10)

The sound I’m going to say right up front is divine. Composition was handled by Motoyama, Satoshi. He handled nothing really of note before this show. His sound direction though was spot on. He used Choirs of children along side haunting melodies which set the tone perfectly. My Ost Choice in the Main theme: Kage No Denshouka Daiichibu; which is a choir of children signing hauntingly with slow drums and guitar in the background. It sounds like a haunting melody of the world which we are shown. Where it’s hurt slightly on Osts is in general volume; most amines have about 2 hours of songs. Shinsekai Yori on the other hand has about 40 min of songs for 25 episode series. Albeit they are gorgeous, but it is still is a problem as they repeat allot. The show also does not have openings, only ending themes. Both of which are great and a good tune for the end of each episode. I personally like the second ending better. With a haunting sound track of quality over quantity that sets the mood for this unique world. Shinsekai Yori receives for sound: (9/10)

Possibly where the show is hit hardest is its characters. Which generally are flat and don’t really have a stand out. This true amongst the humans. The Rat Monster tribes (species subservient to humans) do have a couple semi-interesting individuals. Squealer, and Kirormaru are leaders of two large tribes. Both of which have their own agendas. The Humans though are flat and do not stand out much. There are some great moments, but the basic personality of the main cast kills the mood at times. For a story with a large amount of growing up themes, it hurts it. This lack of good standout character hinders it from being truly a masterpiece beyond words. (7/10) (Did I mention the entire society is Bisexual with a reason? There are some Yuri and Yaoi parings, so here is a warning)

Shinsekai Yori is a mind bending, stylized adventure, with an amazing world containing well thought out reasons and lore. It’s hurt by flat characters, which are neither bad nor well represented. Its low budget is also shown in the number of songs, and the lack of general detail in its art at many points. Yet, for its plot Shinsekai Yori is an anime that should not be missed, especially if you enjoy psychological and dramatic shows. It’s a dystopian world of unknown horror and wonder that will shock you to your core. This truly is the highlight of the show and has made it one of my favorite anime of all time, despite its obvious flaws. Shinsekai Yori receives and overall of (8.85/10)

To be called “The Star Wars of Japan” you must be doing something oh so right. “Space Battleship Yamato (1974- 1975) was labeled as such. It’s a show so imbedded in popular culture that I had even heard of it. This was long before even watching my very first anime (To me known as “Star Blazers” for US). It was truly the show of an age. Now fast forward to April, 7th, 2012, an OVA remake of the beloved classic begins its air time. The final question of fans was. Will it live up to the original? Or disappoint us ... as much as the 2010 live action movie? Fans were treading carefully, hoping with all their hearts for a good adaptation (unlike many other shows of late). They looked for a great modern re- vamp; both in the visual and sound departments….. and that my friends is just what we got.



The premise of “Space Battleship Yamato 2199” is a simple one.” An interstellar war against a mysterious Alien race known as “Gamilians” (who btw toooottaaallly aren’t alluding to Romans) has Humanity near extinction and the earth nearly uninhabitable in the course of 8 years. Humanity has given a valiant effort, but is not on par with their enemy. Who by the way has shielding technology and interstellar flight. But, there is hope, another alien race known as Iscanderians (the totally not alluding to Greeks people) give them the power to arm one ship with their ultra advanced technology. They must now seek out Iscander and gain a device know as the cosmos reverse system to save the Earth. This mission is then dubbed “The Yamato Project” and our noble crew heads out. The Majority of the show is the crew of the aforementioned super ship “Yamato” heading out to Iscander, while encountering harsh resistance by their Gamilian foes. The show does develop as it goes on. There are a few twists and we get to learn all the races motives and reasons. Still it’s not a very complicated show; which in a way is where its charm lies. It’s very much akin to well “Star Wars”. It’s an enjoyable show with very stereotypical, but well developed characters. Its key level of enjoyment comes from the premise. The one ship vs the galaxy, and wits win the battles. It feels during these times much like an episode of “Star Trek”. There are great moments of tactical fun in almost every battle. They usually survive by using some tactical hat trick. It’s the quick thinking, and patch work of the crew that make this show truly a gem. Its great scale, its fun battles, its tense moments make for an overall fun and well written plot that eventually ends in satisfaction; it’s just a treat to enjoy. (9/10)


