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May 5, 2023
The studio that brought the amazing world and plot of Evangelion brings yet another absolute banger with the art on par of Kill La Kill, which I love. Not to mention the scale of the battles at the end rivals that of even current day Dragon Ball which is saying a LOT. This has to be one of the most enthralling anime to ever exist. Did I mention they manage all of this perfection in 2007?! Insanity. The score, imagery, colors, art style, direction, pacing, its all just about as perfect as a piece of media can get. You'll like it even if you're not
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specifically into mech anime's but shonen in general.
We don't talk about episode 4 though. Shit looked terrible (which apparently was intended or something but it was BAD) and the plot was all over the place. The characters it introduced were great though. That's the episode's one redeeming factor.
Series is still an easy 10 and is one of the greatest anime of all time no contest.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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May 16, 2022
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, or Your Lie in April, is a very unique and special anime to me. I am not heavily into classical music or piano music much at all, and I can't believe I even decided to click on an anime with one of the main tags being "music" at all, but I am really glad I did. This anime is a goddamn blast and the music takes you for an emotional ride.
The show follows Kousei Arima, a piano-playing prodigy raised by his mother and mother's friend Hiroko Seto (who has a daughter named Koharu Seto who is absolutely
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adorable by the way), especially when his mother gets sick. His mother pushes him to learn how to play piano perfectly as the song and notes are displayed on his sheet music. She does this through normal means like giving tips and guiding her son to the "correct" way of playing and being supportive and kind but then she gets some diagnosis that ends up terminal which makes her become pretty despicable as she panics about what little time she has to teach her son so much. She turns to yelling at him until he nails the musical piece and beating him with her cane, etc. He of course has to hide the marks left behind from this from his friends but when he goes to the competitions his mother taught him how to win he neglects to do this so the public perception of him is that he's an impressive piano player to the point that he's perfect and unbeatable but also that he has a miserable home life and is his mother's piano puppet. He eventually snaps under the pressure of his mom's assaults on him as she hits him with her cane in the middle of the competition hall, telling her he wishes she would die, and soon after she does. Kousei then pretty much lives alone after that as his dad has a traveling job with clients. Like we literally never even see a photo of this dude or more than one reference to him (upon a Google search we see him once in a flashback...guess I missed it). But it's okay because he lives nearby a certain friend. Kousei snaps for good soon after in the middle of his performance and can never bring himself to play piano again. That is until he is brought on a double date with his friends Tsubaki Sawabe (whom he lives next to) and Ryouta Watari. Tsubaki forces Kousei to come as her "date" but really just doesn't want to be a third wheel to Watari and his date. This date is Kaori Miyazono, who Kousei meets in the park and finds out she's a great violinist. Kaori then brings the three to one of her violin performances and Kousei is awe-struck by how beautiful Kaori is. Kaori also plays the violin too erratically, scaring off her piano playing partner and so she appoints Kousei as her new piano partner by force. He eventually tells his friends about the trauma holding him back from being her accompanist and from playing the piano whatsoever, in specific that he can't hear his own playing but just his fingers hitting the keys and other people playing music, and the three help get Kousei into piano playing shape like in his past. Finally the day comes and Kousei and Kaori play together, but Kousei's pesky trauma holds him back from hearing his own playing and he eventually gives up mid performance on Kaori. But they start up again because Kaori is no quitter and Kousei continues to power through his trauma because of this act of kindness from Kaori. Kousei eventually meets his old rivals from his childhood competitions Emi Igawa and Takeshi Aiza (who reminds me a lot of Sora).
