Back to Runasius's Profile Runasius's Profile

When it comes to media, zombies are dime-a-dozen. With so many mediocre films featuring the man-eating living dead as central antagonists, there often isn’t any further creativity involved in creating these flicks any longer. Flesh munchers sell and they sell excruciatingly well, there’s no doubt about it. When reading the synopsis for 'Zom 100', I was rather skeptical but also intrigued. A zombie road trip anime seems like something incredibly generic, but given its first outing, I’m elated to say that I’m pretty committed to try this out even further.

Much of 'Zom 100’s' main draw comes directly from the notion that its an animated version ... of the movie 'Zombieland'. You know that one movie starring Jessie Eisenburg and Woody Harrelson and featuring a downright hilarious Bill Murray cameo? Yup, that one. And guess what? 'Zombieland' was a really exhilarating and humorous comedy. Luckily, there’s enough in 'Zom 100' to set it apart from 'Zombieland' that it avoids being a blatant rip-off. And much of this is present from the outset in the very first episode.

There are shades of realism and relatability in 'Zom 100'. The main character, Akira, is ecstatic to be hired at his dream company and fulfill his lifelong dream of working in the marketing department. He’s a depressed, overworked individual who suddenly finds solace in a global crisis because he no longer has to cope with being mentally pounded by long work hours, a nasty boss, and the idea that he’s treated as a commodity rather than a human being pretty much everyday. Understanding that he most likely doesn’t have much time left before he’s eaten by the horde, he sets out to do what most reasonable individuals would surely set out to do – create a bucketlist. So begins the tale of an overworked nobody who aspires to do nothing more than fulfill all the items on his bucketlist before he winds up dead, on a road trip to gosh knows where.

Right off the bat, 'Zom 100' captivated me with its lavish visual style. Its use of color really helps to give its production some identity and the animation is simply breathtaking. The direction is implemented in such a way that it makes the anime feel more cinematic, and less like some generic tv anime. For a tv anime production, it is impressive to see such high quality and consistent animation, especially in a medium where most anime isn’t known for this level of effort. Even more impressive considering it’s also the studio’s first major production. BUG Films made this anime as their debut after some of their staff members and animators branched away from OLM.

The main character feels like a representation of all the hellish workplace scenarios that Japanese workers often go through on a daily basis. Akira begins the series as an optimistic, hardworking adult in his early 20s, having finished university and now starting his first ever big-boy job in marketing. He’s excited about the role initially, until all hope is lost when he realizes that working at the company is a literal hellscape. Akira constantly has to keep up a façade everyday to prevent getting canned by his boss on sight, pretending to enjoy representing the company he’s a part of and sticking up to its bs. Once he’s home, that all fades away and he’s back to being a lazy, worn down and battered survivor, constantly having dreams of quitting his job and getting the peace he should very well deserve. There seems to be a growing trend in anime these days with protagonists that are harboring very human desires and facing very real dilemmas, such as Thorfinn, Denji, and Bocchi. Akira is yet another addition to that; a carefree man who has his entire worldview shattered and his entire mental willpower crush by the brutal hardships of the Japanese work culture. He’s kind, resourceful and always willing to lend a helping hand, regardless if it’s a coworker, his awful boss, or some stranger he just met. While he doesn’t seem terrified or worried that there is a zombie apocalypse going on, he has shown to express grief when witnessing someone get killed or turned into a zombie; the anime just chooses not to linger on it because it’s not that kind of show (if you really wanna see people crying all the time in a zombie apocalypse or outright miseryporn, just watch 'The Walking Dead'). He also expresses slight concern that he’ll eventually be eaten leading to the bucketlist in the first place. Another character worth mentioning is Shizuku. Not much is known about her so far other than she has her own list, this time a survival list with information on how to survive the zombie apocalypse. Unlike Akira’s approach which appears to be more hedonistic, Shizuka’s is more practical. In a way you could say she’s watched way too much 'Zombieland'. There’s also a foreign weeaboo character who dresses up in traditional samurai armor. Hoping she’ll get introduced shortly.

Right off the bat the first episode presents a very real scenario that is a major problem not only in Japan, but throughout all countries across the globe. Working environments often are more favorable towards the higher ups than they are towards lower ranking employees. There is unpaid overtime everywhere, salary deductions, office politics and many more. In 'Zom 100', Akira’s manager views all his staff as expendable, employees are sometimes forced to work overtime for no pay, some are even forced to sleep in the office overnight, and some can’t even go home to their families. I for one have been through a very toxic work environment earlier this year. And this completely wrecked my mental health. These are issues multitudes of people across the globe are facing everyday; it’s no wonder that so many people have desires to want to actually quit their job. Yeah, contributing to society is great, but you want to know what else is great? Having a stable and healthy mindset. Karoshi, also known as “overworked death” is a real problem in Japan and has led to so many deaths and suicides throughout the years. This awful work culture has also contributed to a rising number of hikkimoris and is one of the reasons why modern anime is so heavily infested with trashy isekais and harems. Given how karoshi seems to infest the anime industry and many studios have been accused to working their employees to the brink of death, it is such a ballsy move to have an anime actually go this far to critique Japan’s work culture and capitalism in general. Even more audacious considering that the company Akira works for actually is meant to be a dead ringer for OLM, the studio that BUG FILMS branched off from. Thanks guys, you showed us yet another awful anime studio that’s guilty of having these terrible work practices.
Unlike your typical isekai or power fantasy, 'Zom 100' doesn’t necessarily glorify escapism like so many critics seem to believe. In fact, there’s no need to because Akira literally does not have a choice here; its not like people still need to go to work during a zombie apocalypse. His joy and happiness towards this situation stem from just how awful his role as an employee were and the fact that there’s currently a crisis going on that causes his entire workplace to shut down, leads him to pump his fist in the air in happiness as a major stressor in his life has been resolved. To him its like finally leaving an incredibly toxic relationship and finally experiencing freedom after two years of being enslaved to some corporation that treats him like dirt.

'Zom 100' isn’t without its problems however. There are moments where suspension of disbelief is in full effect. In the first episode for instance, the main character, upon realizing that he’s finally free from employment, suddenly appears to develop literal super strength for whatever reason. Somehow, I’m supposed to believe that this guy is able to leap from a massive skyscraper and crash through a roof without sustaining any injuries. Or that he’s able to push a really strong and bloated zombie out of a window despite it weighing probably well over 500 pounds. And don’t give me the excuse that its because he’s a rugby player – rugby players aren’t that strong. The guy isn’t built like The Rock or John Cena, ok? But hey, at least its better than what 'Super Mario' did by having a guy literally become overpowered by eating a mushroom.

I also have concerns given how some of the female characters are designed here. They’re given very shapely bodies with voluptuous breasts and form fitting clothing. Characters like Saori, Beatrix, and to a less extent, Shizuka all fit the bill here. They feel like they were designed by horny otakus or 12-year-old preteens, and it shows. I’m hoping the series does not tap into any annoying ecchi moments that often plague many anime of its ilk. I’ve really grown tired of the unnecessary oversexualization in anime these days; I’ve had enough of it in 'Heavenly Delusion' and 'Summertime Rendering' and I don’t need it here. And I’m pretty certain a lot of viewers don’t either. People want to see zombies getting the everlasting crap beaten out of them, not bouncing boobs everywhere. That’s what we have ecchi harems, trashy isekais, and hentai for. That being said, the show isn’t at that point yet, but its definitely a cause for concern.

