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As one of anime’s more anticipated adaptations of 2023, The Dangers in My Heart had some big shoes to feel. With school rom-coms being a dime a dozen as they are for as long as they have been, it takes a lot to stand out. There are some such entries that rise above, setting a standard in some form or another, and this one does so in a unique way. That and more will be addressed in this review. Let's begin.

Per the synopsis, our two MCs, Anna and Kyoutarou, dominate the screen time. First impressions are somewhat rough and it takes time for things to ... get going. In the beginning, Kyoutarou is neck-deep in his chuunibyou mindset. While his train of thought is somewhat disturbing, it still comes off as quite childish. It is jarring but that circumstance is what gives way to the strongest aspects of the story here. Especially in shonen romance, perceivable development of the male lead is something that can be too easily lost or mishandled, but this one does a great job of examining Kyoutarou’s maturity and portraying how he confronts his own insecurities, both due to and outside of his relationship with Anna progressing. In addition, even after accounting for his chunni phases, he actually comes off as relatively reasonable and mature for someone his age, especially when compared to his classmates. In that regard, it is a good starting point in terms of recognizing that both (1) he does have some desirable characteristics when it comes to why Anna is interested in him and (2) the changes in his development and maturity have a steady base and are shown consistently throughout the anime. It comes down to simply a gradual and natural growth, revealing the intentional effect of why everything feels so rough in the early goings. His struggles with self-esteem and meeting with that special someone that pushes him forward is a realistic and relatable situation, though this exact execution in this scenario is not as much so.

Anna also has some issues from the onset. She is as airheaded as much as the synopsis suggests and more, and that's on top of having the elements of an immaturity we would expect of a junior high student, accentuated by her snacking obsession. She does reek of waifu bait given her appearance and some other parts to her character that are introduced throughout this first season. Like with most of the story elements, it takes a bit of time to get to the meat of her character, but it's written consistently enough where those parts of her never feel too overbearing or annoying. They actually become a bit endearing after a while, as those parts of her character help with making the main pairing stand out as the plot progresses. What also helps is that, like Kyoutarou, she is a good person. Though immature she may seem a lot of the time, she reveals often that she can be quite considerate of others when she really tries to be. Though her character development pales in comparison to Kyoutarou’s in these 12 episodes, more of the focus being on her is one of the highlights of Season 2.

Even with all of the flaws mentioned above, both Anna and Kyoutarou avoid many of the more heavy-handed tropes typical of school romances. They are also both relatively deeper characters than their first appearances. Given that both come off as awkward in their own ways at the start, it is a given that the first few episodes of interactions between the two are also awkward at first. It is easy to spot this as an intentional effect as the two with their very contrasting tendencies get a feel for each other in their own ways, helping the early buildup of the relationship feel more natural. They do get into misunderstandings, but they hardly last very long (one episode, at most). The ‘rom’ and the ‘com’ between them have a good balance as well. Anna’s cute bluntness combined with Kyoutarou’s herculean efforts to keep his composure create for a good variety of tones between the two. Many moments are intimate as expected, but there are also many where it’s him clapping back at her for some trouble she gets herself into.

As for the other characters, there are actually a lot of them relative to other shows with similar structures. Anna's clique gets a lot of screen time and, like with Anna and Kyoutarou themselves, they take a few episodes to get used to. They all know that Anna is a pretty unique person, and Kyoutarou gets on the same wavelength with them as he learns that about Anna throughout the show. Kyoutarou also has his own group of friends. Both of the MC's families also get time. Their roles all vary a decent amount. The variety gives way to lots of opportunities for middle school level antics but it is easy to point out the interactions that are meant to matter the most to the story. Some of them play wingman, many are ignorant, both willingly and not, to the whole thing, and some even try to get in the way.

The art here is very good, almost near the top of the genre. The fidelity is good and the original manga’s style, while not 100% perfectly emulated, is done so cleanly with very little inconsistency. The use of effects is masterful and elevates the visuals. Most of them are actually quite subtle by anime standards, usually being some sort of mid-scene lighting change. They are almost exclusively used for setting the mood, highlighting key moments between the two leads. In terms of the character designs, they are all pretty generic given the contemporary setting. The main pair has some visual contrast that is immediately apparent, e.g. the obvious height difference, but also has elements that reveal themselves over time. Many of the backdrops are pretty standard, nothing too unique given the modern-day setting, with school and Kyoutarou’s house getting most of the screen time, but they look good and, as mentioned, the lighting in particular was given a high level of care and attention depending on what is happening in any particular scene.

The sound design was the biggest strength of this anime. Hina Youmiya has emerged as a big name in the business and her performance as Anna is her strongest to date, skillfully characterizing Anna’s unique charisma, cheery mood, and peckish tendencies. Most will likely recognize Shun Horie from Rent-A-Girlfiend (which, amidst many arguable controversies story-wise, has top-class voice acting) and he turns in a strong performance as Kyoutarou. A lot of the comedy stems from his inner monologues, which almost always betray his outward indifference, so getting those right is critical for the transition from manga to anime and they are executed perfectly here. The two leads together are in great sync as well, really breathing life into the main duo. The music is also fantastic. The OP and ED fit well in both the song choice and the visuals. Kensuke Ushio is one of the industry's greatest minds of music and sound with his signature minimalist style, and his work on the OST in this entry only further adds to his legacy. As mentioned, even more mundane moments between the main pair can feel quite intimate, and the OST is the main driver of that. The soft piano tracks that ebb and flow in the background during those pivotal moments as Anna and Kyoutarou act with and react to each other heighten the senses during those interactions.

This anime was fairly anticipated, and in its wake, has set a standard for the romance genre in terms of the adaptation and how it brings the story to life. The audiovisual package here is at the top of the genre and the physical watching experience is sublime. Pretty much every single character comes off a bit strange at the start but such a feeling only multiplies the fulfillment of the developments over these 12 episodes. The pairing here, both as a whole and as the sum of its parts, is not perfect, but such an effect also feels somewhat intentional with their relationship developing naturally. For any and all romance enjoyers, this one easily fits itself right in the must-watch tier, and it only gets better in Season 2 as the best aspects of the characters begin to really shine.

As one of the most critically acclaimed visual novels (VNs) out there, it seems odd that it would take 15 years for Muv-Luv Alternative (MLA) to finally get an anime adaptation. In the world of VN adaptations, it is often the case that the quality or acclaim of the source material is not indicative of the quality of the adaptation it receives. How does this one stack up? I'll attempt to provide an answer to that in this review. Let's begin

The story of MLA at its core is a hard-nosed military drama with many old school alien invasion story beats present. The synopsis gives the ... impression that this is a more of a traditional alien invasion story, but it actually gets very political, especially in the middle portions, and it can get more complex and intimate than simple clashing of humans vs. aliens. There is also a very strong Gundam aesthetic, as the TSFs, the mechs in the story’s universe, hark strongly to the sharp angles and bright colorways signature to Gunpla models. And if readers end up getting Attack on Titan vibes out of this, that is because Hajime Isayama himself has publicly stated that the original VN was a strong influence behind his magnum opus.

In terms of the events actually covered in the anime, there is one huge problem. The first third to half of the series is simply way too fast. Some context regarding the VN is needed to really understand why that happens here. MLA the VN is the third entry of a trilogy. This first season of the anime covers the first 6 chapters of that VN. Of those 6, the first 4 are mainly set up for the rest of the story and move much quicker than the rest. The reason the VN can get away with this in terms of both the story and the characters is because of the context gained from the previous two games, especially the 2nd game, ML Unlimited. The anime tries to emulate this effect, but fails badly. Events from the other 2 games are not significantly covered at all, making the first third of the anime feel incomprehensible on top of it being even further rushed due to the episode constraints. There are short callbacks to the other 2 games throughout the anime that are kept brief, but again, there is no context provided so VN readers are the only viewers who can make anything of them. Trying to bounce off of context while not actually having it, on top of the deadly 12-episode constraint to try and force it, is a messy catch 22 and the fatal flaw here. Having episode 1 being anime-original like it is here pours salt on the wound in this regard. It does its job with introducing a general state of affairs, but that time ought to have been spent doing so with the already relevant characters instead of introducing new ones that have nowhere near as much screen time.

Speaking of the characters, they also suffer from the same fundamental issue. If anything, the pacing actually hurts the character developments more than it does the progression of the narrative. Again, due to being in the 3rd game of a trilogy, readers already have attachment to the characters due to context from the previous 2 games. The early chapters of Alternative (as well as a majority of Unlimited’s entire story) involve a lot of the slower moments involving Takeru simply bonding with Squad 207 as they help him come into his own with what is going on around him. Those types of interactions are not touched upon enough in this anime. Due to this, Squad 207 does not spend anywhere near enough time together for the emotional buildups in the first half of the story to meaningfully pay off. None of the characters feel too tropey or problematic but because of how quickly things move at the start, there isn't even really a chance to get to know them that well. The developments of the other members of Squad 207 are covered at a basic level, but the pacing and episode constraints result in a noticeable lack of depth. Though like with the story, the back third handles things better after finding a more consistent pacing.