Okay there's my mostly-comprehensible summary of a good chunk of the story. Now for my favorite parts of the show. First off, the facial designs of the characters in this show is odd at first when comparing it to most other anime but you really come to love it over time. Also, the fact that Kousei can't hear his own playing being supplemented by his other senses is so cool, from him actively seeing his hitting the keys too hard and knowing it sounds wrong without actually hearing it to the metaphorical colors his music gives off of him that he can feel is what he is actually trying to convey in his music is awesome, super creative. In the episode where all the main students set off small fireworks and one of them asks Kaori what she wants to do after middle school and right after that Kaori's sparkler dies out right after the episode titled "Light of Life" is brutal but clever foreshadowing for the ending. I also really liked how they made Kousei's middle school events largely parallel his younger childhood events as he desperately tries to unlock his childlike side he lost due to all of his mom's grueling lessons and brutal teaching style. The way that this show portrays per-preformance stage fright and then takes it a step further by making the viewer also feel the anxiety of the musical performer throughout their performance, especially with Kousei as his trauma can cause him to lose control of his playing at any moment, is really awesome and really puts you in their shoes. This show also really knows how to do repetition of key lines and scenes without making it feel too overdone or forced which I greatly appreciate. I really loved the subtle detail of the music room calendar not getting flipped to the next month and instead being shown to be unchanged throughout the middle of the show to signify that Kousei's time stopped once Kaori was hospitalized. The theme of time stopping and flowing is a common one in the show and its very cool how the writers utilize it. From Kaori wanting more time or for time to stop, Kousei wanting time to start for him again and stop being stuck in the past due to his trauma, or Tsubaki wanting time to stop as she's afraid of change, or more specifically losing her friends and crush, which brings me to my next detail. I liked how Tsubaki describes her time with Kousei in such great detail so that she can truly remember it all and it shows she is truly taking in the moment and realizing how happy she is right then with Kousei. Doing this is how she slowly realizes she's had a crush on him for a long time. With him she's pure bliss and its nice. The writers also really nailed how irrational middle-schoolers can be with their feelings they don't fully understand. Sometimes they're just really dumb and its relatable really. The music in this show is top tier as well, great job whoever performed it! The art is really pretty too besides the little comedy bits they include in there sometimes. The way that Kaori keeps this huge plan she was carrying out so well hidden until after her death that its barely foreshadowed or clued towards across all episodes is so cool and impressive. She even planned ahead for after her death and how the relations between her friends would go. It really demonstrates her character better than anything. Dying in middle school sounds so sad man. Lastly, I want to shout out Nao Kashiwagi, Tsubaki's best friend. She is the most underrated character in the show. Absolute MVP of it all. She is constantly rational and calls Tsubaki out for lying to herself the entire show. She is the voice of reason and she's great.
But of course I didn't rate this a 10, and its really a bunch of petty reasons so here. So for the first 5 episodes his two main friends Tsubaki and Watari are just relentless about this dude starting up piano playing again, like they saw firsthand how much his mom kept him inside and I'm sure they noticed the bruises and put 2 and 2 together by now which is why I can't believe how much they physically assault this dude after all he's been through when he explains how he quite literally cant play piano anymore as he can't hear his own notes due to his past trauma. It's just crazy to me. I get that Tsubaki at least is going for the tsundere angle with Kousei whether she realizes it or not but dang I figured they'd at least be sensitive to that, but middle schoolers can be pretty huge jerks too so I'm unsure. Either way they stop doing it almost entirely later on so that's nice. The close-ups of the hands playing piano are 3D animated and for 2014 they're good but still a bit grating on the eyes at first, but that becomes mostly irrelevant later on as the emotion behind the music often distracts you from it. Lastly, they have this absolute banger of a first opening for this anime. I listen to a good amount of anime intros regularly and this is easily like top 5 ever. But halfway through the show the producers change it to something that's okay but nowhere near as powerful or catchy as the first. I get that you sometimes need to change the introduction midway through the run of a show so the song doesn't feel stale and so you can animated more clues into the next intro sequence but maaaan...at least make the better song OP2 so you can finish strong. I will say that both OPs are visually stunning all the same, I'm just complaining about the song itself. I at least expected them to supplement that weaker second song by using the first opening to close out the show somewhere in the last episode as a nice powerful send-off but nope.
Overall absolutely terrific show and its one of a kind in my eyes. My review doesn't do it nearly enough justice I'm just voicing what I loved about this beautiful anime. Go watch it yourself!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 11, 2022
Toradora! is an absolute masterclass in romantic comedy anime.
The show revolves around Ryuuji Takasu who is a high school student that struggles with his intimidating appearance juxtaposing his kind nature in a way that makes everyone at his school fear him before he even speaks a word to them. Ryuuji has a few friends in his new class that know the true personality behind his scary eyes and they keep him company until others in his classroom warm up to him and find that there's more that meets the eye to him, the main two of those being Minori Kushieda and Yuusaku Kitamura. Ryuuji, soon
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after beginning his new class year, meets the girl next door to him, Taiga Aisaka. Ryuuji also lives with his mom who is his sole guardian and loves him to death no matter what. The cast of main characters is built upon from there as the show goes on, but that's for you to see for yourself.
