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I applaud Jellyfish Can't Swim In The Night for tackling heavier themes of belonging, meaning, and the various hurdles that often come with pursuing your creative passion. Unfortunately, I feel it comes across as a little jarring as the tone often shifts from light-hearted to quite serious & melancholic, back to cheerful and silly within the span of a single episode. This balance can be a blessing when executed well, but it comes off as a bit clumsy in Jellyfish's case.

Where this series excels, however, is in its character development. Each character comes with their own unique personal struggles and - to varying degrees - ... personal growth. While it's obvious who the 'main' characters are, no one truly gets left behind as Jellyfish manages to flesh out everyone's backstory and provides a sense of closure for their individual problems. This is expanded upon further by having a cast of characters that span across multiple artistic fields, giving Jellyfish a handful of unique perspectives for the same shared experience.

I think this one's definitely worth a watch if you're looking for something lighthearted & fun that isn't afraid to dabble in a little melancholy from time to time. That being said, maybe shy away from it if you're a creative type seeking inspiration as it tends to romanticize art in a way that can set unrealistic expectations and feels a little out of touch.

It's great to see Gamera back, but perhaps he should've taken a few more years off.
This series is painfully mediocre, offering up: one-dimensional characters, plotline clichés with convoluted 'twists', and cheap animation. It serves as a solid celebration of the franchise it represents, but has little to justify the road from kaiju to kaiju.

If you're a fan of Gamera, Rebirth provides heavy nostalgia by revisiting & reimagining many of the more recognizable kaiju from his Showa era. These are beautifully executed & redesigned, even if a few of them fall flat in terms of delivery. Nonetheless, I think that's where this series shines. It's a ... fun experience filled with quality kaiju battles and a handful of duds, but if you're looking for anything more that's where this starts to fall apart.

Characters are largely unlikeable & shallow. There are a few occasions where the series tries to expand on and grow characters, but it's never done in a way that feels organic. Sometimes, it feels like subverting expectations just for the sake of it. Other times, it tries to create an emotional payoff without any meaningful build-up.

The plotline is about as good as you can expect from a Showa entry, existing solely to move from one kaiju to the next - often borrowing clichés and overused ideas from the genre as a whole in a way that doesn't feel particularly satisfying.

It's really the kind of anime you just want to watch for the action sequences, but even those are often held back by its lackluster animation. Though, admittedly, the animation is best during those climactic moments whereas more clumsy animation tends to show up during the build-up of an episode. Most characters look unnatural, static, and often even lifeless throughout the series.

Ultimately, Gamera: Rebirth sets out to be a love-letter to the series and as such it delivers well enough. Returning kaiju are well utilized, and there are plenty of homages for a long-standing Gamera fan to sink their teeth into. If you're looking for something that might measure up to the depth & storytelling of Gamera's Heisei trilogy, however, you're not going to find that here. And if you're new to Gamera entirely, I'd recommend skipping this one until you've become more acquainted - ideally through the aforementioned Heisei trilogy.