The animation was handled by “Xebec” studios, which is a sub division of production I.G. I really cannot say anything bad about the animation. It just seems neigh perfect. Great effort was put into recreating the feel of the show. It did not use the original style, but went for a modern approach. It used CGI for ship battles, and normal safe, but detailed animation for everything else. All is just great. The CGI is some of the best I’ve seen in anime (though not U.S Tier CGI, cus America loves the stuff). It provides some AMMMMAZZZZZINNNG space battles. The animation is well done and details from the original show are kept correct. Not really many flaws in sight (that is unless you don’t like CGI) (9/10)

Music was Handled by Miyagawa, Akira, who’s probably most well know work is… Kirby Right Back at Ya. What I will say he brought in the right people for the job (as the compositions were handled by various artists). The openings were both well done. The first is a rescored/ revamped version of the original. The 2nd a modern original Op made by “UVER world” dubbed, “Fight for Liberty”. Both the ending themes were also done well, and both present a classic and gentle tune to the show. The Osts though truly shine. Every Ost fits the moment, from sad, to happy and just plain epic. One of my personal favorites of the Ost’s in the show is the main theme. The main theme is a sea shanty rehash of the 1st opening that sets the tone for most of the battles. It’s simply called “Space Battleship Yamato 2199” (srlsy I want to take on the Garmilian armada right now…. Come at me bro). The other end we have the “Garmilian National anthem” it perfectly fits the nation and its proud people. It’s epic and proud; it creates some of the greatest moments in the show. Such as when you seen their fleet rise up and this anthem plays …. simply wonderful. What the show does lack in sound is the variance. The Osts pretty much are the same group played over and over again. They are no doubt excellent, but after 26 episodes it can try one’s patience. The Osts in Space Battle ship Yamato are simply great when they need to be. Yet, they are used over and over. All in all it does install a feeling of “retroness” that few can match with its sound track. Thus sound gets a (8/10).



With a great ship, you need a great crew. That is what the crew of the Yamato delivers in full. They are really are just archetypes, the main character with loss, his best friends, the staunch captain, and the super logical science officer. Yet, somehow these characters remain somewhat interesting; this is due to the excellent development. Each is stereotypical, but each learns, gains, and looses throughout the show. It’s the crew with there well written interactions goes about the marry task of 1 VS all. With great heroes you got to have some great villain’s, right? Yes, and in many ways the villains outshine the heroes in both motivation, and in charisma. They are in my opinion much akin to Kligons (though much better dressed). The Garmilians also get their development; they are humanized, but not enough that you root for them instead. They have families, and reasons to try to keep the peace within their empire. It adds some very interesting clashes in ideals between the apposing races. The characters in Yamato each get their time and development. The reasons for their actions are clear to the viewer; though their characters are extremely stereotypical. This in its own way adds to the retro vibe that Yamato installs, but also somewhat hurts it (but hey they are the originals)….. (8/10)


“Space battleship Yamato 2199” is truly a treat. Its simply fun, and installs a sense of “retro” upon you. It uses well developed archetypes, fun and interesting plot twists, and great art /sound, to create an excellent remake of a timely classic. Very few shows recently have matched Yamato in overall enjoyment and quality. Yamato, is no perfect show, but is damn well better than most things right now. It is an anime not to be missed for both its fun and charm.
Raptor-(9/10)