The humor also seems to be the standard “anime” humor. You know what I mean – its when characters suddenly say things in the most over the top and bolsterous manner or start explaining the joke and so on. Its typical anime humor. The third episode also gets a little “cringe” when a character strips naked for no good reason at all. Cmon 'Zom 100', leave that for something like 'Golden Kamuy' instead.

'Zom 100' has gotten a lot of traction as of late, even eclipsing Bleach in the rankings at one point. And its not hard to see why – the incredible animation along with the bombastic soundtrack, quirky characters, and social critiques is bound to get most viewers on board. Call it overhyped, but at least it has some substance. At least it’s not like the 'Super Mario Bros' movie where people constantly tell me its superior to modern anime only to just be another mediocre power fantasy where the main character literally saves the world and beats the bad guy by eating a mushroom. Wow riveting amiright.

Will it get worse the longer it goes on? If recent discussions on the manga are anything to keep track of, then yes there’s a chance its quality will continue to dwindle. But, as of now, what viewers are going to get is a very wacky, enjoyable romp with nary a dull moment to spare and incredible animation with a heaping dash of existentialism to boot. Many may find a lot of enjoyment in its humor, action, and fun-loving characters. Only time will tell whether this ends up a blunder or continues to be a hit.
And I think the first episode alone teaches a very important lesson; work to live, not live to work.

As someone who typically isn't drawn to moe anime, Bocchi the Rock surprised me in the best way possible. It managed to break through my preconceptions and captivate me with its relatable characters and unique animation style. Do you want a delightful series that stands out from the crowd by seamlessly blending comedy, relatability, and heaps of wholesome goodness? This is the show for you!

Story:
Bocchi the Rock revolves around the journey of a young girl named Bocchi, who battles social anxiety with a passion for music. The story follows her as she strives to overcome her fears by immersing herself in challenging social situations. As ... someone who is an introvert and is anxious around people, its the perfect show for people such as myself. It's a heartwarming tale that beautifully captures the struggles and triumphs of someone dealing with social anxiety.

The narrative of Bocchi the Rock is well-crafted, keeping the viewers engaged throughout. The writers skillfully balance the comedic elements with the deeper underlying theme of personal growth. By emphasizing Bocchi's determination to conquer her anxiety, the story becomes a source of inspiration for viewers who may be facing similar challenges. Seeing her struggles and achievements aspire me to want to better my own situation.

Characters:
Bocchi, the protagonist of the series, is a fantastic role model. Despite her anxiety, she pushes herself to face uncomfortable situations head-on, showcasing immense courage and resilience. Her growth throughout the series is both gradual and believable, making her journey all the more inspiring.

Moreover, Bocchi's talent shines through her exceptional guitar skills, which she diligently hones. This adds an extra layer of depth to her character, demonstrating that her progress is not solely based on luck or coincidences but also on her own abilities.

The supporting characters in Bocchi the Rock are equally well-written and memorable. I love how Nijika and Kita are complete opposites of Bocchi, being extroverts who are openly socialize with confidence. It gives the story direction a lot more tension and makes Bocchi's achievements feel a lot more well earned. Extroverts commonly don't fit well with introverts and especially folks with social anxiety, so Bocchi being able to win them over feels a lot more inspiring. Among them, Ryo stands out as a relatable character due to her stoic and seemingly uncaring demeanor. It adds a lot to the overall humor and I find myself agreeing with her on a lot of topics. In a way, it shows another side of being an introvert; the kind of introvert who isn't afraid of social situations.

Animation:
The animation in Bocchi the Rock is nothing short of impeccable. What sets it apart is the ingenious way it blends various artistic mediums, enhancing the comedic moments and adding an extra layer of flavor to the overall experience. The vibrant colors, expressive character designs, and fluid animation work in perfect harmony, elevating the comedic timing and allowing the jokes and gags to land effectively. I'm a huge sucker for medium blending in animation - works such as "Mitchell vs the machines", "Spiderverse," and "Courage the Cowardly Dog" stand out among my favorites because of this. It's such a great showcase of an animator's abilities and shows that they are willing to experiment with different styles.

They've nailed it when it comes to capturing Bocchi's emotions and anxieties. The animation brings her internal struggles to life in such a real way. You can practically feel what she's going through. It's like the creators reached inside her and pulled out all those little details that make her journey so relatable. Usually in anime, when a character monologues, its often a shot of their face with nothing interesting going on in the background. In Bocchi the Rock, they take monologues up to new heights. an example can be seen when Bocchi herself ponders about the negative outlook regarding her future. The animators utilize claymation to describe her mental process, showing a clay model of her on a Monopoly board to emphasize how she feels its like a game she cannot win. It's pretty incredible, honestly.

Conclusion:
Bocchi the Rock is a gem within the moe anime genre, defying expectations and offering a refreshing take on relatable storytelling. Through its well-crafted story, compelling characters, and exceptional animation, the series manages to strike a chord with viewers, especially those who may relate to Bocchi's journey of overcoming social anxiety. There are flaws, for instance Japanese comedy tends to explain every single facet of a joke that it can annoy viewers with its lack of subtlety. There are also occasions when we see the main leads performing and a character who start to monologue over the song. I want to hear the song, man, not listen to you monologue about how good this makes you feel.

Whether you're into moe anime or not, let me tell you, Bocchi the Rock is an absolute delight. This series is all about uplifting your spirits and showing you the power of determination, talent, and inner strength. It's a wonderful reminder that we can overcome any challenge life throws at us. Trust me, if you give it a chance, you'll be pleasantly surprised and inspired by the infectious spirit of Bocchi and her incredible musical journey. Don't miss out on this gem!

Having insomnia sucks. I can tell, because I've experienced it on certain occasions.

There are few things more unhealthy for your body than a lack of sleep. Humans are made to get enough shut eye just to recharge those batteries in preparation for the next day. This is what our main lead, Ganta, appears to be suffering from. The kid is struggling, not being able to get enough of that bedtime rest and also juggling school work at the same time. Sooner or later he comes across the school's observatory which he's told is a quiet place for him to relax in. There he meets Magari, ... a girl also wrought by the exact same issues. She's been using the observatory too, mainly to rest in such a manner that no one will be able to bother her. It is then that a friendship starts brewing between the two, which would most likely eventually lead to a blooming romance.

Insomniacs After School falls under a particular genre a certain number of anime fans would label as "Slice of Nothing Ever Happens". And in a way they're right. Insomniacs at this point doesn't really have a plot or any themes that are laid out for it to explore. But despite lacking this, it succeeds in overall vibes. It's a relaxing anime, one perfect for just taking in the calm, serene atmosphere. For a manga to anime adaptation, its rare for one to be as subtle and not in-your-face as this one. There are very few monologues, a lot of emphasis on letting the visuals do the showing, and no overly loud anime tropes being shoved in your face every now and then. And in spite of there not being a plot, there is a lot of foreshadowing that suggests that there could be a bigger storyline unfolding at any moment. Some watchers have even drawn comparisons to "Your Lie in April", hinting that some drama or tragic setups are bound to appear soon.

The strongest part about Insomniacs is its characters. They are far more realistic as far as high school students are portrayed. This is the most commendable aspect of the show as the conversations between characters unravel very naturally with characters having playful banter amongst each other, talking about classes, making jokes, and just acting like teenagers would. They feel less like caricatures and more like real people. The romance aspect of the show is also handled extremely well. The pacing for it isn't as rushed as 99% of western television neither is it absolutely draggy like most romance anime. It feels just right and the show does take its time in establishing chemistry between the two leads and in exploring how the ways they bond with each other over a shared condition, that being the inability to go to sleep. It's one of the few times where I'm actually genuinely interested in seeing how this romance will blossom.