For all the story woes early, the back third, which adapts Chapters 5 and 6, is very enjoyable. In the game, this is where the story starts to slow down and the anime also finally starts taking its time here as well. These parts of the story also are where the more political storylines kick in, so more of the story's complexities start to show as well. While those beats may not be what viewers initially sign up for, they serve as important character development. The sense of urgency in the direction and sound is executed very nicely. The cuts made for these sections also hurt much less than the ones earlier on. It is just a shame that it takes until that point for the anime to find a consistent pacing. They even add content that, while not groundbreaking, is still meaningful. The anime-original content provided in episode 1 sees its return on investment in the Chapter 6 adaptation, as the main anime-original character viewers meet provides a unique perspective on the complex landscape of the events that are occurring at the time.

Visuals are a point of contention for this anime and it mainly comes down to two points. Firstly, pretty much every action set piece utilizes CGI. Depending on your tastes, your mileage will vary. There is certainly worse CGI out there. The BETA models do not look too great, but the TSFs look good, as those models have good detail and their colors pop really nicely. The TSF movement is a bit inconsistent though, it will sometimes look smooth, but will look choppy at others. Secondly, the art style and color palette massively differ from the VN. The VN originally came out in 2006, with an art style that screams 2000s, with its balanced colors, wider, exaggerated eyes, and thicker, sharper edges. Likewise, the anime, having come out 15 years later, more matches the modern aesthetics of the medium today with its softer features and much brighter colors, a strong tonal shift in the art direction compared to the VN. This element of the design is fine, but this is something VN readers will likely see as a negative. That aside, there are still several finer details that are lacking. The most noticeable of these are in the character designs. There are too many scenes where the characters' facial expressions feel too stiff. It's a typical quirk of low budget anime that is hard to get around, but it is not any less unfortunate to see from an emotional drama like this one. The designs on their own are fine, but for VN readers, those elements are the elephant in the room for this anime. Compared to the VN sprites, almost every character's appearance, both main and side, feels like a very significant downgrade. There are even some characters who look radically different and are completely unrecognizable at first glance. They do feel more consistent with the general design approach of the anime in terms of matching modern design trends, but it could also be argued that what isn't broken doesn't need to be fixed.

The sound design is very good, and is easily the biggest positive here. Given that it's been 15 years since the VN released and that none of the original VAs at the time were any type of household name, none of them return. It is a fair circumstance, all things considered, albeit unfortunate. Still, the VAs that take their place are proven names. They do a good job with their own interpretations of the characters, with some even finely matching the ranges of the original voices. VN readers will be right to nitpick some of the finer details of the main group, but given the circumstances, there is good base quality in the voice acting. The music is also strong. They brought in Evan Call to help compose, and while he is still a fresher face in the medium, he is steadily building a resume to become a strong presence in the industry. The quality is high in the OST, especially when Chapter 6 comes around. The OP and ED aren't bad either, just a bit generic. Music from the VN is present but is hard to point out. Tracks from it that are used have mainly been interpolated from it instead of being taken directly from it. The sound effects also have a high level of quality, especially when it comes to the TSFs, and at times even surpassing the visuals. Sound effects from the VN are present but are only used sparingly.

This anime is not as abysmal as many of the VN readers may try to make it out to be (and this is coming from a VN reader). Such sentiments, however, do reveal that it can be hard to see who this anime is supposed to appeal to. It follows the VN and works like the 3rd entry in a trilogy, but still tries to make itself work as a standalone product within its own limitations at the same time. It fails at both in different ways. It's hard to recommend going in blind because of the pacing and the lack of context, and it's the same for VN readers because of all of the other changes, especially to the visuals. Still, though it is just a middling tie-in, a just-serviceable attempt was made given those limitations from a small studio. The back third felt decently close to a proper adaptation, making the most out of when it most mattered. The voice acting and music are strong. The visual elements can potentially be stomached, and viewers going in blind are none the wiser to the changes the anime makes. The thing that hurts viewers across the board is the super fast pacing at the start, and is the main reason I would recommend the VN over the anime.

In the early-to-mid 2010s, ecchi stories, both romance and otherwise, faced a sort of renaissance, with stories at that time introducing heavy doses of action beats and set pieces. It is an era nowadays headlined by classics, like High School DxD (2012) and Kill La Kill (2013). Trinity Seven, released in 2014, is one title that was a part of that run that stuck to the romance route and enjoys decent popularity. It is also the focus of this review. Let's begin.

Upon reading the synopsis, the first things that may come to mind are grand magical battles and the uncovering of conflicts that change the ... course of the world. Unfortunately, this is not really the case and also this show’s foundational flaw. For how big the scale of the preface feels at the start, the events throughout the anime often feel much smaller in comparison. Even in the face of supposedly earth-shattering events, the viewer only ever sees the impacts from the perspective of our cast and the immediate setting. A lot of the conflicts here are mainly character-driven, which is not in itself a bad thing as the character conflicts here do have some real weight to them. That said, it also feels like the action going on would be at its best if conducted at a bigger scale or with noticeably higher stakes. Though viewers are basically dropped right in at the start with no chance to understand what is going on, the first few episodes do lay down a decent amount of groundwork, helping with world building early on. In terms of the conflicts presented across the 12 episodes, though the conflicts presented do feel relatively superficial, they are at least wrapped up in a satisfying way that also leaves room for intrigue as to what comes next.

Most of the key moments in this show occur during action set pieces, which, by and large, are fine. They are enough to entertain but not enough to amaze or excite. Most of the fights are magic-based so there usually is not too much going on the screen at a time apart from the visual effects of the magic themselves. The magic system is interesting, though it is generic in terms of the seven deadly sins’ influence (not the show, the actual seven deadly sins). There are many ‘hot words’ and mechanics that give it a unique feel. Unfortunately, most of these mechanics could have still benefited from additional explanations in the later phases. The entire system is not inherently intuitive and as the fights ramp up and powers get more complex, it gets a bit hard to keep up.

Arata, the MC, is a parody of the prototypical dense-as-rock harem MCs, with his straightforward perversion and unfiltered clapbacks. As for other parts of his character, he is generic but likable for the most part. For how rambunctious he comes off as, he has a good sense of when things get serious. Though this is a fantasy story, his broader motives are meaningful and relatable. As for how he comes across the Trinity Seven themselves, the main dynamic is laid out as a harem right from the onset, leaving no room for misunderstandings or petty conflicts. This show does away with any of the drama that comes with harems in favor of getting to the action quicker, and any single impression of such drama is instead dismissed as comedic relief. It feels somewhat tacky but is also a welcome change of pace in a way. All of the girls’ relationships with Arata are mostly wholesome, though they don't all warm up to him at the same time. He genuinely respects all of them a great deal and values the knowledge they give him. As for the girls, they are a pretty fun bunch and none of them feel too generic, though some of them do feel quite trope-y. Balancing all seven is a pretty difficult balancing act to make sure everyone gets screen time, but it works out well for the most part. Every girl gets decent contributions to the story, even after their introductions and key moments of relevance. As already mentioned, how the group gets tied into each other's conflicts is what moves the story forward, giving their interactions with each other and Arata decent depth. Between the more serious moments and the times in between, the interactions never feel too stale. The ecchi actually helped in this regard as well. Arata himself is not afraid of acting flirtatious and the reactions across the girls actually have a lot of variance. Some partake in the “expected” reaction of being grossed out, some dismiss it nonchalantly, some get a laugh out of it, and some even actively join in with it.

Barring a few exceptions, the ecchi does not really intrude on the more serious moments or overstay its welcome often. Scenes in between fights and those more tense moments are usually where the ecchi make their home, but it does come up in fight scenes somewhat as well. Some of the more expository world-building scenes also try squeezing in some fanservice moments to mixed results. Most of the devices themselves used here are the usual horny jail suspects: panty shots, sex jokes, awkwardly exaggerated moaning, feels being copped, and, let's not forget the tried and true, spontaneous explosive disrobing. The girls’ designs show a decent amount of skin as well. It all resembles the usual stomping grounds for degeneracy without crossing the border into hentai-lite territory. Some more acclimated viewers may feel blue-balled by more not being shown, but others may find that it strikes a decent balance. There are some exceptions, but only one or two in particular occurred during major climaxes that actually detracted in that aspect.