Gintama to be symbolized is like a bottle of fine apple cider. Its not the hot cinnamon one you enjoy at winter time, but a bubbly and sweet drink enjoyed alongside some of the finest of your holiday wines. Gintama is sweet. With a cast of bubbling and energetic characters who lift spirits. They just make the show sizzle with satisfying pops. At first Gintama feels like a kiddy drink laughable and nothing more. As you slow down and enjoy Gintama it becomes something more. There is certain tartness mixed in, a hint of something more dramatic, this only materializes itself once ... in a blue moon, yet you detected it. Its an edge darkness that only heightens the sweet bubble texture, it becomes a perfect balance of sweet and bubble with a hint of tart, resulting in something as great as the finest of wines . The over arching message of Gintama is to move on from the bad things and to work towards the good. Its to no matter what, through every trail and tribulation to live by your own “bushido code”. This is the morales of Gintama. Its 95% troll fun character shenanigans, 5% drama and dark morals. Yet, every bit of Gintma is a life lesson. Every episode and every title (some more troll than others). The fun episodes are meant to be enjoyed for fun. To tell you not to take life too seriously. The each drama arc is working through a hard time with respective values and morals. The fun episodes and dark episodes are both filled with pretty much the greatest comedy that the median of anime has produced. Using both mature and immature jokes, crude and clever, gags and satire, Gintama with comedy alone is a grand achievement. Yet on top it secedes in drama and truly great character interaction in a colorful world in which anything goes. This results in on of the greatest and most unique amines of all time (look at the damn scores).

The story of Gintama is about Gintoki Sakata after aliens have taken over the earth and life has generally improved for the world. Yet, a nasty sword ban on the public has put the samurai class out of work. Gintoki must now leave the bloody past behind and forge his own new samurai code as he does odd jobs in the city of Edo(Tokyo) and barely get by. Gintama is mostly comedy following along the ways of the odd jobs crew, each episodes and odd job generally goes around their own little life lessons, gags and stories. The series is very episodic. This takes 95% of the series as fun day to day shenanigans in a world dominated by weird aliens (So not really average by our standards). Under all of the tomfoolery is a dark feel. Gintama portrays this very well and sometimes the feel of the show can switch on a whim. Its the 5% not in the “happy” this is very well thought out drama arcs usually every 20 episodes, with lengths usually 3 to 6 episodes long. These arcs usually start softly, but usually end up serious and involve Ghosts from Gintoki’s past. This sense of past is never lost in the show, you always have a feeling that Gin cannot get over it. It shows through continuously through his actions. Sometimes he stops when others laugh. He thinks back to his war days laughing with comrades and then frames back to his odd jobs crew and new friends; he smiles and joins back in. Gin has a very well hidden PTSD. It mentioned by others, that he “has the smell of a beast to him” as when what he wishes to protect by his bushido code is threatened he’ll revert the “white demon” (nick name in alien wars) and risk everything life and limb to save what he cares about. This is a feeling that is constant through the entirety of Gintama, and in a sense this getting over the bad times and the past is the central meaning of Gintama as a whole.


Art of Gintama is very interesting, very inventive devices, vibrant color palates; the world also can turn dark very quickly. It creates a vibrant fun colorful world that shows its seedy underside. This makes for some great contrasts in animation and just the faces… so good. From troll faces to deadly serious, to plainly confused, Gintama mastered the art of drawing facial expressions. The style in itself isn’t very risky and thus feels above average and not amazing.

Sound is done by a variance of people. the Op’s and Ed’s are for a majority excellent. My personal Favorites from the 1st 201 episodes is the Op Donten with stairway generation being a close 2nd. Osts are well-done; Madao is an excellent theme with slow guitar that makes you just feel. Nothing though was completely off the walls amazing, but everything was great.



Character truly is the greatness of Gintama. It’s a plethora of colorful bubbles that light up the world. Each with their own past they also want to leave behind. The Main Main group is the odd jobs crew lead by Gintoki Sakata, and his two employees/ apprentices Kagura and Shimpachi + their beloved mascot Saduharu . The other best group is the elite police of this crazy world. The Shinsengumi, which is mainly Hijikata, Sougo, Kondo, and Yamazaki. The odd jobs team is like a family always together and always on each others nerves, but help when the time comes, this has created the best friendship speeches in existence. “He owns me five bucks… so I can’t let him die”. The odd jobs crew gallivants around the city of Edo. Gintoki a samurai for a new age, Kagura super strong and supper witty young girl, Shimpachi the only sane man here. It truly is a treat to watch. The Shensengumi also gallivant putting anti government rebellions down with ridiculous police work. They have the daemon vice- chief, the sadist Captain Sougo, the bland Yamazaki, the lovable idiot chief Kondo. They also have their own serious arcs and frequently end up with the odd job team by total accident in deadly situations. These groups with many colorful separate friends and characters make a colorful dish the compliments the totally colorful world of Gintama creating tons of funny moments, and some sad ones too. The characters of Gintama make this wacky world shine.