Lidenfilms is often very inconsistent when it comes to animation quality and is the prime example of why staff matters way more than anime studios. Sometimes they would crank out a show with some of the best animation in the industry (Hanebado, Call of the Night) and other times the animation would range from poor to mediocre at best (Tokyo Revengers, Arslan senki). Insomniacs sits firmly in the middle; while its animation isn't anything to look forwards to, it has some incredibly well directed sequences here and there (an example being a very iconic moment in episode 5) and the show is brimming with atmosphere. Its not going to win any awards, but it isn't bad at the same time. The music is also in the same nature as the animation; decent enough but nothing spectacular. That being said, I don't think Insomniacs is the type of anime to require amazing sakuga or anything like that.

Recommending this depends on whether or not you're fine with a plotless show that puts more of a priority on vibes than telling a story. If you're sick to death of highschool romance anime with tsunderes, kuuderes, or whatever shallow archetypes the industry has on their sleeve, then give this one a watch. In a cesspool of romances with some of the cringiest characters and dialogue imaginable, Insomniacs After School is a refreshing addition to the genre.

Horror is anime's weakest link. It's quite possibly the one genre that the anime industry just cannot pull off well at all. To them, horror is basically just gore and jumpscares with the occasional reference to the supernatural. This is a genre that thrives off of subtlety and atmosphere, elements that the medium generally does not pull off well nowadays. "Housing Complex C" serves as another reminder of that.

I was kind of hyped for this show to be fairly honest. An Adult Swim original produced by Production IG and whose premise carries this very surreal, almost dreamlike vibe about it; I was expecting the ... next "Serial Experiments Lain" all of a sudden. It sounded like it was going to be similar to "The Drifting Classroom" or even "Silent Hill" for that matter, with residents being trapped in a housing complex and weird happenings running amock. But oh my goodness, was this show atrocious.

"Housing Complex C" commits the biggest sin a horror series could commit: it's just not at all scary. Not in the slightest. The atmosphere is way too mundane and even cheery to put you on edge. The surroundings feel too normal, there's too much daylight, and anything that felt like it was supposed to scare just came in the form of dead animals. That's kinda sick to be fairly honest. Not once did I feel unnerved by anything in this. It even tries to pull off a "The Happening" and make plantlife seem terrifying. Like, seriously, plantlife? Even something like "Another" kept me more on edge because at least that show managed to get the atmosphere down to a tee. Also did I tell you the anime just ends up being another gorefest by the end?

The characters are all boring and one note. There's practically no depth to them whatsoever. I also sympathize with any of them. The main lead is basically the typical happy-go-lucky anime girl that you see in every single slice-of-life anime. It was like putting Yui from "K-on" into a horror anime. She practically shows no personality other than being inquisitive and joyful all the time. Then there's Taka who basically exists just to solely dump exposition whenever the plot demands it. There's so much infodumping in this 4 episode anime and not enough time for viewers to take everything in. Rather than thrilling audiences with some insane scares or abstract imagery, the show just seems to throw exposition after exposition every freaking second. The show also includes a group of interns into the mix who come from another culture and are basically treated as stereotypes of that particular culture. Isn't that kind of racist?

And the dialogue. Good lord, the dialogue. I mean I'm not expecting "Boondocks" levels of swearing and slang in this Adult Swim original, but at least make the dialogue sound mature. It feels like it was written by a 5 year old. I cannot imagine any sort of adult wanting to listen to this at all; it feels like dialogue written for a pbs kids show. And much of it is just blatant exposition, like I previously noted.

The only thing the anime does differently from most other horror is the twist at the end. I'll admit, I did not see it coming, at all. But, on the downside, it makes no sense and comes smack dab right out of nowhere.

The animation and music choices are very basic. Everything about this production just screams low budget and passionate. I'm guessing the animators were treated like trash for this project and that deadlines were rushed. It felt like no effort was put into making the animation stand out or anything. There were a ton of animation errors and off-model shots and plenty of movement that feels very stilted. It kind of reminds me of the "Biscuit Hammer" anime in many ways and we all know how bad that one was.

Avoid this show at all costs. If you want to watch a creepy anime that would keep you on your toes, check out "Serial Experiments Lain". Check out "Paranoia Agent" and "Evangelion." These aren't solely horror, but they contain elements and imagery that will disturb or frighten you. Heck, even "Another" is well more worth it than this, and that show isn't even good. It's an incoherent, badly animated, infodump-ridden pile of feces that just has no right belonging in an adults programming block.

I'm sorry, I needed to vent and get this off my chest. I was expecting so much more from this.

There never has been an anime adaptation more overhyped than Chainsaw Man has. And to be fairly honest, it’s not hard to see why. An anime adaptation based on a beloved manga which is one of the more refreshing series on Shonen Jump that we’ve had in a while and being helmed by a famous studio with the promise of better work conditions for the staff working on it as well as promising to bring their entire A game to the project – what’s not to get excited about? Even myself, who only liked the manga rather than adored it like most other fans, was ... incredibly ecstatic for it. This was a passion project through and through, and given the state of the medium nowadays, its something we rarely get enough of to be honest. Japanese animation, as opposed to something like Western animation for example, is completely lacking in passion projects. Most anime are made solely to sell out to horny otakus and something like this is incredibly rare.

The reason why its so hyped is to do with Fujimoto’s excellent use of panelling in the manga as well as the frantic fights. His love for film really shines here and a lot of panels are often homages to multiple set pieces from various movies he’s watched. The panel showcasing Quanxi and Aki brandishing their weapons for example is a clear homage to a famous shot from The Raid. But the story and characters also deserve a mention here. Namely Denji. Denji is kind of like if you took a shonen protagonist and completely strip away all the qualities that make him exactly that. Usually in shonen anime, the main character often has a goal that involves fighting for their friends, saving a loved one, or just becoming a full-on hero. But not Denji, oh no. Denji here just wants to touch boobs and get the ladies. He’s like if Johnny Bravo found himself stuck in a shonen manga. As for the story, it uses a lot of typical shonen beats, but also subverts and even deconstructs a lot of them. You wouldn’t be able to understand this until much later on however, but to give you an example: in Chainsaw Man’s world, some of the main characters are often very selfish, usually fighting for their own hedonistic reasons. In your average shonen, this is usually a villain centric trait. Other than that, the set up is very intriguing. You have this Men-in-Black expy of an organization that exists to employ Devil Hunter who slaughter demons in an attempt to protect the city. There’s also the existence of Makima, who Denji openly simps for, and right off the bat, you notice that there’s something off about her, from the way she treats men like dogs to her mannerisms and speech. It just creates a layer of mystery that you want to find out the answer to. And the story just gets crazier later on. The manga is filled with insane twists and turns that keep you wanting to read more.