The art is pretty good for the time. Seven Arcs is a small studio, and as of time of review, about 5 years ago, the subsidiary that worked on this anime was merged with other divisions to create the Seven Arcs of the present day (Tonikawa, Blue Period, Chained Soldier). Given those circumstances, the fidelity and detail are higher than expected. Most of the backdrops are under-saturated and mostly generic in design, but the high level of detail makes up for it. The Victorian-era magic school backdrop is as generic as it gets, but looks fine. The under-saturation does hurt the character designs somewhat, but are fine otherwise. There are little inconsistencies that appear every now and again, but that is also a typical circumstance of anime handled by small studios. Most of the other backdrops take on high fantasy motifs, which also are very familiar. The visual effects are also relatively plain, though they got the job done. There is a lot of black as well as other subdued shades of gray and blue that visually complement the magic system. There are not really any moments where things straight up look bad, but there is not much that will really ‘wow’ the viewer either.

Like the art, the sound is passable. ZAQ churns out recognizable and catchy OPs like hotcakes and the one here is no exception. There are a few different endings rotated throughout the show sung by the VA cast, which is a nice touch. The electronic OST design generally fits the show well, but does not really impress. Like the visuals, sound effects are also pretty generic. The whooshes and warbles ubiquitously present across action fantasy anime are present, but they get the job done nonetheless. The voice acting is good. All the girls sound distinct, a deceivingly easy thing to mess up with a harem of this size. Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, the harem king himself, makes an expected appearance here. His performance of Arata is a high point of this series. As for the girls, there are some listings that have since evolved into household names (Ayane Sakura, Nao Touyama, Youko Hikasa) as well as some that though a bit more under the radar, did garner a few big roles in later anime (Ryouka Yuzuki, Rie Murakawa, Yumi Hara). There is not any particular performance there that really stands above the rest, but they are all solid.

In the end, while this show appears to be ambitious with its premise and characters, the meat of it feels like just any other magic-academy action show. The art and sound are good enough, but lack any elements that elevate the physical watching experience. The strong desire to immerse into the world presented is diluted by the convoluted magic system and slower style of story that juxtaposes what seems to actually go on. That said, this is still a solid entry. The characters are fun and lively and that tone carries strongly into the story. The ecchi makes its presence known consistently but does a good job of not being too overbearing too often. If you want more horny in your life, this is a good one to pick up. If not, you’re not missing out on much otherwise, but you may still find some enjoyment in it nonetheless.

When looking at the listings before the Spring season this year got underway, this entry likely went beneath the radar of many, especially with many powerhouses like Demon Slayer, MHA, Tensura, Mushoku Tensei, and the galactically-anticipated third season of Konosuba also on tap for the season. Seasonal watchers like myself who don't mind digging amongst the weeds find comfy homes with these types of titles, an original anime from a proven studio and staff with an intriguing VA listing that somehow received little to no hype coming in whatsoever, but I digress. The music genre has enjoyed a resurgence these past few years, and this ... entry seeks to capitalize. Some will recognize Yuki Yaku, the original creator of this series, as the original creator of the Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki novel series, one in which its thoughtful character and scenario writing is a strength. Does this series meet a similar standard with its characters? I'll attempt to answer that and more with this review. Let's begin.

As the synopsis suggests, the main drivers of the story are the four girls it centers around, Mahiru, Kano, Mei, and Kiui, and how they make their mark as a hot new music group on the block. There is a theme shared almost ubiquitously amongst the individual arcs of the four girls as well as the overarching story as a whole. The main theme here, one pretty common in anime, is about overcoming your pre-defined self and becoming the person you envision yourself to be. All 4 girls’ arcs are personifications of this, and those sentiments are also the driving force for all 4 of them to work together as a group. They are all very different people and their versions of their ‘ideal selves’ all exist on very different standards, making for very fresh and interesting interactions. For all 4, their personal growth is well-written and it is not long before finding yourself rooting for them. They are not necessarily equal in terms of realism and relatability, but they are so in being able to resonate with viewers. Overcoming personal struggles, like how they are demonstrated here, is a universal language that everyone can communicate in. Of course, the whole group has conflicts with each other, some of which towards the end are oddly placed, but most of the time viewers will see the four of them against the world. Social media is another important theme, as the group talks about their presence on it a lot, so many of the conflicts actually result in the group going up against the reactions of the Internet.

Though the entire group of four gets more than enough time to shine together, Mahiru and Kano are treated as the leads. Though the show treats Mahiru as the main character, Kano's developments stick out more. As a pair, they are fun, and refreshing in the way that they aren't complete opposites of people that somehow end up getting close, but actually relate to each other on a very foundational level. There was a strange touch of yuri bait between the two that was not necessarily out of place but seemed to lack any true intent. It just seemed like an element that was sprinkled in at the last minute for the sake of fanservice.

That aside, there are two very significant issues with the narrative. Firstly, far too little story progression happens in the middle third, leading to the final phase being a rush and an ending that felt too open. There's a lot of time spent in the middle third with more slice-of-life scenarios, which is not an issue itself. Where it becomes a problem is introducing side characters with no relevance on top of showing scenes that don't tell viewers much about the characters they should be caring about to begin with. In addition, though the aforementioned main theme fits the show, it often feels like the writing sticks to it too closely. At times, there is a lack of dynamism to the narrative where events that should feel consequential do not. Yes, we see the characters grow, but what is not readily apparent is any significantly tangible impact in that regard after the fact. Some of this may be due to the 'social media' aspect where all we see in terms of those story beats is the character's reactions. In a way, the ‘middle third’ issue also plays a hand here, as this problem is most apparent towards the end. The main plot twist, which actually does a good amount of shaking things up, occurs way too late, forcing the rest of the story to play catch-up, resulting in a subpar ending.

With all the faults that come towards the end of the story, the first 2 or 3 episodes are simply magical, with some of the most engaging directing so far this year. Unique camera angles and pans, the creativity of the backdrops, and the night-life vibe of late-night downtown Shibuya all gave the early episodes so much life. The sound design is top-notch in many scenes, and it is about as good as a first impression could get with the music and voice acting. The character introductions are packed with impact. Mahiru and Kano's initial meeting is a tone-setter for the character dynamics and shows that aspect of this anime at its absolute best.

Visually, Doga Kobo deliver here, as they always do. As mentioned previously, the first episode is at a very high level production-wise. In terms of some of the more cinematic elements specific to the direction, none of the following episodes match the first few in terms of those techniques. That said, the base level of quality and color in the design and backdrops stays clean and consistent. The fidelity and detail are very good. Some of the day-time backdrops look a bit dry, but the nighttime backdrops make up for it with their extra brightness and color. The main quartet's character designs are colorful and set a tone of individual contrast between all 4 of them. A nice touch added in also is that recurring side characters have equally colorful and distinct designs, instead of the main 4 sticking out like sore thumbs amongst a sea of generic blacks and blues. The visuals that complement the music videos the group makes are what make those songs stand out. It is often a barrage of whites and blues with sweeping curves and bright sparkles. The little avatar that moves along with the music is a fun spin as well. This is likely down to personal taste, but one or two more songs presented that way would have really elevated things.

Since this is a music anime, it is apparent that care was taken towards the sound design. Rie Takahashi's casting as Kano was another big draw to this anime at the start of the season, and it is easily apparent why from the onset. Not only does she have a unique tone, but also a very strong singing voice. For all 4 girls, the performances are all high-quality. Alongside their designs, the voice performances do a great job in giving each character their distinct identity, making moments they come together all the more intriguing. Miku Itou is the second name that most people will draw to in the listing. She plays Mahiru and while it is a very good performance, it is not anything not seen from her before. She is more or less the straight man of the group so she does not move across her range as much as the other three do. The music the group ends up composing is nothing too extraordinary either, sticking to contemporary J-pop sounds, but it sounded good and as mentioned, Rierin's singing is always a pleasure.

In the end, this could be a truly great one if only there is more focus in the middle third of the story. The effects of the sluggishness of the middle third do not manifest until it is all over, but breaking it down in hindsight reveals that is the root cause of it. Not only is this anime unable to avoid a common anime-original trap of sputtering out in the final phases of story, but it stays a bit too consistent to its themes and does not take many risks until it is far too late. Still, even with those woes of the story, there is still a lot to really like here. Visually, it meets the standard you'd come to expect. The characters are lively and are able to move both independently and as a group. The voice acting is excellent. The incorporation of art and music both in the watching experience and how they are presented alongside the story make for a relatively unique experience. It is well-written in that though the art and music were written by real people, it is easy to get invested in them as products in the universe of the show instead of that of our own. For better and for worse, this anime feels like another wave in the recent wake of ‘cute girls making music’ anime that has started making splashes since the turn of the decade. While it lacks the mainstream appeal of a Bocchi The Rock or the more niche acclaim of a Girls Band Cry, it does enough to stand out on its own. It is not a must-watch, but music anime enjoyers will find a home here. The things that matter the most are what it does best. The music is bops and the girls are cute. For many viewers, there is not too much more to ask for than that.