As I just mentioned the main players in the show I may as well begin there. The characters in this show are all delightfully funny, unique and relatable. Ryuuji can be stern when he needs to and sensitive in other situations. He's a truly believable high school kid with humorous secrets revolving around his crush, a lack of self-confidence due to his menacing looks he got from his father, and a unwavering desire to do the right thing even if he messes up while trying to carry out this ideal. Minori is an outgoing girl with incalculable drive to better herself both physically and financially, a selfless demeanor no matter the consequences, and a hidden more complex mindset behind the constantly smiling face she wears in public. Kitamura is a genius who is on the student council and is constantly keeping himself busy in a similar fashion to Minori, though he manages to take it a step further than her somehow. He's a perceptive and bright individual who is nearly unshakeable in his motives, is very prone to cooperating with others, plans many events with the student council in the hopes that his class and the rest of the school enjoy them, he's funny and he has a big heart. Taiga is an individual who looks welcoming and friendly due to her long and well-kept curly hair along with her short stature making her seem like a doll come to life, but she, like Ryuuji, is the polar opposite of her appearance as she has managed to intimidate her entire classroom (except for Minori and Kitamura who understand her true personality behind the surface) and has violent tendencies when solving her problems or conflicts with others. She later opens up to her friends, including her new acquaintance Ryuuji, and she shows her softer side that longs for meaningful connections and eventually, love. She's a tsundere for those experienced with anime terms. However, her character is a lot more well-written than most tsundere as she isn't extremely obnoxious for much of the show and has a truly complex mindset behind her rough and tough exterior. More incredibly unique and complex characters arrive throughout the show's progression, but again I leave that for you to experience on your own. I couldn't do these characters, nor their interesting and meaningful character growth, justice in my words. They are all very believable characters too which makes this show that much more special.
The story is very well done and intriguing. The world is decently built out, the plot keeps you on your toes almost constantly with how many surprises and curve balls the show pulls out. I truly didn't know where the relationships between the characters would end up by the end of the series. The romantic triangle, or even square, in this show is fleshed out beyond belief. It all connects and makes meaningful sense without sounding forced or cliché. Feelings of all the characters are constantly evolving and are as such often on the line of getting hurt due to other characters feelings themselves. The story also takes the main cast (and other classmates who are also decently fleshed out and consistent despite not even being main characters which I appreciate greatly) to many different interesting and visually appealing settings. All the way to the last episode the show managed to surprise me with its plot line, it's definitely not a predictable show. I'd also call it very unique in the way it manages to weave its way from start to finish. If you like romantic anime or comedy anime or both this is the show for you even if you've seen dozens of them and the plot points are starting to get too common or predictable for you as this show truly deviates from most of those. As a huge fan of rom-com anime I can confirm that much to you.
The art in this show is very visually appealing honestly. The main characters are all fairly unique in their intricate facial features, Taiga especially. Her face is truly iconic in the anime community, especially since she's one of the most well-known tsundere out there but also because her design is appealing and cute. The settings of the show are also well-drawn, nothing ground-breaking but appealing nonetheless. I really enjoyed how the food was drawn, and that's important since Ryuuji is cooking fairly often in the show for his mother who is often too busy sleeping or at work to do it herself.
The soundtrack and sound design was quite well done as well. The audio producer definitely knew how to fit tracks to scene tone's. I enjoyed every single song in the show, no lie. None of them ever felt in the way of the mood, like they had been overused and now felt grating, or that they simply weren't well produced songs. They amplified the feelings of the scene they were played behind well.
I thoroughly enjoyed this series from start to finish, so much so that I often found myself going to the next episode to continue the plot of this show regardless of time constraints I may have had. I also found myself going "Wow, the episode is over already? That didn't feel like 20 minutes at all." It made me laugh often, smile even more so, and even cry at things I didn't expect to cry at. The narrative in this show is truly compelling and one-of-a-kind in my view. I cannot recommend you watch this more, especially if you're into romance anime or romance/comedy anime, but even if you don't usually venture into those genres this show is still well written outside of those interactions and you may find yourself enjoying the show regardless.