So, lets touch upon the elephant in the room: the CGI. It looks… fine. I would say it looks way better than most other CGI used in other anime. While I would have preferred Denji’s chainsaw man form to be animated using 2D animation, it seems as though this would be incredibly taxing given all the detail involved in the design of it. That being said, this is Mappa’s best use of CGI I’ve seen to date. If you want to see how bad their CGI usage was before, check out Attack on Titan Season 4 and Dorohedoro, those two series looked almost as bad as Berserk 2016 at times. Yet barely anyone complained about it, so why are they complaining about Chainsaw Man’s then? People need to remember that using CGI in a primarily 2D animated production is always going to make it stick out and look awful. Even in some of the best non-anime productions such as the Mechs from Legend of Korra or the dragons from Dota Dragons Blood, the CGI looks mediocre at best. Heck, even RWBY and The Dragon Prince look very awkward despite them boosting some of the best 2D-3D integration than most anime series. While Arcane and Spiderverse are great examples of how effective CG is used, they don’t really count. These two have completely 3D models for their characters rather than meshing both 3D and 2D awkwardly together like most anime do. They’re more like if Pixar decided to incorporate a lot of 2D effects in their films.
But enough of that, while the CGI isn’t the best in the world, the 2D animation is absolutely incredible. It’s so amazing that it’s easy to overlook the CG just for this alone. In the first 3 episodes alone, there’s not a single off model shot or shortcut I could find. But, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves here. Mappa anime are often notorious for having a lot of animation hiccups here and there, especially later on, so here’s hoping they manage to keep their animation quality afloat and also their workers well treated. Because if they pull another Dororo, then I’m going to be extremely disappointed.

I have no complaints about the ending themes – every single one of them has been stellar. Especially the ending theme for episode 3, whose heavy metal riffs and abstract visuals really capture the innate edginess and insanity of the series. The opening song I was disappointed in at first, but now its grown on me. So much in fact that I now listen to it everyday and it’s a great earworm. I was kind of expecting something akin to Attack on Titan’s second opening for its 4th season. I dunno, SiM just seemed like the perfect band for it, and something sounding exhilarating yet tragic at the same time just seemed fitting for Chainsaw Man. That being said, the visuals for the intro are out of this world. The first few minutes of the song are exceptionally memorable with homages to various films such as No Country for Old Men, Once upon a time in Hollywood, and even Constantine, highlighting Fujimoto’s extreme admiration for the wonderful world of cinema.

All I’m hoping is that Mappa doesn’t turn every demon fight into a CGI fest. Because if the katana man fight comes and its just two badly integrated CGI models clashing together, then this will be a very disappointing adaptation. And we do not want that, don’t we?

It seems all it takes to make a good video game adaptation these days is to have it be animated as a Netflix original series. Castlevania kickstarted this trend, using state of the art 2D animation and some of the best animators in the industry to create a worthwhile tale that appeals to gamers and newcomers alike. The trend then continued with animated productions like Dota: Dragon’s Blood and The Witcher: Nightmare of the wolf, before finally reaching its peak with the universally acclaimed Arcane. But, one thing these projects all had in common was that they were animated by the West. With anime, things ... were far less ideal, with adaptations of Pheonix Wright, the numerous Persona shows and movies, and Dragons Dogma being panned for being legitimate cashgrabs with mediocre animation and stories that would be far better had you just played the games instead. But, this finally all changes with the release of Cyberpunk Edgerunners.

If there was any franchise that needed to undergo a redemption arc, it would Cyberpunk. Riding off the coattails of their highly acclaimed Witcher franchise, CD Projeckt Red was enjoying a lot of goodwill for being one of the few triple A companies to actually treat both their games and their fans respectfully and were against the sleezy business practices of the industry, unlike other developers like Blizzard, EA, and Ubisoft. CDPR’s ambitious open world RPG was hyped to the moon with countless people praising it as the best game of the entire year even before it released. What they were then met with was a buggy, almost unfinished mess that barely even functioned at times. There were framerate drops all over the place, characters would randomly start t-posing out of nowhere, water physics were non-existent – it was a disaster of a launch. For months, people constantly mocked and berated the game and CDPR went from being the topdog of the triple A industry, to be lauded as one of the worst. To say their reputation sunk would be an understatement; their stocks collapsed, people swore off playing their games for a long while, and it played a huge role in making people distrust triple A developers even more than before. Keep in mind that CDPR were supposed to be the supposed saviours of the Triple A gaming industry, the last beacon of hope, the chosen one. They were supposed to be better than all the other sleezy corporations, not join them. The hate for the game and the company got so bad that people were comparing it to Grand Theft Auto 3. Yes, a game that came out in 2001 was viewed as being better produced than a game that released in 2020.

Now back in 2020, it was announced that CDPR will be producing an anime series animated by Studio Trigger, with the director of Gurren Lagann, Hiroyuki Imaishi, helming the project. The only thing we got was a poster and then news regarding the production went dead for months. The months of sheer silence and the poor track record of Netflix’s original anime at the time did not bode well for the production. Netflix original anime are often infamous for being mediocrities with above to below average visuals that viewers will binge and then forget in about a day or two. But Cyberpunk changed all that.

Right off the bat, Edgerunners makes it clear that it is a passion project through and through, made by people who are extremely passionate about animation and understand the setting and themes of Cyberpunk 2077. The anime is brimming with style and finesse that I’ve rarely seen in anime today. Usually, most anime tends to suffer from the use of shortcuts to hide their animation flaws, off model shots of characters, and even run out of budget later on in the series (cough Dororo cough). But Edgerunners soars for the moon with every frame looking like it fits a painting and Trigger’s animation being more fluid than ever. A good example of this would be episode 6 which looks like a freaking Animatrix segment with the visuals appearing more abstract and different compared to the norm and the episode gunning for a more 80s-90s vibe instead. It was the episode where the animators decided to get extra creative and give it as much care and attention as possible.

In 10 episodes, Trigger also crafted a self-contained story that did more than most shows do in 4 whole seasons. And a lot of this is owed to its characters. While the characters definitely seem basic at first glance, they give off such a great impression that you end up loving them despite this. David starts off as a bland YA protagonist only to grow throughout the series each episode at a time. The series even tries to deconstruct the entire chosen one trope using him as a vehicle, setting up as a protagonist who piles on more and more augmentations to the point he feels less human and more machine-like. He attempts to try and live for the dreams of his friends and family, to achieve them for their sake. But it only ends up ruining him later on. Maine is the dead ringer to Jackie from the games, serving almost as a father/brother figure to David and teaching him how to survive in Night City. Lucy acts as the femme fatale who starts off very cold and distant, but soon opens up once David appears in her life. Especially Rebecca, who despite seeming like a generic moeblob stuck in the world of Cyberpunk, manages to be the favourite of a large number of viewers because of her personality, her mannerisms and hot headedness, and the idea that she provides a lot of levity and comic relief to a rather serious story. But the most important reason is that the brutal world of Night City eases you into rooting for them as they try desperately to survive in an apathetic world ruled by greed.

The world of Cyberpunk is harsh and callous, all told entirely through some effective use of visual storytelling. The brightly lit and colourful neon streets are juxtaposed by the cruel reality that a good chunk of its characters are living in poverty and squalor. Medical bills are so overly inflated here that even buying insurance is an uphill battle and doctors would refuse to even give their best treatment to their patients. Social status is ranked based on how many augmentations a person has in their body, which costs a fortune to acquire. Having barely any chipware in your body results in you being ridiculed and attacked by bullies. Characters are treated like and discarded like objects. Being poor meant that after your death, your ashes came through a vending machine. Oh, the disrespect!

Edgerunners isn’t perfect however. For 10 episodes, it feels a bit rushed in the story it is trying to tell and the pacing is so fast that viewers barely have enough time to catch their breath. It may not be apparent at the start, but it gets far worse towards the end to the point that characters start sprouting exposition to keep things moving at a breakneck pace. While it does leave a big impression on the cast with such a short runtime, it also makes viewers wish that there was more screentime involved. Maybe an episode just focused on them relaxing, letting us know more about them as people, rather than discarding them so quickly. The show also has some issues with dialogue at times, although this may be an issue with Netflix’s poor subtitling for the series. Characters would drop awkward lingo here and there and the phone conversations are notorious for sounding like a fifth grader just came up with them.