Overall Gintama is a mastery of comedy and drama. Truly meant to be enjoyed slowly. Something to be savored for what it is. Its not one to be taken too seriously or too lightly. Yet, it is a one of the greatest things to come to the anime median to date. Funny and heart warming, and sometimes just sometimes dark and gritty with a touch of feels. If you take your time to savor it, Gintama is one anime that you shant want to miss.

-Raptor 9/10

Well Susei No Gargantia is a 2013 anime created by: Production I.G, and written by Gen Urobuchi. It is the first “Healing” anime written by Gen Urobuchi. This is totally out of his style, and to me is the reason of its Failure as a story.

Susei No Gargantia is about the adjustment of a solider from space war time, to the easy going life of the remnants of now flooded Earth. Of which he is at first confused about, but learns to adjust and live with them. It’s a story about a battle a torn man (teenager) moving on with his life. ... This type of story has been done multiple times, but in anime it has only happened in comedic situations successfully. (I.E: Gintama (sometimes serious), Full Metal Panic). This is the first anime of this story type that I have seen in not a comedic light. Personally I had very high hopes. I thought Gen could do this very well with a dark story, with PTSD, ghosts of the character’s past coming back to haunt him and the main character learning the true value of peace in this manner. Yet, Gen goes a somewhat carefree route. The main character Ledo tries to get a Job, adjust to life, and he can’t manage to do it. He just looks plain bored. Morales of society, what it means to be happy, and the human condition are presented throughout the story. Yet, it fails to leave any impression. The Morales tend to be barely audible. Gargantia’s story seems never to leave a lasting impression, and never really makes you think as it should. This coupled with a predictable plot brought down by near ridiculous characters results in a driveled mess of a story.

Story: 6/10

Art is done well. Production I.G always does a “good” job. Not really much symbolism in the art, a little here and there, but not much. The color pallets used in Gargantia are vibrant and bright. This is trying to show the brightness of this happy life. This couples with interesting designs of ships and weapons results in some good vibrant scenes in terms of art. The one greatest flaw was the mecha design. Which was… sub-par and does not look as a viable design. It would have been forgivable if they had looked cool. Yet, alas the mecha just looks odd. I see they tried to do something bold, yet as many agree it fell on its face in mecha design. Overall beside’s this mecha design, Production I.G does a great Job on the art.

Art : 8/10


Sound:
it was virtually unnoticeable. Very rarely was an Ost good (no Ost choice), but nothing bad. Very safe on sound and OSTs. Weapons though I will say had very satisfying sounds when fired. I enjoyed the Railgun blast sound effect. The Op is standard J pop and same with the Ed, nothing great, nothing bad.

Sound: 7/10


Characters are where Gargantia is insanely hit or miss. The general design for guys is typical, but looks really good. On the other hand Every girl under the age of 20 in this show seems to be a loli and has a perma blush with mid drift to boot. Any girls in the 20 to 30’s seem to have allot of “plot” on their chest. Our main protagonist is a boy named Ledo who was once a solider in a Spartan like utopia in space. Who I might add has less personality than his Mech AI and basically barely changes. That would be bearable if it hadn’t been for Amy and her lolies always after Ledo… it truly ruined any hope of me taking Gargantia seriously. The hands down greatest Character in Gargantia is Pinion. He is the show’s greatest saving grace. He is a Mechanic who has a tragic past and wants to bring forth the dreams of those who died in his past. Not to spoiler, but he is witty, brash, and lovable, a real Han solo …. Who on top of this is also an engineer. He bumps up muddled characters from dismal hate to a…