For many years, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood reigned at the top of this site's ratings. It garners a strong fan base, one so much so that it carries a very negative reputation amongst many spaces here on MAL. The manga is highly acclaimed, considered by many as one of the best in the medium, and the sales back it up. Though it was first adapted into an anime in the early 2000s, that anime finished while the manga was still ongoing, with an original ending separate from the manga, as the original creator herself requested at the time. This 2009 iteration tells a story that follows ... closer to the original manga and will be the focus of this review. Let's begin.

As the synopsis suggests, the story centers around Ed and Al, two brothers seeking to not only right their wrongs but seek the things which led them to commit those wrongs in the first place. A typical quest to find a legendary item turns into an unraveling of a scheme that can shake the foundation of the entire world. For spoilers’ sake, I won’t speak on any specific events and will focus on the general direction and pacing. The general aura of suspense and mystery begins right from the onset and unravels consistently up until the final battles at the end. Of course, there’s lots of action, with a lot of the specialties in the fights coming from the alchemy system. While it is easy to fall into traps of magic systems being too convoluted for their own good, the system here is relatively simplistic. Though the more it lays on top of itself, especially towards the end, the power scaling goes a bit haywire and things do start to get a bit confusing.

Lots of other events occur throughout the story, leading to that journey being a long game of sorts, with all 64 episodes tying into one contiguous story with very little stoppages or breaks. These other events have good variety. Many are political, some are more intimate to the cast viewers come to know, and many are a mix of both. This is the biggest strength of the story. Even with all the storylines moving in tandem, events remain coherent and mostly engaging most of the way through. The way events are portrayed, viewers can easily pick up on how each pocket of characters as well as the world as a whole are affected. With how much can go on at the same time, being able to steadily transition between different scenes is a key point in the direction and it is easy to notice care was taken in that regard. This is most noticeable at points where multiple fights are occurring at once, with those sequences being accompanied by smooth, creative transitions. The variety of the scenarios and how they mix up with each other and the main storyline is the secret ingredient to keeping things fresh throughout.

Though the general narrative is strong here, it is not perfect for two reasons that feed into each other. Firstly, the first third of the story is written in a way that prioritizes world-building, but that element of the writing is not necessarily noticeable in real time. A big factor that contributes to this early on is the timing of the humor, a point of contention for many viewers. A lot of the jokes and gags used are nothing too profound, but get the job done. An issue specific to this anime, however, is that the timings are very different from most battle shonen, and take some time getting used to at the start. In general, the early episodes sneakily give off an impression of being episodic, but they are not at all. Events that occur in the first 3 episodes are directly referenced in the last 3 episodes like they just happened an hour ago. This has benefits and drawbacks. The story is well-written in that it comes full circle, but that same approach becomes a problem in these moments for viewers. Many of those references lack any sort of elaboration, recollection, flashback, or other tool that helps viewers better remember events from 30+ episodes ago. Secondly, since world-building is the focus early on, with the sub-plots taking a lot of time in the middle third, the main narrative itself reveals slowly, which can make said middle-third feel like a drag somewhat. Many of the big reveals made in the middle third of the story are strangely not as climactic as those in the beginning or closer to the big climaxes at the end. That is not a predictability issue exactly, but more so because the reveals are built up across a few too many episodes, lessening the impact of when those moments finally arrive.

As varied the stories and scenarios here are, the same effect is noticeable with this cast of characters. While the main plot itself is not directly driven by the characters, a lot of the sub-plots that come and go through the series are. Ed and Al are an interesting duo, and the depth of their relationship sets a tone for the rest of the cast. Their relationship feels very grounded in terms of them actually being brothers. They push each other a lot, butt heads a good amount, and move independently at many different phases of the story, but because of what they went through as kids, they are very close and like how the past does not change, that aspect of their relationship does not change. All of that said, your mileage may vary in terms of getting to know them early on. They come off as quite immature at the start. To some, they may even be quite annoying. Still, they are written well in regards to showing visible and consistent maturity as a result of their journey and what they learn about themselves along the way. As for other characters, given the more political nature of events as well as other different avenues and events of their journey, many characters of different roles and races are introduced during the brothers’ forays. For some, it may feel there are too many to keep up with. The grounded approach to Ed and Al is also noticeable with many of the side characters. The concepts of ‘the good guys’ and ‘the bad guys’ exist, but, especially with common recurring characters, many of the characters’ actions and rationales are much more complex than simply following any sort of moral compass. A unique element to the character writing here is the prevalence of the seven deadly sins. This is particularly tangible at the angle of how those emotions have affected humanity throughout history, which can also be directly observed in a lot of the characters’ motivations on both sides of the various conflicts across the entire story.

Visually, things are good. The overall style stays consistent over the entire show, a difficult and very impressive thing to do in a long anime like this one. Colors are well-balanced, with saturation being used as a tool to supplement different scenes and environments. The style being natural and easy on the eyes helps, but that may also mainly be due to how generic many elements appear. As with the character designs, the different countries have motifs stripped straight from real-life. Amestris, the main setting, takes inspiration from 19th-century Western Europe (especially Germany). Xing, another country that gets a lot of focus, feels more than a little reminiscent of imperial China. Many of the human designs come off as generic, though such an approach is taken advantage of in how the anime ties racial relationships and conflicts into the story. The more fantasy motifs are also nothing not seen before, as they almost all take from classic steampunk aesthetics. The alchemy has good effects, but is not as colorful as one may initially expect, though it could also be argued that lessening the color helps maintain balance with other elements of the design. The real strength of the visuals is in the action set pieces. The fights are top-notch both in visuals and in choreography. With the many different types of fighting styles, including swordplay, guns, alchemy, and straight up hand-to-hand, and how they mixed up with each other, fight scenes felt very dynamic. There is CG sprinkled about here and there, but those scenarios are quite few and the CG use itself is consistent across those scenarios.

The sound design is also great. The music is top-notch. The orchestral OST is very strong, helping to cement the fantasy motifs as well as effectively moving with the ups and downs of the story. That said, there are a few too many points where scenes would have likely been elevated more if there was no music playing. There are 5 OPs and 5 EDs, rotated every 12 or so episodes. Opening 1, “again”, is an all-time classic and is instantly recognizable by many. As mentioned with the feel of the writing and characters, the voice acting does not have much extra embellishment to it, barring a few exceptions. Romi Park playing the role of Ed is a continuation of the trend of casting female VAs for male shonen MCs. The voice itself may take some getting used to, but her performance is strong in terms of effectively portraying the visible changes in Ed's character over time. She may not have the recognition of similar castings such as Masako Nazawa (Goku) or Mayumi Tanaka (Luffy), but this performance is not too far below that level. Moreover, while Rie Kugiyama is nowadays hailed as the ‘tsundere queen’, her performance of Al involves a different part of her range that viewers may not be used to hearing from her. Even still, her performance cannot be overlooked or understated. Some other performances that really stand out include Mamoru Miyano as Lin Yao and Kenta Miyake as Scar.

In the end, the consistency across so many of its aspects is what makes this anime great. In longer form anime that go past 24-26 episodes, it is a big ask to keep the viewer engaged across all the phases of longer stories. It is not perfect here, but is nearly as good as it gets in the medium. The visual style maintains good balance, hardly ever changes, and the quality very rarely dips. The story wastes no time at the start, takes its time without wasting too much, and wraps up nicely without overstaying its welcome. The cast continuously develops and grows in variety, with new characters being introduced even beyond halfway through the story, while still giving other characters their fair share of screen time. Even better, the characters seen a lot have a lot of depth and evolve with the story. Though this is a fantasy story, so much of it feels grounded and human, which in itself is not only a key theme of the story, but is also the story’s X-factor. With how cleanly executed many elements here are, it feels easy and natural to immerse in this entry and its events.It is a comprehensive package that keeps the viewer on their toes from start to finish, though your mileage may vary a bit at some of the middle arcs. It may not be the flawless relic it may be made out to be, but there are many elements here that are masterfully executed, especially in terms of the audiovisuals. Given that as well as the well-written balance of realism and fantasy in the story and characters and the impact it has had on the shonen genre to date, this is certainly an essential anime for any and all viewers of this space.

The idea of a golf anime, for some, may be hard to comprehend. Golf is not the most riveting sport in the world (I actually quite enjoy it, and even I admit it is not the most exciting). That said, what better place is there than anime, where any and everything can be taken up to 11, to make such a non-riveting sport into a wacky, fun story all about it? Enter Birdie Wing.

As the synopsis suggests, the intertwining of the arcs of the two MCs, Aoi and Eve, is the focal point of this story. The contrast of their prefaces is hardly ... original between Aoi, the renowned child prodigy, and Eve, the disgruntled vet who fought her way to the top. As it is with most facets of this anime, the golf motif makes such elements feel quite original. What makes this duo, and many others like it, so endearing is that though they're both so different in circumstance and personality, they get on the same wavelength in a very natural way. In this case, they are both unstoppable forces in the world of golf, but are such forces in entirely different ways. They both respect each other's game highly and quickly recognize their differences when it comes to their play styles, making for a fulfilling rivalry. The yuri bait starts to pile on at points, but such tends to be the nature of anime sometimes with a two-girl MC duet.