Then there’s also lines like this:
“Are you guys, Cyberpunks?”

Kind of reminds of that one quote that Will Smith says in that terrible Suicide Squad movie, doesn’t it? “What are we, some kind of suicide squad?”

But alas, in spite of these flaws, Cyberpunk Edgerunners is a very good anime that cements itself as the second-best video game adaptation of all time, just below Arcane. Here’s hoping Netflix continues the trend with these amazing animated video game adaptations, because man, I’m so pumped for Dragon Age: Absolution coming later this year. It’s worth the watch, choom.

And as a wise man once said, “NOW THAT’S PUNK.”

Let it be known that Serial Experiments Lain is a colossal mindfuck of epic proportions. Its really the type of series that originally leaves you confused, awestruck, even somewhat terrified by the time the penultimate episode propels itself into existence. I remember binge watching all 12 episodes of this beast with a friend and finding ourselves trying to fully comprehend what the hell we just witnessed by the end of it all. Anyways, Lain is a 12-episode psychological and philosophical examination of the blurred boundaries between the real world and the internet (also known as “The Wired” in the anime).

Each episode starts off in ... an eerie fashion. The words “Present Day, Present Time” appear on screen, read aloud by a narrator in a rather sinister tone. He ends his speech with a mocking laugh, only to have it followed up with a 10 second clip of television static and a creepy image of a young girl’s head fading in and out. This belongs to our main protagonist, Lain Iwakura, a rather stoic but curious young girl who speaks in a monotone voice and has about as many friends as the ugly duckling on a dreary day. One evening she gets introduced to a new computer system readily installed in her room, and in return the world of The Wired. Things seem to go well enough for her, until she finds out that’s she able to communicate through her monitor to the dead. And then, that’s where things start going haywire.

The anime embraces its psychological and even philosophical roots to its very fullest. A portion of the show mainly serves as a character study for the various people impacted by The Wired, and how they use it as ways of escapism or as coping mechanisms for whatever situations they’ve landed themselves in. It’s also very philosophical in a sense. The characters ponder excessively about their own existence in the real world, and what purpose it serves for both theirs and society’s benefit. There’s even clues and cryptic messages related to whether there’s a God in this world, the existence of cults, the paranormal and so on. But what’s most captivating about the anime is its mystery component. A lot of weird and out of place events happen throughout the early episodes, and its done in such a way that it encourages viewers to want to piece together an explanation. There are even sporadic clues that may hint that The Wired isn’t just the internet but also some alternate dimension, or that Lain herself may not even be human. It doesn’t give out the answers clearly, but it also drives audiences to want to find out more about them. The idea that the writers have set up Lain as this introverted, emotionless girl is a stroke of pure genius. In any other work this would come across as a sign of bad writing, but in this anime, it works well to its advantage. Its almost as if Lain is an alien coming to earth on a mission to decipher all these philosophical messages.

Serial Experiments Lain may be confusing and somewhat indecipherable to newcomers, but its high re-watchability and experimental nature pinpoint it as one of anime’s classics. The idea that a single story is told through subtle clues rather than exposition, is an instant sign of artistic merit. Good writing is the kind that respects the intelligence and deductive abilities of its audience; the type that doesn’t talk down to them or treat them as if they’re morons. Exposition is pleasant and all, particularly if you want some scientific or fantastical jargon defined, but too much of it and it begins to sound overly grating. That’s not to say there isn’t any jargon involved, but its not explained in a manner that’s common with most anime titles. You don’t suddenly have an individual freeze in his tracks to deliver to the viewer and other characters a long-winded description of a concept or object. Exposition in this show feels natural.
But the biggest flaw in Lain is aptly confusing narrative which can be frustrating to get through for first timers. Although subjectively, I’d say that episode 9 somewhat irked me the wrong way. It felt like a cheesy 90s documentary with floating heads of real life figures interspersed across the screen over some crappy CGI effects. This alone, took me out of the episode entirely. I get its purpose and understand that in the 90s it’s kinda difficult to execute something like this, but I just couldn’t get over how cringeworthy it all feels. One minute you were stuck exploring Lain’s uncanny life and the next moment you’re given a history lesson on the internet. I feel like if they truly wanted to do something like that, they could have just made it its own episode instead of trying to intertwine two plots together. Make it an extra on the DVDs rather than try to weave it at constant points throughout the episode.

So, there you have it, Lain is a philosophical romp that takes patience and focus to piece together its subtle and jumbled narrative. Those with a watchful eye and an open mind will be rewarded with a gripping psychological thriller that explores the relationship between our world and the internet, and how everyday both realms are merging together. It’s also very relevant to our times despite being a 90s property.

It’s been a while since we’ve got an anime that veers away from the usual cliches and tropes found in nearly every single show nowadays. I’m talking about the endless sea of moe chicks, pointless infodumps, girls getting their clothes ripped to shreds, spiky haired caricatures screaming their lungs out and so on. Therefore, it’s refreshing to see a show that tries to veer away from its roots and gather its inspiration from another medium instead: gangster films.


A 1900s setting, mafia members, tommy guns, the prohibition, booze and lots of people getting turned into swiss cheese by bullets. This ladies and gentlemen is what “91 ... Days” aspires to be. A show that takes many of its influences from gangster flicks such as “The Godfather” and “Goodfellas.” And it shows.

The story will seem very familiar, especially to fans of gangster flicks and revenge thrillers. Some bloke called Angelo Lagusa witnesses his family being murdered by a collection of Mafia members and flees the scene of the crime to safety. Years later, he emerges under a new name: Avilio Bruno. His only goal: to obliterate the very men who were responsible for the death of his family and his one lead is a letter that points to the Vanetti Family as the perpetrators of the crime. This tale follows Avilio as he tries to get involved with the Vanettis in an attempt to stealthily pick his opponents off one by one, Agent 47 from “Hitman” style (I’m just kidding, he doesn’t disguise himself).

As a revenge thriller, “91 Days” pulls no punches. Don’t get attached to any character in this series because it will wreck you emotionally in the end. Avilio is a savage guy and a lot of characters die as part of his plan. Nearly nobody is spared. Blood will be split and bodies will keep piling up. One of the strengths of this series is its ability to catch audience members off guard, particularly during its second half where the major plot twists are revealed. But it isn’t done in a ridiculous and nonsensical manner like in “Code Geass” for instance, but rather in such a way that makes sense with regards to the setting and the character’s motives. It doesn’t go all out with trying to make the series as shocking as possible.

As mentioned above, the storytelling in this show is done in a rather unorthodox manner compared to most anime. A lot of subtlety is present in the dialogue and character movements and the show is often less dramatic compared to a lot of shows of this caliber. The tone is often somber and serious, seeming a lot similar to western thrillers such as Denis Villenueve’s “Sicario” than your average Japanimation. It’s also slow and atmospheric, allowing audience members time to take in the feel of the show’s setting. The series increases in terms of intensity with every episode but still keeps its tone relatively consistent throughout, which is a plus. There is a lot of emphasis on “show don’t tell” which is a great storytelling choice that is highly lacking in modern anime to this day. Lots of things are presented to us rather than told through pointless exposition sequences and certain clues are left to the audience to figure out rather than just handed to us on a silver platter straight away. It’s a show that respects its target audience, which is something I highly appreciate. Plus there is no monologuing. Bet you can’t find that in most anime now huh.