Character: 7/10


Overall I didn’t Hate Gragantia… didn’t like it either. It had one thing to keep my attention. “When will it be Gen Urobuchied?” For you who have watched Gen you know what im saying. When the world turns upside-down for the main characters and everything goes to hell. This never truly happens in Gargantia, it hints and almost looks like it, but lol nope you get nothing. Garagantia I would not recommend to anyone, it really is only worth watching if you want to see what Gen Urobuchi’s “healing” anime looks like (not good in my o- Pinion bad pun is bad). The only enjoyment was hope enjoyment for everything to go to hell, which sadly never came. The greatest saving grace was Pinion, which made my score jump from my lowest score ever (6/10 )to a…

Overall: 7/10

-Raptor

Back in 2011 Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica shattered the anime world. Winning multiple award, and being the most successful and well known deconstruction of the magical girl genera to date. It has created some divide in the anime community as hyped shows usually do (Ie, SAO). Yet, not nearly as divided or as flawed as the former. Madoka Magica has become the epitome of greatness to some, good to most, and an object of scorn to a select few. Well here we are in August 2013. The long awaited Madoka Magica movie re-works are now available for streaming. These Recap Movies which originally released October ... of 2012 took nearly a whole year to be available on (not so legal) streaming. As the vast majority of people watching this movie have already watched the series I shall allude and compare the movie and series. Thus the review will contain major spoilers for the series. Now if you are here wondering weather or not to watch the movie or the series I would say watch the 2nd movie for episodes 9-12. Watch the DvD HD version on Crunchy Roll (with better art and scenes than the TV Ver.) for episodes 1-8. This is because certain scenes are stripped from movie1 that in my opinion are paramount to the plot. No such scenes are stripped from movie 2, and small scenes are also added as in movie one. Now starts the review of Madoka movie 2.(for those who have not seen the series or both movies yet, spoilers ahoy.)



SPOILERS*********


Madoka Magica 2: Eien no Monogatari is a HD recap, with "bonus content" of episodes 9-12. Movie 2 is a much more masterful recap than in movie one. This because no important moments are taken out. It also has the advantages of having some of the finest episodes in anime to work with. Movie 2 Starts off where movie 1 left off just after the Fall of Sayaka our bue haired ally of justice. Then the Oktavia Fights 1 and 2 re-scored and the death of Kyouko's and Oktavia. It then leads into the first timeline episodes of Hommura's back story and episode 10. Which if you only watched the movies DOESN'T feel to come full circle. As the symbolic epic opening sequence of Madoka is cut for luminous and check rubs in movie 1 :[ . Yet, if you know what happens the recap of movie 2 is a treat to behold and flawless story wise, Nothing seems to have changed from the execution of the last 4 episodes of Madoka and their is not much to say else to say but.....
10/10 story

Art:
Well the majority of the movie had a quality job. With many extra backdrops and shaft style symbolic add on's planned for the TV and Latter the DvD, but never added due to time, and budget constrains. Yet, with all the pretty pennies Madoka made all the money, and time in the world was at their disposal. SHAFT the proceeded to go to town with something they had never had before Madoka..... a LARGE budget. This allowed Akimbo to go full wild with all symbolic backdrops he could handle. This in turn gives a certain creepiness and wonder that I haven't felt since my first view of Madoka. The most prevalent art bonus was to the Kyouko vs Octavia fight. Which had a more up close view for the phantasmal violinists, added movements to the fight, and more detailed injures on Kyouko. The most lack luster work was the Homura vs Walpurgisnacht fight. which I expected to be even more done up, but alas is basically the same as the DvD Ver. The only saving grace was the Transformations which were done over the top and epic. Yet, the art has one flaw. This is with the moments, when things go from an already existing scene, to a new Movie only scene. You can sense a faint flicker. Something just seems off. The new scene is a little more HD than the old prettied up scene. It is most noticeable in fights were it flickers to an extra Movie only movement and almost disrupted the moment. Its This flaw the brings down some of Akimbo's greatest work. But, the art truly by all standards is top notch.
9/10