The story across these 13 episodes exists in two distinct halves. For spoiler reasons, I will avoid covering the exact topics. The two halves are quite different, with the first expressing a sense of urgency and emotional intensity that is lacking in the second. Though some darker topics are touched upon, the story itself is not particularly deep or profound. Both main girls are introduced right at the very beginning, but Eve is the main driver of the story early on. The first half ends in a way that leaves some of its plot points open to potentially return to in Season 2. Though the second major arc lacks the intensity of the first, it is still decently enjoyable. Aoi and Eve start to share the screen more and their chemistry really starts to take off. In addition, a whole new wave of characters is introduced, helping keep things fresh. That said, the change in story direction from the first to the second half is quite jarring, especially considering how much more emotionally packed the first half is. When considering the two halves as an entire package, many elements feel disjointed. This change is also felt in the cast of side characters introduced in the beginning and those introduced at the second half. There is a good variety to the cast, but there are many sorts of characters that will never meet, simply due to how separated those two plot points are. That notwithstanding, there is a big positive in that, the spin on the actual golf being played is different between the two, keeping the on-screen product from getting stale.

Since this is a sports anime, it is very important that this distinction is made now. This is a golf anime, but this is one of those entries where keeping the on-screen product factually accurate to the sport it is portraying is never a priority, a practice done in the same vein as entries like Kuroko's Basketball and, more recently, Blue Lock. That said, it is not so far gone that it lacks the finer strategies of golf, mainly thanks to the visual and audio cues. While some may find issue with this, it could also be seen as this show's greatest strength. This show is not afraid to express its unconventional ideas in the slightest. The characters’ actual playstyles are not too unique, using the tried and true method of ‘shonen-ifying’ for lack of a better word, meaning their playstyle is expressed as some sort of supernatural power. Again though, the X-factor this show has in this regard is due to the golf devices. I have never heard of a golf swing being so rigorously compared to firing a gun, and I doubt I will hear such a thing anywhere else. Other story beats, like the mafia settling business through games of golf, are just as fanciful. Those elements and others all feel wacky and almost nonsensical, but at the same time, the all-encompassing style of golf gives this show a feel of fun as well as its own flavor that is hard to easily replicate. So many elements here are so out-of-the-box that they feel fresh and exciting, leaving a novel sense of anticipation. On the other hand, such an approach leads to the more serious parts of the story feeling almost out-of-place at times.

Visually, this anime holds up. The art style is clean, if not a bit generic. The fidelity and detail are passable, though there is a general low-bugdet feel to a lot of the backdrops. The balance of color is mostly clear and consistent, though it can be a bit over-saturated at times. Given that the cast is almost entirely female, there is good variety to the designs. The sense of fashion is also solid, with the golf motif once again leading to some more unique designs. The aforementioned contrast between Aoi and Eve also applies visually, helping set in that sense of variety. The visual aspects of the golf being played are not consistently dynamic, but they are good enough to get the point across. Characters' swings are fluent and smooth for the most part. The distinct visual effects that accompany players’ 'powers' that come with were also fine albeit a bit generic. In terms of the courses, there are some more realistic designs and some completely not so at all, but both types looked good. The shades of green across all of the courses, realistic or absurd, are steady and consistent, helping maintain the color balance and keep the saturation between the character designs and the backdrops consistent.

Sound design is also solid. The voice acting is very good. Though many of the side characters are voiced by names not too familiar, Asami Seto and Akari Kitou are two super-heavyweight names who both bring their A-game here. Their respective performances as Aoi and Eve truly take this pairing to the next level. The music is good but not as much so, though Venus Line is a banger of an OP. The OST is good and has a decent variety of sounds, but it needs more songs. There are some serving as character themes of sorts, but others are rehashed with not enough consistency to when they were used. The sound effects have decent depth to them. The metal clang of the club hitting the ball, the soft thud of the ball hitting the green, the swaying of the wind as the ball travels through the air and many other effects all almost serve as the main devices that remind the viewer that no matter what foolishness may be occurring on screen, it is still at least some form of golf. The ‘powers’ also get their own effects, which have a similar sort of strong 'pop’, but some do not feel as surreal as they could or should be.

As enjoyable as this show is, it hardly moves the needle in any substantial way. A common theme in this review has been the golf themes and motifs are what make this anime stand out. Though this could be interpreted as its major strength, it could also be seen as a fresh coat of cherry-red paint hiding a dull gray interior. It does take some dissection, but a lot of the story beats can come off as quite generic with the golf removed. Again, generic does not mean bad, so though it is not a non-issue, it is not a problem that detracts too much from potential enjoyment. It also helps that the second season actually does not have this issue, as the story starts to come full circle there, but that's for a different review.

Though this show will hardly make any sort of great wave, Birdie Wing is a perfect example of simply having a good time with an established set of ideas. It takes a lot of risks with its novel spins on tried-and-true ideas and reaps the rewards. This anime has a strong sense of its identity in the face of its unorthodox progression. Even with some of the scenarios lacking in true originality, credit is due for the creativity applied to still succeed in making them feel unique, as outlandish and even downright nonsensical they can get. Though generic it may be after taking away the ‘golf’ skin, the execution still works out well here. There is no shortage or substitute for the excitement in the watching experience, even with the all-around mid-budget feel. The characters are fun and their developments are unpredictable and enjoyable. The audiovisuals are not ground-breaking by any stretch, but have a consistent quality. Even with how much there is to like, in all honesty, though the show itself is quite good, there's not too many elements to it to truly draw viewers in. I found this anime because I was interested in the golf motif and I would definitely recommend it to those with a similar sentiment.

There are many anime where the Eastern and Western perceptions are very mismatched. Sword Art Online (SAO) is one of the greatest examples of this. A stalwart, heavyweight franchise in the medium in Japan is seen by many in the West as the most controversial anime ever made, mainly due to its status as being one of the progenitors of modern power fantasy stories. In this review, I give my take as to that circumstance as well as my general opinions on the anime. The first season is the most popular point of the series, but is also the most controversial. So let's begin.

Of course, ... SAO spawned the popular meme of ‘if you die in the game, you die in real life’. As the synopsis suggests, that is the point of this story and it is a very interesting premise. The mantra the creator of the game gives is that the game SAO ‘is a game but it is not something you play’. It is such a simple phrase, but at the same time, packs a lot of meaning regarding the tones of the story. In this first season, there are two distinct arcs. After a very impactful first few episodes, the overall narrative slows down for the sake of some world building and character development before suddenly going in an initially unexpected direction with its drama and romance. There's action to boot, but it ends up taking a back seat to the more dramatic beats. After a while, it becomes clear that the main themes of the story are more than just about clearing the game. It would be more accurate to say it is never really about that to begin with. What the events of this story serve as is a backdrop for exploring deeper implications of reality from a psychological and philosophical perspective and how people and social relationships are affected when those perceptions of reality are put through rigorous change. The journey along the way attempts to bring a lot of focus on social dynamics, both those amongst the main characters and across the SAO player base as a whole, creating a sort of social commentary that the anime unfortunately does not develop enough. A lot of interactions and thoughts that are meant to be provoking end up feeling lackluster. There’s a lack of intensity and surreal urgency in the direction to really drive home those elements. The first of the two arcs is not very coherent and ends too abruptly and the second is hindered by poorly executed tropes. For some, these tropes are the tipping point that creates a lot of the negative perception today while for others, including myself, they are simply points of contention that come with the territory the series gets into. This is an example of the overarching issue with this anime is that many of the story's actually interesting ideas do not get enough time spent on them.

Outside of some odd writing approaches, SAO also has noticeable issues in its characters. This is most true of Kirito, the main character. At his core, he is a soft-spoken introvert who struggles to make friends, mainly due to family issues, which is not an issue on its own, and is even something of a staple trait in modern power fantasy MCs. The issue for me is that he just feels hollow, a common trap of said power fantasy MCs. A lot of the deeper nuance needed for his character progression is just not there (especially when compared to the novels). He is made into too much of a 'good guy' in his mentality too quickly (in the novels, he comes off much more pronounced as an anti-hero type of character and it takes longer for him to soften up to people around him). The same goes for his mannerisms (in the novel, he's a bit less mildly mannered and talks a lot more trash). His experiences in Aincrad and the people he meets along the way bring so much change for him, but the above issue is why this change is not felt enough by the viewer. That combined with how often other characters cite him as an inspiration leads to this improper balance that makes Kirito seem like a flat character. Then there is the ‘he's too overpowered from the start’ point. Power fantasies are already the type of stories where mileage varies depending on the mindset of the viewer, so there’s really no avoiding that. At the same time, however, there’s nuance to that circumstance here that places it above many similar stories. To give an example, in the novels, Kirito talks a lot about what being strong means to him and why he chose to become strong at the expense of acting the way he does in regards to other people. While that topic is brought up in the anime, using a longer form of exposition similar to the novels would have greatly helped building up his character in that regard. This idea is another example of the anime not doing enough to get to the meat of the story.