Every episode (with the exception of 4 which acts as a breather episode) has a part to play in the overall plot of the series. However my biggest qualm would be the ending. Every single episode towards the second half of the series seems to build up to a bombastic climax that the series never seemed to provide. There was no showdown like what was promised in the posters. Some audiences may be a bit let down by this if they were to be expecting some “Cowboy Bebop” esque intense gun battles or something along the lines of that. Another flaw was that the show never seemed to portray anything new that wouldn’t be found in any other revenge flick or gangster film. It seemed more like a homage than anything else, a love letter to a gangster film that the writers just happened to have watched and liked.

The characters and their voice actors all fit their roles within the grand scheme of things. Avilio is cold, calculating and sometimes even intimidating for a protagonist. Sometimes a little too cold; I was finding it hard to relate to him due to his lack of a personality as his sole motivation was revenge. Nero was more ‘human,’ making him more likable and memorable overall. He acts almost as the complete opposite to Avilio to the point where I started questioning who I should even root for. But by far the most intriguing character in the series is none other than Fango. Imagine Ladd Russo mixed in with the craziness of The Joker. This character is so over the top that you will either love him for bringing some “Baccano” esque insanity and humor into this show or you will despise him for ruining the sombre mood brought forwards from the very first episode. Nevertheless he is an outlier among the rest of the cast who were more down to earth. The rest of the supporting cast isn’t really worth mentioning as they lack the depth and complexity to make them a stand out role in any way. And this is also another issue I have with this show; the other cast members don’t feel memorable. Its kinda difficult to imagine people remembering folks like Cortheo or Barbero years after this anime is over. Others like the Don of the Vanetti family fit a certain stereotype that can be found in almost any gangster flick. Some characters actually perish before we’ve gotten a chance to know them and this diminishes a lot of their memorability and value to the overall narrative.

But by far the biggest flaw 91 Days offers is its animation. A lot of the fluidity and creativity we’ve grown to love in certain anime is lost here and the show feels like its on a tight budget. Inconsistency is prevalent and off model shots are visible in many scenes. This isn’t too bad considering that Studio Shuka is a relatively new studio, however more should be expected from a Studio that was in charge of the highly popular “Durarara” series. Aka a franchise that has made a massive buck off of its light novel sales, raked in a decent amount with its blu rays and boosted a fanbase of over a million rabid yaoi fangirls who adore the idea of shipping Izaya and Shizuo together (even though in the context of that series, that flat out makes no sense).

However the lack of animation quality was made up for with the music. It’s very reminiscent of old gangster flicks and compliments the mood of the entire show. Sometimes it intensifies when some of the more violent moments are shown, which is nice to get your adrenaline pumping. I’m not an expert when it comes to music, but if you like soundtracks with a lot of calm, collected violin pieces being played in the background, you’ll love this. Especially the opening song. TK can sing about a trashcan and I’d still listen to it.

Another thing to add would be the show’s overall setting and world. The 1900s prohibition setting was well utilized here from its vehicles, to the prevalence of alcohol, to various store fronts and so on. In fact one way to tell how well presented the setting is to us viewers is to watch the opening credits in the first episode as it presents shots of various different places and mundane stuff that would be popularized during such a time period. Its architecture is also very unorthodox from most anime out there, which tend to dabble in the usual retro or stylized modern-era Japanese architecture. The show is grounded more in realism with the way it presents everything, but in spite of this, it doesn’t forget that its an anime and sometimes veers into some of the absurd every now and then. For instance there’s this one episode where they introduced a nigh-invulnerable Mexican cowboy that has a penchant for crushing people’s necks with his bare hands. Surprised? I’m not. This is by the same studio that used to work on “Durarara” after all.

Do I recommend this show? Yea I do, but keep in mind that if you’re expecting it to add anything new to the gangster genre or provide a level of deep storytelling on par with say, “Goodfellas” or “The Godfather,” then you’re just going to walk out disappointed. This is a straightforward revenge story through and through, done in the same gritty and tragic manner as a movie like “Blue Ruin (though not as great).” Its definitely a step above recent failures in the genre, like the dismal “Black Mass,” or the absolutely dull “Live by Night,” or even the schlocky “Gangster Squad.”

Despite that, I was pleased with this series from start to finish. It’s a nice breath of fresh air to finally get something that’s more realistic and devoid of the usual anime tropes in today’s market. There are no magical elements in this show which is something I was really surprised by; usually more modern titles would include a lot of superpowers, time travel elements and so on. It’s an outlier among the cesspool of mediocrities that summer seems to have given us. If you are into gangster flicks and don’t mind something that treads familiar ground, then give this one a try.

P.S: Why is this even called 91 days when only 12 episodes have been released lol?

First things first: I don’t really consider myself a seasonal watcher. Sure, I’d watch one or two shows per season, but I’m fairly adverse to binge watching multiple anime at a time. Funny enough, I used to be an avid seasonal watcher about 3 years ago. Probably was a mistake, because I got completely burnt out with disappointments after disappointments to the point where I even took a short break from anime entirely. It also really didn’t help that my tastes were starting to see changes during that time. I got to the point where I was sick and tired of all the clichés, exposition ... dumps, overly dramatic characters, numerous ecchi scenes, and just flat out badly written elements that plagued the anime industry.

But alas, I did watch an anime during the Spring season. I watched three in fact. This title I’m going to talk about, was recommended to me by a couple of irl friends. Judging by the way they were gushing about its qualities, I knew I was going to be in for a treat. A reboot of a well renowned anime classic, considered by many top critics in the community to be the best Japanimation has to offer? Why would I even bother passing on that opportunity???

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neuse These (or A New Thesis in English) is a 2018 space opera from Production IG and is a reboot of the series of novels written by Yoshiki Tanaka, not the ovas from 1988 which spanned over 100 episodes. Now I do have the first two novels back at home, but because of how densely packed my library is, and the fact that I have other books I’ve prioritized over them, I’ve only really read through the first chapter alone. So, this will not be a comparison between the source material and the series because of that. Heck, I haven’t even ploughed through the 110-episode ova yet.

Surprisingly enough, this reboot got panned from the very moment the teaser trailer got released. Much of it had to do with the character designs. Many fans of the original got super uptight because of how the cast now technically consists of pretty boys. I still remember the backlash Reinhard’s design received, with people likening both him and Kircheis to ‘Kuroko no Basket’ characters due to their resemblance. Personally, I think this is a rather silly reason to critically pan a series. Reboots can stand well on their own even if their character designs were a far cry from the original source material. Remember when ‘Parasyte’ was remade in 2014? Its characters looked vastly different from the ones in the manga, plus the main character was given glasses even though his manga counterpart never wore them. Hell, they even changed the time period to fit a more modern era. People used smart phones and the internet, technologies that just wouldn’t be present in the 80s. And the show was bloody amazing! Reviewers gave it high scores from across the board, and it was considered one of the better adaptations churned out by the anime industry. The reason? It followed the source material as accurately as possible, despite those minor changes. And it even did some scenes absolute justice, elevating them using top notch voice acting, clever storytelling techniques, and brilliant animation. Want another example? ‘Devilman Crybaby.’ The character and creature designs were so different from the source material, that it didn’t even feel like it was based off a Go Nagai manga. I’d even go as far as to claim that Crybaby surpassed the manga, because Masaaki Yuasa’s eccentric direction and the trippy colour palates gave the series a more unique, psychedelic flavour, making it stand out amongst other gorefests in the industry. Couple that with some of the manga’s misanthropic themes and messages, and you have a winner. What I’m saying is that if the story, themes, and characters of the source material are well realized in an adaptation, then it doesn’t matter if the designs aren’t the same.