Sound:
you ever felt that no one could make an amazing sound track better? such as how could you make Tanked from Cowboy Beebop any better? That's what I thought going into the Madoka reworks. How could Yuki Kajurai possibly out do what is considers some of her finest work? I don't know what she did, but she made new songs that fit certain parts so well I I can't even see the scene's now without them. The Ost "shes a witch" is so Hauntingly gorgeous that it left me in stunned silence at first hearing the tune. I almost was distracted from the transformation of Sayaka (almost is the keyword) a Ost worthy of being along side Sis Puella Magica and Magi. Slow Violins start it off, then Choirs kick in, then half way a pause. The realization dawns on Kyouko. everything kicks into high gear A bell is added, chimes In tune adding suspense (transformation) solemn silent finish ( my personal new Ost choice). Another amazing addition is adding opera to Dectretum in the Form of "Witch world #2". The addition of extra Violins to Magia is also a nice touch. With music better that I thought couldn't get better its no surprise music is.
10/10


Character: all the same from series, Mami got no development early so shes even more paper thin in episode 10 than in series. Each girl still represents the same concept and dies accordingly. Though it is even more highlighted this time around by the extra art symbolism by Akimbo. The recap no extra development of personality and thus the same as old score of series. 8/10


I enjoyed the 2nd movie much more than the first movie, which to me was just "good". Yet, the addition of extra art and music set the tone great for movie two. Greater even than that of the series, there is simply not a level of enjoyment I can give above this movie 2 recap. Which truly, unlike movie 1 felt like watching Madoka Magica for the first time all over again. Yet,due to certain flaws in art and Madoka Magica's flaws in character Madoka MAgica Movie 2 cannot have a perfect score. It though is a recap truly worth the watch and admiration of its fans.(though skip movie 1... hopefully movie 3 doesn't kills the series :[ )
Overall:9/10
-Raptor

(PLEASE READ BEFORE MARKING IT NOT HELPFUL NOT BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE THE SCORE I GAVE IT)


“Ill see you again this next August as we all return to our secret base”. In western modern life death is a very distant concept. It’s nearly a taboo to talk about. Life now is not like the days of old where a loss of your children was common place. Now a days it seems to have a most prolific effect on people and then it’s gone… people seem to move on, but do they truly ever get over it? Death is something we in modern society force ... to the back of our mind. It’s generally made to be forgotten, almost taboo. Yet death is something we dwell on more than any other thing. Truly some of use can never let go…. In Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai (Written by Nagai Tatsuyuki) or Ano Hana this is the central theme, but not the only one. It goes into multiple themes of friendship, family, and how we grow with the losses in our lives. I personally like to call this anime The Bridge to Terabithia …. the after story. If you haven’t read that book or seen its Disney movie adaptation; it’s the story of two kids, one boy and one girl who play in the summer with each other. The girl “Tera” dies in the river later in the book. A very similar event occurred 10 years before the events in Anohana. It’s this death of a childhood friend called Menma who was the “sunshine” of friends and family that is the catalyst for the plot. After her death the group of friends grows apart and her family becomes distant from people. This is shown especially in menma’s mother, who grows distant from society “she hasn’t lived since that day….” August 10 years later after Menma’s death her spirit appears, yet no one else but our main protagonist “Jinta” can see and talk ot her. This is in turn is dismissed at first as hallucinations by Jinta. Soon the “Hallucination” is too real and tells him things he never knew. Menma with Jinta must now get their childhood friends back together and fulfill her dyeing wish so she may go on to heaven.


As to the story of this anime it is generally very good, border line great, but not truly amazing. It does have some problems. These problems are generally found within the script writing. The interactions are repeated throughout story. Such as the Fact that the friends can’t see Menma and the friends have trouble believing that she exists. This is annoying as she can affect the physical world, she even eats. It in my opinion is the biggest problem as she can easily reveal herself, but has trouble doing so for 70% of the series. It is not completely detrimental, yet it is one of those things only there for convince of the plot that can annoy the hell out of you. The other flaw is that things are not explained so well, it glazes over major points of 10 years ago very quickly and focuses more on the modern time. It’s this understanding of the events of 10 years ago that a paramount to the feelings of each character, especially the events of “that day”. Which are still left shrouded somewhat even after the end of the series. This I believe is why they are making a movie about the events 10 years go set for August 31st. to cover the lack of important development in that area. I really can’t blame it though, it’s 11 episodes and doesn’t have the time,.. it just feels a little rushed… For what Anohana does well it does VERY well. As a slice of life does something unique… Its main focus is NOT romance and it doesn’t use ENDLESS comedic situations to get your attention. It’s the interaction between characters and their hidden feelings of remorse, grief and love that drive the plot instead. The main meat of the plot is the modern day. Each character appears to have moved on besides our main Jinta. Yet, it is soon reveled that every person is still shaken by the event of “that day” even 10 years from it, some just as badly as Jinta, and sometimes worse than Jinta. This then reveals a set of complex character interactions that all revolve around that summer 10 years ago. The truly great part is how the seemingly happy content people are in the first episodes. Yet, the revival of Menma’s spirit brings out the darker feelings of her death that was pushed to the back of each character’s minds. It’s the use of this as each character with the hidden emotion comes to grippes with her death for the last time. This is what stands true and tall in Anohana and it succeeds this in spades.