This last part is just for little things throughout the show that I noticed and felt they were interesting enough to comment upon. The symbolism of the two birds throughout the show was a really nice touch, which I believe are supposed to symbolize the two main romantic partners in the show (which you will know if you watch this amazing anime). I also enjoyed the symbolism of the star throughout the show that clearly denotes the small but bright character that often feels alone. I enjoyed the use of the word "shining" to describe Ryuuji in the show as well as it connected directly to the star symbolism as stars are known for their bright shine. I also enjoyed the way that Ryuuji and Taiga are deliberately written to be exact opposites in their main character traits, with Taiga being small and cute but actually being quite intimidating to those around her (save for a few individuals with special places in her heart, but even then she is still quite headstrong) and Ryuuji being tall and rougher-looking while actually being a sweet guy with a small ego and one who enjoys housework, especially cleaning. It's a fun juxtaposition and makes the way the story plays out in the end even more unique. Lastly, shout out to Minori and Kitamura for being selfless as hell throughout the show, its admirable. They're definitely MVPs of this show, along with another individual who comes along later. Watch the show to find out who I mean! Enjoy!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 6, 2022
This show is an experience like no other. I’d recommend watching it yourself rather than reading this review as there is no way to possibly put what I watched into words accurately. It’s a show you have to see to know if you will enjoy it or not, as in it isn’t exactly recommendable.
That being said and done, I have a love-hate relationship with this show. I have never felt such hopelessness and confusion that this show subjected me too, but it was an interesting and even somewhat enlightening experience as well. Every time you think you understand the show it digs deeper and
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becomes more complex. I genuinely will never know what the show meant to convey in its entirety but I liked what I saw and what I interpreted. The ending is very odd though, to put it spoiler-free.
On a more surface-level basis, the art is unique and visually pleasing, the sound is great and the intro is personally what I consider to be the greatest anime introduction ever, both musically and visually. The song is a banger no matter the occasion and the visuals are drenched in deeper meanings you slowly unravel throughout watching the show. The characters were good but ultimately I felt didn't get fleshed out enough both individually as well as their relationships between each other, though that seems deliberate to the show's meaning, just for me personally left me lacking some closure. I enjoyed the show greatly but some parts were very uncomfortable, gory and raw so I warn you of that. This was also deliberate by the creators of this anime and I enjoyed the unfiltered emotions and visuals even if they were uncomfortable to face or process. I enjoy an anime that takes risks, and this one takes just about all of them.
A noteworthy humorous part is the incredibly long pauses between character interactions that occur a few times throughout the show. Those stuck with me for one reason or another and I felt I should include them in my review.
A timeless anime that is, in my view, one of a kind.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 1, 2022
I've never cried multiple times while watching a single anime movie before. There's a first for everything I guess.
This movie is absolutely magnificent. If you've already seen all the previous episodes of the Violet Evergarden series, the special, and/or the movie previous to this one this movie incorporates a lot of elements from those movies directly into this one unlike anything in the series prior. I recommend watching the prior entries to the series before watching this movie as it does so much justice to the happenings in the series as a whole.
That being said, if you're a newcomer to this series and decided that
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you would like to watch this as your first venture into Violet Evergarden or even have this be your only piece from this series that you'll watch the movie still explains the plot in great detail and you will not be lost story-wise in the slightest, at most you'll miss a few small callbacks and Easter eggs. The movie offers top notch plot lines, breathtaking visuals, realistic sound design, a powerful soundtrack, and characters that are well fleshed out that feel real and that you can likely relate to.
I could not recommend this movie more. I hope you enjoy/enjoyed it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 28, 2022
((Review contains spoilers))
This movie was absolutely terrific for most of its runtime with incredible art and stylistic choices, amazing parallels, beautiful character growth and a wonderful soundtrack. I would have rated it a masterpiece (a 10 on this website) if not for the issue I have with the ending.
While in the movie Taylor does state her reason for not meeting Amy, I just feel this is an unrealistic situation where this very young girl would ignore her instinctual idea to go and not only meet her sister who she has been forcefully separated from for years
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but also forego comforting her sister as she begins crying due to Taylor's first letter to her. Not only did it not make sense realistically, it didn't make sense for the plot line as it seems to me as if that's what the movie dialogue and actions imply would happen. Benedict even glances over at the exact spot in the bushes Taylor is at and even comments on her crying similar to her older sister, albeit quietly. I just don't see how Amy wouldn't notice that either. Further, when Taylor states her reason for not meeting Amy in person she does say she will meet her in person eventually once she becomes a mail woman and can deliver her own letters to her sister. I wish they would have shown us even a glimpse of that interaction in the future with some sort of time skip at the very end of the movie. I do like that they at least confirm they will someday meet and give the viewer that closure but it felt like a tease to foreshadow it occurring and then never showing this fated meeting on screen.
Once again, I loved this move nonetheless I just think it would have been perfect for the two to meet after so long. I would have bawled a lot, that's for sure.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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