Now I know most of you will bring up ‘Berserk 2016’ and the recently aired ‘Souten no Ken,’ but let’s be honest here. These shows also screwed up in the story department, not just with the animation. Ask any ‘Berserk’ or ‘Hokuto no Ken’ purist out there and they’d give you a laundry list of key moments that were flat out cut out or poorly executed.

Design-wise, the series doesn’t even look half bad to me. You’ve got to remember that both Reinhard and Kircheis were designed in a way that would appeal to female audiences even in the 1988 ova, so I was okay with them looking like ‘Kuroko no Basket’ rejects. Yang Wenli looks more pleasing to my eyes this time around than his ova counterpart which, while still great looking, seemed a lot goofier, appearance-wise, with that round nose and oval jaw of his (a subjective opinion I know). Some of the other cast members look similar, others look slightly different. Julian for example, is much younger in appearance in the reboot, which contrasts heavily to his look in the ova where he almost feels like he’s in his early twenties.

Now on to the animation. The ships are designed here to be as accurate as possible to the novels, but this time instead of being animated using traditional hand drawn techniques, they’re animated via CGI. And I’m not going to lie here, the CGI is very competent, for anime standards that is. Hell, I’d say they completely dwarf most prior anime titles I’ve seen when it comes to this department. You got to give the animators credit for being able to keep up the quality of the CGI animation considering the amount of ships there are in each battle scene. And I mean it when I say, there are thousands upon thousands of battleships. The Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance basically combat one another using gigantic fleets, with smaller battle cruisers and vehicles to expand the numbers. Imagine if in ‘Star Wars,’ you witnessed thousands of Imperial Stardestroyers facing off against the same number of Rebel battleships. That’s how big of a scale we’re talking here. Considering that they never ran into budget problems with this is astounding. As for the animation itself, well it’s pretty on par for an IG show, and they’re known for a ton of excellently well animated works like ‘Ghost in the Shell,’ ‘Eden of the East,’ ‘B the Beginning’ etc. There is a lot of crisp detail added to the environments, the characters manoeuvre relatively fluidly, and there’s nary an off model shot to be found. If there’s one gripe I have about the animation quality, its that on various occasions the characters rarely blink, but that’s an issue that’s very common with anime titles both now and in the past.

The story was the main draw for me here. Two powerful forces, The Galactic Empire and The Free Planets Alliance, duking out amongst each other for territorial control and personal gain in a scenario that alludes to the wars waged by 19th Century Prussia. We begin the series as Reinhard Von Lohengramm, Kaiser of The Galactic Empire, finds himself in a strife against Yang Wenli, the military strategist of The Free Planets Alliance. And thus, begins a long, gruelling, bloody battle that spans generations.

Keep in mind that Legend of the Galactic Heroes parades itself as an epic, and the vast amount of characters reflect that. I mean there are so many characters in the show that it has to constantly show a side character’s nameplate each episode in fear that its audience members will forget them. Granted only minor side characters receive such a treatment; it’s not like ‘Boku no Hero Academia’ where every single character who’s not Deku or All Might have to be reminded of whom they are and what powers they have. Not all characters get the same amount of development, but judging by the number of cast members that have been introduced, it’s not much of a surprise. The series is only 12 episodes long as of now and the next two novels are to be told through a series of 3 movies. So, give it time, and the rest of the stories will soon flow.

The uniqueness of this show comes from how it effortlessly manages to combine elements of historical events with a futuristic space setting. From its designs to its policies, its certain that the Galactic Empire was inspired by 19th Century Prussia with little influences from Nazi Germany snuck in there for flavour. Reinhard himself feels like a cross between Kaiser Wilhelm II and Adolf Hitler, with his commanding, polite, and affably demeaner giving weight to his overall character. He even has the look of an Aryan for petes sake. Yang also relies heavily on tactics used in past historical wars to strategize all the various battles he partakes in. In a sense, Legend of the Galactic Heroes plays out almost like a ‘Civilization V’ game, with characters having to tackle issues such as politics, economics, militarization, and even food shortages, just to preserve the reputation and livelihood of their people and government. As a result, it often is a very dialogue heavy series with a huge focus on political debates and agreements. There are battles strewn here and there, but the primary focus is not on what happens solely during each conflict, rather it’s more interested in conveying the preparations that both preceded and followed them. It tries to get you to understand the motives of each side, why they’re engaged in such a struggle, and how they go about trying to secure their victory and resolve it. Its not like a mecha show where a designated hero gets in a giant metallic suit and decimates armies throughout the galaxy. It’s made clear from the very start that there isn’t a protagonist or an antagonist, as both sides are portrayed as being equally as moral.

The fact that the show is very talky, is also a criticism in it of itself. Its not a simple task to sell a show based off its premise to a typical, enthusiastic science fiction fan without knowing if all he wants is to watch spaceships blow each other apart and nothing else. People who don’t like heavy dialogue will find themselves getting bored after the third episode or so. Hell, I’d admit there were a few moments where even I failed to keep myself invested, and suddenly found more of an interest in my phone instead. Given most people’s attention spans in today’s day and age, an era where most of us can’t spend a second without gluing our eyes to our smartphones every now and again, it’s not all that shocking really. Nevertheless, the show wants you to know every single preparation before each battle commences, meaning you must wade through political speeches, talks, complaints and other dialogue sequences before you’re able to get into the good stuff. There’s even an entire episode dedicated to a discussion on the impact of a certain battle on a specific population and its presented through this lengthy debate between political delegates and advisors. It basically resembles a congress meeting. Hope you enjoy statistics o weary traveller.

Another barrier would be character likability. There aren’t any quirky one liners and such in this show. Characters are about as serious as the situations they land themselves in, and their body language and personality give off that feel clearly. It makes a lot of sense considering that they’re fighting numerous wars, so expecting people to crack jokes at every second would be unrealistic and just plain dumb. What I’ve really noticed about these characters is how much of a commanding presence they exhibit. The moment you take even a glimpse of them, you know that they’re either born from royalty or just folks who exercise a lot of power. These are also morally grey men who sometimes must quell populations to secure their own. If there’s yet another issue with characterization, its also that much of the 12-episode runtime is dedicated to showing the Free Planets Alliance and their numerous exploits. Very little is spent on Reinhard and co, and considering he’s headlining the series, its quite alarming.

The music could also have used a bit of work. While I share the unpopular opinion that classical music is not fitting for large scale battles, the soundtrack in this show is less than stellar. Much of the battle osts consist of what sounds like a kid just banging his head on piano keys. It’s a shame that I couldn’t find any memorable tracks in here because this is the kind of series that would benefit from some. Though to give credit where credit is due, the opening theme by Sawano Hiroyuki is brilliant. As if that’s surprising to anyone. I mean it’s Sawano, the same composer who worked on the music for ‘Attack on Titan’ and ‘Kill la Kill’ among others. There’s a reason he’s revered as a god in the anime community.

What I’m most worried about now is the format. 12 episodes and 3 movies are a good start for the first 4 novels or so, but what about after all that’s done? Are they just going to wrap up production and call it quits? Or are they just testing the waters out now, and are planning to adapt the rest of the series? We may never know, I mean I don’t work at IG after all. Why can’t they just release another 12 episodes instead of a movie? Is a movie even sufficient enough to cover the second and third novels? I have so many questions for the future of this franchise that it’s starting to grate on me.