Animation was done by A-1, The color Palates are vibrant and animation for both the Ending and Opennning themes is well done. The design for the city and forest are also top notch. The only thing is there is little to no symbolic art direction, and it’s a pretty safe normal slice of life design on characters. Though the characters of Hisakawa and Menma seem to be the most uniquely designed. All in all animation is good, just nothing truly great or amazing here.

Sound was composed by Aketagawa, Jin. Who was in charge of sound in amines like Shakugan no Shana and BlassReiter. Just looking at this list of anime hes composed I must say on pure number I am impressed. Now as for Anohan’s score itself there are two songs that stood out to me. For the Ost my choice is “All about her death” which is a piano solo with hints of xylophones on occasion in the background and a large dash of violin near the end this is the Ost that plays at the end of the series. For Ost’s it has a love for piano, which for an emotional anime is quit regular. Honorable mention and my 2nd favorite Ost is “The Last Train Home”. The stand alone best track in the series is the ending theme “Kimi ga Kureta” or in English “Secret Base”, which is so fitting its often used as an Ost. It’s a peppy song that I wouldn’t call pop, but more of an ode to summer and the times of children. This also uses piano greatly as the primary instrument with background of violins and I don’t even know… rocks? But with great vocals it sounds amazing. Overall the score is very fitting, but only has 2 or 3 good to great tracks.


Characters are the strongest point of Anohana. It’s the simple base personalities that seem bland as first, but they are truly just a faced. Each character that appears fine truly hurts on the inside. With the Catylist of Menma’s spirit it brings out all the pent up regrets and emotion showing the true side to the bland base plain personalities that the characters paint themselves with. As for the Base Personalities by episode 1’s end ill go as follows:

Jinta: Visibly hurt form loses, lost his mother recently and has never gotten over Menma as he loved her, but was shy of it and never confessed it before she died. He shuts himself indoors and rarely goes outside.

Menma: Liked by everyone, peppy and nice. She died that day. She was in the sense the glue that held the friends together.

Hisakawa: Is the Jokester, he is always happy and ready to go. Though he has some hidden feelings himself.

Anaru: Now a “popular girl” use to be nerdy tomboy in group.

Matsuyuki: Boy now on the fast track to success high one responsibility appears to have gotten over the death of Menma.

Tsurumi: Conserved girl always hanging out with Matsuyuki, also out of all has gotten over things the most. Tells Jinta to get over with it and calls him pitiful.

The story focuses of these characters and there childhood group now torn apart. It shows that even the most hardened and most visibly not hurt are hurting just as bad. I can’t go anymore for sake of no spoiler, but believe me when I tell you this is its greatest part, and Anohana in the category has impressed me in every way.

AnoHana was one of the most enjoyable anime I’ve watch recently this summer, which made it feel all the more fitting. Would I call it a Favorite? Hmm maybe for enjoyment top 10 or so somewhere, but critically? No, not by a long shot. This is a show that is good for only certain people. It is not a show id recommend to you unless I knew your taste. But, if you want a story about the morals of death and the grief of them on people in the long term then I cannot recommend a better anime for that. Over all Anohana is a great story whose mistakes are barely notices through the pure amount of feels. Some may call that a low blow, and it is, but it’s so sweet frankly I don’t care. A truly great story of love and loss. For this I cannot recommend enough. Its shows like these that make me wish to relive those days. The days, 10 years ago with my own friends in our little secret base….