As for the rest of the characters, it is a mixed bag. The main girl, Asuna, is consistently near the top of 'best girl' lists around the internet and rightly so most of the time. She does come off as too perfect at times, but she is able to move independently, and has her good moments and developments. That said, be prepared for her to unnecessarily and idiotically be done dirty. In terms of side characters, a lot of them come off as superficial and a little tropey, but they could also be worse. Of course, it goes without saying that majority of the other characters are girls cause *anime*. The side character introductions contribute to the episodic pacing of the first arc and for the most part, the ways in which they are introduced are memorable and enjoyable. Unfortunately, every single of those side characters that is a girl meets the same unfortunate fate of being reduced to a pseudo-love interest after their 23 minutes of fame. This leads to a harem-but-not-really situation that massively detracts from letting any individual side character really stand out on their own. Though that does become an annoyance, there are certainly far worse-written harem situations in anime (and I certainly enjoy a well-written harem story any day of the week). The issue here, however, is that the superficial interactions of any sort of harem do not fit in this type of story in which its strength is delving into the deeper aspects of the character dynamics and relationships. The characters themselves are pretty likable for the most part though, so that made it all a bit more bearable. The other guy characters in the main cast are all pretty cool but again aren't really anything special. The quantity-over-quality approach does give a decent variety of interactions and dynamics between Kirito and the rest of the main cast, but this aspect does not reach its full potential due to Kirito's shoddy characterization and the surface-level approaches to the other characters.

All of the negatives above accounted for, SAO is still near the forefront in terms of its story beats and core ideas for two unique reasons. The first is the effect of the characters’ real lives on the story. In many isekai stories, which some do consider SAO to be one of, the main character is summoned to another world and that's just simply that. A lot of times, those characters even take on quite different personalities. Staying true to one's real self in a world where reality is foundationally redefined is one of the bigger themes here, helping to keep things grounded and giving the characters a generally more realistic feel in certain aspects. Though character backstories are common, the question of "What happens to the characters after they become un-isekai'd?” only seems to be brought up in theory and conversation and hardly ever put into practice. SAO differs there, choosing to confront said question head-on, especially in later seasons. The second reason is that it is hardly ever the case that an entire main cast is isekai'd and experience it together with such a similarity in circumstance. Not just the main characters, but the entire SAO player base, 10,000 strong, is confronted with the same foundational problem, and each character is defined by how they approach that issue. People coming together with their different approaches and mindsets to face that issue is a very interesting concept that unfortunately only comes off as three-quarters baked in this anime.

The strengths of this anime appear in the audiovisual elements. Aincrad itself, though leaning a lot on generic fantasy motifs, looks good for the time. A1 does a good job with portraying the grandeur of Aincrad and the variety across its floors that we viewers actually get to see. At the same time, though, it also feels like the viewer definitely doesn't get to see enough of it, given how it looks on the outside. The fidelity and detail are also good for the time, but not anything amazing. The action bits, while lacking any true sakuga or impact typical of a battle shonen, are smooth and exciting enough given that the action is more or less secondary. The color contrast between the virtual and real worlds is a relatively generic effect in the present day, but it works well here, especially given how well-balanced the color and lighting are in both palettes, and is actually a pretty innovative effect for the time. It also matches well with the theme of game-versus-real-life. The same approach is noticeable in the character designs, though most of the designs themselves also lean on more generic motifs. While some virtual characters look like real world counterparts, there are others that look vastly different. Gaming in real-life is similar, with how people can choose to look like themselves or like someone completely different, so including that facet helped give a natural feel to the designs.

SAO is also good in its sound design. 'Crossing Field' is one of the most popular anime openings of all time, and rightfully so. The OST is also very strong, with many hardcore fans of the series considering it its greatest strength. The sounds of action sequences, from sword skills activating to the clashes of swords themselves, are just as fulfilling as the sights of them. Voice acting is also mostly good, particularly from the girls, with many at-the-time future heavyweights of the likes of Haruka Tomatsu, Ayana Taketatsu, and Saori Hayami tapping in. There is one particular flaw in the voice acting, though, that being Kirito's performance. It is actually a pretty solid performance, but the casting is not a good fit. It is puzzling as to how they could cast Yoshitsugu Matusouka, a man with one of the widest ranges in the business (even true at that time given his other performances around then) and have him not use it. A character like Kirito’s likely will not be using the furthest extent of the range to begin with, but the direction just goes too far the other way, with him a lot of the time sounding too soft. Kirito's characterization is the biggest flaw of this anime and the voice performance did little to save that flaw.

In the end, all of SAO's controversy is well deserved, considering its missteps with the story and frustrating character direction. This anime serves as a very drastic example of ‘what could have been’. At its core, the concept of SAO is an intriguing idea and the novels actually tap into that. That said, for how critical I am about this (mainly coming from the perspective of someone who really enjoys the finer details of the novels), this is still a good anime. The physical viewing experience is quality; it is a pleasure to look at, and only slightly less of one to listen to. The story, even with its flaws, has some really interesting and unique ideas at its base that don't get enough TLC put into them. While the greater approaches to characters are also head-scratching at times, the individual characters themselves aren't bad, main character aside, just a bit simplistic in writing. I would not call this anime a must-watch based on any sort of merit though. Even still, SAO is still very relevant today (the LN is still ongoing and tops charts when new volumes release) and there are too many stories, for better and for worse, that take inspiration from it. Thus, I would generally recommend it, mainly just to have an opinion of it, based on both the good and the bad it does, with how both sides of that have contributed to its popularity today, and the impact it has had on the medium over 10 years later as one of the OG power fantasy stories. In addition, some of the later seasons are properly good. The source material LN is the more definitive experience of the franchise though, so if you end up becoming interested in the general ideas here and don't mind reading, I'd recommend that over the anime as the best way to experience this story.

Time travel has been a long-time staple in the genre of science fiction. In many of these stories, however, it is much more fiction than science. Steins;Gate (S;G) strives to be different. The creator of the original visual novel (VN) said that while writing the story, he maintained a vision of "99% science, 1% fantasy". This quote has very little basis literally, as there are still a lot of fictional concepts at work here, but the general mindset of respect to real science is noticeable. Real-life concepts of chaos theory, quantum mechanics, and time travel theory, such as Copenhagen and many-worlds interpretations, causality, time paradoxes, ... and the butterfly effect, can be found playing key roles in this story. That said, this is still a fictional story meant for public consumption and many of these concepts are very complex. As one would likely expect, overgeneralizations and oversimplifications are present. To connect the dots here, real attention and thought are required, and not all explanations are equally coherent. These real life concepts exist in the universe alongside some fictional concepts. These mechanics, while managing to serve an actual purpose as rules of the world, more so serve directly as plot devices compared to the applied real concepts. Thus, inconsistencies typical of most time-travel stories will still occur at some points.

Though this show cannot avoid some of the flaws characteristic of many time travel stories, there is a real X-factor in the main scenario here. It does not shy away from directly confronting the more real dilemmas of time travel. What would you personally do if you discovered time travel? How would adopting time travel impact scientific studies? In what ways would our global geopolitical landscape change if our nations' governments pursued time travel? It is mostly shown at a personal level with the events of the main story, but many discussions amongst the characters also involve more societal contexts (the sequel series, S;G 0, confronts these more social issues more directly).

In terms of the actual story in this anime, it is a two-parter of sorts. The actual main scenario is laid out gradually. A lot of time is spent early on laying down the mechanics of the universe and getting to know the characters through various interactions, some are pretty light-hearted, some have a sense of foreboding that hints at something greater. Close to the midway point, everything completely changes, with deeply-emotional sequences and sudden plot twists wreaking havoc upon the story to that point. This sounds like a very drastic change in direction, and that is exactly what it is. Some may even find it to be one that occurs just a bit too abruptly. This pacing has proven to be a point of contention, and it can understandably be a turn-off for some. The first half is intentionally written to be slow, giving the characters the time and interactions needed to develop and for the viewer to connect with them. S;G being an emotional drama at its core means that for climaxes of the story to be effective, the characters need to be built up appropriately.

That said, there are two issues with the execution here. The bigger issue is that in the first half, there are times when it is very important to pay particularly close attention to when certain things are being explained, but it is not always entirely clear when that attention is required until after the fact. Sometimes, this may not be until many episodes down the line. Interactions that may appear mundane will mean something later, but since it seemed mundane, knowledge from that interaction may have come and gone. Secondly, while the second half is full of plot twists and tense moments, the picking up of the pace makes it almost feel like some of those moments are not as fleshed out as they could be. VN readers are likely to pick this up more easily, but credit is due when it comes to the adaptation. Though attention is required, as aforementioned, the main story is able to stay coherent with its concepts and plot progression.