Overall, I’d say give the Legend of the Galactic Heroes reboot a try. Particularly if you’re new to the franchise, for it really needs to get more exposure. Personally, I watched this without seeing the original, and its gotten me stoked to see what the 110-episode ova series has in store for me. So, who knows? Maybe it’ll get you interested enough to check the ovas and the novels out. I mean it’s a decision between watching an 110-episode series and a 12 episode series, and if you’re uncertain about whether you’d like the franchise or not, I’d say experiment with the latter first.

Its sorta hard to predict how any anime by Studio Bones is going to turn out. Sometimes they could end up being rather passable, or even incredibly memorable and well written (i.e Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, Darker than Black). On the other hand, they could end up being complete and utter failures (i.e Zetsuen no Tempest). Noragami fits nicely between the two; a mediator amidst the good and the bad.

Let it be known that I found the first season to be somewhat of a mediocrity. As far as urban fantasy goes, it didn’t do much to stand out from its peers and felt a tad ... bit too similar to other shows of the same genre. Sure, I mean there were some interesting concepts and some witty character interactions here and there, but it never felt like the show executed them as effectively as I would have hoped. The series, after all, is what would happen if you decided to mesh both ‘Bleach’ and ‘Soul Eater’ together. For most of its runtime, it was mainly filler, and the story arc it dealt with deviated way too much from its source material as it got closer to the end. Not to mention, it was rushed beyond belief. With 12 episodes, and only a fraction of it having anything to do with fleshing out the world and its characters, it barely felt like Noragami even amounted to much. With Aragoto however, Bones finally catches up to its source material and adds more substance that, honestly, should have existed in the first season beforehand.

Viewers should be aware that this is a direct sequel, and newcomers stumbling across this with little to no knowledge of that will be confused and lost. The highlight of the story this time around, is that there is less focus on the various “side jobs” the main heroes must pursue, and more of an overarching storyline. This, thankfully, removes a lot of the filler elements that the first season toyed around with. I mean sure fellas, its nice and all to watch Yato and co goof around while pulling off comedic chibi faces every now and then, but it becomes bothersome when that is literally 80% of the show.

The show is split into two arcs, which are aptly named the “Bishamon arc,” and the “Ebisu arc” respectively. Both are quite different in their own right with the first one being a rather emotional insight into Bishamon’s character and her conflict with Yato, and the second one introducing a location known as “The Underworld” into the mix. Both arcs exhibit higher stakes compared to the first season, which I highly appreciate. At least now, people die this season, and there’s this feeling that not everybody, not even the main cast, is safe. However, problems soon arise when you try to dig deeper into the show on a less superficial level. For one, there were many moments where the writers seemed to have just pulled out random explanations from their asses to justify a certain event happening on screen that would otherwise seem implausible. Without spoiling anything, there’s this one scene where a character is dragged into the underworld and is suddenly brought back up into the real world through some half-assed plot contrivance. There were also multiple other moments like that which grinded my critical mind, but that situation was particularly distracting.

The biggest issue I have with Aragoto, was that it doesn’t seem to be any different from other shonen titles I’ve been willingly exposed to. The story is rather predictable, and you can tell how the events are going to coincide from the very first episode or so. It is also lacking tremendously when it comes to worldbuilding. The human world is still given higher priority over the lands that the deities originate from, which wouldn’t have posed a problem if the human world were any bit interesting. Though it’s not nearly as prevalent as the first season, I just felt like there wasn’t enough screentime or insight into some of the mystical locales. Much like other shonen titles, there’s a lot of infodumping and monologuing that often takes me out of the mood it’s trying to set up. Nothing is conveyed with any degree of subtlety, and the characters often stop dead in their tracks to explain to viewers in a highly explanatory fashion, as if they have no respect for our intelligence. Like jeez, we get it, we know… The same goes for the monologues. Though monologuing can be a useful storytelling technique (‘March comes like a Lion’ is a recent example of a great anime that takes advantage of it to build up its main character and let audiences in on his mentality on a more personal level), oftentimes it’s highly abused by a vast number of titles. It should be used to get us to relate on a deeper level to their thoughts, not to convey information that us audience members have clearly just witnessed happen on screen. To give an example, a character would get attacked, and immediately another character would think to himself aloud, “holy shit, that guy just got attacked!” Its lazy and insulting to the viewer’s intelligence. And the problem with this, is that it’s used commonly in most anime. And it completely bugs me. Show don’t tell, guys!

The cast thankfully have a lot more development this time around. Yato’s and Bishamon’s backstories are explored in much greater depth than ever before, leading to both actually developing as characters. In fact, a lot of the characters from the first season have their backgrounds and personalities expanded upon. Yato is basically just himself for most of the time, so if you like Hiyoshi Kamiya channelling his inner Koyomi Araragi, then you’ll find much solace here. But we do get greater insight into his relationship with other characters, therefore allowing us to see him grow from this egotistical doofus into a loyal friend who would do anything for his companions. The bond between him, Yukine, and Hiyori feels more palpable this time around as audiences will further bear witness to their interactions. Yukine in particular, grows from a whiny, spineless git into a headstrong, self-assured spirit weapon who’s more devoted to his master than ever. Hiyori is just bloody useless though. She barely does anything in the sequel, apart from yelling Yato’s name here and there. I wouldn’t be surprised if she becomes the next Orihime or Lucy or Sakura in the next season. Her arc, which is basically a romantic subplot, is just too sappy for my tastes and adds very little to the overall plot. Seriously, why do most shows these days, not just anime, feel the desire to shoehorn in love triangles? Some characters also feel like they’ve gotten shafted. Kofuku and her regalia for example, still feel shallow in contrast to our main heroes and exist solely for comic relief. The show also tries to introduce more and more characters as the episodes fly by, most of which get little to no screentime. There’s this one fella that befriends Yukine in an earlier episode, but then gets axed brutally like around two episodes later. His death is prolonged in a very dramatic manner, as if the writers expect us to care on an emotional level for him. Sorry, but it had barely any effect on me. I mean, I barely even knew the fella. He’s like a stranger to me. But so far, characterization is a massive improvement from the first series and hopefully, the third season will improve on it. But that’s not saying much, because the first season barely had any characterization.

Animation is pretty much on par for Bones standards. The backgrounds are very rich and detailed, with a lot of emphasis to making them look absolutely gorgeous. The Underworld for example, is given a much-needed feeling of helplessness, isolation and dread to complement its grim atmosphere. Animation quality is usually very good as expected of Bones, but the first episode does have some glaring off model shots. For instance, there were numerous creepy shots of with practically no faces. This would annoy a lot of the viewers on their first go, and probably creep out others. It could act as an effective way to give people goosebumps, if it weren’t for the fact that it’s a noticeable animation error. Fight scenes are erratic and exhilarating, with a lot of fluid movements and supernatural abilities on display to keep viewers enthralled. There are also some tense sequences which should keep you on the edge of your seats. So fans of battle shonen are going to be invested at the very least.

The music is done by Taki Iwasaki who has incorporated a lot of eastern and middle eastern tunes to the mix. A lot of the tracks are reused from the first season, but I didn’t mind it for most of those tracks were incredibly pleasing to the ears. Sadly though, the new tracks themselves feel completely different from Iwasaki’s usual stuff and are, unfortunately, quite forgettable.

Overall, Noragami Aragoto, despite being a much-needed improvement to the first season in terms of pacing, character development and overall sense of progression, is still a rather average shonen experience. Fans of the first season are in for a treat (especially those who felt that it was lacking in terms of substance), but for folks who hated or didn’t find it as good as people made it out to be, will not feel all that different. If you have not watched the first season then I urge you to do so if you’re interested in checking out Aragoto as you’ll be completely confused if you hadn’t done so.