Raptor-8/10 overall critical score.

Hmm to describe Sonica Magica in 1 minute and 29 seconds would just spoil the plot of an amazing 1 min and 29 seconds. it is the epitome of anim geniues that resaults in a hole over arcing plot that not only shocks you, but questions your very outlook apon life, thus it gets the only 10/10 i have given and the only one i shall give maybe until buko no pico(Yes this is a troll review). The characters are as inspirational as they are busty, which is saying something. The art i flawless and the whole time of the series is one J pop ... song which I LOVE SOOO MUCH(not rly alway lied ballades. BEST ANIME EVARRRRRR

(read before marking help full or unhelpful)
(this show has dub suggestion by me over sub. Dub has better dialog translation and Holo sounds older than 15, as she should)


A wise man once said that it is not the destination, but the journey that defines us. The journey of life if you will. And no other show I have watch has shown me this more than Spice and Wolf. Spice and wolf is the story of a travelling merchant named Lawrence during what appears to be the enlightenment era in Europe. This Merchant one day finds a naked women in his cart(hair censored ftw). Who ... then in turn reveals herself as a wolf spirit named Holo. Holo who had been worshiped as a god of harvest in the town he just traded in; has left because the people have stopped praying to her and pray only to the "one god"(allot of gawd talk in this anime as is for the period). The Merchant then agrees to take the goddess back north to her homeland. This enlightenment Merchant being some what god raised (as was for period) is somewhat disturbed by taking a "pagan goddess", but soon gets over it and their journey begins.

Now that the introductions of plot and main characters are out of the way shall i discuses what it did well and wrong? And whether you as the reader should or shouldn't watch it due to your tastes?

Story 9/10: Now why 9/10? I probably would normally give an 8/10 for this story and was debating as such, but I leaned to 9/10. This is due the story being of a certain taste. Spice and wolf is extremely dialog heavy. There is barely any action what so ever. The interesting part though is the characters and their journeys through the lands. This is accompanied not by roving bands of bandits, but business deals and carefully calculated economics. Its the betrayals and deals via business and the ways our "wise wolf" goddess and our "experience" merchant handle every situation. This is basically the entire story. If you want some over arching plot with action everywhere go back to the shonnens . But, if you want a well crafted episodic journey with witty dialog and surprisingly interesting economics then you should press on.

Art:7/10 Nothing special ok for its time, was done by a new animation company and had a somewhat low budget. Yet, is not bad by any standards.

Sound:8/10 Some medieval jaunts and other tunes in osts. Yet, the Opening is completely divine. It is sung by the voices of the main characters and sets the tone so well it scares me. Yet, no other songs stick out. Thus only +1 from average(ratting scale on profile)

Character:10/10 OK the dialog is the show. The two main protagonist are the show. Spic and wolf is told by the perspective of both of the mains, and follows which ever when the times calls for it. Though it follows the perspective of mainly Lawrence the merchant. The interaction is amazing, its right on par with Steins;Gate and if you thought that was good you'll like Spice and wolf's characters. Let us start with Holo, she i s wolf goddess that has been in a filed of wheat for 700 years and is some what depressed and rarely shows it as she is peppy and witty most of the time. After being stuck in a field for 700 years and has not seen anything outside the old village. She then enjoys all the new sights and tastes on her journey. As she discovers each thing, you also feel that you discover it. Lawrence though is an Honest peddler and goes from place to place. He is overly good nature d, yet extremely shrew when it comes to his work. In Spice and Wolf many Characters are introduced, but it never goes to their perspective, though each in unique and adds their own flair to the plot. Thus flawless in character.

Enjoyment:10/10 I loved this show, was very good watch for my tastes especially. The Nature of the plot and the interactions of the characters work in near harmony. Yet, for some this show may be too slow paced and monotonous. Yet, Spice and Wolf teaches us that sometimes one needs to slow down, smell the roses and enjoy the journey of life. Thus Spice and Wolf gets a 9/10