For those who look for lots of color and brightness in their anime, it is much better to look elsewhere. The setting is contemporary Tokyo with little embellishment. The level of detail is decent for the time, but the entire color base is noticeably under-saturated. Even the more unique components of the design consist mostly of black and white. WHITE FOX chooses to not completely emulate the unique style of the VN, but does a good job in keeping things recognizable while making it more digestible for an anime (e.g. characters have white pupils in the VN, but have the usual black pupils in the anime). Most of the high fidelity in this title stems from a unique clarity and attention to detail around the characters’ facial expressions, giving the characters here a much more human appearance. Sometimes, these expressions are what define certain scenes and give them their weight. This ease of understanding the emotions of the characters helps a lot with identifying and empathizing with them as the story moves along. In addition, dark imagery typical of more traditional thriller and psychological shows is used to supplement more intense moments. Every element of the visuals, the low saturation, detailed character expressions, and surreal elements of the design all contribute to the emotional peaks that are signature to the climaxes of this story.

Though the art is good, the sound design is top-tier. It does not have many distinct effects but is highlighted by master-class voice acting and soundtrack. All the original VN voice actors reprise their role in the anime, performing their roles with mostly the same voices and ranges as in the VN. Mamoru Miyano is one of the biggest names in the business, and his performance as Rintaro Okabe is a big reason he earned his name. Though they all may not have been household names when cast for the VN in 2009, other now-established names are found in the cast, including Tomokazu Seki, Yukari Tamura and KanaHana. On top of the visuals, the transparency of the emotions emanating from the characters throughout the story is also partly due to how the voice actors are really able to bring out those emotions in their roles. The music is also amazing. 'Hacking to the Gate' is a classic opening and very perfectly fits into the mold of lyrical songs across all entries of the series. There is an original OST, which is good and fits well, but VN readers will easily be able to pick up on music from the VN at many points, with the most notable uses coming at the most intense moments in the story.

As mentioned already, S;G is an emotional drama that is driven strongly by its characters. At its core, all this story is really about is a group of college kids on summer break accidentally discovering time travel. The lack of any bigger narrative places allows for placing much more emphasis on the characters. The slower development of the characters helps provide more impact for when their real roles in the story start to appear. The main cast is all around the same age. There are not too many characters to keep up with, nearly all of them introduced in the first 2 or 3 episodes, but they have a good variety in writing and visuals. Unfortunately, not all of them are created equal, as some of the side characters have screen time drastically cut in order to fit the episode constraints. Every character in the main cast has a distinct sense of 'weird' to them, what I like to call the 'band of misfits' approach. While such a style of character writing is almost ubiquitous across genres in the medium, it is executed interestingly here, again stemming to how easy it is to feel what the characters are feeling. The combination of unique behaviors and emotional clarity make for interesting interactions across all phases of the story. Some conversations between characters will almost seem incoherent with each character so far deep into their own mannerisms. Yet at the same time, the real emotions and intentions behind these interactions are clear to each character and are also clear to the viewer.

Rintaro Okabe, the MC of this story, is one of the most interesting in the entire medium. First impressions about him will vary, as his chuunibyou tendencies are notable immediately from the first few minutes of the first episode. Using the chuunibyou trope on a character of college age is a unique element, one not without risk of compromising the character. It works as well as it does because though he gives himself a fanciful exterior, the friends he has and makes along the way as well as viewers who watch him can still easily understand the core of his personality. Beneath his delusions of grandeur, he is perceptive, wears his friends on his sleeve, and is actually much more intelligent than he first appears. The aforementioned use of character expressions and voice acting helping give the characters life is most prevalent in Rintaro's case. Every maniacal laugh, look of terror, and scowl of uncertainty so clearly demonstrates exactly what he is feeling at any given time, regardless of context.

This anime is viewed by many in both Japan and the West as a top-tier anime for good reason. The combination of the unique approaches to the character writing, the old-school approach to science-fiction with the superficial yet meaningful incorporation of actual science into the story, and the deeply emotional climaxes combine to make one of the most distinct packages in the entire medium. There are few anime that use all of their elements in both story and audiovisuals to portray human emotion so clearly and effectively like S;G does. Patience and attention are needed to get through the earlier phases of the story because though it is a bit of a slog, it carries a lot of important interactions and information. As mentioned, however, the way it is written is completely by design, only serving to enhance the overall watching experience with the reward being clear by the end. This show is truly a must-watch for any anime fan, especially in the cases of those wanting to leave the battle shōnen nest and explore more of what the medium has to offer. In terms of pure creativity to its story and characters and bringing real emotions to those elements, Steins;Gate is in a league of its own.

Many see Blue Lock as the next big dog of sports animanga. Though the golden age of the sports genre has come and gone, especially with Haikyuu end's in sight, this entry strives to keep the genre alive and assert itself as a top title in the genre.

The main gist here, to put it simply, is battle shonen soccer. Each character has different 'powers' that correlate to their main skill as a player. These powers can be simple traits, such as being abnormally fast or strong, or more specific to a particular style of play, like getting to a sweet spot for a long-range ... shot on goal or having a go-to specific type of move on the ball. A lot of the on-pitch play involves how players' powers present themselves and mesh with those of their teammates and clash against those of their opponents. From the immediate onset, it is clear that this show does not give a single damn about being accurate to soccer. The main preface, which only acknowledges 1 out of many player positions in soccer, can almost be interpreted as disrespectful to the sport. It is true that scoring goals is how to win and many of the best players in the world are known for quality goal scoring, but there's more to the tactics and strategy of soccer than a one-man show of putting the ball in the net. This anime is very daring in that it basically says 'to hell with all of that', making the striker the be-all, end-all. It is understandable how this could be a turn-off for more hardcore soccer fans, as seeing soccer presented this way can be very jarring. Depending on your taste, however, it can be easy to appreciate just how differently the sport is approached here. At the surface, a team sport is turned into an individual death match on a race to the top, but over time, a core theme of this anime is a deeper aspect of that preface. As an athlete, balancing ego versus being part of a team is a dilemma that real athletes have to confront in real team sports at every level. Much of the narrative centers around how the characters use their skills and experience to find their own rationale and reasoning towards that balance, if they even choose to see it as a balance at all, and act on their findings on the pitch. Though the main plot here is as crazy as they come for a sports anime, it is clear that the creator actually knew their stuff. Many real tactics are used in matches, and if anything, are actually over-explained. In addition, some conversations characters have make references to soccer culture and even to real-life players and events. Outside of that, almost all of modern soccer convention is thrown out the door right at the start. All of that said, this is anime, where every little subject or action can easily be over-exaggerated. Staying true to real-life is no guarantee in this medium whatsoever regardless of genre.

Presence or absence of realism aside, this story suffers from two significant flaws. The first and more severe is that at too many times, it is hard to really lock in during matches as a viewer. At their best, matches are dynamic and exciting. Shots on goal are epic and momentum changes, while at an overall faster pace, are not too unlike those seen in real life matches. That said, problems quickly start to arise when players are visualizing strategies in their heads. Though that in itself is not an issue, what is an issue is that time crawls to a standstill during these monologues. They usually stem from over-explanation of tactics and/or the odd need to give every moment on the pitch an overly lengthy reaction. The match may as well be stopped while we hear the characters think and they don't exactly think in a hurry either. It becomes disruptive and especially in some of the more significant matches, gets quite annoying. Even more baffling is that there are actually times where players did strategize on the move, like in real life. The second not-as-much-but-still major problem is that there were a few too many points where the story is too predictable, most of them being in the first cour. The fact that soccer matches only have three possible outcomes, a win, loss, or draw, is an inherent disadvantage, made worse by there being times where a draw is not even applicable. This is not a blanket issue by any means though. There are still many times where this show excites and keeps you guessing, and there are more ways an on-field product is shown apart from traditional 11v11 matches. This issue more so manifests at specific points where the story is pushed into a corner after a certain event goes a certain way. In these cases, the circumstances playing out make it so that there is only one or a few perceivable ways that the following events can actually go without drastically altering the story. If this story early on gave off more of an impression of willing to make those drastic changes, this would likely be less of an issue, but that tone is never really set.

In terms of characters, there are a lot of them. Though not obvious at first glance, there is actually a decent variety to the main cast, both in mannerism and personality. Care is taken to ensure that there is an understanding for each character's reason for being in the story and their exact rationales on how they approach the events of the story. For how many characters there are, it is impressive the depth many of them have. Not every character is going to have an epic tale of a backstory, though some will get closer to that than others. Some characters have very simple reasons for their actions and reasoning, some of which are more believable and/or relatable than others. Either way, most of the characters that get a significant amount of screen time, even some more minor ones, get just the right amount of development and backstory. Spreading it out like done here is no easy feat, but credit is due for getting it right here. The only real issue is that sometimes that development comes in the middle of a match, further exacerbating the problem of matches too often lacking coherence.

The main character here, Yoichi Isagi, is another flavor of the typical shonen MC archetype, though that is not necessarily a bad thing. His personality is not necessarily unique or striking but his development is satisfying. He is a bit dense, but also reliable and usually comes through when he needs to in the big moments. His design is much less colorful and distinct than those of his counterparts, though it doesn't look particularly bad. He has the appearance of a small fish in a big pond, but in reality, he's right up there with the rest of them. His 'power' is a unique trait even in terms of actual soccer, and how he becomes more in-tune with it over time and gains confidence in his skill set as a result is good to see.

As varied as the characters are, the voices do not have as much variance. The cast is almost entirely male, with only one recurring female character, one factor as to why there isn't as much variety in this regard. There are some familiar veteran names (e.g. Nobunaga Shimazaki, Kouki Uchiyama, Hiroshi Kamiya) but many of the main characters will be voices unfamiliar to many. For how many fresh, new names there are to the cast, the voice acting is quality. Among the newer names, Kazuki Ura's performance as Yoichi Isagi is particularly impressive, as he does a great job expressing the nuances in Yoichi's changes in attitude and mindset as the series progresses. The OPs and EDs are all solid and the mostly-electronic OST is nothing worth a snuff at.

Visually, this show is certainly one of the better-looking for 2022. The fidelity and detail are high. The use of color is in a sweet spot, as the colors are all very vibrant, but there is never a feeling of over-saturation. The cherry on top are some very unique visual effects with their own sense of color and pop that help give this show its unique sense of style. These effects are usually saved for the most pivotal of moments, only serving to heighten the urgency and impact in those sequences. The approach with the character design, like with how they were written, is clearly a quantity over quality approach. None of the designs are too intricate but there is a pleasant consistency in their color, fidelity, and impact. It is likely that though you may forget a character's name, you may remember them easily based off of how they look. In a show like in this one with many characters to juggle, this effect is welcome.

The quality of play on the pitch is good at most times, but did also suffer at certain points. The aforementioned issue of inner monologues disrupting the flow of matches is the only true negative in this aspect, but can be a very big negative at times. There is some CGI sprinkled here and there but it is usually only used when showing teams running up and down the pitch and it is hardly seen in big moments of the match (sometimes, still shots are used in those big moments but these look good most of the time). Given the inherent high level of skill many of the characters have in the story, many of the moves they make on the ball are visually stunning and pleasing. Many high-skill techniques, such as back heel shots, one touch high through passes, and scorpion kicks, can be found in this show and contribute a lot to the excitement in the on-pitch play. Overall, it does not feel too much like actual soccer with all of the shonen-like 'powers' and the overall wackiness of the main premise but it comes pretty close.

Though the oddly-paced and predictable story may turn this show into a slog for some, there's a lot to gain from the physical watching experience. The art style itself is high-quality, packed with color, and has a lot of unique effects. Though the number of characters to keep up with can be a bit much at first, this show gets it right with appropriate development and memorable interactions. Don't be fooled by the soccer motif. Soccer may be what makes you come to this show, but it may or may not be what makes you stay, considering how different it is from actual soccer. If you like battle shonen but want to experience it in a new and creative way that goes past the typical action motifs, chances are you will really like what this show has to offer.

Along with isekais, high school rom-com entries have been running rampant for many a past few years. With such high volumes of content in the genre, it takes a lot to really stand out. The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten is a best-seller LN series at the time of review, and this anime adaptation came out just in time to capitalize on hype and sales.

Here we have a story between the school's pretty, universally liked girl, Mahiru, and an awkward, average guy, Amane. Ah yes, a romance trope as old as time itself. As per the description in the synopsis, the reason for their ... initial meeting is generic and not very realistic, but not much more or less so compared to similar romance anime. After their initial encounters, Mahiru and Amane both start to see each other as people to rely on in their lives, though both have different reasons for doing so. Though the way they meet and encounter each other in the first few episodes is not very natural, the way they get to know each other afterwards is for the most part, culminating in a rewarding way at the end. Though few things in this show can actually be called realistic, this show is so in the sense that someone is most likely to get into a relationship with someone else simply by getting to know who they really are as a person outside of their perceived status. For both Mahiru and Amame, they each affect each other in a way that their actual characters slowly but surely go deeper than their trope-y first impressions and they both learn that about each other throughout the show. The way the story progresses and the way the two interact fosters a proper understanding of them as people, just as they both get to know each other through their time together. There's no drama, other love interests, or long-term general threats to their relationship getting in the way in this show. There are a few side characters, whose flavors will be familiar to seasoned romance watchers, but they hardly ever move or develop independently and are almost only ever relevant when the main duo is also on-screen.

The above approaches, however, are what give birth to this show's fatal flaw story-wise, in that the main pair gets so much screen time that a lot of what happens on screen starts to feel the same with little else in place to keep the viewers' attention. The narrative lacks an X-factor that really makes it feel more worthwhile and relies too often on the same tools to keep viewers engaged. The average episode involves our main pair sitting, talking, and/or hanging out for about half the episode, if not more. Though this show does have a 'comedy' tag, the humor here is not particularly creative, as most of it involves either Mahiru or Amane bumbling and stumbling to react to something the other said or did. There will be surely be times that evoke laughs and smiles, but that's all it will ever really do well. Many of the moments themselves are cute and enjoyable, but after a certain point, it just starts to draw on excessively and many of the moments start to blur together towards the end. The scenarios that try to convey those feelings have little variety or specially unique substance to them. In the second half, these issues are most apparent. The slow burn can start to really wear on, especially given the way Mahiru and Amane start to act towards each other closer to the end. Many of their conversations and actions actually start to become predictable, a big issue considering how much this show depends on their dialogue. All of these issues end up really holding back the maximum reward to be obtained at the story's conclusion.

In terms of visuals, there is little to really be impressed about. Project No. 9 is not really known for blowing viewers away visually, and this show is no different. The basic character designs meet the demands of the fundamental tropes the characters are built around, and the designs themselves are good. The actual style is 'realistic' by anime standards, with all the characters all having relatively human-like features. Mahiru is cute as expected, and Amane is decently-looking as well. The issue is that after the first couple episodes, noticeable inconsistencies start to appear and at times, it can look properly bad. Otherwise, everything else can almost be described as normal. The color saturation is normal. The lighting is normal. The backdrops are few and generic, with a majority of events taking place either at school or at the apartment complex the main pair live at.

Sound-wise, things fare better. The seiyuu performances do a good job complementing the growth of Mahiru and Amane's relationship throughout the show. As they get closer with each other, they become more ever so more expressive with each other and the seiyuu performances do a good job conveying that. Manaka Iwami is a name I really look forward to seeing in shows in the future. Even in this same Winter '23 season, I loved her performance as Euphie from MagiRevo. That digression aside, her exact cadences and tones as Mahiru are just the slightest bit off. One of the more unique parts to Mahiru's character is that though she does not always show it, she is actually quite snarky and it is solely in this regard that her voice doesn't match well. It comes off as too cute and comes up short in conveying that blunt edge she has. Amane's voice did match well but was also a bit more generic. The music was all fine. The OP and EDs were nice. The OST did the job it needed, but none of it really elevated anything.

The entire package of this show lacks creativity and the slow, repetitive story lines can really test a viewer's patience depending on their tastes. With all the negatives mentioned though, there is one big positive and that is the wholesome take that had not really gotten much love in modern mainstream romance anime until the late 2010s. As mentioned, this is a mostly drama-free story. It is simply a boy and a girl getting to know each other in the purest sense. To many, it may come off as just another self-insert fantasy given how they meet initially. As with a lot of these kinds of stories, the main appeal of this story is the waifu. On the other hand, this series earns its respect through the development given to both characters. A benefit to the overabundant screen time is that though the romance is slow nearly to the point it actually hurts the story, good enough perspective is given from both sides. While at first Amane is spoiled rotten by Mahiru and does come to depend on her, they still both bring their equal share of their own feelings, mindsets, and personalities to contribute to their pairing and this show does a good job in making that clear.

In the end, this show would have strongly benefited from simply having another 'thing' to have move alongside the story and keep things fresh, like some of its superior counterparts have (e.g. cosplay story lines in 'My Dress Up Darling', use and variety of side characters in 'Horimiya'). If romance is your go-to genre, most of what is here has been presented before, just not in the package it is presented in. If you end up watching this, you may like it because it's wholesome, but you also may not, since it's relatively generic and not the most pleasant thing to actually watch. I don't carry many bad feelings with watching this show nor did I feel like I wasted my time watching it, but it was just missing just a bit of something more to make it a higher-tier romance story.